The Biblical Model for Discipleship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Biblical Model for Discipleship - Essay Example Applying Paul’s ministry to this week’s lesson on the â€Å"Biblical Model for Discipleship†, I have realized that obeying God and being a faithful servant of His is simple. It can basically be summed up to – A change of heart, a change of life. According to Michael Mitchell, in his book, â€Å"Leading, Teaching, and Making Disciples†, the Biblical model for discipleship could be achieved in as easy as four steps – Accepting God’s words; Listen and Apply; Study God’s word to gain more understanding; and lastly, Walking in the ways of Good Men (Mitchell, Michael R., Leading, Teaching, and Making Disciples). In studying the book of Philippians, a book written by Paul in his journey to win the people of Philippi to God, we can see Paul’s practical approach in ministering to the Philippians that are as 1 practical as the four steps of discipleship suggested by Michael Mitchell. To get a clearer background of what he did, it i s best to look at the verses of Philippians 4: 1-2 which says, â€Å"Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends! 2  I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.† (Bible Gateway, Philippians 4 NIV). We can see that Paul started his teaching to the Philippians by directing them to having a heart and mind that is in line with God’s will. We all know that our hearts and minds direct us towards certain actions that may or may not be pleasing to God. The danger of sin only happens when we set plans in our lives without consulting God first. Thus, Paul urges the Philippians here to start their walk with God by teaching their hearts and minds to get to know who God really is and what He wants us to do, so obedience would be easier and purposeful, knowing that despite the rocky roads you are sent to take, you know you are on your way to giving God the glory He deserves. This complements the first model of discipleship which is to accept God’s word and having faith to do it. Also, in Philippians 4: 5-7, that says, â€Å"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus†, we can see that Paul encourages the Philippians to listen and apply God’s teachings even when it seems impossible or unreasonable at times, parallel to Mitchell’s second model for discipleship. We all know that in our Christian life, it is easy to hear God’s word and 2 accept them as truth. However, the challenge for us is greatly seen in how well we stick to what we know and actually obey God despite persecutio ns, inconvenience, and doubt. Today, especially when the world presents so much good things that are not necessarily pleasing to God, the only way we can fight temptation is to cling onto God’s word and promises, and rely on His grace to help us withstand it all. To sum up Paul’

How to balance online school work with family demands Essay

How to balance online school work with family demands - Essay Example These days, it is quite popular (Hinkle, 2009). The advantage of distance learning is that it seeks to maintain a balance between family and education. In addition, individuals are free to pursue the fields that they feel are more suited to their interests. It also allows the students to study freely and at their own pace. It has the further benefit of costing less (Zimmerman, pp. 39-41). However, there are always problems associated with time management. Most of the individuals who are studying online are mature adults who have the responsibility of the household and various family demands. Therefore, there is an inherent challenge associated with managing both things at the same time. A study done in United Kingdom showed that adults have faced problems trying to balance online education with the demands of family and household chores (Wheeler, pp.32). Pursuing education is an amazing experience; however, it requires a lot of time and patience. It can be quite exhausting doing all the cooking, cleaning, looking after children, and studying as well. On a personal level, I have faced numerous difficulties because my family demands came in the way of my studies. One such example was when I had to submit a paper, and suddenly one of my children fell ill. Now child requires my constant attention, and mostly I put him to sleep while I am studying. However, the paper was extremely lengthy and my child was constantly crying. A crying child in hands while typing away on the laptop is an extremely excruciating experience. A person has to think of the child first, while there is a constant nagging at the back of the mind that there is a lot of work to be done, which may include laundry, ironing, cooking, and obviously studying. Another worrisome thought is also to protect the electronic gadget from the child’s hands. The child demanded constant attention, and even when I took him to the doctor, I had to wait quite a lot. Buying medicines, rushing home, forcing th e medicine down the child’s throat, and finally putting him to sleep took away all my energy. Quite obviously, I submitted my paper late and I had to deal with many issues. My other child is an avid sportsperson. He participates in softball and basketball. I have to manage driving him around to his games and sitting to cheer him on during these games. He expects me to be there with him for all the games and he ends up getting hurt if I even talk about missing one game. Caught up in work and extended family issues, I could not prepare properly for an exam that was coming up. The final match of my son’s basketball team had to be one day before the exam. Well, that is my fate, I guess. Sitting with books, with my other child on the next seat constantly tugging my hand for drinks and popcorn, and trying to cheer my child was an extremely agonizing experience. The question was to study or not to study. Although I managed to secure good marks in the exams, but it did require a night of staying up to study, already exhausted from the day. Therefore, the point of sharing my personal experiences was that although distance learning has made me return to education, it is still not as convenient as people might think it is. However, quite a lot of time has passed since I have been pursuing online education, and I love almost every minute of it. On weekends usually, I cook quite a lot of food and deep freeze it. In addition, I do the laundry and