Disciples Fellowship

Ever wonder how the very first Christians actually practiced their faith beyond what we see in the Bible?
On Wednesday evenings, we gather on Zoom to read short selections from early Christian writings that didn’t make it into Scripture—and we listen for how they understood following Jesus in their own time and place.
This is a gentle, conversational space�Not a test�Not a lecture�Not a place where you have to have it all figured out
We meet every Wednesday from 6:45–7:30 pm (Central) on Zoom.
If you’d like the Zoom link and the short weekly reading, send us a message or comment below and we’ll get you connected.

Join us Sunday, April 19 at 10 AM for a special worship and teaching time with guest speaker Dr. C. Baxter Kruger.

Baxter is a longtime theologian and teacher who has spent decades helping people see the heart of God as deeply relational, Christ-centered, and full of grace. His work invites us out of fear-based religion and into the joy of sharing in the life of Father, Son, and Spirit.

We’ll gather at 10 AM for worship and Baxter’s teaching, with space for reflection and connection.

📍 Disciples Fellowship
3064 Lorna Road, Birmingham, AL
🕙 Sunday, April 19 • 10:00 AM

You’re welcome here—questions, doubts, and all. Come as you are, and feel free to invite a friend.

Jesus doesn’t say if you fast. He says when you fast.

Maybe that’s why fasting can feel so uncomfortable—it isn’t just giving something up. It’s choosing to feel empty for a while, and most of us work hard to avoid that.

Giving lets go of what we have.
Prayer lets go of control.
Fasting lets go of the feeling of being “full.”

What if this week you tried a simple fast—not to twist God’s arm, but to notice what your heart is hungry for?

Skip one comfort. Sit in that space with God. See what He might show you.

Read the full reflection here: https://disciplesfellowship.com/2026/03/05/mind-fast/

Mind Fast When you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their rew…

Lent isn’t meant to be spiritual punishment. It’s an invitation to make room.

A fast asks us two questions:
What can I release?
What might I be open to receive?

The surprising part? Once we start letting go, we quickly discover we’re not really in control of what happens next. Sometimes something leaves our life that we never planned to release—and that may be the very thing that needed to go.

We could call this “active emptiness”: choosing to loosen our grip and trust that the river of God will carry us.

Where are you clinging to control this Lent?

Read more here:
https://disciplesfellowship.com/2026/02/26/lent-active-emptiness/

Lent & Active Emptiness A fast during Lent encourages us to search for what we might release, and to look for something we hope to receive. Letting go makes room for what can come if we are open and have made space. Often…

“Psychology without spirituality is arid and ultimately meaningless, while spirituality without grounding in psychological work leads to vanity and illusions.” This statement, which I received some time ago in a daily email from the Enneagram Institute, immediately struck me as insightful. At least to me, this claim seems intuitively true. However, even so, we still have to unpack what is being said....

Integrating Mind & Spirit “Psychology without spirituality is arid and ultimately meaningless, while spirituality without grounding in psychological work leads to vanity and illusions.” This statement, which I received some…

Practically, for each one of us, our god is our ultimate concern. In other words, no matter what I might say or claim, my actual god is that which is most important to me, and to whom/which I give my greatest attention. I can want my god to be the God revealed by Jesus, but my actions and focus may indicate otherwise....

Our Ultimate Concern Practically, for each one of us, our god is our ultimate concern. In other words, no matter what I might say or claim, my actual god is that which is most important to me, and to whom/which I give …

The way of Jesus is not centered on moral purity. That was the emphasis of the Pharisees, not Jesus. The reason they were so critical of the people Jesus ate with, welcomed, and befriended, is that they believed “sinners” must be excluded. Obviously, Jesus rejected their purity culture entirely. The work of Jesus is about the lost being found, the hurting healed, and sinners forgiven....

Unconditional Acceptance The way of Jesus is not centered on moral purity. That was the emphasis of the Pharisees, not Jesus. The reason they were so critical of the people Jesus ate with, welcomed, and befriended, is that…

Simply stated, God’s Spirit is the fullness of the divine life. When we speak of walking in the Spirit, living by the Spirit, the Spirit as a well within us giving living water, the Spirit being poured out upon us, or use any other biblical imagery, we are talking about the fullness of God’s life in and for us. To speak of God is to name the cohesive reality and oneness of all things who is the ground of our own being....

Divine Fullness Simply stated, God’s Spirit is the fullness of the divine life. When we speak of walking in the Spirit, living by the Spirit, the Spirit as a well within us giving living water, the Spirit being po…

The captivating gospel of Christ turns upside down the way we have thought about God and ourselves. God, who we typically fear because we believe he is angry and eager to smite us, is actually eternally loving and full of mercy, even for our worst offenses. Likewise, we often believe ourselves to be those who are loathed by God because we have sinned....

The Light And Judgment The captivating gospel of Christ turns upside down the way we have thought about God and ourselves. God, who we typically fear because we believe he is angry and eager to smite us, is actually eter…

God’s judgment is an invitation to see what we have not yet seen, and to become aware of what has been hidden to us. We need to think of judgment not as an end, but a beginning. It is not our condemnation, though what is false or untrustworthy may be condemned for what it is. Love’s judgment offers us a way forward to life and away from death,...

A Divine Invitation God’s judgment is an invitation to see what we have not yet seen, and to become aware of what has been hidden to us. We need to think of judgment not as an end, but a beginning. It is not our conde…

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 Joy is closely related to peace because such inner delight accompanies and depends on a sense of well-being. The hidden and personal contentment which is peace, flourishes in us when we are doing what we were meant to do, despite whatever else may be happening more superficially and externally....

The Way to Peace and Joy May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 Joy is closely related to peace because such inner del…