Blog & Tips
- Why a Discipleship App Will Change the Way You Empower Your Ministry
Let’s be real for a second: the Great Commission is a massive undertaking. Jesus didn’t just ask us to get people to sit in pews for an hour on Sundays; He told us to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).
For many church leaders and passionate believers, that mission feels a bit overwhelming in our digital, fast-paced world. You’ve got the heart for it, but the logistics? That’s where things usually get messy. How do you track who is growing? How do you keep people engaged when they aren’t in the building? How do you ensure your church discipleship program isn’t just another item on a busy calendar?
This is exactly why Dr. Adam Grill, lead expert and CEO of Disciple Maker, envisions a future where technology doesn’t replace the relationship: it empowers it. We believe a dedicated discipleship app is the missing piece in most modern ministries.
The Jesus Model: Simple, Relational, and Reproducible
When Jesus called His disciples, He didn’t hand them a 400-page theological textbook or require a seminary degree. He invited them into His life. He showed them how to pray, how to serve, and how to love. This “Jesus model” is what we call one to one discipleship. It’s relational, it’s personal, and it’s meant to be shared.
As Dr. Adam Grill often points out, “Discipleship isn’t about how much you know; it’s about who you are following and who you are taking with you.”
The challenge today is that our lives are scattered. We need tools that fit into the margins of our day, helping us stay connected to the Word and to each other. That’s where the Disciple Maker app comes in. It takes the timeless principles of the Bible and puts them into a format that works for the 21st century.
Hurdle 1: The “Black Hole” of Progress Tracking
One of the biggest frustrations in any church discipleship program is the lack of visibility. As a mentor, you might meet with someone once a week, but what happens during the other six days? Are they reading the Word? Are they struggling with a specific lesson?
Without a way to track progress, discipleship can feel like a “black hole.” You hope growth is happening, but you aren’t sure.
A discipleship app changes that dynamic entirely. With the Disciple Maker platform, mentors can see exactly where their disciples are in their journey.
- Real-time updates: See when a lesson is completed.
- Insightful feedback: Review their answers to Bible-based questions before you even meet.
- Targeted mentoring: Instead of spending your meeting time catching up on “did you do the reading?”, you can dive straight into the heart issues.
Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” But to sharpen someone effectively, you need to know where the dull spots are. Progress tracking provides that clarity.
Hurdle 2: Reaching the “Unconnected” with Offline Access
We often take high-speed internet for granted, but for a global ministry, connectivity is a major hurdle. Whether it’s a member of your church on a long commute through a subway tunnel or a believer in a remote village in another part of the world, discipleship shouldn’t stop when the Wi-Fi does.
One of the key features of the Disciple Maker app is its offline accessibility. Users can download Bible-based courses and resources when they have a connection and work through them anywhere.
This expands the reach of your ministry far beyond the four walls of your church. It allows for a truly global community where the Gospel isn’t hindered by data plans or signal strength. 2 Timothy 2:2 reminds us to entrust the Gospel to “faithful people who will be able to teach others also.” By removing the barrier of internet dependency, we empower those faithful people to grow and teach in any environment.
Hurdle 3: Moving from Isolation to Community
Discipleship was never meant to be a solo sport. However, many “digital” solutions end up making people feel more isolated: just another person staring at a screen alone.
Dr. Adam Grill designed the Disciple Maker app to be a bridge, not a wall. The goal of the app is to facilitate one to one discipleship and small group connections.
- Lesson Sharing: Easily share what you’re learning with others.
- Mentorship Tools: Built-in features that encourage regular check-ins and shared progress.
- Global Connection: Be part of a worldwide community of believers who are all working through the same foundational truths.
Hebrews 10:24-25 urges us to “consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together.” A discipleship app provides a digital “meeting place” that keeps the fire burning between face-to-face gatherings.
Hurdle 4: Consistent, Bible-Based Curriculum
Let’s be honest: not everyone feels equipped to lead a Bible study. The fear of “not knowing enough” often stops potential mentors in their tracks. This is why we say, “No Seminary Degree Required.”
The Disciple Maker app provides structured, Bible-based courses that take the guesswork out of teaching. These resources are designed to be practical, easy to use, and deeply rooted in Scripture.
- Structured Pathways: Move from basic foundations to deeper spiritual maturity.
- Reproducible Lessons: Once a disciple finishes a course, they are immediately equipped with the tools to lead someone else through it.
