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Disciplemaking - Lesson 25

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Prayer of Blessing

As a conclusion to this Disciplemaking course, Joe Handley and Mary Jo Wilson offer a prayer of blessing to those who have completed it. They express their gratitude for the opportunity to walk alongside the participants in their journey to become faithful followers of Jesus. The prayer focuses on the idea of being a conduit of God's love and light in a dark world and asks for God's blessing on the participants and the work they will do to spread the message of the kingdom. The lesson ends with a message of encouragement to continue to deepen their knowledge and understanding of discipleship and to make it a lifelong journey.
Taught by a Team
Taught by a Team
Joe Handley, and Mary Jo Wilson
Disciplemaking
Lesson 25
Watching Now
Prayer of Blessing

Disciplemaking: Prayer of Blessing

I. Introduction

A. Recap of the Course

B. Lifelong Journey of Discipleship

II. Blessing and Affirmation

A. Encouragement to Be a Faithful Follower of Jesus

B. Prayer of Blessing for the Students and Their Church

1. Gratitude for Forgiveness and New Life in Christ

2. Request for Help to Shine Brightly as Children of Light

3. Blessing for Commitment and Faithfulness

III. Conclusion

A. Final Words of Encouragement

B. Hope for Students to See God's Spirit Moving and Multiplying Efforts in Their Lives and Churches


All Lessons
Transcript
  • 1. Introduction to Disciplemaking
    Mary Jo Wilson and Joe Handley introduce themselves and express their excitement about the upcoming discipleship course, which aims to enhance participants' relationship with God and their work in the world, and encourage them to bring transformative change to their church and ministry.
  • 2. Disciplemaking Course Outline
    Joe Handley outlines the elements that they will be covered in the Disciplemaking course: what is a disciple, the great commandment, becoming a disciple, being a disciple, fruitfulness, and multiplying disciples.
  • 3. Discipleship Concepts
    The lesson discusses the approach to discipleship, which is focused on the four gospels and building obedient disciples through the seven obedience; it emphasizes a holistic approach to following Jesus and the informed imagination, and the course will focus on the gospels of John, Matthew, Luke, and Mark.
  • 4. Suffering & Persecution
    Mary Jo Wilson emphasizes the importance of understanding the role of suffering and persecution in discipleship, as it is a recurring theme in the Gospels and is also a part of the early church experience, and discusses how enduring such hardships can be a formative experience for Christians.
  • 5. Heart of Discipleship
    The lesson discusses the importance of abiding in Christ as the key to joy in life, bearing fruit in one's life, and becoming a disciple of Jesus through a deep and communal relationship with Him.
  • 6. Abiding in Christ
    Discipleship is not a program but a relationship. Abiding in Christ is the key to joy in life and bearing much fruit and is achieved through having a deep communal walk with Jesus and allowing Him to prune us to make us stronger.
  • 7. Dependence on the Holy Spirit
    Mary Jo Wilson discusses the importance of a posture of repentance and dependence on the Holy Spirit in the discipleship process, and highlights the work of the Holy Spirit in convicting of sin, guiding in decision making, and forming believers into Christ.
  • 8. Group Discussion 1 - What does it mean to be a disciple?
    The instructors and students discuss their thoughts and experiences on what it means to be a disciple, including the importance of maintaining a growing relationship with God, the internal aspects of discipleship, abiding in God, the role of inviting God into everyday life, and the significance of pruning.
  • 9. Formed in the Image of Christ as a Disciple
    This session discusses the importance of becoming a disciple of Jesus and our identity in Christ, illustrated through the example of churches in Japan becoming centers for relief goods after the 2011 disasters and being seen as representatives of Christ by the community.
  • 10. Sermon on the Mount and the Kingdom of God
    By taking this lesson, you will gain knowledge and insight into the relationship between the Sermon on the Mount and the Kingdom of God, including the importance of Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount and how they relate to the mission of the church and the call to discipleship.
  • 11. Matthew & the Kingdom of God
    The lesson discusses the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, where Jesus describes the Kingdom of God and how his followers are to live as salt and light in the world, raising the bar on the interpretation of the Old Testament law and calling for inner righteousness, forgiveness, and love for enemies.
  • 12. How the World Sees that Inner Work
    This lesson reviews the importance of becoming like Jesus and displaying his characteristics, such as humility and generosity, to become authentic Christ-centered people in our communities, and emphasizes the need for communal support to grow in our faith.
  • 13. Group Discussion 2 - Becoming a Disciple
    In this group discussion about discipleship and the Sermon on the Mount, the students and instructors reflect on the Beatitudes and how they challenge and contrast with the values of the world, and discuss how Jesus lifted up marginalized people and called all his followers to be salt and light in the world.
  • 14. Being a Disciple who Makes Disciples
    In this lesson Mary Jo Wilson and Joe Handley discuss transitioning from becoming a disciple to being a disciple who makes disciples, with a focus on the overflow of abiding in Christ into the lives of others.
  • 15. Spiritual Conversations
    Mary Jo Wilson discusses the importance of spiritual conversations and how to approach them in our daily lives through the example of Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well in John chapter 4.
  • 16. Using Your Gifts as Witness
    Joe Handley discusses the idea of being a disciple of Jesus and how to share one's story and witness through different tools, including prayer, social media, and engaging with others through layering of interactions.
  • 17. Group Discussion 3 - Making Disciples
    The class discusses the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman, highlighting how Jesus approached the woman with humility and respect, treating her like a real person and engaging in a conversation with her, despite social and cultural barriers. They also discuss how Jesus challenged his disciples to adopt a Kingdom way that breaks down barriers and recognizes the value and dignity of all people.
  • 18. Introduction to Multiplying Disciples
    This session focuses on the importance of reproducibility and sustainability in disciple-making, drawing on examples from the book of Acts and personal anecdotes.
  • 19. Multiplication & a Culture of Discipleship
    Joe Handley discusses the importance of a reproducible culture of discipleship in the Kingdom of God, drawing on the idea of the mustard seed and how small actions can have a big impact, and provides examples of how this can be implemented in different contexts such as micro churches.
  • 20. Small Groups - A System for Disciplemaking
    This lesson provides information on small groups in discipleship, including their definition, anatomy, purpose, characteristics, steps for starting one, the role of the leader, the discipleship process in small groups, and their importance in discipleship in general.
  • 21. Discussion 4 - Multiplying Disciples
    Instructors Joe Handley and Mary Jo Wilson discuss with students their visions of the Kingdom of God, with one sharing their goal of sharing their story to help others understand the word of God, while another likens the planting of seeds to the growth of faith, stressing the importance of patience and trust in the process of nurturing them.
  • 22. Wrap-Up
    Joe Handley and Mary Jo Wilson discuss the importance of creating a practical plan for discipleship and ministry, encouraging listeners to reflect on what they've learned, and write a strategic personal plan for following through on their learning.
  • 23. Strategy Paper – Putting It All Together
    This lesson teaches how to pull together the different sections of a discipleship plan using the model of vision, intent and means, and suggests including a vision, introduction, conclusion and rule of life, while encouraging reflection and sharing with others.
  • 24. Developing a Rule of Life
    Joe Handley discusses the importance of creating a "rule of life" as part of a personal discipleship plan, which helps to balance and organize different areas of life, including spiritual, social, intellectual, and physical aspects.
  • 25. Prayer of Blessing
    Joe Handley and Mary Jo Wilson close their discipleship course by expressing gratitude for the opportunity to learn and grow together, and offer a prayer of blessing for their students to continue on their lifelong journey as faithful followers of Jesus.

