On October 23, 2022, Pastor Josh White addressed the Grace Bible Church family on one of the church’s core values: discipleship. In a message rooted in Colossians 2:6–7, he painted a picture of what it means to be a healthy disciple of Jesus Christ — not someone who settles for “good enough,” but someone who pursues a lifelong process of following and submitting every aspect of their lives to God.
Defining Discipleship at GBC
Before diving in, Pastor Josh clarified how GBC defines discipleship. The elders have put it this way: “We desire to be a community of disciples who in turn make disciples.” A healthy disciple of Jesus Christ pursues a lifelong process of following and submitting every aspect of their lives to God. In doing so, they become more like Jesus — and help others do the same.
Pastor Josh acknowledged that the word discipleship gets used in a lot of different ways. Some churches treat it as a marketing brand. Others reduce it to information download — the more you know, the better disciple you are. Still others treat making disciples as a numbers game: share the gospel, say yes, move on. None of these captures the whole picture. GBC wants to aim at the same target the Bible does.
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”
— Colossians 2:6–7
Walking, Rooted, and Built Up
Pastor Josh walked through three images Paul uses in Colossians 2:6–7 to describe what a disciple looks like.
Walking
To walk with Jesus is about the conduct of our lives — how we live, how we respond to people, how we love like Jesus loved. He was courageous with religious leaders, tender with the rejected, and servant-hearted with His disciples. That’s our pattern. We’re not becoming the Messiah, but we are learning to walk as He walked.
Rooted
To be rooted is to grow deep. Pastor Josh used the illustration of trees in Arizona. When you plant a tree, you water it and give it sun — but a tree that never faces wind never sends its roots down deep. It’s the adversity — the wind, the scarcity — that pushes roots wider and deeper. The same is true spiritually. Trials and challenges aren’t obstacles to growth; they’re opportunities for our roots to go deeper into Christ.
Built Up
To be built up is to have a firm foundation. The foundation is Christ’s death and resurrection — God made man who lived a perfect life we couldn’t live, went to the cross for our sins, and rose again to give us life. But the building doesn’t stop there. As we get to know who God is — His strength, His knowledge, His mercy, His unchanging presence — we build strong walls on that foundation.
“Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.”
— Colossians 3:12–14
The Danger of “Good Enough”
Pastor Josh opened with a relatable question: Have you ever started a project — painting a house, mudding drywall, a homework assignment — and gotten to a point where you thought, “You know what, this is good enough”? He then asked a convicting follow-up: Do we approach our walk with God the same way?
He referenced the “God’s Chisel” skit as a picture of what true discipleship looks like. In the skit, a man named Tommy prays that God will make him into a masterpiece. God shows up with hammer and chisel and begins working — removing anger, laziness, little white lies. With each strike, Tommy grows more uncomfortable. Finally, when God gets to the issue of lust, Tommy says, “I think we can take a break.” God pauses and asks, “Who do you see when you look in the mirror?” Tommy says, “I see me.” God’s response: “That’s the problem. We need to continue so that you — and others — see more of My Son.”
Then Tommy’s final temptation: the desire to just stay where he is. To enjoy the plateau. God’s words to that cut to the heart: “You never just stay right there. You’re either moving toward Me or away from Me.”
So What?
This message is a challenge to examine where we are in our walk with Christ. Are we coasting? Cruising? Content with a “good enough” relationship with God? Pastor Josh invited everyone to:
- Repent from the attitude that our spiritual growth is optional or that we’ve arrived.
- Abide — remain, stay, continue — connected to Christ as the branch is connected to the vine (John 15).
- Find community — walk alongside other believers who will push us, encourage us, and redirect us when we start to drift.
- Embrace the lifelong journey — this is not a program, a curriculum, or a certificate. It’s the adventure of a lifetime, and its reward is eternity.
The good news? God welcomes us back no matter how many times we wander. He is not surprised by our weakness — He is patient, pursuing, and ready to receive us back into His arms.
Scripture References
- Colossians 2:6–7 — Walking, rooted, and built up in Christ
- Colossians 3:12–14 — Clothed with mercy, kindness, humility, patience, and love
- John 15:1–5 — Abiding in the Vine
- 1 Corinthians 11:1 — Following Christ’s example