Why? and What is the Purpose? in My Life

The purpose of these short teaching lessons are to help you answer the questions Why? and What is the Purpose? in your life.

Therefore, today, and for the next several months I want to help you find answers to these two questions, because I believe that the answers to these two questions will turn your own world upside down.

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Follow Me: A Journey with Jesus The Discipleship Making Process Acknowledgement Forward Intro 1 Intro 2 Intro 3 Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Lesson 4 Lesson 5 Lesson 5.1 Lesson 6 Lesson 6.1 Lesson 7 Lesson 8 Lesson 9 Lesson 10 Lesson 11 Lesson 12 Lesson 13 Lesson 14 Lesson 14.1 Lesson 15 Lesson 15.1 Lesson 16 Lesson 17 Lesson 17.1 Lesson 18 Lesson 18.1 Lesson 19 Lesson 20 Lesson 20.1 Lesson 21 Lesson 22 Lesson 23 Lesson 24 Lesson 25 Lesson 25.1 Lesson 26 Lesson 27 Lesson 28 Lesson 29 Lesson 29.1 Lesson 30 Lesson 30.1 Lesson 31 Lesson 32 Lesson 32.1 Lesson 33 Lesson 33.1 Lesson 34 Lesson 34.1 Lesson 35 Lesson 35.1 Lesson 36 Lesson 36.1 Lesson 37 Lesson 38 Lesson 39 Lesson 40 Lesson 41 Lesson 42 Lesson 43 Lesson 44 Lesson 44.1 Lesson 45 Lesson 45.1 Lesson 46 Lesson 46.1 Lesson 46.2 Lesson 46.3 Lesson 47 Lesson 47.1 Lesson 48 Lesson 48.1 Lesson 48.2 Lesson 49 Lesson 49.1 Lesson 50 Lesson 51 Lesson 51.1 Lesson 51.2 Lesson 52 Lesson 53 Lesson 53.1 Lesson 54 Lesson 55 Lesson 56 Lesson 57 Lesson 58

The 226 Commands of Jesus * Lessons By Verse
The Spiritual Maturity Process - "Curriculum and Activities"

Devotional Version * Teaching Version * SERIES Companion Book

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Taking the Mystery Out of Discipleship

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The word discipleship has been a mystery to churchmen for over 1500 years. We all know that it is Biblical … a requirement of fulfilling the Great Commission. Yet most don’t understand what the process is, how to do it effectively and what the end result looks like.
Let’s start by looking at a Biblical concept found in 1 Corinthians 15:45-49.

So also it is written, "The first man, Adam, became a living soul." The last Adam (Christ) became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.

God has allowed us to understand how things work in the natural first so we can grasp spiritual concepts and truths.

A good example of how this works is found in the story Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3:1-10 as Jesus addresses the issue of child birth in the spiritual realm. After communicating a few spiritual truths to Nicodemus … Jesus finds that he lacks understanding and then issues a mild rebuke of the older man since he is considered a teacher in Israel.

Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit."Nicodemus said to Him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things?

Discipleship is just the Church’s word to describe the “spiritual” child-rearing process. That process follows the same pattern as the natural child-rearing process that the whole world knows and practices. Discipleship is not complicated; however spiritual concepts must be learned and applied in place of the natural ones … so that the spirit man can grow.

Discipleship or “spiritual” child-rearing, like natural child-rearing begins with the conception of a child and continues in some fashion throughout life. The word disciple simply means learner or “one who applies what he is taught.” Just as we can’t set a baby in the middle of a room and expect it to become an adult on its own … so it is in the kingdom of God. Someone must feed, care for, love, hold, speak to and teach the child or it will die. The same thing happens to those who are “born again” by the Spirit of God … if left on their own they will die. Every child of God needs specific things at specific times in order to grow and become mature in Christ.

The Apostle John describes the three stages of man as: children, young men and fathers 1 John 2:12-14. At each level, individuals need different instruction and opportunities to enhance their life … to become all that God designed them to be. The end product is that every person who is “born again” by the Spirit of God should be conformed to the image of Christ.

