Beginning Your Discipleship Journey: Biblical Wisdom and Practical Steps

Welcome to Equipped for Purpose. I'm your host, Vincent Rain, and this is the podcast

where discipleship meets impactful leadership. Whether you're new to faith or a seasoned

follower of Christ, this podcast is designed to help you deepen your relationship with

Jesus, grow as a leader, and make a difference in every area of your life. Together we'll

explore practical tools, biblical insights, and real-life strategies to equip you for

the purpose God has called you to. Let's dive in.

Welcome back to another episode of Equipped for Purpose. Let's just jump right in here. I want

you to imagine you're at the edge of a forest, standing at the trailhead of a great hike.

The path ahead stretches out, winding through towering trees and rugged mountains. You can

hear the rustling of leaves and the distant call of a bird, but the full route is hidden. There

might be steep climbs, unexpected turns, or stunning vistas waiting beyond the next bend.

You've got your backpack on, your boots are laced up, and map in hand, but you're not entirely sure

what's ahead. That mix of excitement and hesitation bubbles up. Am I ready for this? What if I get

lost? This is what the start of discipleship under Jesus Christ feels like. It's a moment where

you're poised at the starting point of facing a journey full of potential and mystery.

Just like a hiker stepping onto the trail, discipleship begins with a choice to follow

Jesus, even when you can't see the whole path. Maybe you're standing there with doubts, or maybe

you're eager to explore. Either way, this trailhead invites you to take that first step,

trusting that the adventure will unfold as you go. So today, the big question that we're

looking into and really wanting to try and start answering is, where does discipleship

under Jesus Christ begin? This question is significant for anyone exploring faith, whether

you're new to Christianity or seeking to deepen your commitment that you've already made.

I do want to take a moment to acknowledge that there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer to this

question, as there isn't to most of the questions. But we need to have some place to start because

a lot of times we get paralyzed by not knowing which direction to take, by not having an answer

of, what is my next step that I need to take? Where am I going? Well, we don't always know

every twist and turn like in that scenario we just imagine in walkthrough. We don't always know.

And so we want to start answering this question, where does discipleship begin?

But there isn't, again, a one-size-fits-all answer.

So in this episode, we're going to explore biblical foundations, some real-life examples,

look at some research insights. We're going to talk about the community's role,

some common barriers, and then some reflective questions.

Okay. First, let's look at scripture. Let's get some biblical foundations here.

Matthew 4, 18-22, this is where Jesus calls fishermen with a simple,

follow me and I'll make you fishers of men. They drop their nets and follow immediately.

So discipleship starts with a personal invitation and response. So let's read those verses,

Matthew 4, 18-22, and I'm reading them out of the ESV. It says,

It says,

and their father and followed him.

In this passage, Jesus walks along the Sea of Galilee and sees Simon Peter and Andrew casting

nets. He says, follow me, I'll make you fishers of men. And they drop everything to follow him.

Right after that, we see Jesus calls James and John who leave their boat and their father to

join him, which I have talked about in the past. In a past episode, we have

talked about this and looked at the significance of it.

The relevance here is striking. Discipleship starts for these people with a direct,

personal encounter and an immediate response. These fishermen didn't have theology degrees

or a five-year plan. They were ordinary people busy with their daily work when Jesus interrupted

their lives with a simple invitation. Their willingness to act despite not knowing what lay

on the path ahead shows that discipleship doesn't require full understanding, just trust and

obedience. Today, this might look like hearing a sermon that hits home,

feeling a tug during prayer, or meeting someone whose faith inspires you to take a step toward

Jesus. It's in that moment when you say yes to following him, even if the how isn't completely

clear. The second example I want to look at is John 1 verses 35 to 39. John the Baptist's

disciples hear about Jesus, ask where he's staying, and Jesus says,

come and see. And their journey begins with curiosity and a step toward him.

So let's go ahead and read those verses. John 1, 35 to 39, again out of the ESV.

The next day John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by

and said, Behold the Lamb of God. The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, What are you seeking? And they said to him,

Rabbi, which means teacher, where are you staying? He said to them, Come and you will see. So they

came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the

tenth hour. Okay, here two disciples of John the Baptist hear him call Jesus the Lamb of God.

And curious, they follow Jesus and ask, Where are you staying? He replies, Well, come and see.

