What has your discipleship journey looked like?
Did someone take you under their wing, meet regularly for coffee, or study the Bible with you? Maybe they were a constant presence during a time of need?
Who were the people who intentionally walked alongside your journey in life and faith?
Now, how about you? Have you ever been asked to disciple someone?
Did you feel nervous or anxious? Uncertain of what to talk about or teach?
It can be a daunting question, particularly if you don't have a guide, or if you've never benefited from a relationship with the express purpose of growing in Christ.
While not everyone leans toward scripted discipleship programs—and these relationships are certainly not limited to such—an outline can certainly benefit through exploring a variety of topics, so that none are missed or even avoided.
Here's where Life with Jesus: A Discipleship Course for Every Christian by Tim Chester is a useful tool!
Life With Jesus by Tim Chester | Book Review
Content
Content
Purpose of the Book
Tim writes this course to help you and your small group learn what it means to be a disciple and how to follow Christ.
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
PART ONE: A New Life
CHAPTER 1 Gospel: We Share the Victory of Jesus
CHAPTER 2 Grace: We Enjoy the Welcome of Jesus
CHAPTER 3 Church: We Belong to the Family of Jesus
PART TWO: A Changed Perspective
CHAPTER 4 Obedience: Jesus Gives Us a New View of God
CHAPTER 5 United: Jesus Gives Us a New Power for Life
CHAPTER 6 Suffering Jesus Gives Us a New Hope for the Future
PART THREE: A Real Connection
CHAPTER 7 Bible: We Can Hear God’s Voice
CHAPTER 8 Prayer: We Can Seek God’s Help
CHAPTER 9 Communion: We Can Know God’s Love
PART FOUR: A Compelling Lifestyle CHAPTER 10 Money: Jesus Enables Us to Lead a Contented Life CHAPTER 11 Sex: Jesus Enables Us to Lead a Full Life CHAPTER 12 Witness: Jesus Enables Us to Lead an Attractive Life
Summary
In Life With Jesus you have a 12 week discipleship resource you can use with your spouse, your adult/teenage Sunday school class, your small group, or your neighbours.
Every chapter focuses on one aspect of the Christian life and begins with a short scenario—a question or situation you likely encounter during your week. Next there's a passage of Scripture to study with a handful of questions for reflection, then a section or two with teaching and a couple more questions. The chapter ends with action points to consider for our head, our heart, and our hands.
My Take
If you're going to build a shed, you'll need a hammer. No shed gets built without a tool to put the nails in, keeping the wood together.
The goal of our Christian lives is to live each day dying more to sin and living more to righteousness. Building a shed, like growing in Christ, can't happen in a vacuum.
Now, there's a tension here about how we really believe our spiritual growth happens, between the work of God and our own effort. In Deeper, Dane Ortlund talks about 4 different ways Christians understand it:
God, then me (He saves me and then it's all up to me)
God, not me (God saves me and everything after that is still all Him and I don't have to do anything)
God plus me (God does some, I do some; a partnership where we're each doing half)
God in me (God saves me and sanctifies me by His grace alone and because I am safe and secure in Him, where He leads, I follow)
To trust God with our spiritual growth and depend on His grace at work in us each day isn't easy. We constantly wrestle with our own ambitions and desires, even godly ones, that would have us believe we are achieving something - even spiritual maturity - on the basis of our efforts.
"For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— not from works, so that no one can boast" (Eph 2:8-9).
So we follow our Lord Jesus, as our builder. Instead of us building our own shed, we're more like the child standing beside their father while he works. He does all the planning and constructing, while we stand alongside, and hold the nails, fetch the hammer, and help hold the plywood in place.
And, sometimes, we may not be sure how to follow and need an outline to instruct us.
My Recommendation
It's pretty simple. Gather some people together and work through topics of spiritual growth in the Christian life, digging a little deeper, reflecting a little more. This resource equips you to grow in fellowship with others by digging into the Word and seeking his grace in prayer as he builds us more into his image every day.
Excellent for small groups or 1-1 discipleship.
Quick Stats
# of pages: 106
Level of Difficulty: Easy
My Rating: 5 stars
From the Author
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Scriptures About Being a Disciple
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (Jn 8:31-32)
A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. (Lk 6:40)
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Mt 28:19-20)
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”(Jn 13:35)
And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. (2 Tim 2:2)
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*A big thanks to the The Good Book Company for the complimentary copy of this book and for the opportunity to post an honest review
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