Saturdays and a Group of Young Disciples
Every other Saturday several of the youth have begun meeting for Bible study, prayer and fellowship. This past Saturday night, they gathered at our house. These kids (mostly high school and college aged young people) live in different parts of the city and each is part of one of the house churches. The Saturday youth gatherings provide a sense of unity among the youth—one of several practices that emphasize that the house churches and their members also belong to a larger fellowship of Jesus’ people in this city—that they are not expected to walk alone as disciples.
One of my good friends Cory is working among these young Christians—he has a heart to help them and other young people grow into leaders who will join God in making a difference in God’s world. Two things specifically encouraged me about their time together last night. One was that Cory is helping them to consider “obedience-based discipleship.” Last night they were working through the story told in the Gospel of Luke (8:19-21) where Jesus says that his family—his true “mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” I was encouraged to hear that they were each trying to name something that they wanted to put into practice from God’s word this week.
The other thing that encouraged me was that some of the youth are bringing friends who don’t yet follow Jesus. I wonder what God will do among this group in the days to come. I can imagine!
