The Disciple Maker's Handbook: Seven Elements of a Discipleship Lifestyle

by Bobby William Harrington

Making disciples is far more than a program. It is the mission of our lives. It defines us. A disciple is a disciple maker. —FRANCIS

The only revolution that has eternal implications is the one Jesus launched. When it’s all said and done, the quality of our lives will be measured by these two questions:

1. Was I a disciple of Jesus? 2. Did I help make disciples of Jesus?

If you are bored and find yourself reaching for something deeper and richer than attending church services or listening to podcasts or sitting through classes, you can give yourself permission to stop consuming religious goods and services that won’t equip you to make disciples. We were created for more than this. Jesus invites you to get out of the boat and walk with him into the exhilarating and often unpredictable waters of disciple making.

“As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” JOHN 20:21

We believe that only one word truly belongs in that box: Jesus. Before it became an organized religion, the Christian faith was a movement about Jesus. Christianity, at its heart, is not a set of ethical teachings, although Jesus frequently taught people how to live well. Fundamentally, it’s not about attending church services or practicing spiritual disciplines, though if you trust and follow Jesus, you’ll want to adopt his way of life. The Christian faith didn’t begin in a church building or a Bible class. It was born in the hearts of people who placed their faith and trust in a man who walked out of an empty tomb one Sunday morning two millennia ago.

We’ve learned that the people most likely to disciple other people were first discipled themselves, like we were.

We believe that every Christian needs to clearly define what goes in the box at the center of their life, and every local church needs to clarify what goes in the box that defines who they are as a church. We say that we want to honor Jesus and put him at the center of our lives, and we want to help other people to do the same. But why do we say that?

The main thing, the ultimate focus of our lives, should not be “discipleship”—that’s secondary. The main thing is Jesus—and it is because of who Jesus is and what he said and did that discipleship and disciple making are our driving passion.