His Life Small Group FLOW

WELCOME
Begin your small group meeting with the “WELCOME” time. This could be
an icebreaker question that may or may not be related to the lesson, a
brief game that everyone can play depending on your setting and venue,
or fellowship time over food. The purpose of this portion is to make
everybody feel comfortable and help connect them to each other. This
should not take long. Suggested time is 10+15 minutes.

WORSHIP
After connecting with each other, the small group’s focus is directed towards God through a
time of prayer. As the situation allows, the group can even have a song as part of the
worship segment. Suggested time is 5+10 minutes.

WORD
Now the small group is ready to be edified with the teaching of the lesson by the leader. In
this particular material, there are home study guide questions that are designed to be
answered from the Scriptures. It is highly encouraged that the questions are answered
before coming to the meeting. The leader uses these questions as part of the lesson while the
group opens their Bibles to the Scripture references. Suggested time is 15+20 minutes.
Part of the “WORD” portion is the sharing time, the purpose of which is for personal
application of the lesson. The leader asks 1 or 2 application questions which everyone is
encouraged to answer as their response to the Bible truth learned.
Suggested time is 15+20 minutes.

WORKS
During this segment, important announcements or reminders are made by the leader such as
the Sunday Worship Celebration and any upcoming His Life event, training, course or
seminar. Other reminders include ministry assignments, invitation of new people, or other
concerns the leaders may have for the group. “WORKS” also includes closing the small
group meeting by praying for one another.

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Prepared and Compiled by Trixie Ramos for His Life Ministries and Friends.
Borrowed from 1st Things 1st Booklet of LLI and other sources.
 What is a Disciple? Lesson 1

The word “disciple” has a very rich background. It was used by ancient Greeks
to describe a person who bound himself to another in order to acquire that person’s
practical and theoretical knowledge. In Rabbinical Judaism, the term described a
student who acquired an understanding of the Old Testament as well as the Jewish
oral traditions through the instruction of a Rabbi (teacher) to whom the student
attached himself almost like a servant.

Christ has called you to leave everything and follow Him (Matthew 4:18-22; 9:9). This is the call
issued to everyone who accepts the message of the Gospel. A disciple is one who has counted the cost and
has decided to obey the call of Christ to discipleship.

Tragically, there are many in the church who have accepted the invitation of salvation but have not
heeded the call to discipleship. They have been saved by God’s grace but they have not understood the
costly implications of their decision to follow Christ.

The apostle Paul illustrates what it means to be a disciple in the third chapter of Philippians. He
recalls the importance he once placed upon his own heritage. Then he says, “But whatever was to my
profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ” (v. 7). Earthly goals no longer held top priority in his life. In
verse 10, he states the all-consuming passion of his life: “I want to know Christ and the power of His
resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings.” Paul wanted to know Christ, to identify with
Him as fully as possible even to the point of suffering for His name.

A disciple is one who has accepted the call to follow Christ binding Himself to follow Him in order to
learn all that he can from the Master so that he can put it into practice. In short, a disciple is a l
eaner-follower of Jesus Christ.

HOME STUDY GUIDE

It has been suggested that 3 types of people followed Jesus during His ministry: the Curious, the
Convinced, and the Committed. Study the passages given below and list the details they give for each
group, e.g., who they were, why they followed Jesus, and why they stopped following Him.

The CURIOUS—John 6:1-2, 26

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The CONVINCED - John 6:53-60,66, 7:31,37-41, 8:31-48, 11:43-45

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The COMMITTED – Mt. 19:24-27, Luke 9:18-26, 23:27, John 6:66-69

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In which category do we find the true disciples or learner-followers of Jesus Christ?

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What characteristics of a disciple can be seen in Matthew 4: 18-22?

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 What is a Disciple Called to Do?
Lesson 2
Jesus said that when a disciple has been thoroughly trained He will
become like his master (Luke 6:40). Jesus wants you to become like Him
(Romans 8:29). Here are some of the implications of becoming like Christ:

The disciple is called to a life of faith. You are asked to place full and
unconditional trust for your entire existence (physical, mental, social, and
spiritual) in the person and atoning work of Jesus Christ (John 6:29, Galatians 2:20)

The disciple is called to a life of daily fellowship and communion with the Lord. You must study
the word of God and accept the truth as it is made clear to you by the Holy Spirit. (John 16:13-15,
1Corinthians 1:9)

The disciple is called to a life of absolute obedience to Jesus Christ. You must acknowledge the
supreme Lordship of Christ over your life and pledge to Him your full and unreserved allegiance.
(Luke 6:46-49; John 14:15)

The disciple is called to bear witness of Christ to all men so that they too can become disciples.
You must be willing to share your faith with others. ( Matthew 10:32-33, 28:19-21)

The disciple is called to a life of loving service to all men. You are to provide a continuation of
the compassionate ministry Jesus Christ began when He was on earth. (Luke 10:25-37)

The disciple is called to share in the sufferings of Jesus Christ. If you have truly identified
yourself with the One whom this world rejected and nailed to a cross, you too will experience that
rejection and persecution because you belong to Christ. (Matthew 5:11-12, John 15:18-20)

HOME STUDY GUIDE

Study the following passages and describe the characteristics which should be present in
Christ disciples that you discover.
Matthew 8:23-27
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Matthew 10: 24-25

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Matthew 12:46-50
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Luke 14:25-33
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John 8:31
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John 13:3-17
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John 13:34-35
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John 15:5-8
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 What is the First Goal of a Disciple?
Lesson 3

The first goal you must establish is to make Jesus Christ Lord of every
aspect of your life. As Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must
deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). The
disciple must take up his cross. The Romans who occupied Palestine in the
time of Jesus used crucifixion as a method of execution for those convicted of
capital crimes. The cross, therefore, is a symbol of death. When Christ calls you to take up your
cross, He is calling you to die to yourself, your ambitions, and plans in life and to devote yourself
fully to following Him.

