Stewarding Our Time

By Wil Moore: I was recently having coffee with a dad who has 3 incredible kids. One is in college pursuing a communications degree, one is about to graduate, and the other is a junior. Two of the three are incredibly gifted athletes. One will soon play Division 1 baseball and the other Division 1 basketball. 

After listening to him talk through their daily and weekly routine I was exhausted for him.

Their days are filled with early mornings rushing to practices, after-school private lessons, and multiple games a week. To say they are busy is an understatement. 

This reality is common amongst most families with teenagers. Whether it is because of sports, academics, drama, or music, parents are busier than ever. So, where does family devotion time fit into the busy schedule? How do we make time when time is the thing we seem to have the least of? 

My response is not mind-blowing or deeply rooted in hours of theological reasoning. My response is simple: You make time for what is important. 

My older brother and I had the privilege of playing baseball at the college level. Both parents followed me around until I was 22 years old. Go ahead and say it, “bless their heart”. 

Needless to say my parents fully understood busy schedules. However, my parents also understood taking time for what is most important. It did not matter if we were on the road to Tyler, Texas or West Florida, my parents would always make time to talk about what God was doing in our lives. 

The key here is “make time.” Think about it, we make time for everything else in our lives: Monday Night Football, The Amazing Race, social media updates, dinner, coffee, etc. So why not make time for family to discuss what God is up to? Our knee-jerk reaction is to say we are too busy, but I want to encourage you to remove that word from your vocabulary and think about the benefits of making time for family devotion. 

You have the unique opportunity to instill in your kids the importance of making time for Jesus. As a 35-year-old husband and father I often think back to the time my parents made for us to discuss the Bible and our relationship with Jesus. I am now replicating what my parents modeled for me as a child. The greatest thing you can model for your kids is how to make time for Jesus. 

I want to provide for you a few tips that may help as you navigate busy schedules and family devotion:

1. Look Ahead

Every Sunday look at your calendar and see when the best time would be that week to have a family devotion. Oh, and it may be on the road to a ball game or in a hotel room in between games. We did that a few times.

2. Have a Plan

Memorize a verse together, read one chapter a week as a family, write down prayer requests, have a different person lead each week. If you plan it, you will more than likely do it.

3. Be Consistent

Regardless of your schedule, make sure it happens each week. The best way to do this is to designate a specific day and time each week as your family devo time. My wife and I recently sat down and said Thursday is our family time. We had to do this or we would move it and not do it.

4. Take the Pressure Off

 Chances are you do not have a theology degree. That is okay. Take the pressure off of yourself to have all the answers. The greatest thing my dad would say is, “Son, I don’t know about that but let me find out.” The goal isn’t to have it all figured out. The goal is to make it important. You can figure out together how there was a talking donkey in Numbers 22. Good luck with that one!  

Remember, you can do this! You make time for what is important…so make time for Jesus. Your grandkids will thank you one day. 

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By Wil Moore. Used with permission.

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By Dylan Young: Last March, this Kentucky fan could not believe his eyes when he saw the headlines that the SEC and NCAA basketball tournaments were canceled because of some sickness called the Coronavirus. My dreams of watching the Wildcats go on another Final Four run were gone just like that. I honestly could not wrap my mind around the fact that a virus was causing us to cancel events. I mean, viruses have been around forever! Fast forward to January 2021 and my bewilderment is laughable in hindsight. There was much more going on than a canceled basketball tournament.

Raise your hand if you had any personal plans canceled by the Coronavirus in 2020. Now that we all have our hands raised we can agree that we need to start planning differently moving forward. Agility is the key with anything we think through now. Rigid plans have a distinct possibility of failing more than ever. We have to be willing and able to change on the fly.

So what does that mean for us in ministry? How do we make future ministry plans when the future feels so uncertain? Do we just take things week-by-week forever? Of course not. We need to determine which parts of our lives and ministries are non-negotiables and resolve to move forward with those plans regardless of circumstances. Fortunately, the God we serve saw COVID-19 coming and gave us a mission and vision that transcends anything else happening on Earth: The Great Commission.

