Romans 12 – Disciple is a new branding of men’s ministry resources created in partnership with Thomas Nelson Publishers and best-selling author/internationally known men’s ministry leader, Dr. Jim Grassi. Jim has spent over thirty-three years developing curriculum and best practices to assist organizations and churches in providing culturally relevant and biblically based materials and messages th
at inspire, equip, educate, and help transform men into the likeness of Christ. In similar fashion to the Women of Faith Movement, Thomas Nelson Publishers is taking a bold step in developing the best resources to assist men in their spiritual development. This new Men’s Ministry Library will present unique resources that will help men walk in victory to execute God’s plan for their lives and ministries. Romans 12 – Disciple is an example of dynamic resources that direct men to an innovative way of thinking about their faith and relevant topics, such as:
*mentoring
*discipleship
*transitions
*finishing well
*intergenerational issues
*managing stress
*and more…
What is a Romans 12 – Disciple? While there are many good definitions for the word ‘disciple’, we believe that one of the best comes from the Apostle Paul in the book of Romans. Paul tells us a disciple is a person who:
*Offers one’s body as a living sacrifice – living a fully surrendered life to Christ (verse 1)
*Lives a transformed life with the renewing of his mind (verse 2a).
*Whose actions and attitudes follow the transformation of his mind (verse 2b).
*Has an appropriate view of himself (verse 3).
*Loves and clings to what is good and detest what is evil (verse 9).
*Honors others above self (verse 10).
*Is passionate about things of the Lord (verse 11).
*A disciple of Christ learns to think like his Master, to live like his Lord, and becomes *daily more and more like Jesus. The disciple is quick to share with those in need, especially to the household of faith (Gal. 6:10). It is good for us to remember that discipleship is the process God uses to conform us into the likeness of His Son. Our response to the Holy Spirit’s convicting and convincing voice is our gift back to a loving Father. Why is it important to provide mentoring material for men? For every ten men in the average church . . .
*nine will have kids who leave the church
*eight will not find their jobs satisfying
*five have a major problem with po*******hy
*four will get a divorce—affecting one million children each year
*only one will have a biblical worldview
*all ten will struggle to balance family and work. A man who becomes a disciple of Jesus will . . .
*influence his entire family to come to faith 93 percent of the time
*be a leader in both his home and his church
*find his whole life more satisfying
*be a future mentor of other men. Mentor and The True Disciple
Discipling a person is helping that person become Christ-like in his motives, attitudes, and daily living. Mentoring and discipleship are very similar – however, the essence of discipleship is finding a Spiritual Mentor with whom you can connect. It implies the heart of discipling another person within the context of a relational mentoring environment. That is to say, the most effective and long-lasting discipling relationships happen best when you seek to encourage and equip the person in areas beyond just the spiritual aspects of life. If you can find common interest areas, such as sports, hobbies, cultural interests, work, or family, your relationship will have dimensions that will help hold you together during trying times. During the time of Christ, a spiritual teacher or mentor was called a didaskalos (Luke 2:46). Jewish teachers taught through the use of a discipleship process, allowing the students to ask questions to which the teacher would reply. They did not have any official position and received no salary. These teachers were common men who cared enough about others to share their lives and experiences to help others deal with life. I define a Spiritual Mentor as someone who disciples another through the use of relational platforms so as to fully connect with the person being mentored. Being a Spiritual Mentor is ultimately about building a relationship that can help both parties become stronger in their faith. If we agree that the most precious of gifts is time, then the idea of investing in others or having someone invest in you is a special thing. We need Spiritual Mentors, true disciples, to reach out and encourage young men in things of the Lord.
