Disciplemaking, A Cord of Wood, and A Cup of Coffee

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This morning I scheduled for a cord of seasoned hardwood to be delivered. Then I invited three college-age students over to help me stack it.

The delivery truck arrived a little after 10am. By 11am it was all stacked — some on the deck and most under the deck. I was thrilled.

While we stacked the wood we talked about life, school, work, and the weekend. It was a very natural flow of conversation. After we finished stacking, I invited them inside for a cup of coffee.

After grinding the coffee beans I had roasted last week, we sat and talked while we waited for the hot water to pour over the fresh grounds.

It was great to get caught up on what’s been happening in their lives. (This was actually the second conversation I’d had like this in the past three days). I asked questions and they shared openly.

It didn’t take long for our conversation today to focus on who they were trying to introduce to following Jesus. We talked about some failures in the past, and some current success in reaching out.

I had the opportunity to answer questions. We opened the Bible and talked about a bunch of verses that were relevant to their lives — and those they were influencing to follow Christ.

I was so encouraged by the time we could hang out – just a little less than two hours together. Yet I knew that God had used me to influence each of them in their pursuit of following Jesus and helping others to follow Jesus.

One of the guys had to leave as soon as we finished stacking the wood – but he called me tonight to let me know he still wanted to connect for coffee. And he offered to help me with another project around our house.

Today’s experience reminded me of the importance of being with people. You cannot disciple anyone from a distance. You have to spend time together. That takes intentionality. And availability.

5 Keys to Disciplemaking
1. Be Available.
2. Be Intentional.
3. Listen and Ask Questions.
4. Talk about following Jesus and helping others to follow Jesus.
5. Include coffee (if available).

This list isn’t super complicated. It’s simple. Because disciplemaking is simple.

How did Jesus make disciples?
He was with them. He was intentional. He listened and asked questions. He talked about what it meant to follow Him and the importance of making more disciples. (Probably didn’t drink coffee, but likely drank some wine together).

How will you make disciples?
What will you do this week to make disciples? Who will you intentionally spend time with? When will you start?