The document discusses the importance of Christian discipleship and being an example to others. It emphasizes that as Christians, our faith should be visible to others through our good deeds, we should be vulnerable about our struggles, and we should live victoriously through Christ. Being an example applies in families, the church community, and the wider world. The document encourages forming small discipleship groups to better know one another and provide support. Overall it promotes intentionally imitating Christ and Paul's example to transform lives through discipleship.

3. Our VISION
 TRANSFORMING LIVES 
 EXPANDING HIS KINGDOM 

4. Theme for 2013
TRANSFORMATION
thru’ DISCIPLING
Verse for 2013
1 Cor 11:1
“Imitate me
just as I also
imitate Christ”

5. Definition: A Disciple
“A DISCIPLE is a CHRISTIAN who is
 a FOLLOWER of Jesus,
 LEARNING to be more like Him
and
 TEACHING others to do
likewise.”

6. CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP is
a RELATIONAL process
of INTENTIONALLY bringing people
into a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD and
developing them to FULL MATURITY IN CHRIST,
that they in turn might MULTIPLY OTHERS.

7. Transformation Thru Discipling
“Imitate me just as I also imitate Christ” 1 Cor 11:1
: To Be A Christian Is
To Be A Disciple
: Christian
Discipleship is not optional but must be
Intentional
: Christian Discipleship
is about Imitating Christ

9. Transformation Thru Discipling
“Imitate me just as I also imitate
Christ” 1 Cor 11:1
Natural reaction...
 Can I say : “Imitate me...”
 Dare I say : “Imitate me...”
 Who am I to say ....

10. Transformation Thru Discipling
“Imitate me just as I also imitate Christ” 1 Cor 11:1
Question :
Why are we afraid / fearful to ask people
to “Imitate me” ?
 Fear Factor
 Pride Factor
 ‘Modesty’ Factor

11. The Power of Example
1 Cor 11:1
“Imitate me just as I also imitate Christ”
Paul’s call to “imitate” him
Continues with ...
“... Just as I also imitate Christ”
 asking to be imitated
 only to the extent that Paul is imitating
Christ.

12. The Power of Example
Will it not be better for all of us just to ...
IMITATE CHRIST ?
 Agreed that it will be better
 Because :
 Jesus - God’s Son is PERFECT
 If we follow Him, we cannot go
wrong ...

13. The Power of Example
But How ??
Jesus is now in heaven and
we are on earth !!
How can we imitate Him, His will &
purpose, His Life ?
1. Thru’ our inward conscience
Ref 2 Cor 1:12

14. The Power of Example
2. Thru His Revealed Word
The Marks of a Disciple!
 Abiding in His Word Jn 8:31
 Bearing Fruits Jn 15:8
 Counting the Cost Lk 14:26-27
 Defining Character – Love Jn 13:35
The ABC & D’s of Christian Life

15. The Power of Example
and God’s Promise in John 14:18
“I will not leave you as orphans;...”
3. Thru the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
John 14:26
“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom
the Father will send in my name, WILL
TEACH YOU ALL THINGS and
WILL REMIND YOU OF EVERYTHING I have
said to you.”

16. The Power of Example
and also thru God’s People
In Matt 5:16
“In the same way, let your light shine before
men, that they may see your good deeds and
praise your Father in heaven.”
Where did Jesus teach this ?
Jesus was referring to .....
 We are to be His Light ...
 We are to be His Salt ...

17. The Power of Example
So all followers of Jesus Christ
... all who call Him Savior and Lord
Our lives, our faith, our believes ...
 Must be seen
 Will be seen
 Should be seen
By people out-there, by the “world”...
So that they can Praise God in heaven
BUT ONLY if what they see is ‘good’ !

18. The Power of Example
Paul then was just continuing what Jesus
had taught ...
 Our Faith must be seen ...
 Our Faith must be VISIBLE ...

19. ‘IMITATE’ is not about physical looks
It is all about our Faith, Behaviour,
Lifestyle, Purpose, Values, Priorities ....

20. The Power of Example
Message Bible Matt 5:14-16
14 "Here's another way to put it: You're here to be
light, bringing out the God-colors in the world.
GOD IS NOT A SECRET TO BE KEPT. We're going
public with this, as public as a city on a hill.
15 If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm
going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm
putting you on a light stand.
16 Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a
light stand — shine! KEEP OPEN HOUSE; BE
GENEROUS WITH YOUR LIVES. BY OPENING UP TO
OTHERS, YOU'LL PROMPT PEOPLE TO OPEN UP
WITH GOD, THIS GENEROUS FATHER IN HEAVEN.

