Discipling Children

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People were bringing little children to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, He was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And He took the children in His arms, placed His hands on them and blessed them.

Mark 10:13-16

Jesus showed a great love for children.  He also showed us a level of respect we should have for children as models of our Christian faith.  To teach children about Jesus and God’s Word is good, but to reach their hearts to “receive the Kingdom of God” is the goal! Children are often called the “church of tomorrow”.  They are the church of the future, and if we lose them, we lose the church (or fail the church).  Yet children are also the “church of today”, and we must see them as disciples of Jesus, just like us.

God’s Purposes for Children’s Ministry

God has several purposes for having a children’s ministry in the church.

First, it is “to make little disciples.” Matthew 28:19 is known as the great commission and commands us to “make disciples of all nations.”  The Message Bible translation says “Go and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life…”  1 Timothy 2:4 tells us that God wants “all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” And that includes children!

Second, children need to have a special environment geared to their needs. A church should be a home for all ages. Sunday School is not like regular school, it’s more like a church family. Children’s Ministry is also not childcare – it’s 100% ministry time! And teachers and parents aren’t the only instructors because Jesus is the example to follow!

Third, in the church, all genders and ages need to be respected.  This includes children. Jesus said in Matthew 21:15-16 (He was quoting Psalm 8:2) that “But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things He did and the children shouting in the temple courts, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David,’ they were indignant.‘Do you hear what these children are saying?’ they asked Him.  ‘Yes,’ replied Jesus, ‘have you never read, From the lips of children and infantsyou, Lord, have called forth your praise’?”

Discipling Children

Teaching children in the church is so much more than a standard lesson. Most churches have a standard process for Sunday School that includes telling a Bible Story, singing songs, and taking an offering.  But key discipleship areas should also be included in the process to help them grow in their faith. They include:

1.Praise and Worship

In some churches, it is common for parents to go to worship while their children go to a class.  About this, I once heard a Pastor say, “We have it reversed.  Adults need education and children need to worship!” Based on Matthew 21:15-16 (above), even noisy times of children’s energy and praise should be there to give glory to our Lord!

2. Bible Study

The Bible is always the best “curriculum” for any class of any age group. Children should experience God’s Word.  Leaders should act out Bible stories and discuss how the Bible Story applies to daily life. Leaders should help children to begin to value and love the Bible and inspire them to turn to God’s Word for their worldview of life.

3. Praying with children

Don’t just pray over children, teach them how to pray!  Explain prayer to them and learn about prayer from the Bible. Use prayer formats that are child-friendly and helpful for growth in prayer. Learning to pray to God out loud by themselves and in front of others is an important goal with children.

4. Faith Sharing

All Christians have stories of faith, which are essentially touches from the Lord every day.  Children have them as well. Children love to tell stories and talk about their families and so leaders need to look for stories of faith the child can share to give God the glory. Children should also learn the gospel message of the Good News of Jesus to share as a testimony to others.  We are never too young to learn to share the gospel.  As Jesus said, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” – Matthew 24:14

5. Other discipleship areas to consider:

Stewardship – teach children about tithing or using their gifts from God

Mission projects – have children join their family in reaching out to others in service and ministry

Fellowship – show children the importance of making friends with the joy of faith in Jesus

How Children Learn

How children learn is related to the development stages of children and needs to be considered so that teaching children will be age appropriate. As children grow, they are increasingly ready for more in-depth teachings.  A children’s ministry teacher must be ready to adjust teachings to the development stage of the children. Development stages of children’s learning should then be added to a discipleship plan for children.

Here are some key points regarding “how children learn” by age group:

Little children (ages 1-4)

The faith foundation is being laid down from the beginning of life. At this age, children are self-centered, so encourage sharing with each other. They also tend to live in fantasy as well as reality, and do not yet know the difference. So, emphasize the truth of Jesus and the Bible (e.g., Jesus is real, not pretend). At this age children are naturally curious, so let them explore as they learn. They are visual and concrete learners, so be clear and use pictures and visual helps. They also learn well by experiencing and so acting out Bible stories can be effective for them.

Young children (ages 5-7)

The faith foundation of a child is laid down during the first 7 years of life, so make impressions on the hearts of children at this age that will last a lifetime. They like to feel proud as well, so give them some praise to encourage them. At this age children are also self-conscious, so it is important to help them not to compare themself to others and teach them that God’s love is for everyone equally! Children at this age also have a short attention span of only about 5-7 minutes. So, be prepared to move on to another activity when they start to lose attention. Children have a limited concept of time and are generally only interested in the present. So, do life application teaching and keep visual aids clear and simple.

Older children (ages 8-11)

Children in this age group have a much longer attention span so they can be more absorbed in the teaching. At this age children are able to think more for themselves and begin to show leadership capability. As a result, have them begin to lead prayer and worship for younger children. Children this age also have a better concept of past, present, and future. So, you can begin to teach a Bible timeline. They also begin to understand symbolism (as used in the Bible) so have them act out parables of Jesus and discuss the meaning of the parable.

Biblical Faith Milestones

Enhance your teaching lessons by establishing some Biblical Faith Milestones by age or grade level.  Here are some examples:

  1. Kindergarten (age 5) – Memorize the Lord’s Prayer
  2. Grade 1 (age 6) – Learn the Ten Commandments
  3. Grade 2 (age 7) – Memorize the Apostles Creed
  4. Grade 3 (age 8) – Learn the order of the New Testament Books
  5. Grade 4 (age 9) – Learn the order of the Old Testament Books
  6. Grade 5 (age 10) – Study a timeline of the Bible

These milestones are also important to prepare children for their entry into the church’s youth program.

“Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.”

Psalms 71: 17-18

**from chapter 5 of our Discipleship for Church LeadersTM training manual.

Easter Reflections

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“The angel said to the woman, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He is risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay.'”

