Hey everybody, we are so glad you're here with us. Today on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope,

Rick Warren continues with an inspiring new series called What Does It Really Mean to Follow Jesus?

Now in this powerful teaching, Rick dives into God's Word to explore how we grow spiritually, represent Christ in the world, and find our place in God's family through the church.

It's a fresh look at discipleship, purpose, and the life-changing power of spiritual community.

Okay, and now, the final part of a message called, We Are Disciples. Jesus had a plan,

and that pathway was teaching his disciples first to know him and then to love him and then

to grow in him and then to serve him and then to share him. Now what I just shared with you that one sentence

is the whole philosophy behind Saddleback Church. Everything in this church helps people move through

those five stages, those five purposes. First, to know Christ. Then we want you know him, then you can love him because you can't love

him until you know him. And then you learn to love his family. And then you start growing in Christ,

and then you start serving Christ, and then you start sharing Christ. It's like a baby. A baby has to learn

to breathe. Then it learns to eat, then it learns to walk,

and then it learns to talk. We all grow at different stages and grates, but every one of us

went through those exact same physical stages and there are spiritual stages at in spiritual

growth too now to help you visualize this we use a baseball diamond if you've been in

class 101 you remember the baseball diamond and each base represents a different stage of

growth first base knowing Christ and loving Christ,

being committed to him and his family. Second base, growing in Christ. Third base, serving

Christ, home plate, sharing Christ. And we say, we want you to cover all the bases. We want you to be a grand slam

disciple. You don't get credit for runners left on base. Now, this idea that I'm sharing with you,

helping people grow systematically is not new. For 2,000 years, churches have been doing this.

It's called a catechism. Anybody heard of that one? You know what a catechism is? It's then catechism and just in Catholic Church. All churches have used catechisms. You learn this, then you learn this, then you learn this, then you learn this. And for 2,000 years, people have been going through a growing process. You need a pathway to

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