Dr Paul G Leavenworth

The Warfare of the Disciple Dr Paul G Leavenworth

The Warfare of the Disciple is designed to help followers of Christ (Disciples) to establish a biblical foundation for life and leadership by doing an inductive Bible study of the Epistle to the Ephesians. The focus of this workbook is on the theological and practical teaching of Paul in Ephesians about living like Christ in a fallen world by learning how to successfully do spiritual warfare: "Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground..." (Ephesians 6:13, NIV, bold italic added). This workbook is intended to facilitate personal "transformation" by establishing a foundation of "spirit and truth" (John 4:24). Each chapter is formatted using the IDEA approach to discovery learning: - Introduction (I) - various translations and paraphrases of the passage to be studied - Discovery (D) - study questions to help you better understand the passage - Explanation (E) - exegetical notes for the passage to help you interpret the passage - Application (A) - questions to help you apply this passage to your life and leadership The goal of the IDEA approach is to facilitate the "gracious work" of God through his word and spirit to transform us "into his likeness with ever increasing glory..." (II Corinthians 3:18, NIV). This workbook utilizes the inductive Bible study method involving: - Observation - "What do I see?" - Interpretation - "What does it mean?" - Correlation - "How does this relate to what the rest of the Bible says?" - Application - "What does it mean to me?" The Warfare of the Disciple is not meant everyone. It is not an easy way to gain insights about the Epistle to the Ephesians. Actually, it is an invitation to do some time-consuming "digging" into the meaning and application of each passage by developing Bible study skills useful for studying additional passages in the Bible. Take your time and prayerfully and carefully read, study, discuss, apply, and evaluate your progress. Remember that becoming a Bible-centered leader is not an objective as much as it is a lifestyle. Over the years you will be transformed and God will reveal the "meat" of his word as you remain "teachable." (Hebrews 5:11-14).