Matthew 28:5-6

I was recently reflecting on our church’s Easter service, and it caused me to wonder how people who are not Christians might respond to the gospel message of Easter Sunday. In particular, how do they receive or understand the Easter message if Easter Sunday is likely the only time they visit a church, in person or on-line? As a lifelong Christian, I understand the Easter message very well because I have been brought up in the Christian faith. But do these non-Christians have the basic foundation to understand it?

The Christian faith can be summarized into the following set of belief statements:

1. God created the heavens, the earth, and man (in His image) and they were perfect

2. Because of Adam & Eve’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden, man was corrupted by sin

3. Man cannot escape his sinful condition by his own efforts

4. Jesus, as God’s Son, sacrificed His perfect life on a cross to pay the price for our sin

5. The resurrection of Jesus defeated death for us so we would not die but have eternal life

6. We can receive this eternal life by simply putting our faith in Jesus and what He did for us

These are the essentials of the Christian faith. However, the Easter message often only contains the last three statements about his crucifixion, death and resurrection. The first three statements are usually left out and perhaps assumed to be generally understood. But for those who have not been exposed to Christianity that is probably not true.  Without the foundation of the first three statements the last three might not make sense. So the significance and the enormity of what happened on that first Easter 2,000 years ago may be lost on those who do not know or accept the first three statements.

Consequently, if the Easter message is heard without an understanding of why Jesus did what He did, it is not as likely to gain acceptance. It’s like the story of Philip and the Eunuch from Acts 8:26-40. The Eunuch needed Philip to explain to him the passage from Isaiah that he was reading. He needed the context and the foundation of it in order to understand it. Philip gave that to him so that he could believe the good news!

I think there are basically four reasons why non-Christians find it hard to believe or accept the Easter message if that’s all they hear.

First, they do not accept it because they reject the idea of a sovereign God. Some Americans don’t believe God exists. Many others believe that even if God exists, they don’t think He is sovereign or relevant to their lives. Most of them choose to believe in science and in the big bang theory of creation over the Biblical account. Still others will argue that if God is so good, why is there suffering and pain caused by the world He created? If these issues aren’t addressed then people won’t, or can’t, believe in a sovereign God. And if they don’t believe God exists, is sovereign, or is relevant, then they are unlikely to believe in Jesus or His resurrection.  

Second, some people reject Christianity because they don’t believe that they are corrupted by sin. Many people believe that they are good people at heart. There’s even a country song out now by Luke Bryan that says he believes “most people are good.” If you or I asked a group of people if they thought people were basically good, most of them would say yes, including many Christians. But this is in direct contradiction with Scripture that says “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 8:23) and “If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1st John 1:9) It is difficult for some people to accept the fact that they might not be a good person. As a result, many people won’t accept that they are sinful by nature and thus they do not need to be made good, or righteous.

Third, some people reject Christianity because they think that they can fix their faults and shortcomings themselves. So, even if they accept that God exists and that they are sinful, they don’t think they need God or Jesus to help them overcome their sins and failures. They believe that if they just try harder and put forth greater effort they can change their behavior. But the truth is, we cannot fix ourselves by our own power (Ephesians 2:8-9). The only way to resolve our sinful nature is to take on the spiritual nature (Galatians 5:16), which means to allow the Holy Spirit to work in us to change.  Many people can’t accept that they need help from somewhere else to solve their sin problem, and so they reject the need for a savior.

But there is also a fourth and more rational reason why non-Christians reject the Easter message. Even if they manage to get past these first three hurdles, some of them reject the idea that Jesus’ death on the cross somehow took away their sin and made a way for them to live eternally. To me, this is the most reasoned objection, because it is so utterly fantastic to believe! How is it possible that one man’s death could take away the sin of everyone who has ever lived, died or has yet to be born? And yet, Jesus did just that! God’s Word tells us that “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” (Colossians 1:21-22)  Why do I know and believe this to be true? Because I also believe and accept that God is sovereign, I am a sinner and I need a savior!

For me, the bottom line of the Easter message means that if I put my faith in Jesus I will not die. This life of mine is not all there is. It is my present reality and I do enjoy it. But my faith in Christ is predicated on my belief in a sovereign God, my acceptance that I am sinful by nature, and my trust in Christ as my Savior from sin and death. I do not want to spend one day, in this world or the next, without my God or my Savior Jesus! His promise to never leave me or forsake me sustains me in this life (Hebrews 13:5). But the promise of eternal life, given to me through Jesus’ death and resurrection, gives me the hope of spending eternity with Him (John 3:16)! Being separated from God after our earthly death is called hell. And indeed that’s where those who reject God or fail to believe or put their faith in Jesus will end up (John 3:18).

It is hard to understand why people would choose hell by rejecting God and Jesus. But perhaps they wouldn’t if they knew and accepted that God is sovereign, they have a sinful nature, and they need a savior. And that’s where you and I come in. We are God’s chosen instruments to share God’s Truth as well as this good news of Easter. We can’t just tell them the end of the story and expect people to believe it without knowing why it was necessary. We must build a foundation on the truth of God, our sin condition, and our need for a savior. That creates the fertile ground for the seed of faith in Jesus to be planted in others. This not only produces hope in the life to come but also a changed life in the world they live in now.

May our sovereign God give us the words and wisdom to bring others to Him through Jesus, the Truth, the Cross, and a new life in Christ!

The 5 Myths of Foreign Missions

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“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations…”

Matthew 28:19

It used to be that foreign mission trips were long, arduous, and full of uncertainty. At least that’s the way I viewed them as I was growing up. They also required a deep level of commitment. Only those Christians who were completely committed would venture off to distant lands to share the gospel. I’d heard about missionaries like David Livingston and Hudson Taylor from the 1800’s who gave up everything and endured great hardships to take the gospel to Africa and China, respectively. These were incredible men of faith who responded to God’s call to “go and make disciples of all nations.” And while I admired them greatly, I did not feel the call to that level of adventure.

