How To Disciple Well
Katia Adams • July 23, 2018
Much of the Church places a high value on discipleship, but it’s not always done well. In this video, I share two keys which will help you disciple people with intentionality and effectiveness.
– Transcript
Hi guys. I just wanted to share two thoughts around discipling and mentoring with you. This is something I get asked about quite a lot. So I wanted to share the two keys that I found most helpful in discipling and mentoring other people. And the first is around being family together and the second is about keeping people accountable for their destiny. So firstly, family. I think historically, in the church we’ve done a lot of discipleship that’s been meeting-based, organizing time to do Bible studies together or I don’t know, prayer meetings together and it’s not that that’s bad.
It’s just that there’s a lot of fruitfulness that comes from inviting people into family and into life with us. I find it incredibly empowering where I’ve invited people into my space, into my life and they can see the good and the bad. They can see the weaknesses and the successes and when we see in the Gospels that’s how Jesus did discipleship. He invited people in to life with him and to journey with him so that they could learn from his everyday circumstances. And so I wanna encourage you if you’re doing discipling, invite people into life with you, into family with you where they can see you with your kids maybe, and your spouse, and just journey together in everyday life moments, dropping grace moments, lots of empowering conversation in your everyday life. And the second thing is accountability.
I think in the past, maybe, we’ve done a lot of accountability around sin and around weakness, getting together on a weekly basis talking about the things we’ve gone wrong with and asking for prayer about our sins, and I think that puts the focus on the negative rather than putting the focus on the destiny that God has spoken over us. And Graham Cooke talks about Ephesians 4, where it says speaking the truth in love to one another and he makes the point that truth isn’t an idea. He’s a person and He lives inside of you and me.
Jesus lives inside of you and me, and so that verse in Ephesians isn’t about getting to criticize one another and then saying, “Oh, I was doing it out of love.” But is rather about speaking Christ-likeness into one another, reminding one another who we are and who we’ve been made to be. And so I want to encourage you in your discipling, create accountability around destiny, not around sin. Create accountability around greatness, not around weakness. And as we remind one another who God has made us to be and who lives inside of us, then actually sin and weakness fade away because we’re focusing on the glory that God has put on us, the glory that He’s put in us for the transformation of everything around us. And so do family, do accountability around destiny. That’s the most exciting way to do discipling.
If you want to grow in the prophetic, it doesn’t begin with what you say. It begins with what you see. The prophetic is rooted in perception. Not just natural insight, but spiritual awareness—what Scripture calls “the eyes of your heart.” Paul prayed that the church in Ephesus would have their hearts enlightened so they could truly see what God was doing. “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you…” (Ephesians 1:18) God isn’t distant or withholding. But if we’re going to hear Him clearly, we have to see differently. We need Heaven’s perspective. And that means learning to quiet the noise, tune into His voice, and let Him train our inner vision. You don’t need to wait for a dramatic vision or audible voice. Often, God speaks through a nudge. A mental picture. A scripture that lingers. A sense of burden or joy that feels holy. These are the first signs that your spiritual eyesight is awakening. But it takes time. It takes attention. It takes trust. Just like physical muscles grow with use, your spiritual senses grow as you spend time with Him—not just talking, but listening. Not just asking for answers, but asking for His perspective. You were never meant to live according to what the world says is true. You were meant to live by every word that flows from the mouth of God. A Prayer for This Week: “Lord, open the eyes of my heart. Teach me to see what You see—not just in others, but in myself, in my circumstances, in the world around me. Give me clarity and confidence to trust Your perspective more than my own. Amen.” This week, pay attention to what you notice. The way you see is often the way He speaks.
In this live session, Sean Smith and Julian Adams share their prophetic perspectives on 2025, offering honest reflections on what they sense God is doing across the earth. With hope and expectancy, they discuss the spiritual landscape ahead and how we can prepare for what’s to come.
We are living in a world of dramatic change. The relentless pace of development often leaves us breathless and exhausted. The demand for innovative ways of communicating, inventing, and staying ahead of cultural trends can feel daunting and demoralizing. It can push us into a space where we find ourselves trying to copy rather than be authentic, to imitate rather than create. This pressure can lead us to believe that we need to be more creative, and that our individual stories do not matter. But nothing could be further from the truth. Your story, no matter how small, matters and is powerful. One of the remarkable aspects of ancient manuscripts, like the Bible, is that they tell the stories of individuals whose lives may seem small and insignificant. Yet, God chose to make their lives a memorial of what He could do with a life that the world deems insignificant. The incredible power of the gospel is that it changes lives one at a time. God is as interested in the individual story as He is in redeeming the cosmos. The aim of the gospel is not just dealing with personal sin; it is about restoring individuals to a relationship with a kind Father. In his book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis beautifully said, "The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God." Justification addresses our standing before God, but our adoption invites us into a relationship with the Father. It allows us to partake of who He is and to live in a place of deep joy from who He is. Romans 3:23 reminds us that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Many of us forget that the work of salvation has turned this verse around. Through Jesus, we have been restored to the glory of God. One description of the word "glory" refers to the divine quality, the unspoken manifestation of God, and splendor. It is the revelation of God's intrinsic worth and beauty. Do you see that? We have been restored to His divine quality, splendor, and beauty. In a world where it can be easy to feel like just another face in the crowd, remember that your story is significant. Your experiences, your journey, and your voice matter. Embrace the unique narrative God has given you and let it shine. You are not just a spectator; you are a vital participant in God's grand story. Your authenticity, creativity, and individuality are valuable. As you navigate the rapid changes of our world, hold on to the truth that your story has power and purpose. God sees you, knows you, and has a plan for your life that is uniquely yours. Let us celebrate the beauty and significance of each individual story, knowing that together, we contribute to a tapestry of divine splendor and glory.