By Stan Rodda: When I was a kid in Sunday school, we sang a song that went like this…

Oh be careful little hands what you do.

Oh be careful little hands what you do.

For the Father up above is looking down in love.

So be careful little hands what you do.

If it were written today, I think that line would read, “Oh be careful little hands what you post and comment on social media.” Not rhythmically appealing, but work with me here.

At the last supper, Jesus reclined at a table and ate a meal with Simon the Zealot and Matthew the tax collector. If it weren’t for Jesus uniting them, Simon would have been more likely to stab Matthew to death in an alley than he would have been to eat a meal with him. Simon hated the Roman government and all those associated with it. Matthew was collecting taxes for the Roman government as a Jew.

Jesus gave us an example for everything as disciple makers, including how to lead and unite the far right and left. That doesn’t sound like a problem we have in the United States, does it? I don’t know a lot, but I do know this: there is no world system on this planet, or ever will be, that will unite people like the Gospel of Jesus.

I know a family struggling with whether or not they have a place in the church anymore simply because of how some Christians commented on a social media post. Because political positions and candidates have become the god we serve on every side of the aisle. To be fair, there are problems on both sides of this conversation, but for our purposes in this post, I simply want to focus on how to avoid causing more damage in the Kingdom of God with your online and social platforms.

As a disciple maker, I believe that social media and our online presence will be one of the key determining factors of our effectiveness in the future. In other words: it matters! So here are a few thoughts on how to avoid damaging the bride of Christ as a disciple of Jesus in the digital space.

Simplify Your Connections

Unfriend every person who you don’t personally know from your Facebook friends list. Call it a purge of sorts. Unfollow people on Twitter or Instagram. Leave political groups that leave you feeling anxious and scared. Leave the groups and unfollow pages that are only echo chambers for what you already think socially, economically, politically, etc. Get out of those spaces. Limit your social media intake to only those

Keep Scrolling

If it hurts you to keep scrolling, then your battle is with your own pride. Deep down you have maybe you really believe that you are the one who is right all the time on every issue. And it’s nearly impossible for you to understand how anyone could think a different way. Assuming everyone must think and view things just like you. Your pride is in the way. Keep scrolling anyway. This will sting the first few times until soon you discover the freedom and peace that comes from continuing to scroll.

Delete It All

For centuries we kept in contact with family through snail mail and phone calls. You don’t “have to have” Facebook to stay connected to friends and family. If social media is going to cause you anxiety, anger, and bitterness, damaging relationships with people around you, consider deleting it. I will bet that you find yourself in a more peaceful place, focusing on the most important relationships in your life. My guess is after about a week of social detox, you probably won’t even miss social media.

Stop Over spiritualizing Your Fear/Anger

When you leave a comment like, “Anyone who does ‘X’ is clearly a __________,” you aren’t edifying, encouraging. You definitely aren’t being light in a dark world. You are simply masking your fear about that particular topic through anger. Your comment isn’t coming across as wisdom. It’s coming across as prideful and arrogant.

Stop spiritualizing it and acting as if you are doing the Lord’s work. Admit that might be a topic that scares you, that you have little information or knowledge about and refuse to comment anything at all. But for the sake of the Kingdom, please stop spiritualizing your fear, anger and hatred online and pretending to be Christ’s keyboard warrior.

Digital Is Ministry

Sometimes it’s hard to see outside the bubbles we have created for ourselves. May I encourage you to find some faithful, Christian friends and ministers who are working hard to make the digital space one where digital missionaries and disciple makers flourish. Follow and learn from my friend, Tom Pounder, and his work with Digital Bootcamp. Or you can follow another friend, Jeff Reed, over at Being the Church Online. Learn, grow, mature and treat your online presence like a ministry.

