Customer Reviews

Breaking the Discipleship Code: Becoming a Missional Follower of Jesus

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Of late I have been reading a mountain of books that give advice on how to adjust life in the church or among her members in order to make her more relevant in today's world. Some of the books have been disturbing--not because of the content but because of the accuracy in which they point out the shortcomings of the church as I have known it. Just one challenge after another seems to be crossing my desk. David Putnam's follow-up to his collaborative effort with Ed Stetzer (Breaking the Missional Code, B&H, 2006) is another keeper.

The difference between Putnam's book and most of the challenging books being released is its approachable manner. Putnam doesn't inundate us with research (although the research is out there in full force), nor does he lambaste us with berating language that often accompanies the call to church-wide repentance. What he does instead is simplify the call to return to the basics of Christ-followers' faith. His theme which is impossible to miss because it is repeated ad infinitum throughout the book: Live like Jesus; love like Jesus; leave what Jesus left behind.

The first two commands--to live and love like Jesus--take little explanation. Live in a servant-leader style that makes more of others than of yourself, without compromise. Love everyone, even those that do not love you or are unlovely. But when Putnam calls on Christians to leave what Jesus left behind he has to explain and expound. Jesus left followers who did what He did as He moved on to make end times preparation. We as Christ followers will leave this world someday, our objective in living and loving like Jesus is to leave behind more followers of Jesus who live and love like He did. Biblical scholars will easily catch the link to Matthew's record of the Great Commission--"teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you."

I will admit that I liked much of what I saw in the book even before I began to read. The table of contents revealed a simple yet informative arrangement of the material. The book is arranged in three divisions that purports to (1) define for the reader what a missional follower of Christ is, (2) discuss the process through which one becomes such a follower, and (3) what such a follower looks like in everyday situations.

Putnam is adept in conveying his message concerning the life and lifestyle of a missional disciple of Jesus. He uses easy stories from his own experience in life, in church, in church planting, and in his home to draw a portrait of how one moves along the journey of becoming more like Jesus.

For the reader who likes to have his interaction with a book directed, each chapter is followed by several questions to help apply what has been discussed in the chapter to his life. Part three, in which what a missional follower of Jesus looks like is discussed, short testimonials are inserted between the chapter and the study questions which show that there are people who are actually removing religious baggage from their lives and truly following in the steps of Christ. Some will find these testimonies to be extra blessing validating the material they illustrate. For me, they were actually a bit of a distraction from the flow of the text itself.

Without exception as I read through the chapters of the book I found nugget after golden nugget of profundity that made me stop and say, "Yes, that is what it is to follow Jesus." The stories and thoughts were well-organized and helpful. With but one hiccup as Putnam discussed living missionally in the city the reading went easy and smooth. The introductory material on the chapter about city felt a little less polished than the rest of the book.

Breaking the Discipleship Code shows evidence of Putnam's desire to live and love as Jesus loved and to lead others to that same end (leaving behind believers who live and love as Jesus loved). In the course of the book we see Putnam's heart for the next generation of church planters, his commitment to finding others who are taking the journey with him, and his desire to grow personally.

Was the book challenging? Yes, without being preach-y. Who should read it? Anyone who is on his way to becoming Christ-like. Those who haven't yet said yes to Jesus, but are interested in learning more, as well as those who are part of God's kingdom and looking for advice on how to become more like Jesus will find the book helpful. Those who are satisfied that they have all the answers would do better to leave this book alone unless they want to get angry about yet another leader who is calling the church to repentant truthfulness. I give it four and one-half reading glasses and am looking forward to more from this honest young leader.

The strength and weakness of Breaking the Discipleship Code are both found in the style, tone and approach taken by Putman. On the plus side its a very approachable book, with a lot of stories and personal anecdotes - it really does sound like you're sitting down with David over coffee. On the minus side, it doesn't really present any powerful new ideas, revealing results from research, or lend much practical help in transitioning a church to an approach to discipleship that is more missional. It's a narrative-driven conversation about discipleship. As such the book will resonate well with those who already 'get' the message and understand what's needed to reach people and grow disciples in a postmodern culture. Yet it will likely frustrate those wanting to 'tweak' their discipleship 'program' or who don't really have a handle on what it means to be missional. That's an irony of sorts, in that the book may fall short by not addressing the mindset of the people the author is trying to reach!? Still, the message is good and much needed, and I hope that it may have a broad impact despite these concerns. The application chapters in the end of the book are another strong and novel element in the book.

I appreciate the transparency of the writer sharing his personal life stories as he encourages his readers to "live as Jesus lived" "love as Jesus loved" and to "leave what Jesus left behind". These profound statements lead the reader to the root of what it means to be a genuine Christ follower.

Pastor's wanting to seriously transform their churches must read this book. It is full of Biblical truth and application how to impact our members through genuine community, our churches to become truly missional, and how to make a difference to a lost and dying world for God's glory.

Thank you Pastor David Putman for sharing truth and revelation from God's word!

I read this book over the summer and God really used it to help me understand the simplicity of following Jesus. Putman really does a great job of breaking down the essence of discipleship and then describing how following Christ should impact every arena of our lives. After reading it myself, I immediately encouraged a couple of other guys to buy and we have been meeting weekly to discuss each of the sections. This is a GREAT book to take others through. If you are looking for an amazing discipling tool, this is it!

Finally a book that tells it like it is. Very straight from the heart and honest about how God can take you on a special journey if you are just open to what He's doing in your life and you let Him. Every day can be exciting and a new journey. I like the way believers are more open today to what's going on around them instead of following all of the rituals of yesterday and simply punching the clock or getting a gold star by their name. Love God and love others, is the bottom line and this is something I need to be reminded of every day. It sounds simple but it's not easy.
Great book that I highly recommend for you and your family and friends.

I agree! This book to me felt like I was sitting down in a coffee house with David and soaking up the wisdom and insight God has given him throughout the years. It was a practical and enjoyable read that encouraged me on how I can really live out a missional (intentional) lifestyle through Christ to share His love.

I especially enjoyed it because it was not a "How To" or a "Top 10 Ways" book, but rather shared real life stories with practical applications on living with intentionality.

I also think this would be a great book to go through with a bible study or small group. I intend on using this book as a resource in my studies and teaching.