- The Lead Expert Advantage: Each course is vetted and often developed under the guidance of experts like Dr. Adam Grill, ensuring that your church is receiving high-quality, biblically sound teaching.
Building a Global Community of Disciple Makers
At the end of the day, a discipleship app is just a tool. But in the hands of a believer who is passionate about following Jesus, it becomes a powerful engine for transformation.
By integrating the Disciple Maker app into your church discipleship program, you aren’t just adding a piece of tech; you are providing a roadmap for your people. You are giving them the confidence to mentor others, the ability to track growth, and a way to stay connected to a global movement of faith.
Dr. Adam Grill and the entire Disciple Maker team are committed to seeing communities transformed through the power of discipleship. We aren’t just building an app; we’re supporting a mandate from Jesus Himself.
Ready to Empower Your Ministry?
It’s time to take your disciple-making efforts to the next level. Whether you are an individual looking to grow, a mentor wanting to help a friend, or a church leader looking for a way to align your congregation, Disciple Maker is here to help.
- Download the App: Available on both Google Play and the Apple Store.
- Support the Mission: Help us keep these resources accessible to believers worldwide.
- Contact Us: Have questions about how to implement this in your church? We’d love to chat.
1 Thessalonians 2:8 says, “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.” Let’s use every tool at our disposal to make that life-sharing easier, more consistent, and more impactful than ever before.
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Let’s be real for a second. We live in a world of high-speed fiber optics, AI-driven everything, and social connections that are often a mile wide but an inch deep. If you’re a church leader or a dedicated believer today, it’s easy to feel like you need a marketing degree or a high-tech strategy to reach people.
But here’s the secret Dr. Adam Grill has been preaching for years: The most effective technology for changing a human heart hasn’t changed in two millennia.
When we look at “The Real Jesus”: not the sanitized, “Sunday School” version, but the master mentor who walked the dusty roads of Galilee: we see a model that is strikingly simple, deeply relational, and incredibly effective.
In this post, we’re going to look at why Jesus’s discipleship strategy is still the gold standard for disciple making in 2026 and how you can start using it today.
What is Discipleship, Really?
Before we dive into the “how,” we have to define the “what.”
Many of us grew up thinking discipleship was a class you took on Wednesday nights. You’d get a workbook, fill in some blanks, and at the end of twelve weeks, you were “discipled.”
But according to Dr. Adam Grill, what is discipleship if not a life-on-life transformation? Jesus didn’t run a classroom; He ran a community. Discipleship is the intentional, relational process of helping someone become more like Jesus.
As Jesus said in Matthew 28:19-20:
“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 everything I have commanded you.”
Notice He didn’t say “teach them everything I know.” He said “teach them to obey.” That’s the difference between information and transformation.
The Power of One-to-One Discipleship
Jesus spoke to thousands, but He poured His life into twelve. And even within that twelve, He had an inner circle of three (Peter, James, and John).
Why? Because depth requires proximity.
One to one discipleship (or working with a very small group) is where the real work happens. It’s where you can be vulnerable, where you can ask the hard questions, and where a mentor can speak directly into your life.
In the world of Christian mentoring, we often focus on “leveling up” someone’s skills. But Jesus’s model was about leveling up their character. He ate with them, traveled with them, and even let them see Him in His most agonizing moments.
If you’re wondering how to disciple someone, start by being present. You don’t need a seminary degree to grab coffee and talk about how to apply the Sermon on the Mount to a 9-to-5 job. You just need a willing heart and a shared Bible.
How to Make Disciples: The Jesus Blueprint
If we look at the life of the Real Jesus, His method followed a predictable, reproducible pattern that we can still follow today:
- I Do, You Watch (Modeling): Jesus lived the life first. He didn’t just talk about prayer; He prayed. He didn’t just talk about compassion; He healed the sick.
- I Do, You Help (Participation): He invited them into the ministry. They helped distribute the bread; they rowed the boat.
- You Do, I Help (Coaching): He sent them out in pairs and then debriefed with them afterward.
- You Do, I Watch (Multiplication): Finally, He ascended and left the mission in their hands, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
This is why His method still works. It’s not a static lecture; it’s a dynamic apprenticeship. It’s about how to make disciples who are actually equipped to do the work themselves.
