God at Work in Your Team!

Living the Legacy Friday, May 2nd, 2025

When God Makes The Dream Work

1 Corinthians 12:1-7 NIV

12:1 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters,

I do not want you to be uninformed.

2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other

you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.

3 Therefore I want you to know

that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says,

“Jesus be cursed,”

and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,”

except by the Holy Spirit.

4 There are different kinds of gifts,

but the same Spirit distributes them.

5 There are different kinds of service,

but the same Lord.

6 There are different kinds of working,

but in all of them and in everyone

it is the same God at work.

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given

for the common good.

How to see God work in your team

Know your GIFTS and know your NEEDS.

(Verses 1-3, 4, 7)

Use your GIFTS to serve another’s NEEDS.

(Verses 5, 7)

PRAY with expectant faith & give God the GLORY.

(Verse 6) 


God loves to work among a people with expectant faith and exuberant praise.

D.L. Moody quote and response to Henry Varley:

“The world has yet to see what God can do with and for and through and in a man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him.  With God’s help, I aim to be that man.”

Verses about using your gifts to serve others on a team where God is at work.

1 Peter 4:10-11  Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Romans 12:11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

Exodus 33:15 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.

Psalm 22:3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. (ESV)

Mark 13:58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

Psalm 127:1

Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.

John 15:5

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Revelation 2:4-5

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

The Seven Books I Love to Give to Leaders!

Someone recently asked me about some of the books in my library. Most of my physical books are in boxes in storage, and all of my more recent books are digital. However, as I thought about it more, there are several goto books that I have read multiple times and have given away over and over again as gifts. These I would especially recommend for any ministry leader!

1) “Humility: The Beauty of Holiness” by Andrew Murray.

I attended a spiritual formation retreat for the new Youth For Christ Staff. At the time this book was required reading for anyone who attended. For over 20 years of ministry, I have been cautioned that the top two ways a pastor can fall is through moral failure or mismanagement of money. I think people are missing out on the number one way we all fall. It is just not as obvious at first. It is when a pastor falls into the same sin that got an angel into Satan: the sin of pride. It is poisonous, and I think the leaven that the Pharisees and Herodians had in common. The Scriptures taught in this book on Humility by Andrew Murray are my antidote to this sickness that even tries to creep up in my life as a leader in my home and in the body of Christ. My goal is to read this book at least once a year for the rest of my life.

The ebook is free on Amazon Kindle and the audiobook is free on YouTube!

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2) “Living by the Book: The Art and Science of Reading the Bible” by Howard Hendricks

I read this book when I was about 18 years old. It has influenced my reading of the Scripture for over thirty years. This book has been one of the greatest gifts to me throughout my life. When I get to heaven, I plan on giving Howard Hendricks a big hug and thanking him for this book! The three steps given are observation, interpretation, and application. Anyone who wants to teach the Bible must first be a great student of the Bible who first applies it to their own life. There are videos on YouTube with Howard Hendricks teaching the principles of this book. If I ever teach a class that is not in a small group setting, this is the number one class and textbook I would teach.

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3) “The Art of Story Telling: Easy Steps to Presenting An Unforgettable Story” By John Walsh

This book is a must-read for any teacher of the Bible. Some estimate that 75% of the Bible is written in story format. God knew our brains were wired for stories. Yet more and more people are oral and visual learners. We can’t just read a story and expect people to be interested. We must learn to orally tell stories. Mark 4:34 in the NLT says this about Jesus: “In fact, in his public ministry, he never taught without using parables; but afterward, when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them.” Parents need to know how to tell their kids Bible stories. Teachers shouldn’t dissect a story without first telling the story in a captivating way. I had a friend from Iran who came to Christ in Chicago and he started attending a small group. When we switched to oral storytelling methods of teaching, he told me, “I finally understand the Bible.” When I was a pastor in the northside of Chicago, we gave this book to all of our small group leaders. When I was a director at YFC, John Walsh personally led a zoom group with many of our Campus Life staff and volunteers. I highly recommend this book to anyone who teaches the Bible. In our social media and movie-oriented culture, this book is essential!

