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Discipleship & Spiritual Growth

What is Discipleship?

Discipleship is fundamentally about following Jesus and helping others do the same. As Pastor Matt Morton explains, "a disciple or a follower of jesus is simply somebody who says i want to know jesus and become more like him." This should characterize every believer in Jesus Christ - we all should say "i want to know jesus in a better way in a deeper way and i want to become more like him" (The Path of Discipleship, 3:12).

Disciples of Jesus are then called to help other people become disciples of Jesus as well. This is how we "make our lives count for eternity" - by investing in people who will live forever rather than temporary things that will fade away (The Path of Discipleship, 3:37).

The Great Commission

Jesus gave all Christians a clear mission in Matthew 28:19-20: "go therefore and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the father and the son and the holy spirit... teaching them to observe all that i commanded you... lo i am with you always even to the end of the age" (The Path of Discipleship, 4:35).

This command applies to every single Christian - "you don't have to be a seminary grad you don't have to be a pastor you don't have to have some special gift every single believer in jesus christ you and me and every christian you know is commanded by jesus to be a part of making disciples" (The Path of Discipleship, 5:14).

Essential Qualities of Effective Disciple Makers

1. They Pray Persistently

The foundation of effective disciple making is prayer. Like the apostle Paul, who wrote "always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all" (Philippians 1:4), disciple makers must commit to praying "daily specifically and fervently" for those they want to help grow spiritually (The Path of Discipleship, 8:44).

Prayer is essential because "spiritual growth and spiritual transformation is not our work first and foremost it's god's work through the spirit." As 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 teaches: "I planted apollos watered but god was causing the growth so then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything but god who causes the growth" (The Path of Discipleship, 11:27).

2. They Work Diligently

Disciple making requires intentional effort and commitment. It "requires time energy and perseverance" as we invest our lives in others (The Path of Discipleship, 17:58).

Paul modeled this dedication when he wrote about his "labor" and "struggle" for believers in Colossians 1:29-2:3. Making disciples involves:

  • Time: We make time for what matters most to us
  • Energy: Spiritual and emotional engagement, focused attention
  • Perseverance: Continuing even when people don't respond as we hope

As Galatians 6:9 encourages: "we must not grow weary in doing good for in due time we will reap if we do not give up" (The Path of Discipleship, 20:26).

3. They Plan Wisely

Effective disciple makers have intentional plans while remaining flexible. They think through questions like: "when am i going to talk to this person when am i going to meet with them what are we going to talk about what areas of scripture what curriculum what resources do we need" (The Path of Discipleship, 21:59).

Good planning involves assessing where someone is spiritually - their knowledge, character, and conduct - then finding appropriate resources to help them take the next step in their faith journey.

Available Resources

Grace Bible Church provides various discipleship tools and resources available on the church website under "Become a Disciple Maker," including:

  • Every Neighbor Map for identifying people to invest in
  • Guides for starting spiritual conversations
  • Tools for sharing personal testimony and the gospel
  • Discovery Bible studies for new believers
  • Various growth resources for different stages of spiritual maturity

The Eternal Impact

Discipleship is the pathway to eternal impact. By investing in people who will live forever and sharing God's Word that lasts forever, we participate in work that extends beyond our earthly lives into eternity (The Path of Discipleship, 3:55).