Tag: Discipleship

Expecting Fruit – #164

| Gospel Sync | Kingdom Kernels | Discipleship Matters Podcast | Website | 

ENGLISH / ESPAÑOL

Rather Listen? Click Here…

Welcome Back! Today, we’ll be looking at the Gospel of Luke to see Jesus’ expectations for our fruit bearing.

So let’s dive in.

(Click here to get a copy of the Gospel Sync document) 

Luke 13:6-9

Then Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the keeper of the vineyard, ‘Look, for the past three years I have come to search for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Therefore cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone again this year, until I dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine. But if not, you can cut it down.’”

My Thoughts

This is one of those quotes from Jesus that doesn’t preach well to a congregation that only wants a loving Savior and not a Lord with expectations. Jesus is clearly expressing in story form what He not only desires of every follower but demands. Jesus talks about fruit (or fruitlessness) a lot. He says that we know a tree by its fruit (Matthew 7:16-20), that we can’t bear fruit without Him (John 15:5), bearing much fruit glorifies the Father (John 15:8), and He sent us to bear fruit (John 15:16). And I think He even gives us an object lesson before His entry into Jerusalem when He curses the fig tree (Matthew 21:18–22). The writers of the rest of the New Testament have some things to say about bearing fruit as well. Paul talks about the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). The writer of Hebrews describes praise and worship as “the fruit of lips that confess His name” (Hebrews 13:15). James says righteousness is “sown in peace by those who make peace.” Peace-making produces righteous fruit (James 3:17-18). And Peter teaches that growing in Christian virtues keeps believers from being “unfruitful” in the knowledge of Christ (2 Peter 1:5-8). Just to name a few. 

So what is the fruit Jesus and His Apostles are talking about? It can be several things:

  • Repentance
  • Christlike character
  • Obedience
  • Holiness
  • Good works
  • Perseverance
  • Worship and praise
  • Generosity
  • Disciple-making
  • Kingdom impact
  • Righteous living
  • Spiritual maturity

But if we spend all our time just defining what spiritual fruit looks like without actually bearing it, we miss the heart of Jesus’ parable. The Master expects a harvest. He is incredibly patient with us, graciously supplying the soil, the water, fertilizer, and the time we need to grow. But as we see in Luke 13:6-9, that patience isn’t a pass for endless stagnation. A tree that continually refuses to yield fruit is eventually “cut down.”

When it comes to discipleship, our responsibility doesn’t stop at our own personal growth. We are called to instruct, encourage, and boldly exhort those we are discipling to step into that same fruitful reality. We have to be willing to pass on both the gracious, high expectations of the Master, as well as His sobering warnings. 

My Story

For a few years, Deb and I spent our summers in New York. We rented a small one-bedroom apartment with a beautiful private entryway — stone walls on either side, and neglected garden plots lining the walkway. You could tell someone had tended them once, but the beds had long since been overtaken by weeds. The one conspicuous exception was a single type of flower — Impatiens — a single color, scattered sporadically throughout the overgrowth, quietly thriving despite being nearly hidden from view.

I’m no green thumb — quite the opposite, really — but we decided to clean the beds up and plant more of what was already doing well. Impatiens it was.

We headed to the local Home Depot and bought three dozen little planters. It wouldn’t come close to filling all the space we’d cleared, but it was a start — more of an experiment than anything else. We got them in the ground, added a little fertilizer, and kept them watered. If you know anything about Impatiens, you know they have little seedling pods that pop when you touch them. They literally explode with seeds and can cover a pretty good area in no time. By the end of that summer both sides of the walkway were filled with color. The neighbors even started commenting on our horticultural expertise. Ha!

We were so pleased with those little flowers that we’d sit out on the stoop just to admire them. There was something wonderful about watching something so simple become something so beautiful — the seedlings dropping and spreading until the whole walkway was covered in blooms.

I’m sure God feels the same way about our fruitfulness.

Our Action Plan

Now it’s time for application. Here’s some ideas:

  • Conduct a focused Bible study specifically on “fruit.”
  • Discuss with those you are discipling what it truly means to bear fruit in their lives.
  • Identify the categories of spiritual fruit present in your life and pinpoint areas for improvement.

The Master’s expectation is clear: our lives must produce fruit. The challenge lies in identifying what that Biblical fruit is, and actively producing it. Let’s commit to being fruitful disciples of Jesus and help those we disciple do the same, moving beyond definition to demonstration.

| Gospel Sync | Kingdom Kernels | Discipleship Matters Podcast | Website | 

Esperando fruto — #164

¡Bienvenidos de nuevo! Hoy examinaremos el Evangelio de Lucas para ver cuáles son las expectativas de Jesús respecto a que demos fruto.

Así que, entremos en materia.

Lucas 13:6-9

Mis Pensamientos

Esta es una de esas citas de Jesús que no resulta fácil de predicar ante una congregación que solo desea un Salvador amoroso, y no un Señor con expectativas. Jesús expresa claramente, a través de una historia, aquello que no solo desea de cada seguidor, sino que también exige. Jesús habla mucho acerca del fruto (o de la falta de fruto). Él dice que conocemos al árbol por sus frutos (Mateo 7:16-20), que no podemos dar fruto sin Él (Juan 15:5), que dar mucho fruto glorifica al Padre (Juan 15:8), y que Él nos envió para dar fruto (Juan 15:16). Y creo que incluso nos ofrece una lección práctica, justo antes de su entrada en Jerusalén, cuando maldice la higuera (Mateo 21:18–22). Los autores del resto del Nuevo Testamento también tienen algo que decir sobre el dar fruto. Pablo habla del fruto del Espíritu (Gálatas 5:22-23). ​​El autor de Hebreos describe la alabanza y la adoración como «el fruto de labios que confiesan su nombre» (Hebreos 13:15). Santiago afirma que la justicia es «sembrada en paz por aquellos que hacen la paz». El hacer la paz produce un fruto de justicia (Santiago 3:17-18). Y Pedro enseña que crecer en las virtudes cristianas evita que los creyentes sean «infructuosos» en el conocimiento de Cristo (2 Pedro 1:5-8). Por nombrar solo algunos ejemplos.

Entonces, ¿a qué fruto se refieren Jesús y sus apóstoles? Puede tratarse de varias cosas:

  • Arrepentimiento
  • Carácter semejante al de Cristo
  • Obediencia
  • Santidad
  • Buenas obras
  • Perseverancia
  • Adoración y alabanza
  • Generosidad
  • Hacer discípulos
  • Impacto en el Reino
  • Vida justa
  • Madurez espiritual

Pero si pasamos todo nuestro tiempo simplemente definiendo cómo es el fruto espiritual sin llegar a producirlo realmente, nos perdemos el corazón de la parábola de Jesús. El Maestro espera una cosecha. Él es increíblemente paciente con nosotros, proveyendo con gracia la tierra, el agua, el abono y el tiempo que necesitamos para crecer. Pero, como vemos en Lucas 13:6-9, esa paciencia no constituye un permiso para una inactividad perpetua. Un árbol que se niega continuamente a dar fruto termina siendo «cortado». En lo que respecta al discipulado, nuestra responsabilidad no se limita a nuestro propio crecimiento personal. Estamos llamados a instruir, alentar y exhortar con valentía a aquellos a quienes discipulamos, para que entren en esa misma realidad fructífera. Debemos estar dispuestos a transmitir tanto las benévolas y elevadas expectativas del Maestro, como sus serias advertencias.

Mi Historia

Durante unos años, Deb y yo pasamos nuestros veranos en Nueva York. Alquilamos un pequeño apartamento de un dormitorio con una hermosa entrada privada: muros de piedra a ambos lados y unos parterres descuidados que bordeaban el sendero. Se notaba que alguien los había cuidado en el pasado, pero hacía mucho tiempo que la maleza se había apoderado de ellos. La única excepción notable eran los pensamientos: de un solo color, dispersos esporádicamente entre la vegetación silvestre, prosperando silenciosamente a pesar de estar casi ocultos a la vista.

No tengo mano para la jardinería —más bien todo lo contrario, a decir verdad—, pero decidimos limpiar los parterres y plantar más de aquello que ya estaba prosperando. Y así, nos decidimos por los pensamientos.

Fuimos al Home Depot local y compramos tres docenas de pequeñas macetas. Aquello no bastaría ni de lejos para llenar todo el espacio que habíamos despejado, pero era un comienzo; más que nada, un experimento. Los plantamos en la tierra, añadimos un poco de fertilizante, los regamos con regularidad y, para el final de aquel verano, ambos lados del sendero estaban rebosantes de color. Los vecinos incluso empezaron a comentar nuestra pericia en la jardinería.

Quedamos tan complacidos con aquellas florecillas que solíamos sentarnos en el porche solo para admirarlas. Había algo maravilloso en ver cómo algo tan sencillo se transformaba en algo tan hermoso: las plantitas echando raíces y extendiéndose hasta que todo el sendero quedaba cubierto de flores.

Estoy seguro de que Dios siente lo mismo respecto a nuestra propia fecundidad.

Nuestro Plan de Acción

Ahora es el momento de la aplicación. Aquí tienes algunas ideas:

Realiza un estudio bíblico enfocado específicamente en el «fruto».

Conversa con aquellos a quienes estás discipulando sobre lo que significa verdaderamente dar fruto en sus vidas.

Identifica las categorías de fruto espiritual presentes en tu propia vida y señala las áreas que requieren mejora.

La expectativa del Maestro es clara: nuestras vidas deben producir fruto. El desafío radica en identificar cuál es ese fruto bíblico y producirlo activamente. Comprometámonos a ser discípulos fructíferos de Jesús y ayudemos a quienes discipulamos a hacer lo mismo, pasando de la definición a la demostración.

Si ve un problema importante en la traducción, envíeme una corrección por correo electrónico a charleswood1@gmail.com

The Baggage of Superstition – #163

| Gospel Sync | Kingdom Kernels | Discipleship Matters Podcast | Website | 

ENGLISH / ESPAÑOL

Rather Listen? Click here…

Welcome Back! Today, we’ll be looking at the Gospel of Luke to see how Jesus responded to worldly superstitions.

So let’s dive in.

(Click here to get a copy of the Gospel Sync document) 

Luke 13:1–5

At that time some of those present told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. To this He replied, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered this fate? No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam collapsed on them: Do you think that they were more sinful than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

My Thoughts

When we hear about horrific tragedies like those described in this passage, we often jump to the conclusion that the victims did something to deserve it. This is exactly the assumption the people were bringing to Jesus.

Was Jesus confirming their suspicions, saying, “They deserved it!” or was He saying, “They didn’t”? I don’t believe He was trying to distinguish between justice and fate. Instead, He was leveling the playing field, addressing the universal reality of sin. In essence, He was making the same point Paul would later articulate in Romans:

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

In truth, we all probably deserve far worse fates. Jesus is addressing a deeper issue here, drawing a sharp line between real spiritual consequences and mere superstition.

Mixing superstition with truth is dangerous. It distorts our understanding of God’s true character and blurs our own identities. Jesus wanted His listeners to grapple with the truth that we are all sinners—and ultimately, to understand the nature of God’s grace and justice.

As disciple-makers, we will inevitably face this same challenge. People come to us with a “theological cocktail”—a blend of world religions, cultural myths, and self-manufactured ideas about God. It is our task to dive into the Word of God to separate truth from fiction, reality from myth. We have to help them cut away the baggage of superstition.

My Story

I was recently explaining a friend’s medical condition to my respiratory therapist. As I was describing the dire details, he kept knocking on the wooden chair beside him. He was “knocking on wood,” practicing a superstitious act to prevent jinxing himself. I couldn’t tell if he was just playing around or genuinely trying to ward off bad luck, but I wanted him to know that I wouldn’t trust my friend’s fate to the “god of luck” or any other substitute for the One True God. I told him that I believe in the Great Physician, and I choose to place my friend’s future in His capable and trustworthy hands. Let’s draw a clear line of distinction between superstition and the One who is the Truth.

