Following Jesus

If you’ve recently decided to place your trust in Jesus as savior and lord, you may soon find yourself wondering what the practical ramifications of that decision are. Even if you know that God loves you dearly and has taken the initiative to offer you forgiveness of sins through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, it can be hard to know how to respond to all that grace and mercy. We call the process of learning to live differently as the result of following Jesus “discipleship.”

Here at FBC we often use the metaphor of an apprenticeship to describe what following Jesus looks like. An apprentice pays careful attention to the example of their teacher and usually learns how to do the work by practicing it over and over again. A disciple-apprentice is someone who regularly and consistently practices living out the teachings of Jesus in all times and places.

The path of discipleship looks different for everybody, but broadly speaking, we believe it has at least four vital components: worship, learning, giving, and service.

Worship is the primary goal of the Christian life, a regular opportunity to encounter the living Jesus and to be equipped for the journey that is discipleship. It is a time to remember the stories of Jesus, to discern how God is narrating us into that ongoing story, and to refresh our weary souls as we continue to tell that story to the world. Worship can happen in many times, places, and ways, but disciple-apprentices should plan to gather for worship with a congregation at least once a week.

Learning is more than just the memorization of facts, but there are plenty of things that disciple-apprentices need to know, everything from details about the life and teachings of Jesus to the variety of tools that they have to practice their faith. We have two primary avenues for learning: Bible study, which takes place on Wednesday evenings, and Sunday School, which happens before worship on Sunday mornings.

Jesus teaches over and over again that the life of a disciple-apprentice should be marked by radical generosity, and while that generosity can take many forms, the reality is that the work of our church is funded almost exclusively by the monetary gifts of its members. We often use the tithe (10% of one’s income) as a target for generous giving, but any giving helps to orient us toward the God who has given us everything.

There is also an ethical dimension to the life of faith, and disciple-apprentices are expected to volunteer to help meet the needs of others. This can and does take many forms, from volunteering to care for our youngest children in the nursery to joining a church-wide service project with one of our mission partners, and many other things besides.

Everyone’s journey with Jesus is unique and personal, but pursuing each of these four areas of focus will help any disciple-apprentice as they seek to put their faith into practice.