Tag: Discipleship

Profiles of a Convert, Disciple, Worker & Leader

WHAT DO CONVERTS, DISCIPLES, WORKERS, AND LEADERS LOOK LIKE?

((Adapted from Leroy Eims, The Lost Art of Disciple Making, pp. 184-186)

 Profile of a Convert:

  • Gives evidence of possessing new life (2 Cor. 5:17)
  • Attitude toward Christ is now favorable.
  • Attitude toward sin is unfavorable.

Profile of a Growing Disciple:

  • As a follower of Jesus Christ, places Christ first in the major areas of life and is taking steps to separate from sin (Luke 9:23; Romans 12:1-2).
  • Continues in the Word through such means as Bible study and Scripture memory; is regular in applying the Word to life with the help of the Holy Spirit (John 8:31; James 1:22-25; Psalm 119:59).
  • Maintains a consistent devotional life and is growing in faith and intercessory prayer (Mark 1:35; Hebrews 11:6; Colossians 4:2-4).
  • Attends church regularly and demonstrates Christ’s love by identifying with and serving other believers (Psalm 122:1; Heb. 10:25; John 13:34-35; 1 John 4:20-21; Galatians 5:13).
  • Is openly identified with Jesus Christ where he or she lives and works, manifests a heart for witnessing, gives testimony clearly, and presents the gospel regularly with increasing effectiveness (Matt. 5:16; Col. 4:6; 1 Peter 3:15).
  • A learner who is open and teachable (Acts 17:11).
  • A visible follower and learner of Jesus Christ, and demonstrates consistency and faithfulness in all of the above areas (Luke 16:10).

Profile of a Worker

  • Evidences growth in the virtues and skills outlined above (1 Peter 3:18).
  • Shows a growing compassion for the lost and demonstrates ability to lead others into a personal relationship with Christ (Matt. 9:36-38; Rom. 1:6).
  • Being used of God to establish believers who have become disciples, either personally or in a discipling group context (Col. 1:28-29).
  • Is currently engaged in the task of making disciples (Matt. 28:19).
  • Regular intake of the Word by all means and the quiet time are now regular habits (Philippians 4:9).

Profile of a Leader 

  • Is an equipped worker who evidences growth in the virtues and skills listed above.
  • Has been used of God to help disciples become workers.
  • Is banding and leading workers in evangelizing the lost and establishing believers.
  • Displays faithfulness and integrity in balancing life and ministry.

Time Element: Convert to disciple – 2 years; Disciple to worker – 2 years; Worker to leader – 3 years.

What Does A Biblical Disciple Look LIke?

*11 Characteristics of A Biblical Disciple by Francis M. Cosgrove

(1) A disciple is a learner – open and teachable. – Proverbs 9:8-10; Matthew 4:19; John 6:60-66.

(2) A disciple puts Christ first in all areas of life. – Matthew 6:9-13,24,33; Luke 9:23; John 13:13; 2 Corinthians 5:15.

(3) A disciple is committed to a life of purity and is taking steps to separate from sin. – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Ephesians 4:22-5:5; Colossians 3:5-10; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7; Titus 2:12-14.

(4) A disciple has a daily devotional time and is developing in his or her prayer life. – Psalm 27:4; 42:1-2; Mark 1:35; Luke 11:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18; James 1:5-7; 5:16.

(5) A disciple demonstrates faithfulness and a desire to learn and apply the Word of God through hearing it preached and taught, reading it frequently, Bible study, Scripture memory, and meditation on the Scriptures. – John 8:31; Acts 2:42; 17:11; Colossians 3:16; 2 Timothy 2:15

(6) A disciple has a heart for witnessing, gives his or her testimony clearly, and presents the gospel regularly with increasing skill. – Matt.28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 5:42; 14:21-23; 22:14-15; Rom.1:16; 1 Cor.15:3-4; 1 Thessalonians 2:4.

(7) A disciple attends church regularly to worship God, to have his or her spiritual needs met, and to make a contribution to the body of believers. – Ps.122:1; Acts 16:5; 1 Cor.12:12-27; Col.1:15-18; Heb.10:25

(8) A disciple fellowships regularly with other believers, displaying love and unity. – John 17:22-26; Acts 2:44-47; 4:31-33; Ephesians 4:1-3; Hebrews 10:24; 1 John 1:1-3

(9) A disciple demonstrates a servant heart by helping in practical ways. – Mark 10:42-45; Acts 6:1-4; 2 Corinthians 12:15; Philippians 2:25-30; 1 Thessalonians 2:8-9

(10) A disciple gives regularly and honors God with his or her finances. – Haggai 1:6-9; Malachi 3:10-11; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2; 2 Corinthians 8-9; Philemon 14

(11) A disciple demonstrates the fruit of the Spirit by an attractive relationship with Christ and those he or she relates with. – Acts 16:1-2; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Peter 2:18-23; 2 Peter 1:5-8

*Adapted from Essentials of Discipleship by Francis M. Cosgrove, pp. 15-16

What Does A Healthy Follower of Jesus Look Like?

