Thesis Club Submission to Jeff Hubing

Draft 2 (previous version)

Big Idea

Making Disciples of Jesus
is about spreading His Kingdom
by manifesting the Fruit of the Spirit
for others to enjoy
via the deliberate practice of submitting every thought, emotion, and reaction
to Christ

Target Audience

Anyone who wants to become a disciple of Jesus

Challenge Statement

Our current understanding of discipleship is primarily built around human role models: e.g., Pharisees, Philosophers, Pietists.

While those have great value, they fall far short of the abundant life promised by Jesus (John 10:10). Too often they can end up strengthening our Self, rather than denying it (Mark 8:34)

Proposed Solution

1. God’s purpose is to love us into becoming like Jesus (Romans 8:28-29)
2. The best measure of our Christ-likeness is how consistently we manifest the Fruit of the Spirit for others to enjoy (Galatians 5:22-23)
3. This requires a community that helps us graciously recognize when and where we fall short (1 John 1:7)
4. Only the cross of Christ — through repentance, grieving, and forgiving — can heal the deep wounds that most hinder the flow of His Spirit (tbd)