The command to “make disciples” is a commission … or co-mission as I like to call it. It is not performed by one individual but requires the co-operation of an instructor + the Word of God + the Holy Spirit. The Church usually performs a role similar to that of a mother in the lives of her children in the earlier years but then begins releasing them to the father’s instruction after puberty.

Children are born into families not in shopping malls. God understands that it is easier for them to learn and grow in smaller units, where they can experience love and acceptance. And just as some people are better at raising children than others … it happens that way in the kingdom of God as well. Remember, you cannot disciple someone beyond what you have become yourself. That’s why there are qualifications for leadership such as: He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God? (1 Timothy 3:4-5)

We are not to make disciples in our image … but Christ’s. Therefore, what Jesus has to say about discipleship is how we should proceed. In the gospels, we see Jesus interacting with various groups of people: religious leaders, foreigners, and the multitudes. But with those He was discipling … we find His actions and words are quite different from the others. As we focus on the gospels it can be discerned that Jesus has already developed a curriculum of instruction which revolve around His commandments. His disciples were also instructed in a specific order to maximize their growth. Making disciples is neither messy nor haphazard in its approach. Jesus taught His disciples and modeled the process for them … then told them to go and make more disciples.

1. Stay until you are clothed with power from on high.
2. Go into all the world.
3. Preach repentance for the forgiveness of sins in Jesus name.
4. Baptize those who believe the message … in the name of Jesus.
5. Teach those who have been baptized to observe all that Jesus commanded.

The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. (2 Timothy 2:2) The people you should be looking to train are those who have ears to hear. In other words, they have humility and are teachable. The other trait you want these people to have is faithfulness … to believe and to put into action what they hear. Pray, ask the Father to open the ears of the deaf so they can hear the truth and for the gift of faith so they can believe the Word and act upon it, because not all have faith.

Although He was a Son, Jesus learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation. (Hebrews 5:8-9H) Don’t be a helicopter parent saving the children from all their trials … God uses them; instead let them learn like Jesus did ... by the things they suffer.

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What steps can you … the pastor take in transforming your congregation into disciple makers?

• Constantly remind the congregation about who they are and what God wants them to become. (Like Christ)
• Become familiar with the discipleship (spiritual child-rearing) process yourself; its stages, curriculum and activities.
• Tell the congregation how you and others will be working with them to accomplish their transformation to Christ-likeness.
• Tell them what is expected of them in the way of their time and effort.
• Then, either implement the process yourself or empower someone to help you with it.

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The Spiritual Maturity "Process"

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Key 2 Changes
Discipleship Training

We believe that obeying the commands of Jesus is the Key 2 Changes in people’s lives. Our goal is to equip Christians from all denominations to do the work of the ministry … so they appear as lights in a dark world … moved by their love for God and man … in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Our desire is to see each person remain in their own church, assisting the pastor in making new disciples of Jesus Christ … thereby extending the Kingdom of God throughout the earth.

The Spiritual Maturity Process
The mission of The Church is: To authentically live out the great commandment and the great commission.

The Great Commandment (Mark 12:30-31)
1. You shall love the Lord Your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength.
2. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20)
3. Stay until you are clothed with power from on high.
4. Go into all the world.
5. Preach repentance for the forgiveness of sins in Jesus name.
6. Baptize those who believe the message … in the name of Jesus.
7. Teach those who have been baptized to observe all that Jesus commanded.

We like to use the word mission because it implies that there is an on going process or journey taking place. This is true for every Christian. From the time that he is spiritually “born again” until his death, God is at work within a Christian transforming his life into the likeness of His Son Jesus Christ. We call that process … spiritual maturity.

Spiritual maturity is similar in many ways to the human maturity process that we all go through. It begins at birth and consists of learning and doing various things that give us the ability to work, play and reproduce ourselves. Jesus modeled this process by taking twelve ordinary people and then transforming them into individuals who were authentically living out the great commandment and the great commission in their lives.

Spiritual maturity is predicated upon an individual’s relationship to our Lord Jesus Christ. That relationship begins by asking four basic questions. Who is Jesus Christ? What is His character? What is my relationship to Him? What is it He wants me to do? The answer to these questions are best discovered when people become familiar with the Gospels … as Jesus interacts with His disciples and issues them various instructions … moving them along a spiritual continuum.

