“Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted…He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach.” – Mark 3:13-14 (NIV)
Discipleship is often mistakenly treated like a classroom curriculum – a set of information to memorise or a series of classes to pass. But Jesus didn’t run a school; He built a community.
The Find, Empower, Send model reflects this truth. In Luke 9:1-2 (NIV), we read: “When Jesus had called the Twelve together, He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.”
It is built entirely on proximity, trust, and shared life. It reminds us that spiritual growth doesn’t happen in isolation, but in relationships.
When Jesus began His ministry, He didn’t establish a headquarters and waited for applications. Instead, He went to where people lived and worked. He found them — walking along the Sea of Galilee, calling out to ordinary fishermen like Peter, Andrew, James, and John. His invitation was simple: “Come, follow me.”
Mark 3:14 tells us He appointed the Twelve first and foremost “…that they might be with Him…” This was the empowering phase. For three years, empowering wasn’t a weekly forty-five-minute lecture. It was a shared life. The disciples watched how Jesus handled exhaustion, how He responded to the obnoxious crowds, how He prayed in the quiet of the night, and how He extended grace to the marginalised.
They ate together, travelled together, and asked their hard questions around campfires. Jesus empowered them by letting them close enough to see His heart. He shared His authority only after He had shared His life.
Finally, came the sending. Jesus didn’t keep the disciples as permanent consumers of His ministry. He sent them out to do exactly what they had watched Him do. We are also encouraged to live a shared life, working together in church planting, ministering to youths, reaching a new generation, and doing everything else God wants us to do.
Let us actively seek out people to invest in, rather than waiting for them to find us; let us step into their world, just as Jesus stepped into ours. Invite them into our actual lives; share our struggles, our victories, and our spiritual practices since true empowerment is caught, not just taught.
Discipleship is not about being a perfect spiritual expert; it is about being a willing companion.
Prayer
Lord, thank You that You did not keep Your distance from me, but You found me in my weakness. Help me to live a life open to others. Give me the courage to invite someone into my daily walk, sharing not just Your truths, but my very life. Show me who to walk with, how to encourage them, and when to send them. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Read: Romans 12:13; 1 John 3:18
Bible Reading Guide: Proverbs 18:7-16; Romans 10:5-21; Romans 11:1-10; 1 Chronicles 2:18-55; 1 Chronicles 3; 1 Chronicles 4:1-8