Discipleship

The Great Commission Does Not End with Evangelism

Posted on by markwchristy
Matthew 28:19-20 NASB – “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” As careful reading of v.20 will show, the Great Commission does not end with evangelism. Unfortunately, many seem to focus exclusively on this part of it. Sure, it is awesome to see people coming to Christ and seeing the Church of G...
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Impact of a Discipleship Ministry on the Future of the Church

Posted on by markwchristy
Let me start by demonstrating what happens when discipleship is not prioritized. Looking back over the last several decades of church history, we can see the effects of the church-growth movement together with the seeker-sensitive (and seeker-driven) movement. These did help churches come to grips with some of the cultural changes in our communities and some of the abiblical aspect of our traditional approaches to ministries. Nevertheless, many churches found themselves overly focused on the co...
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Discipleship is Personal

Posted on by markwchristy
As Christians, we are not called to live out our faith in isolation. The Bible does not present a sort of Lone Ranger/John Wayne style of Christianity. Unfortunately, many often choose to either attend church sporadically or simply attend the Sunday morning service more regularly. In the Bible, church is so much more than a service on Sunday morning. Rather, it is an interactive fellowship centered around God’s word where Christians come together to “accept one another” (Rom 15:7), be “concern[...
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Discipleship and the Local Church: 8 Commitments Necessary to Accomplish the Gospel Mission (with Additional Comments)

Posted on by markwchristy
In the Great Commission, Christ points out two separate categories of people: disciples and non-believers. By examining this passage in Greek, we learn that making disciples involves going, baptizing, and teaching God’s Word. God’s people must, therefore, engage in mission by carrying God’s Word to unbelievers, testifying to them concerning its gospel message, and baptizing those who make the good confession. This commission was given by our Lord to all believers, so all believers should be eng...
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