Called to Be a Disciple

The title speaks for itself. We’re all living for something. Whether living for today and seeking your own pleasures or living with eternity in mind and methodically making preparation for tomorrow—we must all answer the question, What am I living for? In this course, we’ll delve into discovering what should be your motivation for life. You’ll be guided through some helpful steps to establish a fruitful, worthwhile life in living for Jesus.

The command of discipleship requires a relationship different from anything on earth. It comes with high costs but boasts of impact and rewards that far exceed imagination. In this course, we’ll discover the real meaning of what it means to be a disciple of Christ—to accept Jesus as Savior, yield to Him as Lord, and to reproduce His life in the life of someone else. It’s a mandatory calling upon every believer to be salt of the earth and light of the world—change agents for the Kingdom.

The disciple of Christ demands a devotion whereby we are willing to follow and obey Him—no matter what. In this course, we’ll discover how discipleship is a race where each participant must be a committed runner willing to run the race, brave the obstacles, carry the good news of the Gospel, and be faithful to finish well.

The “badge” or identifying mark of a true disciple of Christ is made evident by the quality of love he has for his fellow man. It’s no ordinary love. It’s not even a “Golden Rule” type of love. It’s the kind of love that Jesus demonstrated and He calls us to do the same. In this course we’ll discover that the disciple’s love is of higher standard whereby you love your brother with the same love that Christ loves you— selflessly, sacrificially, understandingly, and forgivingly.

The one who desires to follow Christ must settle the issue of where their allegiance lies. There must be no indecisiveness. While this world presents many promises for pleasure, ease, and comfort, the disciple of Christ must be willing to separate themselves from anything that hinders their whole-hearted devotion and walk with God. In this course, we’ll explore passages from Luke chapter 9 that detail the full cost of what it means to follow Christ as Lord.

Being a follower of Jesus will come with certain expectations. Living in this fallen world, life for the disciple of Christ will be inevitably met with conflict. So much so that the world will hate you. Like Jesus, our words and our actions will set us at odds with the world’s culture. But despite this hatred, following Christ requires we stay on mission. In this course, we’ll discover our source of comfort even in the midst of conflict. Be encouraged! You are not alone.

God has placed everything we need for an abundant life in His Word. And the disciple of Christ should love His Word—meditating on it day and night. In this course, you’ll be stirred to maintain a behavior to study, be sustained by, submit to, and share God’s living Word with others.

Simply defined, prayer is communicating with God. It isn’t a burdensome responsibility, but a vitally important opportunity of privilege to be able to commune with our Heavenly Father. Many from of old participated in it and many powerful and miraculous things happened. That same opportunity exists for us today. In this course, we’ll review the model for how Jesus taught us to pray and how our ultimate goal should be for His will to be done. That’s what Called to Be a Disciple is all about. Utilizing Dr. Stanley’s timeless messages, Charles Stanley Institute team breaks down what it means to be a disciple and helps you take hold of the extraordinary life God created you to live. 

“Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a little while.” In these words to His disciples, Jesus instructs them to intentionally take time away from the labor of their work. And in our demanding world where there seems to be a never-ending work to be done, Jesus calls us all to participate in a time of refreshment. In this course, we’ll look to the life of Jesus and understand His call for rest. You’ll see rest differently and amid the busyness—even in our spiritual work—be challenged to incorporate healthy spiritual rhythms of rest into your life.

We’ve all taken on a particular job or career to sustain us in our earthly matters. But no matter the particular secular vocation the disciple of Christ takes on, his prevailing service should encompass a personal ministry of discipleship. In this course, we’ll revisit the three aspects of a Disciple and take a close look into the personal ministry of Paul as it relates to His relationship with his protégé Timothy.

We were created for fellowship with our Lord. In this fellowship we learn of God’s heart for us and find nourishment for our weary souls. And for the disciple of Christ, the precursor to service for God is spending time with Him. In fact, your effectiveness in the Kingdom of God is directly tied to your fellowship with Him. In this course, we’ll discuss this necessary element for effective preparation for ministry and the wonderful effects that come as a result of being “with Him.”

Like the Apostle Paul, will you be able to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”? To begin to be able to answer this question in the affirmative, the disciple of Christ must first learn what it means to truly be a devoted disciple, evaluate what he is living for, and then move to detach himself from the world and proudly wear the badge of love. He’ll next need to engulf himself in God’s Word—communing with his Lord always, and walk in true fellowship as God intended. Therein lies a well-run race. And for the faithful, obedient disciple of Jesus, he can fully expect to be rewarded here on earth and in the life to come.