This four-week series on real-life disciple-making explores how we ought to go about making disciples in everyday life while taking you through a guided Bible reading plan.
Week 1
"Ordinary People, Everyday Life"
Matthew 4:18-19 “As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Follow me,’ said Jesus, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’”
1. Followers are Ordinary People.
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They were ordinary in their qualifications. Acts 4:13
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They were ordinary in their disqualifications. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29
2. Followers live Everyday Lives
Mt. 28:19-20 - “As you are going, make disciples of all nations …”
Mt. 5:16 – “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
I Peter 2:12 – “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”
Ordinary is OK because the Gospel has never been about how great we are!
Following Jesus wasn’t made for the church world, it was made for the real world
Ordinary People … Everyday Life … For Real Life Disciplemaking!
Week 2
"Don't Lead. Follow"
Matthew 4:18-19 “As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Follow me,’ said Jesus, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’”
Following Jesus means …
1. … Jesus leads – always. John 12:26
He’s our Lord. He’s the leader, He’s the master of our lives. In today’s language. Jesus is the boss, He’s the coach, He’s the CEO, He’s the one who calls the shots.
2. … Jesus changes my mind AND my life. Matthew 7:24-26
“In the ancient world a disciple is a follower or adherent of a teacher. It is not the same as being a student in the modern sense. A disciple in the ancient biblical world actively imitated both the life and teaching of the master. It was a deliberate apprenticeship which made the fully formed disciple a living copy of the master.”
3. … Jesus wants us to follow 24/7 in the real world.
Matthew 5:13, Matthew 5:14, Matthew 5:16, Matthew 28:19, 1 Peter 2:12
What do we need to do to follow Jesus?
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Following Jesus Begins at the Cross.
John 14:6 – “Jesus said, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father, except by me.’”
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Fire your old boss – YOU.
Luke 9:23 “Then he said to them all, ‘whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”
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Let’s Follow Together.
Jesus didn’t just call the one disciple – He called a group – they followed Him together.
D I S C U S S I O N Q U E S T I O N S
1. What are differences between just being a church attender and being a genuine Christ follower?
2. Read Luke 9:23 - How do we fire our old boss of self? What other Scripture can you think of to help us with this?
3. Go Deeper … Read Ephesians 4:17-32. What’s the practical process look like of becoming like Christ?
4. What’s the benefit of following together? Read 2 Timothy 2:22.
Week 3
"Being Changed"
Matthew 4:18-19 “As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Follow me,’ said Jesus, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’”
1. Followers Change to Look Like Jesus.
Romans 8:29 “… He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son”
2 Corinthians 3:18 “And we all .. are being transformed into his image”
2. We’ll never change to be like Jesus on our own. John 15:1-5
v. 4 “No branch can bear fruit by itself”, v. 5 “apart from me you can do nothing.”
3. We need constant connection with Jesus.
v. 5 “I am the vine and you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.”
“Remain” - a constant interconnection.
We Remain through … the Word of God … Communication with God … the Spirit of God … the People of God
4. When He prunes we bloom.
v. 2 “While every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
“Pruning allows you to spend your resources growing fruit, not branches.”
D I S C U S S I O N Q U E S T I O N S
Read John 15:1-5
1. Describe what the fruit of Christlikeness looks like. Do you have any biblical examples?
2. Dig deeper on what “Remain” means. How do we remain in Jesus? In what specific ways can you better remain in the vine? Read Hebrews 10:24-25 & 2 Tim. 2:22 … what practical ways can we help each other remain in the vine?
3. What does He “prune” in our lives? What pruning may be occurring through this COVID experience that may carry over after it’s over? How could this pruning help you “bear more fruit?”
4. Pray for each other to be more changed into the image of Jesus!
Week 4
"Called to the Familiar World"
Matthew 4:18-19 “As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Follow me,’ said Jesus, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’”
3 QUALITIES OF A DISCIPLE
Follows Christ … “follow me” (HEAD)
Is Changed by Christ … “I will make you” (HEART)
Is Committed to the Mission of Christ … “fishers of men” (HANDS)
Three phrases to think through God’s design in “fishing for men.”
1. You are God’s tool to reach your world.
Acts 1:8 “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the
earth.”
2. Your Life is God’s Everyday Outreach Event.
Mt. 5:16; I Peter 2:12; John 13:35
3. God Placed You Where You Are on Purpose.
Most of Peter’s ministry was by the Sea of Galilee.
“Some are called to the Foreign World … all are called to the Familiar World.”
How do I start “Fishing?” Pi2
Pray … 3 names to pray for every day.
Invest … time, relationship, connection, care. Relationship earns you the right to speak into their life.
Invite … The more the investment you make, the easier the invite. Invite them to your home, to a watch
party for our Sunday service, to read something together, invite them to Jesus.
D I S C U S S I O N Q U E S T I O N S
1. Of the 3 Qualities of a disciple mentioned above (Follows; Is Changed; Is Committed to Mission), which is the most challenging for you and why? What practical, biblical help would you give someone who finds it hard to follow Christ in that way?
2. Why do believers often struggle with seeing/remembering that their lives as God’s outreach events or that they are placed by God to their location on purpose? How can we change that for us? Can we think of any Scripture passages that could help us think through this?
3. Let’s practice Pi2 for the next few minutes … what 3 names of unbelievers will you pray for opportunities to invest with? What intentional ways can you invest your life in them? Set some goals for the next month to share progress with the group. What are ways we can “Invite” people or begin to move the dialogue toward Jesus?
4. Pray for each other to be disciples that are Committed to the Mission of Jesus Christ.
Week 5
"Recalculating"
Philippians 1:12 “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.”
- Our plans change … God’s Purposes don’t!
- It’s not what happens to me, but what happens through me!
Three Phrases of Importance...
1. (v. 12) – advance the gospel. “Advance”.
2. (v. 13) – “as a result it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.”
3. (v. 14) – “and because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.”
THINGS TO REMEMBER
- Stay committed to God’s purpose. Follow, Be changed By and Commit to the Mission of Christ. Make disciples and build the lives of those already following.
- Don’t get distracted by what is happening to you. Focus on what is happening through you.
We are all Ordinary People … Everyday Life … For Real Life Disciplemaking!
D I S C U S S I O N Q U E S T I O N S
Read Acts 27-28 and highlight the numerous events that happened to Paul on this trip to prison in Rome.
- What typical responses do we give when our plans change or when we experience hard times? How have your responses been through the changes from this virus? Why do we respond these ways?
- Read Paul’s perspective (Phil. 1:12-14) and response to his circumstances. What do you think are biblical reasons why we can have this same response through our circumstances. Can you think of any supporting Scripture?
- It’s hard to stay focused on God’s purposes when we experience trouble.
1. Name some specific people and gospel advancing opportunities you should focus on right now despite your circumstances.
2. Pray for each other to stay mission focused despite your troubles.