21. The Power of Example
3 ‘V’s’ to “IMITATE ME”:
1. VISIBLE
 Our Faith MUST BE SEEN
 1 Peter 2:12 Live such good lives among the
pagans that, though they accuse you of
doing wrong, they may see your good
deeds and glorify God on the day he visits
us.
 1 Peter 3:1-2 – Marriage relationship
 1 Tim 5:25 – “obvious...cannot be hidden”

22. The Power of Example
1. VISIBLE
• KNOWINGLY
• our Faith must be seen
• never an option - it is a necessity
• UNKNOWINGLY
 Your spouse sees
 Your children sees
 Your neighbor sees
 Your colleagues sees
 The ‘world’ sees

23. The Power of Example
1. VISIBLE
Quote : “OUR TRUE CHARACTER is what
we do when no one is looking”
Question :
How many of us struggled to accept
Christ because of the behavior of
Christians we knew ?

24. The Power of Example
2. VULNERABLE
If we are willing to ask people to ‘imitate us’
– we are making ourselves VULNERABLE
This can be our greatest fear
 That we will not live up to our own
standards
 That we will somehow / sometime
compromise our faith
Because of this we hold back ...

25. The Power of Example
VULNERABLE
Whether we like it or not ...
 We are all sinners saved by grace ...
 We are all still ‘work in progress’...
 We all have our weakness ...
Vulnerability is a two-edged sword

26. The Power of Example
VULNERABLE :Yes it can do a lot of harm BUT...
If we are willing to be vulnerable
 We no longer need to ‘pretend’
 We no longer need to wear ‘masks’
 We can truly be ourselves
Only when we acknowledge who we truly are
 Then we can really grow
 Then others can help us to grow
 Then we can all grow together

27. The Power of Example
If we truly want to grow
 In our FAITH
 as DISCIPLES of Christ
We need to STOP PLAYING CHURCH...
Being a Christian in todays world is not easy
 The temptations are many
 The temptations are real
 We all need help
 We all need to help one another

28. TODAY ...
Do we Know ?
Do we Care ?

29. The Power of Example
3. VICTORIOUS
 Our Faith is not only Living & Active
 Our Faith is a VICTORIOUS FAITH
 John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so
that in me you may have peace. In this
world you will have trouble. But take heart!
I have overcome the world."

30. The Power of Example
3. VICTORIOUS
 Rom 8:37 “No, in all these things we are
more than conquerors THROUGH HIM who
loved us. ...”
 1 Cor 15:57 “But thanks be to God! He gives
us the victory THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS
CHRIST.”
 1 John 4:4 “You, dear children, are from God
and have overcome them, because THE ONE
WHO IS IN YOU is greater than the one who
is in the world.”

32. The Power of Example
VICTORIOUS :
1 John 5:4-5 “for everyone born of God
overcomes the world. This is the victory that
has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is
it that overcomes the world? Only he who
believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”
 The Victory is already ours
 The enemy is already defeated
 This is what we must declare
 This is how we should live

33. "If we have no idea
where we are going,
any road will lead us
there."
Merv Thompson

34. The Power of Example
Application :
How then do we apply Paul’s Call to
“Imitate” ?
Practically what does it mean to be :
 Visibility ?
 Vulnerability ? and
 Victorious ?

35. Definition: A Disciple
“A DISCIPLE is a CHRISTIAN who is
 a FOLLOWER of Jesus,
 LEARNING to be more like Him
and
 TEACHING others to do
likewise.”

36. CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP is
a RELATIONAL process
of INTENTIONALLY bringing people
into a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD and
developing them to FULL MATURITY IN CHRIST,
that they in turn might MULTIPLY OTHERS.

37. Growing in Discipleship
4 Important Keys :
1.RELATIONSHIP
2.INTENTIONAL
3.COMMITMENT
4.STRUCTURE

38. The Power of Example in the Family
Position as Father
Ref 1 Cor 4:14-16
“I am not writing this to shame you, but to
warn you, as my dear children. Even though
you have ten thousand guardians in Christ,
you do not have many fathers, for in Christ
Jesus I became your father through the
gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me.”
It was the cry from a father’s heart

39. The Power of Example in the Family
In a Family, parents – fathers and mothers
are ‘suppose to be’ the best example
for the children
Our lives need to be VISIBLE to our
children...
 Our character
 Our values in life
 Our beliefs

42. The Power of Example in the Family
We also need to be VULNERABLE before
our children...
If we made a mistake – do we own up ?
If we jump to the wrong conclusion – do
we apologize ?
If we are having difficulties in our
relationships – what do we tell our
children ?

