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 MAKING
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Helping Others Follow Jesus

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MAKING DISCIPLES

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© 2004-2020 by Steve Murrell
All rights reserved.
Published by Every Nation Productions

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P.O. Box 3793 Makati City, CPO 1277 Philippines
Email: [email protected]

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First edition published with six chapters in 2004
Second edition published with nine chapters in 2010
Third edition published as MAKING DISCIPLES 1.0
and MAKING DISCIPLES 2.0 in 2013
Fourth edition published as MAKING DISCIPLES in 2014
Fifth edition published in ESV in 2015

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording,
or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from
Every Nation Productions.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®),
Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Printed in the Republic of the Philippines

 CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................vii

UNDERSTANDING
THE DISCIPLESHIP PROCESS

1 WHAT IS DISCIPLESHIP?........................................................1

2
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ENGAGE

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Ninety-nine or One?................................................................... 9

3 ESTABLISH

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Facades or Foundations?.................................................... 19

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S T E S
EQUIP
Maturity or Ministry?...............................................................25

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EMPOWER

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Professionals or Volunteers?.............................................31

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MAKING DISCIPLES
THROUGH VICTORY GROUPS

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7
U WHAT IS A VICTORY GROUP?....................................... 37

HOW CAN I LEAD

A VICTORY GROUP MEETING?......................................43

8 WHO’S NEXT?...............................................................................51

9 WHAT’S NEXT?...........................................................................55

ANSWERS...................................................................................................... 60
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INTRODUCTION
Discipleship is not supposed to be complicated. Difficult sometimes,
complicated never. Two thousand years ago, it was so simple that

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a carpenter explained it to uneducated fishermen in one sentence

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(Matthew 4:19). The fishermen understood it, acted on it, and they
changed the world. If modern discipleship is confusing or complicated,

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it is because we have strayed from the biblical pattern that Jesus and

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the original twelve modeled for us.

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For Jesus, discipleship was and is top priority. Yes, He fed the hungry

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and healed the sick, but He always gave the twelve disciples His prime

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time. His final word to them before He ascended into heaven was a

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commission not just to be disciples, but to make disciples. Like the
original followers of Jesus, we are supposed to be disciples and we

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are supposed to make disciples. In other words, we are supposed to
follow Jesus and we are supposed to help others follow Him.

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The problem is that while most Christians agree that discipleship
is important, even essential for Christian maturity, only a precious
few have a clear strategy for discipleship. Even fewer have a simple
definition for discipleship.

Making Disciples was written in part to give a simple, biblical definition

of discipleship, rather than a complicated theological definition based
on a particular church tradition. It was also written to present a clear
discipleship process that any church can adapt to meet its evangelism,
discipleship, and maturity needs. And finally, it was written to help
individuals and churches get started in the discipleship process in a
way that will ensure maximum fruitfulness.
Since 1990, the church I pastor in the Philippines has been built
around the discipleship principles presented here. The church was
originally established in 1984 and for the first six years grew through a
combination of special outreach events and one-to-one discipleship.

In 1990, because of growing pains and the desire to reach unbelievers

more effectively, we adjusted our process and strategy for discipleship
and church growth. This has enabled our church to consistently grow
in numbers, strength, and influence. It has enabled us to empower
thousands of ordinary believers to make disciples in Victory groups all
over Metro Manila.

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The principles and process of discipleship explained here are not just
a Filipino phenomenon. They are being applied underground in closed

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Communist nations like China and Vietnam. It has been an effective

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evangelism strategy in Muslim nations like Iran and Bangladesh. It

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has brought many Buddhists to Christ in Thailand and Myanmar.

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And it is also bearing fruit in western Christian or post-Christian cities

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like London, Nashville, and Washington, DC. If applied with wisdom,

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consistency, and prayer, it will bear fruit in your city and on your

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campus, too.

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Steve Murrell

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Manila, Philippines
 1 WHAT IS
DISCIPLESHIP?
A clearly defined and commonly shared definition of discipleship is
important because it is the starting point for creating an integrated,
effective process of making disciples.

While some definitions of discipleship have complicated the idea in

the minds of many believers, Jesus never intended for discipleship to
be complicated. Difficult, yes. Complicated, no.

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In fact, discipleship is so simple that two thousand years ago, a

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carpenter explained it to uneducated fishermen in one sentence:

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And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you
fishers of men.”

R O S MATTHEW 4:19

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When Jesus calls someone to be His disciple, He makes a

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threefold call.

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1. Discipleship is a call to (1)
Jesus.

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The starting point of being a disciple is the decision to
follow Jesus.

And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you

fishers of men.”
MATTHEW 4:19

The original disciples were able to physically follow Jesus as He

ministered around Galilee. During Paul’s time, Jesus was no longer
walking the earth in flesh and blood. Paul taught the Corinthian
believers to follow Jesus by imitating and following godly people.
 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
1 CORINTHIANS 11:1

2. Discipleship is a call to (2)

for people.

Following Jesus does not mean we cut off all contact with
non-Christians. Rather, we should continue in our relationships
so that Christ’s love can flow through us to others. As soon as
Matthew answered the call to follow Jesus, he threw a party at
his house so all his old friends could meet Jesus, including his
new friends.

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As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called
Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him,

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“Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. 10And as

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Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax

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collectors and sinners came and were reclining with

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Jesus and his disciples. 11And when the Pharisees saw

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this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher
eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12But when he

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heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need
of a physician, but those who are sick. 13Go and learn

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what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice. ‘For I
came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

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3. Discipleship is a call to
(3)
with
MATTHEW 9:9-13

DISCIPLESHIP
IS RELATIONSHIP
other believers.
• with God
When Jesus called Matthew to follow • with lost people
Him, Matthew had to follow along
with Peter and John. He was not given • with God’s people
the option of following Jesus alone.
Contrary to our culture’s obsession
with the individual, discipleship is and always has been a group
project. Their faith was lived in community with other followers.

2 MAKING DISCIPLES
 Biblical fellowship is more than greeting a few church members in
the lobby before and after service. Real fellowship is intentional,
Christ-centered relationship.

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching

and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and
the prayers.
ACTS 2:42

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have

fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his
Son cleanses us from all sin.

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FOUNDATIONAL DISCIPLESHIP PRINCIPLES
1 JOHN 1:7

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Before launching into discussions about process and strategy,

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first consider four foundational discipleship principles which

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undergird the rest of this study.

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1. Every person is (4)
to God.

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“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish but

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have eternal life.”

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JOHN 3:16

Value is determined by the price one is willing to pay. God paid

the ultimate price to redeem the lost. Since God places such a
high value on lost people, we must learn to see them the way He
sees them.

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them,

because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep
without a shepherd.
MATTHEW 9:36

What is Discipleship? 3
2. Every church, campus ministry, and Victory group
can (5)
.

