Discipleship

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Discipleship is the process of rooting ourselves in Jesus in order to yield satisfying fruit in our lives

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Overview

Roots

A root is the primary relationship that supplies life, stability, and direction. Roots are not behaviors. They are where life is drawn from.

If the root is unhealthy or missing, no amount of effort produces lasting fruit.

Roots answer the question:
Where am I drawing life from?

Habits

A habit is a repeated practice that trains the heart and body over time. Habits are how roots become real. They are small, intentional actions done consistently, not heroic moments. Habits turn belief into formation.

Habits answer the question:
What am I repeatedly practicing?

Fruits

Fruit is the visible result of what we are rooted in and what we practice. Fruit is not intention or effort. Fruit is what shows up over time—in character, relationships, and life. Fruit is how formation reveals itself.

Fruit answers the question:
What is growing in my life?

I Will’s

An “I WILL” is a personal commitment that turns insight into action. It is not a vague goal. It is a concrete, time-bound act of obedience. “I WILL” statements create ownership, accountability, and movement.

“I WILL” answers the question: What will I do in response to what God is revealing this week?

Week 1

Jesus was the greatest life that ever lived on earth. He created the world and then conquered it for us. He did this by destroying the power of evil sin and deception and invites us into his life to live free.

  • Read: Ephesians 3:16-17 NLT
    I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.

    Notice: That roots grow as Jesus Christ takes over our hearts.

    Reflect

    1. What would it take to make Jesus at home in your heart?

    2. What room in your heart have you kept him from?

    3. What does he want to change in your heart to be at home?

    Read: John 10:27 ESV
    My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

    Notice: Hearing is connected to the following. They follow the voice they hear and this creates a deeper knowing of Jesus.

    Reflect

    1. Do you remember a time when Jesus spoke to you? Describe that experience.

  • Practice the presence of God through talking and listening to Jesus. His voice is your lifeline for a spiritual life.

    Read: Matthew 6:9-15 NLT
    “Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

    Notice: Jesus gives us a clear picture of what to include as we talk with the Father.

    • P- Praise God for who he is and what he’s done.

    • R- Repent for the things you do that hurt others and yourself.

    • A- Ask God to meet the needs of others (strangers, neighbors, and even enemies).

    • Y- Your own needs. Bring the desires of your heart to Jesus.

    Reflect

    1. From these four elements of prayer, which one do you find harder?

    2. Do you remember a prayer God answered? And do you remember a prayer God didn’t answer?

  • As we make room in our hearts for Jesus and learn to listen to his all-powerful voice, hope grows within us.

    Read: Romans 15:13 NIV
    “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

  • Thoughts and talk don’t change us.

    Actions do.

    Write a statement that starts with “I will…”, promising yourself what you will do this week to root yourself in your relationship with Jesus.

Week 2

  • Read: Psalms 1
    Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.

    Notice: When the scriptures become a delight for you to meditate and learn from, you grow roots by the streams of water and prosper.

    Reflect

    1. Would you say you trust the scriptures? Why?

    Read: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV
    All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

    Notice: The scriptures are not for what to know but for how to live.

    Reflect

    1. What is the role of the Scriptures according to this passage?

    2. Did you ever have a scripture that was useful to you in your life in this way?

  • The bible is a blueprint for a life of generosity. One of the habits that unlocks generosity in us is tithing. We don’t give because God needs it. We give because we need it. Generosity isn’t supplemental to a relationship with God. It’s essential.

    Read: Proverbs 3:9 NIV
    Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops.

    Notice: Generosity isn’t giving the leftovers. It’s giving the first fruits.

    Read: Leviticus 27:30
    A tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain or fruit, is the Lord’s and is holy.

    Notice: The scriptures remind us that everything belongs to God. Yet he asks Moses for only 10%. Tithing is the minimum standard for generosity.

    Read: Malachi 3:6-12
    “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.”

    Notice: God has a flood of blessings in store for us. But when we embrace a mentality of scarcity, we withhold resources from others and limit what we are capable of receiving from God.

    Reflect

    1. How would you describe your relationship with money?

    2. If you tithe, why do you do it? If you don’t tithe, what’s keeping you from doing it?

  • When we trust God’s word (scriptures) and his provision (giving), we experience what it looks like to live by faith.

  • Review your I WILL statement from last week. If you kept that promise to yourself, celebrate.

    If you didn’t, you have an opportunity to give yourself grace and invite an accountability friend to help you this week.

    Write a statement that starts with “I will…”, promising yourself what you will do this week to root yourself in your relationship with the scriptures.

Week 3

  • Read: Matthew 16:15-19 NIV
    He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

    Notice: Jesus is committed to building the church.

    Reflect

    1. Do you trust people? Why or why not?

    2. What are the experiences you had in your life that defined your relationship with community

    3. What role do you want community to have in your life?

    Read: Acts 9:4-5
    He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied.

