How to Find God’s Calling On Your Life

Many Christians wonder how they can find God’s will for their life, or God’s “calling,” as it is sometimes called. It’s really much simpler than most think. They are waiting for a dramatic moment… but it isn’t always.

I had a professor in college that always said that God’s call on your life would usually come in 3 types of calls:

1. The Call of the Burning Bush

Picture Moses, tending to his father-in-law’s flock in the wilderness, when suddenly, he encounters a bush ablaze, yet not consumed by the flames. This dramatic, unmistakable sign from God (Exodus 3:1-10) not only captures Moses’ attention but also marks a pivotal turning point in his life and the destiny of the Israelites.

Just like Moses, some of us might experience God’s calling as a clear, undeniable directive—a burning bush moment. This type of calling leaves little room for doubt; it’s a dramatic, life-altering encounter that redirects our path towards a specific mission or vocation God has ordained for us. It’s the kind of call that, once received, compels us to step out in faith, even into the unknown, because the certainty of God’s voice leaves us with no other option but to obey.

2. The Call of the Burning Heart

Not all divine callings come with the drama of a burning bush. For many, it’s more akin to the experience of Timothy, who, as Paul notes, aspired to a leadership role within the church (1 Timothy 3:1). This is the call of the burning heart—a deep, inner conviction, a desire planted within us by God Himself.

This type of calling grows within us over time, fueled by our passions, talents, and the opportunities God places in our path. It’s a gentle nudging, a warmth in our soul towards a particular ministry, cause, or vocation. The burning heart is God’s way of guiding us through our desires, aligning our passions with His purposes, so that what we do in His name brings joy both to Him and to us.

3. The Call of the Burning House

Finally, there’s the call of the burning house. This calling emerges not from a dramatic encounter or a passionate desire within, but from the urgent needs we see around us. It’s akin to noticing a house on fire with people trapped inside and feeling compelled to act. This call is about responding to the cries of a broken world, recognizing that God’s love compels us to move towards those in need.

This type of calling is vividly illustrated in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), where the Samaritan’s response to the injured man wasn’t prompted by a direct divine encounter or a personal passion but by the immediate and pressing need in front of him. The call of the burning house is a reminder that sometimes God’s calling is found in the simple act of responding to the needs around us with compassion and love.

In discerning God’s calling for our lives, it’s crucial to remember that His ways are manifold and His guidance tailored to the intricacies of our individual journeys. Whether through a burning bush, a burning heart, or a burning house, God calls each of us to participate in His redemptive work in the world. The key is to stay attentive, open, and responsive to whatever form that calling may take, trusting that He equips those He calls. As we step out in faith, may we find assurance in the promise that “for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28 ESV).

Here’s a story for you about finding God’s calling for your life:

William Booth and Finding God’s Calling for Your Life

William Booth was given the title “The Prophet of the Poor.” He is best known today as founder and first general of the Salvation Army. He became burdened for the poor in the cities of England, and began serving the poor and having nightly open-air meetings for evangelism. The Salvation Army, as his group came to be called, dispensed “soap, soup, and salvation” across the great cities of England, and beyond.

When asked about why he began serving the people near him instead of going elsewhere for his mission, he said, “”I seemed to hear a voice sounding in my ears, ‘Where can you go and find such heathen as these, and where is there so great a need for your labors?'”

Later in life, when the salvation army had spread across the Atlantic Ocean to the United states, a national gathering of salvation army workers took place. General Booth was too sick to come and speak, so instead he sent a telegram across the ocean. When it was received, the speaker rushed to the front of the room and announced to the large gathering that the great general William Booth had sent them a message to share with the conference. The room fell silent, and the telegram was opened. It contained only one word. Others.

Not self, others! General Booth was truly a man who lived loving his neighbor as he loved himself.

After he died, 150,000 people came to view his body, and 40,000 people, including Queen Mary, were in attendance at his funeral. It was a remarkable end for a man who was born poor, and served the poor all his life.

