Essentials of a Discipleship Group: The Word

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
John 1:1 (CSB)

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17

Perhaps I do not need to say anything else to convince you that the Word of God is the essential element of any Discipleship Group. I will go on though! In order for any disciple to be conformed into the image of Jesus is by being transformed through time spent in His Word.

John 1:1 shows us that whenever we engage the Bible, we are engaging Jesus himself. And when we engage Jesus through His Word, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 shows us that Scripture will change us to be more like Him.

If the Bible is the centerpiece of our Discipleship Groups then we have to be intentional about spending the majority of our meeting time discussing Scripture. We do this in two main ways.

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The HEAR Journal

The goal of studying the Bible is transformation through application because we know that knowledge without application becomes useless information. Writing a daily HEAR Journal is a great way to let God’s Word work in you. It also provides the subject matter for the bulk of your D-Group meeting time. If you meet for an hour, ideally 30 minutes minimum is spent discussing what each person journaled during the week. You can find a more thorough explanation of a HEAR Journal in this link, but in a nutshell we want to:

Highlight a verse or thought from your daily reading that stuck out.
Explain what that verse or thought means.
Apply it to an area of your life.
Respond to what God’s Word is teaching you.

Journaling through the Bible is a great way to ensure that you take the time to actually think through and apply what you have read. Too often, all of us are guilty of speeding through our time with the Lord and journaling helps us to slow down and let Him speak to us through His Word. If the members of our group do not learn anything else, it is essential that they learn how to read Scripture effectively because it is a skill that will carry them the rest of their life.

Memorization

Memorization of Scripture is one of the most challenging and rewarding practices in my own life. When you have the Bible tucked away in your heart, the Holy Spirit brings about a perfect word at just the time when you or someone around you needs it.

We would all raise our hand and say we do not want to sin against God, right? I thought so. What is the best defense against sin you ask? The memorized Word of God.

Psalm 119:11, “I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you.”

Does this verse promise that we won’t sin anymore if we have Scripture memorized? Of course not. But it does show us that if we want to fight against sin we need to have the double-edged sword of Scripture on our side. So, why would we not memorize His word?

A Discipleship Group provides the perfect environment to hold yourself and others accountable to memorize Scripture and to slow down and journal through the Bible. Both of these disciplines get ignored at times because they require time and effort. But when you are diligent to journal and memorize, you will realize the benefits in your life quickly. The Word of God is the means by which God transforms his people so there is no question that it is essential to Discipleship Groups.

Written by Replicate

Originally posted on Replicate’s blog here. Used by permission.

https://replicate.org/9-essentials-of-a-discipleship-group-part-4-the-word/