Give with a Pure Heart

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis, and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.  

Many new believers struggle with Jesus’ command to give. They have come to God with needs, and he has begun to meet them. Some come with a felt need for forgiveness. Others need deliverance from demonic influence. Others are fearful of death, but they learn to trust Christ for eternal life. 

So, it comes as a surprise to them when their disciple-maker tells them about Jesus’ command to give. They thought that the Christian faith was a matter of receiving blessings from God. They have begun to discover that God is a good, good Father. But they didn’t know they were called to be a blessing to others by giving generously. They didn’t understand that God loves a cheerful giver. But he does. And he expects his children to be like him. 

Many new believers come from families in which saving and being careful with money was the highest virtue. They were taught from an early age to save seed from this year’s crop, so they have something to plant next year. When they got married, they made sure their spouse did not spend every last penny. They want to be prepared for emergencies. So, for them, the teaching that Christians tithe by giving 10% of the profits from their work seems impossible to fulfill. 

For all these reasons, teaching new believers to give is one of the hardest lessons for church planters to teach successfully. The root of the matter is faith. Until Christians come to believe that God is a good, good Father and will meet their needs, they will not give generously. And besides observing the blessing of God in the lives of others, one of the only ways to learn that God is good and He will provide is to begin to give. 

One day Jesus was in the temple of Jerusalem. Luke 21 tells us he saw wealthy people putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” 

This poor widow had learned a valuable lesson. God will meet our needs. We do not need to be afraid to give. And we do not need to impress others with the size of our gifts. Wealthy people sometimes try to do that. Jesus is not impressed. But he and his Father rejoice when the children of God begin to give with generosity, knowing that God their heavenly Father will meet their needs. 

So, my brothers and sisters, as you make disciples and teach obedience to Christ, do not be afraid to teach your disciples to give with generosity. This command of Christ may not be easy to obey, but it develops a faith that is praiseworthy. Teach by example. Share your testimony of how you learned to give generously to the work of God. Share the stories of other generous givers you know. Invite your disciples to trust God by giving. When they do, they too will learn the teaching of Jesus is true: He says, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.”  

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis, asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today? 

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #GiveGenerously

Give Generously

 

Hello, this is Multiply, a podcast to encourage village church planters and leaders. I am Brad Snowden, and I would like us to first look at  2 Corinthians 9:6-7    But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

God loves a CHEERFUL giver. 

When we give, it is a trust thing that says, Lord, I don’t know how you can use this or how many lives will be changed, but I trust you to multiply the fruits of this in which I give, with anticipation of your work to be done through it.

 God is pleased when we give with a generous heart. We should always want to bring pleasure to God, and we are fulfilling His word in and through our giving to His kingdom. Philippians 4:19: And my God will liberally supply your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

There are times in my life when I would give to something and then, in the moments to come, would say something like, “Lord, you know I gave to that, but now I am the one in need.”

Simply, God was wanting me to expand my heart to trust Him and rejoice in the fact that the moment I gave, I could give. I learned that I could trust Him for the future needs that He could supply when my heart was giving and receiving with the right heart. God’s ways are not our ways, and He may choose to give back to us in ways that far exceed the funds that were given.

God desires cheerful givers, and this can be a challenge at times, and yet God’s heart is blessed because it’s not really a human’s response when giving, but it is a spiritual action that God delights in. If we long to please the Lord, it will be easier to have a generous heart of giving.

Malachi 3:10: Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so that there may be food in My House… 

Leviticus 23:9-14: God spoke to Moses about a first fruits offering to be given before the harvest was collected; thus, His blessing would be upon the harvest.

So if we dedicate our first tithe and offering, God has the opportunity to use what is left to multiply His faithfulness to His word. He can prove to us that He is our supply, and we are the vessels to allow Him to work.  

I love the story of when Jesus fed the multitudes, and they only had so little to do so much, and yet as He blessed the fish and the bread, it miraculously multiplied with excess. We can see this happen when we are so in love with Christ that we allow him to work in us and through us for His kingdom work. This has been a word of encouragement for village church planters. Who will you share this podcast with today? Lord bless you!

Meditate on God's Word Daily

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis, and this is “Multiply,” the podcast

that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

Christian leaders all across Africa appreciate your Village Church Planting work.

They appreciate VCP’s interactive training and the vision of a church in every

African Village by 2050. But one of the most frequent compliments we hear is

“VCP is so practical.”

I can tell you that this is no accident. VCP leaders from 2003 until today have

been very intentional about making this ministry more than just a theoretical

course of Bible study and theology. Each and every leader has taken seriously

James’ command that we should be doers of the word and not hearers only

(James 1:22).

James’s half-brother, our Lord Jesus Christ, was quite clear about the

importance of doing what God’s word says and not merely talking about it.

Jesus told his disciples to teach their disciples to obey everything he had

commanded them. Knowing the importance of practical obedience, VCP

founders emphasized obedience-based discipleship. They integrated a summary

of the commands of Jesus into VCP training.

