Discipleship 101

Shepherd your disciples to know the basics of their faith!

Whether your disciples recently started following Jesus, recently got baptized, or they are new to stepping in obedience to Christ, this group is a great place for them to start their journey of being a disciple who makes disciples!

In the sections below, you will find guides for each session so that you can help your people grow as disciples. Feel free to read the session guide word-for-word during your session or to use your own words to teach these concepts. Either way, our recommendation is that you read through each guide before your session.

Terminology and Salvation

Terminology

When you become a follower of Jesus there may be words that you have no clue what they mean. Let’s look at some of these words. 

  • Trinity– Refers to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We believe that God is three in one. Each member of the Trinity has a specific role yet they are one. (Genesis 1:26, Matthew 3:16-17) 
  • Believer or Follower of Jesus– Someone who has made a profession of faith in their lives. This is a person who says that Jesus is Lord of their life. (Romans 10:9-13) 
  • Justification– Process by which an individual is brought into an unmerited, right relationship with a person, whether that relationship is established between people or with God. (2 Corinthians 5:21) 
  • Reconciliation– Means to be reunited and restored. (Colossians 1:19-22) 
  • Sanctification The process of being made holy resulting in a changed lifestyle for the believer. (1 Thessalonians 5:22-24) 
  • Grace– Undeserved acceptance and love received from another, especially the characteristic attitude of God in providing salvation for sinners. (Ephesians 2:8-9) 
  • Gospel– The Good News of Jesus. It is the message and story of God’s saving activity through the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:3-5)

Salvation

Our salvation is based on the promises of God’s Word and the finished work of Jesus Christ.  

Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-5 

We read this passage when we defined the word gospel. This term was a military term that meant good news because of a victory. Paul, the writer of most of the New Testament, applies this word to refer to the good news of the victory over death and the forgiveness of sins that is found only in Jesus Christ.  

To understand salvation, we must look at what we needed to be saved from.  

Read Romans 5:12-14 

How would you define sin? 

 We live in a world where sin and death reign, but, this is not how things were supposed to be. In the first two pages of Genesis, we see how God created everything out of nothing. When we get to the third page of Genesis, things turn when sin entered the world through Adam. This rebellion against God introduced sin and death into this world. But this was not God’s original design for us.  

Read Romans 5:6-11 

What terms do you see in this passage that we defined earlier? 

As sinful humans, we have rebelled against God and have destroyed what God intended us to be, and separated ourselves from God. But the good news (gospel) is that Christ died for us. God was the one who provided the sacrifice that was needed for the forgiveness of sins.  

This passage says that we have been “justified by his blood.” This is a legal term that means that you are guilty and there is overwhelming evidence to point towards a guilty verdict but instead an innocent person comes and confesses for your crime and takes the penalty that you deserve thereby the judge acquits your guilt and sets you free.  

This is the gospel. You were committed to death because of your rebellion against God (Ephesians 2:1) but God knew that you were not created to be separated from him so he sent his Son to be the sinless, innocent sacrifice for our sins and He took your place. Because of this, you are declared righteous before God. This is justification. However, in order for you to receive this salvation, you have to allow Him to save you. You must confess your sins, repent from them, and surrender yourself to Him. 

Read Romans 5:1-5 

Because of Jesus, you have been justified. You are no longer condemned, you have been set free.  

 APPLICATION 

Read these passages that communicate the Gospel. 

John 3:16-18 

Ephesians 2:1-10 

Colossians 1:21-22 

Ask yourself the following questions: 

  • What questions do you have about the Gospel?
  • What has been your personal experience with this truth in your life? 

Make sure to fill out the Community Impact Form after your session!

The Bible

Last week we looked at some terms that you will find in the Bible that are focused on being a follower of Jesus. We also looked at what salvation is and what God has done for us through his Son, Jesus. Tonight we are looking at what is the Bible and why is it the greatest collection of books written. 

Read 2 Timothy 3:14-17 

As much as we can look at the beauty of God’s creation to give us a glimpse of who He is, for us to understand who He is, He gave us a book that reveals Himself to us. We see His character, love, values, and nature. 

The Bible is made up of 66 unique books that consist of letters, historical records, songs, poems, stories, and much more. It has been translated into 2,333 languages and 44 million copies are sold every year. It is composed by God through more than 40 authors was penned over a period of 1,500 years. It is divided into two parts, Old Testament and New Testament. You can even say it is divided into the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. 

