Shownotes
In this episode of Equipped for Purpose, we look at a question every believer faces: "Where does discipleship under Jesus Christ begin?" Picture yourself at the trailhead of a great hike—boots laced, map in hand, unsure of what lies ahead. That’s discipleship: a journey that starts with a single step toward Jesus. Whether you’re new to faith or recommitting to follow deeper, this episode offers biblical foundations, real-life stories, and practical tools to guide you.
Key Takeaways:
- Discipleship begins with a personal encounter with Jesus—dramatic or subtle—and a choice to follow.
- There’s no universal starting line; it could be a crisis, a slow awakening, or curiosity.
- Community nurtures growth, but the decision to start is yours, anytime, anywhere.
- You don’t need all the answers or perfection—Jesus meets you where you are.
- Take one step today: read Scripture, join a group, or mentor someone.
Reflective Questions:
- What first drew you to Jesus—or might draw you now?
- Is there a moment you felt invited to follow Him more closely?
- What’s one step you could take toward Him today?
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Transcripts
Welcome to Equipped for Purpose. I'm your host, Vincent Rain, and this is the podcast
Speaker:where discipleship meets impactful leadership. Whether you're new to faith or a seasoned
Speaker:follower of Christ, this podcast is designed to help you deepen your relationship with
Speaker:Jesus, grow as a leader, and make a difference in every area of your life. Together we'll
Speaker:explore practical tools, biblical insights, and real-life strategies to equip you for
Speaker:the purpose God has called you to. Let's dive in.
Speaker:Welcome back to another episode of Equipped for Purpose. Let's just jump right in here. I want
Speaker:you to imagine you're at the edge of a forest, standing at the trailhead of a great hike.
Speaker:The path ahead stretches out, winding through towering trees and rugged mountains. You can
Speaker:hear the rustling of leaves and the distant call of a bird, but the full route is hidden. There
Speaker:might be steep climbs, unexpected turns, or stunning vistas waiting beyond the next bend.
Speaker:You've got your backpack on, your boots are laced up, and map in hand, but you're not entirely sure
Speaker:what's ahead. That mix of excitement and hesitation bubbles up. Am I ready for this? What if I get
Speaker:lost? This is what the start of discipleship under Jesus Christ feels like. It's a moment where
Speaker:you're poised at the starting point of facing a journey full of potential and mystery.
Speaker:Just like a hiker stepping onto the trail, discipleship begins with a choice to follow
Speaker:Jesus, even when you can't see the whole path. Maybe you're standing there with doubts, or maybe
Speaker:you're eager to explore. Either way, this trailhead invites you to take that first step,
Speaker:trusting that the adventure will unfold as you go. So today, the big question that we're
Speaker:looking into and really wanting to try and start answering is, where does discipleship
Speaker:under Jesus Christ begin? This question is significant for anyone exploring faith, whether
Speaker:you're new to Christianity or seeking to deepen your commitment that you've already made.
Speaker:I do want to take a moment to acknowledge that there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer to this
Speaker:question, as there isn't to most of the questions. But we need to have some place to start because
Speaker:a lot of times we get paralyzed by not knowing which direction to take, by not having an answer
Speaker:of, what is my next step that I need to take? Where am I going? Well, we don't always know
Speaker:every twist and turn like in that scenario we just imagine in walkthrough. We don't always know.
Speaker:And so we want to start answering this question, where does discipleship begin?
Speaker:But there isn't, again, a one-size-fits-all answer.
Speaker:So in this episode, we're going to explore biblical foundations, some real-life examples,
Speaker:look at some research insights. We're going to talk about the community's role,
Speaker:some common barriers, and then some reflective questions.
Speaker:Okay. First, let's look at scripture. Let's get some biblical foundations here.
Speaker:Matthew 4, 18-22, this is where Jesus calls fishermen with a simple,
Speaker:follow me and I'll make you fishers of men. They drop their nets and follow immediately.
Speaker:So discipleship starts with a personal invitation and response. So let's read those verses,
Speaker:Matthew 4, 18-22, and I'm reading them out of the ESV. It says,
Speaker:It says,
Speaker:and their father and followed him.
Speaker:In this passage, Jesus walks along the Sea of Galilee and sees Simon Peter and Andrew casting
Speaker:nets. He says, follow me, I'll make you fishers of men. And they drop everything to follow him.
