Cultivating a Life of Discipleship

Pastor Dan Walker, PhD, MDiv

Introduction

Today we continue our message series called Spirit Empowered Church. Our leadership team of 14 has been on a year long Acts 2 journey with a number of other churches. We have been developing core values and fresh vision for the future of our church.

This Sunday, we continue in unpacking the Core Values of our church that we defined during the last year. We’re going to be talking about God’s purpose for our church family of discipleship or spiritual growth in a message entitled “Cultivating a Life of Discipleship.” Imagine with me stepping into a lush garden, where every plant and flower stands out in beauty with not a weed in sight.

That garden did not appear overnight, but was the result of a gardener’s dedication, care and hard work. The gardner had tilled the soil, removed rocks and weeds. Then he carefully planted seeds, watered and nurtured the garden until it grew into beautiful garden we imagined.

That process mirrors the journey of discipleship in our lives. Just as a gardner commits to the well-being of their garden, so we are called to cultivate our spiritual lives, the garden of our hearts, with the same dedication and care.

Luke 8:15 (ESV) As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

It’s the good soil, not the thorny or rocky soil, that has prepared itself to receive the seed of God’s Word. It’s through an honest and good heart that the seeds of faith take root and grow, producing spiritual fruit in our lives.

1 Corinthians 3:6-7 (ESV) I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

In discipleship, we engage with Scripture and spiritual practices, planting and watering the seeds of faith. Yet it is God who brings the transformation, causing those seeds to grow and flourish in our lives.

Colossians 2:6-7 (ESV) Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

Our spiritual growth is nurtured through walking in relationship with Jesus, being rooted in Him, and built up in our faith. Like plants thriving under the care of a gardner, our spiritual lives flourish as we deepen our connection with Christ and His Word.

As we seek to grow in the journey of discipleship together, let’s embrace cooperating with Jesus in preparing our hearts. With patience, dedication and God’s grace, we can cultivate a faith that grows deep roots, withstands the storms, and produces an abundant harvest for His glory.

Today, we’re going to talk about our core value of Ongoing Biblical Discipleship – To equip all ages to grow in their knowledge of the Bible, in their relationship with Jesus and in their engagement with the church family.

Experience Scripture Frequently

Psalm 119:105 (ESV) Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

To be clear, a disciple is a follower of Jesus. Every true believer is a disciple of Jesus and needs to grow in discipleship. A disciple needs to experience God’s Word frequently, on at least a daily basis.

This verse tells us that God’s Word gives us guidance and direction in our lives. Without the light of God’s Word, of Scripture, we will stumble in the darkness around us. God’s Word lights up the place where are feet are at right now.

It also shines out into the path we have yet to walk in and illuminates our future. But just seeing where God’s Word directs is not enough.

James 1:22 (ESV) But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

We need to hear God’s Word, either through reading or listening, but that is just the first step. The essential step to experiencing the power of God’s Word is to put it into practice, to be doers of the Word.

Many are deceived into thinking that just because they read a chapter in their Bible or attended a Sunday service where God’s Word was taught, that they are blessed. The blessing of God’s Word comes when we apply it to our lives, when we actually do something different because of the Word’s light and direction.

To grow as disciples, we need to experience Scripture frequently.

Growing Daily in God’s Word

How can we grow in experiencing Scripture frequently? We need to spend time daily on our own, reading or listening to God’s Word. Some people tell me that they don’t read their Bibles because they can’t understand it.

That’s simply not true, God has written His Word so even children can understand. God’s Word is not just ink on a page or pixels on a screen, it is alive, active and empowered by the Spirit to change your life.

Begin with the Gospels in the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. When you read, ask God what He wants you to change in your life because of what you read. Is there something new to believe, a sin to repent of, an action to take, a prayer to pray?

Your children need to experience Scripture frequently, both at home and at church. That’s why Vicki and our children’s department are updating our children’s curriculum to the Bible Engagement Project.

We experience God’s Word at church on Sunday’s and in Life Groups during the week. As parents, you need to make sure that your children come to church with you every Sunday.

As a parent, it is your responsibility to make sure your youth age children come to youth group on Wednesday, while you learn in a Life Group here at the same time. Teach your children that church is more important than school, it should be their priority.

To grow as a disciple, we need to experience Scripture frequently.

