The Invested Life

by Rosenberg, Joel C.; Koshy, T. E.

• ISBN13: 9781414376370
• ISBN10: 1414376375
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-09-01
• Publisher: Tyndale House Pub

Summary

Every follower of Jesus Christ should be able to answer two simple questions: Who is investing in me? Who am I investing in? God desires to pour an abundance of spiritual and emotional capital into your life. And he wants to use you to pour spiritual and emotional capital into others. Along the way, you'll be changed. Others will change. You will experience God and his community in a new and personal and supernatural way. And so will others.God calls this process of spiritual investing "making disciples." It's the heart of the Great Commission. It's the vision of a great local church. It's the secret of a healthy joyful, secure, and significant life.

Author Biography

Joel C. Rosenberg is the founder and president of The Joshua Fund and the New York Times bestselling author of books such as Epicenter, Inside the Revolution, and Implosion: Can America Recover from Its Economic and Spiritual Challenges in Time?, with more than 2.5 million copies in print. He and his wife, Lynn, were discipled in college by Dr. T. E. Koshy. Dr. T. E. Koshy is a senior pastor, Bible teacher, and church planter. Born and raised in India, he is the founding director of International Friendship Evangelism, has been the evangelical chaplain at Syracuse University for over forty years, and is pastor-at-large for The Joshua Fund. He is also one of three elders overseeing some six thousand evangelical congregations in India, Pakistan, Europe, and Asia.

Table of Contents

How to Use This Book	p. xi
Note to the Reader	p. xiii
Ask Two Simple Questions	p. 1
God the Investor	p. 2
Seven Ways This Book Can Help You	p. 10
Is This Book for You?	p. 11
Testimony	p. 17
Defining Discipleship	p. 21
Discipleship throughout Scripture	p. 25
Three Characteristics of a Disciple	p. 28
A Personal Relationship with Jesus Christ	p. 29
A Relationship with an Older, Wiser Reliever	p. 32
Relationships with Younger Believers	p. 34
Essential Understanding	p. 36
Missing the Trees for the Forest	p. 38
Testimony	p. 42
Be Discipled	p. 51
Pray	p. 51
Seek	p. 52
Pastors, Ministry Leaders, and Missionaries	p. 52
Lay Leaders	p. 57
New Believers	p. 60
What to Look for in a Discipler	p. 62
Ask	p. 67
Testimony	p. 74
Follow Jesus' Model	p. 83
Making Disciples Jesus' Way	p. 83
Loving God	p. 84
Communicating the Good News	p. 85
Asking for Disciples	p. 86
The Keys to Discipleship	p. 86
The Importance of Numbers	p. 87
The Importance of Being Personal	p. 88
The Importance of Preaching	p. 90
The Importance of God's Power	p. 92
Testimony	p. 95
Prayerfully Choose	p. 103
Fishing in Your Own Pond	p. 106
Looking for F.A.T. Christians	p. 109
Faithful	p. 110
Available	p. 112
Teachable	p. 115
Testimony	p. 121
Get Started	p. 129
Important Questions	p. 130
How Many People Should I Work With?	p. 130
How Do I Ask Someone If He Would Like to Be Discipled?	p. 131
If He Says Yes, How Do We Get Started?	p. 134
Okay, So I've Invited Him over to My Home. Now What?	p. 136
Testimony: Marriage	p. 155
Go Deeper	p. 161
The Importance of Fellowship	p. 163
The Importance of Tithing and Giving	p. 166
The Importance of Sexual Purity	p. 167
The Importance of Long-Suffering	p. 170
The Importance of Spiritual Leadership	p. 172
The Importance of Spiritual Gifts	p. 174
Spiritual Gifts in Ephesians 4:7-16	p. 174
Spiritual Gifts in Romans 12:1-8	p. 176
Spiritual Gifts in 1 Corinthians 12	p. 177
Five Key Points about Spiritual Gifts	p. 179
The Importance of the Church	p. 182
The Four Purposes of the Church	p. 182
The Local Church in the Book of Acts	p. 183
Testimony	p. 186
Worship Together	p. 207
Worshiping in Spirit and Truth	p. 211
The Lord's Table	p. 218
The Posture of Worship	p. 219
The Sacrifice of Praise	p. 223
Our Spiritual Birthright	p. 225
Silence and Solitude	p. 227
Testimony	p. 232
Track your Progress	p. 261
A Discipleship Checklist	p. 261
Give an Account	p. 271
Spiritual Audit: The Great Commandments	p. 271
Spiritual Audit: The Great Commission	p. 273
When Is Your Task Complete?	p. 274
The Cost of Not Making Disciples	p. 275
Additional Recommended Reading	p. 279
About the Authors	p. 281
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