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Pathways to Discipleship: Knowing Jesus

Session 1: The Way

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Knowing Jesus: The Way

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Lord Jesus Christ,

We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God. You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God. You are the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. In you were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible. You were in the beginning with God; The Word made flesh; The Way and the Truth and the Life. You are the bread of life. You are the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever.

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You are the firstborn from the dead, that in all things you might be preeminent. In you, we have redemption by your blood, the forgiveness of transgressions and reconciliation with God. You are the savior of the world! You are seated at God’s right hand in the heavens. You are the head of the body, the Church; cleansing her that she might be holy and without blemish. We confess that you are Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Your name is above every name! My Lord and my God! To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Through you be glory forever and ever. Amen.

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Pathways to Discipleship introduces the essentials of living as a Catholic disciple, organized around 12 habits Jesus taught and modeled to live happier lives.

Pathways to Discipleship

OUR HOPE…Participants will learn these habits from Jesus through the Gospels along with practical examples from Saints and everyday Christians.

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Pathways to Discipleship

“Come, follow me”�Mt 4:19

“Make me to know Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths.” Psalm 25:4

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Jn 13:35

“Go and preach the gospel” Mt 28:19

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Three ways to get Pathways to Discipleship

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Spotify

PDF download

Note: Download�Pathway 1: Knowing Jesus

Purchase book�amazon.com

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With Jesus as our model and guide, we:

Grow spiritually
Enrich our prayer lives
Allow God’s Word to live in our hearts and minds
Get more out of Mass
Are lifted up in Community
Learn to use the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to discern God’s Will for our lives

WELCOME TO PATHWAY ONE: KNOWING JESUS

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GETTING THE MOST OUT OF �PATHWAYS TO DISCIPLESHIP

Read or listen to the content for the session on your own ahead of time
If you are unable to do this, come anyway. Your input is important to the Pathways experience.
Participate actively in the table discussion
Do the Discipleship Next Step exercises at home after each session

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TIPS FOR A FRUITFUL DISCUSSION

† Give attention to honesty, openness, and respect for other people’s viewpoints and feelings.

† All discussions should be kept confidential within the group.

† Participation should be at each person’s comfort level.

† Before sharing a second time, allow others time to contribute to the conversation.

† Remember that listening is just as important as sharing.

† If you feel prompted to speak, recognize this may be a nudge from the Holy Spirit to share something meant for another in the group. Please consider sharing.

† Keep the discussion focused on the spiritual.

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Pathways to Discipleship

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SESSION 1 - THE WAY OF JESUS

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Our Hope for this session is that you will:

Understand what it means to be a disciple of Christ
Grow in self-awareness of your spiritual journey as you grow deeper in friendship and love of Christ as his disciple

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“He became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” (Jn 1:14)

“You are the Messiah, the son of the living God” (Mt 16:16)

Painting by Randy Friemel

FriemelFineArt.com

*Used with permission by the artist

He is our perfect role model!

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THE CHRISTIAN DISCIPLE

Sees Jesus as the teacher of truth
Attempts to live his or her life the way Jesus lived his

Discipleship is a commitment…

“Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.” Luke 6:22-23

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HOW JESUS MAKES DISCIPLES

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He demonstrates unconditional love
He offers them what is needed most
His love and actions transform hearts
He invites: “Follow me!”

Pathways to Discipleship

For Jesus, the identity of every single person is as a person who is loved by God. He offers each of us the exact thing we need to restore us to wholeness:

Sight to the blind
Speech to the mute
Healing to lepers
Mobility to the lame
Freedom to those possessed by demons
Love and mercy without judgment

A personal encounter with Jesus has the power to transform lives: (Luke 5:3-11 Jesus calls Simon)

Simon, who had been fishing all night, caught nothing. Since fishing was his means of living, it meant he had no money and no food coming in that day. Jesus looked at Simon as a person created and loved by God. So, Jesus offered Simon a gift of love in the form of a great “catch of fish.” God’s love is superabundant! Simon’s sinfulness did not cause Jesus to withhold his gift of love in the form of a huge haul of fish. This is the way God’s love works through Christ. Like Simon, our identity is not bound by our sins, but by the love of God. Simon’s life was transformed by this single encounter.

