Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

Discipleship

Training in Godliness

by

We’ve spent several days discussing how to prepare for persecution (see the “Persecution” page under the “Resources” menu to catch up on what you may have missed). The primary way you can prepare for persecution is to be constantly training in godliness (1 Timothy 4:7-8). Every believer in Christ should endeavor to do this, whether we are facing persecution or not.

training in godliness,commitment,discipleship,discipline,maturity,prayer,Bible study,persecution

As followers of Jesus, we must always be building the spiritual muscles we require to keep us spiritually fit and healthy. We know if we don’t eat right and neglect exercise, we will become fat, sick, and miserable. If it is true for our physical bodies, it’s even more true for our spiritual souls.

[Read more…] about Training in Godliness

Resist the Devil

by

Continuing in our series of how we can prepare for persecution, today we want to look at how we can resist the Devil and stand firm in the faith. As we discovered in “Prepare for Persecution,” the way to prepare for the physical and mental persecution awaiting each of us is to first prepare spiritually.

resist the devil,commitment,discipline,persecution,discipleship

We can never stand up to the trials of this world unless we see beyond the physical world into what is happening in the spiritual realm. If you are spiritually weak, you will never stand up to physical abuse. Without the proper spiritual foundation, you will crack under the mental manipulation you will face.

[Read more…] about Resist the Devil

Sober-Minded and Alert

by

As we discussed in Prepare for Persecution, the first step in preparing for persecution, according to 1 Peter 5:8-9, is to be sober-minded and alert. This probably conjures up some ideas in your mind, but what are some practical things we can do to cultivate this in our lives? Remaining vigilant is a discipline that needs to be honed and strengthened over time.

sober-minded and alert,discipleship,persecution,prepare for persecution

We don’t wake up one day and suddenly live with greater focus and attention. The first thing we need to do is understand the signs of this age and recognize the urgency of these times in which we find ourselves. Most of us have never had to worry about persecution and cannot grasp the reality or inevitability of it. Let me state it plainly. Persecution is coming; Jesus promises it will (John 16:33).

[Read more…] about Sober-Minded and Alert

Grow Closer to God

by

Often, Christians younger in the faith than I am, have asked me how they can grow closer to God. I’ve discipled several believers over the course of my life, and I can tell you I’ve never found a concrete answer as to the right way for someone to grow closer to Christ. Yes, you need to read your Bible. Yes, you need to pray. You can’t have a relationship with someone you don’t know.

grow closer to God,Christian growth,commitment,discipleship,discipline,priorities

The Bible alone is the greatest tool for spiritual growth. Unfortunately, few of us will ever have the luxury of doing nothing other than studying our Bible all day. I’m not even sure that would be healthy, but I’d be up for trying it! The reality is responsibilities and commitments jockey for position in our lives and impede our growth.

[Read more…] about Grow Closer to God

Getting Lazy

by

Yet we all know we can get lazy in our eating, exercise, and work habits. More devastating than any of those areas, though, is when we find ourselves getting lazy spiritually. It does us no good to be disciplined in physical matters if we’re not going to apply the same or greater discipline to eternal things.

getting lazy,God's Kingdom,commitment,discipleship,discipline,humility,integrity,mission,promises,integrity,Kingdom of God

I’m not only referring to the well-known spiritual disciplines of prayer and Bible study, but also the less obvious areas, like our relationships with family and friends, personal integrity, and service to others. It doesn’t take much to knock us off our game in these areas, which hinders our witness to the world, and disrupts our relationship with the Lord.

[Read more…] about Getting Lazy