We are seeking men and women who earnestly desire to authentically live out the great commandment and great commission in their lives and are prepared to train and equip them to do it.

The Spiritual Maturity Process we use is based on what Jesus told His disciples to do. The training period designed to take an individual from his spiritual birth to adulthood; a state in which he is capable of making disciples of Jesus Christ himself.

In designing the process we recognized that not everyone within a congregation is a new believer. In fact, many may have been Christians for some time. So we developed several training segments with entry and departure points to facilitate them obtaining only the training they needed to become fully equipped.

The whole Spiritual maturity process takes about 120 hours to complete. The teachings themselves can be customized to an individual’s available time. (i.e. once a week for 3 hours for 40 weeks, etc) Each of the growth stages can be taught separately and conformed to the individual’s available time.

Where an individual currently lies within the Spiritual Maturity Process and which step he needs to take next are determined primarily through self-evaluation. Using the following two-step process does this.

Step 1 – Growth Stages

By using the definitions, attitudes/behaviors and needs choose which one of the four following growth stages you are currently in.

Stage 1 - Conception: “I believe in God, but I’m not sure about Christ. My faith is not a significant part of my life.”

• These people are taking the first steps in spiritual growth and are marked by significantly lower levels of agreement with belief statements such as “I believe salvation comes only through Jesus Christ.”
• Attitudes/Behaviors:
  • They tend not to involve God in their daily lives.
  • They tend to seek God’s guidance only in times of need.
  • They may view the Bible as irrelevant.
  • They need others to help them interpret spiritual issues.
  • They generally don’t serve in the church.
  • They tend to live for the moment.
  • They may consider themselves spiritual but not necessarily Christian.
  • Jesus is a good person but not necessarily God.
  • They may have only a limited knowledge of the Bible.

• Needs:
  • Seeker services.
  • Opportunities to connect with others.
  • Venues to openly discuss questions and doubts.

Stage 2 - Childhood: “I believe in Jesus, and I’m working on what it means to get to know Him.”

• These early believers are growing in their faith through church experiences and are also starting to incorporate personal spiritual practices into their normal routine outside of church.
• Attitudes/Behaviors:
  • They are discovering faith.
  • They need others to help them interpret spiritual issues.
  • They willingly participate in small groups.
  • Some of them serve in church.
  • They sometimes read the Bible or Christian books.
  • They are aware that areas of their life need transformation.

• Needs:
  • Small group opportunities.
  • Basic personal spiritual practices.
  • Corporate worship service.
  • Develop a personal relationship with a mentor.
  • Supportive teaching.

Stage 3 - Adolesence: “I feel really close to Christ and depend on Him for daily guidance.”

• These believers report much higher levels of personal spiritual practices than earlier segments. Serving emerges as an important expression of their faith. While their devotion to Christ is growing, they still hold back from full commitment.
• Attitudes/Behaviors:
  • The Bible provides direction for their lives.
  • Prayer is central to their lives.
  • They have not surrendered everything to Christ.
  • Small groups are less important to them.
  • Spiritual friends increase in importance to them.
  • They serve regularly.
  • They are concerned for the lost like Jesus was.
  • They have a desire for growth in spiritual disciplines.

• Needs:
  • Serving opportunities.
  • Advanced personal spiritual practices.
  • Learn to share their faith.

Stage 4 - Adulthood: “God is all I need in my life. He is enough. Everything I do is a reflection of Christ.”

• These people have fully surrendered their lives to Christ, demonstrated by their dramatically higher levels of spiritual behaviors and attitudes across the board. They “very strongly agree” that they seek God’s guidance in every area of their lives … at two times the level of any other segment.
• Attitudes/Behaviors:
  • They love God more than anything
  • For them, prayer is constant conversation with God.
  • They help to mentor others.
  • Service to others is a way of life.

• Needs:
  • Mentoring opportunities.
  • Wide range of serving opportunities.
  • Develop a ministry based on God’s call.
  • Prepare a personal mission statement.

