Christian Discipleship - Fulfilling the Great Commission

Christian discipleship is summed up in the Great Commission. After the resurrection and before He
ascended into heaven, Jesus appeared one last time to His disciples (they were eleven in number at that
time, since Judas Iscariot had betrayed Jesus and hanged himself). This is the moment that He delivered
the famous calling for disciples known as The Great Commission:

"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." (Matthew 28:18b-20)

Christian discipleship continued to grow when the followers of Jesus gathered in Jerusalem and Peter
outlined criteria for selecting a twelfth disciple to replace Judas Iscariot. The Scripture says they drew lots
and the lot fell to Matthias. These men, who had previously been disciples, or followers of Jesus, were
now to become apostles, or messengers. Their intention was to spread the Word, and beginning with
Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came and indwelt them for the first time, they did! (See Acts 1 and 2)

Christian Discipleship - The Transformation Process

Christian discipleship is more than being a believer - it's about being a follower! Once we make a decision
for Christ, then just like Andrew, John and Peter, we must become His disciples and follow Him. Have you
chosen to follow Christ? If so, then you are a modern-day Christian disciple! "But I can't learn personally
from Jesus like they did!" you might say. Oh, but you can!

Thanks to the faithfulness of those apostles, who clearly understood their role as messengers of Christ,
we have their gospels and letters to go by. Later, when Paul was added to their number (by virtue of his
Road to Damascus encounter with the risen Christ), he wrote letters to all the churches he helped create.
These books and letters became the New Testament of God's Word, and unlike those first disciples, we
have all of Christ's instructions at our fingertips!

Christian Discipleship - The Short Course in a Long Journey

Christian discipleship begins when you make an active choice to get to know Jesus better. By God's
grace, it is then accomplished in several ways:

 You can study His Word daily and spend time alone with Him in prayer.
 You can become a member of a Bible-teaching church fellowship.
 You can seek out the companionship of other Christians who are growing with Christ.
 You can participate in ministry and meet the needs of other believers.
 You can share what you're learning about Christ with others, just like Andrew, James, John, Luke,
Matthew, Peter, Paul and all the original disciples did.

Like those first twelve, you too can be a believer who becomes a follower and messenger!
Leaning about Discipleship
 
Becoming a Christian
 
Placing your faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone as your personal Lord and
Savior is the most important decision you will ever make! If you have never
invited Christ into your life.
 
What is Discipleship?
 
God does not ask us to seek converts, He simply asks us to do Discipleship.
Discipleship is modeling and teaching Christians the precepts of the Bible—
mainly prayer, doctrine, Christian living, and worship. Yes, we are still to
evangelize, but that is not our main mission and call! When we evangelize,
we must realize that it is the role of the Holy Spirit to bring people into an
intimate relationship with God. This is an act of divine intervention and
grace.
 
What is a Disciple?
 
A Disciple is one who grows in Christ and in so doing models and teaches
Christians the precepts of the Bible, prayer, doctrine, relationship, Christian
living, service, and worship, to name the main ones.
 
A Primer for Faith
 
Using Our Faith To Live the Life To Which We Have Been Called!

Jesus invites you to Discipleship!

Being a true disciple means having a willingness to trust Him completely in

all aspects of life from the highest highs to the lowest lows. It means we are
not only willing to trust Him to provide for our salvation, but also for the
future.

What is Obedience?

Are you being Obedient? Obedience is submitting to what God requires of us.

Follow by Faith

Let Jesus be your supreme example in all that you do.

The Power of Prayer! Part 1

What are we to do first in all situations? Is it to complain? Argue with one

another? Be stressed? NO! We are called to pray...

The Power of Prayer! Part 2

Prayer is not just an exercise we do. Rather, it is the active communication

we have with God; it is the most important act for us in any matter or...

What is Christianity all about?

Why we Need to be Saved

The key we need to understand is this, sin entered in the world by one man
that affected all people by Adam; but the grace of God, which justified us,
comes in the world by one man/God. All of humanity deserved it, Christ did
not; thus, yes it is unfair- to God, but not to us!

The Gospel in a Nutshell

God does not reject us; rather, it is us who reject Him, He goes out of His
way to give us the grace we do not deserve. He gives us His Way, even
though we continue to fight against Him by hardening our hearts and
rejecting His Truth and precepts.

What does Jesus do for Me?

We have to see the magnificent aspect of what Christ has done for us. We
need to see the joy and the hope we are given. This is foundational to life
and liberty.

What is the Gospel? Part 1

It means from the Greek, “A Good Message” literally or more to the point
“Good News” referring to a message of good tidings such as...
What is the Gospel? Part 2

The Gospel simply put is “The Good News” of what Christ has done for you and me. This is the
message and meaning of who and what Jesus is and has done.