    Notice: When Saul was persecuting the followers of Jesus, after Jesus had already ascended into heaven, Jesus appeared to Saul through a blinding light. According to Jesus, when Saul persecuted the church, he was persecuting Jesus himself. If Jesus makes no separation between himself and his church, the health of our relation ship with him is directly related to the health of our relationship with the church.

    Reflect

    1. How would a healthy relationship with the church help you build a healthy relationship with Jesus?

  • Practice finding ways to build the church. Use your resources, time, and talents to serve others with others in the areas of greatest need.

    Read: Romans 12:6-13 NLT
    “In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.”

    Notice: God has placed gifts inside of us that are not meant for us to keep, but for us to give.

    Read: John‬ ‭15‬:‭13‬-‭17‬ ‭NIV‬
    “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.”

    Notice: To love is to sacrifice. The greater the sacrifice, the greater the love story you will live.

    Reflect

    1. What are you building in your life?

    2. What does it mean to build the church?

    3. What is a gift you have inside of you that you might be withholding from community?

  • When we are committed to being and building the church, we learn to live in peace with each other and value our differences.

  • Review your I WILL statement from last week. If you kept that promise to yourself, celebrate. If you didn’t, you have an opportunity to give yourself grace and invite an accountability friend to help you this week. Write a statement that starts with “I will…”, promising yourself what you will do this week to root yourself in your relationship with the church.

Week 4

  • Read: Matthew 5:14-16 NIV
    “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

    Notice: You are free from the world and the values the world has. These values are darkness. Your role in the world is to be light.

    Reflect

    1. How do we know when we are shining our lights before others and when we are hiding it?

    2. Can you remember a moment you felt like you were light to the world?

    3. What will you do to shine brighter?

  • Practice cultivating friends who do not know Jesus and bringing them into the community that brings you life.

    Read: Matthew 28:18-20
    18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

    Notice: All authority has been given to Jesus yet he chooses to invite us to carry out His mission.

    Reflect

    1. What does “make disciples” mean?

    2. Have you accepted the invitation to be part of His mission?

    3. What qualifies us to be part of Jesus’ mission?

    4. Have you invited a friend to come to Mosaic? If yes, what was their reaction? If not, why not?

  • When we embrace the mission to reach the world and eliminate the separation between our relationships in and out of our community, we experience the gift of being fully known and fully loved.

  • Review your I WILL statement from last week. If you kept that promise to yourself, celebrate. If you didn’t, you have an opportunity to give yourself grace and invite an accountability friend to help you this week. Write a statement that starts with “I will…”, promising yourself what you will do this week to root yourself in your relationship with the world.

Baptism

  • When you study the New Testament it is inescapable how prominent and central the ritual of baptism is to the first believers. Jesus himself was baptized by John the baptist.

    13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. 16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

    1. What stands out to you in this passage?

    2. Why is it important to Jesus that he would be baptized?

  • Not only is Jesus baptized but then he commands his followers to go out into the world and baptize others (Matthew 28:18-20) In Romans, Paul explains why this act is so powerful and what it truly means.

    “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.”

  • According to Romans 6:1-7,

    1. What is the meaning of baptism?

    2. Why do you suppose Jesus would establish a physical act as something for us to do?

    3. Why not require us to solely profess / believe?

  • If you have not been baptized, consider if it’s time for you to take that step. Ask yourself - what is keeping me from following Jesus in baptism?

    Sign Up Today: mosaic.org/baptisms

    If you have been baptized talk to someone this week about your baptism story - what made you make that decision? What happened after?

The Roots
Quadrant

A lot of us may be rooted in 3 out of the 4 relationships we covered in our program. The following quadrant shows what happens if we’re not rooted in ALL four relationships we discussed.

NO CHURCH

NO SCRIPTURES

NO JESUS

NO WORLD

  • When you’re only rooted in your relationship with Jesus + the world + the scriptures but lack a relationship with the church:

    You become self-righteous and weird and at worst dangerous because you have no accountability and assume you are God’s only true follower.

  • When you’re only rooted in your relationship with Jesus + the church + the world but lack a relationship with the scriptures:

    You stay immature. You are easily influenced by the world’s culture and by human mentors who don’t follow Jesus because you lack access to truth.

  • When you’re only rooted in your relationship with the scriptures + the church + the world but lack a relationship with Jesus:

    You become a performer and makes you a people pleaser because you follow good rather than God. You don’t listen to the voice of Jesus and follow principles rather than a person. Because you’ve never heard the voice of God, you consider yourself better than those in the world rather than here to serve them.

  • When you’re only rooted in your relationship with Jesus + the scriptures + the church, but lack a relationship with the world:

    You live in a bubble and have no one in your life who doesn’t know Jesus. You do not experience the power of God birthing faith in others. You feel a lack of purpose. You speak but have lost the ability to listen to the world. You become irrelevant