As we grow and mature as followers of Jesus, it is essential that we are in the Bible regularly. The Bible is the primary way God reveals Himself to us. When we spend time reading the Bible, we are spending time connecting with God. He will reveal things to us in new ways and at perfect timing even when we have read it multiple times before. He uses the Bible to encourage, strengthen, convict, and remind you of His love when we forget. Spending time with God brings Him joy, changes us and transforms us. Transformed lives are the work of God, but our being with Him is His means of transformation.  

We believe that all of scripture points to Jesus and when we read the Bible we need to read it in light that Jesus is the center of it all. We like to use The Gospel Method when we read passages.  

Gospel Method:

The Gospel Method involves us journaling our engagement with the scriptures. A journal acts as a measuring tool where we can look back and see what God has done in you, through you, and how you have grown spiritually. Here is how The Gospel Method works: 

HEADING: Write the date and the scripture at the top of the page. This is a reference point, so you can refer back to how God has worked in your life.  

TIMELESS TRUTH: Read the passage and summarize the timeless truth that God is communicating. It was true then and it is true now. Why are these concerns addressed? Why do you think the author wrote this? Write the key truth of this passage in your own words, in 2-3 sentences.  

KEY VERSE: Write down the one or two verses, word for word, that grabbed your attention or sums up the passage you just read. This helps you meditate on those verses and helps you begin memorizing those verses when you write them down. 

GOSPEL MOMENT: Based on your timeless truth, write down how the gospel of Jesus relates to this truth. 1) How does this passage point to the sin condition in me personally or in humanity in general. 2) How does this passage point to Jesus’ work on the cross as the answer to my sin problem? 

REPENT: What do you need to confess in light of this gospel moment? What do you need to start, stop, or change? Write a confession to God. 

BELIEVE: What gospel truth do you need to believe in response to this confession? Where is God asking you to trust Him? What is God challenging you to do? Write a statement of belief. 

PRAYER: Based on the text and what God has spoken to you, write out a prayer to God. You could ask Him for wisdom as you make decisions, courage to follow through with what He’s asked you to do, seek forgiveness for the times that you haven’t been obedient, thank Him for reminding you of the gospel, or simply pray through the scripture. 

There are many other ways you can read and study the Bible. Together, these approaches teach us the character and story of God. As we learn we will grow and change. These activities alone do not produce change, if we treat them as a checklist we are missing the point. It is meant to bring us to a place where change can occur.  

APPLICATION 

Read Ephesians 2:1-10 

Using the Gospel Method, discuss each category as a group. 

If you want to put this into action right now and you’re wondering what to read, here are some great suggestions to get you started: 

Joshua 1:8-9 Isaiah 40:28-31 Galatians 2:20-21 
Romans 12:1-2 James 1:2-8 Colossians 1:9-13 
Psalm 119:9-11 Philippians 4:6-7 Psalm 37:3-5 
Matthew 7:24-27 2 Timothy 2:1-4 Acts 4:24-31 
Ephesians 5:3-5 Hebrews 12:1-3 Philippians 3:7-11 
1 John 5:3-5 John 14:12-15 Matthew 6:31-33 
Psalm 63:6-8 Jeremiah 1:4-8 Proverbs 3:5-7 

Make sure to fill out the Community Impact Form after your session!

Prayer

Prayer  

As the Father, God longs for His children (followers of Jesus) to come to Him. He intends for you to live with Him and desire to be near Him. One of the main ways this can be accomplished is through prayer. Prayer is talking with God, listening to God, and being in communication with Him. When you decided to become a follower of Jesus, you prayed to God: proclaiming Jesus is King, confession of sins, asking for forgiveness, and thanking Him for hearing your prayer and accepting you into His family.  

Like we said earlier, prayer is communicating with God and requires both talking and listening to Him. The writer of Hebrews will give us a glimpse of what prayer looks like: 

“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16 

When we pray, we are entering the throne room of our great King. We do not deserve to come into His presence as sinful people, but just the opposite happens. God invites us to come to Him. Our access to Him is through Jesus. Because we are justified through Christ, God sees us as righteous based on Christ and not on our own merit (2Corinthains 5:21). As a result, we are given free access to the throne room as a child of God.  

Read Matthew 6:5-13 

In this passage, Jesus teaches us how to pray. There is a misconception that ministers have greater access to God and that He hears the prayers of a pastor more than anyone else. That cannot be further from the truth. As the passage of Hebrews states, Jesus is the great high priest and we can draw near to the throne in confidence because of Him. It does not say that because Jesus is the great high priest, pastors can draw near to the throne in confidence, it says that we can draw near to the throne in confidence. Let us dissect this passage and see how Jesus is teaching all of us to pray. 

