1. PERSONAL DISCIPLESHIP 2
Mentor - Model - Example - Teach - Parent

2. GROWING NEW BELIEVERS
Without being mentored, a new believer will typically
adopt the values/convictions of those he associates with
during the formative period of his spiritual life.
When an immature believer joins your group, we expect
that his values and convictions will be challenged. He may
become uncomfortable and seek a more “friendly” and
less intrusive environment.

3. WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT
NEW OR IMMATURE BELIEVER?
Typically, he will seek out a congregation where he is
more comfortable; where he can hear the preaching. It is
hoped that the negative behaviors he observes in the
congregation do not distort his understanding of what it
means to be a Christian.
Most new believers will be impacted more by what they
see other believers do, than what they hear them say. If
that congregation is spiritually mature, then the new
believer will hear and see Biblical spirituality modeled
and in turn, follow.

4. MODELING AFFECTS HOW
PEOPLE INTERPRET THE BIBLE
A man attended a one-day workshop on Discipleship.
He had always interpreted Matt. 28:18-20 as saying, “go
and make converts,” but now realized that it says, “go
and make disciples.” He didn’t realize he was reading it
incorrectly. He had read the word “disciples” but in
reality, the term had little significance because, what he
was “hearing” and seeing “modeled” around him conveyed
that what was really important was “making converts.” In
his mind, he interpreted the word “disciple” to mean
“convert” because of what he heard and saw.

5. OSWALD CHAMBERS
• “Until others learn to draw on the life of Jesus directly,
they will have to draw on His life through you.You must
literally be their source of supply until they learn to take
their nourishment from God.” ~ My Utmost for His
Highest

6. EVERY BELIEVER BENEFITS
FROM SPIRITUAL PARENTING
“We were gentle among you, like a nursing mother tenderly
cares for her own children.” 1 Thess 2:7
How soon after birth does a baby need to be nursed (draw
nourishment through its mother)? As a mother produces
milk, allow God’s overflow in you to become nourishment
for others until they can receive nourishment for themselves.
• Acts 20:31, (Paul to the elders of Ephesus), “So be on your
guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped
warning each of you night and day with tears.

7. 1 THESSALONIANS 2:11
“For you know how we were exhorting (to earnestly
urge, advise, or caution) and encouraging (to inspire with
courage, spirit, or confidence) and imploring (to beg
urgently) each one of you as a father would his own
children.”

8. GOD’S WORD IS CRUCIAL
A Christian may possess Biblical knowledge and yet
remain spiritually immature. A Christian cannot be
spiritually mature without understanding God’s Word.
Proverbs 4:7, “With all your getting, get understanding.”
1 Cor 8:1-2, “Sometimes we think we know-it-all, but if
we humble ourselves, we’ll realize that God is the only
One who really knows anything.” personal translation

9. Col. 1:28-29, “We proclaim him, admonishing and
teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may
present everyone perfect (complete/mature) in Christ. To
this end I labor, struggling with all His energy, which so
powerfully works in me.”
1 Thess. 2:13, “For this reason we also constantly thank
God that when you received the word of God which you
heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men,
but for what it realy is, the word of God, which also
performs its work in you who believe.

10. TEACHING GOD’S WORD DOES
NOT EQUATE TO DISCIPLESHIP
If merely knowing scripture and Bible stories were itself
the key to Christianity, we should have the most spiritual
generation of Christians in world history. The Christian
book stores are filled with books on every Biblical and
Christian subject imaginable.
Food is essential for us all, but every individual also
needs love, commitment, nurturing, modeling, and
personal attention. God gave us the process of rearing
our physical children as a model for raising spiritual sons
and daughters.

11. THE LORD NEEDS THE
CHURCH TO USE ITS GIFTS
Eph 4, Jesus gives “gifts” to men (apostle, prophets,
evangelists, pastors, teachers) to prepare God’s people (you)
to be built up for acts of service.
1 Cor 12, Nine spiritual gifts are given for the common good
of the Body of Christ (words - wisdom, knowledge,
prophecies, tongues, interpretation of tongues; discerning of
spirits, faith, healing, working of miracles).
Rom 12, God creates us with special abilities and we all
belong to help one another (leader, perceiver, teacher,
encourager, service, mercy, giver).

12. EVERYTHING MUST BE
LOVE-BASED
To love to teach (to serve, to give) is good, but to love
those you teach (to serve, to give) is better.
1 Cor. 16:14, “Let all that you do be done in love.”
To know scripture is good, but to intimately know and
understand the One who gave us scripture is better.

13. JEREMIAH 9:23-24
“This is what the Lord says: ‘Let not the wise man boast
of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or
the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts
boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that
I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and
righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares
the Lord.”
John 17:3, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know
You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have
sent.”

14. THE GOAL OF PERSONAL
DISCIPLESHIP
To help a believer through the transition from the habit
of daily living in “independence” or “self-dependence” to
the habit of daily living in “God-dependence.”
Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and
lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways
acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

15. PHASES OF LIFE
1. An “unsaved” person is spiritually dead to God. Self-dependence
is a habit of everyday living/way of life.
2. Evangelism culminates in the event of salvation (when a person
passes from spiritual death to spiritual life).
3. The Spiritual Parenting phase is the critical formative period,
where an immature believer can learn to live increasingly
dependent upon the Holy Spirit.
4. Sanctification is a process where the believer, having been
discipled, has a basic understanding of his need to follow the Holy
Spirit, so he can continue being led and transformed by Him.

16. ANTICIPATED RESULTS OF
DISCIPLESHIP ARE:
Spiritual Maturity
Spiritual Fruitfulness
Spiritual Reproduction

17. MULTIPLICATION
PHYSICAL & SPIRITUAL
Doctors state that 90% of normal, healthy couples
should be able to physically reproduce children.
Normal, healthy Christians should be able to reproduce
spiritually.

18. OBSTACLES TO
REPRODUCTION
Physical (male & female): Immaturity; health issues; lack of
intimacy with person of opposite sex.
Spiritual (yourself & Holy Spirit): Spiritually immaturity;
spiritual health issues; lack of intimacy with the person of
the Holy Spirit.

19. HOW THIS WORKS
Pray to be led to the right person(s). Rom 8:14, “For as
many as are led by the Spirit, these are the sons of God.”
Befriend those who don’t know Christ or are just
starting out in their relationship with Him.
Show them how to grow and how to help others grow
in their relationship with Christ. 2 Timothy 2:2

20. ESTABLISH LIFE-TO-LIFE
MENTORING
Jesus, his disciples, and the early church used this life-to-
life approach. Kingdom principles came to life in people
through these type of life-to-life mentoring relationships.
Your group will be made up of two to three people of
the same gender. A fourth/fifth requires multiplication.
Flexible scheduling and meeting times (20-50 minutes).

21. WEEKLY MEETINGS
Personal daily (assigned) Bible study topics, scripture
memorization and prayer.
Weekly mutual accountability with strict confidentiality
(personal struggles identified). You choose! Adapt.
Weekly Bible study discussion. Distribute next week’s
assigned study sheets. No individual should dominate the
discussion.
End each meeting by scheduling next meeting & prayer.