Last month, we mentioned briefly how much overwhelming content there was at the Cru17 staff conference and that we’d be unpacking each of the life changing perspectives for quite a while. One of the messages that has continued to impact the way I (Jeff) do things came from Jenny Allen, author and founder of the IF:Gathering. In her message, which you can watch here, she drove home the value of life-on-life discipleship.
Jenny’s first point to us was, “Do not underestimate the value of a Sonic run.” She had been a Christian for only a year when she started at University of Arkansas and felt like the only believer on campus. Before long, though, she met a Cru missionary named Michelle who invited her out to coffee at a local Sonic and just got to know her. This turned into a regular thing, and those simple talks did more to form her heart for the Lord than many sermons and Bible studies.
She said Jesus taught us that life-on-life discipleship is how we change the world (Matt 28:18-28). Things look pretty grim on the TV and the internet, and we can often feel helpless, but those seemingly small relationships where we pour into Christians and non-Christians make all the difference. After all, Jenny explained, “great people do not do great things. God does great things through surrendered people. To do the work of God is to believe.”
The idea of discipling others may seem daunting, but Jesus lives on the other side of our comfort zones, out on the deep water. Would you ask the Lord who He has put in your life into whom you can multiply the faith He has given you?
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