The Disciple Of Jesus...
...Is A Student Of God.

The Disciple of Jesus is a life-long learner of the ways of God...

...with the intent to become like the Teacher...

...and, eventually...

...be a teacher of new followers...

...as well.

In other words...

...the one who is taught...

...becomes a teacher...

...who teaches others...

...how to teach others.

How's that for clarity? :)

Before we go any further...

...I would like to give you a definition of "disciple":

1) One who assists in spreading the teachings of another.

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ARE YOU READY TO BE A DISCIPLE?

My friend...

...you should have read..."Grow the Seed"...

...before you came to this page...

...but, if you have not...

...I would encourage you to do so...now.

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Go to "The Seed"

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If you have come to this page after reading...

"The Surrender"...

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Go to "The Surrender"

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...I pray that you have joined me...

...as a "brother" or "sister"....

...in the family of God.

Welcome...new family member! :)

As we move along...here...

...I am moving forward with the assumption that

you have surrendered your life to Jesus: The Son of God...

...and that you have an idea of what type of "soil" you are...

...from reading "The Seed."

REMEMBER THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER?

My prayer for you is that you are "good soil"...my friend.

That means that you are going to endure...

...overcome...

...and conquer.

Your life IS going to produce fruit...

...in abundance...

...no matter what obstacles or adversities you face.

You will be an overcomer.

As a matter of fact...

...disciples are overcomers.

The road ahead is an adventure...my friend...

...there will be many surprises...

...distractions...

...challenges...

...and twists and turns...

...you never saw coming.

Sounds like life in general...doesn't it?

Well...not necessarily.

YOU HAVE A NEW PURPOSE

As A child of God...

...and a new disciple...

...you have embarked upon a new voyage of God's own choosing.

He created you for a very specific purpose...

...and it is up to you to "find" that purpose.

How do you find your purpose?

You start by walking the new path...

...that has been placed in front of you...as a child of God.

As you continue to follow this path...

...which God will help you to do...

...through the Holy Spirit...

...you will have many "opportunities" to wander from the path.

If you refuse to wander...

...and continue on your new path...

...your purpose will come to you.

God fulfills the purpose of His disciples.

IF YOU DECIDE TO WANDER...

However...

...if you decide to wander...be warned.

Some wander away...and never find their way back.

Some start running off...

...on what may appear to be an easier path to follow...

...but, in the end...

...they realize it was all a lie...or...

...they get entangled in a mess they can't find their way out of.

Some decide they're tired of the "family life" as a child of God...

...and start chasing after all the "pleasures" this world will offer.

They often end up in the gutter of life...

...and start thinking about the "family" they left behind.

Some find their way back...

...some do not.

I've just restated...in a another way...

...the different soils that the "seed"...or Word of

God...can fall into.

As a disciple of Jesus...

...you may occasionally wander from the path.

But...

...what makes you a true disciple...

...is that you always return "home"...

...and repent (turn away from)...

...of your waywardness.

The grace (gift) of God...

...will always welcome you back home.

Never forget that.

Your heavenly Father loves you too much.

He has adopted you as His child...

...and accepted you as His disciple.

Just keep this in mind...

...it's best not to wander.

Decide to remain steady and strong...my friend.

STAY NOURISHED...BE A DISCIPLE

Do not misunderstand me...

...if you surrendered your life to Jesus...

and you are "good soil"...

...you will be an overcomer.

But...

...you need to make sure you are giving the "new life"...

...that you have now become...

...nourishment.

Without nourishment...this "new life" will die.

(Remember the soils?)

This is where being a disciple comes in.

By choosing to be a disciple...

...you choose to become all God created you to be.

You see...being a disciple...is a decision.

You must decide that...

...you will continue...

...steadfastly..

...unwaveringly...

...down the new path you have been placed upon.

YOUR PURPOSE WILL FIND YOU

Ultimately...

...being a disciple will lead you to maturity

...in your relationship with God.

You will be able to look back on your life...

...and see God's hand in everything that took place in your life.

Being a disciple...

...is having the purpose for your life fulfilled by God.

That's what I said...by God.

The Scriptures state that...

...God will fulfill His purpose for you.

You must trust Him fully...

