Video Transcript: What is a Disciple?

Francis - For some of you, this is the first time you've ever actually discipled  someone else. And I remember when I was 17 was the first time I was going to  this camp, and my youth pastor said, Hey, you're actually going to be the leader  for the freshmen guys. Man, you know, like, it was just kind of scary to me  thinking, I'm going to teach someone else, you know, I'm 17. And I got these 10,  14 year olds, I've got to teach now a little intimidated. And I remember just, over  time working out, you figure it out. I don't know if you remember?  

David - Absolutely. Like, I remember the first time I was with a small group of  guys thinking, Alright, I've got a responsibility to teach them, show them how to  follow Christ. But man, where do I begin? And I was same thing, looking back,  I'm like, Man, I had no clue. But that's the great thing about making disciples is  that God has promised to give us His grace and His presence to make this thing work. So just to know from the very beginning, that making disciples is not really dependent, ultimately, on your gifts, your abilities, what you can do, this is  dependent on the Spirit of God. And when we give ourselves to the plan that  he's outlined, he's promised to bless it. And so we know we're assured of his  blessing. And so there's a lot of confidence that comes in.  

Francis - Yeah. And I remember just struggling with arrogance, too. And I  wanted to be able to answer every question. And, you know, I think we all have  some of that where someone asks you something, you go, yeah, you know, you  make something up. And it's like, don't feel that pressure to know everything.  And that's where we want to resource people. You know, you got your pastor,  your church is should you know, when you have questions that you don't know  how to answer, that's what I loved about having my youth pastor with me, was  I'd have throughout the week, or had someone that asked me this, how do I  answer that? And hopefully, you have someone like that in your life, that you can go to yourself with those types of questions and not feel this burden. Like I have  to know everything, or every answer when someone asked,  

David - and even even along those lines, it's just such a humbling journey. Like  we, as we walked through questions, and maybe even if you didn't have  somebody that you can go to, okay, immediately, you're gonna question I don't  know how to answer, but to even look at the person who's asking the question.  So let's think about that, together. Let's investigate that together. Let's walk  through that together. I just got back from some time in India with some brand  new believers who have just no biblical backgrounds, and they're working this  thing out as they go with the word in the spirit and the word and the spirit is  sufficient for this picture. And so we definitely don't, I think sometimes people  have the idea that, well, I gotta have everything figured out in order to really start making disciples. No, that's, that's not the point at all. We, we there's a lot that 

we figure out as we make disciples. In fact, I think if we're not making disciples,  we'll end up not figuring out a lot of things because it'll all be about us when  we're walking through a journey with somebody else. That's where our  Christianity just takes on a whole new life.  

Francis - Yeah, this first session was about, you know, what is disciple and this  is huge, because now you're going to look at the people that you're, you're  sharing with and, and really figure out where they're at with God. You know,  what, what do you struggle with, because I think, when it comes to surrendering  to Jesus Christ, in His promises in His commands, some people will struggle on  the grace side, like it's hard for them to actually believe that Jesus forgives  them. And in this free gift, because maybe they grew up trying to earn the favor  of their parents and never feeling like they, they got there. And then other people will struggle with Jesus as Lord. And like, I need to surrender and submit to Him  because maybe they grew up in a home where, you know, they didn't take their  parents seriously, or there wasn't a whole lot of authority. And so we kind of take  this baggage into our relationship with Jesus. And I don't know what you you  know what you struggle with more for me, it was definitely Grace like to believe  that. I'm forgiven this promise. And it's nothing of myself and why there's this?  

David - Yeah, I feel in my own life. I've seen a lot of the people that I've walked  through and have kind of relationship with where people think, Alright, okay, so if I do these things, then I'm earning favor, the favor of God. And and it kind of  misses the point from the start. I think that's where this lesson in particular just  really needs to focus on are you trusting in the righteousness of Christ for you,  the price he has paid on the cross, this is the foundation and if we don't get this  foundation, right, we'll miss the whole point because we'll walk through a journey where somebody will think in okay, if I read the Bible, if I pray, if I do these  things, then okay, then I'm going to be right before God but to say no, you're by  grace through faith right before God so really to make sure that that  understanding is there, but then to make the connection that doesn't lead to  some passivity where we sit back and say, Okay, well everything's figured out,  but saved by grace through faith. This propels us to live with abandon to Christ  and following it with all of our hearts and minds, soul and strength, loving him.  That's an overflow of grace. And so that keep that tension, I think you'll have to  really be careful to keep coming back that over and over again. Are you trusting  in the righteousness of Christ for you? Are you trying to earn God's favor and  make sure that's not happening? At the same time? Is his grace compelling you  to lay down your life on daily basis?  

Francis - Yeah. And this is your job is really as a leader to listen to? Where is  this person at in their walk? Which way are they struggling, and this is what no 

one else can do for you, that's your job is to hear them and then respond with  the Word of God accordingly. And that's what I see Jesus doing is with each  individual. I mean, that's why his message was different to each person was,  you know, he knew what they needed to hear, and how the Word of God came  to bear in their life. And that's really what all this material is, is to get you more  familiar with the Word of God so that you know how to answer people better.  We're all in this process together.  

David - So listen to that person well, and really make sure in this lesson, that we get this right what does it mean to be a disciple help serve that person by really  focusing on trusting in Christ, and then living a life as a Christian out of the  overflow of trust in His grace?