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Basic Discipleship
Written by Dr. Lester Hutson

This material is copyrighted c2002 and may not be copied or reproduced without the express written permission of the Berean Baptist Church.

To order a copy of Basic Discipleship,
please visit our Publications section.

PHASE 4     GROWTH TO MATURITY

SESSION 13

 

A CHALLENGE TO YOU

 

                We have reached the end of the course. Thank you, dear Discipleship Minister, for what you have done. God has your effort on record and "...he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Hebrews 11:6). You have the promise of God in 1 Corinthians 15:58 "...that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."

                God forbid that your effort with this disciple be your last! The work of discipleship truly is an assignment until death. Hopefully you already have another disciple ready to start. You could easily have several going through this course at any one time. It really doesn't take that much time or effort. As you have seen, most of the work is on the part of the disciple. You are there mainly to encourage, answer questions, provide assignments and keep the disciple on track. Without accountability to someone, very few disciples will continue. After all, Satan is against this sort of thing and will do all he can to  stop the development and growth of every disciple.

                This final session is a brief challenge to your disciple followed by a review of the course. No doubt a broad overview of the material we have covered will be of great value in fixing the information in the mind. This is an excellent time for you to interface with your disciple. It is recommended that you spend extra time at this point in a face-to-face meeting. Once your disciple has completed this session go over the answers with him. This will give you one last opportunity to help clarify any misunderstandings and fortify him on critical points.

                At the end of the disciple assignments, you will find a nice certificate of completion. You should complete it and present it to your disciple. It is highly recommended that you do so in your church as a formal presentation. Consult your pastor. He may already have plans for a special ceremony at which time several disciples are recognized and given certificates. This could be a part of a church service or during a special banquet or other recognition ceremony. If your church has no plans along these lines, have your own special recognition ceremony for this disciple. Other certificates printed on a higher quality paper are available by writing to the address printed on the publications page in this course.

                Encourage your disciple to become a Discipleship Minister just like you. Help him get started. Assure him that you will stand with him until he gains the confidence he needs to carry on alone. One of the main objectives of Basic Discipleship is to make a Discipleship Minister out of every disciple. As you finish the course with this one, do all you can to get him started. This will be one of the easiest times for him to settle back into complacency and inactivity. Getting a disciple and leading him through this course requires initiative. You and I both know that Satan is against that and will do all he can to keep this disciple (and you) from ever getting started with another disciple.

                In closing I ask you to pray for the success of Basic Discipleship. The need is so very great. Too many are falling by the wayside. Basic Discipleship is not a miracle cure or the final effort that is needed, but it is a start and it will help. Pray that many will use this tool and be profited thereby. 

                This is it! Yes! This is #42 out of 42 sessions in the Basic Discipleship course. If you started with Phase 1, this is #48.

                Thank you for taking this course. Hopefully it has been enjoyable, challenging and profitable to you. Hopefully too, you will make it your own tool. For the rest of your life you will take many new disciples on the trip through this material. As you have experienced, most of the work is that of the disciple, not the Discipleship Minister. This is a self-taught course, a discover truth for yourself approach. You can start your friend(s) on this course and monitor the progress at a minimum of time and effort on your part. You could easily have several disciples going through the course under your supervision at one time. The materials you would need are available to you either through your church or by writing to the address included on the publications page of this material. A phone number is also given.

                Someone has invested in you. Now it's your turn. Jesus said in Luke 12:48, "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." The great God of heaven saved your soul. You belong to Him. He gave you your life and all you are. He has used this course and a Discipleship Minister to invest many truths into your life. You know there are many, many needy souls out there, people who need what you can give. Will you give it?

                Perhaps there is an organized Discipleship Ministry in your church. Perhaps not. In either case you can be a Discipleship Minister. If a ministry is already in place, become a part of it. If not, start discipleship on your own.

                After you complete this final session, your Discipleship Minister will present to you a Certificate of Completion. It is one simple way by which we can say Thank You for the work you have done. It is our prayer that this is just the beginning for you, not the end. Basic Discipleship was never intended to be merely a religious exercise for you. It is not an end within itself. To the contrary, this course is intended to make a Discipleship Minister out of you. May God use you to mentor many, many souls!

TIME TO REVIEW

                Since this is your last session, it is the perfect time for you to see what you have learned. See how you do on the following review test. Don't cheat. Wait until you finish the test before looking back at your notes. 

  1.   How many Phases in Basic Discipleship?   4

  2.   Name the Phases in proper order.

        1st Phase.        Evangelism

        2nd Phase.        Initial Growth

        3rd Phase.        Church Orientation and Edification

        4th Phase.        Growth to Maturity

  3.   To whom is Phase 1 primarily directed? The unsaved

  4.   To whom are Phases 2, 3 & 4 primarily directed? The saved

  5.   Where is the student's attention mainly directed in the first four sessions of Phase 2? Toward God and what it means to be in relationship with Him.

