“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” —John 8:31

We know that we are disciples of Christ, yet sometimes it’s difficult to define exactly what that means, and how it plays into evangelism. In Gospel-Centered Discipleship, Jonathan Dodson writes, “Jesus puts the gospel first, which leads to making and maturing disciples. He does not call people to evangelize first, making discipleship an optional second. Both evangelism and discipleship are gospel motivated.” Disciples are who we are, and evangelism is part of our roles as disciples. Being a disciple should be our identity, with commitment to God and evangelism being our role. Evangelism only lasts while we are here on earth, while our identity as disciples lasts forever. Our lives consist of both leading and following, all while keeping the gospel at the center. Jesus commands us to follow him, yet in the process we’re to bring others to follow him, too.

A disciple of Jesus is someone who learns the Gospel and communicates it to others. We see this in Jesus’ ministry on earth. Jesus proclaimed the same Gospel to his disciples and to crowds of nonbelievers. They weren’t learning how to be leaders; they were being taught the truths of the Gospel, which in turn filled them with a passion to lead for Christ’s sake.

“Disciples are gospel people who introduce and reintroduce themselves and others to the person and power of Jesus over and over again. A disciple of Jesus never stops learning the gospel, relating in the gospel, and communicating the gospel.” –Jonathan K. Dodson, Gospel-Centered Discipleship

As disciples, we should be constantly learning. We’ll never leave our role as students and become solely teachers of the gospel. And through our teaching, God brings us through experiences that challenge us and convict us to become even more knowledgeable. It’s a constant process of growing and refining, while leading up other disciples in the process.

Want to learn more about discipleship? Check out these resources on Vyrso:

• Gospel-Centered Discipleship
• Transformational Discipleship: How People Really Grow
• Mere Discipleship: Radical Christianity in a Rebellious World
• Breaking the Discipleship Code: Becoming a Missional Follower of Jesus

Get the world’s most popular translation, the New International Version, free through April 8.

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“To learn from Jesus means to follow Jesus. The church today seems to be more interested in those who are ambitious to lead than in those who are willing to follow.” –C. Gene Wilkes, Jesus on Leadership

Leadership begins with mission. Without a goal in mind, there is no need or motivation to lead. Effective leadership begins with an intimate relationship with God, and a passion to lead others into a relationship with him too. We require God’s help to lead people the way they need to be led, and he doesn’t expect us to do it alone.

Since we’re leading not alone but with the help of God, we are to begin by following Jesus’ example rather than our own ambitions. Jesus set a great example for us in the leadership of his disciples. He knew that they were trapped in their world’s way of seeing things, and he longed for them to see things God’s way. He began by teaching them to follow him. He wanted them to know that this was a choice they could make when leading others. Jesus’ way of leadership was confusing to them, because it didn’t align with the self-seeking way of leadership they had experienced in their own culture.

This type of leadership is just as foreign today as it was in Jesus’ day. We often view leadership as being in charge of others, rather than following and learning from others. As Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matt. 23:12). This isn’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of effective leadership; in fact, leadership is often the opposite of humbleness. However, biblical leadership begins with following Jesus and serving others.

If we are leading as Christ led, leadership shouldn’t be viewed as a position of power. Jesus didn’t see it this way, and neither should we. He was never self-seeking. He led first to serve God, and to carry out his mission. He wasn’t trying to gain control over those around him; rather, he was trying to carry out the will of his father. Jesus said, “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” Our goal in leadership should be just this—to carry out the will of God, no matter the cost.

To learn more about biblical leadership, check out some of Vyrso’s resources on leading for Christ:

• Courageous Leadership
• Jesus on Leadership
• On Church Leadership
• Spiritual Leadership

“While Christians are to be in the world, they are to live not in conformity to the standards of the world, but rather in obedience to the Father’s word, just as Jesus did. We are to be in the world, but not of the world. Our calling is to give ourselves to being made holy by the truth of God’s Word, by the wisdom of his laws, and by the power of his Spirit.” –Jerram Barrs, Learning Evangelism from Jesus

We are called to be in this world and not of it. Yet, Jesus doesn’t call us to withdraw and condemn unbelievers and our culture. He asks us to stop condemning the world and unbelievers, and to imitate him and to give our lives gladly to love and to serve non-Christians. As outlined in Jesus’ prayer in John 17, “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” Our goal should be to share with others the love which Jesus has shown to us.

