Spheres and Stages of Discipleship
Dare Greg
DSMN 500-B05: Discipleship Ministries
September 2022
Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................................1
Stages of Discipleship....................................................................................................................1
Spiritually Dead.......................................................................................................................1
Infant........................................................................................................................................2
Child........................................................................................................................................2
Young Adult.............................................................................................................................2
Spiritual Parent........................................................................................................................3
Spheres...........................................................................................................................................3
In his relationship to God........................................................................................................4
In his relationship with God’s family, the Church...................................................................4
In his home life........................................................................................................................5
In his relationship to the World................................................................................................5
Personal Evaluation........................................................................................................................5
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................7
Bibliography...................................................................................................................................8
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1
Introduction
Discipleship is one of the many things a Christian can be proud of in the journey of life. Being a
follower of Christ is not an idea to be taken with levity. Simply, “a disciple of Jesus must follow
Jesus”1. Disciples of Christ must choose, daily, to carry our cross and walk with Him to fulfill the
Great Commission and make more disciples. There are stages to this walk with Christ, and these
are what this paper discusses.
Stages of Discipleship
Progress in any endeavor requires monitoring and tracking. So does progress in our spiritual
walk with Christ. We must take stock of our progress to know how far we have come and how
far we have to go. This is what the five stages of spiritual growth identified in the text help us
with. These five stages are spiritually dead, infant, child, young adult, and spiritual parent.
Knowing where you are on your journey is vital, to have direction and focus.
Spiritually Dead
People are said to be spiritually dead if they are yet to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
They may or may not have heard of the gospel, but they generally do not have the Holy Spirit in
them2. A person in whom the Holy Spirit will live must have invited and accepted Jesus into their
hearts, intentionally and genuinely. A spiritually dead person may have very little knowledge of
God’s word, and regardless of such a person’s claim to spirituality, they are not disciples, nor are
they yet saved. Thus, it is our duty as disciples to apprise such a person of the gospel of Christ
and invite them to partake of the goodness of our Lord.
1 Putman, Jim, Harrington, Bobby, Coleman, Robert. Discipleshift: Five Steps that Help Your Church to
Make Disciples Who Make Disciples, Zondervan: Grand Rapids, Michigan. 2013.
2 Putnam, et al. Discipleshift. 2013, 61.
2
Infant
New converts are the major demographics of this stage. The infant stage also includes those who,
although have accepted Christ, are stuck in the acceptance stage and are yet to move forward in
the faith, being still enamored of the world3. They have little to no knowledge of the truth and
need to learn many things to help them walk with Christ like the disciples they are called to be.
They are likened to a real-life infant who takes staggered steps when learning to walk, and makes
various mistakes in its interaction with life. Like that infant, they need to be guided and taught
practical steps to enable them to live right. As disciples, we must be ready to help them live in
line with God’s word, put away their old selves, and enjoy a rewarding relationship with Christ.
Child
Like a child who has just outgrown infancy and can now walk confidently, individuals in this
stage have begun to walk on their spiritual journey. They now apply God’s word in their lives
and know what it means to walk with Christ4. However, just like normal children, they are still
more concerned about their needs and wants. They are more interested in what they get out of the
relationship than in the relationship itself. They need help in learning selflessness as a mark of
maturity in Christ. We disciples must help teach them to cast all their care on God, forgetting
their selfish desires and living for God.
Young Adult
Just like the regular youth now has something to live for, something to dedicate their lives to, so
do the spiritual young adult now dedicate their lives to Jesus. Their whole beings, lives, and
existences have now been given to God. They have moved from the selfish self-centeredness of
3 Ibid., 63
4 Ibid., 65
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childhood into mature God-centeredness5. The Christians in the young adult stage of their
spiritual journey have readied their minds to commit to their Christian mission and are willing to
serve God totally and exclusively. As disciples, we should encourage them and help inspire
accountability in them to facilitate forward movement in their journey with Christ.
Spiritual Parent
A parent is someone mature enough to have a baby (or already does). The same goes for a person
in the parent stage of their spiritual journey. A spiritual parent is that Christian who is mature
enough to build their relationship with Christ intentionally and selflessly. Their relationship with
Christ is not for selfish reasons but for discipleship6. However, it is worthy of note that just like
regular parents are not perfect, but make mistakes, a Christian in the parent stage of their
spiritual journey is not perfect. The defining factor is their other-centeredness; their willing
investment in the lives of others to help point them the kingdom way. Disciples must join forces
with those in this stage and encourage them in their selfless service, and move forward together
to the glory of God and our Lord Jesus.
Spheres
Disciples have four distinct spheres which are areas of their lives where Christ’s transformation
takes place. These spheres are identified in the texts as “In his relationship to God”, “In his
relationship with God’s family, the church”, “In his home life”, and “In his relationship to the
world”7. In each of these spheres, a disciple must understand God’s commands, submit to His
5 Ibid. 67.
6 Ibid., 69.
7 Ibid., 78.
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authority, be transformed by Jesus, and join the Kingdom mission of Jesus. Each of these spheres
will now be addressed below.
