Spurs Culture or, uh, Discipleship Culture

I am a huge fan of Mitch Johnson, the new coach for the San Antonio Spurs. Johnson played at Stanford and has been with the Spurs organization for almost a decade (since 2016). Last year he was named Spurs head coach, following legendary Gregg Popovich. This year Johnson is leading the Spurs to their best start since his freshman year in the NBA (2015-2016, 7-2 record as I write this), and his coaching philosophy helps us see the beauty of a discipleship culture. The below commentary is a breakdown of this VIDEO: CAN WATCH HERE, captured from a team huddle the first game of the season.

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Discipleship Culture: "Be disciplined to be disciplined and embrace the boring"
Coach Johnson admonishes the Spurs players,
"Possession by possession"
Discipleship is simply responding to God’s grace through enjoying and following Jesus so others will enjoy and follow Jesus, too. A life of discipleship involves daily, weekly, monthly, and annual rhythms. A life of discipleship will not be established, however, if our discipleship is not step by step, or possession by possession.
 
"Dismantle them in the half court"
There is an enemy looking to score points on you and for this reason Jesus ends the prayer He taught His disciples saying, "Deliver us from evil." The enemy wants you to doubt God’s word and question God’s goodness, turning good things of the world into idols of your heart (by tempting you to look to them for what only God can give) and causing you to walk in the rhythms of the world. How do disciples of Jesus “dismantle” the enemy “in the half court”?
 
We must kill sin immediately. By the Spirit and through the Word, we put to death deeds of the flesh (Romans 8:13), walk in the light (1 John 1:5-2:2), and seek first our King and His Kingdom (trusting everything else we need will be added- Matthew 6:33)

"Play fast, get back, do it again"
We must give no opportunity for the devil (Ephesians 4: 27). The enemy is the “father of lies” (John 8:44) who disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14) but looking to devour (1 Peter 5:8), deceive, and destroy (John 10:10). When disciples view the mercy of God through the person and work of Jesus, we will play fast, get back, and kill sin again like an excited kid trying to get tickets playing whack-a-mole at Chuckie-Cheese. 
 
“This is the will of God,” writes Paul. “Your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). Jesus bore our sins on the cross so that His disciples “might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds we are healed” (1 Peter 2:24)

"Disciplined to be disciplined is to like and embrace the boring"
Discipleship is following Jesus step by step, at a walking pace, with daily, weekly, monthly, and annual rhythms. Viewing God’s mercy, disciples are transformed to present our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God (Romans 12:1-2). Responding to God’s grace, we see disciplines of discipleship as delight: studying Scripture, prayer, accountable fellowship, corporate worship, sacrificial service, evangelism, and surprising generosity. 
 
Developing the disciplines of discipleship is a decision and to flourish we must embrace routine, to enjoy “boring” things like mediating and memorizing God’s word, seeking God’s face in prayer, welcoming brothers and sisters sharpening you through sharing life and studying God’s word together, weekly worship, regular sharing the gospel and sacrificial service, and loving to surprise others with generosity. 

"The mundane: stops, rebounds, fundamentals. Discipline. transition, rebounds, pace fundamentals"
 
Enjoying Jesus is a heart posture coming from new heart and new Spirit given by God’s sovereign grace when we are born again. Following Jesus is a choice, and making disciples so others enjoy and follow Jesus is a choice, too. It can seem mundane to disciple someone through rhythms of conversations over coffee or walks, sharing meals and life, struggling together in sanctification, partnering in mission, and practicing the “boring” steps of discipleship.

But the mundane becomes majestic when, together, you delight in Jesus and celebrate the reality of His delight of you. 

"Again and Again"
We will not ever graduate from the school of discipleship. We never arrive, get a vacation, have off season, retire, get traded to another team… Disciples of Jesus will embrace the next step, another day, the tempos of the week, monthly priorities, and annual rhythms that ensure we enjoy Jesus and follow Jesus so others will enjoy and follow Jesus, too. Disciples delight to respond to God’s grace through working our fundamentals “again and again and again…”
 
The Spurs will establish another dynasty when they embody coach Johnson’s direction (and stay healthy). Christians live from the championship victory of Jesus, His finished work revealed through His representative life, death, and resurrection having already defeated our enemy. Jesus gives believers the Holy Spirit that we may walk in a newness of life, mundane discipleship transformed to majesty as we view God’s mercy, enjoying Jesus and following Jesus so we can participate in the Kingdom dynasty by discipling others to know, enjoy, and follow Jesus, too.
                                                           (Picture above from Instagram Account linked. Below is from an online USA Today article.