Discipleship on SermonAudio

Nine Marks of a Healthy Church grew out of a sermon series preached by Mark Dever to his congregation at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. First published in 2000 and now in its third edition (2013), the book is a sustained argument that most contemporary churches have confused numerical growth, cultural relevance, and program excellence with genuine health. Dever contends that a truly healthy church is built not on technique but on faithfulness to Scripture across nine identifiable marks. The book is organized in two movements. The first five marks address the content of the church's message — preaching, theology, the Gospel, conversion, and evangelism. The last four address the community of the church — membership, discipline, discipleship, and leadership. Dever writes not as a theorist but as a practitioner who has applied these principles for more than two decades at one congregation, watching them produce a church that is neither liberal, seeker-sensitive, nor merely traditional but genuinely biblical. The third edition was revised in light of nearly twenty years of pastoral experience and includes updated prefaces, a foreword by David Platt, and a more mature reflection on what Dever has learned. The 9Marks ministry (9marks.org) has since grown into a global network of resources, churches, and training rooted in these nine convictions.

Satan is real, but he is not equal with God. He is neither all-powerful nor sovereign. Scripture presents him as a created and limited adversary who opposes God, attacks the truth, and works primarily through deception. In this episode of Contending for the Word Q&A, Dave Jenkins considers what the Bible teaches about Satan and his schemes. Drawing from John 8:44 and 2 Corinthians 11:14, Dave explains Satan's character as a liar, his use of deception, and why Scripture warns that he can disguise himself as an angel of light. Christians should neither ignore Satan nor exaggerate his power. Instead, believers are called to remain alert, exercise biblical discernment, and stay firmly grounded in the truth of God's Word. Satan is real, but he is limited. God alone is sovereign, and Christians can face spiritual warfare with clarity rather than fear because Christ and His grace are sufficient. For more episodes of Contending for the Word Q&A, visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/contending-for-the-word-qa/

Spiritual warfare is real, but Christians are not called to live in fear or become consumed with speculation about the demonic. Scripture calls believers to be sober-minded, watchful, and firmly grounded in the truth of God's Word. In this episode of Contending for the Word Q&A, Dave Jenkins examines what Scripture teaches about spiritual warfare. He explains why the Christian battle is not against flesh and blood, how the enemy works through deception and distortion of truth, and why biblical discernment is essential. Christians should neither ignore spiritual warfare nor see demonic activity behind everything. Instead, believers must recognize the reality of the spiritual battle while standing firm in Christ and trusting the sufficiency of Scripture. God has not left His people unprepared. He has given us His Word, and His Word is truth. For more from Contending for the Word Q&A, please visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/contending-for-the-word-qa/

Disciplines of a Godly Man is R. Kent Hughes's landmark call for men to pursue godliness through intentional, Spirit-empowered discipline. Writing 'man to man,' Hughes grounds his argument in 1 Timothy 4:7 — 'train yourself to be godly' — where the Greek word for 'train' (gumnazō) conjures the image of an athlete sweating in a gymnasium. This is no burden but a liberation: the same discipline that freed Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel or Churchill to give 'impromptu' speeches frees men to soar in the Spirit. Organized into five thematic sections — Relationships, Soul, Character, Ministry, and Discipline — the book moves through nineteen chapters covering purity, marriage, fatherhood, friendship, the mind, devotion, prayer, worship, integrity, the tongue, work, perseverance, the church, leadership, giving, witness, ministry, and the grace of discipline. Originally published in 1991 and revised for the 10th anniversary edition, the book addresses the statistical reality that men lag dramatically behind women in spiritual engagement, and calls the church to recover authentic masculine discipleship rooted in the gospel.

Every Christian man is engaged in a real spiritual battle. Scripture neither encourages an unhealthy obsession with demons nor permits believers to ignore spiritual opposition. Instead, the Lord commands His people to be strong in Him and to stand firm with the armor He provides. In this episode of Warriors of Grace, Dave Jenkins explains Ephesians 6:10–18 and shows how Christian men can face sin, temptation, fear, discouragement, pride, anger, passivity, and spiritual opposition with biblical courage. Victory does not come through human ingenuity, willpower, or self-confidence. Christian men fight from the finished victory of Jesus Christ. Through truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, salvation, Scripture, prayer, and fellowship in the local church, God supplies everything His people need to remain faithful. Stand firm in Christ, remain vigilant, and fight with the armor God provides. For more from Warriors of Grace, please visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/warriors-of-grace-podcast/

