How to Mature as a Disciple of Jesus
What does it look like to grow in my relationship with Jesus Christ? Some of this might sound really basic to us. But if statistics are true, many of us aren’t doing a whole lot to grow in our faith and walk with Jesus Christ. Just like a newborn who doesn’t know how to talk or walk or behave or really do much of anything, and needs to be taught to learn how to do those things, we, as apprentices of Jesus Christ, need to take the time and effort to learn how to be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do as Jesus did.
• Maybe some of us are brand-new to following Jesus, and we’re chomping at the bit to learn more about Jesus and how to follow him.
• Maybe some of us have been followers of Jesus for a long time, but we never really got started in the learning process, and we need to know more about how to follow Jesus better.
• Maybe some of us have been followers of Jesus for a long time, and we’ve done a pretty good job at it.
For some of us, these steps I’m about to share might seem pretty simple and basic. But what I want to do is share just three ways we can grow as apprentices of Jesus, starting today.
Here’s the first one…
1. Read the Bible
Pretty simple, right?
The Bible is the number one-selling book in the history of the world by a long shot, with over 5 billion copies sold. Currently, there are over 6 billion Bibles in print, and on average, there are over 20 million Bibles purchased every year. That’s just over 6 Bibles being purchased every 10 seconds.
Yet, we can walk into any given home on any given day, and where do we find it? Maybe it’s sitting on a shelf, collecting dust. Or if you’re like my family when I was growing up, you’ve got one of those humongous, ornate Bibles with golden page edges sitting on the coffee table on display for all to see. A Lifeway Research study found that only 11% of Americans read the Bible every day, and only 8% read the Bible just once a month. If we’re gonna grow in our walk with Jesus, we’ve got to get back to reading the Bible.
2 Timothy 3 says…
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Everything we need in life is found right there in our Bible.
Let me give you a few suggestions on Bible reading…
• First, pick an easy-to-read translation. I recommend the CSB (Holman Christian Standard Bible), which is the one we predominantly use in our sermons each week.
• Use a Bible app like YouVersion. They have hundreds of reading plans that fit your needs, and you can listen to them being read to you.
• And then start simple. I usually recommend starting with the Gospel of Mark. Then read the book of Acts, and then Romans. Don’t try to read it all in one setting, either. Start with just 5 minutes a day. If a verse stands out to you, stop and meditate on it. Look for ways God may be trying to get your attention.
So, read your Bible.
Here’s the second one…
2. Find a mentor
Proverbs 27:17 says…
17 Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens another.
The big question we’re asking in the area of discipleship over the next three years is: Who is the one we can grow in a discipling relationship with? Who is the one we can go to a small group with, study the Bible with, or even keep each other accountable?
We need fellow Christians who can help us grow in our walk with Jesus. It could be the person who led us to Jesus. It could be someone we look up to because of his or her faith in Jesus.
The Apostles spent three years learning from Jesus. They followed him everywhere. They saw him heal people, preach to people, and, maybe most importantly, how he loved people.
Find someone that you can spend time with, that you can learn from, and imitate. Find someone who loves God, loves his family, and loves people. It’s never too late to start learning. It’s always too early when you stop learning.
3. Join a ConnectGroup
We’re gonna call them C-Groups for short.
Now, some of you may be asking: Why should I join a C-Group?
Well, there are plenty of reasons, and I don’t have a whole lot of time to get into every single one. But let me just say, when you join a group, you instantly have a group of disciples who can pray for you, care for you, and help you mature in your walk with Jesus.
It’s what the church was doing in the first century. They were meeting in homes, eating together, praying together, studying the Apostles’ teachings together, and sharing resources to take care of each other’s needs. And the truth is, we can’t and shouldn’t do this alone.