William Booth Quote: “Not Called, Did you Say?”

Here’s an excerpt from a sermon he preached, calling Christians to consider God’s calling on your life in light of the Bible:

“‘Not called!’ did you say? ‘Not heard the call,’ I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father’s house and bid their brothers and sisters, and servants and masters not to come there. And then look Christ in the face, whose mercy you have professed to obey, and tell him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish his mercy to the world.”

Help me Test Drive a sermon prep tool I built

Pastors, would y’all help me test drive something?

It’s totally free from my end, although you do have to be a subscriber to ChatGPT4 to use it.

I Made An AI Sermon Prep Tool

I programmed a custom GPT called Sermon Illustrator that is designed to help me brainstorm and source illustrations based on a topic OR passage of Scripture.

help me test my ai sermon illustrator?

I’d love for you to try it on whatever you’re preaching this Sunday, and give me feedback on how it works for you and how you think it could be improved.

Why I Built It:

As a pastor myself, I understand the challenge of constantly finding fresh, relevant illustrations. Sermon Illustrator has not only broadened my own horizons but also sparked creativity in ways I hadn’t anticipated. Now, I’m eager to see how it can support you in your sermon preparation.

Here’s how It Works:

  • * You ask “I need illustrations for [passage/topic]”
  • * If it’s not sure what topic you want, it will ask a follow up.
  • * It analyzes the passage/topic, and suggests 14 types of illustrations, with 2 short suggestions under each. (Stories, Science, Testimonies, Sports, Studies, History, Metaphors, Literature, and more)
  • * If you want more information about one of the suggestions, you ask “tell me more about ___”
  • * It will give you more info, with source citing, or “for further study” suggestions.
  • * It will ask if you want a sermon graphic created for that illustration, that you can add to your powerpoint.

Try It Out:

Give Sermon Illustrator a test drive for this Sunday’s sermon and share your experiences. Your feedback is invaluable and will be instrumental in refining and improving this tool.

Here’s the link to get started: Sermon Illustrator

I’m genuinely interested in your thoughts on its utility, any improvements you believe are necessary, and how it aligns with your sermon preparation process. Your insights will play a crucial role in shaping this tool to better serve pastors and their congregations.

Thank you for considering this invitation. I look forward to hearing your feedback and stories of how Sermon Illustrator has impacted your sermon planning and delivery.

Blessings,

Darrell

Types of Procrastination & How to Beat Them

We’ve been talking about how to beat procrastination. Today, we’re going a little different direction by talking about “wisdom procrastination.”

Wisdom procrastination is when you have a deep-seated resistance to doing a thing because it isn't compatible with your passion & skills.

Wisdom procrastination is when you have a deep-seated resistance to doing a thing because it isn’t compatible with your passion & skills.

Yes, this is different than just laziness. (We’ll talk about actual laziness later.)

Some of the world’s most successful people have become successful by discovering what areas they can make the greatest contribution, and then deliberately unloading other tasks and responsibilities to those who love to do them, and are skilled at them.

There’s an old joke about Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft.  The joke was that he was made so much money, that if he saw $1k on the sidewalk, it would not be worth it for him to stop, lean down, and pick it up… he would literally LOSE MONEY by taking 3 seconds to pick up $1,000!

Sometimes, when you are delaying a task, it may be because you instinctively recognize that you aren’t the right person to do it. Perhaps you do not have the correct skills. Perhaps you are not passionate about that activity. Perhaps learning how to do it would take too long.

I’d encourage you to stop viewing this type of procrastination as evil, and start viewing it as wisdom!

What if, instead of beating yourself up about these things, you chose to view your time as so valuable that you cannot afford to use it doing things which others could:

  • Do faster and more efficiently than you could?
  • Do better and more skillfully than you could?
  • Do with more joy than you could?

So how would we go about dealing with this type of procrastination?

STRATEGIES for “wisdom procrastination”

Strategy #1: Think who, not how.

