2. habits of a healthy disciple

7/28/2019 2. Habits of a Healthy Disciple

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Six BiBle Study leSSonS

for Group diScipleShip

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Six BiBle Study leSSonSfor Group diScipleShip



Habits o a HealtHy Disciple

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hw us

s MaaIn Victory, the primary venue for discipleship

happens in a small group. It is called a Victory group.

We strongly encourage everyone to be involved since

these grups are speccall desged t help dscples

grow spiritually.

A Victory group meeting has three sections: c,

Wd, and p, and ideally lasts from forty to

sixty minutes.

connect (5-10 ms)

Victory group meetings begin with a time to relate with

one another. Depending on the people who comprise

the group, this can be done through a variety of ways:

• Fu—such as a cebreaker actvt

• Aswered praers—sharg f testes

and updates• Quests—such as thse prvded the

material, learning each other’s personal stories,

ad sharg feedback fr the weekl essage

Eective Questions During the Connect Portion:

• Are delberatel fredl t rst-ters

• Ask fr p r expereces• Requre Bble kwledge

• Have rght r wrg aswer

• Are t ctrversal

• Are preferabl cected t the eetg’s tpc



WorD (20-30 ms)

Teach the truth and relevance of God’s Word for life application. The

Vctr grup eetg s t prarl a Bble stud. Althugh teachg

and explanation of Scripture is involved, the goal is to minister, not

sh a ateral.

There is no need teach all the points in a material.

Wth ths sect, we lk at what the Bble sas, ts relevace t us

today, and its application in our lives.

Wh: What does the Bible say?

Communicate and impart biblical truth clearly and concisely

16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking,

correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God

may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 TimoTHy 3:16,17

Tips for Sharing the Word Eectively

• Let the Bble speak fr tself.

• Use llustrats ad tell stres t expla Bble verses.

• Whe etertag clarcats, be watchful t t allw the

dscuss t g -taget.

• The prar gal s t ster t the eeds f the peple, t t

sh a Bble less.• Be led b the Sprt whe usg the ateral.

s Wh: What is the relevance of the Word to my life?

Give participants the opportunity to discuss how the Word impacts

the way they live.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test

and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

RomAnS 12:2



nw Wh: How do I apply the Word to my life?

our prar reas fr sharg the Bble s s that peple wll kw

wh Gd s ad what He has de. i dg s, the partcpats wll

begin to discover who they are and what they should do.

If it is a promise, teach them to claim it. If it is a command or a

principle, encourage them to put it to action by God’s grace. If it is a

truth, let them embrace it willingly and not under compulsion. Allow

God’s grace and love to win them by the way

you teach God’s Word.

Ecurage specc, easurable act steps that are csstetwith the life change that the Scripture is bringing about. We do not

command people, but we spur them on toward love and good deeds.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.

Do what it says. JAmES 1:22

Tips for Life-Changing Application• yu a chse e f the “S What” ad “nw What” quests

or you may add your own.

• A eectve stadb applcat quest s: “What e act

step are u gg t take as a result f what u heard tda?”

• Desgate wh wll be the rst t aswer the quest asked.

• D t allw see t argue r be crtcal f thers.

• Red evere t appl the less t ther w lves, t tsomeone else’s.

• Ask Gd fr wsd t kw whe t balace r crrect strage

or unbiblical applications. Insensitive correction or criticism can

kll the grup, as ca uchecked heres.

• Red evere that trasfrat s Gd’s wrk, t urs, ad

ur bedece s a respse t wh He s ad Hs lve fr us. it s

Gd’s grace that eables us t appl ad be Hs Wrd.



pray (15-20 ms)

Praer s the st prtat part f the Vctr grup eetg. make

sure you have plenty of time left so your prayer time is not rushed. This

s t a “clsg praer,” but a te fr evere the grup t take

specc requests t Gd. Ths s where the act s. The gal s t createa venue where people will see God move on their behalf.

“Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you

ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.” mATTHEW 18:19

Tips for Powerful Prayer

• Lste t the Hl Sprt carefull durg the Cect ad Wrdsections for things that may need prayer.

• Sped ur te prag fr e ather, t sharg ad

dscussg praer requests.

• Keep ur praers sple, scere, ad shrt. mst -belevers

have ever heard a rdar Chrsta just talk t Gd ad wll

be touched by the sincerity and simplicity of the prayer.