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The Spiritual Maturity Process - "Curriculum and Activities"

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Step 2 – Curriculum and Activities
Each growth stage is listed below with the training appropriate for that stage. Small group curriculum is in bold print with no additional markings. Activities are preceded by three stars ***. The course material is listed in the order of occurrence that maximizes the benefits to the individual, by building on what he has already learned. For example, it is better to learn how to walk before learning to run. A brief description of the curriculum and activities is offered with the approximate amount of time needed to complete it.

Stage 1 - Childhood

Phase 1 - Conception: (formation - from non-believer to believer) - “I believe in God, but I’m not sure about Christ. My faith is not a significant part of my life.”

• These people are taking the first steps in spiritual growth and are marked by significantly lower levels of agreement with belief statements such as “I believe salvation comes only through Jesus Christ.”
• Attitudes/Behaviors:
  • They tend not to involve God in their daily lives.
  • They tend to seek God’s guidance only in times of need.
  • They may view the Bible as irrelevant.
  • They need others to help them interpret spiritual issues.
  • They generally don’t serve in the church.
  • They tend to live for the moment.
  • They may consider themselves spiritual but not necessarily Christian.
  • Jesus is a good person but not necessarily God.
  • They may have only a limited knowledge of the Bible.

• Needs:
  • Seeker services.
  • Opportunities to connect with others.
  • Venues to openly discuss questions and doubts.

*** Preach the gospel to them.

Welcome to the Family – a lettered welcome for a new believer

*** Introduce the new believer to a small group leader willing to serve as a parent . . . who will talk with, touch and care for them. Have the group leader cover the following material:

The Gospel – a clear, concise presentation of the good news of Jesus Christ covering its key points. It is based on Acts 2:22-41 (1 hr)

God’s Life in Me – the new birth process (1 hr)

Elijah and Elisha – a picture of water baptism (1 hr)

A Covenant Relationship with God - the new covenant with God (1 hr)

Comparing Three Covenants - an overview of their individual parts.

*** Public Celebration – baptism marks the end of the Conception stage.

Phase 2 - Babes: (from believer to growing believer) - “I believe in Jesus, and I’m working on what it means to get to know Him.”

• These early believers are growing in their faith through church experiences and are also starting to incorporate personal spiritual practices into their normal routine outside of church.
• Attitudes/Behaviors:
  • They are discovering faith.
  • They need others to help them interpret spiritual issues.
  • They willingly participate in small groups.
  • Some of them serve in church.
  • They sometimes read the Bible or Christian books.
  • They are aware that areas of their life need transformation.

• Needs:
  • Small group opportunities.
  • Basic personal spiritual practices.
  • Corporate worship service.
  • Develop a personal relationship with a mentor.
  • Supportive teaching.

*** Introduce believers to 1 John 1:9. Parents recognize sin and assist the believer in repentance and confession of it.

Introduction to the Bible - answers the questions, “what is the Bible” and “where did it come from”? It also includes a brief survey of the Bible. (2 hrs)

Jesus and the Land – is a brief historical view of Jesus, His friends and family and the land in which he lived. There are several maps included in this introductory study. (2 hrs)

*** Begin reading the Bible – the following five pairs of books provide the reader with exciting stories that help him gain a historical overview of the Bible.

• Genesis and Exodus.
• Joshua and Judges.
• 1st and 2nd Samuel
• 1st and 2nd Kings.
• Mark and Acts.

Foundational Principles – from the book of Hebrews 6:1-3, we discover that the Apostle Paul considered the following six teachings as the elementary principles of Christianity. (8 hrs)

• Repentance from dead works
• Faith toward God.
• Instruction about washings (baptisms)
• Laying on of hands.
• Resurrection of the dead.
• Eternal judgment.

Phase 3 - Children: (from believer to growing believer)

*** Have the believers write out their personal testimonies . . . then read them in a group setting.

*** Assign some form of church ministry with very little responsibility to each believer.

How to Hear God’s Voice – many Christians don’t know their heavenly father’s voice yet all children can identify their parent’s voice. What’s up with that! This curriculum is designed to help believers discern His voice. (5 hrs – seminar format – two sessions)

• Introduction
• Understanding God’s voice.
• Spirit, soul, body – what’s the difference and which one rules?
• Obeying the Spirit.
• What keeps us from hearing God’s voice?
• Different ways God speaks – inner knowing.
• Different ways God speaks – inner voice.
• Different ways God speaks – authoritative voice of the Holy Spirit.

