Discipleship

Becoming
More Like
Jesus

THIS IS YOUR DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE

Over the next six months, you will be challenged to grow to become more like Christ in your thoughts, your
actions, your speech, and your love for God and for others.

At Cornerstone, were passionate about

Our E3 Discipleship Groups are gender

imitating the life and ministry of Jesus. A disciple

specific groups that meet at least two times per

means learner or apprentice. As we look to

month with the clear goal of God shaping your

and learn from Jesus, we see that Jesus lived His

life to become more like Jesus. The groups will

life in three dimensions of relationships. His

meet for 6 months to one year, and then multiply

relationship with God the Father, His relationship

into new groups.

with believers, and His relationship with the

E3 groups provide a high challenge and high

world. Our Vision and Mission at Cornerstone is

support environment to help you grow. These

to make disciples who are growing in these three

groups function best with 3-4 people, and the

areas. We express this through our Experience,

goal is for each person to learn how to lead their

Equip, Engage terminology.

own group.

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CORNERSTONE VISION

What are we doing?

At Cornerstone, disciples are made who are experiencing new life in Christ,
who are equipped to follow Christ, and who are engaging our community
and world for Christ.

Why are we doing it?

Cornerstone Core Values - Our values guide our actions and show our
strengths.
Focus - We are all about Jesus
Transformation - We are growing to become more like Jesus
Authenticity - We are real people who value real relationships
Grace - We believe in second chances
Teamwork - We can accomplish more together
Celebration - We will celebrate what God is doing
Generosity - We will be radically generous
Commitment - We will be the church every day of the week
Truth - We will use the Bible as our authority and guide
Opportunity - We believe in the next generation

How are we doing it?

We want to guide people to take next steps in their faith. This is our discipleship
process
Experience: A place where you can belong
Through Sunday Services, LifeGroups, and Social Gatherings, people learn that
Cornerstone is more than a church, its a place where they can belong and learn
what it means to follow Christ.
Equip: A place to become the person God wants them to be
Through Sunday Services, LifeGroups, E3 Discipleship Groups, Classes, and
Service Opportunities, people learn that Cornerstone is a place where they can
grow in their faith and obedience to Christ.
Engage: A place to share new life with others
Through community service, mission work, and real life, people learn how to
share the love and life of Christ with others

When are we successful?

We measure how people progress through the steps. We will not become
consumed about attendance and budget, but instead we will focus on how
we are doing at making disciples.
experiencing new life in Christ - we will celebrate our baptisms
equipping - measure participation in LifeGroups and in our E3 discipleship groups
engaging - measure how many people are serving inside the church and outside
the church

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DISCIPLESHIP AT CORNERSTONE

apprentice, is to be with him in order to learn from him

how to do what he does, how to be like him.

THE CENTRALITY OF DISCIPLESHIP

The familiar words of Jesus from the close of the book

THE CONDITION OF SOUL IN THE DISCIPLE

It is important to note that the contestants on The

of Matthew are to Go . . . and make disciples of all the

Apprentice have a certain attitude or mentality about

nations. . . Making disciples and teaching them to do

what they are doing. Clearly all of them think that

what Jesus commanded is why the Church exists. In

whatever it has cost them to be on the show is well

his classic book, Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis

worth the reward. None of them are sweating the cost.

emphasizes this point powerfully:

What they are sweating is whether or not they will win,

whether or not they will get in on the greatest bargain of

The Church exists for no other purpose but to draw

their lives. Do you imagine that the eventual winner of

men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are

the contest will be concerned about having to leave

not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions,

family and friends, quit his/her job, and move to New

sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of

York City in order to be with Donald Trump?

time. God became Man for no other purpose. It is even

Those who would be disciples of Jesus must come

doubtful, you know, whether the whole universe was

to have a similar outlook. The contestants on The

created for any other purpose.

Apprentice see Donald Trump as the person to teach

C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York:

Macmillan, 1956), p.169-170.

them how to be successful in what they highly prize.

Similarly, if we want to be apprentices of Jesus, we will
have to come to view him as the person to teach us how

This is the first point I would make with respect to a

to have something we value more than any other thing

strategy for making disciples. The clearly stated and

in our world. We must come to see apprenticeship to

intently pursued goal of Cornerstone Community

him as the greatest deal anyone has ever oered us,

Church must be to make disciples.

well worth any cost we might have to pay. This is

My second point would be that if we want to make

disciples, we must ourselves be disciples. Jesus

exactly the point of two short parables Jesus used to

instruct the very first disciples.

command to make disciples was addressed to his

disciples. God is certainly able, and perhaps he

The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in

sometimes does use non-disciples to make disciples,

a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in

but his apparent preference is to use people who are

his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

disciples to make disciples.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
WHAT A DISCIPLE IS

looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great

Now if the purpose of Cornerstone Community

value, he went away and sold everything he had and

Church is to make disciples, and if we must be disciples

bought it. (Matthew 13:44-46, NIV)

in order to make disciples, we must have a precise

understanding of what being a disciple is. Perhaps a
good way to understand what it means to be a disciple

In his book, The Divine Conspiracy, Dallas Willard

explains the significance of these parables this way:

would be to think of the television program, The

Apprentice. The idea of the show, as I have

These little stories perfectly express the condition

understood it, is to have aspiring, young entrepreneurs

of soul in one who chooses life in the kingdom with

compete for the opportunity to become an apprentice to

Jesus. The sense of the goodness to be achieved by

business tycoon Donald Trump (for them, the

that choice, of the opportunity that may be missed, the

opportunity of a lifetime). If we consider what these

love for the value discovered, the excitement and joy

young people are competing for, I think we will have a

over it all, is exactly the same as it was for those who

good picture of what a disciple is.

were drawn to Jesus in those long-ago days when he

The fervent hope of each contestant on The

Apprentice is that they will win the opportunity to be

DISCIPLESHIP

The purpose of the Church is to make disciples.

first walked among us. It is also the condition of soul

from which discipleship can be eectively chosen today.

with Donald Trump in order to learn from him how to be

like him and how to do what he does. This is precisely

TO CONTINUE READING THE ENTIRE ARTICLE,

the nature of discipleship. To be Jesus disciple, his

VISIT www.mycornerstone.org/e3

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Mark Robinson
Elder at Cornerstone

MEETING FORMAT

Each group will meet at least twice per month for one
hour. Some groups may decide to meet weekly. The time
will be focused, and each person will be challenged to
grow in Christ-likeness.

EXPERIENCE [10 MINUTES]

Together, each group will challenge
each other in reading the Bible and
practicing Spiritual Disciplines. Each time
you gather, the group will go over
assignments and new ideas about
experiencing true life in Christ using this
Cornerstone E3 Guide.
EQUIP [30 MINUTES]
Use the following questions as a
launchpad for discussion about the
things God is in conversation with you
about. Fight for each others hearts!
Remember that healing comes as you
confess your sins to God and each other
(James 5:16)

How have you experienced life in Christ this week?

How have you equipped yourself to live in Christ?
How have you engaged your community for Christ?
Did you make enough space for prayer?
Did you do your job to the glory of God?
Did you experience the power of the Holy Spirit in
your life?
Have you lacked integrity?
Have you been honoring, understanding and
generous in your important relationships this
week?
Have you damaged another person by your words,
either behind their back or face-to-face?
Have you given in to an addictive behavior this
past week? Explain.
Were you anxious, afraid, nervous or living in
peace?
Did you miss any opportunities because of a lack of
boldness or trust?
Have you been completely honest with me?

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ENGAGE [10 MINUTES]

Life is war. Thats not all it is. But it is
always that. Prayer is primarily a
wartime walkie-talkie for the mission of
the church as it advances against the
powers of darkness and unbelief. It is
not surprising that prayer malfunctions
when we try to make it a domestic
intercom to call upstairs for more
comforts in the den.
Pray for two people you are personally
connected to who dont know Jesus to
come to know Jesus. Pray for
opportunities to serve others in the name
of Christ. Pray with passion and
expectancy. Pray and God will change
your heart. Pray and you will be moved
into action.

PRAYER THEMES

Father, send your Holy Spirit to draw ___

to yourself (John 6:44, John 16:7-11)
May ___ hear and believe the Word of
God (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
Father, restrict Satan from blinding ___ to
the truth (2 Corinthians 4:4, 2 Tim.
2:25-26)
Give me the opportunity to interact with
___ about Jesus (Ephesians 6:19-20, Col
4:3-6)
Father, tear down any walls or barriers
that prevent ___ from coming to know you
(2 Corinthians 10:4-5)
Father, surround ___ with other people
who will point them to Jesus (Matthew
9:38)

We will focus on our relationship with God

John 10:10 - I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Matthew 22:37 - Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with

all your mind.

