November 20, 2026 | Be Connected
Face-to-Face Discipleship
Scripture: 2 John 1:12-13(NIV)
12 I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.
13 The children of your sister, who is chosen by God, send their greetings.
Devotional
For the past five years, our church has had an annual them with a focus on various aspects of Scripture. Over these years I have written upwards of a thousand devotions and done over two hundred podcasts. While I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this, they pale in comparison to being with you personally. There is nothing better than face-to-face discipleship.
I love preaching. When one of my daughters was in Junior High, she asked me, “Dad, I know that you preach. But what do you actually do to get ready to preach?” I told her about the research and study, the writing and eliminating, the preparation and the delivery of the sermon. She thought about it for a little while, then said, “So every week you do research, write a paper, and give a speech. Those are my three worst things. Your job is worse than being a plumber!” I don’t know how much she knew about the plumbers union, but I was pretty sure she never wanted to be in the preachers union.
What she missed was the pure joy of seeing lives changed as the word of God is proclaimed. Discipleship happens as people come face-to-face not only with the preacher, but with Scripture and God Himself. The word “church” is the English translation of the Greek word “ecclesia” which means “assembly” or the “called out” community of God. When we gather in the same room, something more than information sharing takes place. Just like a Thanksgiving gathering is about much more than turkey, a worship gathering is about much more than knowledge.
I also love making disciples. I treasure meeting with people face-to-face individually and in small groups. Unlike preaching, this form of discipleship allows give-and-take, question-and-answer, listen-and-learn. Sometimes I’m meeting with people who are just exploring the faith. Other times they are seasoned Christians looking to be developed as servant leaders. Always it involves growth toward Christ-likeness.
Thank you for the opportunity to be your pastor. It is such a blessing!
