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Thanks for tuning in to the unSeminary podcast. I’m excited to have Gregg Farah joining us from Shelter Rock Church in Long Island, New York.

Why is the Church at large struggling so much to help people grow in their relationship with Christ? Many sincere followers of Jesus feel stuck or stalled in their faith. They’re frustrated that Christianity “doesn’t work.” Gregg is with us to talk about the mindset shift that needs to happen in order to help people go deeper in their faith.

• Make disciples. // A recent study by Lifeway Research and Ligonier Ministries found that 52% of American adults believe that Jesus was just a great teacher and nothing more. But what was really surprising is that 30% of evangelicals believe that same thing. This is due to the fact that many so-called believers have a cultural Christian mindset rather than a biblical one. Many, many churches are not making disciples, but rather focus on drawing a crowd, getting people into community and keeping busy calendars. These things are not necessarily wrong, but Jesus’s command was to make disciples, not to simply add campuses and grow the church. We need to focus more on what will help people go deeper in their relationship with Christ.
• A checklist mentality. // Today’s western Christians can get into a checklist mentality where they attend services, join groups, serve and give, and think that’s all their faith consists of. These are good things, but they can leave people feeling stuck when the church focuses solely on external activities. People lack the ability to self-feed and rely on Sunday services as their only spiritual meal. They don’t understand the great commission and what it looks like to really be a disciple, or how to make disciples.
• A mindset shift. // In response to this problem, Gregg designed a course to help people determine their next step in going deeper in their relationship with Jesus. The first step is deciding to join Jesus in his work of disciple-making. There is a mindset shift that needs to happen here in a believer – a commitment to making disciples. It’s more than just attending church on Sundays, but rather fulfilling God’s calling to be a disciple and make disciples where we live, learn, work and play. Participants will learn to develop four habits to help them go deeper in their faith as they go through the course material.
• Engage with God’s word. // Engaging with God’s word is more than simply checking off your bible-reading or devotions. How is God’s word changing you? Think about what you read even when you’re away from your bible. Have one minute quiet times throughout the day to connect with God in prayer or reflect on His promises.
• Stop and remember. // Stop and remember what you’ve read and notice what God’s doing in and around you. Pay attention to how God is at work throughout all aspects of your life. Focus on his promises throughout your day.
• Unite with other believers. // Don’t just go to church, but rather be the church. Practice the “one-anothers” in the bible as you stay connected with other believers throughout your week. Help each other grow as disciples by talking and texting with each other, confessing your sins to one another, and offering encouragement and prayer to build each other up.
• Surrender your will. // The whole process comes down to submitting to and following Jesus. If the Holy Spirit is nudging you to say something or do something, surrender to his will and obey what he is asking or where he is leading.
• Individuals and groups. // The Jesus Challenge can be done by individuals, in groups, or even be a churchwide sermon series. The course is completely online and has seven modules as well as a workbook you can download. You can learn more about The Jesus Challenge course at https://letsmakedisciples.teachable.com/ and use the code UNSEMINARY for $25 off the course for individual purchases, or $50 off for the church license.

Visit www.letsmakedisciples.org to download the free ebook Choose Your Adventure: Life as a Christian or Life as a Disciple. You can also register for the FREE Next Step Summit streaming October 6-8, 2020 to help you take next steps in your faith at www.nextstepsummit.co.

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