Discipling
Author: Mark Dever
Written: 2016
“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.”
Hello Ordinary Readers,
Discipling has been one of the most influential books in my walk with God. I think I have read it close to 10 times now. It is a highly practical book on great ways to disciple. But more importantly, it focuses on why we should disciple. The book is broken up into three parts:
What is discipline?
Where should we disciple?
How should we disciple?
I think we often talk about the great commission, Matthew 28:19-20, as a command to do missions. But, it is clearly not just sharing the gospel but also discipling. Dever defines discipling as, “helping someone follow Jesus by doing deliberate spiritual good in his or her life” (p. 47). This book has been instrumental in my time working in college ministry. It took time but by the end, I felt our ministry really had built a culture of discipleship.
I would also like to say that I enjoy Dever’s writing style. I appreciate his ability to be straight and to the point while using plain and understandable speech. I think this book is a great read for all Christians, and especially those in a leadership positions.
Happy Reading!
Quotes
“The people around you will influence you for better or worse.”
“Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”
“and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”
“To disciple, you must be like a patient frame who plants his crops trusting that they will eventually spring up.”
“Christian discipleship, in other words, isn’t just about displaying your strengths; it’s about displaying your weakness too.”
“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”
“Discipling is helping someone follow Jesus by doing deliberate spiritual good in his or her life”
“In short, the gathered assembly possesses the authority to affirm or disaffirm who belongs to the body of Christ, or who is a disciple.”
“Your life should attract people to listen to you; your teaching should then work their transformation; their transformed lives should then illustrate what you taught, which in turn attracts people to listen to them. ”
“If Christ for joy’s sake would share his rule with us, how much joy do you expect we will find in sharing our rule with others?”