Practicing The Way of Jesus, Together, In Your City

What does it mean to “follow” Jesus?

We hear the language “follower of Jesus” all the time, but what does it mean to be a disciple, or apprentice, of the rabbi from Nazareth? Put simply, it means you re-organize your life around three goals:

1. Be with Jesus
2. Become like Jesus
3. Do what Jesus did

That’s it. But that’s an entire life's pursuit. It is not just an event on a Sunday, but a “way” of life in community around the teachings of Jesus. To live this way means we need to be transformed, from the inside out. Is this kind of deep, authentic radical change of character possible? Really? Even in the chaos of the modern, digital, urban world? The answer is: absolutely yes. Through teaching, practice, community, and the Holy Spirit, we can recover our humanity in apprenticeship to Jesus. 

---

Teachings

Before you begin the practices with your community, listen through these teachings to understand why practicing the way of Jesus is important and discover what they can do in your life.

1

Practicing The Way

What does it mean to “follow” Jesus? We must be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what Jesus did.

2

Be With Jesus

The first goal of apprenticeship to Jesus. But how do we “abide in the vine” in the chaos of the urban, digital world?

3

Become Like Jesus

How do we actually change to become like Jesus? Is real and authentic transformation really possible?

4

Do What Jesus Did

We are called to not only follow Jesus in spirit but we are called continue his work on earth as it is in heaven.

5

How We Change:
Teaching & Practice

Deep down, we all know we’re broken and need to change. The question is, how?

6

How We Change:
Key Thoughts on Practice

The spiritual disciplines are how we posture our mind and body to access the Holy Spirit.

7

How We Change:
Community

Community plays a vital role in our transformation. Discipleship to Jesus happens when we share life with people.

8

How We Change:
Community as Family

Central to Jesus’ vision of the Kingdom is the calling of a new family, not built around blood but around apprenticeship.

9

How We Change:
Community and Confrontation

Conflict is unavoidable in any relationship. Jesus taught us to deal with conflict to become a stronger, better community.

10

How We Change:
The Holy Spirit

Transformation is a partnership with God. It’s the Holy Spirit that plays the main role in our healing and freedom.

11

The Cross: Self-Denial in an Age of Self-Fulfillment

At the center of apprenticeship to Jesus is the cross. Now we wrestle with the call to self-denial in an age of self-fulfillment.

12

Hurry: The Great Enemy
of Spiritual Life

To live the way of Jesus, we have to slow down. But this is hard to do in the urban, digital world we call home.

---

Spiritual Formation Paradigms

There are two main thoughts on transformation; unintentional vs intentional. Here is our working paradigm for how the world plays an influential role in your life, whether you are aware of it or not. 

Unintentional Spiritual Formation

Intentional Spiritual Formation

---

Recommended Reading

Follow along with the recommended reading. We want to continually expand our minds and understanding of the way of Jesus. God wants us to love him not only with our hearts, souls, and strength, but with our minds as well. Here are our favorite books on the spiritual disciplines.