<![CDATA[PLANTING THE GOSPEL - Blog]]>Thu, 28 May 2026 16:49:07 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[THE TWO CONFESSIONS:​WHY CONFESSION WITHOUT SURRENDER FAILS]]>Wed, 15 Oct 2025 19:15:29 GMThttps://www.plantingthegospel.com/blog/the-two-confessionswhy-confession-without-surrender-failsThe Two Confessions:
​Why Confession Without Surrender Fails
"If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” -Romans 10:9

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say" – Luke 6:46
The Problem: Confession Without Surrender

Modern Christianity has mastered the language of confession but forgotten the practice of surrender. We’ve made becoming a Christian sound like a momentary decision rather than a daily devotion. We’ve taught people to say Jesus is Lord without teaching them to live as if He is King. This has produced a generation of believers who are spiritually informed but not spiritually transformed. Confession without surrender is like declaring allegiance to a king but never entering his kingdom.
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The First Confession: Jesus Is the Messiah

Every disciple begins with an initial confession: Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. This is the moment of new birth, the awakening of faith, the turning point of redemption. But for many, this confession has been reduced to mere verbal affirmation, a statement disconnected from genuine repentance and obedience. When Peter declared Jesus as the Messiah (Matthew 16:16), Jesus celebrated his confession but immediately pointed him toward the cross. True confession leads to a crucified life, a life that denies self, takes up the cross, and follows Jesus daily (Luke 9:23). We are not simply inviting people to believe in Jesus’ existence but to entrust their existence to Him. This is the doorway to redemption.

The Second Confession: Jesus Is Lord...Daily

The first confession births us into the Kingdom. The second confession, our daily surrender, keeps us walking in it. Jesus didn’t call people to make a one-time decision; He called them to follow. He invited His disciples to confess His lordship every single day by surrendering to His leadership, His Word, and His will. This is what we call the Lordship Rhythm, a rhythm of daily surrender to King Jesus. In our 5.3.2 framework, the first and most essential rhythm of a disciple-maker’s life is Daily Surrender (Lordship Rhythm). Practically speaking, we help people do this by reading one chapter from the Gospels each morning, listening to Jesus, obeying His words, and sharing what He’s doing. They listen, hear, obey, and share.  When we confess Jesus as Lord through daily surrender, we are not just believing in Him; we are becoming like Him. This rhythm turns belief into behavior and confession into transformation.

Two Confessions, One Kingdom

Confession: Jesus is the Messiah
Description:Our initial declaration of faith; the moment we are born again.
Result: Redemption-entering the family of God.

Confession: Jesus is Lord
Description: Our daily surrender to King Jesus through obedience.
Result: Renewal – walking in the Kingdom life.

Both confessions are necessary. The first brings us into a relationship; the second brings us under rule. The first is a birth; the second is a lifestyle. Without both, we fall short of the Kingdom Jesus came to establish.

Disciple-Making and the Two Confessions

Our call as disciple-makers is not merely to help people make the first confession, but to train them in the second. We don’t just help people say Jesus is Lord, we teach them to live as if He is. That’s why we disciple people around the rhythms of surrender and accountability:

1. Daily Surrender (Lordship Rhythm) – Hearing and obeying Jesus through Scripture.
2. Weekly Accountability (Micro-Group Rhythm) – Confessing and encouraging one another to stay surrendered.

When we help people confess to Jesus daily through surrendered living, we’re forming disciples who not only believe the gospel but embody it.

The Invitation

Jesus doesn’t just want a confession; He wants your allegiance. He’s not looking for fans who admire Him from a distance, but followers who walk in His footsteps. The first confession invites you into salvation; the second invites you into transformation. If we want to see disciple-making movements multiply, we must disciple people into both confessions. That’s how we turn believers into followers, followers into disciple-makers, and disciple-makers into movement makers. Because the Kingdom doesn’t come through a momentary confession, it comes through daily surrender.

Reflection Questions for Disciple-Makers:

1. How have we emphasized the first confession (salvation) without teaching the second (daily surrender)?

2. What rhythms or tools help you practice daily surrender to King Jesus?

3. How can your micro groups help others move from belief to obedience?
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4. What would change in your church if every believer practiced daily surrender to King Jesus? 