We call the summary of Jesus’ commands “The Seven Basic Commands of

Christ.” Today we are focusing on Jesus’ teaching to pray and meditate on the

Word of God daily, especially the second half of this command, “meditate on

the Word of God daily.” It is based on Jesus’ response to the devil when he was

being tempted in the wilderness to turn stones into bread. Jesus responded to

the tempter by quoting from Deuteronomy 8:3. He said, “It is written: ‘Man

shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of

God.” (Matthew 4:4). Just as we need daily bread to survive physically, we

need spiritual food to survive spiritually. The word of God, the Bible, provides

spiritual nourishment to all who hear it and take to heart its teachings.

Scripture is God-breathed. So, when we take in the word of God, we interact

with the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit uses the words of the Bible to comfort

us, strengthen us, guide us, correct us, and build us up.

And so, we partake of the Word of God daily. We listen to the Word of God as

others read it. And, if we know how to read, we read God’s word. The format is

not the important part. Whether we listen to someone else read or read for

ourselves, whether we have a digital copy of God’s word or a printed paper

 copy are secondary concerns. What is primary is to feed on God’s word daily.

Remember, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes

from the mouth of God.” And so, we daily feed ourselves spiritually, taking in

God’s word, meditating upon its meaning and planning how we will apply it to our

lives. Then we lead by example, helping our disciples feed themselves on God’s

word too. We work to make sure that they memorize Scripture, that they listen

to digital Bible resources on their phones, and that they get printed Bibles they

can read and reflect on. We ask them what they are learning from God’s word.

We encourage good spiritual nutrition. This is an important part of our very

practical ministry as Village Church Planters.

So, be sure you and your people feed daily on the Word of God!

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this

encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #DailyBread

Leadership Development - Jesus Explained Kingdom Values

 

This is Chuck Rapp with Multiply, a podcast to provide a word of encouragement for village church planters and leaders.

Our topic for 2026 is Leadership Development, and today we want to consider how Jesus explained Kingdom values to his closest followers. As we lead leaders, it is important that we clearly communicate – and set the example – the values we hold high in Village Church Planting.

During my corporate career, I was required to complete an annual performance review, and my performance was evaluated on not only what I did, but also how I did it. My supervisor rated my accomplishments for the year, and they also assessed if my attitudes and behaviors aligned with corporate values. At the top of the company’s list of values was “Respect for People.”

As our Ultimate leader, Jesus explained God’s Kingdom values to his disciples. We read the following in Matthew 18:1-4. At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

Jesus invited a little child to stand among them.  “Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

As we assist in the development of emerging leaders, we need to teach them – and show them – that humility is a prerequisite for leadership. The Apostle Paul instructed believers in Colossians 3:12, Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Other translations say that we are to “put on” humility. This must be an intentional attitude and action. Two chapters later in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus had this to say in his “leadership development class” with His disciples.

But Jesus called them aside and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them. It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave (Matthew 20:25-27)

Jesus’s way is sometimes referred to as the “upside-down Kingdom.” The kingdoms of this world, including too often in the Church, are hierarchical. Those at the top expect others to meet their needs, but Jesus taught and modeled servant leadership. One of my favorite verses in the Message version is Romans 15:1-2. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, “How can I help?”

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters and leaders.

Pray Thanking God to Meet Your Needs

 

   Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis, and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.  

Sometimes I am disappointed when I read about Jesus’ disciples in the Gospels of Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John. So often they are looking out for their own interests, fighting over petty concerns and forgetting to do the right thing. Perhaps the shortcomings of Jesus’ disciples are best illustrated by their failure to remain awake and pray for him just before he was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36 – 45). 

Even so, the disciples demonstrated wisdom from time to time. One of the smartest things they ever did was to ask Jesus to teach them to pray (Luke 11:1- 13). They had seen the power and peace, the joy and the courage that came to Jesus as he spent time with his Father in prayer. And the disciples wanted that same power and peace, that same joy and courage that they saw coming to Jesus through prayer.  

So, Jesus taught them the prayer we now call “The Lord’s Prayer,” or the “Our Father.” This is a prayer you too should teach your disciples to pray. It is recorded in Luke 11:2-4.  

One of the key phrases in the prayer Jesus taught is “Give us each day our daily bread.” The people of Palestine grew grain, mostly wheat and barley, and made bread from it. This was the basic, essential food for them, much like rice is the basic, essential  food for the peoples of tropical Africa. The disciples Jesus was teaching ate bread every single day to get energy and stay alive. They depended on bread for their very life. 

But Jesus taught an important truth when he said pray to God your heavenly Father this way, “Give us this day our daily bread.” He was teaching the disciples that they had a Father who would take care of them and provide what they needed. There are two kinds of people in this world: those who think they are on their own and must provide for themselves everything they need through their own intelligence, strength, and work and those who know that they have a heavenly Father who cares for them. Both kinds of people work hard, but those who trust their heavenly Father have peace as they work. They know he will meet their needs. 

