If you had to share three words to describe you, what would you say? Would you define yourself based on your Enneagram Type, your Meyers Briggs assessment, or some other popular tool for understanding your personality? Most of us can define ourselves easily based on the world’s standards or on the ways other people might view us. Some of us are even better at knowing ourselves and who we really are. But when it comes to who we are, how many of us first define ourselves not with traits like “outgoing, kind, or a natural leader” but with words like “child of God, follower of Christ, a sinner who has been saved by grace.” Most of us don’t run there first. We don’t want to over-spiritualize a natural conversation. But the truth is, those words and more found in scripture should be how we describe our identity.

Our identity isn’t in what we do, it’s found in what has been done for us. Read that again. It’s a big statement. While we may try to define ourselves by many different labels, Christ sees us in a different light. The gospel tells us that we are hopeless sinners, separated by God and unable to reconcile ourselves to Him by any good deed we hope to do. But God sent Christ, the spotless Lamb of God, to take the penalty for sin (death/eternal separation from God) so that we could live and be reconciled to Him. Christ arose, defeating sin and death, and is seated at the right hand of God. He will come again to receive those who believe in Him.

Reading these verses out loud as a group:

Romans 3:9-26

2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Romans 6:20-23

1 Peter 1:14-21

John 3:16-19

When we understand our sin and that we were helpless, we understand all the more our need for grace. And then we can begin to live in light of that. We live our lives in response to the gospel, not to get the gospel. Because of the grace shown to us, our lives begin to look different. They are lives lived in response to the grace of Christ. Not to get anything from Him, but to live our lives for Him.

1. Spend some time sharing where you often find your identity.
2. Do you understand the depth of your sin?
3. How can you daily remember that your identity is found in Christ?
4. How should your identity in Christ shape and change the way you live each day?
5. Before you can make disciples, you have to be a disciple. Do you know Christ personally? Was there a time you gave your life to Him?

• Commit to reading 2 Corinthians 5 every day this week.
• Write down your observations and what stands out to you and perhaps something you can share with your group next week.
• Try to memorize 2 Corinthians 5:21 before you meet next week.
• Pray for one another before you leave as we grow in our understanding of what it means to be disciples who make disciples.

Last week we asked you to read 2 Corinthians 5 every day. Can you share what you wrote down that stood out to you? Did you learn something new each day or see anything differently by spending time in the passage each day? Were you able to memorize 2 Corinthians 5:21?

When we understand how helpless we are and we see the bigger picture of the grace of God, it should impact how we live. Because we have been shown much grace, we should want to live in a way that honors God. Remember, this isn’t to get anything from God, but to live our life in response to God.

Pastor Wil gives us a clear definition of a disciple that is easy to remember: a disciple follows Christ, is being formed by Christ, and fishes for Christ. A disciple is someone who follows Christ and has committed their life and heart to Him. They are then shaped by Him and committed to His mission in all areas of their life. We are all being influenced and discipled by something - YouTube, social media, politicians, etc.

We give our time to things that speak “truth” into us all the time. The books we read, the shows we watch, the music we listen to, the people we surround ourselves with and follow on social media - all of these things influence us. But the disciples spent time with Christ. They knew Him, intimately. The question we must challenge ourselves with is are we giving time to spend time with and know Christ daily, intimately, in a way that influences everything we do.

A disciple is also someone who remembers that life isn’t about them. Jesus didn’t save us from sin to make us comfortable. Jesus came to rescue us and gave us a mission to share with others. Read John 8:21-24 aloud. Jim Putman reminds us, “The people we know and love who do not know Jesus are lost for eternity unless they accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. When we believe this reality, it changes the way we think, pray and spend our time and money. We understand there are only two categories of people: The saved and the unsaved (Putman 31).”

If who we are (our gospel identity) affects what we do (our gospel activity) then ask yourself if your relationship with Him affects what you do and how you live. When we meet people in the gospel stories who have encountered Christ they become radically changed. They aren’t silent about the good news. So neither should we be silent about what Christ has done for us. As a group, read aloud the story of the woman at the well in John 4:1-45. How was the woman's life changed by Jesus and what was her response?

