Discipleship Unveiled

The armor of God has been a topic that has been difficult to get our minds wrapped around. What it is and how we put it on, has seemed to be a bit mysterious. So maybe by looking at the effect of the armor we can get a better understanding of how to put the armor on. We previously looked at  The Helmet of Salvation , so let's take the next piece. We're leaving in,  The Effect of Armor,  section here for continuity. The Effect of Armor The most prominent place the armor of God is listed is in  Ephesians 6:14-18 NKJV .  Each piece of armor has an effect. Since it is spiritual armor, and we are physically oriented, it can be difficult to understand what is happening when we have it on. One of the things we know about armor is that once we are in the battle, we shouldn't have to think about the armor. It will passively protect us and we shouldn't have to give it another thought. We inspect, test and repair the armor on a regular basis and...

There are plenty of studies on the armor of God that do a great job on describing what the armor is. Yet, it's still challenging to get a good grasp of what the armor actually is and how to put the armor on. Let's come at this in a little bit different way. Since the armor of God is such an important part of our walk, let's shift our thinking and look at it from a different perspective. Instead of starting with the what  and how of the armor, let's look at the effect of the armor and maybe the what and how will make more sense. The Effect of Armor The most prominent place the armor of God is listed is in  Ephesians 6:14-18 NKJV . Each piece of armor has an effect. Since it is spiritual armor, and we are physically oriented, it can be difficult to understand what is happening when we have it on. One of the things we know about armor is that once we are in the battle, we shouldn't have to think about the armor. It will passively protect us and we s...

There are many ways to confirm the authenticity of the scriptures and confirm the recorded accuracy of what makes up the 66 books of the Bible and the reality of the God of the Bible. Although, our best method for confirming the truth of the bible just may be what the psalmist suggested in 1 Psalm 34:8 (NLT) and simply, “Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!” Yet, there are other fantastic ways to begin to see and confirm the authenticity of the Bible. Anything from showing the accuracy of the many ancient prophecies, to confirming the existence of individuals mentioned, the eyewitness accounts, detailed accounts of places, events, and even the timing of events, are all great places to start.  The study of Biblical Archaeology is one of these disciplines that can be persuasive logically and coherently in showing someone of the opposing view, why Christianity is a Worldview  that makes a lot of sense, and in fact, does...

When we engage people with the Gospel, doctrine, philosophy, politics, etc. it can be fun and it can also be a little intimidating if we feel we don't have all the details locked down. Some people avoid those discussions all together. Yet, religion (i.e. any belief system) and politics are where the ideas come from, that move the world forward. Here at In The Cool Zone we want to provide a strategy to discuss these types of topics with a calm, cool and thoughtful demeanor.  We even want to do this to the point of helping others remain calm and thoughtful as well. Many of those ideas and techniques are found at ITCZ 101 . In the article, It's Ok To Be Wrong , we showed how one can eradicate the fear of being wrong. Especially, if we are engaging in conversations that have the potential to go sideways. With that, we also want to reinforce the idea that it's ok to be right, as well. Yes! It's Ok To Be Right As Christians we have so much material to read, stu...

Have you ever wondered why children learn so fast? We have all observed enough to know that children are quick studies. They have the power of curiosity! That curiosity produces a million questions. We also can use questions to spur our curiosity and the curiosity in others. If I give you information that you are not interested in, you are going to forget it. Undesired information has little value. However, information that is provided in response to a question has ongoing value and activates our learning and reasoning. Walking In The Spirit You will find that questions are a powerful mechanism that God uses throughout the scriptures. Why? To activate our thinking. To reveal information that we would not otherwise discover or realize. Did you ever notice that Jesus answered questions with questions? It was to activate the other persons thinking. The Holy Spirit works in a similar way. Here's how. Have you ever had a question come to mind about something in the scriptures...

By Reverend Bob Griffith - Guest Writer I'm the type of person who doesn't like doing things twice or doing things that turn out fruitless. If God was real and he actually has a purpose for why I'm here, I wanted to know. After reading the scriptures I knew I had to make a commitment to Him. Why? Well first, I needed a Savior. That was clear to me. Surprisingly, what I noticed in God's Word was that when He would tell me in scripture what I should do, there was a blessing behind the command as well. For instance… Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. - Psalm 37:5 KJV Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established. - Proverbs 16:3 KJV These blessings are awesome, because God is showing and telling us, if you do your part He will do His part and you will be blessed. My relationship with the Lord began to change drastically. I was having a relationship with Him that was real. I no mo...