Breaking the “Program” Addiction
One of the biggest mistakes we see in modern churches is prioritizing programs over relationships. We try to scale discipleship by adding more events, more lights, and more curriculum.
But as Dr. Adam Grill often says, “Disciples are handcrafted, not mass-produced.”
Technology, when used correctly, shouldn’t replace the relationship: it should fuel it. That’s exactly why we built the Disciple Maker app. It’s designed to provide the structure and features you need to stay consistent in your one to one discipleship, track progress, and share lessons without the tech getting in the way of the person across the table.
The Goal is Multiplication (2 Timothy 2:2)
Jesus’s goal was never just to have twelve followers. His goal was to have twelve leaders who would each find their own twelve.
Paul understood this perfectly when he wrote to his mentee, Timothy:
“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” (2 Timothy 2:2)
This is the beauty of the Real Jesus model. When you invest deeply in one or two people, you aren’t just adding to the Kingdom; you’re multiplying it.
If you disciple one person a year, and they disciple one person the next year, you’ve started a chain reaction that can reach the ends of the earth. That’s the “blueprint” Dr. Grill covers in The Real Jesus series: getting back to a model that actually transforms communities from the inside out.
No Seminary Degree Required
The most encouraging part of the Real Jesus model? You are already qualified to start.
If you are following Jesus, you can help someone else take their next step. You don’t need a stage; you just need a table. You don’t need a spotlight; you just need a Bible.
At Disciple Maker, we are passionate about equipping you with the tools to make this happen. Whether you’re a church leader looking to revamp your strategy or an individual who wants to start Christian mentoring for the first time, we’re here to help.
Ready to start making disciples?
- Download the Disciple Maker App and start your first study today.
- Learn more about our mission on our About Page.
- Help us reach more people by making a donation to support global discipleship.
Jesus’s method hasn’t failed in 2,000 years. It won’t start failing now. Let’s get back to the basics together.
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Let’s be honest for a second: we all have a “version” of Jesus in our heads.
For some of us, He’s the gentle, soft-spoken Shepherd who just wants everyone to get along. For others, He’s the stern judge waiting for us to mess up. Maybe for you, He’s become a bit of a political figure, a social justice warrior, or even a cosmic life coach who exists primarily to help you crush your career goals.
But here is the question that Dr. Adam Grill poses in his groundbreaking new series, The Real Jesus: Are we following the Jesus of the Bible, or a Jesus we created in our own image?
Welcome to the first post in our series exploring the depths of Dr. Grill’s latest work. Today, we’re diving into why authenticity is the secret sauce to a life-changing relationship with Christ. If we want to be “Disciple Makers,” we have to make sure we are actually following the Real Jesus: not just a cultural imitation.
The Problem with “Cultural Jesus”
We live in a world that loves to customize everything. We customize our coffee orders, our social media feeds, and our sneakers. Subconsciously, we’ve started doing the same thing with our faith. We take the parts of Jesus’ teaching that we like: the love, the grace, the “judge not” parts: and we quietly ignore the parts that make us uncomfortable, like His calls to repentance, sacrifice, and radical obedience.
Dr. Adam Grill points out that a “Custom Jesus” is a powerless Jesus. When we mold Him to fit our lifestyle, He can’t transform our lives. Authenticity starts with a willingness to see Jesus for who He actually is, even when it challenges our comfort zones.
In Matthew 16:15, Jesus asks His disciples the most important question anyone will ever answer: “But what about you? Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered correctly: the Messiah: but even Peter struggled later with the reality of what that meant (a suffering Savior rather than a conquering king). Like Peter, we have to peel back the layers of our own expectations to find the truth.
Authenticity vs. Performance
In religious circles, it’s easy to swap “authenticity” for “performance.” We think following Jesus is about saying the right things, wearing the right clothes to church, and keeping our struggles hidden behind a “blessed” smile.
But the Real Jesus? He wasn’t a fan of the performance. In fact, some of His harshest words were reserved for the religious leaders of His day: the Pharisees: who were masters of the outward appearance but were “whitewashed tombs” on the inside (Matthew 23:27).
Authenticity matters because Jesus is a person, not a philosophy. You can’t have a real relationship with a person if you aren’t being your real self. Dr. Adam Grill often says that discipleship isn’t about becoming “religious”; it’s about becoming real. It’s about bringing our mess, our doubts, and our failures to the feet of a Savior who already knows they’re there and loves us anyway.