Because we trust our Father in heaven, we pray “Father in heaven, give us this day our daily bread.” We ask God to meet our needs. All of our needs. Not just our need for food, but also our need for clean water, for good health, and for shelter and safety. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is a good, good Father. He knows our needs and delights to give us what we need. But, he invites us to ask him to meet our needs. When we do, we are blessed. 

So, teach your disciples to pray the Lord’s prayer. Remind them again and again to trust God to meet their needs and the needs of their family. Give thanks with them as God provides for their needs. As they pray, God will give them their daily bread. What’s more, through prayer, your disciples will find power and peace, joy and courage in the presence of the Father, just as Jesus did when he walked with his disciples in Palestine 2,000 years ago. 

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today? 

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #DailyBread

Pray for God’s Kingdom to Come

 

  This is Multiply, a podcast for church planters, pastors & Christian leaders, and I am the host, Daneille Snowden. Today we are reading from a part of our Lord’s Prayer that says,  “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Matt 6:10   

Let us make our focus always on the eternal instead of the temporary, by laying up treasures in heaven. Doing this by focusing on both the future kingdom of God & also the present spiritual kingdom of God.  Ps. 103:19 says, “The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.”    

 Christ’s reign as the King of Kings is for here and for now plus, forever more.   As Christians, we are part of the Kingdom of God as Christ rules in us.   When we live in the flesh, we tend to promote our own Kingdom. But when Jesus rules as our Lord and King, we will promote His Kingdom.  We read in 1 Chronicles 29:11, “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all.”   

As I mention again in this passage of  Matthew 6, this is part of the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus is teaching a prayer that He even prays.  By praying this, we are developing a prayerful desire to see God’s Kingdom increase as it is established throughout the world, for the present and the future.   We want the Lord’s Kingdom to be dominant in our own lives and then spread to the entire world.   As God’s Kingdom comes, in all lives we shall witness His nature, His power, and His saving love.   Let us pray with our Lord, “…Thy Kingdom come…” today.   

This has been Multiply; please share this podcast with others! And God bless!

Pray Daily with Thanksgiving

 

     Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.  

We make disciples by teaching people to obey the commands of Christ. This sounds like a difficult if not unpleasant, responsibility. But Jesus, with great kindness and humility, says in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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.” Yes, obeying Jesus is a burden. But it is a light burden because our Lord is both gentle and humble in heart. When he walks beside us, obedience is not heavy. Instead of growing weary, we find rest for our souls. 

One of the seven basic commands of Jesus is to pray and feed on God’s word daily. But how should we pray? What times during the day should we pray? With whom should we pray? What should we say? What should we refrain from saying in our prayers? When it comes to prayer, new followers of Jesus have hearts full of these questions and more.  They may not ask all of them, but they are thinking about them. As a church planting disciple maker, you do not need to answer all of their questions at once. But you should teach them to pray just as Jesus taught his disciples to pray and Paul taught his. 

New disciples have many requests they want to ask of God. Some are bold and make their requests without reservation.  Some new disciples are timid and are afraid to ask God for anything. But both kinds of people can learn to pray with thanksgiving.  Paul told his disciples in Philippi, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6,7). 

So, teach new followers of Jesus to pray with thanksgiving. Before they ask God for anything, they can learn to thank him for every provision he has made.  His provisions are general, like the rain that falls on everyone’s fields and specific like the guidance he gives his children as we walk different paths.  

Teach your disciples to thank God for everything because every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights (James 1:17). As they recall what God has done for them, their faith will grow. As they thank the Lord for his goodness, their joy will increase. As their heart fills with gratitude, their requests will line up more and more closely with the will of God for them in Christ Jesus. So, let gratitude overflow. Let thanksgiving be expressed in the morning, at noon and in the evening.   

As Psalm 100 says,  

Enter his gates with thanksgiving 

    and his courts with praise; 

    give thanks to him and praise his name. 

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; 

    his faithfulness continues through all generations. 

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis, asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today? 

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #ThankTheLord

Leadership Development - Jesus Taught the Crowds & Instructed the Apostles

 

  This is Chuck Rapp with Multiply, a podcast to provide a word of encouragement for village church planters and leaders. 

Our topic for 2026 is Leadership Development. In my previous podcast, we looked at the way Jesus spent time with His apostles, and how this impacted their leadership development. Today, we want to explore this in greater detail. 

Jesus taught the masses, and He provided greater explanation and instruction to the apostles. One such instance is the Parable of the Sower found in Mark 4, where we read in verses 1 and 2 that “the crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. He taught them many things by parables …”

Later in the chapter, we see in verse 10, “When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables.” Jesus then took the next 10 verses to explain the parable and to instruct the Twelve. Later in Mark 4, Jesus shares the parable of the Mustard Seed, and the account concludes in verses 33 and 34. ”With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.” [emphasis added]

Elsewhere in Matthew 13, Jesus taught using the Parable of the Weeds.  In verse 36, we read, “Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 

As we apply Jesus’ method to our approach to leadership development, the principle that I want to draw out is that while Jesus taught the crowds broadly, he explained his parables to his closest circle. Often it is the same with church and VCP leaders today. Information can, and should, be shared broadly, but the explanation about the thought process and all the considerations that went into that decision are frequently reserved for insiders. 

