LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Submitted to Dr. Dave Early
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
DSMN 500-B07
Course Reflection Assignment
by
Julia M. Amspacher
March 12, 2021
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Contents
Introduction………………………………………………………………………….……….……2
Personal Discipleship Reflections….………………….…………………………………………..2
Key Biblical Passages and Principles Related to Discipleship………………...………………….3
Best practices/plan for developing disciples………………………………………………………4
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………….…..4
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Introduction
Bonhoeffer poses the view of discipleship having many principles and being about
obedience. Each chapter he draws upon different areas of discipleship and the principles to back
it up to show what it means to truly walk in obedience with Jesus Christ. All in all, over all the
claims that Bonhoeffer makes in his view of discipleship, the central idea is that one must
completely abandon himself to follow Jesus. Disciples should accept the failure that they are
every day to recognize the need to for Jesus every day. Bonhoeffer states that we must turn away
from the Kingdom of self and put on the Kingdom of God. It is once when we deny ourselves
and put away everything that our flesh seeks, that we start to seek the Kingdom of God. This is
obedience to God. Each principle that Bonhoeffer states is a matter of being obedient to Jesus.
Personal Discipleship Reflections
This course has taught me a lot about what it means to truly be a disciple of Jesus Christ
and put down everything in my life to follow him. It has shown me the importance of the church
and how much a healthy church is essential in helping aid Christians in their spiritual walks with
the Lord. Every Christian should have principles placed in their lives to follow and should keep
Jesus at their core. Without Jesus everything will fail. A church should have a vision and a
mission along with leaders who are equipped to teach people and guide them in the way of the
Lord. As everyone seeks to follow their principles it will be evident in them and they will lead
others to Christ from their example. I have learned the importance of the difference between a
leader and a disciple. Although they can both carry the same meaning it is important to note that
not everyone is called to be a leader but everyone is called to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Both
of these have a great deal of importance in helping build the Kingdom of God. As a church
ministry, there should be programs in place to help new and old Christians in their walk with
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God and to build them up as leaders and disciples. I have learned the different types of church
models and their impact on people. Having a successful disciple making plan is helpful in the
ministry setting. It helps grow a healthy church to live out their greatest potential and to fulfill
the great commission of making disciples. If we want to be effective in our communities we also
must be effective in our local church so that when we bring people to Christ in public, we can
bring them back to church and help walk alongside of them in their journey with Christ.
Key Biblical Passages and Principles Related to Discipleship
The best way to be a disciple of Jesus Christ is to have an authentic relationship with
Him. It is when we start living for God that we start to exude Him in all that we do. Once we are
carrying Jesus’s name and we start to look like Him then people will become aware and will
question. It is when we are carrying the Holy Spirit and being obedient that we can change
people’s lives and lead them towards Christ as we let the Holy Spirit speak through us. We must
be in the word every single day because it is the authority of our lives. Jesus says in John 8:31-
32, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the
truth will set you free.” We are not responsible for saving people but we are responsible for
sharing the Gospel with people. We only know the Gospel through consistently being in the
Word every day and meditating on it. We also must have a church that has a healthy community
because once we bring in new believers we need to have a community where everyone can grow
together and point each other forward and keep each other accountable. God did not make us to
be alone. He calls us to a community to fellowship with one another. Once we are spiritual
leaders are truly are His disciples then it is our mission to go out into the World and make more
disciples and we can only do that through His power which is why it is essential for us to be in
right standing with Him first. Not meaning we need to be perfect but we need to be holy and
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submit to his authority. Matthew 28:19-20 says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to
observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the
age.” We must realize that discipleship is a life-long journey and not just a one day decision. We
must choose to lay down ourselves every day to pick up the cross of Christ. We must submit
ourselves under God daily.
Best practices/plan for developing disciples
I think that the best practices for developing disciples is what I stated above. It is
important to be in the Word every day, to be obedient to the Spirit, and to go out and share the
Gospel with people. As long as we allow Christ to live in us and speak through us then we can
have such an impact on so many people’s lives. It starts with us and it starts with where we are
laying our foundation. If we have our foundation built upon Jesus Christ then we will not be able
to be shaken. We must intentionally live out of God’s Word and be the hands and feet of Jesus
every day that we live.
Conclusion
Discipleship comes with a cost and it is not easy but we must know that it is rewarding.
We were made for a life with Jesus Christ and not to live for ourselves. Everything that we do is
for the Glory of God. Being in ministry with other believers and going out and making disciples
is the greatest commandment that God asks of us. We must live out of our obedience to Him.
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