The first Sunday School was started a little over 200 years ago—so I am fully aware that Jesus did not have a Sunday School class in the same way we talk about it today. Yet Jesus clearly did have a small group ministry with the 12 disciples. His ministry to His “class” of disciples was an intentional strategy and priority of His ministry on earth. I have been studying a little about Jesus’ work with His small group and I have discovered some principles that still apply today.
Prayer is a key strategy for reaching new people. Before Jesus enlisted His disciples, He spent much time in prayer. Each teacher would do well to have a prayer list of prospects for his or her class. Prayer for prospects focuses us on who we are trying to reach and provides insight on how to reach them. Are you and the members of your class praying for the people they are hoping to reach?
Personally seek out the people you want to reach. Jesus did not wait for someone else to enlist people for Him. He did not expect people to simply find their way to Him or drop by because they were in the area—He went after His disciples! Many Sunday School classes have no strategy or plan for reaching new people. All growth requires effort and work. We cannot expect new people to attend if we are not working a plan for reaching them. Are you and the members of your class inviting people to attend your Sunday School class?
Jesus also accepted the personal responsibility for the spiritual growth of the people in His group. I know that people have to want to grow to make any real progress, but there must also be someone willing to lead and teach them. A good teacher assumes that the enrollees are ready and willing. She sees the potential of each individual and designs the lessons with the needs of the pupils in mind. Are you seeing personal growth in the lives of the people in your class?
Jesus equipped His disciples to serve. He didn’t just fill their heads with facts and Bible knowledge and send them home with notebooks full of information. No, He demonstrated compassionate ministry and then sent His disciples out to do the same. The success of a Sunday School class is not measured in attendance alone. Instead of asking, “How many have come,” we should also ask, “How many have been sent out?” Are you and the members of your class involved in ministry projects and outreach?
Jesus released leaders out of His group to start new groups, new churches, and new ministries. If Jesus was not willing to release His 12 disciples, the church may not even exist today. New Sunday School classes are almost always started by a few committed leaders who have been learning from a faithful teacher who was unselfish enough to release them with his blessing and encouragement. It is a blessing to extend the level of your influence by releasing the people you have discipled to serve in other places.
Can you imagine a father who says that he loves his children so much that he never wants to see them marry and start families of their own? That is unhealthy and unnatural. Growing things reproduce themselves. Growing Sunday School classes do the same. Are you and the members of your class releasing people to teach and start other classes?
Jesus is the ultimate Sunday School expert. The leadership He provided for His small group of disciples is a challenge to us all. Leading a class “Jesus Style” produces amazing results!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Does Sunday School Really Work?
I can remember when I became the pastor of the first church I served in that position. Our church was in a rural setting in a small village along the Ohio River. The church had a parsonage and I could literally look out a bedroom window and see the church building less than 70 feet away. When the dust settled from moving in our furniture, I remember looking out a window to admire the church building. Then my eyes wondered past the building to the community around it. A sudden realization hit me. I was now responsible to organize and guide our church to reach the people in our community. Frankly, my formal training did not really prepare me for that part of my job and I began to feel some anxiety about how to help the church reach out to the lost and unchurched.
As I began to pray, my mind began to go back to a Sunday School conference that my home church had hosted for our Association in Columbus,Ohio. A dynamic preacher named Leon Kilbreth had taught us that following good Sunday School practices would reach the lost and grow the church. I bought Mr. Kilbreth’s sermon tapes and began to put his teachings into practice. In the first five years we saw our attendance grow from 107 to 139. Nine years later, in the second church I pastored, we also used Sunday School as a primary tool for reaching our community. We saw our average attendance grow from 30 people to 230 people in 11 years. Naturally, I am convinced that the Sunday School really works, but I am not the only one.
Steve Parr researched the growth of the Georgia Baptist Convention and put some of his findings in a book entitled, Sunday School that Really Works. He researched the top 100 fastest growing Sunday Schools based on percentage growth. He had churches of all sizes in that group and found that in three years, these churches averaged 58% more baptisms while the entire convention had 1.6% fewer baptisms. The bottom line is this, when the Sunday School grows in a church, more people are saved and baptized.
