"Discipleship is irrevocably necessary. It’s not just a luxury; it is a necessity to disciple and to be discipled."
God used this season in the military to lead RJ to Word of Life in an incredibly unique way. “Somebody on the ship was sent a Word of Life Quiet Time, and they threw it in the trash.” He recalls stopping to look at this brightly colored book in the garbage can. “I hadn’t heard of Word of Life before, but I was interested in what this beautiful book could be. As I picked it up and started flipping through the pages, I said, ‘Dude, it’s filled with Scripture!’” RJ goes on to explain that he had been praying about God’s direction for his life; little did he know at the time that God was about to work through this Quiet Time journal to guide his next steps. “One day, while I was praying on my bed, our ship hit a massive wave. As the ship rocked, the Quiet Time book fell off my bookshelf and onto my chest.” This time, when RJ began flipping through the book, he noticed there was an ad for Word of Life Camps and ministry opportunities. He recalls his sense of excitement that evening. “‘God,’ I said, ‘Is this the answer to my prayers?’” God continued to draw RJ to Word of Life, and he attended the Bible Institute the following year. During RJ’s first chapel on campus, Harry Bollback shared about his experience ministering to the Xavante people in Brazil. As a fellow veteran of the Marine Corps, Harry Bollback’s story immediately resonated with RJ. “He became my role model. I remember praying, ‘God, I want to be just like that guy. Like, I want to serve You faithfully, take Your Word to a nation that has never heard it, and I want to die loving You.’” I listen intently as RJ shares more about his journey – graduating from the Bible Institute, working in a discipleship role at Word of Life, serving in Brazil as a Cross Cultural
Intern, and marrying his wife, Janessa. I’m struck by God’s faithfulness in using biblical community and discipleship to bring RJ from where he was (a wayward young man searching for answers) to where he is today (a vibrant Christ-follower ready to spend his life building gospel-driven relationships with those who have not heard).
I share this observation with RJ, and he is quick to affirm that discipleship has been a crucial aspect of his spiritual journey.
“This may seem obvious,” he says, “but discipleship is irrevocably necessary. It’s not just a luxury; it is a necessity to disciple and to be discipled.” He explains how pivotal discipleship has been during this season of missionary training. “It’s important as believers to recognize that God calls us to make disciples of all nations. This is one of the key ways Word of Life set me up for success. Everywhere I went, I was receiving some form of discipleship, whether formal or informal. The Christian community was present.” When I ask RJ how people can be praying for his family as they prepare for the mission field, he asks that God would provide a community both on and off the field to walk through this journey together with his family. “First of all, pray Janessa and I will love one another, love our kids, and love our team, as we will be the first picture of the church that this people group will see. Pray God will use us to clearly communicate the truths of the gospel to bring about lasting heart change.” As our conversation comes to a close, there is no doubt in my mind God will use RJ and his family to point many people to Jesus. I walk back to my office with a renewed excitement about the hope of the gospel – but this response is only natural when talking with someone as passionate about sharing Christ’s love as RJ.
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