Want to learn more?
Sign up for our free workshop "Outward-Focus Disciple-Making" on October 23rd, 2025 from 1PM to 2:30PM ET​
Register Now!
]]><![CDATA[Outward-Focus Disciple-Making]]>Mon, 15 Sep 2025 20:21:26 GMThttps://www.plantingthegospel.com/blog/outward-facing-disciple-makingOutward-Focus Disciple-Making
​Churches across the U.S. are eager to embrace new approaches to disciple-making. Many love the idea of micro-groups, relational disciple-making, and obedience-based practices. Yet there’s one persistent challenge: most churches instinctively disciple those already inside their walls while avoiding those on the outside.
This is not how Jesus began. For Jesus, disciple-making started with those far from God. His invitation to fishermen, tax collectors, and outsiders set the pattern: discipleship is not an internal program for the already convinced, but a discovery process for the not-yet-believing.

Two Different Goals, Two Different Approaches

​One of the common mistakes churches make is trying to disciple people who are far from God in the same way we disciple those who are already following Jesus. Both groups need discipleship, but the goals differ:
  • For those who already follow Jesus, the goal is daily surrender to King Jesus -the Lordship rhythm that forms the foundation of Kingdom life. We disciple believers to hear His voice, obey His Word, and walk in His ways every day.
  • For those far from God, the goal is discovery of who Jesus is and what it means to embrace Him and His Way. Here, discipleship begins with exposure to the Gospels by asking simple discovery questions about specific stories you read together:
    • What does this story say about God?
    • What does this story say about people?
    • If this is really God’s word, what changes would I have to make in my life? 
    • Who can you share this story with? 
This isn’t about imparting religious knowledge, but about inviting people into an encounter with the living Christ.

One Framework, Adaptable Tools

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​At Planting the Gospel, we use the same 5.3.2. Disciple-Making Framework across all our disciple-making efforts:
  • Five principles: 1) simple enough to reproduce, 2) the Gospel as our curriculum, 3) the Holy Spirit as our teacher, 4) following Jesus as our objective, and 5) relationships as our vehicle.
  • Three relationships: 1) I invite you, 2) you invite someone, and 3) together we form a micro-group.
  • Two rhythms: 1) daily surrender to King Jesus and 2) weekly accountability to one another.
This framework doesn’t change. What changes are the tools we use depending on the type of disciple on our Disciple-Makers Pathway - pre-disciples, new disciples, growing disciples, disciple-makers, and catalytic disciple-makers.
  • With disciples, we use tools like the Gospel Disciple Life Journal and the Disciple-Makers Journal to establish daily surrender and weekly accountability.
  • With pre-disciples, we use the Discovery Jesus Journal, designed to ask Discovery Bible Study-type questions and simple Gospel readings to foster discovery and openness.
In both cases, the process is relational, reproducible, and designed for multiplication.
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Why This Matter

When churches only disciple insiders, they create a closed system that struggles to multiply. When churches focus outward, disciple-making becomes a missionary movement that reaches neighborhoods, workplaces, gyms, schools, and families.
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Bigger programs will not define the future church, but ordinary believers equipped to disciple both insiders and outsiders, adapting their approach while remaining faithful to the same simple framework.
Outward-focus disciple-making is not an optional add-on. It is the way of Jesus.

 Join the movement.

​Sign up for our free workshop, Outward Focus Disciple-Making, on October 23, 2025, from 1 PM to 2:30 PM ET.  
​
You can grab our new Disciple-Makers Journal here. 
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]]><![CDATA[Carrying the Right Yoke]]>Wed, 13 Aug 2025 11:47:58 GMThttps://www.plantingthegospel.com/blog/carrying-the-right-yokeEscaping False Yokes to Embrace the Jesus Way


“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” - Matthew 11:29


We are all making disciples. Whether you are a parent, pastor, business leader, student, or retiree, your life is shaping others. The question is:

What kind of disciple are you becoming, and therefore reproducing?


If we want to re-disciple the church, we must first take an honest look at the yokes we’ve been carrying. Many believers are weighed down by distorted discipleship models inherited from history, culture, and tradition. These models bear little resemblance to the way of Jesus.


Jesus’ invitation to “take my yoke” is not only personal, it’s foundational for forming disciples who will multiply His Kingdom. But before we can live it out, we must first lay down the false yokes we’ve been carrying.


Five False Yokes We Must Lay Down
1. Moralism - The Pharisee Lens: Obedience Without Relationship
In Jesus’ day, the Pharisees were passionate about holiness, but their discipleship was rule-based, performance-driven, and external. They believed following all 613 laws was the way to earn God’s favor.
Today, moralism still persists in churches where discipleship is judged by behavior modification and conformity to religious norms. It fosters cultures of shame and self-righteousness.
The Jesus Way: Grace-based transformation. Jesus starts with the heart, not just behavior. His disciples obey out of love and intimacy, not obligation.