How to Study the Bible – teaches believers how to effectively read and study the Bible. (3 hrs)

A Journey With Jesus – Book 1 - Fishers of Men - Lessons 1-5 – a new worldview. (6 hrs) - Book 1 Available
The Introduction.
1. Follow Me. (To hear and obey Jesus, our Lord)
2. What Do You See? (Observing people can lead to a spiritual encounter)
3. A New Perspective. (Live joyously)
4. Shining Lights. (How to let your light shine)
5. Jesus, The Fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. (Explaining the Law and the Prophets and how Jesus fulfils them)

*** Have believers baptize new believers.

A Journey With Jesus – Book 1 - Fishers of Men - Lessons 6-17 – new family values. (12 hrs) - Book 1 Available
6. Subduing Anger. (Dealing with anger)
7. Being Faithful. (Dealing with sexual sin)
8. Keeping Promises. (Keeping your word)
9. Giving Up Your Rights. (Dealing with difficult people)
10. Love Your Enemies. (How to treat your enemies)
11. Receiving Honor. (Avoiding hypocrisy)
12. Prayer. (The Lord’s Prayer)
13. Acquiring Treasure. (How to find and store real treasure)
14. The Scales of Justice. (There is only one judge)
15. Developing Discernment. (Differences between judging and discerning)
16. How to Live Forever. (Living eternal life now)
17. Fruit Inspection. (Learning to discern evil)

*** Begin reading the rest of the Bible. – the following five pairs of books provide the reader with exciting stories that help him gain a historical overview of the Bible.

*** Public Celebration – this is the end of the Childhood stage.

Stage 2 - Adolescence

Young Men: (from believer to growing believer) - “I feel really close to Christ and depend on Him for daily guidance.”

• These believers report much higher levels of personal spiritual practices than earlier segments. Serving emerges as an important expression of their faith. While their devotion to Christ is growing, they still hold back from full commitment.
• Attitudes/Behaviors:
  • The Bible provides direction for their lives.
  • Prayer is central to their lives.
  • They have not surrendered everything to Christ.
  • Small groups are less important to them.
  • Spiritual friends increase in importance to them.
  • They serve regularly.
  • They are concerned for the lost like Jesus was.
  • They have a desire for growth in spiritual disciplines.

• Needs:
  • Serving opportunities.
  • Advanced personal spiritual practices.
  • Learn to share their faith.

*** Begin serving in a ministry of the church.

A Journey With Jesus – Book 2 – Into the Harvest - Lessons 18-20 – the kingdom of God. (3 hrs) - Book 2 Available
18. Kingdom Parables. (Understanding the Kingdom of God)
19. Growing in Understanding. (Understanding parables)
20. More Kingdom Truths. (You teach a parable) *** Teach one of the parables.

Gifts of the Spirit – equips the believer to use spiritual gifts. (10 hrs)

• Receiving spiritual gifts.
• Difficult questions answered.
• The three categories of gifts: 1) Motivations, 2) Ministries and 3) Manifestations
• Discovering which ones you have.
• Do you want more?
• Spiritual warfare issues.
• Working with the Holy Spirit – how the manifestations happen.
• Practice using your gifts in a small group setting.

*** Use spiritual gifts for the benefit of one another within the group.

A Journey With Jesus – Book 2 – Into the Harvest - Lessons 21-24 – evangelism. (4 hrs) - Book 2 Available
21. Going into the Harvest Fields. (Finding and working in your harvest field)
22. Evangelism. (Jesus shows us how to evangelize)
23. Serpents and doves. (Be wise in the way you declare the gospel)
24. Sobering Decisions. (Fear of men is overcome by faith in God)

*** Begin to purposefully declare the Gospel at every opportunity God gives you.

*** Use your personal testimony and spiritual gifts in conjunction with it.

A Journey With Jesus – Book 2 – Into the Harvest - Lessons 25-29 – discipleship. (5 hrs) - Book 2 Available
25. Looking for God’s Solutions. (Blessing people and glorifying His name)
26. Fear not! (Jesus cares for you and will help you)
27. A Little Leaven. (Consider carefully the words you speak)
28. Taking Up the Cross. (Being a disciple of Jesus will cost you your life)
29. Listen to Jesus! (God the Father speaks out loud) *** Lead an activity.

