Discipleship

By Natalie Fancher

Jesus Christ is the head of the church. In Matthew 22:37-39, Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” In order to love anyone well one must first know them well. Discipleship is all about learning to better follow Jesus in fellowship with other Christians.

Disciplers and Disciples have a singular focus, which is to know God more intimately while mutually learning with and from one another. Jesus is always our Head, our Teacher and the Centerpiece of our lives.

The process of being a learner of Jesus and a learner with my Discipler and Disciple has been a joy for me. In Nehemiah 8:10, Nehemiah tells the people, “And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Walking through difficulty is part of life. As I have learned more about Jesus through the Discipleship Process, I am consistently reminded of the joy of the Lord. He truly is my strength.

This Discipleship Process brings me closer to sisters in Christ’s church while bringing me closer to Jesus, my Creator and Savior. Through scripture study, worship, prayer and accountability my mind is renewed, my actions align with Jesus’ will and my words, rooted in His truth, become lifegiving. This spiritual growth progression helps me better love God and love others.

This article was originally posted in November 2021.