We’ve been using a river diagram to picture the Christian life. The headwaters start with faith in Jesus. That river is channeled by the gospel, and along the way tributaries flow in: the Spirit of Jesus, the Word of Jesus, the Church of Jesus, the practices of Jesus. Each of these is important, but they’re not the final goal. They’re means to an end.

So what’s the end? What are the goals of a disciple? Scripture is clear:

• To be with Jesus (Mark 3:14).
• To be like Jesus (Luke 6:40).
• To make disciples of Jesus (Matthew 28:19–20).

If you want one sentence that sums up how Jesus grew His disciples into disciple-makers, it’s this: In community, over time, Jesus gave His disciples more and more responsibility until they were ready to lead others themselves.

Discipleship Requires Community

Jesus never ran a private tutoring program. He didn’t take applications for “Jesus’ one-on-one Masterclass.” He gathered a group, a messy, smelly, sometimes annoying band of brothers, and they lived life together. That’s where the growth happened.

Your relationship with Jesus is deeply personal, but it’s not meant to be private. We grow together in the church, encouraging, praying, correcting, even sometimes frustrating one another. Community is where patience is forged and blind spots are exposed.

And let’s be honest: what we often call “community” today is just connectivity. We text, scroll, like, and comment. We’re “alone but not alone.” Then when we are physically with people, half the room is still glued to their screens. The result? We miss both true solitude with God and true community with each other. Jesus didn’t design us for that weird middle ground. He designed us for real life together.

Discipleship Takes Time

We live in an Amazon Prime, microwave, instant-download world. But you can’t FedEx Christlikeness. You can’t microwave character. Even the Apostle Paul, brilliant and zealous as he was, spent years in growth and mentorship before he led churches on his own. If it took Paul time, it’ll take us time too.

Think about apprenticeships. Nobody becomes a master electrician in six months. You start as an apprentice, then a journeyman, and eventually a master. Discipleship is no different. You learn, you serve, you shoulder responsibility, and eventually you help others do the same.

Passing It On

One of my favorite illustrations comes from Charles Spurgeon’s boyhood. Before he was “Spurgeon,” he was just a kid tagging along with his grandfather, a country preacher. Little Charles admitted he sometimes spent more time watching the clock than listening to sermons. But what shaped him most wasn’t the lectures, it was watching his grandfather pray with the sick, encourage families, and live the Christian life.

That’s discipleship. It’s caught as much as it’s taught. And one day, that little boy became one of the greatest preachers of his generation.

Your Turn

So here’s the question: who are you tagging along with, and who’s tagging along with you?

You don’t need to find the “perfect Christian” who knows Greek, writes worship songs, and leads mission trips on the weekends. Just look for someone who’s ahead of you in one area, loving their spouse, raising their kids, serving faithfully, and learn from them. And in the same way, invite someone behind you to come along for the ride.

Because the conclusion of discipleship is this: we don’t just follow Jesus. We help others follow Him too.