Great Commission teaching aims to direct disciples to move their learned information into practical application to grow into Christ's likeness and live out his commands in their daily lives.
I feel as some people may view spiritual maturity as more knowledge but I think it’s reflected more on your relationship with God, are you closer with God than you were a year ago, a few months ago, etc, you have to be growing not stalling or stale. Also examining our hearts and asking ourselves “are we growing in love, compassion, and humility?”
I think people tend to just get more knowledge scripturally and not live it out just as the Pharisees did. They knew the Law front and back, back to front and did all the religious obligations and rituals but they missed the whole point of Jesus’s messages. People tend to prioritize outward rules/ laws/ status that they lack inner transformation.
A method that’s been working for me is setting goals of virtues we struggle with, studying into one virtue, and learning what it means for us to live that way, and how we can live in alignment to our beliefs and then taking that into accountability and challenging ourselves to use what we’ve learned and apply it to our everyday lives.
"People tend to prioritize outward rules/ laws/ status that they lack inner transformation." So, do you think just like the Pharisees the church has placed more of a value on what we know that what we do? Or is it easier to control, dictate, or judge those who feel inferior in their biblical knowledge?
Many people feel that knowing the Word, attending church on Sundays, and serving in a few areas is the full extent of their calling. But if we’re not striving to imitate Jesus daily and build an intimate, heartfelt relationship with Him, aren’t we missing the mark? All those things are good but if that’s all you have- it’s just an appearance and kind of heresy.
I also believe discipleship is crucial in this because discipleship is about guiding new believers and those with wavering faith to walk more closely with God and helping them navigate what it means to live for Him in today’s world. As a new believer and even for many many years, I had to learn on my own- I still got to where I am thanks to God and my relationship with Him- but if I had someone close to me invest in me and my spirituality- think of how far more I could be spiritually maturing and closer to God. Because someone who walked with God helped show me the way, someone helped me how to love & live like Jesus. I always had Jesus in my heart, but now I ask myself every day, what do you want from me Lord and not the opposite of being selfish and what can you do for me today Lord?
Just because you read your Bible everyday doesn’t mean you have a relationship with God. And knowledge doesn’t mean you’re spiritually mature.
When Jesus speaks about building on a firm foundation that’s preparation for anything you’re going to build first. You have to put the foundation down. Our God is a God of preparation. He spent six days making the world livable for us before he put us in it. He planned good works for us to walk in before the foundation of the world He chose us. We didn’t choose him.
One of my favorite parts of the Luke chapter 2 Christmas story is Luke chapter 1, and all the miracles he did proceeding the birth of Jesus. He makes a way for us ahead of time. Discipleship is preparation for someone else’s ministry whatever God has called them to so in the teaching we have to model the doing, lead by example so part of discipleship needs to be accountability. iron sharpens iron and when you’re discipling someone you need to either be their accountability partner or help them find one so that when they’re out in the world living their life they’re actually living the truth that they’re learning and not just learning it. , even Satan knows the Bible, but he doesn’t live it.
How is true spiritual maturity measured in your ministry context? by hearing the children testify about what they’re actually doing during the week like going with their parents and helping people in need and actually live out the principles that Jesus teaches us.
Why would someone continue to educate themselves in the truths of scripture without wanting to live them? I cannot imagine not wanting to know more about God and educating yourself through the Bible his word and any other resources satisfies a hunger inside but living what you’ve learned is a different thing because it’s not feeding yourself it’s giving of yourself. it’s sacrificial. I don’t know why anybody would not want to do it Can be painful and we too quickly forget the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. I think if we continue to refocus on that, it would be easy to give and give and give because he gave everything.
What method can be implemented in discipleship to merge learning with practical application? Serving is a great way to live what you learn from Jesus they’re 1000 lessons in every active service going on missions even right here at home starting from here and working out we can learn so much from patience to sharing love to not judging to 1 million of Jesus’s lessons, just by serving somebody else and loving somebody else the way he loves people and a physical, everyday practical kind of way.
