Discipling Life

Have you ever reached a point where your own strength simply was not enough? Most of us know what it feels like to grow weary, to discover that determination alone cannot carry us through every challenge. Exodus 17:8-13 reminds us that God often chooses to work through the strength and faithfulness of others. As Moses held up the staff of God, Israel prevailed, but “whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed.” When his arms became heavy, Aaron and Hur came alongside him, “one on one side, and the other on the other side; so his hands were steady until the sun set” (vv. 11-12). This story is not simply about military victory. It is a picture of the life God intends for his people. None of us is called to follow Christ in isolation. We need companions who pray for us, encourage us, and stand with us when our faith or strength begins to falter. Holiness grows not only through personal devotion but also through the grace we receive and share within Christian community. God invites us...

Have you ever tried to carry a burden alone, only to discover that what seemed manageable became overwhelming? Many of life’s challenges remind us that we were not created to journey through life in isolation. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help.” These words speak to the gift of companionship that God has woven into human life. Whether through family, friends, fellow believers, or neighbors, God often extends his grace through the presence and care of others. The Christian life is not a solitary endeavor. As we grow in holiness and love, we do so alongside others who encourage us, challenge us, and help us remain faithful when the path becomes difficult. The passage concludes by declaring, “A threefold cord is not quickly broken” (v. 12). While the writer speaks of the strength found in unity, Christians...

A couple of the churches I served presented me a wonderful gift for Pastors’ Appreciation Month. They both gave me a collection of notes written by members of the congregation. Each of these letters told of ways that I touched their lives and expressed appreciation for my presence and my work. The encouraging words in these letters have been such a blessing that I still look at them from time to time. Today’s reading works the other way around. This is a letter from Paul and Timothy to the people of the church in Colossae. Paul writes, “In our prayers for you we always thank God… for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven” (vv. 3-5). Notice how faith, love, and hope are woven together. Paul hadn’t planted this church himself (Epaphras did). He had simply heard about them, and what he heard moved him to gratitude. Their faith was already bearing fruit, and word was getting around. Pau...

Have you ever had someone see you at your worst and still choose to sit beside you rather than walk away? Maybe it was a friend who listened without fixing, or a small group member who brought a meal when you could barely get out of bed. In those moments, you tasted something holy. Paul writes about that kind of holy community in Galatians 6:2 “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” ( read Galatians 6:1-10 ). Not the law of Moses. The law of Christ. And what is that law? To love as Jesus loved. A love that gets low, gets messy, and stays. But Paul is also a realist. He knows that churches can become places where we compare our struggles or, worse, pretend we don’t have any. So he begins this passage with a gentle warning: “My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness” (v. 1). Restoration, not humiliation. Gentleness, not gossip. From a Wesleyan perspec...

What does a locked room mean to you? It might represent a feeling of being trapped and unable to move on. Maybe it is a desire to cocoon into a private and secure space to feel safe. Perhaps it is a way to step back from the vulnerability you feel closing in. I can say that I have experienced all of these and more. I imagine the disciples were locked in that room for different reasons. Fear? Reflection? Control? Yes, and more. I am struck by the fact that they have all come together in one place. After Jesus was arrested, they scattered. Mark 14:50 tells us that “All of them deserted him and fled.” But now they have come to huddle together. John 20:19-31 models a church that is both vulnerable and brave together. It is a community where Christ comes into our locked places, breathes the Spirit, forgives, and sends us out to embody peace. The Gospel tells us, “Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you’” (John 20:19). He does not wait for the doors to be opened. He...

We remember the night Jesus gathered his closest friends in an upper room. Around a shared table, amidst the weight of what was coming, he took bread. Matthew tells us: “While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’” (Matthew 26:26-28, NRSVue). The room was full of Passover memories—stories of deliverance, promises of God’s faithfulness, reminders that God never gives up on his people. Yet Jesus takes this holy meal and gently reshapes it around himself. He offers bread and cup as signs of a new covenant, a new Exodus, a new way of life shaped by self-giving love. In this simple act of breaking bread and sharing the cup, Jesus poured out the deepest meaning of his life and impending sa...