1. Being transparent, how much time do you spend being influenced by the world versus spending intimate time with your Savior?
2. Are you as passionate about telling others about the difference Christ made in you as you were when you first met Christ?
3. When was the last time you shared your testimony (the story of how you met and were changed by Christ) or invited someone who doesn’t know Christ to your home for a meal, to church, or engaged in a conversation where you represented Christ to them?
4. Reflect on this - Is your life marked by the difference Christ has made in you?

• This week, spend time reading John 3, John 4, and John 5.
• What do you notice in particular about those who are changed by Jesus? Be prepared to share next week.
• Work on memorizing John 3:16-17.
• Spend some time praying as a group before you leave and that each of you would make it a priority to spend time with Jesus over the next few days. Also, begin to pray that you would have an opportunity to share the good news of Christ with someone out of the overflow of what He has done in your life.

Last week we asked you to read John 3, John 4, and John 5. Can you share what you wrote down that stood out to you? What do you notice in particular about those who are changed by Jesus? Were you able to memorize John 3:16-17? Can you still recall 2 Corinthians 5:21?

In his book Deep Discipleship, J.T. English writes “...discipleship is not just a program but a total reorientation to reality. We begin to see who God truly is, who we are, what God has done, is doing, and will do in the world. In being reoriented to reality, disciples begin to view everything through a God-centered lens.” Pause for a moment and think: How does this shaping of a reality really happen? It first begins by defining what a disciple is. We need one clear definition of a disciple to know what our purpose and plan is. Our definition of a disciple can be found right in Scripture, in Matthew 4:19. Jesus comes to Peter and Andrew and the same call He gives to them is one He still gives to us today. A disciple, therefore, is someone who is following Jesus (follow me), is being formed by Jesus (I will make you), and fishing for Jesus (fishers of men).

Francis Chan also reminds us “The word disciple refers to a student or apprentice. Disciples in Jesus’s day would follow their rabbi (which means teacher) wherever he went, learning from the rabbi’s teaching and being trained to do as the rabbi did. Basically, a disciple is a follower, but only if we take the term follower literally... being a disciple of Jesus Christ means that we learn from Him, fellowship with Him, and obey everything He commands us.”

The first is a simple invitation to follow Jesus at the head level. A disciple knows Jesus and follows Him, accepting Him as Lord and Savior. Matthew 16:24-26 and Matthew 28:18-20 tell us that this journey of following Jesus may be difficult and comes with a cost but that He will always be with us. As we follow Jesus, we grow in our knowledge of Him as students.

The second part of a disciple involves our heart being changed and formed to be more like His, and John 15:1-8 tells us that it takes place by abiding in Christ. While the first step of becoming a disciple involves our heads, this part is a spiritual response to the Holy Spirit’s prompting. Discipleshift tells us, “Far too many of us assume that discipleship is merely the transfer of information leading to a behavior modification. But discipleship, at heart, involves transformation at the deepest levels of our understanding, affection, and will by the Holy Spirit, through the Word of God and in relationship with the people of God.” As we follow Jesus, He transforms us over time into His image.

The last part of being a disciple involves action that we take in response to the call of following Jesus. This is the work of our hands and involves us fishing for others to become disciples, joining Him on mission. 2 Corinthians 5:15-20 describes this change where we live a life in response to Jesus and Ephesians 2:10 reminds us of the work we have been called to do. This work comes with a cost as we surrender our lives to Christ’s authority and not our own. We will look at this cost more in the coming weeks.

Pastor Wil reminds us that discipleship then is teaching someone how to follow Jesus, be formed by Jesus, and fish for Jesus. As we fish for Jesus, we teach and obey everything He has commanded. Oswald Chambers said, “Our Lord’s conception of discipleship is not that we work for God, but that God works through us.” Here is an easy graphic to illustrate the points above:

1. In light of your previous understanding of disciple and discipleship, how do these definitions differ?
2. Have you ever been discipled or discipled someone else? What did that look like?
3. In Scripture, we are given a clear biblical command and mission to make disciples. Why are we so quick individually as believers and corporately as a church to get distracted with other things?
4. Do you see that a disciple is a person who follows Christ (head), is being formed by Christ (heart), and is fishing for Christ (hands)?
5. As you evaluate your own life in this season, in which of these areas (head, heart, hands) do you need the most prayer and growth?

