At RightNow Media, we’re honored to serve a wide range of churches—from small rural congregations to suburban megachurches to emerging microchurches. Though their contexts vary, these churches shared a common request:
“Can you create a resource to help us disciple people in the essentials of the Christian faith?”
That’s how our twelve-part discipleship journey, Essentials of Faith, was born.
“Churches have been asking us for resources that provide a step-by-step pathway to spiritual maturity,” said Brian Mosley, president of RightNow Media. “Essentials of Faith builds a solid theological foundation for new believers and invites seasoned Christians to deepen their understanding of the gospel. We designed these series to partner with churches and support their existing discipleship strategies to develop mature followers of Jesus.”
Publisher Sophie DeMuth explains the heart behind the initiative: “We wanted to create resources that were clear and simple, easy to use and versatile, yet also applicable and helpful for Christians of all maturity levels. And so we came up with this twelve-series ‘program’ that any church could pick up and use to help their members grow as disciples of Jesus.”
Creating something simple is surprisingly complex—just ask the team of writers, designers, and video producers behind Essentials of Faith.
The series walks through twelve foundational questions about Christianity in a clear, progressing format. Designed for small groups, individual study, or church-wide use, each session equips viewers to explore gospel truths and prepares them to disciple others. In addition to free adult study guides, our Publishing team also created youth study guides for each Essentials of Faith series to help parents, youth leaders, and mentors to disciple the next generation.
The approach was intentional from the beginning. “All the planning for the twelve series came through a lot of collaboration and prayer,” Sophie said. “We decided to pose our titles as questions because so many people are asking questions today—about God, the church, and the faith. Our hope was to show that these series are for everyone, no matter their questions or doubts or spiritual maturity.”
But here’s what you don’t see when you watch an Essentials of Faith series: the months of planning that went into every single detail, from the intricately designed backdrops to the props and production.
While we typically travel to unique locations to film cinematic Bible studies, we took a more focused approach for Essentials of Faith. “I think that the Essentials of Faith series is one of our simpler series from a production standpoint, but that's the beauty of it,” said Video Producer Mathew Robbins. “There’s power in showing amazing locations and editing eye-catching stories, but there’s just as much power in a simple message and format.”
Each series features a custom backdrop created by RightNow Media’s graphic designers, then printed onto wallpaper and carefully applied by hand. The 16x8 foot backdrops combine historical Christian artwork with contemporary photographs and modern design elements.
Graphic Designer Keaton Dillard spent hours creating some of the backdrops featured in the series. “I hope the backdrops make the teaching more understandable. But at a deeper level I hope the beauty of the designs moves viewers to grasp the deep beauty that is Jesus Christ.”
When you’re creating a resource about the essentials of faith, you want teachers who embody those essentials in their own lives. That’s why Essentials of Faith features trusted voices like Francis Chan, J.D. Greear, Lisa Harper, and Derwin Gray, with upcoming series from Beth Moore, Eric Mason, Sharon Hodde Miller, Ben Stuart, Kyle Idleman, and more.
Our team welcomed these teachers to RightNow Media’s headquarters in McKinney, Texas, where they filmed in our on-site studio. During their time at our headquarters, several teachers shared a short message of encouragement to the entire RightNow Media staff. When asked about these teachings, Senior Marketing Specialist Victoria Becker shared: “Moments like these remind our team that we’re not just doing a job—we’re joining in the discipleship of the global church. RightNow Media gets to play just a small part in what God is doing around the world. It’s bigger than us, and it’s not about us.”
Senior Producer of Women’s Content Courtney Davis couldn’t contain her excitement when talking about these collaborations: [these are] “the most gifted teachers of our time pouring out on their favorite topics concerning our discipleship. The passion is unmatched. Getting to learn how to read the Bible from Beth Moore—I mean, does it get better than that?”
Ask anyone on the RightNow Media team what they hope viewers take away from these series, and the answers go far beyond information. The goal of the Christian life isn’t just knowledge, but it is applying what we know. We believe that understanding these “essentials of faith” leads to life transformation.
“We really hope the audience for these series fill in some of the blanks in their walk with Christ. Getting to know Jesus and the intricacies of the Bible will take us all a lifetime, but with the tools of this series I hope we all feel empowered to tackle a deeper understanding of our faith,” Courtney said.
