Discipleship Tape Ministries

In this lesson we will look at a particular part of the Body that God cares a great deal about – children, in particular hurting children. God intends for us to seriously consider the way we deal with children on a day to day basis, and the way we minister to them as a Church. We will look at six ways that God views children. In light of how God views children, we will also look at how we should t...

As we look at the familiar portion of Scripture that deals with the death of Lazarus, we see Jesus as our model of sensitivity in the midst of grief. Jesus’ spirit was deeply troubled at the death of Lazarus, but He did not move until God’s timing was perfect. He knew Lazarus was about to be raised again, but His heart was grieved that those He loved were hurting. We are given the challenge to dis...

This is the first in a series of messages about sensitizing the Church to minister to those who are hurting. In future lessons, we will look at ministering to those who are grieving and lonely, those children crying out to be themselves in a cookie-cutter world, crumbling marriages, the life of the elderly and dying, and those people the world considers “different”. We will look to see the balance...

The New Testament church was not characterized by programs, but by power. It was that amazing thing called grace that enabled a band of nobodys – who had nothing but God – to turn their world upside down. Only God could change the world, and if He were to use the likes of them, it would only be by grace. He calls, He enables, and He it is that is to receive the glory. Although the devil would try...

We believe that God’s grace is sufficient for salvation, but we often fail to believe that the same grace can deliver us from the same bondage to the same enemy who once held us captive. We need to take a fresh look at God’s indwelling grace. Are you still chafing under the guilt of sins long since forgiven? Are you using God’s grace to resist the devil in a time of temptation? There is always a w...

Grace in adversity. We have all experienced it or will experience it as Christians. Will God take circumstances away? Not necessarily. Sometimes grace is the ability to endure without defeats of self-pity or bitterness. It could be a calmness that comes over our souls as the storms intensify. One thing we know is that God’s grace is sufficient. What is the purpose behind granting grace through adv...

Grace: It is God’s power implanted in a human body for divine purposes. It is alive in you and me – doing what we cannot do, being what we cannot be. How can we grow in grace? How can we live in the freedom of God’s grace? Like growing up physically, it requires nourishment, exercise and certain experiences that require us to make decisions and live by the results of those decisions. We cannot, bu...

Amazing Grace – what is it all about? We talk a lot about grace, but do we actually understand it. How do we become recipients of God’s grace? What are the four elements that must be remembered for grace to be grace? What are the four enemies of grace? For the next several lessons we will look at the grace life and see how it functions. Read lesson: 1241B

Mercy. It defies every basic characteristic of the natural man. No other attribute of God more greatly benefits sinful man than this one. It is that aspect of God’s nature that allows Him to temper His wrath without compromising His holiness. What does the mercy of God do? Why does God do it? The mercy of God is ours for the asking. Find out how you, too, can experience the mercy of God. Read less...

Holy is our God. What does that mean? Why does the One who created heaven and earth call Himself “Holy”? If God is holy, and we were created to reflect His likeness, shouldn’t we also live a life of holiness? We need to recapture a sense of the holiness of God in the Church today. As we do, we, like Moses, will be standing on holy ground in awe of the presence of our God. ⁠Read lesson: 1240B

God never changes. He is eternal. He is immutable. He is God. Were He to change, He could not be God. Were He to be bound by time, He could not be God. The very essence of His being demands that He be eternal and immutable. Understanding what that means can literally transform our lives. Read lesson: 1240A

What does God know? He knows everything. He knows everything that ever happened, is happening, or will happen. He knows our every thought, and the secret motives of our hearts are clear to Him. Because He knows, we need not hide from God, but rather find rest in Him. He knows everything about us and loves us. Read lesson: 1239B

Power! We see God’s power at work in nature all around us in hurricanes, tornadoes, the very sun rising in the morning. God never gets tired. He never gets weary. His power never needs to be replenished. He does what He does without effort, and He does not need our aid to accomplish His purposes. However, God has taken the vehicle of His power, His spoken Word, and made it available to us. Yes, Go...

In our first look at God’s nature, we will look at His supremacy: that aspect of His being that so sets Him apart from man that comparisons with man become meaningless. Snapshots from God’s Word will give us a clue to the incomprehensible nature of God. Though we will not know from this side of heaven all of His marvelous power, we are nonetheless to give our lives to progressively coming to know...

How big is God? How powerful is God? How wise is He? The issue at stake is “how well do we know our God?” Until we progressively come to see Him as He is, we will live in frustration and fear. However, the more we know of Him, we will also see the magnificent life of victory as we rest in Who He is. Read lesson: 1238A

Having a “White Christmas” is more than seeing snowflakes falling on the barren ground. As the Fontaine family found out, Christmas is more than snow, and carols, and lights, and trees, and gift-giving. A truly “White Christmas” comes through the gift of God through Jesus Christ. Through His shed blood on the Cross, we can become “whiter than snow” on the inside. The Fontaines found that Christmas...

Once we get a grasp on the Christian life, we often begin to “camp” on one position or another. On the one hand, there are the “doers” in the Body of Christ who determine that if we are to serve as believers, we must get out there and do a work for God. There are others who tune into a surrendered Christian life and are certain that the way to rewards is rest. The achieving of that balance is what...

Paul in his letter to Timothy emphasizes that real godliness is characterized by a spirit of contentment. Your real pleasure should come in doing the will of God, not in the things which money can buy. It is the absence of concern over temporal success. The problem most of us face is relative contentment. We would like to be satisfied with our lot in life, but all around us are people who have mor...

What is a slave to do? The issue is really respecting those in authority, because all authority is given by God. The natural response of man is diametrically opposed to the response that would most glorify God. It does not mean that the Church ignores moral wrongs, but how we conduct ourselves under authority even as we move towards change is of primary importance to God. Read lesson: 1228B

Sin is the one word we don’t like to mention. Paul’s warning to Timothy about sin is that “Some men’s sins are evident; other men’s sins follow after them to the judgement.” Don’t try to judge spirituality by popularity or prosperity or even productivity. Most of all, don’t ever be satisfied with the level of purity and transparency in your own heart. It is our sin that separates us from God. Make...

Paul is dealing with issues concerning the church in 1 Timothy. He seems to miss nothing. His letter even addresses paying the staff of the church. What is Paul talking about when he speaks of honoring our pastor? Does that also include our missionaries? Another matter that Paul brings up in this section of Scripture is that of rebuking an elder or pastor. God gives us practical guidelines on both...

What is the responsibility of the children to their parents? Does the widow, herself, have any responsibilities? How about the church? What is its role in this matter? God does have a plan for the care of those He loves. He is a God of order and even in the matter of the care of the widows, He, Himself, has given us through His Word a practical way of ministering to their needs. Read lesson: 1227A

God has a special place in His heart for widows. Paul in his letter to Timothy exhorts the church in how to care for the widows. Throughout all of Scripture God not only promises to defend the widow, He commands His children to do the same. It is with this thought in mind that we look at how this special group of people is to be cared for. May we pay attention. Read lesson: 1226B

Do you like to read the end of the story first? If so, this is a lesson you will enjoy, because we have been given the ending to our story here on Earth. He lets us in on just what will happen as this world, as we know it, comes to a close. The picture that is painted is not a pretty one, but the ending is the happiest of all. What difference should knowing the end of the story make in our lives?...

God has all sorts of secrets He wants to reveal to His children. These are things that have purposely been hidden by God from the world. What are these secrets that are hidden in God’s Word, and how do they affect us as believers? We are meant to know the end of the story. For us it will no longer be a secret. The mystery will be solved. Read lesson: 1225B