• This week, spend some time reading John 15. If we are going to continue to be on mission for Christ, we have to abide in Him. Write down some things that stand out to you so you can share those with your group next week.
• Work on memorizing John 15:5 this week.
• Take turns praying out loud for any specific prayer requests your group might have before you leave.

Take a few minutes to share what stood out to you from your reading in John 15 this week. Were you able to memorize John 15:5? Do you still remember John 3:16-17 2 Corinthians 5:21?

Do you remember our definition of a disciple from last week? We talked about how a disciple follows Jesus (head), is being formed by Jesus (heart), and fishes for Jesus (hands).

As we know Christ, we continue to abide and grow in Him. If we know Christ as Lord and Savior and are growing more in Him, it means our mission should be the same as His - to tell the world about Him. Discipleship happens in relationships as we teach someone how to follow Jesus, be formed by Jesus, and fish for Jesus. This is because you are able to know the person and help identify where they are in their growth. In the DNA Course, Pastor Wil is taking a deeper look at the discipleship lens through the ministry of Jesus. They are looking at His earthly ministry and the steps Jesus modeled for us as we seek to make disciples. The first step involves us diagnosing where someone is. The second step is us declaring the gospel to those who don’t know Christ personally. Jim Putman outlines five stages of a disciples growth in his book Real Life Discipleship. The thoughts below are also taken from this book. As you look at these stages, diagnose first where you are. Then, think of those you’re in a discipleship relationship with and see if you can diagnose where they might be. Pause and pray and ask for clarity from the Holy Spirit as you look at each of these.

A note to group leaders: We do not want this section to come across as judgemental or discouraging if someone feels they aren’t as far along as someone else in the group. We want people to diagnose themselves and see how they can move forward. Please be sensitive to this within your groups. Remember to speak the truth in love as we want to see everyone grow - see Ephesians 4:11-16.

Stage 1 is where a person is spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1). This person is someone who has never placed their trust in Christ. This person might say things like “I don’t believe in God” or “There are many ways to get to God.” We need to diagnose where this person is and then declare the gospel to them in a way they can understand. Pastor Wil reminds us that there are three evangelistic skills we need to know in order to be an effective evangelist in our day and age. The first and most basic skill is declaring the gospel, the second is defending the gospel, and the third and most often overlooked skill is dialoguing the gospel. We must pray for the Holy Spirit to do the work that only He can do in drawing this person to Himself. Be honest with this person and answer questions that they may have, knowing that you may not have all the answers. Ask them questions as well to determine what they believe. In Matthew 16:13-20 we see an example of this with Peter as Jesus asks a question to determine who the disciples think He is. Dallas Willard states, “Often a good starting point when trying to help those who do not believe in God or accept Christ as Lord is to get them to deal honestly with the questions: Would I like for there to be a God? Or, would I like it if Jesus turned out to be Lord? This may help them realize the extent to which what they want to be the case is controlling their ability to see what is the case.” Be available to this person as they process. This stage isn’t about you, but about God allowing you to make an eternal difference in someone's life.

Stage 2 is where a person is a spiritual infant. This person is new to trusting Christ and knows there is a difference in their life, even if they can’t express it. They may be new to understanding what it means to be a Christian and can get things confused as they try to understand the Bible and the world around them. In many churches we find spiritual infants who know how to speak the lingo but don’t understand how the gospel changes everything. These people often say “I didn’t know the Bible said that” or “I don’t have time to be in a relationship with another Christian.” Spiritual infants need individual attention from a spiritual parent (see Stage 5 below), to have God’s Word explained to them and understand how the gospel affects your life and theirs in a practical way.

