Welcome!

What does dribbling a basketball, timing your breaths during a swim, and protecting a football have in common? They are all fundamentals: the most basic practices of any sport that, if mastered, pave the path to elite performance.

Some of the most successful coaches of all time, including Vince Lombardi and John Wooden, were said to have been obsessed with getting the fundamentals right. They knew that the more skilled their teams were at the fundamentals, the more equipped they were to perform at an elite level -- and their winning records prove them right.

Similarly, there are a few fundamentals in the Christian life that can take you from spectator to participant for the kingdom of God.

Athletes in Action has identified four basic fundamentals that we believe can take your impact for Christ to the next level as you commit to learning and practicing them. These four areas include: Walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. Articulating your Christian faith and sharing the gospel. Conveying your personal changed-life story. Passing on what you know to equip others through discipleship.

Although there is no such thing as an “elite Christian,” we desire to help equip you for the lifelong journey of following Christ.

The Equipped Disciples curriculum combines the best of our resources with action challenges to help you master the basic disciplines of the Christian life. Here at Athletes in Action, we use these resources in many different settings and with many different people all around the world. And you don’t have to be an athlete to benefit from these resources.

Self-guide yourself through the curriculum or grab your best friend, a group of teammates or coaches, or your small group from church to do it together. We pray that these resources help equip you to be an effective Christ-follower right where you are.

How is it structured?

Each section of the curriculum has two steps named “Learn It” and “Live It.” Under the first step, you’ll see a list of primary and supplemental resources. It is necessary to use at least one of the primary resources from each section to be an Equipped Disciple.

We encourage you to read some of the supplemental resources to add value to your learning experience, but once you’ve learned to use one of the primary resources, you can move toward “Live It.” In the second step, you will be challenged to take action and live out what you’ve learned before moving to the next section.

Key Bible passages can be found at the bottom of each section’s page. These verses are included as additional references your personal study and spiritual development around these topics.

Starting with the End In Mind

When you begin a journey, it is always important to know where you are headed. This curriculum is designed to help you live out the calling that is on every Christ-follower’s life: to make disciples who walk with Jesus for a lifetime. To begin, watch the video below of what it could look like to invite someone into a discipleship relationship. Discipling others is the type of activity this curriculum will help you make a regular part of your life. If God has placed a desire to leave a spiritual impact on others’ lives, the material in this curriculum is a great place to start.

INVITATION & CHALLENGE

1. Invitation
1. I am inviting you into a relationship where you have unique access to my life. I want to invite you to be a part of a community that seeks to grow in our walk with Jesus together. I want to pass along what I have been taught and my hope is that you would join me in this awesome faith journey as we grow together as a group this semester.
2. I will commit to giving you the best hours of my week to help you grow in the most important relationship of your life. You will get my best time, energy, and planning to make the group worthwhile for you.
3. The invitation for you this year is to enter this relationship with me, grow spiritually and be equipped to eventually lead others. It doesn’t get much better than doing this with a small group of men/women.
2. Challenge
1. We all have limited time and a long list of things needing our attention. The reality is that you are sitting here because the God of the Universe is pursuing YOU. Growing in your relationship with Him is the most effective use of your time. Learning how to model your life after the most influential man to ever live, Jesus, is worth your time and commitment.
2. I would love to work with you, but I don’t want to assume that you all are in for discipleship group this year. There are a lot of places you can get plugged in to grow, this is one of them. After tonight, if you don’t want to be a part of this group anymore give me a call or text. If I don’t hear from you, I will plan on seeing you at our first group next week.
3. If you are in, we are asking for you to consider this commitment a top priority after your classes and your sport. Don’t miss this, don’t schedule your tutor or study group or bail out because you didn’t get your homework done in time. If we have given you an assignment, have it done before the group. I am going to be intentional in our time and will use it wisely, so please come prepared and ready to learn.
1. You will get out of this group what you put into it and It will be most fun and beneficial if we are all here every week
2. This can’t be your only time in the Word & prayer all week. We will help you learn how to read the Bible for yourself and spend time with God each day.

Let's get started.
01: Sharing the Gospel