Church revitalization has become a trendy topic at ministry conferences. There is a good reason for this. Most churches need revival and ministry leaders are eager to learn about this important issue. But how many times have you attended a session on the subject only to leave without a tangible plan for achieving it? Let’s

Right now, our world is riding out the storm of the Coronavirus Pandemic. In our lifetime, we have never seen anything like this. Entire countries are shut down, nonessential businesses are closed, church buildings are empty, and hundreds of millions of people across the globe are isolated at home while they shelter in place. Once busy streets of major

When I was a young boy my father said, “Son, I want to teach you how to fish.” I was so excited. I knew my dad loved fishing and I always wanted to do anything that he loved to do. So we packed up our gear and headed to my Uncle Bill’s lake. When we

You may call them Life Groups, Growth Groups, or Sunday School Classes. No matter what you call them, there are some important questions to consider. Are your church’s Life Groups reaching new people? Are they reaching those who are lost or unchurched? Are they continually multiplying and reproducing new groups? For many, if not most churches, the answer to these questions is a

As a follower of Christ, did you know that disciple-making is a vital part of your spiritual DNA? You are a new creation in Christ. Through the Holy Spirit who lives in you, the new person that you are is genetically hardwired to make and multiply disciples. There is an internal call to follow our Lord’s example

I have never been very good at playing darts. I hit the wall more than I hit the dartboard and it would take a miracle for me to even come close to hitting the bullseye. Oh well, it is just darts right? A little spackle and paint and the wall will look new again. No

Having grown up in the southern part of the United States, I’ve been well acquainted with hospitality. People around this part of the world are known for their “southern hospitality.” However, it’s important to understand the biblical meaning of the word. We often think of hospitality as being kind to our neighbors or having friends over for

What is the D-Life Web App? It’s a simple tool designed to empower all believers for a lifestyle of discipleship. With it you can make and multiply disciples–anytime and anywhere. The Bible and the D-Life Web App are all you need to lead a discipleship group (D-Group). Let me share how easy it is to use. STEP ONE:

For several years, discipleship in most churches has been program driven. We have had well planned discipleship ministries, but they have not often produced discipleship multiplication. Instead of creating a new program of discipleship, churches around the country are beginning to realize the vital importance of developing a culture of discipleship. A discipleship culture is one where every believer is being equipped

Jesus said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). What Jesus meant by this is plain and obvious. All who follow Him and become His disciples will in turn make other disciples. That is what followers of Christ do. They make other disciples. Making disciples is our chief purpose in

BY RONDIE WILKS Our Loving God is all about relationships. As we read the Bible in our D-Groups, one chapter a day five days a week,  we walk through many different relationships. The Bible from Genesis to Revelation is about relationships. We start off in Genesis with God creating a relationship with Adam, and then

It’s called the ripple effect. It occurs when an object is dropped into a body of water and ever-widening ripples expand across the water. An initially motionless state is interrupted and followed by ripples that expand outwards incrementally. Small and tight at first, the ripples continually widen in a circular pattern covering more and more territory.

Having raised a family of boys, one who played college football, I’ve watched hundreds of football practices. Most practices are routine and boring. The players on the field do the same things over and over again. Football practice involves repetition, repetition, and repetition. There is a reason for this. When it’s time to play the game

Can we begin to disciple people before they are saved? Yes we can. In fact, discipling others before they are saved is one of the most natural and simple ways to lead people to Christ. It is often difficult today to get lost people to attend a church. For this reason it’s important for us to begin discipleship

A famous line from an old country song says, “Oh Lord it’s hard to be humble when your perfect in every way.” The song’s tongue-in-cheek lyrics make us laugh, but also hit us between the eyes. It is often hard to be humble. It’s difficult to admit when we are wrong and to own up to our mistakes. It’s

As pastors and teachers, we have the world’s most important job. I think we could rightfully say, as goes our job so goes the world. If we do our job well, the world will be a better place. If we fail to do our job, the world will grow darker and darker. It is of first importance to

(by Rondie Wilks) Ladies . . . come in here real close. I want to tell you something important. Very important!  I want you to know something–I mean really know how wonderful and special you are. You are absolutely beautiful. Look at me! You are fearfully and wonderfully made. God has a specific amazing plan

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Matthew 9:37b). These were the words of our Lord over two thousand years ago. Tragically these words are still true today. The harvest is more plentiful than ever, but the laborers are still far too few. Jesus said, “Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to

