Over the last nine posts in this series, we’ve explored what discipleship is and how it is done. Discipleship is a life long commitment to become more like Jesus. It’s intense, difficult, and sometimes exhausting, but it’s ultimately rewarding. You were created to be a disciple and to make disciples, so now go live it!
A disciple hasn’t really completely made it until they make another disciples. The truth is that disciples reproduce. This is God’s plan for the world. Someone leads us into a relationship with Christ and pours into us so that we pour into others. This is also the most difficult step in discipleship. If making ourselves into disciples is hard, then making others is even harder.
A key part of holistic discipleship is education. Learning and growing in the knowledge of Christ is very important. When most people think of christian education, their minds immediately go to institutions of higher education, such as seminary. What is the role of these institutions in discipleship, and how can the church partner with these institutions to further develop disciples?
God’s plan for the world is the local church. For most people, the majority of their discipleship journey will happen in the context of their local church. How does the church fit into the vision of discipleship and how can churches build disciples in their community?
You’ve made the decision to actually become a disciple, but how do you actually do that? Becoming a disciple is not a one time event. It’s a life long commitment to grow in Christ. Growing up is difficult, so how do we ensure that we grow?
In many churches discipleship is synonymous with education. They may have discipleship programs, but the focus of these programs is teaching and building up church members with knowledge. While holistic discipleship is not only about education, it is a primary area of development in the discipleship process.
As we talk about discipleship, it can be tempting to jump right to the newest and shiniest theories and ideas in the realm of spiritual development. This would be a mistake, because the church has a rich history of thoughts and ideas
Why even care about discipleship? With so much else going on in our lives, we must be very careful with how we invest our time and energy. Is discipleship even worth the significant investment it demands?
As we explore discipleship, it’s important that we get on the same page about what a disciple actually is. What do we mean by discipleship what does a disciple look like? It’s important to define the target before we begin pursuing discipleship.
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” These were the last words that Jesus said to his disciples before he ascended into heaven. It’s this command that is at the core of the church and its mission here on earth. We are to make disciples, but that’s easier said than done.
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