Discipleship 101 – The Biggest Obstacle

September 13, 2010

As my sixth class of 25 Forge students arrived this past week, I couldn’t help but notice what I consider to be one of the most difficult obstacles in making disciples.  As the students lugged their belongings into the apartments and began to get to know one another, I kept thinking about all that was involved in getting them here:  a lengthy application process, an interview, then an acceptance commitment, then several packets of information, lots of phone calls, scheduled arrival times, and, finally, a welcome dinner for the students and their families (just to name a few).

That’s when it hit me:

Continue reading “Discipleship 101 – The Biggest Obstacle”

Top 10 Excuses for not Making Disciples

August 27, 2010

When I was in college I was fortunate enough to have a man not only impart the Gospel to me, but also his very life as well (1 Thes. 2:8).  I would not be the minister I am today without his investment in my life.  In fact, being his disciple for two years has had more impact on the way I do ministry today than my seminary education did.

Unfortunately, I find my story to be a rare one.  Whether in the lives of the college students I work with on a regular basis, my peers, or even other believers who are older than me, few have been discipled.  Too few.  Alarmingly few.

How can this be?  It is one of the most fundamental elements of being a follower of Jesus – and yet there are few who are being obedient.  How are we okay with this?  Simple.  We’ve come up with some really good excuses.  Actually, they’re really lame – but we seem to think they justify our obstinance.  Here are 10 that I hear all too frequently:

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Why Are We So Busy?

August 18, 2010

“I have often said that the sole cause of man’s unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his room.”  -Blaise Pascal

I learned really quickly in high school that you are not supposed to sit at home in your room on a Friday night.  In fact, it would be better to go out with a group of people you don’t even want to be around than to stay at home in your room and do nothing.  No one who has a social life is at home by themselves on a Friday night.  You just don’t do that.  Remember? Continue reading “Why Are We So Busy?”

I Still Want Our Hymns Back

June 6, 2010
As I was doing research for a Bible study, I came across some articles and commentaries about the hallel.  It was a collection of songs that Jews would sing during their festivals and holidays.  These songs have been sung by the Jewish people year after year for thousands of years.  They were written to commemorate stories of Israel’s past that she wasn’t to forget.  They were written to praise God for His work during those stories.  They were written to unite the people who sing them.  Those songs, they would say, are “ours.”

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I Want Our Hymns Back

January 17, 2010

The songs we sing in church have changed – and I’m not so sure I like the trend.

10 years ago churches were wrestling with the issue of what to do with ‘traditional’ services. Hymns vs. contemporary praise music was a divisive issue that church leaders had to wrestle with consistently. Today, the issue is all but gone. It is difficult to even find a church that offers a traditional service any longer. What happened?! Continue reading “I Want Our Hymns Back”