Bobby Harrington , Discipleship First
Discipleship - Relieving Anxiety and Fear:
Following Christ is discovering a transformation of growth, walking with Jesus, and commitment to His mission. Learn how discipleship can change your life, help you overcome personal struggles, and network with effective disciple making strategies. Discipleship is a process of becoming new in our identity with Christ, not being confirmed to the culture.
How does discipleship change our identity?
How do we define a disciple?
How do we measure progress in the disciple making process?
Three indicators of growth: 1) walking with God, 2) firmly abiding in Him, 3) actively reaching out to the world. The aim is not merely introspective growth but extending the message through evangelism and mentorship, thus fostering the cycle of disciple-making.
1) prayer
3) Bible study strategies
Discipleship Unpacked: The True Meaning and Its Impact on Church Leadership
In today’s culture, the term ‘disciple’ often gets watered down to simply meaning a ‘believer’. However, delving into its true essence reveals a complex journey requiring growth, walking with Jesus, and a commitment to His mission. This journey isn’t static but involves an ongoing transformation into Christ’s likeness, whereby individuals are not only developed but also deployed into the mission field. Understanding this distinction is critical for those leading ministries, as it provides clear direction and enables the cultivation of meaningful relationships with those distanced from God.
Defining the disciple
It’s all too easy for consumerism to infiltrate and shift the focus of the church away from its true calling: following Jesus and aiding others in their spiritual paths. The challenge laid upon us is to reconceptualize what it means to be a disciple, moving past token gestures and into the realm where we maximize our spiritual influence. By making discipleship a priority, we encourage others to look beyond transient successes and instead invest in eternal impacts.
Progress and Perseverance in Discipleship
Personal development in discipleship mirrors the consistency required in mastering a skill, like a finely tuned baseball swing. Three key indicators of growth are walking with God, firmly abiding in Him, and actively reaching out to the world. The aim is not merely introspective growth but extending the message through evangelism and mentorship, thus fostering the cycle of disciple-making.
The Call to Redefine Disciple-Making
Leaders within the church, regardless of their specific roles, are called to place defining disciple-making at the forefront of their priorities. Jesus exemplified this by dedicating Himself to God’s work and fostering a movement poised for multiplication. The church’s mission stewards these efforts, striving to develop disciple-making leaders from an understanding foundation of what being a disciple entails.
Measuring the Movement’s Momentum
In the age of mega-churches and ever-seeking congregations, it’s imperative to question whether our religious engagements deepen our discipleship or serve merely as entertainment. The true crisis lies in what the church produces, urging a reflection that moves from outward critique to inward inspection. Jesus’ disciples were equipped with specific skills; likewise, we must ensure our discipleship efforts focus on skill development that enables others to propagate these teachings.
Conclusion
Disciple-making seeks authenticity over formulaic processes. While methodologies like John Wesley’s meticulous record-keeping played their part, the core of disciple-making remains within the relational sphere, fostering character and competencies. As we discuss biblical benchmarks of character and the crucial skills for multiplication seen in early disciples, let’s reaffirm our commitment to this noble cause.
Listen to ‘The Disciple-Making Leader Podcast’ to deepen your understanding and join the conversation on this transformative pursuit.
This post originally appeared at: Discipleship Unpacked: The True Meaning and Its Impact on Church Leadership – discipleFIRST
Biblical counseling and spiritual warefare podcast
Good YouVersion video https://x.com/youversion/status/1780340480946913423?s=46&t=EyYqD6jn8pTLEV0Mp7yeeA
“God did not give the Bible in order that we could master him or it; God gave the Bible so we could live it, so we could be mastered by it. The moment we think we’ve mastered it, we have failed to be readers of the Bible. Of course, I think we should read the Bible and know it—but it is the specific element of reading for mastery versus reading to be mastered that grows out of this shortcut.” - Scot McKnight, The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible
Psalm 22 read aloud
Psalm 1 read aloud
Author Alan Farley - a non anxious life
Welsh revival - wanting God how much do you want Him if He asked “What are you looking for? How would you answer what are most Americans wanting?
Pray that you will want to want God
Good podcast by Susie Larson with Lisa Whittle on wanting God
Which of these 7 shadows is keeping from living like Jesus?