This won’t be accomplished through judging others, or telling them how they should live their lives. We need to keep in mind that we’re no more deserving of God’s love than anyone else. And because of this, his desire is that we be like him, and that we commit ourselves to developing intimate relationships with non-Christians.

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.” –Colossians 3:12–15

Jesus came into this world full of rebellion against God, and made it his goal to reach the world with love. He didn’t come in and start comparing himself to others, or condemning them for the types of lives they were living. Rather, he became friends with those around him, and loved them for who they were.

If you’d like to equip yourself to evangelize like Jesus did, check out some of Vyrso’s ebooks on learning evangelism from Jesus:

• Jesus: the only way to God
• Learning Evangelism from Jesus
• Jesus Is: Find a New Way to Be Human
• The Mark of Jesus: Loving in a Way the World Can See

Evangelism can be challenging and intimidating, yet it’s something we’re called to do on a daily basis. Learning from others can be very helpful in preparing to share the good news. Here are some inspirational quotes from a few of our most popular evangelism ebooks:

1. “We believers in Jesus are commanded to take the good news of Jesus to every single person on the globe. We are commanded to love God and love others. And sometimes that requires risky boldness.”  –Bob Roberts Jr., Bold as Love

2. “Our attitudes of heart are always being judged by non-Christians. Unbelievers are drawing conclusions about Christ and about the truth of Christianity from everything we say and do.” –Jerram Barrs, The Heart of Evangelism

3. “Don’t be afraid to speak from personal experience; in many ways, those vulnerable moments will be the key that unlocks a hardened heart.” –Luis Palau, Telling the Story: Evangelism for the Next Generation

4. “Evangelism is not a spectator sport. We are all called to get into the game. God invites every follower of Jesus to get off the sidelines and onto the field.” –Kevin G. Harney, Organic Outreach for Ordinary People: Sharing Good News Naturally

5. “I’ve discovered that boldness has more than one definition. Usually we think of it as being brash and outspoken, confronting people with the gospel. But boldness really means doing what God has asked us to do in each situation, relying on his strength.” –Mike Bechtle, Evangelism for the Rest of Us: Sharing Christ within Your Personality Style

6. “Pure motives are extremely important. Our intentions must spring out of our passion to help others and share Christ, not to make ourselves look good to others or make us feel good about ourselves.” –Scott Dawson, Evangelism Today: Effectively Sharing the Gospel in a Rapidly Changing World

7. “Jesus excitement is good and needed, but Christian commitment is an absolute necessity. Don’t substitute cheers for deeds, words for the way, or language for a life. Lasting evangelism is the issue.” –Bailey E. Smith, Real Evangelism

Prepare yourself for better service by checking out some of these insightful resources on Vyrso.

If you engage in meaningful discussions with nonbelievers (and you should), you’re going to run up against tough questions about the Bible. When you do, don’t panic! Take a deep breath and remember these simple suggestions:

1. Be Composed

Adrenaline surges when you don’t know how to answer a question about your faith. The feeling that there’s a lot riding on your response, that you can’t afford to mess up, is natural. But remember, you don’t have to have all the answers. It’s always appropriate to acknowledge the question, offer to look into it, and get back to them.

2. Be Gracious

There are many times when how you respond is more important than what you say. Maybe their question is truly an area of struggle and they seriously desire your perspective, or maybe they’re just baiting you. Either way, it’s important that you show them respect by valuing their question. Not coming across condescendingly, defensively, or impatiently will speak volumes. You don’t have to win an argument here; you just have to care enough to answer thoughtfully.

3. Be Vigilant

Don’t always take a question at face value. Sometimes, with just a little sleuthing (don’t overdo it), you’ll find out that there are more important questions masquerading as theological ones. A question like “Where’s God when tragedy occurs?” may seem like a question about God’s goodness, but it may also hide a deeper question about a specific trauma. Getting to the real issue could be as easy as responding with, “Wow. That’s a really deep question. I’m curious if you have had an experience that leads you to this question.”

4. Be Prayerful

If they’re honest, most believers will tell you that they still struggle with their own questions. It isn’t necessarily a barrier to faith to not have an answer for every question. Sometimes you just have to do as Depression-era evangelist F. F. Bosworth suggested: “Believe your beliefs and doubt your doubts.” Pray the same thing for your friends. If they’re not able to have their doubts satisfied, then pray that it will not be an obstacle to their relationship with God.

5. Be Prepared

It’s good practice to have books that wrestle with these important questions in your reading rotation. It isn’t that they give you answers to parrot back to people; it’s that they help you learn how to think about these important questions. Keeping in the habit of reading books on apologetics has done a lot to help me think through philosophically dense questions for myself.