I learned this concept in Dan Sullivan & Dr. Benjamin Hardy’s excellent little book “Who, Not How.”

The next time you come to a problem, stop thinking “how can I overcome this problem?” Instead, think “Who could help me overcome this problem?”

This will create a mindset where you are able to delegate a task, or hire someone more effectively.

Pick a project where you’ve been procrastinating.  Ask yourself:

  • Who could help me overcome this problem?
  • Who has the necessary skills?
  • Who would already know to tackle this?
  • Who do I know that has been successful at this?

Then, ask that person what they would charge to tackle the problem for you, and you move on to the part of the project that you do better than anyone else.

For instance, for my mini-course on “Brain Tricks that Finally Defeat Procrastination,” rather than doing the design, I turned the content over to a virtual assistant in Pakistan, who did a much better job than I could do, did it faster than I could, and I moved on to create more value in other areas!

Good resource for new Christians

Hey fellow pastors,

In our journey to guide new believers through the transformative path of discipleship, one of the first and most crucial steps is getting them plugged into the Word. But let’s face it, the Bible can be overwhelming for newcomers. Where do they even start? Genesis? The Psalms? Revelation?! Well, worry no more!

I recently came across a gem of a resource that I can’t help but share with all of you: a Bible reading plan specifically designed for new believers, dubbed “The Best One That I’ve Ever Found.” And let me tell you, it lives up to its name.

This plan really is quality. It’s made with the understanding that new believers should start their journey in the New Testament, focusing on Jesus and the core gospel message. It focuses on highlights from the Bible, ensuring that newcomers are not lost in the weeds but are instead captivated by the most impactful stories and teachings that speak directly to their hearts.

What makes this plan stand out is its simplicity and focus. It doesn’t just throw a Bible at the new believer and say, “Good luck!” Instead, it guides them through a thoughtful path that highlights the life of Jesus, the teachings of the apostles, and the foundational stories that every Christian should know.

As pastors of small churches, we know the importance of personal touch and guidance in our ministries. This reading plan aligns perfectly with that ethos, providing a structured yet flexible approach to Bible reading that we can recommend confidently to our newest brothers and sisters in faith.

So, why not incorporate this into your discipleship pathway? It could be the tool you’ve been looking for to help new believers fall in love with the Word and find their footing in their new faith journey.

Until next time, keep shepherding those entrusted to your care with wisdom, love, and the right tools at your disposal.

Helpful List of Discipleship Tools

Hey small church pastors, if you’re on the lookout for some awesome discipleship tools without spending a dime, you’ve got to check out this page I stumbled upon: “The Best Free Discipleship Tools for Pastors”. It’s packed with resources straight from a pastor with over 20 years in the game. From a Bible reading checklist to free training sessions, it’s a goldmine for anyone looking to deepen their discipleship efforts. Don’t miss out on this one!

See you next time!

Darrell

What I learned about values from losing my phone in the lake

Over Labor Day weekend, I lost my phone in the lake.

It wasn’t quite as stupid as it sounds. 🙂

I took a small boat and paddled 3 of my youngest sons out onto the lake. Just as we got near some cousins of ours that were swimming in water about 6 feet deep, one little guy cried out, “I’ve got a hook in my foot!” A treble hook had grabbed his foot from a lost fishing lure on the bottom of the lake. I quickly paddled close, and he grabbed the side of the boat.

Our boat started drifting from momentum and wind. He grimaced and yelled, “It’s still attached to the fishing line!”

I leaped up from my seat in the bottom of the boat to cut the fishing line that now had him tied to the rocks on the bottom — in water that was over his head! As I leaped up, my cell phone clip hit the side of the boat and ejected my (non-insured) phone right into the lake. I watched it bubble down out of sight in the murky water.

You know that feeling when you watch something like that? 

Your mind flips through options.

I can’t leave the kid with the hook in his foot. My 11 year old is in the boat with me, but can’t have him jumping in while I don’t know what is down there.

