There is a spiritual battle taking place right now.  Our adversary is skilled and conniving in his attack.  We must resolve to avoid ignorance of his schemes and learn how to follow Jesus' instructions as we are swept up in this war.

Our God is an unshakeable refuge.  Too often we are presented with other options for safety and security in this life, but everything will fail eventually - except for God.  We ought right now find in Him our treasure and glory.

The Great Commission from our Lord offers the church the necessary means of making disciples.  However, we as followers of Jesus are still deficient in transforming the hearts of lost.  We requires supernatural power that can only be provided by God.

Throughout the spread of the church, beginning in Jerusalem, there have always been both short term and long term missionaries.  Both of these roles help serve the purpose of planting new churches, and strengthening existing ones.

Jesus gave his followers two essential components for making disciples.  The New Testament writers would often address their readers by citing the first component of right thinking or doctrine, to be immediately followed by the practical implications of teaching disciples how to live Godly lives.

The task of making disciples has been outlined by Jesus.  His clear and foundational commission does not require amendments or additions, rather making disciples is a matter of obedience for the church's commitments to orthodoxy and orthopraxy.

The work of missions hasn't ever been easy.  From the beginning, the call to go to all peoples would require a complete trust in Jesus' authority and a yielding to His call to even go outside of our comfort zones.

Making disciples is the purpose of the church, and it goes far beyond the simple pronouncement of the gospel.  It requires the multifaceted outworking of the Spirit through the whole of Christ's body (the church) to shape for God those existing followers who will grow up to help establish more new followers in the faith.

Jesus' commission to go make disciples is the defining call of the Christian.  However, a misunderstanding of this command will leave us missing the mark of God's design, for He desires not only to use us in growing His church, but to grow US through the very process.