Fruit > Results.
While the Church wrestles with outward cultural relevance, it's also navigating an inward challenge of metrics. Results and fruit, though both valuable, serve distinct purposes. The primary difference is:
God doesn't call His people primarily to results—He invites us to bear fruit.
Results manifest in statistics—attendance, sign-ups, volunteers, baptisms, small group involvement. Each number represents a life , yet the fruit of person’s life is best measured in developmental relationships; those close enough to notice, celebrate, and nurture incremental changes in desires, motivations, attitudes, priorities, efforts, and opportunities.
Jesus' concentric circles of relationships—the 3, 12, and 72—are often viewed through an organizational lens rather than as expressions of apprenticing rapport. Perhaps we might reconsider those closest to Jesus through the lens of fruit rather than function. As a youth pastor, I would playfully announce, "I play favorites!…and you can be one of them too!" Not every young person was easy to lead or love, but those who approached with curiosity and availability received the best of me.
It's not difficult to envision Mary, Martha, and Lazarus as Jesus' relational inner circle. "Let me tell you what Peter said today..." Or after an exasperated, "Do you still not understand?" (Mark 8:21), Jesus might have shared these moments with the three siblings, enjoying a good laugh together. This perspective invites us to wonder: What if Jesus chose Peter, James, and John not for predestined roles, theological brilliance, or productivity, but for qualitative characteristics that naturally drew them closer? Was Jesus drawn to qualities like genuine remorse, compassion, and humility? Mary sat attentively while Martha busied herself. Jesus wept at Lazarus's death despite knowing resurrection was imminent. Peter, though impulsive, wasn't too fragile to receive correction. Even the awkward moment when James and John's mother requested special treatment (Matthew 20:21) doesn’t dissuade Jesus from knowing the potential of the brothers.
Ultimately, it's not information that fuels desire but imitation—and desire is the seed from which character blossoms.
Discipleship based on efficiencies or one size fits all is like raising children and assuming they each have the same personalities. The power of Jesus' disciple-making mission–built on relational capital—reveals the unique ways God is moving the needle of a person's heart. Even in our larger contemporary settings, we can measure fruit by "small-batching" disciple-making through intentional relationships.
If you’re curious about Jesus’ relational disciple-making mission in your context, check out Disciplemaking Studios and the free Disciplemaking Guide download.
