TODAY:

DiscipleShift | Part 4 - BE WITH Jesus: The Practices

BIG IDEA:

The foundation of discipleship is spending time with Jesus

SCRIPTURES:

Matthew 4:19, Mark 14:32-42, John 15:5, Mark 1:35

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Q: Do you enjoy learning & continually practicing the fundamental skills of something? Why or why not?

Q: How do the Scriptures/concepts from this week help you grow as a disciple who loves God, loves people & serves the world (lives on incarnational mission) in everyday life?

Q: Based on these Scriptures, how can you move from unbelief to belief, from just knowing to actually doing in your life?

Connect with God (UP)...

Q: Why is “being with Jesus” so foundational to Christianity? What happens if someone loses that foundation but still wants to “be a Christian”?

Q: How do each of the practices help you “be with Jesus”? (Prayer, Worship, Sabbath, Solitude & Silence, Scripture & Study)

Q: Which of these are easy for you & which are difficult? Why? Are there any that you sense Jesus is inviting you to experience?

Q: “We are more than the things we do, but the things we do do something to us.” What are some things that you’re currently doing that help you experience Jesus? What things are you doing that block or distract from experiencing Jesus?

Connect with Others (IN)...

Q: These can be practiced alone & together (except for solitude & silence). How can you encourage other Greenhouse members to practice these?

Q: How does the church grow & mature when people are practicing these?

Connect with the World (OUT)...

Q: How can these practices be an attractive alternative to the noise & chaos of the world?

NOTES & QUOTES

"A disciple is someone who follows Jesus, is transformed by Jesus, and joins Jesus in what He's doing. Disciple = apprentice."

“We are more than the things we do, but the things we do do something to us.”

“To pray is to change. If we are unwilling to change, we will abandon prayer as a noticeable characteristic from our lives. When we pray, God slowly and graciously reveals to us our evasive actions and sets us free. In prayer, real prayer, we begin to think God’s thoughts after Him, to desire the things He desires, to love the things He loves, to will the things He wills.” (Richard Foster, “Celebration of Discipline”)

“The forms (of worship) are not the worship; they only lead us into worship. To worship is to experience Reality and to touch Life. It is to know, to feel, to experience the resurrected Christ. Worship is the human response to the divine initiative.” (Richard Foster, “Celebration of Discipline”)

“Sabbath is doing no necessary thing.”

“Rest is essential to apprenticeship under Jesus... We need the Sabbath to keep our hearts alive to the beauty of God and Life in Him in this world.” (John Mark Comer, “Practicing the Way”)

“Mystics without study are only spiritual romantics who want relationship without effort.” (Dallas Willard, “The Spirit of the Disciplines”)

ACTION STEPS

1) Pick at least 1 practice to do to be with Jesus this week...& do it (have fun!)

2) Ask Jesus to take these “fundamental skills & set plays” & grow them into a way of life

3) Ask a friend for accountability & share how it goes