Ebook
What exactly does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? What am I committing myself to if I say I want to follow him? What will be required of me if I identify myself with Jesus?
These are the questions at the heart of Essential Guide to Becoming a Disciple. Jesus didn’t start a movement that has reached nearly every corner of the globe over the last two thousand years without asking for the ultimate loyalty of his followers. But what does this loyalty to Jesus actually look like?
In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus has given us the way forward. After his resurrection, he gathered the disciples together on a mountain in Galilee and delivered what we have come to call the Great Commission.
Using this passage to explore what it means to make disciples as well as the core characteristics that identify us as Jesus’ followers, this guide lays the foundation for a life of discipleship to Christ.
This eight-session study features:
This study is designed to be an on-ramp to a journey of following Jesus Christ all of our days. Whether you are mentoring one-on-one or studying in a small group, this essential guide equips you with the tools to live out your faith. Are you ready to become a disciple?
A Word from the Author
Introduction: What Does Jesus Expect of His Followers?
1. Jesus: Who Does He Think He Is?
2. Become Disciples: What’s the Difference Between Disciples and Christians?
3. Go: Reach All People
4. Baptize: Enter the Circle Dance of Love
5. Teach: Fall in Line Behind Jesus
6. Make Disciples: Jesus’ Relational Way
7. Transformation: Get Real and Find Freedom
8. The Jesus Promise: I Am with You Always
Closing Challenge: Are You Ready to Be "All In"?
"Camarillo Community Church has used Greg Ogden’s Discipleship Essentials as our primary discipleship tool for the past six years. The methodology advocated and the breadth of the curriculum in that book have dramatically transformed this church. I am excited to incorporate Essential Guide to Becoming a Disciple into our discipleship process. Greg Ogden has faithfully gathered from Scripture and beautifully presented Jesus’ compelling call to be a disciple. He gives a deeply satisfying answer to the question, what does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? Both novice and veteran believers will be challenged and changed through this book for the advancement of the kingdom."
"In a day when the church is struggling to make authentic followers of Jesus, this study is a much-needed resource. Clarifying what it means to be a disciple and how to live as a disciple is crucial for those both in the church and those seeking Jesus. In a proven format, Greg Ogden has provided a disciple-making resource that has great potential to refresh the vitality of discipleship for the sake of the church."
Greg Ogden (DMin, Fuller Theological Seminary) lives out his passion of speaking, teaching, and writing about the disciple-making mission of the church after spending twenty-four years in pastoral ministry. Most recently Greg served as executive pastor of discipleship at Christ Church of Oak Brook in the Chicago western suburbs. From 1998-2002, Greg held the position of director of the Doctor of Ministry program at Fuller Theological Seminary and associate professor of lay equipping and discipleship. Greg is the author of several books such as Unfinished Business, Discipleship Essentials, Transforming Discipleship, Leadership Essentials(with coauthor Daniel Meyer), and The Essential Commandment. He is a partner in the Global Discipleship Initiative (GDI), which trains, coaches, and inspires pastors and Christian leaders to establish indigenous, multiplying, disciplemaking networks, both nationally and internationally. Greg and his wife, Lily, have been married more than forty-five years and have one adult daughter and two grandchildren.