Walking Together in Faith

Discipleship

Community in Christ

When I think about discipleship, I think about those Thursday mornings at 6 AM in Florida, sitting across from a man who poured into me for a year. He told me to read Isaiah—three or four chapters at a time—and every week, I showed up completely confused.

"Are you going to tell me what I just read?" I’d ask.

"No," he’d say. "Just keep reading."

At the time, I didn’t get it. But looking back, I see how that discipline changed me. Now, Isaiah is my favorite book in the Old Testament. I realize that so much of the New Testament—so much of Jesus—is foretold in Isaiah. But I wouldn’t have learned that without someone walking with me, guiding me, and allowing me to wrestle with Scripture on my own.

Discipleship isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about walking alongside someone, pointing them toward a relationship with Jesus. It’s about patience, persistence, and grace. Jesus himself modeled this when He called His disciples: "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19). He didn’t give them a rulebook or a checklist—He simply invited them into a relationship.

Too often, Christians expect instant transformation. We judge where someone is on their faith journey, forgetting how patient God has been with us. "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). If God was patient with me, why wouldn’t I be patient with others?

For me, discipleship was humbling. I had spent years presenting a polished exterior that didn’t match my private life. My failures were exposed and it caused my family a lot of pain, but that’s what it took for me to finally surrender. So many guys out there are struggling alone with inappropriate sexual relationships, addictions to gambling or pornography, using alcohol or drugs as coping mechanisms and more. Discipleship helps us hold each other accountable. If you’re walking strong with Christ, stick out a hand to your brother that is struggling. You might be the teacher he needs to bring Christ’s love and grace to earth.

Discipleship is about walking that road together. It’s about lifting each other up, staying on the path, and remembering that as long as we’re moving toward Jesus, we’re exactly where we need to be.

Be well,

Jeff Ford