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What are we made for? What aim should we set ourselves in life? In his reflections on discipleship, J. I. Packer answers both with a single, profound truth: to know God.

Every Christian is a disciple of Christ—meaning that as we follow Him, we are being changed by Him to join in the mission He outlines in the Great Commission (Matthew 28). Because God makes Himself known primarily through His Word, growing in that knowledge requires us to be anchored in Scripture. As Peter exhorts us in 2 Peter 3:18, we are to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." As J. T. English puts it, “True discipleship is not more than Jesus, but more of Jesus.” God is inviting us into a deep, transforming relationship with Him.

This January, the Women’s Discipleship group will be launching a study called Deep Discipleship, designed to move us out of the shallow waters and into the deep. Together, we will dive into the overarching story of Scripture, rich doctrines of Christian belief, and the practices of the church, with the ultimate hope of producing greater worship, obedience, and joy in Christ as we seek to lead others to that same end.

Crucially, our personal discipleship in Him serves as a springboard for discipling others. Discipleship that does not lead to making disciples is incomplete. Matthew 28:19–20 records Jesus' call to "go therefore and make disciples of all the nations," baptizing and teaching them to observe His commands—a calling meant for every believer, not just some.

If I am being honest, this is a call I haven't always taken seriously. How can we go, tell, and teach others if we don't fully understand the doctrines of what we believe? To make disciples, we must be grounded in sound doctrine: who God is, what the story of Scripture means, why the church is vital, what baptism signifies, and so much more. As we are drawn closer to Jesus through the Word and prayer and grow in our knowledge of Him, we become equipped to step out in obedience and live out the Great Commission, trusting that He is with us always to the end of the age.

Maybe you are like me and doubt that you can ever truly be sufficiently equipped or extraordinary enough for such a call, or perhaps you think this type of discipleship is reserved for “Super Christians.” However, we know that discipleship champions the beauty of the ordinary. God primarily shapes and molds His people through what theologians call the “ordinary means of grace”:

• The Word: Constant reading, memorizing, and meditation.
• Prayer: Regularly bringing our praises and petitions before the throne of grace.
• The Sacraments: Baptism and regularly returning to the vital promises of God in communion.

Spiritual maturity does not happen overnight or through a single mountaintop experience. Instead, it is the result of a long obedience in the same direction, sustained by the weekly habits of grace as we are carried along by His Spirit. Furthermore, we were not made to be disciples of Jesus in isolation. Discipleship is covenantal, meaning it best happens within the context of the church body. Biblical discipleship happens when older generations invest what has been entrusted to them in the younger. Discipleship is a lifelong pursuit, for our God is unsearchable, and we lovingly invite the ladies of MCC to come alongside us.