It takes a while to type that, but it all flitted through my mind in a half-second.

I was doing “triage” — quickly

  • sorting values
  • deciding what needs action in this moment.

We do this values triage that all the time.

  • We do it when the phone rings, and we’re with our wife. What’s important now?
  • We do it when we’re watching Youtube and our kids interrupt. What’s most valuable right now?
  • We do it when we’re tired and someone wants to talk. What’s most important now?
  • We also do it when there’s no plan for discipleship, and we have urgent things screaming in our ears, like mowing the church lawn. 🙂

So what is the solution to being able to quickly and effectively triage those moments?

It comes down to one word:

VALUES.

Think about it.

If I had been floating along alone on the lake, I’d have jumped right in. I didn’t want that moment to cost me $800!

But I wasn’t out there alone. I was floating along on the lake with 3 of my boys, who mean more to me than life itself, let alone some stupid phone. I was trying to help another little boy whose life was worth infinitely more than dropping a few hundred dollars.

A solid value system will create the kind of clarity that you need in those kinds of moments.

You desperately need this in order to create a solid plan for discipling your children, for educating new believers in your church, and for so many other activites.

The bottom line is, you’re always going to have OPTIONS. That’s one of the things the world is always going to give you. Infinite options! Did you know that it would take you 6 months to watch all the videos uploaded to Youtube in the last 60 seconds?

Oh yeah. You’ve got options.

But do you have VALUES?

I’ve been doing NewStart Discipleship for a little over 2 years now. I just created a brand new module called Discipleship In the Home.

Discipleship in the Home Resource Notebook by Dr. Matt Friedeman with Darrell Stetler II

The reason? Values.

It’s one thing to talk about valuing discipleship and creating a culture of discipleship in your local church. But ultimately, you’re going to need to show those values when other important things — maybe even valuable things — have to go to the bottom of the lake in order for your greatest values to shine.

Think through your values.

It will help when the time for crisis triage comes!

How to Multiply Disciple-Makers (Even in a Small Church)

I told you a story last week about the young African-American man from my church who came by and asked if he could get a couple copies of the NewStart Discipleship Journal because he was sharing his faith with a couple friends at work. He wanted to use it to help walk with them through their faith journey.

I was so excited.

So, this week, he came back after service, and blew my mind again.

“Pastor, I brought those NewStart Journals back to my apartment, and was looking at it, getting ready to take it to work,” he told me. “My roommate was looking at it, and picked one of them up. He looked through it, and said, ‘Hey, can I have one?'”

About this point, a huge grin is spreading over my face, as you might imagine.

He continued. “So I told him he could, and this guy — he’s not a Christian, honestly he’s pretty wild — he said, ‘Well, we might as well do it together.'”

By this time, I’m grinning so wide, I could eat a banana sideways.

I can’t think of a time when I didn’t want to make disciples — but I never had a plan to do it in a way that could really multiply until I changed my discipleship strategy recently.

I know God’s work is like an iceberg — there’s more below the surface than there is above. But once in a while, it is nice when God gives you a little peek under the surface. It was just what I needed to keep going this week.

What’s keeping you going this week?

Comment below and let me know!

​So How Can I get Training to Multiply Disciple-Makers at my church?

P.S. I actually am offering that 1 hour trainingHow to Be 100% Ready to Disciple New Christians (And Multiply Disciple-Makers!)again this week on Thursday and Friday. If you missed it last time, and you’d like a do-over, click the link.

P.P.S. AFTER I WROTE THIS… He brought his friend with him to our latest event. This does a pastor’s heart good, to see the disciple multiplication effect starting to happen!

How to Find Success Making Disciples In a Small Church

I had one of those moments you “live for” as a pastor a few days ago. It’s always nice when one of those comes along.