Stage 3 is where a person is a spiritual child. This person is farther along than the spiritual infant but often does the right thing for the wrong reason. This person might say “I love my small group, don’t add any more people to it” or “I didn’t like the music today. If only they did it like…” These people have often decided to follow Jesus at the head level but still need to engage their hearts and hands. They might believe things about life and faith that are biblically inaccurate and might serve in order to look better in the eyes of those around them. They may know biblical answers but not how to respond as Jesus would. Spiritual children need to be taught how to feed themselves, who they are in Christ, and how they are gifted to serve and called to serve in response to what Christ has done for them.

Stage 4 is where a person is a spiritual young adult. This person is action/service oriented and engaged at the head, heart, and hand level but doesn’t really think in terms of making disciples. They have a desire to serve but aren’t strategic in how to train others. This person might say “In my devotions, I came across something I have a question about” or “I love my group, but there are others who need a group like this.” Spiritual young adults need help in establishing healthy boundaries for their families, navigating complex ministry situations, working with a team to do ministry together, and learning by example how to disciple others.

Stage 5 is where a person is a spiritual parent. This person is intentional and thinks about making disciples. They are not just biblically knowledgeable, but they also have a heart for the Lord and are looking for others to disciple. They might say things like “This guy at work asked me to explain the Bible to him, please pray for me” or “I realized discipleship happens in the home, too. Will you hold me accountable to spend time discipling my kids?” These spiritual parents need to learn to have accountability with others, to be given a team to serve with, and to disciple others.

1. If you were to take a moment and think about your own life, where are you in these stages? What surprised you or stood out to you the most?
2. These stages aren’t meant to judge but rather to help us figure out how we can spur one another on in growth. Thinking of those you are in relationship with, can you identify where someone close to you might be?
3. Do you need to be in a discipleship relationship with someone so you can become a spiritual parent or are there areas you need to be discipled in as well?

• This week spend some time in Hebrews 11 each day.
• Memorize Hebrews 11:1.
• Be ready to share next week. Group Leaders, assign each person a character from this passage (Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Israel and the Red Sea, Israel and Jericho, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel) and ask them to come prepared to tell the story in 1-2 minutes next week.
• As you’ve looked at each of the stages, pray for one another and for ways you can grow in maturity.

Take a few minutes to have each person share the story of the character you assigned them last week. What stood out to you that maybe you didn’t know before? Did anything stand out to you from your reading in Hebrews 11?

Last week we spent a lot of time discussing the stages of spiritual growth for a person. We looked at the spiritually dead, spiritual infant, spiritual child, spiritual young adult, and spiritual parent. Hopefully you were able to identify yourself on the stages. This week we will look at how a person moves from one stage to another. This will help you not only in moving yourself to another stage but seeing those you disciple move from one stage to another. Pastor Wil takes a deeper dive into the 8 steps Jesus modeled for us in the DNA course. We will look at a few of them here in light of the stages we looked at last week.

When a person is spiritually dead in their sin, we need to be able to diagnose this and declare the gospel to them. We need to be dependent on God as we do this. The Holy Spirit is always at work but we are especially dependent on Him to call someone to Himself and from death to life. We can share the good news, but only God can convict and change their hearts. One author, Jim Shultz, suggested that the question to ask is not “if you died tonight would you go to Heaven” but “ If you did not die tonight, how will your life be different tomorrow because of a relationship with Jesus.” We see in scripture that conversion is ultimately a work that God accomplishes when He gives us new hearts that enable us to repent and believe the gospel with saving faith (Ezekiel 36:25-27; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-7). We are called to share the gospel not to sell the gospel. Our ultimate need is for saving grace because we cannot save ourselves, not a feel good gospel, but the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. We are also called to share and scatter the gospel seed (see Matthew 13:1-2, 1 Corinthians 3:5-9). We believe that faithfully and generously scattering gospel seed falls on us (Ezekiel 3:16-21, Romans 10:9-17, 1 Corinthians 1:18, but ultimately the ground and growth fall on God (John 3:16-17, Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:4-7). Sharing Christ with someone focuses first on God’s standard (Matthew 5:48), then humanity's sin (Romans 3:23), and finally Christ’s salvation (2 Corinthians 5:21). A relationship with Jesus changes everything and moves someone from spiritually dead to a spiritual infant.