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The Calling of Peter

(Luke 5:3-11)

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Loves

Meets Need

Transforms

heart

Invites

Jesus is Peter’s “coach”, and he can be our coach if we allow.

Pathways to Discipleship

For Jesus, the identity of every single person is as a person who is loved by God. He offers each of us the exact thing we need to restore us to wholeness:

Sight to the blind
Speech to the mute
Healing to lepers
Mobility to the lame
Freedom to those possessed by demons
Love and mercy without judgment

A personal encounter with Jesus has the power to transform lives: (Luke 5:3-11 Jesus calls Simon)

Simon, who had been fishing all night, caught nothing. Since fishing was his means of living, it meant he had no money and no food coming in that day. Jesus looked at Simon as a person created and loved by God. So, Jesus offered Simon a gift of love in the form of a great “catch of fish.” God’s love is superabundant! Simon’s sinfulness did not cause Jesus to withhold his gift of love in the form of a huge haul of fish. This is the way God’s love works through Christ. Like Simon, our identity is not bound by our sins, but by the love of God. Simon’s life was transformed by this single encounter.

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Take a moment to reflect on the opening video. What is your response to the testimony? Share your thoughts with the group.
How is the master/disciple relationship distinct from others, such as teacher/student, coach/athlete or boss/employee?
Jesus invites each of us to follow him as his disciple. What qualities do you expect to see in a disciple of Christ?
What does it mean to trust someone? What does it mean to trust in Jesus?

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ENCOUNTERS CHRIST THROUGH PRAYER
ENCOUNTERS CHRIST THROUGH SCRIPTURE
ENCOUNTERS CHRIST THROUGH WORSHIP & SACRAMENTS
SEEKS PERSONAL AND COMMUNAL FORMATION
LIVES CHRISTIAN VIRTUES IN EVERYDAY LIFE
FORGIVES OTHERS AND ASKS FOR FORGIVENESS

HABITS OF A DISCIPLE

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SERVES THE PARISH AND WIDER COMMUNITY
WELCOMES STRANGERS AND NEWCOMERS
PRAYS FOR OTHERS
OPENLY SHARES FAITH AND ENCOURAGES OTHERS IN THEIR SPIRITUAL JOURNEY
GENEROUSLY SHARES RESOURCES WITH THE CHURCH AND OTHERS
OPENS THEMSELVES TO THE PROMPTINGS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, EVEN BEYOND THEIR COMFORT ZONE

HABITS OF A DISCIPLE

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BEING SENT: THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH

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“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” (Matt 28:19-20a)

“Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the one who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mk 16:15-16)

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SPOTLIGHT DISCIPLE: St. Mary, Mother of Jesus

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Painting by Randy Friemel

FriemelFineArt.com

*Used with permission by the artist

The first disciple
Our model of how to follow Jesus and our surest path to Him
Gave her bold “Yes” to the angel despite any fears and uncertainty
Persisted in her total faith and desire to participate in God’s plan

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Of the 12 Habits of a Disciple, which do you believe is the most evident in your life? Which habit would you most like to develop and grow?
Jesus said to his disciples, “You did not choose me but I chose you” (Jn 15:16). What do you think of Peter and Andrew’s response to Jesus’ invitation to follow him?
Share a time when you felt a prompting from God to take action on behalf of another.

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DISCIPLESHIP NEXT STEP

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph is an example of how to center the family on God. Think of someone in your life who needs to know or be reminded that he or she is created and loved by God as a member of God’s family. Pray about and reflect on what you can do for him or her to demonstrate that love. Offer your gift of unconditional love, expecting nothing in return.

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Painting by Randy Friemel

FriemelFineArt.com

*Used with permission by the artist

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REMINDERS FOR NEXT WEEK

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Read or listen to the materials for Session 2: Prayer.
Feel free to bring some snacks to share next week
Please leave your name tag with your small group facilitator before you leave.
If you have any trouble accessing the Pathways material (.pdf, audio recordings, book, or video testimonies), please let us know so we can help!

Pathways to Discipleship