Passage Into Discipleship

Passage Into Discipleship is designed to help older children and youth more faithfully prepare for the act of baptism by teaching what it means to walk a Christian journey. This book incorporates four different learning models that stimulate young people in being excited about becoming followers of Jesus. Learning models include classroom instruction, community and communal hands-on experiences, mentors that guide youth throughout the process, and a day-long retreat that concludes the curriculum. Topics discussed in the book include confession, contrition, covenant, community, and connection, which are each coupled with key scripture texts. Each topic covered connects church theological concepts with daily life application.

Students of the Bible are generally comfortable with their understanding of the command “make disciples” (Matt 28:19). Indeed, most of them would argue that the Gospel writer, Matthew, spells out very clearly the meaning of the term in the Great Commission (Matt 28:16–20) by utilizing three key words, viz., “go[ing],” “baptizing,” and “teaching.” This point of view is the result of centuries of scholarly opinion that has looked primarily, if not solely, to these three adjacent participles of “make disciples” (Matt 28:19), and not to the entire Gospel of Matthew, for the meaning of the command. This book does not suggest that “going,” “baptizing,” and “teaching” are not to be considered in determining the essence of Christian disciple-making. Rather, it contends that the three terms should not be our only source of meaning. This problem is tackled herein by demonstrating that Matthew establishes a framework within the Great Commission itself that points to a fuller meaning of “make disciples” in the broader context of his Gospel, and that the Gospel writer expects his reader to draw on his entire Gospel to grasp the full meaning of this important command.

Katherine Joy Kihlstrom Timpte addresses a gap in scholarship by answering the question: “how is a child supposed to be the model recipient of the kingdom of God?” While most scholarship on Mark 10:13-16 agrees that children are metaphorically employed because of their qualities of dependence, Timpte argues that it is more specifically an image of the disciple's radical transformation, which both mirrors and reverses the traditional rites of passage by which a child became an adult. Timpte suggests that Jesus, by insisting that one must enter the Kingdom of God as a child, invokes two interlacing images. First, to enter the Kingdom of God, one must be fundamentally transformed and changed. Second, this transformation reverses the rite by which a child would have become an adult, removing the adult's superior status. Beginning with a summary of the scholarship surrounding children in the Bible, Timpte explores the perception of children in the ancient world, their rites of passage and entrance into adulthood, and contrasting this with the processing of entering the kingdom of God, while also highlighting childish characters in Mark. Timpte concludes that to enter into the kingdom as a child means that one must strip off those things one gained by leaving childhood behind: wealth, respect, family, much like Jesus, who throughout Mark's Gospel moves from powerful to powerless, respected to despised, and accepted by all to rejected even (seemingly) by God. Jesus models transformation to childhood in an emphasis on what the Kingdom of God is like.

The Evangelical Protestant church is in the midst of a crisis—but the causes might be different than we think. In this book, Jesse Hamilton argues that the reason for the church’s growing disunity, moral and cultural confusion, and general lack of passion and power is its perpetual neglect of the fundamentals of discipleship—what it truly means to follow Jesus. Our only hope for change is to recalibrate our hearts and lives on the call of Christ and the New Testament distinctives of absolute surrender, deep and abiding holiness, the work of prayer, and engagement with the lost and needy of the world—all the things that the modern church has so often struggled to commit to. But first, the church must come to a biblical understanding of what these things actually are and how we must pursue them. Combining theological rigor with clarity of thought and simplicity of style, Discipleship and the Evangelical Church aims to reach modern Christians with the urgent message of the hour, which is nothing other than the timeless call of Christ to follow him.

The older teens in your parish want a youth ministry program that exposes them to relevant, real-world topics in an active, engaging way. Horizons is an innovative, comprehensive approach to religious education. Its foundation is teacher-led, creative learning strategies that give students ample opportunities for discussion, reflection--and fun! Designed for grades 9-12, Horizons utilizes a module system so that you can combine courses and topics to meet the specific needs of your parish. Seven core courses set the stage for discussing central and foundational themes. Then choose from a wide selection of age-appropriate minicourses to round out your curriculum and craft summer courses, retreats, and youth-group activities. The Youth Ministry Strategies component features more than 65 creative youth activities to complement the Horizons curriculum. And on top of all that, Horizons includes outstanding training resources. You'll be able to create the most engaging and relevant youth ministry program for senior high that is available anywhere.

How can you help believers become more Christlike? How do you facilitate spiritual growth in others? Featuring simple summaries, charts, illustrations, practical applications, and discussion questions, the Rose Guide to Discipleship is an ideal reproducible guide for pastors and ministry leaders. It includes 30 ready-to-use lessons for discipling new Christians on the topics of salvation, forgiveness, prayer, trusting God, studying the Bible, and more. Rose Publishing Product Code: 4112X

Jesus' prayer in John 17, known as "Jesus' High Priestly Prayer," is significant for its literary context, and it is rich in theological content. It brings Jesus' farewell speech to its climax and anticipates his glorification in his death on the cross. Although historical approaches often consider this passage to be a later addition, its content is truly Johannine. It presents Jesus as the Son who is sent into the world to reveal the Father to the world. It also illumines John's understanding of authentic discipleship. Consequently, John 17 is rich in its teaching on discipleship as well as in its teaching on Christology. The theme of discipleship in John has received significant attention in the last four decades. However, as the first chapter of this dissertation shows, the relationship between Christology and discipleship in the Johannine narrative in general, and in John 17 in particular, has not been sufficiently investigated. This dissertation explores the relationship between discipleship and Christology in John 17, i.e., how discipleship has its basis in the Gospel's Christology, and how the christological teaching of the Gospel leads to authentic discipleship. In the second chapter, a narrative reading of selected passages from chapters 1-12 shows John's tendency to present christological teaching that leads to teaching on discipleship. The reading of these passages also identifies the elements that indicate the christological character of Johannine discipleship. The third chapter of this dissertation deals with the literary context, the text, and the structure of John 17. This chapter shows that throughout the Farewell Discourse John presents his christological understanding of Jesus as a basis for his message about discipleship. The exegesis of John 17 in the fourth chapter confirms that John's teaching on Christology and discipleship are intimately interrelated to each other. All the elements that indicate the christological character of discipleship are on display in John 17. The dissertation concludes that Christology, which is the center and heartbeat of John's thought, is not an end in itself but leads to discipleship. The twofold message of Christology and discipleship is a distinctive Johannine trait.

This book, first published in 1995, introduces, retells and analyses the Gospel of Matthew.