- Despair
- Loneliness
- Shame
- Lust
- Ambition
- Futility
- Apathy
David brooks definition of wisdom “ Rather than emphasizing an impressive body of information, Brooks suggests that wisdom is more about relating to and influencing others. It’s not just what you know, but how you engage with the world and the people around you. This relational aspect of wisdom underscores the importance of empathy, understanding, and meaningful connections 12. In a fragmented society, where genuine understanding is often lacking, Brooks encourages us to see others deeply, make them feel valued, and ultimately experience the joy that comes from being truly seen 3. So, wisdom, according to Brooks, is not a static accumulation of facts; it’s a dynamic dance of empathy and connection. 🌟
Ralf Ellison - Invisible Man it’s as though I’ve been surrounded distorted mirrors I’m invisible simply because they refuse to see me when they approach me they see only my surroundings themselves or figments of their imagination - indeed everything and anything but me
1 Peter - patterns of wrong thinking
Battle with God’s word as a tool Eph 6 the armor truth faith and prayer. This is how you fight. Many of our weaknesses is lack of truth lack of prayer and faith / trust lack of community
Timothy Warner EMM theology.
If you aim for nothing you hit it every time
4 thieves of joy: Legalism. Tunnel vision. Misplaced affections. Insecure faith - defiant joy
In transactional relationships, people only reach out when they want something from you. They use your connection to achieve their goals. In meaningful relationships, people get in touch when they think of you. Staying connected and being helpful are their goals. Adam Grant
YouVersion promotion https://x.com/youversion/status/1789472879274234161?s=46&t=EyYqD6jn8pTLEV0Mp7yeeA
Grow up like men. Prayer is the true reflection of who we are. Spiritual forces are strong but our dependency on prayer is the atomic weapon.
James 4 - resist the devil and he will flee. What is meant by resist. No. Resistance is a whatever attitude. Could be negativity lying cursing grumbling. A demonic tongue. The wisdom that comes from below is selfish ambition selfishness earthly sensual leading tk chaos, fighting. Pleasures cause disruption. Rules by Satan. A demonized person is being angry with rationalization.
Back to Bible research - tk have a meaningful impact into someone’s life it takes 290meaningful conversations or interactions about life
Lot thought of Sodom and Gomorrah as home. The debauchery of the city felt normal to him. Defiant Joy
Jesus was divisive. He didn’t follow the traditional rules. He took the initiative to push the traditional thinking to its limits, wanting each person to choose a response. Having faith is not making a contribution to the Christian cause, or having faith in the system. Faith is not agreement to set list of beliefs. It’s much more. Faith is responding to God’s love, thoroughly washed in His grace. Faith is not a mental agreement to the checklist, but taking action to His love.
“You can avoid Jesus as Savior by keeping all the moral laws. If you do that, then you have “rights.” God owes you answered prayers, and a good life, and a ticket to heaven when you die. You don’t need a Savior who pardons you by free grace, for you are your own Savior.” - Timothy Keller, The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith
Kathryn wolf YouVersion video the breaking of my heart was the making of my heart.
Resources - right now media
San Whitney
Check the crucifixion in John - Pilate - what he knew about Jesus vs what he had been told. How much do we really know vs what we’ve been told
"My identity does not begin when I begin to understand myself, it begins with what God thinks of me." - Eugene Peterson
"God does not accept me just as I am; He loves me despite how I am. He loves me just as Jesus is." - David Powlison
10 things you should give up:
1. Excuses
2. Self doubt
3. Fear of failure
4. Procrastination
5. People pleasing
6. Fear of success
7. Negative thinking
8. Negative self talks
9. Judgement of others
10. Negative people in your circle
#StuffIWantMyDaughtersToKnow
No matter what your life is like right now, may you determine to set your sights on eternity. May you suddenly see with spirit-eyes how lovingly involved God is in the details of your life. He's got you, so instead of worry, worship. Instead of fear, try faith. May you follow Jesus to the edges of your comfort zone to get a glimpse of where He's taking you. May you put everything on the table and give Him time and space to rearrange your life. May you dare to unclench your fists, look up, and breathe a prayer of thanks for His goodness.
Susie Larson
Bryan Clark Dan Whitney - if you’re drowning you not going to look fkemskmekne drowning
Ryan Harmen - kingdom is like… a seed - slow growing - water, mutrjents good soil. It won’t Happen on its own.
I used to think you had to be special for God to use you, but now I know you simply need to say yes.
Hollis Haggai’s posted by Bobby Harrington on x
What the forgiveness-only gospel, the gospel of the left, the prosperity gospel, the consumer gospel, and the gospel of the right all have in common is that they focus on self. It’s all about me being forgiven, me going to Heaven, mefeeling good about my good deeds, mebeing healthy and wealthy, me getting my needs met, and me being right about every doctrinal nuance. (Bill Hull). As Bill Hull pointed out, Jesus never asked anyone to “pray a little prayer,” he said “Follow me”.5 Notice Jesus’ call to Matthew (Matthew 2:14), Peter and Andrew (Matthew 4:18-20), Phillip (John 1:43), James and John (Mark 1:19-20), and the three would-be disciples, (Luke 9:57-62).
