Understanding Relational Discipleship

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Real Christian maturity is all about helping people pursue God, the Biblical word for this is discipleship. Jesus used a particular method when creating disciples. That method was relational discipleship. But what is relational discipleship?

[Related: What Discipleship Is All About]

Video Highlights:

• The end goal of relational discipleship is to help people pursue God. This should be the ultimate goal of a Christian. This is how you show true Christian maturity and truly live a life like Jesus did.
• Relational discipleship takes place in the context of caring relationships. These relationships can be with your spouse, kids, or small group. Jesus summarized how he used relational discipleship in John. In this verse he is referencing caring relationships. He is helping his disciples pursue God through these loving relationships.

John 15:9,12 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.”

• Relational discipleship has to be rooted in God’s truth. It isn’t just caring relationships that create disciples, but you have to share God’s truth. This means if you truly want to make disciples you have to speak truth into them.

Matthew 28:19-20 “Therefore go and make disciples …teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

Relational discipleship is simply speaking biblical truth in the context of caring relationships to help people pursue God. In order to live our lives in the way that God had designed, we must use relational discipleship to create new followers of God who know his truth and live it out.

[Related: Understanding the Stages of Pursuit]

[Related: Create a Good Relational Environment]