Overview of Next Steps
Scripture tells us in Matthew 28:19-20 that, as Christians, we’re commanded to “go and make disciples”.
New Vision uses the concept of a baseball diamond to illustrate our discipleship process…FOUR HEALTHY HABITS for becoming disciples of Jesus Christ. When we accept Christ, when we make that first hit and “connect” with the ball, we run as fast as we can to round the bases to home plate. We’re a team of players focused on the same thing…connecting with Christ and bringing everyone we can along with us.
What is a Disciple?
Before he ascended into heaven, Jesus charged His followers with the mission of making disciples on earth. (Matthew 28:18-20). He earnestly desires that people know Him as eternal life and then give themselves over to the joy of making Him known around the world.
While the term, ’disciple’ may mean different things to different people, at New Vision, we believe the Bible characterizes healthy disciples in terms of 4 key habits that originate from Christ’s indwelling presence through the Holy Spirit.
The dictionary defines a habit as ‘an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary.’ A habit could be a “vice” or something else that is hard to break. On the flip side, “healthy habits” can be intentionally learned or acquired – something we choose to embrace from the inside out.
Because our #1 priority is making disciples, New Vision strives to equip believers with the knowledge, skills and opportunities needed to incorporate these healthy kingdom habits into their everyday lives. One of the ways we do this is through a series of Next Steps Classes.
It’s important to note that discipleship doesn’t happen overnight. It’s an ongoing process. Just like in baseball, the more time you spend practicing and playing, the more natural it becomes. What was once a challenge becomes second nature. As you spend time working with your teammates, the more you understand each others strengths and weaknesses, and the better equipped you are to encourage and help each other succeed.
We believe that a fully-developed disciple of Christ will make all four of these healthy habits a priority and incorporate them into their everyday lives.
What are the four healthy habits of disciples?
Healthy disciples have embraced what the Bible teaches and are committed to:
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| WORSHIP (1st Base) |
CONNECT (2nd Base) |
SERVE (3rd Base) |
GO (Home Plate) |
The New Testament affirms that the Christian life was meant to be lived in relationships. In fact, there are 58 commands in Scripture which cannot be obeyed apart from living in relationship with others. Each of these four biblical Habits of Healthy Disciples can only be fully adopted into our lives when we are living in community with other believers.
