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LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
COURSE REFLECTION
Submitted to Professor Jonathan Geukgeuzion
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
DSMN-500
Discipleship Ministries
By
Howard Joseph
May 14, 2021
Contents
I. Introduction…………………………………………………………….…………...…1
II. Personal Discipleship Reflection…………………………………...…….…….……...2
III. Key Biblical Passage and Principles Related to Discipleship…………………………3
IV. Best Practical Plan for Developing Disciples………………………………………….4
V. Conclusion…………………………………………………………….………….……5
VI. Bibliography………………………………………………………….…………….….6
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Introduction
Looking back on this course there were several things that were brought to this author’s
attention. Jim Putman, Bobby Harrington, and Robert Coleman in DiscipleShift gave several
ideas of what this course was really about making disciples, along with Dave Earley and Rod
Dempsey’s Disciple Making Is… (2013), and Spiritual Formation Is… (2018), gave a great deal
of enlightenment on the Great Commission. The information from these and other reading and
video’s had great information on what to do to grow a disciple and how to make disciples. They
gave ways of how to go about finding the god given gifts of an individual and helping them to
develop and use that gift to the fullest. It seems that all the course material emphasized that
small groups were the key to a healthy church. In the use of small groups this paper will discuss
how they help individual and leader to be successful. Spiritual formation and foundation are one
key to disciple making. This discipleship ministries course has given this author information and
methods of accomplishing the great commission Jesus used to make disciples. Dave Earley and
Rod Dempsey explains, “It is foolish for someone to call themselves a follower of Jesus and
refuse to fulfill His final wishes and obey His supreme orders…Making disciples is not a
suggestion to be merely considered or an option to entertain. Making disciples must dominate
the life of a Christ follower.”0 If one is going to be a follower of Jesus they must believe. John
Doe says, “The concept of a situation in which faith is possible is only a description of the reality
contained in the following two statements, both of which are equally true: only the believers
obey, and only the obedient believe.”0
0 David Earley, and Rod Dempsey. Disciple Making Is… How to Live the Great Commission with Passion
and Confidence. Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group, 2013, 3.
0 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, 1906-1945 DISCIPLESHIP Fortress Press https://tcr1-alexanderstreet-
com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/philologic/TCRT/navigate/72/2/
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Personal Discipleship Reflections
This writer has gained a great deal of knowledge and understanding from what was read
and done in this class. The author has received from the material about the church and
discipleship that has been spoken about the Great Commission of Jesus Christ. The disciples
were given instructions to baptize with water individuals since baptism joins believers with Jesus
Christ in their dying to sin and their being raised to new life. Baptism represents that one has
died to self and submit their life to Christ, an ability to live God's direction, and identify with
God's changed believers. Christ wanted his disciples to live a life that reflected him, and the
people would see this in them by their walk. When a person lives like Christ, they are called
Christians. In Acts 11:26 we see, the Bible tells us that the church at Antioch was made up of
Jews who communicated in Greek or Aramaic along with Gentiles. It is huge that this is the
primary spot where the believers were called Christians or "Christ-like," since all they shared for
all intents and purpose was Christ it was not about race, what culture they came from, or even
what language they spoke. Christ's affection crosses all limits and joins all individuals. An
entire year Antioch is where Saul (Paul) and Barnabas had remained, showing the new believers
how to live and what the word of God said. Although they might have visited other places in the
area, yet they returned because they new significance of follow-up and preparing. all need to ask
themselves to have you assisted somebody with trusting God. Invested energy instructing and
empowering that individual. Is it accurate to say that you are another believer? Keep in mind,
you are simply starting your Christian life. Christian’s faith needs to develop and mature through
predictable Bible studies, teaching, and mentoring. Saul (Paul) and Barnabas showed the type of
leadership God intended. The leadership type that Paul Pettit calls “Servant leadership.” Pettit
explains,
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Servant leadership is so critical to God’s purpose in the world that God will go to great
lengths to develop it in his followers. The missionary statesman J. Oswald Sanders
comments, “It has been said that in achieving His world-purpose, God’s method has
always been a man. Not necessarily a noble man, or a brilliant man, but always a man
with capacity for a growing faith. Granted this, there appears to be no limit to the pains
God is willing to take in his training. He is limited by neither heredity nor environment.0
Key Biblical Passages and Principles Related to Discipleship
There are several passages of scripture that relate to discipleship, but some of the ones
that have caught the attention of this writer is Luke 6:12-13, Matthew 28-16-20, Matthew 9:37-
38, 2 Timothy2:2 just to name a few. In Luke 6:12-13 here Jesus prays to the Father about
disciples. Jesus had a significant prayer life in that the Gospel writers note that before each
significant occasion he set aside some effort to go off without help from anyone else and pray.
