The Six Marks of a Disciple Who Lasts
1. Grounded in Scripture – John 4:23-24 Worship in Spirit and Truth
Truth: You cannot worship who you don’t know. And you CANNOT know Christ apart from the Word of Christ.
Self-Examination: If your Bible is dusty, your theology is probably jacked up.
Tie-in to Mark 1: The Word doesn’t just inform you; it reforms you.
Teaching:
· Scripture IS NOT a supplement — IT IS the soil.
· The Bible doesn’t just show us Jesus — it shapes us in His likeness.
Application: If you’re not rooted in the Word, you’re one storm away from collapse.
2. Formed by Jesus – Matthew 11:28-30 Come to Me
Truth: Discipleship is not self-improvement. It is surrender to apprenticeship.
Self-Examination: Jesus didn’t die so you could manage your sin — He died so He could master your life. New life calls for the death of the old, you can’t follow Jesus and remain in sin…
Tie-in to Mark 2: You don’t follow Jesus to “feel better” — you follow Him to become different.
Teaching:
· Jesus doesn’t offer tips — He offers a yoke.
• Joined two lives together
• Directed their movement
• Transferred the burden to the stronger animal
· Formation happens through submission, NOT information.
Application: Stop asking Jesus to bless your plans. Start letting Him rewrite them.
3. Devoted to Holiness – Luke 11:33-36 The Lamp of the Body
Truth: What fills your eyes eventually fuels your appetites.
Self-Examination: You don’t just “fall into sin” — you stare at it until it feels normal.
Tie-in to Mark 3: You can’t shine light while flirting with darkness.
Teaching:
· Holiness is NOT moral superiority — IT IS spiritual clarity.
· Darkness doesn’t announce itself before it enters the room — it dims you slowly.
o Said another way, it “hides in the shadows”
Application: What you tolerate privately will eventually sabotage you publicly.
4. Resilient in Suffering – Luke 9:23-25 Take Up Your Cross
Truth: There is no discipleship without death, death to: comfort, control and convenience.
Self-Examination: Jesus DOES NOT carry crosses for spectators. You can’t follow from inaction.
Tie-in to Mark 4: The cross you carry (daily hurts) might be the place God does His deepest work.
Teaching:
· Pain doesn’t disqualify you — it defines you.
· Comfort produces crowds. Suffering produces saints.
Application: If following Jesus hasn’t cost you anything, you’re probably not following Him at all.
5. Abundant in Love – Mark 12:29-31 Love God, Love People
Truth: Love is the evidence that transformation is real.
Self-Examination: If [you think] your theology is “right” but your love is wrong — your theology is wrong.
Tie-in to Mark 5: You can’t carry the heart of Jesus while holding grudges like trophies.
Teaching:
· Love is NOT an emotion — IT IS sacrificial action.
· The deeper you go in Christ, the wider your heart grows.
o Vertical devotion ALWAYS produces horizontal compassion
Application: We don’t love people after they change — we love people so they can change.
6. Multiplying the Gospel – Mark 4:26-29 The Growing Seed
Truth: If it’s alive and living in its God-given calling, it reproduces.
Self-Examination: If your faith never multiplies, it is terminally ill and killing someone else’s.
Tie-in to Mark 6: You don’t measure success by seats — you measure it by stories of transformation.
Teaching:
· Disciples DO NOT “collect knowledge” — they cultivate harvest.
· The kingdom doesn’t grow by addition — it grows by reproduction.
Application: Who is coming to Christ because of your life?
