Jesus Great Commission Ministries, South Asian Region.

05/05/2026

Facts about Leadership

I. Leadership is about living for others and serving others just like our Saviour, Lord and Master did – John 3:16

II. Serving others is what makes a leader – serving self makes as slaves to ourselves. The only and last hope for the world is the church. Selfless servant leadership.

III. Without a heart for others, no one has a place in leadership. Jesus came for the well-being of others – humanity – he became poor that we through his poverty might be made rich. He became obedient unto death; even the death of the cross;
he came to ensure that we are restored back to dignity. – John 10:10; 2 Corinthians 8:9; Philippians 2:8

IV. A commitment to the well-being of mankind and humanity is what makes a leader.

God said, ‘I am looking for a man who will stand in the gap……who will carry the people in his heart and be genuinely sold out for the enhancement of people I.e. for the well-being of people.’ (Ezekiel 22:30)

That’s what leadership is all about

26/04/2026

Is Teaching About Jesus the Same As Training Them to Follow Him?
What if we’re teaching people many true and beautiful things about Jesus—but not actually training them to follow Jesus? That question is worth asking. As pastors, leaders, missionaries, and disciple‑makers, we regularly need to return to the bottom line: What did Jesus actually command us to do?

Jesus did not say, “Go and teach people about me.” He said, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” How do we define a disciple? A churchgoer? Someone who calls themselves a Christian? No. A disciple is someone who obeys Jesus and helps others learn to do the same.

There is a part of the Great Commission we often overlook. It matters greatly. Jesus said, “Teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20- NIV).

Some translations use the word observe, others use obey. Either way, this is not about awareness or agreement—it’s about practical obedience.

There are a few reasons why the Church has gotten confused about the importance of this. One is that we misunderstand what the word observe means. A second reason is the influence of the Enlightenment on Christianity today. The third is that we lack key principles and skills in applying this.

Let’s start with the first and clear that up.

What Jesus Meant by “Observe”
The Greek word used in Matthew 28:20 is τηρέω (tēreō). It means to keep, guard, watch over, or hold onto carefully. This is not a cognitive word like “know” or “remember.” It’s a relational and obedience-oriented word.

Jesus did not say:

Teach them to understand what I commanded

Teach them to agree with what I commanded

He said:

Teach them to keep it

Teach them to live it

Teach them to obey it

In other words, disciple‑making is not complete until there is practical obedience.
Why We Default to Teaching for Knowledge vs. Training Disciples to Follow Jesus
Scripture affirms knowledge. “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge” (Proverbs 18:15). But the Bible is clear that knowledge alone does not produce transformation.

James warns us plainly: “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). Jesus asks an even sharper question: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46).

The problem isn’t learning—it’s how we separate learning from obedience.

Since the Enlightenment or Age of Reason, Western culture has treated knowledge as the highest good. Over time, the church too absorbed this mindset. We began to assume that if people knew more, they would naturally live differently.

That assumption has failed us and proven false. Knowledge does not automatically lead to obedience.

3 Shifts We Need to Make
Change how we evaluate success.

What if we evaluated our effectiveness not on whether the hearers enjoyed it and were entertained, but instead asked ourselves whether they actually did something in response?

Teach toward action, not insight.
We tell people they should make disciples or share their faith—but rarely show them how, practice it with them, or follow up.

Build obedience and accountability loops.
Every teaching moment should include a clear next step and a gracious follow‑up. Not pressure. Not shame. Just loving accountability that you yourself also model.

The Bottom Line
When we train people primarily to know rather than to obey, transformation slows and multiplication disappears. Teaching about Jesus is important—but Jesus commanded us to train people to follow Him.

The question for all of us is simple:
Is our church or small group creating informed listeners—or obedient disciples?

Let’s Discuss:
If God’s Word is not transforming your group or church members, how could the above help things change?

In what ways have we gotten lazy or nervous about asking people to obey or put what we teach into practice?

Are there key skills our members are missing that we need to equip them in? Model and practice? Until they become confident that they can do them?

