RiverLife Weekly #45: First Steps in Disciple Making
God calls us to biblical discipleship (Matthew 4:19). Accordingly, we as a church call you to a life of discipleship. This is rarely a linear process. Movement in this journey of discipleship happens in cycles rather than in linear fashion. It can sometimes feel like two steps forward followed by one step backward. It is certainly a long obedience in the same direction, sustained by the grace of God.
However, it is important to acknowledge that there is a traceable development path revealed in the Bible (rlc.sg/wkly13). Be conscious of this path and help others accordingly. It is an incremental journey, with next steps for everyone along the path.
Our Disciple Making Road Map is a tool which illustrates major steps to help you grow spiritually as a disciple (rlc.sg/wb2020). There are smaller steps too, in becoming a disciple here at RiverLife. This tool is part of how we help both new and growing Christians respond to this call to be and to make disciples.
These are four broad stages (five if we include the pre-believing part as Stage ‘0’). And there is an outworking and an outcome for every stage.
- Stage 1 is when someone enters a relationship with Christ by a commitment of faith. This is the entrance into God’s family. Walk with people far from God to help him or her discover Christ.
- Stage 2 is when this new disciple connects with Christ and the Church. The journey of disciple making takes place within the context of being connected to the church and cell community.
- Stage 3 is when the disciple starts to contribute to others. At the end of this stage, you are starting to raise new disciples – walking alongside another to help him or her move along the stages of maturity.
- Stage 4 is when the person brings others to become mature disciples, and eventually, multiply him/herself by nurturing new and mature disciple makers.
You will better understand this process as you start discipling others. It is a commitment to invest relationally while deepening spiritual growth. Here is my encouragement as you get started:
We are in different stages in the discipleship journey.
Encourage those who are newer in the process; any comparison or competition is unnecessary.
Grow wherever you are in the discipleship journey.
God’s Spirit does the work of growth on the inside of us, but we participate with Him. Together as a church family, we move from where we are to where God wants us to be in our spiritual journey.
Take your next step in the discipleship journey.
Wherever you are in the journey, there is always a next step you can take spiritually. A decision, an action or a change in attitude are responses to God along the lifelong walk of faith and obedience.
Pastor Ben KC Lee
God calls us to biblical discipleship (Matthew 4:19). Accordingly, we as a church call you to a life of discipleship. This is rarely a linear process. Movement in this journey of discipleship happens in cycles rather than in linear fashion. It can sometimes feel like two steps forward followed by one step backward. It is certainly a long obedience in the same direction, sustained by the grace of God.
However, it is important to acknowledge that there is a traceable development path revealed in the Bible (rlc.sg/wkly13). Be conscious of this path and help others accordingly. It is an incremental journey, with next steps for everyone along the path.
Our Disciple Making Road Map is a tool which illustrates major steps to help you grow spiritually as a disciple (rlc.sg/wb2020). There are smaller steps too, in becoming a disciple here at RiverLife. This tool is part of how we help both new and growing Christians respond to this call to be and to make disciples.
These are four broad stages (five if we include the pre-believing part as Stage ‘0’). And there is an outworking and an outcome for every stage.
- Stage 1 is when someone enters a relationship with Christ by a commitment of faith. This is the entrance into God’s family. Walk with people far from God to help him or her discover Christ.
- Stage 2 is when this new disciple connects with Christ and the Church. The journey of disciple making takes place within the context of being connected to the church and cell community.
- Stage 3 is when the disciple starts to contribute to others. At the end of this stage, you are starting to raise new disciples – walking alongside another to help him or her move along the stages of maturity.
- Stage 4 is when the person brings others to become mature disciples, and eventually, multiply him/herself by nurturing new and mature disciple makers.
You will better understand this process as you start discipling others. It is a commitment to invest relationally while deepening spiritual growth. Here is my encouragement as you get started:
We are in different stages in the discipleship journey.
Encourage those who are newer in the process; any comparison or competition is unnecessary.
Grow wherever you are in the discipleship journey.
God’s Spirit does the work of growth on the inside of us, but we participate with Him. Together as a church family, we move from where we are to where God wants us to be in our spiritual journey.
Take your next step in the discipleship journey.
Wherever you are in the journey, there is always a next step you can take spiritually. A decision, an action or a change in attitude are responses to God along the lifelong walk of faith and obedience.
Pastor Ben KC Lee
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