Optimal Discipleship
Discovering How Christ Has Been Discipling You!
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Thank you for choosing this book. Perhaps the title grabbed your attention, and you thought, Yes, I want to be an optimal disciple of Jesus Christ! Or maybe it was the subtitle that caught your eye: Discovering How Christ Has Been Discipling You! Either way, it’s safe to assume you have a personal relationship with Jesus and have already entered the kingdom of light through faith in Him. And since Jesus Christ is God incarnate—worthy of our highest devotion, it’s only natural to desire more from our walk with Him. Just as the Holy Spirit led you to Christ in a way that spoke uniquely to your heart, He continues to disciple you personally, shaping your journey with a tailored touch. This book was written with you in mind. Whether you’re a new believer just beginning your faith journey or a seasoned follower, the purpose here is to help you recognize how Christ has been personally discipling you all along. By deepening that awareness, you can unlock the abundant life He offers and step fully into your role as His disciple. And as you grow into a more faithful disciple, you will also become a better discipler, equipping others to follow Christ more fully. Here’s who I hope will benefit from these pages: • Anyone who wants to experience the abundant life Christ offers • New believers who desire the closest relationship with Christ possible, uniquely designed for them. • Long-term followers of Christ whose disciple-making efforts have fallen short of expectations • Believers who, after years of following Christ, sense a deeper call to intimacy with Him • Anyone looking to optimize their personal plan for spiritual formation In the context of this book, the word optimal means “the best possible way” for you to follow Christ and become the disciple and disciple-maker He designed you to be. It's about maximizing your potential and advancing your spiritual growth. I am confident that if you approach this with a humble heart and truly seek to “become partakers of the divine nature,” as the apostle Peter describes in 2 Peter 1:4, you will grow into the optimal disciple Christ intends you to be. Peter provides a clear roadmap for spiritual growth in the verses that follow, urging believers to add to their faith virtues like moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, mutual affection, and love (2 Peter 1:5–7). These qualities are similar to the fruit of the Spirit, and they will grow in your life as you intentionally partake of the divine nature. Peter then summarizes in verse 8 by stating, “For if these qualities (of God) are in you and increasing, they keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” I have personally experienced the truth of this principle in both positive and negative ways. When I diligently pursued Christ through the scriptural promises He gave me, my spiritual life flourished. But when I neglected them, my growth withered. However, this book is not about my life—it’s about you and how you can become an optimal disciple by applying Peter’s teachings But there’s something even more foundational at work here. As you begin to understand Peter's path, you’ll discover that Christ has been discipling you all along. This may be a new realization for some, but it's a key truth: Jesus is not only the One we follow—He is also the One actively shaping us. The more you recognize this ongoing work of Christ in your life, the more effective you will become as both a disciple and disciple-maker. In the chapters ahead, we will explore how the biblical promises He has given you and your intentional cooperation with His guidance through them will cause your love for Jesus to increase and transform your spiritual journey. Peter's path to discipleship works with any biblical discipleship program or spiritual formation ministry, especially if you minister to hurting and broken people. This is not some magic method, but the assurance that whoever humbly follows Peter's path will encounter the divine nature of Christ, becoming transformed and conformed into the image of God's Son—the optimal destination for all discipleship paths. This book will equip you with practical tools and insights that will not only complement but also enhance your current practices of seeking God. The optimal path to following Christ is discovered by actively cooperating with the Holy Spirit. This book will help you recognize how God has been instructing, teaching, and guiding you through the new relational covenant Jesus sacrificed to give you. You will discover your unique path through which the Holy Spirit is already discipling and transforming you. Each person God calls into His kingdom is given a unique, personal path to follow (Colossians 2:6–7). Every true believer in God's Living Son has already been equipped for a distinctive journey of following Christ. As you become consistent and intentional about your own path, you can help others find theirs, embracing your unique and valuable role in God's plan. The disciple transforms into the discipler.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
The apostle Peter, in his second epistle, tells us that God’s Word and promises are given as we encounter the revelation of Jesus Christ. His promises are unveiled when we experience His glory and goodness. In these moments, Jesus, the divine catalyst, implants His promises in our hearts like seeds, designed to grow and produce His life within us—just as a natural seed grows in the soil to reproduce its life. As the character of Christ develops within us, the living Word works in us, washing, cleansing, and pruning us from the filth of this world, transforming and conforming us into His divine nature. This ongoing transformation, both powerful and hope-filled, encourages us to remain committed and dedicated to our spiritual journey and inspires others to follow Christ.
About the Author
Two questions have profoundly shaped Pastor Neil DeSiato’s life. First, at the age of 19, he asked God, “God, is the man Jesus Christ truly Your Son?” In a display of mercy, God answered this question overnight in a way that transformed Neil’s life, sparking his spiritual journey into Christ.
The second question focused on the church’s mission of making disciples. Neil began by asking, “God, how do you make a disciple?” The answer did not come through reading books or from any particular person. Instead, what emerged is a universal and transferable understanding of how each believer is being discipled by Christ, drawn from 2 Peter 1:1-21.
Optimal Discipleship is Pastor Neil DeSiato’s journey of discovering how Christ was and is uniquely discipling him and how Christ uniquely and personally disciples all God’s children.