You know it well already, but Matthew 28:19-20 says, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (CSB)

Evangelism and discipleship do not stop because of a global pandemic, we just have to be even more creative and intentional about doing them. Specifically, in 2021 I hope you will resolve to lead a few men or women in a discipleship group that meets diligently no matter what. Resolve in 2021 that you will lead your group to use whatever means necessary to be consistent in your meeting rhythm. Let them know from the beginning that if there is a time where public meeting places are shut down again you will meet virtually. We have myriad resources to do this now so we really do not have an excuse anymore. And isn’t your spiritual health and maturity worth it?

Resolve in 2021 to bind yourself to the unchanging Word of God. Study Scripture. Journal your thoughts. Memorize it. Not much is certain right now, cling to the One who has been certain, is certain and will be certain.

Resolve in 2021 not to let social distancing excuse you from evangelism. Lead your discipleship groups to start thinking about and praying for the people they need to share Christ with right from the start and don’t let each other off the hook! I’m sure you have other goals and resolutions you’ve made in various areas of life as we begin a new calendar. In fact, I hope you do and I hope you achieve all of them! As you think through all you hope to accomplish this year, make sure you’ve got plans and resolutions for 2021 that could only be stopped by Jesus Himself showing up! Resolve in 2021 to make the Great
Commission your greatest resolution.

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By Dylan Young. Used with permission.

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By Tim LaFleur: Before Jesus ascended to the Father, He gave His disciples His last words, His final command. Notice what He says in Matthew 28:18–20, what we call the Great Commission:

18 Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (CSB)

Notice the last phrase of verse 20, “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” What a promise! Jesus assured His disciples that as they carried out the plan of God to evangelize the world, He would be with them. He would provide every resource they would need to accomplish the mission! Why? Because He would be with them!

Reason to Doubt

This truth is highlighted as we consider the whole passage. Notice verses 16-17, at the beginning of the passage:

16 The eleven disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped, but some doubted. (Matthew 28:16-17, CSB)

When they saw Jesus, they worshiped, but some doubted. The question is then, what were they doubting? Did they doubt the fact that He had risen from the dead? That is unlikely, because they had seen Him post-resurrection on multiple occasions. So, what were they doubting? I believe the doubt they were struggling with was self-doubt. They doubted that they could accomplish the mission of God to bring the gospel to the peoples of the world. That’s what makes the reassuring words of Jesus in verse 20 so comforting. We don’t have to doubt in our ability to carry out His plan by ourselves, because we won’t be alone; He will be with us!

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Two Assurances

The first assurance is found in verse 18, when Jesus says, “All authority has been given to me…” Jesus assured His disciples that He had all power and authority. They could go forward in confidence because they will be making disciples under His authority and in His power. He would provide everything they need to accomplish the mission.

The second assurance is at the end of verse 20, “I am with you always…” Jesus assured the disciples of His abiding presence. They can advance the gospel with assurance and confidence because Jesus Himself will be with them. He would not be distant, He would be with them in presence and power.

Good News

The good news for you and I is that Jesus is with us when we make disciples. The same promise Jesus gave to the disciples he gives to us, “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” You and I can do ministry in confidence. Why? Because Jesus has given us His authority and because He is with us!

By Tim LaFleur

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By Kandi Gallaty: I will never forget that night at the mall. My husband, Robby, and I had just finished dinner and were headed shopping to look for jeans. He came out of the dressing room and said he wasn’t feeling well. He was light-headed, pale, and didn’t feel right. I encouraged him to sit down and drink a Coke®, thinking it might have been his blood sugar. After a few minutes, he felt better, so we left and went home. Little did we know, this was the start of a long and painful journey with anxiety.

