Disciple

By Dakota Andekin

Discover the power of discipleship and unlock your spiritual potential. Dive into the rich wisdom and insights of sermons a seasoned pastor preaches. This spiritual guidebook, rooted in the genre of spirituality and religion, will lead you on a transformative journey toward a deeper understanding of faith and a strengthened relationship with God

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dakota Andekin
• Release date: Dec 7, 2023
• ISBN: 9798869050311

Dakota Andekin

DAKOTA ANDEKIN is the senior pastor of Ridgecrest Vineyard Church, RVC, a Spirit-filled church in Southern California. He also serves as founder and program director of "The Refuge," a residential faith-based recovery organization for men and women seeking a life transformed and liberated from addiction.Dakota is an up-from-the-ashes kind of leader who once was homeless and ailed by addiction. He then had a radical encounter with the Holy Spirit that forever changed his life. He has not only moved in breakthrough with ministry in the church with a master's degree in Church Leadership but is also favored in the marketplace through the successful building of multiple businesses, including his longest-lasting company, Pro Plumbing.Dakota has seen a great impact from his recent book, Prescription for Addiction. Dakota and his wife, Monica, have been married for nine years and currently have no children. Still, they believe children are a blessing from God and ultimately desire the beauty of parenthood.You can expect passionate and encouraging content to awaken you to more of God.

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Disciple

A Thorough Guide to Christianity

Dakota Andekin

Copyright © 2023

All Rights Reserved

Dedication

I dedicate this book to the new believers beginning their journey with God and seeking to know and understand the Great Almighty God. Beginning a journey with God and His word is the foremost beauty in this life. It is my hope from this book you may find a highlighted body of content to help navigate the trail of discipleship.

Acknowledgment

Every accomplishment and ministry work in my life has been supported by prayer and partnership; this book has certainly reflected that.

I am blessed to have so many amazing people in my life who serve as an encouragement to the vision and ministry the Lord has called me to. I would like to take the time to acknowledge some of those very important people.

​To my lovely wife, Monica Andekin, your love for me keeps me going. You share your heart with me in such a big way, and I will never take that or you for common. You have supported me through countless wild adventures and crazy faith moments. You haven’t given up on me in the hard times. You always have the heart to trust God through me. You will forever be mi amor.

​I would also like to give special acknowledgment to Dr. Rob Covell and his wife, Carolyn Covell. Their love for the truth of God’s word is contagious. I appreciate their passion for theology and teaching. I will cherish our friendship forever.

About the Author

Dakota Andekin is the Senior Pastor of Ridgecrest Vineyard Church. RVC is a spirit-filled Church in Southern California. He also serves as founder and program director of The Refuge, a residential faith-based recovery organization for men and women seeking a life transformed and liberated from addiction. Dakota is an up-from-the-ash kind of leader who once was homeless in addiction and had a radical encounter with the Holy Spirit that forever changed his life. He has not only moved in breakthrough with ministry in the Church and a Master’s Degree in Church Leadership but also in the marketplace through the successful building of multiple businesses, the longest lasting his company, Pro Plumbing. Dakota is currently working on a Doctorate in Ministry.

Dakota has seen great impact from his recent books, Prescription for Addiction, Fullness, and The Refuge. Dakota and his wife, Monica, have been married for 10 years and currently have no children, but believe children are a blessing from God and ultimately desire the beauty of parenthood. You can expect passionate and encouraging content to awaken you to the more of God.

Preface

In Disciple, one will go on a journey of various topics central to the Christian faith. To walk with God is to understand Him and His ways well. I hope to give the reader a greater understanding of multiple relevant aspects of following Jesus. My goal in writing this book is that you would gain tools and perspective on the inner workings of God’s grace to call you a disciple.

Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgment

About the Author

Preface

Chapter 1:  Christian Terms to Know

Chapter 2: Summarizing the Books of the Bible

Chapter 3: How To Study Your Bible

Chapter 4: Christ and The Cross

Chapter 5: Saved By Grace Through Faith

Chapter 6: Two Natures

Chapter 7: Eternity

Chapter 8: The Kingdom of God

Chapter 9: The Promises of God

Chapter 10: Body, Soul, And Spirit

Chapter 11: Flesh vs. Spirit

Chapter 12: Condemnation vs. Conviction

Chapter 13: Why Worship?