What is biblical wisdom, and how should it shape the Christian life? In this concluding episode through Proverbs, Dave Jenkins considers the major themes we have encountered throughout the book. Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord and means living rightly before God according to His Word. Proverbs repeatedly presents two paths: wisdom leading toward life and folly leading toward destruction. It teaches that wisdom touches our words, relationships, work, decisions, desires, and character. It also directs us inward to the heart while reminding us that the sovereign Lord directs our steps. Living wisely means fearing the Lord, remaining in His Word, guarding our hearts, watching our words, walking humbly, receiving correction, and choosing wisdom day after day. Yet Proverbs ultimately points beyond ourselves to Jesus Christ. We have not lived wisely or obeyed God perfectly, but Christ has. Jesus is not merely an example of wisdom. He is the wisdom of God. Through His death and resurrection, sinners are forgiven, transformed, and enabled to walk according to God's ways. Proverbs 9:10: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight." For more from Reading the Bible Daily with Dave, please visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/reading-the-bible-daily-with-dave/

I WAS BLIND, BUT NOW I SEE John 9 is more than the healing of a man born blind; it is a picture of what happens when Jesus opens the eyes of a sinner. The man was physically blind from birth, but his story also mirrors our spiritual condition. We are born unable to truly see Christ until He gives us sight. Jesus saw the man before the man could see Him, and what looked like a lifelong tragedy became a stage for the works and glory of God to be revealed. As the man's eyes were opened, the Pharisees could not deny that something had happened, so they tried to discredit the One who did it and then discredit the man himself. That is often how the world responds to genuine transformation. If people cannot deny the evidence of what Christ has done, they may attack the person who has been changed. But the man stood on the one thing he knew: "Though I was blind, now I see." He did not know everything about Jesus yet, but he knew enough to trust the One who had opened his eyes. His parents, however, were afraid of being rejected by the religious leaders. They could see that something had happened to their son, but fear kept them from openly standing with Jesus. Their response shows how the pressure of acceptance, reputation, family, or community can keep people from confessing Christ even when His work is plainly visible. The formerly blind man grew bolder as the questioning continued. His understanding of Jesus developed from calling Him "a Man," to "a prophet," to recognizing that He must be from God, and finally to confessing, "Lord, I believe," and worshiping Him. That progression beautifully pictures discipleship: Jesus opens our eyes, and as we follow Him, we increasing

Christian influencer culture has given individual voices extraordinary reach, but visibility is not the same as biblical faithfulness. At the same time, many Christians increasingly treat emotions, personal impressions, and phrases such as "God told me" or "the Lord showed me" as sources of spiritual authority. In this episode of Contending for the Word, Dave Jenkins examines why influence, feelings, and subjective experiences must never replace the authority of Scripture. He explains why Christians should test every teacher and spiritual claim by the Word of God, remain accountable within the local church, and cultivate discernment through Scripture, sound doctrine, prayer, and faithful Christian living. Feelings change. Influencers come and go. Human authorities are fallible. But God's Word remains. Christians find lasting stability not in personalities or experiences, but in Jesus Christ as revealed in the sufficient and authoritative Word of God. For more from Contending for the Word please visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/contending-for-the-word-podcast/

Proverbs 31 concludes the Book of Proverbs by showing what wisdom looks like when it is lived out in everyday life. In this episode of Reading the Bible Daily with Dave, Dave Jenkins explains how Proverbs 31 emphasizes wise leadership, faithful character, diligent living, care for others, and the fear of the Lord. The opening verses call leaders to exercise wisdom, protect the vulnerable, and pursue justice. The portrait of the excellent wife demonstrates strength, faithfulness, stewardship, generosity, and diligence. The chapter then brings everything back to the central foundation of biblical wisdom: fearing the Lord. Proverbs 31:30 declares, "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised." Ultimately, true wisdom is perfectly revealed in Jesus Christ. He leads righteously, serves humbly, lives faithfully, and perfectly honors the Father. Through Christ, sinners are forgiven and transformed into people increasingly characterized by godly wisdom. For more from Reading the Bible Daily with Dave, please visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/reading-the-bible-daily-with-dave/