...this discussion, I am going to use the definition that a disciple is simply someone who is taking their next steps to be more like Christ. The really tough part is how to evaluate your groups for effectiveness in discipleship-making. We can make it complicated and have the wrong assumptions about spiritual growth. Here are four wrong assumptions that you can make about discipleship in groups: 1. Everyone grows at the same pace. The worst mistake that we can make in churches is trying to microwave the growth process in our people. If we don’t get results quickly, then we feel like we have failed as leaders. Lasting growth takes time and cannot be rushed. 2. Everyone grows in the same way. We are all wired differently as human beings, so we have to expect that we will take different paths toward the center. A great resource for this is The Me I Want To Be by John Ortberg. We have to create different environments to allow different people to grow in different ways. 3. Only the small group leader can disciple. As long as you are one step ahead, you can take someone else along on the journey. We have to change the mindset that only mature disciples are equipped to lead others. God will equip the willing. 4. There is a finish line to discipleship. As long as we are in these earthly bodies, we will be striving to be more like Jesus. We all want a certificate on the wall that says we have accomplished the goal, but as Paul says in Philippians 3:13-14, "I do...
Words: 367 - Pages: 2
...Discipleship is most commonly linked to the twelve disciples. However, may go beyond the twelve disciples according to how one may define this many-sided term. Discipleship is not for everyone and can have its demands. I believe discipleship is a way of life that one must be called to do. Discipleship is a Christian way of life that can have its demands but can be a rewarding spiritual life. There are demands that come along with the discipleship of Jesus. These demands require you to live a life that completely follows Jesus and his teachings. According to Mark 3:14, discipleship demands a radically changed life. One would be risking possessions, security, and home in order to be with him. It demands daily prayer, the belonging to a community, the celebration and spread of the Word, also a life giving spirit. I believe that demands have not necessarily changed. However, there is a difference in how one was called before and now. I believe that before when Jesus was present it was much easier to determine who was an actual disciple of Christ merely because Jesus chose his twelve. Now it is a much different case. Today you may have your radical Christians who take the word too literal and don’t take into account that times have changed. Of course now you don’t see persecution for being a follower of Christ like it was before. I believe that a person’s gender and social status may demand the same type of discipleship dimension however, the influence you have on others is different...
Words: 567 - Pages: 3
...Discipleship * Those who follow Christ will face numerous challenges. But if they stay focused on their Master, they will be able to deal with whatever happens. * Most of us like to be with important people. Meeting a head of state or a government minister or a celebrity provides us with a much-coveted conversation topic. Knowing someone important, or even knowing someone who knows someone important, somehow seems to endow us with a halo of glory. It seems to be a natural desire to climb up the social ladder rather than remain near its base. Jesus’ disciples were no exception to this unfortunate human trait. More than once His closest followers argued over who would be “first” in His kingdom. * However, rather than promising His disciples material prosperity and social status, Jesus prepared them for a different kind of reality. In Mark 8:31-38, Jesus is teaching plainly about His upcoming torture and death. Peter reproaches Him for this, and Jesus responds with one of His strongest rebukes: “Get away, Satan! You don’t have your mind on God’s matters!” It must have been very important, first for Him to have said something so strong, and then for Him to call the crowd to listen, along with the twelve, to what He had to say next. “Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. * For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life...
Words: 867 - Pages: 4
...Abstract Discipleship counseling also known as “biblical counseling” is mostly based on scriptures and biblical healing. Dr. Anderson explains the best way to help people deal with there situations or issues in a Christian way. In this book he describes the steps to become a better counselor so they can be able to try and help those who need it the most. There are also other people who try to help people become a better and more experienced counselor. The book, “Discipleship Counseling” by Dr. Neil T. Anderson is basically a guide that helps people become a more spiritual Christian counselor. There are steps to get them to be able to help others using scripture and the Bible. He tells how to start a counseling ministry with your church and all the steps you will have to take in order for it to become a success (pg 345). He also talks about how to overcome certain issues such as, deception, bitterness, false guidance, pride, habitual sin, and ancestral sin. This book will tell the reader a lot about what it takes to become a good counselor and to be able to help those who cannot help them selves. Dr. Anderson tells us how we can help others just by using the scriptures in our Bibles, because its just basically a manual on how we should be in our lives and how to treat everyone we come in contact with. Dr. Anderson also talks about how to define mental health and understanding how biblical counseling addresses the whole person. It seems the way he describes it that most...
