Making Disciples - Pastor Jake Dyck

Devotional

Day 1: Go With All Authority

Jesus stood on a Galilean hillside, resurrection scars still visible. Eleven disciples knelt in the dirt as He declared, “All authority is given to Me.” He sent them to baptize, teach, and make disciples of all nations. The same hands that calmed storms now commissioned fishermen to storm the world with grace. [28:52]

This command still echoes where air-conditioned churches and makeshift tents gather believers. Jesus’ authority outlasts empires, cultures, and pandemic closures. He doesn’t need perfect programs – just willing hearts to go where feet, phones, or prison ministries can reach.

Your street, workplace, and family dinner table are modern “nations” needing disciples. Who have you assumed someone else would reach? What ordinary space could become your mission field this week?

“Jesus came and told his disciples, ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’”
(Matthew 28:18-20, NLT)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to show you one person beyond your usual circle who needs His love today.
Challenge: Text a believer serving in missions – prison, overseas, or local – with a specific encouragement.

Day 2: Scars and Stories

The woman at the well ran to town shouting, “Come meet a man who told me everything!” Paul listed his sufferings like badges proving Christ’s power. Your stretch marks, surgical scars, or grief lines all trace where God rebuilt you. [37:48]

Jesus transforms wounds into testimonies. Shared stories bypass arguments – a mother’s postpartum depression survived through prayer, a neighbor’s bankruptcy met by provision. These lived parables make disciples faster than theological debates.

What chapter of your story have you hidden under shame? Write three sentences about a time God met you in crisis. Who needs to hear that hope more than perfect platitudes?

“Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”
(Matthew 5:16, NLT)

Prayer: Confess one fear that keeps you silent about your faith journey.
Challenge: Tell a coworker or cashier one specific sentence about how God helped you this week.

Day 3: Lois, Eunice, and You

Timothy’s faith first flickered in grandmother Lois’ prayers, then caught flame through mother Eunice’s courage. Three generations of women passed the torch while Roman persecution raged. Their kitchen-table discipleship outlived Nero’s empire. [44:01]

God still uses ordinary families to shape eternity. Bedtime Bible stories, grace before meals, and apologies after parental meltdowns all mold Christ-followers. Your imperfect consistency matters more than sporadic perfection.

What daily rhythm – car rides, dishwashing, or walks – could become your family’s Deuteronomy 6 moment? How might your spiritual stumbles model redemption better than fake righteousness?

“I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you.”
(2 Timothy 1:5, NLT)

Prayer: Thank God for one faith influencer in your lineage, living or gone.
Challenge: Write a child’s name and one Scripture promise; post it where you’ll pray daily.

Day 4: Doorposts and Daily Walks

Moses told parents to bind God’s words on doorposts, hands, and foreheads. Not for show, but to weave faith into bread-baking, child-disciplining, and harvest-working. Holiness thrives in the mundane. [44:56]

Jesus later ate with sinners, healed during walks, and taught from fishing boats. Discipleship isn’t a program – it’s breathing Scripture into soccer practices, spreadsheet frustrations, and sleepless nights.

Where have you compartmentalized “faith time” from “real life”? What chore or routine could become worship if offered prayerfully?

“Repeat [God’s commands] again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.”
(Deuteronomy 6:7, NLT)

Prayer: Ask God to transform one mundane task today into an act of worship.
Challenge: Set a phone reminder to pray for your family at three routine moments (meals, commutes, etc.).

Day 5: Mothers and Midnight Prayers

Hannah wept for a child. Mary stored miracles in her heart. Jochebed hid Moses in reeds. Scripture honors women who prayed desperate prayers, then released their children to God’s dangerous purposes. [54:43]

A mother’s intercession is spiritual warfare. Every whispered “keep them safe” and “make them brave” echoes through heaven. These prayers outlive her – shaping grandchildren she’ll never meet, ministries she won’t see.

What burden have you stopped praying about because results seem delayed? How might trusting God’s timing transform your anxiety into expectancy?

“I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!”
(Psalm 116:1-2, NLT)

Prayer: Name one loved one’s struggle; ask God for specific intervention before bedtime.
Challenge: Call a spiritual mother figure – biological or adopted – to thank them for their prayers.

Sermon Summary

We gather around the clear commission of Jesus in Matthew 28 and commit ourselves to make disciples of all nations. We take his authority seriously and act on his command to go, baptize, and teach. We recognize that disciple making moves through public proclamation and ordinary conversation. We preach and teach so people can hear, believe, and call on Christ, and we also pursue everyday relationships where faith becomes visible in real life.

We refuse to confine the church to a building. The church consists of people who meet in many contexts, from air conditioned rooms to tents and outdoor gatherings. We adapt our methods without changing the message. We attend to local needs and also cross cultural boundaries because the gospel reaches beyond neighborhood lines.

We embrace personal story telling as a primary means of witness. We ask others for their stories and offer honest accounts of grace and failure so people can see God at work. We rely on the Spirit to transform lives from glory to glory and expect growth to be gradual and costly. We keep short accounts with God and others, practice forgiveness, and allow failures to point to Christ as redeemer.

We honor generational discipleship. We steward faith within families and within community across ages, following the model of older teaching younger. We see spiritual formation as a daily rhythm of living the commandments, talking about them at home, and modeling integrity and sound speech. We expect the older to pour into the younger, and we pursue both learning from elders and investing in those who are younger.