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I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.
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So neither he who plants nor he who waters is
anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8He
who plants and he who waters are one, and each will
receive his wages according to his labor.
1 CORINTHIANS 3:6-8

The one purpose of planting and watering is growth. When

discussing growth, we believe that every church, ministry, and

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Victory group can grow in three ways. They can all grow:

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• Larger


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• Stronger


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• More influential

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3. Every minister should prepare others
to

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.
(6)

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And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the
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evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12to equip the

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saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body
of Christ . . .

P EPHESIANS 4:11,12

The Protestant reformation emphasized the priesthood of all

believers, restoring the biblical pattern of relating to God. The
modern church needs a “Discipleship reformation” that will
emphasize the ministry
of all believers, restoring the biblical
pattern of ministry. The job of the “minister” is to prepare others
to minister, not to do all the ministry. The goal of this study is to
get ministry out of the hands of experts and into the hands of
every believer.

4 MAKING DISCIPLES
4. Every disciple should make .
(7)

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And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority
in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Go
therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit . . .”
MATTHEW 28:18,19

Too often, we act like only full-time ministers or people who

have been Christians for a long time can make disciples.
Jesus’ command to make disciples in Matthew 28 was given to

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fishermen and tax collectors who questioned, doubted, and even

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denied Jesus. Spiritual progress, not perfection, qualifies a person
to make disciples:

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• No matter where you work


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• No matter what your age


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• No matter when you started following Jesus

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THE POWER OF PROCESS

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Everyone wants to make disciples, but many try, fail, then quit. Why?
The easiest and most common way to fail at discipleship is probably

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to import a model or copy a method that worked somewhere

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else without first understanding the values that create a healthy
discipleship culture.
• Because lost people matter to God, we
(8)
our culture and community.
• Because every church and Victory group will grow as it is built
on Christ, we (9)
biblical foundations.
• Because ministry is not only for full-time ministers, we
(10)
believers to minister.
• Because everyone is called to make disciples, we
(11)
disciples to make disciples.

What is Discipleship? 5
THE VICTORY DISCIPLESHIP PROCESS
Each principle has a set of tools
designed to help accomplish the Because we believe that
corresponding goal for each part of discipleship is best done
the discipleship process. in a group context, the
primary way to make
Though each component of Victory’s
disciples in Victory is
discipleship process is presented
separately, it is important to view the through Victory groups.
discipleship process as a continuous
and overlapping whole.

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 TOOLS/
PROCESS GOAL ENVIRONMENTS
Victory Groups
ENGAGE Culture & Community Preach the ONE 2 ONE
(Luke 15:1-7 • 1 Corinthians 9:22) Gospel Weekend Services
Engage Events
Victory Groups
Establish in Preparing for Victory Weekend
ESTABLISH Biblical Foundations the Faith, the Victory Weekend
(Matthew 7:24-27 • Word and The Purple Book
1 Corinthians 3:10) Prayer, and The Purple Book Study Guide
Church Church Community
Prayer and Worship Nights

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EQUIP Believers to Minister
(Matthew 4:19 •
Equip in
Basic Ministry
Victory Groups
Making Disciples

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Ephesians 4:11-13) Skills

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Make
EMPOWER Disciples

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Disciples with Victory Groups

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to Make Disciples
Confidence Empowering Leaders

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(Matthew 28:19,20 •
and Leaders’ Convergence

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2 Timothy 2:2)
Competence

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SUMMARY

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Discipleship is relationship on three levels—with God, lost people,
and God’s people. These values lead to our discipleship process:
• Engage culture and community
• Establish biblical foundations
• Equip believers to minister
• Empower disciples to make disciples

What is Discipleship? 7
 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• When and how did you respond to the call to discipleship?

• How can you apply the foundational discipleship principles as
you lead others?
• Where are you in your discipleship journey? How can you help
others begin their discipleship journey?

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2 ENGAGE
Ninety-nine or One?

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit . . .”
MATTHEW 28:19

The first step in the discipleship process is to engage your culture

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and community.

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When Jesus told His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations,

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none of them thought He meant for them to gather up all those who

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already followed Jesus and help them do it better. They were under

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no illusion that they could obey Jesus’ command without actively

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engaging the lost.

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HOW TO ENGAGE CULTURE AND COMMUNITY
In Luke 15, Jesus tells three parables which help us understand what it
looks like to engage the lost. In order to effectively engage the lost, we

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must understand four key concepts:

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1. Be a friend of

1
.
(1)

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing

near to hear him. 2And the Pharisees and the scribes
grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats
with them.”
LUKE 15:1,2

Setting up the context for the parables, Luke describes

a situation that occurred rather frequently in Jesus’ life and
ministry: Jesus was found spending time with religious outsiders—
 tax collectors, prostitutes, Samaritans, and lepers. This intentional
engagement with lost people earned Him the pejorative label
“friend of sinners”.

“The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and

you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a
friend of tax collectors and sinners!’”
LUKE 7:34

2. Leave the .
(2)

3
So he told them this parable: 4”What man of you,

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having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them,

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does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and
go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5And when

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he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

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And when he comes home, he calls together his friends

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and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for

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I have found my sheep that was lost.’”

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LUKE 15:3-6

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Engaging the lost usually involves moving out of our comfort
zones. Why? Because lost people generally don’t hang out in
the same places that Christians do. Hoping that unbelievers will

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randomly walk into our church is naive and lazy.

Jesus gave the greatest demonstration of engaging culture and

community when He left the streets of gold in heaven to walk the
dirt roads of the Roman Empire. Showing up on earth was just the
beginning. While here, He was the expert at engaging all types of
cultures and communities that were traditionally disenfranchised
by the religious elite.

3. Don’t quit (3)

the lost are found.

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has

lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the

10 MAKING DISCIPLES
 open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he
finds it?”
LUKE 15:4

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”Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses
one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house
and seek diligently until she finds it? 9And when
she has found it, she calls together her friends and
neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the
coin that I had lost.’”
LUKE 15:8,9

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Just like the shepherd who went out and searched for the lost

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sheep until he found it, and just like the woman who searched her
house until she found the lost coin, so we should persistently pray

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for and engage the lost until they are found in Christ. This often

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involves building long-term relational bridges with lost people.

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4. Celebrate the lost being .
(4)

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5
”And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders,

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rejoicing. 6And when he comes home, he calls together
his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice
with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’”

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”And when she has found it, she calls together her
friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for
LUKE 15:5,6

I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10Just so, I

tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one
sinner who repents.”
LUKE 15:9,10

”And he arose and came to his father. But while he

20

was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt
compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed
him. . . . 23And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let

Engage 11
 us eat and celebrate. 24For this my son was dead, and
is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they
began to celebrate.”
LUKE 15:20,23,24

All three parables have this in common—there is great rejoicing

when the lost are found.

The parable of the lost son gives us the fullest insight into how
our Father responds when sinners repent. He throws a party. Do
we respond like our Father when lost sons and daughters come
home or do we respond like the self-righteous elder brother?