EXPERIENCE

Experience Checklist
Read the New Testament with Your E3 Group (you can download a reading plan at
www.mycornerstone.org/e3
Read through the Story Brochure and be familiar with sharing the story of the Bible with others
Share your personal testimony with the Group (for more help read Just Walk Across the Room
or Share Jesus Without Fear)
Study the Nine Sacred Pathways (from the book by Gary Thomas and listed oat
www.mycornerstone.org/e3) and take the assessment found on the website to discover the
way you connect with God
Share your plan on how to integrate spiritual disciplines into your life with the group
Complete a Spiritual Growth Plan for the next year.
Pick a book to read on Experiencing Life in Christ from our resources page on the website
(www.mycornerstone.org/resources) and share what you learned with the group.

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We will focus on our relationship with other believers.

Ephesians 4:11-13 - It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be
evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare Gods people for works of service, so that the body
of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and
become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Equip Checklist
Choose 1 Other Discipleship book and share a summary of it with the group (Building a
Discipling Culture, r12, Choose the Life, Crazy Love, Not a Fan, Radical)
Read a Summary of All the Commands of Jesus

Be familiar with all 8 Lifeshapes shared by Mike Breen and be familiar with how to use them to
explain Biblical truth
Be familiar with the Multiply Material at the Multiply Movement website, and use as needed in
your group.
Lead at least one meeting for your E3 Discipleship Group
Identify and invite 3 to 4 people to disciple after you complete this group

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EQUIP

Complete the Growthfinder Assessment (your E3 leader will give you directions)

We will focus on our relationship with the world.

Engage Checklist
Complete the Spiritual Gifts Inventory on our website and identify your top spiritual gifts
Complete the Five-fold ministry Inventory and Identify your leadership strength
Find a place to serve in ministry at Cornerstone
Participate in a Servant Evangelism Project

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ENGAGE

Matthew 28:19-20 - Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And
surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Acts 1:8 - But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Multiply by David Platt and Francis Chan

David Platt and Francis Chan have launched a new website, The Multiply Movement,
along with a new book, Multiply. What makes this unique is the discipleship curriculum
they created isavailablefor free on the website.
There are 24 online lessons,availableon the web, as a free pdf file, and included in
the book. Each lesson is meant to be used in a small discipling group. David Platt and
Francis Chan have also created a series of videos to be used with the study.
This material can be used in our E3 groups as a resource for those we are discipling

Multiply is designed as a simple resource that you can use to begin making disciples.
Our prayer is that it will give you the confidence you need to step out in faith and
disciple the people whom God has placed in your life. This is another tool we can use
as we reach out to teach and disciple others.
There are 24 lessons designed to be taught and discussed over a period of 24 weeks.
The topics covered include:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

Living as a Disciple Maker

Living as the Church
How to Study the Bible
Understanding the Old Testament
Understanding the New Testament

Go to http://www.multiplymovement.com to download the

resources and watch the videos.

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LifeShapes
Building A Discipling Culture by Mike Breen
In the book, Building a Discipling Culture, Mike Breen shares a visual model for how to
teach discipleship to others. He uses eight shapes to convey Spiritual Truth.
These are not meant to be eight balls to juggle simultaneously, or eight plates to keep
spinning constantly, or eight more things to add into your busy diaries. They are
meant to be eight reminders to live a passionate life of following our Lord Jesus. You
may find yourself prompted to focus on one shape now, and then perhaps in several
weeks or months or years another shape will come in to focus. Seek the Lord on this:
use the shapes as visual reminders of the comprehensiveness of the life of discipleship.

The Circle -Continuous Breakthrough

The learning circle helps us identify the significant events of our lives in
a way that enables us to move deeper into Gods will. To put it
another way, it helps us discern when God is speaking to us through
the events of life, and to do something about it. The time has come,
the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news.
Mark 1:15. The key thing is to look for a Kairos moment: a
significant event (positive or negative, never neutral; leave an impact
on you; signaling an opportunity to grow spiritually and emotionally)
and then (prayerfully) enter into the circle of learning (3 steps to
repentance (=changing ones mind) and 3 steps to faith (=doing
something about it).

