3 Circles
Discipleship happens best in 3 contexts:
Life on life, life in community, and life on mission
Conversations to consider:
Conversation #1
the 3 Circles
💡 Bottom Line
The 3 Circles represent the 3 contexts for discipleship: life on life, life in community, and life on mission. No one context is sufficient on its own; all 3 are needed to shape us into fully-formed disciples.
📜 Read Together: Luke 5:1-11
ASK: “How does the disciples’ journey of following Jesus start?
TIP: Pay special attention to (1) what Jesus does/say and how they respond, (2) what the disciples do/say and how Jesus responds.”
💡 Explain
The disciples’ journey starts with Jesus at the center — notice when it really hits for Simon Peter (v.8), nothing in his life can remain the same so he follows Jesus with everything he can personally muster (v.11)
The disciples’ journey is in a community at the start — notice that while Simon is highlighted, he speaks and acts on behalf of a group (re-read for every plural, “they,” and “we”); his business partners, a pair of brothers at that, all join in a new community and new family centered on following Jesus together
The disciples’ journey starts with a mission — notice the change is not just personal or a community, but a movement into mission (v.10); they become “fishers of men,” a clear call to search, draw in, and engage others for Jesus too
If we want to follow Jesus, it must be the same way: life on life, in community, and on mission
💬 Discuss
Life on Life | The journey cannot begin without our personal choice. Simon Peter resisted the choice when first presented, then eventually followed. How do you resist the choice to lay down everything and make Jesus the centerpiece of your life?
Life in Community | We are familiar with the idea that Jesus must change our lives, but are we comfortable with Jesus changing our in front of others? Consider how being “life in community” means being close enough and honest enough to know one another’s best parts and worst parts. How does Peter’s reaction in v.8 echo your own reaction to this?
Life on Mission | We are familiar with the call Jesus makes on His disciples to be “fishers of men,” but we likely think “that’s their thing.” Put your names, jobs, or vocations into that call: “Do not be afraid, ____, you will now be _____ of people.” What is God calling you to do? Where has He put you in life, and who can you be a Jesus-influence for?
TIP: This last note on Mission may create future conversations on who to engage and how. Consider using the Names & Faces tool to continue this conversation.
⚠️ Which of the 3 are you missing? How will you change that starting today?
Discipleship happens when we follow Jesus Life on Life, Life in Community, and Life on Mission. Don’t let discipleship stall or go off track; bring the balance of all 3 to play in your lives today.
In a Picture
Discipleship happens best where all 3 contexts are present:
Life on life
Life in community
Life on mission
Conversation #2
The Bigger Picture
💡 Bottom Line
Different relational environments affects people in different ways. From big events down to one-on-one, how do we love people well, pursue their stories, and help them feel cared for?
📌 Recall our 1st Conversation
The Big Idea: Discipleship requires 3 contexts: can everyone name them? (life on life, life in community, and life on mission)
Re-read the Text: Luke 5:1-11 — can everyone name where the 3 contexts appear?
🙋 Ask a Question
TIP: Where do these 3 contexts fit into peoples’ church experience today? How do we or someone else get involved in the 3 contexts that discipleship requires?
💡 Explain
People engage in discipleship through the different “layers” of relationship we all engage in:
Large Gatherings (100+): Sunday Gatherings; events like concerts or sports games — by nature, we are mostly anonymous in this size (one in the crowd) but it can be a front door to more relationship (safe to observe and build trust before participating)
Medium Size (30-40+): Similar events, sports, or parties; cookouts, holiday gatherings — by nature, we become more relational, less anonymous, and yet it is still safe to observe and try to engage more before full participation
Small Group (10-20+): A group you can wrap your arms around or share a meal with — by nature, games, discussion, and closer communication become possible, if not required due to size. If trust has been formed at the larger and medium size gatherings, then newcomers can build trusting friendships and share in genuine care between the group. This is where “life in community” and “life on mission” are first experienced by those who desire it.
Few / Core (3-7 people): A committed group within the group who you can plan and share with deeply — by nature, this size allows for more intentional time, deeper conversations, and unlimited possibilities for organizing activities, engaging in mission, and so on. This closer “life in community” can care for each other and non-Christian friends in a way that larger groups may not.