12/04/2026

7 Principles for Leadership Development in Movements
1. Build close relationships with fruitful leaders.
Jesus invested deeply in His disciples—walking, eating, ministering, and even fishing with them. Relationships of trust grow in the ordinary rhythms of life. Informal time is often the most transformative.
2. Invest in leaders as whole people.
Emerging leaders face real-life challenges—financial, marital, emotional. Don’t just train their hands; shepherd their hearts. Healthy leaders sustain healthy movements.
3. Give real responsibility and authority.
“Responsibility is the fertilizer for leadership growth.” Start small, then expand. Let locals lead from the beginning—prayer times, outreaches, meetings, decisions. Don’t give tasks without authority. Trust them, coach them, and walk with them when they make mistakes.
4. Provide regular, practical just in time training.
Growing movements often gather their most faithful leaders for short, intensive problem solving sessions. These times build skills, deepen relationships, and create a sense of shared mission.
5. Make coaching a core practice.
Both group and one on one coaching help leaders learn to evaluate their situations, identify next steps, and stay accountable. Friendly accountability at every level keeps the movement healthy. Track coaching sessions and supervise new coaches you are developing.
6. Help with evaluation and planning.
As the movement expands, issues become more complex. Leaders need help learning how to track growth, analyze patterns, and plan strategically. Do this with them, not for them, until they can do it themselves.
7. Stretch them continually.
Keep giving increased responsibility. Take emerging leaders with you when you train others. Let them teach. Let them make financial decisions. Remember: your goal is to work yourself out of a job.

11/04/2026

You are free from all kinds of setbacks every delay, every disappointment, every obstacle that once stood in your way is broken by the power of God.

No force of darkness shall hinder your progress again. You are released into speed, into favor, into divine alignment. What once slowed you down will now push you forward, and where you were rejected, you will now be celebrated.

The Lord has restored all the years you lost. Every missed opportunity, every wasted season, every tear you cried in silence, God is turning them into testimonies.

He is giving you beauty for ashes, joy for sorrow, and abundance in place of lack. What took others years to achieve, you will accomplish in a short time by His grace.

From this day forward, your life will reflect divine restoration and unstoppable progress. Doors that were closed are now opening. Helpers you did not know are locating you. Favor is speaking for you in places you cannot reach. You will no longer struggle for what God has already ordained for you.

Receive peace in your heart, strength in your spirit, and confidence in your journey.
You are rising above every past limitation.

You are walking into a new season of grace, increase, and fulfillment. And nothing shall be able to hold you back again. Amen.

11/04/2026

THE LANGUAGE OF THE RECREATED MAN

Man is a spirit, but he has a soul and lives in a body. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 says, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanc- tify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blame- less at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (NKJV). The human body is actually man’s domicile, his dwelling place.
When a person is born again, his spirit is recreated, and that’s why the Bible says if any man be in Christ he’s a new creature, a new type of being that never existed be- fore (2 Corinthians 5:17).

God, by the Holy Spirit, then gives that recreated human spirit a new language and that language is what the scriptures refer to as “tongues of angels” in 1Corinthians 13:1.

After His resurrection and just before He was received up into Heaven, Jesus gave His disciples a rundown of the characteris- tic features of the new creatures by which they could be easily identified. He listed to them the many things they will be known for, things they will be able to do in His Name:
“...these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover”
(Mark 16:17-18).

When Jesus said “these signs shall fol- low them that believe,” He wasn’t making a promise. Many people misinterpret this pas- sage of Scripture as a promise Jesus made to the believer that these signs will follow him, but it wasn’t a promise.

You have to understand that at this point in time, Jesus was talking to His disciples about the forthcoming generation of the Church; a special breed called a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation and a peculiar people (1 Peter 2:9). It was to them He was referring when He said these signs shall follow them that believe. If you have believed in the Name of the Lord Jesus and have been born again, then you’re the one He was talking about in Mark 16:17-18. You’re to be identified by these signs.

During the years Jesus walked the face of the earth, the Holy Spirit hadn’t yet come to dwell on earth. He came to earth after Jesus was taken up into Heaven following His resurrection. In John 14:16 Jesus prom- ised His disciples that He would ask the Father and He would give them another Comforter the Holy Spirit Who would abide with them forever.

