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Showing posts from December, 2014

The Disciplemaking Genius of Jesus training experience

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There’s a lot of talk about disciplemaking these days. But what does disciplemaking  really  look like for you in your everyday, real life? That's what we'll explore together. Bring your Bible, some friends, and your sense of humor. What? With a focus on Jesus, we'll explore how to be a disciple—who makes disciples—who make more disciples. Session 1 Be a Disciple (D1) Everything in life will try to pull you off the simplicity of following Jesus together with others. Session 2 Who Makes Disciples (D2) Following Jesus isn’t a subject to be mastered, but an infectious way of life that is lived together and shared with others. Session 3 Who Make More Disciples (D3) If those we disciple don’t make more disciples, then we haven’t made disciples like Jesus. When? 8 AM to 12:30 PM (light lunch included) Where? * Saturday, September 23, 8 AM to 12:30 PM @ River Valley Churc h, 17 Owlcreek Lane, Fisher, IL 61843 Who? For  anyone  interested in learning how t

I dare you to do something different in 2015...

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Are you tired of the same old mediocre spiritual life? Would you like to make 2015 a breakout year spiritually speaking? Not sure you even believe it can happen in your life? This below is for you. Read on. I dare you... Dear Bill, This is in regard to an email you sent me last year titled,  15 Minutes a Day that Will Change Your Life Forever . One year ago, I received  this email  from you and it was life-changing.   After receiving your email, I forwarded it—and the video it contained—to friends from my church. I also printed off copies of the "guilt-free" year-long reading guide and gave them to members of our church—encouraging them to embark on this faith filled journey. A few started, some are still working on it, but two of us are finishing on December 31st (today).  It has been an incredible journey. Tough at times. But  by far the most rewarding life-changing experience for us.  So thank you. If you had not sent the email, it probably never would

Monday Funday: Major Christmas Parenting Fail

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Shortly after the birth of our first child, we, as followers of Jesus, were confronted with the challenge of celebrating Christmas accurately. We're NOT the hyper-spiritual, party-pooping kind of parents who believe that Santa is just a weird way to spell Satan . On the other hand, we really wanted our kids to celebrate the real reason for Christmas—the birth of Jesus Christ—from which we get the word Christ mas. What to do? For the first several years, we simply focused on Jesus and his birthday—no anti-Santa stuff—and it worked great. However, Stacy and I sensed that with each passing year—as our children grew and became more inquisitive—we would have to deal with the “Santa issue.” As the next Christmas crept up on us, we decided to research the story of Santa. Of course, we found out that Saint Nick, according to legend, was a Christian man who lived long ago—and, in short, was famous for helping the poor—get this—by sneaking into homes and leaving gifts. With this i

We're a community of disciplemakers scheming to change the world one heart at a time like Jesus did

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We thank God and you for being the wind in our sails as disciplemaking missionaries with Cadre Ministries . As you read our update below, please take a moment to thank God with us. The best way to view this is to go here . Or you can click any image below to enlarge for reading. Thank YOU for stopping by Cup O' Joe with Bill . You make my day. We you please pray for us?   We are disciplemaking missionaries with  Cadre Ministries .  We need you.  About 2-3 times a month, I'd like to send you a short email with details about how you can say a quick prayer for us. If you are willing to say a quick prayer for us 2-3 times a month, please  email me  and put "prayer team" in the subject line. I'd be glad to pray for you too. THANKS! We need you.  We couldn't take any of part of this Jesus-like disciplemaking adventure without people like you who love us, pray for us, and give $ to Cadre.  We need you.  You make our ministry powerful and possible. Every expr

Monday Funday: The Real Santa Punched a Guy

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The historical Santa? Saint Nick? Punched someone in the face? Hard to believe, right?  WHY would Santa get violent? Intrigued? Me too. That's why I'm linking to three different places that have short but very interesting articles about this episode in Saint Nick's life. Read for yourself and come to your own conclusions.  * If you'd like a little more history, go here .   * If you'd like sources for the story, go here . Here's a hint of the story you'll find at the above links... Get  Cup O' Joe with Bill  in your Email Inbox! Let me encourage you and make you think 1-2x a week with a virtual  Cup O' Joe with Bill  in your email inbox.  1.  Go here and submit your email . 2.  Go to your email and click the Feedburner confirmation link . 

The #1 Reason Teens Keep the Faith as Adults

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by David Briggs [A note from Bill: File this under "Did we really need a study to tell us this?" Below is an article that appeared in the Huffington Post. If you're a regular reader of Cup O' Joe with Bill, you are aware of my passion for disciplemaking with the next generation . I couldn't resist passing this on to you. It speaks to the place where disciplemaking MUST happen. Please share this post with parents and youth leaders in your sphere of influence. Better yet, why not get together to discuss the article's implications for parenting and youth ministry. As you read, make a list of questions that come to mind. Then discuss them. For an added twist, once your finished reading this post, check out this post and compare it and contrast it with this post.] The holy grail for helping youth remain religiously active as young adults has been at home all along: parents. Mothers and fathers who practice what they preach and preach what they practice a