Take It Offline

When you disagree with someone’s post online, instead of starting a debate in the comment section, invite them out to eat. Get to know them. Ask them their story. Share your story. Even if you still end up disagreeing with that person on a topic, you will have saved the relationship. I see too many Christian relationships crumble at the altar of the keyboard warriors. It’s incredibly sad.

The question you must answer is: do you want to earn the right to be given the opportunity to share the Gospel with someone or would you prefer to be right about a current political topic? Based on what I see on social media many days, I would say that question is a lot harder to answer for many Christians than it should be.

Let’s recap:

Simplify your connections

Keep scrolling

Delete it all

Stop over spiritualizing

See digital as a ministry space

Take it offline

To be honest, I don’t know if Jesus would have a social media account or not. He regularly pushed off popularity and taught difficult things purposefully to thin out His followers down to the most committed ones. That doesn’t scream, “I need to grow my brand.” Regardless, I am convinced if Jesus were online with us, He would share the same principles with us now that He shared with His disciples 2000 years ago.

You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your Heavenly Father. [Matthew 5:14, 16 NLT]

What tips would you add for using digital and social media presence well for your disciple making efforts?

Source: Oh Be Careful Little Hands

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Following Jesus

By Craig Etheredge: Jesus gave the same invitation to everyone. It was simple, direct, and called for a decision. It could be accepted or denied, but not ignored. The invitation was simply, “Follow me.” More than twenty-four times in the Gospels, Jesus invited people to follow Him. He invited the wealthy and powerful, the casual observer, the spiritual seekers, and even the religiously devoted. Jesus called everyone to follow Him.

One day while walking along the Sea of Galilee, Jesus passed by fishermen caring for their nets. They had known Jesus for a while, but now it was time for them to make a decision.

“And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men’”(Matthew 4.19 ESV).

For those men, following Jesus meant leaving behind their old life to go with Jesus. It meant being trained by Jesus, learning to obey Jesus, and coming under the authority and leadership of Jesus. Ultimately, it meant living a life that looked just like Jesus — reflecting His character, priorities, and practices. Jesus offers the same invitation today. He still calls men and women to follow Him.

While following Jesus doesn’t mean physically following Him around, it does mean turning from living your own life and choosing to live a new kind of life with Jesus in charge. Essentially, there are two ways to live. You can live with yourself in charge, going your way, and pursuing your own happiness. Or you can live with Jesus in charge, going His way, and pursuing what makes Him happy. You will discover that the first way to live always leads to a dead-end and separation from God, while the second way always leads to purpose, peace, and assurance.

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By Craig Etheredge. Used with permission.

The post The Great Adventure appeared first on Discipleship.org.

Source: The Great Adventure

The post The Great Adventure appeared first on Passion for Planting.

By Justin Gravitt:

Hey,

I’m trying to write more letters and God brought you to mind.

First, I just want to say that your passion for God is obvious. You take the time to study and apply the Scriptures. Your heart for Jesus is clear. There’s no doubt that He’s your anchor. I love that about you!

I hope this doesn’t come off as weird, but watching you is helping me learn to love others better. I’m serious! You engage people so naturally. Your heart for them is unmistakable. Others tell story after story that begins by you calling, writing a note, or inviting them to coffee. Not even this global pandemic has stopped you from impacting others!

We’ve known each other for a while now. And I hope you know how much I respect you. But I wanted to ask if you would consider becoming an intentional disciple maker?

I know it can be intimidating. The other day I overheard you saying, “Me, disciple someone? No way! What would I say? I think the best way to disciple is just to love people. That’s what I do. I love God and just care for others. I don’t want to be a discipler!  The thought of someone looking at me as their example is downright scary!”

I get it. Being a disciple maker can be scary. As an introvert, I still experience a low-level of anxiety before heading into discipleship meetings. In fact, I don’t know a single person who has felt ready before they started. Even though it’s hard, I can’t get past the fact that Jesus’ last instructions to us were to make disciples. Not only that, He also promised to be with us as we do it (Matt. 28:18-20). We don’t have to be perfect or have it all figured out.

