Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek. Acts 16:1-3

Last time we began thinking about Paul’s relationship with Timothy in terms of “discipleship.” Discipleship is deliberate training in the things of the Lord in either a small group (like Jesus and His disciples) or one-on-one (like Paul and Timothy).

While there is no “one way” to do discipleship (there are many different curriculums and approaches), there are a few basics that ought to be considered essential.

Fellowship: Committing oneself to getting together regularly weekly (which is best), or if not weekly, as often as possible. Communicating from time to time when apart (via email, text, or phone).

Scripture: Studying together, and hopefully memorizing scripture. Remaining committed to regular personal Bible reading.
Prayer: Praying with each other when meeting, as well as for each other when you are apart.
Church: Joining and serving in the local church.
Evangelism: Encouraging each other to share the gospel and pray for non-believers.

In our church, discipleship groups, primarily using our discipleship curriculum, have always been a priority. The goal is not to “get through the curriculum,” but to “get the curriculum through us.” And not just to get the information, but to be able to, in turn, lead others through in the process. Discipleship is not “done” because one has completed the curriculum.

Where are you in this process? Haven’t considered it? Maybe you should. In the process? Great! Carry on, remembering that you aren’t done because you finish the curriculum. Aspire to lead others.

More Next Time…