2. Activism - The Zealot Lens: Mission Without Surrender
The Zealots tried to impose the Kingdom's reality through political resistance. Today, activism appears in discipleship that is full of action but lacking in abiding.
The Jesus Way: Being before doing. Lasting Kingdom work flows from deep surrender and connection to Jesus.


3. Isolationism - The Essene Lens: Purity Without Presence
The Essenes withdrew from society to prevent cultural contamination. Today, this mindset results in followers who hide from the world instead of engaging with it to bring redemption.
The Jesus Way: Incarnational presence. “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you” (John 20:21).


4. Compromise - The Sadducee Lens: Relevance Without Conviction
The Sadducees aligned with Rome, downplaying spiritual truths to keep influence. Today, compromise produces disciples who blend in so well with culture that they lose their distinctiveness.
The Jesus Way: Bold faithfulness. A disciple is set apart, marked by holy love and unwavering truth.


5. Consumerism - The Modern Western Lens: Following Without Cost
Consumerism disciples believers to consume religious goods without embracing sacrifice. The church becomes a vendor; the believer becomes a customer.
The Jesus Way: Costly surrender. “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves…” (Luke 9:23).


Take His Yoke: The Only Way Forward
Moralism, activism, isolationism, compromise, and consumerism. These are heavy yokes that distort the way of Jesus. He offers us a different yoke: light, because He carries it with us.
This is the heart behind the 5.3.2 Disciple-Making Method:


5 Principles
  • Simple enough to reproduce
  • The Gospel is our curriculum
  • The Holy Spirit is our Teacher 
  • Following Jesus is our objective
  • Relationships are our vehicle 


3 Relationships
  • I invite you into a disciple-making relationship 
  • You invite someone else into our relationship 
  • We form a micro-group of three


2 Rhythms
  • Daily surrender to King Jesus 
  • Weekly accountability to one another

Becoming Before Reproducing
We cannot make Kingdom disciples if we are not living Kingdom lives.
Before we multiply, we must abide. Before we teach others to follow Jesus, we must walk closely with Him ourselves.

Only when we are living the Jesus Way can we authentically call others into it.


Pause and Reflect
  • Which yoke do I most often carry?
  • How has it shaped the way I follow Jesus and the kind of disciples I’m making?
  • What would it look like for me to fully take on His yoke today?


For more information or to schedule a free disciple-making coaching call, email david@plantingthegospel.com.
]]><![CDATA[The Keys to the Kingdom]]>Tue, 08 Jul 2025 17:04:09 GMThttps://www.plantingthegospel.com/blog/the-keys-to-the-kingdomDuring a recent trip, my daughter lost my keys. Luckily, we had my wife’s set, so it didn’t ruin the entire day, but it was still annoying. They disappeared between climbing out of the truck and walking through an outdoor mall. She retraced every step, checked every store, and asked every worker, but the keys were nowhere to be found. Here’s the thing: keys matter. They give you access to what’s already yours. Without them, you’re locked out. You might have full rights to something, but no way in. You’re stuck. Or worse, you waste time and energy trying to force your way in.

Jesus said something powerful to His disciples:
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven…”
— Matthew 16:19

That’s not just a spiritual soundbite. That’s a game changer. But for many believers, it ends up in what I call the “mystery box”, one of those things we nod at but don’t understand or live into. So, we admire the idea of the Kingdom, but rarely experience its reality.

I don’t believe Jesus ever intended for the Kingdom to be a mystery. And he didn’t give us the keys to hang them on the wall. He meant for us to use them every day.
 
Accessing the Kingdom Today

The Kingdom isn’t just a future hope; it’s a present invitation. It’s where Jesus reigns now. His presence changes lives, marriages, families, and communities. Without access, we’re left with a religion that lacks intimacy, fruit, and power. We settle for activity that lacks impact. We replace belief with obedience. We fill our calendars but miss the Kingdom. But here’s the good news: Jesus didn’t just preach the Kingdom...He gave us the keys.

So, what are they?

The Keys Are Simple: Hear. Obey. Share.

If we want to live the life Jesus offers, not just someday in heaven but today on earth, then we need to reclaim these three simple yet powerful keys:

Hear – The first key is learning to listen. Not just reading Scripture for information but listening for transformation. Every morning, we open the Gospels and ask, “Jesus, what are You saying to me today?” Hearing His voice is how we begin to walk in the Kingdom.

Obey — Jesus made it clear: “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice…” (Matt. 7:24). Obedience is how we step through the door. Without obedience, we remain outside, knowing the truth but never living it.

