What is Discipleship and why it's important

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Discipleship is a lifelong journey of obedience to Christ, which transforms a person's values and behavior, and results in ministry in the home, church and the world.

Here is a basic outline of a discipleship study program.

Salvation: What happened when I got saved and what is my new relationship to God? Your decision to trust Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior is the greatest decision you could ever make. However, it is very unlikely you understand the true significance of what has happened in your life.

Eternal Security: Now that I am saved, can I ever lose my Salvation? NO. Once you have settled the question of salvation as the Bible declares it-by grace through faith in Jesus Christ-it is important you understand how this decision has affected your entire life.

Baptism: Now that I am Saved, where do I start? Virtually all religious denominations teach some form of baptism as part of their doctrine. The diversities in their teachings are wide. God commands you to be baptized. It is your first act of obedience.

The Holy Spirit: What are the functions and attributes of the Holy Spirit in my life? The day you received the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, the Holy Spirit of God took up permanent residency inside your body. This third person of the trinity is perhaps the most misunderstood and ignored part of a Christian's relationship with God.

The Word of God: What is the significance of the Bible in my life? What separates Christianity from any "religion" in the world is its claim to an absolute written authority from God. Having the Word of God is essential to a Christian's growth in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. The standards by which we as Christians are to govern the details of our individual lives are found in the pages of the Word of God.

Prayer: How important is prayer in my life? A Christian is only as strong as his or her prayer life. When you read the Bible, God speaks to you. When you pray, you speak to God. Your personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ cannot grow without proper communication. Prayer is simply your direct communication to God.

The Will of God: How do I find God's Will for my life? A famous preacher once said a successful man is a man who finds out what God wants him to accomplish with his life and then fulfills it. This is a very profound statement. The true measure of a person's success is not social status, a bank account, influence, or fame. It is simply doing what God wants.

The Local Church: What is the purpose of my involvement in a local church? God has established three major institutions on this earth: the family, the civil government, and the local church. It is the local church which has been commissioned by God to carry out His purposes in reaching the lost and perfecting the saved. Therefore, God's plan for a Christian will always be fulfilled best when connected with the local church.

Other Christians: What is my relationship to other Christians? When you got saved, you moved from the devil's family to God's family. Spiritually, you now have a new family with many other brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ.

Giving: What is the meaning of giving and what are my responsibilities in this area? Giving is an extremely controversial subject in Christianity today largely due to the severe pressures exerted on God's people to give to so many worthy causes. This is perhaps on of the most misunderstood subjects in Christianity.

Money and Possessions in General: What should be my attitude toward money and possessions? One of the greatest temptations we face as Christians in America is the tremendous materialism in our culture. We are geared to think success is measured by the abundance of our material wealth. In reality, a man's success is measured by fulfilling God's plan for his life.

Dealing with Sin: How do I overcome sin in my life? A famous preacher once said that when a saved person begins to battle sin in his own life, he enters a combat so intense it makes World War ll look like a Sunday picnic. This truth is not evident to a young Christian. As you grow, however, you will more completely realize the intensity of the struggle.

Liberty in Christ: Since all my sins are forgiven, am I free to do as I please? The New Testament is very clear that as saved people you are no longer bound by law to please God. You are now under His grace. Many people, however, take this freedom as an opportunity to sin, thinking they are free to do as they wish.

My Job and Employer: What should be my attitude toward my job and employer? Since the Bible is the final authority in everything you will ever encounter in life, it is no surprise it has a great deal to say about how you are to conduct yourself on your job. We spend about one-fourth of our adult life on the job and it is essential to your growth to learn how the Lord Jesus Christ would have you look at this area of responsibility. If you intend to be and effective servant of God, you must do so with all your life and not just three-fourths of it.

The Lost World: As a Christian, how do I relate to the lost world? The Bible is very clear that the present world system is contrary to God's eternal purpose. The Word of God commands His children to be separate from this world system. At the same time, we are to reach lost men and woman who live in it for Jesus Christ.

The Judgment Seat of Christ: Is there a Judgment Day for Christians and for what will I be accountable? The Christian life is a series of paradoxical truths. The Bible says God's ways are not our ways because man looks on outward physical matters while God looks at the heart attitude and operates in the spiritual realm. If you are going to serve God effectively, you must take your focus off physical matters and concentrate on the spiritual. Your life will only make sense and have purpose and meaning as you live in the spiritual realm, focused on eternal matters.

Please note these are some topics that should be studied. Each category/topic should be accompanied with a workbook and someone knowledgeable in scripture to assist you.

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