Barnabas File

The Christian faith is not designed to be experienced in isolation.    There are certainly times when a believer may draw aside for contemplation, prayer, and communion with God, but Jesus calls out a people to follow Him. This, of course, reflects the way that God has worked throughout history.  God called Abram out of Ur and promised him that he would be the father of a great nation that would not only be blessed but bless all of the peoples of the world.  God made a covenant with Abraham and renewed that covenant with Isaac and Jacob (Israel). When the Hebrews left Egypt, God added a new twist.  The covenant now was not just with Moses, but with the people of Israel.   Covenants play an important part in the life of the people of God.  In a covenant, we make commitments not only to God but to one another.  Covenants not only voice mutual commitments but promise support, encouragement, and identify b...

  “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord .” —Joshua 24:15, NIV Pinnacle Leadership Associates has a model for coaching called Disciple Development Coaching©.   There are six steps in the process:   Ask, Listen, Explore, Design, Commit, and Support.   There were not always six steps in the process.   When Mark Tidsworth asked me to partner with him on teaching DDC, we simplified the model a bit.   In our discussions, I argued against including the Commit step.   I felt that it was redundant.   When we were doing the training one time, I was supposed to lead the discussion of that step, but I abdicated to Mark at the last minute. As I have continued to train people in the model, however, I have...