Thom Rainer is the president of LifeWay Christian Resources—formerly the Baptist Sunday School Board. He researched churches of various denominations and made a surprising discovery about the “keeping power” of the Sunday School. In his book, Surprising Insights from the Unchurched, his research shows that 83% of new converts stay connected and faithful to the church when they are involved in the Sunday School, while only 16% stay faithful in church attendance if they are not immediately connected to a Sunday School class. That tells us that being in a Sunday School class nearly guarantees that a person will not backslide into unfaithfulness! What other program can make that kind of claim?
Let me give you some of my own “research.” Nearly all of the people who attend a Sunday School class do so because they were invited by someone now active in Sunday School. That is more common sense than hard research, but we all know it is true. People return to Sunday School because they have a good experience when they come—the teacher is prepared and interesting and they are well received by class members. People will attend Sunday School regularly when they develop relationships with the people in their class. They develop relationships to a certain level when they attend the class, but the relationships grow deeper when they meet outside the class in an atmosphere of fun and fellowship.
Does Sunday School really work? It does as long as we are willing to work it!
As I began to pray, my mind began to go back to a Sunday School conference that my home church had hosted for our Association in Columbus,Ohio. A dynamic preacher named Leon Kilbreth had taught us that following good Sunday School practices would reach the lost and grow the church. I bought Mr. Kilbreth’s sermon tapes and began to put his teachings into practice. In the first five years we saw our attendance grow from 107 to 139. Nine years later, in the second church I pastored, we also used Sunday School as a primary tool for reaching our community. We saw our average attendance grow from 30 people to 230 people in 11 years. Naturally, I am convinced that the Sunday School really works, but I am not the only one.
Steve Parr researched the growth of the Georgia Baptist Convention and put some of his findings in a book entitled, Sunday School that Really Works. He researched the top 100 fastest growing Sunday Schools based on percentage growth. He had churches of all sizes in that group and found that in three years, these churches averaged 58% more baptisms while the entire convention had 1.6% fewer baptisms. The bottom line is this, when the Sunday School grows in a church, more people are saved and baptized.
Thom Rainer is the president of LifeWay Christian Resources—formerly the Baptist Sunday School Board. He researched churches of various denominations and made a surprising discovery about the “keeping power” of the Sunday School. In his book, Surprising Insights from the Unchurched, his research shows that 83% of new converts stay connected and faithful to the church when they are involved in the Sunday School, while only 16% stay faithful in church attendance if they are not immediately connected to a Sunday School class. That tells us that being in a Sunday School class nearly guarantees that a person will not backslide into unfaithfulness! What other program can make that kind of claim?
Let me give you some of my own “research.” Nearly all of the people who attend a Sunday School class do so because they were invited by someone now active in Sunday School. That is more common sense than hard research, but we all know it is true. People return to Sunday School because they have a good experience when they come—the teacher is prepared and interesting and they are well received by class members. People will attend Sunday School regularly when they develop relationships with the people in their class. They develop relationships to a certain level when they attend the class, but the relationships grow deeper when they meet outside the class in an atmosphere of fun and fellowship.
Does Sunday School really work? It does as long as we are willing to work it!
Monday, August 15, 2011
Ten Things I Believe About Sunday School
1. I believe the potential for Sunday School ministry has never been greater than it is today. The Sunday School organizes the entire church to be on mission with God in our community. Our world is desperate for real, lasting relationships. People are starving for truth! Mission, fellowship and teaching are all part of the Sunday School.
2. I believe in the desire and power of God to use everyday Christians in extraordinary ways. Sunday School allows the opportunity to serve the Lord in very significant ways without a degree or any formal training.
3. I believe in the multiplication effect of Sunday School classes. If each adult class could double and divide into two classes in two years, our Sunday School would be ministering to twice as many people in 2013.
