Many pastors will say different things about following Jesus. Some will say to just listen to their sermons every week. Others will say to join a small group and that’s how you get discipled. Even others would suggest that it’s just by praying and reading their Bible every morning. While these suggestions aren’t bad, I believe what people need are a framework for discipleship.

A framework is an understanding of core principles of growing as an apprentice of Jesus that is (1) general enough steer the nominal Christian in the right direction and (2) specific enough to customize the process for each individual. Frameworks can’t be step-by-step because the Christian life can’t be boiled down to that. Many believe discipleship is more cyclical in nature. Meaning there’s seasons of hard harvesting, and then joyful reaping – a repeating cycle of sanctification. But there has to be a consistent framework that carries you through each season.

Most churches have too broad of a framework. I’m not exaggerating – I’ve seen about 100 churches use language like “connect, grow, serve” (or similar language) to describe their discipleship model. The issue is, they usually don’t clarify what that means. When they say grow, of course they mean following Jesus, but it’s not specific enough. What do they mean? How do I grow? It’s too generalized.

So if a “step-by-step” framework is too specific, and a “connect, grow, serve” model is too broad, then what’s the answer.

Well, I would like to suggest a few models of discipleship I have come across that I think are both general for the community get behind and specific for individual customization. The Apostle Paul uses the example of how the church is the “body of Christ” in Ephesians chapter 4. Each member understands it’s gifts and role to help the whole body grow under the head, which is Christ. An unhealthy body is characterized by members who do not know how they should function. In the same way, a healthy discipleship framework will help each member of the body of Christ grow together in unity.

I’ll share a few frameworks that I’ve seen over the years in subsequent blogs. Allow me to explain the first one that was formulated by Dallas Willard, but expanded upon by his student, James Bryan Smith.

The Triangle of Transformation.

James Bryan Smith calls this framework The Triangle of Transformation or the Four Components of Change in three of his books called The Apprentice Series. If you would like to check them out, they are called “The Good and Beautiful God”, “The Good and Beautiful Life”, and “The Good and Beautiful Community.”

 about I’ll quote Smith to summarize the framework in a sentence:

“We cannot change simply by saying, ‘I want to change.’ We have to examine what we think (our narratives) and how we practice (the spiritual disciplines) and who we are interacting with (our social context).”

Dallas Willard uses language of the mind, body, and social context. Smith expands on this concept by saying change happens when we (1) change the stories in our minds, and (2) engage in practices with the body, (3) in reflection and dialogue with our social context who are on the same path, (4) all under the leading of the Holy Spirit.

I also want to share a video with you that my internet friend, Trey VanCamp, made about this book. He gives some great points that are not mentioned in this blog, and it may help some of you who are more visual learners. Check it out HERE:

This is all about the changing of one’s mind (the narratives we believe) to let your thoughts be centered on the things of God. How we adopt the right narratives of Jesus is through reading God’s Word, reading books on growing in faith, listening to podcasts or sermons, and many other ways to be taught through the mind how to follow Jesus. This concept is centered around Romans 12:2 when it says “be transformed by the renewing of your minds.” This is the first and most important step in this framework, because as A.W. Tozer puts it, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

 

Other language for soul-training exercises are spiritual disciplines or spiritual practices. Whatever language you prefer, they are actions one takes to become more like Jesus. This is where apprenticeship really takes shape. Imagine a plumber apprentice just sitting in a classroom for 500 hours learning through their mind to become a master plumber, but they never actually put their hands on a sink to change out a faucet. Would you trust them to renovate your bathroom? Heck no, right? You need to step outside the classroom of learning about Jesus, to engage in hands-on exercises like prayer, fasting, silence & solitude, simplicity, celebration, Sabbath, community, serving the poor, hospitality, and whatever else Jesus did.

 

This is an essential aspect of spiritual formation, but it’s also hard to do well. Participating in a thriving church culture that encourages each other, bears up one another’s burdens, celebrates together, and suffers together is needed to be transformed into the image of Christ. A church community can check in with us when are listening to the wrong narratives or slacking in soul-training exercises in order to get us on track.

 

All of these things are woven together by the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Many individuals try their hardest to change just by their willpower. Some actually do change. But the transformation required by Jesus is only realized through the Holy Spirit working in our minds (narratives), in our bodies (exercises), and social context (church community). He can be active in our hearts when we read a Christian book on spiritual formation or this blog that you’re reading. He can give us renewal in the midst of practicing the discipline of fasting, or speak to us through the mouth of another Godly friend. Without the leading of the Holy Spirit, this is just another dead religion.

 

This framework is specific because after these four points are taught to one who desires apprenticeship of Jesus, they will immediately know what they need to do next for their own context. It is also general enough for their whole church community to get behind, so there’s no excuse for anyone to say it’s not for them. In the body of Christ, each individual member knows what their sin patterns are and how to mature from it.

 

The Triangle of Transformation by James Bryan Smith is a great example of a discipleship framework. However, I do think I have come across some other ideas that are different but similar in nature. And one idea takes this framework, and expands on it. I would like to share those ideas in upcoming blogs. In the meantime, what do you think about this framework? What are some things you like? Are there any flaws in it? I would love to hear your thoughts!