Grace - Dependent Discipleship

What is discipleship?

As worshipers, we are continually in the process of learning.  Learning what it means to follow Christ in our day to day, ordinary routines of life.   Grace-dependent discipleship says that in every decision, season and crossroads in our life, God is the initiator and we are the responders, never the other way around.

What does grace-dependent discipleship look like? 

• It is discipleship which assumes God is always the initiator of every aspect of a Christian’s faith

• It is discipleship in which we trust God’s sovereignty and providence in life and in death

• It is discipleship in which we are responders to the initiative of His Word, His Law and His Son by:

  • seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness, not our own

  • serving the LORD through sacrifice and suffering

  • serving and loving neighbor wherever God moves us

  • living a lifestyle of repentance as His Spirit prompts and reveals sin

  • listening and responding graciously to the needs of our neighbor

  • discipling the lost toward a saving faith in Jesus

  • evangelizing the Christian to relish Jesus above all else

• It is discipleship in which we view the ordinary moments of our lives as equally holy as the extraordinary moments because His Spirit dwells in us:

  • where we pray without ceasing

  • where we develop habits of grace in which our love for God is cultivated (i.e. corporate and private prayer and worship, reading and meditating on God’s Word, participating corporately in His sacraments)

  • where habits of grace are developed in primarily in community and also individually

  • where we view discipleship as a lifelong process and the glory of God as our end

  • where we recognize that conflict among people will exist and we approach conflict as an opportunity toward experiencing the Gospel in relationships

• It is discipleship in which we train up leaders to continue the Kingdom work beyond our lifespans and outside of our walls

• It is discipleship in which we measure success by faithfulness to the LORD and measure failure as an acknowledgment of the need for God’s grace