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Master List of Discussion Questions
Questions to help assess your church’s commitment to the Great Commission:
- Have you embraced the transformation mandate—that every believer is called to transformation, therefore every believer is to be a disciple and a discipler?
- Do you know why Christians choose isolation when they ache for community?
- Consider that a Bible study is not ‘discipleship’ for, discipleship takes place when teaching is ‘customized’ to the individual’s needs through life-on-life soul care.
- What changes in ministry focus would bring us closer to the N.T. function of bringing each member to maturity through discipleship?
- Do you agree that these areas of spiritual weakness normally accompany the absence of discipleship? The life of the body suffers. The spiritual safety of the body suffers. Assimilation of new members into the body suffers. The usefulness of the body suffers. The ability of the church to please Christ suffers. The temptation to shape the church by market forces will be intense.
- How are the terms of discipleship laid down by Christ consistent with free grace? Is it possible to live life with Christ preeminent if we are not abiding by the terms of discipleship laid down by Christ?
- Is it possible to be a ‘Christ-follower’ without a life of self-denial? Explain the concept that is by self-denial and by bearing one’s cross that we follow Christ.
- How is a willingness, or unwillingness to ‘sell all’ for Christ’s sake and the sake of His Kingdom a faithful indicator of where one’s actual treasure resides?
- In John 21:15-17 Jesus ‘re-commissions’ the apostle Peter. What Christ is commanding in these verses is the very heart of what it means to make Christ’s cause one’s own cause. Explain why is this concept is so central in discipleship.
- How strong is my desire to get to know the brethren? Is it strong enough to pursue a close friendship in the body of Christ? Why is it often weak? Have I considered just how much my desire to know God parallels the desire to know my brethren?
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- The following questions can help us examine our own philosophy of ministry so that it might be brought into alignment with Scripture: How does God’s purpose for the church absolutely rule out a ‘spectator’ role for believers? How can we prevent sending the message that church goers are merely ‘consumers’ of spiritual commodities attending a religious event?
- It is time we ask the following kinds of questions: How can I be more deliberate in getting together with another person for the purpose of his spiritual good? Why does the individual believer experience an impoverished spirit when he discontinues mutual purposeful edification in his relationships in the body of Christ? We know the answer: we are created anew in Christ for supernatural relationships. If we neglect the pursuit of these relationships we rob ourselves and others of the appointed channel of Christ’s transforming love and grace.
- Are you deliberate about pursuing discipleship relationships? Are you deliberate in seeking to be mentored as well as to spiritually mentor? What decisions would you have to make in order to put yourself under the teaching of the mature, and seek to help those who are less mature than you are? Is building possible without making these decisions?
- What would have to happen in order for our thinking to shift from the pulpit as the major source of the Word, to shift to our conversations with other believers as an indispensable and vital source of the Word?
- What kind of attitude is needed if we are to be willing to learn from each other that we might grow together into full maturity in Christ?
- What biblical truths concerning Christ and the gospel do I need to speak to my own heart so that I can begin viewing discipleship as a gift and privilege rather than a yoke or burden?