FAT: Faithful, Available, Teachable (part 1)
Section 1
What the acronym FAT means when trying to make disciples who multiply
(note, the highlights are my own personal ones, yellow is important and red is very important)
FAT — Faithful, Available, Teachable is a simple way of describing the kind of person who was a good candidate for spiritual investment and discipleship.
The idea wasn't that someone had to be exceptionally gifted, educated, or mature spiritually. Rather, these three qualities indicated that a person was responsive to God and willing to grow.
1. Faithful
Faithful meant dependable and committed.
A faithful person could be counted on to:
- Keep commitments
- Follow through on what they said they would do
- Take God's Word seriously
- Remain committed when things became difficult
- Faithfully practice what they were learning
In discipleship, this was especially important because a person might know a great deal about the Bible but not actually live it out.
Paul expressed this principle in: 2 Timothy 2:2 — “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”
This as the multiplication principle: invest deeply in faithful people who can eventually invest in others.
2. Available
Available meant willing to give time, attention, and oneself to God's purposes.
A person could be spiritually interested but simply too occupied with other priorities to be discipled.
An available person was willing to say, in effect:
“I'll make time for this.”
That could mean being willing to:
- Meet regularly for discipleship
- Study Scripture
- Pray
- Serve
- Help others
- Take opportunities to share Christ
- Rearrange priorities when God opened a door
Availability therefore wasn't simply having free time. It was having a heart that was willing to be used by God.
3. Teachable
Teachable meant being willing to learn, receive correction, and change.
This was perhaps the most important quality because someone can be faithful and available yet still be unwilling to change.
A teachable person:
- Listens
- Asks questions
- Accepts correction
- Doesn't assume he already knows everything
- Is willing to change his attitudes and behavior when Scripture shows him something different
- Puts what he learns into practice
Proverbs repeatedly emphasizes this quality: Proverbs 9:9 — “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser.”
And Jesus' disciples provide a wonderful example. They frequently misunderstood Jesus, but they kept listening, asking questions, and following Him.
The three together
The idea can be summarized this way:
- Faithful → Can I count on you?
- Available → Are you willing to make yourself available?
- Teachable → Are you willing to learn and change?
And there is a very practical reason for putting these qualities together.
A person might be:
- Faithful but not teachable — dependable, but resistant to correction.
- Teachable but not faithful — eager to learn, but doesn't follow through.
- Available but not faithful — willing to help, but unreliable.
- Faithful and teachable but unavailable — a wonderful person, but unwilling to make time.
The person who is faithful + available + teachable is someone in whom a discipler can make a substantial investment.
There is an interesting connection to the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus doesn't merely say “hear my words.” He says:
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” — Matthew 7:24
That is very close to the concept of teachable: not merely hearing truth, but receiving it and acting upon it.
2 Timothy 2:2 is probably the clearest biblical foundation for identifying faithful people and investing in them so that they can eventually multiply by discipling others.
Section 2
The challenges in finding FAT candidates and solutions
This is one of the most important—and sometimes frustrating—aspects of making disciples who multiply. The difficulty usually isn't finding Christians; it's finding people who are genuinely FAT and willing to enter a discipling relationship.
1. The challenge: Most people aren't looking for discipleship
Many Christians are quite happy to:
- Attend church
- Listen to sermons
- Participate in a Bible study
- Go to Christian events
But they may not be looking for someone to challenge them personally or hold them accountable.
Solution: Look for spiritual hunger rather than religious activity
Watch for people who say things like:
- “I really want to grow.”
- “Can you show me how to study the Bible?”
- “I've been wondering how I can share my faith.”
- “Could we meet again?”
Those statements may be better indicators than how active someone is at church.
Jesus looked for people who were willing to follow Him, not merely people who were interested in hearing Him.
2. The challenge: You can't tell immediately who is FAT
Someone can appear very enthusiastic initially.
They might say: “This is exactly what I've been looking for!”
But three weeks later they're missing appointments and haven't done the assignments.
Solution: Test FAT gradually. Don't make a major investment in someone immediately.
Give a small assignment:
“Read Mark 1–2 and write down three things you learn about Jesus.”
Then see what happens.
Next:
“Would you be willing to meet next Tuesday at 7?”
You're beginning to discover:
- Faithful: Did he do it?
- Available: Did he make the time?
- Teachable: Did he engage with what he read?
Small tests reveal much more than enthusiasm.
3. The challenge: People are extremely busy
This is probably one of the biggest obstacles today.
Someone may genuinely want to grow but have:
- A demanding job
- Young children
- Family responsibilities
- Health or aging-parent responsibilities
- Numerous church commitments
The answer isn't necessarily to find someone with lots of free time.
Solution: Look for willingness, not free time
Ask: “Is this important enough for you to make some time for it?”
Someone who has only one free hour a week but faithfully protects that hour may be a better disciple than someone who has ten free hours but continually cancels.
