Discipleship
Be with them, open the Bible together, pray together, obey one thing at a time, connect them to a church and baptism, and then send them to disciple someone else. A practical guide anyone can follow.
3 min read · October 18, 2026 · By Daniel Ziedins
“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
Jesus did not tell us to make converts. He told us to make disciples:
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. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20)
A disciple is a follower of Jesus who is learning to obey him and to help others do the same. Discipling someone simply means walking with them while that happens. You do not need a seminary degree. You need time, a Bible, and a willingness to go first.
Here is a simple way to start.
Before Jesus sent his disciples out to do anything, he called them to be with him:
He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach (Mark 3:14)
Discipleship is a relationship before it is a program. Pick a rhythm you can actually keep: coffee every Tuesday, a walk after church, a phone call on Thursday nights. Consistency matters more than length.
Paul was bold enough to say, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1). That is the heart of it. They will learn as much from watching how you live, pray and handle a bad week as from anything you teach.
Do not start with a curriculum. Start with Jesus. The Gospel of John is a good first book: Read John in 7 days gives you one passage, one question and one prayer for each sitting, and how to read John with someone explains how a sitting goes.
Read a short passage out loud, then ask simple questions. Many discipleship groups use a set like this:
You do not have to have every answer. "I do not know, let's find out together" is a good discipleship sentence.
Most new believers have never heard someone pray out loud in ordinary words. Pray with them, short and simple. Then invite them to pray a sentence. Pray for the people in their life by name. Over time, pray less and let them pray more.
Discipleship is not just learning more. It is doing what Jesus said. Each time you meet, ask what they did with last week's "one thing", and share yours. Keep it small and concrete: forgive someone, stop a habit, text a friend, give something away.
Expect messiness. They will miss weeks. So will you. Grace is part of what you are modelling.
A disciple is not meant to follow Jesus alone. The first believers were baptised and then:
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. (Acts 2:42)
Do not just give them a church address. Go with them. Meet them at the door, sit together, introduce them to people. Talk about baptism early and naturally, as a step of obedience rather than a graduation.
The goal of discipleship is not a mature Christian who sits still. It is a disciple who makes disciples. Paul described four generations in one verse:
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)
Paul to Timothy, Timothy to reliable people, those people to others. Help the person you are discipling write their story with Your Story in 60 Seconds, then take them with you when you share your faith. Let them watch, then let them try while you watch.
Discipleship slips when life gets busy. Write down three things after each meeting: what you read, the one thing they said they would obey, and what to pray for. Kingdom Base has a free discipleship pathway built in, so each person's next step is in front of you instead of in your memory. Start free.
Be with them. Open the Bible. Obey together. Send them.
If you are walking with someone who just said yes to Jesus, start with the first seven days with a new believer, then settle into this weekly rhythm.
Spend regular time with them, read a short passage of the Bible together and ask what it shows about God and people and what you will obey, pray together, follow through on one act of obedience each week, connect them to a local church and baptism, and help them share their faith and disciple others.
The Gospel of John is a good first book because it focuses on who Jesus is. Read one short passage at a time, out loud, and talk about it together.
No. Jesus called ordinary people to be with him. You need time, a Bible and a willingness to go first. Saying 'I do not know, let's find out together' is part of discipleship.
A disciple who makes disciples. 2 Timothy 2:2 describes Paul teaching Timothy, Timothy teaching reliable people, and those people teaching others.
Nobody forgotten. Kingdom Base is a free command center for the Great Commission — log the people you meet, follow up faithfully, and make disciples. Start free.
Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.