I feel as some people may view spiritual maturity as more knowledge but I think it’s reflected more on your relationship with God, are you closer with God than you were a year ago, a few months ago, etc, you have to be growing not stalling or stale. Also examining our hearts and asking ourselves “are we growing in love, compassion, and humility?”
I think people tend to just get more knowledge scripturally and not live it out just as the Pharisees did. They knew the Law front and back, back to front and did all the religious obligations and rituals but they missed the whole point of Jesus’s messages. People tend to prioritize outward rules/ laws/ status that they lack inner transformation.
A method that’s been working for me is setting goals of virtues we struggle with, studying into one virtue, and learning what it means for us to live that way, and how we can live in alignment to our beliefs and then taking that into accountability and challenging ourselves to use what we’ve learned and apply it to our everyday lives.
"People tend to prioritize outward rules/ laws/ status that they lack inner transformation." So, do you think just like the Pharisees the church has placed more of a value on what we know that what we do? Or is it easier to control, dictate, or judge those who feel inferior in their biblical knowledge?
Many people feel that knowing the Word, attending church on Sundays, and serving in a few areas is the full extent of their calling. But if we’re not striving to imitate Jesus daily and build an intimate, heartfelt relationship with Him, aren’t we missing the mark? All those things are good but if that’s all you have- it’s just an appearance and kind of heresy.
I also believe discipleship is crucial in this because discipleship is about guiding new believers and those with wavering faith to walk more closely with God and helping them navigate what it means to live for Him in today’s world. As a new believer and even for many many years, I had to learn on my own- I still got to where I am thanks to God and my relationship with Him- but if I had someone close to me invest in me and my spirituality- think of how far more I could be spiritually maturing and closer to God. Because someone who walked with God helped show me the way, someone helped me how to love & live like Jesus. I always had Jesus in my heart, but now I ask myself every day, what do you want from me Lord and not the opposite of being selfish and what can you do for me today Lord?
Just because you read your Bible everyday doesn’t mean you have a relationship with God. And knowledge doesn’t mean you’re spiritually mature.
That’s it, I got discussion boards to do. 😂
.
When Jesus speaks about building on a firm foundation that’s preparation for anything you’re going to build first. You have to put the foundation down. Our God is a God of preparation. He spent six days making the world livable for us before he put us in it. He planned good works for us to walk in before the foundation of the world He chose us. We didn’t choose him.
One of my favorite parts of the Luke chapter 2 Christmas story is Luke chapter 1, and all the miracles he did proceeding the birth of Jesus. He makes a way for us ahead of time. Discipleship is preparation for someone else’s ministry whatever God has called them to so in the teaching we have to model the doing, lead by example so part of discipleship needs to be accountability. iron sharpens iron and when you’re discipling someone you need to either be their accountability partner or help them find one so that when they’re out in the world living their life they’re actually living the truth that they’re learning and not just learning it. , even Satan knows the Bible, but he doesn’t live it.
How is true spiritual maturity measured in your ministry context? by hearing the children testify about what they’re actually doing during the week like going with their parents and helping people in need and actually live out the principles that Jesus teaches us.
Why would someone continue to educate themselves in the truths of scripture without wanting to live them? I cannot imagine not wanting to know more about God and educating yourself through the Bible his word and any other resources satisfies a hunger inside but living what you’ve learned is a different thing because it’s not feeding yourself it’s giving of yourself. it’s sacrificial. I don’t know why anybody would not want to do it Can be painful and we too quickly forget the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. I think if we continue to refocus on that, it would be easy to give and give and give because he gave everything.
What method can be implemented in discipleship to merge learning with practical application? Serving is a great way to live what you learn from Jesus they’re 1000 lessons in every active service going on missions even right here at home starting from here and working out we can learn so much from patience to sharing love to not judging to 1 million of Jesus’s lessons, just by serving somebody else and loving somebody else the way he loves people and a physical, everyday practical kind of way.