Apprentice 2 Jesus

Discipleship/Spiritual Formation

  • The Advantage of Adversity

    The old saying goes, “Live and learn.” I have found that isn’t necessarily true. There was a friend in college who just didn’t really understand the purpose of the speed limit. Not understanding the speed limit in Wisconsin in those days was costly. He was winging his way through Wisconsin one year with some friends… Read more

  • Decisions or Disciples

    What did Jesus call us to? Get people to a decision… or call on us to follow him? Scot McKnight is highlighting this powerfully in his book, The King Jesus Gospel, but Dallas Willard was doing so before. And for some reason… we’re still not paying attention. I was in a very uncomfortable conversation yesterday… Read more

  • Salt and Subversiveness

    The call of Jesus is to be the salt of the earth. Bonhoeffer has some insightful thoughts on salt in Discipleship. They are some good reminders for us. Too often, as conservative evangelicals (my “tribe”, so to speak), the focus has been on heaven. Basically it’s an attitude of “Just get me out of here!”… Read more

  • Following Jesus… Let the Negotiations Begin!

    In Discipleship by Bonhoeffer, the focus is on obedience. Jesus calls… respond. We hear the call of Jesus and we want him to get in touch with our legal department. One classic parable on the call to obedience and the human desire to negotiate is the parable of the rich young ruler. He wants to… Read more

  • Christless Christianity — Bonhoeffer

    Christianity isn’t about adhering to a set of doctrinal beliefs as much as it is simply following Christ. “Discipleship is commitment to Christ, because Christ exists, he must be followed.” Bonhoeffer saw a Christless Christianity in his day. He came to recognize that following Christ was the very root of true Christianity “…a Christianity without… Read more

  • Matthew 10 — Take up your cross

    I read Matt. 10:38 and think back to my first class at Luther Seminary a few years ago. Jim Boyce was teaching the Gospel of Mark. The line was this: “When you follow Jesus you don’t have to go looking for a cross. One is readily provided.” We sometimes like crosses of our own creation.… Read more

  • Matthew 10 — The Separation Factor

    Jesus pulls no punches. It’s almost like he says to people in his day, “Here is what the Kingdom of God is ALL about. Measure this out. Count the cost. It is WORTH it. BUT… if you think you have a better offer somewhere else, take it.” How else do you explain it? Jesus never… Read more

  • Matthew 10 — The Cost of Discipleship

    We, as Pentecostals, talk about the power of the Spirit. We usually mean in the miraculous or power for witnessing, etc. The reliance on the Spirit is not just for what we might call “the good stuff.” It’s also for the “tough stuff.” One of Dallas Willard’s sayings is this: “There is a cost to… Read more

  • Matthew 10 — Freely You Have Received

    I am extending the conversation from my Sunday morning message on Matthew 10. There is so much to discuss on “The Marks of Discipleship” that to do justice to this passage would take several weeks of examination on Sunday morning. Instead, I am inviting people to join me through the week as I reflect on… Read more

  • Thoughts on the Power of Blessing

    I am working my way through Matthew 10. As part of my Sunday message this week I am inviting my church to extend the conversation to my blog. To start off, I want to focus on the power of blessing. Jesus told his disciples when they entered a place that received them to give it… Read more