DISCIPLESHIP

Make your life count for eternity.

 

Be Discipled and Follow Jesus. “Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the Light believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.” (John 12:35b-36)(NASB)

Once you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you must abide in Christ and grow in the spiritual life He has given you. It’s all about getting closer to God and building your relationship with Him.

“Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk [i.e., lead your life] in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith . . . .” (Colossians 2:6-7)

With the help of the Holy Spirit, you are now empowered to begin the careful and regular study of God’s Word, experience true fellowship with God and fellow believers, and make effective prayers. You will learn the love of God for you and for others. Learn how to follow Jesus, so that you always thrive in his perfect will for the rest of your life.

Perfected into One Body. God’s will is that believers who make up the Body of Christ are perfected “into one”—having “the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God.” Together, we will grow up in all aspects of Christ, because each individual part is properly working in love. (John 17:23; Eph. 4:13-16) Jesus prayed this perfected unity in Him, “so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.” Id.(NASB)

By ourselves we can do nothing. Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) But by jointly, abiding in and through Christ, together, we can “ask whatever [we] wish, and it will be done for [us],” so that God “is glorified by this, that we bear much fruit and so prove to be [Christ’s] disciples.” (John 15:7-8)

As we come to “know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge” and are “filled up to the fullness of God,” we will see God “do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:19)(NASB); (Ephesians 3:20-21)(NIV)

Reach Billions. A flood of darkness is attempting to cover and take over the world, but it cannot because the Light has not left, yet. Every believer is needed for the end-time harvest. All hands on deck! We are in the boat of Jesus with His Light and Life to rescue those drowning.

“Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13)(NASB) But how can they call if they never hear about the Good News? Jesus is asking, “Will you help Me? Will you be my arms, my feet, my mouth, my eyes, my ears, etc?”

Jesus said, “I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.” (John 12:46) Jesus commanded, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation,” (Mark 16:15), and to “make disciples of all the nations . . . teaching them to observe all that I commanded you . . . .” (Matt.28:19-20)

God does not want anyone to perish into eternal separation from Him. He loves everyone. Everyone must hear about the Good News of Jesus and the free gift of eternal life. Set your heart’s compass to His. The time is now!

Discipleship starts now. Let’s do this together.

 

Jesus said, “the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.” (Luke 8:15) (NASB) Will you allow God and His Word to break and soften the ground in your heart so that you will produce spiritual fruit—fruit of eternal value that lasts and multiplies?

It is through the discipline of learning God’s Word and applying it to your life that you will endure in this life and produce spiritual fruit. Becoming a disciple of Jesus takes discipline because God knows what is best for us; God is raising us as His children. While discipline can be hard at times, you are not alone. As a believer, the Holy Spirit lives within you and will help you.

Our goal at Equip the Light is for you to grow in your relationship with God and to be equipped to do the work He has prepared for your life. We provide you with resources and teachings as you navigate your new journey with Jesus.

Here’s how discipleship works at Equip the Light:

STEP 1: Get the Resources to Start Your Journey.

After you have completed the Foundations in Jesus Series on your own, it’s time to dive into the Word! Our Bible study Jesus to Me Bible Study in the Gospel of John is designed to teach you how to read and interpret the Bible for yourself. We start with studying the Gospel of John, because you will learn who Jesus is to you and who you are in Him, which is foundational to a relationship with God. Even if you have studied it before, you’ll find there are layers of knowledge to learn from the Gospel of John.

What you need:

  • A Bible (see video on types of Bibles), and something to write with.

  • The Bible Study Guide. You have two options:

1) Download and print a FREE copy of the worksheets of Jesus to Me Bible Study for the Gospel of John available now, or

2) Buy the book in print. You can find both in our Store. (The printed version will be available in late summer (TBD) 2023. Sign up on our newsletter for details!)

STEP 2: Do the Weekly Study.

Each Bible study series is designed so that you individually do the worksheet throughout the week, and then gather with your group of people to go over the answers. (You can also do the study solo, but why not grab a friend or family member(s) and you can grow together?)

The weekly worksheet is broken into five sections, so ideally you will do one section per day, Monday through Friday.

Be sure to:

  • Pray before you start and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the Word’s truth to you.

  • Write down your answers. The very act of writing something down tells your brain to pay attention. It helps clarify and remember the information.

  • Stay humble and be teachable. God will be speaking to you and working on your character (ouch!) as you eat His spiritual bread and fellowship with Him. Learn from each other.

  • Stay positive and relax. Learn at your own pace and always come to the group meetings whether you were able to do the work or not. Give each other grace as life happens!