This also applies as we assist emerging leaders in their development. As we make decisions that impact them, it is often very helpful to have a conversation with them, explaining our thought process. This can help them sharpen their own analytical thinking and decision-making skills and prepare them for greater responsibility in the future.      

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters and leaders.

Partake in the Lord’s Supper Regularly

 

      Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis, and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.  

Village Church Planters teach villagers to obey the seven basic commands of Christ. You remember those commands, Repent and believe the Good News, Love God and Neighbor, Baptize, Pray and Feed on God’s word daily, Participate in the Lord’s Supper, Give, and Make Disciples. I suspect one of the most misunderstood commands of Jesus was spoken on the night that he was betrayed, the night when he took the bread, broke it and said, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19). 

“Do this in remembrance of me.” It seems like a simple enough command. Break bread, receive the cup of wine or red juice, remember Jesus. Remember the new covenant. Remember his body broken for us. Remember his love poured out for our forgiveness. And on the surface, it is a very simple command to obey. But its meaning is profound. 

You see, participation in the Lord’s Supper allows us to remember all that is good about the Gospel. In the Lord’s Supper we remember that our sin was so bad, God took desperate measure to purchase our forgiveness by sending his only Son to die for us. In the Lord’s Supper we recognize that we can live in right relationship with God because Jesus poured out his blood for us. In the Lord’s Supper we experience Jesus’ forgiving grace. And in the Lord’s Supper we find strength from God to face the challenges before us, just as Jesus faced the challenge of the cross. As children of God, we need all of these things. We need to be reminded of the very great love the Father has for each one of us. We need to be reminded of the huge sacrifice Jesus made to purchase our salvation. We need to be reminded that we can come to Him for forgiveness and strength. These reminders give us strength and build our faith. We understand that Jesus paid it all. Jesus defeated Satan by shedding his blood for us. 

Jesus knew we needed all this grace and more. That is why he said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” When we receive the cup and the bread remembering Jesus’ commitment to us, we are blessed and transformed. That’s why serving the Lord’s Supper regularly is a vital service of every church. And that’s why receiving the bread and the cup is a life-giving act of obedience to Christ. 

So dear church planter, as you plant your church, make sure your people can receive the Lord’s Supper regularly. Don’t forget about it or minimize it. Make provision for the Lord’s Supper to be served in your church at least four times per year. You need the blessing that comes from obeying Christ in this way and so do your people. When the Lord’s Supper is served with reverence and a clear telling of the story of Jesus’ sacrificial death, when your people renew their faith in Christ and feel again his great love, your church will be strengthened. 

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today? 

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #PartakeOfTheLord’sSupper

What Is The Lord's Supper?

       

     Hello, this is Multiply, a podcast to encourage village church planters and leaders. I am Brad Snowden, and today I want to look at the Lord’s Supper. It is my prayer that we are touched by Jesus’s heart and the powerful time we can have as we share this with all followers of Jesus Christ.  

Luke 22:15  And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.

Jesus desired to spend time with them in the intimacy and closeness of sharing His heart with them.

The Lord’s Supper, or communion, in the dictionary means intimate fellowship, a close relationship with someone  

This is the heart of communion. 

Communion is vital for our relationship with the Lord. It’s time to focus on what is not in our hands but what is in our hearts. We have time to examine our hearts and minds and lives, allowing God to work in them. Our time to commune with Him is so important to allow the Lord to search our hearts to make sure no sin would separate us from him. It is a time of intimacy with God to allow him to speak with us 

 The Lord’s Supper is our time to commune with the God of creation and to allow ourselves time for him to work upon our relationship with him. This is a special time in which we can be changed if we allow it to happen. When we are leaders, we can see lives changed, and God can use this time during the Lord’s Supper to work. We must be diligently devoted to this service of allowing our people this privilege of this special time. We have a blessing to be able to focus on the sacrifice Jesus gave to us.

Luke 22:19 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

Remembering the sacrifice of Jesus’s life for our sins makes life possible. We have this time to thank Him for His sacrifice for us. This act of thanksgiving draws us even closer to the Lord, and that is His heart: Communion with us.

Luke 22:20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.

We have a time of remembrance again and rejoicing in the fact that Jesus was willing to allow His blood to be shed for the forgiveness of our sins. The power in His blood is given to all of us, freeing us from the weight of death because of sin. He gave his blood knowing that freedom came through it. We rejoice because today His blood is still powerful to set the captive free. This simple time of communion is vital for us and our spiritual life. This has been a word of encouragement for village church planters. Who will you share this with today?

Love Your Neighbor

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis, and this is “Multiply,” the podcast

that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

Jesus’ command teaching us to love our neighbors as ourselves may seem

pretty ordinary if, like me, you grew up going to church attending children’s

classes and youth group. But, like so much of what Jesus taught, the command

to love our neighbor as ourselves is pretty radical. To see just how challenging

this command is, remember the story Jesus told to help a self-righteous

listener understand what it means to love our neighbors.