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I really think your impact as a disciple maker could be amazing! You love God and you already know how to help people follow Jesus. Imagine how many would be changed if you took the next step and helped them learn how to help others?! I think you would only need to add vision and intentionality to what you are already doing. One thing I’ve learned is that part of being Jesus’ disciple is intentionally helping others become disciple makers.

Since you are already influencing people to grow closer to God, I’d suggest just getting started with an invitation and a simple tool. I’d be more than happy to talk with you about any questions or fears you might have. I think once you try it, you’ll be hooked! Making disciples multiplies our Kingdom impact while at the same time more fully connects us to God.

If you’d like to chat more about this, just let me know! Thanks for your patience with me as I lovingly press into your life. If I didn’t care about you then I wouldn’t bother. I so appreciate your friendship and look forward to seeing you at church next week!

“Almost disciple makers” are all around us. Some lack vision, others lack intentionality, others relational skills. One thing they have in common is a need to be engaged on the subject. So this series of letters is designed to do just that…

Justin Gravitt is the Dayton (Ohio) Area Director for Navigator Church Ministries. Read more from Justin at his blog, One Disciple to Another, where this article first appeared.

First published on Justin Gravitt’s blog here.

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Source: Letter to “Almost Disciple Makers”

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Stan Rodda: Recently I asked disciple makers on Instagram what their #1 struggle in disciple making was. I wanted to know what people on the front lines are wrestling with when it comes to making disciples. One of the first responses I got was about getting to 4th generation disciples.

“I only have one guy right now,” he said. “I’m looking for that next level type of discipleship.”

For those involved in making disciple makers, getting to multiple generations is a huge prayer and goal. We want the Gospel of Jesus to spread to all people. We crave for it to move well beyond us. This is a worthwhile goal and vision because it is one that Paul shares with us in 2 Timothy 2:2…

And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. [HCSB]

At the end of the day there is only one level of discipleship; obedience to King Jesus in all things who has been given all authority in heaven and on earth by God the Father! Focus on that and you will get to reproducing disciples to multiple generations. With that in mind, here are some practical thoughts and ideas to help you get to the next generation of disciple makers.

Press Into Obedience!

Reproducing disciples are born out of obedience to King Jesus. There is no way around it. The more we press into obedience, the more we become like Christ and the more our heart beats in alignment with his. As we seek and desire to see generations of disciples being made in our time, we must never forget the beginning of it is obedience. We must constantly be taking an assessment of how we are doing ourselves in this area.

What areas of your life need to be more fully surrendered in obedience to Jesus?

Is there an area of unconfessed sin?

What is holding you back from doing more of what God asks?

What do I need to repent of and begin to walk in God’s truth?

So much of disciple making can be summed up in modeling the right behaviors. If you aren’t modeling confession and continued obedience, you aren’t going to be able to reproduce that in another disciple. Taken to its logical end; your disciples won’t press into obedience and won’t be able to help others press into obedience either. Once you stop pressing into obedience yourself, you effectively end the possibility of a reproducing movement of disciple makers. As the old adage goes…

You can’t lead anyone else to where you aren’t willing to go!

Be Faithful With the One God Gives You!

Jesus calls this “faithful with little, faithful with much.” When you show yourself to be faithful with the one God has given you, you will naturally receive more. This can often be twisted into earthly blessings, that God is promising more blessings when I’m faithful with some others, but that’s not the reality. The reality is that when I am faithful with those God has given me to disciple, He leads me to more. And here’s what it looks like to be faithful practically.

Think of all the “one another” passages in Scripture. Now be that kind of person for your disciple.

Encourage them

Train them

Love them

Lead them

Bear their burdens

Correct them

Pray for them

If you want life on life discipleship, the kind that Jesus had with His disciples, then you must be faithful with the ones God has given you. In essence, you must view your disciples the way Jesus viewed His. And His view and aim was to be faithful with those God had given Him. And He was.

