It is no secret we were meant to live in community. This is a concept undeniably woven throughout the pages of Scripture. The idea of living the Christian life in isolation is not only foolish, but it is against our very design. Your desires to be seen, known, and understood are purposeful; God has placed those desires there for the purposes of His Kingdom, and that is something to take quite seriously. Just as we must confront the reality that we are not meant to live life alone, we also must confront the reality that there is a sinful nature within us. Waging for the attention of our hearts, this sinful nature urges us toward isolation. Thankfully, Scripture confronts both of these realities through the concept of discipleship (Matthew 28:18–20; Luke 6:39–40; Acts 2:42; James 5:16). Ironically, the word “discipleship” never occurs in Scripture; however, discipleship is a concept that is emphasized throughout the Word of God in its entirety. Here is the reality we are called to daily deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus (Matthew 16:24–25). That being said, we are not born knowing everything. In Jesus’ ministry, we see the disciples living life alongside Him. They went where He went, and they saw what He saw. They grew by observing Him, following His ways, and learning from mistakes along the way. I once heard D.A. Horton define discipleship as “a more mature believer walking hand-in-hand with a less mature believer toward maturity.” This definition has its roots in Titus 2:1–8, where Paul instructs older men and women to train up younger men and women for the purpose of holiness. Becoming more like Jesus is a lifelong process a process we were made to pursue together alongside mature believers.
In this section, we will be discussing different aspects of discipleship each month.
About the Author
Hello! My name is Grace and I was born and raised in Memphis, TN. Fun fact: I’m the youngest of six siblings! A big family in the South means that I was homeschooled and with four brothers, became a huge sports fan. I grew up living and breathing basketball and it has always been a passion of mine. After a year of college ball, I transferred to the University of Memphis to study Sport & Leisure Management. Go Tigers Go! This summer I interned at Bellevue with Next Gen and fell in love with the students. I am so excited for this next season in my life where I get to continue to intern and serve in the Middle School department at Bellevue. I have a huge heart for teaching girls their need for studying God’s Word and how to apply that truth to fight “feelings”. When I’m not studying in a coffee shop or hanging out with students, I am in the gym and eating my meal prep, choosing all things 901, and longing to travel to new places.