1. Pray. Ask the Lord to open your eyes, that you might behold wondrous things out of his Word (Ps. 119:18). 

2. Read Sunday's passage. Feel free to read it more than once, or in another translation.

3. Review the sermon outline. Try to see how the points came out of the text.

4. Answer the questions below. Focus on personal application.

5. Pray. Praise and thank the Lord, then ask him to work in mighty ways. 

Remember, we live not by bread alone, but by every word which proceeds from the mouth of God (Dt. 8:3; Mt. 4:4).

1 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. 3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. 5 An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

Intro: Another aspect of a healthy church is discipleship. We can learn about discipleship from the Apostle Paul, who wrote to Timothy, whom he had discipled.  

I. Disciples are family in Christ (v. 1). From different cultures, backgrounds, and traditions, our shared faith in Jesus unites us as brothers and sisters. There is genuine love within the family of God.

II. Disciples endure hardship by grace (v. 1, 3). Suffering will come, but God gives us grace to endure. We reflect on past grace (redemption through the cross of Christ, Romans 3:21–24), and we look foward to future grace (becoming like Jesus in glory, 1 John 3:1-2), and we receive God's grace in the present (strength for the task at hand). 

III. Disciples stay focused and work hard (v. 4–7). Paul's illustrations of the solider, the athlete, and the farmer share one thing in common: they work really hard! Discipleship takes hard work. Complacency inhibits discipleship. The enemy will attempt to distract us.

IV. Disciples are real about their discipleship (v. 2). They form close relationships with those who disciple them (the twelve with Jesus, or Timothy with Paul), and then they form close relationships with those who are hungry to be discipled. They intentionally "pass the baton" of their faith to others, expanding the "family tree" of Christ-followers.

Conclusion: Jesus told his disciples to go and make disciples. We get to join that mission. Who poured into you? And whom are you pouring into?  

1. Believers should relate as family in Christ.

- What helps foster a familial atmosphere in the church?

- What inhibits that atmosphere? 

- What can I do in this season to deepen my relationships in the church?

2. Discipleship will be accompanied by suffering.

- When life is painful, what alternative "sources" of strength do we turn to, instead of relying on grace? 

- Why is grace utlimately where we find strength? 

- What aspects of the Cross give you strength today? 

- What aspects of our future glory give you strength today? 

3. Discipleship is hard work. 

- Which aspects of discipleship do you find most challenging? 

- What distractions prevent you from intentionally being discipled, or discipling others? 

- Have you "counted the cost" of following Jesus? 

4. Discipleship is real. 

- Are you hungry to grow as a disciple? What could you do about this? 

- Who around you is hungry to grow as a disciple? How could you encourage or spur him/her on? 

- Do you have an aspiriation to teach others (see v. 2)? If so, when will you talk to the Elders about this? 

1. Praise God for being worthy or our adoration and service, as followers of Christ.

2. Thank God for those whom he used to tell us about Jesus, and to teach us how to follow him. .

3. Ask God for grace to strengthen you in the midst of trials. 

4. Ask for the Holy Spirit to work in your own mind and heart, fostering your own growth as a disciple. 

5. Ask for help identifiying, and then investing in those who are hungry to grow as disciples.

6. Pray that Grace would become a healthy disciple-making church!

Thanks for reading the Bible Study Guide! I pray it helps us "continue to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ" (Eph. 4:15).

Sincerely, your brother in Christ,

Tom Hansen, Senior Pastor