When we stop pretending, we finally give Jesus the space to do His best work.
How the Real Jesus Reshapes Everything
When you start reading The Real Jesus series, you’ll notice a recurring theme: Jesus was constantly surprising people. He didn’t fit the boxes people tried to put Him in.
- He was radically inclusive, yet deeply demanding. He ate with tax collectors and “sinners,” but He also told them to “go and sin no more.”
- He was peaceful, yet disruptive. He offered a peace that passes understanding, but He also flipped tables in the temple when He saw injustice and hypocrisy.
- He was God, yet fully human. He wept at the grave of His friend Lazarus, showing us that our emotions and our humanity are not things to be suppressed, but things to be brought to God.
If the Jesus you follow never makes you uncomfortable, you might be following a “Safe Jesus” rather than the Real Jesus. As Dr. Grill notes, the Real Jesus is much more exciting: and much more dangerous to our status quo: than the version we see on most greeting cards.
Why This Matters for Your Discipleship Journey
At Disciple Maker, our mission is to help you follow Jesus and help others do the same. But here’s the catch: you can’t lead someone to a Jesus you don’t actually know.
If your version of Jesus is just a set of rules, the people you disciple will become legalistic. If your Jesus is just a “feel-good” buddy, the people you disciple will lack the resilience to handle the trials of life.
Authentic discipleship requires an authentic foundation. By returning to the Gospels and seeing Jesus through the lens of His actual words and actions: the way Dr. Adam Grill outlines in his books: we equip ourselves to build ministries and relationships that actually last.
Check out our blog post on starting a Bible study to see how putting the Real Jesus at the center changes the dynamic of a small group.
Taking the First Step Toward Authenticity
So, how do we start “Discovering the Real Jesus”? It’s simpler than you might think, but it requires a bit of humility.
1. Read the Gospels Like It’s the First Time
Try reading the book of John or Mark this week. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you something about Jesus that you’ve missed because you thought you already knew the story. Look for the moments where He surprises people. For more tips on this, check out our guide on how to disciple someone.
2. Practice “Vulnerable Prayer”
Stop praying the “polite” version of your prayers. Tell God what you’re actually frustrated about. Admit the areas where you’re struggling to believe Him. Jesus isn’t fragile; He can handle your honesty. In fact, He invites it.
3. Use the Tools Available to You
We live in an amazing time where technology can actually help us stay grounded in the Word. Whether it’s using the Disciple Maker App to keep your daily walk on track or following along with Dr. Adam Grill’s book series, don’t try to do this alone. Authenticity thrives in community.
No Seminary Degree Required
One of the things Dr. Adam Grill emphasizes most is that discovering the Real Jesus isn’t reserved for pastors or scholars. You don’t need a PhD to have an authentic relationship with Christ. You just need a hungry heart and a Bible.
Jesus didn’t call the elite; He called fishermen, tax collectors, and ordinary people. He’s still doing that today. He’s calling you to move past the “cultural” version of faith and step into something much more raw, powerful, and real.
Final Thoughts
The journey of discovering the Real Jesus is the greatest adventure you’ll ever go on. It’s a journey that moves from the head to the heart, from performance to presence, and from religion to relationship.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be digging deeper into specific chapters of Dr. Grill’s book, The Real Jesus. We’ll talk about His authority, His compassion, and the radical way He viewed leadership.
In the meantime, we’d love to hear from you. Which “version” of Jesus have you found yourself following lately? How is He challenging you to get real this week?
If you want to dive deeper into these resources or support our mission to make discipleship accessible to everyone, feel free to visit our donation page or contact us with your questions.
Let’s stop settling for the imitation. Let’s find the Real Jesus together.
About the Expert:
Dr. Adam Grill is the CEO of Disciple Maker and the author of “The Real Jesus” book series. His passion is helping believers strip away cultural noise to find the authentic, life-changing person of Christ through simple, biblical discipleship. - The Fastest Way to Get Better at Disciple Making (Without Being a Theology Expert)
By Dr. Adam Grill
Let’s be honest for a second. When you hear the word “discipleship,” what’s the first thing that pops into your head? For a lot of us, it’s a dusty library filled with massive, leather-bound theology books. We imagine a professor with three PhDs explaining the nuances of Greek verbs or a monk who spends eighteen hours a day in silent meditation.
If that’s the bar for making disciples, most of us are disqualified before we even start.
