We have been rescued and resettled. In the Gospels, Jesus regularly talks about our new kingdom. He defines what his kingdom is like. He describes those who inhabit this kingdom. Then, the New Testament writers urge us to live ‘Kingdom-normal’ lives in this world. The ways of God’s kingdom and the fruit of his Spirit — though once strange to us — now become more normal than the patterns of the world.

The aim of discipleship at Port City Community Church is to know the God who looks like Jesus, to trust him with everything, and to make Kingdom life more normal, less foreign. This is true for us individually and for us together as a church. Whatever your story, we invite you to join us as you journey with Christ or take your first steps toward him.

We use five ‘gauges’ to help us assess our training as disciples. How are we ‘ripening’ in each one? How real are these statements becoming in our Actual Lived Life?

1. HUMILITY | “God is great. God is good. And God is near.”
   We are growing in our dependence on God. We stay present with him and respond with reverence, wonder, and awe. (Matt. 22:37-40, 1 John 5:2, Rev. 5:11-13)

2. RESPONSIBILITY | “We are faithful stewards of the many forms of God's grace.”
   We are growing in our handling of God's gifts. We receive and take hold of everything he wants to give us. (John 15, 2 Cor. 12:9, 1 Peter 4:10)
   

3. ACCLIMATION | “People like us (new identity) do things like this (new culture).” * Or, “As God’s treasured possession (new identity), we live Jesus-like lives (new culture).”
   We are growing in our life sourced from the Father's household. We are adapting to (living into) our true identity and the culture of his kingdom. (Matt. 6:10, 2 Cor. 5:17, Eph. 2:19)
   

4. IMITATION | “We so love the world that we give our first and our best.”
   We are growing in our love for the world. We are bearers of God-like love, mercy, kindness, and help. (Matt. 5:38-48, John 3:16-17, 1 Cor. 13)
   

5. MISSION | “Our everyday story is for God's glory.”
   We are growing in our pervasion of world culture. We creatively enter every sphere of society to set things right and bring freedom — to lovingly bend society toward God's kingdom. We act like salt, light, yeast, and a pleasing fragrance. (Matt. 5:13-16, 28:18-20, 2 Cor. 5:19-20)

As you reflect on these statements, how do see yourself now, as compared to a year ago? Three years? Five years? We can think of these gauges as five schools we’re enrolled in for life — five storylines of our journey. As we grow in these areas, we are becoming the distinct (called out, set apart, holy) church God intends — a local church that models a clear and convincing alternative to the patterns of the world. We resist and oppose spiritual forces behind falsehood, hatred, division, dehumanization, oppression, and every kind of evil. And we participate in God's work to cultivate shalom.

Those of us who are followers of Jesus have been brought into a new culture. Now, our work is to see that this new culture becomes more normal, less foreign for us while we live in, and in front of, the world around us.

*Phrase borrowed from Seth Godin.

The Discipleship Pathway

If the gauges above serve as indicators of spiritual development, what are some influencers? Consider the importance of our submission to God, a community with faith, and spiritual disciplines.

Submission to God

Then [Jesus] said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross every day and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) First, we must surrender our will to God’s. At times, this might feel like raw obedience. God is God. He is King. But to know God is also to know Love. We come to find that we really can trust him with our lives. That’s faith.

A Community With Faith

Maybe the greatest influence on us is the company we keep. Make sure your closest, most influential friends are committed to Christlikeness. And make it your aim to be this kind of person for someone else. The apostle Paul said “follow my example in the way that I follow Jesus.” A person’s most important relationships will move them in a direction.

Spiritual Disciplines

We are surrounded by the world systems and authorities we were rescued from. It’s no surprise that our natural drift will be back toward the mundane and profane. If we are to be shaped by the beauty of Christ and his kingdom, we must resolve to spend time there. Engage with Scripture to know God and align with him. Carve out prayer times to communicate with him. Learn to see his imprint on creation and all people. Give selflessly. Make room for serving others with no expectation of anything in return — not even appreciation. Read books. Have spiritual conversations. Keep a journal. Port City Church recommends My One Word as a discipline. Say “Good Morning” to God first thing every day. Express gratitude to him before meals. Whatever practices shape your heart in a God-ward direction will be valuable. We aren’t more spiritual just because we practice disciplines, but disciplines can help us grow spiritually. Use the dashboard of gauges above to test the effectiveness of your practices. Then make adjustments as necessary.

One word to summarize the discipleship pathway is immersion. Immersion is a close cousin to the word baptism. The more we immerse ourselves in Christ, the more we will be ‘marinated’ by him. Us in Christ and Christ in us.