The first message in our Summer Series of Walking With Jesus: Learning to Be a Disciple was about the DNA of being a Disciple.
That DNA of being a Disciple was described as:
• Divine Truth. Truth comes from God. It is the revelation of God to humankind. This comes from the Son, the Spirit, and the Scriptures. The Son (Jesus) is both God and human and came to reveal to us in his person what God is like and what God requires. The Scriptures were authored by God and reveal God’s unfolding plan for humanity. The Spirit of God is also Divine Truth, since he brings revelation and direction to believers.
• Nurturing Relationships. Humans were never created to be alone. We are social creatures and have an intrinsic need for relationships. Our relational orientation is a reflection of the image of God in us. God Himself is relational and exists in a community—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is love because God is relational. To the Christian, God is love because he has always existed in relationship. Is love possible without someone to love? This should be the defining characteristic of our faith. All men should know that we are Christ’s disciples by the love that we have for one another.
• Apostolic Mission. Apostolic means that someone is sent as a representative with a message. We are here for a purpose. We have been given a prime directive to fulfill—to make disciples of all the nations. This part of us also comes from the nature of God. Jesus is an Apostle. He is the Chief Cornerstone of the apostolic foundation. Before he left this planet, he sent his disciples into the world with a mission.
One of the key tools we talked about in Walking With Jesus was Life Transformation Groups. Find out more on our website.
Below is the full Sunday Morning message by Phil Helfer:
Bob Mabry - November 24, 2019
Prayer Changes Everything
In our final week in our series on the kingdom of heaven, “It’s Like This,” Pastor Bob started by giving us a review of a number of the parables we have learned about so far. For the final topic, Bob showed us what prayer in the kingdom looks like. Going through Luke 18, we learned that prayer can take a couple forms. In looking at the Pharisee and the tax collector, we saw how easy it is for prayer to become an act of selfishness instead of glorifying God. Then our friend Steph Perez came up front and shared what a “breath prayer” is. Basically, it is a short, simple phrase that is memorable and repeatable that allows us to refocus and center ourselves on God. Steph’s example is “Jesus, you are enough.” One example from the chapter in Luke was “Have mercy on me.” As you enter into your week and are thinking about how prayer looks in the kingdom of heaven, see how Jesus responds to the blind man seeking mercy: “What do you want me to do for you?” The man’s needs are obvious. Yours may not be. Even though He already knows, Jesus wants you to share and be open with Him because it shows confidence and builds a relationship. Be bold in bringing yourself to Jesus and to engage in prayer that allows you to encounter His kingdom.
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