This particular pray was when Jesus was getting ready to pick his internal circle, the 12 disciples.
Significant choices that are made in one’s life should be grounded in prayer.
Although there were several disciples that Jesus had, however he only picked just 12.
These disciples were the one that were with him all the time, the ones he
sent out with his own authority and special training. Through the 12 disciples is where
the Christian church began. When they are seen in the Gospels these 12 men are
typically called the disciples, yet when Luke writes the book of Acts, they are called
apostles. This writer believes that Matthew 28:16-20 is the most important passage of
scripture that tells of making disciples when it says, “Now the eleven disciples went to
Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him,
0 Paul Pettit, Foundations of Spiritual Formation A Community Approach to Becoming Like Christ. Grand
Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2008, 180.
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they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, all
authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 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, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold,
I am with you always, to the end of the age.”0 We have been given orders by this same
authority of Jesus to tell the Good News and make disciples for the Kingdom of God. So,
what are we to do? Go regardless of where nearby or far away and make disciples. If one
call Jesus Master, then you do not have a choice because this is an order. What gives one
the comfort that Jesus is with us is obedience. The Holy Spirit's presents in the
believer’s life is what make all of this happen. John 14:26; Acts 1:4-5 reminds us that
Jesus' present through the Holy Spirit means that he would never leave us. Even today
Jesus is continuing to be with us through his Holy Spirit. In the same manner that this
Gospel starts, so it closes with Immanuel, meaning "God with Us." “Interpreters have
characterized this final paragraph, unique to Matthew’s Gospel, as the key to
understanding the entire Gospel. Gundry points out the rich significance of these
concluding verses:
They offer a compendium of important Matthean themes: Jesus as the greater Moses, the
deity of Jesus, the authority of his commands, the trinitarian associations of baptism, the
danger of doubt among disciples, the teaching ministry of disciples, discipleship as keeping
Jesus’ law, the presence of Jesus with his disciples, and the directing of Christian hope to the
consummation. Paramount among these themes, however, is the mission to all the nations.”0
Best Practical Plan for Developing Disciples
0 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 28:16–20.
0 D. Edmond Hiebert, “An Expository Study of Matthew 28:16–20,” Bibliotheca Sacra 149 (1992): 338–339.
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The best practical plan for developing disciples will fall on the structure that the leader of the
church has in place. They will have to follow the instruction of God in his word to making
disciples. According to Earley and Dempsey explains, “God ultimately is the disciple maker.
The Holy Spirit will use His Word to sanctify potential disciples (John 17:17).”0 One great plan
will have to be encouraging, mentoring, developing, and coaching individuals in the use of their
spiritual gifts. Small groups are a great idea for making disciples in this writer’s opinion because
this gives leaders a guide to follow. The Organic church model seem to have the best ideas of
making disciple and allows the use of gifts. If we look back and see what this pandemic has
cause in the church it would make this model perfect for the times. Although no one was able to
go to the church buildings they would still be able to meet in small groups because they would be
with more of a family type situation. Even though it may put a pause on some disciple making
believers would still gain encouragement, mentoring, and gift usage.
Conclusion
My studies in this extraordinary class have invigorated my enthusiasm in fabricating
the church, it is the foundation of making disciples, and going to the community to evangelize.
Additionally, as the Bible reminds us of the key to make disciples is obedience. It is significant
that we fulfill our relationship to Christ, use the gifts given us, and go and make disciples in the
harvest for Christ. Disciples must be committed to loving God, each other, and loving their
neighbors as themselves, giving up all for the sake of Christ. The leaders of the church should
have a viable arrangement and system in making disciples. Small groups seem to have
demonstrated the best way of gift using. encouraging, mentoring, and disciple making systems.
0 David Earley, and Rod Dempsey. Disciple Making Is… How to Live the Great Commission with Passion
and Confidence. Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group, 2013, 149.
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Bibliography
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich, 1906-1945 DISCIPLESHIP Fortress Press https://tcr1-alexanderstreet-
com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/philologic/TCRT/navigate/72/2/
Earley, David, and Dempsey Rod. Disciple Making Is… How to Live the Great Commission
with Passion and Confidence, Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group, 2013.
Hiebert, D. Edmond, “An Expository Study of Matthew 28:16–20,” Bibliotheca Sacra 149
(1992).
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016).
Pettit, Paul, Foundations of Spiritual Formation A Community Approach to Becoming Like
Christ. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2008.
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