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by

robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him

half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he

saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came

to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he

traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on

him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then

he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of

him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper.

‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra

expense you may have.’

This story teaches us that our neighbors are not just the people who live nearby

and who know us well. We are to love strangers, just like the Samaritan did.

Jesus’ story teaches us that loving our neighbors will interrupt our plans. And

loving our neighbors is costly. If we are to love others, we must be generous.

Finally, we learn from Jesus story that loving our neighbors means loving people

who are not from our ethnic group or nation, just as the Samaritan loved the

Judean man who was beaten.

The love Jesus commands is not a romantic or emotional love. Neither is it a

self-serving love that Jesus calls us to. It is not easy to obey Jesus' command to

love our neighbors as ourselves. The love Jesus expects us to show to our

neighbors does not arise from our sense of duty as family members or as

members of a tribe. Jesus calls us to love our neighbors with a sacrificial love.

This may come as a shock to new believers, especially if they came to Christ

looking for him to solve their problems. Jesus, of course, does solve many of our

problems in this world and all of our problems in the world to come. But he

 also expects us to reflect his character, his mercy and his grace. He expects us

to love our neighbors sacrificially. Even so, it’s not easy to obey all of Jesus’

commands. We need his strength, his presence, his very love at work within

us.

So, teach your disciples well about the great, immense, sacrificial love of

Christ. Teach them that he will never leave them or forsake them. But be sure

to teach them to trust in him for power to love their neighbors as themselves.

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this

encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #LoveYourNeighbor

Leadership Development - Jesus Spent Time with His Apostles

 

This is Chuck Rapp with Multiply, a podcast that provides a word of encouragement for village church planters and leaders.

Our topic for 2026 is Leadership Development. In my last podcast, I began to explore Jesus’s approach to leadership development. We observed that when it was time to appoint his 12 apostles, he did so prayerfully. Related to this, his call was selective.

Today we want to look at the way Jesus spent time with His apostles, and how this impacted their leadership development.

Mark 6:32 tells us that “they [Jesus and the apostles] went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.”

Matthew 10:1 says, “Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.” We will return to this scripture in a future podcast.

As the time approached for Jesus’ time on earth to conclude, he prepared the apostles for what was to occur. We read the following in Matthew 20:17-19. Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside [emphasis added] and said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!””

Jesus spent time with his followers and much time with the 12 Apostles. I find it quite interesting in the Gospel of Luke that it is not until chapter 6 that Jesus selected the Twelve. By this time, he knew his followers well. As leaders, if we are going to invest in emerging leaders, we must spend quality time with them. While books, conferences, or other resources can assist a young leader’s development, these cannot substitute for spending substantial time with them. Where distance is a challenge, frequent calls are a good starting point. Personally, I have regular 1:1 calls (monthly or more frequently) with five leaders or emerging leaders.

Personally, these calls (and face-to-face meetings when possible) are a blend of mentoring and coaching. In some situations, as I mentor, emerging leaders may need my assistance in things like time management or in leading a team, and I share (or I tell) some ideas that have worked well for me. In coaching, by contrast, I ask. I ask questions that help the emerging leader think through situations to arrive at their own conclusions.

Let us follow Jesus’ example and intentionally invest time in the lives and development of new leaders.

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters and leaders.

Do Not Delay Baptism

 

Welcome to Multiply, a Podcast for Village Church Planters, pastors, and Christian leaders, and I am your host today, Daneille Snowden. 

We are going to continue our discussion about water baptism and enter the question: Why do individuals delay their baptism? When asked by a populace of people, the reasons they give are fear, unworthiness, conflicting traditions, and maybe believing one must be formal and wear formal attire, etc. 

To Delay, is defined as the act of postponing, hindering, or causing something to occur more slowly than normal  The Verb for Delay in the Greek is derived from Chronos, meaning to take time, tarry, or linger.

 Yet, we witness in God’s Word that there was no delay after one accepted Jesus as their Savior. 

In Acts 16:31-33, the apostles did not delay baptism once people believed.

Paul, who was Saul, was immediately baptized: Acts 9:17-19.

And in Acts 2:41, “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” 

We all must be reminded of what is happening when someone is baptized. We can begin with Jesus' baptism. This powerful act revealed His identity as the Son of God; it displayed the Trinity and told of His death and resurrection for the sins of mankind. 

And after His baptism, He left a private life to pursue His mission publicly. 

For you see that “Baptism affirms each believer’s union with Christ. It is an act of faith that proclaims a new relationship with God.” (NVP Trainer’s Guide Tm.1 Ed.2)

During the summer months, my husband and I are part of a team that hosts what is called ‘The Jesus Rallies’. We have witnessed several people give their hearts to Jesus. Towards the end of the worship time, we have a tank of water where we have witnessed several people, through the years, being baptized. 

