By Shannon Morton
Have you ever considered that you are in the spiritual lineage of one of the 12 apostles? These men walked with Jesus, listened to His teaching, and asked Him questions. They absorbed the faith as He intentionally invested in them. So, it’s no surprise that they took Jesus at His word and diligently pursued His command to make disciples. They passed on their faith to the next generation and so on and so on until today. You and I are members of the body of Christ because other believers have been faithful for generations to pass on the faith. We have a beautiful spiritual heritage, like links in a chain. And now it’s our turn. Will we be faithful to the clear command from Jesus to make disciples?
Intentionality is Key
When you walk into someone’s home, you can always tell if something is baking in the oven. There is a distinct and delicious smell that welcomes you. Through the oven door, you can see the bubbling of the batter, anticipating when it will be ready to eat. What makes this scenario exciting is that a combination of ingredients was intentionally assembled to create something good to eat. We all know (and maybe have eaten) something that was haphazardly prepared. It’s not the result that was intended. Similarly, there is a thought circulating today that discipleship will just happen when we spend time together. It’s suggested this is the way Jesus taught His disciples. But a closer look at Scripture shows that Jesus was much more intentional than haphazard.
