Dependence: Acknowledging Your Desperate Need
In our discipleship efforts, we never reach the point where we can depend upon our own strength. Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing.
Author
Travis Agnew
Lead Pastor
Discipleship
Dependence: Acknowledging Your Desperate Need
In our discipleship efforts, we never reach the point where we can depend upon our own strength. Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing.
Travis Agnew
Lead Pastor
- Distinctive Discipleship – Designing Specific Plans for Christian Maturity
- Category #6: Dependence
- “Struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me” (Col. 1:28).
Evaluate
- How responsible am I for my spiritual growth?
- Two dangerous extremes:
- Entitled people reject the responsibility for their personal spiritual growth.
- Independent people assume the responsibility for their personal spiritual growth.
- Effective disciples are those who work hard with God’s power working hard through them.
Examine
- How noticeable is my growth right now?
- God works with each one of us based upon the type of fruit we are currently producing (15:1-3).
- I am incapable of doing anything spiritually worthwhile in my own strength (15:4-5).
- Our dependence on Christ does not imply inactivity but promotes diligence to those things which strengthen our connection (15:6-7).
- The more connected we are to Jesus, the more fruitful we are, and the greater our joy proves to be (15:8-11).
Engage
- What do I depend on God to do?
- Your proximity to the King is directly proportional to your productivity for the Kingdom.
- Doing works for Jesus is different than doing works with Jesus.
- Your spiritual growth is contingent upon how intently you protect your connection to Jesus.
- My prayers of dependence will ask God to:
- Are your prayers specific? Are they gaugeable?
