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What You'll Discover in this Episode:
When Christ resurrected, He walked this earth and showed himself to over 500 people. Before his ascension, Jesus gave His followers the Great Commission. In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus tells His disciples and all of us today, "Go and make disciples of all the nations..." As we grow in our relationship with the Lord, He wants to use us to make disciples, and He tells us how: "baptizing them", or evangelizing and getting them started with God, and "teaching them", God grows believers as they are taught by more mature believers. We have the privilege to pass the baton on to others; to the next generation, teaching others to understand and apply God's Word to their lives. Discipleship causes both the teacher and the student to grow in Christ. As Jesus also said in the Great Commission: "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Seeking the Lord, learning the Bible, and walking with God draws us near to Him, His presence, and His work in our lives. How wonderful the Lord laid out how to disciple others, for us, in His Word.
In this episode Pastor Jeff talks about the importance of passing on the truth to the next generation through discipleship and teaching the Word of truth.
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I’m glad God raised you up to help others learn how to counsel Biblically. Praise God
Great insight on Biblical Discipleship!
I agree completely with Pastor Jeff and can attest to the fact that when we disciple someone, not only are they sharpened, but we are as well! I used to lead a bible study with a close friend for young adults. We focused on doing like Pastor Jeff mentioned here, to guard the Word we had received and pass it on to our peers just as God had handed it to us. And personally, in my heart, my desire was to encourage them to go to the Word themselves and realize that it holds the answers and guidance they need.
One thing that stood out to me was the importance of keeping that baton moving. It’s not enough to make a disciple but to also be explicit about that disciple making their own disciple! This is something we should instill in anyone we disciple. We should also keep that in prayer as well. God will multiply our small work/offering of discipleship in the lives of others!
PODCAST 43 THE NEXT GENERATION OF BIBLICAL COUNSELORS
The divine mandate to make disciples is undeniable. Discipling is much more than casually sharing Jesus with someone. According to 2 Timothy 2:2 a disciple is someone you pour into with the expectancy of them sharing what they have been entrusted with and discipling others as well.
Every Christian is equally responsible to be a disciple maker. Whether you’re a parent, a church leader, or something else makes no difference. While our methods may change, and they have and will continue to do so until Jesus returns, our message is as unchanging as it is timeless. If the gospel we share is compromised the next generation and their ability to impact their generation is at risk.
There are two counseling camps in Christianity. The first camp is made up of those who believe and teach that God’s Word is sufficient to address all issues in life. That we may not be able to find it does not mean it is not in there. In the other camp are those that feel it’s necessary to embrace and integrate the best of humanistic psychology with scripture to get a hybrid and better counsel. That’s simply nonsense, you can’t improve on God’s perfect counsel
I love your comment on 2 Timothy 2:2. I just had lunch yesterday with a former pastor who had been in the ministry for 40 years. I thought to myself that with the many years he’s been in the ministry, that I must be able to glean something from him. So while we were enjoying our meal, I asked him of these things. The first thing he told me is, “Begin with the end in mind.”
Thinking about his quote in conjunction with 2 Timothy 2:2, I have to remember that the people I disciple should not be disciplined for today, but for the future. I have to remember that the truth I share with them will not end with them, but will continue from them.
I agree, if we are not careful, the next generation and each one after that will continue to not only get a watered down version of the gospel, but humanistic views left unchecked, will continue to wind their way into our churches. From the discussions I have had, it can be so subtle, so we have to be continually in prayer and watchful. Bottom line is that we have to know our bible and our Lord!
Anthony Great point!
I love how you said ” The divine mandate to make disciples is undeniable. Discipling is much more than casually sharing Jesus with someone. According to 2 Timothy 2:2 a disciple is someone you pour into with the expectancy of them sharing what they have been entrusted with and discipling others as well.”
I had actually never realized that. I usually just share for that person’s growth, but I hardly think of the rippling effect. What a great exhortation that we can share with the expectation of the baton being passed! This is encouraging and exciting. Thank you for wording it in a way I can understand.
I also appreciate and agree with your statement about finding solutions in the scripture. It is so true, it is all in there whether we can find it or not. Lord lead us to find it.
