Last month, my husband took on a big project. He put a new floor in the lower level of our home. Our good friend Joe, came over to help. Thankfully, he brought special tools with him. These were things we didn’t have. What a blessing it was to have the right equipment to do the task! Today I want to introduce you to a great tool for Disciple Making Movements. It’s called the Discover App. “Listen in” as one young man tells his story…
How the Journey Began
Adam walked up the hill he’d traveled a thousand times over, but this was no usual trip. He went to meet with people he’d met with many times over, but this was no usual meeting. Adam was about to set these people off on a life-long journey of discovery. For months beforehand, he himself had been on the same journey. Only in his case, he’d met with a group of friends in his own city.
Adam had taken himself on this journey to discover more about Jesus. He would help others start on it too. Many months earlier, in a chance encounter, someone had engaged Adam in a conversation about spiritual things. That person was a follower of Jesus. He’d asked Adam if he wanted to discover Jesus for himself.
Adam knew in his heart he did! He also knew others who wanted to start to find out more about Jesus. That was how it all began.
The Discovery
They met together and began to look at the first of thirty passages of scripture. They’d retold the story in their own words. They’d focused on a few simple questions and then had been encouraged to share the story with others.
Adam was gripped by all he heard. He felt as though he was able to encounter God for himself. In obedience to the question, “Who are you going to tell?“, he took that very familiar journey into his home village.
He shared the story. Then he asked the same question he’d been asked: “Do you want to discover Jesus?“.
He’d been surprised at the response! Soon he was going back into the village again. This time he carried the Discover App. It was a wonderful phone app that takes people from creation to Christ in discovery studies.
The Discover App and How it Worked
Adam was glad for the app. He’d had it on his phone. He listened to the stories and read the scripture in his own language. He’d heard the questions and been thrilled to answer them based on what he’d heard.
There were no added extras. No great theologians or ministers leading them. The group led itself. They stuck to what was in front of them and they got out of it what they could.
It had changed them. They’d discovered Jesus for themselves. It was real.
Now Adam was the carrier. In a few short meetings, he’d sit with those he’d shared with and they too would begin their journey of discovery.
Who knew where it would lead? Who knew what would come out of it? Untrained, uneducated, struggling to read, Adam was ever so excited. That was how he entered the room.
The First Meeting
In the first study, he modeled and helped the group. They set the rules for how the group would function. He kept steering them back to the text itself. Adam encouraged them always to engage with the words in front of them, not from any previous understanding. This was the first trip he took.
Study #2
The second visit was different, although he was coming back to the same group. He was pleased to see everyone gathered again. They were eager to continue.
This week Adam took a step back and encouraged his main contact to take over. It worked! The whole group focused in on the journey of discovery they were making.
Trip Three
By trip three Adam mostly sat in prayerful silence. He simply offered his supportive nods and smiles of encouragement.
He didn’t make a fourth trip, but the group continued meeting for the remaining sessions of the thirty studies. He regularly met with his main contact to see how each session was going and to offer advice where needed.
The Process
The first step of the journey of discovery is inviting someone onto the journey. The second step is finding out if there’s anyone else to travel with them. The third step is to share the Discover App by BlueTooth or getting it loaded from an App Store. That is it… the journey begins.
Anything can happen… Adams share with other Adams. Seekers get to handle the truths of God for themselves. People encounter Jesus, and many come to know Him as their Lord and Savior.
Who Could You Invite?
There are many more Adams waiting to be invited on the journey to discover Jesus for themselves.
The above story was written as a guest blog by our friends from The Discover App. This great tool can be used on Android or iPhone. It is currently available in English, Arabic, Somali, Dari, Pashto, and Indonesian. With text and audio for each study, it is an ideal tool for anyone running discovery groups. Check it out on our Resources page and find someone this week to invite on a discovery journey!
