Hey friend,

Have you ever wondered what the point of all this is?

Not just church. I mean all of it. Why are we here? What are we actually supposed to spend our lives doing? We fill our calendars, build careers, raise families, chase goals, make money, take vacations, watch another season of our favorite show, scroll way too long on our phones, and somehow hope that somewhere in the middle of all of it, we’re doing what actually matters.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how simple Jesus made the answer.

At the end of His time on earth, Jesus gathered His disciples and gave them what we now call the Great Commission: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28:19)

Make disciples.

It’s easy to hear that phrase and immediately turn it into a church word. Something pastors talk about. Something small groups do. Something missionaries do. Something we put in our church vision statement.

But Jesus wasn’t giving His disciples a suggestion for a ministry program. He was giving them a mission for their lives.

And if we’re honest, I wonder if we’ve made the Christian life much more complicated than Jesus ever intended.

We can spend a tremendous amount of energy on things that, while not necessarily bad, can easily become distractions from the things that matter most. We can obsess over preferences, programs, buildings, budgets, schedules, traditions, platforms, and even what kind of church experience we create. We can spend hours debating things that won’t matter in eternity while the people around us are searching for hope, purpose, forgiveness, and something real.

What if we went all in on making disciples?

What if we became the kind of people who genuinely believed that the greatest news in the history of the world is worth sharing? Not because we’re trying to check a religious box. Not because we’re trying to grow a church. But because we actually believe that Jesus changes everything.

Think about the people you interact with every week. Your coworkers. Your neighbors. Your friends. Your family. The person sitting next to you at your kid’s sporting event. The person you see at the coffee shop. The person who keeps showing up in your life that you’ve never really taken the time to know.

Every one of them is carrying a story. Every one of them has questions. Every one of them has a soul.

And eternity is not an abstract idea for them.

That changes the way we see people.

If we really believe the Gospel is the greatest news ever, then making disciples can't just be something we say is important. It has to become something we actually do.

And maybe that starts with a pretty simple question: What would change if I started treating the people around me like they actually mattered for eternity?

Maybe I’d slow down enough to listen. Maybe I’d ask better questions. Maybe I’d stop being so afraid of bringing up Jesus. Maybe I’d invite someone to church. Maybe I’d start praying for the people I interact with every day by name. Maybe I’d stop waiting for someone else to have the spiritual conversation and realize that God has already put me in their life for a reason.

I think sometimes we’re waiting for some huge opportunity to make a difference, when disciple-making usually happens through ordinary people having ordinary conversations and taking small steps of obedience over and over again.

Paul said it this way: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1)

That’s discipleship.

It’s not just teaching someone information about Jesus. It’s inviting someone into a life of following Jesus with you.

And maybe that's why this matters so much to me right now. I don't want to spend my life doing a lot of things that look important but miss the thing Jesus actually told us to do.

I want to go all in.
I want to see people know Jesus.
I want to help people take their next step toward Him.
I want to invest in people who will eventually invest in other people.

I want to see our church become less concerned with “How do we get more people to come?” and more concerned with “How do we help the people God has already put around us become more like Jesus?”

Because when you really think about it, that's the kind of thing that multiplies.

One person follows Jesus. Then they help someone else follow Jesus. That person helps someone else. And suddenly what started with one ordinary person saying yes to Jesus begins reaching people that person will never even meet.

That's the beauty of the mission.

So this week, I'm asking myself a pretty uncomfortable question:

Am I actually making disciples, or am I just staying busy doing Christian things?

Because those aren't necessarily the same thing.

Maybe you need to ask yourself that question too.

What if we went all in?

Jesus gave us a mission.

And the people around us need the message.

So let's take it seriously.

Not perfectly. Not obnoxiously. Not with pressure or weirdness. Just faithfully.

Let's love people well. Let's point people to Jesus. Let's help people follow Him. And then let's help them do the same for someone else.

Because if Jesus really is who He says He is, there is nothing more important we could spend our lives doing.

“Go and make disciples.”

Maybe the point of all this is simpler than we think.

Let's go.
Let's make disciples.
Let's go all in.

Weekly Resources

Made New A 7-Day Devotional for Your New Life in Christ Made New is a short, powerful 7-day devotional designed to help you take your next steps in following Jesus. Whether you’re brand new to faith or simply ready to take your next step, this devotional will help you build a foundation that lasts. Available on Amazon

God Can Restore What Seems Lost Elisha | Week 4 What do you do when you feel like something in your life is lost? Maybe it’s hope, purpose, confidence, or even your sense of direction. In this final message of our Elisha sermon series, Derek Fey reminds us that God can restore what seems lost. Available on Youtube

Judah Smith Is More Interested in Reaching the World Than Building a Bigger Church Relevant Magazine - relevantmagazine.com Read Here

So this week, I'm asking myself one simple question: Who is God already putting in my life that I could help take one step closer to Jesus?

Maybe start there.

Pray for them. Reach out to them. Listen to their story. Invite them into your life. Have the conversation you've been putting off.

You don't have to change the world this week.

Just be faithful with the people God has already put in your world.

Because the mission isn't complicated.

Love people. Point them to Jesus. Make disciples.

Let's go all in.

Praying,
Ryan