Are We Getting Discipleship Wrong?

Discipleship and church programs have too often followed the program/class mode that is done in American schools. When one takes a look at what Jesus did and who His disciples were there is a lot to learn from that. Jesus had disciples who He never met with. He had disciples He lived with. Discipleship is more about relationship than anything else. Over the years I have simplified it more and more. Today when I meet with men I ask them to share something from their devotional life. As time goes by I work with their curiosity and questions. The problem is seldom an intellectual one but one of fear and inner troubles. Three years ago I met a man who was a declare atheist and I asked him about why he was. I met with him two times about three hours each time to answer the questions he asked me. Two weeks later he was following Jesus. He had become an atheist during high school in the church youth group. Today he is making disciples of Jesus rather than atheism. I do not see Jesus dealing with people and starting everyone at point a and going to point z. He met them where they were. He also dealt with them on what they had in common. He dealt with the Sadducees from the Torah and the Pharisees from the entire OT. So we must deal with people where they are at.

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Gerald Polmateer April 4, 2012 11:01

Discipleship and church programs have too often followed the program/class mode that is done in American schools. When one takes a look at what Jesus did and who His disciples were there is a lot to learn from that. Jesus had disciples who He never met with. He had disciples He lived with. Discipleship is more about relationship than anything else. Over the years I have simplified it more and more. Today when I meet with men I ask them to share something from their devotional life. As time goes by I work with their curiosity and questions. The problem is seldom an intellectual one but one of fear and inner troubles. Three years ago I met a man who was a declare atheist and I asked him about why he was. I met with him two times about three hours each time to answer the questions he asked me. Two weeks later he was following Jesus. He had become an atheist during high school in the church youth group. Today he is making disciples of Jesus rather than atheism. I do not see Jesus dealing with people and starting everyone at point a and going to point z. He met them where they were. He also dealt with them on what they had in common. He dealt with the Sadducees from the Torah and the Pharisees from the entire OT. So we must deal with people where they are at.

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