4. I believe the Sunday School impacts every other ministry in the church because leaders are developed in the Sunday School class. Every growing church needs leaders to serve in various ministries in a local church.
5. I believe the future of our church will rise or fall on the effectiveness of our Sunday School. When the Sunday School grows, the worship service grows and the same effect can be seen in each department. When the Sunday School fails to grow, it leads to decline in worship as well as other vital areas of ministry.
6. I believe the gospel is still the only hope for our world. The Sunday School is all about getting the gospel to people who need to hear it and believe it. When a Sunday School class embraces their mission, the kingdom of God becomes more populated.
7. I believe some of tomorrow’s greatest leaders are in our preschool, children, and youth classes right now. Sunday School impacts future generations in a way only surpassed by the family. Lives are shaped for God’s will and work each week by dedicated teachers who minister to future generations today.
8. I believe the Sunday School is the best way to keep people involved in the things of God once they trust Christ as Savior. When people are reached for Christ through door-to-door visitation, only about 2% are involved in church two years later. About 20% of the people reached through big events and crusades are involved in church two years later. When people come to Christ and are connected to a Sunday School class, 80% are still involved two years later.
9. I believe the Sunday School is very fertile ground for growing Christians for Christ. Learning the Word of God can be done in many settings, but the Sunday School provides ways for people to actually get involved in the Great Commission. Jesus taught by allowing His disciples to have hands-on experience reaching and ministering to people. The same approach is the practice of good Sunday School ministry. My first ministry in the church as a new Believer was serving as outreach director for my Sunday School class.
10. I believe the greatest catalyst for the success of a Sunday School class is the teacher of that class. No one has more influence on a class than the teacher. No one will motivate outreach and spiritual growth in a class more than the teacher.
2. I believe in the desire and power of God to use everyday Christians in extraordinary ways. Sunday School allows the opportunity to serve the Lord in very significant ways without a degree or any formal training.
3. I believe in the multiplication effect of Sunday School classes. If each adult class could double and divide into two classes in two years, our Sunday School would be ministering to twice as many people in 2013.
4. I believe the Sunday School impacts every other ministry in the church because leaders are developed in the Sunday School class. Every growing church needs leaders to serve in various ministries in a local church.
5. I believe the future of our church will rise or fall on the effectiveness of our Sunday School. When the Sunday School grows, the worship service grows and the same effect can be seen in each department. When the Sunday School fails to grow, it leads to decline in worship as well as other vital areas of ministry.
6. I believe the gospel is still the only hope for our world. The Sunday School is all about getting the gospel to people who need to hear it and believe it. When a Sunday School class embraces their mission, the kingdom of God becomes more populated.
7. I believe some of tomorrow’s greatest leaders are in our preschool, children, and youth classes right now. Sunday School impacts future generations in a way only surpassed by the family. Lives are shaped for God’s will and work each week by dedicated teachers who minister to future generations today.
8. I believe the Sunday School is the best way to keep people involved in the things of God once they trust Christ as Savior. When people are reached for Christ through door-to-door visitation, only about 2% are involved in church two years later. About 20% of the people reached through big events and crusades are involved in church two years later. When people come to Christ and are connected to a Sunday School class, 80% are still involved two years later.
9. I believe the Sunday School is very fertile ground for growing Christians for Christ. Learning the Word of God can be done in many settings, but the Sunday School provides ways for people to actually get involved in the Great Commission. Jesus taught by allowing His disciples to have hands-on experience reaching and ministering to people. The same approach is the practice of good Sunday School ministry. My first ministry in the church as a new Believer was serving as outreach director for my Sunday School class.
10. I believe the greatest catalyst for the success of a Sunday School class is the teacher of that class. No one has more influence on a class than the teacher. No one will motivate outreach and spiritual growth in a class more than the teacher.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Sunday School Closes the Back Door—Research Proves It!