While I was with them, I was protecting them by Your name that You have given Me. I guarded them and not one of them is lost, except the son of destruction, the one destined for destruction so that the Scripture may be fulfilled. [John 17:12 HCSB]

Focus on a Healthy Disciple First!

A healthy disciple hears God’s voice and obeys. As they take steps of obedience they begin to transform and mature. In their maturity, they are able to reproduce that in someone else and make more disciples.

Early on in the process, it is not like this. Children are immature and unable to reproduce. Only mature adults can reproduce. Spiritual children are the same: immature and unable to reproduce. If you want to get to generations of disciples, focus on a healthy first disciple. A maturing disciple will develop in these key areas:

Daily abiding with Christ through Scripture

Hearing God’s voice in Prayer

Taking immediate steps of obedience when God calls

As they continuously hear God’s voice and take more steps of obedience, they will mature and multiply. But you can’t get to 4th generation disciples without a 1st generation disciple.

Embed Multiplication DNA Immediately!

Your disciple may not be at the level of obedience where they are ready to multiply yet to another person. Sometimes that’s okay and sometimes the root of their disobedience needs to be rooted out. That said, multiplication DNA must be established immediately. Even if they struggle with the ability, they must always know that’s the direction we are headed.

“We will multiply to others…”

“We will share with others…”

“Who is in your life right now that…”

“Who are you praying for right now that…”

You want them to be thinking outward focused right away. To get to generations of disciples, we must move rapidly toward having eyes and a heartbeat for lost people. Your disciple needs a gen map (Oikos Map) immediately. Who are the people that God has already uniquely positioned them to reach. They need to be praying for God to go before them to those people from the start. The more their heart is burdened for lost people, the more likely they are to multiply to another person.

These are four imperatives that come to mind when I think about getting to reproducing disciples. What are some other areas you believe we must focus on to achieve multiplication? What else must we do to see the completion of the Great Commission in our day?

Let’s take Kingdom territory!

Source: 4 Imperatives to Help Reach Multiplication

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by Stan Rodda: When it comes to obedience in disciple making, it’s in our nature to overcomplicate the topic. Partly because it’s simpler to stay in our comfort zone and make excuses for why making disciples isn’t for us.

I don’t know enough.

I didn’t pay attention in Sunday school.

I don’t have the right answers.

I didn’t go to bible college.

What if He calls me to Africa?

But to another degree, it’s wise of us to think through carefully the cost of being a disciple. Salvation is free but discipleship will cost you everything. Jesus shares that with us in Luke 14 when He talks about counting the cost of following Him.

Then right after He tells us to count the cost, Jesus shares arguably His most famous parable, the Prodigal Son. He shares it in the context of Luke 15 where three of the most famous and memorable stories about finding lost things are found; the lost sheep, lost coin and lost son.

In the middle of all this, I believe we see in the example of Jesus, one of the simplest next steps of obedience that EVERY follower of Jesus can take. Jesus leads by example in eating a meal with those who are lost.

All the tax collectors and sinners were approaching to listen to Him. And the Pharisees and scribes were complaining, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them!’

Luke 15:1, 2 HCSB

I love this example of Jesus so much. Eating a meal with people who don’t know Jesus is a huge step of obedience. It’s not the entire journey, but it could very well be your first step in disciple making. Every single one of us is going to eat today. We are going to eat multiple times. In the midst of this global pandemic we are in, you might eat four times today if you’re being honest with yourself about that second lunch.

What if because of the example of Jesus you decide to make it a priority in your life, that you’re going to obey Jesus by simply having a meal with someone who doesn’t know Him? What if your next step of obedience is as simple as eating a meal with someone?

Over that meal you have the opportunity to share your story. You have the opportunity to hear their story. To walk in obedience and faith to simply begin walking with someone.