• Pra, d’t preach. Pra sple ad shrt seteces, t lg“ser praers.”

• Use cversatal praer, t cplcated r prfud,

intercessory prayer.

• Expect Gd t aswer ur praers.



fws ........................................ 1

S .............................................. 5

Gs ........................................ 9

pa ...............................................13

G’s W .....................................17

fasg .............................................21

1

contents

2

3

4

5

6



c o n

n e c

t

fws1

Do you consider yourself to be more of an

trvert r extrvert? Wh?

nae three f ur clsest freds, ad tell

us a little bit about them.

What is one character trait your friends and

fal sa the lke r adre abut u?



sk h ld gh.Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.

PSALm 34:3

As important as personal devotions are in developing a

relatshp wth Gd, there are blessgs ad beets

we can receive from God only in the context of being in

a relationship with one another.

sh u wh h.46

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together

with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying

the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their

number daily those who were being saved. ACTS 2:46,47

W o r d

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are

in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one

another—and all the more as you see the Day

approaching. HEBREWS 10:25 (SEE ALSo ACTS 2:4247.)

A health dscple kws that ths Chrsta walk s

t eat t be lved ale. The Bble exhrts us t

to give up meeting together and to live a lifestyle of

encouraging one another. More than just developing

friendships, fellowship is about sharing in the reality of

Christ’s life with other believers. In this lesson, we will

lk at hw we ca develp a habt f fellwshp.

What are some

practical ways

we can seek the

Lord together?

1

2 habs a

ha ds

WHat

2



Fellwshp s “shared lfe.” Hw dd the earl church

share ther lves wth each ther?

sv h.Each one should use whatever gift he has received to

serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. 1 PETER 4:10 (SEE ALSo HEBREWS 10:24.)

The Bble tells us t serve e ather, ad Jesus s the

best exaple f ths. Hw are u usg ur gfts t

serve thers?

sf h.12

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down

his life for his friends.” JoHn 15:12,13

Jesus modeled true fellowship and love for us by

sacrcall gvg Hs lfe fr ur ss. As we fellwshp

with other believers, we are called to extend that same

love and generosity.

How have you

sacriced for your

friends and family?

What did their

shared life

result in? How

are we to be in

fellowship with

each other?

fws 3

3

How can we spur one another

towards love and

good deeds?

4



so WhAtWh d u thk t’s dcult fr se peple t share

ther lves wth thers?

Hw des the cad t serve e ather

challege u? Wh wuld st f us prefer t beserved, rather tha t serve thers?

What des t ea t sacrce fr thers? What d u

thk ths wuld lk lke ur lfe?

Thak Gd fr shwg us what t eas t lve

sacrcall ad t serve thers thrugh Jesus Chrst.

Pra that Gd wuld help u seek H, serve,

ad lve gracusl wth thers. Ask Gd t help

u sacrce fr thers s the a see Hs lve

expressed in your life.

Pra that ur church wuld be lke the earl church,

serving and caring for one another, praising God

tgether, ad that re peple wuld ce t kw

God through us. p r A y e r

noW WhAtHw ca u share ur lfe wth thers ever da?Hw ca u challege thers t kw Gd re?

Hw ca u serve the peple arud u ths week?

Are u sestve t Gd’s vce ad able t be H

whe He asks u t sacrce sethg fr ather

pers? What ca u d t develp a bedet

heart ad atttude?

4 habs aha ds



c o n

n e c

t

S2

Tell us abut e f ur sklls r talets.

Hw have u bee recgzed fr t?

What is one activity you enjoy doing for

ther peple?

What’s ur favrte restaurat? Wh s t

ur favrte?



ou g gv u Gd.We have dierent gifts, according to the grace given us. . . .

RomAnS 12:6 (SEE ALSo RomAnS 12:7,8.)

Gd has gve each f us deret talets ad

spiritual gifts.

ou g hud ud.“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!

You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in

charge of many things. . . .’” mATTHEW 25:23

God has given us gifts so they may be used.

W o r d

“I have set you an example that you should do

as I have done for you.” JoHn 13:35

Each one should use whatever gift he has

received to serve others, faithfully administering

God’s grace in its various forms. 1 PETER 4:10

Jesus taught Hs dscples t serve. He served Hs

dscples rst. As we fllw Chrst, servce shuld bepart f ur dal lves. i ths less, we wll lk at ve

truths about serving others with our gifts.

What are

some of the

gifts the Bible

talks about?

