Building a Discipling Culture

by Mike Breen

a change of heart that shows up in a lifestyle or behavior change.

Change is not an option:

discipleship is a lifestyle of learning. And this learning begins with a change of heart.

When a kairos moment stops us in our tracks, this is the time to observe our reactions, our emotions, our thoughts.

We must be honest in our observations—see things as they are—if we are to change inwardly.

our answers must be honest if real change is to take place.

Huddle functions as the context for confession, a place of honesty where we are able to challenge each other, share our struggles and experience God’s grace and forgiveness.

What a great picture of discipleship: abandoning ourselves to the forgiveness of God, walking in his grace, and creating a safe place within our church communities for others to do the same.

And repenting will not by itself bring about change. Repentance is only the first part of the Circle.

If you are acting in faith, you are simply doing what you know God wills to be done.

There is no risk in doing God’s will.

Planning nearly always involves seeking the kingdom of God first, no matter what the issue.

Change doesn’t happen in private.

We cannot skip accountability and still say we are disciples of Christ. It is that simple.

Faith is always acted out, never kept bottled up within.)

observing our kairos event leads to examining ourselves.

make Jesus the true Lord of our lives.

live your life in the recognition that you will be called to account.

Our lives are really about events connected together over time and our response to these events.

Skipping one or more of the steps in the Circle means you will more than likely continue to struggle over and over again with the same issue.

Jesus lived out his life in three relationships: Up—with his Father; In—with his chosen followers; Out—with the hurting world around him.

could often be found in lonely places praying. Prayer was as fundamental an element in the life of Jesus as breathing.

Our efforts are worthless if we do not have the Up in our lives.

Jesus shared food with these friends, laughed with them, and met their families—in other words, he “did life” with his chosen circle. This was the “In”-ward dimension of his relational life.

Jesus did not wait for the spiritually dead to come to him. He went to them and ministered to them at their point of need—and his critics hated him for it.

a church reflects the dimensional strengths of its leadership.

All healthy churches, small groups, and ministries grow. To be healthy, you must be in relational balance as pictured in the Triangle: Up-In-Out. It really is that simple.

Walking with Jesus should be a joy, not a duty.

If we are to really be in relationship with him, wouldn’t that include our “regular” life as well as those times we set aside as spiritual?

Many Christian leaders fall into the trap of being so ministry-focused that they spend too little time enjoying God.

You can invite God into any part of your day. Truth is, he’s there already and it is rude to ignore his presence. He’s never too busy to talk with you, he enjoys the same things you enjoy, he wants to be a part of your life—he really does.

LIVING in intimacy with Christ is simple yet hard.

It is in the In relationship that Jesus modeled the skills his followers would need to grow the Church.

In our world today, the ‘In’ relationships are breaking down at ever increasing rates. We are a nation of fractured families, disenfranchised friends, and increasingly independent individuals.

The challenge for the church is to emphasize the communal nature of the Christian faith and to commit to authentic expressions of that nature.

As a Christian leader you cannot escape the human need for close relationships just because others might be jealous. If you are going to preach the In aspect of life, you need to model it by inviting others into a discipling relationship with you.

One of the most obvious areas of seismic cultural change is in outreach.

Today we have a generation of nonbelievers that might not ever enter the doors of a church unless they have already had a positive encounter with a Christian in the world.

We

If we simply stay in our safe zones—our church, our small group, our Christian sub-culture—we will not be where the lost are.

We have to make a commitment and effort to have Up, In, and Out in balance.

We need a biblical framework for a rhythm of life that allows us to be fruitful in balance with being at rest.

Work itself is not a curse.

We were designed for intentional activity to produce a sense of fruitfulness in our lives.

we are to work from our rest, not rest from our work.

being a workaholic is, to God, just as bad as being a murderer or adulterer. Rest is not an option if we are to walk in the lifestyle of a disciple.

growth comes from knowing how to abide. It’s interesting that nowhere in this text is growth mentioned. Growth seems to be a result of the right rhythm being established. Growth is not the same as bearing fruit. Sometimes we mistake spiritual growth for the fruit itself. This is not the case. We must grow before we can see fruit. An apple tree, for instance, does not bear fruit for three years. Grape vines are pruned back and forced not to bear fruit for two to three years so that their root systems can be established.

It is not our energy and determination that impresses God, it is our living in the manner he made us that will produce the fruit he intends for us to bear.

Without a time for their spiritual ground to lie fallow, there would be a very poor harvest in the year to come.

We all need times of extended retreat, resting in the presence of God, focusing on him.