Deepening Your Effectiveness The Ocean Diagram Dan Glover & Claudia Lavy 2006 Discipleship Resources. Permission to print for group use. 1
Observation Stage 1 ~ Life on the Beach ~ Unchurched person Is this for real? Primary relationship to help move this person toward Christ: Old trusted friend Cynicism Come & see The next day Jesus decided to leave Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, Follow me. Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathaniel and told him, We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. Nazareth! Can anything good come from there? Nathaniel asked. Come and see, said Philip. John 1:43-46 Other biblical evidence of life at this stage: John 1:35-39 John 4:29 & 39 2006 Discipleship Resources. Permission to print for group use. 2
Observation Plus Stage 2 ~ Life on the Shoreline ~ Curious person Primary relationship to help move this person toward Christ: New acquaintance Heightened sensitivity Authentic high impact hospitality What am I going to do about this? When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching, he said to him, Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false. How do you know me? Nathaniel asked. Jesus answered, I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called. John 1:47-48 Other biblical evidence of life at this stage: Proverbs 12:26 Proverbs 14:15 2006 Discipleship Resources. Permission to print for group use. 3
Commitment Stage 3 ~ Life in the Waves ~ The real question being asked: New or rededicated believer How can I help? How can I fit in? Primary relationship to help this person move toward Christ: Effective preachers, teachers and small group leaders Comfort Giving & receiving He (Jesus) got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch. Simon answered, Master, we ve worked hard all night and haven t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets. When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. Luke 5:3-6 Other biblical evidence of life at this stage: Yet is was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only. Philippians 4:14-15 2006 Discipleship Resources. Permission to print for group use. 4
Pondering Stage 4 ~ Life When Your Feet Come Off the Bottom ~ Seasoned but restless believer Is there anything else? Fear * Confusion * Question their value * Lack direction Primary relationship to help this person move toward Christ: Small group leader and an emerging discipler Opportunities to go & see... his disciples came to him. This is a remote place, they said, and its already very late. Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat. But he answered them, You give them something to eat. They said to him, That would take eight months of a man s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat? How many loaves do you have?, he asked. Go and see. Mark 6:35-38 2006 Discipleship Resources. Permission to print for group use. 5
Discovery Stage 5 ~ Life Beyond the Breakers ~ New paradigm follower Where has this been all my life? Primary relationship to help this person move toward Christ: Discipler and the Holy Spirit Barrier #1: Barrier #2: Misinterpretation of suffering Lack of focus and discipline Opportunities to go & make For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia... your faith in God has become known everywhere. I Thessalonians 1:4-7 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith... I Peter 5:8-9a 2006 Discipleship Resources. Permission to print for group use. 6
Stability Stage 6 ~ Life in the Deep ~ Fully committed follower What do you want me to do, Lord Primary relationship to help assist this person move toward Christ: The Holy Spirit and the authentic spiritual community Isolation One-on-one discipling And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations... Matthew 28:18-19a 2006 Discipleship Resources. Permission to print for group use. 7