Tag Archives: discipleship

“Principles of Effective Praying” (Matthew 6:6-8 sermon)

Posted on 2017/08/07 by Shawn Thomas

The great British preacher Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote: “Prayer is beyond any question the highest activity of the human soul. Man is at his greatest and highest when, upon his knees, he comes face to face with God.” (SOTM, p. 45) … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Matthew sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Bill Elliff, Catholicism, commitment, conversation with god, discipleship, George Muller, God vending machine, Hail Mary prayer, Hudson Taylor, Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret, hypocrisy, Jesus, Kathmandu, Lord's Prayer, Mark 1:35, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, MasterLife, Matthew 6:6-8, meaningless repetition, mechanical repetition, model prayer, Our Father prayer, prayer, prayer wheel, praying, principles of prayer, priority, relationship, relationship with God, repetitious prayer, rote prayer, rut in prayer, salvation, Susanna Wesley, Temple, The 18 Benedictions, tip of the iceberg, vain repetition | 2 Comments

God’s Pruning Instrument

Posted on 2017/08/04 by Shawn Thomas

“You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” (John 15:3) When many of us think of “pruning” happening in our lives as Christians, we may immediately of trials that God allows — and they … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized | Tagged Bible, discipleship, God's word, holiness, John 15:3, maturity, pruning, pruning instrument, sanctification, scripture, service, spiritual growth | 2 Comments

The Father’s Pruning Work

Posted on 2017/08/03 by Shawn Thomas

“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.” (John 15:2) Christians who undergo trials or difficulties may be tempted to … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Uncategorized | Tagged bearing fruit, branches, discipleship, fruit, fruitfulness, holiness, John 15:2, pruning, sanctification, service, trials, vine, vinedresser | 2 Comments

The Lessons Around You

Posted on 2017/08/02 by Shawn Thomas

Jesus had just said to His disciples, “Get up, let us go from here” in the last verse of John 14, so perhaps it was passing some grapevines on the way to Gethsemane which occasioned Jesus to talk about how … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized | Tagged creation, discipleship, Jesus, John 15:1, lessons in creation, Psalm 19, Romans 1, teacher, teaching, vine | Leave a comment

Keeping His Commandments

Posted on 2017/07/28 by Shawn Thomas

“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” (John 14:21) It is … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Uncategorized | Tagged commandments, discipleship, John 14:21, knowing God, love, love and commandments, obedience | Leave a comment

A Triune Comfort

Posted on 2017/07/27 by Shawn Thomas

“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever.” (John 14:16) Jesus, knowing that His disciples were grieved by His impending departure from this world, comforts them with the promise … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Doctrine/Theology, Uncategorized | Tagged comfort, Comforter, disciples, discipleship, doctrine, Father Son and Holy Spirit, helper, Holy Spirit, Jesus, John 14:16, spirit, Trinity, Triune nature of God | Leave a comment

The “Next” Verse …

Posted on 2017/07/26 by Shawn Thomas

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (John 14:15) Much attention is focused on Jesus’ promise in John 14:14, “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it”, and rightly so. And yet it is … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Uncategorized | Tagged commandments, discipleship, I John 2:3, John 14:15, Lordship, love, love relationship, obedience, relationship | 1 Comment

Are You Doing His Works?

Posted on 2017/07/24 by Shawn Thomas

“Truly, truly I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to the Father.” (John 14:12) Much of the attention … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized | Tagged disciples, discipleship, Jesus, John 14:12, marks of discipleship, Matthew 4:23, ministry, test, works | Leave a comment

Being With Him

Posted on 2017/07/19 by Shawn Thomas

“If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:3) No wonder these words are among the most beloved in scripture. … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Uncategorized | Tagged discipleship, fellowship, heaven, John 1:43, Mark 3:14 | 1 Comment

Knowing Vs. Doing

Posted on 2017/07/17 by Shawn Thomas

Although it is a relatively unknown verse, John 13:17 should actually be one of the most important in the whole Bible, because it really all comes down to this: “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Uncategorized | Tagged application, discipleship, doing, James 2:19-20, John 13:17, knowing, salvation | Leave a comment