Experience Fresh Encounters with Jesus

Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV) do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

We grow as disciples as we encounter and build our relationship with Jesus. These verses show us how prayer can draw us closer to Jesus. Prayer is simply talking to God. If you’re a believer you can pray.

Growing as a disciple involves moving from fear and anxiety to faith and trust. As you encounter Jesus in prayer throughout your day, the peace of God will guard your life.

John 4:23-24 (ESV) But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.

Worship is actually a form of prayer as we communicate our worship to Jesus. To worship is not to ask for things, to worship is to give God our praise, indeed to give Him all of ourselves.

We are to worship Jesus in spirit. That means that we allow the Spirit to worship through us. We worship God for who He is, we worship Jesus for what He has done.

We worship for what He will do in the future. We worship by showing our love for Jesus. We also worship in truth.

Our worship must be consistent with the truth of God’s Word. Our worship must be in truth about who we are, being honest and humble before God.

Galatians 5:25 (ESV) If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

Our encounters with Jesus should always involve the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Jesus. The Holy Spirit speaks to us, the Spirit prays through us, the Spirit gives us revelation of things we wouldn’t otherwise know.

We encounter Jesus through His Spirit. The closer we are to the Spirit, the closer we are to Jesus. To grow in discipleship, we must experience fresh encounters with Jesus.

Renewing Our Relationship with Jesus

As with experiencing Scripture, encountering Jesus happens our own, with our families, with our church family and through every aspect of our lives. A keyword is this point was the experience fresh encounters with Jesus. Sometimes our relationship with Jesus can get stale, can get into a rut.

When that happens, we must press in to seek God for new ways to experience Jesus. There are always new things to experience, new things to learn, new ways to move out in faith with Jesus.

That means, from time to time, each of us must follow Jesus to doing things we never have done before. That’s how you get out of a rut. Just ask Jesus what new things He wants you to do.

Experience fresh encounters with Jesus.

Engage Faithfully with God’s Family

Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV) And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another

As we’ve already mentioned, both experiencing God’s Word and Jesus are to be done both personally, with your family, on your job and everywhere you go. In this last point, we’re going to talk about engaging faithfully with God’s family here in our church.

No one can be a growing disciple on their own. Jesus created the church for us to have a forever family that would help us grow as disciples. Coming to church is not just about what you can get out of it.

This verse gives us instructions on how to engage faithfully with God’s family. We are to encourage others to show love and to good works. We are not to neglect meeting together. That is a command.

Every believer should be in church at every meeting unless you’re sick or out of town on vacation. We are to encourage one another. If you do those things, God will see that your needs will be met in the church family.

And you will grow as a disciple of Jesus. You cannot grow as a disciple without engaging faithfully in the church.

1 Peter 4:10 (ESV) As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:

If you’re a believer, then this verse tells you that you have received a gift from God to serve others with. Now, you have to discover that gift, learn how to use that gift and put it into practice in serving others in the church family.

We grow as disciples as we grow in serving others. We’re going to be talking more about serving in a couple of Sundays. To grow as a disciple, we must be faithful in meeting with our church family, encouraging others, giving to our church family and serving others.

Engaging faithfully with God’s family in our church.

Growing Together as God’s Church Family

The Scripture tells us that Jesus loved the church and gave himself up for her. The church is not a human invention, but was created by God.

Discipleship can only happen within the context of a healthy church family. We grow as disciples as we help others grow.

Discipleship begins in the nursery, continues through elementary children, on into youth, young adults, middle-age and seniors. All of us as part of the church family are essential in helping one another grow as disciples of Jesus. Engaging faithfully as God’s family.

Conclusion

Let’s reflect once more on the journey of discipleship through the lens of a gardner tending to their garden. Like a gardner who patiently cares for their garden, we have explored the importance of preparing our hearts, planting seeds of faith, and nurturing our spiritual growth.

We tend our own garden and help others in the church family tend theirs. We receive direction from experiencing Scripture frequently. We experience fresh encounters with the master gardener, Jesus.

And we engaging faithfully with other gardeners in God’s family. May God help each one of us to grow in cultivating a life of discipleship.

📘 Continue the Journey

Reflect deeper and apply this week’s message with the Message Study Guide — perfect for personal devotions, family discussion, or your Life Group.

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