Greetings Glen Mar,

What does it mean to be a “disciple?” Now, if you answered that a disciple is “a follower of Jesus,” you would be right. However, that definition is just one aspect of what it means to be a disciple. You see, if you think about it, we can be disciples of anything because we can follow anyone or anything. Sure, you might not say that you are a disciple of the Ravens (or your favorite team, TV show, character, etc.), but if you call yourself a Ravens fan, you would likely say you are a follower of the Ravens. You might even “follow” them through some sort of social media site.

This coming Sunday, we will discuss how Glen Mar lives out the portion of its mission in “Growing Disciples,” and so it is really important that we understand the kind of disciples, or followers, we are trying to grow, and understand how they are grown.

To be clear, the disciples we are talking about here are Jesus followers, which means those who see Jesus as Lord, Savior, and Son of God. Those who understand that to follow Jesus is to follow life and light embodied, and that the true life that we all seek and long for is to be found in following him. We follow him through studying and implementing his teachings, his actions, and especially, his compassion in our own lives. To be a disciple of Jesus is to, you know, actually follow him.

Bearing this definition of disciple, how are disciples grown? It is an age-old question: are disciples grown through actions like baptism, studying, and obeying Jesus’ commands, or are they grown by God’s grace? The answer is, yes! You see, like most things concerning Jesus, the answer here is not “either/or” but “both/and!” Disciples are grown through action, but those actions are taken in faith. God grows disciples through their faith-filled actions through God’s grace. Jesus’ image of the vine and branches from John 15:5 is a great example of this truth. In that verse, he says, “I am the vine and you are the branches. If you remain in me, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Disciples grow similarly to how fruit grows on the vine; they grow through staying connected to the source of their life. A disciple must stay connected to Jesus in word and action, and through both, God’s grace grows the disciple!

I hope to see you on Sunday, where we will hear more about how disciples grow, along with ideas of how we can stay connected to our Vine, right here at Glen Mar Church.

See you then!

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Chris