In the early 1990’s while attending a new church in Milwaukee that we had just joined, the pastor’s daughter, who was younger than I, was raising money to go on a mission trip to smuggle Bibles into China. And I thought to myself, “I don’t have the courage to do that!” But I was certainly willing to provide funds for her to go. Little did I know at the time that it would change the course of my life. It was because this was the first time I had heard about short-term mission trips. Here was an opportunity to spread the gospel to a distant land without the long-term commitment that I had thought was necessary.

Several years later, we had moved to the Chicago area and were attending a new church. One of our pastors announced that he was going on a short-term mission trip to Kazakhstan and was inviting any church members who might be interested to go along. When I saw that invitation in our church newsletter, I immediately felt the call to go. God had been preparing my heart for such an opportunity and here it was! So, I signed up to go, not really knowing what I would do or even where Kazakhstan was! But at least I knew it would only last 2 weeks!

That trip gripped my heart for missions and has led me on a journey that I never asked for nor contemplated. But it has blessed me in more ways than I can count. After that first mission experience I wanted others to experience the foreign mission field as well. And so I began leading mission trips and recruiting others to also “go and make disciples of all nations” with me. Since 1999 I have recruited and taken over 250 people to the foreign mission field, some of them more than once.

However, there were others that I had tried to recruit to go to the foreign mission field with me who had lots of reasons why they could not go – I don’t have the time; I don’t have the money; I don’t like to travel; I don’t have anything to share; I can’t make a difference. It reminds me of the Parable of the Great Banquet story from Luke 14:16-23, where Jesus recounts the excuses that people make for not coming to enjoy what God has prepared for them. In the same way, Jesus is calling every believer to be His missionary!

You might ask, “What is a missionary?” According to Webster’s Dictionary, a missionary is “a person undertaking a religious mission, which is a ministry commissioned by a religious organization to propagate its faith or carry on humanitarian work.” According to the Bible, a Christian missionary is someone who goes and tells the good news about Jesus, makes disciples, and serves others in His name! (Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:19, Galatians 5:13) As 2 Corinthians 5:20 says, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” In effect, all Christians are called to be missionaries!

So, how do we do that?  One way is to go into our neighborhoods, communities, and places of work since they are the closest and easiest to go to. But another way is to go on a short-term mission trip to another country. Foreign mission trips offer unique opportunities to grow closer to God and to other believers, which I will discuss later.

All short-term mission trips, whether near or far, give us an opportunity to obey and serve God, to serve and bless others, to help make disciples, to use our gifts for building the kingdom, and to encourage other believers. But many believers are still hesitant to go. This is especially true for foreign mission trips because they don’t know what the nation and its culture are like. They usually envision it as difficult, uncomfortable, dangerous, and even a bit scary. But that has not been my experience.

Here are what I call the 5 myths about foreign missions:

Myth #1: We sleep in tents out in the jungle

The reality is that we generally sleep in hotel rooms, although sometimes we sleep in people’s homes or in guest houses. In each case, we sleep in beds, we usually have hot showers, heat, or air conditioning, and we sometimes even have cable tv! And when the rare times occur that we don’t, it’s amazing how we humans can adapt to our environment rather quickly.

Myth #2: We eat weird food

The reality is that the food we are served or eat is very good! And in some countries, better than what we eat here in America! We normally eat in restaurants and the meals generally consist of meat, chicken, fish, rice, potatoes, and vegetables. And contrary to what most people think, when we are eating in homes, we don’t necessarily have to eat what does not taste good to us. We can respectfully decline or only eat what we can.

Myth #3: It is dangerous!

The reality is that we are often safer than in most major U.S. cities. While there are some places we should not go (especially at night), our hosts will generally not expose us to such dangers. We are normally with Christians and in church environments where we are safe. Additionally, we typically keep a low profile when we go and are usually gone before other people know we are even there.

Myth #4: I have nothing to offer

The reality is that everyone has a gift they can share. The Bible says 2 things about us in this regard. First, each of us is gifted by God. 1 Corinthians 12:7 says, “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” In other words, each of us has been given a gift we can share. Second, God will give us gifts when we need them. 1 Corinthians 12:11 says, “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.” In other words, God will equip us with the gifts we need for the task He has given to us!

Myth #5: There is little impact

The reality is that God will use us for His purposes, not ours, and the people we minister to are often impacted in ways we may never know! When we go and serve, God uses us to plant seeds for Him. The harvest of what we planted (the impact) will almost always occur much later and after we’ve left the mission field. A foreign mission trip will also give us the opportunity to touch a life. I could share dozens of testimonies of how I’ve seen God work through people to impact the life of someone in another country. To experience that is truly one of God’s greatest blessings.

A foreign mission trip will also impact our life and faith as well! How? First, because we are in an unfamiliar environment, we are forced to totally rely on God. It’s because we don’t speak the local language and we can’t just get in a car and go home. We also experience new and unfamiliar things and will likely face personal challenges that require God’s help. Putting our complete trust in Jesus is what enables us to overcome these challenges and grow in our faith! Second, we will have the opportunity to experience God in a different culture. This will often allow us to see real poverty up close as well as vastly different lifestyles. This gives us a better understanding of how truly blessed we Americans are compared to the rest of the world, which often causes us to rethink our priorities. But we will also feel the unity we have in Christ with other believers that cuts across all nations, cultures, and customs.

So, the next time you are invited to go on a foreign mission trip, don’t just say no. Instead, pray about it and be open to God’s call to go! When you go, you will experience an adventure like no other while making an impact for Christ in the world!

God’s Sovereignty

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“When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. ‘Sovereign Lord’, they said, ‘you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.'”

