Author: Paige Deane

This year, my team and I developed a quiz to evaluate a believer’s readiness for the mission field. The email campaign provides them with next steps, resources, and encouragement based on their results.

The scoring system was created to reflect what stage of the discipleship process they were in, and connect them with the appropriate email campaign track.

Campaign Tracks

Based on the individual’s score on the quiz, they would fall into one of the three email campaign tracks that I developed. The campaign emails would then give them the opportunity to pursue growth on their level.

By the end of the campaign, each person will have received about thirty different resources to propel their walk with God.

Track #1: Needs More Time for Spiritual Growth and Development Before Entering the Missions Field

This track primarily delivered resources in the form of blog posts and words of encouragement geared towards new believers.

Blog posts covered a variety of topics essential to a fruitful Christian life and encouraged individuals to continue spending time with God and strengthening their relationship with him.

Note: I wrote under the name of my boss because we used his email to launch the campaign. All emails are, therefore, are addressed as coming from him.

Example #1:

Subject: ~ContactName~, Here’s Your Guide to Discipleship 

I always learn best when someone gives me simple steps to follow. 

So, ~ContactName~, we’ve put together this easy 10-step guide for new believers. Hope it’s super helpful for you! 

(BUTTON: View Guide – https://justdisciple.com/discipleship-guide/) 

Here are some of the steps: 

1. Find a Local Church (We’ll tell you how.) 
2. Find a Mentor.
3. Read Your Bible (We’ll tell you exactly how to start.)

You should read through it if you’re looking to grow as a disciple of Jesus! 

(BUTTON: View Guide – https://justdisciple.com/discipleship-guide/) 

Blessings, 
Brooks Szewczyk 

Example #2:

Subject: Boasting in Weakness 

Hi ~ContactName~, I hope you are doing well and growing in the Lord this week. I wanted to take a moment to direct you towards 2 Corinthians 12: 

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV) 

There are sins that each of us struggle with in our lives, some more persistent than others. The world can be chaos and temptation abound. In those moments we feel so weak. Don’t allow these things to beat you down. God’s grace is sufficient, and his power is made perfect in our weakness.  

It is difficult to boast in the things that we don’t like about ourselves, but the Bible says that they are a source of joy, allowing God to work in us and through us in power! 

Blessings,  
Brooks Szewczyk 

Track #2: Making Good Progress in Spiritual Growth and Development, Keep Going Before Entering the Missions Field

This track delivered a wider variety of resources such as blog posts, enrichment courses, podcasts, and words of encouragement.

A variety of topics are covered and they are all geared towards believers who are already well on their way to developing a healthy relationship with God and are beginning to see the fruit of that in their lives.

This track also provides some introductory material on missions and why it’s important, and encourages them to reflect back on their missions readiness quiz.

Example #1:

Subject: Free Course on Discovering Your Role in God’s Plan 

If you are trying to follow God’s calling for your life but are still trying to figure out how it fits into God’s plan, this course is a great resource for you. 

This free course, The Plan: Discover Your Role in God’s Plan for the World, is provided by Bethany Global University, an accredited university specifically designed to train missionaries for the field.  

Their professors are amazing, and I have found their resources to be extremely helpful in my walk with the Lord.  

~ContactName~, are you ready to understand your role in God’s plan? Then try out this course to get started! 

(BUTTON: View Course – https://bethanygu.edu/enrichment/plan-discover-role-gods-plan/) 

Blessings, 
Brooks Szewczyk 

Example #2:

Subject: Top Theology Podcasts for You 

One of my favorite ways to learn new things is through podcasts. I think they are super helpful for getting introduced to new theological concepts. 

To help you get started, we compiled a list of the best theology podcasts just for you. 

Hope this is helpful! 

(BUTTON: View Post – https://justdisciple.com/christian-theology-podcasts/) 

Blessings, 
Brooks Szewczyk 

Track #3: Keep Pursuing Spiritual Growth and Development, Ready for the Missions Field

Finally, the third track is designed for more mature believers who are looking to put more effort into discipling others. These resources help them continue to grow individually, but also teach them how to better help others grow as well.

This is accomplished through thoughtfully selected blog posts, articles, encouragement, podcasts, enrichment courses, and other resources.

This track also gives them a stronger understanding of what it means to be on the mission field and equips them to make that decision.