Our Action Plan

Now it’s time for application. Here’s some questions and ideas:

  • What superstitious practices have we borrowed from the world and need to jettison?
  • Listen carefully to those you are discipling. What superstitions do you need to address?
  • Do a Bible study on what God thinks about superstitions.

We are all swimming in a world of half truths and flat out lies from the enemy. Our culture will explain circumstance, good and bad, through alternatives to anything but the truth. Let’s be careful to make a clear distinction between Biblical truth and worldly superstition. 

| Gospel Sync | Kingdom Kernels | Discipleship Matters Podcast | Website | 

La carga de la superstición – #163

¡Bienvenidos de nuevo! Hoy examinaremos el Evangelio de Lucas para ver cómo respondió Jesús a las supersticiones mundanas.

Así que, entremos en materia.

Lucas 13:1–5

Mis Pensamientos

Cuando oímos hablar de tragedias horribles, como las descritas en este pasaje, a menudo nos apresuramos a concluir que las víctimas hicieron algo para merecerlas. Esta es exactamente la suposición que la gente planteaba ante Jesús.

¿Estaba Jesús confirmando sus sospechas al decir: «¡Se lo merecían!»?, ¿o estaba diciendo: «No se lo merecían»? No creo que Él estuviera intentando distinguir entre la justicia y el destino. Más bien, estaba nivelando el terreno de juego, abordando la realidad universal del pecado. En esencia, estaba planteando el mismo argumento que Pablo articularía más tarde en Romanos:

«Por cuanto todos pecaron y están destituidos de la gloria de Dios». (Romanos 3:23)

En verdad, es probable que todos nosotros merezcamos destinos mucho peores. Aquí, Jesús aborda una cuestión más profunda, trazando una línea clara entre las verdaderas consecuencias espirituales y la mera superstición.

Mezclar la superstición con la verdad es peligroso. Distorsiona nuestra comprensión del verdadero carácter de Dios y desdibuja nuestras propias identidades. Jesús quería que sus oyentes se confrontaran con la verdad de que todos somos pecadores y, en última instancia, que comprendieran la naturaleza de la gracia y la justicia de Dios.

Como formadores de discípulos, inevitablemente nos enfrentaremos a este mismo desafío. La gente acude a nosotros con un «cóctel teológico»: una mezcla de religiones mundiales, mitos culturales e ideas sobre Dios fabricadas por ellos mismos. Nuestra tarea consiste en sumergirnos en la Palabra de Dios para separar la verdad de la ficción, la realidad del mito. Debemos ayudarles a desprenderse de la carga de la superstición.

Mi Historia

Recientemente le estaba explicando la condición médica de un amigo a mi terapeuta respiratorio. Mientras describía los sombríos detalles, él no dejaba de golpear la silla de madera que tenía a su lado. Estaba «tocando madera», realizando un acto supersticioso para evitar echarse la mala suerte encima. No lograba discernir si simplemente estaba bromeando o si realmente intentaba ahuyentar la mala fortuna; sin embargo, quería que supiera que yo no confiaría el destino de mi amigo al «dios de la suerte» ni a ningún otro sustituto del Único Dios Verdadero. Le dije que creo en el Gran Médico y que elijo depositar el futuro de mi amigo en Sus manos capaces y dignas de confianza. Tracemos una clara línea divisoria entre la superstición y Aquel que es la Verdad.

Nuestro Plan de Acción

Ahora es el momento de la aplicación práctica. Aquí tienen algunas preguntas e ideas:

¿Qué prácticas supersticiosas hemos adoptado del mundo y necesitamos desechar?

Escuchen atentamente a aquellos a quienes están discipulando. ¿Qué supersticiones necesitan abordar?

Realicen un estudio bíblico sobre lo que Dios piensa acerca de las supersticiones.

Todos navegamos en un mundo repleto de verdades a medias y mentiras descaradas provenientes del enemigo. Nuestra cultura tiende a explicar las circunstancias —tanto las buenas como las malas— recurriendo a cualquier alternativa, salvo a la verdad misma. Tengamos el cuidado de establecer una clara distinción entre la verdad bíblica y la superstición mundana.

Si ve un problema importante en la traducción, envíeme una corrección por correo electrónico a charleswood1@gmail.com

Jesus the Divider – #162

| Gospel Sync | Kingdom Kernels | Discipleship Matters Podcast | Website | 

ENGLISH / ESPAÑOL

Rather Listen? Click here…

Welcome Back! Today, we’ll be looking at the Gospel of Luke to see why Jesus is so divisive. 

So let’s dive in.

(Click here to get a copy of the Gospel Sync document) 

Luke 12:49-53

I have come to ignite a fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on, five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

My Thoughts

Make no mistake about it, Jesus is divisive. He is the most polarizing figure in all of history. You are either with Him or against Him. Oh, there are those who try to find the middle and call Him a good man, one with a great moral compass, a kind figure in the annals of the past, but certainly not someone to be exclusively worshiped as the One and only true God. Those trying to stand on the “middle ground” are in just as much danger as the outright rebellious. There is no middle ground with Jesus. Jesus said, ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16).

But you may say, “Chuck, what does this have to do with us? We are disciple makers. We are all in. How does this apply to us?” I’m glad you asked. 🙂 Have you noticed where most of our culture stands, especially here in the West? No one wants to be exclusive or appear divisive. Everyone wants to take the middle ground on religion. And as you are sharing the gospel you’ve heard it a million times, “I believe in Jesus.” But when you press in a little deeper, universalism is the flavor of the day. 

Part of our task as disciple makers is to “fill in the gaps.” I was recently studying Acts 18. The Apostle Paul finds twelve disciples of John the Baptist. They don’t know about Jesus so Paul fills in the gaps and they are baptized and receive the Holy Spirit. Then Paul enters the synagogue and tries to “fill in some gaps” and gets the boot. So what’s the difference between the two groups of people? Receptivity. The twelve received the truth and responded in obedience to the gospel and the folks in the synagogue rejected the message, the messenger, and the Master. 

Notice Paul didn’t try to soften the blow or candy coat the truth of the gospel in either case. And that is the key lesson for us as disciple makers. Some have unwittingly changed the gospel to make it more palatable to be “Seeker Friendly.” Some are preaching discipleship with no cost. Some are minimizing obedience for the sake of corrupted grace. Jesus (nor Paul) didn’t do that. They told it like it is. Now this doesn’t give us license to be a jerk but we dare not water down the truth either. 

My Story

Lately, we’ve been trying a new approach to sharing the gospel. It focuses on four simple questions about the kingdom of God, stepping away from older illustrations and starting right where Jesus began His ministry.

We usually open by reading Mark 1:15 together: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Then, we ask the first question: “What does it mean that the kingdom of God is at hand?”

It sometimes takes a little friendly prompting, but people almost always land on the core truth: Jesus the King has arrived as the ruler of His kingdom.

From there, we move to question two: “What are the three components of a kingdom?”

Most of the time, folks don’t need much help with this one. They quickly piece together the trio: a King, His domain, and His people.

Question three is where the gears really start turning: “What are the three ways people can respond to a King?”

The first two usually come out immediately: allegiance or rebellion. The third option can be a bit of a head-scratcher. But when we ask, “What sits right in the middle of allegiance and rebellion?” the lightbulb goes on. “Indifference!” Exactly.

This sets up the fourth and final question: “Of those three responses to King Jesus, which one describes you?”

It is eye-opening how many people—probably 95% of those we talk to—honestly identify as indifferent. That vulnerability opens the door perfectly.

From there, we’ll often share Revelation 3:15-16—the passage about being lukewarm—and let that lead us right into a genuine conversation about what real, active faith actually looks like.

We are trying to get closer to “filling in the gaps” like Jesus and Paul.

Our Action Plan

Now it’s time for application. Here’s some questions and ideas.

  • Are you trying to “soften the blow of the truth” in any way?
  • Do a study on how Jesus shared the truth in love.
  • Do an assessment on the way you share the gospel compared to Jesus or the Apostles.

As disciple makers we are filling in the gaps for people. In order for us to do this in an effective way we are going to have to go places that may make us and those we are talking to feel uncomfortable. But this truth telling is the most loving thing we can do for those who are in jeopardy of losing their souls.

| Gospel Sync | Kingdom Kernels | Discipleship Matters Podcast | Website | 

Jesús, el divisor — #162

¡Bienvenidos de nuevo! Hoy examinaremos el Evangelio de Lucas para ver por qué Jesús resulta tan divisivo.

Así que, entremos en materia.

Lucas 12:49-53

Mis Pensamientos

Que no quepa duda alguna: Jesús es una figura divisiva. Es la figura más polarizante de toda la historia. O estás con Él o estás contra Él. Oh, ciertamente hay quienes intentan buscar un punto medio y lo califican como un buen hombre, alguien con una gran brújula moral, una figura bondadosa en los anales del pasado, pero, sin duda alguna, no alguien a quien se deba adorar exclusivamente como el Único y verdadero Dios. Aquellos que intentan mantenerse en el «punto medio» corren tanto peligro como los que son abiertamente rebeldes. Con Jesús no existe el punto medio. Jesús dijo: «Conozco tus obras: que ni eres frío ni caliente. ¡Ojalá fueras frío o caliente! Así que, por cuanto eres tibio, y no frío ni caliente, te vomitaré de mi boca» (Apocalipsis 3:15-16).

Pero tal vez te preguntes: «Chuck, ¿qué tiene que ver esto con nosotros? Nosotros somos hacedores de discípulos. Estamos comprometidos al cien por cien. ¿Cómo se aplica esto a nuestra labor?». Me alegra que lo preguntes. 🙂 ¿Te has percatado de cuál es la postura de la mayor parte de nuestra cultura, especialmente aquí en Occidente? Nadie quiere ser excluyente ni parecer divisivo. Todo el mundo prefiere adoptar una postura intermedia en lo que respecta a la religión. Y, a medida que compartes el evangelio, habrás escuchado esa frase un millón de veces: «Yo creo en Jesús». Pero cuando indagas un poco más a fondo, te das cuenta de que el universalismo es la tendencia del momento.

Parte de nuestra tarea como hacedores de discípulos consiste en «llenar los vacíos». Recientemente estuve estudiando el capítulo 18 del libro de los Hechos. El apóstol Pablo se encuentra con doce discípulos de Juan el Bautista. Ellos no tienen conocimiento acerca de Jesús, así que Pablo «llena esos vacíos»; como resultado, ellos son bautizados y reciben el Espíritu Santo. Luego, Pablo entra en la sinagoga e intenta «llenar algunos vacíos» allí también, pero termina siendo expulsado. Entonces, ¿cuál es la diferencia entre estos dos grupos de personas? La receptividad. Los doce recibieron la verdad y respondieron con obediencia al evangelio; en cambio, la gente de la sinagoga rechazó el mensaje, al mensajero y al Maestro.

Observa que Pablo no intentó suavizar el golpe ni «edulcorar» la verdad del evangelio en ninguno de los dos casos. Y esa es la lección clave para nosotros como hacedores de discípulos. Algunos han modificado el evangelio —quizás sin darse cuenta— para hacerlo más «digerible» y así lograr que resulte más «amigable para los buscadores». Algunos predican un discipulado sin costo alguno. Otros minimizan la obediencia en aras de una gracia adulterada. Jesús (ni tampoco Pablo) actuaron así; ellos decían las cosas tal como son. Ahora bien, esto no nos da licencia para comportarnos como patanes, pero tampoco debemos atrevernos a diluir la verdad.

