Start the Process

I trust, and pray, that the Holy Spirit is stirring your heart to seek more from God, for yourself and those you love.

We exist to “proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness and into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). The Gospel, the Good News of a sinless Savior who died for us, compels us and empowers us to grow in His image, and to exhort others to grow also.

We simply cannot hire enough vocational Christians to complete the Great Commission – that was never God’s plan.  If Christ can disciple ordinary fishermen to carry His message forward, He can use you and me to do likewise.

Discipleship Pledge

This pledge agreement is serious and significant.  As such, it should only be entered into after prayer with your spouse (if you are married), her agreement, and with a whole heart.

  1. I agree to finish the course – to complete the commitment with 100% attendance unless serious health issues or God’s providence detours me.
  2. I agree to be honest and forthright with others – speaking the truth in love and being willing to receive feedback, even if it hurts. We can only help each other if we are willing to be transparent and vulnerable.  1 John 1:7
  3. I commit to completing assignments and coming prepared to engage fully. I commit to memorizing the verses that are assigned with each reading.
  4. I commit to daily prayer for myself and others, and to utilizing a prayer journal during this process, recording specific requests and any answers.
  5. I commit to the daily discipline of study and prayer.  While no specific amount of time is required, a good rule would be a minimum of 15 minutes of each per day.  Assigned reading does not count as a part of this daily commitment.
  6. I commit to praying for and seeking out at least one brother that I can be transparent and honest with – someone who can hold me accountable to battle sin in my life.
  7. Finally, I pledge to invest in the lives of men in the future – when God lets me know I am ready.

Monthly Curriculum

We invite you to spend the next 9 months reading these small, but highly impactful books, memorizing the Scriptures, seeking God’s help through prayer, study and accountability. Each month has a specific focus and purpose. Consider writing a one-page summary for each book reflecting on key truths to apply in your own life and to help further your understanding and growth.

Month 1

Knowledge of the Holy (Tozer) – 2 Samuel 22:31; Lamentations 3:22-3

Month 2

Calvary Road (Hession) – Psalms 51:17; Isaiah 66:2(b)

Month 3

A Praying Life (P Miller) – Matthew 11:28-30; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Month 4

Love that Lasts (Ricucci) – Ephesians 5:25

Month 5

Humility (Mahaney) – Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12-13

Month 6

Treasure Principle (Alcorn) – Colossians 3:1-3; Hebrews 13:5

Month 7

The Gospel (R. Ortlund) – 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24

Month 8

The Deliberate Church (Dever) – Matthew 28:18-20

Month 9

Resolving Everyday Conflict (Sande) – James 3:17-18

Other possibilities: Praying the Bible (Whitney); Shepherding Your Child’s Heart (T. Tripp); Dangerous Duty of Delight (Piper); How People Change (Tripp); Trellis and Vine (Marshall and Payne); Pursuit of Holiness (Bridges); Sit, Walk, Stand (Watchman Nee); Celebration of Discipline (R. Foster); The Shepherd Leader (Witmer); Trusting God – even when life hurts (J. Bridges); When People are Big and God is Small (Welch); Gospel Eldership (Thune); Master Plan of Evangelism (Coleman); This Momentary Marriage (Piper); Love and Respect (Eggerichs)

Note:  Scripture verses are “cumulative” – review all verses each meeting. Recommended books are NOT the Bible – read discerningly, prayerfully.

FAQ

Do I have to complete all nine before I take someone else through them?

Absolutely not, complete one book and if you have another brother ready to start, dive in.  Make sure to incorporate accountability questions in any type of discipleship effort.  Having a signed pledge is helpful to impress upon men the need to take this seriously.

Are the memory verses really necessary?

No and yes.  The books and their impact can stand on their own, but believing that “God’s Word does God’s work”, we are convinced that hiding God’s Word in our heart has temporary and eternal merit.  And, it prepares us to be of better service to others.

What if I prefer to take another person through a book of the Bible than go through these books in the pledge?

Wonderful idea – please do.  There are some excellent resources out there that help you guide others through Scripture – Matthias Media, Helm’s book “One to One Bible Reading.”

What are some resources to help me and others deal with purity issues?

There are a number – Faithful and True Ministries; Pure Desire among others.  Make sure you have some type of filter on your computers like Covenant Eyes.  Always ask men – “how are you doing at guarding your internet use”?

What about taking a non-believer through a study?

Amen to that.  You could use “Christianity Explained” or the little book “Done”.  You can check out resources at Matthias Media or Center for Church Based Training.

What if I want to be a full time discipler of men as a ministry?

We are prayerful that many, many laymen will become involved in growing and discipling, but on a lay basis.  There are a number of parachurch ministries that you could investigate such as Navigators, Campus Crusade and Man in the Mirror.  These ministries generally expect you to raise your own support.  We believe that many men have enough saved up that they can give themselves to their church as the volunteer men’s ministry leader.

What if I want to lead a group of men through a video series?

There are some excellent ones out there, such as Men’s Fraternity and Right Now Media.  Our strong opinion, however, is that time must be taken to have groups of 2, 3 or 4 that use accountability questions to insure that application follows information.

Where is the best place to get these books?

You could go to Christianbook distributors, Amazon, or Thriftbooks.