Photo Credit to: Hydromet
We’ve all seen this photo with its famous poem about Jesus carrying us. It is indeed powerful and inspiring. What if we went one step further in our lives? I just completed a 10-week small group study entitled: Walking As Jesus Walked with my small group by Dan Spader. What an eye-opening study we have learned so much.
Learning how Jesus taught his disciples to mirror in their own missional journey to bring the “Good News” to the masses in the Biblical World was fascinating. What is more fascinating is how we too are commanded to do the same right here in our own world in 2024!
- Jesus had a specific message.
- He had a unique method for his disciples to follow.
- Jesus modeled everything He asked his disciple to do on a daily basis.
He began by teaching them about the Holy Spirit and Growth. Week 1.
Then He went on to show them and explain how the Holy Spirit gives Guidance to each of them in their ministries. Week 2.
Next, He revealed the power of the Holy Spirit in their daily lives, and the power the Holy Spirit has. Week 3.
Jesus showed and taught them the joy of living with the Holy Spirit and the friendship they each have with the Holy Spirit. We have this same joy and friendship today once we accept Christ as our Savior.
In our study week 4 taught us how to Pray as Jesus Prayed. This is exceptional!
Week 5 taught us how to obey in each season of our lives.
Week 6 showed us Jesus’ method for studying the scripture, how He trusted the scripture, learned from His study of the scripture and finally how He “submitted/obeyed” the scripture. This is probably where we fall short. We do read, rarely to we do in-depth study, and our disobedience is where we sin and need to repent.
The study continues with lessons on: Exalting the Father, Intentional Loving Relationships, investing in a Few & how Jesus Multiplied.
We are commanded in scripture to produce fruit. In Biblical Times the “fruit of the vine – WINE” was the only drink around due to unclean water sources. So, the stories and parables taught were right in line with the customs and culture of the day. For us today, we might look at say the Napa Valley or the Wine Country of France to see how the grapevines are shaped and pruned. The story still holds credibility. God is the ultimate “vine dresser/pruner” and we are the vines which are growing and producing fruit [disciples].
Look up the Biblical passages for this discussion for yourself and learn and study how we are to produce fruit.
We also will quickly learn that we have “hinderances” which prevent us from producing fruit. Here are just a few:
- Too much good stuff in our lives
- Lack of daily time set aside to devotions.
- Lack of time to read and study our Bible.
- Not praying
- Not thanking God for His blessings.
- Unconfessed sin
- Grieving or squelching the Holy Spirit
- Not abiding in Christ
- Our character is faulty.
- Our conduct is not Christ-like
Week 7 We learned about how God’s principle expanded, how Christ’s pattern of living was lived out.
Week 8 We learned about having intentional loving relationships. This means taking time, loving people, to be a friend to sinners, & our eternal CPR.
Week 9 Investing in a choice group of individuals with which to learn, grow, and mentor, and model Christ’s walk is something every Christian should do. We must have a joy in going deeper with our choice group, learn how to be healthy, caring and how to comfort.
Week 10 Our job in our small group we are discipling has a goal of “multiplication.” Bearing fruit and gaining by giving it all away.
Answer this last question:
“Can you think of a time in your life when you really began to understand something only after you taught it to someone else? “ This is what we are talking about here.
janice@janicebastanicoaching.com
8914 Collina Ct.
Granite Bay, CA 95746
908-229-3797
www.janicebastanicoaching.com
www.johnmaxwellgroup.com/janicebastani
