For much of my adult life I've tried to understand how Jesus trained his disciples. It didn't look anything like the methods we use in our modern churches. It was far more experiential and risky. If you look at Jesus just getting started, right away he has a big confrontation and his own community tries to kill him.

Jesus begins challenging a few relative strangers to leave everything and hang out with him. When they say "yes" and form a little group, the fireworks really begin. They go on a journey where they see him healing the sick, casting out demons and raising dead people.

And then he sends his disciples out two-by-two, asking them to do the same thing. He sends them with few resources so as to demonstrate the power of God to a hurting world.

But we in the modern day have so many resources. How would Jesus disciple if he were starting over today?

I believe that Jesus' methods are completely relevant in our day - he's still wanting to introduce young people to a hurting world where their hearts can be broken. He still wants to give them "all authority" - the power to heal and confront evil.

The Bible tells us, “Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus walked.” 1 John 2:6

People who follow Christ deserve the opportunity to walk as Jesus walked. Young people especially deserve this. I want to challenge you to walk as Jesus walked and see if you don’t experience the abundant life Jesus promised (John 10:10). 

How did Jesus walk? We see 10 elements in Scripture:

1. He walked - his school wasn't a classroom but a journey. (“Jesus went throughout Galilee” Mathew 4:23)

2. He called out his disciples. (“Follow me.” Luke 9:59)

3. He walked with them a long time - 3 years or more. (John 21:18)

4. He called them to be disciple-makers. (“I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19)

5. He called them to community. (Mark 1:14-20)

6. He walked in abandon and devotion. (Matthew 10:9-10)

7. He modeled faith and power. (Matthew 8-9)

8. He sent them on mini faith-building journeys. (Luke 9-10)

9. He focused on the poor and oppressed. (Luke 4:18)

   10. He continually challenged and encouraged them. (Mathew 16:24-25)

Do you consider yourself a cultural Christian or a follower of Christ? And if you're a follower of his, have you had the chance to be trained in the way that Jesus trained his disciples? If not, as a young person especially, you deserve the opportunity. Why not ask him to show you how you can get this training?