Spiritual Warfare – introduces the believer in ways to overcome his enemies. (5 hrs)

A Journey With Jesus – Book 2 – Into the Harvest - Lessons 30-31 – problems in the church. (4 hrs) - Book 2 Available
30. Becoming Offended. (Why you get offended)
31. Causing Stumbling Blocks. (Don’t be a stumbling block to anyone)
32. Reproving a Believer. (Correcting believers/church discipline)
33. Forgiving Believers Who Repent. (Be ready to forgive)

A Journey With Jesus – Book 2 – Into the Harvest - Lessons 34-39 – the attitude of a servant. (6 hrs) - Book 2 Available
34. Cause for Rejoicing. (Reasons to rejoice)
35. Praying with Faith.
36. Hypocrisy. (Test the spirits)
37. Freedom from Fear. (You have no reason to be afraid of God)
38. Freedom from Life’s Worries. (God will take care of your needs)
39. Servant-hood. (Learn to be a good servant)

The Basic Spiritual Maturity Process – an overview of the Spiritual Growth Process as it compares to the natural child-rearing process. (1 hrs)

*** Go on a cross-cultural mission project at home or abroad.

*** Public Celebration – this is the end of the Adolesence stage. The believer should experience the “laying on of hands” by the leaders for additional giftings and empowerment for service because he has just moved into adulthood.

Stage 3 - Adulthood

Fathers: (from mature believer to reproducing believer) - “God is all I need in my life. He is enough. Everything I do is a reflection of Christ.”

• These people have fully surrendered their lives to Christ, demonstrated by their dramatically higher levels of spiritual behaviors and attitudes across the board. They “very strongly agree” that they seek God’s guidance in every area of their lives … at two times the level of any other segment.
• Attitudes/Behaviors:
  • They love God more than anything
  • For them, prayer is constant conversation with God.
  • They help to mentor others.
  • Service to others is a way of life.

• Needs:
  • Mentoring opportunities.
  • Wide range of serving opportunities.
  • Develop a ministry based on God’s call.
  • Prepare a personal mission statement.

Small Group Dynamics – It teaches the believer how small groups operate and how to facilitate them (6 hrs – seminar format – two sessions)

A Journey With Jesus – Book 3 – Building the Temple - Lessons 40-45 – life lessons. (8 hrs) - Book 3 Available
40. Foretaste of the Kingdom. (Those who will be spared)
41. Don’t Lose Heart. (Pray and do not lose heart)
42. Children. (Do not stop children from having a relationship to Jesus)
43. Up to Jerusalem. (Unraveling mysteries of the Passover week)
44. True Biblical Faith. (Living by faith has requirements)
45. Chair of Moses. (True authority)

*** Two believers should form a team to facilitate the Spiritual Growth Process for new believers.

A Journey With Jesus – Book 3 – Building the Temple - Lessons 46-49 – 2nd coming of Christ (5 hrs) - Book 3 Available
46. Looking at the Future. (Overview of the end times)
47. Do Not Be Misled. (Follow Jesus’ instructions and you won’t be misled)
48. Signs. (Understanding the signs of the end times)
49. Be Alert. (Become alert when you see the signs in the heavens)

