ADULT DISCIPLESHIP

What is discipleship? First of all, a disciple is someone who follows someone else; namely, in Christianity, a disciple is one who follows Jesus.  What does that look like?  Well, it's not literal, as Jesus doesn't physically walk on the earth anymore.  On social media, one "follows" certain people, celebrities, teachers, groups, etc.  Why?  People follow their interests, their curiosities, their loves.  There's a seemingly never-ending scroll of information about most any topic, what about "following" Jesus?  Following Jesus is much more than scrolling through a newsfeed, though one does choose to follow Jesus because of the same reasons-- because of interest, curiosity, and love (among others).  More importantly and specifically, a disciple models his or her life after the one whom they're "following."  What Jesus taught, a disciple wants to learn.  What Jesus did, a disciple also wants to do.  Discipleship is the process of becoming a disciple-- a process that begins the moment one first believes and lasts forever.

"The pursuit of God is not a part-time, weekend exercise. If it is, chances are you will experience a part-time, weekend freedom. Abiding requires a kind of staying power. The pursuit is relentless. It hungers and thirsts. It pants as the deer after the mountain brook. It takes the kingdom by storm...The pursuit of God is a pursuit of passion. Indifference will not do. To abide in the Word is to hang on tenaciously. A weak grip will soon slip away. Discipleship requires staying power. We sign up for duration. We do not graduate until heaven."  ~R.C. Sproul

Jesus once said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples" (John 8:31).  Holding to His teaching means listening to it, studying it, and acting on it through faith and obedience.  The more we study the words and works our Master, the more we'll be like Him, fulfilling our ultimate purposes in life to know Him and make Him known.  Doing this on our own is a part of the relationship we have with our Lord.  Doing this among others, as the Body of Christ in the church, is a way to grow not only with our Lord, but with His people.  Inevitably, just as Proverbs 27:17 teaches us, iron will sharpen iron as one friend sharpens another.  As Max Lucado once wrote, "In our faith we follow in someone's steps. In our faith we leave footprints to guide others. It's the principle of discipleship."

At First Baptist, we are thrilled to have the privilege of being part of the faith journeys of our congregation and community. We believe it's important to provide resources and opportunities for personal, group, and corporate study and growth. As you browse our discipleship pages, you'll find opportunities to connect with God and with others in learning and growing in faith. Whether this happens in-person at our building, virtually, or through some other means, we encourage you to find ways to plug in. There are different opportunities peppered in throughout the week. The expectation is not that someone must "do it all" in order to be a disciple. There is a breadth of opportunities to fit most any schedule. We hope among the choices, at least one will be a meaningful addition to your at-home discipleship strategy. If you have a desire to learn about something we aren't offering yet, let us know. If you have a desire to teach a group course or lead a discipleship group, let us know. We're all in this together.