As a father of seven children, passionately committed to making disciples right from my own home, I find Dr. Matt Friedeman’s book “The New Discipleship In The Home” not just timely but essential. I was first introduced to it in a seminar class taught by the author. It was impactful, excellent material, so I re-read it with my wife, and we began to try to implement the principles.

Friedeman, a seasoned pastor with over 30 years of ministry experience and a father to six children, brings an authentic, hands-on approach to discipling within the familial setting which resonates deeply with me.

American culture is struggling on so many levels. In this culture, the call to bring discipleship back into the home feels increasingly urgent.

The hard truth is this: The culture and the school are definitely planning to disciple your children for you… but into something other than a follower of Christ.

Even the church (by itself) isn’t enough. It’s going to take our own efforts as well. Friedeman masterfully underscores the importance of this task, making a compelling case for the home as the primary ground where faith and character are sown and nurtured. His practical insights and personal anecdotes, drawn from both his rich pastoral experience and his own family life, provide a roadmap that is both inspiring and attainable.

Dr. Friedeman begins by setting a foundational view of the home as not merely a retreat from the world but as the first and most impactful arena of spiritual development. He emphasizes that discipleship at home isn’t about perfect parenting but intentional parenting—making deliberate choices each day to guide our children toward Christ. This perspective challenges and encourages me as I navigate the joys and trials of raising a large family, striving to be intentional in how we cultivate faith and character in our children.

Structure and content overview

The book is structured around practical strategies and profound truths, tailored to equip parents to take up the mantle of making disciples in their homes. One of the most striking aspects of Friedeman’s approach is his encouragement of Scripture memory and the everyday life aspects of discipleship. His scriptural insights are not just theological. They are intensely practical, making disciple-making practical for modern families.

Each chapter of the book serves as a standalone workshop on different aspects of home-based discipleship, ranging from establishing daily rituals that foster spiritual growth, to handling the digital age’s impact on family dynamics. Friedeman doesn’t shy away from tough topics like discipline and technology, addressing them with wisdom and balance, acknowledging the complexities while providing clear, biblical guidance.

What sets this book apart is its unwavering commitment to the notion that discipleship starts with the heart—both the heart of the parent and the heart of the child. Friedeman’s call to parents to model Christ-like behavior is both a challenge and an encouragement. His reminder that our children do not just need our teachings but our transparent, authentic examples speaks directly to my own experiences as a father striving to reflect Christ’s love and discipline to my children.

The Appendices: A practical gold mine of resources

The practical appendices, including discipleship tools and resources, enhance the book’s utility, making it a valuable handbook for any parent serious about their calling to disciple their children. These resources are not just theoretical but tested in the crucible of real family life, offering proven strategies for fostering faith that lasts.

What it inspired in my home: Dinner table devotions for families

One of the greatest things about the book is the practicality of how to do family devotional time. Dr. Friedeman focuses strongly on family Bible time at the dinner table. I created resources that help with that, and you can find out more about how to do family devotions at the dinner table here.

Get the free audiobook

I loved the book so much, I reached out to Dr. Friedeman, and asked if I could produce an audiobook of the content. He graciously gave me permission! So I created it, and you can download it for free right here:

Conclusion:

In conclusion, “The New Discipleship in Home” by Dr. Matt Friedeman is a vital resource for parents who, like myself, yearn to cultivate a home where discipleship is woven into the very fabric of family life. Friedeman’s empathetic tone, combined with his depth of knowledge, experience, and practical advice, makes this book more than just a read—it’s an invitation to transform our homes into the most fundamental ground for discipleship. It is a journey I am eager to continue in my own home, inspired by Friedeman’s example and fortified by his insights. This book is more than recommended; it is a resource I will return to repeatedly as I walk the path of discipling my own kids.

Welcome to part 3 of Brain Tricks to Beat Procrastination! Today we’re talking about Type 3: Perfectionism procrastination.

