Preach and Normalize Being a Disciple of Jesus
In a previous article on preaching and normalizing “King Jesus,” I argued that we want to avoid the false dichotomy of “King Jesus” vs. “Savior Jesus” by integrating and synthesizing the two. That is to say that Jesus can only be a savior because He is first the King. What I mean when I say […]
6 Discipleship Insights We Learn from Watching Jesus with Disciples
Watching Jesus with disciples is one of the best ways we learn to disciple others. There are a lot of healthy conversations in churches and Christian leadership about discipleship methods. What model or program works best? As we read through the Gospels, we see steps to discipleship in Jesus’ own method of discipling people. The […]
Why Did Jesus Pick Fishermen? Answer: The Gospel.
A good joke leads an audience down one path (the setup), but then jolts them with an unexpected turn at the end (the punchline). In the first chapter of Mark’s Gospel, we may not read any jokes, but we experience an unexpected twist. Mark 1:15 gets us going down one path. Jesus begins his ministry […]
Sermon on the Mount: Crowds or Disciples?
*Editor’s Note: This is the second article in a 13-part series on the Beatitudes. Here’s the complete list of articles in the series: Who Does Jesus Think He Is? Crowds or Disciples? The Sermon’s Most Important Word The Pursuit of Happiness Poor in Spirit God’s Answer to the Problem of Evil Meekness Hunger and Thirst […]
Fishing & Faith
Everywhere I looked, there was someone sitting in the grass or on stone ledges where they could get a nice view of the Sea of Galilee from the Mount of Beatitudes. In the distance, I could see one of the modern replicas of ancient fishing boats moving through the water at a steady pace. Just […]
A Prophet for our Times
“People tend to turn to astrology in times of stress,” writes Atlantic columnist Julie Beck. While the New Age boom of the 1970s mellowed, some of its practices, such as utilizing the zodiac, have gone mainstream with millennials. They are hungry to hear from beyond. It was common in the ancient world to seek truth […]
Rabbis and Their Disciples between the 1st Century B.C. and the 2nd Century A.D.
The word rabbi means “my master” in Hebrew. A rabbi is a Jewish religious leader. Some rabbis lead congregations (synagogues), others are teachers, and yet others lead informally. Rabbinic ordination is known as semichah. Semichah is done by three other rabbis who are in good standing with the community. After examinations and tests, the three rabbis […]
Do You Know What You’re Asking for Your Kids?
Mothers can be bold. Unabashedly so. When it comes to our kids, it’s easy to assume the sky is the limit—and we don’t flinch in asking for it. Unfortunately, that sometimes carries over into our prayer life, as we make our requests known before the Lord. But do we always know what we are asking? […]