In his relationship to God
This, it goes without saying, is a most important area of our spiritual journey. We cannot walk
with God if we are not in a relationship with Him. And we cannot be in a relationship with Him
if we do not love Him. We must spend time in His presence, learn about Him intensely, study the
Bible daily, and perform those activities that will draw us closer to Him every day. This will help
us grow in faith and foster our obedience to His will. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 22:37-38,
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment.” (King James Version). Thus, this sphere is central to
our discipleship.
In his relationship with God’s family, the Church
This is also a vital sphere of a disciple’s journey with Christ. Nikolaus von Zizendorf said there
can be no Christianity without community. That is sensible as the Lord Himself said in the thirty-
fourth verse of John chapter thirteen that we should love one another as He has loved us. “By
these shall men know ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35, KJV).
Our individual growth must be in tandem with our growth as the body of Christ. We have to
understand that discipleship does not just entail loving God, but sharing that love with other
believers; members of God’s family8.
In his home life
Many disciples understand well that they are members of God’s big family, but then fail to
appreciate the importance of their earthly family. They neglect their family in the name of ‘doing
8 Ibid., 83.
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the Lord’s work’. Yet, the family is one of the biggest places where we can witness the Lord9.
Disciples have to be good models in their homes, displaying the values and principles of Christ
and the benefits of following the Lord.
In his relationship to the World
This sphere involves the disciple’s interaction with the world at large. Their daily lives, business,
pleasure activities, and so on. This is the sphere that calls on the disciple’s duty to witness God to
all ends of the earth (as far as their influence reaches). We must, as followers of Christ, reflect
Him in all that we do. Through our conduct alone, before even uttering a word, we can influence
the conversion of others from worldly living to fulfillment in Christ.
Personal Evaluation
My discipleship growth has reached, I believe, the young adult stage. I have reached that point in
my life where I know I want to follow Christ with all of me, even if the weakness of the flesh
sometimes pulls at me. I can say self-centeredness in my fellowship with the Lord has been
overcome to a large extent, and I am willing to serve the Lord and His people without counting
cost. My decision to take a class in divinity is, in itself, a pointer to my dedication to walk with
Christ and share in His kingdom mission. I am not perfect, and slip occasionally, but I know the
Lord will hold me up, the Holy Spirit being my guide, teacher, and comforter.
The sphere I believe I’m lacking and need to submit to the Lord is my relationship to the world.
Leaving off the old self, which is the first step in response to Christ’s call10, is quite challenging.
We live and interact with the world we are meant to shun and try our best to change. I find
myself sometimes getting caught in my worldly fancies, though I do not hesitate to talk to others
9 Ibid., 78
10 Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Discipleship: Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works. Fortress Press, 2003. 61
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about Christ, and try to help them see how being Christian will benefit not just them but the
whole world. Do I live a life worth emulating? That’s the question I must answer of myself.
Would my preaching and evangelism not turn out hypocritical? I must totally submit to Christ in
this sphere of discipleship, and leave off the old self, letting all be new in me as 2 Corinthians
5:17 said.
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Conclusion
The call to discipleship is one that cannot be ignored11. It is a call all must respond to and affirm
every other day. Jesus bid us take our cross daily and follow Him, denying ourselves (Luke
9:23). This shows that following Christ, being a disciple, is not a one-time event. It is a daily
recognition of His authority over our lives and ability to make whatever He wishes of it.
Discipleship entails submission to Christ, His will, His ways. We must daily depend on Him for
our life inside and out. To have rivers of living water flowing through us requires daily
dependence on the Holy Spirit in all spheres of life12. He is the one who can make us perfect,
strengthen us in times of trial, and be our witness to God as Apostle Paul said in Romans 8:16.
We must also realize that submitting to Christ involves our relationship to others, both in the
body of Christ and outside and we must be careful not to disparage those that God has placed
around us. Discipleship happens “in a community”, which we must be part of if we will follow
Christ in all ways13.
Submitting to Christ totally is a choice the disciple must make every day if they will receive
God’s infinite blessing and bear fruit for the Kingdom.
11 Earley, Dave, and Rod, Dempsey. Disciple Making Is . . . How to Live the Great Commission with
Passion and Confidence. B&H Publishing Group, 2014. 22
12 Dempsey, Rod; Earley, Dave. Spiritual Formation Is...: How to Grow in Jesus with Passion and
Confidence (Kindle Locations 4542-4580). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. 25
13 Powell, Mark E., Hicks, John Mark, and McKinzie, Greg. 2020. Discipleship in Community: A
Theological Vision for the Future. Chicago: Abilene Christian University Press. Accessed February 21, 2021.
ProQuest Ebook Central. 28
8
Bibliography
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Discipleship: Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works. Fortress Press, 2003.
Dempsey, Rod; Earley, Dave. Spiritual Formation Is...: How to Grow in Jesus with Passion and
Confidence (Kindle Locations 4542-4580). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Earley, Dave, and Rod Dempsey. Disciple Making Is . . . How to Live the Great Commission
with Passion and Confidence. B&H Publishing Group, 2014.
Powell, Mark E., Hicks, John Mark, and McKinzie, Greg. 2020. Discipleship in Community: A
Theological Vision for the Future. Chicago: Abilene Christian University Press. Accessed
February 21, 2021. ProQuest Ebook Central.
Putman, Jim, et al. DiscipleShift: Five Steps That Help Your Church to Make Disciples Who
Make Disciples. Zondervan, 2013.
