Discipleship is part of our daily life wherever we go. It’s about seeing Jesus. We are learning to live in and from Him, as He is The Way, The Truth, and The Life. As we do this, Jesus will manifest Himself to us and through us every-time, everywhere.
Discipleship is part of our daily life wherever we go. It’s about seeing Jesus. We are learning to live in and from Him, as He is The Way, The Truth, and The Life.
By living in and from Him, we embody the Word as He did because He lives within us by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. His Spirit reaches those around us and His Love overwhelms them. Through this, we become people known by Love. This is what we believe to be the greater purpose of discipleship.
When we enter into one-on-one discipleship, we consider individual personalities and life experiences. These things help us understand the way we live, behave, think, feel and why we respond the way we do to what happens in our lives. This requires a willingness to dive deep into our hearts and understand the truth about our brokenness becoming aware of our deep need for God.
Without this willingness, we hardly understand the meaning and power of The Cross and our desperate need for a Savior. Acknowledging this need ignites the willingness for us to form a personal and intimate relationship with Him. The more we get to know God, not simply through knowledge, but by experiencing Him, the more we understand who we are in Him.
But, let’s not deceive ourselves! Discipleship is like a relationship. It’s a two way road. That means maturity cannot be viewed on a vertical axis, where one individual is above the other. Both people will find their hearts exposed and feel challenged to grow as they do life together.
Jesus made himself less for the lessers—He humbled Himself to meet us on our level. We believe discipleship should look the same. The Scriptures are very clear on this:
“If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.”
—1 Corinthians 10:12
“Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ. When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish Law, I too lived under that law…When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.”
—1 Corinthians 9:19-21
Bottom line, we believe that seeing Jesus leads us to live a life of obedience to Him, not by our own strength or sight, but by faith. Discipleship is one tool we’ve been given to encourage us as we become His new creation known by Love.
We believe that everyone should have a companion for their journey. We see discipleship relationships as a two way street: one person doesn’t disciple another person, but rather both people challenge, encourage, and hold each other accountable by providing a regular time and space for honest conversation, prayer, and study. One person in a discipleship relationship may have a longer history with Jesus than the other, but both people bring their unique gifts and weaknesses to the table and fight forward in faith together.
Connect with Ana, if you’re interested in getting plugged into a discipleship relationship.
Salvation is free, but discipleship will cost you your life.
—Dietrich Bonhoeffer
What makes authentic disciples is not visions, ecstasies, biblical mastery of chapter and verse, or spectacular success in the ministry, but a capacity for faithfulness. Buffeted by the fickle winds of failure, battered by their own unruly emotions, and bruised by rejection and ridicule, authentic disciples may have stumbled and frequently fallen, endured lapses and relapses, gotten handcuffed to the fleshpots and wandered into a far county. Yet, they kept coming back to Jesus.
—Brennan Manning
Discipleship has been an amazing experience! Getting to meet weekly with a couple of guys and share our lives, struggles, and blessings has been extremely good for my faith and relationship with Jesus.
We occasionally go on prayer walks, when the weather is nice, and I’m always shocked by how much I see God in nature, even just walking through neighborhoods.
It’s great to have these guys that know me so well and are able to push and challenge me in my relationship with God when I can’t do it myself.
—Cody Reeves
Discipleship has been one of the biggest blessings this last year!
Through discipleship I have been learning to develop deep relationships based on truth, honesty and vulnerability that pushes me and comforts me all at the same time. Discipleship has been a place of extreme growth where I’ve learned more about God’s character, His true nature, and how being in relationship with Him never ends.
I struggled to see my individuality in my faith, who I was created to be and truly trust in God’s love for me. I’ve been growing in knowledge of that and learning a lot from hearing the experiences and testimonies of someone else who I relate to so easily. The Lord’s love for His children is really powerful!
It’s been such a beautiful space for both of us to trust in the Lord and see the things He is revealing. It doesn’t feel like discipleship now; it’s two really good friends meeting to share our experiences and talk about our God. That’s the beauty of what discipleship has been for me.
—Sadie Reeves
