“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”   Matthew 28:19

Recently, my wife Ellen, shared a Facebook post from an old friend. Our lives had intersected years ago, while she attended a church we pastored. At first she was very skeptical of anything that had to do with Christians, the church, or belief in God. In fact, the only reason she attended was that she “adored” the young man who was bringing her to church.

Over time they got married, had children, and regularly attended church. For several years she seemed to be growing in a relationship with Jesus. But then her marriage fell apart, and now she is far from God again.

I know there are always going to be those who receive the message, “but because they have no root . . . quickly fall away” (Mark 4:17). But what did Jesus have in mind when he told his disciples to go and make disciples? Is there anything we can do to help seekers become stronger disciples with a better foundation?

This question was rumbling around in my heart when I met a young Chinese man at our church block party last week. He just started visiting the church Ellen and I attend because one of our friends told him, “It’s a good place to make new friends.”

I have been thinking about being more intentional and more personal in my efforts to “make disciples”. So, Sunday when I saw him again at church, I decided to invited him to lunch.

We had a great Chinese meal at a very authentic Chinese restaurant that he picked out. He shared about the city in China where he grew up, how he met his wife, and of course he showed me pictures of his 15 month old son. Like all the other grandfathers, I couldn’t resist showing him pictures of my three grandsons!

Perhaps the most exciting thing is that he is interested in learning more about Jesus. Someone has suggested that “Discipleship starts with people who don’t yet know Jesus”. God willing, we’re both about to learn more of what that can look like!

Here are some important questions, I have been thinking about:

Where can I meet more seekers?

How do I go about finding out if they are open to learning more about Jesus?

What are some good first steps for helping them learn about Jesus?