Here’s my encouragement for you. Take some time and pray something like this…

“Father, what are the names of five people around me who don’t know you? Co-workers, neighbors, someone from my kid’s soccer team, that person on the PTO. God you reveal to me five names that I can have over for a meal.”

Then pray and write those names down somewhere prominent. Listen as God shares those names and faces with you. Start praying for them now. Maybe you know they’re struggling with something now. Begin praying and ask God to go before you. Then when restrictions lift and we can be with people again, invite them over for a meal. Make those plans now and take that step of obedience.

This was such a great example of Jesus. It was so frustrating to the religious establishment that Jesus would simply share in a meal with someone who was lost. And we get to follow Jesus in this example. Jesus, who would you have me share a meal with? It’s not the entire discipleship journey, but it might be the perfect next step for you.

Disciple making is for EVERY single follower of Jesus. You can do this! And it can start with something as simple as eating together.

Who are the five people you’re going to pray for and have a meal with?

Source: When Obedience Is As Simple As Eating A Meal

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by discipleship.org: In our second main stage session, we focused on what it means to follow King Jesus in obedience. Here are the five things we noted from the 2nd main stage speaker sessions:

1.  North American’s Have a Problem with Obedience.

We value freedom as a culture, and we have theologies that make obedience optional. These two forces (and others) have created church cultures where we resist an emphasis on obedience.

2. King Jesus Calls for Obedience.

Jesus is humanity’s king (Messiah), and in Matthew 28:18–20, he calls us to make disciples who “obey all of his teachings.” It is a proper response to a King—especially King Jesus—to obey all that he teaches.

3. Obedience Is an Integral Expression of Faith.

The Bible teaches us that we are saved by faith, not works. Yet saving faith is a faithful faith in the Bible. It is empowered by the Holy Spirit and it includes trust, allegiance, and obedience.

4. Obedience Is God’s Love Language.

In John 14:23, Jesus said this: “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.”

We express not just faith by obedience, we also show our love to God by obedience.

5. Obedience Is a Path to Freedom.

Sean McDowell expressed what the freedom of obedience looks like in a blog that was quoted by David Young—click here to read.

There would be no sexually transmitted diseases. No abortions. No brokenness from divorce. Every child would have a mother and a father and experience the love and acceptance each parent uniquely offers. There would be no rape, no sex abuse, no sex trafficking, no pornography, and no need for a #MeToo campaign. There would be no sexual exploitation, no sexual abuse, no AIDS, chlamydia, herpes, HPV, or syphilis, no unwanted pregnancies, no pain from divorce, no deadbeat dads, no men who leave their wives for other women. No child would have to grow up in a home where a mom or dad abandoned them in order to do it their own way.

When we leave our own way of doing things and submit to the perfect ways of God, we’ll find true freedom!

The post 2nd Main Stage Session Recap: Surrendering to Obedience-Based Disciple Making appeared first on Discipleship.org.

Source: 2nd Main Stage Session Recap: Surrendering to Obedience-Based Disciple Making

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Justin Gravitt: What would Jesus eat if He joined your feast this year? Picture it with me, Jesus sits down at the table with your family. In the middle of the table sits a plump golden-brown turkey surrounded by green beans, mashed potatoes, crescent rolls, cranberry sauce, corn casserole, sweet potatoes, and gravy. Then your crazy uncle walks into the room and does his best boxing announcer imitation, “MMM, Let’s get ready to GOOOBBBLLLEEE!”

It’s a silly picture, I know. But for a disciple maker the question of Jesus’ appetite is serious. Like us, Jesus was fully human and food is a big part of the human experience. God’s given us such variety of foods to eat (Gen 9:3). Food is a cornerstone of celebrations all over the world. Foods come in an array of flavors, colors, and textures that bring a richness to life.

We can’t talk about food without talking about hunger though. Hunger is the God-given desire to repeatedly eat. Over and over again we feel hungry then we eat, feel hungry then eat. Food and hunger are so closely aligned that one provides meaning to the other.

