characteristics of a disciple
A disciple is someone who:
1. Is Willing to Forsake All Possessions
2. Abides in God's Word
3. Loves the Universal Church and Other Believers
4. Glorifies God by Bearing Fruit
5. Is Indwelled by the Holy Spirit
6. Obeys Jesus at His Word
7. Joins Jesus in the Mission to Make Disciples
This is the profile of a disciple of Jesus Christ, and if this is what a disciple looks like, no doubt it takes a community to help make this happen. It takes discipleship! Discipleship is the intentional process of teaching/modeling Christlikeness, from a mature believer to a less mature believer, for the purpose of spiritual growth. It’s an immensely important task, but how do we carry it out?
1. Is Willing to Forsake All Possessions
2. Abides in God's Word
3. Loves the Universal Church and Other Believers
4. Glorifies God by Bearing Fruit
5. Is Indwelled by the Holy Spirit
6. Obeys Jesus at His Word
7. Joins Jesus in the Mission to Make Disciples
This is the profile of a disciple of Jesus Christ, and if this is what a disciple looks like, no doubt it takes a community to help make this happen. It takes discipleship! Discipleship is the intentional process of teaching/modeling Christlikeness, from a mature believer to a less mature believer, for the purpose of spiritual growth. It’s an immensely important task, but how do we carry it out?
the 'how' of discipleship
The C.H.A.N.G.E. We Are After
The whole point of discipleship is to help a person change. To bring about a specific kind of change in a person’s life, one that honors God. Because ‘CHANGE’ is the main point of discipleship, it’s the word (acronym) that will be used as our guide, and thus, our philosophy. The philosophy of discipleship begins with a foundation of commitment.
[C] - Commitment
The relationship that is formed in discipleship is a specific kind of relationship. It is known from the very beginning that this relationship is meant to bring about change in a person’s life, and as we all know, change isn’t always an easy thing to embrace. The sin of pride will do everything it can to war against this change. Discipleship is a battlefield, and it often lays waste to friendships. For this very reason, commitment is vital, and this commitment must be a two-way street. Each party must reside himself/herself to the process, and thus give the other person permission to push back, question, and even challenge the other. Without this commitment, the relationship will inevitably fail. There are two ingredients that must be present in this commitment, and they are honesty and grace. Discipleship will walk us into many difficult conversations, and it is honesty that will allow those conversations to bring about the change we are after. Without honesty, all of our conversations within the discipleship process will remain shallow, and thus, ineffective. Because honesty is so vital to the discipleship relationship, grace is also a must. Grace will allow our honesty to find a soft place to land. When grace is absent, pride, bitterness, frustration, and anger will fill the void, and ultimately, the relationship will crumble. The apostle Paul and Timothy each displayed the level of commitment necessary for discipleship to work.
Acts 16:3 ESV 3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
It seems pretty clear that Timothy was committed to this endeavor of discipleship! He was willing to be circumcised for the cause of Christ, and did so upon his commitment to Paul. But this wasn’t just a one-way street.
2 Timothy 1:3 ESV 3 I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. Paul was also obviously committed to this process as well. We find in scripture that he also referred to Timothy as his child in the faith! The commitment was real, and yet the commitment needed in discipleship not only holds the relationship together, but extends beyond it and ties us to God Himself in His word.
[H] - Hearing the Word
When it comes to living out the call of discipleship, the truth of God’s Word remains our guide. The truth of God, found in the scriptures, is the power of God to bring about change in a person’s life. Bible studies or devotionals can also be used in the discipleship process, but only as long as they are saturated with the truth of God’s Word.
2 Timothy 3:16 ESV 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.
We must be committed to hearing the Word, for faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Jesus was constantly speaking the scriptures to His disciples, and we should be committed to doing the same as disciple makers. The one being discipled should also be committed to hearing the Word as well; reading it, studying it, meditating on it, memorizing it. The Word of God truly is the power of God to set slaves free, but hearing God’s Word can’t be the ultimate goal. There’s something more, if change is to come.
[A] - Applying the Word
A constant theme throughout the bible is the idea of evidence. If we say we have faith, but have no works (evidence) that displays that faith, then our words are empty and our faith is dead.
