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Written by Ann Thiede, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas 
“Insecure” describes me from my childhood through my teenage years, wanting to fit in, becoming a people-pleaser which led to conflicts within and ungodly choices. I craved relationships—people with whom I could be close and share my heart. Unfortunately, many of my contemporaries during my high school and college days followed the crowd. But, praise God, a few helped me walk toward Christ.
Matthew, in his gospel, recorded these last words of Jesus:
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 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.
I’m forever grateful for God’s beautiful orchestration through four peers, drawing me to Him and teaching me what it looks like to follow Him. These are some discipleship steps I’ve learned.
The first step involves getting to know Jesus as you read the Gospels with a hungry, teachable heart, and the willingness to let go of preconceived ideas. In searching for what you believe, you will find Who you believe. I encourage you to read through John’s gospel first, taking note of all of the titles Jesus gives Himself. For example, in John 6:35 He says, “I am the bread of life,” and then “…so the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me” (6:57b). Ask yourself: What would it look like to feed on Christ?
The writer of Hebrews says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Heb.
Remember my issue of people-pleasing, wanting approval? Jesus wants us to please Him above all others. His desire is to draw us toward His likeness, giving us the courage to talk as He talked, live and love as He lived and loved, and to reach out and share the Good News even as He did. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). It is the heart of Christ that we who are disciples make disciples by sharing His Good News, studying the Word with those who don’t know Him, planting seeds of faith or watering what others have planted, and watching God bring the increase of souls into the Kingdom.
Discipleship means adhering to God’s Word first and foremost. Spirit-inspired words throughout the Bible embody truth. Luke records these insightful thoughts: “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts
Following Christ as His disciple also means walking together in this life with other disciples; encouraging one another, praying with one another, and sharing joy and grief together. Surrendering to Him as Lord and Savior means becoming a part of His Body, the church. Jesus intends for disciples to function together in harmony. I encourage you to read 1 Corinthians 12: 12-31 and Romans 12:4-8, both beautiful passages about the church and what your part may be, according to the gifts God has given you. Many disciples over the years have enriched my life, encouraging me to be more like Jesus. These relationships go deep as we share life including our spiritual struggles and victories. The Holy Spirit has taught me the value of Paul’s admonition when he says, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). If you desire qualities you see in another person that are Christlike, start asking God!
As you’ve read, in what area of being a disciple of Jesus do you desire growth?
- Getting to know Jesus better through the Gospels
- Developing a consistent prayer life
- Allowing Him to make changes in your life
- Making disciples by sharing Christ with others
- Letting the Word be your guide for truth above all
- Deepening relationships with other disciples
Go to Jesus and share with a fellow disciple. And remember, Jesus has promised to be with you, always.
Written by Wendy Neill, Advancement Coordinator for Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas 
A 1984 Fabergé shampoo commercial had Heather Locklear say, “I told two friends, and they told two friends, and so on, and so on.” This company understood the power of multiplying relationships. They sought to leverage those relationships to tap into the cheapest and most efficient type of advertising, word-of-mouth advertising, to spread their message.
At Iron Rose Sister Ministries we often refer to, and pray for, “partners in the gospel” (Phil. 1:5). When we find a partner in the gospel, we too leverage this power of multiplying relationships to spread our message: the good news of Jesus Christ.
The book of Acts tells the story of many partners in the gospel. Let’s follow and learn from a few of these relationships.
Barnabas and Paul – Your partner in the gospel can serve as “iron sharpening iron” (Prov. 27:17), helping you grow in your faith. After Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus (Acts 9), the disciples didn’t know whether to trust him. Barnabas was the one willing to take Paul as his partner in the gospel. He trusted him, helped him mature in his new faith, and presented him to the apostles (Acts 9:27). Later in Acts 11, Barnabas needed help with the growing number of believers in Antioch.
Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. (Acts 11:25-26 NIV)
In Acts 13, the Holy Spirit Himself called Barnabas and Paul to go on Paul’s first missionary journey. Untold numbers of people heard the good news of Christ because of this relationship.
Paul, Aquila, and Priscilla – Your partner in the gospel may start out as a friend with whom you have something in common. On Paul’s second missionary journey, he went to Corinth (Acts 18) and met a Jew named Aquila and his wife Priscilla. They quickly became friends because they were all tentmakers. He even stayed with them and worked on tents. Soon, this couple became Paul’s partners in the gospel and travelled with him to Ephesus.
Aquila, Priscilla, and Apollos – Partners in the gospel can also be mentoring relationships. While Paul continued his missionary journey, Aquila and Priscilla remained in Ephesus. A Jew named Apollos came to town. He had great enthusiasm as he taught about Jesus but didn’t quite have the whole story. “When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately” (Acts 18:26). Notice that Aquila and Priscilla were also partners in the gospel as a married couple and worked together to mentor Apollos. The next verse shows us the power of that multiplying relationship: “When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed” (Acts 18:27).
We have followed the multiplying impact of Barnabas to Paul to Aquila & Priscilla to Apollos. The Holy Spirit used these relationships and many others to spread the good news of Jesus Christ like wildfire. I encourage you to scan Acts 13-28 for other partners in the gospel that Paul found on his missionary journeys. It is a long list of people! Then look at Romans 16 to see how many partners he listed living in Rome, including Aquila and Priscilla, “my co-workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them” (Rom. 16:3-4). We don’t know the story of how they risked their lives, but those are loyal partners in the gospel!
Who are your partners in the gospel? Is there someone with a shared interest you could spend more time with? Is there someone who needs mentoring? Is there someone you could ask to mentor you in how to share your faith? It doesn’t matter if you are single like Paul or married like Aquila and Priscilla. You can ask God to send you more partners in the gospel, so the world may know the saving grace of Jesus.
