Mar 25, 2016
“For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for his sake.” Philippians 1:29
What a blessing to have studied the book of Philippians and “The Calvary Road” in class the past couple weeks. I certainly feel like I have a greater understanding of suffering and the glories thereof. Time and time again the Holy Spirit has brought me to a place of sweet brokenness, as I am reminded of my Lord Jesus Christ hanging on a cross for me. It remains a mystery to me that God would go about bringing redemption to the world, through the ultimate sacrifice, our Lord Jesus Christ. Seeing as though I will never figure out God or His ways with my mortal mind, I am coming to a place of acceptance and faith realizing that in suffering is a hidden fellowship with God that will not be experienced in any other manner. O WHAT GLORY! WORTHY IS THE LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN!
—School of Discipleship student
Mar 24, 2016
Less than a year ago I would have found it strange to raise my hands in worship. Even if a song would say “I lift my hands”, my hands would stay down. Lifting up my hands for praying was also something I wasn’t used to.
We read in Psalm 134 verse 2, “Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.” It’s mentioned in many more places but another one I like is in 1 Timothy 2:8 again “lifting up holy hands…” hands that are set apart for God’s disposal and to do His will.
To me raising my hands speaks volumes. The first thought is surrender. It’s acknowledging I am powerless and it’s outwardly shown. Though there’s a time to throw up your hands because you have been trying to do things out of strength that stems from self and not from God. I have found that choosing to surrender, even when things are not on the brink of falling apart, is crucial. To lift up holy hands in praise, prayer and adoration confirms in me, the relationship between the Creator and His creation that I am, and my dependence upon Him. Active worship has become very important to me in the last six months. Simply lifting up my hands like a child reaching for a father, acknowledging my great need for our Heavenly Father, and having a transparent life with Him, needs to come out in every area of my life because I am a child of God. Lifting up my hands gives me a good perspective of where I’m at, and helps me to have a surrendered life when I’m in the valley, or on the mountain top.
—School of Discipleship student
Mar 23, 2016
Near the beginning of my year at School of Discipleship we went through the book “The Jesus Style” by Gayle Erwin. In this book he talked about the characteristics of Jesus, and one is that he was a man of no reputation. It stood out to me at the time, but since then we have gone through many others books and I had forgotten about it, until just recently.
In one of our classes the teacher challenged us to search our hearts to find out what is coming in between us and God. After meditating on this, I realized that though it may sometimes come in different forms, what really hinders my walk with God is my trying to protect my reputation. It causes me to fear obeying God and losing friends. But Jesus had no reputation.
In a way everyone has a reputation, but for Jesus it had no meaning because his reputation was simply who he was. He wasn’t ever trying to be someone he wasn’t, or show off to people; he had no worries of who was, or who wasn’t his friend; he had one mission and that is what his whole life was focused on.
For me it comes back to the thing I struggle with the most: Being real with people and not hiding who I really am. This was one thing I saw in myself a few months ago and it really hit me hard. I thought I had made changes and at least overcome this some what. Now I see that though I may have taken one step, there are still hundreds more to go. I can’t do it, I will only fail. Yet I am amazed with the grace of God, he stands by my side still loving me and telling me his grace is sufficient for me.
And I believe that “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.”
1 Thess. 5:24.
—School of Discipleship student
Mar 22, 2016
I believe it still to be a miracle that I am here.
Coming to School of Discipleship, I really didn’t have much of an idea of why God was leading me here. My flesh really wanted to stay in my cozy, comfort zone where life, well, seemed easy. The Lord certainly had much patience and by His grace, I am here!
I think the best verse for my presence here would be found in 1 Corinthians 1:27 where it reads, “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty.” I can still hardly grasp this truth. I am most blessed, but very challenged that my weaknesses are made perfect in His strengths. I’m slowly learning to trust God, in the highest and lowest parts that this journey, called life, brings me.
In class, we have just finished the book, Jesus Style. I am humbled by how little I know about the life of Jesus. Everything about the greatest man that ever lived, His birth, His ministry, His death have been so minimized and watered down. I’m starting to see how absolute frail and weak I am. I am nothing but a wretched, wandering, hopeless, descendant from Adam apart from Christ. My desperation for Christ must be foremost in my life!
With that, I would like to end off with the passage written in Philippians 1:29 which says, “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake”. This verse is a challenge. It is a verse that seems very inconvenient. God wants everything? Since He withheld nothing from His life, I’m challenged with losing everything from mine. With that, I know I need brokenness. I need to be shattered. I need desperate molding. I’ve been so blessed by the countless testimonies of the servants of Christ holding nothing in their life dear to them, and counting all things apart from Christ as useless. So many, going through persecutions and sufferings, so that the name of Christ may be made known! With that, I feel called to brokenness, and pray God will truly break me for the lost. I desperately need to have a burden so immense for those that have never heard that there is a hope! I know this year has many challenges that lay ahead, but I also know that with Christ as my strength, I will have everything that I need!
—School of Discipleship student
Feb 3, 2016
Important things to consider when applying for School of Discipleship:
- Applying isn’t a commitment to come.
- We accept the majority of applicants into the program.
- There is no application fee.
- Application requirements are simple and easy.
