21 Days of DiscipleshipSample

The Decision of Discipleship

In John 3, John relays a conversation Jesus had with a Pharisee named Nicodemus. Jesus’ responses and redirections are surprising. Instead of focusing on the signs He was doing, which is what Nicodemus asked about, Jesus pointed to His purpose for coming. It’s in this conversation we find, perhaps, the most well-known verse in the Bible, John 3:16.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NIV

Again, most of us have heard this many times. But do we know what it means? What it says about God and what it says about us?

First, it tells us that God is generous, not selfish. He was willing to give us what was most precious to Him—His one and only Son. 

Second, to state the obvious, Jesus is the Son of God and came from God for the world.

Third, we have a choice. We can believe Jesus is who He said He was and did what He said He would do … or not. Jesus lays all that out in this chapter!

Finally, the result of our decision has massive, eternal consequences. Believing sets our lives on the trajectory of life forever with a generous Father. Rejection sets our course in the opposite direction: toward selfishness and separation from the Source of everything good.

How will you set your course today? Discipleship starts with this decision. Do you take Jesus seriously? Do you believe He is who He said He is and did what He said He would do?

If you’re taking this step for the first time, don’t go any farther on the journey with Jesus alone! Discipleship is not something we do by ourselves. Jesus called 12 guys to follow Him because He knew that in isolation, they wouldn’t be nearly as effective as they could be in community.

Challenge: Whether this was your first time making the decision to become a disciple of Jesus or not, this process is not one you are called to alone. Invite someone to follow Jesus through the rest of this Plan with you—a mentor, a friend, someone who will encourage you and have your back when it gets hard. Community is vital to commitment and growth!