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Engaging culture and community will result in the lost being found

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as the gospel is preached.

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HOW TO PREACH THE GOSPEL

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Because people are valuable to God, we must boldly, intentionally,

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and strategically engage our culture and community, in order to have

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an opportunity to preach the gospel.

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a conversation.
(5)
THE SALT PRINCIPLE

Start a conversation.

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Ask questions.

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Preaching the gospel begins by Listen.
starting a conversation and getting Tell the story.
to know someone who doesn’t know (Reference: TheGODTest
Jesus yet. training manual)

2. (6)
questions.

Ask questions about the person that lead to spiritual matters, in

an effort to help inch him or her closer towards God.

3. .
(7)

Listen sincerely and respectfully to the answers.

12 MAKING DISCIPLES
4. (8)
the story.

Ultimately, the goal of the asking and listening is to give the good
news of the gospel. Do this by sharing your two-minute miracle
and giving a simple and clear presentation of the gospel.

Your Two-Minute Miracle

Your two-minute miracle, or your testimony, is your personal,
irrefutable account of what Jesus has done for you and how He has
changed your life. It is a verbal declaration of what you have seen,
heard, and experienced. Jesus will use your testimony to make an

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impact on others. Though people can argue about doctrines or
teachings, no one can argue with a changed life.

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38

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The man from whom the demons had gone begged

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that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away,

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saying, 39”Return to your home, and declare how much

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throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done

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for him.

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LUKE 8:38,39

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A GOOD TESTIMONY

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• is biblically accurate
• provides concrete examples of change
• is simple
• avoids Christian jargon
• leads to an easy way for people to respond

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Three Parts of Your Two-Minute Miracle

1. (9)
Christ

What beliefs, actions, and sins characterized your old life? What
were their consequences?
• Briefly describe your life before Christ.
• Be discreet and don’t bring glory to your old life.

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2.

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Christ

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What truths and circumstances brought you to the point of
making Jesus your Lord? How did you respond?

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• Carefully explain how you came to the point of

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submitting your life to Christ.
• Be specific and paint the picture of how you responded
and what repentance looked like.

14 MAKING DISCIPLES
3. (11)
Christ

How did God’s love and leadership change your life, and how is it
continually changing you?
• Joyfully describe your life since Jesus became Lord.
• Give practical and specific examples of ongoing benefits
of following Christ (i.e. forgiveness, new life purpose,
victory, etc.).
• Take more time to explain how your life has changed
since you surrendered to Christ.

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S T E S

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Two-Verse Evangelism
Here is one tool for preaching the gospel. You may also use other

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tools, such as the first chapter of ONE 2 ONE. Whichever tool you use,
the goal is to clearly paint a picture of God’s plan for salvation and
redemption, and how we can respond to it.

. . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory

of God . . .
ROMANS 3:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
ROMANS 6:23

Engage 15
1. All have sinned

Everyone has sinned. Sin is any act of disobedience or rebellion

against God and, the truth is, not a single person on earth has
perfectly obeyed God’s commandments. We all fall short of God’s
glorious standard. Because we’ve compiled a long record of sins,
we are utterly incapable of saving ourselves from sin.

2. The wages of sin is death

Since we’ve all sinned, we are sinners, and we have been

separated from God, who is holy and righteous. No matter how

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inconsequential or huge we think our sin is, because of it, we
deserve death and are disqualified from even being in God’s

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presence. Those who refuse to know and believe in God will be

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separated eternally from God’s presence in a place called hell.

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3. God gives the free gift of eternal life

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The good news is salvation is a free gift from God! Our good works

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or religious deeds cannot ever give us eternal life. Otherwise,
people will be boasting in heaven on how they got there through
their righteous acts (Ephesians 2:8,9). The truth is, we can only

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go to heaven because of what God has done for us—and it is
the free gift of eternal life. Eternal life starts by knowing God and
having a personal relationship with Him (John 17:3).

4. In Christ Jesus our Lord

Salvation is found in Christ alone because it was Jesus who died

on the cross for our sins. He took our place on the cross, when we
should have died for our own sins. He died, was buried, and rose
from the dead on the third day to set us right with God. So if you
confess with your mouth that “Jesus is Lord and Master” of your
life, and in your heart you have faith that God raised him from the
dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9).

16 MAKING DISCIPLES
 WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?

“The gospel is the good news that God became man in Jesus
Christ. He lived the life we should have lived and died the death
we should have died—in our place. Three days later He rose
from the dead, proving He is the Son of God and offering the gift
of salvation and forgiveness of sins to anyone who repents and
believes in Him.”
—Dr. Rice Broocks

SUMMARY

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Because people are valuable to God, we must intentionally and

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strategically engage our culture and community with the gospel.

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This can start with your two-minute miracle. As we engage, we are

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choosing to be like Christ—leaving the ninety-nine and going after

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the one.

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For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power

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of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the
Jew first and also to the Greek.

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ROMANS 1:16

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• What is the best engage attempt you’ve ever seen? What is

the worst engage attempt you’ve ever seen?
• Would anyone accuse you of being a friend of sinners? Why or
why not?
• How are you actively and intentionally engaging your culture
and community?
• What’s your two-minute miracle? To whom can you preach
the gospel?

Engage 17
 DY
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KEY VERSES............Luke 15:1-7 • 1 Corinthians 9:22

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GOAL..........................Preach the Gospel
ENVIRONMENT.......Victory Groups • Weekend Services
Engage Events
TOOL..........................ONE 2 ONE

ONE 2 ONE is a seven-lesson personal discipleship guide to help

facilitate conversations to jumpstart someone’s walk with God. It
is a tool to engage people, communicate the gospel to them, and
help them follow Jesus. The goal of going through ONE 2 ONE with
someone is not to finish the booklet—it’s to help them know and walk
with God.

18 MAKING DISCIPLES
 3 ESTABLISH
Facades or Foundations?

24
”Everyone then who hears these words of
mine and does them will be like a wise man
who built his house on the rock. 25And the
rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds
blew and beat on that house, but it did not
fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
26

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And everyone who hears these words of mine
and does not do them will be like a foolish man

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who built his house on the sand. 27And the rain

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fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew

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and beat against that house, and it fell, and

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great was the fall of it.”

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MATTHEW 7:24-27

It is not enough to engage the lost. If we want to make disciples, we

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must establish biblical foundations. Foundations are not the most

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exciting part of a building project, nor are they the most attractive part
of the finished building. Yet they are vitally important, determining
both the strength and the ultimate size of the building. The same is
true with biblical foundations. These often unseen foundations predict
future growth and determine the potential for spiritual life.

The first goal of discipleship is to establish biblical foundations in the

life of each disciple. The following Scriptures teach three important
truths about foundations.
1. (1)
is the ultimate foundation.

For no one can lay a foundation other than that which

is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1 CORINTHIANS 3:11

2. (2)
establishes
biblical foundations.