Chapter 14: Operating in Calling

Chapter 15: Gifts of the Spirit

Chapter 16: Areas of Influence

Chapter 1: Christian Terms to Know

God

The Bible reveals there is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4). Yet, he reveals himself as three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Spirit (Matthew 28:19). The Christian Church uses the term triune (three in one) to describe this mystery.

I believe there is only one God, but He reveals Himself in three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This is often referred to as the Trinity or the Triune nature of God. It’s a mystery that’s difficult to comprehend fully, but it’s a core belief of the Christian faith.

God is not merely different in degree from us. He is unique and in a class of his own. He is completely different in his very essence.

I am God, and there is none else.

-Isaiah 45:22

God is Spirit.

-John 4:24

God is eternal.

-Psalm 90:2

There is never a time he did not exist as God. God is present everywhere.

-Jeremiah 23:24

God has all power.

-Genesis 17:1

He knows all.

-Psalm 139:1–4

At first, all of those attributes might be frightening, but the fact God is so much higher than us (Isaiah 55:9) brings comfort, knowing his power to save is also far more significant than ours.

A human-sized god would seem distant and could never provide the complete rescue this world needs.

Perhaps most comforting of all is God’s amazing and eternal love (Jeremiah 31:3). His nature as three persons in one God demonstrates the relational nature of God and his love in action from all eternity.

God is love (1 John 4:8). He will never get tired of loving you!

A disciple is defined as someone who follows the teachings of another and takes up their ways. When applied to Jesus, a disciple learns from him to live like him, conforming to His words and ways through God’s awakening grace.

To clearly understand what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, we should turn to the four Gospels, which comprehensively depict his life on Earth. Among them, John’s Gospel offers three distinct yet complementary viewpoints on following Jesus.

It outlines that being a disciple of Jesus involves being a worshiper, a servant, and a witness, all of which are modeled after Jesus himself.

Atonement

The concept of atonement is rooted in the Old Testament Day of Atonement. Endless sacrifices made by the priests were a constant reminder of sin.

The Ten Commandments, contained in the ark of the covenant, were a visible reminder of just how far we have fallen. So, once a year (on the Day of Atonement), the high priest would sprinkle blood on the atonement cover, effectively covering our record of not keeping the commandments from God’s view (Leviticus 16).

Learning about the concept of atonement and its roots in the Old Testament Day of Atonement is interesting. It seems like the endless sacrifices made by the priests were a constant reminder of sin, while the Ten Commandments were a visible reminder of our shortcomings and summarized design of how to follow God.

It’s intriguing to think about how the high priest would sprinkle blood on the atonement cover once a year to effectively cover our record of not keeping the commandments from God’s view.

This picture of blood was dramatic. An animal gave up its life to preserve yours. These recurring sacrifices demonstrated the need for a sacrifice to come that could cover our sins and appease God’s wrath.

Jesus came as the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29). He is God’s sacrifice of atonement. (Romans 3:25). His blood covers all sin (1 John 1:7). On the cross, Jesus, as our substitute, faced God’s wrath for sin and took the punishment we deserved.

God has reconciled the world to himself in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:19). Jesus’ atonement, paid once and for all (Hebrews 9:12), doesn’t make deliverance from sin possible; it makes it complete. This gift, received through faith (John 3:16), means you are now at one with God.

Baptism

The Bible contains commands to be baptized (Acts 2:38). For this reason, it’s easy to understand why many see baptism as something we must do. Unfortunately, this emphasis can lead to missing out on the beauty of this gift.

This washing is a miraculous work of God. He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). We are grace-inspired participants (Romans 6:3–4). Being baptized is no more a ‘work’ than reading the Bible. The Spirit actively works faith through both.

Baptism is a beautiful gift from God, rather than something we must do as a commandment, it is a divine rite.

A promise is made at baptism—but not by us. In baptism, God forgives your sins (Acts 2:38), adopts you as his child, and covers you with Christ (Galatians 3:26–27). God makes us heirs according to the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:7).

While a person is not condemned for not being baptized (Mark 16:16), this tremendous gift provides personal commitment and confidence. In baptism, God says, I love you; I forgive you, and I have made you my own. No wonder God wants us to be baptized and to share this gift with others!

Covenant

A covenant is an agreement between two parties. God made a bilateral covenant with his Old Testament people at Mount Sinai. God promised Israel would be His treasured possession if they obeyed His commandments (Exodus 19–24). It was a conditional, bilateral covenant. Unfortunately, Israel could not keep their side of this agreement.

So, God promised a new covenant:

‘Behold, the days come,’ saith the Lord, ‘That I will make a new covenant…. They shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them,’ saith the Lord, ‘for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.’