When asked how to pray, Jesus started by using the word “Father.” By starting here, Christ establishes the attitude with which we should approach God—like a child going before a loving dad. A child doesn’t worry about whether his dad wants him there or if he is asking too much or too little. A child goes to his dad assuming that his father loves him and wants to be near to him. This is what Jesus wants us to do when we pray to God.  

After establishing Him as Father, Christ reminds us of who our Father is “in heaven, hallowed be your name.” God is our Father but we must also remember that He is God. The word hallowed means to honor as holy. God is not like us, he is set apart and in heaven while we are here on earth. Sometimes when we ask for something, he says “no” or “not in the way you want but in the way I want.” This doesn’t negate His desire for us to ask Him, when we recognize Him as God, we realize that his ways are greater than our ways and He knows what is best for us. Know that He wants to give us good things, but He wants us to seek Him and not the gifts He might give.  

This then leads us to the next part of this prayer: “your kingdom come.” At the end of the day, we are here to advance His kingdom. As we pray, we should be seeking to ask in line with what God wants for us and not what we want for ourselves.  

As we journey with Him in prayer, He transforms us and aligns our desires with His own. He teaches us how to pray and guides us on what to ask Him for. The more we pray, the more we will trust our Father. The more we trust Him, the closer we become to Him. The closer we become to Him, the more we look like Him. After all, we were created in His image. You must actively talk to Him and you must actively listen to Him.  

Here at Fielder Church, we approach the throne of God in a way that glorifies God and desire you to make this a routine in your own life. We teach an approach to God that has five categories: worship, praying in Jesus’ name, praying in agreement, Spirit-led, and praying in one accord. 

WORSHIP: We enter His gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise, magnifying the Lord before we begin to make requests of Him.  

PRAYING IN JESUS’ NAME: When we pray in Jesus’ name, we remind ourselves of the source of authority for answered prayer. 

PRAYING IN AGREEMENT: We recognize that as we agree with one another in prayer, we have promises from Jesus that He will act powerfully in answer to the request. 

SPIRIT-LED: As we pray, we listen for the Holy Spirit’s prompting. If a song comes to mind, sing it. If a scripture comes to mind, quote it or read it out loud.  

PRAYING IN ONE ACCORD: We focus our prayers one request at a time, allowing other members of the group to pray for that same request as they are led. We then move on to another request as the Spirit leads.  

APPLICATION 

As a group, we will spend some time praying and incorporating these five categories of worship, praying in Jesus’ name, praying in agreement, Spirit-led, and praying in one accord. 

Make sure to fill out the Community Impact Form after your session!

Your Story and Community

Your Story 

There is a good chance that if you look back over your life you will see how God was working in your life to lead you to Him. Some of these events may have been thought of as isolated events but they are all connected and contribute to the larger story of God’s redemption in your life. 

Read Psalm 107 

As we think about our lives as a story, we begin to see His work in our lives. Our story is part of His Story, you can say it is HIStory. Just as God redeemed the people in this psalm, He has saved us and brought us out of our former life. Psalm 107:2 says “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so…” Our individual stories were not written to be kept to ourselves. Stories are written so they can be shared. God wants to use our stories to draw people to the larger story of the Gospel. In the first session, we discussed this word reconciliation (to be reunited and restored) and now we are ministers of reconciliation drawing people to Christ.  

Read 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 

This passage details our new focus. In 2 Corinthians 5:20, we are called “ambassadors of Christ.” An ambassador is a person who is sent by their native country as its official representative to a foreign nation. They are identified by their nation of origin and their every action reflects on their homeland.  

As ambassadors of Christ, we are representing Him and the words that come out of our mouth and our actions reflect Him. God wants to tell His story through us. While our actions affect how our words are received, we are sent to speak on behalf of God. Nowhere in the Bible do we read that someone came to salvation without someone telling them. We are His mouthpiece to our world.  

As one who has been redeemed, you have a story to tell. As an ambassador of Christ, your job is to tell that story—through your actions and your conversations.  

APPLICATION 

Write out the story of your life as a timeline of events. 

Now write out your story connecting it to the gospel. The hope is not for you to be able to give more information about yourself, but for you to tell a story where God is the hero of your life. To help you with this here is a useful tool. These questions will help you see Christ in the stages of your life: 

What was your life like before Jesus? What did you chase after? What was your identity built on? 

