One crucial aspect of being a disciple is we are called to be a disciple of Christ, not men. This does not mean we do not learn from others as our teachers, pastors, and even mentors in various disciplines and knowledge. It is a high privilege to sit under the great teachers and leaders of our times, but we are called to much more than this. We are all called to be first generation disciples of Christ Jesus Himself.

   Though I have heard it told a number of times by others, the following account really happened to me....

         As we have been considering what it means to be a disciple of the King of kings, we need to look at a couple of other aspects before moving on to cover what it means to be His bondservant.

         First, not many have the opportunity to take a decade or more, as the Apostle Paul did, to seek the Lord for revelation of his calling and message. We are not told if Paul worked during this period, but it is likely he did, as he was still a skilled tentmaker after being sent out as...

       As we have considered, it was a great honor to be chosen as a disciple by one of the great teachers in biblical times, and yet we have been chosen by the King of kings to be His disciples. There is truly no higher calling or greater purpose. Even so, this is just the second step toward maturity in Christ. It is the laying of the foundation of our Christian life, but there is much that must be built upon it. However, the weight and height and breadth of what can be built upon it will be...

         I have been privileged to know some of the top leaders in just about every field—the church, business, industry, education, government, sports, the military, science, and entertainment. Some common denominators are found in all who reach the highest levels. One is that they are energetically and enthusiastically devoted to staying on the cutting edge of knowledge in their field. This is almost always because of their love of knowledge and their love of their profession.

         The greatest Christian is the one who loves God the most and thereby will love others the most. How can...

         Last week we began to look at what it means to be a disciple. In biblical times, being the disciple of a noteworthy teacher was one of the highest honors one could receive. Because the quality of the disciples reflected directly upon the teacher, teachers would seek the very best and brightest as disciples, and most would only consider members of the nobility. Therefore, when the Lord commanded His disciples to go and make disciples, this was a truly remarkable commission.

         When one was chosen as a disciple of a notable teacher,...