Personal Discipleship

Jesus’ method for disciple-making is timeless—the same approach He used in His day works for us today. Jesus-style disciple-making never gets old or becomes irrelevant. It will never be outdated—it works in every generation and in every nation. The process of coming alongside other people and helping them become more like Christ in their character and conduct never changes. We should make fully trained disciples today as Jesus did over two thousand years ago.

Jesus’ approach to discipleship can be summarized in two simple words from Mark 3:14: “And He appointed twelve (whom He also named apostles) so that they might be with Him and He might send them out to preach…” This empowering simplicity shows that anyone can follow in His footsteps and make disciples.

“With Him” are the two words that encapsulate Jesus’ entire discipleship strategy. He understood that more was “caught” than taught, so He spent three years helping His disciples “catch” His vision. Over approximately three years, Jesus modeled how to live and lead for His disciples. His disciples learned His character and conduct by listening to and watching Him. They learned how to lead untrained seekers to become fully trained disciples by watching how He led them. This process was not just effective; it was golden. It worked flawlessly, inspiring us to follow in His footsteps and replicate His success.

The same “with Him” approach Jesus used works today – His Word and His Spirit make it possible for us to have a “with Him” approach in our ministries two thousand years after He left this earth. When we gather over an extended period, open the Word of God, and allow the Spirit to speak to our lives, we can be transformed into the image of Christ. The process works if we work the process.

Instead of constantly chasing the latest and greatest, why not stick with what is tried and true? Why not return to the most significant and most effective disciple-maker of all time for the playbook? If you want to leave behind a legacy of multiplying disciples, open the gospels and study how Jesus launched His movement through the Church.