Mi Historia

Últimamente, hemos estado probando un nuevo enfoque para compartir el evangelio. Se centra en cuatro preguntas sencillas sobre el reino de Dios, dejando de lado las ilustraciones más antiguas y comenzando justo donde Jesús inició su ministerio.

Por lo general, comenzamos leyendo juntos Marcos 1:15: «El tiempo se ha cumplido y el reino de Dios se ha acercado; arrepiéntanse y crean en el evangelio».

Luego, planteamos la primera pregunta: «¿Qué significa que el reino de Dios se ha acercado?».

A veces hace falta un pequeño estímulo amistoso, pero casi siempre la gente llega a la verdad fundamental: Jesús, el Rey, ha llegado como el gobernante de su reino.

A partir de ahí, pasamos a la segunda pregunta: «¿Cuáles son los tres componentes de un reino?».

La mayoría de las veces, la gente no necesita mucha ayuda con esta. Rápidamente identifican el trío: un Rey, su dominio y su pueblo.

La tercera pregunta es donde realmente empiezan a funcionar los engranajes: «¿Cuáles son las tres formas en que las personas pueden responder a un Rey?».

Las dos primeras suelen surgir de inmediato: lealtad o rebelión. La tercera opción puede resultar un tanto desconcertante. Pero cuando preguntamos: «¿Qué se sitúa justo entre la lealtad y la rebelión?», se les enciende la bombilla. «¡Indiferencia!». Exacto.

Esto da pie a la cuarta y última pregunta: «De esas tres respuestas ante el Rey Jesús, ¿cuál te describe a ti?».

Resulta revelador ver cuántas personas —probablemente el 95 % de aquellas con las que hablamos— se identifican honestamente como indiferentes. Esa vulnerabilidad abre la puerta de manera perfecta.

A partir de ahí, a menudo compartimos Apocalipsis 3:15-16 —el pasaje sobre ser tibios— y dejamos que eso nos conduzca directamente a una conversación genuina sobre cómo es realmente una fe auténtica y activa.

Estamos intentando acercarnos más a «llenar los vacíos», tal como lo hacían Jesús y Pablo.

Nuestro Plan de Acción

Ahora es el momento de la aplicación práctica. Aquí tienes algunas preguntas e ideas:

¿Estás intentando, de alguna manera, «suavizar el golpe de la verdad»?

Realiza un estudio sobre cómo Jesús comunicaba la verdad con amor.

Haz una evaluación de la forma en que compartes el evangelio, comparándola con la manera en que lo hacían Jesús o los apóstoles.

Como formadores de discípulos, estamos supliendo las carencias de las personas. Para poder hacerlo de manera eficaz, tendremos que adentrarnos en terrenos que tal vez nos hagan sentir incómodos —tanto a nosotros como a aquellos con quienes hablamos—. Sin embargo, decir la verdad de este modo es el acto de amor más grande que podemos realizar por aquellos que corren el riesgo de perder sus almas.

Si ve un problema importante en la traducción, envíeme una corrección por correo electrónico a charleswood1@gmail.com

Surprise, Surprise! (Part 2) – #161

| Gospel Sync | Kingdom Kernels | Discipleship Matters Podcast | Website | 

Rather Listen? Click here…

ENGLISH / ESPAÑOL

Welcome Back! Today, we’ll be looking at the Gospel of Luke to see the “Not So Good Surprise” Jesus talks about.

So let’s dive in.

(Click here to get a copy of the Gospel Sync document) 

Luke 12:41-48

“Lord,” said Peter, “are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?” And the Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their portion at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and he begins to beat the menservants and maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not anticipate. Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. That servant who knows his master’s will but does not get ready or follow his instructions will be beaten with many blows. But the one who unknowingly does things worthy of punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from him who has been entrusted with much, even more will be demanded.

My Thoughts

In my last post I really focused on the second surprise in Jesus’ parable. (See Part 1 here) But now Peter asks a question that will force us to give more attention to the first surprise, the “Not So Good Surprise.”

Jesus is giving a warning to His would-be followers that they should be alert to His second coming. He talks about His servants giving the other servants “their portion at the proper time.” Or in the New American Standard Version (1995) “to give them their rations at the proper time” (Luke 12:42-43). That sounds a whole lot like John 21 when Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me?” and then tells him to “Feed my sheep.” 

At first glance, the average Christian may shrug this off and say,  “Oh, He’s talking about my pastor or clergy. He can’t possibly be talking about an everyday Joe or Jill like me.” But wait a second. Let’s look at this a little more closely. In His description of the servants who get the “Not So Good Surprise” He clearly gives an answer to the “who’ and the “what.”

“That servant who knows his master’s will but does not get ready or follow his instructions will be beaten with many blows.” (Luke 12:47)

Now that puts things in a whole other light doesn’t it? Is He our Master? Do we know His will? Are we following His instructions? Let’s put the cookies on the lowest shelf. Do we call Jesus our Lord? (Matthew 7:21) Are we loving God and people? (Mark 12:34-35) Are we making disciples? (Matthew 28:18-20) These are clear instructions from Jesus the Master and we don’t need a seminary degree in Greek to figure them out. 

My Story

When I was a brand new baby Christian I had two things I’d pray every night; “God please use my life and give me a wife.” Night after night, I’d drift off to sleep thinking and praying those two things. I didn’t know how much responsibility came along with those two requests but that was my heart’s desire.

Only six months into the faith I started making disciples of Jesus and I quickly realized this was the answer to my first prayer. He had given me (and every other follower) a commission to make disciples of all the nations. Not only did I come to realize that this was His purpose for my life but it had unexpected responsibilities that came along with it. It wasn’t always convenient or fun helping people follow Jesus. In fact, sometimes it was down right hard and messy. I was figuring out the weight of my request and the stewardship it required. God was answering my first prayer but I had to be a willing participant, a good servant of the Master.

The answer for my second petition came when He gave me my mate, Deborah Lynn Thar. Deb and I have had a fantastic marriage and she is my best friend but we can’t say that it has always been easy. We had to grow together, compromise, enter disagreements and reconcile. We had to steward our marriage like teammates trying to win the championship. And of course to do that, we had to listen to Coach Jesus every step of the way. From getting past the honeymoon phase, to raising our sons, to empty nesters and retirement, to being grandparents and parenting adult sons. All of this had its challenges and victories and took more intentional stewardship than I ever realized praying the simple prayers in the early years.

Lo and behold, the way the Lord answered my two prayers from the beginning is, not surprisingly, in alignment with the commands He gave Adam and Eve in THE beginning:

God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:27-28)

I have been stewarding what He has commanded me to do all my adult life and by His grace will continue until He knocks on my door. 

Our Action Plan

Now it’s time for application. Here’s some ideas:

  • Do a Bible study on the parables Jesus tells about stewardship (Matthew 25:14-30, Luke 19:11-27, Luke 16:1-13).
  • Do an assessment of how you are obeying the three Great Commands in your life and the lives of those you are discipling.
  • Ask questions of those you are discipling about what and how they are stewarding the things God has entrusted to them.

God has given all of us an identity and a purpose in this life. Jesus gives both a challenge and a promise of reward for us to be alert and ready for His return. Being ready simply involves being, knowing, and doing what He has designed and commanded us to do. 

Organic Writing – No Artificial Intelligence or Sweeteners Added

| Gospel Sync | Kingdom Kernels | Discipleship Matters Podcast | Website | 

¡Sorpresa, sorpresa! (Parte 2) – #161

¡Bienvenidos de nuevo! Hoy nos adentraremos en el Evangelio de Lucas para ver la «sorpresa no tan buena» de la que habla Jesús.

Así que, ¡manos a la obra!

Lucas 12:41-48

Mis Pensamientos

En mi última publicación, me centré realmente en la segunda sorpresa de la parábola de Jesús. (Vea la Parte 1 aquí). Pero ahora Pedro hace una pregunta que nos obligará a prestar más atención a la primera sorpresa: la «sorpresa no tan buena».

Jesús está advirtiendo a sus aspirantes a seguidores que deben estar atentos a su segunda venida. Habla de que sus siervos deben dar a los demás siervos «su porción a su debido tiempo». O, según la *New American Standard Version* (1995): «darles sus raciones a su debido tiempo» (Lucas 12:42-43). Eso se parece muchísimo a lo que ocurre en Juan 21, cuando Jesús le pregunta a Pedro: «¿Me amas?», y luego le dice: «Apacienta mis ovejas».

A primera vista, el cristiano promedio podría restarle importancia a esto y decir: «Oh, Él está hablando de mi pastor o del clero. Es imposible que esté hablando de una persona común y corriente —un “Juan” o una “María” cualquiera— como yo». Pero espere un segundo. Analicemos esto con un poco más de detenimiento. En su descripción de los siervos que reciben la «sorpresa no tan buena», Él responde claramente a las preguntas de «¿quién?» y «¿qué?».

«Aquel siervo que conoce la voluntad de su amo, pero no se prepara ni sigue sus instrucciones, será castigado con muchos azotes» (Lucas 12:47).

Eso pone las cosas bajo una luz totalmente distinta, ¿verdad? ¿Es Él nuestro Amo? ¿Conocemos su voluntad? ¿Estamos siguiendo sus instrucciones? Seamos muy claros y sencillos. ¿Llamamos a Jesús nuestro Señor? (Mateo 7:21). ¿Amamos a Dios y a las personas? (Marcos 12:34-35). ¿Estamos haciendo discípulos? (Mateo 28:18-20). Estas son instrucciones claras de Jesús, el Amo, y no necesitamos un título de seminario en griego para comprenderlas.

Mi Historia

Cuando yo era un cristiano recién convertido —un «bebé» en la fe—, había dos cosas por las que oraba cada noche: «Dios, por favor, usa mi vida y dame una esposa». Noche tras noche, me quedaba dormido pensando y orando por esas dos cosas. No sabía cuánta responsabilidad conllevaban esas dos peticiones, pero ese era el anhelo de mi corazón.

Apenas seis meses después de haber abrazado la fe, comencé a hacer discípulos de Jesús y rápidamente me di cuenta de que esta era la respuesta a mi primera oración. Él me había dado (a mí y a cualquier otro seguidor suyo) la comisión de hacer discípulos en todas las naciones. No solo llegué a comprender que este era Su propósito para mi vida, sino que dicha misión traía consigo responsabilidades inesperadas. Ayudar a las personas a seguir a Jesús no siempre resultaba cómodo ni divertido. De hecho, a veces era francamente difícil y complicado. Estaba empezando a comprender el peso de mi petición y la mayordomía que esta exigía. Dios estaba respondiendo mi primera oración, pero yo debía ser un participante dispuesto, un buen siervo del Maestro.

La respuesta a mi segunda petición llegó cuando Él me concedió a mi compañera: Deborah Lynn Thar. Deb y yo hemos tenido un matrimonio fantástico —ella es mi mejor amiga—, aunque no podemos decir que siempre haya sido fácil. Tuvimos que crecer juntos, ceder, afrontar desacuerdos y reconciliarnos. Tuvimos que ejercer la mayordomía de nuestro matrimonio como compañeros de equipo que luchan por ganar el campeonato. Y, por supuesto, para lograrlo, tuvimos que escuchar al «Entrenador» Jesús en cada paso del camino. Desde superar la etapa de la luna de miel hasta criar a nuestros hijos; desde la etapa del «nido vacío» y la jubilación, hasta convertirnos en abuelos y seguir guiando a nuestros hijos ya adultos. Todo este recorrido tuvo sus desafíos y sus victorias, y requirió una mayordomía mucho más intencional de lo que jamás imaginé cuando elevaba aquellas sencillas oraciones en mis primeros años de fe.

