You Could Be a Disciple: The Disciple Test

Oct 11, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Sins Covered Like Mud on a Pig

When sin is buried under the weight of grace, it becomes as invisible as a tractor hidden by overgrown weeds. True happiness comes not from perfection but from knowing every failure has been washed clean. This freedom isn’t about ignoring wrongs but resting in the certainty that God no longer tallies them against us. Like a pig wallering in mud, disciples find messy, wholehearted relief in the blood of Christ. Shame loses its grip when we trust the completeness of His covering. [28:32]

“Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”
(Romans 4:7-8, NIV)

Reflection: What sin have you been dragging into the light for re-examination, forgetting Christ already buried it? How might embracing His covering shift your posture today?

Day 2: Peace in the Midst of Storms

Peace isn’t the absence of chaos but the presence of a Father holding the reins. Suffering still stings, but disciples recognize it as a chisel shaping hope rather than a verdict of abandonment. Like a weathered farmer trusting rain will come, peace roots itself in the finished work of the cross. This assurance lets tears and laughter coexist, knowing storms don’t define the forecast of eternity. [29:45]

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”
(Romans 5:1, NIV)

Reflection: Where are you mistaking temporary turbulence for eternal instability? How might clinging to “access” rather than outcomes steady your heart?

Day 3: Joy Rooted in Unshakable Love

Joy thrives when love isn’t earned but lavished. God didn’t wait for polished resumes or fixed habits to send Christ. He chose the mess, the rebellion, the half-hearted prayers. Like a teenager giddy over a first crush, disciples find joy in being pursued before proving worth. This love isn’t a transaction but a wildfire, igniting even in life’s driest seasons. [32:22]

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
(Romans 5:8, NIV)

Reflection: When has conditional love left you weary? How might living as God’s “preapproved” child reshape your capacity for joy?

Day 4: Praying with a Child’s “Daddy”

Prayer becomes rebellion when “Abba” replaces formality. Slaves stammer; children crawl into laps. Disciples don’t negotiate with a distant CEO but wrestle with a Father who laughs at their mud-stained knees. Like a cat napping on a Bible, prayer is less about eloquence than claiming proximity. The Spirit’s whisper turns rote words into homecoming. [34:11]

“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’”
(Romans 8:15, NIV)

Reflection: When did prayer last feel like a duty rather than a doorway? What would change if you approached God as “Daddy” instead of “Director”?

Day 5: Ashamed of the Past, Alive in Freedom

Shame over yesterday’s chains proves they’ve been broken. Disciples don’t boast about their prison breaks but walk quietly in the light of emancipation. Like a healed paralytic still feeling phantom aches, freedom isn’t the absence of memory but the presence of purpose. Testimonies weaponize past pain, turning Satan’s taunts into trophies of grace. [52:28]

“When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.”
(Romans 6:20-22, NIV)

Reflection: What chapter of your story feels too messy to share? How might offering it as proof of Christ’s redemption disarm both your shame and someone else’s despair?

Sermon Summary

Jesus begins with all authority in heaven and earth and then gives the command to go make disciples. Jesus does not ask anybody to make disciples without first becoming one. Romans becomes a kind of mirror for seeing whether a life is lining up with Christ or just carrying the name.

Forgiveness brings a happiness that is deeper than giggling, jokes, or good circumstances. Romans says blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven and whose sins are covered, because the Lord will not count those sins against them. A disciple can hurt, cry, and have trouble, yet still know down in the heart, “He is mine and I am His.”

Justification through faith gives peace with God, even when suffering rattles the cage. Romans says suffering produces perseverance, perseverance builds character, and character brings hope. God does not always fix every problem or take every pain away, but His grace walks His children through it.

Christ’s love gives joy because He died for sinners in the middle of their ugliness. Christ did not wait for anybody to get it right before He loved them. The Holy Spirit also changes prayer from empty words into time with Abba, Daddy. The Spirit testifies with the believer’s spirit that they are God’s children, and prayer becomes a place to waller in God’s presence until every part gets covered.