The impact isn’t limited to individuals. Video Producer Chris Abalza sees the ripple effect: “To me, the Essentials of Faith series is uniquely important because each series tackles such important questions in the life of a young believer. That makes it important for those young ones but also for folks who are discipling other people—giving them some support and resources to walk through.”
While Essentials of Faith answers foundational questions to the Christian faith, it isn’t just for young believers. Sophie DeMuth experienced this firsthand while working on the project: “Working on Essentials of Faith forced me to think like a new Christian, which reminded me of the journey God’s taken me on in my faith. It’s been a true joy to craft these series alongside the rest of the RightNow Media team, and I am so grateful to God for the opportunity.”
That’s the beauty of essentials—they’re essential for everyone.
What makes someone cling to hope when everything in life points to despair? We know that a significant part of our faith involves believing in what God has said, even when our life circumstances appear to contradict what we’re hoping for. We live in the tension of the already and not yet. We have Jesus already, yet we await his return. We have his salvation, yet we also wait for complete sanctification. The tension of delayed deliverance marks the Christian life.
We also see examples of delayed deliverance in the world around us, which serve as signposts for Christians to remember our already-but-not-yet reality. One example is Juneteenth (short for June nineteenth)—a federal holiday in the United States that celebrates the emancipation of enslaved Black people in America. Specifically, Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery for those in Galveston, Texas who learned of their freedom two years after President Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.
The late emancipation of the men and women in Galveston is a picture of delayed justice. Dreams and prayers for freedom had finally been made a reality—the already—but despite the joy of finally being liberated, other obstacles became more prevalent—the not yet. Black people were free, but the fight for survival remained. The Black community still sits in this tension today, as we look back with joy at the progress we've made while we continue fighting for criminal justice reform, seeking equal access to educational resources, and addressing racial discrimination.
The Black church uniquely experienced the already-but-not-yet tension that carried on after Juneteenth because of their faith. Black Christians saw that Scripture didn’t erase the frustration of delayed justice, but it did give them language to endure it faithfully. They recognized that concepts such as freedom, liberation, dignity, and justice were not merely biblical ideas, but at the heart of the gospel. The Black church’s methods, mobilization, and fight against injustice have always been a response fueled by faith. Here are three truths the Black church has faithfully believed and practiced while enduring delayed justice:
Freedom has always been part of God’s plan for his people—both spiritually and physically. We see God constantly delivering his people from both spiritual and literal bondage throughout Scripture, and the Black Church sought to demonstrate God’s heart for freedom by helping their community overcome discriminatory and oppressive laws. One way this happened was through the formation of the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA). The MIA was an organization founded in 1955, led by E.D. Nixon, Jo Ann Robinson, and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to coordinate the Montgomery bus boycott—a thirteen–month protest against the segregation of public transportation. The Black church played a pivotal role, serving as the primary gathering place for official meetings. Even though the MIA and the Montgomery bus boycott were for the betterment of the entire community, the church and religious leaders were deeply involved in the pursuit of justice and freedom for the Black community because of their faith.
Black Christians knew it was possible to live free, even if they weren’t fully free, which is why the Black church helped its community fight for basic human rights. This looked like being involved in voter registration drives due to rampant voter suppression. During the fifties and sixties, many widely known efforts to suppress Black voters existed, such as poll taxes, intimidation and violence, and enforcing literacy tests for Black voters as a prerequisite, even though the community had limited educational opportunities after slavery. Black churches provided a safe place for voter registration and acted as a shelter. Fannie Lou Hamer, a Christian and member of the civil rights movement, laid the groundwork for the 1965 Voting Rights Act through her relentless fight to expand voting rights for Black people. The Black church was also involved in the Poor People’s Campaign of 1968, which was organized by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to advocate for economic justice and combat poverty in the United States. The Poor People’s Campaign was a prime example of the call for Christians to use their freedom in Christ to help the poor, needy, and oppressed.
The Black church has always been a place of refuge where the sorrow of having a constant fight could live alongside the joy that God gives us to keep moving forward. Whether it was remaining steadfast during slavery, hopeful during the Jim Crow era, or loving toward enemies when racism still exists, the Black church has continued to stand in the tension that comes with delayed justice while being a beacon. Outside of the church doors, sorrow, frustration, fear of violence, and more persist. But within their doors, the Black church reminded the Black community that our faith in God gives us the resilience to remain hopeful during heartache, joyful during sad news, and expectant when faced with dead ends.