Acts 4:24

We live in a world that is full of violence, conflict, horrendous atrocities, and unending evil. All people have been created in God’s image, and throughout history, some people have done some terrible things to other people. Just recently we saw Russia invade another independent nation, Ukraine, without just cause and resulting in the deaths of many innocent civilians. There are conflicts in many nations over covid restrictions, government policies, and political ideologies, with some of them resulting in violence and injuries to others. We also read about the murders, kidnappings, rapes, thefts, and other crimes committed against one another in our news every day. And finally, there exists the bullying, verbal attacks and silencing of people just for having a different viewpoint.

And the one question many non-Christians usually ask is, “If God is so good, why does he let these bad things happen?” It is a legitimate question with a simple answer. It’s because although God is good, He gave people a free will. And people use that freedom for evil instead of the good that God intended.

When God created the world, Genesis 1:31 says that “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” So, what went wrong? Again, Genesis provides the answer in chapter 3 that sin entered the world so that humans were corrupted and banished from the garden of Eden and God’s perfection. It resulted from Adam and Eve’s decision to listen to Satan instead of God. It was willful disobedience. They wanted to “be like God” rather than just enjoy His presence. God could have created us to be totally obedient to Him. But then He would not have enjoyed our presence with Him as much as if we freely love being with Him. That’s the same love every parent wants from their children.

In our world today, many people look to find someone to blame for all this conflict and evil. Some blame God instead of Satan, some blame society instead of the individual, and often some blame others instead of themselves. Yet, God is still sovereign over all. What, then, does that really mean?

Sovereignty is not an issue of control. Since God gave us free will, He therefore cannot control what we do. So, being sovereign is not about control but instead it’s about who’s really in charge and who sets the rules. In other words, it’s about authority. A king has authority over his subjects. A board of directors has authority over a corporation. A government has authority over its citizens. A parent has authority over their children. In each of these cases, the people with authority do not control their constituents. They simply have authority over them and can set the rules and guidelines for what they determine to be of benefit to them. But they also establish the consequences for breaking those rules.

The same is true for God because He is the author of creation. He has all authority because He created all humans, the world, and everything we see and know (Genesis 1). In fact, He sent Jesus into the world to save us from our sin and evil behavior that we willfully engage in. Ultimately, God gave Jesus authority over heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18) because of His obedience to the Father and His authority. God (and Jesus) do not control us, but they do have authority over us and what happens when we “break the rules” that He has set for us. If God truly controlled us, we would never disobey Him and therefore never do evil, endure suffering, or need punishment.

So, God is not controlling, but He is still “in control”, or sovereign, and has authority over us!

Because God is good (Luke 18:19), every evil act in the world results from our disobedience to God’s Word, His will, and His commands. Since He is also a just God, we will suffer the consequences of our actions (Deuteronomy 32:4). And ultimately, we will be held accountable for them at the day of judgement. As Romans 14:12 says, “So, then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.”  So, while people can certainly ignore God, or worship other gods, God is still sovereign over the earth and the affairs of man!

Fortunately, however, God is also a loving and merciful God. His desire is always for our good (Romans 8:28). That’s why He sent His own Son Jesus into the world. It was to save us from ourselves because we were helpless and unable to obey His Word, His will, and His commands. He used His authority and sovereignty to restore us into a right relationship with Him through the atoning sacrifice of His Son Jesus on the cross. Jesus paid the penalty for our sin, our evil and our wrongdoing. And all God asks of us is to just put our faith in Jesus and submit to His authority in our lives! Only a loving God would do that. Only a merciful God would do that. And only a sovereign God could do that!

If all people would simply submit to God and His sovereignty, there would be no more war, violence, conflict, or evil in the world. That sounds heavenly, doesn’t it?

Let us continue to pray for that!

The 3 Major Barriers to Accepting Christ

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“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”

Psalm 95:7-8

I’ve often wondered why so many people are hesitant to accept Jesus when it seems to be a simple choice to me. Many won’t accept Jesus because they do not believe there is a God at all, let alone His Son. But people who believe in Jesus do so because they believe in God, desire to know Him in this life, and want to go to heaven at the end of their earthly lives. Others believe because the alternative that there is no God is less appealing. It’s often said that if you believe in Jesus and are wrong, it costs you nothing. But if you don’t believe in Jesus and are wrong, it costs you everything! It would seem to be an easy decision to me on that basis alone.

But one’s decision to believe in God, and Jesus as His Son, is not always that simple. I was brought up in the church, so I have known Jesus all my life. But it wasn’t until my first mission trip to Kazakhstan in 1996 that I finally vowed to fully commit my life to Him. In that process, however, I discovered that it is much easier to believe in Jesus than to live for Him. Perhaps that is why some people reject Jesus – they really don’t want to change the way they live!

But let’s go back to the decision to accept Jesus, receive forgiveness and salvation, and put our faith and trust in Him. We are currently witnessing a cultural shift in our nation towards secularism and away from God. What are the reasons that more and more people reject God (and Jesus)? Is it the attraction of atheism? Is it the perception of Christians as evil and hateful people? Is it the belief in science and the rejection of religion in any format? Or is it just about Jesus?

I believe that it is just about Jesus. I think there are 3 major barriers that keep people from accepting Christ – submission, accountability, and money. I would like to share my thoughts with you on each of them in some detail.  My hope is that it may help us all to witness the Christian faith more effectively to others by understanding these barriers.

Submission

We live in a culture here in the USA where children are taught, and raised, to make their own decisions and manage their own lives. Consequently, the decision to submit one’s life to another person is a difficult one for many people to make. Our human nature is to be selfish and to try and control our lives. But James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Jesus Himself said in John 14:23, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.” So, accepting Jesus means that we must submit our lives to Him, and then obey His commands. And that is something many people find very hard to do because it means giving up control of their lives.