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4) “Real Life Discipleship: Building Churches that Make Disciples” by Jim Putman

I experienced an amazing church that was very effective in mentoring new believers and then training them to disciple other new believers. It was part of the culture. Hundreds of people every year were being mentored in life-on-life discipleship-type relationships. Then I became the pastor of a congregation of the same church but on the other side of the city. As I tried hard to communicate and train others, this book was the perfect tool. We took all our leaders through the workbook version. In my opinion, this is the best model that I have seen in the United States for discipleship to take place within small groups.

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5) “Movements that Change the World” by Steve Addison

Steve Addison shares five characteristics of movements that change the world. For many years I had them listed in my email signature and footer.

1. White-Hot Faith

2. Commitment to a Cause

3. Contagious Relationships

4. Rapid Mobilization

5. Adaptive Methods

May the Lord help us move from institutional Christianity to the passion, power, and patterns of the early church. Steve’s podcast is always encouraging. My dream is to be part of a disciple-making multiplication movement in Miami, FL and the stories Steve Addison shares on his podcast definitely inspire my faith that is possible to see a movement started in my hometown.

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6) The Emotionally Healthy Leader by Pete Scazzero

I was leading a meeting with all of the men’s small group leaders in my church. I was frustrated that our baptism numbers were down. One of the leaders came out of the closet. He was being influenced by a hyper-dispensationalist teaching that water baptism was only for the Jews and that Gentile believers in Jesus did not need to be baptized. I lost my cool in that meeting, to say the least. He had the largest men’s group at our church. Eventually, they all left our church. Thankfully, one of our best elders at the church introduced us all to a book called, “Emotionally Healthy Spirituality.” There are some aspects of the two books that I don’t fully agree with. But the overall concepts are life-changing. You cannot be a spiritually mature believer and have emotionally unhealthy patterns. This book is a must-read for every leader.

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7) “Preaching to Be Heard: Delivering Sermons That Command Attention” by Lucas O’Neill

When I was a youth pastor many moons ago, a couple of my students would complain to me that the Bible teacher at their Christian school was the meanest and most boring teacher in that school. Sometimes, I wondered if the Devil had planted him there. I think when preachers get to Heaven, they will have to give an account for two sins. The first is for all of the boring sermons we preached. The Word of God is active and living and sharper than any two-edged sword. The Bible is anything but boring. Even in the genealogies, you can find prostitutes and people like Jabez who caused his mom so much pain in birth that she named her son… “Born-In-Pain.” The second sin preachers will account for is telling amazing stories and being full of energy when they tell stories about themself but then barely talk about the Bible or make the Bible seem second-rate to their stories. The Word of God should be the main dish when we are feeding God’s sheep. “Preaching to be Heard” by Lucas O’Neill will give you some power tools in your preacher’s toolbox to help you preach sermons that command attention!

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Knowing the Brand New You

The Brand New You (4.0)

(by decrease dwayne)

In Christ I am accepted, never to be rejected
In Christ I am secure, never to be separated
In Christ I am significant, on mission for my Lord. In Christ, I am brand new, better than ever before!

I am a child of God
with an incredible inheritance

I am a child of God
provided for and protected

I am a child of God,
called by God - Beloved!

Our Father, wanted me belong to his family so intensely That he sent his Divine Son on a rescue mission for me So that I could be permanently adopted into his Family

With soul-shaking awe, I will enjoy my place in God’s eternal family

In Christ I am accepted, never to be rejected
In Christ I am secure, never to be separated
In Christ I am significant, on mission for my Lord. In Christ, I am brand new, better than ever before!

I am sealed by the Holy Spirit inseparable from the love of God

I am justified by faith
inseparable from the grace of God

I am free from all condemnation inseparable from the mercy of God

I am God’s workmanship
He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it He is working all things together for my good.

