Biblical Discipleship: Essential Components for Attaining Spiritual Maturity


Book Description

Today, we have many ways of defining success in life. Some define it as being a sports hero, others as being wealthy, others as being popular and well liked, and still others as being happy. How does God define success? He defines it as being spiritually mature! How do we become spiritually mature? There’s only one way, and it’s called discipleship. However, statistics show that discipleship is in a state of crisis today. Many Christians are not growing in Christ and are stuck in the process of reaching spiritual maturity. A Barna study reveals that almost nine out of ten senior pastors of Protestant churches assert that spiritual immaturity is one of the most serious issues facing the church. Sadly, what discipleship meant in the time of Christ and what it means today is vastly different. Moreover, the importance Christ and the Apostles gave to discipleship is also stunningly different than the importance many Christians and churches today give it. Unlike the disciples who had much of Scripture memorized, a whopping 81% of Christians today don’t read their Bibles regularly. Unlike Christ’s disciples who were “Fishers of Men,” 61% of believers today have not shared their faith in the past six months. And sadly, unlike Christ and the Apostles who made discipleship the central focus of their ministries, 81% of pastors today have no regular discipleship programs in their churches. Discipleship is being neglected today, and the consequences are crippling many Christians and churches. This book hopes to change that! Chapter 1 focuses on the state of discipleship today and exposes the sad truth that it’s in crisis mode. Chapter 2 reveals 13 key factors contributing to the lack of discipleship today. Chapter 3 defines biblical discipleship based on central phrases Christ used in His ministry. Chapter 4 brings to light 14 essential components of the discipleship-making process that must be understood and practiced in order to attain spiritual maturity. Chapter 5 provides practical, “how-to” help for growing in Christ. It includes self-assessment tests for measuring your level of spiritual maturity in each essential component of discipleship and gives hands-on, useful ideas for taking steps toward spiritual maturity. Discipleship is a command for all believers and is our highest calling. This book provides biblical help for fulfilling this calling and seeks to discover what God says about genuine growth in Christ. It’s both an informative book and a “how-to” book. It deals with the barriers that are hindering discipleship, and offers practical help for overcoming these barriers and attaining spiritual maturity. So, are you ready to grow? Would you like to be pleasing to God? Would you like to fulfill the reason for which you’ve been created? Would you like the full blessings of God in your life? Would you like to become spiritually mature? Would you like to hear Christ’s words, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” when you arrive in heaven? If so, this book is for you.




Biblical Discipleship


Book Description

Discipleship is in a state of crisis today! Many Christians are not growing in Christ and are stuck in the process of reaching spiritual maturity. Sadly, what discipleship meant in the time of Christ is vastly different than what it means today. Moreover, the importance Christ and the apostles gave to discipleship is also stunningly different than the importance many Christians and churches today give it. Unlike the disciples who had much of Scripture memorized, a whopping 81% of Christians today don't read their Bible regularly. Unlike Christ's disciples who were "Fishers of Men," 61% of believers today haven't shared their faith in the past six months. And sadly, unlike Christ and the apostles who made discipleship the central focus of their ministries, 81% of pastors today have no regular discipleship programs in their churches. Discipleship is being neglected today, and the consequences are crippling. This book hopes to change that!Chapter 1 focuses on the state of discipleship in the lives of Christians and churches today and exposes the sad truth that it's in crisis mode. Chapter 2 reveals 14 key factors contributing to the lack of discipleship today and how they're affecting our lives. Chapter 3 defines biblical discipleship based upon central phrases Christ used in His ministry. Chapter 4 unfolds 14 essential components of the discipleship-making process that must be understood and practiced in order to attain spiritual maturity. Chapter 5 provides practical help on how to grow in each of the essential components of discipleship. It contains encouraging news and functional steps on how to grow in Christ. It also includes self-assessment tests to measure our level of spiritual maturity in each essential component of discipleship and gives hands-on, useful ideas on taking steps toward spiritual maturity.




Biblical Discipleship Study Guide: Essential Components for Attaining Spiritual Maturity


Book Description

This 16 Week Study Guide is exceptionally practical and life-transforming. It is taken from the main book Biblical Discipleship: Essential Components for Attaining Spiritual Maturity. However, it is a “stand-alone” book study that is designed to be used on its own. Its purpose is to take the 14 core principles of discipleship and put them into practice. Today, we have many ways of defining success in life. Some define it as being a sports hero, others as being wealthy, others as being popular and well-liked, and still others as being happy. How does God define success? He defines it as being spiritually mature!




