I know discipling another man can be very intimidating. I know because in 1997, I shared my story in a Sunday School class of ten couples. Near the end, I said, "If any of you men would like me to lead you in a similar discipleship group, let me know." I don't know why I said that. It was not in my notes, and to my absolute horror, all ten men instantly raised their hands and said, "I want that." I was terrified because I had no idea what to do. I called my mentor, who discipled me, and asked for help. Long story short, I spent a fantastic year with those men.
It sounds intimidating, but success comes more from our willingness than our ability. If I can do it, you can do it. You and the Holy Spirit are more than enough. God didn't need my ability; He wanted my availability.
This is the part of the process that concerns people the most. They feel they must have a seminary degree or prepare a detailed lesson plan for each meeting. That would scare me, too. My focus each day is on my personal devotion time. Since my group and I are doing the same plan, it is all the preparation time I need for our meetings.
You can't lead a man somewhere you have never been. Ideally, you want to recruit men who are one to two stages behind you in life or spiritual maturity. When a man says yes to being discipled by you, he does so because he sees the maturity in you that he wants. He is giving you permission to lead.
Be yourself. Don't try to be something you are not. Your men are following you, not someone else. If you look at three successful groups in our ministry, you will see they all have a different feel because each leader is wired differently.
Don't let past failures hold you back. Use them to help others. I joke that my spiritual gift is making mistakes so others don't have to. How can they learn from your mistakes if you don't share them?