Submission also implies living for God’s purpose rather than one’s own goals. Followers of Jesus are called to share the gospel with others (Matthew 28:19), witness their faith to others (Acts 1:8), and to live holy lives (1 Peter 1:15). Additionally, submission to Christ means living as he did and being examples to others. Consequently, Christians are commanded to be humble (Ephesians 4:2), to serve others (Galatians 5:13), and to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44). These requirements are often very difficult for people to agree to. And that’s understandable, because by ourselves, we can’t meet them! We are all sinners and incapable of doing them without the Holy Spirit. So, we must allow the Holy Spirit to lead us, and that means submitting to His will instead of ours.

Accountability

We live in a time when many people won’t take responsibility for their actions. Instead, they believe someone, or something else, is to blame for their circumstances, which are usually caused by their own actions or bad decisions. It has become common to see people try to justify their actions and deflect their responsibility onto someone else. We live in a culture of blame that tries to deny individual culpability and project responsibility onto society itself! They believe it’s not the individual who is bad, but it’s society as a whole! This completely goes against what the Bible clearly teaches about sin being an individual action (1 John 1:8). As a result, people who don’t see themselves as sinners who are accountable for their actions do not see a need for Jesus’ offer of forgiveness and grace!

Furthermore, people who are atheists, or who just do not believe in God, are essentially giving themselves the right to determine what is right or wrong. They have no moral standard except their own and are unwilling to be held accountable by others for what they do. However, when someone accepts Christ, they are also agreeing to accept responsibility for their sins according to God’s standards as set forth in Exodus 20:1-17. They understand that God will hold them accountable for what they themselves do (Romans 14:12). And that makes them very uncomfortable. As a result, they are unwilling to be held accountable and will not accept Christ for that reason.

Money

The final barrier to accepting Jesus is money. Money is the world’s measure of success and is highly valued in virtually every nation and culture in the world. As humans, we work to make money to provide for ourselves and our families. Without money it would be very difficult to survive. The responsibility for making money belongs to each individual since we have the freedom to work and earn income. Therefore, people learn a skill, get a degree, or start their own business to make a living for themselves. In most nations it is not society’s responsibility, or the government’s responsibility, to provide a living for people. It is each individual’s responsibility to do that. As a result, people are brought up to work and make money to support themselves. The problem is, the pursuit of money to live a better life can become entrenched in our behavior.

Money becomes a barrier to accepting Jesus when people put it above trusting in God for their needs. Jesus said in Matthew 6:24 that we “cannot serve both God and money.” He was indicating that we can’t serve both at the same time. When people put their trust in money, they are basically putting trust in themselves and not God. Consequently, they prefer to not to give up control of their income to Jesus. It then becomes a major reason for not accepting Christ, so they won’t have to put their trust in Him for their living. But that’s precisely what Jesus tells us all to do! It goes against our nature and our upbringing.

But note that Jesus doesn’t say to quit working or to stop earning money. He simply says not to make money our goal or idol, or to put our trust in it. The apostle Paul says in 1 Timothy 6:17 that we should “not put our hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put our hope in God, who richly provides for us with everything for our enjoyment.” Consequently, money easily becomes a barrier to accepting Christ and having to trust in Him rather than ourselves!

When we consider these 3 barriers of submission, accountability, and money, we can see a common thread in all of them. And that is the reliance on ourselves instead of putting our trust in God. This is the essence of the 1st commandment from Exodus 20:3, “You shall have no other Gods before me.”  People do not want to submit to someone else, do not want to be accountable to someone else, and do not want to rely on someone else. It comes back to “me versus God” as the main issue.

So, as we share the gospel with others, we should be aware of these barriers and their common link – people’s desire to do what they want rather than what God wants. And it is what God wants that is truly beneficial for all human lives (Proverbs 3:5-6). The failure of humans to grasp this key principle is what causes pain, conflict, suffering, war, disease, hatred, and every evil in our world.

But we must not give up. Instead, we should continue to share the gospel with non-believers while understanding these three barriers. We must allow God’s Holy Spirit to break them down so that they might accept, and follow, His Son!

Small Group Discipleship

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“Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to Him those He wanted, and they came to Him. He appointed twelve that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach.”

Mark 3:13-14

At the beginning of His ministry on earth, Jesus stepped out and publicly selected His small group.  He selected twelve men who became His disciples. He mentored and trained them over the next three years and then left it in their hands to build the church.  This is well documented in the book of Acts, which demonstrated how they started out as small groups meeting in homes. Let’s explore how we can use small group discipleship for spiritual growth and a sense of community felt by our congregations.

What are Small Groups? Small groups are typically groups of 5-12 people who meet regularly, either in a church, home, or restaurant. They meet to study the Bible, share their faith, and support and care for one another. In the context of discipleship, small groups should always be centered and focused on God’s Word. The Biblical purpose for small groups include the following:

  • Acts 2: 46-47 – “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.  They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
  • Hebrews 10:25 – “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
  • Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 – “Two are better than one,because they have a good return for their labor:   If either of them falls down,one can help the other up.  But pity anyone who fallsand has no one to help them up.”
  • Colossians 3:16 – “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”

What are the characteristics of a Small Group? All small groups need 4 common spiritual values:

  1. Upward – The top priority is our relationship to the Lord. Our desire should be to be with Him and to follow Him. (Matthew 22:36-38)
  2. Inward – Each member of the group should be committed to each other in love and living in community together. (Matthew 22:39)
  3. Outward – The group must understand that they are all part of the Great Commission and be willing to witness to others. (Matthew 28:19)
  4. Forward – Through the small group, they learn to be obedient to what Christ has taught so they can experience His life changing power which they then pass on to others. (Matthew 28:20)

Small groups can also be formed around service to others (homeless), ministry (praise team), gender, demographics (seniors), sports, or any other common link. Pastoral support is also important. Pastors should be invited to periodically visit your small group and to also provide training for the leader or help find study materials.