As we are baptized, we become identified with Christ Jesus’ death and resurrection.  “Baptism affirms belief in Christ, forgiveness of sin, and unity with Christ.” (Train & Multiply Term 2)

The baptism experience truly is life-changing for the believer and those who witness it. It builds the faith of fellow believers and testifies to others who are still searching for hope. For me, when I was baptized, my soul truly felt in unison with my Jesus; I felt closer to Him as I stepped out in obedience and love. 

This has been Multiply. Will you please share this podcast with others? Visit our website: vcpencouragement.org to discover this podcast and more. 

God bless!

Leadership Development - Jesus’ Prayerful Selection and Selective Call

 

This is Chuck Rapp with Multiply, a podcast to provide a word of encouragement for village church planters and leaders.

Our topic for 2026 is Leadership Development. In my past several podcasts, I shared insights regarding leadership development from VCP Director Claude, Assistant VCP Director Peter, and Fidélité, our Supervisor for Dynamic Women in Africa.

Today and in a series of podcasts to follow, I want to explore Jesus’s approach to leadership development. We begin with the observation that when it was time to appoint his 12 apostles, he did so prayerfully. Related to this, his call was selective.

In Luke 6:12-13, we read, “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles.”

The selection of Jesus’ 12 apostles was an extremely important decision for Christ. These were the men with whom he would spend the next three years, the men who would be entrusted to carry on His work after His return to heaven. It should be emphasized that Jesus was fully God and fully human during His time on earth. And before selecting these 12 leaders, the Scripture tells us that he prayed all night.

The principle here is that, as leaders, we must be prayerful in selecting emerging leaders who will be invited to join the work. Over the years, too often I have seen these decisions in the church taken too casually. A person is needed to fill a ministry role, and a “warm body” (this is an idiom meaning someone who just happens to be available) is found and placed into the position without prayerful consideration. Such a selection process almost never works out well.  

Related to prayerful selection, a second principle is that Jesus made a selective call. The context in verse 13 is that Jesus was with a group of his disciples (or followers). From this larger group, Jesus selected 12 to be his apostles.

The leadership development principle that I see here is that as we consider the choice of emerging leaders, we must be selective. I refer here to my 24 April podcast in which I summarized some characteristics that I look for in potential leaders. You may have a list that is somewhat different; the key point is that we are selective based upon important qualities we desire in future leaders.

* An Identity firmly rooted in Christ  

* Humility

* Their history or track record 

* Areas of aptitude or competency

* Take Initiative

* A Strong desire to learn and grow

* A Teachable spirit

* Pleasant to be around

* Their reputation both inside the church and with outsiders

* A strong, Christ-centered marriage

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters and leaders.

Prepare New Believers for Baptism

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis, and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

Jesus’ command in Matthew 28 gives us our marching orders. Our Lord said, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” When we read the Acts of the Apostles, we see how the Apostles and their disciples obeyed the Great Commission. An important part of disciple-making is to baptize. And in the book of Acts, a consistent principle emerges: Baptize without delay.

On the day of Pentecost, Peter instructed his listeners in Jerusalem to “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 2:38). Soon about 3,000 people were baptized. When Philip preached to the people of Samaria many believed. The Bible says in Acts 8:12, “When they believed Philip as he proclaimed the Good News of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.”

Soon after, when the Ethiopian treasurer understood the Good News as Philip explained it to him, he said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” And Philip baptized him.  The baptism of Saul in Acts 9, of Cornelius and his household in Acts 10, the baptism of Lydia and her household as well as the Philippian jailer and his household both recounted in Acts 16, Crispus and his household in Acts 18 all tell a similar story. The apostles and their disciples baptized without delay after people heard and understood the Good News of Jesus.

But baptism without delay has not always been the practice of the churches that have been started after the time of the Apostles. Many churches have imposed requirements of long periods of catechism or baptismal classes before baptizing believers. Others have delayed baptism because they were waiting to see the fruit of repentance or simply because they did not trust the new believers. But this was not the pattern or practice of the Apostles.

What is the practice of your church?  What do the elders, pastors, president, or bishops of your church teach about when to baptize and what preparation is needed for baptism? If you do not know, I encourage you to respectfully inquire.

But here is a principle that I can lift up to give you guidance about when to baptize new believers. Baptize them without delay. Make sure they understand the Gospel. Talk with them to make sure they have freely and sincerely crowned Jesus as the King of their lives. Teach them about baptism and its meaning. Makes sure they understand that the blood of Jesus cleanses our hearts and that the water of baptism represents that cleansing. Help them understand that when they rise up after having been baptized, they are rising up to a new life in Christ. Help them share the Good News with their family.

But do not delay their baptism. Preach the Good News, prepare for baptism those who understand the gospel and put their trust in Christ, Make sure these new followers of Christ are baptized without delay.

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?

 

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #BaptizeWithoutDelay

Believe the Good News

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis, and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

The Gospel of Mark is the shortest of the four biographies of Jesus that we call “The Gospels.” Mark gets right into the story of Jesus in chapter 1, verse 14 saying. “After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the Good News of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the Good News!”

