THE PRECEDENT (PART 1 OF 5)
THE PRECEDENT (PART 1 OF 5)
Discipleship is never a program!
If you are like most people I talk to, you want to follow Jesus and make a difference. You know that another program won’t work, but are looking for some way to make a real impact. In this short series of blog posts, I am excited to share some of what I have learned about making a difference by investing in a few people.
I am going to share some of the highlights from an eBook I’ve created called The Shared Life: A Practical Guide to Relational Discipleship. This resource is is not comprehensive, by any means, but I pray that it will encourage you on your journey. (You can download it for FREE at the end of this blog!)
First, I want to provide a short introduction by including three simple examples below that let us know that discipleship was always meant to be personal and relational. I hope you find it helpful!
The Precedent
Jesus:
The best way to learn the art of disciple making is by looking at the Master Himself. (Why would we look anywhere else?) After all, the way Jesus gave Himself to 12 ordinary men 2000 years ago is still impacting the way we live today. The Jesus Way of investing in people provides us with a vivid picture of what success looks like in terms of disciple making AND leadership development.
Paul:
Following after the footsteps of Jesus, Paul left clear instructions to his spiritual son, Timothy, about being intentional to invest in others. 2 Timothy 2:2 reveals how faithful discipleship is passed on to “faithful men who will teach others also.” This beautiful thread of relationships has been going on for generations and is still a big part of God’s best plan for discipling the nations.
Family:
From the dawn of creation, the Father has designed what He calls good to reproduce after it’s own kind. Just as the blueprint for an orchard is hidden inside the seed of one apple, so the natural flow of family allows for growth and development, leading to the perpetual multiplication of life. The picture of natural and spiritual family is an important reminder of God’s intention for His children to be fruitful and multiply.
Up next, I will share the importance of living an integrated life with those we disciple. I would love to hear your thoughts about how to share life with others as we follow Jesus in the comments below!
Until then, feel free to get ahead by downloading my Free eBook The Shared Life: A Practical Guide to Relational Discipleship.
This is 40 page tool I’ve written to share practical and implementable expressions of relational discipleship that will immediately empower you to start producing world changing disciples and experiencing life-giving relationships like Jesus did.
DOWNLOAD SHARED LIFE EBOOK NOW!
Blessings,
Brad and his wife, Adriane, have spent over two decades pastoring churches in the United States with a focus on reaching the “un-churched”. In 2011, they moved to Grove City, PA with their daughter Abigail to pioneer Antioch Overflow Experiment (AOX), a community of simple churches with a mission to “disciple, equip, and release sons and daughters of the King to transform every sphere of society for the glory of God.” Follow him on social media@bradmckoy to stay connected to him and his family.