In fact, our hunger drives us towards food. Proverbs 16:26 says, “The laborer’s appetite works for him; his hunger drives him on.” The hunger we carry shapes both our motivation and our movement. In other words, we can discern a person’s hunger by watching how they move and what they do.

So what was Jesus’ relationship to food? We have no reason to believe He was a foodie. The few times we see him eating it’s common food like fish, bread, and figs. However, He did make some amazing wine and often talked about feasts.

In John 4, the shape of Jesus’ appetite becomes clear.

You know the story. It was around noon and Jesus was tired from the journey so he sat near a well. The disciples left him there and went into town to buy food. While they were gone Jesus talked with a Samaritan woman. Though they were surprised by the sight of Jesus talking with the Samaritan woman, they didn’t mention it. Soon, she left, and the disciples tried to get Jesus to eat.

Instead of eating, Jesus told them He had food they knew nothing about. Thinking someone else had given Him something to eat, Jesus clarified, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish His work.”

Did you catch that? It’s an amazing statement. Jesus is saying that He is so satisfied in fulfilling the call God had given him that His appetite was already filled!

As a disciple and disciple maker here are three lessons I will remember this holiday season.

1. Jesus’ appetite was transformed from primarily physical to primarily spiritual by His depth with God.

As a disciple maker, my primary call is to love God with everything that I am. Anything that competes for my heart’s devotion (food, coffee, sports, etc.) threatens to sidetrack my transformation and His desires for my life.

Justin Gravitt, author of this blog, is with Navigator’s Church Ministries. They have made available to you, “The Start Small Grow Slow Strategy,” which you can download for free here.

2. Jesus’ appetite was defined by the work God Called Him to do. Physical food wasn’t His focus, eternal things were (Col 3:2-3).

That focus gave Him a motivation that’s marked by urgency, “Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest?’” (John 4:35), but Jesus says the time is NOW! As a disciple maker, my life must be marked by an urgency to follow God and to invite others to do the same.

3. Jesus’ appetite served Him by illuminating God’s unfinished work.

Jesus never condemns someone for being hungry or wanting something more. He identifies Himself as the bread of life (John 6: 35) and the deliverer of living water (John 4:14). Jesus helps us to see that our hunger will either serve us or enslave us. As a disciple maker I can emulate Jesus’ submission to God and allow Him to mold my appetite so it serves me by directing me into the things God has for me to do.

So, what would Jesus eat if he joined your feast this year? We can’t know for sure what would be on His fork, but what would be on His mind wouldn’t be the turkey. It would be your crazy uncle and your family…and you. Let’s be like Him.

Written by Justin Gravitt

Justin Gravitt is the Dayton (Ohio) Area Director for Navigator Church Ministries. Read more from Justin at his blog, “One Disciple to Another,” where this article first appeared.

The post The Appetite of a Disciple Maker appeared first on Discipleship.org.

Source: The Appetite of a Disciple Maker

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Justin Gravitt: How do you know when you’ve made a disciple?

It’s an important question, after all Jesus’ last words were for us make disciples as we go. It wasn’t a new mission, but rather one that He’d invited his disciples into very early in His ministry (Matthew 4:19). The task of making mature disciples is affirmed in both Colossians 1:29 and 2 Timothy 2:2. As we roll up our sleeves in the lives of others, this question matters because when we’ve made a disciple it affirms what’s happened in that discipling relationship and propels us outward to go and make more. So, what’s the reliable litmus test a disciple maker can use to identify when a mature disciple has been made?

A few years ago a pastor said to me, “I’ve had no trouble making disciples, the trouble I have is getting them to go and make disciples.”

I told him, “I have no trouble making chairs, the trouble I have is they always break when someone sits on them.”

