You may be asking, “What does a Mature Disciple look like? When does one 'graduate' to being a Mature Disciple?” Great questions! To answer that, we need to understand God’s goal for our spiritual growth. What is He aiming at? That is where (re)Thinking Disciplemaking really begins.
But first, here are two assignments that will enable you to lay hold of the essential ideas I want you to grasp from this blog.
1. Memorize these three statements we have developed:
Disciplemaking is the process of producing a Mature Disciple.
Discipleship is the state of being a Mature Disciple.
A Mature Disciple is the product of Disciplemaking and the prerequisite to Discipleship.
2. Study the relationships among the terms in the following SM/T Graph until you can see this picture in your mind’s eye and are able to draw it out on a napkin.
With this basic diagram as a framework, you can engage in all kinds of interesting and mutually edifying conversations. For example, just by sketching this diagram out for a friend, you can help him begin to think about where he is on his spiritual journey with God. Or you can add the three patterns we looked at in an earlier blog post. Remember the “back into the world” pattern, the “treadmill” pattern, and the “random walk” or “roller coaster” pattern? Putting these on the SM/T Graph can help a friend think about how he has gotten to where he is and his need for true disciplemaking.
Also, having this picture in your mind will help you immensely as you hear various speakers or read Christian books. Most of them will not be careful in their use of the terms we have defined. But with this diagram in front of you, mentally, if not literally, you will be able to put what you hear and read into the proper context and understanding.
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