Somehow my thinking has been warped.  I don't know how I got it into my head that I could just teach someone a series of five or ten lessons and they would be a strong NT Christian.  If there was a series of lessons, a ready formula for making a NT Christian, don't you think Peter or Paul or Jesus would have loaned us the material?  Instead, we have the Bible.  Yes, the entire Bible.  Here's a person we want to teach - where do we start?  Do we always start in the same place with every person?  If we do, it sounds like we think we have a formula.  We may have missed something integral in the teaching process.

1) Get to know the person.  Often we don't do this because it's just so hard.  It takes time to learn what a person needs.  It takes effort to wade through their issues and problems.  It takes (ulp!) love to discover what their likes and dislikes are.  But if we don't know the person, we won't know how to minister to that person in a helpful way.

2) Realize true discipleship takes time.  I was reading today about Jesus at the beginning of Matthew and it struck me: He spent three years in close contact with 12 men.  Did they know everything they needed to know at the end of those three years?  No!  There was still more to come.  More revelation, more learning, more instruction.  You'd think Jesus could have taught them everything they needed to know in three years!  Apparently, we human beings take a long time to get some things. 

3) Realize we can't force Christianity on anyone.  After three years of teaching, one of those twelve didn't make it.  The Master Teacher actually lost one of only 12 men.  How could this be possible?  Because Judas made his own choices, and he chose to leave the Lord.  I can't stand it when, after weeks of working with someone in a bible study they finally just fade away and don't come back for more.  Was it something I said?  Was it their choice?  Why couldn't they see the wonders and beauties of NT Christianity?  I mustn't think I'm a better teacher than Jesus Christ, that I will convert every person who speaks with me.  Jesus taught a lot more than just those 12 men, and those 12 men went on to teach many more.  The MAJORITY of those who heard the gospel message did not respond.  But there were some who did - and those are who we want to find!

Like the sower of Jesus' parable, we should constantly be broadcasting the gospel message.  Then let's see who is good soil and who is not.  The good soil will produce fruit at some point.

Nathan