This is Part 12 of an 18-part series drawn from Kurt Olson's book, The Endgame of God. New posts publish every Wednesday at  GoMultiply.org/blog.

In the building based church world, we tend to measure spiritual maturity by how much someone knows. The Bible measures maturity by how much someone actually does.

I had been following Christ for years before I understood what the Holy Spirit was trying to accomplish in my life — and in the life of every single follower of Christ. I heard a mission leader put it in one simple sentence that I have never forgotten: “Being a follower of Christ is really very simple. You simply let the Holy Spirit make you a little more like Jesus each and every day.” He was right. That is the whole thing in a nut shell.

As disciple-makers, we are not in the business of producing better passive spectator Christian church members — more regular attenders, more reliable givers, more willing (or unwilling) volunteers. Those things are not wrong, but they are not the goal. The goal is Christlikeness. That is where the Holy Spirit is trying to take every follower of Jesus.

Scripture says so plainly. “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did” (1 John 2:6). “God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son” (Romans 8:29). And the members of the body of Christ are to keep growing “until we all reach... the full and complete standard of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). Read that last phrase again — the full and complete standard of Christ. Maturity is not a head full of knowledge; it is a life that increasingly resembles the life and person of Jesus.

So why are so many sincere Christian church members still spiritually immature? Ephesians 4:11–14 tells us how maturity happens, and it is very clear when we look at the verses in reverse order. At the end of the passage, people are described as “infants, tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching” (v. 14). 

Let’s look at verse 12 to see why God gave the leadership gifts to the church, “to equip his people for works of service.” One version says “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry.” The leaders are supposed to equip everyone else — the ordinary believers — to do the work of the ministry. The leaders are NOT to be doing all the ministry themselves.

In most of the church world today we have this backwards: the leaders end up doing the majority of the ministry while everyone else passively observes. And the predictable result? A congregation of Christian spectators that never grow up. Many pastors feel more like babysitters than equippers, precisely because the system being employed keeps everyone immature and dependent on the leaders doing all the ministry instead of equipping everyone else to do it.

People talk about going to church to get fed like it’s a good thing, but the only people in the physical who get fed are infants and invalids. We say we want spiritual maturity in all our people, but we tend to operate in a way that doesn’t actually lead to maturity.

I once was given just 5 minutes to speak to around 500 pastors. I thought, “Why bother? What can I say in 5 minutes?” Then the Holy Spirit gave me an idea so I said, “How many of you feel like a babysitter?” After explaining what I meant, every one of those 500 hands went up. By today, 2026, that 5 minutes led to a connection that has resulted in thousands of New Testament churches being established around the world.

Verse 11 lists five leadership gifts that Christ gave to His church — apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers. Each is meant to help form well-rounded, mature disciples by equipping the rest of the body to do the work of ministry. But here is a very real problem: most church members only get regular exposure to shepherds and/or teachers. They are rarely influenced by apostolic, prophetic, or evangelistic leaders. No wonder maturity is often lacking or lopsided.

If you only ever fed your child applesauce, they would grow up malnourished. They need a variety of foods for a well balanced diet. The same is true in the Spirit realm. If people only get exposure to teachers, and not to the other gifts, they will grow up spiritually malnourished. That’s why it’s critical for us to find ways to get exposure to all 5 leadership gifts. Because…then we’ll no longer be infants.

Let us recommend that you ask God how and where you can find meaningful, regular interaction with all five. Books, video, and personal interaction are all acceptable. We need all five of them to grow up into the full likeness of Christ. And if you happen to carry one of these leadership gifts, remember what verse 12 says your primary job is: not to do all the ministry yourself, but to equip the saints so they can do it.

Here is a truth that can set people free. I pray it sets you free. Most of us have been conditioned to believe we cannot grow without human teachers — that spiritual maturity is something the experts hand down to us as we fill our heads with knowledge. But that is not what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches that human teachers are a genuine gift from God, and we can learn a great deal from them; but they are not the primary source of our growth, and God never intended us to become dependent on them.

Listen to who the Bible says your real teachers are. “They will all be taught by God” (John 6:45). The Holy Spirit “will teach you everything” (John 14:26). “You have one teacher, the Christ.” (Matt 23:10) The anointing (Holy Spirit) you have received “teaches you everything you need to know” (1 John 2:27). Even Paul assured Timothy that “the Lord will help you understand all these things” (2 Timothy 2:7). Your primary teachers are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit — and they never take a day off. Human teachers are meant to point you to them, not to replace them.

Be honest about your own maturity: are you measuring it by how much you know, by how often you go to church or Bible study? Or by how much you actually resemble Jesus? Also ask yourself: how much of your learning comes directly from the Father, Son, and Spirit — and how much comes from human teachers?

This is Part 11 of an 18-part series drawn from Kurt Olson's book, The Endgame of God. New posts publish every Wednesday at  GoMultiply.org/blog.

Jesus didn’t just command His disciples to make disciples. He modeled a simple four-step training process — and He was willing to begin discipling people long before they were even saved.

Jesus did more than tell us to make disciples. He showed us how, in a way so simple that anyone can do it. But before we look at His method, I have to clear away one assumption that stops many of us before we ever begin.

In the church world today we tend to assume we have to get people saved before we can disciple them. But is that how Jesus did it? Consider His own twelve. When did Peter actually get saved? People give me four different answers — his calling, his great confession, his weeping after the denial, his restoration by the sea after the resurrection. The answer is we don’t know, and we must not need to know, or the Bible would tell us. But here is what we can see plainly: Peter was lost when he met Jesus, and somewhere along the way he got saved and became born again. Which means for some part of those three years, Peter was an unsaved disciple following Jesus.

Thomas is an even clearer example. Almost everyone agrees Thomas was not truly saved until he encountered the risen Christ and cried, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). That was three years after he began following Jesus as a disciple.

Lastly, think about Judas. When did Judas get saved? He followed Jesus as a disciple for three years and, according to Jesus, was a son of Hell (John 17:12) and never truly saved.

Do you see how significant this is? Jesus was willing to disciple people from their point of interest, not only from their point of conversion. That is huge. It means every single person is a potential disciple. You and I have a limitless supply of people we can disciple. The Gospel still must be shared — no one can have saving faith in a Savior they have not heard about — but, using the Discovery Bible Study, we keep discipling anyone who is willing to take the next step with Jesus, whether they cross the line of saving faith on day one or day one hundred. So disciple everyone who is willing. Guide everyone who wants to take the next step in obedience to Him.

Every training program has four basic steps: I do, We do, You do, Go do.
And Jesus’ training program was no different. 

Next, He lets them try doing some ministry under His direct supervision. John 4:1–2 tells us that although Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John, “in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples.” He is right there, preaching, teaching, healing, and overseeing the whole scene, but it’s actually His disciples who are doing the baptizing. Step two is supervised practice — close enough to watch them, far enough to let them do the work of the ministry. 

Then He sends them out ahead of Him. In Matthew 10 He sends the Twelve to the towns of Israel, and in Luke 10 He sends seventy-two others out two by two — with the very instructions He had modeled in step one: heal the sick, cast out demons, cleanse the lepers, raise up the lame, and preach the Gospel of the Kingdom. Step three is releasing them in short term missions to do it themselves, on their own. Then they come back and report back to Him. 

Finally, in Luke 22:35–36, Jesus says, “When I sent you out without purse or bag did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they answered. He said to them, “But now, take your purse. Take your bag” — those words “but now” signal a shift from the training program to a way of life. This is their graduation from training to lifestyle. And here is a trap that far too many believers are stuck in: they never move from level 1. They remain in “watch me” mode for decades. They may be watching and listening but they never apply it. Many are waiting for permission to do the work of Jesus, that Jesus already gave. So ask yourself honestly — where are you at in this process? Have you graduated, are you still watching, or are you somewhere in between? 

There is one rule that keeps the church on track — what I call the One Rule of Paul for all the churches. Three times in a single chapter he says, in effect, when you come to Christ, stay where you are: “each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you in” (1 Corinthians 7:17, and again in verses 20 and 24).

Which of Jesus’ four steps are you on right now — watching, practicing with others, doing on your own, or graduated to a lifestyle of disciple-making? What would it take for you to move to the next step? 

This is Part 10 of an 18-part series drawn from Kurt Olson's book, The Endgame of God. New posts publish every Wednesday at  GoMultiply.org/blog.

The Discovery Bible Study, or DBS, is the primary tool God is using to launch multiplying movements of disciples all over the world. Simple enough for someone who cannot read and deep enough for a seminary professor, its power lies in how simple and reproducible it is. And underneath that simplicity is a beautiful conviction: that ordinary people can learn directly from God through His Word and His Spirit, without depending on an expert to tell them what to think or what it means. 

Most of us were consciously or subconsciously taught that we cannot really understand the Bible without a professional explaining it to us. That is simply not what Scripture says. Jesus said, “It is written in the Scriptures, ‘They will all be taught by God and everyone who listens to the Father and learns from Him comes to Me’” (John 6:45). He promised that the Holy Spirit “will teach you everything” (John 14:26), and John writes that we do not need human teachers because the anointing (Holy Spirit) we have received “teaches you everything you need to know” (1 John 2:27). Paul told Timothy, “the Lord will help you understand all these things” (2 Timothy 2:7). In other words, “learn from Jesus.”

The Discovery Bible Study is built to get the human teachers out of the way to let that happen. It trains people to encounter God in a passage, learn from Him for themselves, and — most importantly — obey and share what they discover. And James tells us who receives the blessing: not on the one who merely hears the Word, but on the one who looks “carefully into the perfect law that sets you free... and does what it says... God will bless you for doing it” (James 1:25). Discovery plus obedience is the essential combination. Want to be blessed by God? Do what He says.

That third column is where growing as a disciple actually happens. Knowing and understanding are good, but they were never the goal. The goal is a life that obeys and a mouth that shares. Do this often and you will find yourself growing faster than decades of passive listening could ever produce.

The group DBS is just as simple, and it is built to reproduce. A handful of people gather — in a home, a break room, a market, under a tree — and work through a passage together.

Here is the basic process:

Begin by sharing what’s going on in each other’s lives: what are you thankful for today? What is concerning you today and how can we help? This simple check-in builds real community and keeps care flowing. Then look at the last passage you studied together and ask the accountability questions: How did you obey what we discovered last time we met? Who did you share it with? And how did it go?

Then read this week’s passage aloud, at least twice (different versions are good). Then have someone retell the passage in their own words with the group filling in any missing details. From there, a few questions let God do the teaching: What stood out to you from this passage and why? What does this passage teach us about God? What does it teach us about people? How will you obey it this week? And who will you tell and when will you tell them?

Two final questions: Who do you know in need and how can we help them? And, when and where will we meet again? By meeting needs outside the group, we can create a curiosity in people which can lead to more people following Jesus and more DBS churches starting. Also, our enemy the devil does not want people to study the Bible in this way, so he will do whatever he can to keep the groups from continuing. And, many times the group doesn’t meet in the same place each week so it is important to establish the next meeting before you finish the one you are having.

Discovery Bible Studies tend to multiply because they need no building, no seminary, no professional, and no special materials — anyone can start a Discovery Bible Study and anyone can facilitate one. People report that the experience is so much richer than any they have ever had at a Sunday service. That is exactly why it multiplies. While our more complicated, less meaningful methods usually stagnate. I have seen a group of women who couldn’t even read start fourteen churches, using memorized Bible stories and this simple discovery process. When the tool is that simple and reproducible, the Word of God begins to move from person to person and household to household along relational lines. There is no bottleneck to hamper the growth and expansion.

That is the genius of it. The Discovery Bible Study does not make people dependent on any one person. It makes them dependent on God — and then it sends them out to help others connect with God as well.

What passage are you studying right now? Before you finish this blog, pick a few meaningful verses and try the three-column discovery method: copy it, restate it, and write down exactly how you’ll obey it, who you’ll tell — and when.

This is Part 9 of an 18-part series drawn from Kurt Olson's book, The Endgame of God. New posts publish every Wednesday at  GoMultiply.org/blog.

SERIES NOTE: This picks up where “How Should We Live as Disciples of Jesus?” left off on our blog. If you haven’t read that, start there — then come back, because I want to take you through four passages that show why obedience is essential to the life of a follower of Christ. 

The Bible draws a sharp line between those who hear God’s Word and obey it and those who hear it and don’t. The difference is far more serious than most of us were ever taught.

We’re going to look at four passages one after the other and ask you an honest question at the end of each one. The question is always the same: what does it say about the person who hears God’s Word and obeys it, and about the one who hears the word of God but doesn’t obey it?

Start with the two builders. “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock” (Matthew 7:24). When the storm came, that house stood. But the man who heard the very same words and did not put them into practice built on sand, “anyone who hears these words but does not put them into practice is like a fool who built on sand (with no foundation) it will collapse with a mighty crash” (Matthew 7:27). Same sermon. Same Savior. Same words to apply to life. The only difference between standing and collapsing, between being wise and being a fool, was obedience versus disobedience. 

Now, in John 14:23–24. Jesus says, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching.” Obedience, in Jesus’ own words, is how love for Him proves it is real — and it is the way to insure the abiding presence of Jesus and His Father in our lives. This passage also makes it clear that if we don’t obey Him, it indicates that we don’t really love Him. 

And finally, look at 1 John 2:3–6: “We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Anyone who says ‘I know Him’ but doesn’t obey Him, is a liar, and the truth is not in them.” Here obedience is tied to assurance of salvation — the settled confidence that we actually know God. While the person who doesn’t obey is a liar with no assurance of salvation!

Put all four together and a common theme runs through them all. The obedient person is wise, with a firm foundation, loves God, is loved by God, has the abiding presence of God the Father and God the Son, is blessed by God in all they do, and has assurance of salvation. Those who hear the word but choose not to obey it are lying, unloving, self-deceived fools with no foundation for life and no assurance of salvation for the next life! The matter of obedience vs. disobedience could not be more serious.

Now for the part that ought to make us all tremble a little. In Matthew 7:21–23 — the same sermon and right before the two builders — Jesus says that many who called Him “Lord, Lord,” and even prophesied and performed miracles in His name, will hear Him say, “I never knew you. Away from me you evildoers.” We saw this in an earlier post, but it belongs here too, because of who these people are. Of all the religions on earth, only Christians call Jesus “Lord.” He is not describing people of other religions. He is describing religious insiders — churchgoers, even miracle-workers — who used His name but never actually knew Him. Knowing about Jesus, and even doing impressive things in His name, is not the same as knowing Him and following and obeying Him. 

Please hear me very clearly, because this is where many people stumble in one of two directions. Obedience does not earn your salvation. Jesus paid for that in full on the cross; you cannot add a thing to it. But obedience is the evidence of salvation — the fruit that shows the root is alive. A tree that never bears any fruit at all should make us wonder whether it is really alive. Genuine faith and genuine obedience are never separated, because the faith that results in salvation is the faith that produces obedience.

And this is not a one-time thing. It requires daily surrender. Jesus said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Daily. Not once at an altar years ago. Not weekly or when it is convenient. Daily.

Here is something I often suggest people do, and it changes their lives. Go through the 4 Gospels and make a written list of all the commands of Jesus you find there — the things He plainly told His followers to do — and then commit, in writing, to obey each one as He gives you the opportunity. Something happens when you move a command from “I know that” to “I have decided to do that.”

So be honest with yourself: are you in the habit of obeying all of  Jesus' commands, or just knowing some of them? Name one command you already know but have not yet obeyed — and make a plan to begin obeying it this week?

This is Part 8 of an 18-part series drawn from Kurt Olson's book, The Endgame of God. New posts publish every Wednesday at  GoMultiply.org/blog.

When Jesus said "make disciples," He had something very specific in mind. In His day, disciples had five clear characteristics — and each one still asks a searching question of us today.

Whenever I train believers around the world, I ask a question that grabs people's attention: when Jesus said, "go and make disciples" (Matthew 28:19), what did He actually mean by disciple? We have seen that a disciple was simply someone following their rabbi — but in Jesus' day, that following had culturally understood requirements. Within the rabbi-disciple relationship were five clear marks of a true disciple at the time of Christ. Let's walk through them together, because each one still holds up a mirror for each one of us to examine ourselves today.