After that night, Robby began to experience these episodes often. We didn’t understand what was going on. He visited multiple doctors to determine the reason for his problems. His symptoms were always the same: he felt like he was going to pass out and needed to get out of the room or building we were in, even when he was in the middle of preaching on Sunday mornings. Naturally, he wanted to stay home more and not leave the house. Since I was unaware of what was happening, I would encourage him to get out of the house; I was afraid of him becoming a recluse.

As the episodes got worse, our doctor suggested Robby wear a holter monitor for forty-eight hours. This led to the discovery of his heart rate occasionally dropping to eighteen beats per minute. The doctor was afraid one of the leads had come out of his monitor. Unfortunately, a faulty lead wasn’t the issue, and the following day, he was admitted to the hospital to receive a pacemaker. He was thirty-five years old. We hoped all of his problems were solved.

However, after he came home from the hospital, the episodes still occurred. After much researching and seeing different specialists, we determined his problem was anxiety resulting from stress and burnout.

Robby was finishing his dissertation, traveling to preach, raising two little boys, getting acclimated to a new city and church, graduating with his PhD program, and writing multiple books over a few years. No wonder he was experiencing anxiety. The poor man was an Energizer Bunny® for years, and now when life was supposed to slow down and resemble some normalcy, he bottomed out.

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The immediate solution was medicine, which was a lifesaver. Here is the fact of the matter. You can read your Bible every day. You can foster a vibrant prayer life. You can lead a booming ministry and growing church. You can be plugged in to your community, doing all the “right” things, and still experience anxiety. Often it is our body telling us something is not right.

Our job is to listen and address it, not ignore or neglect it.

There are times when our health is taken entirely out of our hands, and we can’t do anything about it. But other times, we can be proactive. It may require medicine, counseling, and making changes to our lives to be as healthy as we can be.

If you have never experienced recurrent anxiety, it can be hard to relate to someone who is going through it. In my mind, he could just push through it. He could just overcome it. But that isn’t often the case. The irony is that after years of helping Robby adjust to his own battle with anxiety, I had my own struggle with it.

I can honestly say it was one of the worst seasons of my life. I was able to identify it early on after walking with Robby through his struggles. I could totally relate and understand what had happened to him.

The best way I could help both of us was to help us both establish a slowed-down spirituality. We drastically trimmed his schedule for a bit, stripping away everything that wasn’t a priority. We implemented weekly sabbaticals and daily resets. We ensured we truly took a rest day.

A question we ask often is, “At the end of the day, what is the Lord holding me accountable to?” Asking yourself this question may help you—or your spouse—dull the ache anxiety leaves in your life, mind, and body.

Be intentional about making time to check in.

When you start to feel better, it can be easy to forget and fall back into some old patterns of doing too much, being too busy, and taking on too much. It’s an ongoing task to monitor and keep these things in check and balance, but Robby and I work together to manage our schedules. We have a team that helps decide outside events or functions that we are asked to participate in. The kicker is we don’t get to vote on our own events. For example, if a request comes in for Robby to speak at an event, it gets sent to a team of six people (I am one of them). We all vote yes or no, and he doesn’t get to vote until it passes through the other team members. The decision is based on certain criteria: events already on the calendar, location, the length and size of the event, and the distance to travel.

We already have a completely full schedule with pastoral duties and parenting responsibilities without adding anything from the outside, so we must be good stewards of our time. Robby tries to be intentional to Sabbath once a week. He takes a break from his phone and technology, which would typically consume his time. He attempts to work from rest and not work for rest. If there is an emergency, his staff knows how to get ahold of me. I told Robby for years to put the phone down, but it never worked. As soon as the Lord spoke to him, he obeyed. I should have just committed it to prayer long ago.

The greatest thing to do as a spouse of someone who experiences anxiety is to support and work to figure out what needs to be done to live a healthy life. Spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental health all blend together. Time with the Lord should not be neglected but should be held to the highest priority. Diet and exercise, as well as getting enough sleep at night, are all extremely important. Counseling or coaching is sometimes necessary to experience well-being.

