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DISCIPLE How We Make Disciples -Part 4 02/22/26 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 Greek Context make disciples - μαθητεύσατε (controlling verb) Everything else modifies: Authority – “All authority…” Scope – “All nations…” Means – “Baptizing… teaching…” Content – “All I commanded…” Duration – “To the end of the age…” Conclusion - Mission is to Make Disciples The Seat - Christ’s Authority Defines the Mission Church is under Christ’s Authority Mission originates from Christ Success if defined by Obedience to this command Disciple making isn’t tangential - It is the Center Everything we do must be supporting Disciple-Making Spiritual Parenthood - Leg 1 I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children.For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me.For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and who will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church. 1 Corinthians 4:14-17 Spiritual Leadership is Parental (See 1 Thess. 2:7, 11; Gal. 4:19) God’s model has always been Parent Child Maturity is not how much you know but who depends on you spiritually To be a Spiritual Parent you must be parenting A Spiritual Parent is intentionally discipling someone Parents Produce Parents - Leg 2 “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” 2 Tim. 2:2 Truth must be entrusted, not merely taught The design is reproducibility Select faithful people, train them to train others Parenting is slow initially, strong structurally, sustainable to future generations Growth through Obedience - Leg 3 “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.” Col. 1:28 The command is not Teach them what I commandedThe Command is Teach them to observe what I commanded Information does not produce growth, Obedience produces growth Teaching without Obedience is not the Great Commission Discipleship requires Explanation and Modeling as well as: Accountability Correction Application Without accountability, teaching becomes information Without practice, growth becomes theoretical Relational Proximity and Cost - Leg 4 “We were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives…” 1 Thessalonians 2:8 Entrusting requires Access Discipleship is Relational Truth is Transferred through Life-Sharing To Love like Christ means Living like Christ You cannot Disciple at Arms Length - There is a Cost: Time Emotional exposure Access to real struggles Correction conversations Vulnerability Ongoing contact Parenthood always invests - It always costs Understanding Spiritual Growth Share Connection Minister Disciple Dead Infant Child Young Adult Parent

MINISTER How We Make Disciples 02/15/26 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. Ephesians 4:11–16 Authority - Christ Designs Ministry “He gave” Christ designed the Church not man God is the Head the ultimate authority Structure - Leaders Equip “for the equipping of the saints” Pastors/Elders do not do the ministry - they prepare others to do it Equipping implies - training, preparing, strengthening, maturing Job Description - Saints to the Ministry “for works of service” Saints are the ministers Every believer carriers a ministry assignment Purpose - Ministry Builds the Body “to the building up of the body of Christ, to attain unity of the faith, to the full knowledge of the Son of God” Ministry isn’t busywork it is how the body grows up Ministry puts doctrine into practice - unity and love in action Goal - Maturity and Stability “to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children . . . when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” Each individual part grows Each individual part works properly The whole body grows - Church impacts the world Minister 1) Abide First - Ministry Flows from Union “Apart from me you can do nothing” John 15:5 “For the love of Christ controls us” 2 Corinthians 5:14 Ministry without God and God’s love is just busyness, performance, pride Union leads to Love - Love leads to Service 2) Shift - Consumer to Contributor “Created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 “As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another…” 1 Peter 4:10 Created with expectation of growth and good works Gifts are given to be used not stored See Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12 3) Responsibility - Ministry is Ownership “Bear one another’s burdens . . .” Gal. 6:2 ““Not merely looking out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4 “Let us consider how to stimulate one another…” Hebrews 10:24-25 Ministry isn’t random kindness - it is ownership - we are family Maturity is shifting from self to others 4) Training Ground - Ministry Prepares Disciple-Makers “equip the saints” Eph. 4:12 “So that we present every man complete in Christ” Colossians 1:28 Ministry prepares Christians to live Christ in the world Ministry grows all who practice it Ministry is the bridge from connection to reproduction Understanding Spiritual Growth Share Connection Minister Disciple Dead - Infant Child Young Adult Parent

