Fruitfulness, obedience, evangelism, mission, the Great Commission, and movement from spiritual formation into disciple-making.
Can a Christian Be Busy in Ministry Yet Bear Little Spiritual Fruit?
Yes. A Christian can be very active in ministry while showing relatively little spiritual fruit. Activity and fruitfulness often overlap, but they are not identical. Jesus teaches that fruit comes…
Read the complete guide →How Can a Christian Know When to Invite Someone Into Intentional Discipleship?
A Christian can know it may be time to invite someone into intentional discipleship when a relationship has enough trust, spiritual openness, and desire for growth that a clear next…
Read the complete guide →How Can a Christian Know Whether Spiritual Growth Is Turning Outward Toward Others?
A Christian can know spiritual growth is turning outward when increased knowledge of Christ produces increased love, service, generosity, witness, encouragement, and intentional concern for other people. Biblical maturity does…
Read the complete guide →How Can a Christian Move From Friendly Spiritual Influence to Intentional Discipleship?
A Christian can move from friendly spiritual influence to intentional discipleship by making the relationship’s spiritual purpose clearer and inviting the other person into a regular pattern of following Jesus…
Read the complete guide →How Can a Christian Share a Personal Testimony Without Making the Story About Themselves?
A Christian can share a personal testimony without making the story about themselves by using personal experience to point clearly to what Christ has done. In Acts, Paul tells parts…
Read the complete guide →How Can a Church Evaluate Whether Its Disciple-Making Pathway Is Producing Obedient Disciples?
A church can evaluate its disciple-making pathway by asking whether people are increasingly knowing Christ, obeying His teaching, displaying spiritual fruit, serving the body, participating in mission, and helping others…
Read the complete guide →How Can a Church Keep New Believers, Mature Believers, and Leaders Moving in the Same Disciple-Making Direction?
A church can keep new believers, mature believers, and leaders moving in the same disciple-making direction by giving each stage appropriate next steps while preserving one shared destination: maturity in…
Read the complete guide →How Can a Disciple Begin Helping Someone Else Without Stopping Their Own Growth?
A disciple can begin helping someone else without stopping personal growth by understanding that disciple-making does not require graduation from being a disciple. Christians remain learners of Jesus for life.…
Read the complete guide →How Can a Disciple Learn to Share What They Are Learning While They Are Still Being Discipled?
A disciple can learn to share what they are learning before reaching advanced maturity by speaking honestly about what Jesus is teaching them and inviting others into the same truth.…
Read the complete guide →How Can a Disciple Practice Disciple-Making With Another Person Before Leading Alone?
A disciple can practice disciple-making before leading alone by sharing responsibility with a more experienced believer and gradually taking larger portions of the interaction. Jesus sometimes sent disciples in pairs,…
Read the complete guide →How Can a Disciple-Maker Avoid Creating Dependence During Reproduction?
A disciple-maker avoids creating dependence during reproduction by consistently helping the disciple rely on Christ, Scripture, the Holy Spirit, and the body of Christ rather than making the leader the…
Read the complete guide →How Can a Disciple-Maker Hand Off Relationships Without Abandoning People?
A disciple-maker can hand off a relationship well by preparing the person for transition, connecting them to appropriate ongoing relationships, communicating clearly, and remaining lovingly interested without continuing to function…
Read the complete guide →How Can a Disciple-Maker Help Someone Take Their First Step in Discipling Another Person?
A disciple-maker can help someone take a first step in discipling another person by making the step specific, simple, relational, and supported. Many believers agree with disciple-making in principle but…
Read the complete guide →How Can a Disciple-Maker Identify Faithfulness Without Mistaking It for Talent?
A disciple-maker identifies faithfulness by looking for steady obedience and trustworthy character rather than simply choosing the most gifted, verbal, charismatic, or confident person. Talent can make someone noticeable quickly;…
Read the complete guide →How Can a Disciple-Maker Know When to Change or End a Discipleship Relationship?
A disciple-maker may need to change or end a discipleship relationship when the original purpose has been fulfilled, the disciple is ready for greater independence, circumstances make the arrangement unwise,…
Read the complete guide →How Can a Disciple-Maker Know When to Release a New Leader to Lead Independently?
A disciple-maker can release a new leader to lead independently when that person has demonstrated enough biblical understanding, character, relational wisdom, and faithfulness to carry responsibility without constant supervision. Independence…
Read the complete guide →How Can a Disciple-Maker Respond When a New Leader Makes Mistakes?
A disciple-maker should respond to a new leader's mistakes with truth, grace, proportion, and a commitment to restoration. Reproduction necessarily involves imperfect people learning to carry responsibility. Treating every error…
Read the complete guide →How Can a Disciple-Maker Transfer Responsibility Instead of Doing Everything for the Disciple?
A disciple-maker transfers responsibility by gradually moving the learner from watching to participating, from participating to taking initiative, and from taking initiative to helping others. Jesus taught His disciples, demonstrated…
Read the complete guide →How Can a Disciple-Making Culture Care for People Who Are Not Yet Ready to Lead?
A disciple-making culture can care well for people who are not yet ready to lead by valuing them as disciples and members of Christ’s body rather than treating leadership as…
Read the complete guide →How Can a Disciple-Making Culture Keep Worship at the Center of Mission?
A disciple-making culture keeps worship at the center of mission by remembering that the goal is not merely more activity, more groups, or more leaders, but more people joyfully submitting…
Read the complete guide →