| Home | About | Missions | Newsletter | Donate | Register | Pastor's Page | Contact | Bookstore | Discipleship Resources |
|
 Welcome to our Discipleship Resources
Equipping Pastors and Churches to Disciple their People
Discipleship is about growing closer to our Lord! These studies have been carefully researched and exegetically prepared with careful, steadfast, inductive analysis and word studies of God's most precious Word. Everything is time-tested and is used all over the world. We do not add anything to God's Word that is not already there nor do we take away insights and ideas that are there. These curriculums are the real deal; they are what God has to say to us. They are there to help you understand what is in His Word, to appreciate, comprehend,and apply it to your life, so you canbe challenged to grow richer and deeper in your relationship with Christ and with others around you.
What is discipleship and what is Jesus calling us to in Matthew 28:18-20? Is this a command, or a suggestion? Does it mean we are just to evangelize and let people find their faith on their own, or are we to lead others and teach the precepts of the Scriptures and the character of our Lord? Does it require obedience and action on our part, or are we disciples just by being a Christian and being in a church on Sundays? This passage at the end of Matthew's Gospel is what is called the "Great Commission." This is also the great failure of the church...
Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ. It remains an abstract idea, a myth which has a place for the Fatherhood of God, but omits Christ as the living Son. … There is trust in God, but no following of Christ. -Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20-21). These words simply mean that I choose to break away from my way of doing things, to focus on and embrace God's ways. Developing your walk with God and being a disciple encompasses more than just asking Christ into our life and heart, and goes far beyond baptism or our church membership. Being a disciple goes further than our conversion, our acceptance of Christ as Savior, our election, or any initiation we could conceive of into the Christian life. Our initiation is by what Christ gave us and is only the beginning. The first step we take, receiving Christ by faith through His grace, is the entrance into the faith and Christian life. Accepting our election in Christ is not the only act of being a Christian! Yet, "He who does these things will never be shaken." Read Psalm 15 then ask yourself if your faith is more than just fire insurance from Hell? Ask yourself, "Am I willing to pay the cost?" Luke 9:23; Luke 14:25-35
Jesus invites you to discipleship. But, He lets you know up front that it is a commitment that will cost you something. It is not going to be easy. You cannot just say you love the Lord. You must show it with your heart and it must transcend to your hands and feet. Then you will be Jesus' disciple!
Understanding and Applying the Fruit of the Spirit
The Fruit of the Spirit is God's love and work in us, the love of Christ flowing in through His Holy Spirit in and out of us! All because we have a personal relationship with Christ, we have God's living presence in us, living in us. The result is we have the ability to reflect His Fruit and character.
Fruit of the Spirit Fruit of the Spirit, Part I Introduction to the Fruit of the Spirit. The Fruit of the Spirit is described as a fruit because it is made up of more than one substance. Just like any fruit from a tree, such as an apple or an orange, it has juice, pulp, peel, core, segments, and seeds, all held together by a skin or rind, and attached to the tree by a stem where its nutrients flow in. So it is with our relationship in Christ. The Practice of our Fruit Fruit of the Spirit, Part II The Fruit of the Spirit is the continual and indispensable application of God's work in us that spurs our growing, effectual, spiritual development. This, in turn, assembles the elements we need to further build and live out our faith so we can effectively and graciously relate to others around us.
Is there Fruit in your Church? Fruit of the Spirit, Part III
The Essential Role of Fruit in the Church! Does your church have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control pouring from its leaders and most of its people, on your campus and into the streets where its people are? If not, something is terribly wrong! The Rotten Fruits and What They Do! Fruit of the Spirit, Part IV Just before the great passage in Galatians that expounds the Fruit of the Spirit comes a warning and a list of the opposites of the good Fruit, the destroyers of churches, relationships, and self! This all comes down to our willingness to either live a life that is led by the Spirit or one that is led by our flesh, that of our pride and will. How is your Spiritual Fruit? Fruit of the Spirit, Part V
When we start to think and believe more biblically, we will have lives that bring about love and goodness. We can have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control flowing in, through, and out of us. If we rather focus on what someone did to us or what we did not get, we will bring about chaos and suffering instead of the hope and the prosperity of faith, which is what the Fruit of the Spirit brings to the table of life.
Live by the Spirit Fruit of the Spirit Part VI Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Gal. 5:25 What does it mean to be Spirit filled? Has someone ever asked you if you are "led by the Spirit?" or if you are "Spirit driven" or "Spirit-filled" or have the Holy Spirit's Baptism? Since the turn of the twentieth century, many Christian groups have placed their focus on the Holy Spirit as front and center for the Church as well as their personal and ministry life. As a result, a lot of various teachings have come up that are very popular, some good, some bad and not biblical. More Fruits here: Character
How do I Become a Discipler?
We all are called to make disciples! There are only two kinds of people who cannot disciple, and that is one who is not a follower of Christ and/or one who disobeys God's command and refuses to disciple.
· Disciple by obeying and doing as Jesus did! Set up a plan; target a small select group of people without ignoring the others around you! · In Proverbs 27:17 and1 Corinthians 10:12, we are told to come along side and encourage those who are down, who are new, who are old, who are immature, and who are mature. In other words, everyone. · Teaming up with God and others makes it possible!
Placing your faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone as your personal Lord and Savior is the most important decision you will ever make! If you have never invited Christ into your life, or if you would like more information on what it means to commit your life to Christ, please allow us the privilege of sharing Him with you.
Click on these links to go to our pages filled with solid Discipleship tools! Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ!
We are committed to provide you with high quality discipelship materials for you and your churches Christian spiritual formation. |
|
