Disciples Are Made Not Born
By Walter A. Henrichsen
Reviewed By: Ashley Davis
Have you watched the Chosen yet? While I don’t love/agree with every aspect of the show, it has caused me to ask some unique questions. A lot of these questions have been around the characterizations of the disciples. Have you ever thought about what it really takes to be a disciple of Jesus? What’s more, have you thought about what it would mean to help grow others into becoming disciples themselves? Disciples Are Made Not Born does a great job of answering that question!
This book is handily broken into 12 chapters. The first five chapters dig deep into being the kind of person God uses, acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus, the cost of discipleship, proper perspective, and the roles of evangelism and disciples. The second half of the book gets into the nitty-gritty of Henrichsen’s recommendations for recruiting and training disciples. I will admit upfront that I found the first section of this book to be the most helpful part. I saw value in the methods and means the author details in the second half, but I don’t think his methods are the only or even the best ways to implement discipleship (which I get a feeling he might disagree with!).
Unlike most of our recommendations on FT2, I would also say that this is more on the theological/in-depth side of things. I don’t mean to imply that the book is boring, but it is designed for a very specific purpose. If you have questions about or a heart for discipleship, this would be a good read for you! One good thing about this book is that though the content is deep and packs a punch, it’s NOT hard to read. That’s a combination I can appreciate.
Here are some quotes I liked from Disciples Are Made Not Born:
"Whatever your vocation is, it must never be your life objective; for your vocation, no matter how noble it may be, is, in the final analysis, temporal. The Scriptures teach us that we are to give our lives to the eternal and not to the temporal. A faithful man is a man who has chosen eternal objectives for his life" (13).
"Lordship leads to a mutual commitment, involving not only receiving but giving. Grace is God's willingness to commit Himself totally to us. Lordship is our willingness to commit ourselves totally to God. Everybody wants God to commit Himself totally to him, but few are willing to commit themselves totally to God" (28).
"Discipleship is our opportunity to tap the infinite resources of God. It is our chance to give our lives to significance rather than mediocrity. In discipleship, we are not doing God a favor; He is doing us a favor" (33).
"This is how God and the Scriptures view man--not as the great, self-sufficient maker of his own destiny but as similar to the grass of the fields- here today, gone tomorrow. James, the brother of the Lord Jesus, put it this way: ‘Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.’ James 4:14). In order to understand man, this is where we must begin. The brevity of life helps us realize the importance of giving our-selves to the right thing" (54).
"It is imperative, therefore, that you major on being the kind of person you want your disciple to become" (88).
"The person who has things in perspective makes his decisions on the immediate in light of the ultimate" (128).
Audience:
Men and women; young adult and older.
Usefulness Rating:
This book is certainly useful if your goal is to become a better disciple of Christ or to make some! The second half is very practical in helpful.
Entertainment Value:
This book is not intended for entertainment.
Good For Groups:
This book would be great for groups. It includes a comprehensive 13 session study guide at the conclusion of the book (177-239).
For more information about this book or other reading suggestions, feel free to contact me directly.