That is the first mark. A disciple obeys immediately, before the reasons are clear, because the one they follow has spoken. So here is the honest question: does that describe the way you and I follow Jesus? Or do we treat His clear commands as suggestions to weigh against our own preferences, comforts, and desires?

In Jesus' day it was actually against the rabbis' rules for a disciple to write down the rabbis' teaching. They were required to memorize it — all of it. Why such a demanding standard? Because the only teaching of Jesus you can actually obey in everyday life is the teaching that is already stored inside you. In other words, you cannot obey what you do not know. Jesus said, "But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!" (John 15:7). Where does He want you to store His words? In you — not on a shelf, not in an app, not even on your Bible alone, but in your heart and mind, ready to obey at any given moment. 

When Peter saw Jesus walking on the water, he called out, "Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water" (Matthew 14:28). Do you hear the question there? "If it's really you." It's as if Peter is saying, "It looks like you and it sounds like you. But I'm not sure it's really you." You see, it was, and still is, the rabbi's job to equip his disciples to do whatever he does — so Jesus empowered Peter to walk on water, until "he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. 'Save me, Lord!'" (Matthew 14:30). Here is the whole lesson for us as believers today: we can imitate Jesus while our eyes are fixed on Jesus. The moment Peter looked at the storm instead of the Savior, he sank.

When you encounter an evil spirit, don't focus on the spirit; focus on Jesus who still casts out evil spirits today.

When you encounter sickness, don't focus on the sickness; focus on Jesus the Healer who still heals the sick today.

When you encounter any problem in life don't focus on the problem; focus on Jesus who still calms all the storms of our lives today.

Let me share how real this can be. Once I was preaching on Easter Sunday morning in Central Asia. The message was broadcast by loudspeaker to the entire Muslim, Hindu, and Christian community. I had preached on how Jesus' resurrection gives us the power and ability to cast out demons, heal the sick, and raise the dead. As I finished the closing prayer, I heard a bloodcurdling scream from my left, and a mother carrying her child came rushing out of her house and ran toward me. She was holding a limp, gray, lifeless little boy in her arms. I laid my hands on him and declared life, health and wholeness over him in the Almighty name of Jesus. About an hour later I was told that just five minutes after that prayer, the boy was completely restored — awake, alert, happy and playing. The doctors were unable to find anything wrong with that child. All the glory belongs to God. I simply kept my eyes on my Rabbi in the midst of that storm and did what He empowered me to do.

Please do not read these five as a scorecard to earn God's approval. They are not five boxes to check off. They are the original blueprint of the life of a true disciple that was genuinely following a rabbi at the time of Christ. Our Rabbi is Jesus — So, obeying His commands, memorizing His teachings, trusting His interpretation of Scripture, imitating His actions, and bringing others to Him is what Jesus had in mind when He commanded His disciples to “make disciples” of everyone on earth. The best thing we can do is simply to ask which of them is strong in us, and which is weak. Then take one genuine step this week toward the Master in the area where you need Him to help you grow as a disciple the most.

Look back over the five characteristics and be honest: which one is most alive in your daily life right now, and which one is most absent? What is one concrete step you could take this week to grow in these areas?

This is Part 7 of an 18-part series drawn from Kurt Olson's book, The Endgame of God. New posts publish every Wednesday at  GoMultiply.org/blog.

Most Christians think discipleship is about how much you know or how mature you are. In Jesus' culture it was about one thing: who you are following.

If we are going to obey Jesus' command to "make disciples of all people groups," we had better make sure we know what He meant by the word. Because if we do not know what He meant, we can spend our whole lives sincerely failing at the final thing He told us to do, all the while believing we are succeeding. So let's make sure we get this right.

One moment his title was "tax collector"; then Jesus said two words "follow me." Matthew stood up, left his post, and began following Him down the road. Everyone who saw him following Jesus knew exactly what he was — a disciple. Yet he had not heard a single word of Jesus' teaching. He had not even been "saved" as we use the word. He was considered a disciple the moment he began following. Following is what makes a disciple not accumulation of knowledge. 

To feel the weight of the word "disciple," we need to understand the world Jesus was born into. The Greek historian Herodotus coined the term "disciple" around 400 BC, and to the Greeks it simply meant a student or a learner. But the Jews raised it several notches: to them, discipleship meant binding your whole life to a master and becoming like him.

Not surprisingly, discipleship had reached its all-time high in the history of the world in the land of Israel at the time of Christ! At that time there were as many as one thousand rabbis walking around Israel, each with his own band of disciples. Discipleship was not a fringe concept; it was woven into the fabric of everyday life, and everyone knew how it worked. 

Think of the most popular sport where you live — in much of the world that game is football (soccer to Americans). You understand the game without ever having gone to school to learn it. That's because it is woven into the fabric of your culture. Your culture taught you the game by default.

That is why "follow me" was never casual on a rabbi's lips. It was an all-or-nothing call — to give up your own way of life entirely and take on his: his teaching, his habits, his mission, his very way of seeing the world. Closely related was another phrase, "take my yoke upon you" (Matthew 11:29) — to bind yourself to your rabbi with the aim of becoming just like him.

Jesus never softened that requirement. "If you want to be my disciple, you must, hate everyone else — your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters — yes, even your own life" (Luke 14:26). In that culture, "hate" did not mean modern hatred; it meant to love much much less. Jesus must come first — far above family, above comfort, above the life that defines you. It is not a small thing to follow Him. 

There is a sobering flip side. In John 6:66 we read that "from this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him." Did the culture still consider those people disciples of Jesus once they stopped following? Of course not. The whole way you identified a rabbi's disciple was to watch and see whether they were following. Discipleship is not a title you earn once and keep forever regardless of the direction you're going. It is a road to walk. You are either following Him or you are not. 

Here is something that surprised me. The word "Christian" appears only three times in the entire Bible, and never as a title Jesus' followers chose for themselves — it was a label the pagan world placed on them in Antioch (Acts 11:26). The word "disciple" appears over two hundred fifty times in the New Testament. Somewhere along the way "Christian" became the primary word to describe Christ followers and "disciple" was quietly retired. Jesus did the opposite: He commissioned disciples to make disciples — followers who obey.

Recently I was in a meeting where the man doing the devotion asked a powerful question. "How can Christianity be the world's largest religion and, at the same time, be the narrow way that only a few find?" (Matthew 7:14) The obvious answer is that not all Christians are saved, born again, and on their way to Heaven.

So let me ask you the only question that really matters. By Jesus' first-century definition — not by your church membership, your background, what you know, or what great things you've done — do you genuinely know Him? Are you truly a follower of Jesus right this second? Are you actually following Him in your daily life? And are you helping others follow Him too? This matters because He said that His followers would become fishers of men. So if we claim to follow Him but don't fish for people, then we aren't actually following Him either.

The Bible does not say that Christians go to Heaven! It says that obedient, reproducing disciples who really know Jesus go to Heaven. Which one are you?

This is Part 6 of an 18-part series drawn from Kurt Olson's book, The Endgame of God. New posts publish every Wednesday at  GoMultiply.org/blog.

Most of us assume the building-based, clergy-led, Sunday-morning model comes straight from the Bible. The historical record tells a different — and freeing — story.

Ask most Christians where the Sunday-morning, building-centered, clergy-led model of church comes from, and they will tell you it comes from the Bible. But does it really? Understanding where it actually came from is one of the most freeing things I know, because it hands the ministry back to ordinary believers.

Dating back to the birth of Jesus, the wise men worshiped the child Jesus in a house (Matthew 2:11). The Holy Spirit was first poured out on the Jews, not in the temple or a synagogue, but in the upper room of a house where a hundred twenty believers were gathered (Acts 2:1–2). The Holy Spirit was poured out on the Gentiles in the house of Cornelius (Acts 10:25&44). The early believers "broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts" (Acts 2:46), and Paul said that he taught and proclaimed Christ "publicly and from house to house" (Acts 20:20).

Even the way they used the temple courts was not at all what we mean by "going to church" today. The early disciples did not own the temple or run it; it was a public place, full of people who were not yet followers of Jesus, where the apostles boldly proclaimed that the very leaders in charge of that temple had crucified the Messiah. That is why it was dangerous for the believers to meet there. So, the Temple was the first public gathering of the church. The private gatherings took place in homes. In fact, when persecution came, notice where the persecutors went to find the church: Saul went "from house to house" dragging believers off to prison (Acts 8:3). The church was gathering in their homes.

Here is a thought worth pondering. When you compare today's building-based church system to the practices of the New Testament church, today's church system doesn't resemble the early believers gathered in homes — it resembles the first-century synagogue system. A synagogue had a dedicated building, a ruler who presided, a set weekly service, Scripture readings, a sermon, prayers, an offering, and a benediction. Read that list again slowly. It is a remarkably close description of a typical Sunday morning in church today. The very form Jesus' first followers were raised in — the form He spent three years training out of them — is largely the form we have fallen back into. This doesn't make buildings sinful or Sunday gatherings wrong. But it should make us ask an honest question: are we operating more like the upper room disciples or like the synagogue system? 

So how did we get from where we started to where we are today? In the early fourth century, the emperor Constantine changed the spiritual landscape when he "invented Christianity." The faith moved, in a single generation, from persecuted to favored — and as it did, the outward forms of the surrounding pagan religion were gradually adopted and given Christian labels.

Here is the part that surprises many people. Centuries later, the Protestant Reformation gloriously recovered the Gospel of grace — salvation by faith in Christ alone. I thank God for it. But notice what it largely kept: the structure. The priest became the pastor. The Eucharist was replaced by the Sunday morning sermon. The building, the professional up front, and the passive seated, spectator congregation mostly remained unchanged. They reformed a great deal of our theology but very little of our operating system. The building-based old wineskin system survived the Reformation almost entirely intact. 

First, Jesus is the builder. He builds His ekklesia — His people gathered for His purposes — out of the disciples we make. The church is not a building He wants us to construct; it is His people that He assembles for His purposes. Second, look closely at "the gates of hell." Gates are defensive. A church cowering behind walls, hoping to survive, is not the picture of church Jesus painted. He described His ekklesia on the offensive, storming the gates of hell to rescue souls — and He promised those gates cannot hold.

None of this is meant to condemn anyone's church gathering, building, or any pastor. It is meant to free us. If the building-based system is a human (Constantinian) invention rather than a divine command, then we are free to recover the simple, reproducing, unstoppable life and practices of the early believers — meeting anywhere, at any time, and on any day, led by ordinary disciples, on the attack for the advancement of the Kingdom.

Read back through those New Testament examples — the worship, the healings, the Spirit poured out, the breaking of bread, all in homes. Does that change what the word "church" actually means to you, and where you believe the church of Jesus can gather?

This is Part 5 of an 18-part series drawn from Kurt Olson's book, The Endgame of God. New posts publish every Wednesday at  GoMultiply.org/blog.

Elephants are magnificent animals — but impossible to reproduce quickly. Rabbits are ordinary — and they multiply beyond counting. Which one is your church most like?

Let me give you two animals to think about, because they depict two very different forms of church, and only one of them has the capacity to actually finish the job Jesus gave us.

Here is why the rabbit wins, in plain arithmetic. Households around the world average about five people. So imagine multiplying by five. One group of five starts five new groups in a year — twenty-five new disciples, plus the original five, is thirty. The next year those thirty each start a group: a hundred fifty new, plus thirty, is a hundred eighty. Year three, each of those starts a group, and you pass a thousand. Keep that going and a single group can grow past one million disciples by the seventh year.

That is not fantasy math. It is simply what multiplication does when every disciple makes disciples. And because it is decentralized — no single building, no single leader to arrest — the rabbit model even persecution-proofs the church. The elephant is too expensive, too slow, and too fruitless to finish the Great Commission. Mathematically, the rabbit is the only system that has the potential to do so.

Let me show you a real life example of this happening in recent history. In 1974, a communist government seized control of Ethiopia. For about a hundred years before that, one denomination had done faithful, traditional, elephant-model work there — erecting buildings, starting seminaries, training pastors, gathering people for Sunday morning services. In those 100 years, they had only grown to about four thousand members. That is an average of just forty people a year.

Then the communists violently took power in what is called "The Derg." They killed the pastors. They imprisoned the elders. They burned the church buildings and seized the seminaries to teach communism. So what was the rest of that denomination going to do? They had lost their pastors, their bishops, their elders, their buildings, and their programs — but they had not lost each other or the Word of God. So they went underground meeting in secret in their homes, reading the Bible, worshiping, sharing with others, and helping one another obey Jesus. Then, ten years later, that communist government fell. And during those ten years underground — with no seminaries, no professional clergy, no buildings, and no Sunday services — they multiplied from less than four thousand to more than forty thousand.

Read that again. A hundred years in the elephant system grew them to just 4,000 members. Ten years in the rabbit system and under persecution grew them tenfold — in a tenth of the time. That is the power of the New Testament rabbit church system.

Once, when a fellow missionary shared this story a fellow joked, "So I guess we should just get rid of all our pastors, buildings, and seminaries then." Everyone laughed. But it is not really a laughing matter, because the eternal destiny of millions of souls depends on which operating system we choose.

No, I am not saying we should bulldoze every building, dismiss every pastor, or sell every seminary. I am asking a different question: are buildings, seminaries, and a professional clergy class actually part of the New Testament church you find in the Bible? They are not. So instead of eliminating our buildings, let's convert them into equipping centers that make disciple-makers and send them out — and let's turn our clergy into disciple-maker coaches who train and release ordinary believers to reach and disciple the nations. That is exactly what Paul did. In Acts 19:8-10, he used the lecture hall of Tyrannus as a base, holding discussions there daily, "so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord" (Acts 19:10). The building was utilized as a training center and a launching pad, not a destination.

In the end it comes down to this: are you trying to make church, or make disciples? Jesus said, "I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18). That is His job. Our job is to make disciples His way. If we will give ourselves to making disciples, He will take those disciples as building materials to build His church His way. But if we pour our lives into building our church our way, we usually end up with neither disciples nor Jesus' church.

If your church building disappeared tomorrow — no meeting place, no programs, no paid staff — would your ministry quietly multiply in homes, or would it cease to exist? And what does your honest answer tell you about which animal you most closely resemble? Rabbit or elephant?

This is Part 4 of an 18-part series drawn from Kurt Olson's book, The Endgame of God. New posts publish every Wednesday at  GoMultiply.org/blog.

Jesus' words about wineskins were never really about wine-making. They were about operating systems — and why the new wine of a multiplying movement of discipleship cannot be poured into rigid old religious structures.

In three of the four Gospels, Jesus warns us not to pour new wine into old wineskins (Matthew 9:17, Mark 2:22, Luke 5:37). "No one pours new wine into old wineskins," He says. "Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. New wine calls for new wineskins" (Mark 2:22). Now, do you really think Jesus was worried that His followers might not know how to ferment and store their grape juice? Of course not. Everyone in Israel already knew how to do that. He is talking about something far bigger.

So the teaching is not really about wine at all. It is about our spiritual operating systems — the way we actually function as His followers. Jesus was saying that the new wine of a rapidly multiplying movement of disciples simply cannot be contained in an old, rigid structure. If you try and blend the two you lose both. 

In Luke Jesus adds a line that lands uncomfortably close to home for many in the church today: "no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. 'The old is just fine,' they say" (Luke 5:39). That is exactly how many sincere believers feel about the traditional way of doing church. They have tasted the old, they are comfortable with it, and they will not even consider a different way — even when the old way is producing very little fruit and making almost no disciples.

Please hear me: the "new way" God is restoring all over the world today is not new at all. It is the original way the New Testament church operated two thousand years ago. What is actually new — what you will not find anywhere on the pages of the New Testament — is the building-based, pastor-centered, Sunday-morning system most of us grew up assuming was the biblical, New Testament way of doing church.

When Jesus taught about wineskins, Jerusalem alone had hundreds of synagogues, to say nothing of the synagogues in every other town in Israel at that time. And a synagogue was a religious building with a man in charge called a synagogue ruler who led it, weekly services on the Sabbath, prayers, Scripture readings, a sermon, an offering, announcements, chanting, and a benediction. Does that sound familiar? Our modern building-based church looks far more like the first-century synagogue system than it looks like the movement that Jesus started.

