Mission Statement of Westwood Students
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Mission of our Ministry
Mission of our Ministry
Soldiers have a mission, sports teams have a game plan, pilots have a map or compass....
Westwood Student Ministry seeks to help students of 6th-12th grade KNOW Christ, GROW in their relationship with him, and then GO and make disciples of all the nations.
All of these aspects of KNOW, GROW, GO, are presupposing the fact that we are disciples of Jesus....But what does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus?
Let’s turn to Matthew 4 to find the answer...
Matthew 4:18-20 says, “While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him.”
So, first and foremost, a disciple is someone who follows Jesus and his teachings.
Now that we have the definition of a disciple down, we need to figure out how we, as disciples of Jesus, are going to seek to live this mission statement out…to know Christ, grow in our relationship with him, and make him known.
KNOW
KNOW
The first step in the discipleship process is to know Christ, specifically as your Lord and Savior.
The first thing Jesus says to Simon and Andrew is…Follow Me
If we are going to follow Jesus, we must first make him our master.
Jim Putman says, “A disciple is someone who knows (who he is and what he is like) and follows Jesus....The invitation to follow means learning and believing truths about Jesus. This leads to change at the headship (authority) and head (knowledge) level.”
We don’t just learn about God for knowledge...but to know him more intimately and personally.
Robby Galatty says, “We don’t just read information about a person...but for intimacy with a person. We should read the Bible for greater intimacy with God.”
So How Can We Do This?
New Testament Reading Plan
Memorizing Matthew 5-7.
HEAR Journal
CAST your prayers before the throne of grace
Confession
Adoration
Supplication
Thanksgiving
Faithfully participating in corporate worship and Bible Fellowship Groups on Sunday mornings.
GROW
GROW
The next step once we know Christ as our Lord and seek to follow him as his disciples, we will need to GROW in our relationship with Him.
Through knowing more about Jesus and beholding his glory, we will be further transformed into the image of Christ as we grow in our relationship with him and his people.
2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
Romans 8:28-29 also says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”
Notice that in our main text of Matthew 4:19, Jesus says “I will make you fishers of men.”
Jesus is the one who will mold our hearts to become more like his. A disciple of Jesus not only follows Jesus but is changed by Jesus.
We do not come to Jesus perfectly but come needing transformation. Through abiding in Christ (knowing, growing in love and intimacy with Christ through being in his presence) he will prune us and allow us to bear much fruit for his glory (John 15:1-5).
Putman says, “Far too many of us assume that discipleship is merely the transfer of information leading to behavior modification. But discipleship, at heart, involves transformation at the deepest levels of our understanding, affection, and will by the Holy Spirit, through the Word of God and in relationship with the people of God."
How Do We Do This?
Biblical Community
Faithfully participating in Wednesday Night Worship and LifeGroups.
GO
GO
Once we know Christ and are growing in our relationship we should then be going and making disciples wherever God leads us.
Matthew 4:19 says “Come follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Through knowing Christ by treasuring him above all things and becoming more like Christ by being transformed through his spirit, a disciple will do what Jesus commanded by walking in obedience and seek to make disciples for his glory.
In speaking of living out the gospel and seeking to train and invest in other’s lives…Robby Galatty says...
“Discipleship is not, contrary to what some people think, about learning the Bible. It is about applying what we learn in the Bible to our lives. Our learning should lead to action… The goal is not just to learn more; it’s to live out what we know… We are convinced that the gap holding back most believers is not the gap between what they know and what they don’t know....It’s the gap between what they know and what they’re living… We should stop asking people if they are a Christian but ask them how are they growing in their relationship with Christ.”
How Can We Do This?
Being apart of a D-Group/Deep Discipleship
Sharing the gospel with friends, teachers, family members.
Inviting friends to join us for events or Sundays/Wednesdays.
Participating in Evangelism outreaches, service projects, retreats, and summer camp.
Serving Your Church:
6th-7th Grade:
Church Events
8th-9th Grade:
First Impressions
10th-12th Grade:
ETC (Child Care)
Assisting in Teaching pre-school or K-2nd grade
The Gospel
The Gospel
This is our mission as students of Westwood…but we must not forget that this mission is based and founded upon the Gospel.
Again, the first step that all of you must take is to make sure you truly KNOW Christ and have submitted to Him as Lord and Savior.
To do this, you must know and respond to the Gospel
God
God
God is the Creator (Genesis 1:1).
God is Holy (1 Samuel 2:2).
God requires perfect obedience to His law (James 2:10).
Man
Man
Man has broken God’s Law
Romans 3:10 “as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;”
Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
Man will pay the eternal penalty for sin
“The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23)
Man cannot save himself by good works
Galatians 2:16 “yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”
Christ
Christ
Christ came to the earth as man’s substitute, both truly God and truly man.
Colossians 2:9 “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,”
John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
Christ completely fulfilled God’s law and was sinless.
1 Peter 2:22 “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.”
Matthew 5:17-18 ““Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”
Christ demonstrated God’s love by dying on the cross in our place to pay sin’s penalty (Romans 5:8).
Christ rose from the grave and is alive today (1 Corinthians 15:4).
Response
Response
We as sinners must respond in repentance of all that dishonors God.
Isaiah 55:7 “let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”
Luke 9:23 “And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
We as sinners must respond in belief in Christ as Lord and Savior.
Romans 10:9 “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,”
Do you know Christ? Have you responded to this good news in repentance and faith in Jesus?