Y he aquí que la manera en que el Señor respondió mis dos oraciones desde el principio —y esto no resulta sorprendente— guarda total armonía con los mandatos que Él dio a Adán y Eva en *el* principio:

«Creó, pues, Dios al hombre a su imagen; a imagen de Dios lo creó; varón y hembra los creó. Y los bendijo Dios y les dijo: “Fructificad y multiplicaos; llenad la tierra y sometedla; dominad sobre los peces del mar, sobre las aves de los cielos y sobre todo ser viviente que se mueve sobre la tierra”». (Génesis 1:27-28)

He estado administrando aquello que Él me ha mandado hacer durante toda mi vida adulta y, por Su gracia, continuaré haciéndolo hasta que Él llame a mi puerta.

Nuestro Plan de Acción

Ahora es el momento de la aplicación práctica. Aquí tienes algunas ideas:

Realiza un estudio bíblico sobre las parábolas que Jesús relata acerca de la mayordomía (Mateo 25:14-30, Lucas 19:11-27, Lucas 16:1-13).

Haz una evaluación de cómo estás obedeciendo los tres Grandes Mandamientos en tu propia vida y en la vida de aquellos a quienes estás discipulando.

Formula preguntas a tus discípulos sobre qué cosas están administrando —y de qué manera lo hacen— de entre aquello que Dios les ha confiado.

Dios nos ha otorgado a todos una identidad y un propósito en esta vida. Jesús nos presenta tanto un desafío como la promesa de una recompensa, instándonos a mantenernos alertas y preparados para su regreso. Estar preparados implica, sencillamente, ser, conocer y hacer aquello que Él ha diseñado y nos ha ordenado realizar.

Escritura orgánica: sin inteligencia artificial ni edulcorantes añadidos.

Si ve un problema importante en la traducción, envíeme una corrección por correo electrónico a charleswood1@gmail.com

Surprise, Surprise! – #160

| Gospel Sync | Kingdom Kernels | Discipleship Matters Podcast | Website | 

ENGLISH / ESPAÑOL

Rather Listen? Click here…

Welcome Back! Today, we’ll be looking at the Gospel of Luke to see two ways Jesus will surprise people.

So let’s dive in.

(Click here to get a copy of the Gospel Sync document) 

Luke 12:35-40

Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning. Then you will be like servants waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds on watch when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve and will have them recline at the table, and he himself will come and wait on them. Even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night and finds them alert, those servants will be blessed. But understand this: If the homeowner had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.”

My Thoughts

Some people like surprises and some don’t. I guess it all depends on what kind of condition the surprise comes in. If it’s a birthday party, ok I can deal with that even though it’s not my favorite. But if it were a tax audit and my wife is on a “girlfriend getaway,” I’m sunk. Some surprises can be down right disastrous. That’s one of the surprises Jesus is talking about but with much greater implications. This is a surprise with eternal consequences. 

But there’s another surprise that if we are not careful we’ll completely miss. The Master will serve His servants. What!? Did I read that right!? Yes, we did. Jesus will serve a sumptuous dinner to those servants whom He catches ready when He returns. Now that should blow our minds.

But isn’t that just like Jesus? The One who serves. The One who washes feet. The One who humbled Himself and took on our penalty. It’s absolutely unthinkable that God would serve His servants and yet it is the way of the kingdom of God. 

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)

So how does this apply to us as disciples and disciple makers? If the goal is to become and help others become like Jesus, then we ought to surprise people with our upside down (or should I say rightside up) kingdom values of serving others. It should be so significantly different from the worldly form of leadership, that it is shocking. Shocking like… the Creator of the Universe seating us in a place of honor and saying, “How may I serve you?”

My Story

He was in the latrine mopping the floor when two privates walked in. They froze and gawked at him like he was from outer space. Why? Because he was their First Sergeant, almost the highest rank among the enlisted in the army. Privates mop floors, not First Sergeants.

He was stirring a mixture of burning poop and diesel in a half steel drum in the middle of the Kuwaiti desert. A couple of privates walked up and stood paralyzed in shock as they watched their Captain clean the contents of the crude outhouse. Why? Because Privates burn poop, not Captains. 

Some of the leaders in their ministry sat with their jaws on the floor when they announced they were moving an old friend next door. Not any old friend. A friend they were moving from one city to their city to nurse him until he died of colon cancer. Why were their fellow leaders surprised? Because they were leading a booming ministry and taking care of Bill would take away vital time from “the ministry.” But SURPRISE! Bill WAS their ministry. They served him until he passed in the arms of Jesus in Whom he put his faith, just a week before he died.

If we want to be like Jesus, our service should surprise people.

Our Action Plan

Now it’s time for application. Here’s some ideas and questions;

  • Who among your acquaintances would be shocked if you served them?
  • What menial tasks would people consider to be “beneath” you?
  • When will you serve others in these “menial tasks?”

Service is a key kingdom value. It was the way Jesus led and exhorted others to lead. Let’s surprise the world around us with our servanthood.

Organic Writing – No Artificial Intelligence or Sweeteners Added

| Gospel Sync | Kingdom Kernels | Discipleship Matters Podcast | Website | 

¡Sorpresa, sorpresa! — #160

¡Bienvenidos de nuevo! Hoy nos adentraremos en el Evangelio de Lucas para ver dos maneras en las que Jesús sorprenderá a las personas.

Así que, ¡manos a la obra!

Lucas 12:35-40

Mis Pensamientos

A algunas personas les gustan las sorpresas, y a otras no. Supongo que todo depende de la naturaleza de la sorpresa. Si se trata de una fiesta de cumpleaños, bueno, puedo lidiar con eso, aunque no sea mi cosa favorita. Pero si fuera una auditoría fiscal y mi esposa estuviera de «escapada con sus amigas», estaría perdido. Algunas sorpresas pueden ser francamente desastrosas. Esa es una de las sorpresas de las que habla Jesús, pero con implicaciones mucho mayores. Se trata de una sorpresa con consecuencias eternas.

Pero hay otra sorpresa que, si no tenemos cuidado, pasaremos completamente por alto. El Maestro servirá a sus siervos. ¿¡Qué!? ¿¡Leí bien!? Sí, así es. Jesús servirá una cena suntuosa a aquellos siervos a quienes encuentre preparados cuando Él regrese. Eso debería dejarnos atónitos.

¿Pero no es eso precisamente lo que cabe esperar de Jesús? Aquel que sirve. Aquel que lava los pies. Aquel que se humilló a sí mismo y asumió nuestra pena. Resulta absolutamente impensable que Dios sirva a sus siervos; y, sin embargo, ese es el camino del reino de Dios.

«Porque ni siquiera el Hijo del Hombre vino para que le sirvan, sino para servir y para dar su vida en rescate por muchos». (Marcos 10:45)

Entonces, ¿cómo se aplica esto a nosotros como discípulos y formadores de discípulos? Si el objetivo es llegar a ser como Jesús —y ayudar a otros a serlo también—, entonces deberíamos sorprender a la gente con nuestros valores del reino, que parecen «invertidos» (¿o debería decir «puestos en su lugar correcto»?), basados ​​en el servicio a los demás. Debería ser algo tan radicalmente distinto de la forma de liderazgo mundana que resulte impactante. Impactante como… el Creador del Universo sentándonos en un lugar de honor y diciéndonos: «¿En qué puedo servirles?».

Mi Historia

Él estaba en la letrina fregando el suelo cuando entraron dos soldados rasos. Se quedaron paralizados y lo miraron boquiabiertos, como si fuera de otro planeta. ¿Por qué? Porque él era su Primer Sargento, casi el rango más alto entre la tropa del ejército. Los soldados rasos friegan suelos; los Primeros Sargentos, no.

Él estaba removiendo una mezcla de excrementos ardiendo y diésel dentro de un medio barril de acero, en medio del desierto kuwaití. Un par de soldados rasos se acercaron y se quedaron petrificados por la conmoción al ver a su Capitán limpiar el contenido de aquella rudimentaria letrina. ¿Por qué? Porque los soldados rasos queman los excrementos; los Capitanes, no.

Algunos de los líderes de su ministerio se quedaron con la mandíbula desencajada cuando anunciaron que iban a instalar a un viejo amigo en la casa de al lado. No un amigo cualquiera. Un amigo al que trasladaban desde otra ciudad hasta la suya para cuidarlo hasta que falleciera a causa de un cáncer de colon. ¿Por qué se sorprendieron sus compañeros líderes? Porque dirigían un ministerio en pleno auge, y cuidar de Bill les restaría un tiempo vital que debían dedicar a «el ministerio». Pero, ¡SORPRESA! Bill ERA su ministerio. Lo atendieron con devoción hasta que él partió a los brazos de Jesús, en quien había depositado su fe apenas una semana antes de morir.

Si queremos ser como Jesús, nuestro servicio debería sorprender a la gente.

Nuestro Plan de Acción

Ahora es el momento de ponerlo en práctica. Aquí tienes algunas ideas y preguntas:

¿Quién, entre tus conocidos, se quedaría atónito si decidieras servirle?

¿Qué tareas humildes consideraría la gente que están «por debajo» de tu dignidad?

¿Cuándo servirás a los demás realizando estas «tareas humildes»?

El servicio es un valor fundamental del Reino. Fue la manera en que Jesús lideró, y la forma en que exhortó a otros a liderar. Sorprendamos al mundo que nos rodea con nuestra actitud de servicio.

Escritura orgánica: sin inteligencia artificial ni edulcorantes añadidos.

Si ve un problema importante en la traducción, envíeme una corrección por correo electrónico a charleswood1@gmail.com

When the Kingdom is the Priority – #159

| Gospel Sync | Kingdom Kernels | Discipleship Matters Podcast | Website | 

ENGLISH / ESPAÑOL

Rather Listen? Click here…

Welcome Back! Today, we’ll be looking at the Gospel of Luke to see what He says our priorities should be.

So let’s dive in.

(Click here to get a copy of the Gospel Sync document) 

Luke 12:22-34

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storehouse or barn; yet God feeds them. How much more valuable you are than the birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? So if you cannot do such a small thing, why do you worry about the rest? Consider how the lilies grow: They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not be concerned about what you will eat or drink. Do not worry about it. For the Gentiles of the world strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added unto you. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves with purses that will not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

My Thoughts

Where are our hearts and minds? Are they fixated on that which is temporal or eternal? Are we grabbing for the here and now or are we firmly pressing into the things of God? Are we grinding away at our own security or trusting God for the mundane in order to focus on the extraordinary? I think that’s what Jesus is talking about here. He’s not saying quit your job, live off the land, and become a freeloader off other people who work for a living. No, He’s saying get our priorities straight. Are we worried about getting our slice of the proverbial pie or are we more intune with the Divine Enterprise, the kingdom of God. 

 I think this is what gets most believers in trouble. They start out well sharing the gospel and helping others grow in Christ. At first, it’s easy. We’re single, maybe just happy with getting by. Then comes marriage, kids, a serious job that is more demanding, and on and on until the kingdom’s priority is squeezed out by everything else. It’s hard to make disciples and serve others when the first priority is to build our own nest first.

Jesus is telling His disciples (then and now) that our first priority is the kingdom, not what we have energy left over after all other essentials are done. No, the kingdom is the essential. Everything else is to be leveraged in pursuit of the one great goal, His glory, His kingdom. So we need to ask ourselves, is our marriage advancing the kingdom? Is the way we raise our kids causing people to wonder what makes us tick (in a good way). Are we so different in our appetites that the folks around say, “Now that’s different!” (again in a good way). Are we trusting God in all these very good things in order to reach people with the gospel and make disciples even when it’s looking a little sketchy for our own comfort and well being?

My Story

When our sons, Chuck and Wes, were in high school the idea of sending them to a good youth group at a traditional church came up. Deb and I were asking the question; “Are we really providing the right mix of parenting and outside influence for their spiritual growth?” We decided they didn’t need the youth group. Now that decision may surprise you but here’s how we came to that conclusion.

