The Christian life is a life of discipleship. It’s a life grounded in the example of Jesus and the truths He shared in the Bible. So, as Christian men, the best way to learn more about being a genuine disciple of the Savior is to study the discipleship Scriptures He has provided in His Word.
As we dig into verses about discipleship, we’ll gain a clearer vision of who Jesus is—and how we can imitate Him today.
Understanding Discipleship
In a nutshell, being a disciple is to be a student. In the ancient world, young men who wanted to be teachers committed themselves to older, experienced teachers. They spent years studying with their mentor, absorbing all he had to say about life.
But one of the things we quickly learn from studying discipleship Scriptures is that being a follower/student of Jesus also means being an imitator. As believers, we don’t just want to learn about Jesus. We want to become more like Him but we don’t simply want to mimic His teachings. We want to be transformed by them.
Bible verses about discipleship remind us that we are called to follow Him alone. That way, He can renew us from the inside out. As we become more like Him, everything changes—and that’s a good thing!
Great Discipleship Verses
Honestly, the entire Bible is about God’s pursuit of us and our need for Him. So, in a sense, every verse we read is a discipleship Scripture. But some verses, especially in the New Testament, really focus on what it means to be a student of Christ.
In this list, I’m going to point you toward ten discipleship Scriptures from the Gospels and the Epistles. They’re in no particular order; and, of course, they are just the tip of the iceberg. Let these ten great discipleship Scriptures whet your appetite. After all, discipleship is a lifelong process, and you’ll never really exhaust all that the Bible says about becoming a student of Christ.
1) “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
These discipleship Scriptures reflect Jesus’s last words before He went back to heaven. But they also define the starting point for our own discipleship journey. No one becomes a disciple of Jesus without first accepting Him as Savior. Salvation is the first step. From there, we’re called to share Him with others so they’ll become disciples, as well.
2) “Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:46-47)
The early church understood that discipleship wasn’t just about saying a prayer and going on with life. It required community. As guys, it’s not always easy to seek others out, but genuine disciples understand that they can’t do the Christian life alone. We need one another. Our experiences and discipleship Scriptures like these make that pretty clear.
3) “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)
Even before Jesus died on the cross, He used crucifixion imagery to describe being His disciple. You can’t follow Christ unless you die to yourself. To walk with Him, you have to get yourself out of the way. Thankfully, studying discipleship verses refocuses our minds and helps us keep Jesus on the front burner.
4) “Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.” (Romans 12:1)
Honestly, I’ve always thought that I could muster up enough courage to die for Christ if I faced that choice. But, I’ve got to admit, being a “living sacrifice” for Him has always felt much harder. A complete surrender is an act of sacrifice, but it’s also an act of worship. We become more like Jesus when we submit to His will and His ways for our lives.
5) By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:35)
I had a pastor who once said, “You live every day what you believe; all the rest is just religious talk.” Truthfully, it’s easy to talk about love, but genuine disciples take it a step further. They actually love people the way Jesus loves. If we can learn anything from studying discipleship Scriptures, it’s how the power of loving others makes us more like Jesus.
6) “If you continue in my word, you really are my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)
As a dad, you’d be upset if your kids blew off your specific instructions on something. After all, we expect our kids to obey us. Well, so does Jesus. When it comes to discipleship, obedience is non-negotiable. True disciples follow Jesus’s plans, just like He obeyed His heavenly Father’s plans. As a result, they experience the freedom that comes from living in His truth.
7) “If I want him to remain until I come,” Jesus answered, “what is that to you? As for you, follow me.” (John 21:21)
This is one of my favorite discipleship Scriptures. Actually, it’s one of my favorite Bible passages, period. Peter had just gotten a tremendous gift, receiving Jesus’s restoration after his earlier denials. But he was still a little distracted, so he asked Jesus about John’s role in the kingdom. Jesus gently—but firmly—refocused his attention. Jesus wanted Peter to nurture his own walk, not police John’s journey. We can encourage other believers and hold them accountable; but, ultimately, maintaining our own discipleship is a full-time job.
8) “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2)
This is my “ministry verse.” It describes what I want my ministry (and my personal discipleship) to look like. Genuine disciples embrace what they hear, let it transform their own lives, then pass it on to the next generation. This is how the church has grown and survived for more than 2,000 years. It involves both absorbing from those who disciple you and distributing to those you are discipling. By the way, your home is a great place to start, as you learn to disciple your kids and support your wife’s spiritual journey.
9) “For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. (1 Peter 2:21)
We don’t like talking about this part, but many verses about discipleship emphasize that true disciples suffer. The world didn’t like Jesus; and if we imitate Him, the world will give us a hard time as well. What that suffering looks like might differ from person to person and situation to situation, but it will be real. Jesus couldn’t avoid it, and neither can we.
10) “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:11-13)
These discipleship Scriptures don’t just tell us how we should live. They also remind us why we should live that way. Disciples reflect Christ in their words and deeds because they know He is coming back and want to be found faithful when He does. Plus, we want to point others to Him so they will accept Him before it’s too late. What He has done affects who we are as disciples, but so does what He has promised to do.
Discipleship Starts in the Heart
Each of the discipleship verses listed above comes from the New Testament. But you can also find some great, foundational discipleship Scriptures in the Old Testament. For example, many Old Testament passages focus on the heart, the core of all we are or do.
You can start with Proverbs 4:23, which challenges us to guard our hearts because “everything else flows” from there. If our hearts are safe, we can surrender everything in our lives to God.
Another great Old Testament discipleship Scripture is Psalm 119:9-10. Nestled in the longest chapter in the Bible is a reminder that we protect our purity by digging into God’s Word. We need to seek Him with “all my heart” and avoid the temptation to “wander from your commands.”
So, as you dig into the Gospels and the Epistles to discover discipleship Scriptures, spend some time in the Old Testament as well. You don’t have to spend a ton of time studying Scripture each day. You just have to remember that every word on every page has the power to make us more like Jesus.
Every verse is a verse about discipleship.
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