Discipleship – Following Jesus

Rev. Tim Coleman

Date:  January 18, 2026

Main Takeaways

1. Discipleship is Apprenticing to Become Like Jesus

Discipleship isn’t about attending programs or achieving health and wealth—it’s the entire point of the Christian walk. It’s simply following Jesus, as Paul said: “Follow my example as I follow Christ.” The goal is formation into Christ’s image through intentional, ongoing relationships.

2. Disciple-Making is an Intentional Three-Stage Process

The Great Commission outlines a deliberate process:

• Evangelizing (going) – welcoming new people and sharing the gospel
• Establishing (baptizing) – grounding new believers in the faith through teaching obedience
• Equipping (teaching) – preparing believers to go make disciples themselves

This doesn’t happen by accident just because church exists—it requires intentionality.

3. Discipleship Happens in Community, Not Isolation

Jesus never intended “maverick Christians.” Discipleship is:

• A community project, not just personal pursuit
• Centered in the local church, which has unique authority to preach, baptize, and teach
• Word-centered, people-to-people ministry—sharing not just information but our very lives

When the church covenanted with baby Emma, they committed to teaching her in Sunday school, helping with youth ministry, and being involved in her spiritual formation.

4. Discipleship Requires Massive Time Investment

Jesus spent approximately 10,200 hours with His disciples over three years (10 hours/day, 340 days/year). Yet most Christians want to be like Jesus by spending just one hour per week on Sunday morning. True transformation requires substantial, consistent time with Jesus and His people.

5. Discipleship is Learning by Doing

Some things can only be learned through obedience. You can’t understand “turn the other cheek” until you actually absorb violence instead of striking back. The pattern is:

• Watch/Listen – observe Jesus and His teachings
• Learn – understand the principles
• Do – practice obedience
• Report – share what you’ve experienced

Ancient Jewish disciples followed their rabbis everywhere—even intimate moments—because they wanted to see how faith worked in real life, not just formal settings.

6. The Church Disciples Toward Specific Characteristics

Westhill aims to form disciples who are:

• Jesus-centered – Christ at the center of all life decisions
• Gospel-shaped – formed by Scripture, not political narratives
• Gratitude-expressing – walking through hardship with thanksgiving
• Grace-driven – extending forgiveness when hurt or offended
• Missional – viewing workplace, grocery store, and daily life as mission field
• Prayer-anchored – recognizing our greatest power is on our knees
• Generous – with time, resources, and lives

7. Modern Discipleship Faces Three Critical Challenges

Challenge #1: Young Adults Leaving the Church Statistics suggest only 5% of youth will follow Christ as young adults. How do we disciple Gen Z and Gen Alpha who are more captivated by Taylor Swift and pop culture than the church?

Challenge #2: Christians Comfortable with Status Quo Churches have unintentionally turned believers into passive observers. Cultural pressures emphasize comfort over commitment. Changing organizational culture takes 7-10 years—meaning discipleship efforts started today won’t bear full fruit for a decade.

Challenge #3: People We Don’t See Regularly A “regular attender” today means attending once every 3-4 weeks (compared to 3-4 times weekly in previous generations). You cannot disciple in absentia. If you only ate every 3-4 weeks, you’d die. The same principle applies spiritually.

8. The Stark Reality: Many Believers, Few Disciples

When Christians think it’s okay to hate and dehumanize neighbors who look different, they haven’t been discipled. When Christians spend more time on Netflix than in church, small groups, or ministry service—that’s a problem. When finding money for alcohol is easier than supporting the local church, priorities are misplaced.

Weekly Application for the Congregation

Five Concrete Action Steps (Choose At Least One)

1. Attend Church More Than Once a Month

• Challenge: Don’t be an average Christian. You wouldn’t want to be an average spouse or average cook—don’t settle for average faith.
• This Week: Commit to attending church regularly (aim for 3-4 times monthly minimum). Put it in your calendar like any other important appointment.
• Ask Yourself: What would need to change in my schedule to make this happen?