The instruction to repent and believe the Good News is the first of what we now call the seven basic commands of Christ. We teach these seven basic commands to help people live as disciples of Jesus. As church planters we know that peoples’ lives will be transformed if they trust and obey Christ. We understand that “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; but that Jesus has come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10). And we know that all kinds of people are looking for a fuller life, a life of peace and hope and purpose, a life filled with love.

So why is it so hard for some people who hear God’s big story and the story of Jesus and his love to repent and believe the Good News?

Maybe it’s because they do not really believe that the Kingdom of God has come near. People who practice traditional religions believe in God, but they think he is far away from them. People who practice Islam often emphasize the transcendence of God, that he is utterly beyond and independent of the created universe. Many nominal Christians believe that God is too busy with big, important matters to be concerned about them.

But Jesus said that the kingdom of God has come near. If people can believe that the kingdom of God has come near, it will be much easier for them to repent and believe the Good News. So, a big part of our work as church planting evangelists is to help people know that the Kingdom of God really has come near. Our evangelistic work is to communicate that the powerful, loving King, Jesus, is here with us now, to forgive and heal, to redeem and to save. If people can just believe that the Kingdom of God is near, it will be much easier for them to repent and believe the Good News.

There are three main ways we help people believe that the Kingdom of God has come near. We share our testimony, we share the story of Jesus and we pray. We tell what Jesus has done for us. We speak clearly about his power and his love at work in our lives. And we tell of his mighty works and his amazing love when he lived in bodily form on this earth 2,000 years ago. And we pray with people and for people so that they see the power of God revealed in answered prayer. When people hear our story and the story of Jesus; when people see God answer prayer, faith rises up within them. They begin to say, “Maybe the kingdom of God really is near. Maybe Jesus really can give me an abundant life full of hope and joy, peace and love and purpose.” It is at that point that we should clearly but gently invite them to repent and believe the Good News about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. When our friends know that the Kingdom of God is near, they too will repent, believe and be transformed by the power of God.

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?

 

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #RepentAndBelieve

Repent and Believe the Good News : Repent

 

 

Hello, this is Multiply, a podcast to encourage village church planters and leaders. I am Brad Snowden, and last week the podcast was “Why Teach the 7 Basic Commands of Christ” 

The first command of Christ was to repent. God’s word tells us in 

Matthew 4:17: From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins, live your life in a way that proves repentance; seek God’s purpose for your life, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Jesus started with this word, REPENT to think differently, for this is a powerful transformation that must happen. Our life in Jesus starts with being sorrowful for our sins and asking Him to forgive us. He then washes us clean with His blood and makes our hearts white as snow spiritually. This is not a one-time event in our lives, because our way of thinking must always change. We can help people have a different way of thinking simply by sharing the Good News. You can have a different life, and this will bring up many questions. How can I have a different life? I cannot afford a different life, and how much will this new life change me? The list could go on for a long time, but this will allow you to share the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ with them. Hearts can be changed simply by understanding simple truths that the word repent is not a bad word, but it is a great word because now the heart is open to receiving the Good News of love and forgiveness and hope for a tomorrow. Who would not want to learn about hope? The world's idea of having hope is having enough money to never worry about having enough food, and yet hope goes much deeper than that. To be a follower of Jesus, there must be a change in the way we think. It was many years ago that there was a quote that came out: WWJD= What Would Jesus Do? It was my understanding that this was supposed to help us change our lives. It could go much deeper to change how we think. Lord, I repent because my thoughts were not lined up with your word, and my life is not proving that my thoughts are different.

2 Chronicles 7:14: If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

It is a life of turning from the past life of sin to a whole life in Christ Jesus, humbling ourselves and saying, Lord, I am sorry; help me think of your life you are giving me differently, and I accept this good news of hope and Life.

This has been a word of encouragement for village church planters. Who will you share this with today? Lord bless you.

Help People Respond To God’s Big Story

 

       Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis, and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.  

One of the most important roles you will ever have as a church planter is storyteller. Not everyone likes to think of themself as a storyteller. But before we can be an evangelist, before we can be a disciple maker, before we can be a church planter, we must be storytellers. 

When Jesus began his preaching, teaching, disciple-making ministry, he said, “Repent and believe the Good News.” The Good News is the story about God’s plan of salvation that is fulfilled by Jesus through his exemplary life, his sacrificial death, and his victorious resurrection. There are many good ways to share this big story of God at work in the world. We can tell a series of stories from the Bible about God’s wonderful creation, about mankind’s rebellion against God, about how God chose a man, Abraham, to bring blessing back to the world, about mankind’s continued rebellion and the need for sacrifice and confession. We can tell God’s big story by showing the JESUS Film that begins with creation and ends with God’s promise that Jesus will return. We can share the Good News by drawing three circles and telling about our rebellion and inability to escape brokenness in our own strength. We can tell about Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. 

