DISCIPLE

Joining Jesus in Mission to Our Circles of Influence

With JESUS …
DISCIPLE - Toward Baptism and Obedience

Mark 3:14-15

He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.

Luke 6:40

Students are not greater than their teacher. But the student who is fully trained will become like the teacher.

Matthew 28:18-20

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Galatians 4:19

Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives.

THE WHO

• Be a disciple. Before you can disciple someone else, you need to be a disciple yourself.

• Who are you discipling? Who are Your 3?

THE WHAT

• Definition

A disciple is someone who commits to being with Jesus to become like Jesus and join Jesus in mission to his or her circle of influence.

• 3 Key Components

  • Withness
    Jesus first calls us to be with Him and then He promises to always be with us. Discipleship is a reciprocal relationship between Jesus and His followers.

  • Likeness
    As we are with Jesus and He is with Him we will become more and more like Jesus in all we think, say and do. We will begin to live our lives as if Jesus were in our shoes. As Paul says, the goal is for Christ to be fully developed in our lives.

  • Witness
    Ultimately, our own discipleship isn’t just about us. It’s about bringing glory to Jesus by being a witness to others. So join Jesus in mission to your circle of influence.

THE HOW

Initial Discipleship

• For seekers and new believers, including newcomers to your MicroChurch, use Follow The Way Discipleship Journey:

1. Follow

2. Faith

3. Freedom

4. Fruit

5. Filling

• Use Follow the Way with Discover Discipleship Groups

DISCOVERY

Instead of telling you what to believe and how to live, we will connect you with the Bible so you can discover that on your own with your group. Discovery promotes engagement in the process and ownership of the outcomes.

DISCIPLESHIP

Discipleship is a whole life response to Jesus. It’s about following Jesus and His way of life. As you grow in your faith and commitment to Jesus, you’ll learn to live your life as if He were in your shoes. Discipleship, then, is about being with Jesus to become like Jesus.

GROUP

You could go through Follow The Way on your own. But you’ll get so much more out of it if you work through it with 2 or 3 others. Consider finding a guide to coach you. This guide doesn’t have to be an expert in the faith. They just need to be a few steps ahead of you on the journey to point you in the right direction. Here’s a thought—After you work through Follow The Way, you’ll be ready to guide others through it.

• At the end of FAITH people are encouraged to seek baptism. The hows of Baptism are covered under Gather.

• Note that FREEDOM covers the critical subject of a disciple’s identity and freedom in Christ. Working through Freedom will help everyone find freedom in Christ. There may be some who need to go deeper in finding freedom. Neil Anderson’s The Bondage Breaker along with the Steps to Freedom in Christ are invariable resources. Some may need to be referred to a Christian counsellor.

• Don’t forget your teenagers. Follow the Way and the Discovery Discipleship Groups are suitable for them. Remember, Jesus calls teenagers to follow Him too.

• By definition, a disciple is disciplined—in both senses of the word. They are disciplined because they are personally committed to following Jesus and they are disciplined because they are accountable to others for following Jesus. That's why being in an accountability group of 3 to 4 Christ-followers is such a life-transforming thing. A community of disciplined disciples is what Jesus deeply desires and what the Holy Spirit can powerfully use.

• Direct disciplers (guides) to A Guide for Guides. This will help your guides find practical help in discipling their disciples.

Ongoing Discipleship

• For those who have worked through Follow The Way in Discovery Discipleship Groups their ongoing discipleship will continue through The Way’s overall Pathways:

1. Daily Directions and Missional Living

2. Discovery Discipleship Groups - This time as a Guide to others

3. MicroChurch Families

4. Compassionate Outreaches

5. Network Reunions

• Relationship of Discovery Discipleship Groups to MicroChurch Families

  • A Discovery Discipleship Group could be the foundation of a new MicroChurch family. As a group of 3 or 4 matures in their faith and commitment to Jesus, they may decide to continue to meet as a MicroChurch and invite others to join them.

  • Or a MicroChurch may direct their members and newcomers to be discipled in Discovery Discipleship Groups. The advantage of having the Discipleship Discovery Groups do the “heavy lifting” of crucial and initial discipleship (through Follow The Way) is that the whole MicroChurch doesn’t have to go back to square one in terms of discipleship every time a newcomer joins them. New Discovery Discipleship Groups would be formed as people join needing discipleship.

  • After working through Follow The Way in the Discovery Discipleship Groups, ongoing discipleship would happen in the MicroChurches. Under Gather you’ll see how the various formats and components of a MicroChurch Gathering facilitate ongoing discipleship.

  • Ongoing discipleship would also happen as those who have finished Follow The Way start guiding others through Follow The Way. There is no better way to grow as a disciple than by discipling someone else.

The KOS Dynamic (Knowledge/Obedience/Sharing)

• Knowledge leads the way, but obedience and sharing need to follow in step.

• That’s why these 4 questions are so important to emphasize …

  • What truth have you discover this week from our Bible reading(s) and conversation?

    • What have they heard from Jesus?

  • What would stop you from believing and obeying this truth?

    • What blockages (questions, objections, fears, etc.) to believing and obeying do you need to help them overcome?

  • How will you live out this truth this coming week? Finish this statement: “I will ….”

    • How will they now obey Jesus?

  • Whom do you know that needs to hear this truth? How could you share it?

    • How will they share Jesus?

• And it’s important that at the following group meeting everyone reports on how their obedience and sharing are going.

• Discovery Discipleship Group - 3/3s Format is designed to promote a balance of knowledge, obedience and sharing.