Jeremiah 31:31,33–34

There are no ifs in this covenant because it is a unilateral agreement, dependent on God alone. Jesus is the way God accomplished this new covenant.

The Mosaic Covenant was centered on God giving His divine law to Moses on Mount Sinai. It is important to understand that this covenant differs from the Abrahamic Covenant and other biblical covenants because it is conditional.

The blessings that God promises are directly related to Israel’s obedience to the Mosaic Law. If Israel is obedient, God will bless them; if they disobey, God will punish them. The details of these blessings and curses are found in Deuteronomy 28. Unlike the other covenants in the Bible, which are unilateral covenants of promise, the Mosaic Covenant is a bilateral agreement that specifies the obligations of both parties to the covenant.

Jesus fulfilled the old covenant by obeying the commandments perfectly as our substitute and giving us credit. As a result, this first covenant was made obsolete (Hebrews 8:13). In its place, Jesus instituted the new covenant in his blood (Luke 22:20) through which we have forgiveness (Colossians 1:14). Since this covenant’s promises depend entirely on Jesus, we can now approach God with confidence.

Cross

Some consider the cross, an instrument of execution, as offensive. So, why has it served historically as an essential symbol of the Christian Church?

Jesus’ death at Calvary is where he made the entire payment for sin and willingly gave up his life to save ours. This was a moment of glory (John 12:23–33). From the cross, he said, It is finished (John 19:30), which literally means paid in full. When Jesus died, the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51), demonstrating we now have direct access to God.

While a crucifix (a cross with Jesus’ body) emphasizes Christ’s suffering and death, an empty cross reminds us death could not hold him. Jesus rose from the dead. The cross proclaims Jesus’ payment is sufficient and his work complete.

While a discussion of crucifixion should and probably does fill us with horror, and contemplation of our Lord’s tortures should provoke a deep sense of our sinfulness and the love of God, we should remember that the New Testament does not dwell on those physical sufferings.

Sadly, some do not understand the cross. The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us, which are saved, it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18). Since Christians see the cross as a symbol of victory and hope, they display it prominently.

Eternal Life

Eternal life is intimately connected to life with God. Jesus said, I have come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly (John 10:10). This is not something we attain by obedience, but instead is a gift of God (Romans 6:23).

When you receive new birth through faith (John 3:3), you have this new life. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life (1 John 5:12). The Bible speaks of eternal life as a present reality. He that believes in me has everlasting life (John 6:47).

The Bible defines eternal life as knowing God. If you feel unsatisfied with this definition, you might misunderstand the word know. It means more than just having intellectual knowledge. In fact, the Bible uses the word know to describe an intimate, personal experience, as in the case of Adam and Eve. When Jesus said eternal life was knowing God, He meant having a close, personal relationship with Him that is never-ending.

The new life believers enjoy through a restored relationship with God is just a foretaste of what awaits us (2 Corinthians 5:5). For this reason, Christians often equate eternal life with heaven, when we shall live eternally with God. Any life outside of God’s presence could only be described biblically as hell.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

-Romans 6:23

Faith

Faith is a belief or trust in something. Just as a foundation is important to a building, faith is only as good as what it places its hope in.

We will lack certainty if our trust relies, even in part, on ourselves or our efforts.

-Galatians 5:4

This certainty is why God encourages us to trust in Christ’s saving work alone for eternal life. God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Even this faith is not a work of humans but a gift (Ephesians 2:8) and work (1 Corinthians 12:3) of God.

When it comes to salvation, our response is to have faith. However, this faith is not something we can achieve on our own. It is a gift from God and not based on our own abilities or resources. Even if we had the power and resources, God would not want us to rely on them to achieve salvation. This is to prevent us from boasting about our own works and emphasizing that even faith is a gift from God. Paul highlights that we cannot have faith without God giving it to us.

Through faith in Christ alone, the merits of Christ’s saving work become ours personally. Moreover, this faith provides complete certainty and confidence (Hebrews 11:1).

Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

-Galatians 5:4

Forgiveness

While God does call us to forgive others, the Bible primarily emphasizes God’s forgiveness. This forgiveness is inseparably connected to atonement. God does not overlook sin. Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice has covered it. This substitution results in God removing any charge against us (2 Corinthians 5:19), i.e., forgiveness.

Forgiveness is not dependent on our actions. The Bible teaches forgiveness is a present reality because Christ already won it: "In whom we have redemption through