Here’s what happened:

A young college-age African-American man came up to me and said, “Pastor, I’m wondering if you could give me one of those NewStart Discipleship Journals you were talking about? Actually, I need two of them. I’ve been witnessing to these two guys at work. I think they’re a ways from coming to church, but I’m wanting to walk with them through helping them get started when they accept Christ.”

💥 BOOM! 💥

I went back to the office, and grabbed a stack of NewStart Discipleship Journals, and handed him two of them.

caption for image

Honestly, I was topping the trees.

IT’S HAPPENING!

IT’S. HAPPENING.

The Apostle Paul said to Timothy, “and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” (1 Timothy 2:2, ESV)

Did you see it?

Discipleship is supposed to be TRANSFERRABLE and MULTIPLIABLE.

There are 4 generations of Christians in that verse!

  • Paul
  • Timothy
  • Those who are discipled by Timothy
  • Those who are discipled by those who are discipled by Timothy.

That’s how it’s supposed to work.

The problem is that for years, I didn’t do anything multipliable in discipleship. I trusted in my gifts, my teaching ability, my talking ability, my Bible college education… and I did help some folks. But I couldn’t multiply, because my disciple-making was based on my own ability, and not everyone I worked with could be that person. They didn’t have the background, memory, gifts, or education.

So when I determined, a couple years ago, that I had to develop a system that would enable me to multiply disciple-makers, instead of just add to my list of people… I didn’t know how that was going to go.

BUT IT’S HAPPENING.

For discipleship to be multipliable, it is going to require 2 things:

  1. Clarity – Absolute clarity on what needs to be shared, what needs to be built.
  2. Simplicity – Completely simple methods that are easily reproduced, no matter the education level or gifts of the disciple-maker.

If you can’t hit those two targets, I think you’ll fail at multiplying disciple-makers.

So what’s next to keep discipleship success going?

While I was in the office getting those NewStart Discipleship Journals for that young man, I noticed that I needed to order more from the printing company. So I went and ordered 20 more (at the rate only NewStart Discipleship Members can get, of course. 🙂 )

Because I’m not OK with stopping… when you’ve got a little momentum, it’s time to build on it!

Let’s GOOOO!

Here’s why I’m excited to share this story with you:

Because the most common answer when I survey pastors about their discipleship plan is, “To be honest, It doesn’t really exist.”

If you’re tired of not knowing what your discipleship plan is, then it’s time to be done with that. Honestly, it’s frustrating and exhausting, and I know how to solve it.

GET SOME DISCIPLESHIP TRAINING

If you’re up for a 1 hour free training, this is where I teach my strategies for developing a disciple-making culture at your church… specifically a training called “How to be 100% Ready to Make Disciples (And Multiply Disciple-Makers).” It’s what I’m currently doing (and it’s working) at my church.

Thanks for reading!

What “proud pastor” moments do you have in discipleship lately? Comment below!

How to Deal with An Evangelical Truth Crisis

In an interaction on my Twitter account the other day, I said:

“I don’t think you should be forced to get your #vaccine. But I do think you should get it freely. I have never done more funerals than I have the last 3 months. This needs to end, and the data clearly indicates that the vaccine is helping.”

A friend and evangelical pastor replied, “I want the vaccine. I think in comparison it is a safe alternative. It seems a lot of what is happening is preparation for global control in other ways but the vaccine is good. But how can I trust anything when everything is built on lies, coverups, and not owning ones mistakes?”

This is such a great question, and is a fundamental one that underlies much of the chaos and division that is visible in our nation and within American churches.

We are truly in an epistemological crisis in the United States.

So first, a quick definition: Epistemology is the name for a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature & value of truth and the means of knowing — in other words, “What’s true, how can I know it, and why does it matter?”

This crisis not new. We have been in one for over thirty years on the progressive side, (to the point that even he/she isn’t knowable), but the crisis has been slower to arrive in the evangelical movement. But arrive it has — and with a vengeance.

Today I’ll deal with

  • What caused our Truth Crisis
  • What has sped our Truth Crisis along
  • How evangelical Christians can begin to escape the Truth Crisis.