The biblical gospel cuts to the heart of the problem which is our focus on self and calls us to deny self, surrender our will to Christ, and follow him.
FOOTNOTES
1 James F. Engel and Wilbert Norton, What’s Gone Wrong With The Harvest?, Zondervan,1975
2 Adapted from The Engle Scale, James F. Engel and Wilbert Norton, What’s Gone Wrong With The Harvest?,Zondervan, 1975 print (45)
3 Bill Hull & Ben Sobels, The Discipleship Gospel: What Jesus Preached We Must Follow, HIM Publication, 2018, p. 24
4 Bill Hull, Conversion and Discipleship: You Can’t Have One Without The Other, Zondervan, 2016, p. 33
5 Bill Hull and Ben Sobels, The Discipleship Gospel: What Jesus Preached We Must Follow, HIM Publication, 2018, p. 80
This post originally appeared at: What Has Gone Wrong with the Harvest? — The Bonhoeffer Project
Our prayers reveal the depth of our faith. They reveal the earnestness of our desires and test our resolve. Your prayers will have a ripple effect into eternity. Your faith is only as powerful as your prayer life.
1 Peter 1:8
[8] Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,
Ask - ask seek knock Matthew 7. Don’t cast yiur pearls to swine - judging and condemning like the Pharisees and Sadducee’s
Let’s not pray for Your presence but that we may be aware of Your presence.
Tears of remorse, tears of repentance, tears of grief, and tears of worship are power. They are authenticity. They are the appropriate responses to our sin and our Savior. Tears are a sign of the Spirit in our hearts.
We must remember, also, that emotion is no true test of our spiritual state. Rightness of heart often shows itself in gladness of heart, just as bodily health generally reveals itself in exuberant spirits. But it is not always so. In other words, absence of joy does not always prove that the heart is wrong. It may do so, but certainly not invariably. Perhaps the nervous system may have been overtaxed, as Elijah’s was in the wilderness when, after the long strain of Carmel and his flight was over, he lay down upon the sand and asked to die—a request that God met, not with rebuke, but with food and sleep. Perhaps the Lord has withdrawn the light from your landscape in order to see whether He was loved for Himself or merely for His gifts. Dallas Willard
Bicycle illustration of discipleship in Google Drive
A disciple of Jesus is someone who follows Je- sus in order to become just like Jesus. This means she is working to become like Him in morals, methods, and movement. It’s not enough for her to know what Jesus knew or to do what He did. A disciple wants to be just like Him (Luke 6:40, 1
The Bicycle Illustration
9
John 2:6). Jesus boiled the entire law of God into just two commands: love God and love others. The four spokes of the wheel focus the disciple on those two things. The vertical spokes help us love God well, while the horizontal spokes help us love others.
Dave Adamson EASY: Tweet a Bible verse.
HARD: Read and study the Bible in context
HARDEST: Apply the teachings of Jesus in every day life.
Bible project - slow to speak quick to listen. This Teaching Clip made me think of you. Watch James 1:19 by BibleProject:
https://www.bible.com/en/videos/45507?orientation=PORTRAIT&utm_source=YVAPP&utm_medium=SHARE&utm_content=STORY_CLIP"Christians have become people who proclaim they follow faithfully the teachings in a book they barely study or read, much less understand." — @davidhoffbrand
Prayer cast video song. https://prayercast.com/prayer-topic/nations-video/
3. Goals - to be with Jesus to be like Jesus and do what Jesus did
Dr Jerry Sittsler - history of the rule of life.
Living life as an oak tree.
How we regulate our emotions, how we relate to the people in our life, how we approach work, flow out of our identity -- out of who we understand ourselves to be in Christ. Ken Shigematsu
You don't have to board a boat or an airplane to reach the world for Jesus. If you get Jesus's heart for the world, you'll find opportunities to share wherever you are!
"You don't become a missionary by crossing the sea, you become a missionary by seeing the cross" - @RickWarren
Discipleship.org https://youtu.be/Zhyu85Shd5s?si=MP_sxTpmX2sN6tMw
Shodonki Johnson https://youtu.be/eiSvruxYdAw?si=MNxRYbHiiHAF-dsi
Robby Gallaty - blueprint for sisciplemaking https://youtu.be/M39dd66e_v4?si=db-ZzSkvIcQ5kOT7
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