What Does Discipleship Look Like?

During His time on Earth, Jesus showed us that our life-long mission is to become more like God every day. He knew exactly how to meet a person where they were at and help them grow. A key part of this was the process of discipleship. Before He returned to heaven, Jesus directed us to follow this model to grow as believers and bring the Kingdom of God to Earth (Matthew 28:19). But what exactly does discipleship look like? 

Some people think of it as bringing new believers to the church. But what happens next? Jesus showed us exactly what true discipleship looked like: He assembled a team of friends who would go through everything together and work hand-in-hand to complete the mission of spreading the good news of His way to others. 

3 Major Elements of Discipleship

Walking Alongside Someone in Christ

Have you ever gone on a camping trip? Whether you go with close friends or strangers, there seems to be a real comradery in simply being together on a journey. This element is at the heart of discipleship. The journey is getting closer to God, and we need a team to do it. This fellowship brings major encouragement—just knowing someone else is going through the same things as you and is there to help if you’re going through challenging times.

But walking alongside someone in Christ is also about serving each other and sharing real advice and wisdom from your distinct perspective when they need it. Think of that camping trip. When the team is a well-oiled machine, they put up the tents, collect kindling, start a fire, make the meal, get the bear bag up and do whatever else needs to be done without any ordering around. They’re all happy to lend their strengths, fulfill each task and help out wherever needed.

Growing Together as Disciples

In 1st Corinthians 13:11, Paul writes, “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up my childish ways.” Each of us starts our relationship with God in this way. Even though we believe the most important things, that God is real and his son Jesus died for our sins so we could have a real relationship with Him, our grasp of God is as limited as our experiences with Him. 

As disciples, we’re called on to encourage each other to not remain stagnant, but to grow in our study, faith and trust in God. It’s a life-long process and every day we should challenge our hearts and minds to be more like Him. In Matthew 18:20, Jesus tells us, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Just like Jesus invited his disciples when He was on Earth, He invites us today to learn to know God with Him. Your own one-on-one time with God is important but so is joining each other to study Him and praying together. This way, we share our own point of view to deepen our understanding of God and grow closer to Him together.

Mentoring Others in their Faith

When you have grown in your faith as a disciple, you might be called to mentor others in their Faith. Remember the importance of this position—you have the responsibility of leading like Jesus. In Jesus’ group of disciples, He was the leader. But He didn’t lead by directing them or ruling over them. Instead, he led through example and sharing His knowledge of God the Father. He wasn’t your normal pedagogue who tested and gave answers. Everything was experiential. Everything was a story, related to them in terms that they could understand. 

Take this approach to mentoring others. Don’t simply tell them what to think or what they should be doing. Share your own personal stories, the good and the bad, which can illustrate God’s presence in your life and help them grow. Be a model for them, showing them the things you do, day in and day out, to deepen your relationship with God.

 

Ready for this kind of discipleship in your life? Download the Playbook for Level 5 Friendship today. 

by

How Did Jesus Handle Conflict?

When interpreting how did Jesus handle conflict, there are two seemingly opposite characterizations of Him. One is a peace-loving hippie who stopped His own disciple from defending Him before He was falsely accused, tried, and executed like a criminal. The other is the macho carpenter who overthrew tables in the synagogue. The truth is Jesus dealt with conflict perfectly according to each situation.

Looking at the first example, it’s important to understand that seeking peace for Jesus was not being a pushover and just accepting the injustice of the situation. When Peter cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant, Jesus first commands His disciple to stop. In Matthew, He says, “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword.” He warns Peter where this path of violence will lead. But more importantly, He reminds him of their spiritual goal, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” Nothing would throw Him off this goal. He also demonstrated another key concept of resolving conflict—He makes it right, healing the servant’s ear.

Why, then, does Jesus overturn the tables in the temple? Jesus saw that God’s place of worship and prayer had been turned into a marketplace, where merchants were profiting and exploiting pilgrims coming to worship at the temple. Here, Jesus displays that anger can be appropriate when it’s righteous and correctly targeted. He constructs a whip to drive away the merchants and disrupts their operations. This moment gives us another powerful example of how did Jesus handle conflict—by taking bold, righteous action when necessary.

