Category Archives: General

Steps to Follow Jesus’ Example of Discipleship

5 Replies

Steps to Follow Jesus’ Example of Discipleship image

Steps to Follow Jesus’ Example of Discipleship

In recent posts we’ve focused on discipleship and Jesus’ instruction to us to make disciples. First we talked about discipleship not being a one-time event but more of an ongoing process. Then we focused on the steps Jesus took to model discipleship for us. Last week we spent some time on looking at how we can teach others and some examples of how and what to teach. This week we’ll look at some steps and practical ways to follow other parts of Jesus’ example of discipleship.

Jesus’ Example of Discipleship

    • Teaching (previous post on how to do this)
    • Modeling/Acting as an example
    • Loving others
    • Connecting with others
    • Correcting them
    • Serving and outreach
    • Inviting others to walk alongside to do the same

Discipleship involves modeling for them as an example

In order to be a model, you can follow Jesus’ example and the example of his disciples and followers before us. Remember…it’s a multiplication process! Show others how to live and follow Christ by your own actions, attitudes, and behaviors. Go and be a model, an example, and bear fruit for others to see and follow. What kind of an example are you leading? Are you imitating Jesus? Do your actions, attitudes, and words reflect Christ? Be the kind of disciple that God would want multiplied.

“I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.” John 13:15 (NLT)

“Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.” 1 John 2:6 (NLT)

“You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.” John 15:16 (NLT)

“But you must always act like your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:48 (CEV)

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].” Matthew 16:24 (AMP)

“To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” 1 Peter 2:21 (NIV)

“Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example.” 1 Peter 5:3 (NLT)

“Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12 (NLT)

“And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching.” Titus 2:7 (NLT)

“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children” Ephesians 5:1 (NIV)

“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1 (NIV)

“My friends, I want you to follow my example and learn from others who closely follow the example we set for you.” Philippians 3:17 (CEV)

“I beg you, then, to follow my example.” 1 Corinthians 4:16 (GNT)

“Not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example.” 2 Thessalonians 3:9 (NASB)

“Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but [imitate] what is good. The one who practices good [exhibiting godly character, moral courage and personal integrity] is of God; the one who practices [or permits or tolerates] evil has not seen God [he has no personal experience with Him and does not know Him at all].” 3 John 1:11 AMP

Be the kind of disciple that God would want multiplied.

Click To Tweet

Discipleship involves loving them

Continue reading →

Make Disciples: Teach Them

Leave a reply

Make Disciples Teach Them

Make Disciples: Teach Them

We’ve been talking lately about Jesus’ instruction to us to make disciples. We’ve learned that it’s not a one-time event but more of an ongoing process that’s going to require a little more effort on our part. Last week we discussed how Jesus modeled and practiced discipleship as an example to imitate with several steps are parts in the process.

Jesus’ Example of Discipleship

    • Teaching
    • Modeling/Acting as an example
    • Loving others
    • Connecting with others
    • Correcting them
    • Serving and outreach
    • Inviting others to walk alongside to do the same

This week I’d like to give more practical insight into our role of discipleship and what it might look like as we follow Jesus’ example of these same steps. Today’s post will focus on what it means to teach as you disciple others. We’ll discuss ways to practically do this, and I’ll share loads of resources with you! (Consider bookmarking this page as a future reference for your discipling journey!)

Discipleship involves teaching

The word disciple, as a noun, actually means a learner or a student, and as a verb, it means to teach or to instruct. Thus, the first and foremost thing we should be doing after we win people to Christ is to ensure that they are being taught. We can do some of the teaching ourselves by answering questions, sharing what God is teaching us, and studying along with them in a bible study or small group. Additionally, we can lead them to teaching via inviting and taking them to church with us or encouraging them to find a good, teaching church home of their own.

Overall, Jesus sent his disciples out TO disciple, to teach and tell others about himself and to make followers. He calls us to do the same.

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 (NLT)

“He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Mark 16:15 (NIV)

“Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.” Mark 16:20 (NIV)

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NLT)

“But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?” Romans 10:14 (NLT)

“Parents, don’t be hard on your children. Raise them properly. Teach them and instruct them about the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4 (CEV)

“Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience.

Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God.

In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely. And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. Teach the truth so that your teaching can’t be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us.” Titus 2:2-8 (NLT)

“You must teach these things and encourage the believers to do them. You have the authority to correct them when necessary, so don’t let anyone disregard what you say.” Titus 2:15 (NLT)

“You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.” 2 Timothy 2:2 (NLT)

“He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”” Matthew 9:37-38 (NLT)

“These were his instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” Luke 10:2 (NLT)

Jesus sent his disciples out TO disciple, to teach and tell others about himself and to make followers. He calls us to do the same.

Click To Tweet

Take Some Practical Steps: What to teach…

Continue reading →

How to Disciple: Follow Jesus’ Example of Discipleship

Leave a reply

How to Disciple: Follow Jesus’ Example of Discipleship

How to Disciple: Follow Jesus’ Example of Discipleship

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19 (NLT)

In the previous post we discussed the importance of Jesus’ mandate to make disciples and that it is not just an event of merely converting people to Christianity but an ongoing process of teaching people to follow Jesus Christ. In essence, to disciple someone is to teach them how to be a Christian, a follower of Christ. Discipleship is the process by which Christians grow and are equipped to follow Jesus and mature spiritually.