We had been moving young soldiers into our home for discipleship to advance the kingdom of God. Most of them were young Airborne Rangers living in the spare bedrooms next to our boys. Both sons thought these guys were the coolest. We also thought they were “cool” because they were really getting after it for Jesus. In addition most of the stories of the youth groups in our area were not so great. They were basically “babysitting teens” or at worst the teens themselves were setting the agenda and the agenda wasn’t good. We could either divide our time by running back and forth to various youth activities or just trust that God would use the men we were discipling to disciple our boys. The kingdom was first in our home and these young men and our sons knew it. It wasn’t perfect but it was one of the best decisions we made as parents.

Our Action Plan

Now it’s time for application. Here’s some ideas and questions;

  • When making decisions about marriage, family, career, etc… is your impact on the kingdom one of the first considerations?
  • Are you teaching those you are discipling to have “kingdom priorities?”
  • Do a Bible study on the kingdom of God (Here’s mine 🙂).

Jesus makes a promise that when we focus on the kingdom of God and make it the priority, He takes care of everything else. This frees us up from the anxiety of the world and allows us to zero in on the eternal. His kingdom is our treasure, the heartbeat of the true disciple of Jesus. 

Organic Writing – No Artificial Intelligence or Sweeteners Added

| Gospel Sync | Kingdom Kernels | Discipleship Matters Podcast | Website | 

Cuando el Reino es la prioridad – #159

¡Bienvenidos de nuevo! Hoy nos adentraremos en el Evangelio de Lucas para ver qué dice Él sobre cuáles deberían ser nuestras prioridades.

Así que, entremos en materia.

Lucas 12:22-34

Mis Pensamientos

¿Dónde residen nuestros corazones y nuestras mentes? ¿Están fijos en lo temporal o en lo eterno? ¿Nos aferramos al aquí y al ahora, o avanzamos con firmeza hacia las cosas de Dios? ¿Nos desgastamos luchando por nuestra propia seguridad, o confiamos en Dios para los asuntos mundanos a fin de poder enfocarnos en lo extraordinario? Creo que de eso es de lo que Jesús está hablando aquí. Él no nos dice que renunciemos a nuestros trabajos, que vivamos de la tierra y que nos convirtamos en parásitos que viven a costa de quienes trabajan para ganarse la vida. No; lo que Él nos dice es que pongamos nuestras prioridades en orden. ¿Nos preocupa conseguir nuestra propia porción del proverbial pastel, o estamos más sintonizados con la Empresa Divina: el reino de Dios?

Creo que esto es lo que causa problemas a la mayoría de los creyentes. Comienzan bien, compartiendo el evangelio y ayudando a otros a crecer en Cristo. Al principio, resulta fácil. Estamos solteros y tal vez nos basta con simplemente ir tirando. Luego llegan el matrimonio, los hijos, un trabajo serio y más exigente, y así sucesivamente, hasta que la prioridad del reino termina siendo desplazada por todo lo demás. Resulta difícil hacer discípulos y servir a los demás cuando la prioridad número uno es, ante todo, construir nuestro propio nido.

Jesús les dice a sus discípulos —tanto a los de entonces como a los de ahora— que nuestra prioridad principal es el reino, y no aquello a lo que dedicamos la energía que nos sobra una vez cubiertas todas las demás necesidades básicas. No; el reino es lo verdaderamente esencial. Todo lo demás debe ponerse al servicio de ese único y gran objetivo: Su gloria, Su reino. Por lo tanto, debemos preguntarnos: ¿contribuye nuestro matrimonio al avance del reino? ¿Hace que la manera en que criamos a nuestros hijos despierte la curiosidad de la gente, llevándolos a preguntarse qué es lo que nos mueve (en el buen sentido)? ¿Somos tan distintos en nuestros anhelos y apetitos que quienes nos rodean exclaman: «¡Vaya, eso sí que es diferente!» (nuevamente, en el buen sentido)? ¿Confiamos en Dios en medio de todas estas cosas tan buenas, con el fin de alcanzar a las personas con el evangelio y hacer discípulos, incluso cuando la situación parece un tanto incierta para nuestra propia comodidad y bienestar?

Mi Historia

Cuando nuestros hijos, Chuck y Wes, cursaban la escuela secundaria, surgió la idea de enviarlos a un buen grupo de jóvenes en una iglesia tradicional. Deb y yo nos planteábamos la siguiente pregunta: «¿Estamos realmente proporcionando la combinación adecuada de crianza e influencias externas para su crecimiento espiritual?». Decidimos que no necesitaban el grupo de jóvenes. Tal vez esa decisión les sorprenda, pero he aquí cómo llegamos a esa conclusión.

Habíamos estado acogiendo en nuestro hogar a jóvenes soldados con el fin de discipularlos y así hacer avanzar el reino de Dios. La mayoría de ellos eran jóvenes *Rangers* aerotransportados que se alojaban en las habitaciones libres, justo al lado de las de nuestros hijos. Ambos chicos consideraban que estos jóvenes eran lo máximo. Nosotros también pensábamos que eran «geniales», pues se entregaban de lleno a la causa de Jesús. Además, la mayoría de las historias que se contaban sobre los grupos de jóvenes de nuestra zona no eran muy alentadoras. Básicamente consistían en «hacer de niñeros de adolescentes» o, en el peor de los casos, eran los propios adolescentes quienes marcaban la pauta, y esa pauta no era buena. Podíamos optar por dividir nuestro tiempo yendo y viniendo a las diversas actividades juveniles, o simplemente confiar en que Dios utilizaría a los hombres que estábamos discipulando para que, a su vez, discipularan a nuestros hijos. El reino ocupaba el primer lugar en nuestro hogar, y tanto aquellos jóvenes como nuestros hijos lo sabían. No fue un proceso perfecto, pero constituyó una de las mejores decisiones que tomamos como padres.

Nuestro Plan de Acción

Ahora es el momento de la aplicación práctica. Aquí tienes algunas ideas y preguntas:

Al tomar decisiones sobre el matrimonio, la familia, la carrera profesional, etc., ¿es tu impacto en el Reino una de las primeras consideraciones?

¿Estás enseñando a aquellos a quienes discipulas a tener «prioridades del Reino»?

Realiza un estudio bíblico sobre el Reino de Dios.

Jesús hace una promesa: cuando nos enfocamos en el Reino de Dios y lo convertimos en nuestra prioridad, Él se encarga de todo lo demás. Esto nos libera de la ansiedad del mundo y nos permite centrarnos plenamente en lo eterno. Su Reino es nuestro tesoro; es el latido del corazón del verdadero discípulo de Jesús.

Escritura orgánica: sin inteligencia artificial ni edulcorantes añadidos.

Si ve un problema importante en la traducción, envíeme una corrección por correo electrónico a charleswood1@gmail.com

The Deeper Issue – #158

| Gospel Sync | Kingdom Kernels | Discipleship Matters Podcast | Website | 

ENGLISH / ESPAÑOL

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Welcome Back! Today, we’ll be looking at the Gospel of Luke to see how Jesus got below the surface issues and addressed the real ones. 

So let’s dive in.

(Click here to get a copy of the Gospel Sync document) 

Luke 12:13-21

Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed Me judge or executor between you?” And He said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Then He told them a parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced an abundance. So he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have nowhere to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and will build bigger ones, and there I will store up all my grain and my goods. Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’ This is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.”

My Thoughts

One of the things we must learn as disciple makers is that we are to serve but we are not at the mercy of everyone’s whims. There are times when we need to see through the requests of others and address the deeper need. At first glance we may have said to the man, “Oh you poor soul. Of course we want to see justice done. Where is your greedy brother? Let’s fix this.” But no, Jesus clearly saw that it is this man, not his brother, being tempted with greed. 

Jesus is unwilling to grant every request that comes His way. He is a servant but He serves within the context of His calling and with complete righteousness and justice. When some friends made a hole in the roof to lower their paralyzed friend before Jesus, He forgave his sins first (Mark 2:5). And when Martha wanted Jesus to rebuke her sister for not helping, He set her straight, not Mary (Luke 10:40-42).

So how does one see through the presenting problems and address the real issues? We always need to go back to the relationship between the Father and the Son. Jesus was so in tune with the Father who knows all and sees all that He is able to help Jesus to discern the right way to minister to this man. Jesus was abiding in the Father the way we should abide in Him (John 5:19, 15:5). When we abide the way Jesus did, we will be able to solve complex relational problems like these as well.

My Story

I was in a real pickle. My theological views on “church” were creating some friction between some brothers and I. I was told it was divisive and I needed to stop talking about a particular way to gather for fellowship. I knew I wasn’t violating any principles governing church but I also knew I was irritating people. Although I was convinced I needed to stick to my convictions, I really needed to stop “stirring the pot.” So I decided to separate for a season until emotions died down and we could reconcile our differences calmly.

In that period of separation God clearly told me, “Do not tear down your brother’s house to build your own.” I knew a lot of people and had a lot of influence in that particular organization. Jesus wanted me to quit recruiting people from that “church” to start a new “church.” I had to start over from scratch.

The presenting problem was that my views on church were irritating people. But I think the real problem was that my influence was causing division among the brothers by bringing people to my way of thinking. The Holy Spirit made that abundantly clear to me when He told me, “Do not tear down your brother’s house to build your own.”

That was a very tricky situation in which I believe the Holy Spirit was talking to both parties. We eventually did reconcile even though our views of “church” remain different for the most part. But had we not been listening to what God was saying on the subject more damage could have been done and reconciliation could have been much more difficult. But the real win for me was that God is faithful to develop my character by peeling back the onion to see the real issues in my life. Thank You Holy Spirit!

Our Action Plan

Now it’s time for application. Here’s some ideas:

  • The next time someone brings you a problem to solve, ask yourself, “Is this the real issue or is there something deeper?”
  • As you are discipling people, teach them to not only ask questions about problems, have them bring at least two solutions to the issue at hand.
  • Be quick to ask questions first before giving advice or solutions.

There are always two sides to the story. A wise disciple maker will not only try to discern both but will also teach those he or she is discipling to do the same. We can’t settle for polishing veneer. Get to the root problems. 

Organic Writing – No Artificial Intelligence or Sweeteners Added

| Gospel Sync | Kingdom Kernels | Discipleship Matters Podcast | Website | 

La cuestión de fondo – #158

¡Bienvenidos de nuevo! Hoy nos adentraremos en el Evangelio de Lucas para ver cómo Jesús fue más allá de las cuestiones superficiales y abordó las verdaderas.

Así que, ¡manos a la obra!

Lucas 12:13-21

Mis Pensamientos

Una de las cosas que debemos aprender como formadores de discípulos es que estamos llamados a servir, pero no estamos a merced de los caprichos de todos. Hay ocasiones en las que necesitamos mirar más allá de las peticiones de los demás y abordar la necesidad más profunda. A primera vista, podríamos haberle dicho al hombre: «Oh, pobre alma. Por supuesto que queremos que se haga justicia. ¿Dónde está tu hermano codicioso? Arreglemos esto». Pero no; Jesús vio con claridad que era este hombre —y no su hermano— quien estaba siendo tentado por la codicia.

Jesús no está dispuesto a conceder cada petición que se le presenta. Él es un siervo, pero sirve dentro del contexto de su llamado y con absoluta rectitud y justicia. Cuando unos amigos abrieron un agujero en el techo para bajar a su amigo paralítico ante Jesús, Él perdonó primero sus pecados (Marcos 2:5). Y cuando Marta quiso que Jesús reprendiera a su hermana por no ayudar, Él la corrigió a ella, y no a María (Lucas 10:40-42).