That’s why Juneteenth isn’t just a day to mark emancipation, but a time to reflect on a group of people who knew how to live in the tension of “already but not yet.” So this year, as we celebrate Juneteenth, we can thank God that he is a God of justice who desires his creation to be free. Juneteenth can serve as a reminder that delay is not denial, and we can hold joy and sorrow in our hearts simultaneously. We can use this holiday to remember that we can live free, even when we don’t feel free.
Ministry can be overwhelming. When burnout, division, and suffering threaten us, how can we be immovable church leaders?
We can stand firm in ministry because we trust our almighty God. He steadies our feet, renews our hope, and empowers our love. Our work in his name is not wasted. So, we stand, immovable. We hope in God, persevere in faith, and love without reservation.
On November 5–7, thousands of church leaders will gather in Dallas, TX to explore what it means to stand firm in our faith. We’ll hear from speakers like J.D. Greear, Christine Caine, Derwin Gray, and more as they share on how we can be immovable in our dedication to Jesus. We’ll also have many breakout sessions that will help us dive into being steadfast in difficult times.
We’ll be reminded that as Christians we . . .
God never changes—he is the same yesterday, today, and forever—and we can trust him (Psalm 18:2; 119:89–91; Hebrews 13:8).
Empowered by the Spirit, the church of Jesus Christ stands firm in love, faith, and hope (Philippians 1:27–28; 1 Corinthians 13:13).
The church’s mission remains the same as it did two thousand years ago. . . to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19–20; Galatians 6:9).
As church leaders, we want the church to remain in the truth of the gospel so that we can make disciples. As Paul encourages us in 1 Corinthians, “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58, CSB).
We invite you to join us at this year’s RightNow Conference—you can even bring your team at a discounted rate. Find out more at rightnowconferences.org.
When you read Jesus’s genealogy in the first chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, what names stand out to you? Is it Abraham, the father of our faith? Or maybe David, the revered king of Israel? Maybe it’s Jesus’s mother, Mary. Jesus’s lineage includes a fascinating mishmash of characters, some of whom are well-known and others who are more obscure. One name that’s often overshadowed is Jesus’s father: Joseph.
Is there anything we can glean from this seemingly unremarkable figure?
While it’s true that Joseph is often overlooked and there’s relatively little written about him in the New Testament, he’s an important person to ponder during Christmastime. Although he is “barely mentioned in Scripture [and] forgotten mostly in church history,” as Dan Darling writes in The Characters of Christmas[1], there is much that we can learn from him today.
After the opening genealogy in chapter 1, Matthew’s Gospel transitions immediately to the “birth of Jesus Christ” (v. 18, ESV) and introduces readers to Jesus’s parents, Mary and Joseph. Matthew describes Joseph as “a just man” (v. 19). In light of the scandalous nature of Mary’s pregnancy (Joseph was not the biological father, and they were not married), Matthew details Joseph’s unwillingness to shame Mary, his betrothed. Joseph “resolved to divorce her quietly” (v. 19), which was no small decision.
It’s clear from the next verse that Joseph spent time mulling over what he should do—the Greek word used here is enthumeomai, which means “to revolve thoroughly in the mind” or “consider carefully.” What do you think Joseph was feeling? What do you think his prayers were like?
As Joseph “considered” (enthumeomai, v. 20) what to do, he fell asleep. Have you ever prayed and wrestled with God long into the night, begging to hear from him and pleading for help? I imagine this is where Joseph found himself, out of options and out of energy, drifting into a restless sleep. But while he slept, God sent him a message. Through an angel, God spoke to Joseph. And Joseph heard him.
When was the last time you heard from God? Maybe it’s been so long that you aren’t even sure what his voice sounds like anymore. Keep wrestling. Keep praying. Keep pleading with God. And keep your ears tuned—he may just send you a word when you least expect it.
In every recorded instance when the Lord’s angel visited Joseph and spoke to him (Matthew 1:20–24; 2:13–15; 2:19–22), Joseph responded with obedience. Three times the angel of the Lord “appeared” to him in a dream and three times he “did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.” Every time, Joseph obeyed immediately.