With soul shaking awe, I will work out what God is working on the inside of me.

In Christ I am accepted, never to be rejected
In Christ I am secure, never to be separated
In Christ I am significant, on mission for my Lord. In Christ, I am brand new, better than ever before!

I am a temple of the Holy Spirit,
literally a walking house of worship

I am part of a royal priesthood
with an all-access pass to God’s heavenly throne of grace

I am a co-worker with God
destined to light up my world for Christ

I am legally a citizen of heaven, authorized as an ambassador

appointed. as a minister of reconciliation Annointed for fruitfulness
and empowered for missional success

With Soul shaking awe, I will walk in my new identity and live out my destiny.

In Christ I am accepted, never to be rejected
In Christ I am secure, never to be separated
In Christ I am significant, on mission for my Lord. In Christ, I am brand new, better than ever before!

IN CHRIST, I AM ACCEPTED NEVER TO BE REJECTED:

Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To God's holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: (saints in ESV, NASB, HCSB)
1 John 3:1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing."
Romans 8:17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co- heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Psalm 139:14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

IN CHRIST, I AM SECURE NEVER TO BE SEPARATED:

Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
John 10:28-30 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one.” (we are a sheep in the arms of the Good Shepherd)

Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
Philippians 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

IN CHRIST, I AM SIGNIFICANT ON MISSION FOR MY LORD:

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Philippians 2:12-13 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. 1 Corinthians 6:9 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Hebrews 4:17 Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
2 Corinthians 5:20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.
Philippians 3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,

2024-06-14 ## Let the Word Dwell ## S.O.A.P. Journal

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

How to G.R.O.W. spiritually?

Discipline Not Desire Determines Destiny

Preaching to Be Heard Workshop Session 4 of 4

Lucas O’Neill

SESSION IV: USING AN OVERARCHING QUESTION TO MAINTAIN TENSION

A. What is an OQ?
B. How the OQ works in each of the four patterns
C. Using transitions to keep the OQ alive.
D. Examples
E. Exercises/practice
F. Q&A

Click below for just the audio…

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Order the book “Preaching To Be Heard” by Lucas O’Neill

Amazon - Click Here

Christian Book - ebook Click Here

Lexham Press - Click Here

Preaching to Be Heard Workshop Session 3 of 4

If you prefer to the audio only you can listen below:

(Note: There are slides involved in the video… the audio is great for review)

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SESSION III: HOW TO STRUCTURE YOUR SERMON

A. Four basic patterns.
B. How to choose between them
C. Pros/cons to each
D. Examples
E. Exercises/practice
F. Q&A/Discussion

Screenshot from eBook of “Preaching To Be Heard” by Lucas O’Neill

Preaching To Be Heard Workshop: Session 2 of 4

HOW TO DETERMINE THE MAIN POINT

Click below to listen to just the audio:

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SESSION II: HOW TO DETERMINE THE PRIMARY POINT

A. Break the passage into units: these are your mains (we won’t cover sub-points here).
B. Ask: what are all these basically talking about (subject/problem/question)
C. Ask: what is being done with that subject (complement/solution/answer)
D. Now pass the mains-only test
E. Q&A/Discussion

Preaching To Be Heard Workshop with Lucas O'Neill - Session 1 of 4

This is a 4 part workshop series that covers some of the concepts in the book “Preaching to be Heard” by Lucas O’Neill. If you are in South Florida, it would be my honor to give this book to you as a gift. I preached my first Sunday message at the Sunday night service of my church at age 17. I preached some messages on mission trips and youth group even younger. Almost 30 years later, I noticed I was getting sloppy in my preparation of the message. This book was a great refresher and the approach of using tension in the passage of Scripture to capture and keep attention has been a very effective tool for me. I am still growing in its implementation but am very thankful to Pastor, Professor and author Lucas O’Neil in sharing this workshop.

SESSION I: WHY SHOULD ANYONE LISTEN TO YOUR SERMON?