How many times have you delayed doing something because you couldn’t do it perfectly RIGHT NOW? That’s perfectionism procrastination.

Author and TED talk sensation Brene’ Brown says:

“Perfectionism is not the same thing has striving to be your best. Perfectionism is the belief that if we live perfect, look perfect, and act perfect, we can minimize or avoid the pain of blame, judgement, and shame. It’s a shield. It’s a twenty-ton shield that we lug around thinking it will protect us when, in fact, it’s the thing that’s really preventing us from flight.” (Brene Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection)

I’d say yes… and where she says “preventing us from flight” – I’d add “sometimes just preventing us from ACTION… preventing us from starting and finishing.”

Perfectionism will keep you from doing TONS of worthwhile things.

Strategies to deal with Perfectionism Procrastination:

Strategy #1: Identify unrealistic expectations.

What are unrealistic expectations I have right now?

• I can get many things done before I leave?
• I must always be on time?
• I can’t make a mistake?
• Chaos doesn’t happen to me?
• No one will have a different idea?
• I can do it all?

How could I cut my unrealistic expectations down by 50%?

What weakness do I have in this area, and how can I admit it to someone right now?

Strategy #2: Create an anti-perfectionism mantra.

A mantra is a short phrase that is loaded with meaning to you, that you can employ to remind and calm your negative emotions in a short time.

• “I am loved and accepted by God, even with my imperfections.”
• “I’m not perfect, but I’m growing.”
• “God has never looked at me and been mad about me doing the best I can.”
• “Jesus loves me just like I am, and he loves me so much, he won’t leave me this way.”

Or, you can find someone else’s mantra. Here’s my favorite:  “Anything worth doing is worth doing imperfectly.”

Leonard Cohen wrote one that contains these lyrics: Ring the bells that still can ring / forget your perfect offering / there’s a crack in everything / that’s how the light gets in.” (Leonard Cohen, “Anthem”)

You could also create a physical mantra, and action that has deep emotional significance to you. Say “I’m putting down my desire for perfection so I can fly.” While you say this, physically mime taking the “20 ton shield” and lay it to one side.

Strategy #3: Identify the false dichotomies.

A dichotomy is an “either-or” statement. A false dichotomy is an either-or that ignores other actual choices.

Perfectionism thrives on false dichotomies.

For instance:

• Either I must be the best and most involved dad, or I should give my children up for adoption.
• Either I must be the best pastor who never fails, or I must avoid everything and binge watch Netflix.

Either I must ___ or I must ____.

Identify your false either/or that is leading to your procrastination. Give the fake version, then counteract it with this:

“Actually, a third option would be to take this imperfect action now: __________, because anything worth doing is worth doing imperfectly.”

What strategies have you found helpful that you think should be added to this list?

If you’re interested in a Christian-based course on training new habits into your life, check out www.habitsmaster.com.

We’ve been talking about how to beat procrastination. Today, we’re going a little different direction by talking about “wisdom procrastination.”

Wisdom procrastination is when you have a deep-seated resistance to doing a thing because it isn’t compatible with your passion & skills.

Yes, this is different than just laziness. (We’ll talk about actual laziness later.)

Some of the world’s most successful people have become successful by discovering what areas they can make the greatest contribution, and then deliberately unloading other tasks and responsibilities to those who love to do them, and are skilled at them.

There’s an old joke about Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft.  The joke was that he was made so much money, that if he saw $1k on the sidewalk, it would not be worth it for him to stop, lean down, and pick it up… he would literally LOSE MONEY by taking 3 seconds to pick up $1,000!

Sometimes, when you are delaying a task, it may be because you instinctively recognize that you aren’t the right person to do it. Perhaps you do not have the correct skills. Perhaps you are not passionate about that activity. Perhaps learning how to do it would take too long.

I’d encourage you to stop viewing this type of procrastination as evil, and start viewing it as wisdom!