All of these are good ways to share the Good News, but just telling this story is not enough. We have to help people apply this story so they can be transformed by the saving grace of God. You see a lot of people think God’s big story is about other people. They think it’s a story about God and Adam and Eve, about Noah and his children, about Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And they are right; all these people play important parts in God’s story. But if you listen to God’s big story as an outsider who is focused on these big-name characters in the story, you will miss the point. 

The point of God’s big story is that he sent his one and only Son to die to save you and to die to save me. Yes, there are many other people in the story. But until you realize that you are a leading character in God’s big story, you will not be transformed. 

It’s not enough to know that God loves the world. It’s not enough to know that Jesus came to save sinners. What we have to help people understand is that Jesus comes for them and that Jesus comes to them.  

If we can help people see their place in God’s big story, great things will result. When people first hear God’s big story, the light begins to dawn. When they realize that it was their sin that brought Jesus into this world, the day grows brighter. When they realize Jesus died and rose again to save them, the light of the Gospel grows very bright indeed. But when people understand that by repenting and believing the Good News they can be forgiven, redeemed, and transformed, the light of the Gospel becomes glorious. 

So, tell God’s big story, tell it well, tell it often, tell it with stories, with film, with drawings. Tell it to one person and tell it to many. But always, always when you tell the story, help people understand that their response to the love of God is what makes the story complete. If you do this, you will see many lives transformed. 

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today? 

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #God’sBigStory

Why Teach the 7 Basic Commands of Christ?

 

Welcome to Multiply, a Podcast to encourage church planters, pastors, and Christian leaders. I am your host today, Daneille Snowden. Matthew 28:18-20 says: “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” 

The overall theme today is teaching obedience to Christ’s commands. God’s Word defines obedience as actively hearing, trusting, and surrendering to God's will. By obeying the commands of Jesus, it reflects a believer’s trust and commitment to Him. In that, let us never forget the obedient life example that Jesus gave as we read in Philippians 2:8, “And being found in the appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross." 

It is the objective of a church planter, pastor, and Christian leader to teach obedience. In that, keeping the thought process that as we obey Christ’s commands, we are also witnessing how it transforms lives and generations! This is making disciples! When Jesus came to each disciple, He said to them, “Follow Me…” As we follow Him, then we intuitively desire to please and obey Him.

Let us do a quick recap of the 7 Basic Commands of Christ:

1. Repent & Believe (Mark 1:15) 

2. Baptize New Believers (Matthew 28:19)

3. Love Your Neighbor (Matthew 22:37-39) 

4. Partake in the Lord’s Supper (Luke 22:19-22)

5. Pray & Meditate on God’s Word (Matthew 6:9-13)

6. To Give (Luke 6:38)

7. Make Disciples (Matthew 28:19-20)

When I was training as a student at my Bible University, and the basic commands of Christ were taught, my heart was flooded with passion to simply ‘go’ and live out this for the rest of my life! As a young woman then and now a seasoned older lady today, the 7 Basic Commands of Christ are still pertinent for lives to be transformed for His Gory! As we teach this, we are delivering HOPE for all the World as we obey!

This has been Multiply. Please share this podcast with others today. Find us on vcpencouragement.org, Facebook, and on YouTube. Thank you and God Bless!

Obedience-based Discipleship

  

        Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis, and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.  

Once a person receives Christ as Lord and Savior, when a person has been born again and, by God’s grace, becomes a child of God, he or she has some questions: “What is next?  What is coming?  What is this new life in Christ going to be like? Sometimes new believers find very good answers to these questions.  Sometimes they do not.  

Do you remember asking questions like these? Many new Christians don’t ask God to answer their questions. They don’t even ask their Christian friends, “What is next for me now that I have met Christ?” They ask themselves these questions, and often the best answer they come up with is “I don’t know.”  The sad thing is that if new believers don’t find out what God wants their new life to be like, they will often go back to their old way of living. 

But the word of God has answers for the new believer’s questions. The next step for a new believer is to learn to obey Jesus’ commandments. 

Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Our Lord emphasizes this teaching a few verses later, saying, “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them. Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” As a disciple maker, teach new believers to obey Jesus and experience the love of the Father. 

The new believer shows his love for Jesus by obeying his commandments. The act of obeying Jesus’ commands solidifies the love that new believers have for God.  When we intentionally obey Jesus, we experience the love, joy, and warmth of God’s presence. This is powerful and liberating. Experiencing the presence of God by obeying his commandments brings joy and peace. Obeying Jesus brings blessing to the obedient one and to his or her family and friends. 

But new believes do not know this. They need to be taught to obey all that Jesus commanded.  This was our Lord’s final instruction to his disciples. He told us to go to all nations and make disciples “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” We are to make disciples by teaching people to obey Jesus. This way of making disciples is called “obedience-based discipleship.”  Discipleship is not primarily about knowing new ideas or even about having spiritual experiences. Being a disciple of Jesus is first and foremost about obeying him. It is through that obedience that we honor God with our love, and we experience his presence in new and meaningful ways as he makes his home with us. 

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today? 

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #Obedience-basedDiscipleship