Video: The Hard Way of Learning

Day 5: Learn Something New

Jesus was constantly giving his disciples opportunities to try things out, to learn from experience (from success and failure), and then he would debrief afterward.

In today’s reading, the disciples were amazed that the demons submitted to the name of Jesus. Jesus affirmed that was true and the authority he had given them was even greater than that. But then Jesus also reminded the disciples that both of those truths were small in comparison to a greater truth—their names were written in heaven and they were seeing what centuries of prophets had longed to see. In debriefing their experience, Jesus helped the disciples better understand what had happened. Then he put it in the larger context, building the bigger lesson.

As a disciplemaker, we can help others continue to build lesson upon lesson. We can help them reflect upon their revelations. We can show them connections in Scripture so that they can discover the treasures contained in the Bible. The lessons of experience help those we disciple discover, reflect on, and refine their unfolding story as a follower of Jesus.

Experiential learning, revelation, and testimony allow for learning to be life changing, as opposed to simply learning facts that we can either agree or disagree with. As a neuroscientist, I am of the strong conviction that propositional truth is a weak discipleship method and that it educates us beyond our obedience. Jesus’ life, on the other hand, demonstrated that we can experience the truth, feel the truth, and know the truth. If something doesn’t change our lives, then we have not learned it the way Jesus intends.

We all hold beliefs that contradict the truth of Scripture, and we need to uncover and untangle those beliefs so that they can be addressed and replaced with something stronger that sets us free. When we do, we can live a life that demonstrates the light of truth and dispels the darkness—and we can live like Jesus would have if he walked our hero‐path.

Disciplemaker Pro Tip

To prompt conversations around someone’s core beliefs, you can use a discipleship curriculum, a book, a workbook, the sermon series, or the content and challenge that comes from life itself. As you do, explore what is being revealed about God and discuss it. Talk about what you think and why. And remember, the person will have to experience the truth somehow, either through time or through revelation.