What if, instead of beating yourself up about these things, you chose to view your time as so valuable that you cannot afford to use it doing things which others could:

• Do faster and more efficiently than you could?
• Do better and more skillfully than you could?
• Do with more joy than you could?

So how would we go about dealing with this type of procrastination?

STRATEGIES for “wisdom procrastination”

Strategy #1: Think who, not how.

I learned this concept in Dan Sullivan & Dr. Benjamin Hardy’s excellent little book “Who, Not How.”

The next time you come to a problem, stop thinking “how can I overcome this problem?” Instead, think “Who could help me overcome this problem?”

This will create a mindset where you are able to delegate a task, or hire someone more effectively.

Pick a project where you’ve been procrastinating.  Ask yourself:

• Who could help me overcome this problem?
• Who has the necessary skills?
• Who would already know to tackle this?
• Who do I know that has been successful at this?

Then, ask that person what they would charge to tackle the problem for you, and you move on to the part of the project that you do better than anyone else.

For instance, for my mini-course on “Brain Tricks that Finally Defeat Procrastination,” rather than doing the design, I turned the content over to a virtual assistant in Pakistan, who did a much better job than I could do, did it faster than I could, and I moved on to create more value in other areas!

I told you a story last week about the young African-American man from my church who came by and asked if he could get a couple copies of the NewStart Discipleship Journal because he was sharing his faith with a couple friends at work. He wanted to use it to help walk with them through their faith journey.

I was so excited.

So, this week, he came back after service, and blew my mind again.

“Pastor, I brought those NewStart Journals back to my apartment, and was looking at it, getting ready to take it to work,” he told me. “My roommate was looking at it, and picked one of them up. He looked through it, and said, ‘Hey, can I have one?'”

About this point, a huge grin is spreading over my face, as you might imagine.

He continued. “So I told him he could, and this guy — he’s not a Christian, honestly he’s pretty wild — he said, ‘Well, we might as well do it together.'”

By this time, I’m grinning so wide, I could eat a banana sideways.

I can’t think of a time when I didn’t want to make disciples — but I never had a plan to do it in a way that could really multiply until I changed my discipleship strategy recently.

I know God’s work is like an iceberg — there’s more below the surface than there is above. But once in a while, it is nice when God gives you a little peek under the surface. It was just what I needed to keep going this week.

What’s keeping you going this week?

Comment below and let me know!

​So How Can I get Training to Multiply Disciple-Makers at my church?

P.S. I actually am offering that 1 hour training “How to Be 100% Ready to Disciple New Christians (And Multiply Disciple-Makers!)” again this week on Thursday and Friday. If you missed it last time, and you’d like a do-over, click the link.

P.P.S. AFTER I WROTE THIS… He brought his friend with him to our latest event. This does a pastor’s heart good, to see the disciple multiplication effect starting to happen!

I’m not an iPhone guy, but I have noticed while shopping for my wife’s iphone charger (yes, we are a house divided)…🙂 I have noticed that there are fake products out there that may WORK for Apple, but are not made by Apple.

If you’re a mechanic, there are aftermarket parts that may or may not fit, then there are OEM parts… original equipment manufacturer… they just FIT.

It’s the same way in Holiness. The only real thing – real holiness comes from connection to God.

He’s the OEM the original equipment manufacturer… and nothing else will really fit.

Holiness isn’t intrinsic

There is no intrinsic holiness in any person or thing.  Most versions of human religion teach that there is “intrinsic” holiness in some place, person, or thing.  That this person is holy, because of some quality THEY possess. 

This is a holy object, holy rock, holy place, holy ceremony, etc.  So we get titles like “His Holiness the Dalai Lama” or “Holy Father” about the Pope. But when the Bible uses the word, that’s not what it means.  The Bible teaches that there is no such thing as intrinsic holiness, that exists in a person or place or thing by themselves.

But when God comes into the picture, when he touches or uses something he communicates his holiness to and through that person or thing.  

