Discipleship

I heard a great teaching last Sunday (this weeks was good too but last weeks is still on my mind) about discipleship.  His point was to explain to us how to disciple others but really it made me want to BE a better disciple myself.  After all how can I disciple others (namely the monkeys and princess) if I myself am not being a very good disciple of Jesus? 

Here's a hint:  I CAN'T!

So now it's been on my mind a lot this week.  I was able to do a few things this week that aren't necessarily my favorite things but remembering the definition of disciple I felt that I needed to do them.  There are lots of other areas though that I still need improvement.  Vast improvement.

Straight from my sermon notes (which were happily laying on the floor (where they do NOT belong of course) here next to the computer chair):

What is a disciple?
1 - Lives for Jesus instead of self  Luke 14:27
2 - Loves Jesus more than anyone  Luke 14:26
3 - Loves Jesus more than anything  Luke 14:33
4 - Love others how Jesus did!  John 13:24
5 - Loves to do what Jesus said  John 8:31-32 (of course this means you need to know what Jesus said and so reading and meditating on the word of God regularly is important for this step)
6 - Bears much fruit  John 15:8 - two types of fruit bearing here - A) the fruit of the spirit found in Galatians and B) making disciples - because this is something that Jesus said to do see #5

And a recap of the fruit of the spirit here:

 ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5: 22-23

I feel that I should highlight Galatians 5:19-21 too:
¹⁹ The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Oh how sad I am that so many in the latter part take place in our home so often and so few of the first part do.

This year as we start our new school year I'm feeling a need for change in how we do things around here.  I'm feeling a need for a closer and more real walk with God.  One that is real and exciting and talked about with great regularity.  I'm praying for such as we go into a new week and a new school year.  I don't want God to be something we learn about at church and mostly ignore the rest of the time.  I want the fruits to be more common in my home than the acts of the flesh.  I want to BE a disciple so that I can disciple my precious children.