Choose the Life: Exploring a Faith that Embraces Discipleship

by Bill Hull, Dallas Willard

Many churches harbor harried congregations merely going through the motions--sleepwalking saints who fail to experience transformed living. Many are unable and unwilling to share the gospel, convinced that it's not their "gift."

True disciples do more than the minimum, explains Hull. They choose the life and commit to bringing Jesus to the lost. They live out their beliefs and walk the walk. Submission shows the doubting world that Christ is embedded in their character.

Choose the Life is a practical tool as accessible to laypeople as ministry leaders. Any church seeking life-changing significance will be challenged by this cutting-edge resource. No hand-holding here, Choose the Life shows church members how to take individual responsibility for both being discipled and discipling others.

Genres: Discipleship, Christian, Christianity, Spirituality, Personal Growth, Christian Living, Church

224 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2004

About the author

Bill’s passion is to help the church return to its disciple making roots and he considers himself a discipleship evangelist. This God-given desire has manifested itself in 20 of pastoring and the authorship of many books. Two of his more important books, Jesus Christ Disciple Maker, and The Disciple Making Pastor, have both celebrated 20 years in print. Add his third in the popular trilogy, The Disciple Making Church , and you have a new paradigm for disciple making.

Reviews

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read if you are in a church that needs some revitalization, especially in the discipleship department. And who would not? I found this book to be sometimes really good, but often just not getting to the point - making it as trite as it sounds, instead of as living as it should be. Also, when reading a book by an already established discipleship author writing that he finally got it, I wonder if he did not get it in his other books?

But, books in this vein are needed - and important - and Bill Hull does provide value for churches that need it.

[James Tetley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading as part of our small group study. A different take on discipleship. I like this guy - he started by teaching skills based discipleship = then realised in his journey that actually character based discipleship is really what was needed. Loses a star because it is a little shallow on the spiritual disciplines needed, but covers a host of areas well.

[Georgia]

This book had lots of good points and was challenging, especially as Bill Hull called Christians to be intentional about following the spiritual disciplines. Overall, though, I felt it suffered from a lack of organization. It seems highly organized but in the actual reading of it I felt he was all over the map and that made it hard for me to string together ideas from A to B to C, etc. I also didn't relate to a lot of Bill Hull's personal anecdotes and analogies.

[Jeff Bobin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written by a pastor and a leader with a much wider impact on the church as a national author, speaker and teacher this is great food for thought for pastors that want to have the right focus on ministry. Making Disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world in the name of Jesus.

You will be challenged to examine the impact you have on the culture and the cultures impact on you. There is a real challenge to examine what submission means and to think about what you submit to. Examining your habits and relationships will determine your ability to make and form disciples in the image of Christ.

Disciple making can only be done by someone that is truly a disciple first so that others can then learn from you and follow in your footsteps.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is helpful for youth leaders, workers, and/or staffs to learn more about what a disciple should look like and what are the discipline behind to choose this life. In this book there were ideas/suggestions the author touched on that my church is already implementing, however, there were new ideas that I took away to begin applying at our church. Most of the examples given were from a pastor perspective which is helpful to understand what Bill Hull oppositions were while working in his ministry/church. Unlike some books I've read, which God word were misuse, Bill cited His word carefully and clearly for his readers to understand.

[Allen Lim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good book which explores the area of discipleship. Primarily it focuses on making those choices in life which draw us closer to God, and make us better disciples of Christ. As such, topics like Surrender, and the need for the disciple to "train" himself are found throughtout the book.

All in all, I was personally affected by what I read, and found that many times God used what was written to speak into an area of my life which needed to be dealt with. As such, I would recommend this to anyone seriously interested in growing deeper with God.

[JJ Vancil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! The author, Bill Hull, invited me (the reader) to truly explore a life of discipleship. He does an amazing job calling to task the church to step up to challenge and be more than simply attendance and program. This book casts a vision of what a truly transformed life centered on following Jesus looks like. Pick this one up and read it!

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

become a real follower of the Christ. that pursuing likeness to Jesus Christ.