Entonces, ¿cómo logra uno mirar más allá de los problemas aparentes y abordar las cuestiones reales? Siempre debemos volver a la relación entre el Padre y el Hijo. Jesús estaba tan en sintonía con el Padre —quien todo lo sabe y todo lo ve— que este pudo ayudarle a discernir la manera correcta de ministrar a aquel hombre. Jesús permanecía en el Padre tal como nosotros debemos permanecer en Él (Juan 5:19; 15:5). Cuando permanecemos en Él de la misma manera en que lo hizo Jesús, también nosotros seremos capaces de resolver problemas relacionales complejos como estos.

Mi Historia

Me encontraba en un verdadero aprieto. Mis puntos de vista teológicos sobre la «iglesia» estaban generando cierta fricción entre algunos hermanos y yo. Se me dijo que tales ideas eran divisivas y que debía dejar de hablar sobre una forma particular de congregarse para la comunión. Yo sabía que no estaba violando ningún principio que rigiera la iglesia, pero también sabía que estaba irritando a la gente. Aunque estaba convencido de que debía mantenerme firme en mis convicciones, realmente necesitaba dejar de «revolver el avispero». Así que decidí apartarme por un tiempo, hasta que los ánimos se calmaran y pudiéramos conciliar nuestras diferencias con tranquilidad.

Durante ese periodo de separación, Dios me dijo con total claridad: «No derribes la casa de tu hermano para construir la tuya propia». Yo conocía a mucha gente y ejercía una gran influencia dentro de esa organización en particular. Jesús quería que dejara de captar personas de esa «iglesia» para fundar una nueva «iglesia». Tenía que empezar de nuevo, desde cero.

El problema aparente era que mis puntos de vista sobre la iglesia irritaban a la gente. Pero creo que el problema real radicaba en que mi influencia estaba sembrando la división entre los hermanos al atraer a las personas hacia mi propia forma de pensar. El Espíritu Santo me lo dejó meridianamente claro cuando me dijo: «No derribes la casa de tu hermano para construir la tuya propia».

Fue una situación muy delicada en la que, a mi parecer, el Espíritu Santo estaba hablándoles a ambas partes. Finalmente logramos reconciliarnos, a pesar de que nuestros puntos de vista sobre la «iglesia» siguen siendo, en su mayor parte, diferentes. Sin embargo, de no haber estado atentos a lo que Dios decía sobre el asunto, se habría podido causar un daño mayor y la reconciliación habría resultado mucho más difícil. Pero la verdadera victoria para mí fue comprobar que Dios es fiel para moldear mi carácter, deshojando las capas de la «cebolla» para sacar a la luz los problemas reales de mi vida. ¡Gracias, Espíritu Santo!

Nuestro Plan de Acción

Ahora es el momento de la aplicación práctica. Aquí tienes algunas ideas:

La próxima vez que alguien acuda a ti con un problema por resolver, pregúntate: «¿Es este el verdadero problema, o hay algo más profundo detrás?».

Mientras discipulas a otras personas, enséñales no solo a formular preguntas sobre los problemas, sino también a proponer al menos dos soluciones para el asunto en cuestión.

Sé diligente en hacer preguntas primero, antes de ofrecer consejos o soluciones.

Siempre hay dos caras en toda historia. Un discipulador sabio no solo intentará discernir ambas perspectivas, sino que también enseñará a aquellos a quienes discipula a hacer lo mismo. No podemos conformarnos con pulir la superficie; debemos llegar a la raíz de los problemas.

Escritura orgánica: sin inteligencia artificial ni edulcorantes añadidos.

Si ve un problema importante en la traducción, envíeme una corrección por correo electrónico a charleswood1@gmail.com

Are We Married to Our Methods?

The Difference Between Principle and Practice (Form and Function)

Rather Listen? Click here…

I sat across the table from Sam, a passionate younger co-laborer, listening intently as he described his ministry. As the conversation unfolded, a knot of concern began to tighten in my stomach. The direction we were heading felt off.

Finally, I paused and asked, “Sam, how exactly do you define discipleship?”

He didn’t miss a beat. “Well, it’s what we do with all our guys,” he answered confidently. “You know, we meet one-on-one at a coffee shop and talk about life and ministry.”

My heart sank a little. I knew right then we were in trouble. Sam was confusing the practice with the principle. In his mind, the method—coffee shop meetups—had become the main thing. The tail was wagging the dog. I realized we needed to pump the brakes and steer the conversation back toward a biblical definition of discipleship, stripping away the methods to rediscover the actual principles.

When we try to navigate faith, community, and life as disciple makers, we often run into this exact kind of friction. Most of the time, this friction isn’t actually a disagreement about what is true, but a confusion between two vital concepts: Principle and Practice—or, in design terms, Function and Form.

Understanding the difference between the two is the key to maintaining a deeply rooted faith that is also vibrant, adaptable, and culturally engaged. It also helps us maintain Biblical fellowship with those who don’t do ministry exactly like we do. 

1. The Principle (The Function / The “Why”)

A principle is the foundational truth, the universal value, or the ultimate goal. It is the function—what something is supposed to accomplish at its core.

Principles are timeless, unchanging, and transcend culture. They are the bedrock of biblical truth. No matter what century or country you live in, the principles remain identical.

Examples of Principles:

  • Worship God in spirit and truth.
  • Love your neighbor as yourself.
  • Be guided by the Word of God.
  • Live a life of generous hospitality.

Think of the principle as the water. It is the life-giving substance that we actually need to survive and thrive.

2. The Practice (The Form / The “How”)

A practice is the specific application of a principle. It is the form—the tangible shape that the principle takes in a specific time, place, and culture.

Practices are flexible, highly contextual, and subject to change. They are the methods we use to express the unchanging truths of our faith.

  • Examples of Practices:
    • Principle: Worship God. Practice: Singing hymns with an organ, or singing contemporary songs with an acoustic guitar.
    • Principle: Love your neighbor. Practice: Taking a meal to a sick friend, or helping someone change a flat tire.
    • Principle: Be guided by the Word of God. Practice: Reading a physical Bible every morning with coffee, or listening to an audio Bible during your daily commute.

If the principle is the water, the practice is the cup. A cup is incredibly useful—it helps you drink the water. But the cup is not the water itself. You can drink water out of a glass, a ceramic mug, or a plastic bottle. The form changes; the function remains exactly the same.

The Danger: Confusing the Two

To be clear: practices, methods, tools, and traditions are not bad in and of themselves. In fact, they are absolutely necessary! Every principle needs a method in order to actually be practiced in the real world. You simply can’t drink the water without a cup. The trouble only starts when we put the cart before the horse—when the method becomes more important than the principle it was meant to serve.

When we blur the lines between form and function, we usually fall into one of two traps:

Trap 1: Elevating Practice to Principle (Legalism)

This happens when we take a specific cultural practice and treat it as a universal principle. We start believing that our specific “cup” is the only valid way to hold the “water.” This leads to rigidity, judgment, and the classic “we’ve always done it this way” mentality.

  • Example: Jesus confronted the religious leaders about this constantly. They had taken the beautiful principle of the Sabbath and buried it under hundreds of rigid practices. Jesus reminded them of the true function in Mark 2:27: “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”

Trap 2: Discarding the Principle because of the Practice (Drifting)

This is especially common today. When a traditional practice (form) no longer resonates or feels authentic, people sometimes throw the baby (the underlying principle) out the window with the bathwater.

  • Example: Someone might get burned out by the specific corporate structure like a megachurch, house church, denomination, etc… (a practice) and decide to abandon gathering with other believers altogether (a principle).

A Stern Warning: When Tradition Invalidates Truth

Jesus had incredibly strong, sobering words for leaders who fell into the trap of elevating their practices above God’s principles. In Matthew 15:1-9, He gives us a stern warning about what happens when we cling so tightly to a practice (“the tradition of the elders”) that it causes us to break God’s clear commands:

Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,’ and, ‘HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.’ But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,” he is not to honor his father or his mother.’ And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you:

‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS,

BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.

‘BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME,

TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'”

Here, the religious leaders had created a practice—dedicating their money or resources to God—which they then used as a loophole to ignore the foundational principle of honoring and caring for their parents. Jesus calls them hypocrites.

This is a terrifying warning for us as disciple makers: if we enforce our preferred traditions, structures, or methods at the expense of God’s actual principles (love, mercy, honor, justice), our worship becomes “vain.” We must constantly examine our hearts to ensure we are teaching the precepts of God, not merely the traditions of men.

Beyond just invalidating truth, another grave danger of elevating practice over principle is breaking fellowship over ancillary issues and lesser doctrines. In Romans 14:1, the early church was fiercely divided over specific practices: what kind of food was acceptable to eat and which days should be considered holy. The Apostle Paul warns them not to pass judgment on each other over these disputable matters—the forms. He points them back to the core principle in Romans 14:17: “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

When we demand that those we are discipling conform to our specific secondary practices, we risk fracturing the body of Christ over the “cup” rather than unifying around the “water.” We must relentlessly guard against breaking fellowship over lesser doctrines, choosing instead to “pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another” (Romans 14:19).

A Scriptural Case Study: Washing Feet

In John 13:14, Jesus washes His followers’ feet and says, “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”

  • The Form (Practice) in the 1st Century: People wore sandals and walked on dusty, manure-covered roads. Washing feet was a necessary, practical, and highly degrading task usually reserved for the lowest servant. Jesus doing it was a radical cultural statement.
  • The Function (Principle): Humble, self-sacrificial service to others, regardless of your status.
  • The Form (Practice) Today: If you invite friends over for dinner today and insist on washing their feet, it would likely be awkward, weird, and unhelpful. Their feet are already clean. To fulfill the principle today, the practice must change. It might look like helping a friend move out of a third-floor apartment in the Texas heat, or stepping in to babysit for a stressed single parent.

Beware of the “Best Practice”

In our modern ministry culture, the equivalent of clinging to “the tradition of the elders” is often packaged under a much more corporate, appealing phrase: The Best Practice.

Best practices are a double-edged sword. On one hand, learning from what has worked well for others can save us time and give us a great starting point. But on the other hand, blindly copy-pasting a “best practice” into your unique context can actually make matters worse. What works beautifully in a college town might completely flop in an inner-city neighborhood or a rural community.

Often, leaders and authors will try to sell their specific method as a universal “best practice” simply because… well… they are married to it. It worked for them, they wrote a book or launched a podcast about it, and now they truly believe it’s the only valid “cup” for the water. We have to be discerning. We must remember that just because a method is highly effective for someone else doesn’t mean it is the Holy Spirit’s blueprint for the specific people you are discipling.

Navigating Conflicting Principles

Sometimes the hardest friction isn’t between a principle and a practice, but between two competing principles. What happens when two foundational truths seem to be at odds in a specific, messy real-world situation? This requires deep spiritual wisdom and reliance on the Holy Spirit.

My wife, Deb, and I experienced this firsthand while in Denver for a conference. Since we had never explored the city, I promised to take her on a proper downtown date. But then, a good friend attending the same conference asked me to accompany him on a tough, nerve-wracking fundraising appointment down in Colorado Springs.

Suddenly, I was caught between two competing principles: Love and honor my wife, or Serve and support my friend.

You would think the answer was a no-brainer—especially since the absolute last thing I wanted to do was fundraise! But when I paused to listen to the Holy Spirit, the answer surprised me: I chose to help my friend.

Why? Deb and I had just finished a week-long vacation together. Our relational tank was full. When I explained the situation to her, she entirely agreed that doing the harder, more uncomfortable thing to support my buddy was the right call in that specific moment. Had I not stopped to think through the context, relied on the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and leaned on my incredibly understanding wife, I would have defaulted to the easiest option and let the wrong principle win out.