What are the challenges for Small Groups?  Here are some of the key challenges along with some possible Solutions:

  1. Exclusiveness – when a small group acts “closed” to others. Possible Solution:  Have an empty chair and pray for its filling.  Also, being willing to split into two groups.
  2. Shyness – having group members that rarely share. Possible Solution:  Split into smaller groups of 2-3 for some of the time.
  3. Superficiality – spiritually weak, usually wanting to only be socially-based. Possible Solution:  Giving more equal time to worship, prayer, study, and sharing.
  4. Leader Dominance – When the leader does all of the talking. Possible Solution:  rotate leadership of the Bible Study time.
  5. Personal Problem Dominance – members that regularly dominate the conversation by bringing up their personal problems. Possible Solution:  Giving a mentor to the member with many personal problems.
  6. Children – having children attending small group with parents, as they cannot be left at home. Possible Solution:  Take turns with teaching the children or find a youth to help.

Small groups are a wonderful place where people can experience a LIFE CHANGE! They learn how to live the Christian life, how to express and receive love, how to grow deeper relationships with one another, and how to find strength to endure challenges and hardships. It is also a place to worship, pray, and study!

Discipleship is the process whereby people meet Jesus and grow in their relationship to Him and knowledge of God’s Word. Consequently, small groups are perhaps the best method a church has to carry out the Great Commission!

(From Chapter 10 in our Discipleship for Church Leaders™ Training Manual, ©2015.)

The Light Has Come!

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“The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.”

John 1:9

We live in a darkened world today. It seems that wherever we go darkness is invading our nation and our world. Whether it is violence, hatred, verbal abuse, greed, lying or stealing, evil is all too obvious and pervasive nowadays. Furthermore, what once was called evil is now called good. What once was considered sinful is now being paraded around as virtue. And all the while Biblical truth and Christianity are being blamed for many of our societal problems. Satan certainly appears to be having his way in the world today!

However, we must first recognize that the world began in darkness (Genesis 1:2) and there was no light until God created it (Genesis 1:3). Our world was created by God from nothing and all that exists was created by Him. The physical light in our world comes from the sun, and as the world revolves around the sun we have alternate periods of light and darkness. In reality, though, darkness is the absence of light. And anyone who has been to a remote area understands how dark it gets when there are no lights around. We stumble around at night in our homes until we can turn a light on. Many people fear the dark because we can’t see what’s around us that might harm us.

But there is also spiritual darkness. Before Christ came to earth, a spiritual darkness existed in the world. Since Adam and Eve disobeyed God and sinned, the world had become a place of darkness and evil. There was murder, human sacrifices, sexual sin, violence, robbery and a host of other evil behaviors. Even God’s people rebelled against Him over and over again. When the Roman empire began oppressing the Hebrew people, the only hope left was the coming Messiah who had been prophesied in the Old Testament (“For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the governments will be on his shoulders.” – Isaiah 9:6).

And when Jesus was born in the little town of Bethlehem just outside Jerusalem, the promised Messiah (Savior) had come! It was not a glorious beginning with lots of fanfare and celebration, but a humble birth in a cattle stall. And the first people to proclaim his arrival were not prominent or famous people of the day, but actually lowly shepherds. But it was certainly a world changing event! God had become a man and entered our world to save us from darkness and sin. Jesus was born to bring spiritual light to the earth! The Light has come!

1 John 1:5 says that “God is light, in him there is no darkness at all.” So, in order to combat our spiritual darkness, it was necessary for God to send His own Son Jesus into the world to bring that light to us. And that is true for all humanity, not just those who believe in Jesus. Sadly, however, there are still so many people who have rejected that light and have chosen darkness and evil instead. And most of them aren’t even aware they have done so! The Apostle John wrote in John 3:19-20, that “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.”  Throughout the past 2,000 years, people who reject Jesus and His message of salvation for everyone continue to live in darkness instead of the light and therefore prefer evil over good.

Paul wrote to the church in Rome and told them to “be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil” (Romans 16:19) We must be discerning as well today about what is evil and what is good in our nation and in our world. Paul also said in Romans 12:9 that we should “hate evil and cling to what is good.” In other words, turn away from the evil that you see around you and instead run to what is good. We should heed Paul’s advice in Romans 12:21 that says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

So, with Christmas fast approaching, how should we as Christians respond to this growing darkness in our world today? How can Christmas help us to bring light into our darkened world?

Well, first of all, we should not despair or lose hope because the Light has already come and is still here! Jesus lives and reigns in our world whether or not other people think so. We know it and should live as people of hope. As Peter wrote in 1 Peter 2:9, we are a “chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that (we) may declare the praises of Him who called (us) out of darkness into His wonderful light.” Christmas is the perfect time to remind people that the Light has already come!

Secondly, if we have the light of Christ, we should be able see the evil and darkness around us. That will help us to discern what is truly evil (not of God) and what is truly good. We need to be able to see things as they really are in order to be able to discern whether or not they are good and of God. In our world today there are very clever people who make virtuous sounding arguments that are in fact harmful to us if we pursue or follow them. The best weapon we have to stand against this evil is God’s Word. The Bible must become our armor to withstand Satan’s attacks (Ephesians 6:10-17)! Knowing God’s Word will help us recognize evil and avoid it. Reminding others of the true meaning behind Christmas can draw them to God’s Word as well.

Finally, we must accept God’s call to share this Light with others so they too can come out of the darkness and into the Light! Christmas is a wonderful time to do that as we celebrate the child who is the Light! We cannot just sit back and wait for pastors, ministry workers or others to share the gospel. Every Christian is a minister (1 Peter 2:9) and every Christian is a missionary (Matthew 28:19-20)! We must all continue to proclaim the gospel and the truth of God’s Word to a world in darkness! Christmas is a time where we can share God’s Word through the Christmas carols that we sing and the reading of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem from the Bible.