Example #1:

Subject: PDF Guide on How to Know If You Are Called to Missions 

~ContactName~, if you are interested in learning more about how to know if you are called to missions, I have the perfect resource for you! 

This PDF guide will walk you through the process of discerning if this is where God is leading you. We are all called to be a part of the Great Commission, but this guide will help you determine your role within it. 

I hope that this gives you more confidence in the calling God has for your life! 

(BUTTON: View Guide – https://bethanygu.edu/missions-resources/called-to-missions/)  

Blessings,
Brooks Szewczyk 

Example #2:

Subject: The Role of the Local Church in Missions 

At this point you may have already thought about the part you play in world missions, however, have you ever thought about the role of your local church? 

In this post, we hope to take a deeper look at the role of the local church in missions according to the Bible.  

Hope this answers all your questions! 

(BUTTON: View Post – https://justdisciple.com/role-of-the-local-church-in-missions/) 

Blessings, 
Brooks Szewczyk 

Next Steps

Particularly for those in the third track, we also take this opportunity to expose them to our school, Bethany Global University.

Bethany Global University is a missions college dedicated to training missionaries to take the church to where it’s not, making it a great opportunity for those who do decide to pursue a life in missions.

Example:

Subject: ~ContactName~, See if BGU is Right for You! 

If you are looking to be trained for the missions field, BGU is the place to be. 

At BGU you can: 

• Get a fully accredited education. 
• Start On-campus or Online. 
• Go on a 16-month overseas internship. 
• Have wise, committed professors. 

The goal of BGU is to equip you to take the gospel to the unreached. If that’s you, you should check it out and learn more! 

(BUTTON: Learn More – http://bethanygu.edu/lp/college-of-missions/)  

Blessings, 
Brooks Szewczyk 

If you would like to check out the quiz for yourself, you can view it at justdisciple.com.

In a world where sin and darkness are pervasive, the Word of God is the ultimate source of encouragement. In it, you will find the encouragement your congregation needs to hear.

Whether in disaster or day to day challenges, an encouraging word from Scripture is very important. Sometimes, however, it can feel overwhelming, trying to discern how to encourage those around you. Here we have fifteen ideas to get you started. Each one will give you a brief description on the Scriptures that are relevant to this topic and why this may be a helpful topic for your next sermon.

1) Justification by Faith

Money, power, position, and influence. These are all things that the world deems important. This results in an achievement centered society where your success is measured by how good you are compared to someone else. 

This line of thinking has promoted a generation of parents that are consumed by their jobs and children who are consumed by academics, athletics and the like. Or, they become convinced that they just aren’t good enough and give up trying.

All of these patterns for living can get transferred into other areas of people’s lives, including how they practice their faith. We live in an era that prioritizes work and results, causing our understanding about how works affect our salvation to become distorted.

To continue reading, check out the rest of this post on justdisciple.com.

If someone asked you, “what do Christians believe?” how would you respond? If you are drawing a blank right now, you may want to consider writing or learning a creed.

What is a Christian creed? A Christian creed is a series of defining statements that express the core beliefs of Christians. They are the objective truths that all Christians believe. Originally, new Christians would study to develop their own creed based on what they had learned about their new faith. However, over time, several specific creeds came to prominence and were used by many people as a confession of faith prior to being baptized. Today, these creeds remain as declarations of faith for Christians around the world.

Of the many creeds that have been written over the years, thirteen have risen above the rest to become anthems of the Christian faith, and in this post, we will discover what sets these apart from the rest.

1) The Apostles Creed

Despite its name, the Apostles Creed was not written by the apostles. It was once believed that each apostle contributed a line to this creed, however, this was proven to be a myth. There is, in fact, no evidence to suggest it was written by the apostles at all.

In reality, this creed is a variation of the Old Roman Creed, an ancient baptismal confession that existed long before the Apostles Creed was developed.

To continue reading, check out the rest of this post on justdisciple.com.

Prayer is arguably one of the most valuable spiritual disciplines. A prayer altar gives you the opportunity to magnify it.

What is a Christian prayer altar? A Christian prayer altar is a place that you dedicate to prayer, and time with the Father. By creating a prayer altar, you commit a specific space in your life for these interactions. A prayer altar goes beyond just a physical location, it is the way you live your life.

