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6 Words (+videos) to Help You Abide in Christ
Abiding in Christ is a central discipline for the whole Christian life as a disciple. I’ve chosen the following 6 words (followed by video clips) to help you grow in your abiding relationship with Jesus Christ your Lord. Relationship: Abide in Christ is the first and most important discipline in The Disciple’s Cross. Your relationship with Christ is described by Him in His Parable of the True Vine in John 15. Without this saving relationship with Jesus Christ none of the other disciplines have any eternal value for your life. Surrender: Full surrender to Christ as Lord is an essential ingredient for…
Claude V. King
One Texas Church: Revival, Prayer, and Spiritual Harvest
In 1995 God revived His people at First Baptist Church of Wellington, Texas. They gave special emphasis to prayer during the spring of the year and focused their prayers on the lost people in their community. They prayed for 50 days between Easter and Pentecost Sunday and held 10 days of “Pentecost Prayer Meetings” following a model from South Africa. God took this revived and praying church to bring in a significant spiritual harvest during the coming months. They were willing to pay the price of returning to the Lord and experienced the fruit of obedience to Him. For a…
Preparing the Bride of Christ for the Wedding Supper of the Lamb
When the church is presented to Christ as the bride of Christ at the wedding supper of the Lamb, she will have prepared herself (Revelation 19:7). She will be pure and dressed in fine linen–the righteous acts of the saints. We are not ready for that event, but we can be. I believe God gave us the Lord’s Supper to return to our first love for Christ. Then, because of our love for Him, we will prepare ourselves to be the beautiful and pure bride He deserves. If we will prepare ourselves for that future wedding supper of the Lamb…
Become a Prisoner of Hope!
No matter how discouraging things seem to be around me, I realize I’m a “prisoner of hope.” I have seen and heard many stories of how God has transformed seemingly hopeless situations for His glory. Zechariah 9:11-12 describes what God does “because of the blood of your covenant.” He releases prisoners from their waterless cisterns (sound like Jeremiah 2:13?). God rescues us from our efforts to produce a substitute for Him. Then, when we return to Him as our stronghold, He captivates us with hope. Return to the Lord, and become a prisoner of hope!
4 Video Parables for Christian Living
Enjoy and share 4 challenging video parables about living a fruitful Christian life: Parables of the Water Jug, Two Containers, the PVC Pipe, and the Leaning Tower. Use them as illustrations or to stimulate small-group discussion. Parable of the Water Jug When people take a look at your “water jug,” do they see the Living Water in you and want to drink deeply, or do they turn away because they are not that thirsty?
One Free Tool for New Christians
Provide new Christians with a daily devotional guide for their first week in following Jesus Christ. In 2011 I designed a booklet so a church could give it to people making a decision for Christ with encouragement to “start today.” I built in a coaching process so new believers can develop and discuss questions with a more mature believer. Ideally they immediately will move into a connection with an ongoing Bible study group and continue growing as a disciple. LifeWay granted permission for me to share this freely. The copyright notice grants rights to translate and/or reproduce for non-commercial purposes.…
2 Examples of Penetrating Lostness Through New Groups
The early church met in the temple courts (big church) and house to house (little church within the church) [Acts 2:46]. The small groups are where the church functions more like a body where members care about one another and spur one another on to love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24-25). New groups are a way Christians can penetrate lostness. Here are two powerful testimonies of what God can do. Example #1: The First French Speaking Baptist Church of Brooklyn, New York Jean Baptiste Thomas started the First French Speaking Baptist Church of Brooklyn, New York, in his living room…
8 Steps to Penetrating Lostness Through New Groups
Guide your church or group to pray for God’s heart for the lostness in your community and world. Then follow His leadership to penetrate that lostness by starting new Bible study groups through which He will draw people to saving faith in His Son. Here are eight steps to consider: Pray to know God’s heart for the lost. Put names and faces on lostness in your Jerusalem… and to the ends of the earth. Pray for laborers. (Matthew 9:35-38) Commission and equip teams (2 or more people) to start new groups. Pray for God to open your eyes to see where…
FREE Andrew Murray Book: The State of the Church
Andrew Murray published The State of the Church following the 1910 World Missionary Conference in Edinburgh, Scotland. His description of the low spiritual condition of the church seems very contemporary with the conditions today. His recommendations of biblical remedies are just as needed today. Download a free copy of the text or choose the one in which I’ve highlighted “quotable quotes”: The State of the Church by Andrew Murray The State of the Church by Andrew Murray with selected highlights
Experiencing God: A Documentary
[brightcove_embed video_id=”2228953467001″] Experiencing God has helped thousands of people see the world through a different lens. They have begun to see it how God sees it, they have uncovered God’s will for their lives and then done it. This film will take you on a journey as you watch someone else experiencing many of the realities found in this movement of God. It will explore many stories that have been uncovered showing how God has placed Experiencing God in hands of international leaders, prisoners, and Christ followers who have been awakened to see the world how God see’s the world. For…