A. Sermons worth listening to are expositional in nature.
B. Sermons that are easy to listen to are engaging in delivery.

Listen to the audio recording of the zoom call by using the audio player below:

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Answer in the comments:

1) What part of the session did you find most helpful, challenging, disagreeable, or though provoking?

2) Do you think expository preaching is the most healthy style of preaching for regular Sunday morning teaching?

3) In the survey, how do you rate as far as expository preaching?

4) Do you consider your sermons “easy to listen to?”

5) Challenge: Ask someone: “How easy is it for you to give your undivided attention throughout my messages?”

Tools and Teams for Evangelism in the 2020's

Here are some teams for evangelism and tools for the 2020s….

3 Circles Gospel Presentation:

Life On Mission Version - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF0Cuenw5UA&t=9s

No Place Left Version - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W8ynRMr59k&t=12s

Dwayne’s Covid Edition -

Gospel of John Booklets - “https://members.ptl.org/code/products.php?view=USPJNLT-STKY
Storytelling - John Walsh training and resources - https://www.btstories.com/home/

Storytelling - Miami Youth For Christ - “Jesus Stories” - Online Course - http://tiny.cc/jesus2021 or https://miamiyfc.thinkific.com/courses/jesus-stories

Storytelling - Miami Youth For Christ Campus Life Examples - Youtube Chanel http://tiny.cc/jesusstories or https://youtu.be/h_dQ1AO5kjE

Youth Good News Teams in South Florida:

Youth For Christ

Miami Youth For Christ - https://miamiyfc.com

Ft Lauderdale Youth For Christ - https://www.ftlyfc.org

Palm Beach Youth For Christ - https://yfcteens.com

First Priority https://firstpriority.cc

Fellowship of Christian Athletes https://www.miamifca.org

More Exhaustive List of Youth and Young Adult Teams Teams Coming Soon

Fasting and Prayer Resources:

Over the years, Fasting has been a key spiritual discipline in my life that has brought about many breakthroughs, answers to prayer, and clarity of direction for major decisions in my life. Often I am asked for resources about fasting and prayer and below is a list of websites with information on fasting and prayer.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional and if you take any medications or have any possible conditions, please consult a doctor. Fasting is actually a physically healthy process even recommended by health experts but every human being is different.

FASTING RESOURCES

CRU. — Best resource on the basics of fasting

https://www.cru.org/us/en/train-and-grow/spiritual-growth/fasting/fasting-starter-kit.html

DESIRING GOD — John Piper gives away a free PDF of his book “A hunger for God” and has amazing sermons on Fasting and Prayer. John Piper gives the Biblical basis of New Testament Fasting.

https://www.desiringgod.org/topics/fasting

Tony Evans Sermons on YouTube…. just search “Tony Evans Fasting” on YouTube

Jentzen Franklin - Jensen Franklins books on Fasting are loaded with Testimonies and will encourage you to Fast and Prayer. He comes from a different perspective on fasting and prayer but has been key to creating a movement of 1000s of churches that fast and pray 21 days every January.

https://jentezenfranklin.org/fastingbasics

Pouring Out Your Soul In Prayer Like Hannah

There are pictures of prayer in The Word. Sometime we need to see prayer in action to truly learn how to pray. Hannah is one of my greatest teachers about prayer. We need people like Hannah who pour out their soul in prayer and birth and bathe ministries in prayer. She didn’t just have a son… she birthed a great prophetic ministry in her son Samuel.

I first preached this message as part of series called “You Can’t Keep Me Down When God Lifts Me Up.”

Hannah Pours Out Her Soul In Prayer — 1 Samuel 1:12-18

12 As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”

15 “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”

17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”

18 She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.

Two Places where Jesus weeps as recorded in the Bible:

With Mary and Martha after Lazarus Death: John 11:35 — Jesus wept.

Approaching Jerusalem and foreseeing its coming destruction: Luke 19:41 — As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it.

