We’re so excited you’ve taken your first step! The exercise today is designed to help you reflect on the call to follow Jesus every day of your life, and it will prepare you for the second step, which is to have a Next Steps conversation with a friend, family member, or church leader. That conversation is designed to give you a place to process your thoughts and dialogue about where you are on your spiritual growth journey. That conversation will help you take the third step, which is to create a simple plan that will help you grow as a fruit bearing disciple of Jesus over the next year. We’re excited to see what God will do in and through you, as you keep saying yes to him daily.

Note: Your answers will be recorded into the church database and only accessible by staff.

PRE-WORK

“Come, follow me.” (Matthew 4:19). When Jesus spoke these words to his first disciples, he called them into a relationship that would transform every area of their lives. Jesus would be their King, and they would become his Kingdom Community. Jesus invited them to set aside many of their former values, priorities, and practices to follow Jesus in the ways of his Kingdom. His teachings would be their guide, his love their motivation, and his life their model. He entrusted them with the mission of helping people find their way back to God. And by the power of the Holy Spirit, God used them to turn the world upside down.

So what does it mean to follow King Jesus as his Kingdom Community today? For us, it means embracing three vital and life-changing connections.

We believe Jesus demonstrated the 3C’s in his own life when he walked here on earth. As we learn to imitate his ways, we can expect to see ever-maturing expressions of the 3Cs in our own lives. As we mature, God calls us to lead others in the ways of Jesus.

The apostle Paul said, “Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1). This, in essence, is what it means to be a Christ-follower. The beliefs and practices outlined in this resource are North Pointe’s Roadmap on how to be a fruit bearing disciple of Jesus. This doesn’t mean that we are a finished product. We are all “in process.” We encourage you to pursue a lifestyle that leaves space to grow these beliefs and practices in your own life and family. Plan to commit to building up these connections in yourself so that you can grow in your relationship with God, the church, and the world. We hope this resource can serve as a source of encouragement, challenge, and accountability as we help one another become more like Jesus.

We invite you now to read and respond to each connection.

Ready to begin? Read the YOU + God connection overview and respond to the questions on the next page (7 minutes)