Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 5
Christy made an uncomfortable claim: “second only to Christ himself, you are the most important ingredient in your discipleship,” and “your growth is not primarily the church’s responsibility… it’s yours”—how does that challenge common evangelical instincts about outsourcing growth to pastors/programs or leaning on “covering,” and what concrete responsibilities are you tempted to avoid by calling them someone else’s job?
Another way to ask: How does it challenge you to hear, “Your spiritual growth is mainly your responsibility”? What parts of growing do you tend to hand off to pastors, programs, or other people instead of doing yourself?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
Based on the speaker’s teaching, this confronts any habit of treating discipleship as mainly something done to us by leaders, husbands, or church systems. She argues each woman must own her relationship with Christ—she will answer for her choices—so avoiding initiative or obedience by appealing to “someone else’s responsibility” is not faithful discipleship.
- She states, “second only to Christ himself, you are the most important ingredient in your discipleship and spiritual growth.”
- She lists what it is not: “not primarily the church’s responsibility… not your husband or father’s… not your pastor or teacher’s… It’s yours.”
- She adds accountability: “you’re the one that’s going to answer for the decisions… words… things… chosen.”
- “No church community or marriage or work will answer for you.”
- She holds submission together with agency: gender ordering “doesn’t replace the agency and responsibility that you carry as a disciple.”
- She later applies this: women should take “initiative and responsibility,” not wait for “permission… to take responsibility for… your spiritual family.”