I have officially entered my final week of living in Greece, and it is crazy to realize how quickly our first country has flown by! That’s not to say that some days haven’t felt very slow, but overall, I can’t believe we are already getting ready to wrap up our time here in Thessaloniki. So much has happened during our time here, and the Lord has taught me so much. But one thing that has really stayed at the forefront of my mind is what I’ve learned about discipleship.

At the beginning of our stay here, our ministry host, Raul, from Hope Church Romania, explained that their ministry wanted to focus on street evangelism and a specific approach to discipleship. Their discipleship program was completely new to me, but it has encouraged me so much!

I want to share a little bit about what it looks like because the Lord has used it to change my perspective on studying His Word, sharing His truth with others, and discipling people in their faith.

Hope Church Romania creates videos that walk through different books of the Bible, explaining the historical context and the overall message of each chapter. One thing they really emphasize is allowing God's Word to shape the way we think rather than allowing our own biases, assumptions, and perspectives to shape what we believe the Bible is saying. The goal is to understand what the text actually teaches before jumping to how we think it applies to our own lives.

Along with each video, they provide a worksheet that helps you process what you have learned and put it into practice. The worksheet is divided into five categories: Knowledge, Convictions, Application, Multiplication, and Discipleship.

Each category serves a different purpose, but they all work together to help you grow in your relationship with the Lord and learn how to walk alongside others in their faith.

The Knowledge section focuses on understanding the passage within its historical and biblical context. Instead of immediately asking what the passage means for you personally, you first take the time to understand the story being told, what is happening, and what the original text is teaching.

Next comes Convictions. This section encourages you to reflect on the people in the passage, the ways they succeed or fall short, and how their experiences might reveal areas where you need to grow. It challenges you to consider what truths the Lord is teaching you and what changes He might want to make in your heart. Rather than simply gaining knowledge about the Bible, you begin allowing the Holy Spirit to use God's Word to transform you and help you become more like Christ.

The Application section takes that reflection one step further by asking you to identify practical ways to live out what you have learned. It isn't enough to recognize where you need to grow if you never take steps toward that growth. This section encourages you to think intentionally about how you can put God's truth into action in your everyday life.

Then comes Multiplication. This is where you identify a truth you have learned that someone else might need to hear, whether that person is a friend, family member, or someone else the Lord brings to mind. You then make a plan to share that truth with them, setting aside a specific time to reach out through a text, call, or in-person conversation.

Finally, the worksheet ends with Discipleship. This section encourages you to think about someone in your life who you could intentionally walk alongside in their faith. Maybe that means meeting once a week to study the Bible over coffee, working through a Bible study together, or setting aside time every few days to discuss what you are learning and how you are growing. It helps you move beyond simply wanting to encourage others in their faith and begin thinking about practical ways to invest in their spiritual growth.

Together, the videos and worksheets provide a structured way to study God's Word, apply it to your life, share what you are learning with others, and begin discipling people in their faith.

Our ministry host encouraged each of us to find someone during our time in Greece, whether that person was back home or living here in Thessaloniki, that we could disciple using these resources.

At first, I wasn't entirely sure about this approach. I had never really discipled someone in this way before, and I wasn't sure how I would go about doing it. But then I was invited to participate in their Ruth discipleship study so I could experience the videos and worksheets for myself before beginning to disciple someone else.

So, I started watching the videos and completing the worksheets, working through one chapter of Ruth each day. And praise the Lord, I learned SO much! I grew in ways that I know could only have happened through the work of the Holy Spirit. I learned so much more about the historical context of Ruth, recognized areas of my own character where I needed to grow, and gained a better understanding of how to live more like Christ. I also became more confident in sharing biblical truths with others and began thinking more intentionally about how I could pursue a discipleship relationship with someone.

My entire perspective on studying the Bible began to change. I wasn't just reading a passage, reflecting on it for a few minutes, and then moving on with my day. I was learning how to understand God's Word more deeply, allow it to challenge my heart, and identify practical ways to live it out long after I had closed my Bible and finished my devotional time.

And as I continued through the study and returned to my regular Bible study plans, I began paying more attention to what the Lord might be teaching me that someone else needed to hear. I started listening more intentionally for opportunities to share what I was learning, and I even prepared to give the Ruth study to someone back home who I thought could really benefit from it.