As America has received immigrants throughout our nation’s history, one great challenge for these new residents is how to assimilate into a new culture. Our missionaries often face the same difficulty as they take the gospel to other countries. There is a new language to learn, new attitudes to adjust to, and even new customs to learn. A similar thing happens as God brings new people into His church. People often have difficulty felling like they fit in.
In the work of the church, one of our greatest challenges is good assimilation—that is, making people feel they are really part of the church family and making them feel they are accepted into the culture of our church. Without a doubt, studies have demonstrated time and again, that Sunday School is still one of the best ways to make people feel they belong and to close the “back door” of the church.
Thom S. Rainer, in his book High Expectations writes the following findings from his research, "The new Christians who immediately became active in the Sunday School were five times more likely to remain in the church five years later (we did not include those who moved to another community or those who died in the "dropout" category)." The studies conducted by LifeWay have concluded that five years after joining a church, those active in Sunday School are still active church members 83% of the time. Those active in Worship only are still active five years later only 16% of the time.
This book also has a section that states, "In the 1980s I had become a 'Sunday School skeptic.' Any lingering doubts I had about Sunday School were erased when my research team… conducted a study of 576 churches in America. One would think that I would have no surprise when the strength of the Sunday School became evident in yet another research project. This time, however, the overwhelmingly positive response regarding the Sunday School surprised me. No assimilation methodology came close to Sunday School in effectiveness."
Dr. Rainer, continues, "The research is clear if not overwhelming. Sunday School is the most effective assimilation methodology in evangelistic churches today. But the mere existence of a Sunday School does not produce assimilation. Sunday School works. But only if we work Sunday School. We have known that Sunday School is a vital component of the past for American churches. Its history is almost as old as our nation itself. But more and more the research indicated that Sunday School is not only our past, it is our future as well. And we who are leaders in the church will ignore this reality to our churches' peril."
It makes no sense to ignore the reality that if people attend worship only that they go out the back door almost as quickly as they come in the front door. The more people who are involved in Sunday School, the stronger our church will be now, and in the future.
In the work of the church, one of our greatest challenges is good assimilation—that is, making people feel they are really part of the church family and making them feel they are accepted into the culture of our church. Without a doubt, studies have demonstrated time and again, that Sunday School is still one of the best ways to make people feel they belong and to close the “back door” of the church.
Thom S. Rainer, in his book High Expectations writes the following findings from his research, "The new Christians who immediately became active in the Sunday School were five times more likely to remain in the church five years later (we did not include those who moved to another community or those who died in the "dropout" category)." The studies conducted by LifeWay have concluded that five years after joining a church, those active in Sunday School are still active church members 83% of the time. Those active in Worship only are still active five years later only 16% of the time.
This book also has a section that states, "In the 1980s I had become a 'Sunday School skeptic.' Any lingering doubts I had about Sunday School were erased when my research team… conducted a study of 576 churches in America. One would think that I would have no surprise when the strength of the Sunday School became evident in yet another research project. This time, however, the overwhelmingly positive response regarding the Sunday School surprised me. No assimilation methodology came close to Sunday School in effectiveness."
Dr. Rainer, continues, "The research is clear if not overwhelming. Sunday School is the most effective assimilation methodology in evangelistic churches today. But the mere existence of a Sunday School does not produce assimilation. Sunday School works. But only if we work Sunday School. We have known that Sunday School is a vital component of the past for American churches. Its history is almost as old as our nation itself. But more and more the research indicated that Sunday School is not only our past, it is our future as well. And we who are leaders in the church will ignore this reality to our churches' peril."
It makes no sense to ignore the reality that if people attend worship only that they go out the back door almost as quickly as they come in the front door. The more people who are involved in Sunday School, the stronger our church will be now, and in the future.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Social Websites—Good or Bad?
Despite what my kids may think, I was not alive when the light bulb was invented, or when Orville and Wilber Wright flew their first plane, or when the first automobile rolled down the street, frightening horses and small children. Although one son did tell me I looked like a T-Rex when I typed on my laptop computer, I think he knows that I’m not living in the “dark ages”—you know, back when people used pen and paper to express their ideas instead of computers and text messages. I was not one who used to say, “If men were meant to fly, God would have given them wings.”
