Faith that Follows: Experiencing Discipleship to Jesus

Copyright © 2012 The Shoreline Church of San Clemente www.theshoreline.org

Written by Seth Ebel

Cover & layout design: Troy Tertany of Milan Designs

Photography & Filming: Kingdom Artist Media

Production: deepriverbooks.com

First printing: 2012

Printed in the United States of America

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the NLT® (The Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®), copyright ©

Deepest Thanks To: Vanessa Ebel, Dale Ebel, George Hulse, Doug Martinez, Jason Pearson, Jadon Lavik, Troy Tertany, David Landeros, Andy Lara, Stacy Tertany, Chester Delagneau, Mark Thrash, Tanya Rinella, Nate Castro, Jon Krist, Natalie McLaughlin, Brooke Lahr, Judi Handy, Emily Ross, Tristen Anderson, Clay Crossan, Jason Hartanov, Chris Carmichael, Mike Higgins, Matt Lahr, Steven Tocci, the Elders of The Shoreline Church and all of our Home Group leaders, coaches, and hosts. In addition, many thanks to Bill Hull and Greg Ogden whose writings about discipleship have so greatly influenced this project.

9 Bill Hull, Christlike (Colorado Springs: CO: NavPress, 2010), 37-38.

10 C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: Macmillan Co.,1952), 54. “We come to God not only to be saved, but to be fulfi lled in him. When our nature as children of God is fulfi lled, then - and only then - are we truly happy.”

11 See Romans 6:4; 7:6; 12:2; Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:1-4.

12 While it is true that Jesus provides ultimate fulfi llment, security, and joy, spiritual consumerism mistakenly makes one’s personal happiness in this life the highest aim. Jesus invites us to a life of following him on his terms, which will often include hardship and suffering.

13 Ogden does a great job of explaining this “two-tiered” understanding of discipleship as a common barrier to the characteristically low levels of commitment we see today. Ogden, Transforming Discipleship, 48-49.

14 Hull, Christlike, 37-38. 15 Of course there are many good things that have come about as the result of Americans’ die-hard

belief in freedom (Consider WWII). Over time, however, many peoples’ expectations for freedom have shifted to entitlement impacting even our discipleship to Jesus.

16 Ibid., 36.

consumers disciples

Consumer | | Disciple

17 Ogden, Transforming Discipleship. 49.18 Ibid., 37. Also, the Greek word for disciple is “mathetes” which means “a learner; follower”. As a learn-

er, a disciple places himself under the authority of his teacher to grow in knowledge of the teacher’s wisdom. As a follower, a disciple puts into practice the ways of his teacher by actually doing what he sees his master doing. Remember, Jesus said he does only what he sees the Father doing (John 5:19)

19 See 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; Romans 12:3; Ephesians 4:11,12; Ephesians 3:10.20 See Ephesians 4:20.

21 See James 3:1.