How to shepherd when it's not your gift?

Which comes first?  Heart of Shepherd or Hands of Shepherd

Shepherding is not my spiritual gift. But that doesn’t mean I can just delegate shepherding and never shepherd. I am a husband and father and God calls me to shepherd my family. If you are a leader of a ministry, you may not be the best shepherd and God definitely wants to flow in your gifting. But if you don’t shepherd your team of volunteer leaders, it won't be long before you don’t have a team.

When I would lead youth small groups in the 90’s, I thought my teaching gift would change the world. But I quickly learned my youth didn’t care how much I knew until the knew how much I cared.

Which comes first? The heart or the hands of a shepherd???

Acts 20 (Paul had the heart of a shepherd... shed tears)

How to Shepherd (the hands)
A) Work the List  (John 10:1-3 Gates, Sheep know the voice)     3.  Build the list  (Core, Regulars, Visitors)
     2.  Pray for the list (Needs, Spiritual Growth)
     1.  Contact the list  (text, notes, phone, visits, meals)
B)  Prepare the Feast (John 21:15-?? - Feed my Sheep)       1. Delegate, Delegate, Delegate 
           a (the 4 W's: Welcome / hosting, Worship, Works / testimonies, Word)
           b don't do all the teaching... delegate some!
      2  Plan a trimester advance ... so you are not planning week to week
           a Plan a book study, DVD series, group discussion guide, etc. The Holy Spirit can interrupt.
           b Plan a monthly outreach / activity where you can invite visitors
C) Search on Sundays  (Mark 6:30-36 Sheep Without A Shepherd)      

1. Walk Slowly through the crowd
       2. 3 minute rule (First 3 minutes after church talk to someone you don’t know.)
       3. Pray for people at the altar (If you church doesn’t have altar calls, pray for people after service right there… don’t say "I’ll pray for you.” Actually stop and pray.

Which comes first?  Heart of Shepherd or Hands of Shepherd

Cyclical... both enhance each other... 

but for many... hands come first. When you spend time with people your love for them grows.

Shepherd David faced the lion and the bear.. .put his life on the line... 

after he had spent many a nights under the moon with the Lord and the sheep.

After doing the A, B, C's of shepherding, your heart will grow, 

and you will be willing to put your life on the line.

NOTES ARE FROM SMALL GROUP ESSENTIALS CONFERENCE, January 22nd, 2011

The context was a growing church that had many visitors on Sundays. If your church doesn’t have many visitors on a Sunday, search for the lost sheep like the Shepherd who left the 99 to find the 1.

Ministry Online... why would someone watch my video more than two minutes?

It’s the end of week one of working totally from home due to the coronavirus. After hours of Zoom and Teams video meetings and researching online ministry for youth, here are few thoughts to a big question we really need to ask.

Why would someone want to watch my ministry oriented video for more than two minutes?

Most students and people in general love to watch online videos that are funny or well produced. If you have a multi-million dollar budget you can make a Lord of the Rings movie and someone might watch for three hours. But the truth is, we will never be as funny as the comedians nor have the money of the movie studios. Be as funny as you can but for most of us it will probably not be funny for more than two minutes. So why would someone watch your ministry video more than two minutes (besides a parent making their kids watch something which I have done :)

1) I know you and like you. RELATIONSHIPS MATTER. If I miss you, I will look forward to hearing from you and in a time of crisis, it will bring comfort to see a spiritual leader that I have a relationship with.

2) Conversations and interaction. A speech online can’t compete with a drama online. But a movie can’t compete with social interaction. Responding live to comments and questions will keep me listening to you more than two minutes. A great online game is Quiplash from Jackbox.tv. (There is family friendly setting and you will need separate computer to run it on and stream from your phone.). As you plan out your ministry online, don’t just imitate Sunday services that stream a service. Consider a giant zoom call or instagram live or Hangouts Meet where you can interact with your audience.

