Discipleship involves a personal commitment to sanctification, involvement with a church that preaches and teaches the gospel, and relationship with other people that goes beyond Sunday morning. These relationships are as unique as the individuals involved, but they do must have certain elements present. There are some principles that can guide us in developing healthy … Continue reading Relationships as a Key for Discipleship: Part 9 of a 10 part series on Discipleship
Category: Sanctification
Understanding the ‘How-to’ of Discipleship: Part 8 of a (probably) 10 part series on Discipleship
Over the next three blogs (which will take us to 10) I want for us to explore the ‘How-to’ of discipleship. We have already talked about the necessity of the body of Christ for our continued sanctification; a church that faithfully preaches teaches and ministers the gospel. We have also understood that a disciple of … Continue reading Understanding the ‘How-to’ of Discipleship: Part 8 of a (probably) 10 part series on Discipleship
How to Help Others With the Gospel: Part 7 of a (probably) 10 part series on Discipleship
The gospel is easy enough to understand in four words - God, Sin, Christ, Response - but is so often neglected when we seek to be disciples of Christ or help others in their discipleship. The gospel is, as Tripp says, our only hope -- “Hope is only to be found in Jesus Christ... In him, lasting, personal change is possible. Any other message encourages false hope.”
The Gospel is the Center: Part 6 of a (probably) 10 part series on Discipleship
If the problem is sin in the deepest parts of who we are, the solution cannot come from within us. It MUST come from outside of us. The solution to the problem of sin has always been and will always be the gospel.
The Heart as the Focus: Part 5 of a (probably) 10 part series on Discipleship
Remember Siegfried and Roy? For my younger readers, probably not. They were big cat trainers who played to sold-out shows in Las Vegas for many, many years. Their show involved various large animals, mostly big cats like lions and tigers. They performed various obedience tricks with these animals, but one particular stunt was the show-stopper; unfortunately, on … Continue reading The Heart as the Focus: Part 5 of a (probably) 10 part series on Discipleship
The Problem of Sin: Part 4 of a (probably) 10 part series on Discipleship
I hope that by now, three blogs into this series, you have come to an understanding of what a disciple is, why the church and fellow believers are absolutely necessary for discipleship and the many, many benefits of being a disciple Christ. My prayer is that you desire to leave superficial Christianity behind and embrace the … Continue reading The Problem of Sin: Part 4 of a (probably) 10 part series on Discipleship
Discipleship… It Takes a Church: Part 2 of a (probably) 10 part series on Discipleship
Christ desires his followers to be disciples. Actually, that's not entirely right. True followers of Christ ARE disciples. As we discovered in our last post there are not two categories of people who follow Christ - Christians, and disciples. There are only to be disciples. Somehow we have bought into the idea that we can be … Continue reading Discipleship… It Takes a Church: Part 2 of a (probably) 10 part series on Discipleship
What is Reformed Theology – Dealing with Misconceptions
The following is part of a series of blogs written for the Covenant Reformed Church website. My students know that I have two tenets which guide my scholarship and theological thinking; and I demand that it guides theirs as well. Ironically, both were gleaned from an Arminian (at least he got these two things right). … Continue reading What is Reformed Theology – Dealing with Misconceptions
Romans 9:19-23: Predestination!?! What about my free will?
The doctrine of God's unconditional individual election / predestination unto salvation is ever-present in Scripture and is so clearly presented and so easily understood that to deny its presence in God's word would be to deny a vast majority of what God communicates to us. Since it is not an obscure or marginal doctrine in … Continue reading Romans 9:19-23: Predestination!?! What about my free will?
Romans 9:14-18: Is God Just if he Predestines?
In the previous verses of Romans 9, Paul has been dealing with a pretty big issue. It surrounds the question of God's fidelity to his word as it relates to salvation. The argument he has laid out and the problem he is dealing with can be broken down like this: The point at issue in Romans … Continue reading Romans 9:14-18: Is God Just if he Predestines?