We see this same tension, on a much larger scale, in Scripture. A perfect example of this is the woman caught in adultery in John 8. The religious leaders brought her to Jesus and presented a sharp conflict:

  • Principle 1: God’s Righteous Law and Justice. The Law of Moses clearly stated the consequence for this sin (John 8:4-5).
  • Principle 2: God’s Grace and Mercy. The heart of God desires redemption and restoration.

Jesus navigates this brilliantly. He doesn’t discard justice or ignore the sin, but He elevates mercy. By saying, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7), He forces the accusers to look at their own need for grace. Then, He extends that mercy to the woman: “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” (John 8:11).

When guiding those you are discipling, they will inevitably face complex situations where principles seem to collide—like deciding between speaking hard truth or showing patient grace to a difficult friend or family member. We must teach them not just what the principles are, but how to search the Word of God and seek the Holy Spirit’s wisdom to weigh them, remembering that God’s ultimate wisdom will guide them through their most complex circumstances.

Application: Mentoring and Life

When you are pouring into those you are discipling, it is crucial to teach them the difference. If you only teach them practices (read your Bible at 6:00 AM, listen to this specific worship music, pray using this exact method), you are simply giving them a fragile checklist. When their life circumstances change—when they get a demanding new job or have their first child—their practices will break, and their faith might crumble.

However, if you teach them principles (the necessity of daily abiding in Christ, the function of learning from Him, obeying Him, and becoming like Him), you give them the tools to build new practices. They learn how to design a new “cup” that fits their current season of life, ensuring they never stop drinking the water.

One of the things we often do at the end of a Bible study or teaching is to have a discussion about the principles and practices that correspond to the topic. You’d be amazed at how difficult it is for those you are discipling (and maybe some older believers, too) to accurately distinguish between the two. Try asking these questions:

  • What are some ways we can practice what we have discussed today? (The cup we would use to drink today’s living water?)
  • What is the core “why” behind this specific “how”? (If this method is just the “cup,” what is the actual “living water”—the unchanging, biblical command from Jesus—that we are trying to drink?)

Summary: Form follows function. Practices must always serve the principles. Hold tightly to the principles, but hold loosely to the practices.

Talking about Jesus – #157

| Gospel Sync | Kingdom Kernels | Discipleship Matters Podcast | Website | 

Rather Listen? Click here…

ENGLISH / ESPAÑOL

Welcome Back! Today, we’ll be looking at the Gospel of Luke to see what Jesus thinks about us talking about Him.

So let’s dive in.

(Click here to get a copy of the Gospel Sync document) 

Luke 12:8–12

“I tell you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God. But whoever denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. When you are brought before synagogues, rulers, and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say. For at that time the Holy Spirit will teach you what you should say.”

My Thoughts

Jesus is thrilled when we confess Him before men. In fact, He is so thrilled He turns to the Heavenly Host and says, “Look at that! My friend is talking about me again!” It’s not that He’s on some ego trip just trying to get attention. No, when we express the pure joy of knowing Him and being known by Him, He is elated. And that goes for the Holy Spirit as well. We might get away with saying something bad about Jesus, but the Holy Spirit…no way! Now I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t completely understand why that is but here’s one thing I do understand, Jesus, the Spirit, and even the Father are ecstatic about having a deep intimate relationship with us. And they are proud as punch when we express the same feeling we have toward them to others.

So why all the hubbub in heaven about our confession? 

First, when we consider the immenseness of who God is and what He has done for us, it’s like realizing you’ve just been given the best gift you never knew you needed. You know the gift you unwrap and it’s like, “Oh Yeah! This is going to be a part of my every waking moment!” 

Secondly, it’s the gift that keeps on giving! And that is no understatement in so many ways. People have a chance to receive the same gift we did and inherit eternal life. The gift transforms lives from brokenness to wholeness. The gift gives true identity and purpose. Why wouldn’t the Triune God and the Celestial Assembly be throwing a party over that? 

These are just some of the reasons why we help people to be confident, competent, and committed to sharing the gospel. Check out Deb and I’s video: Simplified 411

My Story

A great example of the kind of emotion I imagine Jesus having when we confess Him to others is when I think of my Dad-in-law. Deb’s folks moved back to San Antonio last year and ever since then they have been joining us as we share the gospel with soldiers, sailors, and airmen on Fort Sam Houston on Sunday mornings. Dad is so excited to share the gospel he looks like a puppy that greets you at the door when you come home, bouncing around, yapping, and tugging on your pant leg. All this activity to say, “It’s you! My favorite person! I’m so glad you’re home!”  Now Dad is a dignified older gentleman, so most of this enthusiasm is on the inside, most of it. 😉 But he can’t wait to get out and share his testimony with these young men and women in uniform. His enthusiasm is contagious! I love watching the pure joy just burst from his being. And I can imagine that’s exactly what the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are feeling as they watch any of us talk about Him. Isn’t it amazing to think about the God of the universe being so emotionally invested in our lives? I am awe struck!

Our Action Plan

Now it’s time for application. Here’s some ideas;

  • Before you teach anyone to share the gospel, help them consider this aspect of God’s character.
  • Before you share the gospel imagine Jesus telling His Heavenly Host about what you’re doing. 
  • It’s also probably a good idea to have people acknowledge the other side of the coin Jesus is talking about: “But whoever denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.”

Instead of thinking of evangelism as a chore or even worse, something we hate, we ought to think about how it makes God feel. That simple thought process will probably change our perspective and motivate us to confess Him more. We have a wonderful Savior people need to hear about.

Organic Writing – No Artificial Intelligence or Sweeteners Added

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Hablando de Jesús – #157

Lucas 12:8–12

Mis Pensamientos

Jesús se llena de gozo cuando lo confesamos ante los hombres. De hecho, se alegra tanto que se vuelve hacia las huestes celestiales y dice: «¡Miren eso! ¡Mi amigo está hablando de mí otra vez!». No es que Él esté en un viaje de ego, tratando simplemente de llamar la atención. No; cuando expresamos la pura alegría de conocerlo y de ser conocidos por Él, Él se siente exultante. Y lo mismo ocurre con el Espíritu Santo. Tal vez salgamos impunes si decimos algo negativo sobre Jesús, pero con el Espíritu Santo… ¡de ninguna manera! Ahora bien, seré el primero en admitir que no comprendo del todo por qué es así; pero hay una cosa que sí entiendo: Jesús, el Espíritu e incluso el Padre están extasiados por tener una relación profunda e íntima con nosotros. Y se sienten inmensamente orgullosos cuando expresamos ante los demás ese mismo sentimiento que tenemos hacia ellos.

Entonces, ¿a qué se debe tanto alboroto en el cielo por nuestra confesión?

En primer lugar, cuando consideramos la inmensidad de quién es Dios y lo que ha hecho por nosotros, es como darse cuenta de que acabas de recibir el mejor regalo que nunca supiste que necesitabas. Ya saben, ese regalo que desenvuelves y ante el cual exclamas: «¡Oh, sí! ¡Esto va a formar parte de cada momento de mi vida!». (Algunas personas llamarían a eso un teléfono celular, pero, claro, probablemente no conozcan a Jesús).

En segundo lugar, ¡es el regalo que nunca deja de dar! Y esto no es una exageración en muchísimos sentidos. Las personas tienen la oportunidad de recibir el mismo regalo que nosotros recibimos y de heredar la vida eterna. Este regalo transforma vidas, pasando de la fragmentación a la plenitud. Este regalo otorga una verdadera identidad y un propósito. ¿Por qué no habrían de estar de fiesta el Dios Trino y la asamblea celestial ante semejante acontecimiento?

Estas son solo algunas de las razones por las que ayudamos a las personas a sentirse seguras, competentes y comprometidas a compartir el evangelio. Echen un vistazo al video de Deb y mío: https://youtu.be/bTWfOrZSBAI 

Mi Historia

Un gran ejemplo del tipo de emoción que imagino que siente Jesús cuando lo confesamos ante los demás es el que me viene a la mente al pensar en mi suegro. Los padres de Deb regresaron a San Antonio el año pasado y, desde entonces, nos han estado acompañando mientras compartimos el evangelio con soldados, marineros y aviadores en Fort Sam Houston los domingos por la mañana. Mi suegro está tan entusiasmado por compartir el evangelio que parece un cachorrito que te recibe en la puerta al llegar a casa: saltando, ladrando y tironeando de la pernera de tu pantalón. Toda esta actividad parece decir: «¡Eres tú! ¡Mi persona favorita! ¡Qué alegría que estés en casa!». Ahora bien, mi suegro es un caballero mayor y digno, por lo que la mayor parte de este entusiasmo lo lleva por dentro… o casi todo. 😉 Pero se muere de ganas de salir a compartir su testimonio con estos jóvenes y mujeres uniformados. ¡Su entusiasmo es contagioso! Me encanta ver cómo esa alegría pura brota espontáneamente de todo su ser. Y puedo imaginar que eso es exactamente lo que sienten el Padre, el Hijo y el Espíritu Santo al vernos a cualquiera de nosotros hablar acerca de Él. ¿Acaso no es asombroso pensar que el Dios del universo esté tan emocionalmente involucrado en nuestras vidas? ¡Me siento sobrecogido!

Nuestro Plan de Acción

Ahora es el momento de la aplicación práctica. Aquí tienes algunas ideas:

Antes de enseñar a alguien a compartir el evangelio, ayúdale a reflexionar sobre este aspecto del carácter de Dios.

Antes de compartir el evangelio, imagina a Jesús contándole a su hueste celestial lo que estás haciendo.

Probablemente también sea buena idea invitar a las personas a reconocer la otra cara de la moneda de la que habla Jesús: «Pero a cualquiera que me niegue delante de los hombres, yo también lo negaré delante de los ángeles de Dios».

En lugar de ver el evangelismo como una obligación —o, peor aún, como algo que detestamos—, deberíamos reflexionar sobre cómo hace sentir a Dios. Ese sencillo proceso mental probablemente transformará nuestra perspectiva y nos motivará a confesarle con mayor frecuencia. Tenemos un Salvador maravilloso del que la gente necesita oír hablar.

Escritura orgánica: sin inteligencia artificial ni edulcorantes añadidos.

Si ve un problema importante en la traducción, envíeme una corrección por correo electrónico a charleswood1@gmail.com

Kingdom Kernel #47 – The King’s Divine Tension

Embracing the Mystery of the King’s Invitation

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“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come… For many are called, but few are chosen.”

— (Matthew 22:2-3, 14)

Introduction

In Matthew 22:1-14 and Luke 14:12-24, Jesus extends a wonderful invitation and a powerful warning regarding His kingdom. In Matthew, the parable depicts a king inviting his subjects to a wedding feast for his son. In Luke, a wealthy man invites guests to a sumptuous dinner. In both parables, the initial invitees make excuses for why they cannot attend such a prestigious event. Consequently, the king and the rich man instruct their servants to invite others, eventually bringing in the marginalized and less fortunate of society.

Both parables underscore the profound apathy many people have toward God’s invitation to join Him in His kingdom, challenging us to consider how we—and those we lead—respond to the King’s call.

Key Words and Phrases

  • Invite – καλέω (Strong’s G2564 – kaleō): To call, to invite. The root word carries more weight than a casual invitation; it is often translated as a “command” or “order.”
  • Called – κλητός (Strong’s G2822 – klētos): Invited, called. In the context of Matthew 22:14, “For many are called,” it refers to those who have received the universal invitation to the King’s banquet, highlighting the broad offer of the Gospel to humanity.
  • Chosen – ἐκλεκτός (Strong’s G1588 – eklektos): Picked out, chosen by God. “…but few are chosen.” This punchline for the parable in Matthew means that while the whole of humanity is “invited” (called), only those who are foreordained for entrance into the kingdom will be properly prepared to enjoy the King’s Wedding Feast.