My challenge for you is to pursue support if you’re presently struggling. Do not neglect getting help for you or your spouse if you need it. I would venture to say we all want longevity in life and in ministry, so let us be good stewards of that which the Lord has given us. Soul-care is never selfish, but always strategic. If we neglect this, everyone in our life suffers. However, if we prioritize our ministry to ourselves, everyone in our lives will benefit.

By Kandi Gallaty

Originally posted on Replicate’s blog here. Used by permission.

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by Replicate: The discipline of scripture memory has become, without a doubt, the most significant of the disciplines in my life. God has used scripture memory to not only bring about change and transformation in my life, but has used it to challenge and encouraged other believers. As we consider this discipline I want to share my story and attempt to answer several commonly asked questions about the discipline.

In the summer of 1972, I had an encounter with the Risen Christ that totally rocked my world and radically changed my life. I was delivered from the bondage of sin and given new life through the Gospel.

One thing I remember vividly was that I had an insatiable desire for the word of God. I loved to hear it taught and preached and I read the scriptures every day, sometimes for hours. I was amazed and enlightened by the word of God. The Word became my spiritual food.

After settling into a church, our Youth Pastor challenged me to “hide the word of God in my heart”. I accepted the challenge and began, as a new believer, to memorize scripture. That initiated a lifelong discipline that God has used profoundly in my life.

When I got to LSU for college, I began to meet with some guys in the dorms to pray, study, and memorize scripture, to hold one another accountable and encourage one another. I have been meeting in D-groups ever since, disciplining, loving, challenging and encouraging others for Christ’s sake.

What Do We Mean by Scripture Memory?

Scripture Memory has been classified by Donald Whitney as “a sub discipline” of Bible intake. Scripture Memory, according to Whitney is “storing the scripture in the mind.”

It is committing God’s word to memory so that it can be recalled and put to use.

You would search in vain to find a verse in the Bible that actually explicitly command one to memorize scripture, However, there are several texts that seem to imply the discipline.

These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. (Deuteronomy 6:6, CSB)

Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. (Colossians 3:16, CSB)

I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11, CSB)

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Why Should We Memorize Scripture?

There are many reasons why you should memorize scripture. Here are just a few.

To share a “word fitly spoken”

A word fitly spoken is as apples of gold in the setting of silver. (Proverbs 25:11 NKJV)

We have countless opportunities to share a word of encouragement or witness with others. When we have the Word committed to memory we can share as we are prompted by the Holy Spirit.

But in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. (1 Peter 3:15, CSB)

To overcome temptation or discouragement

How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping your word. I have sought you with all my heart; don’t let me wander from your commands. I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you. (Psalm 119:9-11, CSB)

When faced with temptation the Lord Jesus responded by saying “It is written.” We too must wield the “sword of the spirit” when we battle against our enemies.

In addition to temptation, we all face discouragement. One tactic of the enemy is to try to get us to dwell on those things that are not profitable. We must meditate on God’s truth.

Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things. (Philippians 4:8, CSB)

To renew your mind

Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2, CSB)

Our minds are renewed by the Word of God. One wonderful way to renew your mind and embrace God’s truth is to memorize and meditate on the Word.

How to Memorize Scripture

This is the step by step process that I have used for years.

Step 1– The first step to memorizing scripture is to find a verse that you find particularly helpful and that you would like to know by heart.

Step 2– Write this verse down in a journal designated for verses that you intend to memorize and begin to meditate on the verse as you are writing it.

Step 3– Then write that same verse on a flash card with the reference (i.e. John 1:12) on one side and the verse (i.e. “But to all who did receive him…”).

Step 4– Begin memorizing this verse, starting with the first phrase. After you’ve memorized the first phrase, build on it by memorizing the second phrase. Continue this process until you have memorized the entire verse word-perfect.

Step 5– After you have memorized the entire verse word-perfect, recite the verse to yourself at least 20 times without looking.

Step 6– Finally, and this is absolutely crucial to Scripture memory, you must review the verse daily. Set aside time each day to work on reviewing the verses you have memorized.

