A person’s salvation, their process of repentance and being restored to right relationship with God through the saving death and resurrection of Jesus, is the most pivotal step a person can take. To be at peace with the maker of heaven and earth, to know him as a friend forever seems the starting point for a blessed life. But what part do we, as fellow followers of Jesus play in this journey for other people?

Discipleship is the process of belief being proved out in action. Disciples are people who start following and continue following. Disciples of Jesus are people who decide to start following him and continue following him. Jesus told his first disciples to go and make other disciples, and we are a continuation of this process. Obedient disciples make other disciples. But discipleship starts with simple obedience, and beginning to obey Jesus (that is, to begin to put his teachings into practice, applying what Jesus said to our everyday lives) often happens long before that moment of accepting him as Lord and Savior.

Through today’s teaching, I hope that you are equipped with some practical tips and tools for how to make disciples of Jesus. I also hope we are reminded that “leading someone in the sinner’s prayer” is just one moment (however hugely significant) that happens on a continuum of discipleship in a person’s life. I am convinced that every disciple, every follower of Jesus, has the ability to do what Jesus tells us to do in Matthew 28. You don’t have to be college educated, have a high IQ, a Bible school diploma, be a pastor, be on-staff at a church, be a missionary, or be gifted as an evangelist to put these things into practice. Your past, your family background, how much money you make or anything you might think seems to disqualify you has no bearing on your ability to do the things we’re going to talk about today. I also admit that this is a work in progress for me as well— some of the things I’ll share today I have only recently started putting into practice myself (you might call it experimenting). I hope this encourages you to try some of the things we’ll discuss today.