(updated 28 Feb 25)
This graphic, called the Discipleship Pipeline, outlines the different stages of spiritual growth for a disciple. It starts with a counterfeit disciple. This is not a natural part of the progression toward becoming a disciple-maker, but unfortunately, it is far too prevalent in our culture. The journey really begins with a baby disciple, then progresses to a maturing disciple, and finally to a disciple-maker. The graphic also shows that a disciple may become an unhealthy disciple or regress to “third soil” if they do not progress in their faith. The two ultimate goals of the discipleship process are to be like Jesus and to engage in world evangelism.
The Counterfeit Disciple
First, I will explain the counterfeit disciple. A counterfeit disciple is someone who appears to be a follower of Jesus but is not truly committed to Him.
“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail the test!” (2 Corinthians 13:5 ESV)
“After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.” (John 6:66 ESV)
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:21-23 ESV)
Based on these verses, we can see that a counterfeit disciple is someone who claims to follow Christ but does not truly know Him or obey Him.
The Baby Disciple
A baby disciple is someone who is a new believer in Christ and is still learning the basics of the faith.
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:6-7 ESV)
“Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—” (1 Peter 2:2 ESV)
This means new believers should start to live for Christ and become rooted in Him through faith and crave the Word of God to help them mature.
The Maturing Disciple
Let’s move on to the maturing disciple stage. A maturing disciple is someone who has been a believer for some time and is growing in their faith, understanding, and obedience to Christ.
“A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.” (Luke 6:40 ESV)
“And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’” (Matthew 4:19 ESV)
“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” (John 8:31-32 ESV)
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35 ESV)
“Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” (John 14:21 ESV)
“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” (John 15:8 ESV)
From these verses, we can see that a maturing disciple is characterized by their desire to be like Jesus, follow Him, abide in His word, love others, obey His commandments, and bear fruit for the kingdom.
The Disciple-Maker
The final stage of the Discipleship Pipeline is the disciple-maker. This is someone who is actively involved in helping others grow in their faith and become disciples of Jesus. The Bible verses associated with this stage include:
“And he said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’” (Luke 10:2 ESV)
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:18-20 ESV)
“And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2 ESV)
“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,” (Ephesians 4:11-12 ESV)
Based on these verses, we can see that a disciple-maker is someone who understands the need for more laborers in the kingdom, actively works to make disciples of all nations, is focused on teaching others, and equips others to teach others.
Regression and the Unhealthy Disciple
The large arrow curving back from the maturing disciple stage down towards the unhealthy disciple stage represents a potential regression where a disciple can fall back from the progress they’ve made in their faith. The “third soil” refers to the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13, where the seed falls on thorny ground. In the context of discipleship, this describes someone who may have initially seemed to grow, but their faith was choked out by the cares of the world. This regression is caused by backsliding, quitting, being stalled, unteachable, unfaithful, unfruitful, sin-laden, and worldly, among other things.
The Ultimate Goals of Discipleship
Finally, the graphic identifies “being like Jesus” and “world evangelism” as the two ultimate goals of discipleship.
To Be Like Jesus
The first goal, “to be like Jesus,” is a call to emulate Christ’s character, love, compassion, justice, and obedience. It’s about spiritual growth and transformation so that we reflect Jesus in our thoughts, actions, and attitudes. Ultimately, becoming like Jesus glorifies God because it reflects His character to the world.
World Evangelism
The second goal, world evangelism, is about sharing the good news of Jesus with others and making disciples of all nations. It’s about being active in the Great Commission and reaching every tongue, tribe, nation, and ethne to glorify God by expanding His kingdom. We are inviting more people into a relationship with Him.
Common Misunderstandings in Discipleship
One of the misunderstandings prevalent in Christianity is that there is a difference between a convert and a disciple of Jesus. Jesus made no such distinction. He commanded us in His Great Commission to “go and make disciples,” not converts. A disciple of Jesus Christ is a baseline follower of Him, not the Special Forces of the faith.
Secondly, it is a common misunderstanding that not all Christians are called to make disciples of Jesus. The early church did not deal with this misconception. Every believer was a missionary—a missionary who didn’t just share the gospel but helped others follow Jesus as their King. And although “mission” isn’t as prevalent in the rest of the New Testament as it is in the Gospels, it is clear from the early church’s activities that mission was assumed.
This is one reason the “pipeline” narrows as it progresses toward the ultimate goals. Most of those who have chosen to associate with Jesus in our culture either do not know Jesus’ requirements for becoming His disciples or are unwilling to do so. There are still reasons why some may not move towards that goal. Here are a few possibilities: First, there are those who backslide, quit, or become stalled, which means there may be a lack of perseverance. Also, there may be a lack of understanding of their specific role and how to become a disciple-maker. Finally, fear or doubt may hinder them; they might not feel equipped or worthy to lead.
The Call and Motivation from the Great Commission
All Christians are called to be disciples, and all disciples are called to be disciple-makers. Consider these three reasons from the Great Commission Jesus gave us:
The Geographical Reason
Jesus commanded His disciples to “go to all nations.” The Apostles did not reach “all” the nations. This would necessitate the following generations of disciple-makers to engage lost people on every continent everywhere. We are still in the process of reaching the nations.
The Chronological Reason
Jesus promised His disciples that He would be “with them to the end of the age.” The Apostles didn’t even make it past 100 AD. In other words, this commission is meant for successive generations until Jesus returns and the missionary work is finished.
The Logical Reason
Jesus commanded His disciples to “teach obedience to all His commandments.” This would include the last command, which is the Great Commission. A case could be made that the Great Commission is not a commission to make disciples but to make “disciple-makers.”
Conclusion: The Journey of Discipleship
The Discipleship Pipeline graphic illustrates that being a disciple is a journey that ideally culminates in becoming a disciple-maker, not just a convert. This journey is motivated by the Great Commission, which calls all disciples to go to all nations, knowing that Jesus is with us until the end of the age, and teach new disciples to obey all of Jesus’ commands, including the call to go and make more disciples. The diagram also notes two ultimate goals, which are to be like Jesus and world evangelism, which ultimately glorifies God.
ToBeLikeJesus 