MFrazier DSMN 500 Assignment 2 Written Assignment 2.pdf

Introduction......................................................................................................................................1

Five stages of Discipleship ............................................................................................................2

Personal Reflection........................................................................................................................5

Like is everything there is a need for growth. When you start playing football as a child you are

weekend being Super Bowl Weekend we can look at the Chiefs quarterback Pat Mahomes. His

college career once he accepted the scholarship started out on the bench. He started the last three

games and continued being the starter after that. As he progressed in his skills, he decided to

football player. He did not walk on the field and get a golden ticket punched for the Super Bowl.

Christians develop much the same way; prayer, reading Gods word, studying the word and

prayer. Prayer is more than just complaining and begging for things. It is an open channel of

spheres. When you combine these two aspects of discipleship it gives a person an idea where

they are in their growth as a disciple and when and if he is ready to begin leading others into

baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them

to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even

unto the end of the world. Amen.” [1] In the end we will have a greater understanding on where

we are and where we must go as Christians when it comes to becoming a disciple.

Holman Bible Pub., 2013.)

with Christ. As Putman and company put it, “The key concept is that a spiritually dead person

does not have the life of Jesus within.” [3] These people may know God, profess to being a

Christian, but they have no relationship with God. They are the proverbial warts on a log that

church today which is sad. Sitting at the table and they do not understand the need for a true

relationship with Christ that goes both ways.

with others. They share more of what they feel and not so much the understanding of Christ’s

teachings. This stage can also include those who have been long time Christians and never

ways. They feel now that they are a Christian then everything is going to go right and they will

have no problems. Like most babies these new Christians will need a lot of guidance and

direction from the Church. Here is the churches chance to help the “infants” grow and change

their habits and start developing a relationship with god that is not one sided. Paul states in

Hebrews 5:13-14, “Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the

teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained

themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

and children. Paul tells us that as the church in growing disciples, we must encourage, comfort

have. This is the stage that they will absorb all that is taught of them like a young child. Or

reaching back to the introduction, this is the stage where a football player starts studying his

playbook and learning the drills and building the relationship with his coaches and fellow

should look other places. This happens in church as well at this stage. This is where the church

teaches them to be able to spiritually seek God for themselves and not just a Sunday morning

sermon from the pastor to get their needs meet.

give back to the church, body of Christ and ministries rather than take , take , take from them.

Joining ministries within the church, answering the call of Christ on their lives to help others

While they are moving toward a god-centered life, they still need guidance and leadership from

within the church.

but those that have reached this stage are living their lives fully devoted to God and are not

dependent upon anyone in self-maintaining their walk with Christ. They are intentional with their

walk with Christ. They are as Earley & Dempsey stated, “developed people who passionately

love God and love people. It must be intentional.”[4]

relationships to be able to grow and be able to develop others into disciples. There are four

spheres that outline the 4 relationships we need to develop to grow.

guide us and direct us in our life as we strive to follow his example. When we become infants

and later enter the child stage we are growing this relationship constantly. Without growing this

relationship with Christ we will not be able to progress to the upper stages of Discipleship.

we are not alone in this walk with Christ. We have a family that is there with us, to walk with us.

These two spheres Relationship with God and Church go hand in hand. As the church helps us

involved and growing together.

the body.” Now this does not mean husbands are the master, God tells us we are to submit

ourselves one to another. And while he is saying wives submit to your husbands because he is the

and washed their feet. He cherished his disciples and took care of them, just as he has done for

each other and seek out ways to cherish and build the relationship up together in Christ.

Christ through how we live. Cussing and flipping people off with road rage while sporting a

“follow me to <any church name>” sticker on the back of your car is not showing Christ. How

we live our life in public for the world to see develops their view on God and church. A lot of

growth needs to be done to achieve a great understanding of this sphere. Those in the Infant,

child and young adult stages will make mistakes, or have a misunderstanding of what Gods

words really is saying. We all do. When we fail, we stand up and admit our faults and strive to do

better.

almost, but Paul assures me in Romans 8:28-30, “And we know that all things work together for

good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” I should be so

much further along with my walk, but I was always self-centered in my relationship with Christ.

God. What can I do to further the Kingdom?

failures and faults. I do not feel worthy to reach out saying I know God, let me minster to you. I

fall back on Romans 8 and I know God knew I would fail and fall away. He will use those

choices I made to help me minster to people in those same positions I once was. Philippians

God speaking to me in my times of weakness. Fear of what others thinks should never outweigh

what God has planned for me.

must be intentional with our relationships, to grow in Christ and to show Christ to the world. We

will never be perfect, but we must strive to show Christ at all times and never be to prideful to

accepting him is the simplest aspect. Following him in all aspects of life and neglecting the

fleshly desires is a difficult task at times. Stating you will stop watching porn and doing it is

easy. But, following God’s guidance to leave your life and family and friends to go to another

country to minister to those who sometimes would rather kill you is very difficult. Standing up

for Jesus in your workplace in front of your co-workers is just as difficult at times. Following

god’s will is hard and sometimes we do not want to do it because we know how we will suffer.

Jesus and states in Luke 22:42, “Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me:

his prayers at the garden he human body was under the stress and began sweating blood. Instead

the time sweating blood, known as hematidrosis. This could have killed him in the garden and he

knew his death was meant for the cross. He trusted God in knowing what he is doing and placed

his faith in him. Placing our faith in god and allowing him ot guide us in everything is the hardest

was in the process of letting go of hundreds of employees and uprooting families. The stress was

getting to him because he was doing it all on his own. He had interviewed with paper mills in

next spring and the following year and this would cause stress to change schools right at the end.

After a union meeting one night, he broke down in his truck crying, shaking and calling out to

to him and he could handle this from now on. After 2 hours in the truck talking to God, he went

home. Went to work the next morning and found out that overnight and that morning over 50

men retired and his job was no longer being lost. 20 years later, diagnosed with cancer and given

6 months to live he submitted the cancer to God and followed his will. Never doubting God, 13

years later he is still following God and using his cancer as a testimony to God’s power and the

results of submitting your life to God. His cancer is there, but God is in control. Hebrews 11:19,

Paul speaks on how Abraham trusted God enough to sacrifice his son.