In Matthew 2:13–15, for instance, God sent his angel to Joseph to deliver hard news: “Herod is on the hunt for this child (Jesus), and wants to kill him” (v. 13, The Message®). God instructed Joseph to gather his family and their things “and flee to Egypt.” As you might imagine, moving was much more disruptive in the first century than it is for us. But the Bible says that “Joseph obeyed. He got up, took the child and his mother under cover of darkness. They were out of town and well on their way by daylight” (v. 14, The Message®, emphasis added). That isn’t just obedience; it’s obedience without delay, no matter the cost.
What about you? How difficult is it for you to obey God’s Word immediately like Joseph did? For most of us, the answer is obvious—immediate obedience is immensely difficult, especially when it’s costly. But take heart: by God’s grace, we can obey God like Joseph did.
In the book of James, the author instructs his readers to “be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (1:22, ESV). If we’re ever unsure what hearing and doing the Word looks like—what it requires of us—Joseph gives us an example. Joseph was not a “hearer who forg[ot] but a doer who act[ed]” (v. 25).
And so it should be with us. When we read Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount, or the warnings in Paul’s epistles, or the exhortations in the book of Hebrews, or the commands in Peter’s letters, or the sweet encouragements in 1 John, we should recognize that we are hearing from God much like Joseph did—not news delivered by angels but by the very breath of the Almighty. And like Joseph, we should “[a]ct on what [we] hear” (James 1:22, The Message®).
Daniel Darling,[1] The Characters of Christmas: The Unlikely People Caught Up in the Story of Jesus (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2019).
Zach Zehnder has a straightforward answer: define your discipleship targets.
In a recent webinar for church leaders, Zach Zehnder, pastor and founder of Red Letter Living, shared a practical framework for measuring and achieving success in churchwide discipleship. He rooted his approach in a deep understanding of the challenges facing modern Christian communities and a passion to help churches follow Jesus's call more effectively. Here’s a brief overview of Zach’s “discipleship target” framework.
Zach began the webinar by highlighting a striking disconnect: while many Americans self-identify as Christians, only a small segment of self-proclaimed Christians are practicing Christians. This gap reveals a crucial insight: despite abundant information about discipleship, there’s widespread confusion about how to follow Jesus practically. As Zach put it, “American churches have created many believers but very few followers.”
The church's discipleship problem is not due to a lack of information, but a lack of clear direction. Churches are excellent at introducing people to the concept of faith, but sometimes they struggle to guide them into an intentional journey of discipleship.
What’s often missing in church discipleship strategies? According to Zach, it’s clear, measurable targets. As he said, “You measure what’s important in life.”
These targets provide a comprehensive blueprint for spiritual growth that goes beyond simple church attendance or theological knowledge.
While Zach said he uses the targets of being, forgiving, serving, giving, and going in his ministry, he also mentioned he empowers church leaders to tailor discipleship targets to their needs. Whatever your targets, he recommended that they adhere to three critical criteria:
Zach suggested maintaining approximately five targets—enough to be comprehensive, but not so many that they become overwhelming. To ensure these targets are effective, they should be paired with measurable metrics that are tracked consistently over time. Finally, regularly repeating these targets within the church community helps embed them in the hearts and minds of members.
The webinar concluded with a powerful reminder: God deserves more than an unidentified, unintentional, and confused representation of discipleship. Success comes from commitment to truly following Jesus, supported by clear targets and intentional measurement. With discipleship targets that follow a few basic principles, ministry leaders can be on their way to measuring and achieving discipleship success.
Want to dive deeper into these concepts? Watch the full webinar for detailed examples, additional resource recommendations, and an exclusive Q&A with Zach. Click here to access the webinar recording.
Disclaimer: This blog was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence. It may contain inaccuracies and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional advice. If you find content that is inaccurate or otherwise needs to be reviewed, please email webinars@rightnowmedia.org.
When you picture your ideal neighborhood, what do you see? Maybe you see the neighborhood where you already live. Or perhaps Mr. Rogers himself welcomes you with a song to a fictitious place where you’ll always belong.
But what ultimately makes a good neighborhood? It’s not a trick question: Good neighbors.
