Category Archives: Discipleship

Deepening Accountability

Posted on December 28, 2022 by Richard Heyduck

One of the ways to look at the genesis of the Global Methodist Church is as embodying a desired “return to accountability.” Some hear this and think, “Now we will have bishops and leaders who are accountable and not just … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Discipline, Doctrine, Global Methodist Church | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Being Human

Posted on August 15, 2022 by Richard Heyduck

Sunday’s message was on theological anthropology – the Christian view of what it means to be human. I made two broad claims: Humans are made in God’s image. Being made in the image of God is better understood functionally or … Continue reading →

Posted in Dallas Willard, Discipleship, John Wesley, Salvation, Sin, United Methodism | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Spirit of the Disciplines

Posted on August 7, 2022 by Richard Heyduck

Christians say, “Jesus is Lord.” But how do we become the kind of people who live as if this is true? Willard addresses this and related questions in chapter 2 as he explains the logical force of Christian disciplines.

Posted in Dallas Willard, Discipleship, Jesus, Spirituality | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Spirit of the Disciplines – Chapter 1

Posted on August 1, 2022 by Richard Heyduck

Dallas Willard begins his account of how to become the kind of person who can consistently live as a disciple of Jesus. In a key sentence he says, “A successful performance at a moment of crisis rests largely and essentially … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Discipleship, Discipline, Holiness, Spirituality | Tagged | Leave a comment

Spirit of the Disciplines – Introduction

Posted on July 31, 2022 by Richard Heyduck

Many years ago Dallas Willard wrote The Spirit of the Disciplines, a helpful and influential book examining spiritual disciplines in the Christian tradition. He explored what they were and how they worked. A couple years ago I worked my way … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Spirituality | Tagged , | Leave a comment

A Problem of Truth

Posted on April 14, 2022 by Richard Heyduck

You’ve probably heard the claim, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” You may not have heard that claim in its context. In John 8:31-32 Jesus is speaking to some people who “had believed him” … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Discipleship, Jesus | Tagged | Leave a comment

Incomprehensible Incompatibilities

Posted on January 4, 2020 by Richard Heyduck

The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church uses “incompatibility” language in two areas. Both of these areas are incomprehensible to large swathes of the church membership. In the best known passage, the BOD declares “the practice of homosexuality” … Continue reading →

Posted in Current events, Discipleship, Ecclesiology, Sexuality, United Methodism, War | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

What Kind of Thing is Christianity?

Posted on June 10, 2019 by Richard Heyduck

I’m about to finish a sermon series on Christianity and other religions. It was a difficult series for a few reasons. First, it was difficult because I’m not sure the category of religion is all that helpful  – or as … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Consumerism, Discipleship, United Methodism | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Review: Faith for this Moment

Posted on October 29, 2018 by Richard Heyduck

If you have access to this review, you know we live in a highly polarized culture. One the one hand, our political polarization has been on display during the past week as a miscreant from Florida sent mail bombs to … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Clash of Civilizations, Culture, Discipleship, Ecclesiology, Leadership | Leave a comment

Our United Methodist Mission

Posted on March 21, 2018 by Richard Heyduck

The mission of the United Methodist Church is “To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” As a slogan goes, it has deeper rooting in the Christian tradition than our marketing slogan, “Open Hearts, Open Minds, … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Discipline, Diversity, Doctrine, United Methodism | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments