I’m not bashing buffets, but for the most part, eating at a buffet is not the healthiest way to eat. Here is one of the problems with a buffet: buffets are all about eating what you want. Rarely does eating at a buffet ever constitute a balanced diet. Most buffet-goers could care less about eating what is good for them. Instead, they eat whatever they want. They pick and choose what they like, and leave off what they don’t like (even if it is really good for them.)
I find it interesting that discipleship in many churches is like visiting a buffet. Some churches are so focused on giving people what they want, they miss out on giving people what they need. At some churches you can get a helping of Beth Moore. At others, you can get a slice of Max Lucado. You can get a scoop of Lee Strobel, or you can get a cup of Charles Stanley depending on where you go. There is absolutely nothing wrong with any of these great teachers, but a pick-and-choose method is never the best way to develop disciples.
When my children were young, we always let them choose the menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We usually ate lots of ice cream, cotton candy, and chocolate. Not hardly! Our children ate what we placed in front of them, and sometimes they didn’t even like it. We were not requiring them to eat certain foods because we were mean parents- we did it because we loved them and knew what they needed to eat better than they did.
In 1 Corinthians 3:2, Paul said, “I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed you are still not ready.” Paul was not being a mean spiritual parent. He was giving the Corinthians exactly what they needed when they needed it. Paul was trying to give those believers an appropriate diet for their spiritual growth. He was not giving them a buffet approach to discipleship!
Disciples need to be given a firm foundation, and then they can be given additional subject matter. Every disciple needs to know what they believe. They need to know an overview of the Bible. They need to know basic spiritual disciplines, and they need to understand the Church.
Disciple Making Essentials is a discipleship curriculum that provides a balanced diet for disciples. It covers the basics and then teaches the Life of Christ. Both are a essential for every disciple. Contact impactdisciples.com if you want more information about disciple making or to order a sample pack of Discipleship Essentials.
