JesusWalk® Publications

The Discipleship Process
Biblical Models for Spiritual Formation
a 175-page book
by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson

 


Book front cover | back cover

Jesus' commission to his disciples was: "Go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19a). Many people raise their hand for prayer or come forward at an invitation to receive Christ. But how many are solid disciples two or three years later? Understanding process of becoming and growing as a disciple is crucial to both to us and to the people for whom God gives responsibility in the Lord to encourage, teach, and, perhaps, to pastor. I write this with two goals in mind. First, to encourage you to become an all-out committed disciple of Jesus, growing well in maturity and fruitfulness. Second, to encourage you to help disciple or instruct newer believers in how to follow Jesus themselves.

Much great material has been published in the area of discipleship and spiritual formation in the past 50 years. We owe these men and women a great debt. My humble contribution may be to ground our discipleship approaches with Scriptural models and understanding from the Bible what the process looks like, drawing upon scores of Bible passages.

Here's an outline of what we'll cover in this 6-lesson Bible study series.

  1. What Is a Disciple? We examine the Great Commission and consider four synonyms: disciple, follower, believer, and Christian. We examine three analogies of discipleship: abiding in the vine (John 15:1-9), sitting at Jesus' feet (Luke 10:39), and taking his yoke upon us (Matthew 11:23-30). Finally, we consider what Jesus expects of his disciples -- doing, obeying, continuing, and holding firmly, with grace when we slip.
  2. Jesus' Discipling Strategy. We study the Gospels carefully to analyze how Jesus worked with his disciples -- selecting, spending time, teaching them to pray, teaching publicly and privately, rebuking, involving in ministry, and building a community of disciples.
  3. Paul the Disciple Maker. Paul worked differently from Jesus, but quite effectively. We'll consider various passages on maturity in Christ; being "formed in Christ"; correcting, rebuking, and exhorting; portraits of a disciple maker; use of his personal example; praying; mentoring; and writing letters.
  4. Elements of Discipleship Training. Turning to making disciples in our day, we examine the essential elements of the gospel, various disciple-training curricula, the roles of mentors and influencers, the role of spiritual disciplines, and developing a rule of life.
  5. Individual Spiritual Disciplines. We examine various spiritual disciples that help us encounter Jesus, sorted by frequency -- continual, daily, weekly, monthly, and annually, with particular focus on a bundle of spiritual disciplines wrapped into a daily Quiet Time. We also consider dangers of spiritual disciplines to avoid.
  6. Both Disciple and Disciple Maker. We conclude with the practicalities of growing as disciples ourselves and of discipling individuals, in small groups or classes, and as a pastor. We consider how discipleship can serve as as a church operating system.

A detailed outline enables you to see all the Scripture passages covered.

A free e-mail Bible study containing the same material is available at https://www.jesuswalk.com/discipleship/  If you are teaching a class you may duplicate free of charge Appendix 1. Participant Notes (PDF format)

  Paperback format, US $17.95 Length: 175  pages. Must be ordered through Amazon.com. The paperback size is 7.5 in  x 9.25 in.  ISBN: 979 8314459096. ASIN: B0F1TPHBX5. Available about April 7, 2026.

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Kindle e-book formatKindle E-book format, US $8.95. You may purchase this version directly from Amazon USA  or from national sites below. This is read using a your Kindle or a Kindle Reader program installed on your computer, tablet, or phone. It cannot be printed out (Amazon ASIN: B0F1NL8614). Available about April 7, 2026.

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PDF E-book format, $8.95. 253 pages. You purchase this PDF e-books and can download it within minutes. You can read it on your computer in PDF format if you like, or print out a single copy on your printer, either 8-1/2 x 11" or A4 paper. To make multiple copies, get reprint licenses below. No tax is charged on e-books. PDF e-books are ordered directly from the author at JesusWalk Publications. (Remember: If you plan to print this out, your total cost will be the $8.95 for the PDF plus the cost of printing -- paper, ink, toner, etc. In some cases the paperback might be a better value.) Available about April 7, 2026.

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Reprint license to make copiesReprint License, $2.50 per copy. This allows you to print additional copies for your own group. Once you've ordered this item, set quantity field for the number of reprints you plan to make and click on "recalculate." One license is required for each additional copy you make beyond the initial book you purchased. This reprint license prohibits sale of the book to individuals outside your local area or congregation. You'll probably want to order a single copy of the e-book also, so you'll have the text from which to reprint. So if you have a group of 6 people, you'll need to order one e-book (for the first reprint) and 5 reprint licenses.

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Copyright © 2026, Ralph F. Wilson. <pastor@joyfulheart.com> All rights reserved. A single copy of this article is free. Do not put this on a website. See legal, copyright, and reprint information.

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