43. Quotes: “There are only three
ways to teach a child.
The 1st is by example,
the 2nd is by example,
& the 3rd is by example.”
“Example is not the
main thing in life—
it is the only thing.”
albert schweitzer

44. The Power of Example in the Family

45. The Power of Example in the Family
Our VICTORIOUS Faith our children must be
able to see & know that it’s real
 no pretending
 no excuses
Just being transparent, honest & vulnerable...
Just to share a Secret :
children most times can see through us ...
they know if it is real or not ...

46. That our Faith need to be VISIBLE,
VULNERABLE and VICTORIOUS.
this applies in any family relationship ...
dealing between Siblings, Uncles & Aunties,
Nieces & Nephews, Grand-children etc
Our family members must be able to sense
the authenticity of our faith
Esp so if you are the only “LIGHT”
in their midst
The Power of Example in the Family

47. The Power of Example in the FAMILY
4-Generations Blessing
Ref 2 Timothy 2:2:
“…and what you have heard from me in the
presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful
men who will be able to teach others also.”
FOUR “generations” of Christians in this verse:
 Paul,
 Timothy,
 “faithful men,” &
 “others also.”

48. The Power of Example
THE CHURCH
Heb 13:7 referring to church Leaders
“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word
of God to you. Consider the outcome of their
way of life and imitate their faith.”
In the Pastoral Epistles Timothy & Titus
Choosing of Elders & Deacons
Character / Reputation is very important
Not only themselves, also their wife &
children
Inside & Outside the church

49. The Power of Example in the CHURCH
THE CHURCH
In 1 Cor 5
Addressing the sin of sexual immorality
within the Corinthian Church
Paul was angry :
–not so much with the brother who sinned
–BUT with the Church for tolerating the sin
Even within the Church we need to be Visible,
Vulnerable & Victorious

50. The Power of Example in the CHURCH
We are the SSMC Church Family
On Sundays we gather for Celebration
The actual life of our church is in our small
groups called Discipleship Groups
 We have 37 DGs
 Numbers varies from about 8+ to 20+
 Meet weekly in different homes & also the
church
 If there is any ‘discipling’ to be done – it
must be done at the DG level

51. The Power of Example in the CHURCH
Discipling at DG level
 At DG meetings with 10 to 15 people
 We can share and most do share
 We may know about one another
 But very hard to truly know one
another in such a big group
Introducing “Disciplet” groupings within
DGs ...

52. DG
DG
DG DG
DG DG DG DG
Growing in
DG Discipleship
DG
DG

53. The Power of Example in the Church
Why “Disciplet” groupings within DGs
 Smaller numbers : min 2- max 4 only
 Other Guidelines given
 Share only what you are comfortable with
 Peer-Discipling
 We are to be our Brothers / Sisters keeper
 Praying that over time – Visibility,
Vulnerability and being Victorious in
sharing our faith will take root & grow

54. The Power of Example in the Church
4 CRITICAL Rules for “Disciplet” groupings
 CONFIDENTIALITY is most impt
 no COMPETITION
 no COMPARISON
 no CONDEMNATION
Growing in Discipleship

55. The Power of Example
The WORLD :
 In Jn 17, Jesus prayed that we be “IN THE
WORLD and yet not OF THE WORLD”
 We are called to be Light & Salt
 We are called to make a difference

57. The Power of Example in the WORLD
Paul had much to share on this topic :
Phil 4:9 “Whatever you have learned or
received or heard from me, or seen in me
— put it into practice.”
1 Tim 4:12 “ Don't let anyone look down on you
because you are young, but set an example
for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in
faith and in purity.”

58. The Power of Example in the WORLD
Paul also wrote :
Titus 2:7-8 “In everything set them an example
by doing what is good. In your teaching
show integrity, seriousness and soundness
of speech that cannot be condemned, so
that those who oppose you may be
ashamed because they have nothing bad to
say about us.”

59. Transformation Thru’ Discipling
Our Faith as Christians or as Disciples ...
IDENTICAL - To be Must always be
a Christian is to be VISIBLE
a Disciple At times be
Discipleship must VULNERABLE but
be INTENTIONAL At all times live a
Discipleship is VICTORIOUS
about IMITATING Christian life.
Christ

61. Transformation Thru’ Discipling

63. DISCIPLESHIP
Is A Journey ...
A journey of becoming less like
ourselves & more like Christ