The Discipleship Terrain helps us understand where we are. Like a map we can use it to help us get our bearings and focus on where we need to get to. It helps us answer questions such as “where am I now?” “Where is God leading me?” “Where am I headed?”

The Desert – Knowing Myself

What images come to mind when you think of a desert? Would it be a place you’d like to go – or would you find the solitude, the barrenness, the vastness of it overwhelming?

Some associate deserts with dry times; times when we feel a long way from God; difficult times. But the desert and wilderness experiences of the bible are not always like that. Jesus often went to the wilderness to spend time with his Father. Often they are times of preparation and training. For the Israelites wandering around a desert for 40 years it was a place where they had to learn from their mistakes (albeit over and over again!) They are places where, devoid of other things, we learn something about ourselves.

In our Discipleship Terrain deserts represent how we understand self – what makes us tick; why we respond to certain things the way we do. How we can find depth and balance in our lives - at work, home, with family, with friends and in church life. Discovering my shape – what spiritual gifts, natural God given abilities and acquired skills we have that we can use as we serve God.