I have been saying this since January, “making disciples includes seeking, serving, and sending.” And in May of 2026, Lifeway’s director of Sunday School, Ken Braddy authored an article in which he said, “Discipleship that doesn’t move people toward service is incomplete because it doesn’t fully reflect the life of Christ.” (What Role Does Service Play in Discipleship? https://research.lifeway.com/2026/05/18/what-role-does-service-play-in-discipleship/)
Braddy is arguing for something in his article that I have long felt. We discuss discipleship so much in the church without any real understanding of what is meant that the word has lost its Biblical edge. What the church needs to do is answer the question, “What does it actually look like for someone to grow as a follower of Jesus?” When the church answers that question it often overlooks one particularly important aspect of what Jesus was doing when He called His disciples. “When Jesus calls people to follow Him, He does not merely invite them to learn new ideas or adopt new behaviors. He calls them into a new way of life, one shaped by humility, sacrifice, and love expressed through action.” (Braddy, What Role Does Service Play in Discipleship?)
We can unintentionally cause people to believe that discipleship is primarily about knowledge. Teaching is essential. It is in fact commanded (Matt. 28:19-20). But we know that knowledge without heart is dangerous. “Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. 2 If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know; 3 but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.” (1 Cor. 8:1-3) Paul goes on to share how a believer can serve his brothers and sisters in Christ by laying down liberties for the sake of one another’s spiritual growth.
Service does something even the best lesson cannot do on its own. When we serve other it exposes and reshapes our heart. “When someone serves, they encounter inconvenience. They wrestle with patience. They face needs they cannot fix easily. These moments surface pride, fear, compassion, and dependence on God. Service becomes a crucible where formation occurs.” (Braddy)
I have observed this firsthand. In our church in Bartlesville, I was leading a Wednesday night prayer meeting each week. We would take requests for prayer before I would teach a Bible study. After taking down all the prayer requests I would ask for volunteers to voice prayer on behalf of the group. There was one older gentleman who was always present Sundays and Wednesdays. He was faithful, knowledgeable, and respected. But he never volunteered to pray aloud during these Wednesday gatherings. Then one of his dear friends fell gravely ill, became homebound, and eventually passed away. After his friends passing, there was a Wednesday night when he volunteered to lead part of our prayer time aloud. It caught my attention, and I was curious about the change, but before I could ask him about it, he came to me and explained. He had always been embarrassed to pray aloud. He felt like he could not come up with the words adequate to express what was in his heart and mind. But when his friend was so ill, he began to visit him each week, and before he would leave, the Spirit would compel him to pray for his friend. After doing that for many weeks, and after his friend passed away, the Spirit had shown him, if you can pray for your friend aloud, you can do this for the church as well.
His serving his friend had helped him grow. Service transformed him. He had grown in following Jesus by serving his friend. He knew prayer was important. He did not need more knowledge about prayer. His heart needed to be captured. When you serve, you grow. Therefore, we need to design our own discipleship around service. And while we are discipling our children or one another in Christ, we need to design service into the plan. Jesus called His followers to a new lifestyle, not just a set of facts.