– The Discipling Others Series –
LEGACY . JUST START . NEXT . CHOOSING
*WHAT DO YOU THINK?
In a relay race, runners carry a baton as fast at they can to the next runner and hand off the baton. The second runner then carries the baton to the next runner and on and on until the final runner crosses the finish line with the baton.
Spiritually, we are runners in the race of life passing on spiritual truth from one person to the next, all the way from Jesus, on into the future. What is some spiritual truth that has been passed on to you?
*WHAT DOES GOD SAY ABOUT THIS?
1. Right before Jesus left, he gave us the instructions found in Matthew 28:18–20. He tells us to make “disciples.” What would you say the difference is between a Christian and a disciple?
2. Below are five points that describe what a disciple is and what one does. Each point comes from a verse below. Read through the verses below and decide which of these statements goes with that verse. A Disciple…
- Takes initiative to build into others
- Tells others about Jesus
- Prioritizes Jesus over other things
- Teaches others how to follow Jesus
- Relies on the Holy Spirit
Matthew 4:18–22, Matthew 28:18–20, 2 Tim 1:14, John 4:40–42, Matthew 28:18–20
3. Pick two of the points in question 2 that you think are the most important. Tell the group why you think they are important.
4. How does this description of a disciple look different from your Christian experience so far?
5. How does relying on the Holy Spirit affect all of the other points?
HOW DO WE APPLY THIS TO OUR LIVES?
6. One way to look at discipleship is like a family tree. You build into others who build into others and after a few generations, there are tons of people being built into. These two diagrams represent two ways people approach being a Christian. Describe them. What is the difference between the two?
7. The diagram on the right is sometimes called multiplication. As you build into another person it’s like you are multiplying the life of Christ and making another discipler. What is good about that?
8. Legacy is a word that we use to describe the impact someone has made in the lives of others around him. Fast forward to your funeral. What do you want people to say about you? What kind of spiritual legacy do you want to leave?
Example: “He was a nice guy.” or “He led me to Christ!” or “Wait, what? He was a Christian?” etc.
“Discipleship is walking alongside someone; challenging them to live out the Bible in their life, while influencing others with the gospel.”
9. One definition of discipleship is above. It often means meeting someone on a regular basis, reading the Bible together, answering their questions, and praying with them. Discipling someone can be difficult but it is worth it. What are some things that would make it difficult for you to disciple someone else? What is exciting about the idea of discipling someone?
READ: Matt just graduated from college. Today he is stopping by his old high school to see his high school track coach, Coach Avalos. After they greet each other, the coach points out another student, Jimmy. “Matt,” coach says, “Do you remember that small group Bible study you led with the team your senior year? Well, one of the freshmen in that group, Dewayne, started it up the next year and he led Jose to Christ. Jose helped lead the study the following year and had all the guys over to his house one night where he shared the gospel and Mark came to Christ. Mark is a junior now and he’s been leading the group for two years. Jimmy is a freshman this year and came to check it out. Jimmy had a lot of questions about God, but just last week, he accepted Christ! Jimmy is like your spiritual great-great-grandson! All of these guys know Jesus because you decided to start that small group when you were a senior!”
10. How would you feel if you were Matt?
11. As you think about the people and groups of people in your life, who is someone that you could begin building into so that you could leave a legacy like Matt did?
CHALLENGE: For this series we will be challenging all students to have a four week discipleship relationship with another person. Start thinking and praying now about who you could meet with this month.
What ideas do you have that could improve this study? Are there creative things you do to bring this topic home to your students? Please share with the community clicking the FEEDBACK button or leaving a comment below.