Speaker:Right after that, we see Jesus calls James and John who leave their boat and their father to
Speaker:join him, which I have talked about in the past. In a past episode, we have
Speaker:talked about this and looked at the significance of it.
Speaker:The relevance here is striking. Discipleship starts for these people with a direct,
Speaker:personal encounter and an immediate response. These fishermen didn't have theology degrees
Speaker:or a five-year plan. They were ordinary people busy with their daily work when Jesus interrupted
Speaker:their lives with a simple invitation. Their willingness to act despite not knowing what lay
Speaker:on the path ahead shows that discipleship doesn't require full understanding, just trust and
Speaker:obedience. Today, this might look like hearing a sermon that hits home,
Speaker:feeling a tug during prayer, or meeting someone whose faith inspires you to take a step toward
Speaker:Jesus. It's in that moment when you say yes to following him, even if the how isn't completely
Speaker:clear. The second example I want to look at is John 1 verses 35 to 39. John the Baptist's
Speaker:disciples hear about Jesus, ask where he's staying, and Jesus says,
Speaker:come and see. And their journey begins with curiosity and a step toward him.
Speaker:So let's go ahead and read those verses. John 1, 35 to 39, again out of the ESV.
Speaker:The next day John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by
Speaker:and said, Behold the Lamb of God. The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.
Speaker:Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, What are you seeking? And they said to him,
Speaker:Rabbi, which means teacher, where are you staying? He said to them, Come and you will see. So they
Speaker:came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the
Speaker:tenth hour. Okay, here two disciples of John the Baptist hear him call Jesus the Lamb of God.
Speaker:And curious, they follow Jesus and ask, Where are you staying? He replies, Well, come and see.
Speaker:And they spend the day with him. This story reveals a softer, a more gradual entry into
Speaker:discipleship, one sparked by curiosity and an invitation to explore. Unlike the fisherman's
Speaker:decisive leap, these disciples start with a question and a desire to know more. Jesus doesn't
Speaker:demand instant commitment. He welcomes them to walk alongside him and discover who he is.
Speaker:This is incredibly relevant for people today who might begin their journey with doubts,
Speaker:questions, or a quiet interest, like reading the gospel out of curiosity, joining
Speaker:a friend at church or pondering life's deeper meaning. It shows that discipleship can start
Speaker:small with an openness to see where Jesus leads. These scriptures highlight what I believe are two
Speaker:timeless truths. Discipleship begins with an encounter, direct or subtle, and a choice to
Speaker:follow. Did you encounter a dramatic call or a gentle nudge? I think we forget that Jesus meets
Speaker:us where we are, working, wandering, or even wandering, and invites us into a journey of
Speaker:transformation even without a full understanding on our part, even without a full picture of where
Speaker:that path is going to take us. There's just a trust and willingness. Okay, I want to look at
Speaker:some real life examples. Now, these are fictitious stories, but they show diverse
Speaker:starting points, and they are all relatable because somebody listening out there is going
Speaker:to relate to one of these stories. That's why I call them real life examples, even though they're
Speaker:made up, because these are all things that we know have happened with people in the past.
Speaker:The first one is a sudden conversion. This is someone who found Jesus during a life crisis,
Speaker:like an addiction or a loss of some kind, and felt an undeniable call to follow.
Speaker:So the story here is, and again, these are all made up names, and so just listen to the story
Speaker:and understand where it's coming from because these are relatable. So the first one is sudden
Speaker:conversion. David is a 28-year-old battling alcohol addiction. After losing his job and
Speaker:hitting rock bottom, he reluctantly attends a recovery meeting at a local church. There he
Speaker:hears a volunteer share how Jesus offered hope and strength in their own struggles,
Speaker:and in that moment, David feels this overwhelming sense of love and possibility that he just can't
Speaker:explain. He prays a shaky prayer, Jesus, if you're real, help me, and something in him shifts.
Speaker:He joins the recovery group, gets sober, and starts reading the Bible, marking the beginning
Speaker:of his discipleship. This story shows how a crisis can be a trailhead where vulnerability
Speaker:opens up that door to following Jesus. Okay, the second story is a gradual awakening.
Speaker:Someone raised in church who later made a personal commitment after years of questioning.
