Discipleship is one of our Core Values here at S.I.M. Jesus commanded us to make disciples. His plan to reach the world is through multiplying disciples. A disciple is a person who follows Jesus day by day and who is becoming like Jesus. Therefore, discipleship is one of the central focuses of our missionaries.   Below are some comments from Jim Millard after a recent training session.

Encouragement 1- Review of Session Emphasis

I want to summarize some of the main points we cover in session 1. The theme of the week was on making disciples. We emphasized that Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:18-20 is to MAKE DISCIPLES. This should be central to every church and to every believer. We discussed many principles and fundamentals of making disciples. I will list a few of the key points below:

1. Your love relationship with God is the most important thing in your life. If your relationship with God is not right, nothing will be right. All true ministry flows out of your love relationship with him.
2. You must model everything you want your disciples to do.
3. Your daily time with God in his word is central to your relationship with God. He will speak to you and guide you daily through your time in his word (Cross Bible Study).
4. Disciples are transformed through intimate relationships. Close relationships are essential to making disciples. Meet with your disciples one on one: A- Confess sins, B- Share the word, C- Pray for non-Christian friends.
5. You must be discipled in order to make other disciples. Most pastors cannot make disciples because they have not been discipled. Find someone who you can learn from and learn with. Begin meeting with them one on one.

Encouragement 2: Your Daily Time with God

“It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4 In the session we talked a lot about the importance of your daily time with God in his word.  The focus of your daily time in the word is your love relationship with God.  That is why it must be your life priority.  We spend time with God so that we can draw close to him.  He is our life! We suggested simple steps for making your time fruitful including the following: 1- Have clear plan for where you will read each day and what you will do during your quiet time. 2- Get a notebook and write down where you read, what you learn and what God says to you.  3- Follow the Cross Bible Study pattern.  4- Share with your discipler and with your disciple what God said to you and how you obeyed Jesus. Prayer:  “Lord, bless my brothers and sisters each day during their time with you.  Speak to them and give them fresh bread daily from your Word.  May they come to you and receive your life today!”

Encouragement 3: Group of 2-3 (also called Life Transformation Groups)

We shared about what to do when you meet with a disciple one on one. The core elements of your weekly meeting are as follows:

1. 1. Confess sins to one another.

Some say that James 5:16 is the least obeyed verse in the Bible. Few pastors confess their sins to anyone, which is why so many crash and burn. How can one grow as a disciple through teaching if he or she has major sins or unresolved issues in their heart?

1. 1. Share the Word.

In order to grow a disciple needs a large intake of the word (NOT reading a chapter a day for 5 minutes). This is why I share so much with pastors about how to spend time with God daily. IF a person is really feeding on the word they will grow and will have much to share. The focus of the sharing should be on “What did God say to you through the word?” And, “How did you obey Jesus?”

1. 1. Pray for non-Christian Friends

Of course you pray for one another, but there should also be a constant focus on reaching lost friends. Chose 2 friends each and agree to pray for them by name daily. God will then give you opportunities to share with them. Who to meet with? It will not work to organize everyone (even your leaders) into groups of two and ask them to meet. They must be desperate to grow in Christ. They must be very hungry to grow in Christ and committed to sharing in the relationship together. The best thing is for the pastor (you) to meet with one other person until you experience it and are convinced that one to one discipleship is essential for growth and for life in Christ.