And they spend the day with him. This story reveals a softer, a more gradual entry into

discipleship, one sparked by curiosity and an invitation to explore. Unlike the fisherman's

decisive leap, these disciples start with a question and a desire to know more. Jesus doesn't

demand instant commitment. He welcomes them to walk alongside him and discover who he is.

This is incredibly relevant for people today who might begin their journey with doubts,

questions, or a quiet interest, like reading the gospel out of curiosity, joining

a friend at church or pondering life's deeper meaning. It shows that discipleship can start

small with an openness to see where Jesus leads. These scriptures highlight what I believe are two

timeless truths. Discipleship begins with an encounter, direct or subtle, and a choice to

follow. Did you encounter a dramatic call or a gentle nudge? I think we forget that Jesus meets

us where we are, working, wandering, or even wandering, and invites us into a journey of

transformation even without a full understanding on our part, even without a full picture of where

that path is going to take us. There's just a trust and willingness. Okay, I want to look at

some real life examples. Now, these are fictitious stories, but they show diverse

starting points, and they are all relatable because somebody listening out there is going

to relate to one of these stories. That's why I call them real life examples, even though they're

made up, because these are all things that we know have happened with people in the past.

The first one is a sudden conversion. This is someone who found Jesus during a life crisis,

like an addiction or a loss of some kind, and felt an undeniable call to follow.

So the story here is, and again, these are all made up names, and so just listen to the story

and understand where it's coming from because these are relatable. So the first one is sudden

conversion. David is a 28-year-old battling alcohol addiction. After losing his job and

hitting rock bottom, he reluctantly attends a recovery meeting at a local church. There he

hears a volunteer share how Jesus offered hope and strength in their own struggles,

and in that moment, David feels this overwhelming sense of love and possibility that he just can't

explain. He prays a shaky prayer, Jesus, if you're real, help me, and something in him shifts.

He joins the recovery group, gets sober, and starts reading the Bible, marking the beginning

of his discipleship. This story shows how a crisis can be a trailhead where vulnerability

opens up that door to following Jesus. Okay, the second story is a gradual awakening.

Someone raised in church who later made a personal commitment after years of questioning.

So Sarah, 32, grew up in a Christian family, attending church every Sunday,

but faith to her felt like a routine, not a relationship. In her 20s, she drifts away,

exploring other philosophies, other lifestyles, and years later, a friend invites her to a Bible

study where the group discusses Jesus' teaching with fresh passion, and for the first time,

Sarah sees faith as personal, not just inherited. She starts praying on her own and feels a quiet

pull to commit her life to Christ. Her discipleship begins not with a bang, but with a slow,

personal yes after years of searching. This reflects how the journey can unfold gradually,

even for those that are raised in faith. Okay, the third and final of these stories is a seeker's

path. This is someone who explored faith through books or friends or chose to follow Jesus step by

step. Alex, 25, is a skeptic who loves big questions. He starts reading about world

religions, including Christianity, and stumbles across Jesus' teachings in a book. Intrigued,

he listens to faith-based podcasts and has some debates with Christian friends.

One Sunday, he visits a church out of sheer curiosity, and while he's there, he feels in

unexpected peace during worship. He doesn't have all the answers at this point, but he makes the

decision to join a small group to learn more, deciding to follow Jesus step by step. Alex's

story highlights how discipleship can begin with intellectual curiosity and small exploratory

actions appealing to seekers who value discovery. The goal of these stories is just simply to

illustrate that discipleship starts in varied ways, whether it's sudden or gradual or

inquisitive, which this ought to be encouraging to you and bring you into reflection on your own

starting point that you could share with others who may be struggling with their experiences.

Ask yourself these two questions. What moment or person first sparked your interest in Jesus,

and how could you be that spark for someone else?

Okay, I mentioned at the beginning we look at some research and some insights that I've come

across. There are two perspectives I want to offer here from some articles that I've found.

The first perspective is that discipleship begins with a radical, all-in decision to follow Jesus,

like a life-long covenant. Think total surrender. It's not a casual choice,

but a total surrender of your life, your plans, your comforts, even your relationships,

all to follow Jesus. Think of it like a marriage vow. You commit everything, trusting your spouse

is going to be there with you through life's ups and downs. For discipleship, this means

saying, Jesus, I'm yours, no turning back. And even when it's hard, Jesus' own words

demonstrate the depth of difficulty of this choice, like take up your cross from Luke 9 23.

