Don Cousins - The Way of a Disciple Bible Study Guide: Walking with Jesus: How to Walk with God, Live His Word, Contribute to His Work, and Make a Difference in the World

A t its core, Christianity is Christ. Christians embrace a Person, not merely a philosophy. It is not so much knowing about his teaching as it is about knowing him. The greatest misunderstanding about Christianity today, even in the church, is the perception that Gods bottom-line requirements are deeds to be done and beliefs to be believed. The Christ who spoke is bypassed for the things he spoke; the Guide is left behind for the guidance; the Commander is ignored for the carrying out of commands.

This series addresses the problem by encouraging Christians to develop a relationship with the living God. We believe that mature discipleship encompasses four foundational practices. A disciple of Jesus Christ is one who...

• Walks with God
• Lives the Word
• Contributes to the work of Christ
• Impacts the world

The two volumes in this series will encourage these four activities in the life of a believer. This volume, The Way of a Disciple, begins with a study of that essential relationship between you and God (Developing Intimacy with God). The next two parts examine the life of Jesus (Getting to Know Jesus and Following Jesus). The next volume, The Work of a Disciple, discusses your place in the gathering of believers known as the church (Life-Changing Community and Building Your Church). The study concludes by discussing ways you can make your mark for Gods kingdom (Making a Difference in Your World).

We do not intend to bury people in mountains of theological information. Our interest is in transforming hearts. We would readily recommend two years of a small-group experience that truly caused people to know God over twenty years of Christian education that rendered them all but dead to the real world and the God who is willing to walk with them in it. Group discussions alone wont produce that change. Thus, we have designed the weekly assignments as a systematic way of getting people to begin their own times alone with Goda practice we believe (and objective data shows) leads to deep and lasting transformation.

Here is probably the best way to measure success for all who use this series: How consistently do you walk with God after the study is over?

See Greg Hawkins and Cally Parkinson, Move: What 1,000 Churches REVEAL about Spiritual Growth (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011).

PERSONAL STUDY: John 13; 1 John 12

SCRIPTURE MEMORY: Revelation 3:20; 1 John 5:13

ON YOUR OWN: What Is God Like?

What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.

A. W. T OZER

What Is Your View of God?

Suppose you have to choose between two people who want to go to dinner with you. The first person is very warm and takes a genuine interest in others. He listens attentively and is fun to be with. Those who develop a friendship with him want it to last a lifetime.

In contrast, the second person is aloof and demanding. He keeps most of his friends (if you could call them that) at a distance. The only time he calls you is when he wants something from you. Hes pretty unpredictable emotionally, and you never quite know where you stand with him. He wields considerable influence, but if it werent for his power, he probably wouldnt have any friends at all.

Youd rather have dinner with the first person, right?

Now think about your image of God. Which is he more likethe first person or the second? Unfortunately, many people have a distorted view of Gods character. To them, hes a divine version of the second persondistant and uncaring. Although he is powerful, they cant count on him. The only real benefit in knowing him comes from occasional answers to prayer. No wonder people have a hard time relating to God! Who would want to cultivate a friendship like that?