Completing the O3 Discipleship Model Intensive is an important milestone, but it is not the finish line. Authentic discipleship is a lifelong process of growing in Christ through the continual renewal of the mind, the transformation of the heart, and faithful obedience empowered by the Holy Spirit.
To help you continue developing the spiritual habits established throughout this curriculum, I encourage you to purchase a dedicated notebook or journal that will become your personal Discipleship Journal. A single notebook allows you to create a lasting record of your spiritual journey and provides a place to document God's ongoing work in your life.
As you continue growing, use your journal to maintain the following practices:
Record your daily Scripture reading, prayer requests, answered prayers, reflections, and the truths God is teaching you through His Word. Take time each day to write how you are responding in faith and obedience, noting both victories and areas where God continues to shape your character.
At the end of each month—or at least every ninety days—complete a personal spiritual evaluation. Reflect on your progress in Orthodoxy (Right Belief), Orthopathy (Right Affections), Orthopraxy (Right Practice), and your dependence upon the Holy Spirit. Celebrate the evidence of God's grace while identifying specific areas where continued growth is needed.
Keep an ongoing list of the people God has placed in your life. Record the names of family members, friends, coworkers, church members, and others for whom you are praying. Document opportunities to encourage them, share Scripture, pray with them, and intentionally invest in their spiritual growth. As God opens doors, your journal will become a testimony of His faithfulness and your participation in fulfilling Christ's Great Commission.
Along with daily Bible reading, consider building a personal library of trusted Christian books that will encourage lifelong spiritual growth. The following works have influenced pastors, scholars, and disciple-makers across many Christian traditions and provide valuable insights into biblical discipleship, spiritual formation, and Christian maturity.
Robert E. Coleman — The Master Plan of Evangelism
Dietrich Bonhoeffer — The Cost of Discipleship
Dallas Willard — The Great Omission
Dallas Willard — The Spirit of the Disciplines
Greg Ogden — Transforming Discipleship
Bill Hull — The Complete Book of Discipleship
Richard J. Foster — Celebration of Discipline
Donald S. Whitney — Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life
J. I. Packer — Knowing God
A. W. Tozer — The Pursuit of God
Jerry Bridges — The Practice of Godliness
John Owen — The Mortification of Sin
Sinclair B. Ferguson — Devoted to God's Church
Kevin DeYoung — The Hole in Our Holiness
Gordon D. Fee — Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God
Roger Stronstad — The Charismatic Theology of St. Luke
Simon Chan — Spiritual Theology
Remember that books should never replace the Bible; they should help you understand and apply it more faithfully. Let Scripture remain your primary source of truth, allowing trusted Christian authors to encourage, challenge, and deepen your understanding of God's Word.
My prayer is that, years from now, your discipleship journal will tell the story of God's faithfulness—filled with answered prayers, biblical insights, spiritual victories, lessons learned, and the names of people whose lives were touched because you chose to follow Jesus wholeheartedly. May you continue to grow in Right Belief, Right Affections, and Right Practice, becoming a mature disciple who faithfully makes disciples for the glory of God.
THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING!
Pastor Robin Brooks
Doctor of Ministry Candidate, 401-248-8061