“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them
to obey everything I have commanded you.”
Matthew 28
TWO GROUPS…
There are two groups of people we will share the gospel with: 1) those we know — friends, coworkers, neighbors or acquaintances, and 2) those we don’t — people we happen to come across in God’s providence as we go through a day and through life -- in a grocery store, at a gas station or restaurant, on the beach, on a walk, or while traveling, etc. Those in the 2nd group we may likely never see again. It is those in the 1st group that God may give us the opportunity to befriend and disciple.
Coming soon…
Besides Guides, Classes, and Podcasts, Bible Project creates sketched videos on the overall theme and outline of every book of the Bible and numerous topics found in the Bible. Getting the overall picture of every book in the Bible gives you a google earth view of the entire Bible, and helps you understand how God, His Word, the world, us, and our salvation all come together to restore the world into the new Eden.
It’s easy to make a list of the things Christians do — go to church, read the Bible, pray — but that doesn’t really tell us much about what the experience of following Jesus is actually like. That’s where Discipleship Explored comes in. The discipleship series is based on the book of Philippians and is full of human stories from every continent about the reality of being a Christian in today’s world. Discipleship Explored takes you on a journey to discover a new way of living that’s centered on God’s incredible love.
THE NEW BELIEVER’S FIRST BIBLE…
People who have come to Christ need guidance on what to do next to grow in Christ. They need to be guided, or discipled, by a Christian friend in their new faith in Jesus — what the Bible calls being discipled. That’s what Jesus did with His followers, to ground them in what they now believed to be true.
To begin with, they will need to get (or be gifted) a Bible. While there are several excellent translations, such as the English Standard Version (ESV) and the New International Version (NLT), a translation that many use for discipling new believers is the New Living Translation, because of it’s readability and modern English. The NLT Study Bible by Tyndale is an excellent modern translation, based the latest discoveries in biblical scholarship and literary analysis.
I ask my new friend in Christ to begin by reading through Mark’s gospel in as few sittings as possible (1 — 2 sittings is ideal for adults, but be sensitive to the sit-ability of the person you are discipling!). I’ll then ask them to read through each chapter at a slower pace, along with all the footnotes; they will discover that many of their questions are answered there. I have them keep a journal, writing in it 2 things: 1) What struck or moved you as you read through the chapter?, and 2) What questions do you have that weren’t answered by the footnotes? We then get together each week to get to know one another more, share life, discuss their answers to the 2 questions and grow in our faith in Christ and the Christian life. (If you feel discipling a new believer is beyond the scope of your present capabilities, find another brother/sister with whom the two of you can study the gospel of Mark, using something akin to the above format as a guide.)
You will also want to invite them to a Bible-believing, Christ-centered body of believers with whom they can build relationships with other followers of Jesus and begin to develop and use their gifts.