The Quiet Power of Discipleship: Moving Beyond Celebrity Culture
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6.4-9
When we think about discipleship, it often feels like something big and important. But the real power of discipleship is not in big moments or official meetings. It happens in the simple, everyday parts of life. It can be a casual conversation over coffee, a walk together, or a moment when we talk about life from the heart. These small interactions are where true discipleship grows, as mentor and disciple walk side by side, sharing life and learning from each other.
Discipleship is most powerful when we put ourselves on the same level. We are not above the people we mentor, and we don’t need to act like we are the experts. We listen with humility and teach with love, not just from what we know but from what we have experienced. It’s not about giving lessons or following a strict plan. It’s about building a relationship based on trust and respect, where both mentor and disciple learn and grow together through the love of Christ.
Every day is a chance to strengthen this relationship and help faith grow. Even small words of encouragement or acts of kindness can make a big difference. Just being there for someone, present in their life, helps create the space for spiritual growth. The simple, daily connections are what build deeper faith for both mentor and disciple.
Discipleship is not about the big, public moments or structured programs. It’s about what happens in the ordinary, often unnoticed parts of life. The disciple learns by watching, asking questions, and walking through life with someone who follows Christ. The true transformation happens in these simple, everyday interactions.
We must be careful not to make discipleship something that promotes a culture of celebrity or individual praise. The goal is not to elevate ourselves, but to walk humbly together, growing in Christ’s love. As we do, we become not only teachers but also students of grace, learning from each other and from God. Discipleship, in its purest form, grows in simple, authentic relationships, and its impact goes far beyond what we can see in the moment.
Eduardo Mendes
President and Founder
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