It is common to refer to the process of maturing as a disciple as spiritual formation. Here, based upon work by Greg Ogden, I give a four stage process for growing into maturity, and fruitfulness, as a follower of King Jesus.

1. Growing as a Disciple
Spiritual formation and
parenting

2. Growing as a Disciple
Spiritual formation and
parenting

4. Lucy meets Aslan the lion again:
“Aslan, Aslan. Dear Aslan,” sobbed
Lucy. “At last.”
The great beast rolled over on his side so
that Lucy fell…between his front paws.
He bent forward and just touched her
nose with his tongue. His warm breath
came all round her. She gazed up into the
large wise face.

5. “Welcome, child,” he said.
“Aslan,” said Lucy, “you’re bigger.
“That is because you are older,
little one,” answered he.
“Not because you are?”
“I am not. But every year you
grow, you will find me bigger.”

6. Is King Jesus bigger in your
heart, mind and life, now
compared to one year ago?

7. He must become greater
and greater, and I must
become less and less.
John 3:30

8. The gospels
talk a lot about
disciples—
268X (ESV)

9. A DISCIPLE is
someone who is following
Jesus, is being changed by
Jesus and is committed to
the mission of Jesus

10. How many times
does the rest of
the NT use the
word disciple?

11. 1X

12. Paul changes the words
from discipleship to
spiritual formation

13. Discipleship is about
following Jesus.

14. Spiritual formation is
about the life of Jesus
emerging from the inside
out.

15. Paul explains discipleship:
Christ is in you,
You are in Christ

16. So you are
being formed
into the image of
Christ

17. Paul still expects followers of
King Jesus to be disciple
makers.

18. Disciple-making is a deliberate
relationship in which we walk
alongside other disciples, to
encourage, equip and challenge
one another in love to grow
toward maturity in Christ.

19. Paul’s main idea (not exclusive) for the process of
disciple making is parenting…
spiritual formation—spiritual fatherhood
and motherhood.

20. Paul wanted to give all disciples the power to
become mature in Christ—this is his mission
statement, Col 1:28-29,

21. So we tell others about Christ, warning
everyone and teaching everyone with
all the wisdom God has given us.We
want to present them to God, perfect in
their relationship to Christ.

22. That’s why I work and struggle so
hard, depending on Christ’s mighty
power that works within me.

23. That’s why I work and struggle so hard,
depending on Christ’s mighty
power that works within me.

24. Depending=striving,
agonising—being in
“con
fl
ict, in the agony of a
contest.”
Also used of Jesus in
Gethsemane (Lk 22:44).

26. What is your mission?
What gives you energy,
what drives and
motivates you?

27. Spiritual Formation
(discipleship)
= Change
= Transformation

28. 1. Infancy
2. Childhood
3. Adolescence
4. Adulthood

29. 1. Infancy
A time to imitate / copy

30. 1. Infancy
A time to imitate / copy

31. For I became your father in
Christ Jesus when I preached
the Good News to you. So I
urge you to imitate me.
1 Cor 4:15-16

33. Paul takes this further;
And you should imitate me,
just as I imitate Christ.
1 Cor 11:1

34. Paul tells us to be incarnational.
• God embodied his presence fully in Jesus.
• Jesus placed his life in his followers.
• They became re
fl
ections of him.
• God continues to work in this way.

35. Paul was not being
arrogant—he didn’t want
everyone to be the same
as him—he wanted them
to express Christ within
their own personality.

36. “Just as I am willing to die to myself so Christ
might fully shine through me, do so
yourselves. I am ful
fi
lling the assignment
Christ has given me; you do so as well. Be all
that you are to be in Christ.”
Paraphrase of Acts 20:28ff

37. “The more we get what we now call
“ourselves” out of the way and let Him
take us over, the more truly ourselves
we become.There is so much of Him
that millions and millions of “little
Christs,” all different, will still be too
few to express Him fully…

38. …our real selves are all waiting for us
in Him. It is no good trying to “be
myself” without Him.The more I resist
Him and try to live on my own, the
more I become dominated by my own
heredity and upbringing and
surroundings and natural desires. . .

39. …It is when I turn to Christ, when I
give myself up to His Personality, that I
fi
rst begin to have a real personality of
my own.”

40. Could you tell
someone to copy
your example of
being a disciple?

41. 2. Childhood
Identi
fi
cation

42. Imitation motivates us through
identi
fi
cation.

43. Imitation motivates us through
identi
fi
cation.

44. Paul entered fully into the lives of those
people he wanted to follow his example.
Gal 4:19 is powerful, deep and
emotional…

45. Oh, my dear children! I feel
as if I’m going through labor
pains for you again, and
they will continue until
Christ is fully developed in
your lives.

46. 1 Thess. 2:7-8, MSG
We were never patronizing, never
condescending, but we cared for you the way a
mother cares for her children.We loved you
dearly. Not content to just pass on the
Message, we wanted to give you our hearts.
And we did.

47. Paul was not a visiting speaker for
the Thessalonian church—his life was
shared intimately with them…
Paul gave himself, not just a
message.

48. He treated each disciple as
an individual, not as part of
a programme!
God has a process that is
individual for each follower
of Christ.

49. 1 Thess. 2:11-12, MSG
You experienced it all
fi
rsthand.With each of
you we were like a father with his child,
holding your hand, whispering
encouragement, showing you step-by-step
how to live well before God, who called us into
his own kingdom, into this delightful life.

50. When did you last…
challenge a person
to radical
discipleship /
disciple-making?

51. When did you help
someone to…
“get out of their
comfort zone”?

52. This could bring disappointment.
It involves being vulnerable…requires
identi
fi
cation with others, not self-protection.
Can your disciples see that they are your
deepest concern?

53. 3. Exhorting
Adolescence

57. Build con
fi
dence so that
they can grow and
become their own
person…offer support
and comfort.

58. Rescuing takes place
on a case by case basis.
Adolescents learn their
actions have
consequences!

61. Shown by Paul and Timothy:
• Acts 16—Join together
• 1 Tim 1: 2…Timothy, my true son.
• 2 Tim 1: 2…Timothy, my dear son.
• 1 Cor 417…my beloved and faithful
child in the Lord.

62. Paul challenges Timothy using himself as an
example, 2 Tim 4:6-7:
my life has already been poured out as an
offering to God.The time of my death is near. I
have fought the good
fi
ght, I have
fi
nished the
race, and I have remained faithful.

63. Paul says to
Timothy…
“I have motivated
you. You go and do
the same”

64. Do you value the wrong things?
• Avoiding pain
• Living in peace
• No sense of urgency
• Lukewarm commitment to King Jesus

65. Are you the person
God designed you
to be?
Are you living the
life he intended?

68. 4. Participating
Adulthood

69. “God’s ideal is that children
mature to the point where they
and their parents empower
each other…both give and
receive”

70. The goal of discipleship is maturity—
mutuality and accountability.

71. Rom 1:11-12,
For I long to visit you so I can bring you some
spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in
the Lord. 12 When we get together, I want to
encourage you in your faith, but I also want to
be encouraged by yours.

72. Paul was an apostle, yet he had many co-
workers in the gospel.
He didn’t use his authority to over power
them, but to work together in love.

73. 2 Cor 8:23,
If anyone asks about Titus, say that he is my
partner who works with me to help you.

74. Philippians 2:25,
I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to
you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow
soldier.

75. Do you…
Set an example to
be imitated?

76. Do you…work with
people?
…encourage them to
become all God
intended,
…treat each person as
an individual,

77. The End