Ok, I really didn’t say that, but I wish I would have! But what would you think if someone claimed to make chairs that didn’t support anyone?! I heard the pastor saying a similar thing to me. A disciple who doesn’t go out to make other disciples is not a mature disciple.

So why do so many American Christians believe they can follow Jesus without making other disciples?

I believe there are at least two reasons. First, many have never been taught how to make a disciple. They grew up as spiritual orphans under institutional care and that’s all they’ve ever known.

Second, many disciples lose their vision for disciple making. Ok, yes, make disciples, but what exactly is the goal here? Often, even those who start with clarity lose sight of the goal.

Chair makers don’t have that problem. The goal is clear- make something strong enough that someone can sit on. If a chair can’t support a person’s weight we don’t call it a chair, or at least not a finished chair. When referring to that yet-to-be chair, we say, “it’s going to be a chair” not “it is a chair.” More work is required. In other words, the proof of a finished chair is it’s ability to support a person sitting on it. What’s the proof of a finished disciple?

How do you judge spiritual maturity?

Yes, of course, you’re right that a disciple is never finished this side of heaven, but for our purposes a disciple is “finished” when he’s mature. The best way to identify a disciple’s maturity is through reproduction, or the emergence of the third generation.

Spiritual generations are the surest indication that a disciple’s life with Christ is vibrant enough to spread to another. The disciple maker is the first generation; she has the relational skills and intentionality to invite another into a disciple making relationship. The one she disciples is the second generation. That disciple’s maturity is clearly seen in reproduction, in making another disciple. However, we must understand that she hasn’t made a disciple until the one she disciples makes a disciple, so the emergence of the third generation means that a fourth is also emerging.

In the third generation the disciple maker clearly sees what’s been passed on. He may believe that he’s passed on a heart for the lost, but if the third generation is apathetic towards those who don’t know the lost, then clearly it didn’t get passed on. What shows up in the third generation is most often a mix of encouraging and discouraging things. Such a window into our effectiveness should drive us back to the cross and motivate us to grow more and more so that we can be as effective as possible.

Justin Gravitt, author of this blog, is with Navigator’s Church Ministries. They have made available to you, “The Start Small Grow Slow Strategy,” which you can download for free here.

Discipling with the third generation in mind means that we aren’t just discipling the person across from us, we’re discipling that person and all those she’ll disciple in the future. This sobering reality should drives us to prayerful dependence, unwavering intentionality, and a sincere relationship.

The third generation test also helps us see the difference between mentoring (direct impact) and disciple making (generational impact). Direct impact is comparatively easy. Consider how you and others have been impacted by a sermon, but never met the speaker, or by a book, but never met the author. On the other hand, consider the way a friend or family member has influenced you simply by sharing their life with you.

Generational impact is apparent in the third and fourth generations. And it’s the type of impact that Jesus expected when He said, “…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” If you teach someone that, they will teach another the same thing, and so will they.

So the emergence of the third generation is trustworthy proof of making a disciple. It helps young disciple makers keep the goal in focus. As a disciple maker, you aren’t done if the one you’re discipling isn’t going on to disciple others. It might take longer than you expected, but persevere! Growth is seldom linear or predictable!

Written by Justin Gravitt

Justin Gravitt is the Dayton (Ohio) Area Director for Navigator Church Ministries. Read more from Justin at his blog, “One Disciple to Another,” where this article first appeared.

The post How Do You Know When You’ve Made a Disciple? appeared first on Discipleship.org.

Source: How Do You Know When You’ve Made a Disciple?

The post How Do You Know When You’ve Made a Disciple? appeared first on Passion for Planting.

by Impact Discipleship Ministries: Here is one question every pastor ought to ask: “Who are you discipling?” If the mission of the Church is to make disciples, then every pastor ought to be making them. Every pastor ought to be personally engaged in the mission of making disciples. Why are so many pastors not personally making disciples? Let’s walk through some possible reasons pastors are not making disciples.

Reason #1: I am too busy!