CONNECT How We Make Disciples – Part 2 2/8/2026 Discipleship breaks down when people disconnect. CONNECT is how we make sure no one walks alone. Relationship: Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 ESV Connected: Abide in me, and I in you… apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:4–5 ESV Community: …the whole body, joined and held together… makes the body grow. Ephesians 4:16 ESV Responsibility: Let us consider how to stir up one another… not neglecting to meet together. Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV Impact: By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34–35 ESV CONNECT means intentionally connecting believers to God and to other believers — so no one walks alone. I. CONNECT THE UNCONNECTED From Isolation to Belonging They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship… Acts 2:42 ESV Connect the Unconnected means helping people find their place and their people. Two are better than one… Woe to him who is alone when he falls. Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 ESV II. INVITE AND INVEST From Casual Contact to Shared Life Abide in me, and I in you… John 15:4 ESV …that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.. 1 John 1:3 ESV Invite and Invest means opening your life and walking with someone toward Christ. III. PURSUE THE MISSING From Drift to Restoration And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.… Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 3:13 ESV People rarely drift because they stop believing. They drift because no one is speaking into their life anymore. The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. Luke 19:10 ESV Pursue the missing means noticing when people drift and lovingly pursuing them back into connection. CONNECT means we help people find their place, walk with them intentionally, and pursue them when they drift — because no one is meant to walk alone. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:35 ESV God calls us to stay connected because sin deceives quietly, hearts harden slowly, and encouragement is His daily protection.

Give Online: https://pushpay.com/pay/gatecitychristian Website: https://www.gatecitychristian.com/ Decision Card: https://gatecity.churchcenter.com/people/forms/371658 SHARE How We Make Disciples 02/01/26 Five Foundational Verses On SHARE Commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 Power: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 Identity: “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us” 2 Corinthians 5:20 The Necessity: “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?” Romans 10:14-15 The Method: “But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.” 1 Thess. 2:7–8 SHARE 1) Share Begins with Identity - We Incarnate Christ Sharing flows from who we are, not what we do. Jesus begins with Identity The disciples don’t try - they do because they are Read Galatians 2:20 As a church: • We form a culture where Christlikeness is normal • Stress growth in embracing identity People experience God through us before they know Him personally 2) Share Flows Through Relationship - Not a Script Disciples share from relational proximity, not distance Evangelism is a relational process You can’t invite people into a life you're not actually living - Know them by love See 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 above As a church: • Encouraging believers to see everyday life as mission • Structuring groups around shared life, not just curriculum • Creating environments where people can belong before believing • Removing pressure to “close the deal” • Valuing long-term presence over quick outcomes Relationship is the context, not the conclusion 3) Share Begins with Testimony and Leads to Theology God calls disciples to begin with witness, not argument Testimony is the pathway to theology Sharing exposes our self reliance - “I” - Instead live Spirit-dependent Every Disciple Can Share Who I Was - my life before How I Encountered God - the turning point What is Being Changed by God - ongoing transformation Now Let Me Tell You Who God Is - gospel truth Read 1 Peter 3:14–16 As a church: • Teaching simple testimony frameworks • Helping believers connect life change to gospel truth • Giving clear language to explain who God is • Teaching Spirit-dependence, not a self help center • Emphasize and normalize obedience - submitting to Father’s will Our lives becomes evidence of the gospel message 4) Share Invites People Into A Discipleship Journey - In Community Sharing moves people toward a shared life ordered around God It is NOT about a moment, a program, or an event It is about adoption, identity, community, transformation, and purpose Read Acts 2:42-47 As a church: • Create a culture of Discipleship • Be ready to receive who disciples invite • Making next steps relational and visible • Structure around giving God glory and helping disciples make disciples We invite people into a community where God is forming and sending disciples SHARE PROCESS Be changed → identity Be present → relationship Bear witness → testimony + theology Invite → discipleship + community