If you’re looking for books on tough questions, Vyrso has some fantastic resources on sale right now. Check out:

• Christian Apologetics
• 10 Answers for Skeptics
• Between Religious Rocks and Life’s Hard Places
• Defending Your Faith: An Introduction to Apologetics
• Reasons for Faith: Making a Case for the Christian Faith

The church in America is struggling. Church attendance, particularly among mainline denominations, is steadily declining.

Statistical data suggests that while nearly 70% of people 65 and up attend church regularly, the number drops to 15% for people aged 35–45. And religious pluralism, coupled with skepticism about issues like sex scandals and financial misconduct, has brought attendance among 18- to 34-year-olds to 4%.

This change in culture has made evangelism difficult. More and more Christians are afraid to share their faith for a number of reasons:

• Perceived resistance to the message
• Anxiety about one’s ability to communicate the Gospel
• Fear of rejection
• Struggle with personal doubt

Not only is introducing people to the life-giving Gospel message important, it’s the mission that Jesus left for the church (Matt.28:18–20). We cannot afford to be shrinking violets in the face of public scorn or institutional apathy. It’s as important as ever to develop a courageous and contagious faith.

Looking for ebooks to encourage, inform, and inspire you to share your beliefs? Look no further than Vyrso. You can save now on fantastic resources including:

• Telling the Story: Evangelism for the Next Generation by Luis Palau and Timothy L. Robnett
• The 7 Principles of an Evangelistic Life by Douglas M. Cecil and Howard Hendricks
• Evangelism after Christendom: The Theology and Practice of Christian Witness by Bryan P. Stone
• Conquer Your Fear, Share Your Faith: Evangelism Made Easy by Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort
• Evangelism for the Rest of Us: Sharing Christ within Your Personality Style by Mike Bechtle

It’s not too late to share your faith with those around you. Let Vyrso help you develop a strategy to tell others about the hope you have (1 Peter 3:15).

Today’s guest post is by Joanie Bruce, author of Alana Candler, Marked for Murder.

How did a housewife living on a dairy farm decide to write a nail-biting suspense/romance novel? It was a natural progression from years of being an avid reader and lover of books to wishing I could serve the Lord by writing.

As a Christian, I feel God entrusts each of us with a little corner of His kingdom here on earth. He wants us to praise Him, no matter the circumstances, and use the tools He gives us to serve Him in that corner.

My childhood dream was to serve the Lord in my little corner as a housewife and stay-at-home mom. Some would assume my corner would be very small and lacking much influence, but the desire to glorify the Lord with the talents and abilities He gave me was the inspiration behind many varied projects over the years, including playing musical instruments, painting portraits, and my most recent project: writing Alana Candler, Marked for Murder.

I grew up in the city. So when this big-time city girl married her small-town country boy, it was a huge challenge: moving from the city to the country, where you only went to town once a week and spent more time with the dairy cows than with your friends. But I loved it just the same. After I added three children to our little nest, my corner of the kingdom grew a little more as I served God by homeschooling and training my children to love the Lord. Each development gave me more and more influence in my children’s lives as we guided them along God’s narrow paths.

I was happy and content serving the Lord quietly in my expanded corner until the Lord placed another challenge before me. For years, when my children were young, I wrote stories for enjoyment. As far as I knew, Christian suspense books were nonexistent at that time, and I longed for fiction that combined suspense with romance. While searching for quality fiction, I stumbled on books that encouraged Christians in their walk and explained God’s love and forgiveness. This inspired me to attempt writing my own Christian fiction, with an additional twist—suspense.

The first chapter I wrote was the chapter in which Alana drowns in the lake. I wanted to see if I could make the chapter flow so that my readers would be sitting on the edge of their seats, waiting with anticipation to see what happened next. I laughed at myself because while trying to conjure up the right words to make the reader feel Alana’s fear, I scared myself. I was so surprised and thrilled that I started building a story and plot around that chapter. I strived throughout the book to entertain my readers and let them feel the emotions of each character. This book is dedicated to helping Christians see how they can praise God in even the hardest circumstances, and to sharing my faith with others who have never heard of God’s plan.

Looking back over the years, I see how God was using me with even the smallest tasks. And with every step, He was helping me to grow my own little corner of His Kingdom for His Glory and Praise. We all have God-given talents and abilities. Are you using yours to praise Him in your own little corner of the Kingdom?