Acts 2:1-4:
“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they (120 disciples of Christ) were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

This was when the Holy Spirit came to the earth and these one hundred and twenty disciples were the first Christians to receive Him and have tongues of fire. The Bible records that “they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4).

Ever since that day when He came into the earth with a sound as of a rushing mighty wind, the Holy Spirit has never left the earth. From that day He has been filling every believer in Christ Jesus who receives Him and has been empowering us to do the works of Christ. He is in charge of God’s children on earth; He’s the Boss of the Church.

11/04/2026

Raising Kids and Teenagers as Disciple-Makers: A Family Approach
Disciple making begins at home. Parents who raise their children and teenagers to follow Jesus’ commands and actively make disciples are not just being strategic — they are forming the next generation of multipliers. Children can make disciples. Teenagers can make disciples. The everyday rhythms of family life are one of the most powerful training grounds for disciple-making with kids.

Though kids’ church and youth groups offer real benefits, we need to be careful about how much we segment our children from the broader body. When kids are consistently separated into their own programs, they can stop being seen — by themselves and by us — as full members of the royal priesthood.

Kids can be remarkable disciple-makers. They are passionate, genuine, and bold in ways that put many adults to shame. Their uninhibited faith is not a liability to manage. It is a gift to release.

Teenagers are sometimes awkward and nervous talking about Jesus. Other times they are the boldest people in the room. Filled with God’s Spirit and empowered by the adults in their lives, they can be mightily used by God. As Paul wrote to Timothy: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young” (1 Timothy 4:12).

How to Make Disciple-making a Way of Life for Your Family
Rather than viewing faith as something children “learn” at church, the goal is to help our kids follow Jesus in real life — and eventually to help others do the same.

Jesus made disciples by walking with people, involving them in ministry, and inviting them into obedience. This works with kids and teens too. Discipleship happens while driving to practice, eating meals together, navigating conflict, and celebrating victories. These ordinary moments are a powerful training ground.
Instead of asking only “What did you learn today?” try asking “What do you think Jesus is saying to you?” and “How did being a witness for Christ go today?” Simple, repeatable questions help children understand that following Jesus is active and personal — not theoretical.

Encourage them to develop habits of sharing with others. Questions like “Who did you get to encourage or share a Bible verse with today?” or “Did you notice any kids our family could be praying for?” help children see themselves as disciple-makers in daily life, not just recipients of discipleship.
How Children Move from Believers to Disciple-Makers
Children and teenagers consistently surprise us with their capacity to love, pray, and share their faith when given the opportunity. Disciple-making families do not wait until kids are grown to involve them. From an early age, children can learn to pray for friends, share what God is teaching them, and invite others into spiritual conversations.

Teenagers especially are hungry for purpose. When we empower them to live out their faith in schools, on sports teams, and in friend groups, they begin to see discipleship as something they do — not something adults do for them. That shift is everything.

Multiplication happens when kids learn early that being a disciple means helping others follow Jesus too.

03/04/2026

WHAT IS GOOD FRIDAY AND WHY DID JESUS HAVE TO DIE?
Good Friday is when Christians remember Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus’ death on the cross was as puzzling to the ancient world as it still is today. In the first century, non-Jewish people (called Gentiles) wondered why Christians would worship a God who was killed by His enemies. The Jews expected a Messiah to come and overthrow their enemies, namely the Roman Empire. If Jesus was God’s Anointed One, why would He come to such a tragic end? Why was Jesus crucified?

Because no other sacrifice was enough to restore humanity’s broken relationship with God, caused by sin and rebellion against God. As Hebrews 10 points out, the law that the Jews had been following for centuries could not repair the brokenness of humanity.

The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins (Hebrews 10:1-4, NIV).
The brokenness of humanity was, and still is, the greatest barrier to having a relationship with God. The Bible calls this broken nature “sin” and says that all people have sinned (Romans 3:23). Sin — active rebellion or passive indifference toward God — causes each human to be separated from God (Romans 6:23). But because Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice — being infinitely good, sinless and in right standing with God — His sacrificial death was enough to restore humanity’s relationship with God.