”Everyone then who hears these words of mine and

24

does them will be like a wise man who built his house
on the rock. 25And the rain fell, and the floods came,

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and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did

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not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.”
MATTHEW 7:24,25

3.

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(3)
is foundational.

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But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal:

S
R
“The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone

O
who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

O
F RP
ESTABLISH BIBLICAL FOUNDATIONS
2 TIMOTHY 2:19

U
If we want to make strong disciples, we must establish them

P
in the faith, the Word and prayer, and church community.

1. Establish in the .
(4)

The starting point for disciples is building their lives on Jesus—the

ultimate foundation upon which everything else is built.

10
According to the grace of God given to me, like a
skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone
else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he
builds upon it. 11For no one can lay a foundation other
than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1 CORINTHIANS 3:10,11

20 MAKING DISCIPLES
 Establishing someone in the faith looks different with different
people in different contexts—but it always involves repentance,
faith in Jesus, and baptism in water and the Holy Spirit.

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized

every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of
the Holy Spirit.”
ACTS 2:38

2. Establish in the (5)

and prayer.

DY
After a person is established in the faith, the next step is to start
a personal habit of daily Bible reading and prayer. No one can

U
survive the storms of life without deep roots in God’s Word.

S T
24

E S
”Everyone then who hears these words of mine and
does them will be like a wise man who built his house

S
on the rock. 25And the rain fell, and the floods came,

O R O
and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did
not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.”

F RP
MATTHEW 7:24,25

Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk,

P U that by it you may grow up into salvation . . .

1 PETER 2:2

And they devoted themselves to the apostles‘ teaching

and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and
the prayers.
ACTS 2:42

3. Establish in the (6)

community.

When Jesus called His first disciples to follow Him, they had to
follow along with other disciples. They were added to the group,
His small community of cross-carrying disciples.

establish 21
 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I
34

have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this
all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love
one another.”
JOHN 13:34,35

When Jesus ascended to heaven, His disciples continued to meet

together—understanding that living in community was essential
for enduring persecution and for obeying Jesus’ command to
make disciples of all nations.

So those who received his word were baptized, and

Y
there were added that day about three thousand souls.

D
ACTS 2:41

T U S
E
SUMMARY

S S
Too many Christians are leaning and falling, not because of the

R
intensity of the storms, but because of weak foundations. It is not

O O
enough to have a good facade; we must build strong foundations

F RP
on Christ by establishing believers in the faith, Word and prayer,
and church community.

P U
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• Who helped you establish foundations when you first started

following Jesus? How did they help establish foundations?
• How can you help others establish foundations?

22 MAKING DISCIPLES
 KEY VERSES............Matthew 7:24-27 • 1 Corinthians 3:10
GOAL..........................Establish in the Faith, Word and Prayer,
and Church
ENVIRONMENT.......Victory Groups • Prayer and Worship Nights
TOOLS.......................Preparing for Victory Weekend • Victory Weekend

Y
The Purple Book • The Purple Book Study Guide
Church Community

U D
S T E S
R O S
O
F RP
P U

establish 23
PREPARING FOR VICTORY WEEKEND is a personal Bible
study guide that prepares participants for VICTORY WEEKEND.

VICTORY WEEKEND is a retreat that helps participants

understand and walk in the freedom Christ won for us at the cross.

THE PURPLE BOOK is a twelve-part Bible study to help believers

stand firm and grow strong in the Christian life.

THE PURPLE BOOK STUDY GUIDE is a class based on

THE PURPLE BOOK to help believers establish a solid biblical

Y
foundation necessary to build a storm-proof life.

U D
CHURCH COMMUNITY is a class to help believers
understand church life.

S T E S
R O S
O
F RP
P U

24 MAKING DISCIPLES
 4 EQUIP
Maturity or Ministry?

18
All this is from God, who through Christ
reconciled us to himself and gave us the
ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ
God was reconciling the world to himself, not
counting their trespasses against them, and
entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

DY 2 CORINTHIANS 5:18,19

T U
We hear the phrase all the time: “Every member a minister.” Yet

S
because of our performance-driven culture, we often have little

S E
tolerance for the messiness of the equipping process. We do church

S
as if only professional ministers should do ministry.

O R O
However, the biblical job description for professional ministers—

F RP
apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers—is to equip
believers to minister, then get out of their way.

P U
DISCIPLESHIP MYTHS
Here are three popular discipleship myths—propagated by thousands
of well-meaning pastors and professional religious leaders—that have
paralyzed and imprisoned millions of believers all over the world, and
the truth about mentoring, ministry, and maturity.

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the

11

evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12to equip the

saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body
of Christ, 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith
and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature
manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness
of Christ . . .
EPHESIANS 4:11-13
Paul, who started ministering to others as soon as he had his life-
changing encounter with Jesus, wrote about the link between ministry
and maturity in his letter to the Ephesians.

1. Mentors

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists,

the shepherds and teachers . . .
EPHESIANS 4:11

The Myth: My pastor’s primary role is to

Y
(1)
to me.

U D
This myth causes church people to demand that pastors
spoonfeed them and meet all their spiritual needs, turning

S T E S
pastors into spiritual pseudo-superheroes and regular
Christians into passive spectators at religious shows.

R O S
The Truth: My pastor’s primary role is to

O
F RP
(2)
me to minister.

A pastor’s job is not primarily to minister to people but to equip

P U
people to minister to others. Life, church, and ministry are not
primarily about the people in the pews. They are about God
and others.

2. Ministry

. . . to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for

building up the body of Christ . . .
EPHESIANS 4:12

26 MAKING DISCIPLES
 The Myth: I’m (3)
yet ready
to be used by God.

This myth convinces people they don’t pray enough, aren’t mature
enough, don’t know enough Bible verses, have too many past sins,
and are too young (or old) to engage in ministry.

The Truth: God is (4)

to use me.

While some members may not feel ready yet, God is ready to
use
them now. Even if they’re too young or have lost their temper

Y
yesterday and used a word the pastor would never use on

D
Sunday, God wants to use them.

3. Maturity

T U S
S E
. . . until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the

S
knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to

R
the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ . . .

O O EPHESIANS 4:13

F RP
The Myth: No one should (5)

until he or she is mature.

P U
This myth convinces believers that before they even attempt to
minister to others, they need at least ten years of experience and
a framed certificate on their wall. Only then would they possibly
be mature enough to be used by God.

The Truth: We will (6)

as we minister.

We can’t wait until every believer feels mature enough to

minister because no one will mature until they minister. This is
one of those chicken and egg conundrums. Which comes first—
ministry or maturity? When we look at the Bible, it seems that
ministry does.

equip 27
 SUMMARY
Because every believer is called to minister, we must be equipped
in basic ministry skills. We—not just the pastors—are called to do
the works of the ministry. God is ready to use us and mature us as
we minister.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Y
• What excuses have you used in the past to prove that you

D
weren’t yet ready to minister?
• Which discipleship myths have you believed in the past? Why?