...and continue to deepen your relationship with Him.

Your faith will be stretched and tested at times...

...but you will grow stronger...

...and closer to God...

...as you lean heavily upon Him...and endure.

Just keep your face turned toward Jesus...

...and you will not wander from the path.

This is easier said...than done...my friend.

There are many things in this life...

...that scream for your attention.

However...

...a disciple remains focused.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

You must maintain your focus...

...on the only thing that will matter in the end...

...your relationship with God...

...in the powerful name of Jesus...

...by the Holy Spirit...

...Who lives in you.

Jesus said it this way:

"The thing you should want most is God's kingdom and doing what God wants.Then all these other things you need will be given to you" (Matthew 6:33 NCV).

You see...

...God has a way of making everything...

...turn out for your good...

...if you keep your faith and trust in Him...

...and continue on your new path to maturity.

The Scripture for this is found in the New Testament book of Romans:

"We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love Him.They are the people he called, because that was His plan" (Romans 8:28 NCV).

Continue to "feed" on the Word of God.

Continue to pray to Him...

...and be with Him...daily.

A disciple is a learner...my friend.

Learn to be aware of His presence continuously.

Memorize Bible Scriptures.

Consider every memorized verse...

...a treasure you have hidden in your heart.

They will be a source of strength...comfort...wisdom...

...and knowledge...

...that are unrivaled in their significance.

I have put together a list of Scripture verses...

...that will be most beneficial for you...

...as you continue your walk with God.

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Go to "Living the Word"

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DISCIPLES GROW TOGETHER

Make sure...

...you find a strong Bible-believing church...

...and get involved.

Find a Bible study group...and join them.

This small-group setting...

...could be the most important part of growing-up...

...in the family of God...

...than anything else you could do.

Ask God to help you find the right group...

...and go for it!

God will honor your courage...

...and even give you the courage...

...if you take the first steps.

There are many others out there...

...just like you...

...who have heard the call...

...and decided to be a disciple of Jesus.

Join with them...as you walk the same path together!

IT'S A CONTINUOUS WALK OF FAITH

A disciple walks by faith...not by sight.

This new path you walk...with your eyes on Jesus...

...is a continuous walk of faith.

You became a child of God...by faith...

...and you will mature by faith...as well.

Faith involves action...my friend.

The Bible says:

"...faith that is alone--that does nothing--is dead" (James 2:17).

WHAT SHOULD I BE DOING?

The world...and your own desires...as well...

...have been telling you all along...

...that you have to get as much as you can...

...even if you have to take it.

Jesus came to teach us the way it works in His kingdom...

...which is the complete opposite...

...of what you and I have come to hear...

...and understand...

...from the society in which we live.

So...

...the disciple of Jesus decides to take the road less traveled.

Jesus...your Teacher...will lead the way.

Instead of trying to get and take all you can to be happy...

...Jesus tells us that we will experience real joy...

...when we learn to give.

You must give...to receive.

It goes much deeper than this...my friend.

Jesus tells us that we should love...

...(wish the best for)...

...our enemies.

And...

...do good to those that hate you and spitefully use you.

When someone hits you in the face...

...you're supposed to turn the other cheek!

He states that when you are "poor"...you're rich.

When you are weak...you are strong.

When you are mourning...you are comforted.

What are we to make of all of this?

This doesn't make any sense at all!

Above and beyond all of this...

...he says that just the thought...

...(that you dwell upon)...

...of murdering someone...

...is the same as committing the act!

Or...

...looking with lust...

...(dwelling upon the thought of sexual intimacy)...

...with another...

...is the same as committing the act!

There is more...my friend...

...but I think you get the picture...

...You and I can't do this!

God's standards are so high...my friend...

...we can't accomplish what He requires...

...on our own.

YOU MUST LEARN TO LIVE IN THE SPIRIT

Remember when I told you that you became a new

creation...

...when you surrendered your life to Jesus?

Well...

...the nature of the new creation that you have become..

...is in opposition to the old nature...

...that still remains within you.

The old nature...with its desires...must be put to death.

This requires action.

There is a battle going on for your life...

...of supernatural proportions...my friend.

You must choose...daily...to walk in the Spirit...

...if you want to overcome.

