I recently read a Bible passage and discovered three simple steps for disciple-making conversation. Consider the verse:
Gather the people—men, women, dependents, and the resident aliens within your city gates—so that they may listen and learn to fear the Lord your God and be careful to follow all the words of this law.
Deuteronomy 31:12
When we get together with disciples, disciple-making conversation has three steps:
- listen to God in His Word
- learn to fear the Lord your God
- be careful to follow all the words of this law
Conversation
First, for disciple-makers, good questions can be our friends. Open God’s Word together. Ask your disciple to listen to what God was saying back then and what He is saying today. Ask him/her what was the main point to the original hearers. Then ask how it applies to life today, and how does it apply to you and me.
Second, after considering the truth of the passage, ask what the passage communicates about our relationship with God. What does He expect? What does He want? How do we need to adjust in order to honor Him?
Finally, how do our actions in the world need to adjust? Am I willing to do what He wants? What does He want? And ultimately, did I do what He wants?
A disciple-maker is a cheerleader for the disciple in helping him/her to keep his commitments. The disciple-maker wants the disciple to mirror Jesus:
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people.
Luke 2:52, CSB
Disciple-making conversation can be natural out of relationship and Bible study. When we make disciple-making complicated, it can be less enjoyable and less likely to be replicated.
For more ideas, check out Two Sides of a Conversation with God. Keep it simple. Make disciples!