  6.   What is the subject of Phase 2, session 5? Prayer

  7.   Name some of the dangers facing God's children.

        Hidden dangers and troubles

        Temptations

        Vicious and harmful people

        Piercing errors

        False teachers

        Pitfalls

        Bad habits

  8.   Name the three great spiritual resources of believers.

        The Bible

        The Holy Spirit

        The church

  9.   Which of these three spiritual resources would you call "your spiritual support group?"

        The church

10.   What institution should be the center of a believer's spiritual activity?

        The church

11.   To what mortal have you made yourself accountable? ____________

12.   Underline the Biblical form of church government.

                Episcopalian        Congregational            Presbyterian

13.   Name the two permanent offices in the Lord's church. Pastors        Deacons

14.   Name God's central place of worship.        The church

15.   Name the five formal acts of worship as set forth in the Bible.

        Preaching

        Praying

        Singing

        Giving

        The Lord's Supper

16.   "They that worship" God "must worship him in spirit and in truth"

17.   Who owns you? God

18.   Who should be the master of your life? God

19.   Underline the correct way to true liberty in life.

        Domination of your life and others        Submission of your life to God

20.   Name four reasons why God gives you money and material things.

                1.     To meet your personal needs

                2.     To pay your taxes

                3.     To give to the poor

                4.     To pay your tithes and give offerings unto God

21.   What is the main message of The Lord's Supper? The death of Jesus Christ

22.   What is the main message of Baptism? The burial of Jesus Christ

23.   What is the main message of The Lord's Day? The resurrection of Jesus Christ

24.   What glorious message do believers preach by action by faithfully keeping these ordinances of the church? The gospel

25.   The church of Jesus Christ is His central agency on earth today for worship and service. Check one: 
  True  X         False ___

26.   How important is Bible doctrine to God? Check one:

        Not important             Somewhat important             Important __

                Very important             Extremely important  X

27.   Is it possible to have no doctrine? Check one: Yes      No  X

28.   Name the final authority on earth today for believers. The Bible

29.   Which is the Bible: a work in progress      ? or a completed work  X ?

30.   Name the one God in three persons.

                God the Father     God the Son  God the Holy Spirit

31.   Name seven aspects of the nature of God. He is 

32.   God is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient.

33.   Is God the Son a lesser being than God the Father? Yes      No  X

34.   Does God the Son have all of the characteristics and essence of God the Father?
     Yes  X            No ___

35.   What is God's penalty for sin? Death

36.   Is it possible for sin's to be forgiven apart from the shed blood of Jesus Christ?
      Yes                     No  X

37.   Where is Jesus Christ today? Seated at the right hand of the Father

38.   Evidence of the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ is:

                Weak             Fairly strong             Strong             Very strong  X

39.   The gospel of Christ is His death, His burial and His resurrection.

40.   The greatest miracle of Jesus Christ was His resurrection from the dead.

41.   Sinners are justified before God exclusively by: Works         Faith  X

42.   Is there a difference between faith and presumption? Yes  X    No ___   

43.   Romans 4 deals with justification before God while James 2 deals with justification before man. 

44.   To save means to rescue from a danger or peril. True  X         False     

45.   Name three senses in which the Bible applies the word salvation.

        From sin's penalty.        From sin's power.        From sin's presence.

46.   To sanctify means to set apart. True  X     False     

47.   Three aspects of sanctification are:

48.   Who is the High Priest of all believers? Jesus Christ

49.   How are believers allowed to approach God? Only through the High Priest

50.   Are believers to have any priest other than Jesus Christ? Yes             No  X

51.   What is the blessed hope of all believers? The Second Coming of Jesus Christ

52.   Your knowledge of God through His word will dictate your spiritual growth.
      Yes  X            No     

53.   All believers are to grown in grace and in knowledge.

54.   Desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.

55.   Is it possible to have legitimate convictions apart from knowledge?

        Yes      No  X

56.   Thoughts, beliefs, decisions have consequences. Yes  X         No     

57.   Does what you believe make any difference?  Yes  X         No     

58.   Is there a relationship between cause and effect? Yes  X     No     

59.   The difference in what one believes about Jesus Christ is heaven and hell.

60.   Can you tell the difference between a good attitude and a bad attitude?

61.   Does the attitude of another person matter to you?

62.   Is there Bible reason to believe that your attitude will have a great bearing on your effectiveness in the work of the Lord?
 Yes  X         No     

63.   Which is better? Pride?             Humility?  X

64.   Does one's spirit usually show? Yes  X     No     

65.   One's reputation is how he is perceived by others. True  X     False     

66.   "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold."

67.   What Old Testament character in this study is an excellent example of a good spirit in spite of adverse circumstances? Joseph

68.   You were born to reproduce

69.   What is the inevitable long-term consequence for failure to reproduce? Death

70.   Is the responsibility to reproduce one's self limited to physical reproduction?

        Yes             No  X

71.   Spiritual growth in grace is as important as spiritual growth in knowledge.

        Yes  X                    No     

72.   Name five marks of spiritual maturity.

73.   Can criticism be used as a great tool for correction and improvement?

        Yes  X                    No     

74.   Character counts.        True  X         False     

75.   Name the six character traits that are most important to you.

_______________________         _______________________

_______________________         _______________________

_______________________         _______________________

76.   What impact does one's character have on his ministry?

        None             Some             Mild             Strong             Very strong  X

77.   Leadership is influence or power with others.        True  X         False     

78.   Is leadership accidental?        Yes             No  X

79.   From the list given in Phase 4, session 10 name six characteristics of leaders.

_______________________         _______________________

_______________________         _______________________

_______________________         _______________________

80.   Until what point in life is the assignment to disciple others in effect? Death

81.   What group of believers lacks the power to be faithful? None

82.   Is there any direct connection between faithfulness and trust?

        Yes  X                    No     

83.   Unfaithfulness generates a lack of confidence.        True  X         False  ___

84.   Where are you in the divine cycle to maturity?

 

"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"