T U S
S S E
O R O
F RP
P U

28 MAKING DISCIPLES
 DY
T U S
S S E
O R O
F RP
P U
KEY VERSES............Matthew 4:19 • Ephesians 4:11-13
GOAL...........................Equip in Basic Ministry Skills
ENVIRONMENT.......Victory Groups
TOOL...........................Making Disciples

MAKING DISCIPLES is a class to equip believers to minister and

help others follow Jesus.

equip 29
 DY
T U S
S S E
O R O
F RP
P U
 5 EMPOWER
Professionals or Volunteers?

1
And he called the twelve together and gave
them power and authority over all demons
and to cure diseases, 2and he sent them out to
proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.
LUKE 9:1,2

DY
Jesus modeled an empowering leadership style. He was never content
for the disciples to simply follow Him as spectators but was intent on

U
empowering them to do what He had been doing. He went so far as

T S
to say that they would do even greater works after He had gone back

E
to the Father (John 14:12).

R S S
In order for us to empower disciples to make disciples, we must

O
understand three principles about empowering:

O
F RP
1. Empower as (1)
as possible.


U
Acts 9 tells the story of a man who in a matter of days went from

P
Saul the persecutor to Paul the preacher. Imagine if Ananias, who
first discipled Paul, had told Paul that he needed to wait several
years to mature before he could preach the gospel. How different
would the story of the church in Acts be?

1
But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against
the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2and
asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus,
so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or
women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. . . .
 18
And immediately something like scales fell from his,
eyes and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was
baptized; 19and taking food, he was strengthened. For
some days he was with the disciples at Damascus.
20
And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the
synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”
ACTS 9:1,2;18-20

2. (2)
happens before, during, and
after empowering.

Empowering people to take ministry responsibility without

Y
proper training and a well-established foundation is both unwise

D
and unfair because it sets them up to fail. So while we want to

U
empower quickly, we must never empower someone before they

S
are equipped.

S T E
Though Paul began to preach almost immediately after his

R O S
conversion, he did spend several days with the believers in
Damascus being established and equipped before he began

O
F RP
to preach.

18
. . . Then he rose and was baptized; 19and taking

U
food, he was strengthened. For some days he was
with the disciples at Damascus. 20And immediately he

P proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the

Son of God.”
ACTS 9:18-20

After equipping, empowering, and sending His disciples out,

Jesus always had debriefing sessions when His disciples returned.
They reported victories and defeats. They asked questions. Jesus
corrected their lack of faith and their selfish attitudes.

1
And he called the twelve together and gave them
power and authority over all demons and to cure

32 MAKING DISCIPLES
 diseases, 2and he sent them out to proclaim the
kingdom of God and to heal. . . . 10On their return the
apostles told him all that they had done. And he took
them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida.
LUKE 9:1,2,10

The equipping process did not end when they were empowered;
it continued and intensified after they were empowered.

3. Empowering is risky but .

(3)

Often the underlying fear behind our hesitancy to empower

DY
disciples
is the fear that they will make mistakes in ministry. Of
course they will. Didn’t Peter? Didn’t John? Didn’t Paul? Didn’t you?

T U S
Mistakes in ministry are not optional—they are required. As

E
leaders, it is important to create empowering environments where

R S
believers are encouraged to take risks and make mistakes in an

S
effort to make disciples. In these kinds of environments, disciples

O
can learn from their mistakes, be equipped and encouraged, and

O
F RP
try again.

POWER TO BE A WITNESS

P U 48
”You are witnesses of these things. 49And behold, I am
sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in
the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
LUKE 24:48,49

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,

19

baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the

Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you. And surely I am
with you always, to the very end of the age.”
MATTHEW 28:19,20

empower 33
Ultimately, the power to obey Jesus’ command to go and make
disciples comes from God. Without the Holy Spirit, obedience to this
command would be impossible.

SUMMARY
Because Jesus expects all disciples to make disciples, we must not
only be equipped, but also empowered to make disciples. Ministry
isn’t just for professionals. Rather, it is for every believer who has
been empowered by the Holy Spirit to boldly proclaim Christ.

DY
U
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

S T E S
• Why is an empowering discipleship philosophy important?

R O S
• How effective are you at equipping disciples so that they can
succeed when they are empowered?

O
F RP
• Are you okay with mistakes? Why or why not?

P U

34 MAKING DISCIPLES
 DY
T U S
S S E
O R O
F RP
P U
KEY VERSES............Matthew 28:19,20 • 2 Timothy 2:2
GOAL..........................Make Disciples with Confidence and Competence
ENVIRONMENT.......Victory Groups • Leaders’ Convergence
TOOL..........................Empowering Leaders

EMPOWERING LEADERS is a class to empower disciples to

make disciples and train new leaders.

empower 35
 DY
T U S
S S E
O R O
F RP
P U
6 WHAT IS A
VICTORY GROUP?
1
Seeing the crowds, he went up on the
mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples
came to him. 2And he opened his mouth and
taught them, saying . . .
MATTHEW 5:1,2

DY
Jesus made disciples in small groups. He also ministered to the

U
individual disciple when the need arose. Small group discipleship and

S
one-on-one discipleship is not either-or, but both-and. Jesus did both.

S T
Rather than discipling twelve men individually and independently of

E
each other, He built relationships among His disciples. When one

R O S
needed private ministry, He ministered to that man privately, but
most of their discipleship was a group project. It was not enough for

O
disciples to relate to Jesus, they had to relate to each other. Just like

F RP
Jesus, we must learn to minister to the twelve and to the one, to the
group and to the individual.

P U
SMALL GROUP MINISTRY IN THE BIBLE
The Bible has many examples of small group ministry in both the Old
and New Testaments.

When Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, saw that Moses was carrying the
burden of leadership by himself, he gave his son-in-law good advice:
do not try to do ministry alone. Thankfully, Moses listened to Jethro.

17
Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing
is not good. 18You and the people with you will certainly
wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you.
You are not able to do it alone. 19Now obey my voice; I
will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall
 LEADERSHIP represent the people before
PHILOSOPHY God and bring their cases to
God, 20and you shall warn
them about the statutes
and the laws, and make
them know the way in which
they must walk and what
Common church structure: they must do. 21Moreover,
The pastor leads from the top. look for able men from all
the people, men who fear
God, who are trustworthy
and hate a bribe, and place

DY such men over the people

as chiefs of thousands, of

U
Pastor-only ministers:
hundreds, of fifties, and of

T S
The pastor is under people tens. . . .” 24So Moses listened

E
“pushing them up to God” to the voice of his father-in-

S
and getting crushed by the

S
pressure of growth. law and did all that he had

R
said. 25Moses chose able

O
men out of all Israel and

O
F RP
made them heads over the
people, chiefs of thousands,
of hundreds, of fifties, and

U
of tens.

P
As the church grows, the EXODUS 18:17-21,24,25
burden gets too heavy for the
pastor, and new people have
no access to pastoral ministry. The early church in the book of Acts met
both in homes and the temple.

