Tag: disciple making

August Books – Packets of Wisdom!

I enjoy reading and I learn a lot from books. I believe that books are packets of wisdom. Every new month, I post a list of the books I read in the previous month and the books I have bought or borrowed to read in the next month or sometime in the future. I hope that I would be able to inspire you to read some of these books and share some good books that you have read with me. At the same time, I hope that this habit would inspire me to read more :).

Completed in August

Here are the books I completed in August. This means that I finished reading the book or listened to it on Audible. It does not mean that I started reading or listening to it in August. I may have started earlier. If I finished the book, it means that I liked it and got a lot from it. I don’t read books just for the sake of it.

Currently Reading

These are books that I am currently reading or listening to on audible. Yes, I read more than one book at a time. When I need to learn more about a subject, I usually pause the book I am reading and I start the new book. There are some books I read on a schedule. Right now I am reading Church History on a schedule.

Hope to start reading

These are books that I have already purchased or borrowed and I look forward to reading.

Have you read any of these books? Do you know some good books that you think I should read? Please suggest them in the comment section below. I got some recommendations last month and I look forward to more. Thanks.

Do you think like a recruiter?

When you approach disciple making with the mindset of a recruiter your results will be very different! And even more importantly you will be happy to recruit all the time and anywhere.

For many years when I went out for “evangelism” I only thought about winning people for Jesus. I wanted as many people as possible to know and experience the love of Jesus. I did not think as if I was recruiting them as disciples (disciple-makers) for Jesus.

So I preached the gospel of the kingdom of God to them. I shared with them that Jesus is the way. I expected them to give their lives to Jesus and begin to enjoy eternal life. Some did and even among those that did, some drew back.

What I did not do was think like a recruiter.

After I was introduced to the disciple making movements that were baptizing millions of disciples all over the world it became so clear to me that thinking like a recruiter makes a big difference.

Remember that Jesus approached disciple-making like a recruiter. He called people to follow him so that they can replicate His ministry. (Matt 4:19)

Thinking like a recruiter means that:

  • You are thinking of both the disciple and Jesus.
  • You clearly articulate the truth that Jesus is calling them to follow Him and to join Him to make disciples.
  • You immediately start training people to reach out to their contacts and circle of influence.
  • You make sure that the people are truly interested in following Jesus.
  • You present the people to Jesus and let Jesus convict them and confirm them.
  • You immediately teach them how to listen to Jesus and to obey him.
  • You try as much as possible to show the new disciple that with the power of Jesus, they can do what you are doing.
  • You even tell them about the challenges that they may face without the fear that they would draw back. Jesus did this a lot. (Luke 18:22).
  • You take them through a process and even when they say the “salvation prayer” and get water baptized immediately, you let them know that it’s just the beginning.

When you think like a recruiter, the disciples you make have a much greater chance of remaining in the faith because from before their conversion, they knew that they would become sold out to Jesus! They would need to take on a new life. (Matt 13:44-45).

The difference is internal but it makes a big difference. When I am hiring workers, I never try to convince people to like the job offer, I look for people who have been praying for such a position, then check if they are qualified for the job.

When you go out with a recruiter mindset to look for disciples for Jesus, you find them. Sometimes they are the people you least expect but you find them! There are many all around you.

As you go out today, look out for potential disciples that the Lord will send to you!

Little steps

Isn’t it interesting that the universe as big as it is made up of tiny invisible particles called atoms?

And our life is made up of seconds?

Taking care of the little things will automatically take care of the big things.

But you need to have an idea of the big picture so that you can take care of the little things.

So, make sure that you remember the big picture. We will all exit this planet some day. And we would all go empty handed.

With this in mind, live each day with determination to make disciples for Jesus. Take each hour as an opportunity to show how much you love God.

Use each minute to reflect Jesus’ love to someone. Take every opportunity to become more like him.

Make the little steps right and the big things will be alright. If you ask one person every week about doing a discovery bible study, you will soon find someone who is interested!

If you make up your mind to make someone smile everyday, you will have one person every week to invite to a discovery bible study.

If you pray every moment asking God to love someone through you, it becomes easier to make someone smile!

Don’t let the mockers stop you!

No matter what you do, there will always be mockers! So share the good news and be the solution to problems around you in the name of Jesus!

“Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” So Paul went out from their midst. But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭17:32-34‬ ‭ESV‬‬

This truth is applicable to many other aspects of life! When you make any presentation to a crowd expect less than 25% action and some mockery! The majority will usually wait and not take action yet.

The people who have results are the people who stepped out and tried. They are successful not because everyone responded to them but because some did.

