Do you think we have enough programs for discipleship? Maybe just one more and that will do it? I’ve been around long enough now to have seen a few (lol) of these. nothing wrong with a lot of them, but most are missing the most important thing–RELATIONSHIP– It amazes me how often we abandon the model of discipleship the Jesus himself laid out for us for “something more effective”.
True discipleship only happen in community, when someone like (Paul) takes time with someone like (Timothy) and spends their life on them. It’s not 12 weeks or 5 steps or anything else, It is a slow process, two steps forward one step back. the biggest thing is that someone has to be willing to teach and someone has to be willing to learn.
I thank God for the people that took time with me a raw punk kid with a lot of attitude, that questioned everything. Wendy and I had the good fortune to meet or maybe it is better said that God thought enough of us to send these wonderful people into our life, Bob, Joann, Tom, Sara, Richard, JD, Jimmy, these people helped us in life by simply modeling Christ. They taught us the bible by allowing us to read them, and we are better for it.
30 years latter and the seeds they planted so long ago are still growing, some are just budding now. This past Sunday, Easter Sunday, I had the opportunity to preach on the Resurrection of Christ and 33 people raised their hand for him and you what is great about that? I gave what had been given to me, these people poured their life into me and the Holy Spirit used it and that is real discipleship.They shared in the harvest. “Some Plant, Some Water, and Some Harvest, but it is the Lord that gives the increase.” and thats the way I see it in my market.