Discipleship

Jul 17, 2022

Are "calling" and "purpose" the same thing?

I used to think so and said so in print. Now I'm changing my mind.

Mar 1, 2021

Maybe following Jesus isn't so great

A word’s meaning has been changing, and I haven’t realized it. I’m pretty sure the church hasn’t either.

Mar 17, 2020

How to do church at home without streaming

COVID-19 quarantine got you down? Do church, don't just watch it. No experience necessary.

Jul 5, 2019

What is "the pursuit of happiness"?

The phrase in the Declaration of Independence meant more to the Founders than we ever would have thought.

Apr 4, 2018

Why the book you gave him didn't change him

"Read this book. It'll help." Maybe. You can probably name books, articles, poems, lectures, interviews, or films that shaped you in a...

Jan 30, 2018

The 3 things I want in a church

Since I stepped down from my job as a pastor a month ago, I've been in a novel position: looking for a church to go to as an ordinary...

Dec 7, 2017

Dead ends, social justice, and the gospel

In a couple previous posts (here and here) I've been meditating on how the gospel—the good news of Jesus—is the solution to all human...

Nov 28, 2017

All our problems

A couple months ago I wrote a meditation on how the gospel of Jesus Christ solves all our problems. I have continued thinking about this...

Sep 26, 2017

4 kinds of discipleship content and how to deliver them

Caravaggio, Supper at Emmaus (1601) Discipleship means learning. (The Greek word for "disciple," mathétes, means "learner.") Making...

Sep 18, 2017

How the gospel solves all our problems

I've been thinking a lot lately about what it means to apply the good news of Jesus Christ—a.k.a., the gospel—to one's life. A number of...

Jul 10, 2017

The 7 critical questions of church discipleship strategy

When a church develops (or redevelops) its strategy for ensuring that believers become disciples who grow and multiply, there are seven...

Jun 12, 2017

The 4 ingredients of personal change

What are the basic ingredients of positive character change? Four: distress, truth, the Holy Spirit, and intimacy. Distress is the...