The disciple is making a disciple

As I chatted with a friend the other day, a question arose. He's a young man I've been mentoring, and he is doing great. He was homeless and doing drugs. Now he's living for the Lord, working and hasn't been homeless for the past eight months.

He now has the opportunity to mentor someone younger than him. I told him this is a great chance to impact a life for God. I asked him how it was going with the young man, and he said good. They've talked about goals and putting Jesus in the center of everything. Then he said, "I don't know what to say. I've never been in this position before."

This is the moment all disciple makers long for; when the disciple steps out to make disciples. Praise God!

I told him part of the Great Commission Jesus gives us says to teach all that Jesus has taught us, so that's what he needs to do. "What Jesus has taught you, teach and share with him," I told this eager disciple of Jesus.

The fear of most everyone obeying Jesus's Great Commission for the first time is usually, "I don't know what to say. I don't want to say the wrong thing." The truth Jesus told His disciples about the coming persecution holds true in this situation as well.

Jesus says in Matthew 10:19-20, "When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you."

That happens when we share the Gospel with others and set out to make disciples. We need to study God's Word, and we need to rely on the Holy Spirit to give us the right words to say. As we step out in obedience to Jesus, the Holy Spirit will give us the words to say. He will also bring scripture to memory.

I'm excited to see this taking place. A person being obedient to the Great Commission. Unfortunately, this young man is rare. Not many professing Christians share their faith with others. In fact, studies show 90-95 percent of people don't. We must be obedient to Jesus. We must tell others about Him and make disciples who make disciples. Eternity hangs in the balance.

"And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations (people groups), baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." - Matthew 28:18-20

Remember, it's not the Great Suggestion. It's the Great Commission. It's not an event or a class. It's a lifestyle. Start living it today in obedience to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

#Jesus #disciplemaking #discipleship #greatcommission 

God's agenda is always best

Baptism is a very special moment in a believer's life. It's often
the first act of obedience to Jesus Christ.

This past Saturday baptism and hitting the streets with our mobile kitchen were not on our list of things to do. Notice I wrote they were not on "our list."

The key to following Jesus is setting our agenda aside and being open to His. The agenda we set for each day may well be what Jesus wants us to do, however, we better be ready and willing to change as His Spirit leads.

"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." - Proverbs 16:9

A man we have known for a about eight years came to Love In Action on Saturday. It had been a a month or so since we had seen Jeff. The last time he came to LIA he finally surrendered to Jesus. Different battles have consumed Jeff over the years. He knows God's Word very well. It's putting His Word into action that's the key.

He finally got to the point of where he was tired living life his way, so he surrendered to Jesus. He asked me then if he could come back to LIA and be baptized. Well, that day was Saturday. After a rough couple of weeks, Jeff said he needed to be obedient to Jesus. "Can I get baptized today," he asked me. "Of course," I replied.

We close LIA at 2 p.m., so I started filling up the baptismal trough around 1:30. Some of our volunteers stayed to witness Jeff's baptism. It was one of those very sweet and yet powerful times. Baptism is a very special moment in a believer's life. It is often our first act of obedience to Jesus, and an outward witness of our decision to follow Jesus.

It's also a special moment for the person blessed to be doing the baptism. I don't take that honor lightly. To carry out my Lord's Great Commission always humbles me. Baptizing believers is part of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20. It's one of my most favorite things to do.

After baptizing Jeff, we figured we would finish cleaning up and go home after a long, hot week. Then I received a phone call from a friend who works with the Dothan Fire Department. He said the Dothan High School Fellowship of Christian Athletes had some hotdogs to donate to us from the Dothan High spring football game. Bro. Dan drove to Rip Hewes Stadium to pick them up. He should have driven our truck.

There were hundreds of hotdogs and buns, 17 cases of water, and around a dozen boxes of potato chips. Wow! What a blessing!

Now what were we going to do? That decision was easy for Martha, Dan and me. God just blessed us with a lot of food, and the hotdogs needed to be used right away. So, we hooked the LIA Mobile Kitchen to our pickup truck and hit the streets with hotdogs and chips. We served hundreds of hotdogs. People were very happy and thankful to receive all of those bagged meals. We also blessed our friends at The Harbor Church will a bunch of hotdogs, buns and chips.

God's agenda is always best. As God tells us in Isaiah 55:8-9, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Let's always remember that and be open to everything He has for us to accomplish each day.

Here I am with my beautiful bride and Bro. Dan as we spend the second half of
Saturday afternoon serving up hundreds of hotdogs to those in need in Dothan.

Your support makes a big difference

Team LIA serving up delicious food through our mobile kitchen outreach.

People often ask where does our financial support come from? It comes from individuals and some churches and businesses, but the majority comes from individuals.
For those who give, we can't say thank you enough for supporting Love In Action with your prayers and finances. We couldn’t do this ministry without you. 

What does your giving do? In short, you help us proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ through acts of compassion. We are able to have a facility for our homeless and needy friends in Dothan to come to for Bible study and discipleship classes; to be baptized; to enjoy hot, delicious meals; to take a hot shower; to have their laundry washed, dried and folded; to receive food and hygiene items from our food and hygiene pantries; to find nice, clean clothes; and more. Our facilities also host the Samaritan Clinic where the homeless come for free health, dental, and eye care. 
Your support helps us take food, hygiene items, and Bibles to the homeless at their camps and other locations, and to those living day-by-day in low-rent hotels.

Your giving helps provide hope to the hopeless through the love of Jesus Christ. Thank you so much for caring. Thank you for your generosity. You are storing up treasure in Heaven.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” – Matthew 6:19-20


If you haven't been a regular financial donor, we ask you to prayerfully consider doing so. You can mail your tax-deductible donations to: Love In Action, PO Box 85, Dothan, AL 36302, or you may give securely online via PayPal by clicking on this link, https://loveinactionministries.com/donate


Please keep us in your prayers. Thank you and God bless you all.