Strategy for Developing others and yourself as Disciples of Jesus.
Productive discipleship: This website is dedicated to providing tools for one on one discipleship that equips partners to go and do additional one on one discipleship. The idea is a discipleship development process where I equip a disciple to make go equip a disciple who goes and equips an disciple in an ever expand process of strength men and woman to grow as disciples and equip other to obey what Jesus has taught them. This is why this is the first of the weekly discussion materials.
Discipleship - 2Timothy2.2 “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.”
HERO: H.eard E.ntrust R.eliable teach O.thers
Have a Template that is Easy, Adaptable and Transferrable
Be selective by choosing F.A.C.T. people
Are seeking the Lord and a track record of follow through. Often time the one doing the leading sets the standard. Since the idea is to equip leaders who lead others into the ways and understanding of Jesus being faithful to Jesus and faith-fill are required.
- Have or will make time at this point in their life. – Have time to invest in this journey. Willing to meet consistently. If the person is not available right now that is all right! Do not pressure them into something they are not ready for.
To do meet, do homework, and disciple others. – You need to have clear expectations. Not just to show up but they will be committed to take someone else through the same process you are taking them through. With this understanding they will find a person who will continue the equipping process of expecting that person to equip someone else.
- Have a willingness to implement and obtain new insights. – Some people seem to believe they already know everything. Even if your candidate is available and committed you must determine is this person willing to learn and have their views challenged and developed. If not, don’t put yourself in a situation where you are investing in someone who’s is unprepared for new growth and fresh learning through you from God.
Primary question:
If we are to teach and learn with other disciples what Jesus has taught us we need to have a process.
Always begin your time together in silence allowing yourself to become aware of God’s presence with you as you meet, be it at Starbuck or office break room, or living room.
Never forget you are partners in a God discovery and application journey. No one has all the knowledge or insights but Jesus.
Questions to ask:
- What is point any give text is making to its original audience?
- What was this audience being asked to understand and do with that understanding?
- What do you now need to do to apply this understanding into your life of obedience to Christ?
- How have you succeeded and struggled in acting in obedience?
- How has the presence of Holy Spirit on your inner being helped?
- What skills or tools do you need to learn?
- What obstacle must you overcome?
Finish each time: Always sit and listen to the Spirit at the end of each session together. Ask the Spirit: “What do you want me to know, see or understand?” Jot down impression(s) from the Holy Spirit that you thought you heard and then share with your partner.
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Day #1: Disciple-making as personal, every believer responsibility not an institutional calling.
Matthew 25:16-20
In this text an assignment was handed off by Jesus to his disciples. His disciples make up the church.
- Was the assignment given to the disciples individually or the corporate group called the church?
- Does it matter whom it was given too?
- What happens when a personal assignment is turned into a corporate responsibility?
- What is your greatest challenge to join the process of disciple-making?
- Is there a design you can follow?
- Do you have the time and willingness to meet with someone else weekly to grow yourself and others?
- What do you find in your deep self, is your confidence level and interest level in learning to not only be a disciple of Jesus but teach others how to be disciples of Jesus?
- Be honest in your assessment of yourself and take your insights to God and ask the Holy Spirit what is it that the Spirit’s wants you to know about this assessment. Ask God to empower you in your inner being to become passionate for the things God’s desires.
This material is not an attempt to give anyone all knowing insights or end all resources for making disciples. Instead this material was created to assist you in the adventure of following Jesus with someone else. In the great commission after the “go and make disciples” part Jesus says: “teaching them to obey all I have commanded you.” This is the walk alongside discipleship goal. To give a process for learning the central teachings and understandings of Jesus so these truths are handed off accurately and discernment is given to how these teaching flesh out in behaviors, attitudes and thinking patterns. I think active learning is best: “teach it, do it, talk about it, repeat”.
2 Timothy 2:3-10 Give us many insights into multiplication of ourselves into others.
Paul invested in Timothy, Timothy was to invest in Faithful Followers and They were to invest in others.