Words: 1067 - Pages: 5
...LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY Writing Assignment 1 – Christ in Discipleship Submitted to Dr. Gary Waller in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of DSMN 500 – B03 Discipleship Ministries by David J. Miller May 29, 2016 Centrality of Christ in Christian discipleship Christian discipleship is to follow Jesus, to be his disciple, doesn’t mean community involvement and the veneer of tolerance. It means, mainly, first and central, to worship him — with joy at the heart. Making disciples of Jesus means gathering his worshipers. Discipleship starts with the heart, it is to have Christ at the center, to have His love, His Holy Spirit fill you, and guide you. To have Christ as the centrality of Christian Discipleship is the most important thing. The Apostle Paul describes it best in Colossians 3:1-11. “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath...
Words: 1938 - Pages: 8
...Anderson’s book, Discipleship Counseling, is packed with information and insight that was inspired by the Holy Spirit on how to help people break free from personal or spiritual bondage and to also find the peace that only Christ can offer. Information is presented in a way that will enable a counselor to be more comfortable, confident and competent in a role as encourager. Knowledge is also shared so the counselor can be the kind of helper that is needed to help people be set free. A tool presented to the counselor is “The Steps to Freedom in Christ” which shows specific methods to discipleship counseling. Chapter themes, such as, “Defining mental health” and “Counseling the Spiritually Oppressed” go into specifics in certain areas that may need to be addressed in the counseling sessions. The information is presented in such a way that the counselor is able to take the information and put it into practice with those who come to them for help. Summary Discipleship Counseling by Dr. Neil Anderson (2003) provides the reader with great insight and prepares the counselor to be able to counsel and help those who are in bondage to past hurts and sin. The information in this book also provides counselors with the information to help free people from their emotional pain and spiritual conflicts and guide them to a more complete understanding of who they are in Christ. Starting with presenting an understanding of the theological issues in counseling and what discipleship counseling is...
Words: 1472 - Pages: 6
...Research Paper: Discipleship Because I became a Christian at an early age, there are many terms and ideas used in the church that I never pondered upon; I simply accepted them. For example, the term "disciple" I identify as one of Jesus' twelve closest followers, one of the paper characters placed on the felt board during Sunday school. Through my research, I have discovered that while accepting Christ through faith alone grants us salvation, to become a disciple of Christ, or practice discipleship, requires work and commitment from the believer. The word disciple, or the Greek word mathetes, is used over 220 times in the Gospels, but not once in the Epistles, those letters written right after Christ's resurrection ("A Church-speak, n. d.). As customary for the Greek usage of the word, mathetes refers to a student who has personal interaction with their teacher. This offers one explanation as to why the word disciple is not used in the Epistles. No one had direct contact with Jesus anymore because He had gone on to Heaven to be with God. Another explanation for the absence of the word in the Epistles is that the churches that these letters were directed to were aware of Jesus' teachings about discipleship. It is possible that the writer did not mention discipleship because it would have been redundant to do so (Haines, 1999). According to the lecture notes, a disciple is a "student" or a "pupil" and the act of discipleship is "advancing the cause of the kingdom". During...
