Discipleship 101

[Jesus] appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach. — Mark 3:14

Because I am not a “fix it” kind of guy, I had to call a friend who is a great handyman to make some repairs in my home recently. He came over, and I gave him my list. But to my surprise, he told me I would be doing the repairs myself! He modeled for me how to do it, instructed me along the way, and stayed with me. I followed his example and successfully made the repairs. This modeling seems close to what Jesus did when He called His first disciple.

When Jesus called those men to follow Him, He wanted them to be with Him and to teach the good news of the kingdom of God (Mark 1:14, 39, 6:12). The first job would require being under the immediate supervision of Jesus learning His words and interpretation of the Scriptures and watching His behavior. For the second task, Jesus sent them out to preach (Mark 3:14-15) saying what He said and doing what He did. As they carried out these tasks, they were to be dependent on Jesus.

Today, Jesus is still calling His followers to this simple, yet powerful process of discipleship — being with Him, following His instructions, and living His example. Are you one who is dependent on Him as you’re following Him today? — Marvin Williams

O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee,

Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art!

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart. — Chisholm

READ: Mark 3:13-19

Discipleship is relational and experiential.

The Bible in one year:

• Isaiah 11-13

• Ephesians 4