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Trust your coach

Don's Blog

I coach golf. One of the first things I tell a student is that I will tell them to do things that may feel uncomfortable, awkward or seem ineffective. They must make a decision to trust what I tell them or never improve. If they only partially, or not at all, believe that I know what I am talking about, then inevitably they will not pay attention to what I tell them. However, after I demonstrate how to do it and they want to be able to do it as well, then they gain more confidence. If they are willing to persevere through the uncomfortable stage by repeating and tweaking their swing then they suddenly begin to feel comfortable with the changes and they experience remarkable improvement. The same sequence occurs in the Christian life. God's Word is going to tell us things that are initially not comfortable, convenient nor…

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My Friend (?)

Don's Blog

My friend, I stand in judgment now, And feel that you’re to blame somehow. On earth I walked with you day by day And never did you point the way. You knew the Lord in truth and glory But never did you tell the story. My knowledge then was very dim You could have led me safe to Him. You taught me many things, that’s true; I called you “friend,” and trusted you. But I learn now that it’s too late And you could have kept me from this fate. We walked by day, and talked by night, And yet you showed me not the light. You let me live, and love, and die. You knew I’d never live on high. Yes, I called you “friend” in life, And trusted you through joy and strife. And yet, on coming to this dreadful end I cannot,…

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Famous quotes about Christian missions

Don's Blog

Are you working on a sermon or message on missions? Quotations from missionary leaders like William Carey and Hudson Taylor have served as battle cries for the Christian missions movement. World evangelism has advanced with inspiration provided by missionary slogans like these. Slogans often keep our hearts on fire for the world. "God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply" -- Hudson Taylor "The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed" -- Hudson Taylor "Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God" -- William Carey, who is called the father of modern missions "The spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missionary we become." -- Henry Martyn "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose" --…

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Things they never teach in the classroom for missions

Don's Blog

As a professor I wish we could focus on some specific skills that future missionaries will need to know. Experienced missionaries have a set of skills that we should pass on to our students (if we could and if we would). Our problem is that professors are boxed into an academic environment that does not give credit for some of these essential skills. I do not mean to devalue the academic, but rather I think we could add to the theoretical some practical skills and understanding, but it probably will need to be extracurricular. The need to understand religions, cultures, cross-cultural communication skills and how to contextualize the gospel and Bible teaching will always be necessary. Church ministry At our university we have a special focus on non-religious majors because of the contemporary need for platform ministries in Restricted Access Countries. But this often ignores a major factor: Do they…

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The value of being exhorted

Don's Blog

The reception went well after preaching and teaching in the AM and PM church services in Minneapolis of one of our supporting churches. Jan and I had been married ten years and completed our first 4-year term as missionaries in Colombia. A man from the church came to my side, put his arm around my shoulder and spoke in my ear, “Don, I perceive that you and your wife are struggling. Would you allow me to help you in your marriage?” I turned to him seeing the sincerity in his eyes and said, “Yes, we would.” That encounter began a process that changed our marriage and opened to us an even broader ministry with other struggling couples. How common should this experience be in our churches? With the more than 50 "one-another" commands in the NT, this should be a common experience among believers. What I discovered in Minneapolis changed…

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