1

6 habs a

ha ds

WHat

2

How can we be

found faithful

with what God has

given us?



ou g hud ud v h.Each one should use whatever gift he has received to

serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its

various forms. 1 PETER 4:10

Gd has gve us sprtual gfts t l fr ur beet,

but also to serve others.

ou g hud ud wh h ghGd vd.If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very

words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the

strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. . . . 1 PETER 4:11

su g hud ud g Gd.. . . To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever.

Amen. 1 PETER 4:11

God is pleased when you serve others.

How does God get

the glory when

you serve?

How have you

used your gifts

to serve others?

3

S 7

4

Share about a

time when you

experienced God’s

grace and strength

while serving others.

5



so WhAtHw d u thk u ca kw what ur talets ad

gfts are?

What are some of the talents and gifts God has

gve u?Hw d u thk u ca use ur gfts t

serve thers?

Thak Gd fr the gfts ad talets He has blessed

you with.

Ask Gd fr superatural grace ad stregth s u

can serve others with your gifts.

Pray for God to give you more opportunities and

wsd t serve thers ths week.

p r A y e r

noW WhAtAre you exercising and using the gifts God has given

u? Whch gfts d u eed t use re? Hw cau use these gfts fr Gd’s glr?

Hw ca u serve thers thrugh ur gfts

ths week?

Hw ca u experece the grace ad stregth f

Gd s u ca serve thers ever da?

8 habs aha ds



c o n

n e c

t

Gs3

What was the best gift you ever received as

a chld?

What’s the most expensive gift you have

ever gve see?

When planning to give someone a gift, how

do you decide what to give and what they

ght wat t receve?



Gvg vu d.Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to

give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a

cheerful giver. 2 CoRinTHiAnS 9:7

When we give on our volition, it blesses us. Why should

we t gve reluctatl r uder cpuls?

Gvg vg.Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for

the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.

2 CoRinTHiAnS 8:4

Gd wats us t be a chael f blessg t thers. He

wats u ad i t be a cdut f Hs prvs.

W o r d

“. . .‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

ACTS 20:35

i a wrld f aterals where we are taught t “Lk

ut fr #1,” ask “What’s t fr e?” ad beleve that

“if u d’t take care f urself, e wll,” the

Bble teaches that t s better t gve tha t receve.

Fllwg Jesus eas lvg a lfestle f geerst.

Let us lk at three prcples we eed t uderstad as

we develop a habit of generosity.

How have

you experienced

the blessings

of God through

your giving?

1

10 habs a

ha ds

WHat

2



Gvg g.But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in

knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for

us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.2 CoRinTHiAnS 8:7

“. . . Freely you have received, freely give.” mATTHEW 10:8

Grace is the unmerited favor God gives us. We can give

freely because we have received freely.

What is a privilege?

In what ways has

giving been a

privilege for you?

3

Gs 11

How is giving

a grace?



so WhAtHw des the wrld’s vew f e der fr

Gd’s? Wh d u thk the Bble sas t s re

blessed t gve tha receve?

Wh d u thk Gd lves a cheerful gver? Wh sur atttude tward gvg prtat t Gd?

Hw d u thk we ca excel the grace f gvg

ur w lves?

Thak Gd fr Hs blessgs ur lfe ad fal.

Pra that Gd wuld ake u re geerus, ad

that you would always give with a cheerful heart.

Ask Gd t ake u a chael f Hs blessgs

wherever you go.

p r A

y e r

noW WhAt

Are u a cheerful gver? Hw d u thk d uneed to adjust your life and attitudes so you can

develp a habt f bblcal geerst?

The Bble sas that “freel u have receved; freel

gve.” Hw ca ths truth chage ur perspectve f

e ad geerst begg tda?

Wh ca u be a blessg t ths week? Pra fr

opportunities to be generous and to be a channel of God’s blessing.

12 habs a

ha ds



c o n

n e c

t

pa4

What was the most challenging part of your

week? What happeed?

Wh s the rst pers u wat t talk t

whe sethg ajr happes? Wh?

nae three thgs fr whch u

are grateful.



b whu.Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

CoLoSSiAnS 4:2

. . . be clear-minded and self-controlled so that you

can pray. 1 PETER 4:7

What des t ea t be watchful?

b hku.6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything,

by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your

requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends

all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds

in Christ Jesus. PHiLiPPiAnS 4:6,7

W o r d

2Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and

thankful. 3And pray for us, too, that God may

open a door for our message, so that we may

proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in

chains. 4Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. CoLoSSiAnS 4:24

Paul exhorts us to devote ourselves to prayer. Prayer isur eas f cucat wth Gd. Gd speaks t

us thrugh Hs Wrd, the Bble. We talk t Gd thrugh

prayer. What are some attitudes we need to cultivate in

rder t develp a habt f praer?