James 1:22 ESV 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
The word must be applied, and so when it comes to discipleship, as disciple makers, we must provide opportunities for the disciple to step out of their boat… in faith! We have to allow them to walk by faith and not by sight. This means that we have to let them fail, even fall down if necessary. Children learn to walk by constantly failing to walk. They learn from their falls, and so do disciples. When that happens, we take them back to hearing the Word, in order that they hear the promises of God. That in Christ they have an advocate before the Father. That in His strength, they can get up and try again. The Word of God, heard and applied, is the essence of discipleship, and yet there’s a specific context in which this process should play itself out, if change is to come.
[N] - Navigating Life Together
Life is unpredictable, and because it is, this approach to discipleship is not a program but a philosophy. One day things are going smoothly, and the next day things are pure chaos. One moment things are good, the next moment they’re not! We’ve all experienced the roller coaster of life, but it’s in the ebbs and flows where the rubber meets the road. We can gather in our bible studies and talk about spiritual matters all day long, but if those things merely stay at the bible study and never make it into our lives, then the bible tells us that we are deceived. Discipleship must be carried out on the landscape of life. We see this very truth in the text of scripture.
2 Timothy 3:10–11 ESV 10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra— which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me.
Paul and Timothy navigated life together. They experienced life together. If they hadn’t, then these verses could not have been written. The phrase “living life together” is very popular in the area of discipleship. It’s thrown around as if living life together in the 21st century is the same as living life together in the 1st century. In the 1st century there were basically four choices of occupation; shepherd, fisherman, carpenter, and tax collector. Of course there would have been a couple more options, but not many more. In the 1st century, men and women really would have lived life together. They would have worked together, ate together, played together. Today, we see a countless number of occupations, rendering us segregated in our own little worlds, living life amongst a slew of others we don’t normally engage. It makes discipleship that much harder, as we do our best to live life together, but I believe that if we’re ever going to effectively disciple others as we live life together today, we must operate in the decisions of life. There’s no doubt that the apostle Paul would have filtered the decisions of Timothy through the Word of God, as he discipled him to be more like Jesus. We must do the same. The decisions of life must be brought to the altar of discipleship if we would ever expect true change in the life of the discipled, yet, lest we get of course and begin to get out in front of God, we come to some necessary guardrails in our philosophy of discipleship.
[G] - Grounded in Prayer
Oh how easy it is to neglect prayer in our lives. What happens when we neglect prayer? We get out in front of God. We fall into routines of thought that would have us believe we can make this happen. We begin to believe that our creativity, our intuitiveness, our gifts, and our talents are the means by which a person is changed, and when this happens, we begin to rob God the glory due Him. Prayer is so vital to the process of discipleship, and it’s something we see in scripture as well.
2 Timothy 1:3 ESV 3 I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day.
Paul constantly prayed for Timothy, the one he discipled, and so we should do the same. Prayer is our acknowledgment that God is in control and that we rely on Him for the results of our labor. It also grounds our souls in the reality that it is God’s strength that changes a heart.
[E] - Empowered by the Holy Spirit
Discipleship is a grace-driven endeavor, empowered by the Holy Spirit. It’s the Holy Spirit that brings about change in the life of a believer.
John 14:26 ESV 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
1 Peter 2:5 ESV 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
True discipleship is an exercise of the Holy Spirit. If it’s not, then we’re trying to do this in our own strength, and it will not work. Apart from the Holy Spirit, our love will be shallow, and our results will be temporary. The Spirit is our fuel in this battle for change, and so we must rest in His strength.
[C.H.A.N.G.E.] The philosophy of discipleship that has been discussed is one that is easy to remember, easy to implement, and yet divinely powerful.
[C] - Commitment
[H] - Hearing the Word
[A] - Applying the Word
[N] - Navigating Life Together
[G] - Grounded in Prayer
[E] - Empowered by the Holy Spirit
Each point is a necessary pillar that supports our discipling efforts. How we actually live this out, however, can happen in a million different ways. There’s flexibility here, but these things support and hold up our efforts! And then… …when the disciple maker finally passes the torch to the disciple, we come to realize that all of the change that has occurred over time has culminated into a soul that has now been… changed, and it’s this final point that allows this philosophy to then be multiplied and replicated for the advancement of God’s kingdom.