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation — if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant (Colossians 1:21-23, NIV).
This is why it had to be Jesus, the Son of God, who died for your brokenness and sin. And He willingly made this sacrifice because of His great love for you.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:6-8, NIV).
Jesus’ death created a bridge to God. It allows humans to find peace and forgiveness with God. This selfless act was performed on behalf of humankind — all of whom were God’s enemies! This forgiveness is a gift given to those who accept it through faith

20/02/2026

Do You Love What God Loves?
“Some of these people have missed the most important thing in life—they don’t know God.” 1 Timothy 6:21 (TLB)

The key to a friendship with God is deciding whose friendship you want most.

You don’t have time for everyone to be your best friend. You’ve got to decide who you most want to be your closest friend.

The Living Bible paraphrase says, “Some of these people have missed the most important thing in life—they don’t know God” (1 Timothy 6:21).

They know all the baseball scores. They know the stock market quotes. They know the top 10 songs. They know who’s in and who’s out in every soap opera. But they don’t know God. They’ve missed the most important thing in life!

If you’re not a friend of God, it means you care about something else more. James 4:4 says, “You should know that loving the world is the same as hating God. Anyone who wants to be a friend of the world becomes God’s enemy” (NCV).

When James writes “loving the world,” he means loving the value system of the world. God wants you to love people, but that doesn’t mean you have to love the world’s value system.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the distractions of life. And when you’re distracted by loving the world’s value system, there’s not much room to love people. Instead, you love materialism. You love pleasure. You love popularity. You love prestige. You love passion, possessions, and position.

But God loves people. And he wants you to love them too. One way to show your love of others is by taking an interest in their interests. In other words, what is important to you becomes important to me (always within the context of biblical truth).

That’s how you show your love of God too. If you’re going to be a friend of God, then you’ve got to care about what he cares about and stop caring about the things he doesn’t care about. God doesn’t care about your image. He’s not interested in your status. He’s interested in your character—not how you look but who you are.

Are you ready to take a practical step toward friendship with God? Choose to value what he values.

Talk It Over
Describe the relationship you have with your best friend. How does it compare to the relationship you have with God?

What’s more important to you than knowing God? Why do you value it more?

What are some things that you know God values? How important are those things to you?

19/02/2026

Your Problems Are Preparing You for Eternity
“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” 1 Peter 1:6-7 (NLT)

You need more than positive thinking to survive in this world. You need hope.

In 1 Peter 1, the Bible offers five reasons you can have hope through Jesus Christ. In the last few days’ devotionals, I’ve given you the first four:

God chose you before you chose him.

God always treats you with grace and mercy.

God has secured your future.

God’s power will protect you.

Finally, you can have hope because God is preparing you for eternity.

God is using everything in your life—the good, the bad, and the ugly—to get you ready for eternity. Once you understand this, life begins to make sense. You stop saying, “Lord, why is this happening?” because you know why: He’s preparing you for eternity.

The Bible says, “So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world” (1 Peter 1:6-7 NLT).

Those verses describe six truths about problems:

Problems are temporary. They won’t last forever.

Problems are necessary. They are an indispensable part of preparing you for heaven.

Problems are varied. You’ll experience trials of all different shapes, sizes, and levels of intensity.

Problems test your faith. You build muscles by testing them. In the same way, when your faith is tested, your faith grows stronger.

Problems purify your motives. God is much more interested in your character than in your comfort. He’ll use trials to refine your character.

Problems prepare you for your rewards. The trials you’re going through now don’t compare to the rewards of heaven.

The troubles you’re experiencing now aren’t fun. They may even be painful. But the Bible makes it clear that they’ll make your faith stronger. Then, your faith will produce perseverance.

That’s why you can have hope, no matter what’s going on in your life right now.

Talk It Over
How have you seen God use troubles to make your faith stronger?

How can understanding the truths from today’s devotional help you live full of hope?

Who in your life needs to hear the message of today’s devotional? How will you share it with them?

09/11/2024

https://youtu.be/Sb4N9TfKj3Y

Sermon teachings on water baptism