Discipleship is the process by which Christians grow and are equipped to follow Jesus and mature spiritually.

Click To Tweet

John Piper says of discipleship that it’s a lifetime of process—“So get them converted. Baptize them. And then spend a lifetime teaching them to obey all that Jesus said. That is what the verb “disciple” in the New Testament would include.”[1]

Now that we know that it’s an ongoing process and not an event, it can feel a bit intimidating. HOW then do we do disciple? Fortunately, we have an example of the process to follow and imitate!

Follow Jesus’ Example of Discipleship

  • Teaching
  • Modeling/Acting as an example
  • Loving others
  • Connecting with others
  • Correcting them
  • Serving and outreach
  • Inviting others to walk alongside to do the same

Teaching

As mentioned in the last post, to disciple someone is to teach them. The original Greek words used in the New Testament for “disciple” are “Matheteuo” or “Mathetes” which as a noun means a learner, pupil, or disciple and as a verb means to disciple, enroll as a scholar, instruct or teach. Below are just a few scriptures (there are over 40 total in the New Testament) about Jesus going around teaching: Continue reading →

Making Disciples: It’s a Process, Not an Event

2 Replies

Making Disciples: It’s a Process, Not an Event

Making Disciples: It’s a Process, Not an Event

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19 (NLT)

I’ve been really proud of my kids over the years for inviting other kids to church on a regular basis. They’ve had friends, kids from school, and their teammates accompany us to church on a number of occasions. In doing so many of them have been saved (i.e. they asked Jesus into their heart and professed him as Lord and Savior). However, their job is not done once their friends are saved. Jesus didn’t call us just to win people to the Lord but to also disciple them. It’s a journey that starts at salvation, but then progresses forward as they grow in their walk with God.

We continue to bring them with us to church and get them plugged into a small group. We get them a Bible if they don’t have one. Every once in a while we initiate casual conversations about God and Jesus, and we check in on them and to see if they have any questions, concerns, or struggles that they’ve been wrestling with in this new way of life. Modeling our relationship with God and talking about it in everyday, teachable moments is part of an ongoing process. Then we teach them to invite others too and continue this process themselves, but STILL continue to walk alongside them to helping them to grow and learn.

It’s like two sides of a coin—evangelism and discipleship. We need both to accomplish Jesus’ mandate and commission to us. Evangelism is important, but it’s not the end. Furthermore, discipleship can’t begin without evangelism first. Someone has to be “won over” before becoming a follower.

Jesus didn’t call us just to win people to the Lord but to also disciple them.

Click To Tweet

It’s not just a numbers game

Continue reading →

Modern Day Idolatry

Leave a reply

Modern Day Idolatry

Modern Day Idolatry

“You must not have any other god but me. You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.” Exodus 20:3-4 (NLT)

In this day and age many Christians think idolatry is a thing of the past or a thing of Eastern Religion or third-world countries who serve pagan gods. We tend to think of idolatry as a physical statue or item of worship—a physical image of another god…For example when the Israelites made a golden calf to worship at the base of Mount Sinai (Exodus 32). We often don’t even consider that idolatry is alive and thriving even among Christians today, even in our OWN homes and lives.

Idolatry has been defined as “1. worship of idols; and/or 2. excessive devotion to or reverence for some person or thing”. I like the definition of being “excessively devoted to something”. This seems to render more true of modern day idolatry than to think of worshiping an idol or graven image of a god.

Today idolatry takes on new forms. It’s not just golden statues. It could be anything that diverts attention away from serving God or anything that takes precedence over God. Idols could be simply any pleasure in life that we prioritize over God, any “excessive devotion to something” more than God.

It has to do with what we “treasure”, with what is in our hearts.

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” Matthew 6:19-21 (NLT)

Things we can idolize or “treasure”…

    • People (our spouses/significant others, our children, our friends)
    • Hobbies
    • Work/Career/Performance
    • Fitness
    • Physical appearance/image
    • Social media
    • Entertainment
    • Music
    • Traveling
    • Food
    • Sex/Lust
    • Money
    • Material possessions/superficial gain
    • Fame
    • Power
    • Passions that we pursue
    • Addictions
    • Sometimes it’s even ourselves: “Me, me, me. It’s all about me and what I want and deserve.”

Obsessions, “gods”, and “churches”

Continue reading →

Are All Sins Equal?

Leave a reply

Are All Sins Equal?

Are All Sins Equal?

A couple of years ago at a church youth service we tackled the question, “Are all sins equal?” This brought up some interesting discussion, and honestly the answers were all across the board. Somehow all of us innately know that there are some grievances that are worse than others. We would be hard-pressed to try to convince someone else that a “little white lie” is just as bad as sexual abuse or murder. Even in the justice system there are levels and degrees of offenses…misdemeanors, felonies, first-degree murder, second-degree murder, etc. Some sins are just more severe, right?