Why Jesus? How did you come to realize that there is something more? What clicked? 

What has your life been like since Jesus? How are you becoming a new creation?  What events in your life has Jesus used to deepen your understanding of Him? 

Moving forward, where are you following Jesus? What are your passions? What stirs you? What causes you concern? How can you dream of living a story-oriented around bringing glory to God and proclaiming His story? 

Using what you’ve answered, write out your story and tell it to another Christian. Then tell it to someone you know that is not a Christian. 

Community 

Just as God was in community with Himself (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), we were created to be in community. God never intended for you to walk the Chrisitan life alone. Here at Fielder Church, there are two areas we want to connect you as you continue your discipleship as a follower of Jesus. 

  • Community Groups 
  • Discipleship Groups 

Community Groups are committed groups of Christ-followers who regularly inhale and exhale the Gospel. They’re groups of people who help one another practice Fielder Church’s vision. They inhale the Gospel by studying the Bible and then exhale the Gospel by caring for one another through service and social gatherings. The pattern we desire all groups to follow is: Study, Serve, Study, Party. Our groups are gathering every other week to study God’s Word together, once a month they are serving in our outside the church, and they are socializing once a month inviting others to join them. 

Think of Community Groups as an extension of your family. These are people we want you to do life with, pray for one another, study God’s Word together, laugh with each other, cry with each other, share a meal and socialize together. Our Community Groups helps bring the larger church down to a smaller group of people who you get to know and they get to know you. Another way to think of Community Groups is to think of them as Jesus’ twelve disciples that they invested their lives together. 

There are 3 main types of Community Groups: 

  • On-Campus Community Groups: meet once a week on Sunday mornings at our Pioneer Campus or South Oaks Campus 
  • Off-Campus Community Groups: meet once a week in someone’s home or at a public location 
  • HYBRID Groups: combine D-Groups and Community Groups in one, they meet for active learning and accountability, they are serving in or outside the church, and they are socializing once a month inviting others to join them. 

More information and finding a group to visit/join can be found on our website at fielder.org/communitygroups. 

Discipleship Groups (D-Groups) are close groups (3-5 people) who meet regularly to live a life that follows Jesus’ example and make disciples who make disciples. At Fielder Church, we believe that discipleship is not just another program, but a lifestyle. In each D-Group you will experience Active Learning, High Accountability, Disciple Multiplication. 

Think of D-Groups as your inner circle of close friends that you trust to share victories and struggles in your life. Your D-Group will read God’s Word together, memorize scripture together, hold each other accountable, pray for one another, and pray for the lost. Another way of thinking of D-Groups is to think of them as Jesus’ inner circle of three (Peter, James, John) that they trusted and shared victories and struggles with regularly. 

There are 4 main types of D-Groups: 

  • Foundation D-Group (FDG): In an FDG you will explore the basics of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. You will learn how the gospel can have a comprehensive impact on your life and the people around you. The time commitment is typically 6 months and there are a variety of curriculums available. 
  • Growth D-Group (GDG): In a GDG you will dive deeper into the implications of being a disciple of Jesus. You will learn how to study the Bible for yourself and incorporate these truths into your daily life.  The time commitment is typically 12 months and there are a variety of curriculums available. 
  • Leadership D-Group (LDG): In an LDG you will be challenged to use your gifts and abilities in leadership at Fielder Church and in your daily life. It will equip you to embody the gospel and model it in a practical way to others. The time commitment is typically 12 months and there are a variety of curriculums available.  
  • HYBRID Groups: Combine D-Groups and Community Groups in one. Every other week they meet for active learning and accountability, once a month they are serving in or outside the church, and they are socializing once a month inviting others to join them. 

More information to join or lead a d-group can be found on our website at fielder.org/dgroups. 

Make sure to fill out the Community Impact Form after your session!

Sharing the Gospel

Sharing the Gospel 

Jesus told us in Matthew 28:18-20 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” What this means is that we have a purpose here on earth. That purpose is to tell others about Jesus. From the passage above, it is clear that we are to go and make disciples, this is a very clear command. We are called to tell people what He has done. We are called to look different because he has made us different. We are called to see the world the way Jesus sees it and see that people need the message of the gospel just as much as we do. But the question arises of how do we do this?  