You must seek nourishment for the spirit...

...and "starve" the old nature...and its desires.

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TAKE A BREAK

OK...lets rest for a moment.

You're probably saying to yourself...

..."I thought this was supposed to be an adventure!

This sounds more like torture!"

I can understand that...friend.

I'm wanting to make the point clear...

...that you can't live the life that God expects...

...in your own power.

It's impossible.

But God...

...gives you His grace and mercy and love...

...in great abundance...

...to you every moment of every day.

His Holy Spirit lives in you and is the power you need...

...to overcome all things.

You can have victory in everything that comes your way...

...when you learn to come to God...and pray.

Read and memorize His Word...

...become a student of the Holy Bible.

The deeper your relationship with God...

...the more powerful He becomes in your life.

Stay well-nourished...my friend.

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THE BATTLE BELONGS TO THE LORD

When you learn to come to God with everything in your life...

...He will guide you by His Holy Spirit...

...and His Word.

I know this is probably a whole new way of thinking for you...

...but this is the truth of God at its finest.

He loves to help His children grow and mature.

Sometimes...

...He does this by leading you through tough situations...

...where you learn a new truth about His character...

...about Who He is.

You will find that you will learn a lot about yourself...as well.

You see...

...it's a known fact that...

...great character is formed through great adversity.

I'm quite sure someone else coined that phrase...

...but, I don't recall who.

Anyhow...

...God wants you to be a "hero"...my friend.

But...

...and herein "lies the rub"...

...there are no heroes where there are no battles.

The great thing is...

...He remains beside you through it all...

...telling you:

...what to do...

...which way to go...

...and even what to say...

...or, what not to say...

...as is usually the case for me! :)

SO...WHAT EXACTLY IS A DISCIPLE?

In the most basic of terms...

...a disciple of Jesus...

...is one who is surrendered to Him...

...and desires to follow in His footsteps...

...through obedience to His instruction...

...as written in His Word.

As a disciple of Jesus...

...you must learn to live out your faith.

A disciple will...

...learn to live "The Great Commandment"...

...and pursue "The Great Commission".

THE GREAT COMMANDMENT

In the New Testament book of Mark...

...Jesus gives us the two greatest commands we are to live by:

The first is to:

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.The second command is this: Love your neighbor as you love yourself. There are no commands more important than these" (Mark 12:30-31).

As you read the first command to "Love the Lord..."

...can you see that it requires your whole life...

...your "heart...soul...mind...and strength"?

That encompasses all of who you are!

It's another way of saying...

...spirit...soul...and body.

I would like to take this a step further...

...and encourage you to remember it as...

...head...heart...and hands.

Your spirit could be thought of as

your...heart.

Your soul encompasses your mind...will...and

emotions...

...and could be thought of as your...head.

Your body could be reduced to the thought of

action...or doing...

...being the...hands.

Head...heart...and hands...*

...the whole person.

As a disciple...

...every part of your existence should be engaged in loving God.

He wants everything you are.

It goes way beyond going to church one day a week...

...and giving a few dollars here and there in an offering plate.

We are talking about complete surrender...

...and full commitment...here.

No half-hearted soldiers...my friend.

This is all...

...or, nothing.

This just keeps getting better and better...

...doesn't it?

Oh...and don't forget to...

..."Love your your neighbor as you love yourself." :)

Friend...a disciple learns to love.

1 John 4:7-12 (NCV)

Love Comes from God

7 Dear friends, we should love each other, because love

comes from God. Everyone who loves has become God’s

child and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not

know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed

his love to us: He sent his one and only Son into the

world so that we could have life through him. 10 This is

what real love is: It is not our love for God; it is

God’s love for us. He sent his Son to die in our place

to take away our sins.

11 Dear friends, if God loved us that much we also

should love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God, but

if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is

made perfect in us.

Friend...

...don't be overwhelmed by this...

...you are given the power to "live" these commands with joy!

When you learn to live "in the Spirit"...

...doing what God commands...

...is accomplished by His Spirit...

...as He lives through you.

I am talking about a new state of existence here...friend.

The impossible...becomes possible...

...through God.

Which brings us to:

THE GREAT COMMISSION

I've previously written...on other pages of this Web site...