Examples of God’s Holiness communicated to people or things: 

Exodus 3 “The ground where you are standing is holy ground.”  What made it holy?  Was it a special place?  No, just a bush and some wilderness ground.  But now, it’s holy because God is using it. 

Bread is holy if God says it’s for his use. 

• Oil. 
• Pots.
• Sacrifices.
• Day – The created or Mosaic Sabbath.
• Gold. Matthew 23:17 Jesus asked the crowd: “Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?”

In the Temple, God says the gold is holy, but Jesus says it’s not holy on it’s own — The Temple makes it holy.  Why?  Because God has chosen to place his presence there.  He’s there, so it’s holy.

God’s Presence, Touch, or Use Makes things holy

God’s presence, touch, or use makes things holy that were not before.  

This is also true of people.

When God connects with us, we become holy, his presence in us makes us holy, even though we were not before. God says in 1 Cor. 7, that as a believing wife you make your husband and kids holy, even if they are not believers… basically, I’m in contact with God and that man is in contact with me, he’s in contact with holiness. 

Holiness isn’t a static quality, it’s a growing relationship

Like electricity flows, holiness is dynamic.  

If God leaves, stops using something, is disconnected from something — it’s not holy.  The light goes off.

The first element of holiness is this: that Holiness requires exclusive, continuing relationship with God.  Anyone connected to God is holy, and anyone not connected with God is not holy, no matter if they used to be or not.

Prayer for holiness:

Father in Heaven, You are holy always and forever.  Holiness flows from you.  I praise you for making all that you possess holy like you are holy.  I ask that you flow to me and through me, and that you produce in me in this 40 days, greater and greater holiness in every part of me.  I want you to own new parts of me, fill new parts of my mind, heart, and attitudes, that I’m not even aware of at this moment.  I invite you to show me new places for you to fill.  Amen.

Meditation Questions about God’s Holiness: 

• If I want to be holy, how do I connect with God?
• Is there anything hindering my connection with God that brings holiness?
• Is it possible for God to make holy more and more parts of my heart and mind by taking possession of them?

A Bible Study for Pursuing Holiness:

What is God’s holiness, and how does God make sinful humans holy? Pursuing Holiness is a 40 Day discipleship journey for growing Christians, taught by Darrell Stetler II, can also be done as a 40 day church campaign. Please visit www.40daysofholiness.com for more details or to take the entire course yourself. There, you can download the Pursuing Holiness workbook, and purchase the course to help you along your journey toward holiness (which is Christlikeness!)

Daily videos on holiness and 130 page workbook

To download the 130 page holiness of God study guide guidebook & journal, please visit 40daysofholiness.com.  This holiness campaign will take you deep into the heart of God, seeing the beauty of His holiness, and learning to long for it in your own life. In this 40-day holiness devotional resource, you’ll learn the definition of holiness, how you can become holy, why God expects you to be holy, and how to grow and increase in holiness. We go to the Bible to define holiness, to see what the Bible says about how to achieve holiness, to explore the metaphors in Scripture for holiness.

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”  Isaiah 6:3 (NIV)

Revelation 4:8 Each of the four living creatures…. Day and night they never stop saying: “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.” (NIV)

What’s the definition of holiness?

It’s appropriate that we take a moment and recognize that the holiness definition is built on the holiness of God.  God is holy love, at his core and essence.  In heaven, scenes from the Bible tell us that special creations like angels around the Throne of God call out “Holy, holy, holy,” continually.  This Trinitarian repetition of HOLY is significant, because it’s 3 in 1, and also because it’s the only thing that’s repeated around God’s throne in this way.  He is faithful, he is powerful, he is knowledgeable, but in his essence — he is Holy.  

What is God’s holiness? He is separate, other, not like.  He is untouched by the faults and weakness and dependence of all other things.  He is completely other than His creation.  There are only 2 things in all existence: God & the Creation.  God & everything else.  That utter unique, separate purity is his holiness.  

