When our first granddaughter was born 24 years ago we were thrilled with her arrival into our family as we have also been with the 11 additional grandchildren that followed her in subsequent years. Soon after her birth I was reflecting on the kind of world I would leave for her someday. I soon realized that my generation had not done a very good job of reaching unbelievers and making disciples. All the evidence around me pointed to a world that was heading in exactly the wrong direction and to some extent I felt responsible. I began to wonder what I could do about this situation?

I have a friend who is a devout follower of Jesus and a committed disciple-maker. A neighbor of hers recently asked about the terrible state of the world and what could be done? The recent upheaval in Israel was troubling her and caused her to reach out to my friend for advice. With no background as a Jesus follower and no foundation in the Scripture this woman has no hope. In fact the world situation looks entirely hopeless to her. In desperation she is seeking answers from a disciple of Jesus.

When Dr. Luke wrote the above caption from the book of Acts he pulled a direct quote from Joel 2:28. We are living in the last days Joel and Luke were talking about. The question is, do we see any evidence of God pouring out his Spirit?

It caused me to pause when the above statement was made recently by a colleague in ministry. Why is God's favorite number zero?

There is something very special about leading someone into a salvation experience with Jesus Christ. And even when we are not the one who has this privilege, we are equally as excited when we hear stories about someone repenting and setting their life on a new direction as a citizen of heaven.

In my personal devotional journey I have arrived in Revelation 4 and 5. Sometimes I get stuck in a Scripture and cannot move on for a period time. I am having one of those experiences these days.

The captioned verse from 1 Thessalonians is a reminder to us that every word or thought is heard by God. As we go throughout our days it is a good reminder to include God in our thoughts and words. Prayer does not need to be confined to a special time of the day, although it is good to set aside times to pray. Prayer can happen constantly with Jesus our constant companion.

It was youth Sunday at the church Darlene and I attend. The youth music team sang a song at the conclusion that I had never heard before. One of the verses is captured above.

At times there is a sense that we are part of something very significant that God is doing. Today is one of those days. As I arrived in my office today I greeted with three amazing reports of recent events. They are prime examples of what happens when people get serious about changing culture by evangelism and discipleship. I will share two stories with you today.

I like this definition of discipleship that a friend recently shared with me, a disciple is:

Someone who is following Jesus

Someone who is being changed by Jesus

Someone who is committed to Jesus' mission

I was raised in the church. I was taught values by my parents. Even as a child, I would have been considered someone who was a follower of Jesus. But my life really changed when I made a conscious decision to become a disciple of Jesus Christ.

I am reminded of a story reported to me about a lady in a remote place. Unfortunately, I don't remember her name. When our director went to her village she was one of the people in the class being trained as a disciple maker. After the training she clutched the discipleship book to her chest and proclaimed:

"I can do this."