Moses
Sections 1 and 2
Using Matthew 28:18-20 and 1 John 2:12-14 as our outlines, the School will cover three degrees of maturity or discipleship—that of the child, the youth, and the father. Recognizing the command of Scripture to be discipled and to disciple others, this course will follow the adjacent overview chart and focus on five Es:
- the Evangelism of preChristians
- the Establishment of new converts in the faith
- the Equipping (preparing and repairing) of disciples for ministry
- the Enlistment of all to follow the Master's plan for discipleship and the enlistment of some for leadership
- the Expansion and Extension of the kingdom of God throughout the world
Our model will be Jesus' style of outreach and His strategy for building His disciples.
Upon completion of this course, the participants should be able to:
- design a School of Discipleship for small or large groups, or a one-to-one discipleship ministry that will continue to multiply itself through many spiritual generations
- discover how to personalize their witness
- disciple a new convert and help to establish him/her in the basics of the faith
- develop and grow in their knowledge of God, forgiveness, ministry, and spiritual warfare
The following represents the lessons for the entire course. Other sections will follow that will take the student into two more sections: Youth and Fatherhood. After that, there will be opportunities for further training presented.
Please keep in mind this is a non-profit site. If you are blessed by this seminar, or anything else on this site, we would also appreciate your financial assistance to keep it going.
In a general fashion, this is a review session and will simply lay out for the us the theological underpinnings for any ministry, especially a discipleship ministry. Participants in the seminar will have a chance to rewrite or affirm this theological statement.
Spiritual Fathers who are burned out, have lost the zest for ministry; they 'go through the motions' day after day; but with little joy, and with greatly reduced capability for effective service. The sad part of this is that leaders who burn out are among our most dedicated people.
The hopeful part is that burnout can be avoided, and, if caught in time, can usually be remedied. This session is a wonderful study on how to recover from and/or prevent burnout. We will study the life of Elijah just before and after Mount Carmel. It is a model for all who desire to help people. It is also a very personal study of how God cares and ministers to a dispirited prophet, i.e., a person who has faithfully followed the Lord and is now discouraged, defeated, and maybe burned out.
Defeating Discouragement and Burnout—1 Kings 19 (Lessons from Elijah in the Desert)
What are some of the specific character qualities we can deduce from Scripture that all disciples/leaders should have growing in their lives? When a leader is described, the tendency is to look at the outward appearances, actions, or gifts. It is interesting to note, however, that outward manifestations are rarely, if ever, mentioned in choosing leaders in the early church. This study will look at the specific spiritual qualities that will need to be developed in maturing Christians and leaders.
It is constructive to remember those who have influenced us; those who have lived through testings and trials. The Jewish people were called to remember the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11. It is likewise appropriate for us to remember our leaders as well. We might be tempted to drift or to return to our old way of life, but leaders can help us. Which leaders? Those "who spoke the word of God to you." But notice what we are to consider about those memorable leaders: v. 7c—"Consider the outcome of their way of life..." If we want to be a leader, or we are a leader, these verses should be a powerful call to us.
Remember Your Leaders—Hebrews 13:7-8
This session gives us an essential truth for leadership and that is, the heart and ministry of a leader are inseparable. If we intend to be effective and reflect the lordship of Christ in our leadership, then we need to constantly remind ourselves of the relationship between these two. To put it another way: what I do is a reflection of who I am. Or, the outer life of service is sustained by an inner life of devotion. To illustrate this relationship, we want to look at the life and ministry of the Apostle Paul. We will do this by isolating our attention on only one of the churches he founded and pastored. This church was located in Ephesus. In this section of Scripture, we will review the summary remarks of Paul to the elders at Ephesus.
The Heart And Ministry of a Great Leader - Acts 20:16-38
When Paul writes his first letter to his young associate, Timothy, he wants to spell out how people should behave in the church and he wants to speak a word to Timothy himself. In this situation, he is going to tell Timothy that at a time like this, he had better get back to fundamentals; make first things central. Here in I Timothy 4, Paul spells out for his young friend (and through Timothy, for us), the priority of ministry that will cause the people of God to respect us and to respond to us.
Priorities of a Pastor or a Spiritual Father - 1 Timothy 4:11-16 (The Cure For Ineffective Ministry)
What is the job description of a spiritual leader? I'm sure we could compile quite a list of expectations. In I Thessalonians 1 & 2, we have an example of Paul's heart and ministry modeled and described. It is an amazing story and example for us. This passage tells us why the Thessalonians stayed true and the church grew at such a remarkable pace. It didn't just happen; there were certain elements present that made it strong.
