By way of recap, and continued focus on our purpose of D-Groups, I wanted to give a couple of snippets from the Art of Discipleship training weekend. These are quotes, definitions, and principles that will serve as reminders for all of us.
- The great commission is a holistic mission. The command is to GO evangelize the lost, and teach them all that Jesus has commanded. It is both evangelism and discipleship. To be effective disciple makers we must have a plan for engaging and sharing Christ with lost people. The first question we need to answer in disciple making is where is your mission field? Who are you sharing with that currently doesn't know Jesus? We should also be able to answer the question of who are the "younger" believers we are teaching to follow Jesus? An effective disciple maker has two groups of people in their lives. Lost people, and people they are training to reach lost people. We should be trying to win lost people, and prayerfully move them into discipleship groups.
- Definition for discipleship. "Discipleship is a life on life relationship, teaching people to know and follow Jesus, for the purpose of them replicating the process with others." There are three elements of discipleship. 1. Relationship, Jesus says in Matthew 4:19 "follow me." This is the idea of come be in my life and we will journey together. 2. Teaching, cultivating, shaping. Jesus says in the same verse "I will make you into." 3. Reproducing, and replicating, Lastly Jesus says the end game of the process is that "(you will be) Fishers of men"
- Speaking on the cost of discipleship from Mark 8:34..."When the first disciples heard Jesus' call to deny themselves, take their cross, and follow him, they understood that was a call to die." - Chris Morgan. A disciple maker must realize that the great commission isn't about them. We are called to die to us and live for God's glory and others.
- The Bible is the curriculum of discipleship. Do not allow Christian books and study guides replace the Bible in your D-groups. We want to disciple people in such a way that if we were to drop them off on a remote island with no access to Lifeway or any books other than their Bibles and the Spirit of God, they could have a fruitful disciple making ministry. Books and curriculum should only be supplemental, and they should always drive you to the Bible for the meat of your study. If all you did in D-Groups was read through a Bible reading plan together and meet to talk about what God is teaching each of you, that is sufficient.
- Discipleship is started and sustained by prayer. For far too long we have tried to make our own plans and praying at best in asking God to bless our plans. If D-Groups are going to be a move of God, we must soak every step of it in prayer. Learn how to pray, and teach people how to pray; it's our only power.
- Discipleship doesn't fit into a box. It's messy, organic, and fluid. Through prayer and dependence on the Spirit's leading, you may need to adjust schedules. You may need to stop meeting with certain people who are clearly ready to reproduce. You may need to meet with certain people a little longer than expected. You may need to ditch a certain strategy for a new one. If you are a box person, Discipleship will frustrate you.
What Apple Gets About Disciple Making
Pastor Craig Etheridge of Disciple First ministries does a good job using the training methods of Apple to illustrate how discipleship works.
https://disciplefirst.com/what-apple-gets-about-disciple-making/
Dhati Lewis Disciple Making Q&A
Dhati Lewis is a faithful practitioner of the great commission. Here he does a short interview on what disciple making looks like in his life.
https://brnow.org/News/February-2016/Dhati-Lewis-talks-disciple-making-before-Reveal