Transforming Discipleship

Greg Ogden

Just as Jesus prioritized discipleship because of the relational aspect, the vision of multiplication, and ability to model, so should we. There is a felt need for deep discipleship where mentors are not just teaching about what it means to follow Christ but also how to do it, walking side by side with another believer. This requires a shift from a program-centered approach to a relational approach, one in which there exists a focus on building personally committed disciples who can carry on the work themselves. Three key elements of this type of disciple include: transparent trust, the truth of God's Word learned in community, and life changing accountability.

Developing Your Prayer Life

Gary DeLashmutt

Gary DeLashmutt covers practical tips on staying connected to God in day-to-day life as well as making the most of times set apart for prayer. He encourages praying spontaneously and praying with others as two main ways to bolster our prayer lives. His explanations of the benefits of each include specific challenges for his listeners to consider.\r\n

Increasing Your Capacity to Give God's Love

Gary DeLashmutt

1 John 4:7-21

In order to grow in our love for others, we need to be trained by God. God develops our love for others through His Word. God can teach us to love others through spiritual promptings by His Spirit, through godly role models, and by placing people that are hard to love in our lives. As God grows our ability to give love to others, long-lasting sources of joy are produced as we see God use us.

Increasing Your Capacity to Receive God's Love

Gary DeLashmutt

1 John 4:7-21

God's will for our lives is to grow in our ability to give out sacrificial love. As our capacity of receiving God's love increases, we are able to increase our ability to give His love out to others. This process begins with understanding the lengths of God's love for us, drawing continuously from His love, and learning how to reflect and meditate on how to move towards others in love. Living out of God's love is a key feature of growing Christians.

Walking in Love

Gary DeLashmutt

1 John 2:3-11

Walking in a lifestyle of sacrificial love is a priority within the Christian life. Loving others deepens our intimacy with God as He guides us, assures us, gives us peace, and develops a more confident prayer life for others. Love is the culmination of God's commandments, and God provided the resources to love radically through giving His Holy Spirit which enables us to love all types of people the way Jesus did.

Jonathan: Spiritual Friendships

Dennis McCallum

2 Samuel 1:15-17

Through the friendship between David and Jonathan (Saul's son), we get a clear picture of spiritual friendship. Each man was loyal to God first, and this allowed them the ability to develop loyalty to one another knowing that they each desired to follow God. Jonathan knew that it was God's will for David to one day be king instead of him, despite being the sitting prince. He was determined to see God's will established even at his own expense. Though his father was jealous of David, Jonathan chose to love David as he loved himself, forsaking family and the throne.

Praying for your Home Group

Joel Comiskey

2 Samuel 1:15-17

Successful home groups are the result of diligence, which shows itself through prayer, evangelism, and community. Explore the different forms that diligence can take in several church examples and the ways that it will consistently be the same.

Making the Transition, Traditional to Home Group-Centered Ministry

Gilbert Lennox

2 Samuel 1:15-17

Transitions from traditional to group-centered ministry are gradual and intentional. Looking at a church who has attempted this kind of environment several times, consider the steps that a church needs to take in order to create a revolution like this. Some of the steps include support, vision, leadership training, and fighting disappointment.

A Flexible Framework for Personal Discipleship

Gary DeLashmutt

2 Samuel 1:15-17

Discipleship is a personal, ethical, and strategic relationship where mature members help to lead less mature members to maturity and continue in multiplication of groups. Discipleship focuses on developing four areas: study, counsel, coaching, and prayer. Alternately, shepherding is a more general relationship that can help someone become a worker for God, eventually leading to discipleship if that person does grow spiritually. Both focus on the continual development of Christians.