The first step seems so simple, it is simply introducing yourself and learning their name. It could be your neighbor, local barista, people at the gym, co-workers, or your neighborhood. There are three ways you can choose to see people: 

Scenery– zooming past people, barely acknowledging their presence.
Machinery– treating people like they are just there to perform a task for you. This could be your professor, barista, mailman…
Ministry– people created in God’s image that are desperate for the ministry of reconciliation to Himself. 

Have you been treating people in your life as scenery, machinery, or ministry?  

Who is someone that you need to break the ice and introduce yourself to? 

The second step is to build a relationship with the people around you. Find ways to hang out in a context different than the one in which you know each other. You need to move out of the classroom, coffee shop, gym, and work to a place where you can chat and listen to them. Have ears to hear how they are hurting and ways you and others can tangibly serve them. Introduce them to your community of Christians and continue to be a presence in their life.  

Begin praying for them and looking for opportunities where you can begin planting the seed of Christ in their life. This stage is about being a good friend, gaining trust, building relationships.  

Who are you going to build a relationship with? 

Where is God asking you to step out and serve the needs of someone around you? 

Thirdly, it is looking at the spiritual journey, the vast majority of people are on some kind of spiritual journey. From a person who did not grow up attending church, they may believe that there is some type of deity out there to the one that has grown up in a church and knows all of the answers. We must not assume that just because someone attends church then they are a follower of Jesus. Do not be afraid to ask questions on what they believe about the world, why they believe that, and ask every kind of question you can think of. Be ready to listen to them and understand why they believe what they believe. People generally like to talk about what they think and why. Then wait for the Holy Spirit to open the doors for you to share what you believe with them. It’s okay if you do not believe the same thing, most people will have a conversation on the differences. It is important to know that you are not trying to get into a debate or argument with them about beliefs but you are trying to understand where they are, spiritually, and listening to where God is moving in their life. You may be one of the few people to ask them what they think about God, heaven, and the meaning of life.  

Are there people in your life who you know most everything about except what they think about spiritually?  

Who is God asking you to have a spiritual conversation with? 

Fourth, is about boldness and proclaiming the truth. As we have learned, we were dead in our sins and we have been brought to life in Jesus. We must tell others about this. Your faith cannot just be a hobby or interest that your friends know a little about, it must become active and alive! Jesus commands us to go and make disciples. Nowhere in the Bible will you find someone come to faith in Jesus based solely on the actions of a follower of Jesus. They are told about Jesus and led to a decision. In your spiritual conversations, there will come a moment where someone will ask you what you believe. Here is your chance to tell them! Pray for these moments, you have been invited to share the gospel! Speak boldly and pray for receptive hearts.  

Here at Fielder Church, we like to use the 3 Circles Method of sharing the gospel. Use the space below to practice the 3 Circles Method of sharing the gospel.  

The fifth step is about a decision. Everyone has to decide to accept or reject the free gift of salvation. We have the amazing opportunity to offer this free gift to others, and afterward, immediately ask them what they think. Ask them if this is something that they want. It could be an immediate response or it may take a while of sharing the gospel and your life with someone. We must be faithful and obedient to the commandment of going to make disciples whatever it may look like.  

Who do you know has heard the gospel, whether from you or someone else, but has not yet made a decision to follow Jesus? 

If someone says yes to the invitation of the gospel, then help them respond to God. Make sure they know what they are responding to and the realization of a life-changing decision. At this point you will help them pray a prayer to God that contain these elements: 

  1. Confession to God that they are broken and have sinned. 
  1. Communicate that they believe that God has offered them salvation through Jesus. 
  1. Confirm that they are willing for God to be their God and submit to Him with their life.  

As they pray, you are praying with them in agreement. It is their prayer to God, the Holy Spirit knows what they are saying and translating it to God (Romans 8:26-27).  

If you help lead someone to Christ, help them to share their decision with others that they know! Help them find a gospel-centered church for them to attend and join. Start talking with them about baptism. Baptism is an outward expression of an inward commitment. At Fielder Church, we have opportunities to get baptized every Sunday. Talk to a staff member about helping your new brother or sister in Christ get baptized and celebrate this with them. We want the baptism celebration to be just that…a celebration! Encourage them to invite family and friends to come and celebrate this time with them. Let them know that you will be there to support them and stand with them as they are baptized. We also want to introduce them to discipleship and understand what it means to be a follower of Jesus, this takes place after the baptism in a discipleship group. Similar to the one you are part of now!  

Make sure to fill out the Community Impact Form after your session!