Discipleship Conversations

Today we think about how we move forward to best facilitate being a church that makes disciples. Dave talks about some of the tweaks we are going to make next term.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
Proverbs 3:5-6

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland
Isaiah 43:19

Conversation Questions:

• Dave talked about tweaking our rhythm and activities to get a better balance. Did you understand the new changes?
• As a church, we gather into two different environments, Whole Church and Hubs.
  • What do you think the advantages or unique opportunities are for each of those different environments?
  • What do they each do well and how do they compliment each other?
• At the end, they talked about how sometimes church can actually disempower us from our discipleship journey. We can find ourselves complacently depending on other things, activities and people as a form of outsourcing, rather than taking personal responsibility for our own spiritual well-being. Where do you think this might happen for you?
  • What area do you think God’s calling you to take more of a personal involvement in? What could you do to make a change?

As we end our Discipleship Conversation series, Dave summarises some of the ideas we’ve considered and how these play their part in the three elements of being a disciple.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you.  Let them be a living and holy sacrifice — the kind he will find acceptable.  This is truly the way to worship him.  Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:1-2

Conversation Questions:

• Dave talks about the three elements of discipleship:
  • Our relationship with God
  • This saturating our whole life
  • And overflowing into the world around us
• Think about each of these three elements. How have you traditionally understood each of these and their relevance to church and God?
  • What has changed as we’ve thought about this over the last few months? Do you see any of it differently? Does any of it make more sense or integrate better with your life?
• The crucial, most important, question is what role does God have in our life. Do we want a normal, western, middle-class, materialistic life with God as an add-on? Or, are we prepared to say to God he can disrupt our life so that we can grow and become more alive?
  • There’s the obvious right answer to this, but what is the real implications and difficulties? How willing do you think you are to face these?
  • Think about this verse – “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.” Matthew 16”25
  • Is there something you’re hanging onto at the moment? What would it mean to lose it and trust God instead?

If we want to hear God’s voice, nudges and prompts in our everyday life, then we need to find space and be attentive. Luckily, we’re already pretty good at having those moments when he might speak to us, all we need to do is pay attention.

Today Dave talks about those moments when our brain (and soul) has enough unoccupied margin to allow God to speak.

I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp. Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.
Psalm 131:1-2

Conversation Questions:

• Have you experienced those moments of remembering and elusive facts or having an inspired idea when you are really not trying? What sort of places does this happen to you?
• Does God ever speak to you in those places? Do you ever think that the sudden recollection or the inspired idea might actually be God speaking?
• Or do you have times when you’re sure it was God?
• How might you press into those times when you have margin for God to speak? Are there things that you actually find enjoyable? Do you think feeling joy might also help you hear God, or, deep down, do you feel if you enjoy it then it can’t be spiritual beneficial?
• How could you be more aware of God? What could you pray to God at the start of those times?
• What could you do this week to try this out in a more intentional way?

As we continue to think about the process of discipleship, Dave thinks about how God speaks to us in significant moments. We just need to be alert to notice them.

“You know the saying, ‘Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow; red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.’ You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times!”
Matthew 16:2-3

Conversation Questions:

• Have you experienced kairos moments in the past?
  • Have there been times when a situation seems to have more significance than circumstances would superficially suggest. Was it God nudging you about something? What was it? What happened?
• Is there something in your life right now that might be a kairos moment? What is going on that feels like it has a deeper significance?
  • How might your prayers change to pray into this?
  • What might God be saying?
  • How do you think he might want you to respond?
• There are a few places in the Gospels where God might be speaking to people through a kairos moment (rather than a booming voice) – although of course this is only guess work on our part. Have a look at these passages and see whether you think there might be a kairos moment going on.
  • Matthew 15:21-28
  • Matthew 16:13-20
  • Matthew 26:34-35 & 26:69-75
  • Mark 2:35-39
  • Luke 24:32-34

As we continue to think about hearing God’s voice for our everyday life, Dave talks about how we recognise his leading and our other voice that will resist.

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.  Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.  The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants.  And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires.  These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.
Galatians 5:16-17

Conversation Questions:

• • Dave talked about a process he has seen at work in him, where he Notices something, has a Sense of what he should do, then a thought that Resists this and then pushing through to Obey the sense.
    • • Have you experienced this?
    • When have you noticed something – a person, a situation or an opportunity – and then had a sense that you should do something about it?
    • Are you aware of your self-talk that reasons with you? How have you noticed this be a self-centred force?
  • Is there something right now that you’ve noticed? What is sticking in your attention? Might this be a God prompt?
    • What is your sense about what you could do? How might this embody God’s kingdom and its values?
  • You can read Romans 7:14 – 8:14 for more insights into this dynamic.

We’re starting to think about how God communicates to us. What assumptions and insecurities do we have about him speaking to us and what is the Biblical reality?

Conversation Questions:

• • When you pray to God are you expecting a reply? Where do you think God is when you’re praying? Is he distance or close? Is he paying attention? What does this reveal about your expectations and assumptions? How does it affect how and what you pray?
  • How confident do you feel about God speaking to you? Do you resonate with the story Dave told? What assumptions and insecurities are at work in you when you think about this?
  • When do you expect God to speak to you? Is it about big, significant things, or are you ready for him to speak in the midst of your mundane, every day life? What could you do to be a bit more receptive to his communication?

Bible Study:

Look at John 14:15-21.

How do you read this passage? When Jesus talks about obeying his commands what do you think he is talking about? What impact do these commands have in your life right now?

Now think about this passage specifically with the discipleship questions in mind? Think about Jesus’ commands as the answers to the two questions: What is he saying to you now? And what does he want you to do about it?

What does this passage help us understand about the process of wayfinding with the Holy Spirit? How does this passage tell us these questions are answered? What does the passage illuminate or reinforce? How does this make us more secure?