There are also a variety of tools available to you to help you, including apps for your smartphone or tablet. One popular one would be Fighter Verses which has apps for both Apple or Android smartphones. There are many ways to memorize scripture, the most important thing is to find one that works well for you and do it.

Originally posted on Replicate’s blog here. Used by permission.

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by Replicate: Imagine how different the story might have read had Jesus chosen to disciple twelve women instead of twelve men. I am certain there would have been more detailed questions and discussion!

By God’s design, women think differently, have different emotional needs, interact differently and process things differently than men. Because women can understand and naturally relate to one another, it’s easier for them to engage in a discipleship relationship with other women. The goal of discipleship is to produce fully devoted followers of Christ who will then go and make disciples. What do women’s discipleship groups look like?

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Jesus is our model and the Holy Spirit is our Helper in discipleship. Jesus poured into the lives of His disciples and taught them how to love, pray, trust, minister, and serve. These practices would be needed for the time when He would no longer be standing beside them. Jesus also sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within believers and to be our Helper as we follow Him (John 14:25-26; 16:13-14).
Accountability is essential. Effective discipleship takes place when a small group of 4-5 women gather for the purpose of helping one another “grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). To maintain the spiritual disciplines, we need other women encouraging us along the way. Discipline is a word we love to hate. Knowing we will have to quote the verses we have memorized and share what we had learned from God’s Word motivates us. In return, God blesses our obedience and reveals more of Himself to us (John 14:21; 15:4-8).
Teaching women God’s Word. Hebrews 4:12 says, “The Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword. It has the power to divide between soul and spirit, joint and marrow, and to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Our pastor likes to say, “Get into the Word until the Word gets into you.” To become self-feeders, women must learn how to study and apply God’s Word for themselves.
Guiding women to develop spiritual disciplines, such as prayer and memorizing Scripture. Prayer and Scripture are the most powerful tools we have in our arsenal to fight against the enemy (Eph. 6:10-18). In a discipleship relationship, women learn to use these tools effectively.
Helping women discover and use their spiritual gifts. The Holy Spirit imparts spiritual gifts to believers for the building up of the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:6-7). When women discover and begin using the gifts God has given them, they are more apt to engage in their churches and communities.
Launching women to serve locally and globally. Jesus said, “You are to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and to the uttermost parts of the world,“ (Acts 1:8). A witness is someone who tells what they know they to be true. As women study God’s word, they discover who God is and who they are in Christ. Prepared to share the Christ-life with others, the process begins all over again as we become disciples who make disciples (2 Timothy 2:2).

Originally posted on Replicate’s blog here. Used by permission.

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By Replicate: Even though Prayer is the seventh item on the Replicate list of nine essentials of a Discipleship Group, it could easily be first: prayer ought to permeate every part of the discipleship process. Think about it, before we even begin our discipleship group, we’re praying for God to show us those He desires us to invest in. Jesus models this for us in Luke 6, when He spends all night in prayer before picking 12 of the disciples to be apostles.

12 During those days he went out to the mountain to pray and spent all night in prayer to God. 13 When daylight came, he summoned his disciples, and he chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles: (Luke 6:12-13, CSB)

We not only pray for those God would have us to invest in, we are also prayerful as we approach each person and invite them to be a part of the group. Once the group is formed, everything we do as a group ought to be bathed in prayer.

Why Pray?

A Discipleship group should pray for one another for a couple of reasons. First, when we pray, we are saying without saying a word that we are dependent upon God. Second, we demonstrate that we believe God to do what only He can do. We trust Him to not only open the eyes of our understanding, but to help us to lay hold of the truth in such a way that we apply it to our lives. In other words, we want God’s truth to move from our head to our hearts—then to our hands.

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Model The Role

A D-Group leader should be a role model for those in their groups. They should demonstrate what it looks like to be a man or woman of prayer. Since prayer is one of those disciplines that is caught as much as it is taught, setting an example for those you are discipling can have more of an impact than you may realize. In many ways, we learn to pray by praying. We should pray with others as well as spending time in prayer alone.