1

14 habs a

ha ds

WHat

Why do we need

to be clear-minded

and self-controlled

in order to pray

eectively?

2



Wh s t prtat t preset ur requests t Gd

wth thaksgvg?

b uu.3And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our

message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4Pray that I may proclaim it

clearly, as I should. CoLoSSiAnS 4:3,4

We eed t pra wth purpse, whether fr specc

people, our family, churches, outreaches, or nations.

b h.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. HEBREWS 11:1

“If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in

prayer.” mATTHEW 21:22

What des t ea t be fath?

How do you

pray? What do

you pray for?

3

pa 15

4

What will happen

when we develop

this attitude of gratefulness?

Why is it

important to

pray in faith?



so WhAtWh d u thk se Chrstas d t hard t pra?

Wh s praer a prtat habt f a health dscple?

Hw ca we develp the habt f praer ever da?

Thak Gd fr Hs blessgs ad fathfuless

your life.

Ask Gd t develp the habt f praer ur lfe. Be

honest about why you sometimes have a hard time

with prayer.

Pra fr thse u kw wh are gg thrugh

dcult stuats ad eed Gd.

p r A y e r

noW WhAtis praer a part f ur dal walk wth Gd? What

are se practcal steps u ca take t develp the

csstet ad frutful habt f praer?

Hw ca u be re watchful praer ths week?

Hw ca u hld t Gd’s prses fr ur lfeever da? Are u fath that He s wllg ad able

t aswer u?

16 habs a

ha ds



c o n

n e c

t

G’s W5

D u lke readg? Wh r wh t?

What tpes f bks r aterals d u

lke t read? Wh?

What s ur favrte fd? Wh d u lke

t s uch?



Gd’ Wd h u d.To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold

to my teaching, you are really my disciples.” JoHn 8:31

What dd Jesus sa s the prf that we are Hs

dscples? What des t ea t be a dscple?

Gd’ Wd h u d.By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would

later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even

though he did not know where he was going. HEBREWS 11:8

When Abraham heard God’s Word, he obeyed even

thugh he dd t kw all the detals. Recall a tewhe Gd asked u t d sethg u dd’t

cpletel uderstad. What happeed?

W o r d

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live

on bread alone, but on every word that comes

from the mouth of God.’” mATTHEW 4:4

An athlete who is committed to winning is serious

about the nutritional value of his food. A disciple who

s serus abut fulllg Gd’s pla fr hs r her lfe s

one who develops the habit of getting into God’s Word.

Fllwg are ve beets we receve whe we ake

the Word of God a regular part of our lives.

What does it

mean to hold to

His teaching?

1

18 habs a

ha ds

WHat

2



Gd’ Wd h u uu.“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth;

meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful

to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous

and successful.” JoSHUA 1:8

Gd prsed Jshua success f he spke, edtated

on, and carefully obeyed God’s Word every day. The

success and prosperity God promises is according to

Hs stadards, t the wrld’s. The Bble s the ultate

success manual, and it teaches us how we should live

ur lves ad ru aars.

Gd’ Wd h u .9How can a young man keep his way pure? By living

according to your word. . . . 11I have hidden your word in

my heart that I might not sin against you. PSALm 119:9,11

When temptation and fear try to pull us down, we are

able to resist and overcome by God’s Word. What does

t ea t hde Gd’s Wrd ur heart?

Gd’ Wd h u w.Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they

are ever with me. PSALm 119:98 (SEE ALSo 2 TimoTHy 3:15.)

Hw d Gd’s cads ake us wse?

What does it mean

to meditate on God’s

Word? What must we

do to be prosperous

and successful?

G’s W 19

3

4

What are some

Scriptures you

have memorized

that have helped

you resist

temptation?

5

What does it

mean for God’s

Word to be ever

with you?



so WhAtWh d u thk se peple d t prrtze

Gd’s Wrd? Fr us t bece health dscples, hw

prtat shuld the Wrd be t us?

Wh shuld we be wse? Hw d u thk a wsepers lves?