46
And day by day,
attending the temple
together and breaking bread
in their homes, they received
Small group ministry their food with glad and
structure: More small group
leaders take care of more
generous hearts . . .
growth. The pastor multiplies ACTS 2:46
himself in small group leaders.

38 MAKING DISCIPLES
WHAT IS A HEALTHY VICTORY GROUP?

The Victory group is the (1)

environment
for discipleship in Victory.

There are many different ideas about church discipleship groups. So

to help us understand what a Victory group is, we must understand
what it is not.

A Victory group is not a . . .

• care group where each
(2)

person comes to talk about problems and receive

• Y
personal pastoral care

D Bible study where each

(3)

U
person comes to listen to and learn from a Bible expert
•

T S social time where each person

(4)

S E
comes to meet Christian friends

S
• Spiritual gift

R
group where
(5)

O
people can try out spiritual gifts on each other

O
F RP
•

•
group where everyone goes
(6)

through a spiritual checklist

U
group where food is served
(7)

and whole families gather for fellowship

P • service complete with

(8)

worship, offerings, and preaching

People in a healthy Victory

WHAT IS A VICTORY
group may meet needs, study GROUP MEETING?
the Bible, and fellowship with
each other, but the primary A Victory group meeting lasts
purpose is to make disciples. from sixty to ninety minutes
every week to help one another
The Victory group meeting follow Jesus, fish for people, and
is just a part of the overall fellowship with other believers.
discipleship ministry in the life

What is a victory group? 39

of the church. For a Victory group to truly be healthy and successful,
ministry and relationships must extend beyond the meeting.

DISCIPLESHIP MINISTRY VICTORY GROUP MEETING

7 days a week 1 day a week

24 hours a day 60-90 minutes

Anytime, any place Specific time, specific place

• A Victory group meeting happens once each week.

DY
Discipleship ministry happens seven days a week.
• A Victory group meeting lasts from sixty to ninety minutes at

T U
a prescribed time and place. Discipleship ministry can take

S
place anywhere, anytime, and for as long as need be.

S E
• While it is important to learn to properly lead a Victory group

S
meeting, it is more important to learn to minister to people.

O R O
F RP
SUMMARY

U
A Victory group is more than just another meeting. It is the

P
primary environment for discipleship in Victory. A healthy and
successful Victory group goes beyond a weekly meeting to
discipleship, which takes place anytime, anywhere, seven days
a week, twenty-four hours a day. Small group ministry is the
primary place for engaging, establishing, equipping, and
empowering disciples.

40 MAKING DISCIPLES
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• How did a Victory group help you grow in your relationship

with God?
• What are the benefits of being in a Victory group?
• What is the relationship between discipleship ministry and the
Victory group meeting?

DY
T U S
S S E
O R O
F RP
P U

What is a victory group? 41

 DY
T U S
S S E
O R O
F RP
P U
 7 HOW CAN I LEAD
A VICTORY
GROUP MEETING?
A Victory group meeting has four sections:
• Warm-up
• Word
• Application
• Prayer

DY
U
Ideally, a Victory group meeting lasts from sixty to ninety minutes. It

T S
is better for the people to leave the Victory group meeting wishing it

S E
had been longer than to leave wishing it had been shorter. Those who

S
wish it was longer will look forward to coming back next week. Those

R
who wish it was shorter may never come back, or they will make it

O
shorter by coming late. Therefore, better too short than too long.

1.
O
F RP
(1)
WHY DO A WARM-UP?

U
Each Victory group meeting
• Creates a sense

P
begins with a warm-up question.
The warm-up is designed to give of belonging
everyone a chance to speak. It • Drops one’s guard
helps people connect with and get
to know each other. • Expresses opinion

The Victory group leader (or intern)

should introduce the warm-up
question and encourage everyone to answer.

The warm-up question should be related to the topic in some

way, but it should not require any Bible knowledge to answer. If
the warm-up question is too spiritual, theological, or controversial,
it will make visitors and non-believers feel uncomfortable. The
warm-up is designed to help visitors drop their guard.
 For those who object to using a warm-up question on the
grounds that it is childish or unspiritual, consider this: if it was
good enough for Jesus, then it is good enough for us. Jesus asked,
“Who do men say that I am? Who you do you say that I am?” Pretty
good warm-up question. There’s no right or wrong answer—Jesus
simply asked for their opinion.

Following are a few tips to help the Victory group leader during
the warm-up time:
• Each lesson includes three warm-up questions.
• Use only one warm-up question for one Victory

Y
group meeting.

D
• If the lesson takes more than one Victory group meeting to

U
complete, use a different warm-up question each week.

S T E S
• Feel free to make your own warm-up question.
• Encourage everyone to answer.

R S
• Designate who should answer (e.g. your intern).

O
• Good warm-up questions:

O
F RP
- have no right or wrong answers
- ask for an opinion or experience

P U
- require no Bible knowledge
- are not controversial
- are connected to the topic

2. (2)

The Word time is a 15-30 minute teaching on the text or topic of

the week. This brief teaching is followed by a time of application
where all the participants are encouraged to share how they will
put the lesson into practice.

44 MAKING DISCIPLES
Following are a few
“I just look for the plain
tips to help the Victory group
leader during the Word time: meanings in Scripture.
Why? In the obvious sense
• Don’t pretend to be
an expert or a Bible of the Bible I find renewal,
know-it-all. How much of comfort, energy, adequacy,
the Bible you obey is much genuine learning.”
more important than how —Martin Luther
much you know.
• The Victory group leader
is the guide, chairman, the leader (meaning the one who

Y
goes first and sets the example for others to follow) and a

D
participant. The Victory group meeting is more than a Bible
study. It requires a good leader, not an expert teacher.

U S
• Let the Bible speak for itself.

T
S E
• Remember, the goal is to minister to the needs of the people,

S
not to finish a Bible lesson, so be led by the Spirit, not by

R
the material.

O O
• Use illustrations and tell stories to help explain the

F RP
Bible verses.
• Each lesson begins with key verses and introductory

U
comments, which can be read out loud or summarized.

P
• Each lesson usually has three main points, followed by a
verse, comments, and questions.
• These questions are not designed to be asked during the
Victory group meeting. Rather, they are to help the Victory
group leader prepare the lesson.
• Use the margins and blanks to add supporting notes, verses,
and illustrations.
• Some lessons are too long to complete in one meeting. Take
two, three, or four weeks, if necessary.

how can i lead a victory group meeting? 45

 16
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for
teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in
righteousness, 17that the man of God may be complete,
equipped for every good work.
2 TIMOTHY 3:16,17

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed

by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may
discern what is the will of God, what is good and
acceptable and perfect.
ROMANS 12:2

Y
3. (3)

Studying the Bible in a

D
In a Victory group meeting, we
teach the Bible so people can Victory group meeting is

T U
do it, not so they can know it.

S
The whole point of the teaching
about application,
not information.

