Principles of Discipleship


Book Description

Following a period of great revival, Charles Finney reached a point of physical exhaustion which resulted in his writing a series of articles on various subjects to continue the work of discipleship in the new believers scattered throughout the regions of revival. These practical instructions were published in the Oberlin Evangelist periodical and took the form of letters addressed to specific themes. They now are collected and edited by Pastor L.G. Parkhurst to appear for the first time in book form. As well as letters concerning sanctification, major themes include Finney's letters: • To New Christians • To Ministers • To Parents • To Christians




Discipleship Defined


Book Description

"DON'T read this book if you want to remain comfortable! Eric challenges us to consider what Biblical discipleship looks like based on what Jesus did. Eric writes this book with the integrity of a man who is not merely theorizing about the way things ought to be, rather he is describing what is actually happening as he builds Biblical disciples in the context of the inner city. This book is soundly Biblical, challenging and practical. This book is about building disciples not programs." Roger Hershey, Campus Crusade For Christ "It is a joy to highly commend to all Discipleship Defined, for it is exactly the prescription that is needed for the Church to regain much of our lost effectiveness. "Discipleship Defined" has carefully described, yet without programming it into a rigid system, how to go about this challenging task." Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., President Emeritus Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary "Eric Russ gives us some very straight forward thinking about discipleship, a topic widely misunderstood and undervalued. Moving away from piety-driven discipleship, Russ points us toward a holistic, Christ-centered way of following Jesus." Jonathan Dodson, Lead Pastor Austin City Life, Austin, TX. "Eric has a healthy obsession about strong discipleship, and it shows in a gracious way in this guidebook for muscular commitment. Can you be obsessed and still have a gracious spirit? Eric does, and so does this book!" Knute Larson, Senior Pastor The Chapel, Akron, OH (1983-2009) Eric Russ is lead pastor of Mack Avenue Community Church in Detroit, Michigan. He is married to Sara and has four children. For more information visit www.discipleshipdefined.com or www.mackave.com.




Discipleship on the Edge


Book Description

Revelation is probably the most read, but least understood book of the Bible. History is replete with examples of how not to interpret it, and books featuring end-of-world prophecy claims based on Revelation consistently top the bestseller lists. But how can the message of such an enigmatic book be applied to our lives today? In Discipleship on the Edge, Darrell W. Johnson drives home the challenging and practical message of Revelation in thirty carefully crafted sermons. Paying careful attention to the original context of Revelation and the circumstances surrounding its composition, Johnson shows that the book is not a "crystal ball" but rather a "discipleship manual." Thoroughly researched and yet accessible, this collection of sermons is a helpful resource for pastors and small group leaders who are looking for models to help them preach and teach the message of Revelation in a time when there is much confusion about the end times. Darrell W. Johnson serves as Scholar-in-Residence at The Way Church and Canadian Church Leaders Network in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. A popular conference and retreat speaker, he has also served as the preaching pastor for a number of congregations in North America and the Philippines, as well as serving as Adjunct Professor of Preaching for the Doctor of Ministry program at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, and a Teaching Fellow at Regent College. His other books include Experiencing the Trinity and Fifty-Seven Words That Change The World.




Simple Discipleship


Book Description

A Clear and Personalized Path for Discipleship Discipleship can feel like a meandering journey—we don’t know what we want, and none of the programs offered seem to get us anywhere. We need something to orient ourselves, and something to direct our steps toward a clear destination. Simple Discipleship, with its companion assessment tool, offers a plan for discipleship that is tailored to your real life and your personality, and clearly pointed in the way of Jesus. Most discipleship resources are designed as mass productions—efficient for touching many, but often failing to see individuals grow in Christ. This is the best of both worlds—an assessment tool for your entire church, combined with an achievable, personalized discipling strategy.




Marks of a Disciple - Bible Study Book


Book Description

Gain an understanding of basic Christian beliefs and monitor your spiritual growth using six key markers.




The Seven Commandments of Discipleship


Book Description

DeSiano begins with the question: "What does God ask of us?" He answers: God asks us "to be disciples" -- to follow Jesus with our hearts, our minds, and our strength within a community of faith. He looks at holiness and spirituality from the point of view of discipleship -- being invited on a journey and being able to persevere on the road until life's fulfillment. He sketches a spiritual path that is neither rigid nor lax, and that all can follow. Book jacket.