5 Essential Ways Jesus Approached Conflict

So, how did Jesus handle conflict in a way that was both as passive as healing His aggressor and as aggressive as a non-violent protest? How can we follow His perfect example for resolving conflict with grace? Throughout Scripture, Jesus consistently approached conflict in these five ways.

Responding with Wisdom and Truth

When the Pharisees tried to trap Jesus with difficult “trick” questions, Jesus answered with wisdom, exposing their hypocrisy without resorting to anger. What can we learn from this? It feels like especially nowadays, we are inundated by debates from people who are not interested in listening or, at worst, make bad-faith arguments. They only want to score points for their own team. Sometimes, arguments with a loved one can even devolve into this kind of discussion. Instead of getting caught up in these debates, we should be navigating difficult conversations biblically by responding thoughtfully and sincerely, while relying on God’s wisdom.

Show Compassion Instead of Retaliation

In John 1:1-11, Jesus shows the courage to stand up to an angry mob of people who want to stone a woman who’s been caught in adultery. He reminds us that none of us are perfect and that ultimately God will judge us: “Let the one who is without sin cast the first stone.” Don’t pile on when someone messes up and remember that all of us have sinned. Don’t you want forgiveness from others when you mess up?

Trust God’s Justice, Not Man’s Justice

It feels like every day we are confronted with some new injustice in the world. As believers, we’re called to confront it at every turn (just think of Jesus overturning the tables in the temple). But what happens if you’re unjustly accused? Do you get angry and lash out? Instead, trust God to vindicate you, just like how Jesus remained silent and unbothered during His unjust trial before Pontius Pilate.

Forgive Enemies

Maybe no instance shows Jesus’ approach to forgiveness better than when He was on the cross. He prayed for those who crucified Him, advocating on their behalf: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they’re doing” (Luke 23:34). Like Jesus, we can give others the benefit of the doubt, being gracious about their intent even if they’ve wronged us and forgive them for it.

Correct with Love, Not Condemnation

Throughout the Bible, Jesus always used His disciples’ mistakes as an opportunity for their growth and for them to get closer. For example, even when His disciples foolishly argued over who was the greatest (Luke 22:24-27), He did not rebuke them but taught them what real leadership looks like. God’s kingdom would not be like those of mankind, which depended on hierarchy, but one of equality and servanthood. “For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.”

Want to keep studying how did Jesus handle conflict with a group of guys? Download the Playbook for Level 5 Friendship today.

by

5 Big Lessons About Courage In The Bible

Are you feeling fearful in your life? Do you need extra courage to do something you know you need to do? Courage in the Bible is a recurring theme, reminding us that fear is a natural human response, but we are never alone. God is with us, by our side, giving us the courage to face the fears and uncertainties of life.

There’s courage, and then there’s the super-human courage that only comes from an unwavering trust in God. The Bible is full of individuals who displayed this kind of courage. And, as God incarnate, Jesus modeled it to perfection.

Finding Bravery Through Scripture

In Joshua 1:9, God asked Joshua, His chosen leader to bring the Israelites into the Promised Land: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

The rhetorical nature of God’s question really drives the point home. Of course, God knows that it’s hard for us humans to get over our natural inclination to fear. But if we truly believe that God is with us wherever we go, we can follow his command to be strong and courageous. 

What Does the Bible Say About Courage?

Here are four powerful statements that the Bible says about courage. 

  1. You can take heart that God goes with you everywhere, and will never let you down. (Deuteronomy 31:6).
  2. Fear does not come from God, and believers can rest in God’s assurances so that fear will not affect us. Instead, we can live with God’s spirit of power, love and peace (2 Timothy 1:7). 
  3. Courage requires obedience: Sometimes, stepping out in faith means obeying even when it’s difficult. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus follows God’s will even though he is distressed about the task He must accomplish (Matthew 26:36-46).
  4. God strengthens the weak: Even when we feel inadequate, God equips us for what He calls us to do (Isaiah 41:10).

3 Stories of Faith and Courage

We can learn to do this for ourselves by thoughtfully studying the Biblical examples of those who showed bravery through their reliance on God. 

  1. David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17): Before he became king, David was just a young shepherd boy who faced the giant Goliath when no other Israelite would answer his challenge. How did He do it? Not by donning heavy armor as a big, strong warrior, but by letting God use his particular strengths. With unwavering trust in God, he used his slingshot and won the batter for God and His people. The lesson? Even the smallest or seemingly insignificant person can be used by God, and their unique characteristics can make a huge difference.

