Napkin Discipleship At the church where Alex Absalom is on staff, they have developed a simple diagram for discipleship and mission.  It is contained in a free ebook : "One of - Beginning the missional journey" by Alex Absalom and Greg Nettle. God is For Us (smiley face with halo represents God):  For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, ... not to judge the world but to save the world through him (John 3:16-17).    God is FOR people. But it is better than that, God is With people.  The experience of people in the bible from Abraham, to Moses, to Daniel and many others besides that God is WITH us - not distant and far away. But it is even better than that, GOD becomes ONE of US.  'For in Christ lives all the fulness of God in a human body' (Colossians 2:9); 'The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighbourhood' (John 1:14, the message) Then the best part is:  'When we understand the implications of God being FOR, WITH and ONE OF us, that often compels us to invite Jesus to be IN us.  And that changes everything.  God Himself passes the DNA of Jesus into our very lives, which empowers us to live as Jesus here on this earth.' (location 207 of Kindle version of 'One of')

David Wanstall, 15/05/2012