This pod cast of raising up the next generation of Biblical Counselors was interesting to hear Pastor Jeff talk about how we are not only to disciple others but encourage them to go and disciple others, I agree that we should start by disciplining our own children and family and teaching them God’s word but so many people over look their own children and disciple others.
So true! It’s easy to get focused on evangelism outside of the home, and forget our own families. I have seen it and it has happened to me. The little ones we have at home are our first and foremost mission field. We only get them for a short time and it is our job to instill all that God gives us to them! IT’s so important to be in prayer for the next generation!
I agree 100 percent Margaret.
We must start with discipling and counseling those who God has clearly and internally put in our path. Family and children are those directly in ur sphere of influence and are watching our example closely. May we teach them and lead them in the way of the Lord faithfully.
I also believe for pastors’ , their first ministry is their wife. I understand how sometimes that can get tricky when they sense a call to the church, but for whatever reason, God wants us to be faithful with those closest to us and in our direct family. I believe it was Chuck Smith (and probably a handful of others) who indicated that God, family, work, church is the divine order. Thanks for sharing!
So true Margaret,
Your comment reminds me of this verse:
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)
I believe this reveals a fundamental order which God prescribes for families. We are told to bring up our children which includes discipleship. There are difficulties in this, of course, but that only makes our discipleship ability stronger!
I am so encouraged to be provided with resources from godly brothers and sisters that are striving to take a stand on God’s Word as having the answers we need for life’s problems. I really appreciated Jeff’s statement that he feels that integrating man’s wisdom with godly counsel is a distraction at best and demonic at worst. I have found that many who come to me for biblical counseling are simultaneously seeing a secular therapist or psychologist. This is always a distraction! And, sadly, I have seen it as demonic as well. I’ve seen women turn from God’s word as, ‘legalistic.’ Rather, they say they want to ‘gain deeper understanding’ from worldly counsel. They don’t see that the power of God does not reside in man’s wisdom. Thank you Jeff, for standing on biblical truth and helping the rest of us to do the same!
The analogy of the relay race was awesome! Having the word picture is always helpful. What spoke to me was not the command of handing off the baton to the next generation, but the idea of being the one who drops the baton in the race. It is easy to disciple someone but then urging them to go and disciple others is where the baton often gets dropped. I think as Biblical counselors we get the idea of discipling and passing the baton to the next generation. I think we often forget that the end result is not just so the other person grows, but rather that out of their growth, they go and disciple someone else. I agree with Pastor Jeff that we often see the baton dropped in the home. Parents fail to disciple their own children and sadly spend more time discipling others. It is our responsibility to not just disciple but then encourage those we disciple to disciple.
I agree with the fact that where a lot of people who disciple others drop the baton is they disciple with the idea to teach God’s Word but forget to encourage those they teach to go out and teach others what they have learned not so they just grow but so they can also help others grow so they can keep passing it on. I agree also that we as parents some times drop the baton with our own children and don’t talk to them about God’s Word, we just some times think they should know by watching us or just being around when we are talking to others but if we don’t talk to them and give them facts they will get the wrong facts from others .
This is a wonderful reminder of the need to raise up discipled people who are prepared to raise up the next generation. It reminds me of the passages in Deuteronomy 4, 6 and 11. Urging the people to teach what the Lord said to the next generation. “You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” (11:19). Discipleship needs to be more than a formal program, it is to be a part of our everyday lives. Integrated into the mundane tasks as we walk throughout our days.
Sherra it is a great reminder to raise up people we disciple to be encouraged to disciple the next generation. thanks for sharing the scripture I agree disipleship should be more the a formal program. A relationship with God should be part of your everyday life every minute of the day not just at certain times or places and if you teach that others will be more open to allow God in every part of their life, not just in quite time, or at church or when you need him but every minute.
This is a great course. Discipleship is needed within the church. Just as Pastor Jeff says, there is a lot of training in sermon prep focused hermeneutics in seminaries and pastoral internships. However, after years of discipleship, bible training and even a bible degree… I was never trained to counsel. I was ordained, even give leadership as the head pastor in my church, and yet never trained how to counsel. I was taught everything but counseling ministry, one on one discipleship concerning major areas of growth, trauma, and family situations. These courses have made me a well rounded pastor, and a better people servant, when I was trained up as a pulpit servant.
Hey Alejandro
Isn’t it amazing how God provides! It all goes back to how He doesn’t call the equipped but equips the called. God has put you in that position and will never let you go it alone, in your own strength or wisdom, but will provide for every step of the way! I pray that God would continue to show Himself faithful to you as you follow this path He has put you on.
I agree with you, Pastor Jeff, that the church has been lacking in the importance of discipleship. Some churches today focus on the business part of developing the church to gain numbers rather than the importance of ministry, which includes discipleship. It is unfortunate but I attended a church where this started to take place. The methods of gaining people to attend church became the main subject rather than then staying true to the principles of God’s word. All because they wanted to achieve a new building. Many hearts were broken, which caused some to stumble in their walk with Jesus. It is essential to gain new methods, as you stated, for example, the use of podcasts and online teachings but never at the expense where God’s word is compromised.
Christian families must teach their children that the Bible is the absolute authority of God. To begin passing the baton to this generation must be a top priority. Allowing our children to go out into the world to be taught by the pagan culture will only draw them away from God rather than to Him. It is a demonic spiritual battle because if the enemy can gain the minds of our children, they will also take the love of God out of their hearts. We need to believe and live out 2 Peter 1:3 …” seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”
I appreciate Pastor Jeff discussing raising up the next generation. I agree with him about raising our own children and not allowing society to raise them. I have always said that it’s my calling as a parent to raise my daughter and prepare her for the challenges I the world she will face once she leaves home. It is becoming harder as she in middle school, but we know that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, she will develop a strong walk with the Lord. I am encouraged with the example from Timothy about making disciple makers and not changing or altering the approach but use the Word of God. It is a life or death situation, and this is the part that breaks my heart. I have so many patients in the ER where they are so casual when we ask about their religious affiliation when they respond with none. I pray for them in my mind as I speak with them about the insurance and registration. I hope they will come to the Lord as He cares for them.
I am excited for the conference that is coming up in August and hope to meet some of you all that I have been taking classes with the past year 🙂
We all appreciate Pastor Jeff for his creative mentoring/ discipling style and particularly agree with him on raising our children to avoid the society raising them for us.
May all Christian parents particularly, receive Grace to perform the God-given role of discipling our children in Jesus Name, Amen. Proverbs 22:6.
Thanks for your comments Autumn and your desire to be in the upcoming conference in august, 2020 although I won’t be able to make it to the conference.
If the church consistently followed these commands of teaching and discipleship, we would expand geometrically at an astronomical rate. we would we an army of well-taught believers who would be passing on the knowledge and experience of biblical balanced and the full counsel of scripture in love and truth. Soldiers need to be properly trained and equipped for the battles and wars that are ahead of them. why is the fight for our faith any different? if anything it should be greater because it is eternal.
“Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with GOOD teaching. For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.”
Thanks Josh for your response to this week’s Podcast that passionately presented to us the relevance of passing on the truth to the next generation through adequate/ proper Biblical discipleship and teaching of the Word, illustrating his teaching with the ‘Relay race’ and relating it to the ministry of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).
I enjoyed your emphasis on our preparedness and the need for proper training/ equipment to help us perform this laudable Christian duty. May we not fail God in Jesus Name, Amen.
thank you Esther, for your appreciation and recognition. I find that this will be essential for our long term success. I agree, may we not fail but only “prosper and have Good success”.
I agree, Josh. I think the problem comes in seeing ourselves as “the church” rather than as individual soldiers. It’s easy to say, “Yes! The Church needs to do better at discipleship!” It’s much more difficult for people to step up and say, “I need to commit myself to discipling others.” So many of us want to be comfortable Christians – no risk, no time taken away from my agenda and my concerns.
Thank you Athena, we must seek to gain and maintain the right perspective. Comfortability won’t produce the results that God promises. often the things in life that are the most difficult are the most rewarding. We must be willing to risk everything for Him because He sacrificed everything for us.
I am so grateful that Pastor Jeff suggested discipling children as a major untapped area of discipleship. This is so key, not only in children’s ministry, but also in discipling youth one-on-one. There is a huge need for mentors for teenagers! My son has had a mentor for about a year, and it has made such a difference in his life and his walk. He doesn’t see it as discipleship; he just thinks it’s cool that a young man wants to spend time with him and study the Bible together. Teenagers are often more open to discipleship from someone other than a parent. This is an opportunity for me to shift into discipling someone else as well — not an excuse for me to sit back and consider my job done!
Hi Athena!
I completely agree with you as there is such a need for mentors for teenagers. I am thankful to read about your son’s mentor! It will be such a blessing even after he’s grown and can then mentor others as he was. I am also blessed with my daughter’s youth group. She has come home excited about what she’s learned and specifically the application of what someone shared. It was a lesson we talked about last summer but she heard it from someone else and it made an impact. I agree also where we can as parents disciple someone else. 🙂
How wonderful that someone took the time to pour themselves into the life of your son. To give an entire year to teach, train, and build up your child in the things of God is a real example of what Christ wants all of us to do. Your comment spurs me on to continue to reach out to those who need and desire to be discipled no matter what their age may be.
Yes, yes and yes!
The Children’s ministry is meant to be discipleship of the next generation for God’s glory and for the churches healthy continuation. But, it is sad how many churches are offering a “baby sitting” ministry. The kids go back to a classroom where no classes are taught, often looking more like a playroom. The Children’s ministry can so easily become a “fun-focused” hang out time instead of bible training and ministry.
This same issue happens in Youth Groups across America. You are lucky if you find a Youth Group that has even a 10 minute bible study (who knows if it is exegetical and orthodox). Most times you find a Pool Table, Ping Pong Table, and a fun loving leader. But, the value of a real mentor for you son, and all of our youth is priceless. God bless every devoted youth leader who strives in Christ to preach Christ.
I remember well the women who walked through my teen years discipling me. It makes such a difference to have the older generation speaking into young lives. I pray all the time that God would send others to walk with my children and love the opportunities he has given me to walk with young women. I long to see this better modeled in the church.
Yes, discipling children/youth one-on-one or in small groups is a vast and untapped area. The age of the adult does not matter here. Children will be attentive to adults who are honest, gentle, and genuine with them.
A few years ago, a friend started a Bible club in his daughter’s middle school. He now has Bible clubs in fourteen schools.
If we don’t teach our kids to follow Jesus, the world will teach them not to.
In the end, we want to say, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” (3 John 1:4).
True Athena. I am also very grateful to Pastor Jeff for this Podcast, especially in the area of mentoring/ discipling the next generation (Teenagers). This is one area of ministry that I am passionate in. I would have been destroyed by my uncle but for a Godly mentor that I had as a teenager (God used my Sunday school teacher to deliver me from what could have been a lifetime error).
As Christian’s we want to pass the baton. In other words we are to share what we have learned and know about Christ and His ways. The call is to disciple first the children in our immediate families, then Children’s ministry and those God puts in our lives.
As Jeff mentions, we should pass on strictly what the word says, there is no need, nor is there any help in adding any opinions or outside methods in passing the baton.
My favorite thing Jeff says
in this podcast is : “Turn to the word to find answers for what we are going through, or what someone else is going through. We can approach it with a studying mindset. To search it, knowing it has an answer to what is being faced. “
Hi Hannah!
I love the way the Lord places people in our lives to mentor or share something with in different situations. Although I am not currently mentoring but praying for those opportunities. I have found they are more prevalent when we are in God’s word, praying to serve others in this capacity and are such a blessing! I also liked the part where Pastor Jeff shares that we don’t need to add anything nor is there any help in adding any opinions or outside methods in passing the baton. This is so important that we just use the Word of God and it sure takes the pressure off when we are sharing with others.
Passing the baton is certainly a very clear and understandable way to explain the discipleship we are all called to as believers. I agreed with Pastor Jeff when he said that it starts in the home, discipling your own children first. I have seen when servants in church are very focused on how they can serve other peoples kids, or in Men’s Ministry etc. yet had no initiative to do real ministry at home. It is a shame when that is the case. It has been said that it is wrong to “be a light in the world, but a darkness in your home.” But, I think this happens because people are often not taught how to “turn to the word to find answers.” They know how to take a curriculum and present it well, or even put a bible study together for a youth group… but not how to converse with people one on one for their personal development. The discipleship we give, the baton we pass, has to be well rounded in development. They should learn how to grow for themselves, how to help others grow, and even how to serve in a church.
Wow. Powerful statement. ” it is wrong to be a light in the world, but a darkness in your own home.” That really gets the point across. I am going to share that.
I agree with you Hannah that one takeaway from Pastor Jeff’s teaching is that ‘we believe that the Bible is sufficient and answers life’s problems’ and we must approach it with a ‘studying mindset’ (Psalms 119:18 Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law.). thanks for sharing your thoughts concerning the sufficiency of Scriptures and our life challenges.
I love the fact that Jesus said, “if you love Me, obey My commandments.” This falls into the two great commands of loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and loving your neighbor as yourself. Just following these two commands should push us to counsel and disciple our bretheren. “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens the countenance of his friend Proverbs 27:17. Amen.
It is encouraging to sharpen one another like you were saying Jose.
I think in the Sunday morning service greeting and talking to new people or fellow church members is a great place to start and God will open doors in other areas as we take the first steps of faith. Exciting really!
Love this topic! It truly is so important to be pouring into the next generation. Maybe not even generation as pertains to younger (which is so important), but to anyone we help equip with the things we have learned. I love how you pointed out that so many are still content with milk, man if we could just get past this!
It is a good reminder to personally make sure I am still growing. I should always be in a state of disciplining others. Most likely it will be those who God has brought into my life to help with things I have recovered from so they can in turn do the same. Staying on course with using the bible is key, and it is so true, we get so much out of what God is doing in our lives when we train/teach others. It is one of my favorite things about leading. I always said that I learned more from raising my kids than they learned from me 🙂
I couldn’t agree more April, I have learned so much from my kids and from directing a children’s ministry. There is nothing like a child’s question to drive me to my Bible and prayer, I feel such a burden to point them only directly to the Word as their source of truth.
April,
It is so true that many are content with milk. They have no desire to grow or to help others grow in their walk with Christ. I often wonder how people can come to church week after week and not desire to go deeper in their relationship with Christ. We must continue to pray for them that their appetite for the Word would increase.
Hi Jeff,
I enjoyed the podcast and am in agreement with biblical counselling over man’s theories. Sticking with the word of God only (You shall not add to the word Deut: 4:2, Revelation 22:18) and about sharing the gospel making disciples. That has been my passion ever since I was saved.
I have a question about the demonic side of mental health issues.
The reason why I’m bringing this is up is many years ago before I was saved. I felt a demonic influence in my life which affected my mental health and then when I was saved I was set free!
The darkness left me and the Holy Spirit filled my life. The healing started.
I was doing my daily readings in the bible recently and my readings fell on Matthew 8 and Acts 8:7, what stood out for me about these readings was people being set free from demonic influence but also it reminded me of Mark 5:15: “When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.”
What’s the biblical counselling view on these issues?
Discipleship is something that Calvary Chapel University’s Biblical Counseling degree has taught me to cherish. Many of the resources students refer to count biblical counseling as being synonymous with discipleship. My classes have encouraged me to be open to discipling. At first I thought to myself, “What can I teach those younger than me?” However, as the Lord opened the door for me to disciple one, I now disciple three! Each of these kids ranging from 13-16 are so incredibly different from each other as far as knowledge of the Word and their commitment to it.
My greatest desire is that regardless of whatever the Lord may call these youth to do, that they can continue the stream of discipleship and be encouraged to do so from the encouragement they received from my time of discipleship with them.
As far as the model of biblical counseling we ought to pass on as well, if there was one idea that I am still needing time to divorce myself from it’s integration-ism. From the outside view, integrating psychology and Christianity seems like such an attractive idea because it seems to satisfy general logical presumptions. Like Pastor Christianson said, integrationists believe that it marries the best of both worlds of psychology and Christianity.
However, if my recent memory of reading counseling books serves me well, there are many issues with psychology itself (human wisdom, speculation & theory, and pseudo-scientific just to name a few).
