There are many definitions of discipleship, but here’s a simple one I work from: discipleship is learning to trust and follow Jesus.
- Discipleship is learning. Its an educational process. That means that disciple-making involves teaching.
- But this is not learning/teaching in the conventional sense. Jesus made disciples while walking, boating, and eating. It happened in the homes of sinners, in grave yards, and in gardens. He made disciples by telling stories, healing the sick, and casting out demons. Discipleship is intentional and strategic, but happens in the context of real life – including, but not limited to, a classroom.
- The reason for this is that discipleship is not just about information. It’s about learning to trust. Trust is formed in the context of relationships and difficult situations. Many of the disciples were fishermen, yet Jesus led them into a storm where they feared for their lives (Mark 4:35-41). They were experts in boats and seas, but Jesus put them into a situation where they were tested beyond their level of expertise and they had to trust him. In the process, they learned that He is the Lord of the land and the sea. Discipleship is about teaching people to trust Jesus with their lives both before and after death.
- Discipleship is also about following. It’s about trusting Jesus enough to obey everything that he has commanded (Matthew 28:20). This isn’t obedience in a legalistic or moralistic sense, but obedience that flows from faith and is grounded in love. It’s learning to love like Jesus.
7 responses so far ↓
definition of discipleship « st george the dragonslayer « The Colorful Journey // October 10, 2007 at 2:02 am |
[...] definition of discipleship « st george the dragonslayer [...]
Sarah // October 10, 2007 at 3:43 am |
the last point really struck me “obedience that flows from faith and is grounded in love. It’s learning to love like Jesus” ….. come on!
Phm 1:21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.
rickdugan // October 10, 2007 at 7:41 am |
Sarah … what great confidence Paul had in his disciple. He knew that Philemon’s faith would get much deeper than the rules.
And ‘Moveintothehood’ – thanks for the trackback!
Fishers of Men (Part 2) Discipleship « The Colorful Journey // October 16, 2007 at 5:13 am |
[...] will end with an excerpt from “definition of discipleship” over at St. George the Dragon Slayer that touches on this [...]
mental models of discipleship « st george the dragonslayer // May 23, 2008 at 7:43 am |
[...] that give some clarity to how I do this in real life. We discussed a definition of discipleship here, and I suggested a ‘discipleship rhythm’ that you can see here. But let me suggest [...]
Fishers of Men Part 2 (Discipleship) « Just a Broken Pilgrim // June 4, 2008 at 6:44 pm |
[...] will end with an excerpt from “definition of discipleship” over at St. George the Dragon Slayer that touches on this [...]
leadership crisis and the year in review « postmission // December 30, 2008 at 6:52 pm |
[...] Definition of discipleship: I’d like to think that this post ranks high because there’s a growing dissatisfaction with the ecclesiastical status quo. People are returning to discipleship and spiritual formation as the focus of what ministry is about rather than simply filling the seats every Sunday morning. This post also ranks high because a number of other blogs linked to it. But looking at the most popular posts of all time, this one falls out of the top 5 and is replaced by ‘disciple-multiplying strategies vs. church planting strategies.’ I think we can assume that there’s a growing call for change in the way we do church. [...]