A disciple is a learner and follower of Jesus: someone who trusts Him, spends time with Him, learns from Him and does what He says. Discipleship is the lifelong process of becoming like Jesus, and of helping others do the same. Every Christian is called to be a disciple, not just pastors or the especially devout.
Our church’s tagline is Being and making disciples. Here is what those words mean, where they come from in the Bible and what they look like on an ordinary Tuesday.
What does the word disciple mean?
The Greek word the New Testament uses, mathētēs, means a learner or pupil, someone who follows a teacher. In Jesus’ day other teachers had disciples too (Mark 2:18), and a disciple didn’t just attend lectures. He stayed close to his teacher, listened, watched and tried to live the way his teacher lived. Jesus described the goal:
A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.
Luke 6:40 (BSB)
That’s the point of discipleship: not only knowing what Jesus taught, but becoming like Him. He invites us to learn from Him personally: “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29).
The Gospels and Acts call Jesus’ followers disciples again and again. The name Christian came later and appears only three times in the New Testament (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16). The two words describe the same people: “The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch” (Acts 11:26).
What does Jesus ask of His disciples?
His first invitation was simple:
“Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
Matthew 4:19 (BSB)
Peter and Andrew left their nets and followed Him (Matthew 4:20). Following Jesus still looks like this:
- Put Him first. “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). A disciple lets Jesus outrank comfort, plans and even family loyalty (Luke 14:26). Our message Bear Your Cross explains what that does and doesn’t mean.
- Keep listening to Him. “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples” (John 8:31). Disciples keep coming back to what Jesus said.
- Do what He says. “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Obedience is how love for Jesus shows up.
- Love one another. “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Love is the family resemblance.
What is discipleship?
Discipleship is how disciples are made and how they grow. You can see Jesus’ pattern when He chose the Twelve:
He appointed twelve of them, whom He designated as apostles, to accompany Him, to be sent out to preach, and to have authority to drive out demons.
Mark 3:14–15 (BSB)
They were with Jesus before they were sent out for Him. Our message With Before Sent makes the point that mission grows out of time spent with Jesus, not the other way around.
Before He returned to the Father, Jesus gave His followers their life’s assignment:
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:19–20 (BSB)
Making disciples means helping people trust Jesus and learn to obey Him, and Jesus promised to be with us while we do it. Our devotional Take Jesus Seriously: Make Disciples, Not Consumers calls this the church’s clear priority.
Paul showed how it multiplies: “And the things that you have heard me say among many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be qualified to teach others as well” (2 Timothy 2:2). That’s four generations in one sentence. But first he told Timothy to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:1). Discipleship runs on grace, not guilt. Our message Making Disciples in Real Life and the devotional Receive Before You Give unpack those two verses.
What does a disciple do day to day?
Discipleship isn’t mainly about extra church events. It happens in ordinary days:
- Spend time with Jesus. Read a little of the Bible and pray, even ten minutes a day. If you’re not sure how, start with What Is a Devotional?
- Take one step of obedience. Ask what Jesus wants you to do today: an apology, a kind word, an honest answer, a generous gift.
- Love the people in front of you. Family, coworkers and neighbors are where discipleship gets real.
- Stay connected. Christians are told to “spur one another on to love and good deeds” and not to “neglect meeting together” (Hebrews 10:24–25).
- Share your hope. Let people see your faith, and be ready to explain it with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15).
What does discipleship look like in a church?
Jesus made disciples in a group of twelve, in a smaller circle of three (Mark 9:2) and one conversation at a time. The early church kept that pattern: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). At Clarity it happens in three settings:
- Sundays. We worship together and hear the Bible taught in a way that connects to everyday life.
- Small groups. Our small groups meet regularly to check in, encourage each other and pray for each other.
- One-on-one. We encourage everyone to disciple one person: ask someone to meet for about eight weeks, read a passage together, ask what it shows about God, name one step of obedience and pray. Everyone Discipling One walks through that simple rhythm.
This kind of discipleship shares more than information. Paul told one church, “we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our own lives as well” (1 Thessalonians 2:8).
Common misunderstandings about discipleship
- Is it only for pastors? No. Jesus called fishermen and a tax collector (Matthew 4:18–22; 9:9). When the religious leaders saw Peter and John, they “realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men” and “took note that these men had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). Every Christian is a disciple, and any disciple can help someone else follow Jesus.
- Is it a way to earn God’s love? No. We are saved by grace through faith, “not by works” (Ephesians 2:9). Disciples follow Jesus because they have been saved, not in order to be saved. Obedience is a thank-you, not a payment.
- Is it a class you finish? No. Classes and studies help, but discipleship is a lifelong relationship with Jesus, lived out with other people.
- Do you need to have it all together? No. Jesus’ first disciples argued about who was greatest, deserted Him and doubted (Mark 9:34; 14:50; Matthew 28:17), and He kept working with them. What He asks for is willingness, not polish.
Questions about discipleship
A disciple is any learner and follower of Jesus. An apostle is someone sent out with His authority; the Greek word means one who is sent. Jesus “called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also designated as apostles” (Luke 6:13). Paul was later called to be an apostle too (Romans 1:1). Every apostle was a disciple, but not every disciple was an apostle.
Matthew lists them: Simon Peter and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee and his brother John; Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot; and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus (Matthew 10:2–4). Luke’s list has Judas son of James where Matthew has Thaddaeus, probably the same man (Luke 6:16). Matthias later replaced Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:26).
Start by asking. Find a Christian who is a little further along than you, someone faithful and available rather than perfect, and ask whether they would meet with you for a few weeks to read the Bible and pray. Join a small group, and read one of the Gospels on your own. If you live near Brooklyn Park, let us know through our Next Steps page and we’ll help you find someone.
A lifetime. Discipleship isn’t a course you complete; it’s following Jesus every day until you see Him face to face. Paul was confident “that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). Growth is often slow and uneven, but it is real, and God is the one who finishes it.
Jesus was honest that following Him costs something: “And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:27). He told would-be followers to count the cost first, like a builder planning a tower (Luke 14:28). Following Him may cost comfort, plans or approval. What we gain is far greater: forgiveness, new life and Jesus Himself.
Want to grow as a disciple alongside others? Clarity Church meets Sundays at 10am at Edinbrook Elementary, 8925 Zane Ave N in Brooklyn Park. Plan your visit and come as you are.