Having a discipleship class is not the answer, as helpful as they can indeed be, because discipleship cannot be done in 4-12 weeks. We must continue to be discipled and discipling throughout our lives.

Discipleship is not the same as mentoring, even though a mentor might disciple you. I have heard numerous people say that they were not discipled in the past. Usually, though, I have found that they have only meant that they did not have a specific person(s) who mentored them. I often respond by saying, “I don’t believe you would be a Christian if you had not received any discipleship!”

Discipleship can and often does happen in formal relationships (like with a mentor, during a church worship service, or in a class). However, discipleship can also happen in informal situations. For example, it can happen when two people are praying together. It can happen when you share with other believers how God is working in your life. And it can happen when a person invites people to their house and models hospitality.

So, what is discipleship?

As I understand it, discipleship includes:

• Gaining a love for God (and “fear/respect of the Lord”) and a love for people around us (Jesus said this is the most important thing!).
• Gaining proper attitudes, values, and affections.
• Experiencing the presence of God.
• Learning to recognize God’s guidance/voice and to follow God’s lead.
• Being formed to have virtuous character (expanding on this would fill many blog posts).
• Learning to deny oneself and to look out for the interests of others.
• Dependency on the empowerment of the Spirit.
• Orienting our lives to God’s will and goals for creation vs. a self-centered life. That is, living for the glory of God.
• Fasting, solitude, and other spiritual disciplines.
• Learning to relate with others in a godly manner.
• Forgiving others.
• Sharing the Gospel with those around us.
• Being in community with other believers.
• Serving others (sharing, encouraging, giving, etc.).
• Gaining a knowledge of the Bible, but also a knowledge of how to read and interpret the Bible.
• Gaining right beliefs (if you don’t believe me, read what Ephesians 4:13-14 says about maturity).

And

• Discipling others (not just being discipled ourselves).

Overall, discipleship is about being formed by the Spirit into the character and ways of Jesus Christ within a community of believers.

No doubt I’ve missed some aspects of discipleship.

Check out my post from a few years ago: “Foundational Discipleship Questions“

The post What is Discipleship? More than Praying and Reading the Bible appeared first on Andrew K. Gabriel.