One of the best ways to apply scriptures to people's lives is through a Discovery Bible Study (DBS). This is a simple yet profound way to self- discover Scripture with the help of the Holy Spirit and with limited facilitated teaching.

As we follow Jesus' example, we will see good fruit emerge from those with whom we walk this journey of discipleship.

Take the time to let disciples know that you hope to learn from them as they learn from you.

As a discipler, be patient with those you disciple and celebrate the small victories as well as the big ones. When you point them to Jesus, to follow Him, love Him and obey what He says to them, you can rejoice too. We become like the one we worship and follow.

A beautiful part of discipling people is seeing them 'set free.' God loves to remove blinders and break bondages. It is this Isaiah 61 calling over our lives to walk in the manner of Jesus.

Great leaders and high-performance people will all tell you that they have created patterns of behavior in their lives that lead them toward success. When we disciple people, we should help them move toward building new, Godly rhythms in their lives.

Research shows that the best way to mature believers is not through courses or programs. It is through active ministry.

Discipling in community brings so much more growth than we can do alone.

It is the Spirit's role to bring conviction of sin. Human efforts bring the shadow version of this: condemnation.

Faithfulness shows up in how we respond to the things that life throws our way. Be sure you are close enough to see the responses in those you are discipling.

A commitment to discipleship is not a short-term commitment. I would not make it lightly. But how do you know who to commit to walking a long road with?

Ask those you disciple to discover biblical truth for the things they are going through themselves rather than teaching them what is in your head.

We will never raise healthy disciples without much prayer.

Herein lies the fundamental principle of multiplication. Simply put, we cannot reach the world with a philosophy of addition to churches. We must teach those we disciple to multiply themselves by teaching others to do the same.

Why not commit to the Lord to be diligent at sharing your faith regularly?

Jesus said, "If you love me, you will obey my commands". Wow! We demonstrate our love for Jesus by doing what He asked us to do. Placing an emphasis on obedience in those you are discipling will change everything. It will make you slow down and teach fewer truths and wait patiently to see how these truths are applied.

There can be no simpler, more profound set of values to instill in someone's heart than the four loves we learn about in the Bible:

1. How God loves me

2. How I love God

3. How we love each other (as a result of His love)

4. How we are called to love those who don't know Jesus.


Take time to write down the vision you are carrying.

Interestingly, the people Jesus picked to disciple were 'unsaved' people, non-clergy, and not churchgoers in today's terms. Not one of the 12 came out of the 'church' environment. I always try to disciple a mix of saved and 'pre-believers.' However, if I had to choose I would be intentional about discipling those who were not yet following Jesus.

Mutual accountability is an essential aspect of discipleship.