Postings: The Transformative Power of Discipleship

“He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”
~ 2 Corinthians 1:4 ~

Transformation Leads to Discipleship

When you think of Jesus commanding us to make disciples, you probably think of verses like the Great Commission from Matthew 28, “go and make disciples…”. But how are we to actually make disciples?! The answer? By living it out ourselves.

Jesus with Disciples Cropped
Live out the Gospel! Photo by The Chosen

The Lord has been teaching us this crucial lesson, and showing us that discipleship is about so much more than teaching somebody to study the Bible and to pray. These are important and vital aspects to the Christian life, but ultimately, discipleship is about transformation! Which is where the verse about “comforting others” comes into the picture.

You see, we cannot comfort others unless we ourselves have received comfort from the Lord. In the same way, we cannot effectively disciple others in areas in which we ourselves have not been discipled and transformed! Another word to describe discipleship would be “apprenticeship”.

Apprenticeship – Photo by Quino Al on Unsplash

If I want to be apprenticed, I would find somebody who was a master of their trade: a living, breathing, and experienced example of what it means to be a blacksmith, surgeon, or other profession.

Photo by Jonny Gios on Unsplash

In the same way, Jesus calls us to disciple others! First, He invites us to be transformed by the renewal of our minds, healing of our hearts, and living out the things He is teaching us: experiencing the life-changing work of the Holy Spirit! Then, He calls us to emulate this for others, and invite them along for the journey: to be transparent and humble about our misgivings and struggles, showing others that it’s ok to struggle and even fail sometimes; to share passionately what the Lord has done in our lives, bearing witness to the testimonies that we have seen, heard, and experienced; to be a living, breathing example of the love of Christ and the heart of the Father to those around us.

Sharing in the discipleship and transformation journey – Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash

Discipleship in Bible Translation

Discipleship is also crucial in the work of Bible translation! How can you effectively translate God’s Word without knowing Jesus for yourself?

Nafian is a translator in the Gwahatike language group of Papua New Guinea (PNG).

Nafian Saremo
Nafian Saremo

He attended a number of training courses that I taught while we were in PNG, and also works as a translation advisor and consultant.

Paratext Course 2012
Paratext Course

In this video, he shares about the critical impact that discipleship made on their translation work.

“Establish spiritual relationship first… build people up spiritually… and people will be transformed” – Nafian Saremo (Bible translator).

What a beautiful example of how Jesus transforms lives for the sake of His Kingdom, and to reach many with His life-giving words!

Financial Update

God has provided powerfully for our Wycliffe ministry since our last update! Many of you gave one-time gifts in December and January, which helped offset our shortfall from last year. THANK YOU!! We also have had some new financial partners join our team, reducing our monthly need! We still have a ways to go before reaching 100% of the ministry budget Wycliffe has set for us, but we are grateful for the ways God has continued to provide.

Interested in Financial Partnership?

Prayer & Praise ????????

  • Prayer: That God would continue to transform us, and teach us to disciple others.
  • Prayer: Listing and selling our house in PNG.
  • Prayer: Purchasing a house closer to our church.
  • Prayer/Praise: For continued and increased financial provision for our Wycliffe ministry.

Your prayers and financial partnership are enabling discipleship throughout the world. Thank you!

In Him,

James and Christina

Family Photo Highlights

Click the collage images to see recent family photo highlights.

2023 03 Collage 1
2023 03 Collage 2

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