3) Stories - learn to tell amazing stories. Don’t read the story memorize it. Tell it like you were there. Envision and live in your mind and tell the story in such a way that you both paint a picture and people are in suspense wanting to know what happens at the end of this story. Make the story 80% of your talk and your point 20%. A five minute story should be 4 minutes story and 1 minute driving home your point. A great book to help you improve is “The Art of Storytelling” by John Walsh. Matthew 13:34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable.

4) Object Lessons - Doing something that is visual and has suspense. Kids watch those science shows with science projects and learn but it is not a lecture. If you have a pet or other visual things … that is different and more than a speech but you can still drive home a ministry point.

5) Timely word. - I have watched 30 minute webinars this week because it was a training I needed right now. I don’t care about plumbing until I have a plumbing problem and then I am searching for one online. If you are meeting a felt need or addressing an issue that is top of mind, I will listen until I get the answer. If it someone who wants to learn a skill, they will stay until they learn and maybe even watch twice. For the coronavirus season, you need speak to where people are at. And God will use a video with his power more than a million dollar production if you are speaking with his power.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5. And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.  For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.  I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling.  My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,  so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.

Make sure you are doing your devotions and spending time with God in prayer and walking in the Spirit and maybe not the whole world will listen, but the people that know you will and even if you are shaking with fear.. the power of God will impact someone spiritually.

Make some comments for your tips and advice…

Jumpstart Discipleship and Mentoring

This is an outline from a workshop I taught in 2007 at the Ignite Small Group Conference. Our theme was based on Space Shuttle Launch and all the pastors dressed up as astronauts.

Jumpstarting First Steps and Mentoring

Pastor Dwayne Eslick

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

1. Disciples are made not born.

“… make disciples…”

We are saved by faith and “born again,” and that is how we become a child of God. However the process that happens where we hear the Good News Message, respond to the Good News Message, and Grow in the Good News Message doesn’t happen by chance but by intentional relationships.

2. Disciple-making is on the go.

“Therefore go(ing)… make disciples of all nations…”

The word “go” in the verse can be translated “go and as your are going.” We must be on the lookout as we are on the go to see opportunities to share our faith and build relationships with those open to the Good News Message.

3. Discipleship leads to baptism.

“baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”

Once someone makes a decision to believe and follow Jesus the Messiah, the first step is to follow him in baptism. If we believe that making disciples is the call of every growing follower of Christ, then baptizing is not not just for the clergy but for every disciple as well.

4. Disciple-makers teach to obey.

“teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

Baptism is just the first step in following Jesus. We cannot abandon baby believers. Our call is to either continue the disciple-making process or make sure another person comes along and pours into them as well. The goal is to teach them to obey not just to know. This takes more than a teacher in a classroom but a mentor to walk side by side.

5. Discipline not desire determines destiny.

Matthew 28:19-20 is called the Great Commission and it is definitely not the great suggestion. Life definitely gets busy and has its seasons, but making disciples should be your priority.

Tips for First Steps Mentoring

Practical Suggestions to use the First Steps Booklet:

At New Life Community Church in Chicago, we used a series of books called “First Steps.” This gave a process to help followers of Christ mentor new believers. Here are some tips for First Steps Mentoring:

★ Both mentor and disciple should have a book

★ The mentor should also work through the book to befamiliar with the material

★ Go over the first lesson together with the disciple to gethim/her started.
★ Lessons should be completed one week at a time.

★ Go over each answer as thoroughly as time allows.

★ Try to make the lesson as practical as possible to the disciple’s life situation

★ Review the weekly memory verse. Memorize with thedisciple.

★ Encourage the disciple to be in the Word of God daily.

★Check the section on “Daily Bread” at each meeting.

Practical suggestions about Your Weekly Meeting:

★  Find a place to meet with minimal distractions

★  Meet at the same place and time each week if possible

★  Stress your commitment to never missing unless there is an emergency

★  Allow approximately one to two hours for each session.