What Caused the Truth Crisis in Evangelicalism

Here’s a fundamental truth that you need to understand:

EVERYTHING IS DISCIPLESHIP.

Let me lay out the process of discipleship that has led us to this place.

We are being discipled by the political culture as much or more than by our churches.

We need to understand that we are in a continuous process of discipleship by the internet, social media and conservative media.

The Rise of the Fake News movement

Living for 30 years in that environment conditioned conservatives perfectly for the rise of the “fake news” movement. I wouldn’t deny that media bias exists. It undoubtedly does. But the fake news movement deconstructed all sources of authority not just based on truth, but inconvenience and association.

I have been told, after sharing a news story that demonstrated my viewpoint, “Well, that’s CNN.” Other versions of this exist:

  • “That’s the CDC.”
  • “That’s the Libs.”
  • “That’s the Drive-By Media.”

But we’ve bought this lie of “nothing is true if it comes from that source” at a terrible cost. It might be convenient for the short term, to prop up a chosen candidate or party, or to be able to disregard some political discussion that makes us feel uncomfortable during a disorienting pandemic. But in the long run, we’ve just traded one skewed agenda for another.

Note well: Cynical actors, vying for power over the narrative, created the Fake News movement, based on a partial truth, which was widely accepted by conservatives. They did it, not because they cared for Truth, but because they cared for their own power. By doing it, they were able to cement their hold on the minds of one end of the political spectrum.

The subtle acceptance of subjective truth.

Once among evangelicals there was a commitment to objective truth, that truth was outside us, and knowable. The slogan, “Facts don’t care about your feelings,” was a worthwhile reminder of the occasional brutality of truth.

Truth is stubbornly resistant to conforming to our fondest wishes.

But somewhere along the line, we decided that there was objective truth about homosexuality and abortion… but not about vaccines, pandemics, conservative politicians, or QAnon.

In this truth vacuum, we are free to project our desires onto reality, then call it the truth.

This is what we’ve observed (and decried) the activists of the political left doing for 30 years. We have rightly scoffed that our feelings could define ultimate reality… but we’ve bought that line hook, line and sinker in the last 5 years. The reason? Because it was “our guy” from “our party” proclaiming it.

The Deconstruction of Authority

Talk about “Deconstruction” and “ex-vangelicals” is all the rage right now in conservative Christian circles.

But it’s time we talk about the ways in which we have become like and empowered those leaving us… You see, we’ve deconstructed, too.

We have deconstructed “ways of knowing” that have been in existence for centuries: Authority, expertise, statistics, math, science, and more have all paid the price of our deconstruction. What is worse, we have no plan for replacing them, so we’re simply in a fog, in a Cloud of Unknowability. In this Cloud of Unknowability, it’s easy to say things like “everything is built on lies” and “this is clearly a ‘plandemic.'” Suspicions, anger, conspiracies, and more abound.

Authorities around us have made it worse, no doubt, by not being trustworthy, and equivocating about the Truth. Dr. Fauci has done us no favors, and I’m not here to defend his reliability.

How do we get out of the evangelical Truth Crisis?

I would humbly suggest a few steps.

1. Recommit to truth being actually knowable.

It is not enough to ask questions and poke holes. The anti-vax community and other conspiracy theorists only and always attempt to do this. Frankly, evangelicals are genuinely struggling with knowing truth, because we have become like them. This needs to stop.

Deconstruction is easy. Construction is hard.

So, rather than constructing a way of knowing, people have just deconstructed the house they live in, and then acclimated themselves to epistemological homelessness.

Quick example of construction vs. deconstruction:

I’ve had tons of people tell me that I can’t trust the CDC’s stats, or the OK state department of health, because “they have an agenda.” This is classic deconstruction, the tearing down of a source of Truth.

But what would reconstruction require? To truly know the COVID death and vaccination stats… you’d have to create a system that enabled you to call every hospital and assisted living in the country, and collect their data, and compile it into a report.

