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Top 218 matches for “discipleship”
10mZac Poonen · Aug 4
12mZac Poonen · Jun 10
10mZac Poonen · Oct 10
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13mZac Poonen · Nov 14
12mZac Poonen · Oct 27
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13mZac Poonen · Jul 14
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10mZac Poonen · Feb 24
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12mZac Poonen · Dec 7
for “discipleship” · CFC Daily Devotions
Zac Poonen · Aug 4, 2025 · 10m · CFC Daily Devotions
True repentance involves turning away from all idols—anything that takes God's rightful place in the heart—which the speaker equates to spiritual adultery. The greatest sin is failing to love God with one's entire heart, soul, and mind, rather than committing physical sins. The message warns that prioritizing worldly things, like early marriage, can become an idol that prevents one from fulfilling God's calling or becoming a true disciple.
Zac Poonen · Jun 10, 2024 · 12m · CFC Daily Devotions
Jesus' initial ministry began by fulfilling all righteousness, as exemplified by His baptism in the Jordan River. The speaker argues that while salvation comes through faith and repentance, believers must take the seemingly small aspects of Christian practice—like baptism, breaking bread, or head covering—seriously because they are part of God's plan to fulfill righteousness. Arrogance leads us to dismiss these practices as mere symbols, but Jesus viewed them as essential to His divine purpose.
Zac Poonen · Oct 10, 2025 · 10m · CFC Daily Devotions
The central message emphasizes that true church gathering, where Jesus is present, is not merely a large crowd but a group gathered by the Holy Spirit. The speaker warns against prioritizing money or worldly figures over God's presence and stresses that recognizing Christ's presence is vital for experiencing the fullness of joy found in God's presence. A key prerequisite for this experience is having a clear conscience, which requires forgiving others.
Zac Poonen · Jul 9, 2026 · 10m · CFC Daily Devotions
The central message emphasizes that true spiritual understanding and discipleship come not from academic knowledge of scripture, but from the illumination and revelation of the Holy Spirit. The speaker uses examples from Matthew 11:25 and Matthew 16 to show that God reveals truth to the humble, even those who are uneducated. Ultimately, knowing the Bible is less important than having a heart filled with the Holy Spirit's revelation.
Zac Poonen · Nov 14, 2024 · 13m · CFC Daily Devotions
The message emphasizes that true spiritual maturity and understanding come from learning obedience through suffering, drawing parallels from Jesus' life. The speaker warns that merely performing easy acts of piety, like attending church, does not equate to deep spiritual growth; genuine learning occurs in areas requiring self-denial and suffering. Therefore, to truly grow, one must embrace the difficult obedience that involves sacrifice.
Zac Poonen · Oct 27, 2024 · 12m · CFC Daily Devotions
The central message encourages believers to desire nothing more than to dwell in God's presence and behold His glory, citing Psalm 27. The speaker contrasts outward religious activity and ministry success with genuine spiritual depth, arguing that true worship involves simply sitting in God's presence rather than constantly serving or preaching. He urges the audience, especially senior members, to cultivate humility by regularly apologizing to others and to prioritize being a worshipper over being a minister.
Zac Poonen · Dec 10, 2024 · 12m · CFC Daily Devotions
The central message is that true spiritual progress involves a daily, conscious effort to become more Christlike in every area of life. The speaker emphasizes that this growth must be evident in relationships (like loving one's spouse as Christ loved the church) and in handling worldly concerns, such as money and enemies. Ultimately, the motive behind obedience, whether tithing or following commandments, is more important than the act itself, stemming from a love for Christ.
Zac Poonen · Dec 4, 2025 · 11m · CFC Daily Devotions
The central message emphasizes that God primarily requires honesty from His children, urging believers to eliminate pretense and hypocrisy in all aspects of life. True fellowship with God, which is the goal of Christ's sacrifice, is maintained by walking in the light, which begins with absolute honesty before God. The speaker uses examples like Adam's inability to confess his sin honestly and the Samaritan woman's honesty to illustrate this point.
Zac Poonen · Sep 23, 2025 · 10m · CFC Daily Devotions
The speaker uses the example of the dying thief on the cross to illustrate the importance of having a genuine reverence for God. He emphasizes that this reverence, described as the 'fear of the Lord,' is the fundamental basis for all wisdom, comparing it to learning the ABCs before moving to higher studies. He warns that many modern Christians skip this foundational learning, leading to instability, and urges the audience to prioritize learning to respect and revere God.
Zac Poonen · Oct 30, 2024 · 11m · CFC Daily Devotions
do we know that here's the difference if you're listening to the truths in the church like today or any other day and you don't take it seriously in your daily life life discipleship or anything else you're like a person who just wants
Zac Poonen · Aug 22, 2025 · 10m · CFC Daily Devotions
The most important goal in the Christian life is not merely reaching heaven, but being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, which is God's predestined destination for us. The speaker warns against getting sidetracked by good but secondary activities, such as evangelism or worship, if they distract from this ultimate goal. All aspects of Christian living—including service and praise—must fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle to reveal the complete picture of Christ's likeness in one's character.