★  Encourage the disciple throughout the week to complete the lesson on time.

The power must be followed by a process to insure progress.

The power must be followed by a process to insure progress. I first heard this from my pastor, Mark Jobe. I have witnessed this in the lives of many as I served at New Life Community Church in Chicago for over 20 years. We emphasized both the power of God and processes that led to spiritual growth.

In the wide spectrum of Christianity, some emphasize the power. They go from conference to conference, “revival” to “revival,” the latest experience to the next latest experience. From what I have observed, focussing on the power without a clear discipleship process leads to roller-coaster Christianity. It is full of ups and downs and maturity by chance.

Others emphasize the process. Just follow a system. Gain some information. Read your Bible, prayer every day and you will grow, grow, grow! When there is a process with no power it is easy to just get stuck in a rut. Following the same process year after year after year can really get boring. If there is no encounters with God and no spiritual retreats to the mountains to meet with, we can do all the right processes but experience a dryness in our walk with God.

When there is powerful encounters with God and the freshness in our walk that comes with being filled with the Holy Spirt, you sense the powerful locomotive engine. When that power has a process with a purpose, like train tracks you can go somewhere and make progress. There is a definite need for believers to experience the power of the Holy Spirit in its fulness. And there is also a definite need for believers to have a growth plan that is intentional and includes life on life mentoring. The power must be followed by a process to insure progress.

Should we stop saying "evangelism and discipleship" as if they were two different things?

“Make Disciples” Equals Evangelism Plus Edification For the Purpose of Exaltation

For years I was like most modern North American Christians. I saw evangelism as the process of sharing the good news with those who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus the Messiah. Discipleship is viewed as the process of helping those who have a relationship with Jesus grow and mature in that relationship. Evangelism is for the lost. Discipleship is for the found. One of the most famous books in recent history, “The Purpose Driven Life,” by Rick Warren shares this view and rightly elevates these two process as the purpose of our life. However this dichotomy actually can miscommunicate and confuse our mission in the following ways:

1. It miscommunicates that “discipleship” is something you only do with believers and not the lost. Making disciples includes all the steps from going to baptizing to teaching. It is more of the method of sharing and training that can happen with both believers and unbelievers.

2. It misleads believers to think they are only responsible for the part of the Great Commission that they are good at. Some feel they are passionate about sharing the good news and other feel like they are good with teaching and that they are only expected to do what they are good at.

3. Often discipleship is seen more of something that happens in a Bible Study and misses that importance of life on life relationships that are intentional in helping people both know Jesus and grow in their faith. You can have a life on life relationship that is sharing the good news and stories of Jesus with unbelievers. You can also have life on life relationships that are sharing the deeper truths of the gospel and the stories of the Bible with believers in an intentional way. Both are a part of disciple-making!

Dan Spader shares in his book, “Four Chair Discipling,” that separating “evangelism and discipleship” into two separate categories is a fairly recent development. In an interview, Dan Spader says, “In his book With Christ in the School of Disciple Building, Carl Wilson makes the point that in 1850, a man by the name of Charles Adams was the first to separate evangelism from disciple-making.” The result is often individuals and churches tend to focus on one or the other. Dan Spader recommends using the word “disciple-making” to help people see the bigger picture of what Jesus is expecting his followers to do: “the whole process of winning people to Christ (evangelism), growing them up in Christ (discipleship), and then sending them out to repeat the process.”

The command of making disciples clearly involves the process of going, baptizing, and teaching. The process in between going and baptizing is “evangelism.” The process between baptizing and teaching to obey is “edification.” An edifice is a building and edification is building up. Helping lost people learn who God is and why he sent Jesus and how we can know him is the evangelism part of disciple-making. Helping new followers of Christ become obedient to all of his commands is the edification part of disciple-making. We do all of this for the purpose of exaltation, bringing glory to God. John Piper says, “Missions exists because worship doesn’t.” “Making disciples” equals evangelism plus edification for the purpose of greater exaltation. God has made us his chosen people so that “we may declare the praise of him who has called us out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9). In other words, to make followers of Christ it requires both sharing the good news with the lost and building up believers to obey his teachings.

