The Bible provides an incredible depiction of Jesus through four unique Gospels. Â The Gospel of Mark emphasizes the need to follow Jesus immediately. Â In order to study this book, let’s address the differences between the four Gospels and the unique nature of Mark’s Gospel.
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Multiply Churches
The Multiply Initiative is our simple yet aggressive plan to multiply disciples. As we make disciples within our own church, our prayer is that we will see growth in our church and in the churches we plant or replant.
Multiply Yourself
The Multiply Initiative is our simple yet aggressive plan to multiply disciples. While we can multiply programs, events, services, and churches, the heart of strategy plan is when disciples begin to multiply themselves. If a new Christian simply replicated your life, would you be pleased with his or her maturity? PD 14 – Multiply Yourself Gathering Disciples Jesus first called …
Multiply Disciples
The Multiply Initiative is our simple yet aggressive plan to multiply disciples. Our church is an established church with almost two centuries of discipleship work. As we go forward during this time, we wanted to simplify our strategy as a church and clarify our expectations for our covenant members. The Great Commission Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, …
Overcoming Temptation
A critical element in discipleship is training someone how to overcome temptation. Â While everyone is tempted, particular people are more prone to certain temptations than others.
In order to overcome temptation, let’s identify Satan’s strategy, Jesus’ success, and our steps needed to succeed.
Silence, Solitude, and Sabbath
In our fast-paced society and our continuously-loud distractions, our eyes, ears, bodies, minds, hearts, and souls need margin.
The disciplines of silence, solitude, and Sabbath are meant to provide renewal for the disciple.
Fasting and Discipleship
Fasting is an important and yet overlooked spiritual discipline. Â While most disciplines encourage people to do something, fasting encourages people to do without something.
Fasting is the voluntary denial of physical food for spiritual purposes.Â
Prayer and Discipleship
A personal prayer habit is vitally important in the life of a disciple maker. Â Not only does it remind us of our dependence upon God for sanctification, but we must also model healthy prayer disciplines in our discipleship of others.
We learn how to pray by praying.
Scripture Memory and Discipleship
While reading Scripture is vitally important, oftentimes, we forget what we have read as soon as we have closed our Bibles. Â The lost of art of meditating and memorizing Scripture is a key discipline in the life of the disciple.
We must discipline our minds to have the words of the Bible accessible even when a copy of the Bible is not available.
Bible Study and Discipleship
A key component in personal discipleship is the practice of spiritual disciplines. Â Spiritual disciplines are not meant to make you more liked by Jesus but more like Jesus. Â We discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness (1 Tim. 4:7).
No discipline is more important than regular Bible study because it encourages every other spiritual discipline.
Discipleship in the New Testament
[Guest Post by Bryce Staggs – Rocky Creek Pastoral Resident]
The writers of the New Testament show an importance in discipleship using the word “disciple” over 260 times and the word “Christian” only 3 times. We echo that discipleship is important, but do we know why it’s important, what we should teach, or how to do it?
Discipleship in the Old Testament
While the word, “discipleship,” is not found in the Old Testament, the concept is embedded from the very beginning. God’s people were to pass on a legacy of faith to the following generations.
Time Management and Personal Discipleship
We talk about making disciples, but do we make the time to do it? Â In this series of lessons, we must address time management as it relates to personal discipleship.
Defining Discipleship
We talk about making disciples, but do we know how to do it? Â In this series of lessons on Personal Discipleship, let’s pray that we start obeying the biblical mandate regarding discipleship.
Before we can make a disciple, we need to figure out what one looks like.
Interpreting Revelation
The final book of the Bible is full of glorious promises and yet significant challenges. Â While the entire Bible has interpretive challenges, none is so difficult as the Book of Revelation. Â In our last session of hermeneutics, let us focus on how to be unashamed in our accurate study of this final book.
Interpreting the Epistles
In our study of hermeneutics, the New Testament epistles are an important biblical genre on which to focus.
Interpreting Acts
The Book of Acts is a unique book in all of Scripture. Â Being the only narrative-based book in the New Testament that isn’t a Gospel, extra hermeneutical precaution must be made.
Interpreting the Gospels
As we approach the New Testament, the first hermeneutical task is to learn how to study the Gospels. Â The Gospels are the accounts written to portray the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Interpreting the Prophets
Interpreting the Old Testament prophets is an important hermeneutics’ skill.
