About This Workbook

Welcome to the family of believers who belong to our Lord Jesus Christ! You have already received water baptism, footwashing, partaken of the Holy Communion, and you might have also received the Holy Spirit. You know that in addition to keeping the Ten Commandments, “you are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality” (Acts 15:28, 29, NIV).

You’re probably wondering, “What next?”

Aside from all that has been mentioned, what else do you need to know and do? Since you’ve already got started on your journey of faith, this workbook only serves to help you continue on your journey. This journey, however long or short, will not be without its obstacles. This workbook, then, also acts as a reminder that with the help of our Lord Jesus, you shall persevere for his Spirit will guide you and his Word will light your way.

This workbook has been designed to help you in your personal study as well as in a classroom setting. The amount of time and effort you put into your workbook will determine its worth to you. If you choose to go by the pace of one-lesson-per-week, the whole course will last about four-and-a-half months. The advantage of going at this rate is that you personal study may correspond with the class your church offers. Bear in mind, however, that the important thing is not about how quickly you complete the book. Rather, the important thing for you to remember is that you want to get as much knowledge and insight from each lesson as you can; so that you can take another step forward in your journey of faith.

For your personal study, carving out quiet time from your busy schedule will be your first consideration. What part of today is the time when you are least likely to be interrupted? Ideally, you’d want to stick to a certain time every day. But sometimes, this isn’t always possible. Allow for flexibility. For example, if you have to move your personal study time to your lunch hour tomorrow, that’s okay.

Do you begin with Lesson 1 and end with Lesson 18? The answer is yes, although you might find it helpful to first look through your workbook from cover to cover to get an idea of what the lessons are about. Then go to Lesson 1 and proceed from there. Because each lesson comes with Bible verses, you’d want to look up these verses to help you better understand God’s Word. Whenever possible, you’d want to complete one lesson in one sitting and review the material during the next few days. But, if, some days, you find yourself only able to study one or two sections of a lesson, do not be discouraged. Pick up from where you left off the next day.

A journey is like that: you keep on going. This requires involvement and commitment. Your workbook is like that too. You need to be involved and committed. Apart from reading the text and looking up Bible verses, you’d want to think about all that you’ve read and what all this means to you on a personal level. Is the Bible coming alive for you, so to speak? Do you, in retrospect, see how God has actually been there for you all this very long while? Write down your thoughts in the margin. If you have any questions, write them down as well. Every lesson also comes with a section on questions that help you review the text. When you come to this section, tackle the questions and write down your answers in the space provided. If one of the questions call for a memory verse, look it up, memorize it, and write it down. You will also come upon an activity section at the end of every lesson. Again, be involved.

A section on case studies is included in every lesson. This section is most valuable in a classroom setting. Find out if a class on the Discipleship Workbook is currently in session at your local church or if one is being planned. These classes will be facilitated by an instructor who will guide you through the lessons and, in particular, be there to lead the discussions on case studies that have been presented in the workbook. Be prepared to participate. Ask questions. Share your opinion. In the process, you will discover that you are learning from your brothers- and sisters-in-the-Lord, as much as they are learning from you. We are in this together.

But this is what our journey of faith is about. It is written that “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Heb 11:1, NIV). By accepting water baptism into the family of Christ, you have already expressed such a faith. The journey that lies ahead of you now may be few or many in years. Either way, the Word of God tells us that, at the appointed time, this journey will bring all those who have stayed on track to the New Jerusalem where God shall dwell with his people. There, they shall see God face to face. There, no tears shall fall. There, instead of the sun or moon, the glory of God will illuminate the city.

May every one of us, then, fix our eyes on this promise as, starting from today, we begin taking one sure step after another in this journey of faith.