The Discipline of a Disciple
Pastor Erickson teaches from 1 Timothy 4:7-8 that a disciple is a student, and that no one can become a mature follower of Christ without daily discipline. He calls people to give God the first part of every day, grow from milk to solid food in the Word, take up their cross daily, and use practical tools to stay faithful in prayer and Bible reading.
The message in 6 points
Exercise yourself unto godliness
He reads 1 Timothy 4:7-8, where Paul says bodily exercise profits a little but godliness is profitable in all things, for this life and the next. His title is The Discipline of a Disciple.
31:05What discipline really is
The word disciple comes from a Latin word for student, and discipline means instruction and training, not punishment or rigid rules. Discipline is something only you can do for yourself, and he says more discipline brings more choice and control, so he urges giving God the first part of the day.
33:11Respect yourself
From Matthew 22, where Jesus says to love your neighbor as yourself, he says a disciple must respect himself enough to guard what goes into his body, eyes and ears. A lack of discipline in one area spreads to others, but one strong discipline builds the next, and nobody drifts into discipline.
43:08Maturity is a process
Spiritual maturity is not automatic. Disciples keep obeying, keep working toward purity, and learn to be mature, and he says you cannot be a disciple without being disciplined. From Luke 9:23 and Luke 14:27 he says the true mark of a disciple is denying himself and taking up his cross daily.
49:02From milk to solid food
Newborn believers need milk, but Paul and Hebrews warn Christians who stay babies when they ought to be teaching others. Growing old without growing up is a tragedy, and 2 Peter 1 calls us to keep adding goodness, knowledge, self-control and love in increasing measure.
58:13Tools for daily discipline
He offers practical help: Bible apps with reading plans and audio, screen time limits so phones do not steal prayer time, and habit trackers that keep a streak going. Carrying the cross daily means saying not my will but yours, and he leads the church in a prayer to discipline every area of life.
1:07:21
In his words
“Discipline is not something anybody else can do for you. Discipline can only be done by yourself.”
“You cannot be a disciple without being disciplined.”
“If we're gonna set aside time for God, we've got to make time, because we will never have time.”
Taken word for word from the video, with punctuation added.
Scripture
He reads
1 Timothy 4:7-8
7But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. 8For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
King James Version.
Matthew 22:36-40
36Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38This is the first and great commandment. 39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
King James Version.
Luke 9:23
23And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
King James Version.
Luke 14:27
27And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
King James Version.
1 Peter 2:2
2As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
King James Version.
He also points to
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