2. Join a Small Group or Adult Sunday School Class

• Why: Relationships, learning, and doing life together with others is worth it. You can’t be discipled by proxy.
• This Week: Contact the church office about available small groups. Look into adult Sunday school options. Pick one and commit to attending for at least 8 weeks.
• Remember: Ancient disciples followed their rabbis everywhere to see faith in real life—small groups provide this authentic community.

3. Serve in a Ministry Area

• Challenge: Discipleship happens through doing, not just watching. Get involved.
• This Week: Identify one area where you can serve—Sunday school teaching, youth ministry volunteering, greeting, worship team, community outreach, etc.
• Reality Check: When you covenanted with baby Emma (or any child dedication), you committed to being involved in discipleship. Now’s the time to follow through.

4. Develop Daily Spiritual Disciplines

• Take up a Bible reading plan where you read Scripture every day (even 10-15 minutes)
• Establish a prayer routine or attend one of the church’s prayer meetings to learn how to pray
• This Week: Download a Bible reading app or plan. Set a specific time daily (morning coffee, lunch break, before bed) and protect it fiercely.
• The Math: 10,200 hours with Jesus produced transformed disciples. One hour on Sunday won’t cut it.

5. Build Intentional Relationships

• Action: Invite people over for tea, coffee, or a games night
• Goal: Get to know someone else in the church family beyond surface-level Sunday greetings
• This Week: Text or call two people from church and schedule time together within the next two weeks.
• Attend your demographic ministry: Men’s breakfast, ladies’ coffee connection, youth group, etc.

Specific Life Applications for This Week

At Work Tomorrow (Your Mission Field):

• How will you conduct yourself in front of coworkers?
• Are you mindful that your speech communicates who you’re following?
• When the coworker irritates you, will you practice patience (learning by doing)?

In Daily Interactions:

• When the grocery store teller makes a mistake with your change, how do you respond? Do you swear? Lose your mind? Or act as a follower of Christ?
• This is your opportunity to practice “turning the other cheek”—absorbing difficulty rather than reacting violently (verbally or otherwise).

With Your Resources:

• Challenge: Consider supporting your church financially. It takes all of us to support 14 mission partners and reach our community—not one pastor or rich benefactor.
• This Week: Review your budget. If you can find money for entertainment/alcohol but struggle to give to church, your priorities need realignment.

Regarding Attendance Patterns:

• If you’re currently “average” (attending once monthly): Recognize this isn’t enough for discipleship to happen. You can’t learn to change a tire without actually changing a tire. You can’t be discipled without being present.
• This Week: Commit to being present more frequently. Set a goal to attend at least 3 out of 4 weeks this month.

Questions for Personal Reflection

1. Am I a believer or a disciple? There’s a difference. Believers acknowledge Jesus; disciples follow Him with their lives.
2. Who is discipling me? If your answer is “no one” or “just myself,” you’re doing Christianity wrong. Find a small group, mentor, or community.
3. Who am I discipling? Discipleship isn’t complete until you can do what you’ve learned and teach others. Who are you investing in?
4. What’s my excuse? When you say you don’t have time for church, small groups, or service—what are you actually saying about your priorities?
5. Where is my mission field this week? It’s not just overseas—it’s your workplace, neighborhood, grocery store, and daily interactions.

The Bottom Line

You cannot become a disciple by being absent. Just as you’d starve eating every 3-4 weeks, you’ll spiritually wither by attending church only once monthly. Discipleship requires:

• Presence (being there consistently)
• Community (doing life together)
• Time (substantial investment, not just Sunday mornings)
• Practice (learning by doing through obedience)
• Intentionality (deliberate choices to follow Jesus)

Pastor Tim’s challenge is clear: We have lots of believers but not many disciples. Which will you be?

This week, pick at least one of the five action steps and commit to it. Don’t just hear this message and walk away unchanged (James 1:22-25). Be a doer who applies what you’ve heard and allows the Holy Spirit to form you into Christ’s image through the discipleship process.

Remember: Culture says comfort; Christ says commitment. Choose wisely.

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This content was developed in collaboration with Claude AI for digital discipleship purposes.