A Call Back to the Ancient Path

There is a burden I carry—a longing to see the Church return to a form of discipleship that is truly faithful to Scripture. Not built around preference, trend, or convenience, but shaped by Jesus Himself—the One who defines the path—and modeled after the New Testament Church that walked it. A discipleship that not only honors God’s Word, but also aligns with how He designed human beings to truly learn, grow, and be transformed. Yet this pursuit is often met with deep frustration.

Much of what passes for "discipleship" today is neither deeply thought through nor carefully formed. It lacks cohesion, intentionality, and integrity. Instead, it is often the product of two shallow streams:

1. Some have simply inherited a discipleship model—accepted it, repeated it, and rarely questioned it. It has not been reexamined under the light of Scripture, nor tested for its ability to actually form people into the likeness of Christ over time. It continues not because it is faithful, but because it is familiar.

2. Others have constructed their approach by gathering fragments—pulling ideas from sermons, videos, books, and social media. A mixture of what is compelling, practical, or popular. But what emerges is often a disjointed faith—formed more by exposure than by conviction. It is a spirituality assembled from pieces, not anchored in a unified vision of what God intends to produce in His people.

And so the Church becomes easily distracted—chasing what is new, what "works", what looks impressive. Moving from one idea to the next, without the discernment to ask: Is this truly aligned with the way of Jesus?  The result is not depth, but fragmentation. Not formation, but stimulation. The fruit reveals the root.

We are seeing believers shaped more by preference than by surrender. A faith that feels right, but is rarely tested against the full weight of Scripture. A discipleship that comforts, but does not confront. That affirms, but does not transform. People remain largely unchanged—not because change is unavailable, but because the systems around them do not require it.

And here lies a deeper concern. Many leaders have unknowingly cultivated environments that reflect more of the world than the Kingdom. Systems that keep people engaged, but not formed. Satisfied, but not surrendered. Assured, but not aligned. And when this becomes the norm, transformation becomes threatening. Why pursue change when everything around you has trained you to remain as you are?

It becomes harder to awaken those who have been shaped by a shallow version of discipleship than to guide those who are encountering Christ for the first time. New believers are open. But many seasoned believers have been subtly formed into patterns that resist the very change they claim to desire. Discernment has been replaced with imitation. Leaders look sideways instead of upward—asking not What is God asking of us?  but What is working for others?  And without a biblical grid, what is adopted may be effective in appearance, yet empty in substance. 

This is the crisis—and the invitation. Because the breakthrough will not come through better ideas, but through a return. A return to the Word of God—not as information, but as formation. A return to the Spirit—not as concept, but as present Teacher and Guide. A return to honest, searching reflection before the Lord—where motives are exposed, desires are refined, and lives are reoriented. This path is not quick. It requires hunger, humility, and endurance. It demands that we ask deeper questions—and remain long enough to hear God’s answers.

Few are willing to go there. Fewer will remain. But this is the ancient path. And it is here—where Scripture is taken seriously, where the Spirit is followed closely, and where hearts are laid bare before God—that true disciples are formed.

— Raimer Rojas

Why Discipleship?

Discipleship is not a program. It’s the heart of following Jesus. Christianity was never meant to be reduced to beliefs we affirm or a 4-week church training we attend. From the very beginning, it was understood as a way of life. That’s why the early believers weren’t first called “Christians.” They were known as followers of “The Way”—a name likely coined by outsiders who noticed their distinct, counter-cultural way of life. Their lifestyle shifts, relational commitments, and public allegiance to Jesus marked them as people walking a different path—one that led them to face persecution with perseverance.

Believers themselves seem to have embraced the name, as it captured their true identity. Jesus had said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” and they understood themselves as those reorienting their lives around Him. It wasn’t just their beliefs that stood out. It was their radical new way of life and their visible loyalty to Jesus, even under pressure, that made the world take notice: these people were following a different Way.

At its core, the Christian faith is a worldview—a complete way of seeing God, ourselves, and the world. So when Jesus calls people to receive Him as Savior, Lord, and King, He’s issuing the most radical invitation humanity has ever received. It’s not a minor life adjustment or a religious add-on. It’s a total reorientation of how we see, think, and live.

Following Jesus means submitting to His leadership over every part of life. His truth reshapes how we see God. His words redefine how we understand ourselves. His love transforms how we view others. And His mission becomes the purpose that drives us. Discipleship is the ongoing process of learning to live His way—day by day, step by step. And this journey was never meant to be taken alone. God has given us His Word to guide us, His Spirit to empower us, and His People to refine us—through love, truth, and mutual accountability.

To present the Christian life as anything less is to distort it. If we reduce following Jesus to personal belief or moral improvement, we’re not making disciples—we’re making spectators. People don’t need spiritual accessories—they need a whole new way of life. They don’t need to sprinkle Christian insight onto an already formed lifestyle. That old life must be dismantled, deconstructed, and replaced with a complete rebuild from the ground up.

This is why discipleship matters. People aren’t just being invited to believe in Jesus—they’re being called to live under His leadership and walk in His ways. Our role as leaders is not to gather passive crowds, but to form communities who think like Jesus, love like Jesus, serve like Jesus, and live as He lived. Until people see following Jesus as a way of life, we haven’t finished our job.

— Raimer Rojas

What Leaders Say About Discipleship

• Discipleship is helping others follow after Jesus and fish for people. - John Lo

• The process of one person helping another to become a lifelong, obedient, and reproducing follower of Jesus. - Antioch Movement

• Discipleship is an intentional relationship where we help each other live every part of life under Jesus’ leadership, in the power of Holy Spirit—through a lifelong commitment to be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what He did. - Raimer Rojas

• Discipleship is the process of becoming who Jesus would be if he were you. - Dallas Willard

• True discipleship requires that we follow Jesus and become His ambassadors, living as He lived and loving as He loved. - Francis Chan 

• Discipleship is not just getting your sins forgiven so you can go to heaven. It’s becoming like Christ now. - Tim Keller

• Discipleship is relational, life‑to‑life mentoring to help follow Jesus whole‑heartedly. - Bill Moury

• The intentional relational process of one Christian investing into the life of another Christian, through the power of the Holy Spirit, so that the person being discipled becomes more like Jesus. - Doug Paul

• Discipleship is an intentional relationship in which we walk along other disciples in order to encourage, equip, and challenge one another in love, to grow toward maturity in Christ. This includes equipping the disciple to teach others as well. - Greg Ogden