Dare to be a Disciple 4b
Read Dare to be a Disciple 4
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
This course has been born out of a conviction that I have, in my 22 years as a preacher, teacher and pastor, concentrated too much on making converts and too little on making disciples. I have come to the realisation that the two are not the same. Jesus command is "Go and make disciples", so
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
This course has been born out of a conviction that I have, in my 22 years as a preacher, teacher and pastor, concentrated too much on making converts and too little on making disciples. I have come to the realisation that the two are not the same. Jesus command is "Go and make disciples", so
ACTS OF DEVOTION
We
will practice daily devotions, including the reading of Scripture and prayers
for group members.
I
will pray each day, privately and publicly.
I
will spend at least one hour each day in the disciplines of praise,
thanksgiving, confession, petition, intercession and meditation.
I
will pray daily in solitude and with my family or friends, I will include all
the members of my covenant disciple group in my daily prayers.
I
will keep a diary to plan my daily and weekly prayers.
We
will make the study of Scripture a central part of our daily devotions.
We
will agree on our daily Bible readings and share our insights as we give an
account each week.
I
will record the spiritual insights of my daily Bible reading.
I
will read the Bible each day as a devotional exercise, not as a study
assignment.
We
will each keep a spiritual journal and will devote time at the end of each day
to enter our reflections as the Holy Spirit leads us.
I
will spend at least thirty minutes each day alone with God, of which fifteen
minutes will be spent just listening to God.
I
will pray each day for my enemies.
I
will take the initiative each day in holding family devotions.
I
will read only those materials and watch only those programs which enhance my
discipleship.
I
prayerfully pledge to practice responsible stewardship of my God-given
resources: my body,
the
environment, my artistic graces, and, my intellectual gifts.
In
order to care for our individual wholeness in body, mind, and spirit, we will
schedule time each week for retreat, reflection, renewal and fun.
Knowing
that my body is the temple of God, I will prayerfully plan my work and leisure
time.
My main resources in drawing up this course are:
Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Covenant Discipleship by David Lowes Watson
The Sermon on the Mount by Scot McKnight
The Sermon on the Mount by Cedric Poole
