Discipleship
01. Discipleship: Walking the Christian Life
February 14, 2017
The Christian life can be overwhelming. Sometimes it feels like spinning plates—sermons and conversations and books and blogs seem like they give you hundreds of things you should be doing all the time. This can leave you confused, defeated, or determined find some way to do it all. But we can't miss the forest for the trees. Jesus gives us a way to understand the entire Christian life through the lens of love: love for God and love for others. As we look through these lenses, wecut through the confusion and find a Christian life that consists of a walking with God and walking in the world, all motivated by the gospel, all conforming us to the image of Christ. Application Questions 1. How do you handle all the different things you hear in sermons, Bible reading, community group discussions, and more? Do you think the discipleship pathway will help you understand and internalize these things? 2. Think about the different categories on the discipleship pathway: Bible, prayer, heart work, community, mission, calling. What parts do you tend to emphasize in your own life? Which parts do you tend to neglect? 3. Do you think your Christian lifeis more motivated by your acceptance in Jesus or by your desire to be a good person on your own? How have you seen that affect your life? 4. What can you do to encourage gospel motivation in your life?
02. Discipleship: Walking with God
February 21, 2017
Jesus teaches that the greatest commandment, which encompasses all others, is love—love for God and love for others. In this sermon, we look more closely at growing in love for God as his disciples. Across the Bible, we find that loving God means listening to him in Scripture, speaking to him in prayer, and working what he says into our hearts. These large categories—Bible, Prayer, and Heart Work—help us understand and enjoy our walk with God. Application Questions 1. Do you feel like you are walking with God in your life? Why or why not? 2. What are some ways you have grown in love for God over the last year or two? How did that growth happen? 3. Are you listening and learning from the Bible? What does that look like for you? 4. Are you talking and relating to God in prayer? What does that look like for you?5. Are you internalizing and applying what God says? What does that look like for you?
03. Discipleship: Walking in the World
February 27, 2017
Jesus teaches that the greatest commandment, which encompasses all others, is love—love for God and love for others. In this sermon, we look more closely at growing in love for others as his disciples. Across the Bible, we find that loving others means close relationships with Christians, close relationships with non-Christians, and pursuing our God-given roles and responsibilities. These large categories—Community, Mission, and Calling—help us understand and enjoy our walk in the world. Application Questions 1. Do you feel like you are walking in the world as a Christian? Why or why not? 2. What are some ways you have grown in love for others over the last year or two? How did that growth happen? 3. Do you have deep relationships with other Christians? What does Christian community look like for you? 4. Do you have deep relationships with non-Christians? What does Christian mission look like for you? 5. What are the different roles and responsibilities that God has given you? How are you pursuing those callings?
04. Discipleship: Walking Towards Christ
March 6, 2017
We all want to change and grow, but we are sometimes fuzzy on the end goal. In what direction should that change and growth take us? What are we aiming for? God makes clear that the basic Christian life is growth in a single, encompassing direction: Christlikeness. As we walk in love for God and love for others, God is growing us to look more and more like his Son. We need to keep our eyes on him, then, as we walk, so we are walking in the right direction. Application Questions 1. When you think about how you'd like to grow or change, what areas of your life or personality come up? What do those tell you about your goals in life? 2. What's on your "list" of a good person or a good Christian? Where did you get your list from? 3. If you haven't already, identify some of the false goals you are tempted to pursue. What about reaching those goals would be satisfying? What about reaching those goals would be unsatisfying? 4. Do you think that Christlikeness is ultimately satisfying? Why or why not? 5. How would your "list" change if you saw Christlikeness as the end goal of your Christian growth?