God’s Word is not meant to sit dusty and untouched, even if nobody puts anything on top of the Bible. Romans calls the law of God a delight because God’s commands protect His children and give strength against the enemy. The Word should be read to know Jesus better, not to win a contest, meet a quota, or get through a list.

The inward conflict against sin is not proof of failure. Romans shows that the Spirit leads God’s children to put to death the misdeeds of the body, while Satan wages war against those who belong to Christ. Testimony puts Satan down because the blood of the Lamb and the word of testimony overcome him.

Shame over a former sinful life differs from guilt that refuses Christ’s forgiveness. Romans says sin leads to death, while slavery to God leads to holiness and eternal life. A disciple does not brag about old sin but gives God glory for bringing victory.

Christ calls His people to be good disciples in the little world around them. Christ sends them toward family, coworkers, friends, enemies, and whoever watches their lives. The battle is not against flesh and blood, and love must still be shown when people are hard to love.

Key Takeaways

1. Forgiveness creates a settled kind of happiness
Romans roots blessedness in sins forgiven, covered, and no longer counted against the believer. This happiness does not depend on whether a day feels easy. Christ’s blood gives the heart a reason to rejoice even when tears are still falling. [28:32]
2. Peace holds steady in suffering
God’s peace does not mean trouble never comes or anxiety never knocks. Christ gives access to the Father by grace, and that access remains open in pain. Suffering can become a place where perseverance, character, and hope grow instead of a place where faith dies. [30:00]
3. Prayer makes God personally near
The Spirit of sonship gives believers the right to cry, “Abba, Father,” even “Daddy.” Prayer is more than reciting familiar words while the mind wanders somewhere else. The Spirit draws God’s children close enough to know that they belong to Him. [34:11]
4. God’s Word protects against the enemy
God’s commands are not meant to make life smaller or joyless. The Word guards believers from paths that wound and destroy, while giving strength for spiritual battle. Delight in Scripture grows when reading becomes a way of knowing Jesus rather than checking off a duty. [39:46]
5. Testimony turns past defeat into victory
Satan loves to remind believers of what they once were and where they failed. Revelation answers those accusations through the blood of the Lamb and the word of testimony. A redeemed life does not glorify old sin, but it does boldly tell what Christ has done. [49:07]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[23:47] - You Might Be a Redneck
[25:54] - Jesus Commands Disciple Making
[27:22] - You Could Be a Disciple
[28:10] - Happiness Through Forgiveness
[29:23] - Peace With God in Suffering
[31:32] - Joy Because Christ Loved Sinners
[33:37] - Praying in the Spirit
[37:42] - Delighting in God’s Word
[46:25] - The Inward Conflict of Discipleship
[48:47] - Overcoming Through Testimony
[51:17] - Shame, Sin, and Eternal Life
[54:47] - The Disciple Test
[58:21] - Becoming a Good Disciple
[1:00:56] - Prayer for Ready Disciples

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 28:18-20
“Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” [26:01]

Romans 4:7-8
“Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.” [28:32]

Romans 5:1-5
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” [29:35]

Observation questions

In Matthew 28:18–20, what does Jesus say about His authority before He tells His followers to go and make disciples? [26:04]
According to Romans 4:7–8, what three things are true of the person whose sins have been forgiven? [28:32]
In Romans 5:1–5, what does faith in Christ give believers access to, and what chain of growth can come through suffering? [29:35]
What signs of discipleship were named: peace in trouble, joy in Christ’s love, prayer in the Spirit, delight in God’s Word, inward conflict against sin, and a testimony of victory? [55:24]

Interpretation questions

Jesus commands His people to make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to obey Him. Why does a person’s own walk with Christ matter when they are trying to help someone else follow Jesus? [27:42]
Romans 4 says forgiven people are blessed because their sins are covered and no longer counted against them. How is that settled happiness different from simply having a good day or an easy life? [28:18]
Romans 5 connects suffering with perseverance, character, and hope. How can a believer have real peace with God while still feeling grief, pain, or anxiety in a hard season? [30:31]
The struggle against sin is described as part of spiritual battle, not as a reason to give up. How can a person tell the difference between fighting sin by the Spirit and making peace with sin? [48:26]