S E
is practical application.

R S
Following are a few tips for the

O
O
application time:

F RP
• Each lesson includes three application questions.
Choose one.

P U
• Feel free to add your own questions.
• Prepare your intern or another Victory group member to
answer the application question, to set the example for
others to follow.
• Ask the application question and designate who will
answer first. Otherwise, everyone will stare at their feet,
waiting for some brave soul to speak up first.
• Do not allow people to argue with or be critical of others.
Remind everyone to apply the lesson to their own lives,
not someone else’s.
• Victory group leaders must cry out to God for wisdom
to know when to balance or correct weird or unbiblical

46 MAKING DISCIPLES
 applications. Insensitive correction or criticism can kill the
group, as can unchecked heresy.

22
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only,
deceiving yourselves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of
the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks
intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24For he looks
at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he
was like. 25But the one who looks into the perfect law,
the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer
who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed
in his doing.

DY JAMES 1:22-25

U
24
”Everyone then who hears these words of mine and

T S
does them will be like a wise man who built his house

E
on the rock. 25And the rain fell, and the floods came,

R S and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did

S
not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26And

O
everyone who hears these words of mine and does not

O
F RP
do them will be like a foolish man who built his house
on the sand. 27And the rain fell, and the floods came,
and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it

U
fell, and great was the fall of it.”

P
MATTHEW 7:24-27

4. (4)

Prayer is probably the most important part of the Victory group

meeting. Make sure you have plenty of time left, so your prayer
time is not rushed.

Following are some tips for prayer during the Victory

group meeting:
• Keep your prayers simple, sincere, and short. Most
non-believers have never heard an ordinary Christian
just talk to God. Most will be touched by their simplicity
and sincerity.

how can i lead a victory group meeting? 47

 • Use conversational prayer, not complicated or profound,
warfare prayer.
• Don’t say it, just pray it! Spend your time praying for
one another, not sharing prayer requests. Because of
the inordinate amount of time spent discussing prayer
requests, many so-called prayer meetings should be
called “prayer request meetings.”
• Pray, don’t preach. Encourage each person to pray
simple sentence prayers, not loud sermon prayers
or long dissertations on theology addressed to God,
designed to impress the less spiritual. There is a time

Y
and place for everything. The worship service is the

D
place for preaching. The Victory group meeting is the
place for prayer.

U S
• Pray in a known language. Stick with English, Tagalog,

T E
Taglish, Ilocano, Cebuano, Ilonggo, Chinese, Japanese,

R S Korean, Russian, or some other known human tongue.

S
Avoid tongues of angels and especially that strange

O
dialect spoken with various accents all around the

O
F RP
kingdom called “Christianese.” Most new believers and
non-Christians don’t understand tongues of angels or
tongues of the overly religious.

P U
• Listen! Keep one ear turned to whoever is praying at the
moment and the other to the Holy Spirit. Listen carefully
during the warm-up and application time for things that
may need prayer.
• Be creative. Don’t pray in the same way and the same
order every time.
• Expect spiritual gifts to manifest during prayer time,
especially prophecy, healing, discernment, and faith.

48 MAKING DISCIPLES
 LOOK WHO’S TALKING

Warm-up (10-15 minutes)....................Everyone

Word (15-30 minutes)...........................Leader only

Application (10-15 minutes).................Everyone

Prayer (10-15 minutes)..........................Everyone

PREPARE FOR THE VICTORY GROUP MEETING

Leading a Victory group well requires preparation for the Victory

Y
group meeting. Here are some tips:

D
• Choose the Victory group material, either sermon-based

U
materials available during the worship services, or materials

T S
by topic.

S E
• Review the content at least a day before the Victory group

S
meeting. This will help you be more confident in facilitating

R
the meeting and focusing on getting to know the people

O O
who attend.

F RP
• Spend time reading and meditating on the Scriptures.
• Choose the questions that will best fit your group.

P U
• Pray for those who will attend and ask God to use you to
minister to them and for them to grow in their relationship
with God.
• Remind the group about the schedule/venue.

HOW TO KILL A VICTORY GROUP

Discipleship through Victory groups works as you remain faithful in
engaging, establishing, equipping, and empowering participants to
follow Jesus and help their family and friends follow Him as well. As
simple as it is, there are several proven ways to fail. The following
lessons were learned the hard way:

how can i lead a victory group meeting? 49

 • No collecting of (5)
and offerings
• No mixing (6)
with Victory groups
• No mixing (7)
with Victory groups
• No (8)
ministry to the
opposite sex
• No (9)
space
• No (10)
money
• No (11)
speakers
• No (12)
of any para-church

Y
ministry or any event, spiritual or secular, through
Victory groups

U D
• No handling of cases
(13)

S
(i.e. those that need professional, medical, or

S T
legal counsel)

E
SUMMARY
R O S
O
F RP
The Victory group meeting has four components: warm-up, Word,
application, and prayer. The Victory group meeting is designed

U
to last from sixty to ninety minutes. Each of the four main

P
parts is essential to the long-term success of the Victory group.
Therefore, every Victory group meeting should begin with a warm-
up question, proceed to the Word time and application, and end
in prayer.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• Why is application more important than information? How is a

Victory group more than a Bible study?
• Which of the Victory group killers do you need to guard
against in your Victory group? How can you guard against it?

50 MAKING DISCIPLES
8 WHO’S NEXT?
Moses solved his ministry overload problem by establishing small
groups. With the help of Jethro, he realized he needed to set up
and release ministry responsibility to leaders of thousands,
hundreds, fifties, and tens. In other words, Moses needed to
establish team ministry.

To be an effective team, each member needs to know his or her role.

Y
In this chapter, we will look at the responsibilities and roles of Victory

D
group leaders and interns, and how we can raise more leaders in our

U
Victory groups.

T E
VICTORY GROUP LEADERS

S S
A Victory group leader is a disciple who has been equipped and

R S
empowered to make disciples and develop leaders through small
group ministry.

O
O
F RP
All Victory group leaders must be full of FAITH:

1.

U
(1)

P
They follow Jesus and help others follow Him as well.

2. (2)

They are willing and able to serve.

3. (3)

They consider Victory their church community.

4. (4)
 They are humble and willing to learn, grow, and receive training
and correction.

5. (5)

They are passionate for God, His Word, and His purpose.

INTERNS
LEADERS MUST BE
An intern is a (6)
FULL OF FAITH
Victory group leader who is currently serving
with a Victory group leader. Healthy Victory Faithful

have two.

DY
groups have at least one intern. Some will Available
Involved

U
Teachable

T S
It is important to understand the difference
Hungry

E
between an intern and an assistant. By

S S
definition, an intern will eventually do

R
everything the leader is doing. One day soon, the intern will lead a

O
Victory group. The intern isn’t just there to help, but to learn and
receive

O
F RP
training. On the other hand, an
(7)

assistant is just there to help.

U
The difference between interns and assistants is the difference

P
between success and failure in discipleship ministry.