This concept has been on my mind for quite some time now and is something I am looking forward to applying in my own life. I hope you will apply what you learn about prayer altars to your life as well. 

What is an Altar?

In the Bible, altars were used in sacrifices for the atonement of sin and to commemorate a meeting with God. For example, in Genesis 12, God meets with Abraham and promises to bless him. In remembrance of this encounter, Abraham built an altar to the Lord.

A prayer altar is a place where we meet with God in prayer. 

It is a place where we can remember all that he has done for us and seek forgiveness for our sins. It is a place we can interact with God through the Holy Spirit, and lift ourselves up as a living sacrifice to Him.

To continue reading, check out the rest of this post on justdisciple.com.

Art and the Bible have been intertwined for hundreds of years and reflect what people believed about God.

What is biblical art? Biblical art exists as a way of expressing what people believe about God. Over time, it evolved to express different aspects of God and the world he created. Looking at biblical artwork throughout history helps us to better understand their theology and can also give us insight into what we believe about God today.

When I sat down the first time to write this post my research was less than fruitful. So, I met with one of my professors for some guidance and needless to say I was blown away by what I learned. Now, I can pass that on to you.

Some topics covered in this post are:

• Theology Expressed in Art
• Era of Persecution: Christ as the Good Shepherd (30-313 AD)
• Era of Constantine: Christ as King (313 – 1517 AD)
• Era of the Protestant Reformation: God’s Grace in Everyday Life (1517-1545 AD)
• Era of the Counter-Reformation: Reconciling with Christ In My Own Life (1545-1860 AD)
• Era of Pre-Modern Art: Art as Self Expression (1860-1970 AD)
• God Revealed Through Art

Theology Expressed in Art

When I first approached this topic I had everything backwards. I was looking for artwork that had a significant impact on Christianity when, in reality, the artwork wasn’t what made the impact. 

Artwork is the evidence of what people thought about God. Those ideas are what had an impact. The artwork simply served to communicate them. 

As we look through history, we will be able to see how artists expressed their theological ideas through artwork.

To continue reading, check out the rest of this post on justdisciple.com.

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Marriage is hard. There’s no way around it. To thrive in it, you may need some extra prayer as you engage in battle against the things that culture says are important or against sin issues in your home.

What are spiritual warfare prayers you can say for your marriage? Prayers of spiritual warfare in marriage are prayers intended to fight against areas of difficulty in your marriage, recognizing that the battle isn’t always against the physical world but also against “against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places,” (Ephesians 6). It is a desire to lift up those struggles to the Lord and allow him to be at work in your marriage.

While this certainly isn’t an exhaustive list of all the things you can be praying for in your marriage, it is a good place to start. 

Whether you are newly married or have been married for fifty years, praying for your marriage and areas of difficulty is important. Below are some ideas to get you going on this new journey of prayer or continue to inspire the journey you are already on.

1) Pray for God to be the Focus in Your Marriage

This is, by far, the most important thing to be praying over in your marriage. Jesus needs to be the priority for both spouses individually, and also corporately. If this is a reality, you should be able to work through any difficulty that comes your way. 

However, if one or both spouses stop putting Jesus in his rightful place, and allow desires and idols of the flesh to take his place, then trouble will surely come.

Here is a prayer you can say:

Lord, today I give you myself, my spouse, and my marriage. I acknowledge that unless you are the center of each, we will fail at honoring this covenant and all it was intended to be. Help us to seek your face, build each other up, and encourage each other’s faith.

Help me to make you the focus of my life, to keep my eyes on you always and that my spouse would do the same. Help us to work together to keep you at the center of our marriage. Help us to seek you in every season and every moment. 

Help us to glorify you and work together to accomplish your will for our lives. Amen.

To continue reading, check out the rest of this post on justdisciple.com.

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The world is a diverse place, and this diversity can be an amazing thing. However, it can lead to some significant disagreements.

How should Christians handle disagreement? Christians should handle disagreement, between both Christians and non-Christians, with respect, humility, and the fruits of the Spirit. They should not allow anger or frustration to govern their actions but allow their life to bear the good fruit of walking with Christ.

Since I arrived at college I had to learn a lot about handling differences of opinion. While there is unity in the important things, there are also some stark differences in theology amongst my friends and teachers. 

In this post, I hope that I can pass on some of what I learned from my research and life experiences to help you handle disagreement in a way that glorifies God.

