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 discipleship training seminars each year, and, invariably, questions from seminar attendees crop up that express insecurity about the ability to effectively and confidently disciple someone in a one-on-one relationship. Questions like “What if I make a mistake?” or “What if I can’t answer a question that is asked of me?” are normative. Our answer is simple: It’s not about you. Let me explain. We want to encourage people to look
beyond themselves by adopting the attitude that God has put them in that relationship to serve that person. It’s not about how well we answer questions or how quickly we can locate passages of scripture. Nor is it about how effective we are at teaching or how impressed people are with the lucidity and eloquence of our speech. Rather, it’s about putting on the mind of Christ and serving that person right where they are…in that moment. It’s my experience that
when we focus on ourselves or our insecurities, the less effective we are. But, when we seek to serve and recognize that it’s not about us, we allow room for the Holy Spirit to transform and illumine.
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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: 2009-02-09 11:45:46
Title: Need a Stimulus Package?!
Written by Ray Willis
One Hundred billion for this…another fifty billion for that. I must admit, the stimulus package for the American economy is ...
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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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