Joe Handley and Mary Jo Wilson
Disciplemaking
EM520-25
Prayer of Blessing
Lesson Transcript

Joe Handley [00:00:00] What a great week this has been together. We've really enjoyed working together and, you know, we've learned a lot together. And as we pull things together here, we trust that you've learned a lot about what it means to be a disciple. We've walked through what is a disciple, the great command, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, as well as your neighbor, as yourself, becoming a disciple, and then moving from that, becoming to actually being a disciple, walking with Jesus, and then finally moving from being a disciple to reproducibility and multiplying disciples as we go forward. So we pray that you've enjoyed this opportunity to go deeper in discipleship. Don't let it in here. Let this be a lifelong journey for you. Dig deep and richly into these passages that we've put before you. I hope these books are proved to be a great resource for you as well. And we just want to bless you as we close our our course together.

Mary Jo Wilson [00:01:16] Yes, it's been a tremendous privilege to walk with you. We've not we don't know who you are. You're out there and we know that you desire to be a faithful follower of Jesus. And we just want to affirm that. And we are thrilled that you've allowed us to just join with you in that journey, even just briefly, and to be kind of facilitators in that. And as Joe said, that you'll take this on further. And so we just want to bless you and the people that you are investing in the church that you are a part of and the work that God is doing in your life. And we're thrilled to see that you are making this commitment. We believe, as you follow through and finish up with that final paper and that you see that as a real tool. We bless you and your commitment, this process and what God is doing in your life. And if you don't mind, I'd like to pray, please.

Joe Handley [00:02:06] Yeah, that'd be great.

Mary Jo Wilson [00:02:08] Let's pray. Father, we thank you for Jesus. We thank you. Four. Lord, your love and how. You have brought us into your family for the forgiving that forgiveness we experience in Christ and that we have made us new and God now for the privilege of being your children of light and bringing light into our different contexts. Lord, you know, we live in a dark world and that darkness is very present and very felt, very obvious and all around us. And we are so grateful that we can be your light. And I pray, God, that you would help each one of us to shine brightly in each one of us to be faithful and also, Lord, to always be aware that we are not getting it perfectly. And you are with us too. We will be that conduit, that faithful conduit of your love to our world. And so, Lord, we just send off these folks that have joined us for this time. And God, I pray that you would bless and reward God their commitment they've made in their faithfulness. And you would just in many fold, Lord, multiply the effort that they are putting into this and their commitment to you, God, and that you would show them your spirit moving in amazing ways and multiplying the work that they are doing and the ways that they are touching people that are multiplying that God and directing them in new places. And we thank you for that multiplication. And how are using that to see your kingdom expand in our lives, in our communities and around the world. And so, God, we commit all of this to you and that's how you would use it for your glory, for your purposes. In Jesus name.

Joe Handley [00:04:07] Amen. And God bless you guys.

Mary Jo Wilson [00:04:09] Yes, God bless.