Discipleship
Remember: discipleship is about relationships, and relationships are about people. And people are everywhere! Think about the people in your life—your family, your friendships, people at school, at your job, in your church, at the gym, at the coffee shop, and at the grocery store. People are all around.
As Christ-followers, we are called to discipleship. This isn’t meant to be an added burden or an additional program, but instead it’s a lens through which we can view our existing relationships in the life we are already living. This call of discipleship is not bound by specific talents, gifts, or stages of life. We can all disciple in our current spheres of life.
Jesus is our Model
So how do we do discipleship? We follow in the footsteps of Jesus. He is our example. He spoke discipleship into being and then lived it out. Jesus came to earth to provide salvation, reconcile us back to God, and build a church that would follow Him and take His message of the gospel to the world. This was Jesus’ purpose, and everything He did was in line with this purpose (Coleman 1993). Jesus is the beginning, the means, and the end of discipleship. He is our model. We strive to disciple like Jesus discipled.
The Call
In Matthew 28:18–20, after Jesus was resurrected from the dead, He said these famous words to His disciples: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” This is the Great Commission.
If you are a follower of Christ, this is your call: to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching the commands of God. Because Jesus defeated sin and death, God gave Him the authority to call us to discipleship. He has invited us into His work. How amazing! Despite our brokenness, He still wants to use us. He has called us to discipleship and He will empower us to live out this calling.
Simple
The call to make disciples can seem daunting. You might be thinking: I have never heard of the word discipleship. Where do I start? Whom should I disciple? What should I talk about? I don’t have the time for this. No one is interested. I’ve tried but it just hasn’t worked. Wherever you are, it’s okay! Discipleship is simple. Don’t overcomplicate it. It’s simple because discipleship comes by building relationships and investing in people. And people are worth it. Jesus is worth it. We get to demonstrate and share the good news of Christ—and that is worth it!
Be encouraged today by Jesus’ last words in the Great Commission: “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Take courage: He is with us as we go forth and make disciples. Always. To the end of the age.
He has invited us into His work. How amazing! Despite our brokenness, He still wants to use us. He has called us to discipleship and He will empower us to live out this calling.
If my heart is focused on discipleship and giving of myself – God will use me.
He has invited us into His work. How amazing! Despite our brokenness, He still wants to use us. He has called us to discipleship and He will empower us to live out this calling.
It inspires me to be more intensional with my kids, sometimes I tend to rely on church or school or other influences to teach them but I know the most important teaching comes from parents, consistently, daily. That’s the capacity of my brain right now and doesn’t extend beyond that. That makes me wonder if In general, I’ve created too busy a life to disciple, I feel I hardly have an ounce of energy left to do more than reach beyond myself and my family.
That this is great honor! That we are all equipt and able to be discipled and make disciples. But even more that sharing my love of Jesus and what he has taught me….how truly freeing because I know He is always with me.
That He states to GO. Not to think about it or ask questions. He gives us a command & lets us know He is with us always. I don’t need to doubt my calling or gifts because the people God has placed in my path or those that I need to build those relationships with.
To not be shy about telling others if Christ’s live for them.
Jesus said," Go and make disciples of all nations.." He did not ask them, he told them to go out and be disciples to all. This inspires me to share my faith and love of Christ through my actions and words each day.
I am inspired by the clarity of our purpose that Jesus provides within the Great Commission.
The Call
This inspires me to understand what a relationship in life is… to grow together despite the bad times..it is about building
I agree with Tina (response from April 2022). Reading these words give me confidence. Knowing that going forward with the great commission that HE is with me always to guide and calm me. To have the Holy Spirit give me the words to share…
Jesus is commanding us to disciple, right where we are to all and all the time. Almost like this is what matters because of what He has done for us. He has all the authority and asks all of us to now share all he has done with everyone and all. Not because we did anything but because of what he has done he now needs us to disciple to all so they don’t miss out on knowing Him and to observe how they can now disciple to others by now knowing Jesus. "I am with you always until the end of the ages" gives me comfort that even as we feel inadequate at times He is with us , helping us guiding us and He is who we are sharing so knowing these words came from his mouth for us to hear and rest in inspires me to feel adequate enough to disciple to all because He knows I can. I feel like the Great commission can seem daunting but I also feel like as long as we breathe Jesus into every aspect of our lives discipling will naturally happen without thinking and without complication.