Luke 10-12

My church recently finished studying Your Church Experiencing God Together by Henry and Mel Blackaby. It was terrific! As I reviewed what God had taught me over the last ten weeks, I noticed that I view myself somewhat as a “spiritual recruiter.” My philosophy is that being a part of the Body of Christ is way more fun if you are in over your head doing your part. So, I keep my eyes open for pew sitters, and I do what I can to encourage people (okay, maybe even twist their arms) to get involved in ministry. Unfortunately, I probably scare the wits out of some people when I get them in my sights.

My recruiting for Team Jesus is more likely to end on a positive note when I take the time to mentor the person I enlist. As I read the teaching of Jesus in Luke 10-12, I realized that it provides a remarkable outline for training others to follow Christ.

Go and tell others the good news. (10:1-24)
Love God. Love people. (10:25-37)
Sit at the feet of Jesus and worship him. (10:38-42)
Pray. (11:1-13)
Fill your life with godly thoughts, not evil. (11:14-36)
Faith is built on grace, not on self-righteousness. (11:37-54)
Speak up for your faith in Christ. (12:1-12)
Be generous rather than selfish. (12:13-21)
Trust God and do not worry. (12:22-34)
Be prepared and anticipate Christ’s return. (12:35-59)

We may be tempted to rearrange the outline a bit and move the Go and Tell portion to the end when our pupil is more mature in her faith. Never squelch the fire of a new believer! Allow her to tell her story and bring others to faith in her excitement. Then if you are faithful to your task, God will enable you to disciple your recruit, plus the people she wins to Christ. One of my greatest joys this summer was to pray with children who wanted to follow Jesus at Vacation Bible School. One night we celebrated the salvation of a little girl, and the next evening, the very first thing she asked me was, “Do you know Jesus as your Savior?” I was thrilled to be asked! After responding with an enthusiastic, “Yes, I do!” I encouraged her to keep asking all her friends and family that same question.

I am asking you, "Do you know Jesus as your Savior?" Whom will you ask today?