But here’s the good news: the kind of news that should make you breathe a huge sigh of relief: Jesus didn’t call experts; He called followers.
When Jesus walked along the Sea of Galilee and told Peter and Andrew, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19), He wasn’t looking for their academic transcripts. He was looking for their hearts and their willingness to walk with Him.
If you’ve been holding back from pouring into someone else’s life because you feel like you don’t know enough, it’s time to flip the script. You don’t need a seminary degree to fulfill the Great Commission. You just need a desire to grow and a willingness to bring someone along for the ride.
The Myth of the “Theology Expert”
We often fall into the trap of thinking we need to have an answer for every single “what if” question before we can help someone else follow Jesus. We worry that if a new believer asks us about the book of Revelation or the problem of suffering, we’ll freeze up and look like we don’t know our Bibles.
But look at the early church. In Acts 4:13, the religious leaders were astonished by Peter and John because they “perceived that they were uneducated, common men.” What was the secret sauce? The verse continues: “And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”
The fastest way to get better at disciple making isn’t by locking yourself in a room until you’ve memorized the entire systematic theology of the 17th century. It’s by being with Jesus and then simply sharing that experience with someone else.
1. The “Learn by Doing” Strategy
The absolute fastest way to improve any skill: whether it’s carpentry, coding, or disciple making: is to actually do it.
Think about it. You can read a hundred books on how to ride a bike, but you won’t actually “get it” until you feel the pedals under your feet and the wind in your face. Discipleship is a “learned by doing” discipline.
As the CS Lewis Institute points out, you don’t need to be an expert; you just need to be filled with the Spirit and obedient. The longer you do it, the more effective you become. You’ll make mistakes. You might get a question wrong. You might have a meeting where things feel a little awkward. That’s okay! That is actually where the growth happens.
If you’re feeling nervous about going it alone, try the “co-pilot” method. Find someone in your church who is already discipling others and ask to tag along. Serve as a co-leader for a small group. This allows you to watch the process in real-time, see how they handle tough questions, and realize that even “experienced” leaders are just regular people relying on God’s grace.
2. Use Proven Tools (Work Smarter, Not Harder)
One of the biggest hurdles to disciple making is the “What do we talk about?” factor. If you feel like you have to come up with a fresh, profound curriculum every week, you’re going to burn out fast.
The secret to consistency is using proven tools and resources. Organizations like The Navigators or Cru have spent decades refining materials that are simple, biblical, and reproducible.
This is exactly why we built the Disciple Maker app. We wanted to take the guesswork out of the process. When you use a structured tool, you aren’t the “source” of the information: you are the “facilitator” of the conversation. If a disciple asks a question you don’t know, you can simply say, “That’s a great question. Let’s look at what the Word says about that together.”
Using tools takes the pressure off you to be the expert and puts the focus back on the Scripture. It makes the process reproducible, meaning the person you are discipling can eventually use those same tools to disciple someone else. That’s how a movement starts! You can check out more about how this works on our features page.
3. Focus on Proximity, Not Pedigree
We often think we need to go out and find a “target” for discipleship: someone who looks like they have “potential.” But the Jesus model is much simpler: look at who is already around you.
Who are your friends? Who are your coworkers? Who are the people you’re already grabbing coffee with?
Discipleship is most effective when it’s built on a foundation of genuine relationship. It’s not a project; it’s a partnership. Paul told the Thessalonians, “So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us” (1 Thessalonians 2:8).
You don’t need to be a theology expert to be a friend. You don’t need a PhD to share a meal and talk about what God is teaching you in your quiet time. If you start with the people already in your life, the “teaching” part happens naturally through conversation and shared experience.
4. Model the Rhythm, Not Just the Rules
If you want to get better at making disciples quickly, focus more on your rhythms than your rules.
Discipleship is caught more than it is taught. Your disciple will learn more from watching how you pray when you’re stressed, how you treat your spouse, and how you prioritize your time with God than they will from a 45-minute lecture on justification.
- Model Prayer: Don’t just talk about prayer; pray together.
- Model Scripture: Let them see you actually opening your Bible and wrestling with a passage.
- Model Repentance: When you mess up (and you will), be honest about it. Show them what it looks like to live in the grace of Jesus.
When your own spiritual life is a healthy rhythm of seeking God, that health will naturally “spill over” into your interactions with others. You aren’t giving them a manual; you’re giving them a map of the path you are currently walking.