Ten Traits of a Healthy Disciple of Jesus Christ

((Adapted from Stephen A Macchia, Becoming A Healthy Disciple, pp. 18-19)

(1) Experiences God’s empowering presence. The healthy disciple understands the role of the Holy Spirit and lives daily with a fresh reality of His power and presence. But the Helper the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. – John 14:26

(2) Engages in God-exalting worship. The healthy disciple engages wholeheartedly in meaningful, God-focused worship on a weekly basis with the family of God. But the hour is coming and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him. – John 4:23

(3) Practices the spiritual disciplines. The healthy disciple pursues the daily disciplines of prayer, Bible study, and reflection in the quietness of one’s personal prayer closet. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. – John 15:4

(4) Learns and grows in community. The healthy disciple is involved in spiritual and relational growth in the context of a safe and affirming group of like-minded believers. When they did [obey Jesus], they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. – John 21:6

(5) Commits to loving and caring relationships. The healthy disciple prioritizes the qualities of relational vitality that lead to genuine love for one another in the home, workplace, church, and community. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. – John 15:12-13

(6) Exhibits Christlike servanthood. The healthy disciple practices God-honoring servanthood in every relational context of life and ministry. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. – John 13:15

(7) Shares the love of Christ generously. The healthy disciple maximizes every opportunity to share the love of Christ, in word and deed, with those outside the faith. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16

(8) Manages life wisely and accountably. The healthy disciple develops personal life management skills and lives within a web of accountable relationships. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. John 9:4

(9) Networks with the body of Christ. The healthy disciple actively reaches out to others within the Christian community for relationships, worship, prayer, fellowship, and ministry. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. – John 17:23

(10) Stewards a life of abundance. The healthy disciple recognizes that every resource comes from the hand of God and is to be used generously for kingdom priorities and purposes. Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. – John 12:24

Book Review: The Gospel Centered Church by Steve Timmis and Tim Chester

A Fantastic Resource For Making Multiplying Disciples

 Veteran British church planters Steve Timmis and Tim Chester have put together a very helpful workbook for churches that desire to be more intentionally & strategically gospel driven. In three loaded sections this guide (suited ideally for discipleship, leadership teams, or small group’s of various kinds) covers six sessions on the Priority of Mission; six sessions on the Priority of People; and another six sessions on the Priority of Community and the last chapter which is on why “It’s all about the gospel.” This book is ideal as a workbook for church planting core groups, or churches that want to be more missional and multiplicational in their process of making and maturing disciples of Christ.

Each chapter stands alone and contains the following five sections:

Consider this – A scenario—often based on a real-life situation—which raises some kind of dilemma or frustration in gospel ministry.

Biblical background – A relevant Bible passage together with some questions to help you think it through.

Read all about it – A discussion of the principle, both in terms of its theological underpinning and its contemporary application.

Questions for reflection – Questions that can be used for group discussion or personal reflection.

Ideas for action – Some ideas or an exercise to help people think through the application of the principle to their own situation.

I think this is a phenomenal resource that helps a church think through how to contextualize the gospel message in its own unique setting. It is concise, deep, Christ exalting, biblical, gospel oriented, God-glorifying and extremely practical. I can’t recommend this resource highly enough.

Book Review: The Essential Commandment by Greg Ogden

Another Winner by Greg Ogden to Help You Make Multiplying Disciples

 I finished reading Ogden’s 3rd workbook for making disciples this morning and I’m really excited about how God will use this book in building up His church through the multiplication of disciples around the world. The focus in this discipleship resource is on what it means to practically love God and others by studying, discussing, and applying the many principles gleaned from God’s Word related to what we call the “great commandment.”

Ogden has done an exceptional job (once again) of writing a discipleship workbook that is based on specific Bible passages, non-wordy, provides deep food for thought, and giving great insights and discussion questions along the way. I have used the two previous workbooks by Ogden and found that they work best in groups of three or four people.