As a leader, you not only want to teach your members what gospel centered prayer looks like, you want to pray often with and for your group. We should lead our groups to see prayer as a never-ending conversation with God. As the Apostle Paul said to the believers in Thessalonica:

17 pray constantly, (1 Thessalonians 5:17, CSB)

In addition, teach your discipleship group to pray before reading or studying the Word of God. Pray as the psalmist did:

18 Open my eyes so that I may contemplate wondrous things from your instruction. (Psalm 119:18, CSB)

Also, help them understand that it is absolutely necessary that they pray for one another throughout the week. I will include that in my covenant that I have them sign when they begin meeting together as a group. Your group should know that everyone in the group is praying for each other. So, when they promise to pray for one another and their families, I call their attention to 1 Samuel 12:23, which says:

23 As for me, I vow that I will not sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you. (1 Samuel 12:23a, CSB)

Never minimize the importance of prayer for your discipleship group and in your time together as a group. Remember the classic quote by E. M. Bounds, “You can’t rightly talk to men about God until you first talk to God about men.”

By Replicate

Originally posted on Replicate’s blog here. Used by permission.

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Is Accountability Really That Important?

By Replicate: In case you see the title and want to skip right to the answer before clicking off of this article, I’ll give you the answer now:

Healthy, accountable relationships in our lives is one of the most important contributors to our spiritual growth. But before we unpack why this is true, I believe we should define what we mean when we say “accountability”.

What is Accountability?

Although Scripture does not use the term “accountability”, there are pictures throughout Scripture of believers walking, growing, and living in the context of accountable relationships. From creation, God said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” The idea of accountable relationships among believers goes all the way back to the beginning of time. It is not a new idea.

The best picture of accountability that we find in Scripture is found in Ecc. 4:9-12. In this passage, we see four pictures of why we need close relationships:

Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up. Also, if two lie down together, they can keep warm; but how can one person alone keep warm? And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.

Each scenario illustrates the imperative that we work together with like-minded people toward a common goal. In other words, it is through relationships/community that the goal is accomplished. But this is just one example, there are many more. Proverbs 27:17 tells us that just as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Hebrews 10:24-25 tells us to spur one another on to love and good deeds. James 5:16 tells us to confess our sins to each other. Galatians 6:2 tells us to carry each other’s burdens.

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Each of these passages shows believers in relationships where they are locking arms with one another as they live and grow together toward Christ-likeness. Lifting each other up when the other falls, defending each other if attacked by the enemy, and working together toward the common goal.

What we don’t see in any example throughout Scripture is a picture of a judge and jury waiting drop the hammer as soon as someone messes up. We can’t have accountability without relationship. Relationship is at the core of accountability. We can’t say “I’m going to hold you accountable” if by that we mean standing on the sidelines and shouting “You can’t do that” or “Answer these 10 questions and I’ll see you next week.” Expecting that we will hold others accountable without opening ourselves to that same level of accountability is foolishness. As they allow you to speak truth into their lives, they must be able to do the same in yours.

In his book Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “Sin demands to have a man by himself. It withdraws him from the community. The more isolated a person is, the more destructive will be the power of sin over him, and the more deeply he becomes involved in it, the more disastrous is his isolation.” There is no such thing as “Lone Wolf” Christianity. We can say with absolute certainty that we were created to live our lives in the context of accountable relationships.

By Replicate

Originally posted on Replicate’s blog here. Used by permission.

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By Julie Woodruff: We talk a lot about what we should be doing in in our Discipleship Groups, but what are the stumbling blocks that we need to avoid in order to make them as fruitful as possible?

