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Citywide Baptist Church

Next Steps: The journey of discipleship

Next Steps: The journey of discipleship

In this series of messages we are wanting to explore what it means to get real as followers of Jesus and to be honest about the journey to whole life that he invites us into.

Locations & Times

Citywide Baptist Church (Mornington)

400 Cambridge Rd, Mornington TAS 7018, Australia

Sunday 10:00 AM

Jesus promises life...
There is a danger in calling ourselves Christian but not obeying Jesus
We want to be a church that is full of people who are increasingly focussed on Jesus, and decreasingly living from wrong beliefs that hold us back from life.
"A notable heresy has come into being throughout evangelical Christian circles--the widely-accepted concept that we humans can choose to accept Christ only because we need him as Savior and that we have the right to postpone our obedience to him as Lord as long as we want to."

- AW Tozer
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The Root Question

The life we find in Jesus comes as we allow him to change our fundamental beliefs, which is what happens when we focus on him and live from his teaching.
Growing up in our salvation is a process that requires giving up all the imitation food we have been relying on and living on pure spiritual milk.
Following Jesus is a constant and gradual journey of change and increasing levels of freedom.
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Growing faith

Discussion Question:

How has walking with Jesus changed you over the last couple of years?










Reflection: Allow space to examine the beliefs behind your thoughts and actions
The unexamined life is not worth living
- Socrates
Recognise: Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you into truth
Following Jesus is an ongoing process of recognition, of increasing knowledge and depth of insight.
As you begin to glimpse your wrong beliefs, you will need input to help you see new ways forward.
Choose: Choose a different path... but not from guilt.
Choosing will always be a discipline.
Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people. The classical Disciplines* of the spiritual life call us to move beyond surface living into the depths. They invite us to explore the inner caverns of the spiritual realm. They urge us to be the answer to a hollow world.

Richard Foster
These are the kinds of things we mean by the FOLLOW, BLESS AND SHARE acronyms.

Fast and Pray:
Observe Sabbath
Listen to God.
Learn the Bible.
Offer Tithe and Time
Worship

Speak the Truth in Love
Have Space
Actively Listen.
Reflect Grace
Encourage

Bless people
Listen to the Holy Spirit
Eat with people
Study Jesus’ way.
Sent with purpose
Act: it is our actions, and not our ideas, that change us and the world.
Doing things repeatedly produces habit, which produces character.
We want to be a church that encourages you and resources you to truly follow Jesus by training yourself to be godly in every area of your life.
SPIRITUAL FORMATION is the process through which those who love and trust Jesus Christ effectively take on his character. When this process is what it should be, they increasingly live their lives as he would if he were in their place.

Dallas Willard






Small Group Questions:

1. Read the quote from AW Tozer. How do you respond?

2. Read the Dallas Willard quote about life's problems. Do you agree? Can you think of problems that apprenticeship to Jesus cannot solve?

3. How is the process of "growing up in your salvation" working you at the moment?

4. Which of the reflect, recognise, choose and act phases of discipleship could you strengthen in your own life?

5. What do you think about the definition of Spiritual Formation? What are the areas of your life that Jesus is wanting to focus on at the moment?