Date: 2011-01-17 09:07:15
Title: Prayer
By Rick Ives
Prayer is most impactful when we pray in such a way that we can know when God has answered. In First Steps Discipleship, we emphasize that when we pray, we should do it with specificity. In other words, pray specifically so we know when the answer comes.
Many pray very general prayers such as “God bless Me Today.” Sounds nice, but how do we know—at the end of the day—if that prayer was answered? But, when we pray specifically, we can know. For example, if we need money to pay the electric bill to avoid the power being turned off, and we ask God specifically, and the money comes in, then we know that the God of Heaven has heard and intervened. This, of course, builds joy and confidence to go deeper into prayer.
Not to say that God will always say yes, but at least we know He responds. When we know that God hears and answers us, prayer is no longer a boring ritual, but a living dialogue with our lord.
Prayer is a primary and foundational principle in discipleship—prayer with specificity. This is for all believers, regardless of how long they have walked with the Lord. Extend your faith. Take a risk and ask specifically!
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Date: 2011-01-04 22:02:04
Title: Memorizing the Book of James
By Grant Edwards
Twenty five years ago, I spent a summer memorizing the Book of James. I do not consider memorizing a book of the Bible a great heroic feat, nor did I sense a special infilling of Ho...
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Date: 2010-12-21 13:48:05
Title: Cultivating a Culture of Discipleship
By Rick Ives
In the early days of training churches how to do one-on-one discipleship, I was sometimes surprised that discipleship did not really catch on in a big way after the training. It was, to...
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Date: 2010-12-13 10:39:18
Title: Discovering Discipleship
By Grant Edwards
Jesus, Himself, gave the Great Commission to go and disciple the nations. With the term disciple used over 250 times in the New Testament and numerous books written about discipleshi...
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Date: 2010-08-11 11:50:53
Title: New Kid in the Clubhouse
New Kid in the Clubhouse
by Ray Willis
As a college freshman, I earned a scholarship to play baseball. The prospect of playing the game I loved year-round in Southern California was a dream come tr...
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Date: 2010-07-19 12:26:37
Title: It's Not About You!
It's Not About You!
by Ray Willis
Those words can seem so offensive…especially in certain contexts. They are, however, liberating when applied to discipleship.
We do a number of one-day dis...
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Date: 2010-07-09 11:23:42
Title: You are the model for future generations of disciplers
You are the model for future generations of disciplers
Written by Chris Skinner
Chuck Bomar, in his book The Slow Fade, contends that young people are walking away from the church at an alarming ra...
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Date: 2010-06-22 15:45:36
Title: Great Moments
Great Moments
Being a big sports fan, I’m always interested in those shows that highlight great moments. Whether it’s baseball, football, basketball….or even soccer, I enjoy ...
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Date: 2010-06-18 13:53:31
Title: The Great Babe Ruth and Making Disciples!
The Great Babe Ruth and Making Disciples!
Written by Rick Ives
Babe Ruth. Almost all Americans know the name. Babe Ruth, the Sultan of Swat, the Great Bambino. Yes, as we know, Babe Ruth was one of ...
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Date: 2010-04-20 14:46:35
Title: We are sloppy and unfinished...
Funny how kids love dirt, mud, puddles - anything messy - they'll take it. Get right in the middle of it.
Adults, not so much.
We even avoid it, trying hard never to engage.
We may not be neat frea...
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Date: 2010-01-19 14:11:34
Title: 05 The Top 10 Do's and Don'ts of Discipling
TOP 10 THINGS TO DO WHEN DISCIPLING
...
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Date: 2010-01-05 14:53:29
Title: 04 What Happens When...
What Happens When…..
Written by Ray Willis
Have you ever been involved with a birthing class? In 1994, my wife and I went to a Lemans class for ten weeks to prepare for the birth of our fir...
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Date: 2009-12-17 13:31:45
Title: 03 So, my disciple has issues...