5. Keep the Commitment Manageable
A lot of people are scared to start discipling because they think it’s a lifetime contract. They think, “If I start meeting with this person, I have to meet with them every Tuesday at 6:00 AM for the next forty years.”
That kind of pressure kills the joy of the process. Instead, try “staged” commitments.
Invite someone to meet with you for just six weeks to go through a specific book or a series of Bible studies. At the end of those six weeks, you both have an “out.” You can decide to keep going, or you can decide to move on. This lowers the barrier for entry for both of you. It makes the process feel more like a journey and less like an obligation.
If you’re looking for ideas on how to structure these short-term commitments, our blog has plenty of resources and tips to get you started.
The Secret Ingredient: The Holy Spirit
The “fastest way” to get better at this isn’t actually a technique at all: it’s a person.
Jesus didn’t leave the disciples with a 500-page manual on church growth. He left them with the Holy Spirit. In John 14:26, Jesus says, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
When you sit down with someone to talk about Jesus, you aren’t alone. You have the Creator of the Universe sitting there with you. He is the one who changes hearts. He is the one who gives you the words to say when you feel stuck.
The pressure isn’t on you to be the “expert.” The pressure is on God to be God. Your job is just to show up, be honest, and point people toward the Cross.
Don’t Wait for “Someday”
There will never be a day when you feel like you know “enough.” There will never be a moment where you feel 100% prepared to be someone’s spiritual mentor. If you wait until you’re an “expert,” you’ll be waiting forever, and the people in your life who need encouragement right now will miss out.
Remember 2 Timothy 2:2: “And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”
Notice the chain? Paul taught Timothy, Timothy teaches faithful people, and those people teach others. It’s a simple relay race. You don’t have to be the fastest runner in the world; you just have to take the baton you’ve been given and hand it to the person next to you.
You are already qualified because of what Jesus has done in you. You have a story. You have the Word of God. You have the Holy Spirit.
So, let’s go! Start where you are, use the tools available to you, and watch how God uses your “imperfect” efforts to build His Kingdom.
If you’re ready to take that first step but want some help organizing your journey, feel free to contact us or download the app today. We’re in this together, and we can’t wait to see what God does through you.
Want more tips on how to live out the Great Commission in your daily life? Check out our latest posts on the Disciple Maker Blog for encouraging stories and practical guides.
- How Jesus Selected the 12: A Blueprint for Disciple Making
If we’re being honest, the idea of “making disciples” can feel a little intimidating. We often think it requires a PhD in theology, a perfectly organized life, and a platform that would make a megachurch pastor jealous. But when we look at how Jesus actually did it, the “blueprint” looks a lot less like a formal classroom and a lot more like a walk through a dusty field with a group of friends.
Jesus didn’t scroll through LinkedIn to find the most qualified candidates for the biggest mission in human history. He didn’t hold open auditions or look for the most polished speakers. Instead, he used a very specific, intentional, and deeply relational process to select the twelve men who would eventually turn the world upside down.
If you’ve ever wondered what is discipleship and how you can actually start doing it in your busy life, looking at Jesus’ selection process is the best place to start. It’s simple, it’s intentional, and, believe it or not, it’s something you can do too.
1. It Starts with a Conversation with the Father
Before Jesus called a single name, he did something that many of us skip when we’re trying to start a new ministry or mentorship: he prayed.
Luke 6:12-13 tells us, “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles.”
Jesus didn’t make this decision on a whim. He spent an entire night in prayer. This tells us that disciple-making isn’t just about finding people who are “available”; it’s about spiritual discernment. When we look to mentor others, our first step shouldn’t be making a list, it should be hitting our knees.
When you’re thinking about who to invest in, ask God to show you who is ready. You don’t need a crowd; you just need the right “who.” Whether you’re using a discipleship app or a simple notebook, starting with prayer ensures that your foundation is built on God’s timing, not your own agenda.
2. Selection from the “Already Following”
A common mistake we make today is thinking we have to go find “unreached” people to disciple. While evangelism is vital, Jesus actually selected his inner circle from a larger group of people who were already following him.
The research shows that the Apostles were chosen from among the existing disciples (Luke 6:13). These men had already shown up. They were already listening to his teachings and watching his miracles. They were FAT: Faithful, Available, and Teachable.