Perhaps we should stop saying "Evangelism and Discipleship” as if they were two separate things. More importantly, may we embrace our call to be ambassadors who represent God’s kingdom in a lost world and may we embrace our call as member of the body of Christ and do our part to to build up that body.

Stages of Discipleship

“Come and see,” “Follow Me,” “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men,” and “Go & Bear Fruit” were all challenges Jesus gave to his disciples at different stages of their training!

Most christians today often think of discipleship as learning new information. Success is when someone can make the right answers on a theology quiz. 2 Peter 1:5 clearly says we need to make every effort to add to our faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge. Unfortunately for years I missed the stages of growth in making a disciple. The Discipleship Wheel from Jim Putman and the relational discipleship network is extremely helpful in identifying what stage a person is at in their walk with God and how to intentionally help them grow at the stage into the next. They have 5 stages and you can learn more by clicking here. Dan Spader and Son Life emphasize a strategy called 4 Chair Discipling. The see 4 stages in how Jesus ministered to help his disciples to grow.

Chair 1 - To the person who was spiritual seeking, Jesus issued the call, “come and see.”

Chair 2 - To the person who was a new believer that he was the Messiah, he issued the call, “Follow me.”

Chair 3 - To the person who was already following him, he issued the call, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Chair 4 - To the person who had followed him and effectively trained, he issued the challenge to “Go and bear fruit.”

Whether with an unbeliever, new believer, faithful servant or spiritual parent, the process of disciple making is the same: life on life relationships with an intentional process teaching people to obey by our example.

For preaching purposes, the four chair process is real helpful to explain. I have seen light bulbs go off but some older believers as they realize then need to be pouring into the next generation of believers. Also, even a baby believer in a high chair can reach out to the person who is lost and onset stage behind. I highly recommend checking out http://4chairdiscipling.com. I have adjusted the chairs on stage to signify the stages of growth and challenge people to follow Jesus and become fisher of men.

In Order To Win Some, You Gotta Be Winsome!

This is a message I had the honor to preach on the Mission Sunday at the Skokie Valley Baptist Church in Willmette IL on March 12, 2017.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xcbiwqppytr1nw7/Dwayne_Eslick_3-12-17_In_Order_To_Win_Some_You_Gotta_Be_Winsome.mp3?dl=0

PROVERBS 11:30

NIV The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives.  

KJV   The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.

                           Daniel 12:3

3 Characteristics of winsome believers

winsome: 1: generally pleasing and engaging often because of a childlike charm and innocence a winsome smile    2: cheerful, lighthearted

1) Being generous with the lost helps overcome the obstacle that it is all about money

If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more?  But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.                1 Corinthians 9:12

17 If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.   18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel.              1 Corinthians 9:17-18

2.  Being culturally sensitive with the lost helps overcome the obstacle that we are attacking their heritage.

To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.                      1 Corinthians 9:22-23

3.  Being a person of integrity among the lost helps overcome the obstacle of distrust.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.  No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.  1 Corinthians 9:24-27

3 Characteristics of winsome believers:  generous - integrity culturally sensitive

To be a great teacher you have to ask great questions!

On September 10, 2016, I had the honor of teaching a main session at the New Life Small Group Conference.  Over 450 people attended and I actually spoke within my time limit of 20 minutes on how to create discussion within a small group by asking open-ended question vs. close ended questions.  Below is a chart of some of the differences and also a link to the 20 minute training session I taught. 

AUDIO:  https://www.dropbox.com/s/fyoevq831tzes7i/Ask-Great-Questions-Pastor-Dwayne-Eslick.mp3?dl=0

PDF WORKSHEET: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ttc75frme4b2bao/Small-Group-Prep-Worksheet.pdf?dl=0