THAT would enable you to know the truth. But that’s HARD. It’s much easier to deconstruct than to build ways of knowing.

So people stop right there, and just commit to “Well, I guess we’ll never know the REAL Truth.”

2. Recognize that authorities not on my side politically can be sources of Truth.

This requires significant humility in such a polarized environment. We’ve been discipled to disbelieve everything for the last 30 years. We need to unlearn some things.

3. Stop making every mistake or biased statement by recognized authorities a disqualifier for them as a source of Truth.

If every time a commander in the military made a mistake, the soldiers decided to disobey them into perpetuity… we’d never win a battle ever again.

4. Relearn critical thinking.

Few use this phrase correctly. It is often imagined to be thinking critically about your opponent’s views. But classically, it means thinking critically about things you’d like to believe. That’s hard, but healthy.

Looking at what you’d like to believe, and seeing if it holds up to scrutiny is a valuable skill that respects something more than your own feelings about what you’d like to be true.

5. Recognize narrative-driven news is a bipartisan phenomena.

These days, conservatives are using sketchy statistics and selective anecdotes in order to maintain a truly untenable position… frankly, in service of their own political power.

As a quick anecdote about that, someone posted on my Facebook wall short edited clip of a state governor saying they were seeing a 25% rise in hospitalization among vaccinated people. So I took time to do the research. Turns out, it was a rise from 6% of hospitalizations being vaccinated people to… 7.5%. 

This kind of silly, out-of-context statement is what we have accused the “other side” of… and here we are.

Look steadfastly at that, and understand it — The person who edited that clip was counting on you not knowing how statistics work, and being unwilling to do the work to check it. That’s narrative driven dishonesty, using an “accurate” statistic.

It’s time we recognize that CNN does it, but so does every other conservative news source.

6. Redefine the battle.

Warfare rhetoric in the political realm has not been kind to conservatives. It is only one step from “we are at war” to “all’s fair in war.”

The goal isn’t simply defeat of our human enemy, but their Redemption. After all, we still “wrestle not against flesh and blood…”

7. Reconstruct Authority as a means of knowing the Truth.

I realize authorities have been untrustworthy at times. But the internet has democratized info in unhealthy ways. All men are created equal, but all opinions are not.

I am aware that political populism has defined as “elitists” all those who have expertise… except a small group that paint themselves as “persecuted” yet somehow are willing to say exactly what the throng wishes to hear. But populism is foolish, and eventually turns on those who lead it (as Robespierre discovered.)

We should generally trust education & expertise. Education and expertise doesn’t make someone always right, but it makes them far more dependable. It doesn’t make them elite. And even if it did, there are few benefits to hating “elitism.”

The truth is that Authority is a wonderful means of knowing the truth. We used to know this as conservatives!

Denominations. Pastors. Doctors. Experts.

Yet, we live in a world where the disorientation has made us doubt that authority is a valid source of knowing Truth. It ought not to be so within conservative circles!

As long as it is this way, we will continually struggle with the ability to know anything… and the disorientation, fog and conspiracies will continue.

In Conclusion

It isn’t really true that “everything is built on lies.” That’s a conditioned response that we can & should reject.

If we make the only source of Truth our own faction, we will live to regret it. 

If you appreciate this, I’d be honored if you’d share it on social media.

And if you would be interested in having a way of discipling new Christians that is from classic sources of authority, I’d invite you to download a free copy of the NewStart Discipleship Journal at the link above.

NewStart Discipleship Journal to help new Christians know how to grow in their faith.
NewStart Discipleship Journal – Evaluation Copy

My Story of Entire Sanctification

I expect some readers are confused about what entire sanctification means. While testimonies are not the best way to teach theology, sometimes a look at how it works itself out in someone’s life can be helpful. To that end, I’m sharing my story here of how God led me personally toward the doctrine of entire sanctification.

I was raised in a holiness pastor’s home.