God’s holiness is the source of his other attributes:

• Everything else is unfaithful eventually, but God is faithfulness unmixed.  
• Everything else is dependent & needy, God is completely un-needy, utterly independent.  
• Everything else has a spot of corruption, but God is purity unmixed.
• Everything else has it’s light and darkness, its “yin and yang” — but God is completely unmixed, completely single and whole,  utterly alone in his degree of perfection.

This holiness is often expressed as incomprehensible, utterly blinding, terrifying light in Scripture.  To be in the complete presence of the holiness of God would literally kill your physical body, as if you had been suddenly transported to 100 miles away from the sun.  You couldn’t physically or spiritually take the glory of his holiness.  

God’s Holiness is “scary good”

I don’t mean to suggest that God’s holiness is a negative thing, as though it was a source of pain and fear.  

On the contrary, the holiness of God is so glorious, so joyful, so explosively brilliant, that it’s beauty and goodness is what is overwhelming. The Bible tells us to “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”  Humans have often recognized that there is a place where joy is so overwhelming that it gets close to something like terror. Like the sheer terror as you’re about to descend the world’s tallest, fastest roller coaster, the joyous terror of his holiness would simply overwhelm you in every way, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  

It’s not that it’s so bad it’s scary, it’s that it’s so good it’s marvelously scary.

So where does God get his holiness?

God’s holiness doesn’t COME from anywhere.  It is “underived.”  It isn’t received from anywhere or anything.  God is the fountainhead, the source, the DEFINITION of holiness.  Biblically, the word “holy” only means someone who is rightly related to God in some way.  

• Any holiness in the world — came from God. 
• Any holiness in an item — came from God.
• Any holiness in a person — came from God. 
• If you achieve any holiness — you can be sure you didn’t create it.  It came from God.

So God is holy, He’s the source of all holiness.

And starting today, we’re going to spend 40 days on a discipleship Bible study journeying deep into that holiness, chasing the joy and beauty of His holiness, and letting that seep down into us.

Prayer for Holiness:

Father, you are holy, and I see what that means.  Your goodness, uniqueness, and glory is so pure.  You are unlike anything, you are purity unmixed, and I am in awe of you.  Help me to always have a joyful trembling before the beauty of your holiness.  Just let me know you, and let your holiness soak down into my heart and life all throughout this 40 days.  Amen.

Today’s Meditation Questions on Holiness: 

• What is God’s holiness like?  
• What metaphors for God’s holiness can I think of? 
• How does God’s holiness give joy?

A PDF Bible study on God’s holiness

Pursuing Holiness (www.40daysofholiness.com) is also available as a church-wide campaign, to enable small or large churches and their pastors to pursue holiness together as a means of discipleship and revival. This valuable Bible study on holiness comes with a 120 page workbook, daily sample prayers for holiness, meditation questions about holiness and sanctification, journaling space, and online tools including 40 daily teaching videos about holiness, and guided prayer experiences to help you in seeking holiness.

Holiness isn’t just Pentecostal or Wesleyan

Holiness is not a Pentecostal concern, or one for the Holiness Movement, the Methodist CHurch or Wesleyan/Arminian followers of John Wesley. It isn’t just for holiness churches! It is for all serious Christians, all students of God’s Word, regardless of denomination or background. If you’re wondering what Methodists believe, or what John Wesley’s theology was, you can certainly find out a lot about it in this video series. But holiness isn’t just a theological exercise, it’s a pursuit of God’s heart, and a replication of his character in the human spirit. 

For Darrell Stetler’s other sites, please check out www.newstartdiscipleship.com or www.darrellstetler2.com to find tools for small church pastors, to make their ministry, families and church discipleship more effective. 

As someone who cares about discipleship for new Christians, it’s always great to find a company that has meaningful devotional resources. I recently came across the devotional below from Opening the Word. I’ve been aware of the devotionals from Herald and Banner for a while, but didn’t know they had updated them to include my favorite preferred method of reading – Amazon’s Kindle.