Interns should also be full of FAITH: Faithful, Available, Involved,

Teachable, and Hungry.

52 MAKING DISCIPLES
SUMMARY
Moses solved his leadership dilemma by raising and empowering
more leaders. A strong and healthy church includes leaders and
potential leaders who have been equipped to minister. These
leaders and potential leaders should be full of FAITH: Faithful,
Available, Involved, Teachable, and Hungry.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

DY
• How did you become a Victory group leader or intern?
Who helped you in this process?

T U
• Who can you identify as an intern in your Victory group?

S
S S E
O R O
F RP
P U

who’s next? 53
 DY
T U S
S S E
O R O
F RP
P U
 9 WHAT’S NEXT?
To help others follow Jesus, start a Victory group and empower
new leaders.

START A VICTORY GROUP

1. two or three believers who desire

(1)

to make disciples by reaching the lost.

DY
Together, make a list of people who you can invite to a Victory
group. Meet once a week for one month with these believers to

U S
prepare for the Victory group you want to start. On the days you

T
will meet, it would be good to fast, share the vision of making

S E
disciples together, and pray for those you want to invite to the

S
Victory group. Pray for those on your VIP List at the end of

R O
this chapter.

O
F RP
If you are the only believer you know of in your family, campus,
or workplace, start by doing ONE 2 ONE with a friend or family

U
member. Once you have done ONE 2 ONE with two or three

P
already, you may start a Victory group by bringing these
believers together.

You can jumpstart a group once you have four members, and the
Victory group will grow as the four of you pray for and reach out
to lost family members, friends, and acquaintances.

2. your lost family members, friends,

(2)

and acquaintances in your circle to lead them to God.

Intentionally build relationships with people and get to know

them. Believe God for opportunities to invite your family members
and friends to your Victory group.
3. (3)
for them.
Pray for the lost, and even those who are not actively involved in
church yet. Pray regularly for their salvation, and for opportunities
to share your two-minute miracle and preach the gospel. Pray
specifically for God to meet their needs and draw them closer
to Him.

4. (4)
them to your Victory group.
Engage the people you are praying for. Apply the SALT Principle,
get to know them, and build relationships with them. As the

Y
opportunities arise, share your two-minute miracle and preach

D
the gospel.

U S
Be in faith as you invite them to the Victory group. Remember

T
to be clear and specific about the time, date, and place of your

S E
Victory group, and remind them to come beforehand.

S
R O
Believe that God will cause your Victory group to grow, and that

O
together, you will honor Him and make disciples.

F RP INTERNSHIP PROCESS

U
EMPOWER NEW LEADERS

P
Once you have established a healthy I lead, you watch.
Victory group that engages, I lead, you assist.
establishes, equips, and empowers, You lead, I assist.
growth is inevitable.
You lead, I watch.

A Victory group increases in number by

engaging culture and community. Victory group members experience
personal spiritual growth as they are established in the faith, church
community, and Word and prayer.

Interns are equipped and empowered with an understanding of basic

ministry skills as they grow in confidence and competence to make
disciples. You know it’s time to multiply when a Victory group grows
larger than twelve people and it’s too big for everyone to participate.
56 MAKING DISCIPLES
Remember to equip and empower an intern who is full of FAITH.

It’s time to multiply when:

1. The (5)
is ready.
The group is consistently over twelve people.

2. The (6)
is ready.
The intern is confident and available.

3. The Victory group (7)

is ready.

Y
The Victory group leader discerns the timing for the group and

D
the intern.

T U S
S S E
O R O
F RP
P U

what’s next? 57
 THE VIP LIST

The following worksheet is designed to help identify people who you

are believing to invite to your Victory group.

RELATIVES
OLD FRIENDS AND
FAMILY FRIENDS
_____________________________
SOCIAL CONTACTS
(SPORTS, CLUBS, HOBBIES) _____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________ _____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________ _____________________________

Y
_____________________________
_____________________________ _____________________________

D
_____________________________
_____________________________ _____________________________

U
_____________________________

S
_____________________________

T
_____________________________

E
_____________________________

S
_____________________________

S
_____________________________
CHURCH VISITORS

R O
_____________________________

O
_____________________________

F RP
_____________________________
OFFICEMATES
OR CLASSMATES YOU
_____________________________

U
_____________________________ _____________________________

P
_____________________________ _____________________________

_____________________________ _____________________________

_____________________________
NEIGHBORS MISCELLANEOUS
_____________________________ CONTACTS
(BARBER, TAILOR, DENTIST)
_____________________________ _____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________ _____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________ _____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________ _____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________

58 MAKING DISCIPLES
SUMMARY
Help others follow Jesus by starting your own Victory group with
two or three other believers and empowering new leaders. Go
and make disciples!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• Who can you begin engaging and building relationships

Y
with this week? How can you begin inviting them to your

D
Victory group?
• Who can you start a new Victory group with?

U S
• Who can you empower to make disciples?

T
S S E
O R O
F RP
P U

what’s next? 59
ANSWERS
CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 4
What is Discipleship? Equip:
Maturity or Ministry?
1. Follow
2. Fish 1. Minister
3. Fellowship 2. Equip
4. Valuable 3. Not
5. Grow 4. Ready
6. Minister 5. Minister
7. Disciples 6. Mature

Y
8. Engage

D
9. Establish CHAPTER 5
Empower:
10. Equip

U
Professionals or Volunteers?
11. Empower

T S
1. Quickly

S E
CHAPTER 2 2. Equipping
Engage: 3. Necessary

S
Ninety-nine or One?

1.

R
Sinners

O O
CHAPTER 6
What is a Victory Group?

F RP
2. Ninety-nine
3. Until 1. Primary
4. Found 2. Need-focused

U
5. Start 3. Leader-centered
6. Ask 4. Fellowship-based

P
7. Listen 5. Experiment
8. Tell 6. Accountability
9. Before 7. Home
10. Meeting 8. Mini-church
11. In

CHAPTER 3
Establish:
Facades or Foundations?

1. Jesus
2. Obedience
3. Repentance
4. Faith
5. Word
6. Church
CHAPTER 7
How Can I Lead
a Victory Group Meeting?

1. Warm-up
2. Word
3. Application
4. Prayer
5. Tithes
6. Business

Y
7. Politics

D
8. Private
9. Matchmaking

U
10. Borrowing

T S
11. Guest

E
12. Promotion

R S
13. Special

S
O
CHAPTER 8

O
Who’s Next?

F RP
1. Faithful
2. Available

U
3. Involved
4. Teachable

P
5. Hungry
6. Future
7. On-the-job

CHAPTER 9
What’s Next?

1. Identify
2. Include
3. Intercede
4. Invite
5. Group
6. Intern
7. Leader

ANSWERS 61
 DY
T U S
S S E
O R O
F RP
P U
 DY
T U S
S S E
O R O
F RP
P U
 DY
T U S
S S E
O R O
F RP
P U