manupthebook

This is one of those questions that is really valid for many of us. In my own life, I’ve heard the word disciple thousands of times. I prayed about becoming a stronger disciple for years. I thought I knew what it was. I thought that by going to Church regularly, being a good guy, following the commandments and treating others fairly, I was a disciple.

But the reality is, I never looked up the word. I had no historical reference and no one had ever really explained what a disciple really was. About six years ago, at a conference, Curtis Martin shared a really clear explanation. Mind you I was over 60 years old before anyone had ever clarified it for me.

That conference was the turning point that led to STEPUP. I wanted to share what I have learned about discipleship, the process of discipleship and some of the pitfalls we can learn to avoid. SOOO here goes.

According to Curtis Martin, in the time of Christ a disciple was a student that followed their rabbi so closely they wanted to emulate his teachings, his tone, his style and even his mannerisms. Discipleship is more akin to a child, mimicking their parent rather than a typical teacher / student relationship.

Curtis also pointed out that Jesus didn’t come down from heaven to get himself back to heaven. He wanted to take us with him. So if we want to be a disciple, we aren’t on a journey just to get ourselves back to heaven. We have to be willing to help others get to heaven as well. We have to be willing to invest in the spiritual development of others in order to truly be disciples.

You see a follower can learn and practice a faith. But a disciple has to really live it. Jesus never said go make followers, but in Mt 28:19 he clearly said “Go Make Disciples”.

For me, that conference was a turning point. I committed then that I needed to be more than a follower of Christ. And now you know why STEPUP came along. The whole purpose is help others learn at a much earlier age, some of the things it took me a lifetime to figure out.

I hope it helps!