Give Online: https://pushpay.com/pay/gatecitychristian Website: https://www.gatecitychristian.com/ Decision Card: https://gatecity.churchcenter.com/people/forms/371658 FISHERS OF MEN What is a Disciple – Part 4 01/25/26 And He said to them “Come follow after Me and I will make you fishers of men. Matthew 4:19 ESV Come - δεῦτε (deute) come, come here, come now: imperative relational invitation δεῦτε carries the force of a warm but urgent imperative: “come here/come now.” It functions as a summons that demands personal response, never mere observation. After - ὀπίσω (opisō) behind, after, in submission ὀπίσω in this context is commanding a direct repositioning. Follow after me is establishing God’s authority and your position in relationship to Him. I will make - ποιέω (poieó) to be the author of; to make or do; to form/fashion ποιέω is serving as a statement of promise that God (Jesus) will be the author of the action taking place in their lives. He will do this work provided they follow in obedience Fishers of men - ἁλιεῖς ἀνθρώπων (halieus anthrópos) is more than a wordplay; it foretells the global mission inaugurated at Pentecost and sustained through the church’s evangelistic witness. A life-long mission for which we are all called. “Fishers of Men” “Fishers of Men” Is a New Career, a New Life Purpose - God uses vocational language - Jesus takes what defined their life and replaces it with something greater - They don’t just believe something new, they become something new Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:17–18 Jesus is declaring a new way of “being” “Fishers of Men” Isn’t an add-on - It supersedes All - Jesus is becoming the organizing center of their lives - God’s plan for me is “IT” (period) And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23 ESV But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ”. Philippians 3:7–8 ESV Jesus doesn’t recruit volunteers — He conscripts entire lives “Fishers of Men” Is Now Lens for Every Decision - When mission becomes identity everything is clear - Fishing defines everything And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17 ESV The Modern Christian asks “How will God’s mission fit into my life?” God says “I want your life to be my Mission” “Fishers of Men” Is Living Who You Have Become - The early disciples didn’t try to obey — they lived who they had become - Not because they were exceptional —but because this is who they were now - Its about Identity first not performance driven - Who you are drives what you do! But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:19–20 ESV Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20 ESV Disciples today are not called to try harder we are called to live out who Christ has already made us to be Discipleship Definition At Gate City a disciple: knows and follows Christ (head) is being changed by Christ (heart) Is committed to the mission of Christ (hands)

Give Online: https://pushpay.com/pay/gatecitychristian Website: https://www.gatecitychristian.com/ Decision Card: https://gatecity.churchcenter.com/people/forms/371658 What is Discipleship I Will Make You Joshua Robinson 01/18/26 “And He said to them “Come follow after Me and I will make you fishers of men” Matthew 4:19 Come - δεῦτε (deute) come, come here, come now: imperative relational invitation δεῦτε carries the force of a warm but urgent imperative: “come here/come now.” It functions as a summons that demands personal response, never mere observation. After - ὀπίσω (opisō) behind, after, in submission ὀπίσω in this context is commanding a direct repositioning. Follow after me is establishing God’s authority and your position in relationship to Him. I Will Make - ποιέω (poieó) to be the author of; to make or do; to form/fashion ποιέω is serving as a statement of promise that God (Jesus) will be the author of the action taking place in their lives. He will do this work provided they follow in obedience “I will make you” “I Will Make You” Is a Promise, Not a Command God establishes His authority God owns the outcome “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6 Jesus is not motivating effort — He is declaring intent “I Will Make You” Assumes Your Inability, Not Your Potential Requires surrender - “I cannot on my own” Hopelessness of self-effort comes before transformation “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 “So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” Romans 9:16 “Scripture doesn’t say, ‘You can do this.’ It says, ‘God will do this through you” “I Will Make You” Implies Process, Not Instant Change Only after surrender can process be trusted God declares the destination not the timeline Growth takes time - Delayed gratification “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.” 2 Cor. 3:18 Transformation is process God carries out over time “I Will Make You” Requires Remaining When It’s Unclear God is asking for commitment before the “where” and “how” are answered We don’t change direction when answers or our understanding are incomplete Only through abiding can transformation happen Transformation happens as God wants not as you desire “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Prov. 3:5-6 “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” Hebrews 11:8 Following Jesus means trusting Him when clarity is missing. “I Will Make You” Requires leaning in to God’ Will - “Time under tension” “I will make you” calls disciples not to control the process, but to remain present and obedient while God applies the pressure that produces change. Scripture consistently shows that lasting transformation happens when God’s people do not withdraw from discomfort, but stay attentive to the Spirit, continue in obedience, and trust God’s work even when it stretches them. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:4–5 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11 God directs the pressure.God supplies the strength.Our role is to remain, obey, and not pull away. Discipleship Definition Our Definition At Gate City a disciple: knows and follows Christ (head) is being changed by Christ (heart) is committed to the mission of Christ (hands)