Speaker:So Sarah, 32, grew up in a Christian family, attending church every Sunday,
Speaker:but faith to her felt like a routine, not a relationship. In her 20s, she drifts away,
Speaker:exploring other philosophies, other lifestyles, and years later, a friend invites her to a Bible
Speaker:study where the group discusses Jesus' teaching with fresh passion, and for the first time,
Speaker:Sarah sees faith as personal, not just inherited. She starts praying on her own and feels a quiet
Speaker:pull to commit her life to Christ. Her discipleship begins not with a bang, but with a slow,
Speaker:personal yes after years of searching. This reflects how the journey can unfold gradually,
Speaker:even for those that are raised in faith. Okay, the third and final of these stories is a seeker's
Speaker:path. This is someone who explored faith through books or friends or chose to follow Jesus step by
Speaker:step. Alex, 25, is a skeptic who loves big questions. He starts reading about world
Speaker:religions, including Christianity, and stumbles across Jesus' teachings in a book. Intrigued,
Speaker:he listens to faith-based podcasts and has some debates with Christian friends.
Speaker:One Sunday, he visits a church out of sheer curiosity, and while he's there, he feels in
Speaker:unexpected peace during worship. He doesn't have all the answers at this point, but he makes the
Speaker:decision to join a small group to learn more, deciding to follow Jesus step by step. Alex's
Speaker:story highlights how discipleship can begin with intellectual curiosity and small exploratory
Speaker:actions appealing to seekers who value discovery. The goal of these stories is just simply to
Speaker:illustrate that discipleship starts in varied ways, whether it's sudden or gradual or
Speaker:inquisitive, which this ought to be encouraging to you and bring you into reflection on your own
Speaker:starting point that you could share with others who may be struggling with their experiences.
Speaker:Ask yourself these two questions. What moment or person first sparked your interest in Jesus,
Speaker:and how could you be that spark for someone else?
Speaker:Okay, I mentioned at the beginning we look at some research and some insights that I've come
Speaker:across. There are two perspectives I want to offer here from some articles that I've found.
Speaker:The first perspective is that discipleship begins with a radical, all-in decision to follow Jesus,
Speaker:like a life-long covenant. Think total surrender. It's not a casual choice,
Speaker:but a total surrender of your life, your plans, your comforts, even your relationships,
Speaker:all to follow Jesus. Think of it like a marriage vow. You commit everything, trusting your spouse
Speaker:is going to be there with you through life's ups and downs. For discipleship, this means
Speaker:saying, Jesus, I'm yours, no turning back. And even when it's hard, Jesus' own words
Speaker:demonstrate the depth of difficulty of this choice, like take up your cross from Luke 9 23.
Speaker:And that's to emphasize that this journey, this transformation demands everything.
Speaker:This may be difficult for you to hear because this perspective challenges the half-hearted faith
Speaker:urging you to consider, am I all-in or just dipping my toes in? It's really a call to
Speaker:see discipleship as a transformative, defining moment that shapes your entire life.
Speaker:Then there's perspective two. It starts with belief in Jesus, repentance from sin,
Speaker:and often baptism as a public step of commitment. This perspective is offering a more
Speaker:hands-on approach, identifying three key steps to start discipleship. And those are one, belief,
Speaker:two, repentance, and three, baptism. First, belief means accepting Jesus as God's Son and Savior,
Speaker:a heart-level trust that He's who He says He is. The second, repentance is turning away from sin
Speaker:like a hiker changing direction when they realize that they're off course.
Speaker:It's a pivot toward a new way of living. Third, baptism is the public marker, a declaration to the
Speaker:entire world that you're on this journey. Much like a wedding ring signals commitment,
Speaker:these steps provide a clear roadmap, believe, turn, declare.
Speaker:Four, someone wondering how to begin. This framework is practical and actionable.
Speaker:Start with faith, take a step of change, and seal it with a commitment. It's less about
Speaker:intensity and more about intentionality. Across both of those views, it's a personal choice to
Speaker:follow paired with faith and a desire to grow. Both perspectives agree that discipleship begins
Speaker:with a personal choice to follow Jesus and a desire to grow in faith. The first focuses on
Speaker:the depth of that choice, a real radical leap, while the second outlines the how,
Speaker:specific actions to take. Together, they suggest that whether through a dramatic surrender or a
Speaker:structured start, discipleship is about a heart turned toward Christ, ready to learn and live
Speaker:like Him. I need to note, though, that traditions differ. Some traditions that you will
Speaker:find yourself in because they are what's close to you. Some are going to emphasize conversion.
