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Basic Discipleship Points to Share with Others

This list provides biblical basics for growing as a follower of Jesus in all of life: in self, family, work, church, community, and world. The points given here have application for new believers and seasoned followers of Jesus. They are intended for self-examination, life-long learning and personal action, and continued transfer to others (2 Tim 2:2) through time spent together.

1. God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is all-knowing, all-powerful, and is everywhere at all times. He is merciful, fair, truthful, faithful, sovereign, righteous, and unchanging. He loves every person, and wants a relationship with everyone. (Gen 1:1, Psalm 147:4-5, Jer 10:12-13, Jer 32:17, Ps 139:4, Eph 3:14-21, Ps 36:5-7, Jn 3:16)

2. To have abundant life and eternal life, a person must receive Jesus Christ as Lord & Savior. God sent his son, Jesus, to live a perfect life, teach us, die for our sins, and rise from death to conquer sin. Without Christ, sin separates a person from God. With Christ, sin is forgiven and relationship with God is restored. Salvation comes by grace through faith alone. (John 3:16, Rom 10:9, 1 John 5:11-13, John 6:37-39, John 10:28, Rom 8:38-39, Eph 2:8-9).

3. A life-long process of Christian growth is: Loving God, listening to God, and obeying God (John 14:21)

A. Loving God: a growing personal relationship through time spent with God – praying, reading the Bible, Bible studies, working, serving, walking, driving, singing, conversations, learning, studying, scripture memorization, fellowship with other believers, sharing your story in Christ with others, glorifying Him in all you do, etc. (Matt 22:37; Matt 6:33, Heb 4:12-13)

B. Listening to God: Awareness to recognize God’s leadings (revelations) to you through the Holy Spirit and the Bible, prayer, self examination, local church, work, music, personal/group study, Christian leaders, friends, family, etc, all tested by the Bible, which is accurate in all that it teaches. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

C. Obeying God: Passion for obedience (to God, God’s word, and His revelations to you) in His strength, with a strong understanding of grace and forgiveness. There should be a pursuit of holiness (dedicating everything in our life to God). (Ephesians 2:8-9, Hebrews 10:19-22)

Christian growth is a cycle of loving God, hearing His revelation in our lives, and obeying His revelation, which shows our love for Him, etc. This cycle is an ongoing process for continued growth. (John 14:21, Romans 12:1-2, 2 Cor 3:18) For example, as God reveals sin in our lives, we must ask for forgiveness, and continually ask to be led completely by the Holy Spirit.

4. Loving others as Jesus loves – intentionally look for ways to love & serve others, especially those less fortunate. Be winsome & gracious to all. We should live out the "love chapter" of 1 Corinthians 13. (Matt 22:37-40, Matt 5:43-45, John 13:34, Col 4:5-6, Prov 31:8-9)

5. Being part of local church – growing together with a family of faith; serving in areas of your passions & strengths; being recognized/encouraged in the roles that you are playing - in your family, job, and community (Acts 2:42, Heb 10:24-25)

6. Doing 100% of your work (every detail) with & for God. The value we create through our work, for His glory, is one of our greatest purposes. As followers of Jesus, we are living sacrifices, and God is working through us. (Gen 1:28, 2:15, Col 3:17,23, Rom 12:1-2, 1Cor 10:31, Eph 2:8-10) Hebrew word Avodah: work is worship. Our everyday work is worship to God, when we do it with Him and for Him. (The word Avodah is used these 2 ways in Gen 2:15, Exodus 8:1, and other verses.)

7. Sharing your faith with others in winsome ways – Intentionally praying for those on our hearts, and helping them take next steps, realizing that we are all at different points in our faith journey. Examples of stages include:

-5 Does not believe in God
-4 Believe in God, but has not been thinking much about Jesus
-3 Beginning to seek more information about Jesus Christ
-2 Strong seekers of Jesus Christ
-1 Believe in Jesus as Son of God, but has not made a decision to follow Him as Savior & Lord
- Decision/commitment to give control of life to Jesus (Become a Follower of Jesus; Become a Christian)
+1 Growing in Christ; beginning a personal relationship with Jesus, serving, sharing with others as led by Holy Spirit
+2 Close to Christ; assured of salvation, learning, serving, sharing in Jesus name in community, in word & deed
+3 Christ-centered; leading in service/sharing Jesus with others, using gifts/passions in life, work, & play
+4 Christ-centered and multiplying servant leaders; multiplying societal impact & followers of Jesus Christ
+5 Glorifying God in everything in all areas of life; serving, leading, multiplying, experiencing abundant life, living to potential in Christ, walking with the Holy Spirit moment by moment, impacting surroundings, society, & culture

8. Relational wellness with God, family (spouse, kids, parents, etc), friends, and others, through growth, understanding, and display of Biblical character; joy in trials; forgiving others; living more and more like Jesus. (1 Cor 13; Phil 2:1-5, James 1:2-4, Eph 4:32, Gal 5:22-23)

9. Understanding the unlimited power of God; understanding that the enemy is real & destructive, but limited (John 10:10, John 15:5-8, 2 Cor 3:4-5, Eph 6:12); understanding the spiritual battle & need to be equipped (Eph 6:10-18)

10. Putting it all together → As followers of Jesus, abundant and joyful life comes from living according to:

The Great Commandments (Matthew 22:37-40, Luke 10:27) of (1) loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and (2) loving others as ourselves
The Great Calling (Genesis 1:28) of creating value, stewarding all our resources (time, talent, treasure) in all areas of our life (self, family, work, community, and world) with God and for God, being 100% led by the Holy Spirit
The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) of making disciples of Jesus as we go
Working interdependently with others for the flourishing of society and God's kingdom for His glory. (1 Cor 12, Eph 4, Jer 29:7)

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