1 on 1 (1-2 people): A committed pairing within the group who can share most fully and honestly with — by nature, this size is most flexible and adaptive, fitting into the margins around work and home, hobbies or tasks together, and so on. The complete focus of this relationship allows for deep trust to be built “life on life” and invest in “life on mission” to the fullest.
⏭️ This is a “big picture” look at how people generally move toward the 3 contexts. Clarify or review as needed before you discuss the implications below.
Pause to Discuss
Which of the 5 “layers” do I spend most of my time in? Am I engaged in any of the smaller layers (small group, few/core, 1 on 1)?
What can we do to better engage in a small group, with a few, or one-on-one? Am I giving myself every chance to share life on life, in community, and on mission?
How can we make it easier for new people to engage in these layers with us? Do we have large/medium size opportunities for them to “safely” try us? Are we giving others the chance to join our GC? How can we do this better?
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What could our GC do in the next month to “open the door” to new members?
Conversation #3
How we use this
💡 Bottom Line
In our church, we have large Sunday Gatherings before scattering into our local Gospel Communities and engaging in our personal discipleship with one another.
📌 Review our 1st & 2nd Conversations
We want to build on our first two conversations today:
Last Conversation: We talked about how people move from large gatherings to smaller groups, eventually becoming a part of discipleship in a more personal way. (Review as desired, but the most important idea to review is our big idea below.)
The Big Idea: Discipleship requires 3 contexts: can everyone name them? (life on life, life in community, and life on mission)
Re-read the Text: Luke 5:1-11 — can everyone name where the 3 contexts appear?
🙋 Ask a Question
TIP: How does this all play out in our church?
💡 Explain
People engage in discipleship through 3 key ways:
Sunday Gatherings (100+): the Bible is taught, and the group responds together learning, singing, and praying. While it can seem to be all about “the room,” it’s not! We gather around God, intent on worshipping and honoring Him. We gather together, sharing our gifts, volunteering our support, and show how we all love God and one another. This kind of gathering has a unique energy as so many people gather with one unique focus.
Wednesday Night Equipping & Events (30-40+): the Wednesday night classes and studies are open to all, as are our events; they are a great way to draw closer, meet more people, and build trust before full participation in the key to discipleship here.
Gospel Communities (10-20+): the key organizing feature of our discipleship here, GC’s are groups of disciples committed to sharing life on life, life in community, and life on mission. GC’s foster a closer family-like dynamic while intentionally helping one another follow Jesus and engage their friends with the Gospel.
Core Discipleship (3-5 people): A committed group within the GC that intentionally talk about discipleship with more depth and vulnerability. (Typically, this is gender-specific, women with women and men with men, so that honesty, safety, and sharing can be maximized.)
1 on 1 (1-2 people): The friendships we form most within those layers!
⏭️ Discuss as desired or continue to the next conversation.
Conversation #4
How we learn in these
💡 Bottom Line
People learn through more than just being told something. We must aim to influence head, heart, and hands through Biblical teaching, modeling, experiences, reflection, and the work of the Spirit.
🙋 Ask a Question
TIP: How do you learn best? Did you enjoy school, did you learn best in other ways?
💡 Explain
The way we learn is actually hugely important for discipleship:
Head: how a person thinks — information & ideas, what’s going on in the mind
Heart: how a person decides — motivation & conviction, what’s believed and felt to be most true
Hands: how a person acts — action & behaviors, what’s put into action or worked out with others
💬 Discuss
Which do you tend to prioritize most?
Which have you not considered in your discipleship?
Which do we not give full attention to in our GC?
🙋 Ask: how do we engage all 3 together?
Here are some ideas to start from:
Teach: teaching Biblical truth and applying it to every detail of life
Model: demonstrating a Christ-like lifestyle, observable in normal, everyday living
Experience: practicing in hands-on ways; actively try or imitate what’s been taught or modeled
Reflect: discussing what’s happening, taught, or seen
Coach: giving feedback on reflections, experiences, or application so as to improve
Supernatural: praying and inviting the Spirit to influence and shape our head, heart, and hands; God’s intervention to change, heal, and send us