Maybe Kindle isn’t your favorite method of getting your devotional for men or devotional for women reading. No problem, you can click through to see it in Kindle or get a hard copy.

Kindle Devotionals Available – Updated Quarterly

The Kindle devotionals from Opening the Word are released quarterly, as part of the Way, Truth and Life Sunday School curriculum,, which is based on the KJV). It’s truly the literature of my youth, since I remember getting their Sunday School material all the way back to the days when Maudine Wilcox was giving me 2 pink jellybeans and the paper each Sunday in Talladega, AL. 🙂

This is better, though. Now I can get daily devotional lessons on the same Kindle where I keep all my books. So when I wake up and realize, I haven’t read my devotional today, all I have to do is find my Kindle.

“For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall” Isaiah 25:1-5, KJV

A Devotional from Opening the Word – Available on Kindle

As a youngster, and even through my teens, I loved spending time deer hunting with my dad, even though he had some very strict rules about being in the woods. Specifically, dad allowed no noise in the woods – no talking, foot noise in the leaves, etc. On the day in question, we were on top of a ridge in the Copper Basin of southeast Tennessee – a long, difficult walk from the car. It began to rain. Again, remember the rule – no talking! Dad stood up and motioned for me to follow. No, we were not headed toward the car; instead, we were heading in the opposite direction. No questions – just follow! After we had walked a while, dad stopped, moved behind me, turned my body to face off the trail, and gently pushed me off the trail. After we had walked a few yards, his hands on my shoulders told me first to squat, and then move forward. Only then did I see what he had known all the time. The big tree standing in front of us had a huge hollow hole at the bottom of the trunk! I crawled in, stood up, and he crawled in after me and sat at my feet. Dad knew where there was “a shelter from the storm.” My job was to obey in silence.

I wish I always followed God as implicitly as I did my dad that day. But I confess, in the storm, I often would rather talk – ask questions. But He, better than my dad, knows the place of shelter from the storm. But accessing that place may require me to get down on my hands and knees, and crawl! (by Gordon L. Snider)

“For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock” (Psa. 27:5).

This devotional is reprinted by permission from Herald and Banner Press.

Holiness is a mega-theme of Scripture, running from very early in the story to the final pages of the Scripture, and soaking into every book of the Bible in some way.  So clearly, it’s important — God wants us to know something about it. 

Holiness is a neglected topic  

Kevin Deyoung wrote a book recently called “The Hole in our Holiness” — he’s seeing the same thing that I am.  A lot of times, the Gospel is treated as the Good News, and holiness, sanctification, growing in Christlikeness is treated as the irrelevant news… like it barely matters.  

It can be a bit controversial at times, because it touches every part of your life.  I want to warn you — don’t do this unless you’re willing to let theology get uncomfortable.  If you’re just wanting to be one of those Christians who goes to church, occasionally shares “I can do all things through Christ” memes on Facebook and your closest relationship with your Bible is when you’re taking a picture of it with a great filter on instagram.  🙂  then this probably isn’t for you. 

Seriously, only do this if you’re wanting a passionate walk with God, if you want it to blow up into something that may be uncomfortable at times, but results in greater joy, greater intimacy with Jesus, greater amounts of the potential of God’s grace being real in your life.  

Holiness must increase after the New Birth

I think we all know that there’s this gap in our lives — a gap between what God provided and what we experience… between what Jesus accomplished, and what we actually bring into real life experience.  We all know there’s more victory, more joy, more love for God, more committed following of him… more growth in holiness leading to more happiness.  

This program is about what God can do to close that gap.  It’s not new teaching, or something I came up with.  I’m taking truths that have been taught by millions for centuries… that are found in the pages of God’s Word, and just shining new light on them. 

If you’re just watching this on the website, you can click the link in the description below to download a printable Holiness Bible study workbook that you can print out.  

What if I’m not from a holiness church?