And that's to emphasize that this journey, this transformation demands everything.

This may be difficult for you to hear because this perspective challenges the half-hearted faith

urging you to consider, am I all-in or just dipping my toes in? It's really a call to

see discipleship as a transformative, defining moment that shapes your entire life.

Then there's perspective two. It starts with belief in Jesus, repentance from sin,

and often baptism as a public step of commitment. This perspective is offering a more

hands-on approach, identifying three key steps to start discipleship. And those are one, belief,

two, repentance, and three, baptism. First, belief means accepting Jesus as God's Son and Savior,

a heart-level trust that He's who He says He is. The second, repentance is turning away from sin

like a hiker changing direction when they realize that they're off course.

It's a pivot toward a new way of living. Third, baptism is the public marker, a declaration to the

entire world that you're on this journey. Much like a wedding ring signals commitment,

these steps provide a clear roadmap, believe, turn, declare.

Four, someone wondering how to begin. This framework is practical and actionable.

Start with faith, take a step of change, and seal it with a commitment. It's less about

intensity and more about intentionality. Across both of those views, it's a personal choice to

follow paired with faith and a desire to grow. Both perspectives agree that discipleship begins

with a personal choice to follow Jesus and a desire to grow in faith. The first focuses on

the depth of that choice, a real radical leap, while the second outlines the how,

specific actions to take. Together, they suggest that whether through a dramatic surrender or a

structured start, discipleship is about a heart turned toward Christ, ready to learn and live

like Him. I need to note, though, that traditions differ. Some traditions that you will

find yourself in because they are what's close to you. Some are going to emphasize conversion.

Others are going to emphasize baptisms or obedience, but all see it as the start of a

transformative journey. I think that is one of the key things to remember, that it is a

transformative journey. We are all going to be at different places along that journey at any given

time, so we can't compare ourselves to somebody else and say, oh, well, I'm too far behind to

really make this commitment and go for it. We can't look at it like that. It is a

transformative journey. These insights, these perspectives, they give us both inspiration and

tools. One thing I want to suggest here, and this is a reiteration and a refreshing of what I've

talked about in the past, it's my thought that if you make the choice to become a follower of Jesus,

you have made the choice to be a disciple. I said previously that discipleship is mandatory.

Well, I'm wanting to restate that as if you are calling yourself a follower of Jesus.

That word follower in our minds has to lead us back to the word disciple

because the word disciple means one who follows. Therefore, what is mandatory is what disciples do.

Think about Acts 4, 42-47, and we're going to talk about that more in just a minute.

What did the people who accepted the gospel of Jesus do? Well, they devoted themselves to

the apostles' teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayers.

I don't want to stop short by saying that discipleship is mandatory. Being a follower

and a disciple, they're the same thing. What I have shared so far, the biblical stories,

the life examples, and the perspectives, are all a great starting point to answering the question,

where does discipleship begin? We need to understand that while calling ourselves followers

is a noun. Followers are in the act of following, which is a verb.

That means action. I see this as where most Christians will stop. There is this point where

we want to call ourselves Christians without engaging in the actions of a Christian beyond

showing up physically on a Sunday morning. I want you to engage with the idea that

that while you may have a different perspective or experience as the starting place for

discipleship, ultimately the decision to follow is met with the choice to take action.

Answering the big question we are asking here is less about a formula and more about a heart

turned toward Christ. What is the role of the community? We need to understand that community

is where discipleship begins and really thrives. If we look at the end of Acts 2, we see that

really heavily. Some examples of Christian groups where you can begin discipleship,

that's with mentors who guide in small groups that are encouraging one another, or jumping into

service that helps inspire next steps. These are how getting involved with

Christian community can help you thrive. I said we would come back to Acts 2,

verses 42 through 47, where early believers grew through teaching, fellowship, and prayer together.

So, again reading out of the ESV, verse 42, And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching

and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul,

and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together

and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings,

and distributing the proceeds to all as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together,

and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,

praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number,

day by day, those who were being saved. These people that we just read about,

they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to fellowship, to breaking of bread,

into prayers. Each of these things was done in community, mostly within a community of believers.

But how was the group of believers growing? Well, they were out sharing their faith in Jesus.

What we see here is the significant role of the community and how someone who is a disciple will

find a place to grow and be able to eventually be the one adding to the growing number.