Anytime there is new technology or media coming out, it seems many people ask the question if it is good or bad. When talking movies first came out, many questioned if society was going to regret it. When TV sets were being placed in nearly every home, was that a good thing? How about today’s new social media? We now have Facebook and Twitter that allows us to post our thoughts and activities within seconds, for the world to see. We have the ability to play video games with someone from Scotland and talk by video link using Skype, or a smart phone or iPod Touch. Is that good?
We’ve all heard about evil uses of such devices. The congressman who sent out immoral photos of himself has been in the news lately. We have crime units in our own county that are involved in internet stings to apprehend child molesters. And it is true that gossips and slanderers can now spread their poison at the speed of cyberspace, causing great damage to the people of God and His church. But does that make the technology evil?
The truth is that the radio is neither good nor evil. The blessing, or the curse, is with the one who is broadcasting. The same is true about Facebook. It is a tool. Just like hammers can be used to build something or destroy something, emails and text messages can be used to build up, or tear down. Put the hammer in the hands of a carpenter and you might have a house to live in. Put the hammer in the hands of a three-year old, and you might need to replace the house you live in! The internet is like a power tool! There needs to be a little maturity on the part of the user before we turn him loose with it.
We need to be careful not to say something about a person on Facebook that we would not say to her face to face, or in front of her mother, or with TV cameras pointed at us. Our message may be read by more people than those who watch the evening news! Even an email can be mistakenly shared with others you did not expect to read it.
Jesus taught that we should let our “yes” mean “yes” and our “no” mean “no.” The words of our lives must be true to our hearts’ intent. They are an expression of our heart. That is especially true on the internet. What you type today cannot be taken back once it is posted, and there is a good chance your great-grandchildren might be able to retrieve it one day once it is out there.
Some may suggest that it is better to let the technology pass us by. “Who needs to send a text-message when you can just pick up the same phone and call the person?” they say. The answer lies in the fact that the technology can be used for good. It can be used to help the old, old story be told in a new and relevant way. It can be used to remind your spouse that you are thinking about her and you love her all the more. Recently, I took a close-up picture of my eye and sent it to my daughter’s boyfriend and sent the text, “I have my eye on you.” Isn’t technology great?
Anytime there is new technology or media coming out, it seems many people ask the question if it is good or bad. When talking movies first came out, many questioned if society was going to regret it. When TV sets were being placed in nearly every home, was that a good thing? How about today’s new social media? We now have Facebook and Twitter that allows us to post our thoughts and activities within seconds, for the world to see. We have the ability to play video games with someone from Scotland and talk by video link using Skype, or a smart phone or iPod Touch. Is that good?
We’ve all heard about evil uses of such devices. The congressman who sent out immoral photos of himself has been in the news lately. We have crime units in our own county that are involved in internet stings to apprehend child molesters. And it is true that gossips and slanderers can now spread their poison at the speed of cyberspace, causing great damage to the people of God and His church. But does that make the technology evil?
The truth is that the radio is neither good nor evil. The blessing, or the curse, is with the one who is broadcasting. The same is true about Facebook. It is a tool. Just like hammers can be used to build something or destroy something, emails and text messages can be used to build up, or tear down. Put the hammer in the hands of a carpenter and you might have a house to live in. Put the hammer in the hands of a three-year old, and you might need to replace the house you live in! The internet is like a power tool! There needs to be a little maturity on the part of the user before we turn him loose with it.
We need to be careful not to say something about a person on Facebook that we would not say to her face to face, or in front of her mother, or with TV cameras pointed at us. Our message may be read by more people than those who watch the evening news! Even an email can be mistakenly shared with others you did not expect to read it.
Jesus taught that we should let our “yes” mean “yes” and our “no” mean “no.” The words of our lives must be true to our hearts’ intent. They are an expression of our heart. That is especially true on the internet. What you type today cannot be taken back once it is posted, and there is a good chance your great-grandchildren might be able to retrieve it one day once it is out there.
