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Can You Grow Spiritually Without a Church?

Q: I have a good friend who is younger than me and we’ve been in the faith about the same time. She wants me to be her disciple but I don’t feel fully secure that she can be as effective because of the age difference. My husband and I don’t have a church home and we don’t have other options. How can we become disciples without a church home?

Summary

Discipleship is more than attending a Sunday worship service or finding someone to mentor you. It is a lifelong commitment to becoming a student of Christ, growing in His Word, and walking alongside other believers.

In this episode of Ask Dr. E, Brooklyn asks how she and her husband can grow as disciples without a church home. Her friend has offered to disciple her, but the age difference and their similar experience in the faith leave her questioning the arrangement.

Dr. Michael Easley and Hannah Seymour discuss the importance of clarifying expectations in mentoring relationships. Before committing to discipleship, understand what someone hopes to learn and where they need guidance. Healthy relationships also require boundaries, mutual understanding, and sometimes the wisdom to decline an invitation.

Their larger concern, however, is the couple’s lack of a local church. Livestreamed services and good sermons can encourage spiritual growth, but they cannot replace consistent relationships with other believers. Dr. Easley encourages listeners to find a Bible-teaching church and become involved in a smaller community, such as a Bible study or discipleship group.

True spiritual growth happens through God’s Word, God’s Spirit, and God’s people. Every believer needs relationships with others who can encourage, challenge, and sharpen their faith.

Takeaways:

• Discipleship means becoming a lifelong student of Christ, continually learning and growing in His Word.
• Before entering a mentoring relationship, clarify expectations and understand what the other person hopes to learn.
• Healthy discipleship relationships require wisdom, appropriate boundaries, and mutual understanding.
• Watching a livestream or attending Sunday worship cannot replace meaningful relationships within a local church.
• Every believer needs a community of Christians who can encourage, challenge, and sharpen their faith.
• Spiritual growth depends on God’s Word, God’s Spirit, and God’s people working together in a believer’s life.

Find more episodes of Ask Dr. E here.

If you’ve got a question for Dr. Easley, call or text us your question at 615-281-9694 or email at question@michaelincontext.com.