{"id":57,"date":"2023-09-21T22:27:52","date_gmt":"2023-09-21T22:27:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thedisciplespath.com\/?page_id=57"},"modified":"2024-02-03T20:35:09","modified_gmt":"2024-02-03T20:35:09","slug":"essentials","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thedisciplespath.com\/?page_id=57","title":{"rendered":"Essentials"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-75 has-custom-font-size has-small-font-size\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/thedisciplespath.com\/wp-admin\/post.php?post=232&amp;action=edit\" style=\"background-color:#87371c\">Subscribe<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-75 has-custom-font-size has-small-font-size\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/thedisciplespath.com\/?course=essentials\" style=\"background-color:#87371c\">Go to Essentials<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The process of making disciples is a lengthy and arduous one.  One could argue that it is a life-long process that none of us quite complete.  Many books and courses have been written by many eminent scholars, pastors, and church leaders.  Many are much too short to adequately cover the basics.  Many are so focused on theology at the expense of application as to be practically useless.  Some are so academic as to require college level comprehension.  Yet others de-emphasize or even ignore clear teachings in Scripture that significantly impact the Kingdom message and limit a Kingdom Life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Essentials<\/em><\/strong> is designed to be an eighteen-week, 125-day journey of discovery:  discovering who God is, what He&#8217;s like, and what He wants for you.  It\u2019s the first step on the path that specifically focuses on increasing your knowledge of God and His Word and practically living out the Christian faith.  While many of your questions will be answered, some may not.   What you will experience is a deeper level of trust and intimacy with the Creator Himself.  And you will experience radical life transformation if you allow God to change you.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/thedisciplespath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AdobeStock_179798784-1024x683.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1617\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thedisciplespath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AdobeStock_179798784-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/thedisciplespath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AdobeStock_179798784-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/thedisciplespath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AdobeStock_179798784-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/thedisciplespath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AdobeStock_179798784-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/thedisciplespath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AdobeStock_179798784-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/thedisciplespath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AdobeStock_179798784-600x400.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/thedisciplespath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AdobeStock_179798784-1200x800.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/thedisciplespath.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AdobeStock_179798784-1400x933.jpeg 1400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Audience<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">If you are a brand-new Christian, this series will help establish a solid theological foundation upon which to grow your faith.&nbsp; If you\u2019ve walked with the Lord for more than a minute, this series will reinforce and strengthen key tenets of your faith that you may have forgotten or overlooked.&nbsp; If you&#8217;ve never considered the claims of Jesus Christ, this series will provide enough information to answer the typical questions about God, the Bible, and the Christian faith.  For participants in a typical small group setting, this course offers a chance to build community and learn from other believers in a relaxed atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\">The Experience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The key to maximizing the return on your investment of time during this series is found in Jesus\u2019 well-known parable of <strong>The Sower<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-black-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-text-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:18px;line-height:1.6\"><em><sup>3<\/sup> And he [Jesus] told them [the disciples] many things in parables, saying: &#8220;A sower went out to sow. <sup>4<\/sup> And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. <sup>5<\/sup> Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, <sup>6<\/sup> but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. <sup>7<\/sup> Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. <sup>8<\/sup> Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. <sup>9<\/sup> He who has ears, let him hear.<\/em>&#8221; &#8211; Matthew 13:3-9<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"line-height:1.6\">After the disciples expressed their lack of understanding, Jesus provided an explanation of the parable:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-black-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-text-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:18px;line-height:1.7\"><em>\u201cAs for what was sown on <strong>good<\/strong> soil, this is the one who <strong>hears<\/strong> the word and <strong>understands<\/strong> it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.&#8221;<\/em> &#8211; Matthew 13:23<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The seed that was fruitful, i.e., the seed that produced results, was the seed planted in good soil.&nbsp; Exponential production occurred where the soil was prepared.&nbsp;&nbsp; It\u2019s where the listener expected seed to be sown, and therefore prepared the ground for the expected growth.&nbsp; In our context, spiritual growth happens when the student expects to grow (i.e. learn) and prepares their heart (i.e. attitude) accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Whether you know it or not, you have an enemy who will try to deceive you into believing there isn\u2019t anything new to learn, especially in topics that are familiar.&nbsp; That\u2019s a lie!&nbsp; The Holy Spirit has much to teach all of us, <strong>especially<\/strong> in those areas that seem familiar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">So then, our goal is to equip you, the disciple, to grow in your knowledge of God, grow in your understanding of essential theology, and ignite your passion for pursuing an intimate relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>May God richly bless you on <em>your<\/em> journey.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-75 has-custom-font-size has-small-font-size\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/thedisciplespath.com\/wp-admin\/post.php?post=232&amp;action=edit\" style=\"background-color:#87371c\">Subscribe<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-75 has-custom-font-size has-small-font-size\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/thedisciplespath.com\/?course=essentials\" style=\"background-color:#87371c\">Go to Essentials<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The process of making disciples is a lengthy and arduous one. One could argue that it is a life-long process that none of us quite complete. Many books and courses have been written by many eminent scholars, pastors, and church leaders. Many are much too short to adequately cover the basics. Many are so focused &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_genesis_block_theme_hide_title":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-57","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","post","without-featured-image"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedisciplespath.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/57","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedisciplespath.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedisciplespath.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedisciplespath.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedisciplespath.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=57"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thedisciplespath.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/57\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedisciplespath.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=57"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}