Do you like rejection?

I don’t like rejection. I have seen children cry so many times when one of their friends say “I won’t play with you anymore”.

I believe we all want to be valuable and rejection seems to say to us “you are not valuable”.

But is that really true? Rejection of your ideas or opinions does not mean that you are not valuable.

Your value is not determined by what someone or a few people say about you. Your value has so many dimensions. Some people may not want what you have to offer and others would do whatever it takes to get the same thing.

“When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff.” Luke‬ ‭4:28-29‬ ‭ESV

Jesus was rejected many times. He was also celebrated.

“And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them,” Luke‬ ‭4:42‬ ‭ESV‬‬

There are millions of people everywhere who are ready to follow Jesus. They need you and I to share the good news of the kingdom of God with them.

Everyone on earth needs Jesus but not everyone is aware of their need. So when they reject the good news, try not to allow it to stop you.

There is no way to find out if someone wants to do a discovery bible study with you without asking. And it’s usually not easy to ask without making some loving connection.

I don’t like rejection! I love to see people rejoice over what I offer. But to get to acceptance, I must risk rejection.

Are you living for Jesus Out Loud?

I read about a lady who made up her mind to invite her co-worker to church after 8yrs of working together. She had always wanted to invite her coworker to church but she kept on putting it off.

This time when there was a special program at her church she mustered some courage and she invited her co-worker. Do you know what the co-worker said?

She said “I go to the same church. I was going to invite you to the same event”.

This story would have been very funny if it wasn’t so sad. That it took 8 years for two children of God to recognize themselves at a workplace.

“”Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭6:4-9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Loving God or anyone involves talking about the one you love. If you love God for real then you should be encouraged to let people know how much you love God without being offensive.

When we let people know how much we love God, they would reach out or react in ways that show us if they are open to learning about God or not! When people show interest in knowing God or when they are open to us despite our obvious display of love for God, we invite them to a discovery bible study.

The story above can be found in the book – Not a Fan!

Knowledge vs Action

Many times I assume that once a person knows what to do they would automatically do it. So for many years I focused on sharing the truth of scriptures with people.

But now I am learning that it is better to focus more on helping people to obey the truth that they discover from a discovery bible study.

For example you and I know the benefits of exercise, eating right and so on but do you always do what you know is right? Only a few people make every effort to practice what they know consistently.

It’s true that waiting for new disciples or people who want to know more about God to discover truth in scriptures and to take the necessary action seems slow. However I find that it builds in them the important habit of taking action. It also makes you to take action on these scriptures as well.

How do we help people to obey or take action?

After discussing scriptures we ask “What will you do differently this week as a result of what you have learned from this portion of scripture?”

The power of this question is only fully realized if you remember to ask if they did what the said they would do the next time you meet.

And I also enjoy the fact that they in turn keep me accountable because I have to take action as well.

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” James‬ ‭1:22‬ ‭ESV‬‬

So now I focus more on helping people take action. What are you doing with all that you know already 😀?

People want to know God but…

They don’t want to be controlled by other people. They don’t want to know our ideas. They don’t want to forced to dance at church. They don’t want to look life fools at church meetings because they are not used to activities of the church. They don’t want to have to do things that they are convinced about just because they are outnumbered.

So what do we do?

We can become the church to them. Don’t invite them to church. Go to them.

Read the Bible with them and let them engage with the scriptures. Let the Holy Spirit convict them. You can go to them with just one other believer and encourage them to invite other interested people.

This is the power of the Discovery Bible Study!

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—” John‬ ‭6:44-45‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Churches are people not buildings 😁!

We need to update our dictionaries. The only way we can achieve that is for all of us to stop referring to buildings as churches!

“As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭16:4-5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Buildings don’t get encouraged!

Let’s stop saying we went to church! Let’s just stop and let’s correct ourselves when we forget. Let’s even try to explain to people around us who are not yet disciples of Jesus that churches are people not buildings!

Maybe in a few years we can change our dictionaries!

What makes a church a church?

If you walked into a building that has a sign on it that reads “The Cornwall Library” and you walk in only to find rows of tables, with people eating and waiters and waitresses serving them. What would you say?

I guess you would say I thought this was a library and not a restaurant. Why would you say that? There are some basic things that makes a library a library.

What makes a church a church? The best place to find answers would be in the Bible! One thing we are sure of is that a church is not a church just because it has a sign that says “Something church”!

Today I only have a question! If you are up to the task please provide at least one fundamental feature that must be found in all churches.

“Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭16:3-5‬ ‭ESV‬‬