I am a disciple of Granny Baker

My Grandmother Baker, in my opinion, made the best pumpkin pie I have ever eaten. At thanksgiving she made 6-8 pumpkin pies because my cousin and I loved them. After Thanksgiving dinner, my cousin and I would cut a pie in half, sharing a whole pie together.

As she got older I knew that I had to learn how to make this pie. So I asked her for the recipe. It said things like "6-8 eggs," "almost two cans of milk," and "1 1/2 to 3 teaspoons of a certain spice." There is a big difference between 6 and 8 eggs. What does it mean "almost 2 cans of milk?" If I just sat down and followed the recipe only by chance would it taste like her pie.

So, I asked her to show me how to make the punpkin pie. It took me two times. The first time I just watched her make them. The second time she walked me through the process. It was the second time I learned the secrect. She said, "Now taste it and see if it taste right." That was not said in the recipe. She did not tell me that when she showed me how. It happened when I worked beside her. Now I make the best pumpkin pie. I am a disciple of my Grandmother Baker.

Becoming a disciple that disciples others is not an option. Followers of Jesus will naturally have discipleship as part of their DNA. Our problem is that we do not understand how to "make disciples." We see that Jesus says "go and make disciples . . . teaching them." We get stuck on the "teaching" part of what Jesus says.

When we hear the word "teaching" we think of a classroom setting where some stands up and lectures. Or we think of sitting down one on one with someone passing on the knowledge we have gained from others or a book. But the kind of teaching Jesus did was different than those two pictures. Jesus taught by living out what He was trying to teach. Yeah, there were times he told stories or taught principles about the kingdom of God, but it would have had little effect if he had not lived it out. Jesus taught by example. Jesus taught through relationship. He worked beside his disciples teaching them as they go.

In the Bible Paul says, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1). How are you doing? Are you showing the example of Christ as you are following Him?