"Come follow me," he said, “and I’ll show you how to fish for people.” Right away, they left their nets and followed him. Matthew 4:19-20 (CEB)

In our last blog post, we discussed what it meant to follow Jesus and to be his disciple. We also talked about how the term “discipleship” has often been repurposed to mean gathering for a bible study or for a time of prayer. We acknowledged the importance of studying scripture and praying, but we also tried to make the case that true discipleship means we are doing all we can to “be like, act like, talk like, and teach like” Jesus did. In other words, being a disciple of Jesus means doing what Jesus did.

However, if the term discipleship is now synonymous with only study and praying, then maybe it is time for us to think about a new way of describing what it means to be like Jesus. Today, the Invitation Team would like you to consider becoming a Passionate Spiritual Disciple (PSD).* The definition of a PSD is an authentic follower of Jesus that is shaped and led by the Holy Spirit through prayer, scripture, and spiritual disciplines in every part of their life and decisions. To help achieve this, we believe passionate spiritual disciples must do the following:

Be in accountable relationships

• Being held accountable to spiritual growth
• Holding others accountable in their spiritual growth

Continue growing spiritually

• Through Bible study
• Through prayer
• Through worship

Continue growing missionally

• By serving others
• By giving generously
• Help others become passionate spiritual disciples

John Wesley called this the “means of grace,” and it is easy to see these were the same things Jesus’ disciples did as they grew in their faith. It wasn’t something that happened overnight; instead, it was a journey that began when Jesus called them, and they grew and made mistakes along the way for the rest of their lives. Yet, this journey they embarked upon revealed the Kingdom of God to the world, and it continues to shape us everyday.

So today, you are invited to take your next step in discipleship on the road and with the goal of becoming a Passionate Spiritual Disciple. The best way to begin, or even continue, is to ask God what you could do to become a better disciple. We, the Invitation Team, encourage you to gather in a small group of three to five people and begin sharing your spiritual and missional journey, and then set goals for next steps. Once you do this, you can experience the joy of being accountable as you begin discipling others while you are also being discipled.

While we know these may not be new or even groundbreaking ideas, we know discipleship is the foundation to which the Holston Conference is called as we witness the coming of God’s Kingdom. We hope you will join us on our journey as we, together, become Passionate Spiritual Disciples for the transformation of the world.

Blessings,

The Invitation Team


*Passionate Spiritual Disciples is a term used by Spiritual Leadership Incorporated (SLI), and it is being shared with their permission.

Looking for ways to begin your accountability group? Check out these resources:

Downloads from Discipleship Resource

• #SeeAllthePeople

• Covenant Discipleship resources

Books

• Stride: Small Group Workbook

• Accountable Discipleship: Living in God’s Household by Steven Manskar

• Disciples Making Disciples A Guide for Covenant Discipleship Groups and Class Leaders by Stephen Manskar

• The Wesley Challenge 21 days to a More Authentic Faith

• The Wesley Prayer Challenge: 21 Days to a Closer Walk with Christ

• The Class Meeting: Kevin Watson