DiscipleShift

DiscipleShift
Author: Jim Putman
Publisher: Zondervan
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2013-04-23
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0310492637

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.

That You May Know

That You May Know
Author: Jacob Gerber
Publisher: 19baskets, Incorporated
Total Pages: 204
Release: 2014-10-02
Genre:
ISBN: 9780692292631

While there are many books written about Christian discipleship, there are not nearly enough books on discipleship that primarily expound the Bible itself. The Apostle John wrote three letters, however, with the main purpose of helping disciples to grow. That You May Know: A Primer on Christian Discipleship is an enriching study that will lead you through John's teaching on following Jesus as a disciple. This book is more than a commentary and more than a topical book on the subject of Christian discipleship. Instead, this is a primer on Christian discipleship written as a careful reading of God's word in 1, 2 & 3 John. It's ideal for your own individual devotional reading or as a helpful resource for your group Bible study. What others are saying about That You May Know: "Whether you are a new believer or a seasoned saint, you will benefit greatly from reading this book. It does exactly what a Bible commentary should do--enlighten, encourage, and enrich--and it does so in a manner that is clear, wise, and practical." --Warren W. Wiersbe, Former Pastor of the Moody Church, Chicago, IL "Pastor Gerber marries thorough exegetical study with a loving pastoral tone in this very helpful primer on discipleship. He carries the reader along with him to a deeper understanding of the word of God, the promises God makes to his children, and what it means to be a disciples of Jesus." --Parker Johnson, Pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Brewton, AL

Discipleship that Fits

Discipleship that Fits
Author: Bobby Harrington
Publisher: Zondervan
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2016-02-09
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0310522641

For far too long, the church has tried to make disciples using a one-size-fits-all approach. Some churches advocate 1-on-1 discipling, others try getting everyone into a small group, while still others training through mission trips or service projects. Yet others focus all their efforts on attracting people to a large group gathering to hear biblical teaching and preaching. But does one size really fit everyone? Based on careful biblical study and years of experience making disciples in the local church, Bobby Harrington and Alex Absalom have identified five key relationships where discipleship happens in our lives. In each relational context we need to understand how discipleship occurs and we need to set appropriate expectations for each context. Discipleship That Fits shows you the five key ways discipleship occurs. It looks at how Jesus made disciples and how disciples were formed in the early church. Each of the contexts is necessary at different times and in different ways as a person grows toward maturity in Christ: Public Relationships: The church gathering corporately for worship Social Relationships: Networks of smaller relationships where we engage in mission and live out our faith in community Personal Relationships: Small groups of six to sixteen people where we challenge and encourage one another on a regular basis Transparent Relationships: Close relationships of three to four where we share intimate details of our lives for accountability The Divine Relationship: Our relationship with Jesus Christ where we grow through the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit Filled with examples and stories, Alex and Bobby show you how to develop discipleship practices in each relational context by sharing how Jesus did it, how the early church practiced it, and how churches are discipling people today.

The Cost of Discipleship

The Cost of Discipleship
Author: Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Publisher:
Total Pages: 210
Release: 2016-07-09
Genre:
ISBN: 9781535181075

One of the most important theologians of the twentieth century illuminates the relationship between ourselves and the teachings of Jesus.

Conversion and Discipleship

Conversion and Discipleship
Author: Bill Hull
Publisher: Zondervan
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2016-01-12
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0310520088

Discipleship occurs when someone answers the call to learn from Jesus how to live his or her life as though Jesus were living it. The end result is that the disciple becomes the kind of person who naturally does what Jesus did. How the church understands salvation and the gospel is the key to recovering a biblical theology of discipleship. Our doctrines of grace and salvation, in some cases, actually prevent us from creating an expectation that we are to be disciples of Jesus. A person can profess to be a Christian and yet still live under the impression that they don’t need to actually follow Jesus. Being a follower is seen as an optional add-on, not a requirement. It is a choice, not a demand. Being a Christian today has no connection with the biblical idea that we are formed into the image of Christ. In this ground-breaking new book, pastor and author Bill Hull shows why our existing models of evangelism and discipleship fail to actually produce followers of Jesus. He looks at the importance of recovering a robust view of the gospel and taking seriously the connection between conversion—answering the call to follow Jesus—and discipleship—living like the one we claim to follow.

Patterns of Discipleship in the New Testament

Patterns of Discipleship in the New Testament
Author: Richard N. Longenecker
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Total Pages: 328
Release: 1996
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780802841698

These essays examine what the New Testament says about the subject of discipleship, highlight the features of both unity and diversity that appear throughout the New Testament, and suggest how Christian discipleship can be expressed today.

Aging with Grace

Aging with Grace
Author: Sharon W. Betters
Publisher: Crossway
Total Pages: 158
Release: 2021-01-25
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1433570106

Aging with Grace by the Power of the Gospel Whatever season of life you're in, God has equipped you to flourish—to live in the transforming power and beauty of his grace. As we age, we can easily lose sight of this message as cultural ideals glorifying youth take center stage. In this book, Sharon W. Betters and Susan Hunt offer present-day and biblical examples of women who rediscovered gospel-rooted joy later in their lives. Equipped with a biblical view of aging, Aging with Grace will help you encounter afresh the gospel that "is big enough, good enough, and powerful enough to make every season of life significant and glorious."

Discipleship Defined

Discipleship Defined
Author: Eric Russ
Publisher: Xulon Press
Total Pages: 106
Release: 2010-11
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1612153569

"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

Discipleship
Author: Greg Laurie
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 1998-07
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9781565079533

Popular pastor and evangelist Greg Laurie takes readers tothe roots of dynamic faith and provides the nourishment they need to growspiritually strong. Concise and contemporary, every page delivers solidprinciples for developing a radical faith.

Gospel-Centered Discipleship

Gospel-Centered Discipleship
Author: Jonathan K. Dodson
Publisher: Crossway
Total Pages: 178
Release: 2012-03-31
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1433530244

Reflecting on the practice of disciple making in young adult, college, graduate, and local church contexts, Jonathan Dodson has discerned some common pitfalls. For many, discipleship is reduced to a form of religious performance before God. For others, it devolves into spiritual license and a loose adherence to spiritual facts. Both approaches distort biblical motivations for Christian obedience and are in need of reform. By explaining various motivations for discipleship, Dodson charts a biblically faithful, grace-driven alternative. Additionally, he provides a practical model for creating gospel-centered discipleship groups—small, reproducible, missional, gender-specific groups of believers that fight for faith together. This book blends both theology and practice to inspire and equip Christians to effectively fight sin, keep Jesus central, and make gospel-centered discipleship a way of life. Both new and growing Christians will learn to trust the gospel in community as they fight together for holiness as well as how to start gospel-centered community groups in any local church.