Share – The final key is sharing what Jesus does and says in us. We open the door for others through simple conversations, acts of kindness, or intentional relationships. This is how the Kingdom multiplies. This is the way of movement.
 
Why It Matters

A disciple who doesn’t learn to hear, obey, and share will eventually settle for something less. They may be sincere but stuck, busy doing church things, but missing Kingdom life. They may know all the right answers but never walk in the authority, presence, and power of King Jesus.

That’s why daily surrender is foundational. It’s not just a good habit, it’s the gateway to the Kingdom. We call it the Lordship rhythm: hear His voice, obey what He says, and share it with others. This rhythm is the keystone habit of every disciple-maker. Everything else in the Gospel Disciple Life flows from here.

The Kingdom comes one life at a time.

When we hear, we gain access.
When we obey, we enter in.
When we share, we become Kingdom gatekeepers, opening the way for others.

And here’s the beauty: You don’t need to be a pastor, a theologian, or a spiritual expert. You just need to be a surrendered disciple. When we equip everyday people to hear, obey, and share, we place the keys in their hands.

Let’s stop misplacing the keys in the mystery box.
Let’s pick them up. Use them. And give them away.
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The Kingdom is waiting.]]><![CDATA[Re-Disciple: Creating a Culture and Practice of Disciple-MakinG]]>Tue, 03 Jun 2025 13:59:29 GMThttps://www.plantingthegospel.com/blog/re-disciple-creating-a-culture-and-practice-of-disciple-makinJesus gave the Church a clear and compelling mission: “Go and make disciples of all nations… teaching them to obey everything I have commanded” (Matthew 28:19-20). And yet, according to discipleship.org, in the U.S. today, less than 5% of churches report having a culture of disciple-making. This is more than a leadership challenge. It’s a crisis of mission, vision, and obedience.

The Problem: We’ve Drifted from the Mission
Many churches are busy with services, programs, and Bible studies, but activity isn’t the same as transformation. People can attend for years without ever being equipped to make disciples. Information alone doesn’t change lives. Jesus modeled a relational, intentional approach based on hearing, obeying, and sharing. He didn’t build a crowd; He formed disciples who made disciples.

What’s Gone Wrong?
Performance Has Replaced Presence
Churches have become mostly about the weekend, where pastors become the performers and the people become the spectators. We must return to Jesus-style disciple-making, where people are equipped, empowered, and sent.

We’ve Created Consumers, Not Missionaries
Most Christians enjoy worship and teaching but never see themselves as everyday missionaries created to enter the harvest, plant the gospel, and make disciples where they live, work, play, and study.

We’re Using the Wrong Scorecard
We often measure our success as churches based on worship attendance and financial contributions. What if we developed a Great Commission Scorecard with an endgame of gospel saturation? What if we redesigned our scorecard to include: the quality of disciples-made, disciple makers, and ordinary people living sent as missionaries?

We’ve Made Disciple-Making a Staff Role
Pastors and staff are considered disciple-makers in many of our churches, and the people are the disciples. What if we began to see the role of disciple-maker as every person’s calling and responsibility?

The Good News: There’s a Way Forward
Disciple-making movements (DMMs) flourish worldwide in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. They’re built around simple, reproducible practices fueled by obedience, prayer, and ordinary people. It’s time we learn from these global movements and reimagine the church around Jesus’ way of making disciples.

Introducing: The Re-Disciple Cohort
A 6-Month Coaching Experience for Church Leaders Who Are Ready to Shift from Programs to Disciple-Making. This isn’t another ministry program. It’s a catalytic process designed to help your church.

Our Deliverables:
- Assess your disciple-making culture
- Practice Jesus-Style Disciple-Making
- Build your own Disciple-Maker’s Pathway
-Align your Culture around Disciple-Making
- Develop your Disciple-Making Plan

Each month includes:
- 90-minute live cohort session
- Actionable frameworks, tools, and coaching
- Real-time implementation with peer support
- Stories from leaders who are making the shift

Is This for You?
This cohort is for pastors, planters, and leaders who are:

-Discontent with church-as-usual
-Hungry to see real transformation
-Ready to trade performance for presence
-Willing to lead their church into a new future

Ready to Re-Disciple Your Church?
The Church doesn’t need more programs, it needs a movement. If we don’t re-disciple the Church, we’ll continue to drift. But if we do, we might witness a fresh move of God in our generation.

Let’s return to Jesus-style disciple-making's simplicity, beauty, and power. For more information or to sign up for the next Re-Disciple Cohort HERE.

​Spots are limited to ensure depth, interaction, and real transformation.]]>