We’ve all been helped by neighbors and probably thought to ourselves, “I want to be more like that.” Jesus himself said the greatest commandment in the Old Testament is to love God and our neighbor (Matthew 22:35–40)—even telling a story to illustrate what being a good neighbor looks like and to whom we must be neighborly (Luke 10:25–37). Given this principle, Christians should be the best neighbors—hospitable, thoughtful, and sacrificial.
And the most neighborly thing we can do as Christians is share how neighborly Jesus has been to us—how he welcomed us when we were strangers.
Christians often lament the lack of opportunities to share our faith with others. But most of us have the perfect place to have meaningful conversations about Jesus—our neighborhood. Here are four principles to consider as you make disciples in your neighborhood:
To have conversations about Jesus with your neighbors, you have to be around your neighbors.
When we cram our schedules with more extracurricular activities, dinner parties, soccer practices, and happy hours, we spend less time at home and little time around our neighbors, even though we physically live next to them—we are proximate to but not present with them. But presence is different than proximity.
Instead of treating your neighborhood like a pit stop or merely as a place where you sleep, how can you commit to being present in your neighborhood?
Maybe there’s an activity you participate in that happens in someone else’s neighborhood—a practice at a local field or a barbeque at a friend’s house. Consider hosting that activity in your neighborhood. Maybe you feel stretched thin by the number of commitments outside your home. Think about cutting one activity and redeeming that time during the week to walk around your neighborhood, sit on your front porch, or spend time in public spaces around your home.
Most people prefer to be asked to do something rather than to do the asking. It’s nice to feel wanted. But the popular phrase, “Good things come to those who wait,” may not be a great discipleship strategy in your neighborhood.
When Jesus “moved into [our] neighborhood” (John 1:14, The Message®)—coming from heaven to live on earth with us—he didn’t wait for us to ask him to come. He pursued us first. And as his followers, we should likewise pursue others. Regardless of how fearful you are of what your neighbors might say or how they may treat you moving forward, initiating kindness with them can open the door to deeper spiritual conversations that may otherwise remain shut.
Don’t wait for neighbors to come to you. Go to your neighbors. Instead of wanting a better relationship with your neighbors, take steps to develop a better relationship with them. Bake some treats and walk over to their house. Knock on their door, asking if there are any projects they need help with. Pay attention to your neighbors’ patterns to initiate conversations as you take out your trash cans together or walk your dogs around the block.
There’s always the no-fun home on your street or in your building. They call the homeowners association to file a noise complaint or—God forbid—hand out toothbrushes for Halloween.
One way to be a disciple-maker in your neighborhood is to be a fun, playful home for others to see. Jesus himself attended parties (see the wedding in Cana in John 2) and had a warm enough personality to relax with friends around a meal (John 13:23–25). If little children were drawn to Jesus (Matthew 19:13–15), he had to be an approachable, fun person.
There are many opportunities for fun in your neighborhood. You could create holiday events—a hot chocolate bar for Christmas, hot dogs and burgers for the Fourth of July, donuts for National Donut Day—that encourage people to spend time in your front yard, backyard, or apartment floor. If you do live in an apartment or college dorm, there are ample social events set up by management or resident staff for neighbors to have fun with each other—simply participate!
Making disciples often happens out of relational connection, and one of the best ways to build relationships with people is to just have fun together.
Prayer should be the foundation for all disciple-making efforts in our neighborhoods. Acknowledging God’s loving care over all areas of our lives—including our neighborhoods—is both right for us to do and can relieve some of the pressure we feel as we make disciples.
If you already have a regular prayer routine, consider what it looks like to integrate your neighbors into your prayer life. Think about specific homes, people, or groups living near you that you could pray over by name and number. Perhaps the Spirit will lead you to ask those people for prayer requests. Even if they don’t share anything specific, they’ll know that you are praying for them.
Jesus prayed for people who wanted his prayers (his disciples in John 17) and those who wanted nothing to do with him (his torturers in Luke 23:34). Maybe you’re surrounded by caring neighbors with whom you have a good relationship. Maybe you’re around people who don’t even notice you exist. Either way, praying for your neighbors—especially those who don’t yet know Jesus—puts Jesus’s call on your life into practice. Go and make disciples.
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