Discipling: How to Help Others Follow Jesus by Mark Dever (4 Stars)

[Jeremiah]

Discipling: How to Help Others Follow Jesus
Mark Devers
4 Stars
Audiobook

Before ascending to heaven, Jesus instructed his followers to "make disciples of all nations." But what does this command actually entail? What does it look like for Christians to care for one another's spiritual well-being and growth? In this introduction to the basics of discipling, veteran pastor and author Mark Dever uses biblical definitions and practical examples to show how Christians can help one another become more like Christ every day. The eighth volume in the 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches series, this short book explains how discipling should function in the context of the local church, teaching pastors and church leaders how to cultivate a culture of edification and growth in their congregations.

Before getting into what worked and didn't work in this book, let me be clear that this book is not for a general audience. This book is intended for those with an interest in the act of discipling and in particular for those that believe that discipling is more about strengthening your local church rather than converting those outside of the church. These ideas were my motivation for reading this book, and why I will continue to re-read it as I launch into this study.

The Positives ofDiscipling: How to Help Others Follow Jesus
First of all, this book is about exactly what it claims to be. I really appreciated and enjoyed the fact that the book is focused on discipling within the local church. This book is not about in your face religion that seeks to convert coworkers, friends, and random people on the street. The desire of the teachings in this book are to strengthen churches for the present and the future.

Second, a positive of this book is that it recognizes the real world commitments of church goers. All too often Christian literature presents ideas, such as discipling, as if the only commitment people have is church. The way Dever presents this idea in the book aligns well with my view of discipleship and discipling in that you have to work within your schedule.

Finally, I think a positive of this book is that it is founded in scripture. When I launch into studying a Christian based topic I want to be able to see the author's support for their ideas. Dever does this to an extensive degree and it is a definite positive.

The Negative of Discipling: How to Help Others Follow Jesus
The only real negative I have with this book is the lack of depth on some of the sub-topics. It is not detrimental, but I did wish that Dever would spend a bit more time with examples and illustrations to enhance some of the sub-topics. Other than that, the book is really solid for the purpose it was written to achieve.