- Fully completing your application helps you and our admissions staff to evaluate if the program is a good fit for you.
The Basic Qualifications for School of Discipleship are:
- You must have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
- Desire to know the Lord Jesus more fully and intimately
- Be willing to learn and to serve with diligence
- Must be 18-27 years old as of the first day of the program
Once you complete your application, it usually takes 4 weeks to process. Our Admissions staff will contact your references and then connect with you for a phone conference to discuss your application, get to know you and answer questions. After your phone conference, we will make a decision regarding your acceptance and notify you within a week.
To get started, fill out the savable online application; this usually takes 1-2 hours.
DEADLINES:
School of Discipleship terms start in August and end in July.
- August Term – Apply by May 31
Have questions? Please give us a call or email! 972-300-3314 school@gfa.org
You can start your application here.
Feb 3, 2016
We are excited that you are considering attending School of Discipleship. In order to participate, each student is responsible for $6,000 in donations for the program. While funding the program can be challenging, the tools and assistance we provide make it achievable.
Program costs such as:
- Housing
- Meals
- Books and curriculum materials
Student personal expenses such as:
- Travel to and from Texas
- Cost of Medical Coverage
- Expenses related to medical care
- Incidental personal expenses
Funding
Most students fund the program and personal costs through personal savings, fundraisers and donations from family, friends and churches. Only a portion is required at the beginning of your year (see program donation schedule in the FAQs here).
Assistance
Once you are accepted into the program, we provide you with tools to help you get here.
Dec 11, 2015
Hi Friends,
We are looking forward to celebrating God’s faithfulness in our students lives. Our School of Discipleship located in the US will be having their graduation on Tuesday, December 15 at 4:00 p.m. CST. We encourage you to stream in.
Click here to watch the graduation
With joy in Jesus,
School of Discipleship Team
Nov 18, 2015
What a journey of faith we are called to walk! My time here at Gospel for Asia School of Discipleship so far, has allowed me to realize, like never before, that I MUST KNOW GOD! That in him alone do I have any value, hope, or help. He is indeed my All whether I agree or not, and oh how I must die so that he might become My Life in a more powerful, intimate, and evident way!
Through great pains and triumphs alike, Jesus the Christ of God has revealed himself in the most loving and intimate ways possible. Never before have I felt like such a child in the care of my Heavenly Father… crying, giggling, and overflowing with laughter all at once, in His precious presence!
I recall my first week, feeling myself to be completely shattered by temptation and burden of soul, the Lord spoke to me through the entire chapter of Isaiah 40! Silenced before his HOLY POWERFUL PRESENCE, I could do nothing but think, WOW what a GOD! To know that the SOVEREIGN LORD of the universe would take interest in giving one such mortal as I life and strength… and beyond, that he would allow me to mount up like the eagle and soar in heights of Glory! Surely this God is worthy of POWER and RICHES and WISDOM and MIGHT and HONOR and GLORY and BLESSING! And of how wonderful to know that this God is pleased when we take pleasure in Him… What DIVINE LOVE!
—School of Discipleship Student
Nov 11, 2015
How do you find God’s will for your life? This is one of the questions that we can focus on until life looks like a threatening maze. What if I choose the wrong thing and I regret it? One of the lessons God has been teaching me is that He truly is sovereign. Because of this, I can make choices and take risks.
I’m learning to—Dream; to get advice and good input; think, ask God for His wisdom, then plan and do something. ACTION is essential, because without it nothing changes. I like what Jim Rohn says, “Don’t let your learning lead to knowledge. Let your learning lead to action.” I realized I can’t live afraid of making choices and decisions.
I hesitate to make decisions, because I want to make the perfect one. I want to please God, but sometimes it’s also motivated by the fact that I want my life to turn out fine. I want everything to go well. He promises that He will make us more like Christ, but there is no guarantee that our life will be easy.
I’m grateful that, even if God doesn’t tell us the future, we can take courage because He holds the future.
—School of Discipleship Student
Nov 4, 2015
At some point we have all heard the account from John 4 of Jesus and the woman at the well. I have heard this account so many times that for awhile I actually missed what Jesus was saying when He referred to the gift of God as the “living water.” I was quite humbled at my lack of knowledge for a seemingly elementary concept of Christianity. But when I asked God to please show me what He means when He says the “living water,” His response was almost instantaneous, as if He had been eagerly waiting my whole life to reveal this truth to me.
“What does water do?” came the voice in my heart. Well, let’s see here… Water refreshes, it cleans, it gives life, it sustains life. The world and everything in it cannot stand a chance without water. Of course! How could I have overlooked this for so long?
Jesus was using water to tangibly describe Himself and the gift of salvation in a way that we can understand. What water does for our mortal bodies, Jesus does for our souls!
Jesus refreshes us when we are exhausted. Jesus washes us of our sins and makes us clean. Jesus gives us life and He sustains our life. Without Jesus we are dry and lifeless. Knowing now this tangible way that Jesus is in my life, how could I ever go a day without a drink of Him? And I love what Jesus promises us, “whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:13-14)
I hope you are encouraged in whatever drought you may be facing, that Jesus is the source of your life and refreshment to your soul.
—School of Discipleship Alumni
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