The simplest answer is to take a time machine and travel back and start following Jesus around. That’s how the first disciples learned.

Peter and James and John. Mary Magdalene. A bunch of other people. They went where Jesus went. They ate what Jesus ate. They wore what Jesus wore. They listened to what Jesus taught and tried it out. When Jesus gave them a project, they tried it. They learned to live the way that Jesus lived.

These days, there are people who think that living like Jesus means robes and figs and kosher. And eating fish and not taking showers. And not drinking coffee. Because the original followers of Jesus didn’t drink coffee.

But at the end of his time on earth, Jesus gave a summary of what to do, a kind of a commissioning that happens when you finish boot camp or police academy or college.

I’d like to paraphrase it. (But read the original.)

“Make more followers of me the same way I made followers of me. Spend time with people, showing them how you live. When you do, make sure that you are choosing to spend some of that time with every class of people. The kind you fit with, and the kind you don’t.

“And the ones that decide to follow me, baptize them. Just like you’ve been doing. And teach people how to obey everything that I’ve taught you. Don’t just tell them what to do, live them what to do. That means you don’t tell people to love, you love. You don’t tell people to forgive, you forgive. You don’t tell people to love God more than money, you love God.

“You’ll have my Spirit with you. With the voice that will remind you of what I said and will teach you what I meant.

“I’ll be there, too.”

And then he disappeared. Leaving the disciples to start obeying. And setting an example for us.

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This was first published a couple years ago. I’m using it today because I’m building a course about making disciples and I needed to remember the basics.