What Grace Really Is

Grace basically means an undeserved act of kindness. This is one of the most enduring actions
of love that could ever be conceived.

How to Grow in the Faith

God’s Enduring Word!

Is the power and love of God enduring in you? Is your Christian life having results to it? The
word “therefore” is referring to the results, conclusions, or applications that are to be in our
lives from the reasons given.

How to have a Devotional Time

How can I develop quality time with our Lord so I can become a deeper and more mature
Christian?
Bible Reading for New Christians

Thirty-one Days to Know God’s Plan for Us. This plan is a general overview of God’s
encounter with humanity, our responses to Him, and how He gives us Hope,
Salvation, and an Eternal Future.

Beginning Bible Reading Plan

This is an excellent Bible Reading plan to start out with, or use to refresh yourselves
in Him. In just a few minutes a day for a month, you will be stronger in your faith and
knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

The 90-Day Experience

To know the Word and to live by it, you will need to take daily time to read the Bible.
To develop a habit of Bible reading, it is best to have a consistent time and place.

Basic Apologetics on the Bible

Why should I care about the Bible?

How is the Bible different from any other book? Look at the evidence… If the Bible
claims to be the Word of God it is a special book. This leads to a very personal
question...What does it mean to you? · IT CLAIMS TO BE THE WORD OF GOD! · IT IS A
BOOK FROM GOD . . . · It has unity ... in preservation... in content... in influence!

What Difference can the Bible Make in My Life?

Whether you have personal questions about love, suffering, guilt, loneliness, success,
God, the future, or the meaning of life, the Bible has answers. Consider these
analogies. The Bible is a light... a mirror... spiritual food... a shield... a sword... a rock
foundation... a counselor!

What are the Answers to Life's Ultimate Issues?

What are the answers to 10 tough questions I deal with in life? What are the ultimate
issues we all struggle with? What are the serious issues related to God, you, and the
meaning of life?

What does the Bible say about Jesus Christ?

Jesus' life story was predicted and described centuries before His birth. No other
person has influenced the history of the world as much as Jesus. Jesus lived in
history! Jesus had unusual power! Jesus was more than an ordinary man! Jesus
changed the lives of others and He can change yours too!
Why should I go to Church?

There are 5 main reasons why going to church is important.

THREE REASONS TO TRUST THE BIBLE

There are, of course, many more than "three reasons to trust the Bible." Among these
are textual unity, textual preservation, historical accuracy, scientific accuracy,
prophetic accuracy, and its social and personal impact. But even the above three
reasons are enough to show that the claims the Liberals and cults make against the
Bible are unfounded!

What God desires us to be and to do

How to Build a Good Personality

Make sure you have a godly disposition! Do people treat you unfairly? Have you ever
wondered why? Well, we live in a fallen world, and we are all filled with sin. Sin
affects our relationships and personality, the way we treat people, and the way they
treat us.

Fruit of the Spirit is Love

Love will enable us to appreciate our brothers and sisters in the Lord, and, of course,
our family and others around us.

Fruit of the Spirit is Joy

Joy will allow us to enjoy my relationship with Christ, His creation, others, and our
circumstances with an expression of delight and real, authentic happiness from and
with harmony with God and others.

Fruit of the Spirit is Peace

Peace is surrendering and yielding ourselves to the Lord to be in His control, for He
is our ultimate peace!

Fruit of the Spirit is Patience

Patience is showing tolerance and fortitude toward others, even accepting difficult
situations from them, and God, without making demands or conditions.

Fruit of the Spirit is Kindness

Kindness is the medium through which Christ’s love becomes tangible through us. It
is practicing benevolence and a loving attitude towards others.
Fruit of the Spirit is Goodness

Goodness is the engagement of love! It displays integrity, honesty and compassion to

others and allows us to do the right thing.

Fruit of the Spirit is Faithfulness

Faithfulness is the “gluing” fruit that will preserve our faith and the other characters
of the Spirit and identify God's will so we can be dependable and trusting to God and
others.

Fruit of the Spirit is Gentleness

Gentleness is the character that will show calmness, personal care, tenderness and
the Love of Christ in meeting the needs of others.

Fruit of the Spirit is Self-Control

Self-Control is allowing God to be in control of your will and heart and seeking the
Spirit to enable us.

We Are To Have the Attitude of Christ!

Are you chasing your desires or our Lord?

Why should I be in a small group?

In Acts the Bible tells us we need to be in relationships for our personal and spiritual
growth. As Paul and the early Christians taught and received teaching “from house to
house,” we too must respond in our walk with Christ in each others homes (Acts
5:42; 20:20)!

Accountability Questions

Here are some key Accountability questions you can ask yourself and/or have a
mentor ask you.

Remember we have over a thousand Curriculums, each of these steps can be

modified; see our topical lists too…

Into Thy Word © 2007

Church & Ministry