A Journey With Jesus – Book 3 – Building the Temple - Lessons 50-56 – Last things (10 hrs) - Book 3 Available
At The Lord's Table - (Lesson 50 - Devotional Version) – showcasing the individual elements of a Passover Seder overlaying them with the events that occurred at the Last Supper. (1.5 hrs)
50. Breaking Bread. - (Lesson 51 - Devotional Version) - (Communion)
51. Love One Another. - (Lesson 52 - Devotional Version) - (Display love for one another)
52. Peaceful Hearts. - (Lesson 53 - Devotional Version) - (What it means to abide in Christ)
Abiding in Christ - (Lesson 54 - Devotional Version)
53. Disillusioned. - (Lesson 55 - Devotional Version) - (The promise of persecution)
54. Waiting For Him. - (Lesson 56 - Devotional Version) - (Spiritual warfare)
55. Receive the Holy Spirit. - (Lesson 57 - Devotional Version) - (Baptized with power from on high)
56. The Great Commission. - (Lesson 58 - Devotional Version) - (Understanding your commission)

Overview of Church History – teaches the history of the church as a whole. (10 hrs)

*** Public Celebration – A Last Supper should mark the end of his original small group experience.

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The believer should complete the entire Spiritual Maturity Process for members of his own small group. No matter what the believer’s specific call is, the understanding of the Spiritual Maturity Process is critical.

Receive advanced training as the Lord leads.

Discover and engage in God’s specific ministry call for him.

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Key2Changes.com Access

CLICK here to access the SERIES Companion Books

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“FOLLOW ME” - A Journey with Jesus

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Ever Want to Read the Bible . . . but didn’t know where to start?

Take a penetrating look into the life of Jesus, whom God has made both Messiah and Lord of the whole earth!


“Follow Me – A Journey With Jesus”

presents the four Gospels in a combined, chronological account of His life.

What is God’s Will . . . for your life?

Discover the 226 commands that Jesus instructed his disciples to pass on to every believer.

Come and Journey with Jesus as one of His students and hear what He is speaking to you today!

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For More Info or To Get A Copy, E-mail Me: rrobertslkr@yahoo.com

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Brief Overview
The Story
The most incredible story in the universe is God’s dealing with men . . . the Gospels form the central and pivotal part of the story, which concerns the Messiah and the purposes for which He was sent to earth. The Gospel’s primary function is to blend both the Old and New Testaments into one account through the Messiah, Jesus the Christ the Son of God . . .

. . . The focus of this book is the central part of that story, the Gospels. This portion of the story is told by four men, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, who each wrote an account of Messiah. It is through their eyes, ears, and hearts that each one of us is able to see the works that God performed through Messiah, to hear the “good news” that He is proclaiming, and to understand the depth of His love for mankind.

The Purpose
The purpose of writing this book is to forge the four accounts into one story so that the reader may more fully understand the events that surround the Messiah and His coming to earth. It is my intent to make you feel like you are walking with Jesus and being taught by Him on His journey through life. To illustrate the point, imagine four people making a journey across the United States in an automobile from Portland, Maine to Los Angeles, California. When they arrive into Los Angeles you go up to one of the people and ask them, “Tell me about the journey you just finished.” Then you will move on to the others in turn asking them to relate their account. Each of the accounts will vary somewhat as each person can relate only what he has perceived about the journey. From these four accounts you could derive one story which in turn will give others a better view of their journey. You might say, “That it would be like recording their journey on your camcorder from inside a convertible automobile with its top down.”

Features
Besides combining the four gospels into one story other significant features have been included to increase the reader’s awareness and understanding.

Chronology. Events in the text are in the order in which they occurred.


Dates. The time frame in which the events occurred.


Division of the book into parts. Seeing the “big picture” of Jesus’ life and mission.


Division of the book into headings. Specific events occurring within the life of Jesus.


Footnotes. Comments concerning a word or phrase whining the text.


Footnotes (Italicized). References to passages of Scriptures which are being quoted within the text.


Glossary. Comments on or definitions of commonly used words or terms used throughout the text.


Heading references (in parenthesis). The actual Scriptural passages used in the text.


Scripture. The text is taken directly from the New American Standard Bible.

A Unique Feature
Just prior to His being raised up into heaven Jesus gave his followers a commission to accomplish before He returned again. That commission is “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” In response to this commission, all the instructions that Jesus gave His group of disciples are highlighted and underlined in the text.