Disagree vs. Dislike

One of the things I learned this year is the difference between “disagree” and “dislike.” In its simplest form, to disagree with someone requires you to have a line of reasoning. It requires a person to be well researched on what they believe to be true. 

If you can’t answer why specifically, that the other person is wrong, there is a chance that saying you disagree with them would be irresponsible because you have no line of reasoning. 

You can dislike what they are saying, but until you can point out specifically what you disagree with and why, it will remain dislike, not disagreement.

To continue reading, check out the rest of this post on justdisciple.com.

Praying for something new in your life can be challenging, especially figuring out where to start.

What are discipleship prayers? Discipleship prayers come in two forms: prayers for your discipleship walk and prayers for you as you disciple others. Prayers for your discipleship can include prayers to deny the flesh, take up your cross, follow Christ, and abide. A prayer for discipling others might include prayers for the nations, teaching, rebuking, faith, and relationships. Their purpose is to ask God to help you grow in these areas and to bless you as you disciple others.

I don’t always think of prayer and discipleship being closely related, however, praying for discipleship in your life is vital to your relationship with God, and fellow believers. These are some ways to get started…

5 Prayers for My Discipleship Walk

One of the areas that we can pray for is our own walk of discipleship with the Lord. As his disciples, there are several things we can be praying for as we attempt to walk out his will for us daily including prayers to deny the flesh, take up your cross, follow Christ, and abide.

1) Prayer to Deny My Flesh

Lord, you are so good to me. I don’t deserve your love and grace but I am so thankful for it. Your ways are higher than my ways and your thoughts are higher than my thoughts. Please help me submit fully to your lordship in my life. Give me the strength to resist the desires of my flesh. 

Help me to deny myself, relinquish all that I have, and all that I am for you. Destroy my attachment to this world so that I can fully rely on you in every situation.

I want to develop a strong relationship with you and to be your disciple. Help me continue to pursue this goal every day, and help others do the same. I give my entire self over to you Lord. Amen.

So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”

Luke 14:33 ESV

To continue reading, check out the rest of this post on justdisciple.com.

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Dispensationalism and Covenant Theology play a large part in how we read and interpret key parts of the Bible so it is important to understand the implications.

What is the difference between Dispensational & Covenant Theology? Dispensationalism and Covenant Theology are essentially two different approaches to scripture that have drastically different implications. Dispensationalism relies on literal hermeneutics, whereas covenant theology gives more credit to literary genre, figurative language, context, and co-text.

In this post, I hope to use the research I have been doing of late to give you a good side-by-side comparison of each view and the key points that distinguish them.

Hermeneutic

Before exploring any of the other differences between dispensationalism and covenentalism, you have to understand the differences in their hermeneutics, the lens with witch they interpret Scripture. This will impact the way you understand scripture from their perspective.

To continue reading, check out the rest of this post on justdisciple.com.

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We’ve all been hurt at times in our lives. Sometimes we forgive. Other times, we hold grudges and anger. What does it look like to walk through the process of biblical forgiveness?

What is biblical forgiveness? Biblical forgiveness is the process of forgiving someone or being forgiven as illustrated in the Bible. Forgiveness itself is defined as the letting go of sin. In the Bible, this includes forgiving everyone, every time, of everything, as an act of obedience and gratefulness to God. It acknowledges the sacrifice God made through His Son Jesus who died to restore the relationship between God and man. Forgiveness does not mean excusing, forgetting, permitting repetition of the sinful act against you, or guaranteeing reconciliation with the perpetrator.

In the past few years, I’ve found it difficult to forgive people in my life who hurt me. However, I can assure you that harboring unforgiveness is the worse alternative. This post will help you to avoid falling into some of the same patterns of unforgiveness that I did.

What Is Forgiveness?

Forgiveness is the letting go of sin. God has forgiven us our sins, and we forgive others of theirs. It is moving on instead of dwelling on that sin and refusing to harbor it against them.

To take that a step further, however, you need to understand the context of the human condition. Humans are sinners from the beginning and are therefore born condemned, keeping us from having a relationship with God. 

However, God, in His great love and mercy, has created a way for our debt of sin to be repaid, resulting in the forgiveness of our sins.

To continue reading, check out the rest of this post on justdisciple.com.

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