Writing to Help You Find and Share the Hope of Jesus
"For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace." John 1:16 Over the past couple years, many of us have probably complained at some point about different supply shortages that popped up as a result of the pandemic disruptions. I was talking to the owner of the coffee shop in our town earlier … Continue reading Disruptions In The Grace Supply Chain
“[S]eek to show hospitality.”Romans 12:13 When my wife and I moved to South Dakota in 2004, I was not following Jesus. My wife Marie was really the only reason I went to church then. At Marie’s prompting, we visited church after church. We would slip in and out each Sunday without anyone ever really engaging … Continue reading Compelled To Welcome: Hospitality And The Great Commission
I’ve talked to many people who are intimidated by the name “mentoring.” They don’t feel like they’re knowledgeable enough, experienced enough, or mature enough, to be a mentor. So instead of seeing that as a reason to step out of their comfort zone and grow, they instead use it as an excuse to remain where … Continue reading Mentoring. Discipling. Don’t Let The Name Scare You
He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.Psalm 25:9 When Christians think of the Great Commission, hopefully the phrase “make disciples” comes to mind. (Matt 28:19-20) We obey the Great Commission when we make disciples - baptizing people in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and … Continue reading Want To Make Disciples? Consider First How To Be Discipled
[E]quip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.”Ephesians 4:12 If you ask my two pre-teen daughters what my most frequent “Dadism” is, they’d probably tell you it’s, “You need to learn to cut your own pancakes.” This is my go-to line whenever they expect mom or dad to … Continue reading “Learn To Cut Your Own Pancakes”: The Forgotten Priority of Equipping
As the school year ends, my daughter Kayla is finishing up her first year of playing clarinet in her school band. Playing clarinet quickly became one of her favorite things this year. She learned and improved so fast over the year, which we were very thankful for given some of those first practices at home … Continue reading Learning in Layers: What School Band Teaches Us About Growing As Disciples
“Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”Matthew 7:14 (KJV) My family and I recently returned from a vacation to visit family in western North Carolina. Coming from west central Minnesota where our roads are wide and straight, the narrow, winding mountain … Continue reading Straight Methods, Narrow Message
And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows.1 Thessalonians 3:12 At our ATLAS Mentor Workshops, we spend a fair amount of time talking about what motivates us to make disciples through mentoring relationships. If we’re firmly rooted in the … Continue reading Mentoring: Harnessing God’s Overflowing Love
The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.Matthew 9:37 There are many more people wanting to be discipled than there are Christians willing to disciple them. That’s the difficult truth I’ve learned working with ATLAS of West Central Minnesota, a mentor-based disciple-making ministry in Willmar, MN. There are more people wanting to grow in … Continue reading The Supply and Demand of Making Disciples
"What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also."2 Timothy 2:2 A guy I’ve been mentoring for awhile told me recently that he was able to share hope and encouragement in Christ to someone who had reached out to him … Continue reading What Snacks Teach Us About Making Disciples
A Thrill of Hope 