  2. Daniel in the Lion’s Den (Daniel 6): During the Jewish people’s Babylonian exile, Daniel remained steadfast in his beliefs despite pressure to conform to Babylonian customs and the life-threatening situations of the lion’s den. The lesson? God protects and vindicates those who are standing firm in God’s strength.

  3. Esther’s Boldness (Esther 4:16): Queen Esther risked her life to save her people, declaring, “If I perish, I perish.” Her courage came from knowing that God had placed her in that position for a purpose, even if she could not see a solution to her position. The lesson? Trust in God’s plan even when things seem hopeless.

Courage in the Bible is not about being fearless—it’s about trusting God despite fear. By looking to Scripture and remembering God’s promises, we can find the strength to stand firm in our faith. No matter what challenges we face, we can be courageous, knowing that God is always with us.

by

3 Important Factors in Guiding Young Men

Young men are being seriously blitzed right now. According to the Stanford Review, they are “three times more likely to overdose, four times more likely to commit suicide, and a staggering 14 times more likely to be incarcerated than their female peers.” They’ve been ignored, isolated in social media and inundated with lies about what it means to be a man.

But every generation must find their way, and none of them do it without mentors guiding young men to manhood, helping them find their identity in Christ and experience the security and joy it brings. 

Mentorship in Faith 

No one figured out how to be a true man on their own. Jesus mentored his disciples. First, He did it and they watched. Then, He told them to follow His example while He watched. Finally, they did it with His guiding spirit, and others watched them. Soon, the Way of Jesus spread all over the world. 

Try taking the same approach to mentoring young men. First, you must make sure you are following Jesus’ example and relying on God for everything as best you can. Show them what that means in your daily life. Be real. Tell them about the highs and the lows.

Like any good teacher, you make it real for them. Ask them to pray for someone or invite them to volunteer with you, always listening for God’s instructions on how to best lead them. Then, as their faith grows stronger, encourage them to hear the call that God has put on their life—a specific mission that they can take responsibility for and use their gifts to accomplish it. By doing so, they will become an example to others on guiding young men. 

It will never be a clean three steps and you’re done. They will falter. You will falter. But this continual process of modeling, doing and empowering is Jesus’ way of transforming us to be more like Him. 

Teaching Young Men Biblical Values

As I mentioned before, there are a lot of voices from all sides telling young men a lot of destructive things right now. Even if they are not listening to them directly, these influences seep into the culture and sway young men without them even realizing it. 

That’s why it’s so important that their beliefs are firmly rooted in the Word. You should be encouraging young men to read the Bible every day—and not just to check a box and not so they feel good about being spiritual. These traps are easy to fall into, even as you grow up!

Tell them to really meditate over the Word and let God lead them to what He wants to tell them. At the same time, show them the importance of studying the Word like a serious researcher, using commentary and guides to understand the historical and spiritual context that sets every single word blazing with meaning on guiding young men.

This is the personal aspect of their relationship with God. You can’t do it for them. But you can also be vigilant and speak up when their words or actions do not reflect Biblical values. 

Encouraging Spiritual Growth in Youth 

The most important part of catalyzing spiritual growth in a young person is making sure that spark is set in the first place. Even though I grew up in a Christian household, when I truly decided to live for God did not come until the end of college. You can show them the life-giving benefits of your own decision to do that, but they cannot grow spiritually until they make that decision for themselves. 

Sometimes, there’s a blockage in the way. It could be a selfish, ego desire or it could be a false idea of who God is. If you think it’s the latter, you could invite them to clear away previous conceptions and let God show you who He really is. 

After the spark has caught, you can nurture it by continually encouraging and reminding them to receive from God. It might sound like a passive action, but it’s not. It’s about being intentional and sticking to a daily practice of spending time with God. 

Then, you can sustain this flame of spiritual growth by making sure they have all the support they need to continue. You can set up a weekly time to ask them how their faith journey is going and share your own relatable experiences with them. Hearing from someone who has gone before you is key to overcoming obstacles. But you should also encourage them to find peers who are going through it at the same time to set up a men’s group about guiding young men. This deep friendship is necessary for a life of continual spiritual growth.

 

If you would like to share a game plan for setting up this kind of men’s group to foster these friendships, download the Playbook for Level 5 Friendship and send it to them today.

by