Looking back, I can see just how much the Lord was working through this one Bible study and discipleship program! He began giving me more boldness to share truth, love, and encouragement from His Word with my friends, family, and teammates here in Greece. I developed a stronger desire to listen to the Lord and grew in confidence as I learned to respond to what I felt He was placing on my heart. There were moments when I felt prompted to send someone a text or share a particular truth with a person, even when I wasn't sure whether it would help them or whether it was something they needed to hear in that moment. I couldn't always see what would come from those conversations, but I was learning to step out in obedience rather than allowing uncertainty to keep me from reaching out.

And the Lord reminded me that obedience matters, even when I cannot see the outcome. Sometimes, a simple message of encouragement can be exactly what someone needs. Sometimes, sharing a truth from Scripture can remind someone of God's goodness when they have lost sight of it. And sometimes, the Lord may be working through a conversation in ways that I won't fully understand until much later. I don't have to know exactly how He will use my words. I simply need to be willing to share His truth in love and trust Him with the results.

The Lord has continued to encourage me to take the truths I learn during my morning time with Him, whether through prayer or His Word, and share them with others when I feel led to do so. He is teaching me what it looks like to multiply His goodness, truth, and encouragement in the lives of others for His glory!

And honestly, this has made me so excited about discipleship. I've realized that my heart is genuinely passionate about discipling people back home. I can't wait to return and begin studying the Bible with friends and family, walking alongside them in their faith, and working through more of Hope Church Romania's videos and worksheets with specific people.

I could certainly begin this process while I'm still on the Race, and I plan to do so with some people. But I am also excited about the opportunity to have more consistent, in-person interactions with others when I return home. I want to be intentional about building relationships, encouraging one another in our faith, and growing together as we study God's Word. I don't know exactly what these discipleship relationships will look like or how the Lord will work through each one, but I am so excited to find out! I can't wait to see how He grows me through these relationships and how He works in the hearts and lives of the people I get to walk alongside.

And the more I have thought about all of this, the more I have realized that discipleship isn't simply a ministry opportunity for a select group of people. It is something Jesus has called all of us to participate in!

In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus says:

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.”

What a beautiful command and an incredible privilege! Jesus calls us to go and make disciples, teaching others to follow Him and obey His Word. And as I have been learning throughout my time in Greece, this doesn't have to look complicated or intimidating. Sometimes, it begins with something as simple as inviting someone to study the Bible with you, sharing a truth the Lord has been teaching you, or making time to encourage someone in their relationship with Him.

I want to follow every command Jesus has given me, and I am beginning to see that I can actively participate in this one right where I am!

So, I want to encourage each of you to consider doing the same. Is there someone in your life that you could walk alongside in their faith? Is there a friend or family member you could invite to study the Bible with you? Is there someone who could use encouragement, accountability, or a person who is willing to intentionally invest in their relationship with the Lord?

You don't have to have every answer. You don't have to know the Bible perfectly. And you certainly don't have to be an expert in theology to begin encouraging someone in their faith. If you're interested in using the approach I have been learning about, you can visit HopeChurchRomania.org and look under the resources tab to explore their discipleship materials and begin working through a structured Bible study.

I know it can be intimidating to think about discipling someone, especially if you feel like you still have so much to learn yourself. But please don't disqualify yourself before you even begin! God has called us to make disciples, and He is more than capable of equipping us to do what He has asked. Imagine how the Lord could work if more of us intentionally invested in the spiritual growth of the people around us. Imagine the encouragement, accountability, and growth that could come from believers walking alongside one another and continually pointing each other back to Christ! How much closer could we grow to the Lord as we learn to seek Him together, study His Word together, and encourage one another to live according to His truth?

I know I still have so much to learn, but I no longer want that to be an excuse that keeps me from stepping out in obedience. When I first arrived in Greece, I probably would have told you that I wasn't mature enough in my faith, didn't know or understand enough of the Bible, or simply didn't know what it meant to disciple someone. I would have come up with so many reasons why I wasn't qualified to do it. I would have disqualified myself before even giving God the opportunity to work through me.

But the Lord has been changing my heart.

He has shown me that I will never reach a point where I know absolutely everything there is to know about Him or His Word. I will always have more to learn, more ways to grow, and more areas where I need to become like Christ. And that is okay!

In fact, recognizing that I still have so much to learn should draw me closer to the Lord and remind me of how much I need Him. It should encourage me to continue studying His Word, seeking His wisdom, and allowing the Holy Spirit to transform me. I don't have to wait until I feel completely prepared to begin encouraging someone else in their faith. I can share what the Lord is teaching me right now while continuing to grow alongside them.