Now, I know there are two kinds of people reading this: 

People who have maybe heard of “holiness churches” and you’re not sure what that is, or if it’s some kind of cult or something.  You’re wondering if this really Gospel, or if it’s some fringe teaching… is it Pentecostal?  Do I have to handle snakes? 🙂  Do I have to become a Methodist?  Or maybe you’re wondering if you have to leave your church or something in order to learn about holiness def and see it grow in your life.  Relax.  I’m interested in you being holy no matter where you are, and growing in that holiness for the rest of your life.  This isn’t about a denomination, it’s about a quality of life with God.  That’s what I want for you. Everything else is details.

What if I don’t understand holiness?

Another group of people are here who are FROM holiness church near me, and you’re a bit confused… you’ve heard different things about the doctrine of holiness.  Sometimes it’s been confusing.  Some people have been around you who lived it, but didn’t teach how very well.  Other people around you may have taught it, but when it came to their life, they really didn’t live it.  Sometimes people preached entire sanctification in ways that really didn’t connect with you, and you’re kind of wandering theologically. I think this is going to be helpful to that group, too.  

Both of those groups, here’s what I’d like you to do:  Put aside your pre-suppositions for a minute and let me say this… all I want is for you to be as much like Jesus as possible.  That’s it.  That’s what holiness means.  So if you’re in for that journey, stick with me.  We’ll build a biblical theology of what it means to be holy, and how Jesus grows our holiness, and we’ll chase it together for these 40 days.  I think what you’ll discover is, that this isn’t as complicated as you thought, it’s a way full of joy and passion for God and his Gospel and his character in our lives.

If you’ve been raised in a holiness church and you’re wondering whether or not to give it another shot, stick with me.  For the next 40 days do this study, set aside your assumptions and what you thought you know, and what you’ve been taught and confused about… and just flow with this.  

Here’s a word about holiness theology and terms:

This is my attempt to teach what is possible for God to do in your heart by using as few theological and category words as possible. I’m going to (as much as possible) avoid using theology categories, and just let the scripture shape both the container and the holiness content that we’re going to put in it. 🙂

This is a 40 day journey… watch your daily video, pray over it, meditate on the question of the day, and let’s pursue holiness and learn what holiness to God means together.

I’m excited to get started!

A Bible study about Holiness

www.40daysofholiness.com is a holiness bible study that teaches on God’s holiness, and how he creates it in humans. Taught by Darrell Stetler II, this 40 day discipleship journey to teach you how to grow as a Christian will take you deep into the heart of God, seeing the beauty of His holiness, and learning to long for it in your own life. We’ll give holiness definition and clarity, talk about what holiness is and what holiness isn’t, and teach you how to become holy, and grow in holiness. The 40 Day Holiness Bible study deals with questions such as:

• How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit? 
• What does it mean that God is holy?
• What is the definition of holiness? 
• How does God make us holy?
• What is sanctification?

You can get your own copy at Http://challenge.40daysofholiness.com.

Holiness is one of those topics that seems to confuse people. Sometimes, people don’t seem to understand why holiness matters, or even what the definition of holiness is. There are many questions people struggle with:

• What does the Bible say about holiness?
• What does it mean that God is holy? 
• What is the definition of holiness? 
• Why are some churches called holiness churches?
• How much holiness does God require of me? 
• How can the Holy Spirit really transform my character and life?
• Is it really reasonable to expect a life of holiness and victory over sin?
• How can I ever be holy when I’ve got so many issues?

Holiness is not a niche product for a narrow market — it’s not just for Pentecostals, or the Holiness Movement, the Bible Methodists, or people who believe Wesleyan/Arminian theology. Study of God’s holiness and how to “be holy, for I, the Lord your God am holy,” (see 1 Peter 1:16) is for all serious Christians, all students of God’s Word, regardless of denomination or background.

