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On this episode of The Disciple-Making Leader Podcast, Craig Etheredge and Glenn Underhill discuss the topic of what is a disciple and why it matters. They emphasize the importance of developing both character and competencies in discipleship. Pastors need to prioritize defining discipleship and encourage ongoing development towards becoming more like Jesus to make disciples through evangelism. This episode delves into the confusion surrounding the term disciple, and the importance of manufacturing clear specifications for discipleship. Craig & Glenn discuss disciple-making leaders and their crucial role in the church’s mission to make disciples.
Overview
- 00:00:56 – Podcast discusses defining a disciple for church leaders. Excited to have guest, Craig. Last episode discussed disciple making leaders and their role. Today’s focus is on the definition of a disciple and its importance. Jesus knew what a fully trained disciple was. Let’s unpack this.
- 00:03:17 – North America’s declining religiosity may be evidenced by lack of discipleship in churches.
- 00:06:27 – John Wesley took detailed notes on his discipleship process, leading to the success of the Methodist movement. We need to focus on making disciples and defining what that means.
- 00:12:50 – Culture’s consumerism has invaded the church, focus on discipleship, story of successful man realizing his purpose.
- 00:16:19 – Diverse, multicultural, and economically varied inner-city church tries to grow with consultant’s report yielding negative feedback.
- 00:17:41 – Church struggling, prayed, realized they weren’t following Jesus’ model.
- 00:23:34 – DS: Devoted, believer in Jesus as Savior. Crucial for discipleship.
- 00:25:36 – Develop character and competency through discipleship by focusing on the fruit of the spirit and mastering certain skills, modeled after Jesus and his disciples in the book of Acts.
- 00:27:21 – Developing character is a continual process of becoming more like Jesus; consistency is key. Three key steps: walking with God, remaining in Him, and reaching the world. Disciple-making begins and ends with evangelism.
- 00:31:20 – Christians are devoted to, developing in, and deployed into Jesus’ mission of making disciples in the areas where they live, learn, work, and play.
- 00:34:55 – Be a disciple maker, research definitions and create clarity. It’s urgent, do the work. Jesus and his disciples did it before.
- 00:38:22 – Disciple Making podcast: Thanks for listening. Subscribe and share. Keep making Jesus the model.
Discussion Questions
- Why do you think the definition of a disciple is so important in the church today?
- Do you agree with the speaker that the church has become too focused on entertainment and programs? Why or why not?
- How can we balance the importance of a clear discipleship process with the need for authentic relationships in discipleship?
- Have you been discipled before? How did that experience impact your spiritual growth?
- What do you think are the most important skills for a disciple to develop in order to multiply teachings in other people’s lives?
- How can churches measure their effectiveness in creating disciples and disciple-making leaders?
- The speaker emphasizes the importance of ongoing development towards becoming more like Jesus. What practical steps can we take in our daily lives to pursue this goal?
- Can you think of any examples of individuals or churches that are effectively making disciples and multiplying leaders? What are they doing well?
- Why do you think consumerism has infiltrated the church and what can we do to combat it?
- The speaker believes that those who are trained to make disciples and multiply the movement are never fully developed forever, but they have been fully trained. What implications does this idea have for our own discipleship journeys?