Biblical Discipleship Study Guide


Book Description

Today, we have many ways of defining success in life. Some define it as being a sports hero, others as being wealthy, others as being popular and well liked, and still others as being happy. How does God define success? He defines it as being spiritually mature!How do we become spiritually mature? There's only one way, and it's called discipleship. However, statistics show that discipleship is in a state of crisis today. Many Christians are not growing in Christ and are stuck in the process of reaching spiritual maturity.Discipleship is a command for all believers and is our highest calling. This book provides biblical help for fulfilling this calling and seeks to discover what God says about genuine growth in Christ. It's both an informative book and a ?how-to? book. It deals with the barriers that are hindering discipleship, and offers practical help for overcoming these barriers and attaining spiritual maturity.




Discipleship Essentials


Book Description

We grow in Christ as we seek him together. Jesus' own pattern of disciple-making was to be intimately involved with others. This expanded 25-session workbook by Greg Ogden, perfect for small groups or individuals, helps us influence others as Jesus did—by investing in a few. Working through it will deepen your knowledge of essential Christian teaching and strengthen your faith.




Israel Biblical Sites Bible Companion


Book Description

This book gives you eyes to see what most people don't. It uncovers the riches and treasures of the Holy Land, so you can experience and be transformed by it. At each biblical site, this book will provide you with information about the location, historical background, places of interest, Bible verses, Bible teaching, a faith lesson, and a place for journaling and note-taking. This book will bring the Holy Land to life as you understand more fully the biblical context in which it took place.




Biblical Discipleship Study Guide


Book Description

What is success in life? God defines it as being spiritually mature! How do we become spiritually mature? There's only one way, and it's called discipleship.This study guide outlines 14 essential components that must be understood and practiced in order to reach spiritual maturity.




Transforming Discipleship


Book Description

Greg Ogden recovers Jesus' method of accomplishing life change by investing in just a few people at a time. In this revised and updated edition Ogden sets forth his vision for transforming both the individual disciple and discipleship itself, showing how discipleship can become a self-replicating process with ongoing impact from generation to generation.




At Your Best


Book Description

“A perceptive and practical book about why our calendars so rarely reflect our priorities and what we can do to regain control.”—ADAM GRANT “Carey’s book will help you reorganize your life. And then you can share a copy with someone you care about.”—SETH GODIN You deserve to stop living at an unsustainable pace. An influential podcaster and thought leader shows you how. Overwhelmed. Overcommitted. Overworked. That’s the false script an inordinate number of people adopt to be successful. Does this sound familiar: ● Slammed is normal. ● Distractions are everywhere. ● Life gets reduced to going through the motions. Tired of living that way? At Your Best gives you the strategies you need to win at work and at home by living in a way today that will help you thrive tomorrow. Influential podcast host and thought leader Carey Nieuwhof understands the challenges of constant pressure. After a season of burnout almost took him out, he discovered how to get time, energy, and priorities working in his favor. This approach freed up more than one thousand productive hours a year for him and can do the same for you. At Your Best will help you ● replace chronic exhaustion with deep productivity ● break the pattern of overpromising and never accomplishing enough ● clarify what matters most by restructuring your day ● master the art of saying no, without losing friends or influence ● discover why vacations and sabbaticals don’t really solve your problems ● develop a personalized plan to recapture each day so you can break free from the trap of endless to-dos Start thriving at work and at home as you discover how to be at your best.




DiscipleShift


Book Description

Question: What is the God-given purpose of the local church? Answer: Relational discipleship. DiscipleShift walks you through five key "shifts" that churches must make to refocus on the fundamental biblical mission of discipleship. These intentional changes will attract the world and empower your church members to be salt and light in their communities. Over the last thirty years, many influential church leaders and church planters in America have adopted various models for reaching unchurched people. While many of these approaches have merit, something is still missing, something even more fundamental to the mission of the church: discipleship. Making disciples—helping people to trust and follow Jesus—is the church's God-given mandate. Devoted disciples attract people outside the church because of the change others see in their Christ-like lives. And discipleship empowers Christians to be more like Christ as they intentionally develop relationships with non-believers. Through biblical and professional insights, Jim Putman and Bobby Harrington discuss the transformational effectiveness of making disciples and just how to do so, in practical terms. You’ll learn: The specific roles of a disciple-making pastor. The components of person-to-person discipleship. How each ministry in your church leads to discipleship. How to implement discipleship in your church. Disciple-making leaders will not produce perfect churches, but they will create effective churches.