Speaker:Others are going to emphasize baptisms or obedience, but all see it as the start of a
Speaker:transformative journey. I think that is one of the key things to remember, that it is a
Speaker:transformative journey. We are all going to be at different places along that journey at any given
Speaker:time, so we can't compare ourselves to somebody else and say, oh, well, I'm too far behind to
Speaker:really make this commitment and go for it. We can't look at it like that. It is a
Speaker:transformative journey. These insights, these perspectives, they give us both inspiration and
Speaker:tools. One thing I want to suggest here, and this is a reiteration and a refreshing of what I've
Speaker:talked about in the past, it's my thought that if you make the choice to become a follower of Jesus,
Speaker:you have made the choice to be a disciple. I said previously that discipleship is mandatory.
Speaker:Well, I'm wanting to restate that as if you are calling yourself a follower of Jesus.
Speaker:That word follower in our minds has to lead us back to the word disciple
Speaker:because the word disciple means one who follows. Therefore, what is mandatory is what disciples do.
Speaker:Think about Acts 4, 42-47, and we're going to talk about that more in just a minute.
Speaker:What did the people who accepted the gospel of Jesus do? Well, they devoted themselves to
Speaker:the apostles' teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayers.
Speaker:I don't want to stop short by saying that discipleship is mandatory. Being a follower
Speaker:and a disciple, they're the same thing. What I have shared so far, the biblical stories,
Speaker:the life examples, and the perspectives, are all a great starting point to answering the question,
Speaker:where does discipleship begin? We need to understand that while calling ourselves followers
Speaker:is a noun. Followers are in the act of following, which is a verb.
Speaker:That means action. I see this as where most Christians will stop. There is this point where
Speaker:we want to call ourselves Christians without engaging in the actions of a Christian beyond
Speaker:showing up physically on a Sunday morning. I want you to engage with the idea that
Speaker:that while you may have a different perspective or experience as the starting place for
Speaker:discipleship, ultimately the decision to follow is met with the choice to take action.
Speaker:Answering the big question we are asking here is less about a formula and more about a heart
Speaker:turned toward Christ. What is the role of the community? We need to understand that community
Speaker:is where discipleship begins and really thrives. If we look at the end of Acts 2, we see that
Speaker:really heavily. Some examples of Christian groups where you can begin discipleship,
Speaker:that's with mentors who guide in small groups that are encouraging one another, or jumping into
Speaker:service that helps inspire next steps. These are how getting involved with
Speaker:Christian community can help you thrive. I said we would come back to Acts 2,
Speaker:verses 42 through 47, where early believers grew through teaching, fellowship, and prayer together.
Speaker:So, again reading out of the ESV, verse 42, And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching
Speaker:and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul,
Speaker:and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together
Speaker:and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings,
Speaker:and distributing the proceeds to all as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together,
Speaker:and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,
Speaker:praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number,
Speaker:day by day, those who were being saved. These people that we just read about,
Speaker:they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to fellowship, to breaking of bread,
Speaker:into prayers. Each of these things was done in community, mostly within a community of believers.
Speaker:But how was the group of believers growing? Well, they were out sharing their faith in Jesus.
Speaker:What we see here is the significant role of the community and how someone who is a disciple will
Speaker:find a place to grow and be able to eventually be the one adding to the growing number.
Speaker:As a practical step, if you haven't already, find a place, preferably local, but online,
Speaker:if necessary, to begin immersing yourself in community. Reach out to me if you're having
Speaker:a difficult time and we can connect and engage as an online community. Just remember that while
Speaker:community nurtures discipleship, the initial decision to follow is yours and can happen anywhere.
Speaker:Quickly, I want to talk about some barriers that we need to overcome, tackle some myths that
Speaker:really kind of stop people from getting started. And the first one is, is I need to know everything
Speaker:first. Like we've talked about, this is a journey. Discipleship is about learning as you go. Jesus
Speaker:teaches us along the way. I said it earlier, he meets us where we are at. When you come into this
Speaker:journey, he is going to meet you where you're at. You're going to bring some preconceived ideas
Speaker:into that relationship. Some of those, he's going to say, yes, those are right. And then let's add
Speaker:onto those. Some he's going to be like, those are totally wrong and we need to get something new in
Speaker:there in its place, some truth in there in its place. So you don't need to know everything
Speaker:first. You don't need to understand the faith at some graduate degree level. That's not the reality.