As we celebrate Christmas and the birth of Jesus this year, “let us not become weary of doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9) Let us overcome the evil in our world with God’s goodness that is found in a little baby named Jesus!

Merry Christmas, everyone!!

Gaining Full Understanding

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“Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding.”

Proverbs 3:13

Several years ago, Ameriquest Mortgage came out with a series of commercials entitled, “Don’t Judge Too Quickly.” Here is one of them (click the video to watch the 30 second commercial):

As the commercial portrays, too often we jump to conclusions before we have a full understanding of the situation we are seeing, hearing or reading about. This is so commonplace in our world today with social media posts, mass media news reports, and paid political ads that try to persuade us to a particular belief or influence our opinions and attitudes without giving us the full story. Without a full understanding, we end up making rash judgements that are later proved to be false or at the very least, misleading.

In order to gain a full understanding of anything, there are 2 things that are needed – context and perspective. Without these two additional pieces of information, any situation or report can be twisted or manipulated to state or show a distorted view of it. In many cases it provides a completely false narrative intended to cause outrage or a quick reaction. If we are to make reasonable judgments or opinions about something, we must make sure we know the context and the perspective before coming to any conclusions or sharing our opinions.

The context of a situation is the background or events leading up to, or following, what you are reading or seeing. For example, many videos posted on FaceBook only show one part of an event, such as an arrest, and not the events that led up to the arrest. That often results in either the police or the criminal being shown to be at fault without knowing what took place before or after what we are seeing. As the above video shows, not knowing what took place before the woman walked into the apartment would lead to a completely false understanding of the situation.

Perspective, on the other hand, is information about the individual in the situation, or our own pre-judgments about them, which causes us to believe or not believe what we are seeing or reading. This is most common in politics where we accept as truth what seems to agree with our beliefs and reject as truth if it disagrees with our beliefs. So, for example, in the video, if the woman thought the man did not like cats she might believe he is trying to kill it. But if she believed he would never hurt the cat then she would question what she sees. Consequently, if we are to evaluate and judge a situation correctly, we must shed our pre-conceived notions and try to take an unbiased perspective.

Without both context and perspective to any given post, video or writing, we are very likely to make an incorrect judgment or opinion about them. That is what so often causes conflict, sin, and harm to others. When we take the time to dig further and discover the context of a situation and look at it from a different perspective, we often find that we will have a better and fuller understanding of it. As Proverbs 3:13 above says, “blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding.”

The same can also be said about the Bible. Context and perspective are crucial to fully understanding God’s Word as well. We can’t just quote a verse without understanding its context and God’s perspective.

For example, the most often quoted Scripture verse is John 3:16. It says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” But do you know the context of this verse? Do you know who said these words? Do you know when it was said and why? These additional details are important to understanding the meaning and intent of these words for us, and for non-believers as well. Jesus spoke these words to Nicodemus, a Pharisee who came to see Jesus in the middle of the night and in secret. Nicodemus wanted to know more about Jesus and his miracles, but he did not want to be seen with Jesus due to his position in the Sanhedrin. Jesus was declaring to Nicodemus who He was (the Son of God) and why He came to earth (to save the world from sin). The context not only gives us Jesus’ reason for saying those words, but also reveals His ultimate purpose!

But a correct perspective is also needed. Do we read this verse from our own perspective and what we want or think, or do we read it from God’s perspective and what He does and wants for us? If we only read this verse from our own perspective, we might think we can simply just “that’s great!” and continue on with our lives as if nothing has changed. That is what many people do when they hear those words. The verse comforts them, but they do not fully understand what it truly means. However, when we see it from God’s perspective, we develop an understanding of God’s deep love for us and his willing sacrifice of His own Son, Jesus (at our own hands by the way), to reconcile Himself to each of us. Knowing that causes us to be even more grateful and to “grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” (Ephesians 3:18)!!

If we don’t take the time to find the context and perspective of any given situation, or a Bible verse or passage, we will never fully understand it. And without a full understanding we run the risk of believing a lie, distorting the truth, or propagating a falsehood. In each case, that does harm to others and does not demonstrate the love of God (Romans 13:10).

So, let us strive to gain understanding and to trust in God’s Holy Spirit to give it to us!

An MCL Training Testimony

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“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17

One of our global MCL Trainers, Hanna Karam from Lebanon, conducted a training on our Management for Church Leaders training material at a Bible College in Vinetsia, Ukraine back in May. He recently shared this testimony with me that he received from one of his students named Nastia. I believe that this testimony represents and affirms why God has called us into this ministry:

“Dear Hanna, I’m glad to write you now after several months since our last meeting. When we started the course of Management in the seminary I couldn’t even imagine how much information I would use during this summer. For the last month our church (which is in my village, not in Vinetsia) has organized a mini-camp every Wednesday till today. I believe God will help us to continue it. But that was not easy. The Covid-19 canceled a lot of projects. Last year we didn’t do any camps. I think the main problem was to START after such a big pause.

As you know, I am only 18, but I had great friends in church who encouraged me to take responsibility for that project. And I took it. So there I could use everything I received at the course of Management this spring. The most important thing I understood was that I couldn’t do ANYTHING without God. You know that verse in John 15:5 “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me you can do nothing”. That was my “credo” for the last months. I can do nothing without Him. But what can I do WITH Him?  “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Phil. 4:13). These 2 verses encouraged me a lot!

When we had our first planning, I knew we should divide all things into “priority” and “minor”. Just as we prayed, somebody from our team started to list that we should clean the territory, buy sugar, bags of corn, create invitation cards… I said: “Wait… I know, it is IMPORTANT. But it is not PRIORITY”. I remember that during the course we wrote the sequence of proper planning. So first of all we chose the programme, decided it would be camp for non-Christians, agreed to date, time and place, discussed finances, the quantity of children and the responsibilities of each leader. The role of coordinator is not easy, but… God blessed me with our wonderful team and showed He would always be with me. Every Wednesday for the last month 25-36 children could listen to Gospel and spend time with a great pleasure.

