I think that we all need to be engaged in three types of discipleship relationships:
- Ahead: We need to ask someone ahead of us in their walk with Jesus to come over us and dsiciple us intentionally. You open up to them and they speak into your life, challenge you and encourage you in the faith.
- Behind: Inetentionally select people that are not as far along as you in their faith journey...particularly someone that is spiritually hungry and containing noticeable potential and then ask them if you can disciple them.
- Beside: Engage in a few peer discipling relationships with people who are in a similar place as you in the faith. Challenge each other and walk with each other in an intentional way.
All three of these relationships must be:
- Intentional
- Accountable
- Centered around Jesus
- Focussed on obedience
I personally think that each of us should enter into at least one of each of these relationhips. Are you in any of them?
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Older related discipleship posts:
Previouly wrote about obedience based discipleship which I define HERE.
I have blogged about the fact that I think we have a discipleship crisis HERE.
Then, I got lots of questions about whether you should pursue discipling relationships or wait on them. I answered that HERE.
Even earlier, I had blogged about 2-way discipleship. Read that HERE.
Comments 3 Comments
I am so freakin' glad I came across your blog. Just today I sent my Pastor a facebook message asking if there are any Discipleship programs or Discipleship one on one that is ever offered or available. I told him that I am NOT content with my walk with Jesus Christ. I see it like this; I am holding hands with Christ. I am barely holding the tips of His fingers when what He wants is for me to embrace HIm, tight. I'm doing too much talking and not enough listening as we walk together finger tip to finger tip down the roads. I have tried expressing to some new friends I've made at my Church that I feel lost in my walk, that I want to break the repitition of walking with the Lord and then separating from Him, back and forth, back and forth, but nobody answered. Nobody offered much wisdowm except to read more Scripture. Of course that is a given but what I want, what I feel I need, what I CRAVE is leadership. I literally crave for somebody to take me by the hand and walk me through the steps of how to face and break those fears in me. How to step by step force myself to attend Service when all I want to do is sleep in. I'm tired of repeating the same steps, tired of going around the same stupid mountain. I'M H̶̶U̶̶N̶̶G̶̶R̶̶Y̶ STARVING to be lead. Even if by a leash!! It wasn't but 10 minutes after reading your post on making the initiation to seek discipleship in somebody rather than waiting on them to approach the idea that I texted a Godly woman that I've been observing at my Church and asked if she could please help me, please challenge me in my walk. I am so thankful I did and so thankful that she agreed to accept this role. But I find it disconcerting that there is a blank spot in my Church of this, what I believe is a NEED available to others. In fact I absolutely feel it should be automatic as part of a growing inspired Church to teach, and lead Discipleship.
Anyway, thank you for sharing what you have learned in this and returning it back for us. God bless you my new friend Noah and your family. :D
I am so freakin' glad I came across your blog. Just today I sent my Pastor a facebook message asking if there are any Discipleship programs or Discipleship one on one that is ever offered or available. I told him that I am NOT content with my walk with Jesus Christ. I see it like this; I am holding hands with Christ. I am barely holding the tips of His fingers when what He wants is for me to embrace HIm, tight. I'm doing too much talking and not enough listening as we walk together finger tip to finger tip down the roads. I have tried expressing to some new friends I've made at my Church that I feel lost in my walk, that I want to break the repitition of walking with the Lord and then separating from Him, back and forth, back and forth, but nobody answered. Nobody offered much wisdowm except to read more Scripture. Of course that is a given but what I want, what I feel I need, what I CRAVE is leadership. I literally crave for somebody to take me by the hand and walk me through the steps of how to face and break those fears in me. How to step by step force myself to attend Service when all I want to do is sleep in. I'm tired of repeating the same steps, tired of going around the same stupid mountain. I'M H̶̶U̶̶N̶̶G̶̶R̶̶Y̶ STARVING to be lead. Even if by a leash!! It wasn't but 10 minutes after reading your post on making the initiation to seek discipleship in somebody rather than waiting on them to approach the idea that I texted a Godly woman that I've been observing at my Church and asked if she could please help me, please challenge me in my walk. I am so thankful I did and so thankful that she agreed to accept this role. But I find it disconcerting that there is a blank spot in my Church of this, what I believe is a NEED available to others. In fact I absolutely feel it should be automatic as part of a growing inspired Church to teach, and lead Discipleship.
Anyway, thank you for sharing what you have learned in this and returning it back for us. God bless you my new friend Noah and your family. :D