This matters, because Jesus' twelve apostles were Jewish men who were probably raised inside that old wineskin synagogue system. No wonder it took Him three years to mold them into new-wine disciples who could manage a rapidly expanding disciple-making movement. He had to re-form not just what they believed, but how they operated.

Here is a test you can run on any ministry, including your own. Ask honestly: if our numbers doubled tomorrow, and doubled again next week, and again the week after — could our current structure handle it? If the answer is no, you are working inside an old wineskin system. Most of our systems are built to gather a crowd into one room, on one schedule, around one professional. They are built to add, slowly, not to handle multiplication. 

So what is the new wineskin? It is not a bigger building. It is the whole world. It is any home, any workplace, any shade tree, any public space where two or three gather in Jesus' name. Imagine if every person reading this simply found one household with someone in it who is searching for God, and taught that entire household to be the church right where they are. We could add thousands of souls to the Kingdom without straining a thing — because the world is big enough to handle expansion, but buildings are not.

None of this means gatherings are bad or that your building is evil. I love the body of Christ gathered. But I am asking a structural question that most of us have never asked: does your approach have the capacity to multiply, or only to add? Because Paul says leaders were given "to equip God's people to do His work and build up the church" (Ephesians 4:12) — and an old wineskin keeps everyone dependent on the person up front, while a new wineskin releases every believer to obey and reproduce.

Run the test on your own ministry: if the people you reach doubled every week for a month, would your current structure be able to multiply with them — or would it burst? And if it would burst, what is the first thing that would need to change?

This is Part 3 of an 18-part series drawn from Kurt Olson's book, The Endgame of God. New posts publish every Wednesday at  GoMultiply.org/blog.

In the church world today, we usually fish for souls one at a time, like fishing with a hook. Jesus fished with a net — and in every example I can find, He reached the person and their whole social network.

Jesus was teaching a crowd on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and the people pressed in so tightly that He climbed into Simon Peter's boat and asked him to push out from land so He could keep teaching. When He finished, He told Peter, "Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish" (Luke 5:4). Peter pushed back: "Master, we worked hard all last night and didn't catch a thing. But if you say so, I'll let the nets down again" (Luke 5:5). Notice why he obeyed — not because he wanted to or because he thought he was going to catch anything (it was midday, when the fish go down into the deep), but for one reason only: his Master told him to. That, by the way, is the first mark of a disciple, and we will come back to it.

What happened next these fishermen would never forget. The nets were filled so full they began to break; they signaled their partners, and soon both boats were so loaded they were on the verge of sinking. When Peter grasped what had happened, he fell down at Jesus' knees (he couldn't see His feet) and said, "Oh, Lord, please leave me — I'm such a sinful man" (Luke 5:8). Jesus answered, "Don't be afraid! From now on you'll catch people!" (Luke 5:10). Then, don't miss this: they left everything — the greatest catch of their lives — and followed Him. I don't think Jesus was merely showing off His power. I believe that miraculous catch of fish was a prophetic picture, staged on purpose as the backdrop for one sentence: from now on you'll fish for people. It was as if He said, "Now that you've seen Me fill your nets with fish, follow Me, and I will fill your nets with people."

If Jesus trained His followers to fish with a net, then in Scripture we should expect to see people entering the Kingdom in groups, not one at a time. And that is exactly the pattern we find. 

I was teaching this principle in Asia when a man in the front row objected, "I have taught personal evangelism classes!" I asked what passages he used; he named Zacchaeus from Luke 19 and the woman at the well from John 4. I thanked him — because they are perfect examples of Jesus fishing with a net. Then I asked the group to look at how each account ends.

When Zacchaeus met Jesus, salvation came to his whole household (Luke 19:9). When the woman met Jesus at the well, her entire town came out and believed (John 4:39–42). One person, and then their whole social network. Over and over in the Gospels, Jesus reaches the individual and the people that individual knows and loves — their family, their friends, their village. He loves the individual, and He loves everyone that person knows and loves. Mathematically, winning one here and there will never compare with reaching them five, ten, and twenty at a time. That happens when we fish for souls with a net.

A few years ago one of our disciple-makers in Uganda messaged me. He and his team felt led to reach a Muslim village, and their plan was to knock on every door of every house and share with anyone willing to listen. So I asked our firewall question: "Where does anyone go door to door with the gospel in the New Testament?" The next day he wrote back: "Nowhere, sir." I said, "Then read Luke 10, where Jesus sends out the seventy-two, and ask the Lord what to do before you decide." After praying with his team, he messaged again: "We're going to walk the streets and pray and look for persons of peace" — someone open to spiritual things, already searching for God.

That one shift, from operating according to traditional door-to-door evangelism to finding the person God has already prepared, makes the difference between striving for souls and reaping a massive harvest. When he later found his person of peace, God healed the man, and more than a hundred Muslims came to Christ — though not one of them had been searching for God beforehand. They were not hungry fish, but they got caught up in the net of the Kingdom of God anyway. His full story comes later in this series.

I am not trying to hurt anyone. I am asking because Jesus tied the two together. If a person claims to follow Him but never fishes for people, we have to ask whether they are truly following Him — no matter what they say.

When you do share the Gospel, think in terms of networks of souls. And when someone comes to Christ, resist every urge to extract them; leave them right where you found them, because this is how we take territory for the Kingdom of God.

Think of one person in your life who doesn't yet follow Jesus. Who are their five, ten, or fifteen closest relationships? What would change if, instead of focusing on that one person alone, you started praying for — and reaching toward — their whole network?

Some of us can quote the Great Commission. Even fewer have ever slowed down to notice what Jesus actually commands — and what He clearly does not.

Should Jesus and His followers have the same goal? Of course we should. Imagine the confusion if we didn't — it would be like a coach and his team taking the field with two completely different game plans. If we hope to participate in what Jesus came to accomplish, then His goal has to become ours. So the first question is simple: what exactly is that goal, and did He tell us how to fulfill it? He did. Most of us have simply never slowed down long enough to notice.

The most familiar of the Great Commissions is found in Matthew 28:18-20: "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, in the Name of the Son, in the name 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."

At first glance it looks like a list of four commands. But in the original language, Jesus gives only one actual (primary) command: make disciples. The other three — going, baptizing, and teaching obedience to His commands — are secondary commands that explain how to carry out the command. If you tell your child to clean the kitchen by washing the dishes, mopping the floor, and wiping the counters, the primary command is "clean the kitchen"; the others are secondary commands explaining how to clean the kitchen. In the same way, going, baptizing, and teaching obedience to all His commands are Jesus' prescription for how to disciple nations.

The Great Commission is not only found in Matthew. Mark adds a detail Matthew leaves out: "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to all creation. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved…" (Mark 16:15-16). Add that detail to Matthew's record and a clear four-step process emerges: Go. Preach the Gospel. Baptize those who believe. And teach those baptized believers to obey everything Jesus commanded — which, of course, includes the command to go and make more disciples. That last step, disciples making disciples, is the key to multiplication. 

Three more passages provide us with a complete Great Commission. In Luke 24:47, Jesus says repentance and forgiveness must be preached in His name to all nations — so repentance must be part of the Gospel we preach, because without it there is no forgiveness and without forgiveness there is no salvation. In John 20:21 Jesus says, "As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you" — we go in the same way He went. And in Acts 1:8 He promises, "you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses…to the ends of the earth" — so this is not a task we perform in our own strength. We can only disciple the nations in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Combine all these passages and His final command reads something like this: The one with ALL authority in the universe says, "Go disciple the whole world, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and preach the Good News of repentance for the forgiveness of sins to everyone, everywhere. Baptize those who believe, and teach them to obey everything He commanded. In this way, you will disciple all the nations. And remember, I am always with you as you work to accomplish this."

Now here is where it may get uncomfortable. Look back over those passages and notice what Jesus did not say. He never said to build religious buildings, make passive spectator Christian church members, or ordain a special clergy class of professional Christians to carry the bulk of the work of ministry. He never said to gather in the same room, on the same day, each week to listen to a religious speech. He also never said to preach to people who are already saved. I am not attacking anyone's religious practices. I'm simply pointing out that much of what we call "ministry" today is not found among the final commands of Christ or the practices of the New Testament church. At the same time, much of what He did command quietly goes undone.

A plan matters more if we share the motivation behind it. Why did Jesus give this final command? He told us plainly: "the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost" (Luke 19:10) — that is what motivated Him to go to the cross. If we share His goal, our lives should be organized around that same purpose. Yet, sadly, most Christian church members never personally participate in that goal. Instead, Christians tend to use the vocabulary of missions while arranging their lives around comfort, convenience, and enjoyment. Jesus never separated the command from the compassion. He wept over a city and with a grieving family. He leaves the ninety-nine to go after the one. 

Now, slowly read the above passages again and write down what they actually command and expect from you. Now write down, just as honestly, what your church experience — and your own life — expects of you. Where do the two lists overlap, and where do they not?

If every Christian lived exactly the way you and I live, how long would it take to reach every nation? For many of us, the honest answer is "never." That has to change.

Let me ask you something before you continue reading. When you think about Jesus returning, does the thought excite you, or make you nervous? Your honest answer says a great deal about what matters to you right now — and I have watched that one question stop rooms full of christian church members in their tracks.

I titled my book, and this series, The Endgame of God because I am convinced — and have seen it firsthand overseas — that the church of Jesus Christ will finish the way it started: in the powerful simplicity of the early church; ordinary, obedient disciples making more obedient disciples. That is God's endgame. Not bigger buildings or better programs — just disciples who obey Jesus and reproduce. And I believe we are living in the day when He is bringing it to completion.

I am not interested in setting dates — Jesus said we will know the season, not the day or the hour — I am very interested in the question that matters more: how are you going to live until you meet God? Because you will meet Him. That is not in question. The only question is how you will spend the time between now and then. Will you hear Him say, “Well done?”

Listen to Peter. In 2 Peter 3:11-12 he tells us to "look forward to the day of God and hurry it along." Hurry it along — that is a stunning concept. The way we live can actually help speed the coming of the return of Christ.

I saw this really hit home once. At a discipleship training in a grade-school library in Wisconsin, a woman went home and told a friend what she was learning. Her friend said, "It sounds like these people are trying to speed up the return of Christ." When she reported that the next day, half-expecting me to correct it, I smiled and said, "We are!" That is simply taking Jesus at His word: the Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations, "and then the end will come" (Matthew 24:14). The finishing of the task is tied to the returning of the King.

Here is a question that motivates me, because it underlies this whole series. If every Christian on earth lived exactly the way you or I live, how long would it take for the Gospel to reach every nation? Be honest with your answer. For many of us — if we are truly honest — the answer is "never." If everyone gave what I give, shared what I share, and obeyed the way I obey, the Great Commission would simply never get finished. And if that is the honest answer, then something has to change. Not in the person next to us. In me. In you.

Please hear me: I am not writing this to frighten you. End-times urgency is not fuel for fear; it is fuel for the journey — fuel for finishing the task. Fear paralyzes; urgency, rightly understood, sends you out the door with joy and confidence to do what needs to be done. And here is why I have such hope: right now, all over the planet, God is restoring the powerful simplicity of the New Testament church. In some of the poorest, and most difficult places on earth, disciples are multiplying at a rate most Western believers can’t imagine. He is already doing it — we do not have to start the movement; we just have to join it.

That is the heart of everything Go Multiply is about, so let me say it plainly. We are not running a campaign. We are joining the Holy Spirit in what has already started. There is no human agenda here, no brand to build, no empire to grow — just the Kingdom of Jesus, and the invitation to take part in what He is doing. The goal has always been Him. And His vision has not changed: every follower should be a disciple, and every disciple is supposed to be a disciple-maker. Every gathering of disciples is a church. Not a special class of professionals carrying the load for everyone else, but every ordinary follower of Jesus living as an obedient, reproducing disciple — because whatever we model is what the next generation will reproduce.

I will leave you with the same caution I put at the front of the book:
only keep reading if you are willing to have your religious assumptions challenged. 

So let me ask you again, and this time write down your answer: if every Christian you know lived exactly the way you do, how long would it take to reach and disciple all nations? And if the answer troubles you — are you willing to let the change begin with you?

Over the last two weeks we have told the story of Go Multiply — how it began in a moment of prayer in May 2012, and what God has done over ten years of ordinary disciples doing extraordinary things through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Today is Part 3. And Part 3 is not about the past.

It is about what is still unfinished — and what you and I can do about it.

In ten years, God has done things through Go Multiply's global networks that no human strategy could have produced:

Tens of thousands of New Testament churches formed. Hundreds of thousands of reproducing disciples made. Thousands of leaders trained across dozens of nations. Movements multiplying in Africa, Asia, South America, and beyond.

But here is a reality that keeps driving Go Multiply forward — and should motivate every follower of Jesus as well. We all have been given an assignment to make disciples of all the nations on earth, yet:

Roughly 2 billion people on earth today have still never heard the name of Jesus Christ.

Jesus said the harvest is plentiful and the workers are few (Matthew 9:37). That was true in the first century. And, sadly, it is still true today.

Approximately 43,000 people enter a Christless eternity every day from these unreached people groups — people who have never once heard the only name that could save them, the name of Jesus Christ.

They do not go to hell because they rejected Jesus. They go to hell because no one has ever told them about Him. They have never been told how to be saved through receiving Him and being born again.

The final command of Jesus plus the reality of the unreached world is what motivates Go Multiply to keep pressing forward. It is what drove a homeless beggar in Africa to start 25 home fellowships of believers in a few short months — because when ordinary people comprehend the training program of Jesus and are released to implement it, the results are far greater than any program or institution could ever achieve.

It is what drove the lady in Webuye to keep sharing and training disciple-makers even after her pastor kicked her out of the church — because 10,000+ disciples obeying, gathering, and multiplying in His name is worth far more than the comfort of remaining quiet just to keep the peace in her local congregation.

Obedience to Christ’s final command is what drove Kurt to walk into places with Taliban bomb threats, police interference, guerrilla warfare groups, and radical persecution. The Great Commission of Jesus has never been rescinded. It is still in force and applies to every follower of Christ today. Every Nation means EVERY NATION, regardless of the government's stance on following Jesus.

Right now (July 2026) Go Multiply has over 15,000 disciple-makers waiting to be trained and sent in Asia alone. These are men and women who live near to the most unreached people on earth. They know the language. They know the culture. They look like they belong there — because they do. They are the best option to reach and disciple the remaining unreached people of the earth.

The cost to train and coach each Disciple-maker is just $100. Another $100 will send them and equip them with Bibles for new disciples.

$7 a day will train, equip, send, and coach one disciple-maker per month.

$70 a day covers ten per month.

Even $1 a day trains and sends nearly two per year.

It’s not the training and sending that’s important, It’s what they do once they are sent that matters. Over the past few years around 2000 Go Multiply trainees have started over 10,000 New Testament churches and have led over 200,000 souls to Christ Jesus in Asia alone! The training program of Jesus still works today.

In the parable of the talents, Jesus was not concerned with how much each servant had been given. He was concerned with what they did with what they had been given. What are you doing with what you have been given? Whether much or little, Jesus expects us all to multiply our talents for His purposes!

Many hands make light work. The Great Commission is an achievable goal today. We know where the unreached are. People are ready to be trained and go to them. The US has the finances and the technology to finish the task. Jesus is restoring the powerful simplicity of the early church to the church of today. We simply need to combine all of these resources — so the senders can send, the trainers can train, the goers can go, the unreached can be reached, the nations can be discipled, and Jesus can return.

In the fall of 2023, the night before embarking on his most ambitious mission journey to date — seventeen three-day training sessions in eleven weeks across six countries — God gave Kurt a dream.

The Lord said: "You need to draw them a picture."

And then He gave Kurt the picture.

It was a timeline of the church age — from the first coming of Christ to His return — with every significant milestone marked on it. The New Testament church meeting in homes for 300 years. The Constantine building based system which began around 324 AD. Constantine simply repackaged the pagan religious system of Rome with Christian labels. That shift is what has shaped the building-based church system for over 1700 years. The Reformation 500 years ago, which reformed the theology but left the practices largely unchanged.

