Discipleship 101

Tithing is a practice that has deep roots in religious traditions, specifically in Christianity. This practice holds significant spiritual and practical implications for believers. This article aims to explore the meaning and definition of tithing in the Bible, its historical significance, and its relevance in contemporary Christian faith. "Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce"   ( Proverbs 3:9 ) Definition of a Tithe The term "tithe" is derived from the Old English word "teogotha," which means "tenth." In biblical terms, tithing refers to the practice of giving a tenth, or 10%, of one's income or resources to support the work of the church or the religious community. Tithing has a rich history in the Bible and is found throughout the Old and New Testaments. Tithing in the Old Testament Abraham's Tithe : The concept of tithing can be traced back to the book of Genesis when Abraham offered a tenth of...

What Is the Daniel Fast? Daniel abstained from meat, bread, wine, and oils for his skin for 21 days ( Daniel 10:3 ; Daniel 9:3 ). These would have been things that satisfied Daniel, good food, and relief from dried skin. He abstained after being captured and brought to Babylon. It was likely the royal food was not kosher according to Daniel’s customs. When Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah, and other young Israelite men were taken into Nebuchadnezzar’s service, they were to be given food and wine from the king’s table while undergoing a three-year training program. “But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way” ( Daniel 1:8 ).  What Is a Partial Fast? A partial fast is also known as a three-day spiritual fast. We see examples of Daniel and his friends eating veggies, fruit, and drinking water for ten days. They used this fast to honor God while in captivity. Other...

Everyone of importance in the Bible practiced fasting: Moses, David, Elijah, Esther, Daniel, Anna, Paul, Jesus, just to name a few. When Jesus taught on fasting, He would say “When you fast” not “If you fast”. He assumed that we would fast. We were created with fasting, think about it, if you sleep 8 hours a day, then you are sleeping 1/3 of your life. If you live, say, 75 years, that’s 25 years asleep, or 9,125 days. When you sleep, you are fasting, that’s why morning meal is called breakfast – its when you break your fast. Fasting is abstaining from food for spiritual reasons. What Does the Bible Say about Prayer and Fasting? Jesus practiced fasting when he was tempted by Satan, ( Matt. 4:1-11 ;  Mark 1:12-13 ;  Luke 4:1-4 ). During those 40 days of loneliness, “He ate nothing” ( Luke 4:2 ). In fact, the earlier mention of fasting in the Old Testament were the instructions God gave Moses after leading his people to freedom in  Exodus 13:3 ,  “Then Moses said to the...

Your story is authentically and uniquely you . It’s versatile and can be used in a variety of situations—from sharing with an individual to addressing a group. It’s not a debate, it’s not pushy, it’s not fake, and it doesn’t feel like religious propaganda, since it’s coming from your heart. Very rarely will people argue with you about your story. In fact, they’re more likely to engage and ask clarifying questions, which in turn pushes the dialogue about Jesus to a more personal level. Six Simple Principles If you’ve never thought about preparing and communicating your story, that’s fine (most Christians haven’t). Here are six simple principles to get you started. 1. Keep it short. Communicating too many details about your life can distract listeners from the central point: how you met Christ. Keeping it short can help with that. Three minutes is a good target. Remember that the purpose of telling your story is not about you; it’s about God. Clearly and succinctly commu...

Principles for Evangelism The book of Acts is the church’s “playbook” for how to spread the gospel. Acts 8 is one of the key chapters in Luke’s narrative. It describes how the early disciples, forced out of Jerusalem by persecution, spread the gospel in the surrounding area ( Acts 8:1–4 ) and how Philip the Evangelist ( Acts 21:8 ) preached the gospel in the city of Samaria ( Acts 8:5–8 ) and to a eunuch from Ethiopia ( Acts 8:26–40 ). This chapter suggests seven important principles for sharing our faith with others. 1. Seize the moment. Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.— Acts 8:4 The word “preaching” may be a bit misleading. This doesn’t mean people were standing behind pulpits giving sermons. The word is euangelizo (the word from which we get evangelism) and it simply means “tell the good news.” But notice that they did this when they were scattered because of persecution. In other words, they were suffering. They were uprooted from the comm...