Words: 911 - Pages: 4
...Discipleship Counseling Sharon Drexler Liberty University Abstract Neil Anderson’s book, entitled Discipleship Counseling is a complete guide to teach how to help those who are hurting. This book is a useful resource to counselors, pastors, church leaders, or anyone who needs a step by step guide to biblical counseling. Dr. Anderson gives readers a very strong foundation of counseling through Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit, truth, the counselee’s faith, and the support of the church and Christian community. He discusses the encourager’s role in discipleship counseling as well as the role of the person being counseled. Anderson makes it clear that both parties must be open to the Holy Spirit and his truth if one wishes to reach the road to recovery, and the healing and peace that can only be found through Jesus Christ. The book is broken into three distinct sections to help the reader better understand how to reach these goals. The first section gives a description of mental health. In the second section Dr. Anderson describes root issues and how to counsel the spiritually oppressed and in the third section he takes the reader step-by-step through the freedom appointment and the Steps to Freedom. Discipleship Counseling Christians who choose psychology as a career are often challenged with claims that are a direct contradiction to their own worldviews, doctrines, and theology. In their search to resolve these issues and to achieve the goal of integrating...
Words: 2708 - Pages: 11
...DISCIPLESHIP IN CHRISTIANITY (A LOOK INTO THE PRIMITIVE AND MODERN APPROACH) BY OTITOJU TEMITOPE ROSELINE Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN THEOLOGY at the REDEEMED CHRISTIAN BIBLE COLLEGE SUPERVISOR: PASTOR G.G. OBAFEMI ABSTRACT One would agree that, apart from His (Jesus) sacrificial work on the cross, the most significant thing our Lord did upon the earth was to make disciples. Our Lord had written no books, He had built no organization; there were no physical structures or monuments left to commemorate Him. He had placed the future of His earthly work entirely in the hands of His disciples. Had they failed there task, humanly speaking the church of Jesus Christ would not exist today. In the last decade, discipleship had become a popular subject in Christian circles. The great difficulty is that when we use this term we frequently mean something entirely different from that denoted by the biblical terms. For instance, we hear talk about discipling others or being discipled. People go to their Pastors and ask to be discipled just like Paul discipled Timothy. Now the question is just how did Paul discipled Timothy? This is precisely the problem. We almost completely fail to grasp the biblical concept (primitive) of discipleship. Questions are been raised to the fact that discipleship concept lacks clarity of what it means, how it is done and the likes of...
Words: 1185 - Pages: 5
...invite other to follow Christ (Matthew 4:19-20), make disciples who make disciples (2 Timothy 2:2), and be a Christ-like example to those we disciple (Titus 2:3). If we are called as an individuals and the church to develop disciples that develop disciples: how well are we doing? By observing Christians’ spiritual growth, the growth-stage strategies, and the discipleship process at a local church, perhaps some answers will be found. Discipleship at First Baptist Church (FBC) At FBC the senior pastor defines discipleship as “the process whereby a new believer in...
Words: 1320 - Pages: 6
...Abstract This paper provides an overview of ‘discipleship counseling,’ a philosophy of counseling articulated by Neil T. Anderson in his 2003 book of the same name. In the field of Christian Counseling there is a need for mixing secular psychiatric science and theological teaching. The first point addresses in Dr Neil T. Anderson book is that Christians are hurting for their lack of understanding of who they are in Christ. In the second point in this paper addresses the organizational structure of discipleship counseling that must be met. Finally barriers the counselee must overcome to experience true freedom, which is only found in Christ. Introduction Religion and psychology have often been viewed as incompatible. However, Christian counseling attempts to integrate the two in a meaningful fashion, so that clients are healed from their personal traumas while they become spiritually reborn in their connection to Christ. According to Dr. Neil T. Anderson's (2003) Discipleship counseling, God is the unspoken presence within every counseling relationship. The counselor does not have to consciously and constantly invoke God, and may choose not to do so because of the immediate needs or personality of the patient. But the sense that there is a higher power that is bigger than the self is always present. The therapist must realize that he or she is not God and do the work of the creator; he is merely a facilitator...
