Many of us are afraid of becoming disciples or discipling others because we see these as intimidating and weighty tasks. This week, Rev. Genesis Tan invites us to faithfully follow in Jesus’ footsteps of making disciples, drawing strength from Him who uses ordinary people to do His extraordinary work.

Read Today’s Scripture Passage

Matthew 28:18-20 ｜ Revelation 7:9-12 ｜John 1:40-42

Life Group Discussion Guide

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1. Start with a prayer

2. Engage one another (15-30 mins)
• Share about the people who brought you to Jesus. What can you learn from them?

3. Engage the mind (15-20 mins)
• Reflect on your understanding of discipleship before and after hearing the message. Is your understanding aligned to what the Bible teaches? How has your perspective changed?
• Why is making disciples the main mission of the Church? Why did Jesus commission it for all believers?

4. Engage the heart (15-20 mins)
• Be honest: Have you been treating discipleship as a battleship or cruise ship? What do you think has influenced your disposition toward discipleship?
• Do you believe that God can use you for extraordinary work? What encourages and hinders you from taking that next step of obedience?

5. Engage the hands (15-20 mins)
• Reflect: Who are the people that you could bring to Jesus? This can be a family member, friend, classmate, co-worker, business partner, supplier, client, or someone you regularly interact with.
• Respond: Which of the four steps to bring people to Jesus is God asking you to take for these people? Create a personalized action plan outlining how you will implement each step in your discipleship efforts. Be sure to share this with your Life Group or someone who can keep you accountable to follow through.

6. Engage with God in prayer (20-30 mins)
• Thank God for the gift of discipleship and the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. Praise Him for His unfailing love, for the ways He has guided and sustained you on this journey of faith. Express your gratitude for having the privilege of being part of His Church, called to make disciples and spread the message of salvation.
• Ask for forgiveness for the times when you have neglected to prioritize following Jesus and making disciples. Repent for your apathy and complacency, and ask for His forgiveness for the times when you have shied away from the costly and messy aspects of discipleship. Ask God to help you turn away from your own desires and agendas, and to fully surrender to His will, that He may grant you the strength and courage to embrace the challenge of discipleship with sincerity and commitment.

Would you like to try joining a Life Group session? Fill out our Contact Form and our Life Group Officer will get in touch with you shortly.

Tithes & Offering

We praise the Lord that despite the Coronavirus pandemic, we can still worship online together. If CBCP is your home church and you are moved to give at this time, you may deposit your offerings via online fund transfer to our church bank accounts. Learn how to give.

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Marami sa atin ang takot na maging disipulo at magdisipulo ng iba dahil iniisip natin na napakabigat ng mga gawaing ito. Ngayong linggo, hinihikayat tayo ni Rev. Genesis Tan na sundan ang mga yapak ni Hesus sa pagdidisipulo. Siya ang nagbibigay ng lakas sa mga ordinaryong tao upang maisakatuparan ang Kanyang kamangha-manghang gawain.

Many of us are afraid of becoming disciples or discipling others because we see these as intimidating and weighty tasks. This week, Rev. Genesis Tan invites us to faithfully follow in Jesus’ footsteps of making disciples, drawing strength from Him who uses ordinary people to do His extraordinary work.

Basahin sa Bibliya

Matthew 28:18-20 ｜ Revelation 7:9-12 ｜John 1:40-42

Life Group Discussion Guide

Download PDF

1. Magdasal bilang panimula.

2. Engage with one another (15-30 mins)
• Magbahagi tungkol sa mga taong nagpakilala sayo kay Jesus. Ano ang natutunan mo mula sa kanila?

3. Engage the mind (15-20 mins)
• Pagnilayan ang iyong kaalaman tungkol sa pagdidisipulo bago at matapos mapakinggan ang mensahe. Naaayon ba ang iyong pag-unawa sa itinuturo ng Bible? Paano nagbago ang iyong pananaw?
• Bakit discipleship ang pangunahing misyon ng Church? Bakit ito inutos ni Jesus para sa lahat ng mananampalataya?

4. Engage the heart (15-20 mins)
• Maging tapat: Ihahalintulad mo ba ang discipleship bilang battleship o cruise ship? Sa palagay mo, ano ang nag-impluwensya sa iyong pananaw tungkol sa discipleship?
• Naniniwala ka ba na kayang gumawa ng hindi karaniwang gawain ang Diyos sa pamamagitan mo? Ano ang naghihikayat o humahadlang sayo sa pagkilos patungo sa pagsunod sa Kanyang utos tungkol sa pagdisciple?

5. Engage the hands (15-20 mins)
• Pagnilayan: Sinu-sino ang mga taong maaari mong dalhin o ipakilala si Jesus? Maaaring myembro ng iyong pamilya, kaibigan, kaklase, katrabaho, kasosyo, o taong madalas mong nakakasalamuha.
• Pagtugunan: Alin sa apat na hakbang para dalhin ang mga tao kay Jesus ang nais ng Diyos na gawin mo? Gumawa ng planong pagkilos kung paano mo ipapatupad ang bawat hakbang. Siguraduhing ibahagi ito sa iyong Life Group o sa iyong accountability partner.