The Christian vocabulary doesn't often include the word, "expertise." It's common to think of developing expertise for work, games or hobbies and yet as Christians, there are also many skills that we have that can be developed and mastered. Expertise  - Definition Noun - expert skill or knowledge; expertness; know-how. Verb - to study or investigate as an expert. Expertise - Synonyms ability, competence, facility, judgment, know-how, proficiency, prowess, savvy, skill Admonitions To Actively Train Paul instructs Timothy to, "train yourself to be godly." The word "train", from Strongs G3958 , means "to exercise vigorously, in any way, either the body or the mind." We are instructed many times throughout the scriptures to develop our expertise in the Lord: Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong. - Hebrews 5:14 NLT  Be transformed by ...

There are always going to be challenges to growing in the Lord. The first step is to be willing. The next step is to learn what the Lord is doing. Renewing how we think requires a new knowledge base. New to us, I guess I should say, not to God. Have you ever wondered why we have to ask for wisdom? How about, why do we have to seek knowledge? It's because we clearly do not have it. If we haven't sought it out... we do not have it! Our Opportunity To Participate So how do we get to a state where we are willing to learn? Curiosity! Yet, there is a good chance that our culture has turned yours off. Curiosity is a superpower driving our willingness to learn. It's high time to stir your curiosity about the Lord and who you are in Christ. Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. ... "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. - Isaiah 55:6, 8 NKJV Curiosity is not only an antidote to fear...

Now that we have built the framework of our puzzle we are ready to deal with the pieces that are much more challenging to organize. The pieces in the center. The Unknown When you pick up a puzzle piece and do not know where it goes, do you throw it away? No! If you throw away the piece you can never complete the puzzle. In the same way when you get a piece of information that is confusing, don't throw it out. All information is valuable. Simply, place that info on the table and as you get more information you will eventually be able to understand it and integrate it into the rest of your knowledge.

In the article, Galvanize Your Heart , we talked about how and what we should be thinking and we focused on the priority of thinking. Getting your thought process out in front of an initial emotional shock will keep you thinking when you need it most. Now let's discuss organizing your thinking process. I present to you "The Puzzle." The process of building a puzzle is very similar to the process of organizing information. We have an overwhelming amount of information coming our way every day. From our scriptures to politics to work, dealing with family, friends, strangers, finances etc. It's a lot to take in. How do we begin to put it into perspective? Think about how you approach a puzzle. There are dozens if not hundreds of pieces. You have one guide which is the picture on the box cover. For our purposes, the pieces are information  and the picture on the box is the  truth .

In the article, How Do I Serve God? , we began to lay our foundation in the Lord with prayer, reading and connecting with other Christians. We then answered the question, What Should I Study?  Now that we have discovered what to study, let's learn an important approach to study. Study like you have to teach it. As followers of our beloved Father we know we are new creatures created in Christ Jesus and our primary goal is to know Him. To become like Him. As we do this we are building ourselves up in the Lord. We are on the right track! We are also tasked with building up our brothers and sisters in the Lord so that they can know Him as well.  So let's keep them in mind as we dig in and learn. Thoughtfully develop your own style and prepare to dispense your knowledge and wisdom at every opportunity. It takes time to develop effective teaching skills so integrate this approach early on. You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesse...

Have you ever asked, "What should I study in the bible?" Getting started is generally our biggest challenge. It doesn't take too long to discover that there is a vast landscape of topics to dig into. In fact, the more you learn, the more you will realize how much you don't know. So where to begin? Solution What is interesting about God and His Word to you? That's what you study! Is it faith? Is it prayer? Is it God's plan? Maybe it's creation or prophecy in the scriptures. The best place to start is the very thing that is on your mind. Revive your curiosity about the Lord and run with it. ~~~~~~~

Here is a statement I get from Christians who have struggled to grasp what exactly God is asking them to do: "I don't feel like I'm doing what God wants me to do. I would do what He wants but I just don't know what He wants me to do." ~~~~~~~ The Solution "Do the things God told you to do & let Him do the things He said He would do." Both concepts are extremely important. Often Believers struggle with these ideas and we fail to grasp where our responsibilities lie and where the Lord's responsibilities lie. Let's focus on the first half of the statement. We'll cover the last half in Friday's post.  Do The Things God Told You To Do The Lord has given us many responsibilities.  However, we need to grow into them. Getting to know our Father is how we do that. So let's start with the easy stuff and get that nailed down. Then we will continue growing in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. -...