Discipleship Essentials*
Thursday, October 21, 2004
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, Thank You for making me a unique part of the body of Your Son, Jesus Christ! I thank You that You formed me in my mother’s womb and that You made me special in Your own sight. I pray that I may live this day as the unique part of Jesus’ body that You made me. I also pray that I will take my orders for every moment from my “Head,” Jesus. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I may live in the joy of Your salvation, and that I may serve in the fullness of that joy. Glorify Yourself in me today and always. This I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
God’s Word Today
Luke 6:12-16; 9:1-6, 10
12One day soon afterward Jesus went to a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. 13At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. Here are their names:
14Simon (he also called him Peter), Andrew (Peter’s brother), James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (the Zealot), 16Judas (son of James), Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).
1One day Jesus called together his twelve apostles and gave them power and authority to cast out demons and to heal all diseases. 2Then he sent them out to tell everyone about the coming of the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3“Don’t even take along a walking stick,” he instructed them, “nor a traveler’s bag, nor food, nor money. Not even an extra coat. 4When you enter each village, be a guest in only one home. 5If the people of the village won’t receive your message when you enter it, shake off its dust from your feet as you leave. It is a sign that you have abandoned that village to its fate.” 6So they began their circuit of the villages, preaching the Good News and healing the sick….10When the apostles returned, they told Jesus everything they had done. Then he slipped quietly away with them toward the town of Bethsaida
Background on the Text – Who Wrote It? Why Was It Written? Who Was the Audience?
As you read and re-read the account of Jesus calling the original twelve apostles, consider that Luke records for us something that he knew about because he had interviewed some of them! Imagine being a “reporter” for God, someone who got to talk with the men and women who followed Jesus while He walked on the earth—who had seen His miracles, had watched as He was crucified for the sins of the world and theirs. Who had experienced the reality of Jesus’ resurrection. What must it have been like for Luke to be in such a position? One thing we know for sure, Luke was convinced that everyone needed to know the truth about Jesus. That’s why He wrote, and it’s we have the blessing of reading His Gospel and learning what it means to make disciples, who make disciples, who….
Observation – What Does the Text Say?
Interpretation – What Does the Text Mean?
Application – How Can I Respond to the Text’s Insights and Teachings?
Each Week’s Check List.
After reading and studying this text, reflect on the following discipleship growth points:
Growth Point |
How |
Encouraged and strengthened me by |
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Fallen short areas |
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What will I do with these insights? |
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What did God say to me today? |
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Share insights and growth points |
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Changed/transformed how? |
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Thoughts...Preaching and Healing!
In our day, especially here in America, it seems that most of the presentation of the Good News of Jesus has more to do with words than actions. Jesus sent the disciples out to preach for sure, but He also sent them out to cast out demons and heal the sick. The ministry of making disciples requires both words and actions. In fact, without actions the words ring hollow, while without the words actions become nothing more than good deeds. Sometimes it’s hard to bring Jesus up when we do something for others in their times of need, but the reality is Jesus never called us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, or visit the sick and imprisoned just to make the world a better place. He called us to do it in His name. When it comes to prayer for healing and to cast out evil, we may be even more reticent. We’re afraid that God won’t respond to our prayers, or that it may not be His will for someone to get better. The reality is when the disciples were sent out by Jesus they were to pray for all those who needed to be healed or rid of demons in their lives, so we can’t stop short of offering the whole ministry of preaching and healing to those around us—at least we can’t if we want to have the Kingdom of God continue to grow! As we go about this day, let’s keep our conversation with God going, always asking for His Spirit to empower us to speak and act as Jesus would in our situation, and being confident that He IS working in us!