Message Notes
Discipleship: Journey Toward Sanctification Series Notes, Jan. 9-Feb. 6 2022
Passage: Matthew 22:37-40; Ephesians 4:11-16
Memory Verse: “Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’” – Matt. 22:37, NIV
- The Goal of Discipleship is to be Spiritually Mature (Matt. 22:37-40)
Loving God with all your being!
Loving People
Spiritual growth is a process (progressive sanctification)
Does a Follower of Jesus ever reach complete spiritual maturity in this life? No!
Spiritual growth can be understood as (from Move by Greg Hawkins, 2016):
- Four Categories of Spiritual Maturity
Exploring Christ – those that are like unborn babies that believe in God but are uncertain about Jesus.
Growing in Christ – those that are like newborn babies or small children just learning what it means and how to grow their relationship.
Close to Christ – those that are like older children or teens that depend on Jesus to help them in their day-to-day lives.
Christ-Centered – those that are like functional and contributing spiritual adults that believe Jesus is THE most important person in their life and live as such.
- Twelve Catalysts that promote Spiritual Growth
Four Beliefs
Three Attitudes
Three Practices
Two Activities
Everything begins with what we believe! The first belief is:
- I Cannot Earn Heaven
God is Righteous (Matt. 5:48; Exod. 20:3)
We are Not (Rom. 1:18; 3:10, 23; Gal. 5:19-21)
Jesus Offers us His Righteousness (Phil. 3:7-11)
Conclusion:
So where are you in the discipleship journey?
We all begin by confessing that there is nothing we can do to earn favor with God. Then we need to accept what Christ did on the cross as payment for all our sin.
Do you believe this? Have you taken the step of giving your life to God by trusting in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross? I encourage you to adopt this belief today.
Do you feel stuck in your discipleship journey? Decide today that this year you will be intentional about your discipleship journey.
We would love to hear from you about how God spoke to you today? Were you listening? What did He say to you?
Share it with us…
You can share what God is saying to you today by telling Pastor Blake about it on your Next Step form. Click this link to share your spiritual step with Pastor Blake.
Watch our Livestream each week HERE
Passage: Various
Memory Verse: “Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’” – Matt. 22:37, NIV
Discipleship is the process of becoming Christ-centered in our spiritual journey; to reflect the character of Jesus (Eph. 4:13; Matt. 22:37-40)
Four Categories of Spiritual Growth
Exploring Christ – those that are like unborn babies that believe in God but are uncertain about Jesus.
Growing in Christ – those that are like newborn babies or small children just learning what it means and how to grow their relationship.
Close to Christ – those that are like older children or teens that depend on Jesus to help them in their day-to-day lives.
Christ-Centered – those that are like functional and contributing spiritual adults that believe Jesus is THE most important person in their life and live as such.
Twelve Catalysts/Promoters/Indicators of Spiritual Growth
Four Beliefs
Three Attitudes
Three Practices
Two Activities
(Based on Move by Hawkins and Parkinson, 2011)
Everything begins with what we believe! The first belief is:
Belief #1 – I Cannot Earn Heaven!
(Check out Part 1, The Starting Point of this series)
Belief #2 – The Bible is the Final Authority!
- How do we know it’s true?
- Internal Evidence: Unity & Consistency; Ethical Standards; Fulfilled Prophecy
- External Evidence: Historical Influence; Historical & Archeological Accuracy; Survived Attacks; Authenticity of New Testament documents; Jesus Affirmed Old Testament; etc.
- When we accept this belief (1 Tim. 3:16) we look for all our…
- How does it help me grow?
- You won’t have an unhealthy…
- You won’t be…
- You won’t be…
- You WILL have the same moral compass as…
Belief #3 – Jesus is God!
- How do we know it’s true? (John 1:14; Phil. 2:6; Col. 1:15; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 1:3)
- When we believe this:
- We believe that Jesus was both…
- We believe that Jesus is the only One able to…
- We believe that Jesus is the only way to…
- How does it help us grow?
- We are more grateful for…
- It makes Jesus coming to earth more…
- We grow closer because of our…
Belief #4 God is a Personal God!
- How do we know it’s true?
- God’s names that demonstrate His personality (Gen. 16:13-14)
- The Bible uses personal…
- The Bible’s description of God’s emotional…
- When we believe this:
- We reject the belief that God is…
- We reject the belief that God is a “force” or…
- We believe that God has an:
- How does it help me grow?
