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Don’t Get Caught in the Trap of Comparison
Most of my life I’ve struggled with inferiority. I compared myself to other men and felt I didn’t measure up—either because of wealth, success, physique or athletic ability. Then when…
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Let Your Disciples See How God Works Through You
When Jesus went to pray for Jarius’ daughter, He allowed Peter, James and John to stay with him in the room. They were watching when Jesus sent all the mourners…
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Discipleship Is the Most Rewarding Investment You Can Make
Ten years ago I started investing in a guy named Mike. We prayed together about his struggles in college. I counseled him about his girlfriend. I listened and offered coaching…
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Surrender to God’s Ability and He Will Use You
I recently finished a mission trip to Australia. I flew 23 hours to the city of Perth, which is “the ends of the earth” from my home. I preached in…
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You Need a ‘God-Sized’ Love for Your Disciples
Sometimes we can grow tired of discipling people. It’s hard work! It involves many meetings, phone calls, listening to problems and offering counsel. It can be draining when your disciples…
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Why Confession Is Important in Discipleship
When we confess our sins to Jesus, the stain of our past is totally removed. We are justified and made righteous. We are no longer guilty of our sins. Hallelujah!…
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Don’t Limit Your Disciples–Push Them to Exceed You!
Several years ago I prayed for a young guy named Sam Kyle at his church in Pittsburgh. He was a high school senior, but I continued investing in him during…
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Discipleship Is Multicultural
The apostle Paul loved foreigners. He was raised in a “Jewish only” culture, but God called him to the Gentiles. Many of Paul’s disciples were foreign. Timothy was half Greek,…
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Empower Your Disciples With Opportunity
Recently I took my friend Hao Xu on a trip to Guatemala. He came to be mentored, but I didn’t want him to just watch while I preached. I let…
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Let God Do His Work to Change People
Moses turned water into blood—that was the first of 10 deadly plagues in Egypt. But Jesus turned water into wine—that was His first miracle (see John 2:7-11). This shows us…
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Give Your Disciples Your Time
I love to read about the apostle Paul’s journeys—not just because of the adventure, the miracles or the narrow escapes, but also because of the way Paul modeled relational discipleship.…
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You Need Some God-Sized Goals
The apostle Paul had big goals. He was determined to preach to Caesar in Rome, and not even a shipwreck stopped him. He also had a goal to preach in…
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Build Your Disciples Through Encouragement
I love the moment in Scripture when Jesus changed Simon’s name. He said: “Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah…I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this…
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Don’t Be a Wimp When Trials Come!
The apostle Paul’s ministry wasn’t easy. He was imprisoned, beaten, criticized and shipwrecked. Yet he served God with great joy. When he was stoned and left for dead in Iconium,…
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Focus on the One, Not the Crowd
A few weeks ago I spoke at a church in Virginia where Brandon McPherson is the young adult pastor. I’ve been mentoring Brandon for a few years. I was glad…
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Don’t Be Discouraged By Your Weaknesses
Do you struggle with unclean thoughts, wrong desires or bad habits? Of course you do! We are all human, and we often feel the pull of our sinful nature dragging…
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Discipleship Is About Spiritual Pursuit
When the time came for Elijah to leave this earth, Elisha chased him all the way from Gilgal to the Jordan River. He refused to let his mentor leave his…
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Talk to God About Your Disciples!
One of the best ways to “grow” your disciples is through prayer. While they need you to talk to them about God, they also need you to talk to God…
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You Must Be a Fighter
I love Caleb in the Bible. He was a man of faith who fought for 45 years to take the land of Israel. And when he was 85, he could…
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You Need Resistance Training
I’m learning a lot about spiritual growth these days as I do my new fitness routine. I’m sure you know RESISTANCE is the only way to build muscle. Whether you…
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True Discipleship Is Not About You!
In Luke 5:17-26 we read about some unidentified men who brought a paralyzed guy to Jesus. The crowd was so huge that the men climbed on the roof, tore away…
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You Must Learn the Secret of Transparency
James 5:16 calls us to live an open life: “Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you will be healed.” You must learn to…
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You Need ‘Protein’ to Get Spiritually Strong
1 John 2:14 says: “I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” If…