From Believer to Disciple
Join us as we go behind the scenes, unpack the message, and dive even deeper into the conversation. You won’t want to miss it!
Hebrews 11 NIV 1-38
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going... For he was LOOKING FORWARD to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God... They were longing for a better country—A HEAVENLY ONE. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a CITY for them... By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, BECAUSE HE WAS LOOKING AHEAD TO HIS REWARD... And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them.
Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. FOR THE JOY set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
“If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did most for the PRESENT world were just those who thought most of the NEXT. The Apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the Slave Trade, all left their mark on Earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the OTHER world that they have become so ineffective in THIS. Aim at Heaven and you will get earth “thrown in”: aim at earth and you will get neither.”-- C.S. Lewis
“For the JOY set before me, I will throw off EASY BELIEVISM & I will embrace DISCIPLESHIP.”
James 2:19 NIV
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
Luke 14:25-28 NLT
A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, “If you want to be my DISCIPLE, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my DISCIPLE. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my DISCIPLE. “But don’t begin until you count the cost.”
The Difference Between a Believer and a Disciple:
BELIEVER: Believes in Jesus as Savior but lives to please themselves
DISCIPLE: Believes in Jesus as Lord and lives to please God
BELIEVER: Exalts their opinions, feelings and thoughts above the Word of God
DISCIPLE: Exalts the Word of God above their opinions, feelings and thoughts
BELIEVER: Thinks of church as a place they go to hear what God’s Word says
DISCIPLE: Thinks of church as a place they learn to do what God’s Word says
BELIEVER: Follows the example of the world that seeks to go higher
DISCIPLE: Follows the example of Jesus that seeks to go lower
Discipleship is a lifelong, Holy Spirit-led journey of becoming fully mature in Jesus through our HEAD, HEART, & HANDS.
We believe that discipleship happens in 3 areas:
* HEAD
* HEART
* HANDS
James 1:22 NIV
Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
WEEKEND SERVICES - The focus is HEAD & HEART, with a little bit of HANDS.
SMALL GROUPS - The focus is HANDS, with a little bit of HEAD & HEART.
Luke 14:1-6 NIV
One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way. Then he asked them, “If one of you has a CHILD or an OX that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?” And they had nothing to say.
Maybe you made a decision to follow Jesus today, or maybe you’re curious what life with Him is all about. Wherever you are on your journey, we invite you to share with us so we can help you discover your next step.
