Born to Reproduce. Made to Multiply

Key takeaways

A deep love for Jesus drives the ability to make disciples.
Spiritual immaturity, sin, and lack of intimacy with Jesus hinder spiritual reproduction.
The longing for spiritual reproduction should be as intense as the desire for physical children.
Christians are called to bloom where they're planted, actively engaging in disciple-making.
Immediate action is essential in responding to Jesus' call to make disciples.

Summary

Introduction to Spiritual Reproduction

Jason Ishmael and Josh Howard open the episode discussing the call for Christians to be serious about their relationship with Jesus, emphasizing that a deep love for Him should drive spiritual reproduction - making disciples. Josh recalls a sermon that greatly influenced him, laying the groundwork for today's discussion about disciple-making.

Barriers to Discipleship

The core theme revolves around the three main reasons for spiritual infertility: immaturity, sin, and lack of intimacy with Jesus. Josh references Dawson Trotman's sermon 'Born to Reproduce', explaining how spiritual immaturity prevents us from reproducing disciples. He further explains how disobedience acts as a spiritual disease, hindering fulfillment of the Great Commission.

The Longing for Spiritual Reproduction

Josh and Jason reflect on the profound longing for spiritual reproduction and compare it to individuals longing for children. They discuss how this desire mirrors Jesus' yearning for spiritual revival, emphasizing that such longing should drive Christians to actively engage in disciple-making.

Blooming Where You’re Planted

The conversation shifts to the idea of 'blooming where you're planted', encouraging listeners to take action regardless of their circumstances. They share personal stories to illustrate how faith and commitment can lead to fruitful disciple-making in any environment. Just like a sunflower can thrive in unlikely situations, Christians can flourish and bear fruit spiritually, no matter where they are.

Call to Action

The episode concludes with a strong call to action for listeners to embrace their role in making disciples. Jason and Josh urge listeners to say 'yes' to Jesus now, trust His timing, and step into the mission of disciple-making. They encourage immediate action, inspiring listeners to be part of God’s transformative work in the world.

Show notes

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Today’s episode will help us tackle the three main barriers to spiritual reproduction—immaturity, sin, and lack of intimacy with Jesus—while learning to bloom where we are planted and passionately engage in disciple-making.

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Born to Reproduce: The Call to Spiritual Multiplication

Join Jason Ishmael and Josh Howard in this episode of the Disciple Maker's Podcast as they delve into the transformative power of disciple-making. Josh shares his journey, inspired by a powerful sermon from Dawson Troutman, the founder of the Navigators, titled 'Born to Reproduce.' The conversation focuses on the importance of spiritual maturity, overcoming sin, and fostering intimacy with Jesus to effectively reproduce disciples. They encourage listeners to take immediate action, bloom where they're planted, and embrace the mission with joy and commitment. Tune in to be inspired and challenged to become a disciple who makes disciples, no matter your current season or circumstances.

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Key Takeaways

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:22 The Disciple Maker's Box

01:09 The First Sermon That Changed Everything

03:38 Three Reasons for Spiritual Infertility

09:33 The Longing for Spiritual Reproduction

14:14 The Cost of Discipleship

15:00 The Struggles and Persistence of Success

15:30 Growing Where You're Planted

17:01 The Story of the Sunflower

20:16 Encouragement to Bloom in Unlikely Places

24:03 Invitation to Join Jesus' Mission

26:32 Final Words and Resources

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See Below for a longer description:

Welcome back, everyone! Today we're diving into the heart of disciple-making. In this episode, Josh shares how a sermon by Dawson Trotman called "Born to Reproduce" changed his life. His mentor, Coach Dave Craft, introduced him to this impactful message, which highlights three main hurdles to spiritual reproduction: immaturity, sin, and lack of intimacy with Jesus.

First, immaturity. Sometimes we think we're mature, but if we're not reproducing disciples, we need to grow more spiritually. Second, sin. Disobedience acts like a spiritual disease, hindering us from making disciples. Lastly, lack of intimacy. Without a close relationship with Jesus, we can't bear spiritual fruit.

Josh realized these barriers were holding him back and addressed them head-on, encouraging all of us to do the same. Jason chimed in, comparing the longing to make disciples to the deep desire couples have for children, urging us to be just as passionate.

The discussion shifted to the idea of blooming where you're planted. No need to wait for perfect conditions! Josh shared an inspiring story about a sunflower thriving in an unlikely spot, emphasizing that we can flourish spiritually anywhere.

Jason shared a story about his friend Tim Palmer, who started a business despite obstacles, illustrating that we should stay faithful and trust God's timing. The episode wraps with a call to action: say 'yes' to Jesus now and join Him in the mission. Let His joy and guidance lead you to make a real impact right where you are. Check out discipleship.org for more resources, and let’s get to work making disciples! Bless you guys!