Lesson Outline:
​
1.Motivated to lead eagerly.
(1 Pet. 5:2)
2.Motivated to love exceptionally.
(1 Cor. 13:1–3)
3.Motivated to live as an example.
​(Matt. 23:3–5)

Questions for Journaling:
 
Q1 Take a moment to examine your heart. In all honesty, why do you want to make disciples? Do you struggle with wanting your actions to be noticed by others?

Q2 Read James 3:1–12 and meditate on James’s warning. How do these powerful            words affect you? How might you need to adjust your approach to making disciples?

Q3 Up to this point, would you say that your desire to make disciples has been motivated by love? Why or why not?

Q4 Describe your love for the people God has placed in your life. What evidence can you point to that shows that you love the people around you?

Q5 In addition to praying fervently, what practical steps can you take to increase your love for people?

Q6 Would you say that your life is being transformed by the truth of God’s Word? Why or why not?

Q7 What changes do you need to make in order to live the truths that you will be teaching other people?

Q8 The things you’ve been thinking through in this session are not easy to address— there are no “quick fixes“ here. End your time with this session by praying that God will give you the proper motivation to make disciples, increase your love for Him and the people around you, and empower you to live out the truths that He has called you to teach to others.

Journaling Questions:
Q5 What excuses tend to keep you from following Jesus’s command to make disciples? What do you need to do in order to move past these excuses?

Q6 Whom has God placed in your life right now that you can begin making into a disciple of Jesus Christ?

Q7 Whom has God placed in your life for you to partner with in making disciples?

Q8 Spend some time praying that God will make you into a committed and effective disciple maker. Confess any feelings of unpreparedness and insecurity. Ask Him to empower you for the ministry He is calling you to. Ask Him to lead you to the right people to partner with and the right people to begin discipling.

Review:
​
1.We must proclaim with our lips that Christ is Lord (Romans 10:9)
2.We must prove with our life that Christ is our Lord (Luke 6:46; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
3.We must purpose to love God and love others (Matthew 22:37-40)
       a.Loving God is not based on sight (1 Peter 1:8)
       b.Loving God is shown by our obedience (John 14:15)
       c.Loving God is shown in our love for others (1 John 4:20)
4.We must ponder the loss (Luke 14:25-33; Philippians 3:8)

Questions for Journaling:

Q1 Stop for a minute and read Matthew 28. Try to place yourself in the disciples’ shoes as they witnessed these things and heard these words from Jesus. How do you think you would have reacted?

Q2 Assess your church experience in light of Jesus’s command to make disciples. Would you say that your church is characterized by disciple making? Why or why not?

Q3 Have you identified yourself with Jesus through being baptized? If so, why do you think this was an important step for you to take? If not, what is holding you back from being baptized?

Q4 Would you say that you’re ready to commit yourself to studying the Scriptures and investing in the people around you? Why or why not?

Review:

• To be a disciple, we must be purposeful in the mission He has given us (Matthew 28:16-20).
• The discipleship process is an organic and natural element of the New Testament Church (Romans 5:14; 2 Timothy 2:1-2)
• In Christ’s initiation of discipleship, there were two central commands:
  • Repent (Matthew 4:17)
  • Follow Me (Matthew 4:19)
• As someone being discipled, we will begin to look like our teacher (Luke 6:40).
• The first of discipleship is to take that initial step of faith in accepting Christ as your Savior. After you have been reconciled to the Father, we are entrusted with the message of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:17-20

A Closer Look at Ephesians 2:

• A former walk (vs 1-3)
• A fore-ordained walk (vs 4-10)
• The foundation for our walk (vs 11-20)
• A fellowship integral to our walk (vs 21-22)

 
Lesson Outline:

1. We must proclaim with our lips that Christ is Lord (Romans 10:9)
2. We must prove with our life that Christ is our Lord (Luke 6:46;1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
3. We must purpose to love God and love others (Matthew 22:37-40)

• Loving God is not based on sight (1 Peter 1:8)
• Loving God is shown by our obedience (John 14:15)
• Loving God is shown in our love for others (1 John 4:20)

    4. We must ponder the loss (Luke 14:25-33; Philippians 3:8)

Journaling Questions for the Week:

​Q3 Evaluate your approach to following Jesus. Would you say that you view Jesus as your Lord, Master, and Owner? Why or why not?
 
Q4 As you look at your life, how would you say that your love for God is shown in your actions? (If you’re having trouble coming up with an answer, take some time to think through some changes you may need to make in your lifestyle.)
 
Q5 If you choose to obey Jesus’s call to follow, what might it cost you? (Avoid being vague. If following Jesus would cost you specific possessions, comforts, or relationships, list them below.)
 
Q6 What might hold you back from following Jesus at this point? Are you willing to let go of these things if necessary?
 
Q7 Before you end this session, spend some time in prayer. Ask God to work in your heart and prepare you for what is ahead. You don’t need to have all the answers or know specifically how God will use you. He simply calls you to follow wherever He might lead. As you pray, be honest about your doubts, hesitations, and fears. Ask Him to give you the strength to proceed and follow Him no matter what the cost. In other words, place your faith in Him.

This is a study that I am personally very excited about. These lessons on discipleship will cover topics that many of us will be familiar with, but are not always lived out. Be careful - this study will get personal. We will be asking hard questions of ourselves.

So, what is a disciple? Simply put, it is a follower of Christ. To be an active follower of Christ, we must be purposeful in the mission He has given us.

Question 1:
​Up to this point in your life, would you call yourself a follower of Jesus Christ? Why do you say that? Do you see evidence of your faith as described in Luke 6:40?

Question 2:
​Read Ephesians 2 carefully and take some time to consider the truths it presents. Do you trust in the death of Christ for your salvation? Do you ever struggle with believing you need to do something to save yourself?