“Cultivating Discipleship” Mark 4:13-20 Introduction: The need for discipleship. Discipleship is the only method of retaining fruit. The parable of the sower is a parable about discipleship. Jesus’ teaching was on the timeline of an interested seeker, an excited believer, a distracted disciple, and a......
Author – Mike Breen It’s time we start being brutally honest about the missional movement that has emerged in the last 10-15 years: Chances are better than not it’s going to fail. That may seem cynical, but I’m being realistic. There is a reason so......
Interview by John Piper Well, to the inbox. Many questions have come in this month about discipleship. What is discipleship? What is the aim of discipleship? And how is it done typically? To orient us on discipleship, what would you want to say, Pastor John?......
By Ann Swindell To those of us who follow Jesus, discipleship should be a central aspect of our faith. This is because Jesus commanded His followers—in what is commonly referred to as “The Great Commission”—to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in......
Relational Discipleship is a thirty-six week coaching plan for small group or one-on-one discipleship in the local church.
New Believers.
Those who rededicated their lives to Christ.
Those who are hungry to grow and want to be disciples of Christ.
Those who are mature believers and want to know how to disciple others.
Welcome to the Matthew Discipleship Plan. The MDP can be used when discipling a believer one-on-one or in small group. The plan has four levels (levels 1-3 are available now) with each level consisting of ten weekly lessons taken from the book of Matthew. Weekly assignments consist of scripture memorization, bible reading, and praying with others. These are essential components of discipleship and I would strongly encourage the discipler to require the participant to be accountable for the weekly assignments.
Why the book of Matthew? I have used many different discipleship formats over the years with each author inserting lesson topics that he or she thought was vital for discipleship. The lessons presented in the Matthew Discipleship Plan are the Word of God and came forth out of the mouth of the Jesus Himself. These are not topics that I think are important for the disciple to know, but discourses that Jesus believed His disciples should hear, understand, and apply to their lives.
Secondly, the book of Matthew cites the Old Testament more than any other Gospel. Matthew regularly presents Jesus as the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17). In the book of Matthew, Jesus is presented as a teacher greater than Moses. From the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7:27) to the Mount of Olives (Matthew 23-25:46), Jesus’ teachings can be arranged in five major blocks, echoing the five books of the Law (Genesis-Deuteronomy). Jesus is recasting the Law as the new Moses.
Undoubtedly, Matthew wanted the Jewish people to understand how the New Covenant fulfilled the Old Covenant. He wanted them to see how Jesus, the Son of God, is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets from beginning with his birth through his resurrection. I too think it is essential that we as disciples understand the person of Jesus; read, study, and memorize His words, and have a strong foundational revelation of His cross and resurrection.
Thank you so much for committing yourself to becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. Again, prayerfully make the decision to do the lessons, memorize the scriptures, and to make yourself accountable to your discipler. Your life will be forever changed and you will look back someday without regret that you made the choice to become a disciple of Christ. – Randy L Ballard
The Declaration of Faith Discipleship Course is excellent for a church membership class, a Wednesday night adult study, a Sunday School elective on Church of God doctrine, or a small group discipleship study.
The book features ten lessons covering all fourteen Declaration of Faith articles; leader books and fill-in-the-blank student lesson books; lesson memory verses and accountability log sheets; and discussion questions that will engage everyone in the group to participate.
The Discipler’s Handbook is an effective tool to help a Christian lead a lost person to Christ and begin discipling them immediately.
Every Christian needs to be ready to make disciples. The Discipler’s Handbook will equip you to explain the plan of salvation, lead them in a sinner’s prayer, and begin discipling them immediately.