The Semi-Circle - Fruitful Living

The Semi-Circle is the pendulum that swings from rest to work and
back: We see this pattern in Jesuss life. He started his ministry with a
time of abiding (desert experience) we tend to launch straight in and
rest when we burn out!
So the rhythm is:
Abiding resting, being in the Fathers presence, being not doing.
Growing not the end of itself, but an essential part of being
healthy.
Fruitfulness productivity, one important aspect of which is (for the
Christian) making disciples of others.
Pruning prayerfully reducing our commitments, creating new
space, cutting back stuff which has had its time, or which needs to lie
fallow for a while.
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LifeShapes
The Triangle - Deeper Relationships
So the triangle reminds us to develop all three relationships in a
balanced way:
Up consciously inviting Jesus into our daily activities (not just a
quiet time detached from the rest of the day, or a church service
divorced from the rest of the week)
In building meaningful relationships with fellow believers with
whom we can share our spiritual journeys and support each other in
love (Jesus said that by our love for one another we would be known
as His). Building community that the world is in fact very hungry
for!
Out developing loving friendships with people in the wider world,
serving the world as Jesus did.

The Square - Multiplying Life

The Square is the vision and strategy for leading people in an E3
Group. Teaching someone how to hammer a nail is different than
training someone to read blueprints and how to build a house from the
ground up. The Square leads us through the process of learning
covenant and kingdom, the blueprints for the kingdom life on earth
and also the process of acquiring the tools and skills to invest in the
kingdom of God daily. Our E3 Groups are the process where a master
spiritual craftsman leads apprentices through the 4 main stages to
becoming master spiritual craftsmen themselves, with the capacity to
lead others through the same process.

The Pentagon - Personal Calling

The Pentagon is about the five ministries that Paul mentions in
Ephesians 4:7-16 (a letter destined to many churches, and not just a
specific one, making it easy to broadly apply the principles within).
Traditionally these ministry gifts were seen as for church leaders only,
but many recent interpretations disagree. For to each of us grace has
been given The letter is not about leadership, it is about the church
body. So we all occupy one side of the pentagon as our base
ministry with which we are primarily called to serve the church body.
We are all called to use our ministry gifts to build the church so that
the body of Christ may be built up and attain maturity.

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LifeShapes
The Hexagon - Definitive Prayer
The Hexagon is simply a reminder of the way Jesus told us to pray.
When the disciples asked Jesus how to pray, he said pray this
way. He didnt say heres one approach you might like to try.
So we should take it very seriously.
Read Matt 6:9-13 again. It wasnt wordy, extensive, or techniquefilled. It certainly wasnt a set form of words to use every time. It
was simple, profound, multi-dimensional and rich; a framework that
guides us beyond our habitual prayers into prayers of adoration,
confession, intercession, petition, guidance and warfare. It is
praying about one thing: our Father in heaven. It is praying about
three things: up, in and out.

The Heptagon - Spiritual Depth

Biology has taught us there are seven characteristics that identify all
living organisms (the mnemonic is MRS GREN). Each one applies to
physical life but also to spiritual life and growth, and we can use them
to assess the vitality of our spiritual life. Jesus used illustrations from
natural life an awful lot to make points about spiritual life (trees, seeds,
birds, vines, ).
This similarity between physical and spiritual life makes sense of
course, as we are physical and spiritual beings designed by the Author
of Life! These principles apply to our individual lives but also to the life
of the church body (theres that organic metaphor again!).

The Heptagon - Relational Mission

The final shape, the Octagon, is all about moving away from a notion
of evangelism (spreading the good news of Jesus) that is guilt-based
and guilt-ridden, and releasing us into Jesuss way of sharing the good
news: grace-based and spirit-led.
The key to this approach is finding the Person of Peace. Read Luke
10:1-11 and you see that the disciples were sent to find the person of
peace, someone open/receptive to the message, and a gatekeeper to
their whole town/community. Stay with the person of peace, says
Jesus, and you will reach their community. We need to move away
from dragging people into our communities and actually work with
people in whom God is working, and create new Christian communities
around the person of peace and their network of relationships.
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