- We can entrust our cares and concerns (Matt. 11:28) to Jesus knowing that…
- We can know that our time spent with Jesus is not wasted (James 4:8) because He truly is…
- We grow in our relationship with God as we…
Conclusion:
These are the four beliefs that most effectively cause spiritual growth in our lives. They are not the only important beliefs that we need to accept but they prove to be the ones that make the biggest impact on our discipleship journey.
If you have accepted these beliefs, then you are well on your way on the discipleship journey.
Don’t let it bother you if you still wrestling with some of them! When we consider how they impact our lives, it’s no surprise that people struggle to accept them. Just keep searching out what is true.
I would be glad to talk with you, answer your questions and provide you with some resources to assist you in your search to understand and, hopefully, believe.
What’s your next step today in your discipleship journey?
Share it with us…
You can share what God is saying to you today by telling Pastor Blake about it on your Next Step form. Click this link to share your spiritual step with Pastor Blake.
Watch our Livestream each week HERE
Passage: Various
Memory Verse: “Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’” – Matt. 22:37, NIV
Discipleship is the process of becoming Christ-centered in our spiritual journey; to reflect the character of Jesus (Eph. 4:13; Matt. 22:37-40)
Four Categories of Spiritual Growth
Exploring Christ – those that believe in God but are uncertain about Jesus.
Growing in Christ – new believers and just starting to grow.
Close to Christ – believers that depend on Jesus daily.
Christ-Centered – believers that are TOTALLY surrendered to Jesus in ALL things.
Twelve Catalysts of Spiritual Growth
Four Beliefs – things we hold to be true!
Three Attitudes – mindset that reflects or demonstrates our beliefs.
Three Practices
Two Activities
(Based on Move by Hawkins and Parkinson, 2011)
Everything begins with what we believe!
Belief #1 – I Cannot Earn Heaven!
Belief #2 – The Bible is the Final Authority!
Belief #3 – Jesus is God!
Belief #4 God is a Personal God!
(See part two of our series)
Attitude #1 – Jesus is 1st in my Life
· Colossians 1:15-18 declares that Jesus is “______________”!
“And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” (Colossians 1:18, NIV)
· When my beliefs are rooted, this becomes my ____________!
· Jesus saved my life so now my life belongs to _________!
Attitude #2 – My Identity is in Christ Jesus
· This attitude conflicts with direct attacks against ___________ teaching!
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20, NIV)
· In Christ, I am:
o (Rom. 6:11) ___________________
o (Rom. 8:1) _____________________
o (Rom. 8:2) ______________________
o (Rom. 8:39) __________________________
o (Rom. 12:5) ______________________
o (1 Cor. 1:2) ___________________
o (2 Cor. 5:17) ______________________
o (Gal. 3:26) ________________________
Attitude #3 – I’m willing to risk it all for Jesus.
· It’s not always about doing something outrageous for God!
· It’s about being willing to __________________ it all for Jesus. (Phil. 3:7-20)
“What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8, NIV)
“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13–14, NIV)
· Attitudes are the demonstration of our ___________.
J – esus __________
O – thers ___________
Y – ourself _________
Conclusion:
Does your life reflect and demonstrate these 3 attitudes?
Does Jesus have 1st place in your life?
Do you identify as a Christ-follower, finding your identity in Jesus only, or are you still looking to the world we live in for your identity? Or, worse, letting the world we live in tell you what your identity is?
Are you willing to risk everything in your life, sacrifice it all, for the sake of Jesus?
How are you doing in your discipleship journey? Do you have questions? Would you like some direction on your next step? That’s what having a church family is all about. Having other people around you to ask questions and explore your next step.
Remember, your journey begins with your beliefs. And we’re here to help you learn about these beliefs.
That begins when you share where you’re at and let us encourage you and provide resources for your study.
Share the next step you’re ready to take with us…
You can share what God is saying to you today by telling Pastor Blake about it on your Next Step form. Click this link to share your spiritual step with Pastor Blake.
Watch our Livestream each week HERE
You can share what God is saying to you today by telling Pastor Blake about it on your Next Step form. Click this link to share your spiritual step with Pastor Blake.
Watch our Livestream each week HERE
Share it with us…
You can share what God is saying to you today by telling Pastor Blake about it on your Next Step form. Click this link to share your spiritual step with Pastor Blake.
Watch our Livestream each week HERE