Even when I am discipling someone who has been a Christian much longer than I have, I don't need to assume that I have nothing to offer. I can trust that the Lord can use my willingness to serve, my desire to share His truth, and my obedience to encourage that person in their walk with Him. That doesn't mean I will always know what to say or that I will never make mistakes. It means that I can approach discipleship with humility, recognizing that I need the Lord just as much as the person I am walking alongside does.

Ultimately, it isn't about how much I know or how qualified I feel. It is about pointing people toward the One who knows everything, loves them perfectly, and has the power to transform their hearts.

Two verses that have really encouraged me in this area are 1 Timothy 4:12 and 2 Timothy 1:7.

First Timothy 4:12 says:

“Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.”

And 2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us:

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”

These verses are such powerful reminders that I don't need to let my age, experience, or insecurities prevent me from living out what God has called me to do. I can be an example to others through the way I speak, live, love, and pursue the Lord. I can step out in faith rather than allowing fear and timidity to hold me back. And I can trust that the Lord will continue to equip me as I seek to follow Him.

He already knows every limitation, weakness, and area where I need to grow. None of those things surprise Him, and none of them prevent Him from working through a willing heart!

Praise the Lord for being so all-knowing, so powerful, and so kind. He doesn't need us to accomplish His work, yet He lovingly invites us to participate in what He is doing. He gives us opportunities to serve, encourages us as we obey, and allows us to experience the joy of seeing Him work in the lives of others.

What a privilege it is to be used by Him!

I am just so overwhelmed with praise, joy, and gratitude that the Lord has used my time in Greece to show me what discipleship can look like and how I can actively participate in it every day. Something that initially felt unfamiliar and intimidating has become something I am genuinely excited to pursue.

And I know this is only the beginning!

As I prepare to leave Greece and move into the next season of the World Race, I want to carry this lesson with me. I want to continue growing in my understanding of God's Word, listening to the Holy Spirit, and looking for opportunities to share His truth with the people He places in my life. I want to be faithful in the small moments, even when I don't know what will come from them, and trust that God can use my obedience in ways I may never fully see. Most importantly, I want to remember that discipleship isn't about having everything figured out. It is about helping others know and follow Jesus while continuing to pursue Him myself.

I hope this blog encourages you and reminds you of one of the biggest lessons the Lord has taught me during my time in Greece: You don't have to be perfect or know everything to begin making disciples. You simply have to be willing to follow Jesus and trust Him to work through you.

Thank you so much for reading this blog and continuing to pray for me throughout the World Race! I am so grateful for every person who has supported, encouraged, and prayed for me during this season. Your prayers mean more to me than you know, and I am so thankful that I get to share what the Lord is doing in my life with you.

As we prepare to leave Greece and travel to our next country, I would love for you to continue praying for these specific things:

• That our squad would have discernment and wisdom as we enter our debrief, knowing what we need to process and how to faithfully walk alongside one another through it.

• That we would have safe travels and peace as we take buses to Budapest and Prague.

• That our final week in Greece would be fruitful and that we would have intentional time to reflect on how the Lord has grown each of us during this season.

• That we would continue striving to grow closer to God and become more like Christ as we enter our next country.

• That the Lord would provide for the fundraising needs of my squadmates and bring comfort and encouragement to those who are struggling with homesickness, as these have been significant sources of stress and heaviness for many.

• That the Lord would continue to reveal the areas of my heart where I need to grow and help me surrender every part of my life to Him as I enter this next season.

I can't believe my time in Greece is almost over! It feels like we just arrived, and yet the Lord has already taught me so much through the people I have met, the ministry we have participated in, and the ways He has challenged me to grow.

I know there is still so much more He wants to teach me, and I am excited to see how He continues working in my heart throughout the rest of the Race. I want to keep learning, keep growing, and keep saying yes to the opportunities He places in front of me.

I want to be faithful in sharing His truth, intentional in loving others, and bold in stepping out in obedience, even when I don't feel completely ready. I am learning that I don't have to be the one who has all the answers. I just need to keep pointing people toward the One who does.

And if the Lord can use a simple Bible study to change my perspective on discipleship, grow my confidence in sharing His Word, and give me a new passion for walking alongside others in their faith, I can't wait to see what He will do through the relationships I begin building from here!

May we all continue to grow in our love for Jesus, faithfully share His truth, and encourage one another as we seek to become more like Him.

Let's keep making disciples!