And then where we are now. We are in the Last Days! Many feel that the last days began when Israel became a nation again in 1948.

Today Jesus is not reforming the building based Constantine system (that He never commanded). He is in the business of restoring the original operating system of HIS church. He is bringing His body back to the powerful simplicity of the early church — the system that was turning the first century world upside down. This was when disciples made disciples, whole households were coming to Christ, and movements multiplied faster than the population — because He intends to finish reaching and discipling the world before He returns.

Almost every believer Kurt talks to today believes we are living in the last days. If the church age were to cover roughly 2,000 years and we are very near the end of the age. If that is the case, then you and I are in the final moments — with +- 2 billion people yet to reach. How will we get it done?

What the building-based Constantine church system has not been able to accomplish in 1,700 years, the original operating system of Jesus will accomplish in the next ten, fifteen, or twenty years.

The question is not whether He will finish what He started. He will. The question is: Will He do it with you or without you? 

I hope it will be with you.

Up till now, Go Multiply's work has been primarily international — and the fruit has been extraordinary. But for the last several years, the Lord has been asking Go Multiply a question that keeps getting louder:

The statistics in the American church are sobering. The current cost per baptism in the US church system is estimated at $1,550,000.00. Ninety-five percent of Christian church members never lead a single person to Christ in their entire lifetime. Ninety percent never share the gospel with anyone…ever! The list goes on.

Is this what Jesus had in mind when He said, “I will build my church?”

Time to Disciple America — an extension of Go Multiply — exists to bring the same New Testament operating system that is producing extraordinary multiplication of disciples around the world into homes and neighborhoods across the United States. Simple. Reproducible. Obedience-based. Starting where you are, with the people God has already placed around you and expanding from there.

The Jesus’ way that took Samuel from 50 church members to 2,500 reproducing disciples in ten months can work in a living room in rural Mississippi, a kitchen table in Wisconsin, a coffee shop in Chicago, or wherever people gather, anywhere in America.

This is not a culturally successful program. It is the training program of Jesus. And it works wherever ordinary, obedient disciples are willing to put it into practice in every culture and in every demographic of society.

July 30th, 2026 Go Multiply is celebrating ten years of ministry. The theme is Rooted and Sent — drawn from Jeremiah 17:8, is that of a tree planted by water whose roots run deep and whose leaves stay green even in drought, bearing fruit in every season no matter the weather.

That is what ten years of partnering with the Holy Spirit looks like. Rooted in Scripture. Sent into the harvest field of the world. Bearing lasting fruit in places that had never heard the gospel of Jesus.

Join us in celebrating what God has done and partner with us to join Him in what He’s yet to do.

Missed Part 1 & 2?
Visit GoMultiply.org/blog.

Last week we told the story of how Go Multiply began — one May morning in 2012, a word from The Lord, and everything changed. The ministry launched in 2015 built on a conviction to Finish the Great Commission! We are not running programs; We are joining the Holy Spirit in what He is already doing.

These are some of their stories.

The first training Go Multiply ever conducted in Africa took place outside a city called Webuye, Kenya. The translator was a man named Samuel Wafula — not part of the group that had organized the training, but invited simply because he spoke good English.

Samuel was a seminary teacher and a pastor. His church had about 50 people on a typical Sunday morning, and he had been in that role for fifteen to twenty years. He later said that at that time he felt like Peter — fishing all night and catching nothing. He was burned out. His congregation had not added a single new person in years.

For three full days, Samuel stood beside Kurt and translated the entire training into Swahili.

Ten months later, Kurt was in Kampala, Uganda, when Samuel traveled to find him. When Kurt saw him, Samuel looked ten years younger. He had a spring in his step. He was excited about life and ministry.

"Brother," he said, "let me tell you what happened." Kurt replied, “tell me.”

Samuel had gone back and shared everything he had learned with his elders. He showed them from Scripture how Jesus trained His disciples to disciple the nations. The elders were convinced. Samuel and his elders went before the congregation and repented — telling them plainly: "We have not been leading you to do Jesus' work Jesus' way. We have been leading you to do Jesus' work, man's way, tradition's way, and Constantine's way."

Then they trained the entire congregation how to be disciples who make disciples — to start simple New Testament churches in any location where people gather. They gathered in houses, shops, and under trees.
 
"Brother," Samuel told Kurt, "we went from 50 people in one location to 2,500 disciples in more than 100 locations across northwest Kenya in less than a year." Wow! Only God can do something like that!

Samuel went on to become part of the Go Multiply leadership team in Kenya and East Africa. The movement he helped launch has now grown to over 15,000 churches in 12 countries. Samuel went home to be with the Lord in 2023 — and at his funeral, multiple generations of churches showed up that the leadership team didn't even know existed. People came from generations six, seven, eight, and nine — fellowships had given birth to fellowships that had given birth to more fellowships, simply because they were obeying the final command of Christ to multiply disciples to the ends of the Earth.

That group has now launched a rapidly expanding movement of more than 15,000 New Testament churches across 12 countries in East Africa.

Not a program. Not a campaign. Ordinary people doing Jesus' work Jesus' way — and seeing Jesus' divine results.

Webuye, Kenya is the ground zero of Go Multiply in Africa. In 2023, Go Multiply held another training there on the farm of Isaac and Emily, Go Multiply's senior leaders in Africa. The team deliberately tried to limit the numbers — they invited 100 people. Instead, 250 showed up. They rented a truckload of mattresses, and people slept inside, outside, in hallways, and under trees.

One lady came because her pastor had been invited but was too busy to attend. He sent her instead — the senior church lady in his fellowship — and told her to learn everything she could and come back and report.

She was one of the most enthusiastic people in the entire training.

When she returned and shared everything she had learned, her pastor's response was immediate: "You can't do that here. If you do that here, you will break my church."

He wasn't wrong about the breaking part. Jesus Himself said you cannot put new wine into old wineskins without ruining both (Matthew 9:17). But instead of celebrating what God was doing, the pastor felt threatened. He told her to stop. She told him: "You decide if I should obey you or God." And she kept right on sharing.

Eventually the pastor ran out of patience and told her to leave the church.

This didn't deter her. It emboldened her.

She rented a house not far from the church building and opened her doors. About 100 people came to be trained. Within six months, she and her trainees had started over 500 New Testament churches in the same region where she had been asked to leave the one. As of this writing, they have multiplied to over 800 churches.

These are small fellowships — about 20 people each. But do the math: 800 x 20 = 16,000 disciples! From one woman who was sent to the training because her pastor was too busy to attend. To God be the Glory!

On Kurt's very first trip to Africa, after the training in Webuye, the leaders were so excited, they quickly organized an impromptu two-day training in a border town of Uganda during what had been originally scheduled as rest days.

There were only about 20 trainees — most of them young people in their twenties. The majority were women.

When Kurt landed back in the United States and turned on his phone, he had several messages from Henry, the man who had hosted that training. Henry said: "Sir, we have a problem."
 
Kurt replied, “What’s the problem?”

Henry responded, “The young ladies you trained went out, shared the gospel, and led 70 people to Christ.”

Kurt said: "That's great. What's the problem?"

Henry said: "They found some water and baptized them all."

Again, Kurt replied with joy, “That’s great! What’s the problem?”

Henry’s reply came back, “The local clergy are saying that women were not allowed to baptize people. What should we do?”

In the spring of 2026, Go Multiply's leaders in Asia conducted a training for about 300 pastors, elders, and missionaries. One couple had all but given up hope. They had been struggling in traditional building-based church ministry for about ten years in a very resistant and difficult place — and had seen zero fruit. Zero. After ten years of effort, they were ready to quit.

When they heard about the biblical discipleship training, a spark of hope revived in them. They thought: maybe this will be the turning point.

They were right.

After the three-day training they went home and put into practice the training program of Jesus. Within just two months, this couple had planted 10 New Testament churches in the 10 villages they had been targeting for over ten years with the legacy system. Jesus’ work done Jesus’ way always yields Jesus’ results!

Today they have been given a God-sized vision to make and send more than 75,000 disciple-makers into the surrounding unreached areas of Asia. Multiplying disciples is the only way to finish the great commission in the time we have remaining.

There is a young disciple-maker in Go Multiply's network named Esther. She was abandoned on the streets in the biggest slum of Kampala, Uganda, by her grandmother when she was just five years old. She had to learn to survive in a city of several million people.

She became a follower of Christ around the time Go Multiply began. She has been through the training several times. As of 2026, she runs an orphanage with nearly 300 children being fed, clothed, housed, and schooled — in addition to doing weekly outreaches to the lost world around her. She’s seen many miracles. At one point she was referred to as “God's Hospital” because all who were brought to her were healed!

The first time Esther ever attended a church service, she walked in during the sermon and saw that most of the people didn't have a Bible. She interrupted the sermon and asked how many of the congregation owned a Bible. Most did not, so she offered to sell their shoes to buy them one. She gathered up all the shoes from every person in the congregation in a blanket and left. Ester went out on the streets of Kampala and sold all the shoes. She went to the Bible society, bought Bibles with the money, and handed them out the following week.

The people went home barefoot one week; but went home with Bibles the next.

May the Lord bless us with many more Esther's before His soon return.

Once, Kurt was given just two hours to speak to about 200 Bible school students in the jungle in southeast Nigeria. The drive in was three hours. The drive out was three hours. They needed to be out before nightfall — after dark, criminals and bandits patrol the roads.

Kurt wasn't sure two hours was worth it. So he did the most impactful thing that came into his mind: he asked how many of them had access to Google. Almost all 200 raised their hands. He challenged them to search DMM and DBS — Disciple-Making Movements and Discovery Bible Study — and put what they learned into practice. Kurt thought he’d never be at that bible school again. But…

Miraculously, just three months later, Kurt found himself back at that same Bible school.

His host pulled him aside before he took the stage and said: "I don't know about the other 195 students, but I personally know five of them. And those five have started 31 New Testament churches in the evenings and weekends — in just the last three months!"
 
Kurt has been told that since those two short visits, that bible school has been forever changed. Now they make disciples that make disciples!

All glory to God.

In ten years, Go Multiply's global networks have seen:

• Tens of thousands of New Testament churches formed across the globe.
• Hundreds of thousands of reproducing disciples of Jesus Christ
• As many as one million or more souls saved
• Hundreds of training sessions conducted globally
• Thousands of disciple-makers trained and multiplying

This is not because of a program.  And it is not because of a strategy. It is because ordinary, obedient people learned to do Jesus' work Jesus' way — and Jesus did what only He can do…provided the miraculous results.

"What does this say to me?" Kurt has asked after story after story like these.

"It says that this last-days move of God has nothing to do with me. It's about doing Jesus' work Jesus' way, which will always lead to Jesus' results."

Missed Part 1? Read it here before you go.

Next week: Part 3 — What's Next. 
The harvest is not finished. Over ten thousand disciple-makers in Asia are waiting to be trained and sent. God is also moving in America.

In May of 2012, Kurt Olson was doing what he had been doing for nearly two decades — praying about church planting.

He and his wife, Carrie, had felt called to plant a church since as early as 1995. For eighteen years they had been preparing — attending conferences, reading books, taking courses. And on a morning in May 2012, Kurt asked God a direct question: "If you really want me to plant a church, then what are you waiting for?"

What came back was not the answer he expected.

That single moment ended eighteen years of preparation and began something that neither Kurt nor Carrie could have planned.

Kurt prayed a simple response: "Okay, Lord. If you just want me to make disciples, then show me how, where, when, and with whom — and I will do it."

Within weeks, emails began arriving about something called Disciple-Making Movements. The stories sounded like they were pulled directly from the book of Acts. People were being healed. Entire villages were coming to Christ. Entire households. Even entire mosques turning to Jesus as a group.

One of those emails referenced a book called Miraculous Movements by Jerry Trousdale. Kurt read it almost without stopping. He could not believe what he was reading — that God was bringing the body of Christ back to the powerful simplicity with which it began.

The book mentioned a man named Dave Hunt, a missionary who began with just five curious Muslim men in Ethiopia — men who weren't even believers yet. Just 5 guys willing to study the Bible, apply it in their lives, and share it with others. By the time Kurt learned about the movement, more than 275,000 Muslim men and women had become followers of Jesus Christ, spreading from Ethiopia across Africa.

Kurt found the organization Dave Hunt was working with online. He called the number, and asked for Dave Hunt directly. When Dave answered, Kurt introduced himself and asked simply: "Is this all true?"

Dave said, "It's all true — and there's so much more."

Dave Hunt mentioned that a Disciple-Making Movements training was coming up in Minneapolis — just a few hours from where Kurt and Carrie lived. Kurt brought Carrie and a pastor friend, and they went through the full three-day training together.

It was there that all the pieces came together.

Kurt finally understood what it meant to be a true disciple of Jesus. He understood how to make disciples. He understood how to launch fellowships of believers with the ability to multiply. The training program of Jesus — the same pattern that had produced millions of reproducing disciples across India, Africa, and dozens of other nations — suddenly made complete sense.

"The rest, as they say, is history."

The organization that conducted the training could sense Kurt's enthusiasm immediately. They asked him to start helping conduct additional trainings — first for an hour, then two, then four, then a full day, then an entire three-day training on his own. That training went well. Invitations began arriving to conduct trainings overseas — invitations Kurt was not even looking for.

His vision at that point included only his town and the surrounding communities. He had no plans to start a global ministry. God had other plans.

Kurt was traveling to Chicago on business when a contact led him to connect with a man doing outreach to Muslims there. That man had since moved to the East Coast — but he got so excited about disciples making disciples that he invited Kurt to travel with him to a place called Sharjah, next to Dubai.

Kurt's first overseas training experience was on the Arabian Peninsula, in a full Muslim Sharia law state.

The training venue moved every day. When Kurt asked his hosts why, they said: "So they can't find us."

Kurt asked, “So who can't find us?”

"The radical Muslims who would not want us holding these trainings."

To his hosts it was a foregone conclusion. To Kurt, it was a completely new world.

But the fruit from that first overseas training, and the trainings that followed, began to confirm what he had heard and read. Ordinary, obedient disciples who received the training program of Jesus and were released to use it — in homes, in fields, under trees, in communities — were producing what conferences, programs, buildings, and crusades never will … lasting fruit!

In 2015, Kurt and Carrie launched Go Multiply — a ministry built on one conviction that has never changed: we are not running a campaign. We are joining what the Holy Spirit has already begun. No human agenda. Just Jesus. The goal always ends in Him.

The mission is simple: finish the Great Commission by launching Disciple-Making Movements in every nation and among every people group on earth.

Ten years later, what God has done through Go Multiply's global networks is beyond anything Kurt imagined standing in that Minneapolis training room in 2012.

But the story didn’t begin there. It was already being written — in 1987, when a young man in rebellion against God dropped a dusty Bible open to 1 Kings 2 and heard the Lord say, “Live your life My way and you will prosper for the rest of your days.” Kurt crumpled to the floor in a pile of tears and said to God,

“You win. I give up."

Then in 1990, he married Carrie Schwerbel at a Lutheran church in Menasha, Wisconsin.
 
In 2008, their marriage nearly ended — but through godly counsel and the power of God, it didn't. In 2010, when a man named S.R. Manohar stepped into their row at a small church gathering in the woods outside Almond, Wisconsin, and spoke a prophetic word Kurt didn't fully understand at the time: "God has given you the keys to the Kingdom. Doors that were closed will be opened. And doors that were opened will be closed."

Kurt believes that everything is preparation for the next thing.

And now, ten years into the ministry God launched through that moment in May 2012, the doors are open in ways that neither Kurt nor Carrie could have predicted — and the movement is still multiplying.

Recently, I was talking to a friend of mine about the ministry of disciple making, and he made the comment "Jesus wants fruit on every branch." Ever since that conversation, I've been haunted by that thought.

In John 15:1-8, Jesus says that He is the Vine and that we, His followers, (you and I) are the branches. He goes on to say that His Father is the Gardener and that the Gardener (God Almighty) cuts off every branch in Jesus that doesn't bear fruit. Are you in Christ today? If so, are you producing fruit? If not, I need to warn you that you are in danger of being cut off from Jesus!