Some may suggest that it is better to let the technology pass us by. “Who needs to send a text-message when you can just pick up the same phone and call the person?” they say. The answer lies in the fact that the technology can be used for good. It can be used to help the old, old story be told in a new and relevant way. It can be used to remind your spouse that you are thinking about her and you love her all the more. Recently, I took a close-up picture of my eye and sent it to my daughter’s boyfriend and sent the text, “I have my eye on you.” Isn’t technology great?
Monday, June 20, 2011
The Church's First Priority
What is “job one” for the church? We know the church has three basic purposes: 1) Community Worship God, 2) Building up Believers and 3) Sharing Christ with our world. Of these three purposes, which is our first priority as a church?
On a personal level, I am convinced that everything in my life flows out of my worship relationship with God. I will grow on an individual level in direct relationship to my personal worship experience with Jesus Christ. But on a church level, is worship job one? In other words, on a corporate level, as a church body, is worship our first priority?
As I read the Scriptures I believe evangelism is the first priority of a church body. As we analyze our use of money, time and manpower related to our work as a church family, reaching people with the gospel message should come first. The church does many important things, but our number one mission is the same as it was in the days of the Apostles.
History reveals that many churches and denominations have come and gone. Their loss of influence began as they allowed “good things” to replace the first priority of the church. Social and political actions can be a part of the church’s effort to be “salt and light” to the world. Caring for the poor and needy is something in which each Christian should be involved. But we stop being the church God has called us to be when the salvation of souls becomes a secondary issue.
We proclaim a saving gospel, not a social gospel. Ours is a life-changing message of redemption, not a self-improvement message of social reform. All these things have their place, but the number one priority will be the same until Jesus returns. Share Jesus!
On a personal level, I am convinced that everything in my life flows out of my worship relationship with God. I will grow on an individual level in direct relationship to my personal worship experience with Jesus Christ. But on a church level, is worship job one? In other words, on a corporate level, as a church body, is worship our first priority?
As I read the Scriptures I believe evangelism is the first priority of a church body. As we analyze our use of money, time and manpower related to our work as a church family, reaching people with the gospel message should come first. The church does many important things, but our number one mission is the same as it was in the days of the Apostles.
History reveals that many churches and denominations have come and gone. Their loss of influence began as they allowed “good things” to replace the first priority of the church. Social and political actions can be a part of the church’s effort to be “salt and light” to the world. Caring for the poor and needy is something in which each Christian should be involved. But we stop being the church God has called us to be when the salvation of souls becomes a secondary issue.
We proclaim a saving gospel, not a social gospel. Ours is a life-changing message of redemption, not a self-improvement message of social reform. All these things have their place, but the number one priority will be the same until Jesus returns. Share Jesus!
Monday, June 6, 2011
What Does it Mean to be a Disciple of Christ?
Being a Disciple of Jesus Christ is the ultimate goal of the Christian life. The word “disciple” carries the idea of being an apprentice or a pupil of a master teacher. The word also conveys the idea that certain disciplines are necessary to carry out the responsibilities of a disciple. A modern tragedy is that many come to Christ for salvation but never experience what it means to be His disciple. Today I want us to focus on what it really means to follow Jesus as His disciple.
Being a disciple has three basic components according to Luke 9:23. The first is to deny yourself. That means we must renounce a self-centered life to follow Christ as His disciple. The second component is to take up your cross. That is, die to self and live for Christ. Third, Jesus says, “Follow Me.” That means to minister in His name. These components really get to the motivation of the disciple.
We abide in Christ by spending time with Him—John 15:5. Every serious disciple must learn to develop a daily personal “quiet time” with God. The concept is simple. If I am to learn from Christ, I must spend time with Him. To meet with the Lord, find a quiet place and a quiet time that works for you and then aim for consistency. Don’t worry about the number of minutes you spend in prayer and reading the Word. Focus instead on having at least a brief time every day.