It is so difficult for me now to go back to Vinetsia as the school year starts in a few days. Even though there were some unpleasant moments (during the mini-camp), they taught me to trust God more. One day our teenagers, who are from Christian families but non-believers yet, had a big argument after camp. They are not leaders, but they help a lot with equipment, sport games, popcorn, etc. After that incident I had prayed for the whole day saying: “Lord, I can’t change them, but YOU can!” Yes, He is truly almighty! That was a great experience and I’m so glad that I had had a good preparing for it. I think it’s a good chance to thank you one more time! I believe God will use me and other students in a miraculous way. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you!” – Nastia

Nastia’s testimony refers to some of the principles that are taught in our MCL training manual concerning leadership and planning. It is gratifying to see and hear how our training is being used and applied where it is taught, especially by young leaders with a zeal for serving the Lord like Nastia. It demonstrates how God is continually at work in the hearts of those who seek Him! While we don’t always get to hear these testimonies, we know they exist and truly enjoy receiving them so that we can share them with you. 

We give all the glory to God! “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13)

Our Sick Society (and how to cure it!)

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“Live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”

Galatians 5:16

America is very sick. Unfortunately, many citizens don’t realize it or even recognize what’s really wrong with us. To many Americans, we are headed towards a more fair and just society. However, they are actually unaware of the precipice we are on and the dangers that lie ahead for us if we continue on this course. We all know that in many ways things just aren’t right in our country. But the cure we seek for it must be based on an accurate diagnosis of the problem. As every doctor knows, they must first accurately diagnose the problem to properly decide on the treatment for it. If they make the wrong diagnosis, the treatment that they prescribe to fix it may end up causing even greater harm. The same is true for our society.

The Problem

So, what are we sick with? What’s our problem?

To many Americans, they see our sickness as racial division, hatred towards other members of our country, unequal distribution of wealth, misinformation, homophobia, hate speech, police brutality, and religious zealotry. They often proclaim these as our illness when in reality they are only our symptoms. Underlying all of these symptoms is the illness of sin. When we look more closely, we see that these symptoms are caused by greed, anger, envy, laziness, lust, gluttony and pride. In other words, the seven deadly sins! This is the real problem in our nation and we must find solutions that will effectively deal with them.

Sin is also an individual problem. It is a problem built into every human being from birth. It cannot be eradicated by well-meaning social programs that target groups of people rather than individuals. Instead, it can only be treated individually. Just like a medical illness, no two people are exactly the same and so each individual must receive the proper treatment targeting their specific illness and circumstances. Consequently, each citizen must fight this illness of sin every day and seek treatment for it to keep it from harming themselves and others. There is also no immunity from it.

Another issue is that many Americans do not even recognize their sin, or the sins of others, as the underlying illness to our societal problems. On the contrary, they don’t see it as sin at all. Why? Because they have either rejected God entirely or have fallen away from Him and no longer read or trust in His Word. Consequently, they don’t know or recognize what sin is. So, if our leaders misdiagnose the problem as something other than sin, we end up with a treatment that is not effective. That appears to be what is happening today in America because the problems in our society are not going away despite our government’s attempt to treat them. Instead, the treatment they are applying often ends up encouraging more sin rather than reducing it.

Throughout history, governments have failed to effectively treat the problem of sin because it is an individual illness and not a societal illness. Governments can have effective economic, political and social policies that govern the lives of people in general, but those policies cannot remove the individual sins of its citizens. While governments can punish individuals for bad behavior (sin), that is not a treatment but rather a deterrent. The bad behavior (sin) persists because it has not been treated.

So, in reality, our problem in the United States is that our leaders have misdiagnosed the problems we face and have been applying policies that try to treat the symptoms rather than the real illness of sin.

The Cure

So, what is the treatment for sin? Is there a vaccine for it?

In Romans 8:23, Paul writes that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” He is declaring God’s truth that we are born sinful. In 1 John 1:8, John writes that “if we claim to have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” So it is clear that we all are infected with sin. And if we are honest, sin is at the heart of all of our problems. We also cannot get rid of sin in our earthly lives.  Sin will always be in us. Our only hope is to treat it and keep it from killing us (“For the wages of sin is death.” – Romans 6:23).

The only treatment that exists for sin is God’s Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 5:16 that we should “live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” When we live by His Holy Spirit, it acts like a vaccine that does not allow the sin in us to destroy us. Like a medical vaccine, it gives us some level of protection and lessens the harmful effects. But it does not remove our sin nor cure it.

Is there a cure for sin? Fortunately, yes there is! It is faith in Jesus Christ! Only Jesus’ death on the cross can remove our sin. Jesus declared that he came to save the world from sin (John 10:9) by offering himself as the sacrifice for sin. Through His sacrifice on the cross, we are freed from the consequences of our sin when we put our faith and trust in Jesus alone! However, the cure cannot be experienced in this life, only in the life to come. In our earthly life, we have the treatment and the promise of the cure, but only if we put our faith and trust in Jesus!

When governments try to treat the illness of sin with social program and policies, the end result is that very little changes and the situation often gets worse. It is because they fail to even consider that our problem is spiritual and not physical. As a result, they ignore God and the spiritual solution He offers and thus fail to pursue the needed course of treatment for our problems. They are blind to the truth of both the cause and the cure!

So, when it comes to treating or curing the sin in our culture, it is necessary that each individual get the treatment for sin and accept the cure for it. The government cannot do that for them, nor can anyone else. It also cannot be mandated like a vaccine, but must be chosen voluntarily by each individual.

We as Christians need to speak this truth into our culture and lead people to Christ, the only treatment and cure for sin that exists!