Parents are to raise their children in the Lord. Older men train younger men, and older women teach younger women. I have heard my wife talk about how her mom taught her to be a good mother. Then they taught our daughter how to be a good mom, and now my wife and daughter are equipping our granddaughter to be a mother someday.

But how exactly do you equip someone? A good place to start is to study how Jesus equipped his followers:

1. Show them how. Peter says Jesus left us an example that we should follow in his steps (1 Pet. 2:21). See how Jesus treated people. Do what he did. I learned about visiting church members in the hospital by going there often with my dad. I don’t remember him ever telling me how to visit, but I still learned from going alongside and watching.

2. Teach Scripture. Paul tells Timothy that Scripture is useful for training us in righteousness (1 Tim. 3:16). Read, study, and memorize Scripture. The Bible speaks in some way to every situation you will encounter as a disciple of Jesus. Use it to teach. Or even better, encourage them to read, learn, and memorize Scripture. It will be there when they need it.

3. Tell stories. Jesus did his teaching through parables like Matt. 13:34. So tell stories from Scripture, your life, your family, your friends, and those in your faith community.

Watch Jesus. Listen to what God says. Learn how others live.

This is how you equip disciples, children, young men and women, ministry leaders, and new believers.

Make disciples. Then equip them to live as followers.