COLONIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHBEFORE YOU BEGIN
Getting started
Welcome to the Journey
At Colonial Presbyterian Church, we believe discipleship is the intentional journey of following Jesus, being transformed by the Holy Spirit, and becoming the light of Christ in a hurting world. This booklet is a simple tool for that journey, and it is designed to be walked with another person.
Discipleship is apprenticeship
The best English word for disciple may be apprentice. An apprentice of Jesus spends time with Him, learns from Him, and slowly becomes like Him. And every apprentice is meant to become a trainer. Jesus’ call to “Follow Me” and His command to “go and make disciples” belong together. That is why this course is about both discipleship and disciple-making.
We are always being formed
The world around us is constantly shaping what we believe and what we want, often without our noticing. In the garden, the serpent first twisted an idea (“Did God really say...?”) and then stirred a desire (the fruit looked good). John Mark Comer names the pattern in Live No Lies: “deceptive ideas that play to disordered desires that are normalized in a sinful society.” Paul’s answer still stands: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).
Discipleship is counterformation: choosing practices, habits, and relationships that shape us toward Jesus. We cannot transform ourselves any more than we can save ourselves. But we can make room for God to work. The Church has practiced these ways of making room for two thousand years.
Aim high. Start small.
Dallas Willard warned that the greatest danger to the Church is “pitching its message too low.” We don’t want a faith tossed around by every cultural wind. We want a vibrant faith that hears God’s voice and obeys it. So this course aims high, and every week gives you one small, clear step you can take.
Be in the Word. Be available.
As we say at Colonial: Be in the Word. Be available. And God will send someone your way. You don’t have to wait until you feel “ready” to walk with someone. When you are following Jesus, He will bring people into your life. This booklet is what we have prepared for that moment.
Please know that we have prayed for you. Let’s take this journey together, with faith, hope, and a shared commitment to be the light.
Pastor Jeff Sparks
Discipleship & Groups, Colonial Presbyterian Church
Be the L.I.G.H.T.
Be the L.I.G.H.T. is Colonial’s picture of a whole life following Jesus. Each lesson in this booklet leans into one of the five dimensions, but they all belong together.
| Dimension | What we practice | Lessons | |
|---|---|---|---|
| L | Loving God | Attend to Jesus through prayer, Scripture, worship, and obedience. | Prayer · Self-Denial · Fasting |
| I | Investing in Others | Give attention, encouragement, forgiveness, and care. | Forgiveness · Downward Mobility |
| G | Growing in Community | Share life with believers and practice mutual love. | Unmet Needs and Finding Freedom · Walking in Community |
| H | Helping the World | Shine where you live, and serve neighbors with generosity and mercy. | Calling · Living Generously |
| T | Training Others | Help another person learn to follow Jesus. | Training Others · Commissioning |
Jesus said, “You are the light of the world... let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14, 16). We don’t make ourselves shine. We stay close to the Light, and He shines through us.
Your Journey at a Glance
Twelve sessions. Ten lessons. One clear action step each week. A Launch session starts you with Jesus, and a Commissioning session sends you out to walk with someone else.
| Session | Lesson | LIGHT | Theme | This week’s action step |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Launch | — | Begin with Jesus | Set a daily 15-minute appointment with Jesus |
| 2 | Lesson 2 | L | Prayer | Keep a daily 10-minute P.R.A.Y. time |
| 3 | Lesson 3 | H | Calling | Write your 3-minute story and tell one person |
| 4 | Lesson 4 | L | Self-Denial | Keep one small daily “no” for seven days |
| 5 | Lesson 5 | L | Fasting | Fast from one meal (or a non-food fast) and pray |
| 6 | Lesson 6 | I | Forgiveness | Write a forgiveness prayer; bless that person daily |
| 7 | Lesson 7 | I | Downward Mobility | Do one act of hidden service |
| 8 | Lesson 8 | G | Unmet Needs and Finding Freedom | Write and practice a Freedom Plan |
| 9 | Lesson 9 | H | Living Generously | Set a planned giving rhythm |
| 10 | Lesson 10 | G | Walking in Community | Commit to one ongoing gathering |
| 11 | Lesson 11 | T | Training Others | Name and invite your “one” |
| 12 | Send | T | Commissioning | Calendar your first meeting with your “one” |
After Session 12, your natural next step: walk through this same booklet with the person you invited, while your discipler coaches you. (See Session 12 and Tool 7.)