...some of what you have read here, on this page...

...but...

...you and I learn through repetition.

So...

...with that said...

...let's review The Great Commission.

Some of the last words of Jesus...

...that were given to His disciples...

...just before He ascended to heaven were...

...the words of what has become the call to mission...

...for new believers in Jesus...everywhere.

As a new disciple...

...a follower of Jesus...

...you are on a mission of great importance.

"Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All power in heaven and on earth is given to me.So go and make followers of all people in the world.Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.Teach them to obey everything that I have taught you,and I will be with you always, even until the end of this age'" (Matthew 28:18-20 NCV).

This is your call to mission...

...my friend.

Are you ready?

OK...

...I want you to pack up only your bare essentials...

...leave everything else behind...

...and go to Africa!

Ummm...

...just...kidding. :)

Your mission begins right where you are...friend.

Jesus described it as being "salt" and "light"...

...in a world that has lost its flavor...

...and is living in darkness.

You are to be an influence...

..in your own little world.

But...

...who knows...

...as you begin to grow and mature...

...in your relationship with God...

...you may begin to experience a passion for a particular segment of society...

...or a particular country.

God will make that very clear to you...

...if that is the case.

No doubt about it.

But for now...

...let your light shine brightly...

...as a disciple...

...in the "dark" places where you currently reside.

Others need to know what you have found.

The hungry need to know where to find bread...

...physical and spiritual.

The thirsty need to know where to find the living water...

...of Jesus.

Use your head...heart...and hands...

...my friend...

...your whole person.

Your commission is to "Go and make followers..."

...this will involve the use of your verbal abilities...

...as well as the witness of your changed life.

The idea of head, heart and hands...

...comes from a book titled...

...Head, Heart and Hands...

...by Dennis P.Hollinger.

The following is a quote from that book...

...regarding The Great Commission:

"Our intention in verbally sharing the good news is

not to gain converts, but to enable the emergence of

true disciples of Christ [Jesus] who will love him with

head,heart and hands. Making disciples entails a public

confession through baptism and the teaching of those who

respond in faith, that they may 'obey everything that I

have commanded you,' Incidentally, all that Christ

commanded includes love of neighbor, service and justice..."

*(Hollinger, Dennis. Head, Heart and Hands. p.115. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2005.)

My friend...

...as a new believer...and disciple...

...of Jesus...

...I strongly encourage you...

...to get involved in a local community of believers.

Once you have gotten comfortable with the new environment...

...and the "way things are done"...

...ask that you be baptized as a newly adopted child...

...into the family of God.

The thought of this may be new to you...

...but, I assure you...

...it is a simple act of obedience to the Word of God...

...that sets you apart for the His kingdom.

Even Jesus demanded that He be baptized...

...so He would be obedient to the will of the Father.

It can be an amazing experience...my friend...

...nothing to fear.

YOU ARE A DISCIPLE...CALLED TO MAKE MORE DISCIPLES

OK...

...you've got the mission...

...now catch the vision.

The Holy Spirit within you...

...empowers you to love God and neighbor with your whole being...

...and empowers you to influence the community in which you live...

...in such a way that others want what you have...

...and decide to become disciples...as well.

You will be able to duplicate the process...

...through which you became a disciple...

...and encourage them to grow in their relationship with God...

...through Jesus: the Son of God...

...by the Holy Spirit.

Friend...you are a:

...new creation...

...a child of Almighty God...

...a disciple of Jesus...

...a soldier in the army of God.

Conquer.

Overcome.

Endure.

Grow.

You CAN do it...by the power of God.

You are an Overcomer.

Blessings...my friend.

-- Pilgrim

******************************************************* Go to "Living the Word" Go to "Love God" Reference Page Leave "The Disciple" and go to Home Page Go to "The Hush" Go to "The Seed" Go to "The Surrender" ******************************************************

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

Have you decided to be a disciple?

Let me know!

I would really like to hear from you...

...regarding anything you find on this Web site.

Just use the "Questions and Comments" block below to do so...

...and thanks in advance for sharing!

Just To Let You Know...

...when you post your comments...

...I may use the information or insights you post...

...in The Overcomer ezine...

...or, elsewhere on this site...

...so others can benefit , as well. :)