He says that the Gardener prunes every branch that does bear fruit so that it can be even more fruitful. You see, if your life is bearing some fruit, God the Father will remove meaningless things from your life so that your life can produce even more fruit for His Kingdom and purposes.

Jesus finishes this teaching by saying that it brings glory to the Father when we bear much fruit and that this is how we show (or maybe how we prove) that we are truly His disciples. In John 15:7, Jesus tells us how to bear fruit. First, we must stay connected to Him. Second, we must possess or carry His words, His teachings, inside of us. And then the magic happens! If we will do those 2 simple things, (stay connected to Him and keep His teachings in us), then God will give us whatever we ask for so that we can bear much fruit!

So, the Father who cuts off the branches that don't want to produce fruit is the same Father who will provide everything necessary to branches that want to bear fruit! Do you really want to bear fruit for the Lord?

Seriously, ask yourself, "Am I bearing much fruit?" Are you bearing any fruit at all? In this passage there are 4 levels of fruit bearing: 1) no fruit, 2) some fruit, 3) more fruit, and 4) much fruit. Which one are you today? And which one do you want to be?

I don't ask that question in a spirit of judgment or condemnation, but out of a spirit of concern. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association says that 90% of Christian church members in America never share the Gospel with anyone and as a result, 95% never lead one single person to Christ in their entire lifetime. There is no way that is what Jesus wants from His followers!

I don't know about you, but I can't see how never leading another person to Christ could be considered bearing fruit. Jesus' final command is for ALL of His followers to make disciples of everyone on earth! So, if a person claims to be a Christian, but never shares the Gospel with anyone and therefore never leads another person to Christ, how could that possibly be considered bearing fruit? And my friend, if we're not bearing fruit, then according to Jesus' own words, we're in danger of being cut off from the Vine by Almighty God the Father who is the Gardener.

And remember, the branches that end up separated from the Vine (whether by the Father or by their own choice) wither, get picked up, and get thrown into a fire.

So, if human beings represent the branches, and Jesus says there are certain conditions under which people are going to be separated or cut off from Him, we'd be wise to pay close attention so that doesn't happen to us. The separated branches get burned in a fire. What do you think that represents? Does that sound like someone who's entering Eternity in Paradise with God?

In the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, the master gave His servants 5, 2, and 1 talents, respectively. (A talent was a measurement of money worth over $1,000.00) Talents don't just have to refer to money. Talents could mean gifts or abilities or material things. They probably refer to a combination of things. Whatever they are in your life, the purpose of the talents is to gain more (multiply) talents. Sadly, the servant that was given one talent didn't do anything with it. He just buried it. When his master returned, the servant was called wicked and lazy for not putting what he was given to use in the interests of the master! Then he was cast into "outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Do you think that servant went to Heaven? Of course not. There will be no weeping or gnashing of teeth in Heaven. That's what people in Hell do.

Now, let's all pause and take a very honest look at ourselves to determine whether or not our lives are bearing fruit for God. Let's ask ourselves whether or not our lives are multiplying talents for the Master. This is critical because, to be in Christ but not bearing any fruit and not multiplying the talents you've been given is an extremely dangerous place to be. If you are a follower of Christ, if you are a Christian church member and you can't point to any fruit that your life is producing, may a holy fear come over you right now.

Now, if you have analyzed your life and you recognize that you're not producing fruit, then you are in danger of being cut off from the Vine. If that's you, don't wait another second! Make the necessary changes right now. You can produce fruit by supporting mission work that's actually impacting lostness and reaching lost souls for Christ. The best way to bear fruit is by leading people to Christ yourself.

The simplest Gospel presentation in the New Testament is found in Mark 1, where Jesus said "The time has come. The Kingdom of heaven is near. Repent of your sins and believe the Good News." That is a very simple Gospel message that any one of us can share. Just get in the habit of asking everybody if they've heard the Good News and just ask them, "Can I share some Good News with you?" or, "Have you heard the Good News?" Most people won't say no. And keep in mind you are offering them a ticket to eternal paradise and an escape from eternal death. You never need to apologize for that.

Now, if you're a church leader in the world, please don't be content with Christian church members who come to meetings and give some money and volunteer in the programs at your church. Because just doing those things doesn't guarantee that they will produce fruit. Being a passive spectator Christian church member doesn't guarantee that they're not in danger of being cut off from the Vine.

As I read this passage from John 15:1-8, I recognize that there are two ways that a person can become separated from the Vine. One of them is by not producing fruit, which will trigger the Father cutting you off from the Vine. But the other one is done by yourself. Jesus says to remain in Him, which means we have the option to not remain in Him. He promises if you remain in Him, then you will bear much fruit, but there are those who won't remain in Him.

It breaks my heart to think about people who've spent years or decades in Christ and then they leave Him in their twilight years. They simply drift away. Maybe they produced fruit in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s but then in their 60s they become self-centered and get concerned with their own enjoyment in their own entertainment and how they were gonna enjoy life in retirement! They stopped concerning themselves with bearing fruit for the King and the Kingdom. Instead, they became preoccupied with their own comfort, ease, and enjoyment.

Those people don't remain in Him. And again, if they don't remain in Him, they are like a branch that withers, is picked up and is thrown into the fire! Don't let that be you! May you finish the race well! Finish in a way that you produce fruit until your dying day!

Another way to produce fruit is by helping other people get into the Bible and meet the God of the Bible and learn how to follow and obey Him.

As they mature, they tend to get saved (if they weren't already). They usually become obedient disciples who make more disciples. And, when they share what they are learning with others, they identify people who are looking for God. Then they can start more groups among the friends and family of the others who are looking for God. In this way they produce the fruit of disciples making disciples! I believe this is the type of fruit that brings God glory, because we prove that we are actually Jesus' disciples when we bear much fruit.

Please hear my heart, I care about you and I want what's best for you. I never want to see you in a dangerous position where your salvation or relationship with Jesus is in jeopardy. No matter what stage of life you are in, you can still bear fruit. You may be just getting started following Christ, or you may be nearing the end of your life.

If you are in the twilight years of life, you can still bear fruit. You probably have more time to pray than ever. So get in His Word. Hide it in your heart and ask the Father to give you everything you need so you can continue to bear fruit. Call everyone you know and ask them how you can pray for them. Through your prayers, many will come to Christ. Run the race to win and NEVER GIVE UP!

God bless you.

There is a version of the Christian life that looks something like this: go to church on Sunday morning, maybe join a small group during the week, give money to the church, try to be a good person, and occasionally (but almost never) share your faith when it feels right. It is a life that acknowledges Jesus — even loves Jesus — but reserves most of its daily energy for everything other than Jesus.

That is not the full life Jesus died to give you.

Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me(wants to be my follower), let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23, ESV) Daily. Not weekly. Not when convenient. Not as a supplement to an otherwise self-directed life. Daily denial. Daily cross-bearing. Daily following. This literally means to deny your own existence and embrace your own execution every day.

In John 8:31-32, He told the people who had believed in Him: "If you hold to (continue in or abide in) my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (NIV) The mark of a true disciple is not just agreeing with what Jesus said. It is continually immersing yourself in what He said — living in it, obeying it, letting it shape every aspect of your life.

This doesn’t just apply to “full-time” missionaries, ministry leaders, or professional Christians. It is the standard Jesus set for every single person who desires to follow Him and calls Him Lord. It is critical for disciple-making too— because what someone considers to be the right way to follow Jesus will be what they will pass on to others.

Most believers in the Western church today are living what could be called a hybrid lifestyle (or a double life). Part of their life is shaped by Jesus — their church attendance, their small group, their personal devotions. But the rest of their life is often shaped by the culture — their ambitions, their entertainment, their financial priorities, their other interests.

The problem is not that these believers don't love Jesus. Many of them genuinely do. The problem is that a hybrid lifestyle doesn’t produce true disciples. When someone is discipled by a person living a double life, the double life is what gets reproduced. The next generation of disciples often inherits not just the truth that was taught, but the pattern that was modeled.

Jesus addressed this directly. He said in Luke 14:26-27 that following Him requires loving Him above every other relationship and commitment — and that anyone who does not carry their cross and come after Him cannot be His disciple. And in Luke 14:33 He went further: "Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple." (NIV) Jesus gave up everything and carried His cross and He expects us to do the same.

He is not describing a split life. He is describing full surrender.

The Greek word for disciple — mathetes — describes a follower who is the apprentice of a master. In the first century, a disciple didn't just attend the rabbi's lectures. He followed the rabbi everywhere, imitated everything the rabbi did, memorized everything the rabbi taught, and spent every moment in close proximity to the master. It was a total-life commitment.

That was the understanding when Jesus said "Follow me." It was not a partial commitment with Jesus as one priority among many. It was a total-life reorientation around Him.

Paul understood this. He wrote to Timothy: "The things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others." (2 Timothy 2:2, NIV) That is four generations of multiplication in one sentence — and every generation in that chain is defined by the same thing: people who have received, obeyed, and passed on. Not people who attended. Not people who agreed. People who lived it out and reproduced it.

The Great Commission pathway is not complicated. In the power of the Holy Spirit; Go. Preach the gospel. Baptize those who believe. And teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded. But it is demanding — because it requires disciples who are actually living the life they are trying to reproduce in others.

You cannot demonstrate obedience if you are not personally obeying. You will struggle to reproduce a life in others that you are not living yourself. The Great Commission requires full-fledged disciples — people whose entire life is oriented around obedience to Jesus, His teaching, His commands, and His mission — because those are the only people who can make the type of disciples Jesus desires.

This is where the question gets practical. What does it actually look like to live as a genuine disciple in everyday life? Not in a monastery. Not on an overseas mission field. Right here, in ordinary life, with ordinary people, in ordinary circumstances.

It starts with surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and a commitment to obey Jesus through the Word. A true disciple opens Scripture not to accumulate knowledge but to apply the knowledge they accumulate. Every passage is approached with the same questions that shape the Discovery Bible Study process: what does this tell me about God? What does it tell me about people (including myself)? And most importantly — how will I obey or apply this? And, who will I share it with?

That last question is the one that separates a passive spectator from a genuine multiplying disciple. When a person shares what they have received from Scripture with someone else, they are already doing the work of the Great Commission. They are passing on what they have been given. They are fishing for people, always searching for a hungry person so another group can start among the social network of the hungry fish.

In Matthew 4:19 (NKJV) Jesus said, “Follow Me and I will make you into fishers of men.” That means that if we claim to follow Him but don’t fish for people, we aren't actually following Him even if we say that we are.

A real disciple also lives with eyes open to the people God has placed or will place in their life. Jesus said the Father is  drawing people to Jesus (John 6:44). That means the harvest is all around us — it is in the relationships you already have. Your family. Your neighbors. Your coworkers. The people you will cross paths with. The people who already know and trust you. A genuine disciple is not waiting for a special platform or a formal ministry opportunity. They are living ready — ready to share the gospel, ready to share their life, ready to help a few people gather around a Bible passage and ask the questions that develop real disciples.

This is not performance. And it’s not an add-on to an otherwise busy life. It is a Spirit led reorientation of life itself — where obedience to Jesus and commitment to His mission becomes the underlying motivation of everything in life. Then, ordinary moments and rhythms of life become the primary context for disciple-making.

Herein lies a tension that most Christians in the Western church may have never considered: the building-based church model and the New Testament disciple-making model are not the same thing, and they do not produce the same results. In other words, a Christian church member is not the same thing as a genuine disciple of Jesus!

This is not a criticism of the people in those systems. Most of them love Jesus sincerely. The problem is structural..with the system itself. As Go Multiply's spiritual firewall question asks: where do we see this in the practices of Jesus and/or the New Testament church? The New Testament church was not building-based. It was household-based, relationship-based, and movement-based. Its primary mode of operation was ordinary disciples living obedient lives in ordinary places and reproducing obedience to Jesus in the people around them.

The two models can coexist — but they cannot be treated as equal. A person who attends a building-based church and also participates in a discipleship group is living a hybrid lifestyle. That hybrid period may be a transitional step for some people. But it is not the destination. The destination is a life so fully oriented around Jesus and His mission that disciple-making happens naturally, in the flow of daily life, without needing a building, programs, or professional Christians to sustain it.

That is the life Jesus called His followers to. It is a life that intentionally multiplies.

Moving to a genuine discipleship lifestyle may not require a dramatic life upheaval. It simply requires a reorientation — a daily decision to let these three questions and a desire to multiply disciples shape how you live:

1. What did Jesus say? Open Scripture. Read His words. Not to check a box on your to do list but to hear from God directly. A full-fledged disciple is not dependent on a weekly sermon to receive spiritual nourishment. They have learned to feed themselves — and others — directly from the Word.
2. How will I obey? Almost every passage of Scripture has an application. Every teaching of Jesus has an implied or direct command in it. The question is not whether you understand it. The question is whether you will do it. Obedience is the measure of maturity in the disciple-making model — not knowledge, not attendance, not years of experience. James said it plainly: the person who hears the Word but does not do it has deceived themselves (James 1:22). Obedience is essential for all who truly follow Jesus!
3. Who will I tell? This is the question that turns personal discipleship into multiplication. A full-fledged disciple is not content to grow alone. They are always looking for someone to bring along — someone to share what they are learning with, someone to help start another DBS, someone to help take the next step of obedience. Paul's pattern in 2 Timothy 2:2 still applies today: receive, obey, entrust to others who will do the same.

These three questions, asked genuinely and consistently in ordinary life, produce the kind of disciples who multiply. They are simple enough for anyone to practice. And they are powerful enough to start a disciple-making movement.

Today in 2026 there are still roughly 2 billion people on earth who have never heard the name of Jesus Christ. Every day, approximately 43,000 people from unreached people groups die and go to hell without ever having had the opportunity to accept or reject Jesus Christ. This is not because they chose against Him, but because no one has told them about Him.

That reality demands we all live as full-fledged disciples doing everything we can to finish the Great commission at home and abroad. Not as complacent Christian’s who never make any disciples. Disciples who have organized their entire lives around the mission of Jesus — who live ready, who pray continually, who share naturally, who reproduce consistently.

The apostle Peter said that we should "look forward to the day of God and speed its coming." (2 Peter 3:12, NIV) Ask yourself honestly: is the way I am currently living speeding the return of Christ? Or am I living in a way that is largely indistinguishable from the culture (except for Sunday morning) — with Jesus as one priority among many, and the Great Commission as something I agree should be finished, but not something I am personally participating in?

Jesus built repetition into the process. He gave a command — the Great Commission — to His obedient disciples so that every future generation of His followers would also be taught to obey all of His commands. That means this generation, right now, is required to go, preach, baptize, and teach obedience to all His commands. Not some of us. All of us. Not when we feel ready. Now.

A divided life will not produce true disciples. But an obedient life — a genuine discipleship life — will bear fruit that remains (John 15:16).

The path forward is not complicated. But it does require a decision.

Start with the teachings of Jesus today. Not a devotional about the bible. Not a podcast about Scripture. Scripture itself — the words of Jesus, read directly, with the question: what does He require me to do?

Then obey that thing. Not everything at once. One step at a time. Tell someone what you are learning. Start a Discovery Bible Study among the friends and family of that person. Open your home to a few people and ask the questions that shape disciples. Name a real person you will share with this week and set a real time and actually do it.

And then do it again next week. And the week after that. Until obedience is no longer an event in your life but the rhythm of it. Until disciple-making is the way you live every day.

That is what a true disciple looks like. Not perfect. Not professional. Just obedient — consistently, humbly, and reproducibly — until the whole world hears and obeys.

"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life." — John 5:24, ESV

Jesus desires us to be conformed into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29) and to be attaining the fullness of the stature of Christ (Ephesians 4:13). This means that we are ALL supposed to be becoming more and more like Jesus each and every day.  You may have thought of this before, but Jesus obeyed every command that He commands His followers to obey, which means that as we obey Him we will become like Him. Therefore, the life of a follower of Christ must be a life of obedience to all the commands of Christ so that we become like Christ!

The building-based church system began in Rome during the reign of Emperor Constantine around 324 AD. Constantine claimed to become a Christian at that time and decided to create a religion called Christianity. Since, up to that time, the true disciples had been meeting in secret in their homes or in the catacombs (caves), he couldn't learn anything from them about how to run their religion. He didn’t even know who they were. So, Constantine looked around at the pagan religions of Rome at that time to learn how to run his new Christian religion. Then he simply repackaged and rebranded everything with "Christian" labels, titles, and meanings.

