All Scripture is from CSB (Christian Standard Bible) unless otherwise noted.

Developing disciples is the mission Jesus gave His first followers (Mat 28:18-20), who passed it on to their disciples - the same mission WE are to continue.

The late Dallas Willard wrote, "The word 'disciple' occurs 269 times in the New Testament; the word 'Christian' occurs 3 times."

Sadly, many have dissected DISCIPLE from CHRISTIAN, somehow thinking one can be a Christian WITHOUT being a disciple. This is NOT the teaching of Jesus, however.

Disciples of Jesus included both men & women. The goal of a disciple was more than just listening to a professor to deepen their knowledge. Here is the goal of a disciple:

Luke 6:40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.

Disciple Defined: A Disciple is an Imitator of the Teacher.

As children mirror image their parents, so mature disciples act & react like the one who has trained them.

Bill Hull writes, “Every Jewish boy by age thirteen had studied and memorized much of the Pentateuch [first 5 writings] and the prophets. If he was among the best and the brightest, he would be accepted into a rabbinical school” and be further tested to determine if he was worthy being the disciple of a rabbi.

If folks were to follow your current example, would they be maturing disciples or make-believe disciples? 

Learning how to play church...or pursuing Christ? Is it time for a halftime course correction in YOUR life?

Teach them diligently is one Hebrew word meaning “repeat.” From beginning of the day to the end of the day, in the home or walking down the road, parents were to teach their children God’s commands. That includes teaching:

WHO God is. He is the Creator of all - powerful & pure.

WHAT God has done. God had freed them from captivity. Christians remember what Jesus has done for us.

WHAT God expects. Moses taught the people what God expected, and later Jesus commanded His disciples - ‘teach them all that I have commanded you.’ (Mat 28:19-20)

Diligence is not about a conversation, but about many conversations, not a weekly event, but a DAILY practice. Parents & grandparents were to

BIG TRUTH: Love God Passionately & Lead Children Diligently

Timothy had learned and firmly believed in Jesus from childhood through the influence of those whom had trained him to know the sacred Scriptures (Old Testament). “Jewish parents were expected to teach their children the Law from the age of five onwards.” 

Timothy’s mother & grandmother both had a tremendous influence on his life in at least 2 ways:

1. They demonstrated Sincere Faith. Sincere = Greek ‘without hypocrisy’. 

These ladies weren’t playing church. They were pursuing Christ. They LOVED Jesus passionately and their faith in Him was demonstrated wherever they went. They loved God and they loved people, in obedience to Jesus.

2. They made sure Timothy knew the sacred Scriptures. From an early age, and in obedience to Deut. 6, they taught Timothy to know WHO God was, what God had done, and what God expected, in their home, on the roads, and throughout the day.

These precious ladies were carrying out the timeless command to Love God Passionately & Lead Children Diligently.

What if WE modeled that for children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces? What if we did more than just raise them in church? What if we raised them in Christ?

The word translated Fathers is also used to refer to both parents, but there is no question that Christian Fathers are expected to follow this command. Men are to bring their children up in the training and instruction of the Lord. This is a balance of correction & encouragement. 

Men are commanded to correct children, NOT crush them. The goal is not to make them mad, but to make them mature. 

Men, is it enough to say you provided & protected…or do you want your family & friends to point back to YOU as one who chose to… Love God Passionately & Lead Children Diligently?

If we’re going to Develop Disciples @ Home, it’s going to take commitment and consistency. You aren’t always going to ‘feel’ like talking about spiritual things. Your schedule might dictate a lack of time with your family...or YOU can begin to dictate what what matters most in your schedule.

Take 3 nights this week to focus on these 1 truth per night with your family OR a friend:

WHO God is (Night #1): Read John 1:1-17 and spend a short time thanking God for Who He is.  

WHAT God has done (Night #2): Share how YOU came to trust Jesus with your life and what the crucifixion of Jesus means to you. Share about how God has answered prayer.

and WHAT God expects (Night #3): Read the 10 Commandments in Deut. 5 (all but the Sabbath command are taught in the New Testament) and discuss the importance of obeying God’s commands.