Job Description of a Spiritual Father and Leader—1 Thessalonians 2:1-20
The key question to ask and answer for all of us is, "How can I finish well?" Supplemental to this question are the related ones: "Who did not finish well?" "Why did they not finish well?" The writer of Hebrews is in effect saying, "Don't give up too soon; don't relax before the tape; don't stay down if you fall; get up; refocus your attention on the Author and Finisher of the race; and finish the race." From this passage, as well as observing a number of authors, biographies, mentors, friends, and family members, we will see 6 characteristics of people who finished well.
See also our Special Section on Burnout
Expository Preaching (Riveted and Relevant). Being riveted to Scripture, and at the same time being relevant to our times is the balance needed for expository preaching. This seminar will focus on a number of key ingredients that are central to the expository process, and lead to pertinent steps of implementation in people's lives.
Section four contains lessons for those who have developed in their spiritual lives so that they are now recognized as Spiritual Fathers.
The characteristic John used to describe those who have grown to this extent is repeated in two places in I John 2:
13] "I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning."
14] "I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning."
Here’s a review of what we have seen in section three: As we grow in our faith, John highlights three general characteristics of a young man (adult) in the faith. The three characteristic are:
- They have overcome the evil one--v. 13
- They are strong--v. 14b;
- and the Word of God lives in them--v. 14b.
Therefore, if we desire to grow up in our spiritual lives, it is wise that we mimic these three characteristics as well. The third section of the School Of Discipleship was focused on that goal.
As we grow into adulthood/fatherhood, God is interested in seeing us go beyond activity, to see Him as He truly was before He started any world activity.
Therefore as fathers in the faith:
- Maturity calls us to see Him in His exalted role ("Our Father which art in heaven...").
- Maturity calls us to know not only His acts, but also His ways: not only His creation, but His character.
- Maturity calls us to not only know about Him, but to be like Him, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ, conformed to the likeness of His Son (Eph. 4: 13-16; Rom. 8:29)
- Spiritual fatherhood calls on us not only to know our Spiritual Father, but to be a spiritual father and mentor to others as we have been parented by our Lord (1 Cor. 4:15; 1 Thess. 2:11; Titus 2:1-8; Phil. 2:22; Acts 6:6)
- Maturity means we commune with our Father by means of in-depth conversation, plenty of listening and being still and knowing He is God.
Several of these lessons can also be found on this site in a section called A Pastor’s Seminar. The implication should not be drawn that only pastors are spiritual fathers, but it is best if a pastor is growing toward the maturity of spiritual fatherhood. At a minimum, a pastor should reflect the characteristics of a young adult in the faith. See section three: Young Adult.
In most cases, it is also true that in some setting the spiritual father is exhibiting leadership. It may not be a pastorate, but they are leaders by virtue of their character and lifestyle. If you are a pastor, you might want to use a Pastor’s Seminar as your curriculum for this section.
The following lessons are designed to be an encouragement to those who are exhibiting the characteristics of a Spiritual Father.
13b] "I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one..."
14b] "I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one."
As we grow in our faith, John highlights three general characteristics of a young man (adult) in the faith. The three characteristic are:
- They have overcome the evil one--v. 13;
- They are strong--v. 14b; and
- The Word of God lives in them--v. 14b.
Therefore, if we desire to grow up in our spiritual lives, it is wise that we mimic these three characteristics as well. This third section of the School of Discipleship is focused on that goal.
What is the Lord's Table all about? What do the elements represent, and how are we to approach this celebration of remembrance?
Many who go through emotional upheaval in their lives end up adding to their problems by the way they handle their emotions. Truly, our emotions play a large part in making our lives meaningful or miserable. Take a look at some Scriptural examples that illustrate how to handle our emotions, particularly the negative ones.
How do we pass the torch of discipleship from one person, one generation, to the next? We'll look at 2 Timothy 2:1-3, noting what we are to be and what misconceptions we are to avoid when we purpose to disciple others and multiply ministry.
We never know when we will have to extend the healing/help of Jesus to those who are in need. Therefore, we need to understand Jesus' heart for the needy and be prepared to express it. We call this Ministry 101-105: an overview of the Lord's ministry from His own lips.
Prayer Training
In this extensive resource you will find a number of training sessions on prayer. They provide several different perspectives on the ministry of prayer. They can be used for individual study, or as a source to develop "teaching outlines" for a prayer seminar.
We might call this section of the school an Eagle Flight to Higher Heights. Here we will discover some more significant and effective means to grow in our spiritual lives. If we are going to grow from spiritual infancy into spiritual young adulthood, the following section will be crucial to that process. These lessons are presented separately in a 7 hour seminar entitled Eagle Flight.
14b] "I write to you, young men, because you are strong..."
13b] "I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one..."