Zac Poonen · May 13, 2024 · 11m · CFC Daily Devotions
The central message emphasizes that repentance is not just for the beginning of the Christian life but must be a continuous practice throughout it. The speaker argues that the ultimate goal of salvation is to become fully like Christ, which requires daily repentance in areas where we fall short. He stresses that true progress in faith is demonstrated by a willingness to repent constantly, as this is the last command given to the church in Revelation.
Zac Poonen · Jan 11, 2024 · 16m · CFC Daily Devotions
and his born again was a thorough New Birth and he was radically gripped by the message of discipleship that he heard in our midst his life changed more in 2 years than other people have changed in 20 years it's not a question of time it's a
Zac Poonen · Mar 6, 2025 · 11m · CFC Daily Devotions
foundation but he never built anything on it you read that in Luke 14 in the midst of the conditions of discipleship and the meaning there is this man accepted Christ Christ but never became a disciple so there was no super structure above the foundation the
Zac Poonen · Jun 10, 2025 · 9m · CFC Daily Devotions
The speaker emphasizes that true closeness to Jesus Christ is not based on popularity or external factors, but on personal sacrifice and deep commitment to Him. He draws parallels from Jesus choosing only Peter, James, and John for private moments, illustrating that intimacy with the Lord is reserved for those who fear Him and are willing to prioritize Him above all else. Ultimately, the message urges listeners to seek this personal, firsthand relationship with God, taking all received truth and asking the Lord to make it personally known to them.
Zac Poonen · Apr 21, 2024 · 11m · CFC Daily Devotions
The message emphasizes that living in the Spirit requires a daily, deliberate choice to walk by the Spirit rather than the flesh, which is not automatic. True life in Christ involves continually taking up the cross by allowing the 'sword' to fall on our self-life, which brings a delight similar to discarding garbage. This surrender is necessary for spiritual growth, discernment, and ultimately, life and peace.
Zac Poonen · Jul 22, 2025 · 9m · CFC Daily Devotions
The speaker emphasizes that believers must prioritize seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, promising that all other needs will follow. Effective prayer involves persistently crying out to the Lord for what Jesus purchased on the cross, focusing specifically on bringing in those who desire to be disciples, rather than praying broadly for entire regions. Furthermore, the speaker stresses the power of praying together in agreement and praying for the church to be purified by God, removing the proud and leaving only the humble.
Zac Poonen · Jul 14, 2024 · 13m · CFC Daily Devotions
True Christian fellowship with God is achieved not through emotional experiences or outward displays, but by consistently denying one's own will and taking up the cross daily. The speaker argues that genuine spirituality comes from this self-denial, which is tested in daily life, rather than from feelings evoked during worship. He warns against mistaking emotional manipulation (the 'Soul') for the genuine work of the Holy Spirit.
Zac Poonen · Jan 7, 2024 · 12m · CFC Daily Devotions
The speaker emphasizes that true knowledge of God's love comes not from quoting scripture, but from the spontaneous, trusting reliance of a child on a father. He interprets John 17:23 to mean that God's deepest love is reserved for those who are utterly obedient disciples, like the eleven apostles. This obedience involves following Christ's direction, whether it means giving up a sin or fulfilling a specific command, and those who are in this group are promised blessings far exceeding worldly provision.
Zac Poonen · Jul 14, 2025 · 10m · CFC Daily Devotions
The speaker emphasizes that major life decisions and ministry efforts should not be based solely on personal feelings or isolated verses, but must be confirmed within the body of Christ. He draws parallels from the calling of Paul and Barnabas, stressing the importance of seeking counsel from godly people. Ultimately, he advises believers to humble themselves and align their thinking with God's, recognizing that God's ways are vastly different from human ways.
Zac Poonen · Apr 12, 2024 · 9m · CFC Daily Devotions
The central message emphasizes that a strong church is built upon strong, godly homes. Key advice for marriage includes practicing forgiveness quickly and never going to bed angry. For parenting, the speaker stresses training children in the ways of the Lord by teaching them scripture, encouraging them often, and being present for them, especially during difficult teenage years.
Zac Poonen · Feb 24, 2025 · 10m · CFC Daily Devotions
The message outlines three progressive stages of the Christian life, using the Old Testament Tabernacle as an analogy: first, knowing Jesus as Savior from sin; second, being baptized into the Holy Spirit; and third, following Jesus as our Forerunner into God's presence. The speaker emphasizes that true Christian growth requires moving beyond merely escaping hell by actively seeking the Holy Spirit and following Christ's example in daily life, rather than just believing in Him.
Zac Poonen · Apr 21, 2025 · 9m · CFC Daily Devotions
The speaker urges listeners to prioritize listening to God daily, suggesting this requires dedicating time to God's word, like reading for 15 minutes daily. He emphasizes that spiritual strength is built not only by feeding on scripture but also by actively resisting the devil's schemes, comparing this to physical exercise. Knowing the enemy's tactics is crucial for spiritual warfare and building resilience.
Zac Poonen · Dec 7, 2024 · 12m · CFC Daily Devotions
The central message is that walking in the light, which signifies fellowship with God, requires absolute and ruthless honesty. God does not require perfect holiness initially; rather, He requires us to confess our sins honestly, calling them what they are—sin—and turning from them. The speaker emphasizes that calling sin a 'mistake' prevents cleansing, while confessing it as sin leads to immediate forgiveness.