I was chatting with a fellow disciple maker recently who asked my opinion of a specific curriculum they were hoping to use. It was a study of the book of James that included a great workbook as well as an audio message series to follow along. After talking about it for a bit, the conversation went to the reasons why we do what we do. How would this particular curriculum be beneficial? Would if fulfill the purposes of a disciple maker?

We talked again about the difference between a “typical bible study” versus an intentional discipling relationship. As one who is leading another on this journey, it is our ultimate goal to teach someone how to feed themselves spiritually so that they will one day be able to lead others. It is never good enough to pass on information that simply helps someone to understand and respond to the teachings of scripture.

As I have said in the past, I believe it is important to be going somewhere and that a predesigned curriculum can be very helpful in the process. However, how we engage with the curriculum will make all the difference.

So for this particular situation, I encouraged them to use the James study but with a twist. I asked them to first have everyone read the book of James in its entirety and come to the next gathering with their high level thoughts – what did they see, what were they hearing, what impacted them?

Next, they were to look at the study material and the verses it covered and come ready to discuss it.

After the discussion, then they were “allowed” to listen to the audio message, but not before they had had an opportunity to dig into the text for themselves and do the hard work of understanding what it had to say to their life circumstances.

My fear is that by listening to someone else speak on the text, they would never learn to feed themselves, that they would approach their study with the answers already in hand. This will not build a disciple, it will only keep someone in the camp of self-reliance.

We are called to lead others, and one of the indicators over time will be how many people that we have led are able to feed themselves spiritually and help others do the same. Nothing less will do.

Don’t take the easy way out. Don’t spoon feed. Push, prod and cajole those you are leading to never take short cuts. Help them to do the hard work of learning how to learn, you’ll never be disappointed. After all, that’s what you have done – expect nothing less from others.

For the kingdom.