I heard this doctrine of entire sanctification preached on a regular basis growing up. While some from my background have talked about entire sanctification as confusing, etc. I never felt this way growing up. My parents kept it relatively simple and unencumbered with baggage of extreme behavior or emotionalism.

I view my journey in holiness as in various epochs.

Entirely Sanctified In High School

I first surrendered my will as fully as I knew how to Christ’s Lordship as a sophomore in HS, after hearing a message by Rev. Marc Sankey on Romans 12:1. As I stood during the invitation, I thought “That’s right. I should do it someday.” I felt as though the Holy Spirit prompted me, “Why not now?” and I obeyed.

I got up knowing that God had accepted my sacrifice of all, and that he had taken it and made it holy to himself.

As I grew older there were more issue to surrender, and yet I always viewed these as continuing results of my earlier surrender.

There were moments of surrender about girls (what high school boy hasn’t gone through that?), career (preaching wasn’t my first choice!), and my definition of success (I wanted to pastor a BIG church).

Can One Lose Entire Sanctification?

As a young pastor, I neglected to walk in the Spirit, and fell into pornography after getting high speed internet for the first time at age 25. Through the faithful discipline of the Lord, I regularly came back repentant, but I lost the assurance of entire sanctification.

I believe that it is possible through continued struggling with disobedience, and a lack of willingness to deal with leftover patterns of self-centeredness. This results in a heart that is “re-bent” toward self & sin. I won’t fully develop that theology here, but that’s what I believe happened to me.

A time of Seeking to Restore the Assurance of Being Sanctified Through and Through

A couple years later, in a time of frustration and I began to seek again during a 40-day season of fasting lunch.

One particular day, I felt especially frustrated and as I walked into my office, the Lord “highlighted” the book Holiness and Power by A.M. Hills on my bookshelf. I spent the rest of the day and most of the next reading the book (which had been on my shelf, but unread), and seeking the Lord.

On the 3rd day, reaching the end of all that I knew to surrender, told the Lord if there was anything else that he wanted me to yield to him, to show me. I knew that I was entirely sanctified by trusting the work of Christ (and not by any surrender of my own). So I pled with the Lord that if there was anything else I had yet to surrender, show me.

If not, I was ready to put my faith in him that the work was (again) done in my heart. Sensing nothing but peace and surrender, I prayed in full consecration to the Lord on the 4th day. I placed my trust in Christ to be “Not our own righteousness, but Christ within/ Living and reigning and saving from sin.”  

A renewal of the Covenant of Entire sanctification

There was one more season about 3 years ago, where I felt as though I had failed to progressively be sanctified by putting to death an area of selfishness the Lord had faithfully pointed out to me in my life over time.

I went into a season of frustration and uncertainty, where I was not at all certain of my yieldedness to Christ and his present entire sanctification. This culiminated in a 3-day prayer retreat where I repented of grieving the Spirit and re-affirmed my covenant with Him. At the end of that time of blessing and brokenness, I again laid hold by faith of the promises of God for entire sanctification.

It is important to note that living in this covenant is an ongoing life. There is nothing in the Scripture that teaches that there is no need for covenant renewal in Spiritual growth. In fact, I’d argue that Scripture is clear ( as well as the experience of God’s people) that this is a reality that must be maintained.

I am living with a present assurance of entire sanctification

I believe that Christ reigns supreme in my heart today, and both saves me from sin and keeps me clean in “spirit, soul and body” until the coming of Christ.

I am unaware of any area in my life that I am not in full submission to the will of Christ. This does not, of course, mean that I am beyond improvement or growth, but that my will is bent away from sin and fully bent toward Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.

If you are interested in learning more about the Scriptural truth of entire sanctification, I would commend to you my Pursuing Holiness workbook, and the accompanying 40 days of holiness spiritual growth journey. If you wish to hear a sermon on the topic, I am embedding a message on it below.

In the video description, you’ll find a link to the 40 Days of Holiness study as well.