Each Chapter in this book provides a: 1) Core truth – “the nugget around which each lesson is built;” 2) Memory Verse – “so that God’s viewpoint on the topic at hand becomes our own;” 3) Inductive Bible Study – “The place to discover reality from the only perspective that counts is the Bible;” 4) Reading – “Each lesson concludes with a teaching printed in the guide. This reading is intended to provide a contemporary discussion of the eternal core truth that will challenge our lifestyle and stimulate our thinking. The follow-up questions will make the learning concrete.”

I can’t recommend this workbook highly enough. Ogden is an expert at making disciples and knows how to get groups thinking, talking, praying, and serving together – resulting in what the church is supposed to be all about – making multiplying disciples. He has done a great service to the church by adding to his two previous works in this series (Discipleship Essentials, and Leadership Essentials). I hope that many will buy this book and use it repeatedly with triads and quads so that we continue to obey the great commandment and the great commission together for God’s glory.

Book Review: Going Deep by Gordon MacDonald

Go Deeper and Out of the Shallows

 I am a fan of Gordon MacDonald’s books because he has a unique style of writing where he synergistically integrates principles, personal experiences, and biblical insights in such a way that he makes one think and desire to put into practice what he is writing about.

In his newest offering – continuing in the context of what he wrote about in a previous book, “Who Stole My Church” – MacDonald sets out to explore and develop the statement, “The future of the Christian faith will not be determined by the number of people who fill the pews but by the spiritual depth of those people…We seem to know how to get unchurched people to visit our buildings. We even seem to know how to draw them across the line into a declaration of personal faith in Jesus. But what we do not seem to know is how to cultivate spiritually deep people. Tomorrow’s church could be headed for trouble.” This book is a fictional exploration in answering these observations based on the experiences of the fictional pastor – GMAC – and his large congregation set in New England in the modern era. Macdonald sets out to “offer a detailed plan of helping churches cultivate people of depth–spiritually mature Christians that truly desire to make a difference for Christ with their lives, that will help grow the church.”

I personally enjoyed the book because as a pastor myself I can relate to almost every story, person, thought, and implication in the book. Like MacDonald I am a pastor that has had many ups and downs with people in seeking to be a “deep Christian” and what that means in the context of seeking to grow a disciple making church. I think pastors will enjoy this book more than most people – because they will be able to identify more with the story than non-pastors will. I would recommend this book either be read while on vacation, or a chapter a day – for Type A people – you will get frustrated because the story line will move too slow for you. As for the more reflective and melancholy types – you will enjoy the story more because it will appeal to you emotionally and you will be more patient with the developing story.

I am very concerned about the shallowness and lack of depth of most churches today, and I am all for “going deep” and think that MacDonald’s book will be used to help steer many church leaders, and thus churches in a positive direction. I hope that this type of book will spur church leaders toward deeper thinking, and result in developing disciples that are deeper and less shallow than what our previous leaders have done with their churches.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

 

Gordon MacDonald has been a pastor and author for over forty years. For many years he pastored Grace Chapel in Lexington, Massacusetts and continues to serve as Pastor Emertius. He has also provided leadership to influential ministries such as Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, which he served as President for three years, and World Relief, which he currently serves as Chairman. Gordon’s best-selling books include Ordering Your Private World, Mid-Course Correction and, most recently, A Resilient Life. He also writes and serves as Editor-at-Large for Christianity Today’s Leadership Journal. When not writing, leading or speaking at conferences, Gordon and his wife Gail can be found hiking the trails of New England.

Book Review COMMUNITY: Taking Your Small Group Off Life Support by Brad House

An Exceptional Resource For Building and Sustaining Multiplying Missional Communities

Brad House is on staff at Mars Hill Church in Seattle – a church that is solid theologically, philosophically, and missionally. They are a church that is exceptional in theological depth and missional outreach in impacting their culture for the sake of Christ. The message of the gospel comes through loud and clear, and without compromise in both their corporate and communal contexts. In one of the least churched cities in America they have proven that what took place in the book of Acts, is still possible today – especially through the medium of the teaching of the Word and its balanced application within the context of community groups.

According to the author one study indicates that less than 18% of young evangelicals ages 18-23 participate in a small group, Bible study, or prayer group that is sponsored by their local churches. This book is not only written to combat this problem, but provides ample Biblical solutions and real life illustrations of how to build a solid foundation for building community groups that are healthy and result in personal, corporate, and communal life transformation via living out the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I highly recommend this book for the following types of people:

1)    Senior Pastors – It will motivate you to launch community groups in your church and help you to be more strategic and missional in your ministries of in reach and outreach.