As followers of Jesus, it is obvious we are involved in a spiritual war. How are we to overcome our enemy? If we are to grow up in our faith, then we are going to need to understand our enemy’s ploys and how he is defeated. The following lessons give us the basic training and tactics we need in order to overcome the evil one.
It is important we are prepared for the one who stalks us as believers. We must know his ways, our defense, our company, and our promises.
The Light Became Darkness: an Introduction to the Evil One, and How to Overcome Him. This lesson explores the following questions: Is Satan real? How did Satan become the enemy of God and us? What is he like? How can we escape him?
The Believers' Enemy. A Study on Overcoming the Evil One. Explore the four things each believer needs to understand if he is going to fight effective battles.
Set Free from Satan. More principles to help us in our spiritual warfare, and some principles for victory!
1 John 2:12-14—"I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. 13] ....I write to you, dear children, because you have known the Father."
As we can see from these verses, there are two general characteristics of children (new converts) in the faith:
- They understand their sins are forgiven; and
- They know the Father.
Using those two general characteristics as a guide, the following lessons are designed to help a new believer to understand the application of forgiveness to their lives as well as gain a basic understanding of who the Father is. Complementary to these teachings are several additional lessons to help a new disciple gain an understanding of God’s will and the basics of their salvation.
Think with me about a place where everything is perfect. By any evaluation, there are absolutely no problems—nothing needs to be added or taken away. It is absolutely perfect in every way. In this place (and I'm not taking about heaven)
Scripture makes it clear that the fear of the Lord is central to a believer's life and success. Listen to what a wide spectrum of writers of Scripture had to say about it.
Matt. 6:12, 14-15; Luke 7:36-50
Forgiveness—it's a word we love and loathe. We love it when we can be forgiven for our sins against God and others—what a tremendous relief! On the other hand, we loathe forgiveness when we must grant it to others who have grievously hurt us, even sinned against us. How difficult that can be!
God often gives us direction through closed or open doors, so keep your spiritual eyes open for them. Often they are unapparent to the natural eye.
A Lifetime Project
A knowledge of God is the substance of our praise. My encouragement is to make a lifetime project of: enriching Your knowledge of God by
Come with me to a vista where we will view God's attributes. You should be prepared to be changed, because a view of God’s attributes exposes our sinfulness and compels us to offer ourselves completely to Him. Turn to Romans: 11:33-36—"Oh, the depth of the riches, the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! 34] Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? 35] Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? 36] For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen."
When we show love to those who don't know Christ, they will get a picture of what God is like. That's our goal is this series: Getting to Know God—translating the attributes of God to everyday life. For example, in being loving and just, the two attributes of today's study, we give people a glimpse of God's character. Let me give you an example. It is the story of Anne Meskey.
What if we never read the Bible, and never paid close attention if someone else read it to us? What would our knowledge of God and the Scriptures be like if the only source of our knowledge came from what we heard or saw on T.V., at the movies, from friends or our own imagination? Sadly, most Americans are in this situation! In order to have a proper understanding of God—not a mixture of rumor, films, a projection of our own humanness, half truths and a muddle of ancient history—we are involved in a study of the attributes of God. This isn't an in-depth study, but an introduction to a few of the characteristics of God, so that you might know Him better.
So often we're like a first grader I heard about, named Frank. His teacher gave Frank a piece of paper and said, "Draw anything you like, but you have to tell us what it is." So the little boy started drawing. Everyone else finished, but he was still shading in here and there. The teacher asked, "What are you drawing, Frank?" He quickly and proudly replied, "It's a picture of God."
On January 7, 1855, Charles Haddon Spurgeon addressed his congregation at New Park Street Chapel with these words: "Would you lose your sorrow? Would you drown your cares? Then go plunge yourself in the godhead's deepest sea; be lost in His immensity; and you shall go forth as from a couch of rest, refreshed and invigorated. I know nothing which can so comfort the soul; so calm the swelling billows of sorrow and grief; so speak peace to the winds of trial, as a devout musing upon God..."
I John 2:12-14
The key question we need to ask ourselves is
“Where am I in my spiritual growth?"
A passage to help evaluate our development is 1 John 2:12-14.
As we said last time, it's time to take inventory of your spiritual life, to see where you are in the journey. What will determine your success is found in your spiritual heart. The truth is, we don't always know what's in our hearts, what's happening spiritually. "The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, who can know it?" describes a pre-salvation condition, but even after we come to Christ, there are still corners, rooms, areas in us that are not yet given over to the lordship of Jesus Christ.
Today you embark on an exciting journey of studying God's Word, but I want it to be clear that this study will be worthless to you unless you hear it and act on it. Therefore, it is very important that you find someone with whom you will work this through: a friend, a mate, a small group. As you are going to see, it is absolutely critical to your spiritual development.