So, My Disciple Has Issues...
Written by Ray Willis
Don’t we all?! Issues are what make discipleship relationships necessary. If we didn’t have issues, discipleship would be a generic, o...
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Date: 2009-12-15 13:55:21
Title: 02 Can you really disciple in one hour a week over ten weeks?
Can you really disciple in one hour a week over ten weeks?
Written by Grant Edwards
The answer is simple: Yes! In fact it is not only possible but it is best to disciple in one hour. And I h...
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Date: 2009-12-03 11:31:27
Title: 01 The First Meeting
The First Meeting
Written by Ray Willis
At the outset of any discipleship relationship using FIRST STEPS, it’s best to arrange an initial, informal meeting to accomplish three things: 1) expl...
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Date: 2009-11-10 15:05:13
Title: Managing One-on-One Relationships
Managing One-on-One Relationships
Written by Ray Willis
One-on-one relationship is the most effective form of discipleship, but how do we manage those relationships to ensure that we are moving new ...
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Date: 2009-07-13 13:29:04
Title: Paying it Forward: A Model for Generational Discipleship in a One-on-One Context
Paying it Forward
A Model for Generational Discipleship in a One-on-One Context
Written by Ray Willis
Kind of sounds like a title for a doctoral dissertation. You know, when someone has to write a...
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Date: 2009-06-26 11:45:56
Title: Deception Comes In All Forms
Deception Comes In All Forms
Making good decisions
Written by Ray Willis
“Decisions have the ability to shape our lives. They set us on paths that can be difficult to leave, paths that take ...
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Date: 2009-06-18 10:11:30
Title: The Soggy Discipler
The Soggy Discipler
Avoiding disassociative syndrome
Written by Grant Edwards
Swimming Lesson #2. When learning to swim, beginners do as you do -- not as you say. They need the reassurance of havin...
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Date: 2009-06-11 11:41:13
Title: Commonsense Guidelines
Commonsense Guidelines
By Rick Ives
When discipling another person, it is always best to use common sense in conjunction with the leading of the Holy Spirit.
I remember once when a wonderf...
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Date: 2009-06-02 11:23:01
Title: The Senior Pastor’s Role in Discipleship
The Senior Pastor’s Role in Discipleship
By Grant Edwards
First Steps can succeed or fail in a local church and often the difference is the Senior Pastor. One-on-one discipleship, typicall...
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Date: 2009-05-27 14:06:16
Title: Evangelism Isn't A Sales Presentation
Evangelism Isn't A Sales Presentation
Written by Ray Willis
“Hey, Ray, we’ve discipled everyone in our church and need more people to disciple. What do we do?” Occasionally, this q...
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Date: 2009-05-05 11:30:41
Title: Discipling Another to Love Jesus
Discipling Another to Love Jesus
written by Grant Edwards
originally published in 1997
The major lessons and concerns of my Christian walk through the past 25 years have combined to make the p...
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Date: 2009-04-21 13:50:03
Title: Integrity Relationships
Integrity Relationships
written by Grant Edwards
Originally published in 1997
Another lesson came as a result of stumbling. Soon after my wife, Barbara, and I were married we went on vacatio...
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Date: 2009-04-07 13:35:53
Title: Four Simple Disciplines
Four Simple Disciplines
Written by Grant Edwards
Originally published in 1997
When I first became a Christian I found prayer and Bible study boring. It was too easy to fall asleep during prayer...
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Date: 2009-04-02 17:08:17
Title: Learning to Disciple
Learning to Disciple
Written by Grant Edwards
Originally published in 1997
Nothing is more painful than watching a new born children die, and I felt this pain as I watched many who had accepted Chr...
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Date: 2009-01-06 18:46:12
Title: One Per Year
20 years ago, I made a commitment to disciple at least one person per year for the rest of my life. During some years, I have discipled more. In 2009, I will make the same commitment.
Why? A one-on-...
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