Parents of infants know how exhausting it can be. Perhaps you remember sleepless nights, inconsolable crying, and trying to figure out how to keep them alive. A spiritual infant needs someone who is dedicated to seeing them mature in Christ. They are responsible for providing things a child cannot provide for themselves. They need someone they can ask questions to, who can help them grow from immaturity to maturity. These babies need patience and understanding, as they may often fall back into old patterns or struggle with their new identity in Christ. As you walk with them and love them to Jesus, they will move from infants to young children.

Parents of young children especially must often develop and demonstrate how to do things - how to hold a pencil, how to clean up your room, how to tie your shoes. They teach them, guide them, and direct them as they grow and mature. In the same way, a spiritual child needs someone who will practically demonstrate how to follow Christ. These young children may not know how to pray, how to read their Bible, or how to turn away from their old choices and follow Christ. They need someone to walk with them into the mess of life and show them what you have learned. Once the child has grown and matured, showing that they understand, they move into being a spiritual young adult.

Young adults often want independence and freedom. They want to take what they have learned and put it into practice. In the same way, a spiritual young adult needs things delegated to them so they can begin to put into practice what they have learned (Philippians 4:9). They need to find out their spiritual gifts and begin serving, perhaps with you alongside them at first and then on their own. While there may be some failures, teach them that these are opportunities to grow. Once someone understands their identity in Christ, knows their purpose to live for Christ, and is practically serving and using their gifts to help others, they move from being a spiritual young adult to a spiritual parent.

When a mother and father have a brand new baby, it’s a rush of excitement involving doctors and nurses. But once the room clears, the parents are left on their own for the first time with their new bundle of joy - often having no idea what to do next. Seasoned parents will tell you to trust your “gut” and that you really do know how to parent your child. And by God’s grace, we often figure it out. A spiritual parent is the same way - perhaps you or your disciple will not think they are ready for this step. What if someone asks them a question they don’t know? What if it’s too hard? What if they mess up? A spiritual parent is someone who is deployed to make disciples. While it may seem overwhelming, they really are ready for this step. Help them to walk in confidence, knowing the Holy Spirit will do the work, and letting them know you are a resource for them as well.

1. Do you see how a disciple moves from one level of maturity to another?
2. Which area of discipleship do you think is the hardest? Is there one you are drawn to more than the other?
3. Helping someone move from one area to another requires intentionality. If you were discipled, did you see this in your own life? If you are discipling someone, how can you begin to be intentional in this process?

• Spend some time reading Colossians 3:12-17 this week.
• Write down what stands out to you and be prepared to share next week.
• Can you memorize verse 17 this week?
• Pray for one another and for who God can call you to disciple or be discipled by. Pray for these relationships to take place.

Take some time to share what stood out to you from Colossians 3:12-17 last week?

Each week we’ve talked about how discipleship is what you do as you are going - as you are a disciple, you are also on mission to make disciples. You follow Christ, are formed by Christ, and fish for Christ. Following Christ then involves ALL of who we are - not just a part of our lives.

Jim Putman, in his book Discipleshift, talks about how our life exists in spheres. It outlines how a disciple grows in four main spheres of life: 1) their relationship to God, 2) their relationship with God’s family, the Church, 3) their home life, and 4) their relationship to the world. He says this means that in each sphere a disciple understands God’s commands and submits to his authority (head), is transformed by Jesus (heart), and joins Jesus on His Kingdom mission (hands) in all of these areas of their lives. As a disciple abides in Christ, each sphere of his or her life is transformed (Putman 78). The ideas below are taken from his book. Here is a diagram to help you visualize the 4 spheres:

The first relationship sphere and of most central importance is our relationship with God. This is the core hub that unites the other spheres. Paul sets this tone in the first two chapters of Ephesians and John reminds us the importance of abiding in Christ in John 15. In this sphere, we can ask questions of ourselves and those we are discipling in relation to the head, heart, and hands that we discussed a few weeks ago. Ask yourself:

1) Is your life surrendered to Christ? (head)

2) Are there visible changes happening in your life in relation to this (heart)?

