Walking with Jesus

What Does It Mean to Be a Disciple Today?

Pastor Calvin Cook
August 5, 2026 – Day 23 of 40

Scripture: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” — Luke 9:23

This morning, I have been considering and praying about what it means to be a disciple today. I know the story of Jesus calling Peter, Andrew, James, and John along the lakeshore and how they left everything to follow Him. I have carried that vivid picture in my mind for years, but this morning I found myself asking, What does that mean today—for me, for you, and for the Church?

The word disciple is one we hear often in church, but I wonder if we have stopped long enough to ask what it really means. Not simply to define the word, but to consider what it means personally to each of us. What does it mean for the Church today? More importantly, is the life we are living in accordance with the call Jesus has placed on each of us to walk with Him?

Today we live in a world of followers. We follow people on social media. We follow book series and movie series. How many Spider-Man movies have there been, and how many have we watched? We faithfully follow our favorite television shows. We rearrange our schedules to watch sporting events. Many of us rarely miss Jeopardy! or Wheel of Fortune, not to mention the twenty-four-hour news channels.

Yet when Jesus calls us to sit at His feet and serve the One who gave everything for us, we often find ourselves full of excuses. We don’t even have to begin talking about the reasons we sometimes give for not attending worship.

Jesus had something entirely different in mind.

When Jesus said, “Follow Me,” He wasn’t asking people to admire Him from a distance. He wasn’t inviting them simply to agree with His teachings or attend an occasional gathering. Jesus wasn’t asking us to fit Him into our already busy schedules. He was—and still is—inviting all people into a completely new way of life.

A disciple is someone who walks so closely with Jesus that His life begins to shape theirs.

That means our decisions are guided by His truth rather than public opinion. Our priorities are determined by His Kingdom instead of our calendars. Our compassion reflects His heart. Our forgiveness mirrors His grace. Our words become more encouraging. Our generosity becomes more natural. Our purpose becomes making Him known rather than making ourselves known.

Being a disciple today is not about trying harder to be religious.

It is about surrendering more completely to Jesus every single day.

Some mornings I have to remind myself that before I am a husband, a pastor, a business owner, or a friend, I am first called to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Everything else in my life flows from that relationship. Yet almost every day something tries to distract me from the main thing, pulling my attention away from Jesus and leading me off course.

Discipleship today must mean what it meant to those first disciples. It is a life of faithfully following Jesus so closely that others begin to see Him in the way we live, love, serve, forgive, and share the hope we have found in Him.

Perhaps the greatest question today isn’t, “Do I believe in Jesus?”

It is, “Am I becoming more like Him?”

That is the lifelong journey of every disciple, and it is a journey we can only experience when we move beyond simply knowing about Jesus and choose instead to walk with Jesus.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for calling me to follow You. Teach me not to be content with simply knowing about You, but to know You deeply and walk with You daily. Shape my heart, renew my mind, and help my life reflect Your love wherever I go. May others see You in me, and may I faithfully follow wherever You lead. Amen.