October 8th, 2026
by Kim Sloan
by Kim Sloan
Disciple: Day 4
I have a great group of people who I love, great church family and friends, but if I could choose my most favorite day, it would be sitting at my house with my family of 5. Sitting on the couch, watching a baking competition, listening to the kids comment on food, the stories or comments of life in the middle of the living room.. These are the people I would choose over and over again. These are the people I love and would choose without hesitation over and over.
13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve[a] that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. (Mark 3: 13-15)
In the verses that immediately precede this section of Scripture, we see that the crowds swelled to large numbers. They all wanted to be near Jesus. They wanted to hear him talk; they wanted to get close to him. But these verses say Jesus “called to him those he wanted.” He called his Disciples. Jesus was establishing an apprenticeship based on relationship. Equally important to note is that he didn’t give in to the attention and the clamoring of the crowd; instead he started with and focused on the few.
Verse 14 says the first reason why Jesus selected the Twelve, was so that “they might be with him.” Jesus was prioritizing relationship. This was truly an apprenticeship that prioritized spending time together, in which the Twelve could observe, learn, and do what Jesus was doing. Apprenticeship is true to the intent and expression of how Jesus did discipleship. Much of our discipleship efforts today focus on content and curriculum, but Jesus prioritized the relationship.
The goal of the apprenticeship was that “he might send them out” and they would do with others what he had done with them. Jesus wanted his apprentices to get to the place where they could do what he was doing. Once they could “preach and … have authority to drive out demons,” the apprenticeship was complete.
As always, our relationships and life should mimic Christs. You don’t want the people you are doing life with to never leave, life is full of seasons. The goal is that we should have someone who is a wiser Christian able to disciple us, and that we can have a baby Christian under us. We are all called to go out and make disciples. Pray about who God might have for you to disciple? Who might God have for you to be discipled by?
To move forward, sometimes we have to get help.
13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve[a] that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. (Mark 3: 13-15)
In the verses that immediately precede this section of Scripture, we see that the crowds swelled to large numbers. They all wanted to be near Jesus. They wanted to hear him talk; they wanted to get close to him. But these verses say Jesus “called to him those he wanted.” He called his Disciples. Jesus was establishing an apprenticeship based on relationship. Equally important to note is that he didn’t give in to the attention and the clamoring of the crowd; instead he started with and focused on the few.
Verse 14 says the first reason why Jesus selected the Twelve, was so that “they might be with him.” Jesus was prioritizing relationship. This was truly an apprenticeship that prioritized spending time together, in which the Twelve could observe, learn, and do what Jesus was doing. Apprenticeship is true to the intent and expression of how Jesus did discipleship. Much of our discipleship efforts today focus on content and curriculum, but Jesus prioritized the relationship.
The goal of the apprenticeship was that “he might send them out” and they would do with others what he had done with them. Jesus wanted his apprentices to get to the place where they could do what he was doing. Once they could “preach and … have authority to drive out demons,” the apprenticeship was complete.
As always, our relationships and life should mimic Christs. You don’t want the people you are doing life with to never leave, life is full of seasons. The goal is that we should have someone who is a wiser Christian able to disciple us, and that we can have a baby Christian under us. We are all called to go out and make disciples. Pray about who God might have for you to disciple? Who might God have for you to be discipled by?
To move forward, sometimes we have to get help.
Prayer
Father, bring someone to our mind that you would have us do life with. God we ask that someone also have our name brought to their hearts. Help us to be intentional about creating relationships and multiplying your kingdom. Help us to not focus on large numbers, but one relationship at a time, in the model you have created for us.
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