Week 1

A Disciple's Path Defined

When was the last time you watched a toddler learning to walk? There's always a lot of stumbling, falling down, getting up, falling again, and then taking of in a burst of energy and running straight into the sofa. There's also a lot of hand holding and support from parents and grandparents along the way. But as children continue to grow, they get better at walking, and they keep walking for the rest of their lives.

There is a lot of walking in the Bible, and it's more than just getting from one place to another. Throughout Scripture—from God walking with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden in Genesis to the Risen Christ walking among the churches in the book of Revelation—walking is the basic biblical metaphor for living and growing in relationship with God.

The psalmist said, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105). When Jesus called his first disciples, they got up, left their past behind, and walked along with him. The writer of the epistles named for John wrote, "Whoever says, 'I abide in him,' ought to walk just as he walked" (1 John 2:6) and "This is love, that we walk according to his commandments.... You must walk in him" (2 John 1:6). An old gospel hymns says, "When we walk with the Lord in the light of his word, what a glory he sheds on our way!"

Discipleship is all about learning to walk with Christ. We stumble. We fall. We pick ourselves up and go again. We are surrounded by a community of disciples who pick us up, hold our hands, and keep walking with us along the way. But we keep on walking. We keep on growing. We keep moving into a life that is more and more deeply centered in loving God with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength. We keep on loving others the way we have been loved by God. Spiritual growth is the process by which we grow into the likeness of Jesus Christ, but only if we keep on walking with him.

You have accepted the invitation to follow Jesus and take the next step along the pathway of discipleship. So, how do we actually do it? What does it look like to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? The beginning point is exploring what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and how we grow in our relationship with him.

Week 1: Day 1

What Is a Disciple's Path?

Scripture Reading

Read the following:

Luke 10:25-28

Mark 12:29-34

Galatians 5:8-14

1 Corinthians 13:8-13

John 13:34-35

Today's Message

A definition of discipleship based on the Gospels begins with love—love for God and love for others. A Disciple's Path defines a disciple in the following way:

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

This definition of discipleship combines belief and action that result in a life transformed into the likeness of Christ.

Belief indicates that we are attracted to Jesus and his teachings. It suggests that we believe what the Gospel writers and Christian tradition say about who Jesus is. It means we trust that through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, God has restored our relationship with God and is at work to heal all of creation. A disciple is an apprentice who is constantly growing in his or her understanding of what Christians believe.

But is belief enough to be considered a "follower of Jesus"? If a person has the "right" beliefs about Christ, is that sufficient? The word follow implies that something is done with your feet, not just with your head. Action also is required in order to be a follower of Jesus. What kind of action are we talking about? Based on today's Scripture, this action can be described as loving God and loving others. Being a disciple means we tangibly act on our deepening belief. You can be certain that you are on the path of discipleship as you act out love for God and love for others.

There are two components to following Jesus: a growth in belief and a growth in action. As the drawing illustrates, a transformed heart emerges as belief and action deepen.

Belief and action do not always grow or change at the same time or rate. For some of us, belief is enough to change action. We believe in God's redeeming love through the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and as a result, we act. Many are drawn toward Christ through action as they serve others in ministries of mercy and justice, even though they are unsure about what they believe about Jesus or the church. For them, belief follows action.

Growth in belief and action marks the path along which we continue to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ. Through the combination of belief and action, transformation takes place as we become people whose lives are centering on loving God and loving others.

The discipleship pathway is the way that we grow as followers of Christ. Following Christ is not just subscribing to and claiming a set of beliefs, rituals, or spiritual disciplines. It is a way of life.

Your Reflections

In your own words, how would you define a disciple of Jesus?

What are the beliefs that you would name as essential for a disciple of Jesus?

Is belief enough to be a follower of Jesus? Why or why not?

How have you grown in your belief in God?

Prayer

Lord, I want to follow you. I trust you to be at work in my life as I enter into the practices by which my life can be centered in loving you and loving others. Do your work of grace in me. Amen.

Week 1: Day 2

Relationship Stages

Scripture Reading

Read the following:

John 1:43-51

1 John 1:5-7

Psalm 119:1-5, 57-60, 105

Today's Message

The discipleship path starts at birth and ends at death. God's grace is drawing us into relationship every moment of our existence. Our opportunity is to respond to God's invitation and enter into a growing relationship with our Creator. Day 1's reading defined a disciple as "a follower of Jesus whose life is centering on loving God and loving others" and suggested that following Jesus includes two essential components: growth in belief and growth in action. The discipleship pathway is the way that we deepen our relationship with Christ and the church.

Once we are grounded in the definition of a follower of Jesus, it is helpful to identify where we are in relationship with Jesus. Today you will identify where you believe you are along the relationship continuum with Jesus, which will provide a guidepost for your journey.

Review the stages listed in the following graph. Note that they are broad groupings and offer a way to look at spiritual growth. The purpose of identifying your stage is not to provide a rigid category but to give you a general idea of where you are currently in relationship with Jesus so that you can begin to identify what your next steps might be as you move more deeply into living a life...