[D] - Disciple Others
The goal of discipleship is that a disciple would be transformed/changed into a disciple maker, who then replicates the process in helping to make disciples who make disciples.
2 Timothy 2:1–2 ESV 1 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.
If we are to be a people who answer the call of discipleship, then we must be intentional. When Jesus said to the disciples, “Follow Me”, He was calling them to a life of discipleship. May we embrace the call to help others be…
[C] - Commitment
[H] - Hearing the Word
[A] - Applying the Word
[N] - Navigating Life Together
[G] - Grounded in Prayer
[E] - Empowered by the Holy Spirit
[D] - Disciple Others
The whole point of discipleship is to help a person change. To bring about a specific kind of change in a person’s life, one that honors God. Because ‘CHANGE’ is the main point of discipleship, it’s the word (acronym) that will be used as our guide, and thus, our philosophy. The philosophy of discipleship begins with a foundation of commitment.
[C] - Commitment
The relationship that is formed in discipleship is a specific kind of relationship. It is known from the very beginning that this relationship is meant to bring about change in a person’s life, and as we all know, change isn’t always an easy thing to embrace. The sin of pride will do everything it can to war against this change. Discipleship is a battlefield, and it often lays waste to friendships. For this very reason, commitment is vital, and this commitment must be a two-way street. Each party must reside himself/herself to the process, and thus give the other person permission to push back, question, and even challenge the other. Without this commitment, the relationship will inevitably fail. There are two ingredients that must be present in this commitment, and they are honesty and grace. Discipleship will walk us into many difficult conversations, and it is honesty that will allow those conversations to bring about the change we are after. Without honesty, all of our conversations within the discipleship process will remain shallow, and thus, ineffective. Because honesty is so vital to the discipleship relationship, grace is also a must. Grace will allow our honesty to find a soft place to land. When grace is absent, pride, bitterness, frustration, and anger will fill the void, and ultimately, the relationship will crumble. The apostle Paul and Timothy each displayed the level of commitment necessary for discipleship to work.
Acts 16:3 ESV 3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
It seems pretty clear that Timothy was committed to this endeavor of discipleship! He was willing to be circumcised for the cause of Christ, and did so upon his commitment to Paul. But this wasn’t just a one-way street.
2 Timothy 1:3 ESV 3 I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. Paul was also obviously committed to this process as well. We find in scripture that he also referred to Timothy as his child in the faith! The commitment was real, and yet the commitment needed in discipleship not only holds the relationship together, but extends beyond it and ties us to God Himself in His word.
[H] - Hearing the Word
When it comes to living out the call of discipleship, the truth of God’s Word remains our guide. The truth of God, found in the scriptures, is the power of God to bring about change in a person’s life. Bible studies or devotionals can also be used in the discipleship process, but only as long as they are saturated with the truth of God’s Word.
2 Timothy 3:16 ESV 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.
We must be committed to hearing the Word, for faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Jesus was constantly speaking the scriptures to His disciples, and we should be committed to doing the same as disciple makers. The one being discipled should also be committed to hearing the Word as well; reading it, studying it, meditating on it, memorizing it. The Word of God truly is the power of God to set slaves free, but hearing God’s Word can’t be the ultimate goal. There’s something more, if change is to come.
[A] - Applying the Word
A constant theme throughout the bible is the idea of evidence. If we say we have faith, but have no works (evidence) that displays that faith, then our words are empty and our faith is dead.
James 1:22 ESV 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
The word must be applied, and so when it comes to discipleship, as disciple makers, we must provide opportunities for the disciple to step out of their boat… in faith! We have to allow them to walk by faith and not by sight. This means that we have to let them fail, even fall down if necessary. Children learn to walk by constantly failing to walk. They learn from their falls, and so do disciples. When that happens, we take them back to hearing the Word, in order that they hear the promises of God. That in Christ they have an advocate before the Father. That in His strength, they can get up and try again. The Word of God, heard and applied, is the essence of discipleship, and yet there’s a specific context in which this process should play itself out, if change is to come.