Words: 1619 - Pages: 7
...Discipleship is best accomplished when a believer understands the commission, and the practice of disciple making. Discipleship is a mandate for hall Discipleship by definition, is a process where disciples grow by knowing the word of lord Jesus Christ and well prepared by the holy spirit, who stays in our hearts, to be able to overcome present life trials and challenges. This process therefore is best fulfilled when a believer understands discipleship making practice and the commission. The mandate for spreading the gospel therefore is for us all according to the following reasons. First, all the followers of Jesus Christ are commanded to witness. According to Bonhoeffer’s book on the cost of discipleship (1959), Christianity without discipleship is Christianity without Christ. He argues that trust in God should be followed by the knowledge and following of Jesus Christ. People must therefore according to the book be willing to suffer for the word of Christ for the Satan not to gain entry to the church. Bonhoeffers also argues that when Jesus revealed the truth to his disciples he told them it is individual’s to decide whether to choose or reject him. Philip nation as well in the book Transformational Discipleship also argues that our job in the church is to make more and more disciples. He says that this can be...
Words: 772 - Pages: 4
...Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary Liberty University DISCIPLESHIP MINISTRIES PROJECT Submitted to Dr. Morris L. Baker In partial fulfillment of course requirements for DSMN 500 – Discipleship Ministries Arlen Pfenninger Dover, Delaware July 7, 2012 Table of Contents Cover Page----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Introduction of Spiritual Development of First Baptist Church-----------------------------------3 Needs Within Adult Ministry--------------------------------------------------------------------------5 Objectives of Honor Bound Ministries---------------------------------------------------------------6 Goal Statement-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------6 Target Group---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7 Competencies Expected of Leadership---------------------------------------------------------------7 Goals of Honor Bound Ministries---------------------------------------------------------------------8 Selection of Content-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9 Organization of Content---------------------------------------------------------------------------------10 Learning Experiences------------------------------------------------------------------------------------12 Organization...
Words: 4983 - Pages: 20
...Introduction In this paper I will identify the five stages of discipleship according to the growth process described in the book DiscipleShift: Five Steps That Help Your Church To Make Disciples Who Make Disciples. These five stages are spiritually dead, spiritual infant, spiritual child, young adult, and parent. In addition I will also discuss what is called the Four Spheres of discipleship. Spiritually Dead The Apostle Paul described in Ephesians 2: 1-5 those who were dead in their sins and transgressions. These are people who have not accepted Christ as Savior, instead reject His sacrifice on the Cross. They sometimes claim to seek a God or Higher Power but there is no evidence of any relationship with God whatsoever. These people are what the authors call Spiritually Dead. In fact the author compares these people to dead men in a casket just waiting to decompose. When speaking to the “walking dead” the authors teach how to identify the common “phrase from the stage” in order to assess where a person is in their walk with God. These typical phrases are usually: * I don’t believe in God. * The bible is just a myth. * Religion is a crutch for the weak. * Christians are intolerant and homophobic. * There are many paths to God. (Oprah Winfrey & Joel Olsteen) * I don’t believe in hell. Or hell is on Earth. * My good deeds will save me from hell. * There is no right or wrong, ‘do what thou will’ Once a person is identified as spiritually...
Words: 1579 - Pages: 7
...Biblical Worldview Essay Kristen F. Hardin Liberty University Thesis & Introduction The whole world is guilty before the sovereign God. A few characteristics of God are that He is perfect, fair, and wholly equipped to judge our lives accordingly. In Paul’s third letter to the Jews and gentiles in Rome, Paul emphasizes that we are all sinners and not worthy to be in or near the presence of God; however, through the sanctifying work of redemption through Christ Jesus’ death and resurrection this is now possible for anyone who believes in Him through faith. Paul expresses in his letter how Christians should live their life out through faith; although this is not an exhaustive list, it does place heavy emphasis on love. Natural World Paul’s biblical worldview, especially in this epistle gives the reader valuable insight into the natural world around us. Paul mentions in Romans 1:20, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (New International Version, 1989). The world is without excuse because God has revealed Himself to everyone through creation. This is evident in what we still see today in the natural world. Sinner and Christian are without excuse in the acknowledgement of God’s existence and attributes. Paul’s letter to the Romans provides the...
Words: 1068 - Pages: 5