Josiah, your comment is so true! These courses that Calvary Chapel University has offered have all been biblically centered. They freely expose the lies that are being taught even by well-meaning Christians. It is so easy to fall into the trap that I am not qualified to help someone who is struggling with mental illness, behavior problems, marital or friendship issues, etc. because I am not a certified psychologist or therapist. To know Christ and Christ crucified is the answer for those who are broken and wounded.
Josiah: It’s great you are pursuing biblical counseling degree at CCU. We need more like you (studying biblical counseling and discipling kids).
I agree that integrationism (what I call syncretism) is attractive. But in the end, it’s a compromise with the world and against the Word. Secular psychology continues to evolve (change), and its science is often soft.
Thanks Josiah for your comment about discipleship.
I’ve been blessed as well to have many opportunities to disciple those in need. But I never knew what biblical counselling was until I started this course. It’s all about the discipleship.
So I feel blessed now to be learning the facts about counseling, the bad counsel and the biblical counseling.
God is equipping us all to continue his work. Exciting!
Here’s a memory verse we are learning in our discipleship group next week
“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6
Hello Josiah! I’m so excited for the youngers that you are discipling. I bet they really enjoy their time with you! I’d like to share an experience I had with you that may help in your endeavor to divorce yourself from integration-ism. One counselee was meeting with a psychologist at the same time we were meeting. I would check in with her, asking what the psychologist had her doing, and then proceed with our counseling time. Session after session she shared that the psychologist was having her journal alot about her childhood, including trauma. This continued for quite some time. Finally, she told me that she stopped going to the psychologist, because she came to the realization that she is a new creation in Christ! She is not the little girl that she used to be, and she has the Holy Spirit and resurrection power available to her to help her in her sanctification. This is just one example of man’s wisdom hindering growth in Christ. Press on Brother!
JoAnn
Thank you that you commented on my post so that I could read your reply! JoAnn that is so amazing… Isn’t that what makes the Word of God so distinguished among other works written by man? The Word of God is alive! Because the Scriptures are absolute truth, it gently (sometimes violently) pushes lies out of the way for good. That counselee saw the truth and believed it! Now because she’s letting herself walk in truth, she is letting the Holy Spirit sanctify her!
You’ve made so many great points. I often hear from pastors sharing from the pulpit that most often, what gets in the way of Christ desiring to do work in us is our flesh.
Thank you, Josiah, for your willingness to disciple young believers! I believe that is the most powerful way we can make an impact, because those young men will grow up realizing what a difference you made in their lives, and what a difference Christ has made. They will be more motivated to turn around and disciple someone themselves, knowing how important that work is. This is exactly what Jesus meant for us to do!
Great Podcast in which Pastor Jeff clearly presented the importance of passing on the truth to the next generation through proper Biblical discipleship and teaching of the Word, illustrating his teaching with the ‘Relay race’ and relating it to the ministry of the Great Commission.
Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
The emphasis of this teaching was on the need to ‘pass on’ the undiluted Word to the next generation. We are encouraged to perform proper discipleship of the next generation as it’s also advantageous to us; growing us thereby. Although it’s a difficult task, it’s inevitable to grow the Kingdom for the next generations.
As Biblical counselors, we must emulate Apostle Paul that passed on the baton to Timothy. With this in our minds, we must evangelize and disciple (2 Timothy 2:2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.).
One of the ways that I evangelize/ disciple the next generation is by trusting God to proffer solution to their peculiar challenges that God reveals to me and enables me to handle while teaching such persons the Word by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Esther,
I like your comment about discipleship of the next generation being advantageous to us. How often do we find ourselves in a conversation with someone thinking we are going to help them and we also come out with new growth? The Lord often uses the words we share with others to minister to our hearts as well.
Hello Esther! I am grateful for your heart of teaching God’s word to the next generation. The enemy will always be at work to diminish God’s word – but this, along with the Holy Spirit, is where the power lies! We cannot disciple apart from it, and as we disciple we must work hard to share the pure Word of God, without blemish or stain from man’s wisdom. It is encouraging to be interacting with others that share this passion. God bless you!
JoAnn