7 Necessary Disciplines For Making Disciples. Introduction.

Making disciples is the overarching purpose of the church. However, many churches struggle with understanding and fulfilling the true meaning of Christian discipleship in individuals’ lives. This writing assignment will attempt to expound on several significant aspects of discipleship. The importance of the centrality of Jesus Christ to Christian discipleship will be detailed. Also, obedience to the directives of Christ and submission of particular areas of one’s life will be outlined. Finally, the three stages of discipleship according to Dave Earley and Rod Dempsy will be delineated and expanded upon.

Throughout the past few months, the Lord blessed me with the opportunity to begin discipleship relationships with two amazing people. To begin with, I had the opportunity to disciple a young girl who I have known her whole life. Our connection had been previously established, but after these past few months we’ve spent together our relationship has strengthened and gained a depth that I never thought possible. From the beginning, we created a trustworthy environment that allowed for vulnerability and a deep connection. She felt safe to share with me personal details that she used to be hesitant to share and our friendship grew.

Firstly, it is not enough to be a good listener, one has to be an active and deep listener, with the true ability to understand what the other person is saying (Marquis & Huston, 2015). A servant-leader does not interrupt to argue, validate, or refute points, but allows free expression of the person to whom they are listening (Hunter, 1998). This demonstrates a contemplative as opposed to a reactive style, which builds trust with other people. When we have truly understood and not just heard our patient,

The parent or mature Christian is fully engaged in the mission of Jesus Christ. People who are in this stage are those who are witnessing and discipling others, in the same manner that he or she was discipled. They are looking out for the immature Christians, and taking them “under their wing” to encourage, listen to, and strengthen them to maturity in Christ.

Jesus told the disciples that if they call him Lord they must do what he commands (Matthew 7:22). To be a disciple of Christ, we must submit to Jesus and trust that He is our Lord and Savior. We must have faith in Him and look to Him as our guide. Disciples of Christ should obey Jesus because God is not a man, but a sovereign God who has every right to command His disciples. Christ is not just a sovereign God, but also a saving God who suffered on a cross so that humans could receive salvation. Disciples of Christ who are saved by grace are not their own, but bought with a price that Jesus paid on the cross. Dietrich Bonhoeffer: The disciples are called blessed because they have obeyed the call of Jesus.2 To be a disciple of Christ, we must

Living life as a Christian, in many ways is difficult in that there is always a war being fought by the enemy for your faith. Dickson insists that, “there are clear New Testament passages urging us all to speak up for Christ when we can” (Dickson, 101). Christians are called to a life of spreading the gospel to all mankind and nations. Dickson urges that the gospel is the announcement of our King coming to make all things new again. Christian’s are called by Jesus Himself to spread this news and work of God’s anointed King and messiah Jesus! The main nugget Christians should take from this is how everyone is not an evangelists, however, Christians are clearly called to proclaim Christ from our lips as well as

It is not our goal to “trade” members neither with other churches nor to increase our membership by reaching disgruntled members of other churches. Our vision is to reach young people who may not have a “church” background, teach and train them, equip them, and qualify them to go out and win souls. We believe that by doing this, we will build a strong army who can take our community, state, and the world for Christ. We want to reach young people ages 10-18 in our community. According to Warren, “If you want to build a healthy, strong, and growing church you must spend time laying a solid foundation.”

Talking and listening are essential life skills. The ability to talk in order to communicate and exchange ideas and information, to negotiate with others, to express feelings and emotions, allows human beings to function well in the world and to be full and active members of society. Communication, to be effective, requires the ability to listen, to understand and to make sense of what is heard. On the personal level, when we listen, we give attention to the other person in such a way as to allow them to feel heard, understood and therefore respected. In that way, listening is more than

The ability to speak and listen effectively can mean the difference between succeeding and failing in a job.

When bad things happen that interrupt what’s normal for us, we just want things to go back to how they were. Situations like these make me look at how I should live my life and about what is important. Things that may have bothered me before then seem to be minute or very petty. This allows me to focus on the important things and putting them into perspective. It helps me prioritize and focus on bettering myself, kind of a reminder to do some soul searching. The common saying “I was born alone and will die alone” is a true statement but what matters most is what I do while I’m alive. I believe that if I focus on my purpose it will help me see people in their true form, flaws and all. It’s much simpler to accept someone as they really are so that you will not be disappointed in knowing they can’t complete you. It will also help me become a better person and discover for myself possibly what my ultimate purpose is. In thinking this way I sometimes feel that nothing really

As I reflect back on my life course God had guided and cared for me throughout every stressful period of time that I have experienced. A time that I know I couldn’t have made it through without God’s guidance and love for me was when I lost my nephew. I was morning the loss of someone who was a huge part of my life and I was feeling so many emotions that I attempted to push God away due to be angry that He allowed this to happen to me, my children, and my nieces and nephews. God continued to care for me and guide me back to Him by showing me that I couldn’t handle this situation without his guidance, love, and support. I believe it is difficult to allow God to be in control of the smaller day-to-day stressors in our lives because we feel a sense of responsibility and we are taught as children that we have to take

The first area D.A. went into detail with was that “Discipleship is not a continual experience.” Throughout the beginning of D.A’s Christian life he believed discipleship was continually experiencing God, but he later learned different. He learned that there are skills and things to develop. Once you develop in studying scripture and spiritual disciplines you begin growing in Christ and ultimately in discipleship.

The ability to listen well is an important tool for understanding others. Sadly, very few people know how to listen well. In fact, most people can think of only one or two good listeners in their lives. Listening is not simply agreeing - it is much more. Good listeners are able to better understand and respond to others, complete assignments accurately, settle disagreements before they escalate, and establish rapport with difficult people.

Having grown up United Methodist, it has been compelling to discover how much I have been influenced by Wesleyan theology, without even realizing it. This embedded theology continues to be refined through an ever-deepening understanding of scripture, experience, traditions and with the use of reason. I am most drawn to those theologians who are rooted in this Wesleyan tradition. My mother grew up Disciples of Christ, and her tradition influenced my theology through its broad understanding of faith. This led me toward an openness about the various ways people experience and understand the Divine. The Disciples of Christ tradition also influenced my understanding of baptism, while John Wesley’s Treatise on Baptism helped me affirm a Wesleyan

Listening is an important form of communication. Unfortunately, many people who do not know how to listen believe they can listen well. They often say "I have been doing this all of my life of course I can listen". Listening is not inherited, or a personality trait, it is a skill that must be worked on and practiced.