Because of technology, we have so many opportunities to connect with people. And yet, people everywhere are feeling more disconnected and isolated than ever before. Ear buds let us listen to the exact songs or podcasts that we want to hear.
Self-checkout lines at stores ensure that we don’t have to talk to anyone else. Social media lets us pick and choose the people we follow and the messages we like.
Think about the last time you really went out of your way to start a conversation with someone you didn’t know. It’s a good bet that it’s been a while.
Reaching out and focusing outward
It’s true that technology has made us more isolated, but that’s not the whole story. The greatest hindrance to focusing outward toward others is focusing inward on ourselves. When was the last time you went out of your way to start a spiritual conversation with someone you didn’t know? The odds are good, again, that it’s been a while. Why is that?
It’s not because no one around needs to hear about Jesus. It’s not that the gospel has lost its power. It’s not that the Holy Spirit isn’t prompting followers of Jesus to speak up. If we’re honest, it comes down to the fact that we don’t make it a priority to reach out. It’s easier to stay quiet, to focus on our own lives, and take care of our own responsibilities.
Our opportunity to connect
In the face of such isolation, we have an opportunity to connect with people who are hungry for connection. Every day, there are people all around us who are looking for someone to reach out and show they care. The question isn’t,“Are people open?” Oftentimes, they are. The real question is,“Are you willing to reach out?”
Remember, God has called you to go on mission with Jesus. He has strategically placed you right where He wants you – at your school, in your neighborhood, with your friends, at your job – so you can shine His light to the people around you. Matthew 5.14-15 ESV says,“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.”
Because of the importance of intentionality in disciple making, we at Discipleship.org are going to emphasize this skill set and mindset over the next four months.
Please join with us and seek to share understanding, insight, and practical tools so that you can become skilled at intentionality in relational disciple making and you can help those on your team or in your leadership group to do the same.
There are four ways in which we are emphasizing intentionality to help you in the next four months.
Discipleship.org City Tour Forums – our four City Tour Forums are designed to help you and your team both understand and develop an intentionality posture. The tour is comprised of one day, high impact forums where there will be teaching and round table discussions. Every attendee also gets a copy of Brandon Guindon’s new book, Intentional: Living Out the Eight Principles of Disciple Making.
Click the image below for more information.
Take the FREE Individual Disciple Maker Assessment – we designed this assessment with a team of national and international disciple making leaders to help each individual be able to evaluate their disciple making mindset and skill. Just by taking this assessment, you will gain an appreciation for the value of intentionality, along with a sense of how you can increase your own level of intentionality.
Click the image below to take the assessment.
Read the short FREE book, Becoming a Disciple Maker: The Pursuit of Level Five Disciple Making – Bobby wrote this short eBook with statistician Greg Wiens to help you understand the mathematical and practical impact of one person’s disciple making efforts and skills.
Click the image below to download this free eBook.
Read Brandon Guindon’s book, Intentional: Living Out the Eight Principles of Disciple Making – Brandon wrote this Discipleship.org book and Zondervan is publishing, because the understanding and practice of disciple making is so crucial. Every attendee at each of our City Tour events (Nashville, Houston, Dallas and Raleigh), as mentioned above, will receive a FREE copy of Brandon Guindon’s book.
Click the image below to pre-order Brandon Guindon’s book from Amazon.com.
Please join with us in this quest to better understand and practice intentionality. It will help us all to become more and more like Jesus, the world greatest disciple maker.