Thank you so much for dropping by my blog, and I am really delighted you are here. I hope you are here because you have a passion to discover how to be an effective disciple of Jesus, or how to be a more effective disciple-maker. I have a secret to tell you. It’s not for sale, and you don’t have to subscribe to mail email list to get it (although I would love for you to subscribe). Here’s the secret to effective discipleship:
Get out there and do it!
But what is it? At its core, the word disciple means “learner,” or “pupil,” or “follower.” A disciple of Jesus is someone who totally adheres to his teachings, making those teachings the way of life, one whose life-purpose is to make new disciples. Discipleship is the lifelong intentional process of making new disciples.
The Plan
I’m a checklist person. I live by my daily, weekly, monthly and annual goals and to-do’s. If I’m not careful, I become a slave of my to-do lists. I have to remind myself that the goal of having a checklist is not to check things off, but actually to get things done! The same is true for being a disciple. Disciples practice certain disciplines or exercises to prepare and equip them for making disciples. Some of these disciplines are:
- Reading & studying the Bible
- Praying
- Attending worship
- Spending time with other disciples
- Serving in a church
- Telling someone how to become a Christ-follower
But the goal of a disciple is to be a Spirit-filled disciple-making disciple, not just to do the disciplines or spiritual exercises. Anyone can check off these tasks, even lost people. Just doing the disciplines doesn’t make one a disciple. A disciple of Jesus is immersed in the Holy Spirit to make new disciples.
Jesus’ Method
Jesus himself is the author and architect of Christian discipleship. This was his method as revealed in the four gospels in the Bible:
- Invite some followers (Matthew 4:18-22)
- Teach the followers and show them the way (Matthew 8:14-27)
- Later, give them some assignments (Luke 9:1-6; Luke 10:1-23)
- Send them out with a definite plan and specific expectations (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8)
Stop and think for a minute: Who discipled or mentored you as a Christian?
The Context
Jesus started small and finished small. When he ascended back to the Father, he left about 120 followers (Acts 1:15). But everywhere he went, he drew crowds. Large crowds. They came to hear him because they were oppressed, and he offered them God’s freedom and love. They came to see him because many were sick, lame, and blind, and they were hoping to be healed by his touch.
From the large crowds, Jesus chose twelve men. He invited them to leave everything to follow him. They left their livelihoods, their families, their friends to follow Jesus. He poured God’s teaching into them and showed them how to live out God’s love, mercy, and peace. They followed him wherever he went. They heard every word he uttered. They watched every miracle he performed. They misunderstood him many times. They scattered in fear at his trial and execution. But they came back together to fulfill his commission.
From the twelve, he chose three to build a close, discipling relationship with. These three, Peter, James, and John, saw things and heard things the others did not see. Jesus spent special time with them.
Purpose of This Blog
- To present a simple way of understanding Jesus’ plan of making disciples, or discipleship.
- To encourage you establish a small discipleship group (a D-Group) with the purpose of making disciple-making disciples of three people.
- To encourage you to replicate this disciple-making process in your church and community.
Definitions Used Throughout
Disciple – A born-again Christ-follower (John 3:1-21) who has counted the cost of following Jesus (Luke 14:25-35) and who has who totally adheres to the teachings of Jesus, making Him and His teachings the way of life.
Discipleship – The process of being a disciple of Jesus who makes more disciples (Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 1:8).
D-Group – A small group of four people, you and three others, committed to Christ and to one another with the goal of each of three becoming disciple-making disciples through their own D-Groups.