Discipleship Network Forum

My good friend, Phil, recently asked how I "re-imagine" discipling in today's world. My reply to him, as you'll see here, does not point to trendy technology or novel approaches. It points instead to timeless truth and ancient paths -- for ourselves and our grandchildren.

  I re-imagine that we'd "zero-base" our goals and strategies for cultivating Christlikeness in ourselves and others. Starting at zero, we'd re-examine the Scriptures for key goals and strategies. Ten steps would emerge, which we'd take ourselves. Then we'd recommend them to other God-followers whom we influence:

1. Trust Jesus Christ--and Christ alone--for His redemption of your "wages of sin" (Romans 3:23).
2. Bask in the Bible and in the presence of God.
3. Ponder the interrelationships among, and implications of, these scriptures: Matthew 5:14-16; I Corinthians 13; and Ephesians 4 & 5.
4. Ask the RIGHT questions – the core, “Why?” questions -- about these scriptures.
5. In prayer and unrushed reflection, with God’s Spirit filling your heart and mind, embrace God’s answers to those questions.
6. Decide what you will say “no” to in your current swirl of goals and activities, so that you can say “yes” to focusing on and cultivating #5.
7. Go out and do it. Walk as a child of light (Ephesians 5:8-10).
8. As you walk, look for others whom you may influence in this same way.
9. Be available to them; develop a healthy, Christlike relationship.
10. Speak mostly with your life, not your words. As appropriate, share your journey with them in ways that encourage them to walk as “children of light” who influence others in their world likewise.

  Questions for journaling or discussion:

1. Which particular steps (above) reflect Deuteronomy 6:4-7?
2. What scriptures come to mind in support of step #2?
3. What key goals and strategies do these steps suggest to you as you convey your spiritual legacy to your grandchildren?

(c) 2019 John Garmo

I noted in last week’s post that Christianity experienced a seismic paradigm shift when Martin Luther and other reformers essentially zero-based the church’s traditional doctrine of salvation and rebuilt it using only God’s Word—“Sola Scriptura.”

Then I stepped back from the details and considered applying that same strategy to discipling ourselves and others. I asked you, “If we zero-base our understanding of what it means to disciple ourselves and others, and then rebuild our understanding Sola Scriptura, how will our strategies—our “discipleship programs”—differ from what it is right now?

Why ask such a question? Because a recent Barna Group survey of discipleship across America (Dec 2015) alerts us to a disturbing situation: Despite our numerous church and parachurch discipling tools, programs, and activities, research reveals “the disconnect between how people think about their spirituality and what’s actually happening in their lives.” Among their conclusions: “Church leaders and congregants need better methods of thinking about and evaluating their discipleship efforts.”

Our key problem is this: People outside the church see woefully little difference between “Christians” and non-Christians. We need to discern that, acknowledge that, and change that. We need to make disciples who make a difference. Further, we must begin with ourselves, and only then influence others as disciples.

If we apply that zero-based strategy, here is what I envision we’ll remember and return to:

• We’ll honestly and intentionally make love our aim. Agape love is a disciple’s distinctive feature (John 13:35; 1 Corinthians 13).
• We’ll more clearly discern the relationship of discipline (e.g., solitude, prayer, memorization) and process (e.g., one-on-one, small group) to outcome (agape love, which shows in our Christlike character). Disciplines and processes are many and flexible; the outcome God desires is fixed. God challenges us in His Word to focus more on being than doing; on becoming more purposeful than process-full (Psalm 19:14; Matthew 15:8-9). And knowledge (e.g., theology) plus skill (e.g., Bible study) minus Christlikeness (agape love) leads to collapse.
• Our testimony—in sharing our faith and in discipling—is more about what others see in you and me than what we say (Matthew 5:14–16). Again, let’s make love our aim. Let’s walk in a manner worthy of our calling (Ephesians 4:1-2; 5:1-2).

This week, 500 years ago, marked the start of the Protestant Reformation. Could this week in 2017 mark the start of a Discipling Reformation? “Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.”