This goes with the message that was posted on January 19, 2013 of this blog. I have included the insert for a quick review and the Message Based Discussion Questions follow. The purpose is to provide material for personal reflection or group discussion. The questions are designed to be answered in far more than one or two sentence answers.
Strategy for Grace – Growing Disciple-Makers
Matt. 4:18-20
January 6, 2013
What do you need to make committed disciples?
Understand what a disciple is: What is a disciple? Learner, follower: the curious, convinced and committed. (cf. John 1:43-46; 2:1-2; 2:22; Matt 4:18-22)
A committed disciple is:
· Committed to following Jesus. Luke 9:23; Gal. 2:20; Phil. 1:21
· Committed to being changed by Jesus. Rom. 8:29; 12:2
· Committed to the mission: growing disciples who are making disciples. Matt. 28:19-20
Who is called to be a disciple-maker? _______________.
Understand four keys to develop Disciple-making:
1) Biblical Foundation –Your understanding of the Lord Jesus Christ will deepen your desire to please Him and fulfill His will to make disciples who make disciples. Matt. 7:24-27; 2 Tim. 3:16-17
2) Intentional Discipleship– This takes the accidental out of discipleship Eph. 4:11-13. Jesus had intentional actions. Matt 14:15-18, 27-31; Luke 10: 1; 22:7-13; John 6:5-6
3) Relational Environment– it must be small enough for open communication and trust. 1 Cor. 12:25 Must spend time with the people Deut. 6:7-9 in real teaching to establish a biblical worldview. John 17:17; Matt. 4:4; Ps. 119:105
4) Reproducible Process – we must develop a process to reproduce or all we will do is add. Matt. 28:18-20
What would the model look like?
· It has to deal with fear factors – failure; fool; fake
· It has to deal with trust in relationships
· It has to deal with talking with others (people don’t want to be wrong)
· It has to provide OJT because we learn by doing
· It has to amply provide encouragement with accountability
Jesus calls you to be His committed disciple. How? Acts 1:8, 6-11
· Discipleship is a flexible step by step process. Disciples are shown how to take each step. Everyone learns by trial and error. You need an environment whereby you can make mistakes. You need someone to pick you up and encourage you to get back in the battle. Luke 9:1-3
· Disciples are those committed to Jesus, who will change them. However, He will change you only as you humbly request His change and put into practice what you are learning. Change will not happen by listening only Jam. 1:22
· Discipleship occurs in an intentional, relational environment. Relationships that keep picking you up and helping you become fishers of men. Matt 4:18-22
Message Based Discussion Questions
1) How many children did your grandparents have? How many children came from those children? How many grandchildren and great grandchildren?
a) This question is designed to involve everyone in the small group and each answer will be personalized.
b) The purpose is to allow each person to sense they have something to contribute and allow them to become transparent.
Digging Deeper:
2) What are examples of how parents disciple children physically and spiritually (cf. Deut. 6:5-9)?
|
Physical parenting
|
Spiritual parenting
|
|
Teach to feed self
|
Learn how to study Bible
|
|
Teach how to talk
|
Teach how to pray
|
|
Teach how to belong to family
|
Help identify with God’s family
|
|
Teach how to dress
|
Learn how to act with service
|
|
Teach to be fiscally responsible
|
Teach to be a good steward
|
|
Teach responsibility with chores
|
Teach to serve with good works
|
|
Teach how to prepare food
|
Teach how to lead small group
|
|
Teach how to get along
|
Teach Christian fellowship
|
|
Teach how to get an education
|
Teach how to prepare for life
|
|
Teach how to raise parents
|
Teach stages of growth to parent
|
|
Teach how to be a citizen
|
Teach citizenship in heaven
|
3) What are five things that prevent Christians from becoming spiritual parents?