[N] - Navigating Life Together
Life is unpredictable, and because it is, this approach to discipleship is not a program but a philosophy. One day things are going smoothly, and the next day things are pure chaos. One moment things are good, the next moment they’re not! We’ve all experienced the roller coaster of life, but it’s in the ebbs and flows where the rubber meets the road. We can gather in our bible studies and talk about spiritual matters all day long, but if those things merely stay at the bible study and never make it into our lives, then the bible tells us that we are deceived. Discipleship must be carried out on the landscape of life. We see this very truth in the text of scripture.
2 Timothy 3:10–11 ESV 10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra— which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me.
Paul and Timothy navigated life together. They experienced life together. If they hadn’t, then these verses could not have been written. The phrase “living life together” is very popular in the area of discipleship. It’s thrown around as if living life together in the 21st century is the same as living life together in the 1st century. In the 1st century there were basically four choices of occupation; shepherd, fisherman, carpenter, and tax collector. Of course there would have been a couple more options, but not many more. In the 1st century, men and women really would have lived life together. They would have worked together, ate together, played together. Today, we see a countless number of occupations, rendering us segregated in our own little worlds, living life amongst a slew of others we don’t normally engage. It makes discipleship that much harder, as we do our best to live life together, but I believe that if we’re ever going to effectively disciple others as we live life together today, we must operate in the decisions of life. There’s no doubt that the apostle Paul would have filtered the decisions of Timothy through the Word of God, as he discipled him to be more like Jesus. We must do the same. The decisions of life must be brought to the altar of discipleship if we would ever expect true change in the life of the discipled, yet, lest we get of course and begin to get out in front of God, we come to some necessary guardrails in our philosophy of discipleship.
[G] - Grounded in Prayer
Oh how easy it is to neglect prayer in our lives. What happens when we neglect prayer? We get out in front of God. We fall into routines of thought that would have us believe we can make this happen. We begin to believe that our creativity, our intuitiveness, our gifts, and our talents are the means by which a person is changed, and when this happens, we begin to rob God the glory due Him. Prayer is so vital to the process of discipleship, and it’s something we see in scripture as well.
2 Timothy 1:3 ESV 3 I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day.
Paul constantly prayed for Timothy, the one he discipled, and so we should do the same. Prayer is our acknowledgment that God is in control and that we rely on Him for the results of our labor. It also grounds our souls in the reality that it is God’s strength that changes a heart.
[E] - Empowered by the Holy Spirit
Discipleship is a grace-driven endeavor, empowered by the Holy Spirit. It’s the Holy Spirit that brings about change in the life of a believer.
John 14:26 ESV 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
1 Peter 2:5 ESV 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
True discipleship is an exercise of the Holy Spirit. If it’s not, then we’re trying to do this in our own strength, and it will not work. Apart from the Holy Spirit, our love will be shallow, and our results will be temporary. The Spirit is our fuel in this battle for change, and so we must rest in His strength.
[C.H.A.N.G.E.] The philosophy of discipleship that has been discussed is one that is easy to remember, easy to implement, and yet divinely powerful.
[C] - Commitment
[H] - Hearing the Word
[A] - Applying the Word
[N] - Navigating Life Together
[G] - Grounded in Prayer
[E] - Empowered by the Holy Spirit
Each point is a necessary pillar that supports our discipling efforts. How we actually live this out, however, can happen in a million different ways. There’s flexibility here, but these things support and hold up our efforts! And then… …when the disciple maker finally passes the torch to the disciple, we come to realize that all of the change that has occurred over time has culminated into a soul that has now been… changed, and it’s this final point that allows this philosophy to then be multiplied and replicated for the advancement of God’s kingdom.
[D] - Disciple Others
The goal of discipleship is that a disciple would be transformed/changed into a disciple maker, who then replicates the process in helping to make disciples who make disciples.
2 Timothy 2:1–2 ESV 1 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.
If we are to be a people who answer the call of discipleship, then we must be intentional. When Jesus said to the disciples, “Follow Me”, He was calling them to a life of discipleship. May we embrace the call to help others be…
[C] - Commitment
[H] - Hearing the Word
[A] - Applying the Word
[N] - Navigating Life Together
[G] - Grounded in Prayer
[E] - Empowered by the Holy Spirit
[D] - Disciple Others