Starting Point: A Disciple's First Steps
You believe in Jesus. Now what? Discover the answer to that question in Starting Point: A Disciple’s First Steps. A pastor for more than twenty-five years, Dr. Ron Jones developed this discipleship course to help you get started in your relationship with Jesus and to encourage your spiritual growth. Starting Point is also a digital discipleship tool that replicates the disciple making process. Any believer in Jesus can use the online coaching platform to make disciples of Jesus Christ who go and make disciples.
Session 1: Growing Up to Be Like Jesus
We are like babies when we are first born again. What’s true physically is also true spiritually. God expects His children, born into His family by faith in Jesus Christ, to grow up. But how do we grow from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity? Are you growing up in Christ? This first session begins our conversation about discipleship.
Session 2: What Is the Gospel?
What's so good about the Good News? Your eternity and the destiny of others you care about depends on a clear answer to that question. In this session, we’ll explore the facts of the gospel and its meaning to your past, present, and future. Also, learn why the gospel is "good news" and what difference it makes in your everyday life.
Session 3: The Assurance of Your Salvation
Are your sins forgiven for sure? Do you know for certain that heaven is your eternal home? Is your salvation secure in Christ? How you answer those questions is essential to your spiritual health and growth. This session explores an important doctrine in the Christian faith known as eternal security and the assurance of your salvation that flows from it.
Session 4: Going Public With Your Faith
Why should you be baptized? Jesus mandated baptism as a first step for His disciples. What is baptism? How should you be baptized? Why should you be baptized and when? In this session, Ron explains baptism in the most biblical way possible, interacts with differences in the body of Christ, and then encourages you to go public with your faith.
Session 5: The Disciplines of a Disciple
Are you a disciplined disciple? "Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness," Paul said to Timothy, his young protege in the ministry. In this coaching session, you'll learn the habits necessary to discipline four important categories of life: Mind, body, heart, and soul. Now is when the training intensifies. It's time to get into the spiritual gym and work out your salvation.
Session 6: More Disciplines of a Disciple
The Christian life is a disciplined life. The daily habits we form in cooperation with the Holy Spirit help us grow up to be like Jesus. In this session, you'll learn how to bring discipline to four more important areas of life: Time, money, will, and relationships. Are those beads of sweat on your spiritual brow? Working out your salvation with fear and trembling requires daily discipline and commitment.
Session 7: The Holy Spirit in You
How does the Holy Spirit energize our faith? We need divine power to live the Christian life successfully. Fortunately, God enabled us to follow Him by sending His Holy Spirit to indwell every believer in Jesus Christ. Who is the Holy Spirit? How do we relate to the third member of the Godhead? This last session introduces the Holy Spirit in you.
A Final Encouragement and Challenge from Dr. Ron Jones
You have completed Starting Point: A Disciple's First Steps. Now what? Hopefully, this is only the beginning, truly a starting point in your commitment to follow Jesus and "make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19). Now is the time to entrust what you have learned to others by leading your own Starting Point group (2 Timothy 2:1-2).
