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We believe that discipleship is central to Christ's message of the Good News of the Kingdom of God. Reclaiming what it means to be Christ-followers, by implementing the principles and practices He taught us, will bring about lasting life-change and spiritual offspring. DEM seeks to educate, inspire, equip, and train everyday followers of Christ to adhere to the will and ways of God our Father, thus becoming more like Christ in our inner person and outer practice.
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Failure is Not an Option, It’s a Requirement

June 3, 2014Dale Ebel

“You tried your best, and you failed. The lesson is, never try.” – Homer Simpson

“for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.” – Proverbs 24:16 NIV

There is no learning or growth apart from failure. Every competitive athlete intrinsically knows this. It takes time – endless hours even – to become a champion. For athletes, entrepreneurs, musicians and the like, failure is not an option…it’s a requirement. Children are notorious for giving up too soon. They need to be shepherded and trained to keep trying even when they don’t first succeed. It’s such a basic lesson, yet how often do we fail to apply it to life in God’s Kingdom?

When it comes to engaging our culture with the gospel, or reaching out to a particular friend, or advancing  the cause of Christ in any way, our temptation is to give up too soon. Listen. If you’re not failing at least once a month in some kind of Kingdom endeavor, you may not be trying enough! Try holding a simple “Faith talk” with some non-believing co-workers at a local pub, or invite your kids soccer team parents over for dinner. Reach out and see what happens. It may be that you fail, but the Lord will have a lesson for you along the way. And most importantly, you will eventually succeed in big ways!