How It Works
Who it’s for
This booklet is built for two people: a discipler (someone a few steps further along) and a disciple (someone who wants to grow). It also works for a triad of three, or a small group. Everyone uses the same booklet. You don’t need to be an expert to be a discipler. You need to be following Jesus and willing to walk with someone.
The pace
- Meet once a week for about 60 minutes, in person or online.
- Between meetings, spend 10–15 minutes a day, five days a week, with the daily readings.
- Move on when you reach the week’s outcome, not just when the week ends. It’s fine to repeat a week. The goal is not speed but life change.
- Missed a day? Start again with the next one. Grace, not guilt.
What you’ll find in every session
| At a Glance | The big idea, memory verse, action step, and outcome on one card. |
|---|---|
| The Way of Jesus | A short teaching. Read it before you meet (about 5 minutes). |
| When You Meet | A 60-minute guide: Connect, Read, Practice, Pray & Plan. |
| Live It | This week’s one action step. Write down when and where. |
| Pass It On | One simple way to share what you’re learning within 48 hours. |
| Five Days with Jesus | Short daily readings and prompts for your time alone with God. |
| Awareness | A simple way to notice God, and yourself, during the week. |
| Ready to Move On? | A short checklist you and your discipler agree on together. |
Listen and watch
Listen to Pastor Jeff’s introduction on each lesson page before you meet. The welcome recording and all twelve lesson recordings are available.
The Weekly Meeting
Every meeting follows the same simple rhythm, so you always know what comes next.
| Connect | 10 min | Share a joy and a burden. Ask: How did your action step go? How has God spoken to you since we last met? Celebrate wins, even small ones. |
|---|---|---|
| Read | 20–25 min | Read the passage aloud. Talk through the questions. Keep coming back to what the text actually says. |
| Practice | 15 min | Try the week’s practice together, right there. Then each of you choose your action step. |
| Pray & Plan | 10 min | Pray for each other and for the people on your hearts. Confirm your action step and your next meeting. |
Two tools you’ll use every week
P.R.A.Y. (a simple pattern for prayer)
- Pause. Get quiet. Put the phone in another room. Invite the Holy Spirit.
- Rejoice. Thank God for who He is and what He has given.
- Ask. Bring your needs, your worries, and your people by name. Confess what’s heavy.
- Yield. Listen. Ask, “Jesus, what do I need to hear from You?” Surrender your day to Him.
R³ (a simple way to read Scripture)
- Read. Read the passage slowly, two or three times. Notice what it actually says.
- Reflect. What does this show me about God? About people? About me?
- Respond. Turn it into a prayer and one “I will...” step for today.
Growing into a leader
Jesus trained His disciples by doing it in front of them, then with them, then watching them do it. This course follows the same pattern. Each phase, the disciple takes a little more of the meeting:
| Sessions 1–4 | The discipler leads and models everything. |
|---|---|
| Sessions 5–7 | The disciple opens in prayer and leads Connect. |
| Sessions 8–10 | The disciple also leads the Read section. |
| Session 11 | The disciple leads the whole meeting. The discipler encourages. |
| Session 12 | You commission each other and plan what’s next. |
Our Covenant
Read this together at your first meeting. Talk about anything you’d change, then sign it.
With God’s help, I commit to:
Meet weekly for these twelve sessions, and let my partner know ahead of time if I can’t.
Spend 10–15 minutes with God, five days a week.
Take each week’s action step, even imperfectly.
Be honest, and keep what’s shared between us confidential, unless someone is at risk of harm.
Pray for my partner (or group) every week.
Begin praying now for the person I may walk with next.
We will meet on (day/time/place)
Our between-meeting check-in (text, call, app)
Signed
Signed
Date
Pray for your next disciple
Discipleship is about multiplication. You don’t have to wait until you finish this booklet to start praying for the person you’ll walk with next. Ask God to bring someone to mind, and write their name or initials here.
I’m praying for