When it came to making disciples Jesus did not hand out books, not even the Bible. He prayed and then called those the Father identified as His disciples to come and be with Him.

He invited them into His everyday life where He first let them observe HOW He lived and taught them what His Father had taught Him. Then, when He believed they knew enough about what He was doing, He sent them out to live it for themselves.

When they returned from living it out, He reminded them that their true value and worth was not rooted in what they had just done, but rooted in their relationship with Him. They became like Him because He invited them into His everyday life.

And that is what Jesus envisioned when He said to go and make disciples. That we would invite others into the ordinary everyday life we live.

Jesus never said it would be easy, He just said it would be worth it.

I have followed Jesus Christ for 35 years now. By following, I do not mean I have attended a church or simply called myself a christian. Following means to surrender your will to His and follow His direction for your life.

Here is what Jesus had to say about following Him:

Matthew 16:24-26
24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Mark 8:34-38
34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.
36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Luke 9:23-26
26 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.

Luke 14:25-33
25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,
26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
27 And whosoever does not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sits not down first, and counts the cost, whether he have enough to finish it?
29 Lest after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sits not down first, and consults whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that comes against him with twenty thousand?
32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation, and desires conditions of peace.
33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsakes not all that he has, he cannot be my disciple.