Application questions

When trouble rattles your cage—whether it is physical pain, family hurt, money worries, or fear—what helps you remember, “He is mine and I am His”? What is one situation where you need to bring that peace of God into your heart this week? [30:41]
Forgiveness gives a deeper happiness than good circumstances can give. Is there an old failure or sin that you still carry as though God is holding it against you? How can you remind yourself of Christ’s forgiveness without excusing sin or returning to it? [28:47]
Prayer is meant to be personal time with Abba, Father, not just words repeated while the mind is somewhere else. What tends to distract or flatten your prayer life, and what simple change could help you slow down and honestly talk with God? [56:36]
God’s Word is meant to help us know Jesus and stand against the enemy, not simply to complete a reading goal. What usually keeps you from opening the Bible, and what kind of reading plan, place, or time would help you delight in it more? [46:02]
Is there an inward conflict right now between what you want to do and what God is calling you to do? What would obedience look like in one clear, practical step? [50:30]
What part of your story shows that Christ has brought you through something? How can you share that testimony in a way that gives glory to Jesus instead of bragging about the old life? [50:20]
Think about the people in your “little world”—family, coworkers, neighbors, friends, or even someone difficult to love. Who may be watching how you respond, and how can you show them Jesus with both truth and love this week? [01:01:43]

Sermon Clips

39s

#PeaceInTheStorm

“But at the same time, even in your despair, in your tears, you know in your heart that you are his and he is yours. is the peace that we can have. It reminds us we can have peace in the midst of our suffering because we know that God is in control when his disciples have his grace. And it may even be that his grace is sufficient. He don't fix all of our problems. He don't take them all away. He just walks with us through them. That is peace.”

33s

#ForgivenAndFree

“That would create happiness. If you know, folks, that your sins are under the blood, you know that you know that your transgressions are forgiven, your sins have been covered, and the lord will never count them against you. If you know that, you should be on your feet shouting, glory this morning, because that should make you happy. you gotta keep those sins under the blood and not return to them.”

31s

#LovedDespiteFailure

“No one you was gonna mess it up. Don't you love that? He looked down in the future, and he saw me, and he said, that girl is not gonna get it right half the time, but I love her anyway. She's gonna try, and I'm gonna die for her. Wee. I believe that. I believe that he thinks that about me. Me. You gotta think that he believes that, that he said that, that he would do that just for you.”

23s

#SpiritualBattle

“But at the same time, you want us to read it, you want us to pray, and now you want us to have inward conflict. Yes. I do. Because it's a good sign that you are a disciple. There would be no conflict if you were not a disciple because Satan would already have you, and he'd have no reason to wage a war with you.”

23s

#DiscipleshipJourney

42s

#PastGrace

“You could be a disciple if you're ashamed of your past. That does not mean I still feel guilty. I still feel bad. I wish the lord could forgive me. He has. But you ain't bragging about it. You ever see anybody like that? They give their heart to the lord, but their story is what they used to do. I could get drunker than anybody and act like a idiot. But it's the truth. They wanna brag about what they've come from and what they did, not in a way that they're giving the lord praise, but, you know, I could fight better than anybody in a bar. I could punch them out good. Well, that ain't giving the lord no glory.”

36s

#BibleReading

“And so that might be a good thing, and that might keep you focused. But I tell you what, my thing is just read it. Just read some. You know, you may have more time some days than others, and you can sit down and just waller in it. There's other days when I can get me a psalm in, something to get me going. There's times I pick that little thing up out, that little bread thing. Anybody else got them little? It looks like a little thing of bread and you take out a scripture. So often that fits my day. But if that's all you get, folks, read his word.”

44s

#GodsPresence

“If you're living in sin, then you'll go to sleep and wake up dying forever. Ain't that a horrible thought? My worst thing about that is you won't be in the presence of god. Not having God's presence, I have gone, you know, like you pray and you don't feel anything, and I know he's with me, but I don't sense it. It's the most miserable thing that I've ever experienced since being a Christian, is not feeling his presence. And to live that way daily, I cannot imagine. Dying forever sounds horrible, but away from his presence is just not something I ever want to experience.”

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