Speres and Stages of Discipleship_Assignment.docx.pdf

those that follow Him (John 13:34-35). Discipleship is the process in which a disciple is obedient

to the words of Christ and is teaching individual disciples to do the same. This paper will

summarize the five stages and four spheres of discipleship,2 discuss the current stage the writer is

in, and identify spheres personally needed to submit to the centrality of Christ. It will also

address submission to Christ and the impossibility of being a disciple without that type of love

and devotion.

Relational Discipleship Network3 to measure and guide a disciple’s spiritual growth and

relationship with God. These primary stages of spiritual growth include: Spiritually Dead,

Infant, Child, Young Adult, and Parent.

accepted Christ as Lord and Savior.”4 They may be alive, but they are not living in Christ. Until a

Disciples. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013. 60.

person has made the commitment to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior (saved), they are what Paul

referred to as being dead in Christ (Eph 2:1-5). Either they don’t believe in God or don’t adhere

Christ with the understanding of life without Christ. Paul shares the power of God that is

unmatched by any other force which has worked on the behalf of all people to bring them out of

spiritual death into life.5 The importance of the sole power and love of God must be stressed

prayerfully in this stage so that a committed decision to follow Christ can be established and

growth can begin.

babes, always hungry, or craving milk, but not able to feed or do for themselves.6 Just as an

infant, a person at this spiritual stage needs constant care and supervision. Especially in the

foundational areas of Christian belief such as principles of the oracles of God (Heb 5:12). The

Holy Spirit is working in the spiritual infant, and the hunger for spiritual food is great, however,

the danger of trying to digest meat instead of milk is common. As a disciple, one must determine

time to take the bottle completely. For example, a disciple reads about fasting, the importance of

forty nights and now they are ready for a forty-day fast! They are not aware that they are not

Disciples. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013. 63.

ready for something of that magnitude, all they know is they want to please God. Effective

discipleship at this level is helping them understand the significance of spiritual disciplines while

King at the headquarters in Columbia, South Carolina. The first thing I saw when I walked

through the doors was a sign which read, “Hire a teenager while they still know everything!” It is

not necessarily the case that you can’t teach them anything, more like they believe they know

what is best for them and don’t. The teachable moment here in discipleship is found in 1

Corinthians 13:11. Paul states that when he was a child he spoke, understood, and thought like a

child; but when he became a man, he put away childish things. A loving reminder of where they

need to grow as well as instruction in servitude and personal expectations will encourage the

proper growth for the next stage in their spiritual journey.

The young adult stage is identified by disciples that have submitted to God’s Spirit and

practice spiritual disciplines that keep them strong in their faith enabling them to begin

concentrating on work in God’s Kingdom. They have become doers of the word, not just hearers

them.8 More evidence can be seen in their strong drive and desire to work in ministry. They have

7 Jim Putnum and Bob Harrington. DiscipleShift: Five Steps That Help Your Church to Make Disciples Who Make

Disciples. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013. 65.

tool at this point, if they haven’t already, is to help them realize their spiritual gift. The

connection that a disciple makes with the Spirit of God and exercising their gift will more than

and Bob Harrington state, “We want to reinforce the concept of spiritual reproduction…

Spiritually mature people make disciples.”10 In this stage of spiritual growth, the heart of a

disciple has reached the maturity level of needing to teach and guide those that may not be at this

level. Spiritual parents live a life of encouraging, guiding, and teaching others how to lead and

teach to do the same.11 This method of mentor multiplying is what Paul described to Timothy

who he referred to as his son (2Tim 2:1-2). Paul adopted many “children” throughout his

missions, not just planting churches and placing leaders to guide believers, but continuously

writing the churches teaching the disciples he left to teach how to grow in grace. Spiritual

parenting is done for the remainder of a disciple's life, is what a disciple of Christ lives for, and

the evidence can be seen in those that are around them.

a disciple grows in four main spheres of life.”12 These spheres reference a disciple’s relationship

9 Ibid., 68.

2012. 14.

to God, the church, their home life, and the world.13 The concept of each sphere is based upon the

“disciple’s understanding of God’s commands and submission to his authority (head), is

theology in Romans chapter 6 being dead to sin but alive in Christ. Paul emphasized this

important doctrine so that disciples can understand that acceptance of salvation constitutes a

complete surrender of one’s agenda. As a person grows in their relationship with Christ there are

visible changes that transpire, and they adhere to the same mind frame as Christ; “not my will,

but Thine be done” (Luke 22:42 KJV).

church) can be difficult when believers have not adapted fully to growing and working together

in Christ. However, in loving Christ we love each other and know that we need each other to do

the will of God (Rom 12:4-5). As disciples, we learn what the needs are of our believing family

members and learn to love our brothers and sisters in Christ.16

correspondence with Timothy where he emphasizes the necessity of a leader “ruling well his own

15 Michael J. Gorman. Participating in Christ: Explorations in Paul's Theology and Spirituality. Grand Rapids:

Baker Academic, 2019.14.

house” (1Tim 3:4-5). Again, the evidence of a disciple loving his family as Christ loves the

church should be evident in this sphere of their lives.

decided to finish my Master's Degree. My associate paster stepped up and after 8 months I

decided to step down and away to allow him to settle in as pastor. My Wife and I moved 80 miles

away, but still visit maybe two-three times a month, at different settings, (not just Sunday

service) and he has me on speed dial just in case! As a much younger pastor, he has grown the

church with younger membership, while maintaining the members that we’ve always had. His

questions normally pertain to prospective leadership and just last week I shared with him the five

stages and recommended he get the DiscipleShift book. I am confident in his abilities to teach

others which is why I was able to move forward in my teaching and discipling others (2 Tim 2:1-

2). I feel that this is a stage in ministry where I am intentionally building my relationship with

their churches frequently, many times to speak, and always to fellowship. I believe the Lord has

relationship with the world to Christ during this period of growth in my life. The many situations

Disciples. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013. 69.

that are happening in our nation at this time have unfortunately negatively affected many, even

leaders in the church. I find it very uncomfortable when I attend a service and the speaker

The understanding in John 14:23-24 about obedience is a necessity simply because of the

willingness needed to follow Christ.21 Once this commitment has been made, the desire to be

more like Christ is the power through the Holy Spirit to be more like Christ. Paul is

comprehensive in his descriptions of disciples being “in” Christ. In his letters to the Roman

church, he shares what life should be when one is in Christ (6:11; 8: 1-2), Ethically (9:1), as well

as being part of a body of believers (12:5).22 All believers are in submission to Christ together, all

with one mind of being in Christ to the glory of God (Rom 15:5-7), and all with the knowledge

of the power of the cross. Without Christ, there is no salvation. He is the mediator and the only

way to God. Being in submission to Christ is realizing that without Him we are nothing and it is

20 Dietrich BonHoeffer. 1906-1945 Discipleship: Fortress Press. 63.

21 Jim Putnum and Bob Harrington. DiscipleShift: Five Steps That Help Your Church to Make Disciples Who Make