“All Scripture is God-breathed… for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training.” — 2 Timothy 3:16
Early in my Christian walk, I had the privilege of being discipled by our senior pastor. I didn’t really know what to expect as we met every Wednesday at 2:00 in Pastor Tom’s study. One look at that room told its own story—three walls covered with floor to ceiling bookshelves, the unmistakable mark of a man who loved studying God’s Word and the kind of books that helped him live it out.
The first book we worked through together was Lewis Sperry Chafer’s Major Bible Themes. Before each meeting, I’d read the assigned chapter, look up dozens of verses, and answer more questions than I thought possible. Those afternoons marked out the trail of how to study Scripture. Pastor Tom never rushed, never preached—he simply listened, asked good questions, and pointed the way for a young believer trying to understand who God is and how to walk with Him.
application
Disciple-Makers want to be emulated, not applauded. They don’t draw attention to themselves—they live in such a way that the life of Christ is visible in the ordinary moments most men overlook.
He lets Scripture guide his steps. When life’s situations arise—bad news, a tough conversation, a moment of uncertainty—he quietly says, “Let’s pray,” showing that prayer is his first response, not a last resort. He doesn’t hide his failures; he models confession and repentance, proving that grace is something a man receives repeatedly, not once.
He serves without being asked. He treats pressure moments as opportunities, not interruptions—teachable spaces. His surrender isn’t dramatic; it’s steady. The way he lives his daily life becomes a discipleship lesson no classroom or curriculum could ever replace.
Men don’t need another influencer; they need a guide whose compass doesn’t shift with mood or moment—someone whose faithfulness points them toward Jesus.
live it out
A disciple-maker doesn’t cram verses into every conversation. He opens the Bible with men—not to impress them, but to show them the source of his strength and direction. Over time, they see that the trail is trustworthy not because he knows it well, but because God’s Word lights the path.
This is what makes a disciple-maker dependable: not knowing everything but drawing everything from the right source.
Consider this: “Is your influence rooted more in personal wisdom or in Scripture—and how would the men in your life know the difference?”
Traits describe the man God desires—
Paths develop the man God uses.