When you are looking for someone to mentor, look at who is already in your orbit. Who is asking you questions about your faith? Who is consistently showing up to your small group or Bible study? These are the people Jesus would have noticed. You don’t have to recruit strangers; you just have to notice the people God has already placed in your path.
3. The Power of “With-ness”
Mark 3:14 gives us a profound insight into Jesus’ strategy: “He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach.”
Notice the order. Before they were sent out to do anything, they were appointed to be with him. This is the core of relational disciple-making. It wasn’t about a curriculum; it was about proximity. They ate together, traveled together, and watched how Jesus handled difficult people and long days.
In our modern context, we often try to replace “with-ness” with “content-ness.” We think if we just give someone the right book or the right link, they’ll be discipled. But real life-change happens in the margins, over coffee, during a commute, or while washing dishes.
If you want to follow the Jesus model, your “blueprint” has to include your actual life. This is why we focus so much on how to disciple someone through life-changing one-to-one mentoring. It’s not about the lecture; it’s about the relationship.
4. No Seminary Degree Required: The Beauty of the Ordinary
If we were picking a team to change the world, we probably wouldn’t have picked the Twelve. We would have looked for the top scholars in Jerusalem or the most influential political leaders.
Instead, Jesus chose:
- Fishermen: Ordinary, blue-collar workers (Peter, Andrew, James, John).
- A Tax Collector: Someone seen as a traitor to his people (Matthew).
- A Zealot: A political revolutionary (Simon).
- A Skeptic: Someone who needed to see it to believe it (Thomas).
This is incredibly encouraging for us today. Jesus’ selection process proves that he doesn’t call the equipped; he equips the called. He looked past their professional resumes and saw their potential for transformation.
When you’re looking to mentor someone, don’t look for the person who has it all together. Look for the person who is hungry. One of the 7 mistakes you might be making is waiting for “perfect” candidates instead of “willing” ones.
5. Intentionality and Authority
Jesus didn’t just hang out with the Twelve; he was intentional about their growth. He gave them specific roles and authority. He sent them out in pairs, gave them clear instructions, and then had them report back (Mark 6:7-13).
He was tracking their progress, not in a legalistic way, but in a way that ensured they were actually growing. In 2026, we have tools to help with this, but the principle remains the same. You need to know where your disciples are in their journey.
Are you tracking discipleship progress? Being intentional means knowing what your friend is struggling with, what they are celebrating, and where they need to be challenged next. Jesus didn’t leave their growth to chance, and neither should we.
6. The Goal Was Always Multiplication
The end game for Jesus wasn’t just to have twelve best friends. It was to prepare them so that when he left, they could do exactly what he did. The selection was the first step toward the Great Commission.
This is the “blueprint” in action:
- I do, you watch. (Jesus preaching/healing while the 12 observed).
- I do, you help. (The feeding of the 5,000 where the 12 distributed the food).
- You do, I help. (Sending them out to preach while he was still nearby).
- You do, I watch. (The Great Commission and the early church).
When we start a mentoring relationship, we should have the end in mind. The goal is to see that person eventually mentoring someone else. If your discipleship doesn’t lead to more disciple-makers, it’s just a Bible study (which is fine, but it’s not the Jesus model).
Bringing the Blueprint Home
So, how do you apply this today? You don’t need to overcomplicate it. You don’t need to go to a mountain and stay up all night (though a little extra prayer never hurt anyone!).
Start by looking at your current circles. Who are the “ordinary” people God has placed around you? Maybe it’s a younger co-worker, a neighbor, or someone in your church who seems a little lost.
Be intentional. Invite them into your life. Don’t feel like you need a 20-week curriculum to start. Just start “with-ness.” Share what you’re learning, ask how you can pray for them, and be consistent.
If you’re worried about the time commitment, check out the busy Christian’s guide to making disciples. Jesus moved at the pace of life, and you can too.
The world was changed by twelve ordinary men who spent three years with a Savior who was intentional about their growth. That same power is available to us today. You have the blueprint; now it’s time to start building.
Quick Steps to Start Today:
- Pray: Ask God for one name this week.
- Observe: Look for the “FAT” people in your life (Faithful, Available, Teachable).
- Invite: Ask them to grab coffee or join you in something you’re already doing.
- Track: Keep a simple log of what you talk about and how you can pray for them.
Disciple-making isn’t a program; it’s a lifestyle. And according to Jesus, it’s the most important work you’ll ever do.