Author: mary

One of the best things we can do as Christians is to disciple and invest in new believers. After all, this is part of God‘s plan for the world in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20). He tells us to go and make disciples of all nations. What does that mean to make disciples? We can’t make disciples if we never talk about God with others. If we want the good news about Jesus Christ to spread throughout the world, then we have to make sure we are making disciples so they can go to the ends of the earth as well. So how do we make disciples?

First of all, when someone comes to know Christ, we do not want to just leave them out on their own to try and learn everything about the Lord. So when you meet a new believer, try to get them plugged into a church. Second, pray and ask God to reveal someone to you that needs to be discipled. Even if you don’t feel like you are equipped, know that if you are obedient to the Lord, He will give you the wisdom you need to make disciples. Third, trust that when you start discipling someone, they will not be the only person to grow, but you will also grow in your faith.

When we make disciples of all nations, we are growing the family of God. This is what he has asked us to do and wants us to be obedient. Disciples can be everywhere: your work, your circle of friends, even in your home. Trust that God will help you reach out to others.

Philippians 2:12b tells us to work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. This is not telling us that our salvation is based on works, but rather that our works are a product of our salvation. Being a Christian is not always an easy thing. There can be many struggles and trials, so when this verse says to work out your salvation, it just means continually following the Lord and his will.

The evidence of a believer’s life is in the way he walks with God, talks with other believers and nonbelievers, and his actions. If someone professes to know Christ, but denies him by the way they live, then do they really know him? Works and faith go together. Your faith is not based on your works, but your works are based on your faith. So when you study God’s word and pray fervently, you will find it easier to obey God with deep reference and fear as this verse states. A car cannot run unless the gas tank has something in it. Our Christian lives are the same way. We have to make sure we are always filling up our tank so we can go out and serve the Lord. When we do that, we will be working out our salvation.

Make every effort to grow in your relationship with God. Live your life in such a way that others can look and see the handprints of God at work in your life. A life with God is so much better than a life on your own.

Hebrews 11 gives us a summary of the faith of men and women in the Bible. Hebrews 11:1-2 begins by saying “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.” These were not perfect people by any means, but they were men who trusted in the Lord and were shown to be faithful.

We see men like Abel, who gave God first fruits and Enoch who walked with God. Noah remained steadfast and continued to obey God even when ridiculed by the world. Abraham journeyed to an unknown land out of obedience to God, and his wife Sarah believed God would fulfill his promise to her. Joseph trusted God even when he didn’t know what his life would become and knew that when he died, God would deliver the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses chose a life of hardship instead of riches. Faith is what caused the people to venture through the Red Sea to escape Pharoah. Faith brought the walls of Jericho down after the Israelites obediently marched around them. Rahab, a prostitute, was spared from disaster when she secretly helped the Israelites.

All of these people showed great faith because they looked forward to the rewards of God instead of the temporary rewards of man. This is faith. It is the reality of everything we hope for in God and the evidence of what we cannot see in this life.

One of the problems that can occur in marriage and parenting is when the mom and dad do not parent together and instead one is more in charge than the other. This can create friction between the parents and friction between the children and their parents. So how can parents work together to create a unified team for their children?

First, always make big decisions together. You do not ever have to give your children an answer right away and instead can say, “your father (or mother) and I are going to discuss this together.” Then, present your answer together as well. Second, work to create a list of boundaries and possible consequences for your children. It is never too late to do this. When you discipline the same way, your children will see that you are a team. We all know that sometimes they like to pit one parent against the other, so this will prevent some of that from occurring. Third, spend some time in prayer together for each of your children. When you go before the Lord on behalf of your children, it will bring you closer together as a couple. It is so important to seek out parenting advice from the Lord. He will give you wisdom in making decisions.

Parenting together is always the best option for your children. Ecclesiastes 4:12 states, “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” Think about those three strands as being you, your spouse, and the Lord. No one is ever alone in parenting if they seek out the Lord and His wisdom. Just imagine what you can do when you parent together!

Most parents want to make a lasting impression on their children. They don’t set out to destroy the lives of their children or leave them with nothing, but this can happen when parents are not intentional about leaving a godly legacy for their children. The legacy we should want to leave should not only be a physical inheritance, but also a godly inheritance.

Let’s focus first on the physical inheritance. Do you want to have something to leave your children after you are gone? If this is you, then you need to understand how to manage your finances. Leaving a legacy starts long before you are gone. You need to plan when you begin having children. You can honor God by managing your money. This means not living in debt (as it says in Proverbs 22:7, the borrower is a slave to the lender), putting away money to save, and investing for their future. All of these things will help you leave a lasting physical legacy. You can also leave a spiritual legacy, which is even more important. You can leave a lasting spiritual legacy by getting involved in a church, reading the Word with your children, and putting God first so they can see how important God is as the foundation of your life.

Leaving a legacy is important in raising your children. In a time when we as a society only focus on the here and now, Christians need to focus on the future and leaving a lasting impact on the next generation.