While the prophets are historical literature, they are more like sermons commenting on the events than detailed reporting of the events.
Interpreting the Writings
The Writings section of the Old Testament is also referred to as the Wisdom Literature. Â These books don’t fit naturally into the Law, History, or Prophets categories. Â While these books are different, they each artistically teach the wisdom in keeping God’s Law.
Interpreting the Law
In our study of Hermeneutics, we come to one of the most difficult sections of Scripture to interpret – the Law.
Oftentimes, New Testament believers go too far in relation to the Law – either by expressing strict obedience to all types or by ignoring the commandments altogether as not applying to us.  We must find a healthy balance when it comes to interpreting this wonderful section of Scripture.
The Importance of Context
When it comes to reading Scripture, context is key. Â
Too much of our current biblical study focuses on isolated verses and neglects the context of which the verses were originally written.
The Interpretation of Translation
In the 2nd week of our Hermeneutics course, we learned about “The Interpretation of Translation.” Â The Bible in our possession has divisions of testaments, books, chapters and verses. Â 66 books are included and many religious books were left out. Â In addition, the Bible was composed in 3 different languages, and a reading in English means that someone has already began the process of hermeneutics without us really thinking about it.
The Task of Hermeneutics
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. -2 Tim. 2:15
Strategic Prayer
In this final week of our prayer course, we talk about how to pray strategic prayers. The 8-weeks of teaching were a part of our NSU’s “The Battle Plan for Prayer” course. Â I taught it once in the Fall and once in the Spring. I changed the way I taught it in the Spring and liked it so much better …
Praying the Bible
Here is the 7th week of our prayer course. Â In this session, it’s time to unpack what it means to be strategic in our prayers. Â A foundational game changer is if you can learn to pray the Bible. The key passage is John 15:1-7. Audio Key Points The best words to use in counseling are God’s Words. The best words …
Praying in Faith
Here is notes and audio from week 6 of our prayer course. Â The focal text for this study is Mark 9:14-29. Audio Key Points The power of our prayers is that they can outlive us. Prayer is not what we do when we can’t work; prayer is what we do because we want to work. Some people’s ministry are more …
Spiritual Warfare
In this 5th session of our prayer course, we tackle the topic of “Spiritual Warfare” Audio Notes The Christians who get annihilated are the ones who never acknowledge that they are at war. We have a real enemy and his name is Satan. Satan is called the ruler of this world (John 16:11). Satan leads people to walk in the …
Blocks to Prayer
We all have those conversation stoppers in life.  Either what the person says or who the person is saying it may cause us to cover our ears. Scripture reveals there are 12 ways in which God closes his ears to our prayers. UNCONFESSED SIN.  If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.  But truly God has listened; he …
The Principles of Discipline
Parents are called to reflect the character and nature of God in their discipline Weeks ago, I got to partner with area churches and put on a parenting workshop.  We got many requests to make the content available.  Here is the second session, The Principles of Discipline. Use it however it helps you or your church! The Principles of Discipline Key Points …
The Goal of Discipline
The goal of parental discipline is to make disciples within your home. Weeks ago, I got to partner with area churches and put on a parenting workshop.  We got many requests to make the content available.  Here is the first session, The Goal of Discipline. Use it however it helps you or your church! Key Points The Word of God is …
The Lord’s Prayer
“Lord, teach us to pray…” Â -Luke 11:1 Out of all the things the disciples saw Jesus do, they asked him to teach them how to pray. Â He gave what we know as the Lord’s Prayer. Â Oftentimes, it is repeated verbatim, but ultimately, it was given as a template for our prayers. Below are some notes and audio recording from the …
Scheduled and Spontaneous Prayer
Here are some notes and audio recording of the 2nd week of our prayer course. Â Praying this helps you put together your battle plan! Key Points: For what would you like to be known to be devoted? Â For what would God say you are devoted? The more we prioritize scheduled times of prayer, the more often we will gravitate towards …
Devoted to Prayer
You have to be devoted to something before you can become proficient in something. Below is a recording of this week’s prayer course. Here are a few key notes from the session entitled, “Devoted to Prayer.” We all have stories of answered prayers. Prayer doesn’t need more proof, it needs more practice. You have to be devoted to something before …