All in Discipleship
Authenticity is not only seen in big, dramatic moments. More often, authenticity is found in the small, daily decisions that have earned your credibility. It is not about being liked; it is about being trusted because of your consistency and clear values.
I’ve been thinking about the faces of those who have sat at my table. After reading this Matthew 9:10-13, a few questions settled in my heart: What do they look like? What’s their story? What questions of faith are they asking? Do they know Jesus?
It must be said from the outset that the “protagonistés” (main character) of this parable is the father who embodies God’s forgiving love for sinners.
Ministry can sometimes feel like sailing into the wind—navigating competing needs, weary congregations, complex situations, and quiet pressures. And in a world enamored with metrics, driven by measurable outcomes and focused on the correct formula for success, it is easy to forget that the kingdom of God does not advance in this way. It advances by the breath of the Holy Spirit.
You can even begin just by acknowledging the seemingly tiny things that spark a smile, or lift your spirit even the smallest bit. Recognize these as glimmers in your day. Each positive moment collected contributes to a more fulfilling life.
When we believe, we share in his death through baptism. We live in community, partaking of his body and blood when we assemble together. But life is still hard. Jesus himself reminded his followers that they would have trouble in this world—but to take heart because he has overcome the world.
For Jesus, the concept of neighbor transcends ethnic, social, religious and economic differences. His teaching is a challenge to each of us because we are reluctant to help others, especially when they are not connected in any way to us.
Barnabas showed us that encouragement is not soft – it's bold, visionary, generous, and healing. Encouragement isn’t always flashy, but it builds the church. It is leadership at its finest.
Christ approached her and gently put his arm around her, and said, “My daughter, I do not want you to be deceived, so I must tell you that you did not pass this test. Satan has overcome you and you did not know it. And I have now come to tell you to repent. For it is not the poor that you love, but yourself.”
What happens in Isaiah 11 is incredible. You have our Father in heaven partnering with His creation to foretell of His Son who is embraced and empowered by God’s Spirit. This is just one of many passages that show us the harmony and majesty with which our God is Triune. God affirms the way that His Son is empowered by God’s Spirit.
One of the struggles for many new Christians is that everything is not immediately different. In fact, they soon realize that there are still many struggles and battles to be fought. Temptation, sickness, poverty, and difficult relationships are not always instantly better just because we are born again. We spend time reminding our new brothers and sisters that this world is not our true home.
Here is an invitation whose ambiguity begets a kind of clarity. What does it mean to turn my Bible into prayer? I’m not quite sure, to be honest. And yet, it seems that saying it exactly that way reveals something about the nature both of the Bible and of prayer.
When I imagine heaven, I don’t think about riches or a lack of struggle. I really only imagine two things: God and people being present. Beyond that, I don’t really care what else is there. Gold being there would be great, but I’ll take dirt just as well.
Is God really hearing? Is he aware of our pain? Does he care? Yes, he does. He hears and is aware and cares. He will respond. He will do justice. He will do justice for us, and quickly. Let us “always pray and not give up.”
Educators have long been familiar with the concept of a flipped classroom as a teaching tool. I have employed this method in a few of my classes when it comes to teaching additional material, books, and even sections of story and prophecy to explain. When the students have the opportunity to focus on one section of Scripture with the end goal of having to explain it, they have to grasp it at a deeper level.
There is the reality that the dying process may be painful, both emotionally and physically. Sometimes death is sudden, due to accidents, heart attacks, or even violence. But the day is coming when death will be no more. That is the promise of Revelation 21:4. No more death. No more mourning. No more pain.
Two young students spent the semester reading and doing ethnographic research on the topics of worship and burnout in churches. Here’s a taste of their findings.
These three convictions—everything we do derives from God’s doing, we are stewards of people, and God calls us not to a task but a people—provide something significant to us as leaders in our communities of faith. Even when we have persons that God entrusts to us that are “extra grace required,” persons full of anxiety, or those who are clothed in self-righteousness, we can find and hold space to care for them.
As a spectator of the roller-coaster ride sport fans experience with player trades, injuries, coach firings, etc., I see a parallel lesson for believers about having confidence that good things are yet to come in the absence of proof. For Christians, no matter how long we travel in the valley, we will crest the peak once more.
When people see me, do they just see a better-than-average person? Or do they see me acting in the world around me in the same way Jesus would act? Do my moral and ethical standards match his? Do I treat all people the same way he did? The answers to these questions will determine how effective I am as an evangelist.