As a practical step, if you haven't already, find a place, preferably local, but online,

if necessary, to begin immersing yourself in community. Reach out to me if you're having

a difficult time and we can connect and engage as an online community. Just remember that while

community nurtures discipleship, the initial decision to follow is yours and can happen anywhere.

Quickly, I want to talk about some barriers that we need to overcome, tackle some myths that

really kind of stop people from getting started. And the first one is, is I need to know everything

first. Like we've talked about, this is a journey. Discipleship is about learning as you go. Jesus

teaches us along the way. I said it earlier, he meets us where we are at. When you come into this

journey, he is going to meet you where you're at. You're going to bring some preconceived ideas

into that relationship. Some of those, he's going to say, yes, those are right. And then let's add

onto those. Some he's going to be like, those are totally wrong and we need to get something new in

there in its place, some truth in there in its place. So you don't need to know everything

first. You don't need to understand the faith at some graduate degree level. That's not the reality.

If you think back to the people that Jesus called, they didn't have that

level of understanding yet. He taught them as they walk together, as they live together in community.

The second barrier that needs to be overcome or misconception is

when people say, I'm not worthy. Jesus calls imperfect people. Transformation follows the

decision. It doesn't precede it. We are all imperfect and we all continue to have struggles

even after making that decision. That's why we're picking up our cross daily. There is a daily and

constant struggle, this fight against sin. But this is the thing about repentance and

reconciliation. We have that opportunity in Jesus. So we can't continue to tell ourselves we're not

worthy. We can't continue to say things about ourselves that Jesus isn't confirming, that he's

not saying. He isn't saying you're not worthy. He's saying you absolutely are worthy. That's why he

went to the cross for you. The third misconception or barrier to overcome is people who say, I can

do it solo. I can do this on my own. Yes, it starts personally, but growth really flourishes with

others. This is why I stress community so much and this is why I stress in-person community so much

because there's just something about being in the same space as other people, other like-minded

people, other believers who are on this same journey that you're able to encourage, that you're

able to be encouraged by. And you can celebrate successes together. You can work with one another

through struggles and through missteps. That's what the community is for. It's not there to be

it's not there to bash somebody when they mess up. It's there to help pull them out of that and

celebrate one another together. So we need to overcome that barrier of believing I can do it

solo. Wherever you are, Jesus meets you there. No prerequisites required. Okay, some questions

that I would like you to really pause and think about these questions and I'll have them in the

show notes. The first is what first drew you to Jesus or might draw you right now? The second,

is there a moment you felt invited to follow him more closely? And third, what's one step you could

take toward him today? I want you to really think about these questions. I want you to

explore them at your own pace because it's going to take some time to really sit with the Holy

Spirit and listen intently for an answer. Some of you are going to ask these questions yourself and

get immediate answers, but I want you to explore those answers as well. Jot down your thoughts

and if you're feeling bold enough, I would encourage you to share them with the people

you're in community with. We need to remember that discipleship unto Jesus Christ begins with

your decision to follow him and that is ignited by unique moments, whether a sudden call,

a gradual awakening or curiosity. Discipleship is rooted in faith and repentance.

This transformative journey often starts with baptism and then thrives in community.

Each of our paths vary, but the essence remains, a life-changing relationship with Christ that

offers purpose, joy and eternal hope. Wherever you stand, Jesus meets you there, ready to lead.

Will you take the next step? If you are somebody who is seeking, if you're one of those with

questions, read the Gospel of John, pray for some clarity and talk to a Christian friend.

If you are a new believer, explore baptism, join a small group. Again, preferably in person, but

online if that's where you need to start. Just get into community with other believers.

If you have been a believer for some time, if you've been a Christian for a while,

start to mentor someone. Or if necessary, because you haven't been engaging as a disciple,

recommit to following deeper. Some tools I would offer up to you are a couple of book

recommendations this week. The first is The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

It's a fantastic book. And Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. Another fantastic book. I highly

recommend get a hold of those and read them. But remember, no matter where you start,

Jesus invites you to follow, and he'll guide every step.

Thank you for tuning into Equipped for Purpose. I hope today's episode gave you tools and

inspiration to deepen your discipleship and strengthen your leadership. Don't forget to

subscribe so you never miss an episode. And if you found value in today's content,

share it with someone who could benefit. Let's connect on social media and through my website,

and remember, you are being equipped for a purpose. Go make an impact.