To The Reader
Not everyone will agree with every position taken in this work, however, many knowledgeable sources were consulted in its preparation. This book is not meant to replace the individual accounts of the gospel writers, but merely to serve as a supplement to them. Date setting of various events is based on historical documents, astronomical evidence, the Jewish calendar with its 19 year repeating cycles, The Feasts of the Lord and the customs of the Jewish people. To those who have labored long in the study of God’s Word and prepared helps for each of us to learn by, I extend thanksgiving and gratitude for their labor of love in Christ.

My Hope
My heart’s desire is that my Father in heaven be glorified by the exaltation of His Son in this book and that each of you, the readers, be transformed into the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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(Sample Excerpt from “Follow Me: A Journey with Jesus”)
Part 3
FOLLOWERS
“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him. This is according to all that you asked of the LORD your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, let me not see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’ And the Lord said to me, ‘They have spoken well. I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And it shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him.’” – Deuteronomy 18:15-19

“Follow Me”
(Mt 4:18-22, Mk 1:16-20 and Lk 5:1-11)
And walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Now it came about that while the multitude were pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; and He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the multitudes from the boat. And when He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but at Your bidding I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish; and their nets began to brea; and they signaled to their partners in the other boat, for them to come and help them. And they came, and filled both of the boats so that they began to sin. But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, “depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” For amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And going on a little farther, He was James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. And immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him.

Why? and What is the Purpose? in My Life
SERIES Companion Book: “FOLLOW ME” - A Journey with Jesus

Devotional Version * Teaching Version

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Why? and What is the Purpose? in My Life SERIESFollow Me: A Journey with JesusThe Discipleship Making Process – Part 1 & Part 2
Ryan K. Roberts

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For More Info or To Get A Copy, E-mail Me: rrobertslkr@yahoo.com

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When you think of the ramification of Jesus being God, and then Him coming to earth and not only fulfilling His words in the Law and Prophets, but personally selecting 12 men to entrust His spirit and life giving words to all man-kind through the model of discipleship (defined as turning a learner into a teacher), then instructing them to go and do the same, as He modeled it, reassuring them that He would be with them always, the implications were and are world changing.

God, not man, giving us the words, the model, and the methods of ministry, not just in theory but in day-to-day practice (relationship), is more than words can express. Why then do we substitute God’s way with other ministry models, teachings, and methods when we were given the ultimate example, God Himself?

For me, these truths and reality have been life changing. And what better way to have learned them than through the life of one of Jesus’ own disciples, my step-father. It was in the late-80s and early-90s that he began to uncover these life changing words of Jesus, taking His words as the ultimate truth:

• “‘Go and make disciples of all nations . . . teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.’” Matthew 28:18-20
  
  
• “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing; . . . I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father taught me . . . For I have not spoken on my own authority; the Father who sent me has himself given me commandment what to say and what to speak . . . When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak. ’” John 5:19, John 8:28, 12:49, 16:13
  
  
• “‘You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide.’” John 15:14-16
  
  
• “‘If you love me, you will obey what I command.’” John 14:15
  
  
• “Jesus replied, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.’” Luke 11:28
  
  
• “We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands.” 1 John 2:3
  
  
• “Whoever says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.” 1 John 2:4
  
  
• “In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.” 1 John 5:3
  
  
• “And this is love, that we walk in obedience to his commands.” 2 John 1:6
  
  
• “I have set for you an example that you should do, as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” John 13:15 -17 John 13:15 -17
  
  
• “While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!’” Matthew 17:5

It is through this discipleship program, "‘Follow Me’: A Journey With Jesus", that we unpack each one of Jesus' commands into short teaching lessons, which were compiled from the complete discipleship program (which is available in small group format), to reunite you with the Master Teacher, God Himself, understanding that, “no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ,” 1 Corinthians 3:10.

In like manner, as Paul was to Timothy, I have taken the teachings of God Himself, Jesus, imparted to me through my step-father, and now challenge you, with the mantra of Paul:

• “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”1 Corinthians 11:1

Welcome to: “A Journey With Jesus”, and know that the words you read going forward are spirit and they are life, and now in the words of Jesus Himself: “‘Come, follow me.’” Matthew 4:19

- Ryan K. Roberts

Why? and What is the Purpose? in My Life SERIES - Part 1 of 2

Teaching Version * SERIES Companion Book

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