Spiritual Discipleship


Book Description

“Take time and trouble to keep yourself spiritually fit.” — 1 Tim. 4:7, J. B. Phillips Translation As J. Oswald Sanders points out, true discipleship is more than intellectual assent to a belief in Christ; it involves the whole person and lifestyle. True disciples pursue their Master. They know that God is watching over their faith, but they also take Scripture’s command seriously: “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you.” They take pains, by His power, to look more and more like Jesus. This book will help you to be such a disciple. It examines Jesus’ teaching on what it means to follow Him, helping you become the kind of Christian Jesus wants you to be—not one devised by man or even other Christians. You’ll learn: The profile of an ideal disciple Conditions for discipleship The tests that disciples endure How disciples pray and grow The posture and practices of a disciple And more For anyone who wants to be not just a believer in Christ, but an imitator of Him, this book is a treasured resource. Includes questions for reflection, ideal for both individual and group study.




Disciple Like Jesus


Book Description

For many congregations, there is a lack of clarity about what a disciple is and what a disciple does. Your congregation might find it helpful to have a larger conversation in worship or as a small group series around this theme. Disciple Like Jesus could provide the framework for this conversation. At the conclusion of each section, you will find a set of discussion questions that could support this conversation.Small Group StudyThere are many small groups of different varieties meeting at thousands of churches every week. They are forming bonds, supporting each other, often studying, and sometimes serving together. And yet, many people in many congregations sense there is something missing. They just don't know what that might be. Disciple Like Jesus could launch them on a new way of engaging life both within and outside of the Church.Accountability GroupEach of the dimensions of discipleship described in this book includes specific suggestions for behaviors that help develop the "life of" ways of living like Jesus. Accountability is vital to this process. Whether through mentoring, apprenticing, coaching, small groups, or triads, partners can and should process this resource together. They should commit to specific behaviors, and hold each other accountable for progress. Leadership TrainingThe greatest form of leadership in the Church is the leading of disciples toward maturity in becoming more like Jesus. There are skills, presented in Disciple Like Jesus, that can help develop more effective leadership toward this goal. In a strong sense, every disciple is called to be this kind of leader. But those publicly identified as leaders (in whatever role) have a biblically mandated special responsibility to be modeling this kind of discipleship development.Personal StudyDisciple Like Jesus provides many tools for exploration for individuals into the ways in which they can become more like Jesus and disciple like Jesus did. There are also many references for further study and personal growth. We do believe, however, that while this is a great resource for individual study, it is even better to study with a friend or two.




The Way of Discipleship


Book Description

"Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ." - 1 Corinthians 11:1, NIVJesus walked the shores of Galilee and called ordinary fishermen to drop their nets to follow Him. "Follow me" wasn't a suggestion, but a summons from the very Son of God. In response, they left everything known and comfortable to live with Jesus, learn from Jesus be launched by Jesus to go and make disciples in His name. Their lives and this world has never been the same.Jesus still calls ordinary people by name to follow him. The problem is many churches today are filled with people who claim to believe in Jesus, but whose lives don't reflect his character and calling. Many fans. Few followers. Many believers. Few disciples. That needs to change. Which is why the leaders of Grace Church focused their efforts in 2010 to launch the Way of Discipleship to aggressively respond to the Great Commission to "go and make disciples of all nations." The Way of Discipleship is a time-bound, intentional relationship focused on learning and embracing 11 essential practices to following Jesus Christ. The Way of Discipleship is engages one person (a discipler) who invites another person (a disciple) to follow them as they follow Christ. The Way of Discipleship shapes our character (who we are) and our calling (what we do). Like a tree, the Way of Discipleship roots us in Christ, provides stability to weather the storms of life and branches out to bear fruit in our lives. This resource is a tool to facilitate this relationship over a period of one-to-three years to integrate these practices into one's life and prepare the disciple to replicate it into another relationship. It will be costly, but the cause is worth it more than anything else the world has to offer.