The pagan religions of Constantine's day had special schools to teach their priests how to run their religion. So Constantine decided to create schools to teach his priests how to run his new religion called Christianity. My friends, this is the origin of seminaries and bible schools. I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this but there is not one leader in the New Testament church that attended seminary or Bible School. The Apostles were known as “unschooled, ordinary men”. Their qualifications were that they had spent time with and been trained by Jesus.

What about you? Have you been trained by Jesus to be a disciple who is equipped to disciple nations yet? If not, ask Him to train you today! Register to attend a Go Multiply “disciple the nations” training today! Your life will never be the same.
 
Constantine also noticed that the pagan priests wore special clothes, so he decided that the Christian priests would need to wear special clothes as well. This is why so many Christian denominational leaders wear special robes and hats and rings and necklaces today. There is absolutely ZERO mention of New Testament church leaders wearing special clothes.

On and on it went. The Emperor even relabeled the pagan statues of Rome with new names. He decided to call the pagan idol of the sun god “Peter.” The idol to the moon god was named “Paul.” Another one was renamed “John.” Even the idol to the fertility goddess, which was a statue of a woman holding a baby, was renamed the statue of Mary and baby Jesus.
 
There is no place in the New Testament where the church decided to create statues “idols” to (images of) the first church leaders. No, this practice is completely contrary to the practices of the New Testament church. It makes sense that it’s contrary because it didn’t come from the bible. It came from copying pagan practices!

This may be difficult for you to believe or receive. Still, the truth is, that almost all of the traditions and practices of the building-based church system originate NOT in the methods or practices of the New Testament church but in the pagan religions of Rome at the time of Constantine.

The Protestant movement was a wonderful move of God and it restored much of the theology that had gone wrong over the centuries. The thing the reformation failed to do was to change very little to change these Constantinian, pagan imitating practices.

Many people wonder where the building-based church system came from. Let me tell you what happened. For the first 300 years, the church was persecuted and in hiding. They primarily met in small groups in homes flying under the radar. Meeting in large buildings would have been dangerous. Then in 324 A.D. something happened to change that.

Look at Matthew 2:11 — "On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh."

The first ever worship of Jesus took place IN A HOUSE! The wise men worshiped Jesus in the house where Mary and Joseph were staying. If it was ok for them to worship Him in a house, then it must be acceptable for us to worship Jesus in our homes as well. Go ahead and give it a try (if you haven’t already).

Matthew 8:14-16 — "When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him. When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick."

The ministries of healing and deliverance were happening in Peter's house. And these things still take place in homes today. Several years ago, I was part of casting a demon out of a young man in Uganda. That deliverance took place in, you guessed it, a house.

Mark 2:1 & 11 — "A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home… 'I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.'"

Jesus' house in Capernaum (see Matthew 4:13) was a location where at least one healing took place. Jesus healed the lame man inside his own house! If it was ok for Jesus to heal a man in His house, and we are to imitate Jesus, why would we think it’s not ok to heal people in our homes?

Jesus even raised the dead in a house.
 
Luke 8:51 & 54 --  “When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother…. 54 But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!””

Healing, casting out demons, and even raising the dead took place in houses in the New Testament. Why would we think that it’s not acceptable for those things to take place in homes today?

Now let’s see what else took place in homes.
 
Matthew 26:18 — "He replied, 'Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.'"

Jesus chose to institute and preside over the first ever communion service... in the upper room of, (would you believe it?) a house. Is there any reason communion can't be celebrated in our homes today? Of course not. In fact, the New Testament only records the Lord's supper being celebrated in homes. There is no record of it taking place in the temple, a synagogue, or in any religious building. Why not celebrate communion with your spiritual family in someone's house today? (Biblical guide for communion is found in 1 Corinthians 11:23-34)

Acts 2:1-2 — "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting."

The power of the Holy Spirit was first poured out on Jesus’ followers, not in the temple, not in a synagogue, not in a religious building, but in a house! 120 disciples of Jesus were gathered to pray and wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit in someone's home!
 
Many people see Pentecost as God's official launch of the church. If that's true, it means God chose to launch His church in and from a house. And, if God poured out His Spirit in a house 2000 years ago, and God doesn't change, is there any reason that He would not pour out His Spirit in your home today? Of course not! As you gather in your home, or someone else's, expect the Holy Spirit to be poured out on everyone in the house. Also expect to receive His power just like the first disciples did!

Acts 2:46 — "Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts."

Then, after Pentecost, notice how the early church naturally organized themselves.  Immediately it became  common practice for them to gather in their homes for meals, fellowship, teaching, and communion. Where do people gather where you live? In Acts 20:20, Paul says that he shared the message both, "publicly and from house to house." THAT is how the early church operated! They met in public spaces and in their homes. They did not meet in religious buildings presided over by religious professionals…ever!

You might be saying, “They also met in the Temple courts.” Yes they did but it was nothing like we think of “going to church” today.

Think about it. The early church didn't own the temple. They were not even allowed to enter the temple itself. They were not in charge of the Temple. It was not a sanctuary (safe place) for the early church — it was a public place where most of the people there were not followers of Christ.
 
The apostles of Jesus and the rest of the early church were actually inside the temple courts, declaring that the priests, Levites, Pharisees, and Sadducees (those in charge of the temple) had executed their own long awaited Messiah. This was NOT a popular message. It is the reason the early church was in danger of being persecuted, arrested, or even killed there.

What they were doing would be similar to you or I going to the biggest mosque in Mogadishu, Somalia and declaring that Mohamed wasn’t a prophet. If you tried that, how long would your life expectancy be? Not long I’m sure.

Acts 5:42 — "Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah."

Again in this passage, we see the followers of Jesus both teaching (obedience to the commands of Christ, because that’s what Jesus commanded them to teach) and proclaiming the good news of salvation through Jesus the Messiah. In the New Testament, teaching is done to saved people, and proclaiming the gospel (preaching) is done mainly to unsaved people who have not yet surrendered their lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Both teaching and preaching were taking place in homes.

Acts 8:3 — "But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison."

Acts 10:24-25 & 44 — "The following day he (Peter) arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence… While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message."

Remember Acts 2:1-2? At Pentecost, we saw God birth the church by pouring out His Holy Spirit on Jewish disciples in a house in Jerusalem. Now, here again we see Him launch the church by pouring out His Spirit on the gentiles in the same way. The Holy Spirit fell on everyone in the house. Not in a church building, not in a synagogue…in a house. Are you beginning to notice a pattern?

Acts 16:15 — "When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. 'If you consider me a believer in the Lord,' she said, 'come and stay at my house.' And she persuaded us."

This is the conversion of Lydia and the birth of the church at Philippi. Notice the emphasis on the house and household. So, if you want to establish the church of Jesus and launch a movement of followers of Christ in a particular town or city, ask God to reveal to you a household through which you can win the whole place. These are sometimes referred to as households and persons of peace. Ask Him and expect Him to show you.

Acts 16:31-34 — "They replied, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved — you and your household.' Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God — he and his whole household."

In this passage, Paul and Silas are being used by God to continue launching the church in Philippi. And notice how God is doing it: He is using another household. They preached to everyone IN THE HOUSE. They baptized ALL the members of the HOUSEHOLD. They ate a meal together IN THE HOUSE. And everyone IN THE HOUSE was filled with joy because they had come to believe in God. Don’t miss the strong emphasis on the house and household in this passage. This is how the early church expanded…through households.
 
Look what happens next.

Acts 16:40 — "After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia's house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them. Then they left."

What was the first thing Paul and Silas did when they got out of prison? They went straight to the house of Lydia. Why did they go there? Because that is where they knew the "church" would be gathered.
 
The two households of Lydia and the Jailer coming to faith in Christ constituted the birth of the church in Philippi. No building, no professional clergy, not even any official elders yet, just followers of Jesus meeting in 2 homes was how the “church” of the city began.
When they left Philippi they went to the synagogue in Thessalonica and received a mixed response.

Acts 17:5-7 — "But other Jews (from the synagogue) were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: 'These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.'"

Here we see persecution from the Jews of the synagogue toward the budding church in Thessalonica. Notice where they go in search of Paul and Silas: to Jason's house. They didn’t find Paul and Silas, but pay attention to what they did find. They found "Jason and some other believers" gathered together in his home. So, the first place the church of Thessalonica met was in the home of Jason.

Acts 20:20 — "You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house."

This is how Paul describes his mode of operation. Paul taught about Jesus in public and in homes. There is no mention of Paul ever working in church buildings. He often went to the synagogues to proclaim the message about Jesus the Messiah. But it never ended well. He’d end up making the leaders angry or worse. He’d also inevitably take some people with him (sheep stealing) when he left.

Romans 16:5 — "Greet also the church (ekklesia) that meets at their house."

Paul is saying to greet the followers of Christ that regularly meet in someone's home — in this case, the home of a couple named Priscilla and Aquila. And don't miss that Paul calls that gathering in their house "church."

Romans 16:10-11 — "Greet Apelles, whose fidelity to Christ has stood the test. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus. Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew. Greet those in the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord."

In this passage we see two separate gatherings of believers that meet in homes. The understanding seems to be that the believers gathering in a house constitute the "church" in that house.

1 Corinthians 1:11 — "My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe's household, have informed me that there are quarrels among you."

The group of believers mentioned here is part of a household. Chloe’s household was a part of the larger church in Corinth. It seems that the church of the city was comprised of all the followers of Christ that met in many different homes of the city.

1 Corinthians 16:15 — "You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia."

Once again, we see the Lord birthing the church in a new place, Achaia, by winning a household not just an individual.

1 Corinthians 16:19 — "The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house."

Here we see multiple churches in a province plus the church that gathered in one home, greeting the believers in Corinth. Where is the church meeting? In the house of Aquila and Priscilla.

Philippians 4:22 — "All God's people here send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar's household."

What?! There was even a gathering of Jesus’ followers — a church — in the household of Caesar! I doubt very much that Caesar knew about it!

Colossians 4:15 — "Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house."

Once again, and in a new city, we see a church meeting in a home. This isn't just a coincidence. This is the primary pattern of the early church. Win a community by winning the households within it! It’s God’s strategy.

Philemon 1:2 — "also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier — and to the church that meets in your home."

And again, we see a couple hosting a gathering of believers — church — in their home.

Paul said it plainly in Romans 1:15-16 — "I am eager to preach the gospel… because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes." (NIV)

Recently I was participating in a home fellowship where we studied Romans 1:1-17 and I was personally convicted by the words of Paul in verses 15&16. Paul was eager to preach the gospel to people because IT (The message of salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ) IS the power of God that will save everyone who believes!

It struck me afresh that if humans assemble words in a particular order, the order that reveals the truth that salvation is found in Jesus Christ alone, then those words BECOME the power of God!

I found myself thinking, “How eager am I to preach the gospel?” Can I even preach the gospel? Do I even know what to say to clearly present the truths of God that contain the power that can permanently alter a person's eternal address?
 
Now, I don’t know about you but I frequently receive messages from people I don’t know on my phone. They are offering a job or a loan, or just want to “be friends.” I skeptically assume that they all want to steal my identity so they can steal my money.

I used to just immediately block them before I even responded. Now, I have changed my strategy. Now I ask them, “Have you heard the good news?” and they typically respond by asking, “what good news?” When they ask that question I have an open door to respond with the simple gospel. So, I typed the gospel into my notes on my phone and saved it there so that it’s easy to access whenever I need it.
 
This was not completely my idea. I must give credit where credit is due. On May 17, 2026 The United States of America was re-dedicated to God but most people knew nothing about it because the legacy media chose NOT to report on it. My sister-in -law made it a point to ask everyone she spoke with in the following weeks, “Have you heard about the re-dedication?” Now that got me thinking, “If we can ask everyone we meet if they have heard about the nation's re-dedication to God, why can’t we ask everyone if they have heard the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ?

So, under the conviction of the Holy Spirit to be eager to preach the gospel, this is the message I stored in my phone, (yours may be different).
 
“The good news is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and co-creator of the universe.
He came to earth to save sinners like me and you, lived a sinless life, died on the cross as a sacrifice for your sin and mine. Then He rose from the dead to prove that He has authority over death! He is sitting at the right Hand of God The Father and He offers eternal life to all who receive Him as Lord and Savior.

Will you receive Him today?”

Since this conviction I have shared that message with at least 4 people online. Now I’m praying for opportunities to share it with people online and in person.
 
This simple message is THE POWER OF GOD! Not the power of a program. Not the power of a building. Not the power of a clever argument or a polished presentation. The gospel itself — the actual message of what Jesus did, who He is, and the salvation and eternal life He offers — is the power of God unto salvation. It carries weight. It does its work. But only when it is shared and understood.

That is the part that many believers miss. We can be aware of the gospel and never share it. We can believe it while keeping it stored like a file on a hard drive that nobody ever opens. And if we do that, it helps no one, reaches no one, and multiplies nothing.

Would you believe me if I told you that around 90% of believers in the American church today never share the gospel with anyone? There is no way we will ever disciple the world with that kind of poor performance.
 
Discipling the lost world begins with (some version of) going and sharing the simple powerful gospel. Not a perfect message. Not a polished message. Just faithful, clear, obedient sharing of the Gospel — sharing the good news with real people in ordinary moments of life and trusting God to do what only He can do. 

What made Paul's witness so powerful was not his theological training or his skill as a speaker. It was his conviction to consistently share the Gospel. He was not reluctant to preach it. He was not waiting for the right conditions or the right platform. He was eager — ready and willing to share the gospel with anyone, in any city, in any circumstance, because he knew that the message itself was the power of God unto salvation for those who would believe.

That eagerness is not a personality trait. It is a posture of obedience. Paul understood that the gospel was not to be kept to himself — it was to be passed on. He had received something of infinite value and his responsibility was to give it away as freely as it had been given to him.

The same is true for every follower of Jesus today. The Great Commission is not a suggestion for the especially gifted. It is a command to every Christ follower. It is to go, preach the gospel, baptize those who believe, and teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:18-20). That process requires a clear presentation of the Gospel. Are you willing and ready to clearly present the good news of eternal life through Jesus Christ and what it means for the next person you have the opportunity to tell?

Here is the practical problem that stops disciple-making movements before they start: most believers do not know how to share the gospel in simple, clear, everyday language.

They believe it. They are grateful for it. They may have been living in the reality of it for decades. But if you asked them right now to sit down with a person who had never heard the name of Jesus and explain clearly what the gospel is and what that person needs to do about it — many would freeze.

That is a problem. Because a gospel that is not articulated cannot be entrusted to others. A message that lives only in your heart and never comes out of your mouth cannot multiply. And a disciple-making movement requires multiplication — not just personal faith, but transmittable faith. Faith that can be spoken clearly, heard plainly, and passed on.

This is not about being a preacher. It is not about having a gift for evangelism. It is about being ready — having the gospel at your fingertips, so that when God opens a door, you can walk through it.

One of the most practical habits a disciple can develop is keeping a clear, simple gospel statement ready at all times. I have started to keep one written out in my phone notes. That way, when a door opens — even an unexpected one, like a text message coming in from someone I haven't heard from in a while — I don't have to scramble. I can answer with a simple gospel question and then share the good news right there, in that ordinary moment, without waiting for perfect conditions.

Take a few minutes to write the gospel out in your own words (Or modify the one above). Say it out loud. Make it short enough to share in a normal conversation and simple enough that the person who hears it could repeat it to someone else. A simple opening question can change the direction of an ordinary conversation: "Have you heard the good news?" That one question, asked genuinely and followed by a clear answer when the door opens, has launched more fruitful conversations than any program or event ever could.

The goal is not to have a perfect script. The goal is obedience when the moment arrives — not letting fear or uncertainty close a door that God has opened. Readiness trains the heart to respond in obedience rather than hesitation. And obedience, practiced consistently in ordinary moments, is what produces extraordinary multiplication over time. You are offering them eternal life. No pressure, just a genuine invitation to live forever in the paradise of God. It’s really not about you at all.

