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Gleanings From The Word

Category: discipleship

  • Spread of the Gospel

    I was contemplating the spread of the gospel this morning when I saw a dandelion puffball. I thought it made for a great illustration.

    We see dandelions everywhere, but they aren’t a native plant. They were brought from Europe as a kitchen garden plant. They grow well even in poor soils, and thanks to those seed heads, they propagate well.

    You can eat the leaves, stems and petals. They can be used for making wind and in many natural, herbal remedies.

    When the wind catches the puffball seeds, they will be blown near and far to start new dandelions.

    That’s a great metaphor for the role of witnessing in the spread of the gospel.

    We don’t have to be experts, or great theologians, or have defined roles in the church to tell others about Jesus. We simply have to be witnesses to how we have seen him at work.

    The Bible repeatedly calls believers to be witnesses to what God has done. It’s a key component to the spread of the gospel.

    But He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the end of the earth. Acts 1:7-8

    and you will bear witness also, because you have been with Me from the beginning John 15:27

    We share our testimony, and the Holy Spirit uses that to change another life. The process replicates over and over again.

    Do you have friends and family who need Jesus? Tell them about what Jesus has done. Let them see your changed life.

    While there have been occasions of mass conversion, the spread of the gospel is typically one-on-one, through word of mouth. It’s friend-to-friend, neighbor-to-neighbor work.

    Tell others. You don’t need to be an expert or have all the answers. You can always find answers if needed. You start by telling your story, by being a witness.

    May you be bold.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

    Newborns

    Summary

    The gospel spreads the way dandelion seeds do — not by experts or institutions, but by ordinary people sharing what they’ve witnessed, carried near and far by the Spirit.

    Takeaways

    • Dandelions thrive and propagate anywhere, just as the gospel spreads through ordinary believers in everyday circumstances.
    • Scripture calls all believers to be witnesses, not theologians — your story is enough to start.
    • The typical pattern of gospel growth is personal and relational: one life, one conversation at a time.

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  • Don’t Judge Jesus by Christians

    Don’t Judge Jesus by Christians

    signs pointing to people and Jesus - Dont Judge Jesus by Christians

    I frequently meet people who have given up on Jesus and the church. They tell stories of hurt and disappointment. I can only say, “Don’t judge Jesus by Christians—He is not like us.”

    The chances are good that if you have been in the church for any length of time, you have been hurt, betrayed or disappointed. A Christian friend has behaved in a most unchristian way. A pastor has said something you didn’t like or gotten some detail wrong in Scripture.

    If that hasn’t happened yet, your turn is coming.

    Christians are not perfect. I often refer to us as a “bunch of messed-up people trying to follow Jesus.” We know we don’t have our acts together, and we need God’s help.

    If perfection were the benchmark to becoming Christian, none of us, including you, could get in. There was only one perfect human being, and they nailed Him to a cross 2000 years ago.

    Don’t judge Jesus by Christians. Don’t evaluate Jesus based on me. I’m on a good day, a very dim image of Him. You need to put your faith and trust in Jesus, not His followers. He never changes and will never fail you or leave you.

    Let me say it again, “Don’t judge Jesus by Christians —He is not like us.”

    Evaluate Him based on His claims and the changes you see in yourself and others. Sometimes that change is a tiny whisper, sometimes He moves mountains. Search honestly and put Him to the test.

    Don’t be content to rely on the impressions of others or second hand accounts of who Jesus is. Study the Scriptures and let the Spirit reveal Him.

    Others have left the church because they tried “Christianity and it didn’t work.” A Christless Christianity is an empty, powerless lie. It will never fulfill what you truly need.

    The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful  2 Timothy 2:11-13

    I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6

    Come to the cross with open arms, He is waiting for you. He will forgive your sins, make you into a new creation and begin your transformation into being everything He created you to be.

    Don’t let the failure of others keep you from the one who loves you beyond measure.

    Trust Him.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

    Streams of Living Water

    Summary

    Many abandon faith because of hurt caused by Christians, but that failure reflects people—not Christ, who remains faithful, unchanging, and worthy of trust. True faith requires engaging Jesus directly, not relying on flawed representations of Him.

    Key takeaways

    Expect imperfection in Christians. Hurt and disappointment in the church are common because believers are still unfinished.

    Judge Jesus, not His followers. He alone is perfect, unchanging, and faithful—unlike those who represent Him imperfectly. Don’t judge Jesus by Christians.

    Seek Christ personally and honestly. Don’t rely on secondhand impressions; test His claims through Scripture and experience.

    Christ remains faithful and transforms lives. 2 Timothy 2:11–13 and Philippians 1:6 affirm His faithfulness and ongoing work in those who trust Him.

    All contents, “Gleanings From the Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2026 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin, “Gleanings From the Word.”

    Scripture quotations are from the Legacy Standard Bible® (LSB®), Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. 

    From Gleanings From The Word (Kevin Corbin, 2001– ), a Scripture-based devotional work.

    Interested in more about living the Christian life?

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