THE HEART OF DISCIPLESHIP

There are many great examples of discipleship in the Bible. One of them is the relationship that Paul had with Timothy. Take a look at what 2 Timothy 2:1-6 says, and then continue with today's devotional.

Paul gave Timothy the same blueprint that Jesus gave His disciples. The goal of the Christian faith is to make disciples who make disciples. The game plan hasn't changed. The strategy is still the same.

The great news is that you can start doing this today! It's not about how much of the Bible you know. It doesn't require a family heritage of Christian faith. All you need is a willingness to keep taking steps in your own walk with Christ as a desire to help someone else.

This is why Paul stresses strength in the grace of God, reliability, and faithfulness as key ingredients in the process.
- You keep showing up
- When you slip, you get back up
- You continue to trust God
This is the heart of discipleship.

The best way to make disciples is to find people with a willingness to grow and then add value to them. As you love and serve them, you build influence. This influence creates trust with the person and a responsibility before God.

This is what makes discipleship different from other forms of authority or leadership. In a discipleship relationship, we don't draw the person to ourselves--we lead them deeper in their relationship with Jesus.

You can't do this simply by adding more information. You have to be able to actually live it. You have to keep growing and taking steps yourself. You never outgrow it. Discipleship isn't a class or a program--it's a person we follow.

Here is the goal: Be a disciple--and make disciples.

QUESTION TO ASK YOURSELF: What is the next step that you can take in your relationship with God this week?