My book tackles a broad issue: many individuals who consider themselves Christian fail to recognize that their purpose in life is to serve Jesus Christ as their Lord and Master, rather than merely attend church services. While I will not claim to be able to tell the difference between churchgoers and Christ-followers in this life, Judgment Day will make that distinction.

To jump ahead to my conclusions, several reasons prevent churchgoers from becoming Christ-followers. My first published review acknowledged my argument, but correctly pointed out that my book lacked examples of successful discipleship. Therefore,  this segment provides resources that point out how new converts start along the life-long journey that helps them learn to obey all that Jesus has commanded (Matt 28:20). The long-term goal, of course, of that discipleship is to emulate Christ’s teachings and become more like Jesus, just as the apostolic disciples tried to do before Constantine’s institutionalization corrupted what had become of Christianity.

Not only new converts need spiritual development, but so do some long-time churchgoers whose religious life has become preoccupied with the routine aspects of their belief. Spiritual themes emphasized by Jesus, along with the apostles Paul and Peter, remain key to each believers’ faith. As I explain in Chapter 4 (“Churchianity”), the goals of religious organizations sometimes conflict with those of individual believers who will face God at Judgment, not institutions.

Jesus emphasizes the importance of building upon rock, not sand (Matt 7:24-27), because of an earlier point: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt 7:21). Further, while Scripture includes the concept of grace, it also underscores the significance of treating others, particularly the “least of these,” with compassion and kindness (Matt 7:31-46).

Trying to maintain the proper balance between belief and practice must always be personal, not something anyone else can manage. But if you seek guidance on how to cultivate or guide an effective spiritual discipleship, the following resources provide useful insights and solutions.