Sounds logically but not practiced very much in our time.
What are the obstacles to this generation using this process?
What do you see as the benefits of returning to this pattern?
What will you need to do differently in your care of others and investment into others to successful work this pattern into multiply generations?
Day #2 Abiding and Attachment
Secret of the vine: Freedom from Performance John 15:1-17 esp. vs 5
- What do we learn about attachment in this text?
- Pruning is part of health and growth. How do you sense you might need to be prune by God or how have you noticed God is and has pruned you?
- What are your personal challenges for attaching to other and more importantly to God?
- Often times our capacity to attach to others was shaped by our level of personal security. Would you say you feel secure with God?
- With others?
- When under pressure?
We live a culture that praises productivity, accomplishments, winner, “success”, self-accomplishment. This all tends to isolate us and put us in a comparing, competitive position with others. With this type thought and reward process we never measure up.
Day #3: Seeking expansion of God’s Kingdom: Prayer of Jabez
- Does this text address this type of system?
- What can we learn and what must you change to take on the mindset Jesus is teaching?
- Stop striving – attitude of I’m in charge of results – If success is measure through personal comparisons to the exceptional individuals that are highlighted by media and big contract, the bulk of us in humanity are complete losers. If this the assessment we find in the John 15:1-17 text?
- If not, what is the alternative view?
This little prayer - Bruce Wilkerson expands so well in his little book, The Prayer of Jabez.
“Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, ‘Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!’ And God granted what he asked” (1 Chronicles 4:10).
- What are your initial insights?
- How does this prayer strike you? Bold, selfish, curious, etc…
- Does this prayer seem appropriate for the follower of Jesus to pray?
- Why or why not?
- If the expanding of your territory is about having a greater influence for Christ, why do we tend to over emphasize what the celebrity Christians are doing instead of how the regular individual might make a difference in their sphere of influence?
- If your territory of influence were to be expanded, what would that cost you?
- What might the dangers be you must remain aware of?
- To give God glory means to amply God through words and lifestyle plus to not emphasize yourself but what God has to offer. How would you gauge your humility and boldness levels?
- Take a moment to ask the Holy Spirit “what is the greatest obstacle to you being a more effective disciple-maker or having a greater influence for God?
Do not rush your thinking but wait for the Spirit’s input.
- Also ask the Spirit what is the greatest strength you have been given. How can this strength(s) be used or be an obstacle to be managed?
- What is the area of influence you feel nudged to do more intentional nurture in.
#4: Security in Christ – Romans 8:26-39
- Who or what can separate you from God’s love? Why is a sense of separation such a challenge to us as human’s?
The text addresses the truth of separation. Yet having true separation and having the feeling of separation can be quite different.
- How can you move the truth of separation (we can’t be separated from God) into your inner being so you can dislodge the feelings that God has forsaken you or is missing?
- What causes the truth of separation from sticking inside of your inner identity?
- What difference does it make to understanding your secure position in having a relationship with God through Jesus?
- The opposite of separation is attachment. How does being attached to God affect not just shape your sense of security in relationship to God but also your desire to be take on God’s character and values?
Day #5: Renewal and Reconciliation:
God’s wants justice to roll, the lost relationships to be renewed and reconciliation to happen. 2 Cor. 5:16-21
- What does it mean to be reconciled?
- How do you go about working for reconciliation?
- If we have received the responsibilities of the ministry of reconciliation and the message of reconciliation how are they different and how do they overlap each other?
- What things are required to be reconciled to someone?
- Are there steps you think need to be apart of reconciling?
- Has God given us necessary requirement for being reconciled to God’s self?
- Are these different than what are necessary to be reconciled in our human relationships?
- What is justice (or righteousness) and what where does justice fit into being reconciled or working at reconciliation?
- Can there be reconciliation if there is injustice or unrighteousness in the relationship?