Discipleship From Jesus S Perspective

In this masterful work George Gray calls the church to live out the most natural expression of her love and obedience to the Master. Grounded in careful exegesis, comprehensive, and sensitive to the complexities of modern life, Gray examines the Gospels as a script that reveals not only how Jesus shaped the first disciples, but how we must carry on making disciples in His name. David B. Capes, Thomas Nelson Research Professor, Houston Baptist University * * * Discipleship is not about teaching someone to pray and read his or her Bible; it is about learning how Jesus wants us to pray and read our Bibles. Discipleship is not about the doctrine of the Church, but the doctrine of Jesus Christ, the head of the Church. It is not about attending a church service, but attending to the Lord Jesus's view of what it means to be the church. In Discipleship from Jesus's Perspective, author George Gray presents a guide for becoming a disciple the way Jesus intended, that discipleship means adhering to His expressed will. Gray carefully examines Jesus's pivotal statements regarding discipleship and unearths the key principles that transform the art of making a disciple from a subjective guessing game to an objective and definitive master plan. Including purposeful questions and exercises, Discipleship from Jesus's Perspective provides practical steps for following the master plan and applying the commands to everyday life to become a true disciple of Jesus.

Aging with Grace by the Power of the Gospel Whatever season of life you're in, God has equipped you to flourish—to live in the transforming power and beauty of his grace. As we age, we can easily lose sight of this message as cultural ideals glorifying youth take center stage. In this book, Sharon W. Betters and Susan Hunt offer present-day and biblical examples of women who rediscovered gospel-rooted joy later in their lives. Equipped with a biblical view of aging, Aging with Grace will help you encounter afresh the gospel that "is big enough, good enough, and powerful enough to make every season of life significant and glorious."

Everyone is being discipled. The question is: what is discipling us? The majority of Christians today are being discipled by popular media, flashy events, and folk theology because churches have neglected their responsibility to make disciples. But the church is not a secondary platform in the mission of God; it is the primary platform God uses to grow people into the image of Jesus. Therefore, as church leaders, it is our primary responsibility to establish environments and relationships where people can be trained, grow, and be sent as disciples. There are three indispensable elements of discipleship: Learning to participate in the biblical story (the Bible) Growing in our confession of who God is and who we are (theology) Regularly participating in private and corporate intentional action (spiritual disciplines) Deep Discipleship equips churches to reclaim the responsibility of discipling people at any point on their journey.

One of the most important theologians of the twentieth century illuminates the relationship between ourselves and the teachings of Jesus.

In response to readers' comments, this revised edition provides helpful clarifications, charts, and expanded notes and references. Kraus, in a theological description of Jesus Christ, offers answers to questions of Jesus' identity and the nature of the revelation-salvation which came through him. This anticipates his volume, 'God Our Savior', dealing with implications of Christ's revelation for other data of theology, such as God, humankind, the Holy Spirit, church, and eschatology. For many years the idea of vicarious suffering to atone for the sins of humanity has not been self-evident in Western culture, to say nothing of the cultures of Asia. Western theologians have presupposed Roman categories of guilt and legal penalty as the framework for their explanations. However, this has been unsatisfactory in cultures where social tradition and shame are primary moral sanctions. Observing that the biblical cultural context was more oriented to shame than to a legal concept of guilt, Kraus has reinterpreted the meaning and efficacy of the cross as the means of God's salvation. Such a reinterpretation requires that one also reevaluate the theological definition of Jesus' person. How one understands what he did for us is closely related to how one understands who he was. His identity and role mutually impact each other. Thus one must ask, Who was this one who reconciled us to God by suffering the shame of our sin? In answer, Kraus finds concepts of self-identity and self-revelation most helpful. Jesus, the self-revelation of God to us, is God-giving-himself-to-us. That self-revelation comes as a self-giving, and only in the form of a genuinely personal, historical, and human relationship. In all of this the author intends to present an authentically biblical picture of Jesus, but in the context of modern language and thought forms.

For a person of faith, life can be a smorgasbord of choices often described as “exciting opportunities.” Conferences, seminars, classes, book studies, CD’s, retreats, videos, workshops and need-specific Bible studies abound, all designed to encourage spiritual growth. But, are Christians truly grounded in the bedrock of doctrine that supports and enriches their faith? Can they explain what they believe? Are they equipped so they can teach others? Do they have any cultural impact at all? In these post-Christian times, Judy Streeter encourages a return to the example of Jesus Christ while He was on earth. His primary plan was to disciple a few men. It was where He invested most of His time, knowing that the continuation of His teachings rested on their shoulders. The combination of good instruction, plus accountability within a small group makes for a fertile environment where solid growth can occur. Convinced that the church needs this kind of dynamic to nurture its own and to withstand the influences of a secular culture, Judy makes a strong case for the importance and effectiveness of obeying Christ’s command to “go and make disciples.” Beginning with the convicting principles of Scripture and moving into a clear definition of discipleship, this book is doctrinally solid, yet practical, and obviously written by someone who has spent years doing what is recommended.

As a follower of Jesus, are you satisfied with just seeing Him in the pages of scripture, or are you so captivated that you want others to see Him also? Maybe it’s been a while since you’ve had a good look at your Master. If so, "Seeing Jesus - A Disciple's Perspective" will help you see Jesus with fresh eyes, and encourage you to keep looking on your own. "Seeing Jesus" is about knowing and following Jesus Christ. This free preview contains 7 parts from the "Travelogue" section of the book.

Question: What is the God-given purpose of the local church? Answer: Relational discipleship. DiscipleShift walks you through five key "shifts" that churches must make to refocus on the fundamental biblical mission of discipleship. These intentional changes will attract the world and empower your church members to be salt and light in their communities. Over the last thirty years, many influential church leaders and church planters in America have adopted various models for reaching unchurched people. While many of these approaches have merit, something is still missing, something even more fundamental to the mission of the church: discipleship. Making disciples—helping people to trust and follow Jesus—is the church's God-given mandate. Devoted disciples attract people outside the church because of the change others see in their Christ-like lives. And discipleship empowers Christians to be more like Christ as they intentionally develop relationships with non-believers. Through biblical and professional insights, Jim Putman and Bobby Harrington discuss the transformational effectiveness of making disciples and just how to do so, in practical terms. You’ll learn: The specific roles of a disciple-making pastor. The components of person-to-person discipleship. How each ministry in your church leads to discipleship. How to implement discipleship in your church. Disciple-making leaders will not produce perfect churches, but they will create effective churches.