The Discipleship PathwaySample

Pathway Step Four: Develop

We’ve seen that when we DISCOVER the love of God and respond by accepting Christ and being born again, we are DELIVERED into a new life to live DEVOTED to the word, worship, and one another.

And then the DEVOTED get DEVELOPED.

Make no mistake, salvation is free and instant, but Christian growth is a process.

The word the Bible uses for disciple is “mathetes,” which means “learner.” This captures the truth that discipleship the Jesus way isn’t about mastering something once and for all. It is about becoming like the master by following his example. That’s why the apostle Paul didn’t say “Do what I teach you.” He said, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” It’s why Jesus didn’t say, “Come, listen to my sermons.” He said, “Come, follow me.”

The life of a disciple is a life of DEVELOPMENT, becoming ever more like the teacher. We are to imitate Him, demonstrating that we know Him by how we live.

Jesus reinforced this message when He taught the Parable of the Talents, illustrating that what we’re given matters less than what we do with what we’re given. Will we DEVELOP our gifts, or will we dig a hole and bury them in the ground?

When we choose to live as devoted disciples, committed to becoming more like Christ, others will take notice. They’ll ask things like:

“How come, when this world seems so scary, you seem to have hope and peace?”
“How come you are still married to the same person all these years on?”
“How come as a single person living in purity, it seems like you’re the most joyful person I know?”
"How come you are not freaking out about the economy?”
"What’s your secret?”

And we get to share, inviting them to join us on the Discipleship Pathway as DELIVERED, DEVOTED, DEVELOPING disciples of Christ.