As a person passionately committed to biblical discipleship, I believe that anyone who intentionally disciples another is doing a great work for God. Whether it is through one-on-one discipleship or in a small group, living the D-Life is our supreme purpose. It is the most important thing we can do with our lives. This raises an important question: Is it

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a “PRIORITY” is something that is more important than other things and that needs to be done or dealt with first. Everyone has certain priorities. For people of faith, our priorities should line up with the will of God for our lives. No matter your age, it is God’s will for you to live

A major goal of D-Life is to lead people to develop a life long habit of daily Bible reading. This alone is life changing. When we lead people to make SPACE in their lives for God’s Word every day, great spiritual growth will occur. According to the Ed Stetzer, President of Lifeway Research, “Christians claim to believe

Jesus had great eyes. He saw the world differently than others saw it. Matthew tells us, “When He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). Jesus didn’t just pass by the multitudes; He “saw” them. He wasn’t bothered by

The game of chess is a very challenging game. I’ve only played chess a few times, but enough to know it’s a difficult game to master. Recently, I read an interesting article about chess and the endgame. In the game of chess, the endgame is the stage of the game when few pieces are left on the board. It is arguably the

As a student in elementary school, I recall memorizing the multiplication table. Even as child, I realized that multiplication was different from addition and subtraction. There is power in multiplication. Numbers grow much more quickly through multiplication. This is true for the church. There is great power in multiplication. However, churches often seek to grow through

Imagine hundreds even thousands of youth and adults reading the Bible daily, writing down personal application points, and meeting once a week anytime and anywhere to discuss the Bible. This is happening though D-Life, and the results are amazing. The truth is that daily Bible reading is life-changing. Peter instructed believers saying, “Like newborn infants, long for

Remember the days of Baptist Training Union. It never was a great idea to try to get people back to church an hour before the evening service. It proved to be the least attended program of the church. It was later called Discipleship Training and it was still the least attended program of the church. The name

Jennifer Rash is a great editor for “The Alabama Baptist.” She teamed up with Grace Thornton to write a wonderful article on D-Life that was published in “The Alabama Baptist” on July 2, 2015. The article was picked up nationally by the “Baptist Press.” As a result, churches throughout Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, and Texas found

Living the D-Life involves loving spiritual accountability in the context of a caring relational environment. Spiritual accountability is a major component in living the D-Life. The twelve disciples who followed Jesus saw their lives radically transformed because Jesus held them accountable in their commitments to follow His teachings. Likewise, radical transformation is taking place today in

The Kingdom principle of multiplying disciples is one of the most necessary and neglected practices of discipleship in many churches. In 2 Timothy 2:1-7, Paul explained to his young disciple, Timothy, the Kingdom principle of multiplying disciples. 2 Timothy 2:1-7 – You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus,

We will learn from Jesus that genuine discipleship cannot happen by merely meeting for fellowship and Bible study. On the job training for ministry and evangelism is an essential part of living the D-Life. In Mark 6:7-13, 30-32, Jesus sent His disciples out into the mission field to do the work of ministry and evangelism.

Few things in life are more needed but more neglected than the power of fervent prayer. If there has ever been a time in the history of the world that every believer in Christ should be praying passionately and fervently, that time is now. Fervent prayer has always preceded great movements of God in the

Jesus Christ was a great story teller. He taught in parables. When He was alone with His disciples, they would discuss the parables that Jesus told. I’m sure that Jesus was a great facilitator of these discussions. Everyone can learn to facilitate a Bible study. In our D-Groups, a different person should have the opportunity

Jesus modeled a simple approach of teaching with His disciples. Jesus taught in parables. He kept it simple. He taught His disciples by using storytelling and group discussion. He would tell a parable and, when He was alone with His disciples, they would discuss the story that He told. Storytelling and group discussions are the

As Jesus began the practice of living the D-Life, His first priority was to call twelve men to live in intimate fellowship with Him and with each other. Intimate fellowship with other believers is a main priority of living the D-Life. It’s hard to overstate the importance of relationships in one’s life. We are greatly

What is your purpose? Do you know? Many people struggle to discover what their purpose in life is. According to Jesus, it’s one thing. It’s two words—Make Disciples. There are people today who live in leisure and luxury. While spending time at their deluxe beach condo or plush lake house you might hear one say, “I’m

Free at last! That’s the spirit of millions of beautiful young college students heading off to the big “U.” Life at college is all about ballgames, tailgating, frat parties, socials, nightclubs, and no curfews with thousands of pretty people and no parents. Wow! Sounds like fun doesn’t it? Well, there is that thing called the