Sometimes we think that making disciples is a complicated endeavor. In reality, it can be fairly simple. Keith and Kate Pepsny pioneered a Navigator ministry at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, and are now directing a new ministry at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. Keith recently shared a bit about how simple it can be to make disciples.
When I was in the eighth grade, a fellow named Doug began investing in my life. It was simple. Heād invite me to his house and weād have dinner with his family, and once a week weād do a simple Bible study together.
Years later I have the privilege of doing the same thing with college students in the Pacific Northwest. At Oregon State University I met a student named Justināa very ambitious guy and although he wasnāt a follower of Jesus, he wanted to invest in the life of someone else, so he volunteered at the local Boys and Girls Club.
One day over coffee I told him that what he was doing was really great. Then I told him about an old proverb that said, āHe who walks with wise men will be wise . . .ā (Proverbs 13:20, NASB). I confided that I was always looking for someone in whom I can invest my lifeāas well as for someone who will invest in me. In fact, I had been specifically praying that God would āgive me people out of the worldā (John 17:6).
The next morning he told me, āYou know that Proverbs thing? I want someone to help me and invest in me!ā So I did three simple things with Justin, and they are things that anybody can doāLife, Word and Prayer.
I spent time with Justin. Weād play basketball and Iād invite him to the house, and weād have meals together. I simply spent time with him building a relationship.
Thenāeven though he wasnāt following Jesus, yetāIād occasionally share a nugget from Godās Wordāknowing that it would not return to Him empty (Isaiah 55:10).
But I was most passionate about praying for Justin. I didnāt want him to just love or trust meāI knew it was important that he trust in Jesus. So Iād ask him what I could pray about for him and then do itāeven though he had little concept of what prayer was all about.
When Justin came to faith in Christ he immediately began to focus on those same three things with his fraternity brothers. Heād hang out with them, expose them to Godās Word, and ask them what he could pray about for them. It was that simple.
I finally asked him, āHow do you know how to do this?ā He responded, āKeith, youāve been doing this with me for the last couple of years!ā Now that heās living and working in New York, Justin is still passionate about helping others. When he sees the guys he used to minister with at Oregon State University, he still asks them, āWho are you influencing?ā
Itās so simple.
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