Too Much Fellowship– We encourage our Discipleship Groups to open with a discussion about their week (high’s and low’s) but it is easy to let that time get away from you and prevent you from getting to the other important aspects of the meeting. Keep the main thing the main thing!
Information NOT Transformation– The goal is for each woman to hear from God’s Word and apply it to her life. Be careful not to let chasing rabbits distract you. Make sure everyone gets a chance to share. It is NOT about learning information but about being transformed by God’s Word.
NOT Prioritizing God’s Word – God’s Word is “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12) There are many good books to use as extra resources but not at the cost of neglecting the Bible.
Ignore Scripture Memory– The groups that have the biggest problem with scripture memory are mostly the ones that have never tried it! This is a discipline that yields incredible benefits for you and through you. You are doing your group a disservice if you are not making this a priority.
Soft Accountability– You MUST get beneath the surface to achieve significant growth. “Inspect what you expect.”
No Prayer– I am talking about both the women in your group praying as well as you praying for your group. You can’t effectively talk to your women about God until you have talked to God about your women. Prayer is how we talk to and hear from God. As the leader, you model it for your group and then give them opportunities to pray.
Inconsistent Participation– Whether it is attendance, assignments or effort, this must be addressed. Inconsistency is contagious and will eventually have a negative impact on the whole group. If you find this is an issue with your group, pull out the covenant that they all signed and ask them to self-evaluate how well they are doing with the commitment they made to the group.

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

You as the leader set the tone for your group. They will replicate what they learn from you. Hopefully this is a good check list to help you evaluate how you are doing.

By Julie Woodruff

Originally posted on Replicate’s blog here. Used by permission.

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Source: Avoid These 7 Pitfalls in Your Discipleship Group

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by Dylan Young: My grandmother used to make a seriously delicious barbecue sauce. It has been used in many meals for years and years in the Young household. Everyone in the family loves that sauce and Praise the Lord my dad made sure he got the recipe from her before she passed away a few years ago. If he hadn’t done that we would never figure out the perfect combination of ingredients to recreate it. It wouldn’t matter how many times we had come together for a meal and poured that savory sauce on our plates, there would be no more barbecue sauce ever again!

This same principle applies to our spiritual life. No matter how many times our Discipleship Groups meet or how many verses we memorize, if we never share what we’ve learned with someone else then eventually there is no more Discipleship to be had!

If we fail to reproduce our Discipleship Groups we have missed the whole point. Paul encouraged Timothy to embrace a pipeline of equipping that never ends.

“What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” — 2 Timothy 2:2 (CSB)

In just that one verse we see at least four generations of disciples. Once you have spent time as a group member it’s time for you to find some people to lead yourself! Ideally the group you create is at least partially made up of people you have led to Christ. Reproduction is essential because if we don’t share the Gospel and bring new people to faith in Jesus, eventually there is no one left to disciple. Remember, we’re not in Discipleship Groups to pass an exam, we’re in them to be equipped to advance the kingdom.

All of the Discipleship Group Essentials don’t amount to much without the last one: commitment. A healthy Discipleship Group without commitment is an oxymoron, they just don’t exist. Group members have to commit to striving towards Christlikeness through the spiritual disciplines and to attending the group meetings. Why is commitment so vital to the health and success of your group?

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

Spiritual Disciplines don’t happen by accident.

All of them are much more likely to happen when you make a serious commitment to the environment of a Discipleship Group. If you’re not committed to the group you signed up for, you’re probably not committed to those disciplines either.

Commitment creates trust.

The group grows deeper in their faith as the group grows closer to each other. Trust is key in a discipleship group. People are willing to be vulnerable, ask tough questions and challenge each other when they trust one another. Committing to consistently meeting week after week builds that trust that leads to transformation.

Signing a covenant is extremely helpful for creating commitment. I’ve made the mistake of not having a covenant in the past and regretted it the whole year. As the group leader, you need to set the expectation for attendance and reading/memorizing on the front end. We want to show people grace but we also want them to grow! You can’t expect someone to be committed to something they didn’t agree to in the first place.

By Dylan Young

Originally posted on Replicate’s blog here. Used by permission.

The post Essentials of Discipleship Groups: Reproduction and Commitment appeared first on Discipleship.org.

Source: Essentials of Discipleship Groups: Reproduction and Commitment

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