However, is that how God sees it? Does God put more weight on one sin than another? Are all sins equal in God’s eyes? Answering and debating this question can put a lot of Christians at odds with one another, not to mention the conflict this argument can cause with non-Christians. One could take their arguments into opposite ditches. Some would argue that all sins are equal as a way to overlook the severity of certain sins or even as a license to sin. Others would argue that all sins are not equal as an attempt to single out certain groups of people in order to condemn them. Both ditches are wrong.

My goal today is to hopefully provide a little clarification and to give some additional resources to get more wisdom in this area.

Not a quick and easy answer

Unfortunately, I don’t believe this question comes with a quick and easy answer. If it did, here’s how I would respond…

Yes, all sins are equal in that ALL sins separate us from God, regardless of degree of severity. No, all sins are not equal in consequence or in the harm and damage caused to self and/or others. Yes, all sins are equal in that Jesus’ blood and sacrifice is enough to cover them all, each and every one, regardless of degree of severity.

Yes, all sins are equal in that ALL sins separate us from God, regardless of degree of severity. No, all sins are not equal in consequence or in the harm and damage caused to self and/or others.

Click To Tweet

I love the way Michael Kruger differentiates between sins… Continue reading →

Are You Flowing or Stagnant?

1 Reply

Are You Flowing or Stagnant?

Are You Flowing or Stagnant?

We’ve had an insane amount of water lately due to all the rain in our area. Unfortunately, heavy rains and debris caused our culvert at the end of our drive to get clogged. Subsequently, this caused water to back up and become stagnant in a ditch/creek bed in our yard. After a while, the stagnant water started to smell and accumulate algae, mosquitos, and even a moderately-sized alligator snapping turtle. We could see that it was going to be a major problem if we didn’t get the water flowing again soon.

Looking back through my old journal entries, I saw a page where I that I had labeled “Flowing not Stagnant” at the top. On the page I had written myself a note of how I should be like a river of living water flowing and not stagnant, stale, or still. I had then listed some of the problems with stagnant water.

Thinking back, I remember that when I wrote that I was kind of in a state of sitting around and not doing much spiritually…not a lot of growth, not a lot forward motion or of stepping out of my current comfort zone. Honestly, I was in a place of sitting still, stewing, and complaining. I was starting to get kind of nasty and gross, a lot like stagnant water. I felt that God was impressing upon me that I needed to get moving and stop sitting spiritually idle.

Flowing not stagnant

Stagnant water, stagnant spirituality, and the effects

Continue reading →

Do You Practice “Etsy” Religion…Handcrafted Christianity?

Leave a reply

Do You Practice “Etsy” Religion-Handcrafted Christianity?

Do You Practice “Etsy” Religion…Handcrafted Christianity?

“Yes, the Day is coming when people will notice The One Who Made Them, take a long hard look at The Holy of Israel. They’ll lose interest in all the stuff they’ve made—altars and monuments and rituals, their homemade, handmade religion—however impressive it is.” Isaiah 17:7-8 (MSG)

I read these verses in the Message translation a while back, and immediately what came to mind as I read the words “homemade, handmade religion” was “It’s an “Etsy” religion.” I realized that people still do this…just not in the form of making an actual, physical idol or god to worship.

Handcrafted Christianity

Current culture makes, customizes, and handcrafts their own religion and faith practices, picking and choosing what they want to believe and practice. It’s custom-made for each individual person. No more black and white. No more absolute truth. Relativity abounds. Most certainly we live in an “Etsy” religion culture full of customized & handcrafted Christianity.

For those not familiar with Etsy, it’s an online marketplace where one can go to purchase things that are handcrafted, vintage, custom and/or unique. Hence why I say “Etsy” religion…to use it as an analogy for how many people handcraft, customize and attempt to mold their own unique religion that works for them.

**Disclaimer: To clarify–This is in no way disparaging to Etsy, just merely an analogy. I’m actually a huge fan of Etsy and many things handcrafted, vintage, custom and unique. However, this is NOT how we should participate in our relationship with God.

“Etsy” Religion is no religion at all, handcrafted gods are no god at all

Scripture is pretty clear on creating our own god and on customizing and handcrafting our own faith…

Jeremiah 1:16 (MSG)

“I’ll pronounce my judgment on the people of Judah for walking out on me—what a terrible thing to do!—And courting other gods with their offerings, worshiping as gods sticks they’d carved, stones they’d painted.”

Jeremiah 2:26-28 (MSG)

“Just as a thief is chagrined, but only when caught, so the people of Israel are chagrined, Caught along with their kings and princes, their priests and prophets. They walk up to a tree and say, ‘My father!’ They pick up a stone and say, ‘My mother! You bore me!’ All I ever see of them is their backsides. They never look me in the face. But when things go badly, they don’t hesitate to come running, calling out, ‘Get a move on! Save us!’ Why not go to your handcrafted gods you’re so fond of? Rouse them. Let them save you from your bad times. You’ve got more gods, Judah, than you know what to do with.” Continue reading →