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” —Matthew 6:33

Download Alana Candler, Marked for Murder from Vyrso today!

Have you ever tried to share your faith with a friend, coworker, or family member, only to have them respond with downright hostility? Those around you may reject your concern for them, and possibly even take it as offensive. My grandma isn’t a believer, and it can be heartbreaking to get up the courage to share the Gospel with her, only to have her cut me down. These situations can leave us feeling not only discouraged, but bitter toward those who are rejecting our offer to share the good news with them.

Even when we are rejected, the unbelievers in our lives should be able to tell by how we live that we truly care for them, and that they can depend on us to intercede for them with the only One who can truly change their hearts. Even though I know it makes her frustrated, I tell my grandma that I am praying for her on a regular basis. And I hope that one day she’ll come to realize that I don’t do this out of pushiness, but rather out of love for her.

“God, help me to learn to pray in power. Increase my faith to believe for the answers to my prayers. Enable me to become an intercessor for others—especially those who do not know You. I pray that everyone around me will be able to recognize by my life that I am a person of great faith and power in prayer, and that they can trust in the God to whom I pray.” —Stormie Omartian, The Power of Praying through the Bible

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” —Matthew 5:43–45

Stormie Omartian’s books have been tremendously helpful in my prayer life. If you’d like to make a step toward a more fulfilling prayer life, check out some of her resources:

• The Power of Praying through the Bible
• Seven Prayers That Will Change Your Life Forever
• The Power of a Praying Wife
• The Power of a Praying Husband
• The Power of a Praying Parent

We talked with John S. Dickerson, senior pastor at Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church, about his new book, The Great Evangelical Recession.

Vyrso Voice: You’re an award-winning journalist and senior pastor—how have you combined your two passions?

John S. Dickerson: This book combines journalistic research and pastoral Bible teaching in a unique way. I thank God that we have a number of great researchers and statisticians in the Christian community. We also have some gifted pastors who write. However, it’s rare that the two—researcher and pastor—meet in one book. The Great Evangelical Recession is unique in this way. The first six chapters gather, organize, and interpret research from dozens of experts—making sense of data that few people have time to wade through. The second half of the book is a pastor Bible study. It examines God’s Word to describe how we can adjust course in America. It’s specific and practical.

Vyrso Voice: Throughout your book, you provide readers with irrefutable data. What was the most influential piece of data you found?

John S. Dickerson: I think we all sense that the culture is rapidly changing. I was surprised to see just how fast it is changing. For example, a Gallup poll shows that between 1996 and 2011, Americans entirely flip-flopped on their view of same-sex marriage. In 1996, the majority opposed it. By 2011, the majority of Americans favored same-sex marriage. When you consider that this issue was a given in the United States for more than 200 years, that is a stunning rate of cultural change.

Vyrso Voice: You include “Six Trends of Decline” in your book; which one stands out to you most, and why?

John S. Dickerson: To me, it’s the meta- or megatrend. That is, the combined force of all these trends working at once. Other authors have highlighted some of the individual trends. For example, the fact that the Church is losing its young people: that has been well documented by David Kinnaman and Drew Dyck, among others. My heart in writing The Great Evangelical Recession was to connect the dots and inform thinking Christians that all these trends fit together. When we zoom out to see all these trends advancing simultaneously, we realize that we cannot simply continue doing American Church as we have known it.

Vyrso Voice: In addition, you provide “Six Solutions for Recovery.” What solutions can we start enacting right now?

John S. Dickerson: All six of the solution chapters can—and should—be implemented soon. They are unchanging scriptural truth that we have either forgotten or obscured because of our American cultural lenses. The first of those six solutions is to humble ourselves before the Lord. This requires us to embrace our weakness, as the Apostle Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 12. American Christianity is weaker than we thought, but this is a great opportunity for us to invite God into our weakness—so that He can show His power. As He told Paul, “My power is made perfect in weakness.”

Vyrso Voice: How has researching and writing on this topic challenged you personally?

John S. Dickerson: A few years ago, God called me to pastor a small church in a small city. I left journalism thinking that I would get to pastor a quaint church and have a blank slate to apply the principles in this book. God had other plans. He continues growing that church, every month and every year. As exciting as growth is, it seems that we are constantly playing catch-up just to love and care for the people He is bringing us. And so, my personal challenge is to apply the second half of this book in my own congregation. We have a long ways to go.

The Great Evangelical Recession is on sale for $6.99 through March 17. Download it today!