After all, “…without holiness, no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14) I’d say that places the stakes pretty high. Regardless of denomination or theological background, we should care about what the Bible says about holiness, both about God’s holiness and ours!

How do we teach what the Bible says about holiness?

Much of my childhood has been marked by men who preached holiness in my generation. My grandfathers, Kenneth Stetler and V.O. Agan, preached holiness for their audiences, and lived it in their home life and before their families. Much of what I know about the Scriptures teach about holiness was preached and lived before me by my dad, Darrell Stetler, Sr.

I owe much to these men and their faithful teaching of the Scriptures.

But how do we teach people what the Bible says about holiness in the current day? How do we disciple new Christians to break through the current cultural climate and care about God’s holiness being reproduced in their lives and hearts? Frankly, people in my theological circles have not written and said much in the public “theological square” about the topic of the holiness of God in the last few decades.

So it is with great trembling that I am stepping out to add my voice to the topic.

Today, I want to invite you to participate in the Pursuing Holiness Challenge: A 40 Day Holiness Discipleship Journey.

Introducing Pursuing Holiness

What 40 Days of Holiness Includes

The campaign is starting to be starting this year on Pentecost Sunday, but it is one of those work at your own pace things. If you miss a day you just pick up where you left off, so it’s a great opportunity to learn about what holiness means, and how you can be holy as God is holy. 

Throughout the Pursuing Holiness challenge, there will be a Facebook group and you have opportunity to ask questions — 

When you participate in 40 Days of Holiness, you’re buying so much more than just one more spiritual growth book. Let me show you what I mean:

Feature #1: 40 Days of TEACHING VIDEOS ON HOLINESS

Here’s an example of the teaching videos on the holiness of God. This is from Day 1 of the challenge:

Feature #2: 40 Days of video PRAYERS FOR HOLINESS

When the teaching video is done, there is a sample prayer that is included in your workbook and there was also on the website a five minutes video of guided I pray for 2-minutes. Here’s an example from Day 8 of the challenge:

So these daily prayers are specifically praying back to God about what he’s talking to us about from the Bible verses on holiness for that day, you three minutes of prayer at the end of that to pray and seek on your own.  

Feature #3: Holiness MEDITATION QUESTIONS

Each day also features 2-3 meditation questions where you have a chance to pause and think and journal, to consider what God is saying to you, and to allow the Holy Spirit to teach you in a deeper way what holiness means.

Feature #4: A CHANCE TO ASK QUESTIONS about holiness

Every single day of the 40 Days of Holiness experience has a neat feature — on the website, there’s an invitation to ask questions. You can click the little chat button, and your questions come straight to my email. I’ll try to answer it on my YouTube channel.

Feature #5: A FACEBOOK COMMUNITY

So we’re going to do our best to just experience this seeking of holiness together. But it’s way different and way more than just a book what year what year purchasing here is an experience with a whole group online a digital community of God’s people.

So how can I get 40 Days of Holiness for my church?

You can either choose a digital download version of the Pursuing Holiness workbook that you can print out yourself, or you can choose to have one shipped directly to you… 

If you’re a pastor, or Sunday school teacher, I’m going to give you a hint – you can HUGE price discount if you get your church or Sunday school class to take it together! Click this link to get the 40 Days of Holiness church campaign

I want you to invite invite you and your family and your people in your church of your small group along with us that’s all across the country we engage this topic is vital crucial but often forgotten misunderstood topic of the Holiness of God. 

A subscription to this product in the NewStart Discipleship Tools family, gives you an unlimited printing license for these 130 page workbooks.

So here’s the final question I want you to think about:

Imagine with me for a moment that you took 40 days and you looked deep into God’s holiness. What if you spent an anchor 15 minutes a day just learning and mulling over and meditating on the Scripture… meditating on God and inviting his work in you that time of day for you — everyday for 40 days? 

Would it make a difference in your walk with Jesus?

Oh, yes it would! I am convinced that God is going to use this take you to a different level in your walk with him in his holiness!