Hw d u thk the wrld’s det f success

s deret fr Gd’s? What d u thk t reall

eas t be successful?

Thak Gd fr Hs Wrd that s lvg ad actve, ad

fr hw Gd speaks t us ad stregthes us thrugh

Hs Wrd.

Pra that u wuld kw Gd re as u sped

te the Wrd ever da. yu ca be hest

about why you sometimes have a hard time reading,

studg, ad erzg the Wrd. Ask Gd fr Hshelp, strength, and wisdom.

Pra that u wuld fllw Jesus ad Hs cads,

be H, ad grw wsd ever da. Ask Gd t

prsper u ad ake u successful as u prrtze

ad be Hs Wrd. p r A

y e r

noW WhAtis readg the Wrd f Gd a dal habt fr u? if

t, what’s e practcal step u ca take t beg

develpg ths habt ths week?

Are there areas in your life that you are currently

beg tepted ? Hw ca u resst ths teptat

ever da?

Hw ca u grw wsd a practcal wa?

Are you facing situations for which you need

Gd’s wsd?

20 fwg Jss



c o n

n e c

t

fasg6

D u csder urself a gal-reted

pers? Wh r wh t?

Hw d u tvate urself t

develp a gd habt? Recall a stace

explaining this.

Recall a te whe u had t d

something important but you didn’t really

ej t. What happeed?



W u Ju ugh u hw .16“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do,

for they disgure their faces to show men they are fasting.

I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your

face.” mATTHEW 6:16,17

At the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus used the word

“whe” ad t “f” as He taught fastg. What dd

Jesus sa we are t t d whe we’re fastg?

Wh w , w m m v

Gd’ v.2While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the

Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for

the work to which I have called them.” 3So after they had

fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and

sent them o. ACTS 13:2,3

W o r d

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would

come after me, he must deny himself and take

up his cross and follow me.” mATTHEW 16:24

At the heart f fllwg Jesus s Hs call t de

urselves, take up ur crsses, ad fllw H. Fastg

is about denying ourselves to focus on our relationship

with God. When we fast, we are choosing to have more

f Gd ad less f urselves. Fllwg are fur reass

we need to develop a habit of fasting.

Why did Jesus make a big deal

about how

we look when

we’re fasting?

1

22 habs a

ha ds

WHat

2



W hum uv Gd.27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put

on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went

around meekly. 28Then the word of the LORD came to

Elijah the Tishbite: 29”Have you noticed how Ahab has

humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled

himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will

bring it on his house in the days of his son.”

1 KinGS 21:2729 (SEE ALSo JAmES 4:6.)

Wh s fastg a sg f hult befre Gd?

W wh w’ u wu Gd’ vg.16

David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and went into his house and spent the nights lying on the

ground. 17 The elders of his household stood beside him to

get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would

not eat any food with them. 2 SAmUEL 12:16,17

Fastg s ackwledgg ur eed fr re f Gd

ur stuats. Recall a te whe u fasted adbelieved God to come through for you.

Why are we more

sensitive to God’s

voice during a time

of fasting? How

has this been true

in your life?

fasg 23

3

Why does God

oppose the proud but gives grace to

the humble?

4

How did God

reveal Himself

sought Him?



so WhAtWh d u thk a Chrstas struggle wth

fastg? Wh d u thk thers are able t d t?

Hw des the sprtual habt f fastg challege u?

What are se f the beets f fastg?

Ask Gd t help u develp a greater apprecat

for fasting.

Pray that you would grow in your relationship with

God every day, and that you would desire for more of

H abve all else.

Ct ur act steps fr ths less t the Lrd,

ad ask Gd fr Hs grace ad stregth t walk t ut.

p r A

y e r

noW WhAtHw des ur uderstadg f fastg eed t

chage? What ca u d ths week t develp a

better perspectve f ths sprtual habt?

Hw ca u develp a habt f fastg ur lfe?Hw ca u appl what u’ve leared tda?

What are you believing God for in this season of your

lfe? Hw u seek H re ths week?

24 habs a

ha ds



42t mss ass’ ag a ws, bakg ba a a.

47. . . A l a mba s w w bg sa.ActS 2:42,47

H Hh D s a ss

s maas g ss sg

ss gw g

as w G a mm.

topicS include:

• Fellowship

• Service

• Generosity

• Prayer• Word of God

• Fasting

2. habits of a healthy disciple

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