STEP 3: Watch the Videos/Meet with Your Group.

At the end of the week, after completing the week’s worksheet individually, your group will meet together to watch the weekly video and go over the answers everyone found to the questions.

Each worksheet will have at least one online video that introduces the material for that week.

For the first two weeks of the study, there is a video for each day’s work within the worksheet. Watch the video while you are doing the study or immediately after. This will help build your confidence in reading the Word and understanding what it says and how it applies to you personally. The group will meet these two weeks at the set time for some group fellowship, prayer, testimonies, and answer the Group Guided Questions in the study.

Group Bible Study. In the weeks following, there will be one introductory/short video corresponding to the upcoming weekly worksheet. After watching the video with your group for the upcoming week’s lesson, each person in the group will take turns (going around the circle) providing the best answer/guess they came up with for the current week’s worksheet. Appoint one person to facilitate the meeting in which they have the job of keeping the answers rolling (and not getting too sidetracked).

Find people and make a group. This Bible study can be done individually, no problem. But with a group, it will be so much more fun and you’ll have people to hold you accountable to see this through. Who are your people? Family, friends, co-workers, etc.? You can grow in God together. We recommend a group of at least 2 people, but ideally 5 or 6 people (and no more), so that at least 2 or 3 people could still meet when life happens. If there are 6+ people, split off into mini-groups.

Set the time and place to meet each week. This may decide who’s in your group this time around.

  • Time/Day. Agree on a set day and time to meet each week. For us, we love Friday nights, but if you can only meet on a certain day, change the schedule accordingly, as long as it’s a weekly get-together.

  • Meeting place. It’s up to the group. We’ve met at coffee shops, basements of churches, and homes. Find a space where you can hear well and feel comfortable. See what works best. Rotate if it’s at someone’s house so that the same people don’t have to host every week.

Tips for an awesome group.

 

The Group Meeting Format that We Find Works

  • Chat. For the first 5 minutes, everyone chats as people arrive.

  • Share. The next 5 minutes, the facilitator will say, “Let’s get started,” and have each person say/discuss what’s on their mind (if they haven’t already) and whether they have any praise reports or prayer requests. This let’s people know how you’re doing and whether they can pray for you later. Everyone should say something.

  • Quick Prayer. The facilitator will say a quick 1 minute prayer that the Holy Spirit will lead the meeting.

  • Watch the Video for the Upcoming Week. The next 10+ minutes, watch the video paired with the scripture that you’ll be studying next. This introductory video will help give some background/context for the upcoming week’s worksheet.

  • Breakout Session. For the next 25 minutes + go over the questions in the order they are asked, with each person providing their best answer/guess that they put down earlier. Discuss the question/answer as a group if needed. And if any question resonated with someone in the group, or someone has something to say about it relating to their life, let them discuss. Keep these side discussions to a few minutes. The facilitator will need to keep the ball rolling.

  • Worship together. Sing a few songs together in worship to God. You can usually find some good and free worship songs online with a lyric video.

  • Prayer. The facilitator will ask if anyone has any other prayer requests than the ones mentioned earlier. For each prayer request, the facilitator can assign someone else to pray for it, unless someone volunteers. If possible, play a worship song quietly in the background during prayer.

  • Convene. Try not to run longer than the time the group has set. Make sure no one is left behind alone and that everyone gets home safely.

Group Rules that Build Trust

  • Establish Confidentiality. Keep everything that is said in the group private. Don’t be a gossip. Period.

  • Be you. Have fun, make friends, laugh, cry, and pray together. Realize God knows how to put the right mix of people into a group so that everyone is contributing and is edified.

  • Realize everyone’s learning. No matter how old or young you are in relation to others in the group, realize everyone’s learning something new. It’s okay if you don’t come up with all the answers. Just do your best and grow.

  • Group issues. Group problems may pop up. Pray and ask God to help the group work through and solve them.

  • Be consistent to attend. Let the first two meetings be a test run and give grace to those who want out. Once you’ve prayed and decided you’re in, stay in. Mark your calendar every week and make it a priority. Don’t let yourself make excuses. Attend especially when you have bad day. You’ll need your group and your group will need you. You’ll leave energized.

  • Always come to the group meetings whether you were able to do the worksheet or not. Everyone understands that life happens. Give each other grace and let them either skip answering questions or give it a try if they like. Fellowship takes precedence here.

Enjoy and God Bless!

May this be just the beginning of something great in your life and in the body of Christ!

Get the Jesus to Me: Discovering Jesus in the Gospel of John now, available as a free download or for purchase in print (forthcoming).