Theme of the Week: Disciple-Makers
Bible Verse: Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19–20 NIV
Scripture Reading: Matthew 28:1-20, 2 Timothy 2:1-13
The pinnacle of my sports career came during a youth ministry softball tournament where after a 7-home run performance, I was selected as MVP. It should have been enough to be a Hall of Fame, inductee. But enough of my humble brag. Truth be known, I’ve been more of an armchair athlete. But even from that vantage point, I’ve learned a lot about different sports: what makes a winning team, exceptional athletes, and strategies for winning and losing. One of those is called man-to-man defense.
This is a well-known defensive strategy utilized in sports like basketball and football, where defensive players are assigned to defend against individual offensive players. I like that metaphor for discipleship…men assigned to other men with a mission…maybe a Great Commission.
Matthew 28 becomes the marching orders for the church and for men who want to disciple other men – sons, grandsons, friends, co-workers…there’s likely a man in your orbit that could use some discipling.
However, most of us have enough trouble being disciples, let alone discipling another guy. But maybe the task isn’t as daunting as we might think, and maybe the task is part of the solution.
Let’s start this week with two fundamental questions: who is discipling you, and whom are you discipling? Simple questions, but if we are honest, we might find ourselves lacking on both fronts. But now is not a time for shame; now is a time for action. None of us are exempt. We all need to be discipled, and we all need to be discipling others. Maybe therein lies a secret to being a disciple-maker. We will grow in our own discipleship when we help someone else grow.
So how can we be a disciple and a disciple-maker simultaneously? This week we will look at this not-so-impossible task through the lens of some individuals in the Scriptures who discipled others and left a godly impact. Let’s get on the field and go man to man.
Prayer: Lord, help me to make your Great Commission my personal mission. Help me to see that I am not an island unto myself but that as your follower, I am responsible for being a disciple-maker. Please help me be a disciple who makes disciples. Amen.
Reflection: Who is discipling you in your faith? Whom are you discipling? If your answers to those questions lacking, don’t begin with feelings of guilt, but by opening the door to finding someone to help you grow and identifying someone that you can help in their faith journey.
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