A brief description of what this lesson covers and what you will learn
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Romans 8:28-30
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The difference between students and disciples—and why information alone won't change you.
Good advertisers sell a product. But great advertisers sell a transformation.
It's one thing to buy a Coca-Cola. But it's another to buy "a good time"—which the soft drink provides.
For a long time, I thought discipleship was about a product.
If I went to church, read the Bible, took the class, bought the book, did the thing, then somehow, I would become a good disciple of Jesus.
I learned the hard way that this doesn't work. Because spiritual transformation comes from somewhere else.
In this course, I want to be honest with you. If your goal is to "complete the course" or "learn more about discipleship", then you've set the bar too low.
There's a huge difference between "knowing more about discipleship" and "being transformed into Christlikeness."
It's easy to get more information. It can even be entertaining. While we're in a passive, receptive mode, we can maintain our comfort, our control, our sense of safety.
Consider how the Gospel of Mark starts. In Mark 1:14-20, Jesus announced that time itself was pregnant with expectation. God's kingdom had drawn near! So when Jesus met someone, he offered a decisive challenge.
"Come, follow me, and I will make you fish for people."
Or what was the alternative?
"Stay in your comfort zone, and miss out on God's kingdom."
In writing a biography of Jesus, Mark is also writing a discipleship manual for the early church. And in his opening chapter, he is showing us that Simon, Andrew, James, and John are examples worthy of imitation.
As we get started, what posture will you take? Will you be a student, learning information? Or will you be a disciple, following Jesus wherever he leads?
Mark 1:14-20
After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!" As he passed alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon's brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. "Follow me," Jesus told them, "and I will make you fish for people." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. Going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat putting their nets in order. Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
What posture have you taken toward spiritual growth in the past—student or disciple?
What would it look like for you to 'immediately leave your nets' in response to Jesus' call?
What comfort, control, or safety might you need to surrender to follow Jesus more fully?
Decide today: Will you approach this course as a student or as a disciple? Write down your commitment and share it with a friend.
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