The VineSample

Making Disciples

Take a moment to think about where you are. As you read this, you’re in a particular place at a particular time in history. And yet, the gospel has traveled across geography, culture, and 2,000 years to get to you, where you are now. The good news has survived the rise and fall of world powers, relentless persecution, and people who have tried to remake it in their own image.

How? Faithful men and women across time have taken seriously Jesus’ commission to all believers: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).

For the next few days, we’ll explore what it is that the disciples of Jesus do and teach. God has entrusted us with reversing the world’s brokenness by emulating Jesus’s life and message. To do this we not only share the gospel, but we invest ourselves in teaching new believers what it means to follow Jesus. Consider how Jesus modeled this for us: He spent a lot of time with those He wanted to teach. He shared meals with them (John 21:10-14), He did ordinary life things with them (John 2:1-2), and He corrected them when they misunderstood His mission (Matthew 19:13-14). His example is good news in that making disciples doesn’t have to be overly complicated or programmed. We simply have to invest the time and wisdom God has given us to help others grow in their faith and maturity (2 Timothy 2:2).

Consider who God has put in your life that you can invest in. You don’t have to have everything figured out before you do. In fact, Jesus’ disciples continued to learn and mature even as they were teaching others (Galatians 2:11-14). Start by studying a passage of Scripture together. Share meals, do ordinary life things, and have the courage to help them grow in maturity.

Prayer

“God, thank You for anyone who has invested spiritually in me. Would You help me see who You’ve put in my life to pour into? As I abide in You, help me turn around and invest what You have given me into others.”

Explore at Your Speed

We’ll look at five life rhythms of Jesus’ disciples in the next lessons: giving, worship, serving one another, accountability, and growing in leadership. Read Acts 4:32-35 to identify those rhythms in the first gatherings of believers.