Jesus also says in the next verse, “Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever
loses his life for me will find it. “ (Mt. 16:25). If you try to control your life and fulfill your own
ambitions, you will find only emptiness and death. If you lose your life to Christ, by fully committing
yourself to His will, you will experience real life both now and in eternity.

Love is the key. It took greater love than you as a human being could ever comprehend for
Jesus to die on the cross for your sin. The example of His costly sacrifice should motivate you to
take up your cross, surrender your life to Him and say to God as He once did, “I want your will, not
mine” ( Mt:26:39, TLB). You must decide whether you are willing to die completely to yourself and
acknowledge Christ alone as your Lord.

There is no other way to enter into the life of discipleship. Either Jesus becomes
unconditionally the Lord of your life or you cannot be one of His disciples.

HOME STUDY GUIDE

Discuss the implication of the following:

Christ’s Lordship over your spiritual life. Ephesians 5:15-20.

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Christ’s Lordship in your relationships. Romans 12:14-21

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Christ’s Lordship in your in your home. Ephesians 5:22, 6:4

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Christ’s Lordship on the job. Ephesians 6:5-9

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Christ’s Lordship over your possessions. 2 Corinthians 9 :6-15

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 What is the 2nd Goal of a Disciple?
Lesson 4
Discipleship involves not only devotion, but also service. Jesus said that
the second greatest commandment is to “love your neighbor as yourself”.
Lordship involves your relationship to God. Service involves your relationship to
others around you. A disciple must be a people person, one who is constantly
involved in ministering God’s grace to others (1 Peter 4:10).
No illustration in the Scripture depicts more graphically the more importance God places
upon ministry to the needs of people than the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). The essence of
our love to God, Jesus said, is our willingness to respond to any need that we encounter. The priest
was a religious man, but he did not know the love of God. The scribe was also a religious man, but
he was too involved with his own schedule to stop and give a helping hand. It was only the Good
Samaritan who became the living extension of the compassion of Jesus Christ to the dying man.
Ephesians 4:12 indicates that it is God’s desire to equip every believer for the work of
ministry. Submission to Christ’s Lordship means submission to this equipping process which
prepares the disciple for service. The second goal of the disciple follows naturally from the first. As
you seek to make Christ Lord of your life, He molds you and equips you to serve others in His
name.
Romans 12:3-8 says that God has given you a measure of faith to function in a certain area
of ministry. The fulfillment of your second goal as a disciple entails discovering, developing, and
deploying your spiritual gift or gifts in the service of others for the glory of God. The gift of each
member of Christ’s body is essential to it’s over all health and effectiveness. Only when each
member is functioning properly can the ministry of Christ on earth be fully accomplished.
(Ephesians 4:4)

HOME STUDY GUIDE

Do you think every believer has a specific ministry or service to perform in the body of Christ?
Explain your answer. Romans 12:3-8, 1 Corinthians 12:4-27.
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Study the following passages and record what they say about the attitude with which every
Christian should approach his God-given ministry.

Luke 17:7-10
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1 Corinthians 13:1-7
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2 Corinthians 3:4-6
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2 Corinthians 4:5
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What do the following Scriptures indicate concerning the responsibilities of the believer with
regards to the world’s immense problems of justice, oppression, war, famine and disease?
Luke 4:18-19, James 2:14-26, 1 John 3:16-18
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 What is the 2nd Goal of a Disciple?
Lesson 4
Discipleship involves not only devotion, but also service. Jesus said that
the second greatest commandment is to “love your neighbor as yourself”.
Lordship involves your relationship to God. Service involves your relationship to
others around you. A disciple must be a people person, one who is constantly
involved in ministering God’s grace to others (1 Peter 4:10).
No illustration in the Scripture depicts more graphically the more importance God places
upon ministry to the needs of people than the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). The essence of
our love to God, Jesus said, is our willingness to respond to any need that we encounter. The priest
was a religious man, but he did not know the love of God. The scribe was also a religious man, but
he was too involved with his own schedule to stop and give a helping hand. It was only the Good
Samaritan who became the living extension of the compassion of Jesus Christ to the dying man.
Ephesians 4:12 indicates that it is God’s desire to equip every believer for the work of
ministry. Submission to Christ’s Lordship means submission to this equipping process which
prepares the disciple for service. The second goal of the disciple follows naturally from the first. As
you seek to make Christ Lord of your life, He molds you and equips you to serve others in His
name.
Romans 12:3-8 says that God has given you a measure of faith to function in a certain area
of ministry. The fulfillment of your second goal as a disciple entails discovering, developing, and
deploying your spiritual gift or gifts in the service of others for the glory of God. The gift of each
member of Christ’s body is essential to it’s over all health and effectiveness. Only when each
member is functioning properly can the ministry of Christ on earth be fully accomplished.
(Ephesians 4:4)

HOME STUDY GUIDE

Do you think every believer has a specific ministry or service to perform in the body of Christ?
Explain your answer. Romans 12:3-8, 1 Corinthians 12:4-27.
________________________________________________________________________________

Study the following passages and record what they say about the attitude with which every
Christian should approach his God-given ministry.

Luke 17:7-10
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1 Corinthians 13:1-7
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2 Corinthians 3:4-6
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2 Corinthians 4:5
________________________________________________________________________________

What do the following Scriptures indicate concerning the responsibilities of the believer with
regards to the world’s immense problems of justice, oppression, war, famine and disease?
Luke 4:18-19, James 2:14-26, 1 John 3:16-18
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