We value intercession and mutual care. We pray for one another, bring burdens before God, and enlist others to join in persistent prayer. We celebrate the steady ministry of intercession mothers often provide and call the congregation to uphold each family in prayer. We receive the assurance that Christ remains with us to the end of the age and therefore carry on the work of making disciples with courage, humility, and steadfast love.

Key Takeaways

1. Go and make disciples We accept the active call to go beyond comfortable circles and to initiate gospel relationships. We combine public proclamation with intentional sending. We commit to both local service and cross cultural outreach without neglecting either. [28:17]
2. Share life stories with others We bring the gospel to life by telling what God has done and by inviting others to tell their own stories. We ask curious, compassionate questions and let testimony build connection and trust. Honest stories point people to Christ more persuasively than arguments alone. [37:02]
3. Model faith across generations We practice faith in everyday rhythms and intentionally teach younger believers by example. We prioritize homes, mentors, and repeated conversation as primary training grounds for discipleship. The older instruct the younger, and the younger bring fresh life to the community. [42:18]
4. Keep short accounts and forgive We refuse to allow grudges to harden into habit and choose reconciliation as a spiritual discipline. We address hurts promptly, practice humility, and hold fast to long suffering when healing takes time. Quick confession and forgiveness keep discipleship healthy and fruitful. [50:55]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[25:44] - Mother's Day and worship
[27:30] - Opening prayer and dedication
[28:17] - The Great Commission explained
[29:37] - What making disciples looks like
[30:32] - Preaching and proclamation
[33:11] - Global and local contexts
[37:02] - Share your story intentionally
[42:18] - Generational discipleship
[50:55] - Keep short accounts and forgive
[56:26] - Closing encouragement and prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Observation Questions

What three specific actions does Jesus command in Matthew 28:19-20 for making disciples?
According to the sermon, how does disciple-making happen through both public preaching and everyday relationships? (See [37:02])
What examples were given of different church gatherings (e.g., air-conditioned buildings, tents) and how do they reflect adaptability in ministry? (See [33:11])
How does Deuteronomy 6:4-9 connect faith to daily rhythms of life, as mentioned in the sermon?

Interpretation Questions

Why is it important for the church to prioritize both local community needs and cross-cultural outreach, as emphasized in the sermon? (See [35:05])
How does sharing personal stories of “grace and failure” (as mentioned in the sermon) help others see God’s work more clearly than arguments alone?
The sermon highlights generational discipleship, where older believers teach younger ones. Why might this model be especially effective for spiritual growth? (See [42:18])
What does keeping “short accounts” with God and others mean practically, and how does it prevent spiritual stagnation?

Application Questions

Share your story: When was the last time you intentionally shared a personal story of God’s grace or a failure with someone outside your church circle? What step could you take this week to ask someone, “What’s your story?” (See [37:02])
Modeling faith daily: In your home or workplace, what is one ordinary moment (e.g., mealtime, commuting, chores) where you could intentionally model or discuss faith with others?
Forgiveness practice: Is there a hurt or grudge you’ve allowed to “fester” instead of addressing it promptly? What would it look like to take one step toward reconciliation or confession this week? (See [50:55])
Intergenerational investment: Who is someone older or younger than you that you could intentionally learn from or mentor? How might you initiate a conversation or activity with them?
Prayer and intercession: Think of one person in your life who needs persistent prayer. How could you enlist others to join you in praying for them regularly?

Sermon Clips

``If we think about it, there's only one person that ever lived the Christian life perfectly. Right? There's only one person and they hung on the cross over two thousand years ago. So the rest of us are we're not gonna live the Christian life perfectly. We're just not going to. It's not possible. But what we can do is is do our best to to get to know him better, to get close to God, and to to live a disciplined life reading his word and prayer and and living out that model that Jesus gives us. Right? So we where we do come to to him like, hey, look, I have I have failed. I need I need your grace. I need your forgiveness. Every one of us is in need of that. Every one of us. [00:49:02] (53 seconds) #GraceOverPerfection

I believe that God wants to restory your life, my life in a way to reflect him better. And so, you know, oftentimes it's sharing your story is is not something that you just go up to somebody and say, hey, guess what God did in my life? That's usually not how that a very good opening line. Right? But but talking to somebody and and maybe asking them, hey, what is what's your story? Let me tell me a little bit about yourself, who you are. If somebody asks you, then you're more than likely to share at least a piece of your story of who you are. And so I wanna encourage us to to be the ones to ask. [00:38:26] (39 seconds) #AskAndListen

So yeah, I want to urge urge you to keep short accounts with with God and with others as well. And don't let something fester for a long time. When you when we allow things to fester, it it ends up being a much bigger thing than it than it needs to be. And so I think if we if we are able to to keep short accounts, that will help us to live a much more fulfilling and peaceful life. So just I wanna encourage us to, if we if we have something, to to work it through, to forgive, be reconciled, and and let the Lord heal and redeem. [00:50:46] (37 seconds) #KeepShortAccounts

And so the the sending out, the going, the making disciples, it looks and it looks a lot different depending on the context you are you're in. And and I'm so grateful to our God who is able to meet us right where we are with the needs that we have with the in the place that we're in and with the people that we're serving. And and so we can we can do that. God God wants all people to come to him. Amen. And so he he continues to draws draw people to himself and and he's not limited by by air conditioned building, good programming, good music. He's not limited by that. He does it in all kinds of different ways. [00:35:42] (38 seconds) #FaithWithoutWalls

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