a) Distorting the use of the word mature
b) Not understand God’s expectations to make disciples
c) Becoming complacent about spiritual growth
d) Not developing a soul-winning heart to disciple others
e) Impatience with the sins of others
f) Unrealistic expectations on others
g) Failure to develop a biblical foundation
h) Not seeing the need of intentional discipleship
i) Living as a loner rather than pursuing a relational environment
j) Fear that they don’t have what it takes to grow up and lead
k) Fear to look like a fool and not do the right thing
l) Fear that others will find out they may not have a plan for helping others, so they give up before trying
m) Pride that prevents people from becoming a disciple
n) Lacking compassion to help others grow
o) Listening to the devil’s lie that they don’t know enough
p) Sitting in the stands and watching rather than getting onto the field and making a difference
4) What does it look like to be a committed disciple of Jesus Christ?
a) One who is committed to following Jesus as his head
b) One who is committed to being changed by Jesus
i) One who consumes God’s Word
ii) One who is consistent in studying God’s Word
iii) One who is more concerned about spiritual issues than earthly
iv) One who isn’t set in his ways
v) One who asks others for accountability
vi) One who asks others to help them see blind spots
vii) One who asks God to sanctify himself with God’s Word
c) One who is committed to the mission
i) One who is being discipled
ii) One who is seeking to disciple others
iii) One who has a passion to see others grow spiritually
iv) One who is involved in relationships of spiritual growth
v) One who has others following him spiritually
5) Of the four keys to develop Disciple-making, which do you think is the most important? Why?
a) A biblical foundation is the most important, because that sets the stage for all the others. That keeps the others on track before the holiness of God. That is the foundation upon which all is built.
b) The others are also important and are the fruit of the biblical foundation.
i) If you don’t have intentional discipleship, you have accidental growth rather than deliberate growth. You need a biblical plan of helping people move from one spiritual stage to the next for the best accountability in spiritual growth.
ii) If you don’t have a relational environment, you have an academic learning environment. These are real people who must learn how to relate with real people.
iii) If you don’t have a reproductive process, you may have good addition, but people won’t learn how to take responsibility and become a part of the growth process. The reproductive process is essential for multiplication in the Great Commission.
Making application from the message:
6) What are the three most difficult challenges people face in becoming spiritual parents in Indianapolis? How can we work together to overcome them? (here’s some suggestions)
a) Challenges:
i) Fear that they don’t have what it takes to grow up and lead
ii) Fear to look like a fool and not do the right thing
iii) Fear that others will find out they may not have a plan for helping others, so they give up before trying
iv) Pride that prevents people from becoming a disciple
v) Lacking compassion to help others grow
vi) Listening to the devil’s lie that they don’t know enough
vii) Sitting in the stands and watching rather than getting onto the field and making a difference
b) We can work to overcome:
i) By emphasizing the team instead of the person/self
ii) By humbling asking what I can do to grow
iii) By humbling asking and reading material on how to grow up to the next level
iv) By accepting that no one is perfect and keeping our eyes on the Lord rather than each other
v) By pressing forward rather than waiting
7) What are possible changes a committed disciple would need to make in order to be considered committed? (some considerations)
a) May need to spend more time in God’s Word, than the television
b) May need to carve out a home group time than watch a desired program
c) May need to crack the Bible to learn spiritual truths than failing to launch in the spiritual life
d) May need to depend on God and be stretched rather than just doing everything according to human power
e) May need to humble self to change in areas not yet known
f) May need to allow others to evaluate your life
g) May need to get together with people regularly for growth
h) May need to consider others more important than self
i) May need to memorize God’s Word to not sin against Him
j) May need to invite others to follow rather than doing things by self
k) May need to revamp the schedule so it shows where time is spent.
Shepherding Truth 
Satan has deceived the whole world until the woman of Rev 12 delivers the true word of God Rev 12:5. She is not a church, she is not Israel, and she is not Mary. She is the prophet like unto Moses and Elijah Matt 17:3, Acts 3:21-23, Luke 1:17 delivering the true word John 1:1 from the wilderness Rev 12:6 to prepare a people for the Lord’s return. God our Father will not put any child of his into a hell fire no matter what their sins. It never entered the heart or mind of God to ever do such a thing Jer7:31, Jer 19:5. Turn your heart to the children of God. A gift is now delivered and proven to the whole world as a witness Matt 24:14. http://thegoodtale.blogspot.com. A righteous judge gathers ALL evidence before making a judgment. If you are called to know the true word- Prove all things. God chose a woman.