I want to let you in on a little secret. Actually, all my discipleship secrets. We have a passion for discipleship. You may not know that about us, and if you do, what you may not know is that we want a big bed and breakfast style home too. We would fill it full young adult people who wanted to learn and glean more. From myself and my husband and Jesus. Life skills. Discipleship. Mentoring. There would be opportunities for intentional and unintentional discipleship. Because if you’re doing life together, both are bound to happen. I believe you have to provide opportunities for both, because relationship comes before discipleship. That is a dream we want to make a reality someday. To disciple people who want to be disciples, and to help people reach their fullest potential in Christ. To help people become more self aware, while becoming more God aware, allowing them to become more people aware. Becoming more “aware” in these areas allows for you to become less independent and more dependent on God. Does that sound like something you need? We have an open door policy but I can’t bring you into my home just yet. We’ve only got a few rooms, and they’re all full. But if I could sit down and have coffee with you, here is what I would share: Books and curriculum are great, but they can’t replace your Bible. To me discipleship isn’t a book study, but books can definitely disciple people. Here are two of my absolute favorites that I highly recommend to people wanting growth. Becoming More Than A Good Bible Study Girl This is definitely one of my absolute favorite books. This is actually the only thing I had when I got serious about growing in my relationship with Jesus and who I was as a disciple. I did not have someone to come along side me, but I had this. And if you happen to be a mom too, this is another book I love! Brave Mom Brave Kids This book is amazing! It helps that I also know the author personally, but that isn't why I push this book. This book will help growth not just as a mom, or as a Christian but as a mom AND a Christian together. Those books are gender specific, but the rest of what I’m about to say isn’t. Discipleship is not making converts. I would explain it like this, discipleship is helping people in their sanctification process & teaching them how to disciple others. It's a cycle to be repeated. "A disciple knows who Christ is and makes a decision to follow Him. A disciple is being changed by Christ. A disciple is committed to the mission of Christ." This description of a disciple comes from my favorite resource for teaching about discipleship: Real-Life Discipleship Training Manual I also believe it is important to become self aware and here are all the tools I use for that: Personal Strengths Inventory : www.truity.com/view/tests/strengths-disc Love Languages : www.5lovelanguages.com/ Spiritual Gifts & Personality Assessment : placeministries.wazala.com/products/place-assessment-tool/ All that being said, I don’t want to be a teacher, I want to be a developer when it comes to discipleship. I don’t want people to be reliant on me, but reliant on Jesus.
Just because I can't have you move on into my dream of a discipleship home doesn't mean you can't use these resources on your own, or with a friend, to grow. Even if you aren't interested in the resources I have shared, here are some important questions I ask my people, that you can ask yourself:
I ask them often because there is always something new to learn, because you never fully arrive. These questions require you to think a little harder and think a little deeper. Think a little past the words on the pages of that book, or verses in that passage you are studying and think about what God is teaching you. Now that we have shared our tools with you, we pray it promotes growth for you. Now that we have also shared our secrets of passions and dreams, you can be in prayer for our family as we pursue what God is asking of us. (Or buy us a bed and breakfast style home so we can make our dreams a reality, either one ;) )
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