Last year Lewis,* a pastor from Arizona, joined a team of Bible teachers organized by Village Ministries International to travel from USA to Uganda and Kenya. Their objective was to provide Bible training resources for indigenous pastors and teachers.
Abasi,* a young Kenyan fluent in both English and Swahili, volunteered to be a translator for the team. As they travelled over rough terrain from village to village, Abasi faithfully and accurately conveyed the teaching with conviction to over 200 people who attended the meetings. By the end of the trip, it was clear to Lewis and the others that young Abasi was not only a good communicator but also a keen and humble student of the Word.
After arriving home in Arizona, Pastor Lewis assembled a care package that included By This Name and mailed it off to Abasi as a thank you for his joyful service. Not long afterward, Lewis received this email in reply:
Hello Pastor Lewis, Praise the Lord! Hope you are having a great morning please! It was such as amazing time yesterday night teaching using the book “By This Name.” I greatly saw how people became more enlightened with the core of the Bible truth! It’s such an amazing thing to see rapid spiritual growth! Blessings, Abasi
Because of Abasi’s interest and initiative to teach, another package was assembled. This time it included more By This Name books and workbooks, along with What are Christmas and Easter All About? booklets for the students.
It was a delight to hear that, not only was Abasi gaining a clearer understanding of the gospel himself, but that he was immediately turning around and teaching his own people what he was learning.
It’s reminiscent of what Paul wrote to his friends in Thessalonica:
“And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:6-9 ESV)
Biblical discipleship employs a pattern of imitation. It’s an “As you are taught, so you will teach” approach. Disciples teach the gospel clearly to others who, in turn, when they understand and believe the gospel, teach others… and so on.
Lewis chose to send By This Name to Abasi because it is a tool designed to help those with little-to-no background in the Bible to clearly understand its core message. And, because of the way the book is laid out, anyone can immediately share it with someone else, who can share it with someone else… and so on. It’s a simple but powerful process God is using to make disciples the world over.
Find out more about GoodSeed disciple-making tools like By This Name »
(*Names changed per GoodSeed Policy)
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