When someone (or a social network) responds to the gospel — when the Holy Spirit does what only He can do and a person (or persons) says yes to Jesus — the pathway stays simple. Baptize them. As soon as possible, just as the New Testament pattern shows. And then begin teaching them to obey everything Jesus commanded. (DBS is the best tool we’ve found for this.)

Teaching obedience is not a class. It is not a curriculum that takes years to complete. It begins with the simple habits of obedience and sharing — opening Scripture together, asking what it says, asking how to obey it, and who will you share it with next. And when that new disciple (or group of disciples) shares with someone who then shares with someone else, the gospel has begun to multiply through a chain of ordinary relationships.

This is how Disciple-Making Movements are born and grow. Not through impressive events or high-profile leaders. But through one or two persons who know the gospel clearly enough to share it. When they say it to the right person or group at the right time, and then help those people to say it to others. Paul described it to Timothy this way: "The things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others." (2 Timothy 2:2, NIV) Four generations of multiplication in a single passage — and it starts with the truth being spoken.

As of June 2026, there are still roughly 2 billion people on earth who have never heard the name of Jesus Christ. That means approximately one in four people alive today has never had the option to accept or reject Him — because no one has ever told them. Not because God isn't powerful enough to save them. But because the people already saved by the Gospel have not spoken it to others.

Jesus Himself said, “The harvest is plentiful. The workers are few” (Matthew 9:37). The workers don't need special training or special credentials. They need a clear gospel to share, a willing heart to share it, and the obedience to open their mouths to share the most powerful message ever shared when the opportunity presents itself.

You have the gospel. You have the Holy Spirit. You have people in your life right now who have never heard — or who have never truly understood. Be eager, like Paul. Be ready. Be clear. Speak the good news and trust the power of God that it is. This message has the power to change peoples eternal destinies from a lake of fire to the paradise of God! What do you have to lose?

Don't let the message stop with you. Start sharing the Gospel today! Eternity will never be the same!

Webuye, Kenya is the ground zero of Go Multiply in Africa. Our first discipleship retreat there was in 2015, and what God started in that place has now resulted in the multiplication of over 15,000 churches in over 12 countries across East Africa. When we talk about what a Disciple-Making Movement actually looks like, Webuye is one of the clearest pictures we have.

In 2023, we returned to Webuye for another discipleship retreat, this time held on the farm of Isaac — our top leader in Africa. The team deliberately tried to limit the numbers. They invited 100 people. Instead, 250 showed up.

They rented a truckload of mattresses. People slept everywhere — inside, outside, in hallways, under trees. It was not a polished event. It was not a comfortable event. But God provided everything that was needed, and what happened in that place over those days is still multiplying today.

Among the 250 people who showed up was a woman whose pastor had been personally invited to the training. He was too busy to attend. So he sent her — the senior church lady in his fellowship — with one instruction: learn everything you can and come back and report what you learned.

She was one of the most enthusiastic and participative people in the entire training. She absorbed everything. She asked questions. She practiced. She took it seriously in a way that only someone can when they sense that God has placed something significant in their hands.

And then she went home.

She did exactly what her pastor had asked. She went back and shared everything she had learned with him — the DBS process, the disciple-making principles, the multiplication strategy, all of it.

His response stopped her cold.

"You can't do that here," he told her. "If you do that here, you will break my church."

He wasn't wrong about the breaking part. Jesus Himself said that you cannot put new wine into old wineskins — that if you try, the old wineskin will break and both the wine and the wineskin will be ruined (Mark 2:22). New wine requires a new wineskin. A rapidly multiplying disciple-making movement cannot be contained inside a traditional building-based church system. The structures are simply not built to hold it.

But the pastor's instinct was to protect what he had built rather than release what God was doing. And that decision set in motion a chain of events that neither of them could have predicted.

Eventually the pastor ran out of patience. He removed her from his church.

This did not deter her. It emboldened her.

Instead of quieting down, she rented a house not far from the church building and opened her doors. She invited people to come and receive the same training she had received from Go Multiply. About 100 people came.

She trained them. They went out. And within six months, she and her trainees had started over 500 house churches — in the same region where she had been asked to leave the one.

These are small fellowships — about 20 people each. But do the math.

500 churches x 20 people = 10,000 disciples.

In six months. From one woman. Who was sent to a training because her pastor was too busy to go himself.

What other method produces that kind of multiplication in that kind of timeframe? What program, what event, what strategy comes anywhere close? The answer is none — because this isn't a strategy. This is what happens when ordinary, obedient people receive the pattern Jesus gave and are released to use it.

The building-based model cannot contain this kind of growth. The old wineskin cannot hold this wine. But a woman with a rented house, 100 willing people, and the DBS process? She can start a movement that transforms a region.

This is not an isolated story. This is a pattern. All across East Africa, and in nations around the world, Jesus is multiplying His followers faster than the population grows — because He intends to finish the Great Commission before He returns.

He is not waiting for the right building. He is not waiting for the right budget. He is not waiting for a professional with the right credentials.

He is looking for people like this woman in Webuye — people who hear something true, believe it deeply enough to act on it, and refuse to stop when someone tells them to sit down.

The gates of hell did not prevail against her. The gates of one man's church did not prevail against her either. She kept moving, kept sharing, kept multiplying — and 10,000 people are now gathering in His name because of it.

This is the ekklesia of Jesus doing exactly what Jesus said it would do.

Will you join Him?

What is the church really? When Jesus used the word "church," what did He mean? Would it surprise you to learn that Jesus did not invent the word church? When He used it, He didn't need to define it because it was a common word everyone knew. In Greek, the word was "ekklesia," meaning an official gathering for an official purpose. The word ekklesia had nothing to do with religion.

So, when the Pharisees and Sadducees gathered to discuss how to destroy Jesus, that would be the "how to destroy Jesus" church (or ekklesia). And if the Roman soldiers gathered together to discuss better methods of crucifixion, that would be the "better methods of crucifixion" church (ekklesia). Does that make sense?

Acts 19:32, 39, & 41 are the only places in the Bible where "ekklesia" is properly translated as "assembly." That is because the word ekklesia is used here to describe the people who assembled for a riot in Ephesus.

William Tyndale (who translated the Bible into English) refused to translate the word "ekklesia" as "church" because he felt it conveyed the wrong meaning. He preferred "congregation" to NOT give people the impression that the ekklesia of Jesus had anything to do with a religious gathering in a religious auditorium presided over by religious professionals.

Once, I was in an area in the south of Kenya called the Masai Mara, training people in first-century discipleship. The group I was training was about 75% women, and it didn't take long for me to realize that most of these women could not read or write. Since people who can't read and write are usually very good at memorization, I decided to alter the training. I asked these ladies if they had memorized their favorite Bible stories and passages, and they had.

Then, I taught them the Discovery Bible Study (DBS) process and had them memorize it. This process is used as the seed for church planting in Disciple-Making Movements. I told them to go out and find other women in the Masai area, share their favorite Bible stories with them, and then discuss those stories using the DBS process.

So, these ladies began gathering other women, sharing Bible stories, and encouraging each other to adjust how they lived to align with what God requires. Within just a few weeks, the ladies had started fourteen New Testament churches. Most of us would call them illiterate, yet they could still expand the Kingdom of Jesus by simply sharing the Word of God that they had memorized!

For many years in my own life, I asked the Lord what "church" meant to Him. Then one day, I felt like He answered me right out of the pages of the Bible. I was reading Matthew 16:18, which says,

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." (NKJV)

I was blown away! I had read that verse many times but never really saw what it said.

First, Jesus is not saying He will build His ekklesia (church) on Peter because if you read this in the original Greek, Jesus is actually making a play on words here. Peter had just said, "You are the CHRIST (Messiah), the son of the living God." That foundational truth is most likely the "rock" Jesus was referring to in this verse. Because when He calls Peter a rock, He uses the word petros. This word refers to a small stone, like the kind of rock David used in his sling when he killed Goliath. But then, Jesus uses a different Greek word for the rock upon which He will build his church. He uses the word petra, which is the word for a massive rock like a mountain, foundation stone, or bedrock.

Jesus was literally saying that Peter was a small stone (one that Jesus could move wherever and whenever He wanted) but that the rock He was to build HIS fellowship (ekklesia) upon is as solid and immovable as bedrock! And that bedrock is the fact that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of the living God!

The second half of this verse contains a ton of information. Think about those words: "The gates of hell will not prevail against it." Some translations say, "will not overcome it" or "will not withstand it." I find it interesting that Jesus even brings hell into the conversation at all. Maybe Jesus did this because of where He was standing when He spoke about building His ekklesia. Jesus and His disciples had traveled to the city of Caesarea Phillippi, considered by the local pagans to contain the "Gate to Hell" (the underworld).

Caesarea Philippi, which stood in a lush area near the foot of Mount Hermon, was a city dominated by immoral activities and pagan worship. Caesarea Philippi stood only twenty-five miles from the religious communities of Galilee. But the city's religious practices were vastly different from those of the nearby Jewish towns.

In Old Testament times, the northeastern area of Israel became a center for Baal worship. In the nearby city of Dan, Israelite king Jeroboam built the high place that angered God and eventually led the Israelites to worship false gods. Eventually, worship of the baals was replaced with worship of Greek fertility gods.

The pagans of Jesus' day commonly believed that their fertility gods lived in the underworld during the winter and returned to Earth each spring. They saw water as a symbol of the underworld and thought that their gods traveled to and from that world through caves. They believed that their city was literally at the gates of the underworld, the gates of hell. In order to entice the return of their god, Pan, each year, the people of Caesarea Philippi engaged in horrible deeds, including prostitution and sexual interaction between humans and goats.

When Jesus brought his disciples to the area, they must have been shocked. Caesarea Philippi was like a red-light district in their world and devout Jews would have avoided any contact with the despicable acts committed there. It was a city of people eagerly knocking on the doors of hell.

Jesus presented a clear challenge with his words at Caesarea Philippi: He didn't want his followers hiding from evil. He wanted them to storm the gates of hell.

Standing near the pagan temples of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked his disciples "Who do you say that I am?" Peter boldly replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." The disciples were probably stirred by the contrast between Jesus, the true and living God, and the false hopes of the pagans who trusted in "dead" gods.

Jesus continued, "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." (Matthew 16:13-20)

At this moment and in this setting, Jesus chooses to emphasize the conflict between His ekklesia and the defenses of hell. Suddenly His ekklesia (fellowship/church) is at odds with hell. Let me ask, in this passage, who is attacking whom? Who is actually on the attack and who is protecting themselves?

When I ask that question in a training session, people usually tell me that hell is attacking the church. But is that what it says? People tend to say that because they've heard that their whole lives in church or Sunday school, but is that what the passage really says?

Look at it again. It says, "the gates of hell will not withstand it." "It" is the ekklesia of Jesus. "It" is the followers of Jesus. "It" is supposed to be you and me!

How many people use a gate as their weapon of choice to fight a battle? How many militaries worldwide teach their soldiers to fight battles with a gate as their offensive weapon? None do. It's simply not done. And that is because gates are used for defense and protection. They are NEVER used for offense or for attack!

So if the powers of hell were attacking the ekklesia (fellowship) of Jesus, then this verse should say, "the gates of the church will be stronger than the attack of hell." But that's NOT what it says. On the contrary, it says that hell's gates (defenses) will be weaker and fall to the assault of the ekklesia (fellowship, gathering of obedient followers, church) of Jesus.

Therefore, this verse does NOT say that hell is attacking the ekklesia (church) of Jesus! IT ACTUALLY SAYS THE GATHERING OF JESUS' FOLLOWERS IS ATTACKING AND OVERPOWERING THE DEFENSES OF HELL ITSELF! Is that how you view Jesus' church?

As Ray Vander Laan from "That the World May Know" says: "Gates are defensive structures... By saying that the gates of hell would not overcome, Jesus suggested that those gates were going to be attacked. Standing as they were at a literal 'Gate of Hades,' the disciples may have been overwhelmed by Jesus' challenge. They had studied under their rabbi for several years, and now he was commissioning them to a huge task: to attack evil, and to build the church on the very places that were most filled with moral corruption. Jesus presented a clear challenge with his words at Caesarea Philippi: He didn't want his followers hiding from evil: He wanted them to storm the gates of hell."

Did you get that? When Jesus gave this teaching, He was literally standing in a city that contained a cave that the local pagans thought was "the gate to hell." Jesus says that His ekklesia (fellowship, church) will be attacking and overpowering the defenses of hell.

Why would we want to do that? Why would the fellowship of Jesus' followers want to attack the gates of hell?

My guess is that you lock your gate or your doors at night. And why do you do that? To protect yourself and your possessions, right? So, if someone attacks your home and overpowers your gate or locked doors, what is their motivation? They either want to do you harm, or they want to steal your possessions, right?

Therefore, the ekklesia (church) of Jesus is not so much about religious meetings in religious buildings presided over by religious professionals. And it's not about listening to religious speeches for an hour a week. Instead, it IS about operating as a force that attacks and overpowers the defenses of hell to take lost souls from the devil and bring them to eternal life through a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

I don't think it's too strong a statement to say that any organization or group of people that claims to be the church of Jesus but is not attacking the gates of hell and taking souls from the devil is NOT Jesus' church, no matter what they say they are.

A few years ago, a couple of our trained disciple makers in East Africa approached a group of about 30 female sex workers to share the gospel with them. These women had about eighteen children among them, so the group was about 48 people in all. They all lived in the same rented room, a large hall that was used as their living space. Our disciple makers tried to share the gospel with them but were turned away. The women said they were learning to practice witchcraft and were not interested in hearing the gospel.

Now, in that part of Africa, customers don't always pay prostitutes for their services. So the motivation for a prostitute to learn witchcraft is to put a curse on clients who don't pay. In this part of Africa, witchcraft is widespread, and almost everyone believes in it. Most people there have seen witchcraft's real and powerful effects firsthand.

Upon being rejected, the disciple makers went away and asked God what to do. They felt like the Lord told them to go back. So they went back and were rejected a second time. They went away and prayed again.

Again, they felt like the Lord told them to go back. So they went a third time and were, you guessed it, rejected again. So they went away and prayed a third time, and felt like the Lord told them to go back a fourth time!

How many of us would go back four times? But, desiring to be obedient to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, they went back, and this time rather than rejecting them, the prostitutes said, "Okay, tell us your message." It was as if they were saying, "If you won't go away without telling us your message, tell us your message and then go away."

So the disciple makers shared the gospel with the prostitutes. And the prostitutes were convicted of their sin and need for salvation through Jesus Christ! They realized that the power offered to them through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit was greater than any power they could ever gain through witchcraft. So they discussed it amongst themselves, and as a group, they all surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ on the same day.

That's when the disciple makers messaged me. They were so excited about all these women who had come to Christ, and they wanted to receive some assistance in helping them find new lines of work. I told them that we would work to find new jobs but that they should NOT all quit prostitution on the same day because that would mean 48 people suddenly wouldn't have any income and couldn't pay their rent or buy food. If I'm honest, my faith was too small and I was concerned that these women and children would starve while we were trying to find them new jobs from half a world away.

He did that in a wonderful way!

You see, in Disciple-Making Movements, people are taught to read the word of God and put it into practice in their own lives. So, these new sisters in Christ were still working as prostitutes while also reading the Bible together. They came across the passage that says, "Honor God with your body" (1 Corinthians 6:20). They discussed it amongst themselves and decided to trust Jesus. They determined that it was not honoring to God to continue working as prostitutes. So they quit! All 30 of them left prostitution on the same day!

As you can imagine, this was a significant concern for me and the disciple-makers who led them to Christ. But God (I love that phrase), in His wisdom, had arranged all of the details and put the pieces into place long before the women, the disciple-makers, or I even knew what would transpire. God "just so happened" to have provided me with a friend in that very same city who specialized in urban development. The Lord also gathered the body of Christ around this need. Many people gave as they were prompted by the Lord. The women were interviewed to determine their skills and interests. Within just a few weeks, these ladies were working as hairdressers, cooks, selling fruit and vegetables, clothes, etc. They also immediately began discipling the other prostitutes of that area to Christ! Praise the Lord!