3) Are you willing to follow Christ in the direction he is leading (hands)?

The second relationship sphere is with the family of God, the Church. In Ephesians 4, Paul shifts from focusing on our relationship with Christ to how that relationship affects our relationship with other believers. Paul encourages us to build one another up, to be committed to one another in unity, and to love one another - all of these are outflows of our relationship with Christ. In this sphere, we can ask questions of ourselves and those we are discipling in relation to the head, heart, and hands that we discussed a few weeks ago. Ask yourself:

1. Do you understand the importance of your relationship with other believers and what the Bible teaches about this? (head)
2. Are you growing in our love for others in the body of Christ? (heart)
3. Are you aware of and using your spiritual gifts to minister to other believers? (hands)

The third relationship sphere is with your relationship home. In Ephesians 5 and 6 Paul addresses the family and how the husband should love his wife, the wife her husband, and the relationship between parents and children. This sphere is important because while we can understand the gospel and how it applies to our lives and to the Church, we can fail to apply gospel truths within our home. If the Holy Spirit wants to work in every sphere of our lives, the best place to begin making disciples is within our home. Ask yourself:

1. Do you understand the importance of your relationship with your family and the call to make disciples in your home first? (head)
2. Do I need to take initiative to lead my family to a relationship with Jesus? (heart)
3. Do I need to become a better servant to my wife (or husband) or find a way to connect in relationship with my son or daughter in a way that is more meaningful to them so I can earn the right to really hear what is going on in their lives? (hands)

   
   

The fourth relationship sphere is your relationship with the world. In Ephesians 6, Paul addresses the slave and slaveholder but for the sake of today’s context we look at this as our relationship with the world - our relationship as employee and employer. Paul addresses the lives of believers in that they work to care for their families and have something to share with other believers. Putman writes about this, “Paul makes it clear that when we are in the world, we represent Christ, and in what we do, we do not simply work for other people; we work for the Lord. In this sense, our work affects God’s reputation. We work and live in a way that meets our physical needs, certainly, but at the same time we work in such a way that we serve as missionaries to a lost and dying world. Paul wants us to understand that our relationship with Jesus necessarily affects how we live and work in the world (Putman 89).” Ask yourself:

1. Do I understand how my relationship with Christ, according to God’s Word, also affects my work and how I am called to live and interact with those around me? (head).
2. Do I need to resolve a conflict or encourage someone at work? (heart)
3. Do I need to work harder when I’m at my job, or do I need to stop gossiping about my boss and stop listening to the jokes my coworkers tell? (hands).

When we come to know Jesus, our relationship with Him affects every area of our lives. The spheres help highlight this and help us think through these things clearly. They help us gain a biblical worldview and how God’s Word should speak into every area of our lives. The key isn’t that a disciple is educated in each sphere but that they follow Jesus in all four spheres. This means that in every area a disciple understands God’s commands and submits to his authority while being transformed by Jesus and joining Jesus on mission in each sphere. The cost of discipleship can be seen in these spheres - do we really submit our authority to Jesus? Are we willing to count the cost in every area to really surrender our lives and our will to Jesus (see Luke 9:23-27, Matthew 16:24-25)? Consider this quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “Cheap grace is grace without discipleship…Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ. It remains an abstract idea, a myth which has a place for the Fatherhood of God, but omits Christ as the living Son…there is trust in God, but no following of Christ…salvation is free, but discipleship will cost you your life.”

1. How do you feel about the quote you just read?
2. Which area strikes you as the area you are doing well and which one do you need to improve on?
3. Do you feel confident to explain the four spheres to someone else?
4. As you’ve spent the past few weeks looking at discipleship, what is one thing that has stood out to you the most?
5. Do you feel like you are ready to disciple someone or do you need to be discipled by someone? Are there any relationships in your small group that could naturally allow for this?

• Spend some time reading the book of Ephesians on your own this week. Think about how being a disciple should impact each sphere of your life.
• Take an honest look and see where you are doing well and what areas you can improve in. Write down what stands out to you and be prepared to share the next time you meet.
• Pray for one another as you grow in your understanding of what it means to be a disciple and to make disciples.