Messianic Model – Focus on Jesus’ Example

Although Jesus is speaking parabolically, His invitation (or command) is an authentic call to join Him and His Father in this grand celebration of celebrations. In Revelation, John describes a wedding feast at the end of time. While Matthew’s parable uses a wedding to illustrate a spiritual reality, the event John describes is the literal fulfillment of that promise. It is clear that those who responded to Christ’s invitation constitute the Bride of Christ—the Church entering into His consummated kingdom.

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready. It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, ‘Write, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”‘ And he said to me, ‘These are true words of God.'” (Revelation 19:7-9)

Jesus represents the Son of the King in Matthew and the Wealthy Master in Luke. In both parables, an invitation is given to what would seem to be the obvious guests, yet they have excuses for why they will not attend. The most obvious guests to be invited by the Messiah into His kingdom would have been the religious leaders of the day and the Children of Israel—the ones who should have recognized Him. But most would not accept the invitation: “He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.” (John 1:11)

Instead, it was the least likely of society who received Him. Jesus bluntly told the religious elite, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you” (Matthew 21:31).

In His sermon to His own hometown, He pointed to this refusal to recognize His Kingly invitation by alluding to Gentiles who were healed by Elijah and Elisha:

“And He said, ‘Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown. But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah… and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.'” (Luke 4:24-27)

On the other hand, a lowly thief being crucified next to Jesus receives the invitation simply by asking, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” (Luke 23:42).

Key Theological Implications

These two parables touch on several theological elements, but ironically, the two that are most clear are the doctrines of freewill and election.

  1. Freewill: The “invitation” affirms that man has a choice to accept and enter the kingdom of God (Matthew 11:28-29, Mark 8:34, John 1:12).
  2. Election: The last phrase in Matthew draws our attention to the doctrine of election: “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). Although everyone is invited and some will accept, only those who are “chosen” by God will enter His kingdom. Predestination and election are also a requisite for entrance into the kingdom (John 6:44, Romans 8:29-30, Ephesians 1:4-5, 2 Thessalonians 2:13).

Matthew’s parable vividly illustrates this when the king discovers a man who is not dressed properly for the occasion. The man accepted the invitation (freewill) and showed up to the feast, but he was not wearing “wedding clothes.” He is not clothed with “righteousness.” He is not “chosen” or elected (Isaiah 61:10, Job 29:14, Psalm 132:9, 2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus delivers the sobering punchline as the man is summarily put out into outer darkness.

These two doctrines seem to oppose one another, yet they are not only evident in Matthew’s parable but throughout the entire Bible. Through the ages, good, wise, and godly men have chosen which side to take when it comes to election and freewill. And yet, as one simply takes the Scriptures at face value, the tension between the two still remains.

I call this a “Divine Tension.” It is an unexplainable violation of human logic, and yet it is clearly seen in the Bible. There are several choices one can make in their conclusion:

  1. Declare the Bible defies human logic and therefore is not truth.
  2. Choose one doctrine over another and ignore the other side.
  3. Use incredible mental gymnastics to explain away one side or the other.
  4. Accept both as a “Divine Tension” that defies human logic and yet is perfectly in the realm of possibility because nothing is impossible for God. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

I have chosen the latter.

Contemporary Spiritual Significance

Although the theological wrestling with the doctrines of freewill and election is arduous, the point of the parables is not. An invitation has been given to us by God to enter His kingdom. Through the lens of other passages, we clearly see how to accept the invitation:

  • “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15)
  • “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:12)
  • “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” (John 5:24)

For this generation overwhelmed by the need to have everything figured out and categorized, this is incredibly freeing. At the end of the day, we are responsible for our actions and we leave God’s choices in His hands, resting heavily on the grace and mercy provided by His Son on the cross.

The Transformative Power of Embracing the Divine Tension

Many people become paralyzed when they are confronted with these two doctrines. As they read their Bibles and see apparent paradoxes in Scripture, fear and doubt can begin to settle in. But when we leave freewill and election in the hands of the Divine, there is a liberating faith that grounds the believer.

It allows us to take responsibility for our part while leaving the rest to a loving and benevolent God. It actually takes more faith to leave the doctrines intact, and that posture pleases the Lord as we humbly trust His Word.

Conclusion

Most people who listen to or read these two kingdom parables may not initially wrestle with the tensions between doctrines like freewill and election. They will either fully embrace the invitation Jesus is extending to them or harden their hearts and reject it. But as they grow in their faith and understanding, they will inevitably be confronted with the apparent paradox.

As disciple-makers, we must be prepared to answer the tough questions that will arise. As serious students of the Bible, you and those you are discipling will be challenged with explaining difficult concepts. These parables—especially the one in Matthew—are a fantastic starting point to identify, explain, and ultimately embrace the beautiful, divine tension of our King.

Disciple-Maker’s Short Story

The Divine Tension – Sovereignty and Freewill 

The little brass bell on the door jingled as Calvin and Owen pushed open the door. The cool air immediately struck their flushed cheeks that were red from walking the streets of the adopted towns of Detroit. The smell of waffle cones, vanilla, and a whisper of fresh brewed coffee filled their nostrils with the aroma of comfort. Wes, their short-term mission coach looked up, smiled and moved to the glass case showing off a parade of flavors. He motioned toward the ice cream with a gesture that said, “I’m buying”. They both slid their backpacks into the cracked leather bond booth and joined Wes at the freezer display. “You guys look like you’ve had a day.” Wes said with a smirk of joy on his face as the two were busy surveying the vast choices before them. The college students had been walking hours in the urban neighborhoods of immigrated muslims, approaching front porches, casual conversations on street corners, along cracked sidewalks lined with tired maples.

Licking the drips of generous helpings of iced sweetness on their cones they both slid into the booth across from Wes. After some chit chat about the humidity and the architecture of the weathered town, Wes started their debrief;

“So, remember the traffic light analogy we used for assessing gospel conversations?”

Both students nodded and Calvin said, “Yeah, Red stands for not interested, yellow for not ready to commit but interested in further discussion, and green for they repented and made a profession of belief in Jesus.”

Owen chimed in, “We certainly didn’t get any of those today! Green lights that is.”

Calvin continued, “We got a lot of red lights though! It was like they saw us coming and were ready with a solid ‘Not Interested!’ We must have run into a couple of dozen like that.”

Wes pressed in, “Any yellow lights?”

Owen holding his forehead with his thumb and index finger massaging away a brain freeze answered, “Well some listened politely and then gave us the ‘Inshallah.'”

Wes raised his eyebrows in a knowing fashion and asked, “Do you know what that means?”

“Yeah, of course.” If God wills. Calvin replied leaning in, elbows sliding forward on the table, and getting quieter as he continued. “Why are Muslims so fatalistic?”

“What do you mean by fatalistic?” questioned Wes.

Calvin thought for a second, “Well you know, they think God is a puppet master and we have no choices.”

Owen interrupted, “But aren’t some Christians fatalistic?”

Wes smiled, “Now that’s a good question, how so?”

Owen’s mouth was half cocked trying to talk through a large bite of waffle cone, “Everything is predetermined. God’s sovereign and we’re just going through the motions.”

Wes nodded thoughtfully, then reached for his worn leather Bible tucked beside him in the booth. The pages fell open easily to a familiar passage, clearly marked with years of study. “Let me read you something from Matthew 22. Jesus is telling a parable about a wedding feast.”

He began reading verses 1-14, his voice steady as he shared the story of the king who invited guests to his son’s wedding, how they refused to come, and how the servants were sent to gather anyone they could find from the streets. When he finished with the sobering words about the man without wedding clothes being cast out, Calvin shifted uncomfortably.

“See?” Owen said, pointing at the Bible. “That guy who got thrown out – he didn’t have a choice! The servants just grabbed him off the street. How was he supposed to know about wedding clothes?”

Calvin frowned, “Yeah, and it says ‘many are called, but few are chosen.’ That sounds pretty fatalistic to me.”

Wes closed the Bible gently and leaned back. “You know, you both just identified what theologians have wrestled with for centuries. It’s what I call the ‘Divine Tension.'”

“Divine Tension?” Calvin asked, his ice cream momentarily forgotten.

“Think about it this way,” Wes said, gesturing with his hands as if he were holding two invisible objects. “In one hand, we have God’s absolute sovereignty – His complete control and foreknowledge. In the other hand, we have human responsibility – our genuine ability to choose and be held accountable for those choices.”

Owen shook his head. “But those can’t both be true. Either God controls everything, or we have real choices.”

“That’s exactly what I used to think,” Wes smiled. “But what if the tension itself is the point? What if God is so magnificently beyond our understanding that He can be completely sovereign while we remain genuinely responsible?”

Calvin leaned forward. “I don’t get it. How does that work?”

Wes paused, watching a family with young children order sundaes at the counter. “Look at that little girl,” he said, nodding toward a four-year-old tugging on her father’s shirt. “She’s genuinely choosing chocolate sauce over caramel. Her choice is real – she’s not being forced. But her father already knew what she’d pick because he knows her heart. He even brought her here, knowing she’d choose chocolate, because he loves her and wants to give her joy.”

“So God knows what we’ll choose because He knows our hearts?” Owen asked.

“It’s deeper than that,” Wes continued. “The father didn’t just know – he arranged the whole scenario because of his love. Similarly, God doesn’t just observe our choices from a distance. He works through circumstances, through His Spirit, through His Word, and through people like you two today on those streets, to draw people to Himself. Yet when someone responds, their faith is genuine. When someone rejects the gospel, their rejection is real.”

Calvin stared at his melting cone. “But what about that guy in the parable without wedding clothes?”

“Great question. The wedding garment represents the righteousness of Christ – it’s what makes us acceptable before a holy God. Everyone who enters God’s kingdom must be clothed in Christ’s righteousness, not their own good works or religious efforts. The man wasn’t thrown out for being poor – he was thrown out because he tried to come before the King in his own filthy rags instead of being clothed with the perfect righteousness that God provides through faith in Jesus.”

Owen was quiet for a moment. “So when our Muslim friends say ‘Inshallah’…”

“They might be expressing humble submission to God’s will,” Wes said. “But they might also be avoiding responsibility for their response to the gospel. The key is discerning which one it is.”

“But how do we know the difference?” Calvin asked.

Wes smiled. “That’s where the art of disciple-making comes in. Sometimes ‘Inshallah’ means ‘I need time to think and pray about this.’ Sometimes it means ‘I’m not interested but don’t want to offend you.’ And sometimes it means ‘I want to believe, but I’m afraid of what it will cost me.'”

The ice cream shop had grown quieter as the afternoon wore on. Wes continued, “The Divine Tension means we preach with urgency because people’s choices matter eternally. But we also preach with confidence because God’s purposes will not be thwarted. We’re not responsible for changing hearts – only for faithfully planting and watering seeds.”

Calvin nodded slowly. “So we don’t have to manipulate people into decisions?”

“Exactly. And we don’t have to despair when they say no. God is working in ways we can’t see. Our job is to be faithful witnesses and trust the results to Him.”

Owen finished his cone and wiped his hands on a napkin. “So the Divine Tension isn’t a problem to solve?”

“It’s a mystery to embrace,” Wes said. “It keeps us humble – we can’t take credit for conversions or blame for rejections. It keeps us dependent on God while taking our role seriously. It prevents both pride and despair.”

As they prepared to leave, Calvin looked back at his mentor. “So tomorrow, when we’re back out there…”

“You’ll preach the gospel with both boldness and humility,” Wes said, gathering his things. “You’ll invite people to make real choices while trusting that God is sovereign over the outcomes. And when someone says ‘Inshallah,’ you’ll listen carefully to discern what they really mean.”

The brass bell jingled again as they stepped back into the Detroit evening, the Divine Tension no longer a theological problem to solve, but a profound truth to live by.

—
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55:8-9

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