While some of you immediately think of Rob Schneider’s famous line from the movie The Water Boy, I am not! What I am thinking about is presenting you with a practical method for actually being a disciple who makes disciples.
As a college student, I was very involved with The Navigators. I don’t know if you’re familiar with this organization? They are a worldwide ministry with a laser-sharp focus on making disciples who make disciples. As they discipled me, they taught me so much about being a disciple as well as how to disciple others. For about seven years I was a disciple who was making disciples. Then I went to seminary and into vocational ministry, and for some reason, the focus got crowded out by other things. But recently my passion and participation in the work of disciple-making has returned. Part of that is due to some people God has brought into my life. And part of it is due to a simple (but not simplistic) method that has been shared with me, and which I am currently using to disciple two young adults (with the expectation that they will soon begin to disciple others who will eventually disciple others!). So, “What’s the method,” you ask? Great question. Let me share it with you.
Each week we meet, and at the center of our time together is reading through a book of the Bible. We read the text out loud together, then we pray, and then we ask ourselves these three questions (you may have seen or heard them before): (1) What is Jesus saying to you through this passage? (2) What is one thing you can do in response to what He is saying? (3) Whom will you tell?
While it seems simple, it is profound because it allows for three things to happen. First, we are listening for what God is saying to us. We aren’t typically accessing commentaries or Study Bibles. We try to stay in the text and seek to discern how the Spirit is illuminating it. Second, we focus on doing something about what God has shown us. This is where it gets fun. We are trying to take incremental steps of obedience, faith, and growth. And because continual growth is something that keeps our Christian lives fresh and relevant, I have found a renewed passion in my walk through this focus on doing “one thing.” (Don’t underestimate the power of one!) Third, we are focused on sharing with others what we are learning (at this point who you tell is less important than that you tell).
There is obviously more to this method, and we hope to roll out additional guidance and training in the weeks to come. But for now, I want to challenge you to pray for someone to meet with, and when God answers, use this method so that you can be a disciple who makes disciples who make disciples.
With God’s help, you can do it!
Pastor Scott Smith
Connections & Growth Pastor