“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19–20 NLT)

As Christians, we need to not only seek to win people to Jesus Christ, but also help them get on their feet spiritually so that they can move on in their relationship with Him. We are called not just to convert but also to make disciples.

Jesus said, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19–20 NLT).

Somewhere along the line, we have separated evangelism from discipleship. But God wants us to not only lead people to Christ but also to help them get on their feet spiritually.

I am so thankful that God brought a person like this to me. Shortly after my commitment to Christ, I didn’t know a lot of Christians. I wasn’t acclimating very well. I was in that awkward stage where I didn’t feel totally comfortable with Christians, but I didn’t want to hang out with my old friends either.

Then one day a guy named Mark came up to me and introduced himself. He brought me to church and introduced me to other Christians. He told me what to read and what it meant. I had so many questions, and he patiently explained things to me. He helped me make that transition. He made a difference in my life.

Every Christian can fill a similar role in the life of a new believer. That prospect may seem daunting to some people because they don’t feel equipped to disciple others. They convince themselves that it’s a job for “experts,” little realizing that they are the experts whom God has equipped to fulfill that responsibility.

Transparency is the key. You can introduce a new believer to the realities of the Christian life, as opposed to certain idealized (and unrealistic) portrayals of it. You can show a new believer the struggles, setbacks, and victories—big and small—that come from spending time in God’s Word, engaging in regular prayer, sharing your faith with others, and making daily choices that honor God.

Maybe God hasn’t called you to be a preacher or to lead worship, but you can be a friend to someone who has recently made a commitment to Christ. You can hang out with them. You can show them what a real Christian is like in the real world.

Reflection question: How can you help a new believer understand what it means to live for Christ? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:35 NLT)

Before I became a believer, one of the things that attracted me to the Christian faith was the way Christians loved each other.

I was raised in the 1960s, when the hippie and drug culture was coming on strong. We wore peace symbols and used words like groovy. We talked incessantly about love and peace. But it was a sham. There was no love or peace—at least, not as we envisioned it. It didn’t take me long to recognize the hypocrisy at the heart of the counterculture.

Having been raised in a broken home, I wanted love and peace, and I thought maybe the movements of the 1960s were where I needed to look. I tried to buy into their philosophies for a time, not because I was looking for a buzz or excitement, but because I was looking for meaning in life.

But nothing really resonated with me until I started meeting Christians. They had the love and peace I was searching for. They would get together for Bible studies on my high school campus, and I would watch them hug each other and say, “God bless you.”

I thought, “This can’t be real. They can’t really care about each other. There’s no way.” But as I kept watching them, it started bugging me. And then I thought, “What if they’re right and I’m wrong? What if the love is real and not an act? What if God really is living inside them? What if they have the truth? If that’s true, then I don’t have it, and I don’t have the answers. That means I need to hear what they have to say.”

Jesus understood that need and longing for genuine love. That’s why He told His followers, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:35 NLT).

That love for one another doesn’t always come naturally. Nor should it. Nothing worthwhile is easy. They say politics makes strange bedfellows but so does the Christian faith. Jesus urged His followers to “go and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19 NLT). That involves bringing people together from all walks of life—people who are culturally, politically, socioeconomically, and temperamentally different from one another. In other words, people with little in common.

The apostle Paul wrote, “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28 NLT). Yet the prejudices and misunderstandings that exist between these disparate groups don’t magically disappear when people come to Christ. Believers must work to change their thinking, to reach out to people who are different from them, to tear down walls and build bridges. To show love.

Can people see that kind of love in your life? When people of different ages, backgrounds, and cultures set aside differences and come together to worship in the name of Jesus Christ, it serves as a powerful testimony to a world that is more divided than ever.

Reflection question: What does love for other believers look like in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.” (Matthew 7:20 NLT)

Are you a disciple of Jesus Christ? Not every Christian necessarily is. Some people go no further than making a decision to accept Christ as Savior. They treat their Christian faith as an eternal life insurance policy or a “Get out of Hell free” card. They will take a few steps in their walk with Christ, but only if the path is smooth or the route is pleasant.

In their reluctance to commit wholeheartedly, however, they don’t get to experience the transformative power of discipleship. When you submit to becoming a disciple of Christ—to live as He lived, to love as He loved, and to prioritize what He prioritized—you will see things happen in your life that are unimaginable otherwise. And you won’t be the only one who sees those things happening in your life.

A disciple of Jesus Christ will bring forth spiritual fruit. Jesus said, “When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father” (John 15:8 NLT). He also said, “Just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions” (Matthew 7:20 NLT). If you’re a disciple of Jesus Christ, people will be able to tell based on the spiritual fruit they see in your life.

In the parable of the sower, Jesus talks about seeds falling on different kinds of ground. Each type of ground represents a different reaction to the gospel. The final type represents people who bring forth fruit after hearing the gospel. “And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” (Mark 4:20 NLT). Those who last as disciples spiritually embrace this truth and produce spiritual fruit.

Spiritual fruit makes itself known in a variety of ways. The author of Hebrews says, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name” (13:15 NIV). Praising God is a way of producing spiritual fruit.

What we say is also evidence of the spiritual fruit in our lives. Jesus said, “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart” (Luke 6:45 NLT).

Our change in conduct and character is also a type of spiritual fruit. Galatians 5:22–23 tells us, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” (NLT).

Can people see these traits in your life? A Christian’s life should be characterized by these things. Are you bringing forth spiritual fruit?

Reflection question: What spiritual fruit do you want people to see in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

Support the show: https://harvest.org/support

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.