Anyone can live for God when the wind is at his or her back and all is well. But chances are, just like my life experiences, your life experiences are filled with hardships, obstacles, and even suffering.
The same is true for our students. But how many of our students are prepared to weather the difficult times?
I find that few students have been equipped to pursue Christ regardless of their circumstances. When they face challenges, they become discouraged and disillusioned, and many walk away from the faith entirely.
To see our students become deeply rooted believers, we’ll need to teach them an intentional process for looking for God in all of life, regardless of their circumstances. I call this process the “See.Savor.Share. Discipleship Process.”
See.Savor.Share. Discipleship Process
See.Savor.Share. is about helping students see the greatness of God in all of life, savor it for all its worth, and share it freely along the way. Over the last decade, See.Savor.Share. has become the rhythm of my life with God and my spiritual survival process during difficult times. I’ve been able to share it with countless students, and I want to encourage you to share it with the students in your ministry.
At the core of the See.Savor.Share. Discipleship process is the belief that everything God does is great, so everything we see about who God is, what he is doing, or has done should be savored and shared.
Seeing
Helping our students see the greatness of God is the first step. He wants their hearts and minds to be captured by the magnificence of his holiness, justice, faithfulness, and love.
If a student’s relationship with God has grown stale, it’s not because he is not grand enough to capture the expanse of their hearts. It’s because they have grown blind to the fullness of his beauty.
To help students see his greatness, we must encourage them to look for his greatness in Scripture, life, and creation, and pray constantly for eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to understand his will and his work in the world.
We can invite students to SEE God’s greatness in these ways:
- Ask students to read Scripture and circle, underline, or share any key words or phrases that they see
- Challenge them to pray through the question “How did I see God at work in my life today?”
- Invite them to spend time in creation, and encourage them to identify ways that they see God’s character on display
Savoring
Students must then be taught to savor what they see. Savoring is essential to their growth with God because it allows them to enjoy and delight in his greatness. It moves them away from simply having an intellectual knowledge of God and moves them closer to personally knowing him and what he cares about.
Savoring looks like giving thanks, delighting, and treasuring. It requires that our students slow down, put away all of life’s distractions, and dwell on what they have seen.
We can encourage students to SAVOR the greatness of God in these ways:
- Challenge students to keep a prayer journal and write out what they’re thankful for.
- Ask students to recall times or places in their lives where they have seen God’s presence, protection, or provision.
- Prompt students to spend five minutes away from their devices and write down a list of God’s character traits.
Sharing
Sharing is the natural overflow of seeing and savoring God’s greatness. It plays two primary roles for our students in their growth with God. First, it completes the enjoyment of what they have seen and savored. Second, sharing helps our students see what has a hold on their hearts. They will naturally talk about what the love and enjoy.
We can prompt students to SHARE God’s greatness in these ways:
- Invite students to evaluate what they talk about most. This will give them insight into what holds the most space in their hearts.
- Ask students to share with a friend how they have experienced God’s presence or provision.
- Challenge students to engage with others and ask, “How have you seen God at work in your life?” Every time we ask someone to share how God has worked in their lives, we are providing a means of building up their faith.
The See.Savor.Share. Discipleship Process is a thrilling way for students to walk with God. It’s God’s desire for students to see his goodness, kindness, mercy, faithfulness, and love in all of life’s situations. As he gives them a vision of his greatness in their lives, they must savor it for all it is worth with thanksgiving, praise, and adoration. It is out of the overflow of their savoring that they will freely share his greatness with others.
It’s my prayer that the See.Savor.Share. Discipleship process will become the rhythm of your students lives and of your own walk with the Lord. May God empower all of us to flourish as we walk with him, even during difficult times.
Download 5 Tips for Engaging with Students
Bridging the gap between generations can be challenging and intimidating—no matter what age you are—so here are a few tips to help you begin that process of connecting with students with ease. You’ll also receive emails from our team. You can unsubscribe at any time.
