D2

Following Jesus is a lifelong journey of transformation. "Follow me " These two words changed the lives of twelve unlikely individuals in the first century, and they can change the course of your life as well. Many people claim to follow Jesus, but truly following him involves a commitment to transformational discipleship, not just nominal acceptance. Discipleship was the mission of Christ, and therefore, as disciples, it is our mission as well, both to be disciples and to make disciples. Following as a disciple of Jesus begins with hearing his call and then desiring to grow in our relationship with him. However, we are too often satisfied with simply receiving God's grace and neglect to give it back. We desire to gain all the privileges of a disciple minus the commitment to be one. As a result, we need to develop a consistent, coordinated, and intentional plan for greater spiritual growth and discipleship, focused on gaining an ever increasing ability to apply God's Word to