Disciple-Maker\'s Message in All Likelihood,

¶ … DISCIPLE-MAKER's MESSAGE

In all likelihood, the conceptions and ideas discussed within chapter nine of Leading, Teaching, And Making Disciples, authored by Dr. Michael R. Mitchell, should play a profound effect upon the pedagogical constructs employed by a disseminator of Christian thought and principle, particularly one who is attempting to select a specific message to impart to disciples of this faith. The elucidation of these precepts allows for a significant amount of variety to be employed in both the medium and the context of the delivering of lessons, and also allows for a multitude of sources to be used to do so most efficaciously. It should be recalled that the outcome of virtually any disciple-maker lesson is to produce followers who are well trained and well educated in their faith, and who will live a life in accordance to what should be core, fundamental beliefs. To that end there are a number of fairly important scriptures that help accomplish this objective, some of the most salient of which may be found in 1 Corinthians 1-2, 2 Peter 1, and Romans 15:18. However, it is up to the disseminator of this information to deliver the inherent lessons found within these passages in a manner that is accessible and readily identifiable, in order to produce the most lasting effect and benefit not only the disseminator, but his or her disciples as well.

In the most ideal of situations, one should draw from a variety of sources to engage and educate one's audience regarding the particular impartation of a message. While doing so, it is fairly crucial to not contradict the forms of the messages so that an audience is delivered incongruous information that can result in ambiguity regarding a particular lesson. The four sources to be used are evidenced in the following quotation from Mitchell's work. "The sources of a message are found in tradition, observation, participation, and inspiration" (Mitchell 2010). When examining the aforementioned scriptures, the first of these sources, tradition, is found to be of particular importance. The perpetuation of the mores and values of a particular culture can be found in the transmission of certain texts which, in this particular case, can be found within the literature of the Bible. Therefore, the scriptures should generally be the foundation upon which messages are based -- although even they allow room for other sources to be utilized.

This point can be readily demonstrated by the following quotation found in 2 Peter 1. "And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your heart, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along the by the Holy Spirit" (ESV Bible). This quotation evinces that the scriptures are a viable source for imparting messages to disciples since they record not the "will" or words of men, but that of God. By utilizing these particular verses and the scriptures as a source, disseminators of messages will be able to regularly and systematically impart lessons that do not conflict (Mitchell, 2010). It is also interesting to note that in this passage, the scriptures themselves are being described as "carried along" by the Holy Spirit. The influence of the spirit of God is largely implied in the source of inspiration for lessons, which can also aid a disseminator in locating points of origins for disciple-making messages.

In fact, the particular inspiration and effects of the Holy Spirit may be readily demonstrated in the following quotation, taken from 1 Corinthians 2. "Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual" (ESV Bible). This particular scripture not only highlights the importance of listening to the spirit of God, but also provides a ripe feeding ground for an upcoming message selection for a discipleship venue. This source, which is taken from tradition in the form of a Bible verse, alludes to one of the principle components required for Christian discipleship -- which is, of course, an understanding of and an ability to move, think, act and feel within the lord's spirit and in accordance to his will. The interpretation of "spiritual truths" can largely influence how a disseminator selects a particular message, and can also be a particular lesson taught to disciples -- to aid them in their own ability to interpret spiritual understanding. This intrinsic sense of what is necessary to be communicated to an audience (Mitchell, 2010) should also be taught to an audience itself, so that it can understand and become closer to the spirit of God -- which is one of the main goals of virtually any disciple-maker's message.

By utilizing the aforementioned sources to impart this particular message -- to help further the understanding of the voice and spirit of God for disciples, so that they may heed and live a life in accordance to it -- it then becomes necessary to utilize the proper form to communicate this message. Of the four most widely used forms of communicating a message (the lesson's subject matter, class environment, student life experiences and those of the teacher as a model), the final two referenced would be of the utmost value in a particularly message such as the one described within this discourse. Student interaction and participation is an integral component of addressing a topic as vital and as personal as this one. As author George Barna has stated, "People are influence in many different ways and by different types of people" (Barna 2001, p.177). Still, it will be up to the educator to provide an experience from his own life to model the sort of inner understanding and heeding required for disciples to advance their spiritual study in this regard. By providing (ideally more than one) such experience in a form that is as ascertainable, or tangible, as possible, the disseminator will not only be forced to examine him or herself to see if he or she is a proper model for which the students should base their own spiritual understanding upon, but also provide an accurate representation of the lesson that is being imparted to the audience (Mitchell, 2010). By doing so, the disseminator will provide room for students to facilitate discussion and reflection upon a correlation between the disseminator's experiences and that of their own lives, which will ideally aid them in their ability to be able to become acquainted with and to practice this lesson.