As you may know, 2025 is the Year of Discipleship here at Christ Church. Our theme verse for the year is the great commission from Matthew 28:19-20; “Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.” In our Community Groups, we are reading and studying the Gospel of Matthew, which Pastor Steve has labeled a “Discipleship Manual.” We are learning what it means to be an apprentice of Jesus so that we may, as Paul says in Ephesians 4:13, “Be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.” 

To enhance this journey, I have been reading some books that are about discipleship that I thought I’d share with you. If you’re looking for something to draw you closer to Jesus and help you see what it means to live out your life as a Jesus-follower, one of these might be perfect for you. So, here’s what I’m reading: 

• “The Narrow Path” by Rich Villodas. Based on the Sermon on the Mount and two verses in particular from that sermon (Matthew 7:13-14), this is a powerful explanation of why and how to walk the narrow path of discipleship. As he notes in the introduction, the book aims to do two things: Remind you that Jesus’ narrow path offers the life you truly desire, and helps you stay on the path so you can experience the deep fulfillment Jesus alone offers. It’s a great companion piece to Matthew’s Gospel and definitely worth reading. 

• “The Divine Conspiracy” by Dallas Willard. It’s an older book that I read when it first came out in 1998 but just recently picked up again due to our emphasis on discipleship. It’s a deep look into who Jesus is and how to live the life that He’s calling us to live. The last three chapters are worth the price of the whole book – so good! 

• “Practicing the Way” by John Mark Comer. I have mentioned this book to you before, so I won’t belabor the point other than to say that if you read one book on discipleship this year, this is the one I’d suggest. He reveals the three things we need to be doing to become apprentices of Jesus: Be with Jesus, Become Like Him, and Do as He Did. 

• “Saturate” by Jeff Vanderstelt. The subtitle of this book is a good explanation of its goal: “Being disciples of Jesus in the everyday stuff of life.” His premise is that we are called to fill the world, saturate our world, with the presence of Jesus through our everyday lives. He notes that discipleship is not a program and church is not an event. It’s an easy read and a difficult read all at the same time; easy in that the concepts are simple, but difficult in that it requires a real-life change! 

Hope this is a helpful list for you as you consider taking another step toward Jesus this year at Christ Church. Please know that, as your pastors, we are praying that each of you will come to love Christ and love like Christ more and more, and that this love will lead to an inbreaking of the Kingdom of God here on earth, here in Northwest Arkansas, as it is in heaven. May it be so!