Living in the Word is a basic discipline of a disciple according to John 8:31-32. We need to hear the Word preached and taught. We need to read the Word regularly and study it using a pen and paper to write down what God is saying to us. When we include memorization and meditation, we are on our way to growing deeper in the Word of God. There is no shortcut to knowing your Bible.
According to John 15:7, praying in faith is another basic discipline of a disciple. For years I have used a simple four-part approach in my personal prayer time. It spells the word P-R-A-Y. I begin with praise. Praise focuses on the character of God and includes times of thanksgiving. Repentance requires serious self-examination and confession of specific sins to maintain a clear conscience with God. Asking is the next part of my prayer time. I ask for blessings and help for myself as well as others. Yielding is the fourth part of my prayer time as I seek to recommit myself to the Lord all over again.
Fellowshipping with Believers is a vital part to being a disciple—John 13:34-35. The church is not a building or organization though it uses both. The church is a living “body” carrying out Christ’s ministry on earth today. I don’t think anyone can be a serious follower of Christ without involvement in the local church unless, perhaps, they are providentially hindered.
The next discipline of a disciple is witnessing to the world. John 15:8 gives little room for our many attempts at excusing ourselves from sharing Christ with the lost. Through the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) we witness through our lifestyles, but the reality is that no one is saved without a verbal witness (1 Peter 3:15). As His disciple we must be ready to share when He opens a door.
Finally, a disciple is one who ministers to others—John 15:13. We each have received a spiritual gift (1 Peter 4:10) with which to serve. There is always a way to serve others, no matter our age or abilities. By such love toward each other, the world knows we are His followers.
Being a disciple has three basic components according to Luke 9:23. The first is to deny yourself. That means we must renounce a self-centered life to follow Christ as His disciple. The second component is to take up your cross. That is, die to self and live for Christ. Third, Jesus says, “Follow Me.” That means to minister in His name. These components really get to the motivation of the disciple.
We abide in Christ by spending time with Him—John 15:5. Every serious disciple must learn to develop a daily personal “quiet time” with God. The concept is simple. If I am to learn from Christ, I must spend time with Him. To meet with the Lord, find a quiet place and a quiet time that works for you and then aim for consistency. Don’t worry about the number of minutes you spend in prayer and reading the Word. Focus instead on having at least a brief time every day.
Living in the Word is a basic discipline of a disciple according to John 8:31-32. We need to hear the Word preached and taught. We need to read the Word regularly and study it using a pen and paper to write down what God is saying to us. When we include memorization and meditation, we are on our way to growing deeper in the Word of God. There is no shortcut to knowing your Bible.
According to John 15:7, praying in faith is another basic discipline of a disciple. For years I have used a simple four-part approach in my personal prayer time. It spells the word P-R-A-Y. I begin with praise. Praise focuses on the character of God and includes times of thanksgiving. Repentance requires serious self-examination and confession of specific sins to maintain a clear conscience with God. Asking is the next part of my prayer time. I ask for blessings and help for myself as well as others. Yielding is the fourth part of my prayer time as I seek to recommit myself to the Lord all over again.
Fellowshipping with Believers is a vital part to being a disciple—John 13:34-35. The church is not a building or organization though it uses both. The church is a living “body” carrying out Christ’s ministry on earth today. I don’t think anyone can be a serious follower of Christ without involvement in the local church unless, perhaps, they are providentially hindered.
The next discipline of a disciple is witnessing to the world. John 15:8 gives little room for our many attempts at excusing ourselves from sharing Christ with the lost. Through the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) we witness through our lifestyles, but the reality is that no one is saved without a verbal witness (1 Peter 3:15). As His disciple we must be ready to share when He opens a door.
Finally, a disciple is one who ministers to others—John 15:13. We each have received a spiritual gift (1 Peter 4:10) with which to serve. There is always a way to serve others, no matter our age or abilities. By such love toward each other, the world knows we are His followers.
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