I have known many a pastor who claimed to be too busy for making disciples. Those pastors have a lot of activities on their calendars and have not prioritized space for disciple making. Can I remind you that we all have exactly the same amount of time in a week? Everyone has 168 hours in a week. Pastor, if you are too busy to make disciples as Jesus did, you are just too busy. Do not become so busy you cannot make time to do the very thing Jesus came to do. No one in history was as busy as Jesus, and He still made time for disciple making.

This blog is from our partner Impact Discipleship Ministries. Sign up here to get updates sent to your inbox about ministries like theirs so you can grow as a disciple maker.

Reason #2: I don’t know how!

Not knowing how to disciple someone is a very legitimate reason for why a pastor may not be making more disciples. If pastors have never been discipled or taught how to make more disciples, it makes since that they would not know how to begin that process. The good news is that everyone can learn. Even if you have never been discipled, you have the perfect model in Jesus. I encourage you to learn from other disciple making pastors, but let Jesus be the model you follow. Study His life and ministry and learn how He went about making disciples. You cannot go wrong studying Jesus’ approach to disciple making.

Reason #3: It’s not a priority!

I know several pastors who simply do not believe disciple making should be the main priority in their ministries. They are not claiming to be too busy or uninformed: they simply do not see it as the main goal. These pastors may not realize it, but failing to make disciples is an act of disobedience to God. Jesus Himself called us to come after Him in making disciples. If something is a priority for Christ, it certainly ought to be a priority for every pastor leading Christ’s Church.

By Impact Discipleship Ministries

Impact Discipleship Ministries exists to help you be and build disciples. For resources or training for disciple making, check out their website or contact them through impactdisciples.com.

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Source: Pastor, Are You Making Disciples?

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By Impact Discipleship Ministries: Not all disciple makers are created equal. Each have different giftings and skill sets. Giftedness and ability are not always things you can control, but there are some things every leader can work towards.

In 2 Timothy 2:3-8, Paul gives Timothy three descriptions of traits that make a good disciple maker. In verse three, Paul uses the example of a good soldier. Good soldiers do not lose focus and get involved with civilian affairs. They stay committed to the task at hand and finish what they start.

I’ve known lots of disciples who dropped out of groups before they had finished, but I have also known a few leaders that quit as well. A good discipleship leader is someone who stays focused and does not get distracted from the task at hand.

Don’t take shortcuts.

A second example that Paul gives to Timothy is that of an athlete that competes according to the rules. Paul says an athlete does not receive the crown if he or she cheats or takes short cuts in competition. A winning athlete plays by the book and follows the rules.

Good disciple makers are disciple makers who do what is right even if it is hard. Good disciple makers don’t cheat and make compromises on things that are important. No one wants a disciple maker who is looking for the easy way to do things. A disciple maker who has integrity is a disciple maker who leads well.

This blog is from our partner Impact Discipleship Ministries. Sign up here to get updates sent to your inbox about ministries like theirs so you can grow as a disciple maker.

The third example Paul gives Timothy is the hard working farmer. Hard working farmers have patience. They understand that the harvest takes time and that a lot of work is required before the fruit is produced. Hard working farmers are patient and willing to wait to see the fruit of their labors.

Be patient.

Good disciple makers are like farmers: they are patient and willing to wait for disciples to be made and multiplied. They understand that the process cannot be rushed. Spiritual growth and maturity takes time! Good disciple makers are willing to do the hard work even when they have not yet seen the fruit.

The images of a soldier, athlete, and farmer are great illustrations and descriptions of the traits that a good disciple maker possesses. A disciple maker that is not easily distracted, takes the right path, and stays patient is the kind of disciple you want to be.

By Impact Discipleship Ministries

Impact Discipleship Ministries exists to help you be and build disciples. For resources or training for disciple making, check out their website or contact them through impactdisciples.com.

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Source: 3 Traits of a Good Disciple Maker

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