That's an important distinction between Available and simply unoccupied.
4. The challenge: Some people want teaching but not accountability
This is a subtle problem. A person may love Bible knowledge. He'll happily study:
- theology
- prophecy
- doctrine
- apologetics
- Bible history
But when you ask: “What are you going to do about what we just learned?” the enthusiasm disappears.
Solution: Constantly connect truth with obedience
After studying Scripture, ask three questions:
- What does this teach me?
- What does this show me about God?
- What should I do differently because of it?
That third question is critical.
Jesus didn't say merely to hear His words. He emphasized hearing and doing them (Matthew 7:24).
5. The challenge: Correcting someone can damage the relationship
Suppose your disciple repeatedly doesn't follow through.
You finally say: “We've talked about this three times, but you're not doing what you said you would do.”
He becomes defensive. You now have a choice: avoid confrontation or address it.
Solution: Make accountability relational, not authoritarian
Instead of: “You're not being faithful.”
Try: “You told me this was something you wanted to grow in. What's making it difficult?”
That invites him to examine himself. Sometimes you'll discover a legitimate obstacle. Other times you'll discover that he simply isn't willing. FAT requires honesty.
6. The challenge: We tend to choose people we like
This is a surprisingly common problem.
We naturally gravitate toward people who:
- Agree with us
- Have similar personalities
- Are easy to talk to
- Make us feel successful as a discipler
But the person who needs discipleship may not be the person we naturally choose.
Solution: Look for responsiveness
The better question isn't:
“Do I really like this person?”
It's:
“Does this person respond when I invest in him?”
A quiet person who faithfully responds may be a far better candidate than an outgoing person who constantly talks but never changes.
7. The challenge: Finding people outside the church
If we're serious about Jesus' command to make disciples, we shouldn't limit our search to people already attending church.
Potential disciples may include:
- A neighbor
- A coworker
- A friend
- A relative
- Someone you've met through community activities
- A newer Christian at church
Solution: Develop relationships intentionally
Rather than approaching someone with:
“Would you like to become my disciple?”
which can sound intimidating, begin naturally:
“Would you like to study the Gospel of Mark together?”
or:
“I've been studying something in the Bible that I'd like to discuss with you.”
Then see how the person responds.
8. The challenge: A person is teachable but not faithful
This is an interesting combination.
Someone may love Bible study and eagerly accept correction—but constantly fail to follow through.
Solution: Help him develop faithfulness
Start very small, instead of:
“Read five chapters every day.”
try:
“Read one chapter before we meet next week.”
If he succeeds, gradually increase responsibility.
Faithfulness can be developed through repeated small acts of obedience.
9. The challenge: A person is faithful but not teachable
This can be even more difficult.
A person may:
- Attend every meeting
- Do every assignment
- Memorize Scripture
- Serve faithfully
But he doesn't want anyone correcting him.
Solution: Ask questions rather than simply giving criticism
For example:
“How do you think that conversation went?”
Let him evaluate himself first. Then:
“Would you be open to one observation I had?”
You're helping him develop the humility necessary for teachability.
10. The challenge: We try to disciple too many people
This is a major danger.
You find several enthusiastic Christians and think:
“I can disciple all of them.”
Eventually you discover that you're conducting another Bible study rather than actually making disciples who multiply.
Solution: Think multiplication, not accumulation
You might invest deeply in one or two people.
The goal is eventually:
You → 2 disciples → each disciples 1–2 → those disciples disciple others to multiply also
That's much closer to the 2 Timothy 2:2 model.
11. The biggest challenge: We look for finished FAT people
Perhaps the most important point is this:
FAT is a trajectory, not merely a personality test.
You aren't necessarily looking for someone who is already highly faithful, available and teachable.
You're looking for evidence that God is working in the person and that he is responsive to investment.
Someone might begin:
Faithful — 5/10
Available — 4/10
Teachable — 8/10
Six months later:
Faithful — 8/10
Available — 7/10
Teachable — 9/10
That's a successful disciplemaking story.
12. A practical FAT "test"
If I were trying to identify a potential disciple, I'd give the person four simple opportunities over a month:
Week 1
“Read Mark 1–2 and tell me what stands out.”
→ Tests Faithfulness
Week 2
“Can you meet Thursday at 7?”
→ Tests Availability
Week 3
Discuss something challenging Jesus teaches. “What do you think Jesus wants you to change?”
→ Tests Teachability
Week 4
Ask: “Is there anyone you know who might benefit from studying this with you?”
→ Begins testing reproducibility
You don't need to announce that you're testing them. You're simply giving them opportunities to respond.
One final principle
Making disciples who multiply can be summarized this way:
Don't invest most deeply in the person who talks the most about wanting to grow. Invest in the person who consistently responds to what you give him.
That's where Faithful + Available + Teachable becomes visible in real life.
--Part 2 will be released within 2 days--