Almost every Christian I talk to lately says they believe, "We're living in the last days," but how many are living with a "Last days urgency?" I believe many believers want to make the most of the little time we have left, but they don't know what to do.

You've probably heard one of these sayings: "ignorance is bliss or with knowledge comes responsibility." I'm going to share some things with you that you may not be aware of and once you are aware you will be responsible for what you do with what you know.

If you live in America, you are among the wealthiest people on earth — in what may be the most prosperous nation in human history. Own a home and two vehicles? That puts you in the top 2% of the world's population. So here's the question worth sitting with: are you using the blessings you've been given to increase the population of Heaven? Will you let your temporary wealth make an eternal difference?

It's not about how much money a person has or doesn't have. It's about what we do with what we have. It's about a person's priorities. It's about whether or not we have the same priorities as Jesus.

Imagine what would have happened if one of the first disciples of Jesus chose not to obey a direct command from Jesus. It would not have ended well for that disciple. In fact, it probably would have ended with that disciple no longer being a disciple. You can't disobey your master and remain in right relationship with Him.

But what about you and me today? What are our spiritual priorities? Are they the same as the priorities of Jesus? Jesus commanded his followers to make disciples of all nations. He commanded them to go, preach the gospel, and baptize those who respond to the message. Then teach them to obey everything that Jesus commanded his first followers to do.

Jesus built repetition into the process by giving a command that all future generations of His followers must be taught to obey all of His commands. This means that every follower of Jesus, from the first century to today, is still required to obey every command. This includes the commands to Go, Preach, Baptize, and Teach obedience to His commands to make disciples of everyone on earth.

This process will not end before Jesus comes back! It will continue right up until the return of Christ.

At the time of Christ, a disciple was someone who memorized, agreed with, and obeyed the master's teaching. They also imitated the actions of their rabbi and consistently gathered more disciples to their rabbi.

If we don't make disciples using this definition, we will never make disciples as Jesus intended!

Now let's do a quick self evaluation. Take a moment and ask yourself these questions:

• Am I really a disciple of Jesus? 
• Before today, did I even know what a disciple really was?
• Do I know how to make a disciple?
• Have I ever made a disciple?
• Am I going anywhere with the purpose of sharing the gospel and making disciples? 
• If not, am I willing to go anywhere to make disciples? (across the street - across the globe?) 
• Do I know how to share the gospel with someone? 
• Have I ever baptized anyone? 
• And would I feel comfortable baptizing someone?
• Do I obey all of Jesus' commands?
• Do I even know all of Jesus' commands?

And what about your money? How much of it is being directed toward making disciples of ALL NATIONS and FINISHING the Great Commission?

Think about how we spend without hesitation — a $7 latte on the way to work, a $100 family dinner on a Friday night, thousands on a summer vacation, hundreds a month on streaming, tickets, and eating out. We finance cars worth more than most people on earth will earn in a lifetime and take out mortgages on homes that would seem unimaginable to billions around the world. And yet, most of us give little — if anything — toward reaching the 2 billion people who have never heard the name of Jesus. 

Someone once said, "Give me 30 minutes with your bank statement, and I'll tell you what's important to you." What does your bank statement reveal about what's important to you? What does mine reveal about me?

What if you cancelled one subscription you barely use anymore? What if you skipped the drive-thru once a week? Those small decisions — the ones you'd hardly notice — could free up real money to help reach people who have never once heard the name of Jesus. You don't have to overhaul your life. You just have to start somewhere. 

You might be thinking, 'I already give to my local church — isn't that enough?' And that giving absolutely matters. But here's something most people don't know: less than 1/10 of 1% of church offerings actually reach the most unreached people on earth. Your local church is doing important work — but the need beyond its walls is staggering. At Go Multiply our resources are used to reach the most unreached on earth.

If you want your giving to directly impact the unreached, it needs to go to ministries that are actually on the front lines —  where every dollar goes toward training and sending disciple-makers into the hardest, most forgotten corners of the earth, among people who have never heard the name of Jesus."

In all seriousness, what sacrifices are you willing to make in order to see the Great Commission FINISHED in your lifetime? If you are an American, you probably don't know the language, culture, or customs of the remaining unreached people groups on earth. The food and sleeping arrangements may not be acceptable to you. So, how will YOU reach and disciple them?

You can't go to them yourself. But you can send others. You can help train, equip, empower, and deploy local disciples who know the language and culture and who blend in because they look like they belong there.

As I type this, we at Go Multiply have over 10,000 disciple-makers waiting to be trained and sent. These potential trainees live very near to the most unreached people on earth. Will you help us train and send them?

The cost is just $50.00 to train each one and then another $100.00 or so to send them and equip them with bibles for the new believers. How many will you train and send? Just $5.00/day covers 1/month. $50.00/day trains and sends 10/month. Even $1.00/day will train and send 2/year.

In the parable of the talents Jesus wasn't concerned with how much they had been given, He was concerned with WHAT THEY DID with what they had been given. What are you doing with what you've been given?

Many hands make light work. Together we CAN finish the Great Commission in our lifetime!

The apostle Peter said that we should, "look forward to the day (of Jesus' return) and SPEED ITS COMING." (2 Peter 3:12) Ask yourself, what am I doing to speed the return of Christ?

Become a disciple-maker. Research DMM and DBS and then apply what you learn! Find a way to go somewhere to make disciples. Jesus sent them 2x2 so who's your plus 1? Who will you go with? Learn how to share the gospel. Practice baptizing some people (even do a "dry run" before your first real baptism). And get into (or start) a fellowship that is committed to learning and obeying all the commands of Christ (the DBS is the best thing we've found).

Also, find a way to free up some money to help finish the Great Commission. Ask yourself, "what can I start, stop, change, or sell in order to free up resources to finish reaching the world for Christ."

Finishing the Great Commission is an achievable goal. We have people who are ready and willing to go to them. We know where they are. We have the finances and the technology to get it done. We simply need to combine all these resources so the senders can send, the trainers can train, the goers can go, the unreached can be reached, and Jesus can return! Will you step into the role Jesus has for you to play in this great and final harvest of this age?

These 43,000 men, women, and children don't go to hell because they rejected Jesus. They go to hell because they've NEVER even heard of Jesus! They go to hell because no one has cared enough to put in the effort to go to them; share the Gospel with them; and disciple them. May this horrible reality come to an end today.

This is why Go Multiply exists: To FINISH THE GREAT COMMISSION by multiplying disciples in every people group on earth!

 
Fishing for souls with a net is the primary pattern Jesus uses, and it hasn’t changed. He gives a command to fish in an unusual way. The disciple obeys, even when it’s outside of the normal way of doing things. Jesus brings fruit that is clearly beyond anything human effort could accomplish.

There is something easy to miss in that story — Jesus didn't say "fish for a person." He said fish for people (plural). And He told Peter to let down his nets. Plural. A net is not a hook. A hook goes after one. A net goes after many.

This is not just a method of fishing. It is also Jesus’ strategy to disciple the nations.
One by one will never get it done!

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus consistently used one person to reach an entire family, community, or social circle. In Mark 2, when He called Levi, Jesus attended a banquet in Levi's house where many tax collectors and sinners gathered — He was moving through Matthew's relationships and undoubtedly influencing them for His Kingdom. When He met the woman at the well in John 4, one conversation with one woman resulted in most of the town coming to believe in Him (v.39-41). When salvation came to Zacchaeus in Luke 19, it came to his whole household and NOT to just the one person.

Jesus fishes with a net. He reaches households and communities through obedient disciples who go to new relational networks and help the people they reach to follow and obey Jesus right where they are. The goal was never to extract people from their world and bring them into ours. The goal was — and still is — to take territory for the Kingdom by leaving the new disciples where we find them.

If Jesus trained His followers to fish for souls with a net, then our disciple-making has to be simple enough for every ordinary disciple to repeat — and powerful enough to spread through every existing social NET-work.

That requires a shift in how we think about how to accomplish the work.

It means moving from reaching isolated individuals, extracting them from their social network, and bringing them to ours; to reaching entire households and social circles. It means leaving people where we find them rather than pulling them out of their normal lives and into our religious programs. And it means measuring maturity not by how much someone knows, but by how much they obey.

This is where the person of peace concept becomes essential. Jesus sent His disciples out in Luke 10 with a list of specific instructions. Among them was the command to look for “the person (or household) of peace” — someone who is open, relational, and willing to introduce you and your Jesus to everyone in their social network. Movements do not begin or multiply without them. The person of peace is not a target. They are a gateway. Through them, Jesus accesses entire networks of relationships that no program or event could reach on its own.

When you find that person, you don't extract them from their world. You ask them to open their world to Jesus. Ask them to gather their family, friends, coworkers where they already feel comfortable like Cornelius did in Acts 10. Keep it simple and reproducible. Because the goal is not to build something impressive — it is to form groups of obedient disciples who can start more groups of disciples in their own circles and in the circles of the People of Peace that the Lord puts in their path.

The heart of net-fishing disciple-making today is a simple pattern that any believer can follow: read the Bible, do what it says, and share it with someone else.

In every gathering of disciples, a few simple questions make up the core of the meeting: What does this passage say? What does it mean? How will you obey this passage this week? Who will you share this with — and when?

The questions are not complicated. But they are transformative, because they keep God in the position of teacher and obedience and multiplication at the center of every meeting. And, from the very first gathering, the goal is not to produce one good leader. It is to train everyone in the room to obey and share. A disciple-making movement is simply about disciples making disciples — with no passive spectators and no bottleneck at the top.
Model it once. Then coach and mentor from the outside.

That is how the network widens.

Jesus' call to make disciples of everyone on earth is a requirement for all who follow Him. The church will never disciple the world while treating obedience as if it’s optional. The net approach to fishing for souls is not a strategy or a program. It is a return to doing Jesus' work Jesus' way — training people to obey Him and reach households and communities through existing and future relationships.

He still calls ordinary men and women to follow Him. And He still makes them into disciples who primarily fish for people with a net.

The Discovery Bible Study is characterized by its simplicity and reproducibility. It encourages participants to engage directly with the scriptures, allowing them to explore and understand biblical teachings in a group setting. Here are some essential aspects of the DBS method:

• Group Engagement: DBS is typically conducted in small groups of two to 20 people, fostering a supportive environment for discussion. (The global average is 16)
• Scripture Focus: Participants read and discuss specific Bible passages, reflecting on their meanings and implications for their lives.
• Obedience-Oriented: The study emphasizes not just understanding the scriptures but also applying them in daily life, encouraging participants to act on what they learn.
• Outward Focused: Participants are encouraged to share what they are learning so another group can start.

The DBS process generally follows these steps:

1. Real life connections: Participants share their Joys and their struggles and assist one another with real life issues.
2. Welcome and Review: Participants share experiences related to previous studies.
3. Reading the Passage: The group reads a selected Bible passage together more than once.
4. Discussion: Participants discuss what the passage reveals about God and themselves.
5. Application: Each person considers how they can apply the teachings in their lives and share them with others.

The DBS approach has led to the establishment of thousands of new churches, particularly in regions where traditional church models have not been effective. The DBS method has been instrumental in reaching both believers and non-believers, making it a vital tool in modern evangelism and church planting efforts. 

We believe that this will be an essential tool in finishing the Great Commission due to its resulting rapid multiplication of genuine disciples of Jesus!

Discovery Bible Study (DBS) is an interactive and straightforward method for exploring the Bible. The participants engage with the text directly, allowing them to discover its meanings and applications for their lives as revealed by the Holy Spirit. This approach is effective for both believers and those new to the faith.

Structure of a DBS Session 
(Plan on 15 minutes per person if everyone participates)

A typical DBS session follows a simple structure that includes the following steps:

1. Connect: Participants share personal updates, discussing what they are thankful for and any challenges they face.
2. Read: A selected Bible passage is read aloud, often multiple times, to ensure understanding.
3. Retell: One participant retells the passage in their own words, reinforcing comprehension. The group fills in any missing details.
4. Discuss: Guided questions help participants explore the text's meaning:
   • What stood out to you and why?
   • What does this passage reveal about God?
   • What does it say about humanity? Yourself?
5. Act: Participants commit to applying the passage in their lives and share their plans with the group.
6. Share: Participants commit to tell at least one person what they learned so they can identify others who are looking for God so another group can start.
7. Pray: The session concludes with prayer, supporting one another in their commitments.

To facilitate a Discovery Bible Study, begin by gathering a small group in the home of a hungry person. Your own home is fine too because you are the hungry person in your own circle of relationships. Then you ask a series of questions starting with what they are thankful for or any challenges they faced. Then, read a Bible passage together, discuss what it reveals about God and humanity, and encourage participants to apply the lessons learned in their lives and to share with others what they learned. This method emphasizes group participation and personal discovery of Scripture and encourages multiplication.

1. What are you thankful for today?
2. What are you concerned about today and how can we help? 
3. How did your sharing and obedience go? (Week 2 and beyond) 
4. Someone read the passage aloud 2x or more. (Different translations are helpful) 
5. Someone retell this passage in your own words. (Group fill in any missing details) 
6. What stood out to you and why? 
7. What does this passage tell you about God? 
8. What does this passage tell you about people? 
9. How will you obey/apply this passage this week? (“I will…”) (Be specific) 10. Who will you share this passage with this week?  (Name a real person and time) 
11. Who do you know in need and how can we help them? 
12. When and where will we meet again?  

● Only discuss the scripture passage for today (or others weʼve studied together as a group).  
    ○ No added stories or added verses. 
    ○ This keeps a “level playing field”, keeps God as the teacher in the group, and respects          everyone's time.
● If someone introduces anything that is not in the passage simply ask them, “Where do you see that in this passage?”   
    ○ This keeps heresy and false beliefs out of the groups.

Group Participation:
Everyone contributes to the discussion, fostering a sense of community.

Personal Discovery:
Participants explore Scripture for themselves, leading to personal insights learned directly from God.

Simplicity:
The method is straightforward, making it easy for anyone to facilitate.

Focus on Application:
Emphasizes how to live out the teachings in daily life.

Focus on Multiplication:
Participants share what they learn in order to identify others who are interested. Then they start another study among the friends and family of the newly identified interested person.


This approach not only helps participants learn about the Bible but also encourages them to share their discoveries with others, promoting a cycle of learning and multiplication.

Empowerment of Participants

• Leadership Development: Participants are trained to facilitate discussions rather than relying on a single leader. This approach allows anyone to lead a group, regardless of their prior experience. Even the Person of Peace (Luke 10:1-11) can facilitate with zero prior bible knowledge.
• Sharing Knowledge: Each session encourages participants to share insights and experiences from their study, looking for those God has already prepared to meet Him.

Simple and Reproducible DBS Format

Six-Part Session: DBS typically follows a straightforward structure:

1. Share life: Share joys, struggles, and how the group can help with the struggles
2. Connect and Review: Discuss personal experiences and share how participants applied previous lessons and who they shared with.
3. Read and Retell: Read a Bible passage and retell it from memory, enhancing understanding.
4. Discuss: Explore what the Spirit revealed to you and what the passage reveals about God and humanity.
5. Act: Commit to applying the lesson in daily life and sharing it with others.
6. Outward and continuous: seek to meet the needs of those outside the group and make a plan to meet again so the group will continue.

Community Growth

• Natural Expansion: As participants feel empowered, they are encouraged to share with friends and family, co-workers and strangers to launch new groups. This natural sharing leads to the formation of multiple DBS groups within the community.
• Cultural Adaptability: DBS can be adapted to various cultural contexts, making it effective in diverse settings, including among non-Christians.

The multiplication of Discovery Bible Studies is driven by empowering and releasing participants, maintaining a simple and replicable format, and fostering the growth of many DBS groups in the community. This approach not only enhances individual understanding and application of the Bible which makes better disciples but also encourages the formation of new groups, leading to rapid expansion of the citizens of the Kingdom of God.

God is multiplying disciples all over the world today through Disciple Making Movements that utilize the DBS to saturate their communities with genuine New Testament disciples of Jesus Christ. 

He will finish the Great Commission just prior to His return. He will do it with you or without you but better with you. 

Jesus is inviting you to join Him in what He’s doing in these last days. Don’t wait and don’t hesitate. 
Say “YES” to Jesus today and begin the journey of becoming the disciple-maker you were meant to be.