6. Maglaan ng oras para sa pagdadasal (20-30 mins)
• Magpasalamat sa Diyos sa biyaya na pagdidisipulo at sa oportunidad na sumunod sa yapak ni Jesus. Purihin Siya sa Kanyang walanghumpay na pag-ibig, sa mga oras na ginagabayan at pinapalakas Nya ang ating pananampalataya. Magpasalamat sa pribilehyong maging parte na Kanyang Church, na tinawag upang magdisciple at ibahagi sa mga tao ang Magandang Balita.
• Ihingi ng tawad sa Diyos ang mga panahong nakaligtaan mong gawing prayoridad ang pagsunod kay Jesus at magdisipulo. Magsisi sa iyong kawalang-interes, at humingi ng kapatawaran sa Kanya sa mga panahong umiwas ka sa gulo at sakripisyong dulot ng pagiging disipulo. Hilingin sa Diyos na tulungan kang talikuran ang sarili mong mga hangarin at layunin, at lubusang sundin ang Kanyang kalooban, upang bigyan ka Niya ng lakas at katatagan ng loob sa pagtanggap ng mga challenge ng pagdidisciple ng buong puso.

Nais mo bang masubukan na sumali sa isang Life Group session? Sagutin ang online form na ito upang makapagsimula.

Tithes at Offering

Kami po ay nagpapasalamat sa Diyos sapagkat nabigyan tayo ng online na pamamaraan upang makapagsamba sa kabila ng nagaganap na pandemya dulot ng Coronavirus. Kung ikaw ay miyembro ng CBCP at nais mong magbigay pabalik sa Panginoon, maaring magdeposito sa mga bank account ng simbahan gamit ang online fund transfer. Alamin kung paano.

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Ephesians 6:4 “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”

Discipleship begins at home. How? simply stated, we do discipleship at home by employing the “do not… instead” principle — “do not exasperate your children,” this is the negative approach; “instead bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” is the positive approach.

1. Do not exasperate your children

What does it mean to “exasperate your children”? It means we must not use inappropriate words or actions to provoke your children towards anger, so that lasting resentment is generated their hearts.

There are 7 possibilities: we exasperate our children when we

a. are easily angered
b. speak carelessly
c. are unreasonable
d. are unwilling to listen
e. fail to keep our word
f. say one thing and do another
g. play favorites

2. Raise Them Up

According to the truth in God’s word, we raise our children up through a positive relationship.

a. Connect your child to the Lord by being an authentic role model

b. Teach your child to read God’s Word do they know the will of God

c. Create a positive relationship with your child. The stronger your relationship, the more you can exert a positive influence on them.

– Communicate. Speak less, Listen more.

– Invest time. The more time you spend together, the more you can influence them

As Fathers, we must connect to God and be a true disciple. Only then can our children learn from our example and we can be a strong and positive influence in our children’s lives.

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Discipleship is spiritual parents influencing spiritual children, as the saying goes, like father, like son. Modeling is the most important principle of discipleship.

Today we elect our deacons. We must elect those who have life in them, those whose lives are good examples. From Paul’s exhortation to the elders in the church in Ephesus, we see that a good minister possesses right qualities:

1. Serve the Lord with humility

2. Serve the Lord with tears

3. Serve the Lord with trials

4. Serve the Lord with boldness

5. Serve the Lord with faithfulness

6. Serve the Lord with caution

7. Serve the Lord with a clear conscience

8. Serve the Lord with sacrifice

Scripture passage:

17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18 When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews. 20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.

25 “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

32 “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

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After Andrew recognized Jesus to be the Messiah, the first thing he did was find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah (Christ).”

When Simon was brought to Jesus, Jesus looked at him. This was not an ordinary look; Jesus looked with great attention, and then the Lord said, “You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas, meaning Peter.”

“You are… You will be,” this is life transformation.  Simon means listen, Peter means rock. Jesus sought to transform Pete into a rock.

Galatians 2:9 “James, Cephas, and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me.  They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised.”

James, Cephas, and John were known as pillars of the Church.  Peter really became a rock. There was a twenty-year time gap from John chapter one to Galatians chapter two.  Twenty years earlier, the Lord called Simon “Peter”; twenty years later, Peter had become a pillar of the church in Jerusalem. What happened to Peter in those 20 years? The answer is Discipleship.

We have a lot of misconceptions about Discipleship.  Let us examine the five misconceptions of the church regarding Discipleship.

1. Discipleship happens automatically

2. Discipleship happens when we attend church services

3. Discipleship is for new believers

4. Discipleship is for the spiritually mature

5. Discipleship is a curriculum, a kind of meeting

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The main verb in the Great Commission is: make disciples of all nations. However, the blind cannot lead the blind. We must first be disciples of the Lord before we can lead others to become the Lord’s disciples.

From the Bible, we can see the first three marks of the Lord’s disciples:

1. Let the Lord be Lord
2. Obey the Word of God
3. Love one another

Today, we will discuss the fourth mark of a disciple, that is, fruit-bearing.

John 15:8 says “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” Fruit bearing is the fourth mark. Jesus said that if you bear much fruit, you show yourselves to be His disciples.

The fruits we bear are marks of discipleship. What kind of fruits are we to produce?

1. Fruit of repentance (Matt 3:8)

2. Fruit of the Gospel (Matt 4:19)

3. Fruit of Lips (Heb 13:15)

4. Fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22-23)

This week we will explore the first three fruits. Next week, we shall cover the Fruit of the Holy Spirit

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