2)    Existing Small Group Leaders and Participants – It will help give you ideas, tools, and applications that you have never thought of – in order to have a more effective, strategic, and balanced community group.

3)    Church Planters – This book will give you a huge jump-start on what you need to launch a healthy church that provides ideas for training, equipping, and providing the infrastructure needed to have a healthy and growing gospel centered church.

Overall, I loved this book because it’s Biblical, practical, and comprehensive in scope. Any one who loves Christ and His church will benefit from the study and practical implementation of this excellent resource for building gospel communities that make a huge difference for the glory of Christ.

Book Review: Following Christ By R.C. Sproul

Four Great Books In One Place

If you can find this book it is a terrific buy. It contains four books by R.C. Sproul in one. The original four books were entitled “Who is Jesus?” (1983); “Ethics and the Christian” (1983); and “God’s Will and the Christian” and “Effective Prayer” – both issued in 1984. These books have been reworked by reformation Trust as individual titles again. However, if you want to get a better bang for your buck try to get a copy of this book. R C Sproul is a phenomenal communicator and writes clearly, articulately, theologically and practically.

The Way “Following Christ” is organized is as follows:

Part One: Who Is Jesus?

1) Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up?

2) The Titles of Jesus

3) The Life of Jesus

Does Prayer Change Things?

4) The Place of Prayer

5) The Purpose of Prayer

6) The Pattern of Prayer

7) The Practice of Prayer

8) The Prohibitions of Prayer

9) The Power of Prayer

How Can I Know God’s Will?

10) The Meaning of God’s Will

11) The Meaning of Man’s Will

12) God’s Will and Your Job

13) God’s Will in Marriage

How Should I Live in This World?

14) Ethics and Morals

15) Revealed Ethics

16) Legalism and Antinomianism

17) The Ethics of Materialism

18) The Ethics of Capital Punishment

19) The Ethics of War

20) The Ethics of Abortion

21) Ethics and Conscience

I can’t recommend this book highly enough – whether you get the four books in one, or individually as they have been reissued – either way – with Sproul it’s always a winner!

Study Guide Review: Gospel in Life by Tim Keller

This is a Workbook is an in depth course on the Biblical Gospel is to be lived out in all of your life—internally, and externally (in your community and in the world). It is specifically designed for use in a small group that is working through the companion DVD called “Gospel in Life.” If you want to have a better understanding of how the gospel applies to your life not in the past, and not in the future, but NOW – then look no further than this book.

Anything Tim Keller writes is theologically deep, contains biblically sound teaching, and is penetratingly Christ-centered. This study guide is no exception – as a matter of fact, I almost wish it wasn’t a study guide – so more people would read it, and work through it as a workbook. In my opinion he is the finest communicator of the gospel in America today.

There are 8 Studies in the Guide that are designed for use with the Gospel in Life DVD:

1)    The City – The World That Is

2)    The Heart – Three Ways To Live

3)    Idolatry – The Sin Beneath The Sin

4)    Community – The Context For Change

5)    Witness – An Alternate City

6)    Work – Cultivating The Garden

7)    Justice – A People For Others

8)    Eternity – The World That Is To Come

Each session contains an inductive Bible study on the theme, discussion questions based on the DVD, and home studies consisting of exercises, projects, readings, questions, and quotations to help you dig deeper into the topic at hand. A very helpful extensive section of notes is included for those who lead the small group through this study.

I can’t recommend this DVD and Study Guide highly enough – I think it’s a Top 5 (along with His study on “The Prodigal God” and “The Reason for God”) resource to be used in any church that is serious about the Gospel, being missional, church planting, living in community, and fulfilling the great commission.

A Great Visual of The Power of Making Multiplying Disciples

 The Power of Multiplication

(adapted from Keith Philips, The Making of a Disciple, p. 23)

Year                Evangelist                   Discipler

1                      365                              2

2                      730                              4

3                      1095                            8

4                      1460                            16

5                      1825                            32

6                      2190                            64

7                      2555                            128

8                      2920                            256

9                      3285                            512

10                    3650                            1,024

11                    4015                            2,048

12                    4380                            4,096

13                    4745                            8,192

14                    5110                            16,384

15                    5475                            32,768

16                    5840                            65,536

 

*Keith’s chart compares the numeric difference between one person coming to Christ a day and one person a year being discipled to maturity. Catch the vision and start making disciples now!