Introduction
Before you start
These studies have three parts to each one: Looking back / Looking up / Looking forward.
We are anticipating that these studies could be used either by community groups or by those in a smaller discipleship group, which we sometimes refer to as ‘3s’.
If you are doing this as a three just work through it together.
If you are doing it as a community, try and get into 3’s (or 2’s and 4’s) for the looking back and looking forward parts and come together as community for looking up bit. If possible try and keep 3’s as consistent as you can. You’ll get more openness and consistency that way.
Introductory Study
Looking back
Discuss - What are you thankful for? What is a challenge for you right now?
As you look back over your life, what are some of the characteristics that you see in others which most make you think, that they are a disciple (or follower of Jesus)?
What, if anything, have you found to be some of the most helpful things for you in growing in your understanding of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus?
Looking up
Read - Mark 1:16-20
Discuss - In v.17 Jesus says, “Come follow me”. Why would someone want to follow Jesus? If you would call yourself a follower of Jesus, why do you follow him?
There are three aspects to the life of the disciple that are visible in this passage - The first and primary one is their relationship with Jesus. What do you think are some of the key things involved in following someone?
Look again at the whole passage, v.16-20, how many people does Jesus call to follow him just in these five verses? Why do you think Jesus calls multiple people rather than just one at a time? (This is the second aspect of the life of the disciple - ‘life with others’ particularly other followers of Jesus.) Why might it be helpful doing this study with others rather than just on your own?
The last aspect of the life of the disciple is captured in the second part of v.17. How is this part different from the other two aspects and how is it connected? Here we see something of the purpose of the disciple, joining with Jesus in his purpose (see Luke 19:10). Can you think of other times when God calls people in the bible not just for their sake but for the sake of others, or do you have a story of that in your own life or someone you know?
Through this series we will be thinking about how to grow in these three aspects - first our life with God, second our life with others and third our life with purpose. Of course all of these are connected. Sometimes a simple tool can help us remember these three aspects. A triangle has three points - If you labelled the three points UP /IN /OUT - how might that help you remember the three aspects of discipleship?
Looking forward
Discuss - Of the three aspects of discipleship, which are you particularly aware at the moment you might need to grow in most? The next study is on the first aspect of ‘Our life with God’ - How might growing in that help us in all the other aspects?
Share - Is there anyone else you know, who has not got someone to do this bible study with, who you could invite to join your group?
Pray - Pray for each other that these months ahead would be a time of growing as a disciple of Jesus Christ in all these aspects.