October 26 2011, 1:26 pm | Danny Jones
I have always had a difficulty choosing. I take months looking for the right pair of jeans, decide if I should attend this conference or that one, or know if I should support one cause or another. I don’t like saying no to great or even good options, and this dilemma causes me problems. But life really is largely about knowing when to say no. While we acknowledge the benefits of saying no with areas of evil, we struggle or even experience guilt when the options are “good”. This becomes even...
September 30 2011, 6:51 am | Danny Jones
I often find that church leaders “assume” they are making disciples, but only until you ask them to explain what they do. At this point things begin to get vague. I was recently asked to contribute to a book on discipleship and share my experience through 29 years of ministry. While my thoughts on this could constitute an entire book, my short answer consists of three things: love, trust, and vision. Without a secure foundation of love upon which to build a discipling relationship, it won’t happen. Love is an amazing thing. ...
July 27 2011, 8:37 am | Danny Jones
In our study of I Thessalonians called Awaken, your King is coming; we see reminders that Christ is returning. But why and for what? I realize that because most people don’t see themselves as theologians and feel overwhelmed by prophecy, and therefore live very confused about the future. But Paul tells this church to encourage each other with these things. How can I encourage with something I don’t understand. (Remember, we are all theologians, believing and living what we understand God to be and do. This is theology. Even...
June 10 2011, 4:37 pm | Danny Jones
Most of the mentoring in my life came from men and women I never met, though this reality was the result of a challenge from Lewie Clark, the man who mentored me daily from 1982-84, and has followed my life until today. Lewie @ imitatingjesus.org challenged me as a 19 yr. old to read, read, read, and especially biographies. And so for years I have sat at the feet of Charles Spurgeon, Hudson Taylor, Isobel Khun, Franses and Edith Schaeffer, Oz Guinness, Elisabeth Elliot, Hannah Hernard, Leonard Sweet, Dallas Willard, Brennan Manning, and others. Few have formed various...
May 17 2011, 5:32 pm | Danny Jones
For the past six weeks we have experienced something that has shaken our paradigm and called us into the normal Christian life. God has broken through the façade most define as “church” and transformed us into a life of vulnerable authenticity that seems to answer Christ’s prayer for us in John 17. I often hear of desire to experience what happened in Acts 2 and 4, and I’ve used these passages to challenge toward changes and choices that would bring about something like that moment in Jerusalem. But I admit that often it...
March 08 2011, 12:26 pm | Danny Jones
There is always the struggle in life and leadership to think I am indispensible. I may be “wise” enough to not say this, but my schedule proves differently. We are pulled in so many directions, but with legitimate reason and energy to be involved in only a few of these things, and I need reminding of the proverb: “Cemeteries are filled with people who thought the world couldn’t get along without them.” God is saying to me, repent! If it is pride causing me to take things on, repent! ...
February 02 2011, 5:37 pm | Danny Jones
Making Space I was reminded recently of a thought that has crossed my mind in the past. What’s the connection between the words discipline and disciple? I have no desire to dig into etymology. I am not that smart. I simply observe the obvious and ask how this connection should influence the equipping of those who “follow me as I follow Christ”. If our definition of discipline pertains primarily to punishment, then maybe we need some etymology. But discipline must be seen in the context of training, whether it...
December 11 2010, 8:10 am | Danny Jones
One of the most amazing aspects of Jesus’ ministry was the way that he empowered ordinary men and women to engage in a call that was far greater than their ability to imagine, much less accomplish. Imagine, we can’t name one of the seventy-two sent out in Luke 10, yet he sent them with a huge task. After only months of limited interaction at best, he tells them, “go and proclaim the Kingdom and heal the sick.” And they just did it, convinced that it wasn’t a ridiculous expectation. ...