NCC Daily

The Art of Waiting

In the waiting is where you are tested. In the waiting is where you build endurance and where you really have to lean into your FAITH.

Godfidence

From the person who is in the middle of a rough season right now to the person who is in the middle of birthing a God-sized dream...Be encouraged! Be not dismayed! And know that God is for you. Take refuge in the fact that the best is yet to come!

Jump Man

I'm wondering how many of us have a God-given dream. A dream that is so big and so crazy we know that only God can bring it to pass. And maybe for some of us, the road to seeing that Dream realized has been a rocky one, one that has been met with some “No’s” One that has led to some closed doors.

The Infinite-Minded Christian

What if Abraham, in Genesis 15:5, stays in the tent satisfied with the 8-foot ceiling? Does he ever become the father of many nations if he doesn’t take what Pastor Mark often calls “a two-foot field trip?”

Persistence in Prayer

Praying hard is going twelve rounds with God. A heavyweight prayer bout with God Almighty can be excruciating and exhausting, but that is how the greatest prayer victories are won. Praying hard is more than words. It’s blood, sweat, and tears.

Go to the Ant

Often Pastor Mark will say we tend to overestimate what we can accomplish in a year. Of course, we also tend to underestimate what we can accomplish in a decade.

Dream Within a Dream

Bold Time to Dream

If you are engaged with our sermon series, you know that we are right in the thick of our current series titled The Best is Yet to Come. NCC Daily is here to help us continue to walk through this season of dreaming big, praying hard, and thinking long.

#10 - Seed The Clouds

We’ve talked about six habits—Flip the Script, Kiss the Wave, Eat the Frog, Fly the Kite, Cut the Rope, and Wind the Clock. It’s time to unpack habit #7, Seed The Clouds.

#9 - Wind The Clock

It’s time for us to wind the clock, habit #6. Time is measured in minutes, but life is measured in moments. We’ve got to steward the minutes and the moments. If we don’t, the days are long and the years are short. The question, of course, is how? It starts with living in day-tight compartments. It’s living each day like it’s the first day and last day of your life. It’s making every day count by counting the days.

#8 - Cut The Rope

We’ve talked about burying dead yesterdays. You have to flip the script and kiss the wave. We’ve talked about winning the day. You have to eat the frog and fly the kite. It’s time to imagine unborn tomorrows.

#7 - Fly The Kite

We switch gears and shift our focus to habit #4, fly the kite. We are so easily overwhelmed by the size and scope of our goals. Go ahead and dream big, but you have to start small.

#6 - Eat The Frog

We have been kissing the wave, habit #3. It’s time to eat the frog, habit #4. If you want God to do the super, you have to do the natural. This is where we roll up our sleeves and go to work. You’ve got to pray like it depends on God, but you also have to work like it depends on you.

#5 - Kiss The Wave

“I have learned to kiss the wave,” said Charles Spurgeon, “that throws me against the Rock of Ages.” Let that sink in for a second. It’s a powerful statement all by itself, but let’s be honest, it’s a lot easier said than done. Lots of waves crashing into our lives — waves of grief, waves of injustice, waves of anger, waves of pain and suffering.

#4 - Flip the Script

We left off last week talking about method acting. Let me push that envelope with a simple thought that can flip the script. Here it is: Scripture is our script.

#3 - Add Resistance

Pick a habit, any habit. Do it for a day. Then add resistance. One more mile, one more minute, one more rep. The way you push your limits is by setting stretch goals. Increase the incline on the treadmill or the resistance on your Peloton. Graduate from one gratitude to two gratitudes a day. Do your deep breathing exercises morning, noon, and night. Double down on your giving with a double tithe. Over time, your ceiling will become the floor!

#2 - Do It For a Day

The challenge on day one was pick a habit, any habit. The challenge on day two is pretty simple: do it for a day!

#1 - Pick A Habit

I have no idea what goal you’re going after, what problem you’re trying to solve, what habit you’re trying to break or build, but I know the secret to your success. It’s gonna happen one day at a time! You have to win the day. Then you have to get up and do it all over again the next day. Do that two days in a row, and I think it’s called a winning streak.

Pass The Baton

Today I want to share some instances where others discipled me using the unique gifts God gave them and encourage all of us to pass the baton.

Discipleship Equals Proximity

I want to challenge you to pull someone close and invite them into your world. Be transparent and be vulnerable. Share with them your prayers and what you are believing for and struggling with. Show them that discipleship is a lifelong endeavor. Demystify God! When people see us for who we really are, shame has no place, and where there is no shame, God can transform you.

A Two-Way Street

If I wanted to be rooted—in Christ, in community—then I had to show up, and relationships are a two-way street, and being rooted is not passive. When I wake up, I have a choice to make. I can choose the words that were spoken over me as a child, or I can choose the words of who God says I am. I choose God. Every day. Sometimes multiple times a day. I choose God.

Following Jesus Into Peacemaking

Two of my most formative discipleship experiences since I became part of the NCC family have been in prayer and in peacemaking. I joined the prayer team at NCC Georgetown several years ago at the prompting of one of the leaders, and from there was discipled by multiple prayer warriors who truly interceded for the family of God and all those who are seeking Him.

Discipling the Next Generation

NCC has undoubtedly shaped me, and I think it’ll continue to affect me forever. So much of that is because of the people who have poured into my life and who have been there for me physically and spiritually. Grown-ups like my pastors, kids’ church teachers, and fellow choir members have been discipling me, even before I understood what the word really meant.

Commissioned

When did we start believing that God wants to send us to SAFE PLACES to do EASY THINGS at CONVENIENT TIMES with NICE PEOPLE? Newsflash. Jesus didn’t die to KEEP US SAFE. Jesus died to MAKE US DANGEROUS. The will of God isn’t an INSURANCE PLAN. It’s a DARING PLAN. And the complete surrender of our lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ is not radical. It’s normal. The problem? Our normal is so subnormal that normal seems abnormal. Jesus made no bones about it: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must...

Discovering Christianity

There's a lot of people who've never really learned about Christianity as they may not have grown up with it. Faith is often a private affair, but it is good to share what it means to you and to teach others about Christianity when the right moment arises.

Finding Faith Through Friendship

Keep pursuing your friends who don’t know Jesus. It’s easier said than done, I know, and different people are definitely receptive to different approaches. With Baran, it was friendship and community that really helped him. I think going into our conversations without an agenda was a plus. However you approach those in your life who don’t know Christ, I pray the Holy Spirit will guide you

Constant and Consistent

Discipleship was at the root of all of these missions, both me being discipled by my small group leaders to step out in faith, and also opportunities for me to disciple others. To be honest, though, the idea of discipling people in the context of my passions and interests was very intimidating. I felt as if I only could bring some life experience to the table and wasn’t even sure if that was enough. But someone recently described me as “constant, consistent.”

Jesus’ Love In Action

My prayer for all of you today is that you will connect with those who can serve as examples of discipleship, show you that it is not out of your reach, and encourage you to be a better follower of Jesus and partner with Him in His missions of love and empathy.

Street Discipleship

The Living Room ministry is a mission of Jesus because He has called us to feed the poor. Every Wednesday evening from 6pm to 7pm, volunteers meet at Ebenezer’s coffee house. I am honored to share with you today my experiences of engaging in discipleship with and to those who call the streets “home” specifically in the Union Station area of Washington, DC.

Measured By Multiplication

Discipleship is a significant part of our growth and development in relationship with Christ. Discipleship is measured by multiplication.