Speaker:If you think back to the people that Jesus called, they didn't have that
Speaker:level of understanding yet. He taught them as they walk together, as they live together in community.
Speaker:The second barrier that needs to be overcome or misconception is
Speaker:when people say, I'm not worthy. Jesus calls imperfect people. Transformation follows the
Speaker:decision. It doesn't precede it. We are all imperfect and we all continue to have struggles
Speaker:even after making that decision. That's why we're picking up our cross daily. There is a daily and
Speaker:constant struggle, this fight against sin. But this is the thing about repentance and
Speaker:reconciliation. We have that opportunity in Jesus. So we can't continue to tell ourselves we're not
Speaker:worthy. We can't continue to say things about ourselves that Jesus isn't confirming, that he's
Speaker:not saying. He isn't saying you're not worthy. He's saying you absolutely are worthy. That's why he
Speaker:went to the cross for you. The third misconception or barrier to overcome is people who say, I can
Speaker:do it solo. I can do this on my own. Yes, it starts personally, but growth really flourishes with
Speaker:others. This is why I stress community so much and this is why I stress in-person community so much
Speaker:because there's just something about being in the same space as other people, other like-minded
Speaker:people, other believers who are on this same journey that you're able to encourage, that you're
Speaker:able to be encouraged by. And you can celebrate successes together. You can work with one another
Speaker:through struggles and through missteps. That's what the community is for. It's not there to be
Speaker:it's not there to bash somebody when they mess up. It's there to help pull them out of that and
Speaker:celebrate one another together. So we need to overcome that barrier of believing I can do it
Speaker:solo. Wherever you are, Jesus meets you there. No prerequisites required. Okay, some questions
Speaker:that I would like you to really pause and think about these questions and I'll have them in the
Speaker:show notes. The first is what first drew you to Jesus or might draw you right now? The second,
Speaker:is there a moment you felt invited to follow him more closely? And third, what's one step you could
Speaker:take toward him today? I want you to really think about these questions. I want you to
Speaker:explore them at your own pace because it's going to take some time to really sit with the Holy
Speaker:Spirit and listen intently for an answer. Some of you are going to ask these questions yourself and
Speaker:get immediate answers, but I want you to explore those answers as well. Jot down your thoughts
Speaker:and if you're feeling bold enough, I would encourage you to share them with the people
Speaker:you're in community with. We need to remember that discipleship unto Jesus Christ begins with
Speaker:your decision to follow him and that is ignited by unique moments, whether a sudden call,
Speaker:a gradual awakening or curiosity. Discipleship is rooted in faith and repentance.
Speaker:This transformative journey often starts with baptism and then thrives in community.
Speaker:Each of our paths vary, but the essence remains, a life-changing relationship with Christ that
Speaker:offers purpose, joy and eternal hope. Wherever you stand, Jesus meets you there, ready to lead.
Speaker:Will you take the next step? If you are somebody who is seeking, if you're one of those with
Speaker:questions, read the Gospel of John, pray for some clarity and talk to a Christian friend.
Speaker:If you are a new believer, explore baptism, join a small group. Again, preferably in person, but
Speaker:online if that's where you need to start. Just get into community with other believers.
Speaker:If you have been a believer for some time, if you've been a Christian for a while,
Speaker:start to mentor someone. Or if necessary, because you haven't been engaging as a disciple,
Speaker:recommit to following deeper. Some tools I would offer up to you are a couple of book
Speaker:recommendations this week. The first is The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
Speaker:It's a fantastic book. And Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. Another fantastic book. I highly
Speaker:recommend get a hold of those and read them. But remember, no matter where you start,
Speaker:Jesus invites you to follow, and he'll guide every step.
Speaker:Thank you for tuning into Equipped for Purpose. I hope today's episode gave you tools and
Speaker:inspiration to deepen your discipleship and strengthen your leadership. Don't forget to
Speaker:subscribe so you never miss an episode. And if you found value in today's content,
Speaker:share it with someone who could benefit. Let's connect on social media and through my website,
Speaker:and remember, you are being equipped for a purpose. Go make an impact.
