It has been a long time since I taught a study in an American church, in which there were more in attendance on Monday night, than there were on Sunday morning; but such was the case at Providence Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, LA, recently! This was the first time which I taught this latest “workbook study” in English. It is entitled, “Christ-centered Discipleship” - Living a Life in Which the Gospel is Your Driving Force! There was a tremendous attendance; a wonderfully teachable congregation; and they expressed a genuine passion to apply the truths that they were hearing. Pastor Phillip Guay, shares his heart about this conference, “We live in a day, when what the church needs most is a return to solid, biblical and Christ-centered preaching and teaching. And that is exactly what the Holy Spirit brought to our church, from start to finish! All week long, the Holy Spirit used Bro. Ed to teach us, challenge us, and convict us with the true, scriptural picture of what ‘authentic discipleship’ really is! The overwhelming demonstrations, (from many different Biblical texts), left absolutely no doubt of what it truly means to be a biblical disciple of Jesus Christ! The interactive workbook kept the congregation fully engaged with each section. There was exegetical precision and accuracy; and there were many rich illustrations from brother Ed’s personal experiences, which brought great clarity and understanding to this ‘much-needed teaching’!”

I would like to share a few more testimonies from that meeting to encourage you, as they have encouraged me. One man writes, “I have made real changes in my daily worship of my Lord Jesus, because of this study. I have had many new opportunities to share the Gospel with people within my sphere of influence, since attending this conference. And I have put the plow to God’s truths that were revealed to me, about my own personal life”. Another lady writes, “This ‘Christ-centered Discipleship’ study has radically stirred our minds, hearts and souls, to reflect on ‘whether the Gospel truly is the driving force of our daily walk’. We have gained a far better understanding of the Lord’s teachings on the pursuit of holiness; our battle with temptation; on a key issue of bridling our tongue; on marriage and family; on our relationship with the world; on the stewardship of God’s resources; and the investment of our lives and the Lord’s truths into the lives of others. This teaching has left a footprint on our souls.” One brother in Christ writes this precious testimony, “During the conference, one of the truths that I was most convicted about, was the fact that all true Christians are called to be ‘disciplemaking disciples’. I was deeply impressed that I must not allow any of my own personal limitations to be used as an excuse for neglecting this primary responsibility. So I accepted the challenge that Bro. Ed presented, and I began praying that the Lord would show me, ‘who He would have me to personally disciple’. The Lord did not tarry with His answer. The very next week (out of the blue), a man at work approached me and said, ‘I know that you are a religious man. I want to know if you would meet with me during our break time, to read and discuss the Bible’? Even though, I was a bit apprehensive, (given my lack of teaching abilities), I knew that this had to be a ‘Divine appointment’! Today was our first planned meeting. The man showed up for our meeting, along with 2 other men that he had invited to come! Only the Lord knows what will eventually come out of this Divine appointment. But I am continuing to pray that our Lord will use me, as a ‘disciple-making disciple’ for His glory!”