Discipleship Rooted in Truth and Aimed at the Heart

If we are to truly disciple others to grow in Christlikeness, these two things must be true of our discipleship.

Our discipleship of others should be aimed at the heart, since from the heart flows the wellsprings of life (Prov 4:23). It is worth noting that Scripture uses the terms heart, soul, mind, spirit, and inner self synonymously (Deut 6:5; Ps 6:3; Matt 22:37; John 14:1; Rom 8:16; 2 Cor 4:16).

Our heart is central to our very being and contains:

• What we believe (Matt 9:4; Mk 8:17; Lk 9:47 2 Cor 4:6; Eph 4:18),

• What we desire (Matt 5:28; 6:21; Rom 1:24; 10:1),

• What we choose (Matt 18:35; Jn 13:2; Acts 5:3-4; 1 Cor 4:5; 7:37).

This includes what we believe about God, ourselves, other people, our experiences, the purpose of life, etc. All of our beliefs about anything and everything are contained in our heart.

Desires and Choices

The same is true about all of our desires and all of the choices we make. In fact, we interpret and respond to all of life from our heart (Jn 16:6, 16:22; Acts 2:26; Acts 2:46; Acts 7:54; Rom 9:2). It is from our heart that our words, actions, and emotions flow (Prov 4:23; Matt 5:18-19; Ja 4:1-2). Even our response to suffering is tied to the beliefs, desires, and volitions of our heart. 

Our hearts are constantly being shaped by God or something else.

It is important to note that our hearts are constantly being shaped by something. Our hearts are being shaped by either God or something else (Rom 12:1-2). Our hearts are either being shaped by the truth of God’s Word to conform us to the image of Jesus Christ, or they are being shaped by the world to be conformed to the image of fallen humanity.

Discipleship of the Heart

If we are to truly disciple others to grow in Christlikeness, then two things must be true of our discipleship. First, our discipleship must be rooted in the truth of God’s Word (Eph 4:12-16, 2 Tim 3:16). While we cannot completely understand a person’s heart (even our own), Scripture teaches us that God fully understands and rightly weighs who we are, what we do, and why we do it. Through His Word, God reveals, exposes, and transforms the heart’s core beliefs and intentions (Heb 4:12-13).  It is the truth of God’s Word that anchors us and keeps us from being tossed to and fro by the waves of deception.

The truth of God's Word anchors us and keeps us from being tossed to and fro by the waves of deception.

Second, our discipleship must be aimed at the heart. Real change first takes place in the heart. Our love for the Lord grows as we grow in our belief of Him and his love for us (1 Jn 4:19). Our hope and trust in the Lord grows as we continuously submit to Him with our heart (Prov 3:5-6, 9:10; Phil 4:4-9) and believe that Jesus is who he says he is (John 4:46-53). 

All of our discipleship of others must be rooted in the truth of God’s Word and aimed at the heart. This is true of all the ways we seek to disciple others within the local church through the various ministries of the Word to include the worship gathering, small group communities, mentorships, family discipleship in the home, and biblical counseling.

We must resist the temptation to root our discipleship in lesser authorities such as personal happiness, the affirmation of others, or what the secular culture deems as healthy (Jer 6:14; 8:11). These lesser authorities do not bring lasting peace, nor do they address the real heart change that is needed to help someone grow as a disciple of Jesus.

If we are to help each other grow in our loving the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Deut 6:5; Matt 22:34-40), then we must seek to help each other grow in our understanding, trust, and submission to the truth of God’s Word (Deut 6:6-9; Matt 28:18-20). True discipleship is rooted in God’s Word and aimed at the heart.

So, what does your discipleship of others look like? Is it rooted in God’s Word or something else? Is it aimed at the heart, or merely focused on external behaviors and circumstances of life? 

In Christ,

Jeremy

For more information on the importance of discipling the heart with the truth of God’s Word, I suggest reading The Dynamic Heart In Daily Life by Dr. Jeremy Pierre. This has been a helpful resource to me personally as I have sought to grow in this area of ministry.

Jeremy Bledsoe serves both as the Executive Director and as a biblical counselor at East Tennessee Biblical Counseling. He has a B.A. in Psychology from Marshall University, a M.A. in Biblical Counseling from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and is a certified member of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors.