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Written by Marisa Signoretti, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Ponta Grossa, Paraná, Brazil

Discipleship is considered a fundamental requirement for the transformation of the Christian woman, acting as an ongoing process that molds character, mind, and heart into the likeness of Christ. It is not merely a teaching method, but an intentional relationship and a daily journey of learning and imitation, essential for a complete change.

One of the greatest and most vital areas of women's ministry in the New Testament was discipleship. In the "Great Commission," Jesus Christ commanded His disciples to make disciples of others (Mt 28:19-20). Go and transform lives!

This process involved two principles, illustrated in the life of Jesus and His apostles: association and instruction (walking together and paying attention to what is taught).

To begin, a disciple associated or interacted with a person in a personal way. Jesus, for example, chose His disciples so that they could “be with him” (Mk 3:14 NIV), and be transformed into saviors of souls.

The apostle Paul also recognized that discipleship occurred in the context of intimate relationships or in the "sharing" of life (1Th 1:7-8). A transformed life is contagious.

The second aspect of discipleship was instruction. Disciples were to be taught to be obedient (Mt 28:20), encouraging people to learn more about Christ and His teachings so that they could be firmly rooted, built up in Him, and established in the faith (Col 2:6-7).

Paul instructed spiritually mature women to serve as mentors to younger women (Tit 2:3-5). Through discipleship with other women and bringing them to maturity in Christ, New Testament women glorified God and were fully involved in the ministry of God's Kingdom (the church).

Key aspects of discipleship as a requirement for transformation:

• Inner and character transformation: true discipleship seeks to align a person's character with God's character. This involves an inner transformation that alters values, virtues, and behaviors, promoting continuous growth in the image of Christ.
• The process of imitation: the essence of discipleship, from a Christian perspective, is the art of imitating Christ, with the help of examples. It is a calling to be molded, not just transformed.
• The cost of transformation: following Christ and going through the discipleship process involves renouncing and submitting one's own will to God's will, making the process a true test of commitment.

In short, discipleship is the vehicle through which transformation happens in the life of those who wish to go further – being transformed in order to then transform others.

Becoming a follower of Jesus is a commitment that requires a choice.

Jesus went straight to the heart of this commitment: His disciples were to deny their own desires in order to follow him. Commitment demands action; it cannot be separated from responsibility.

Are you committed to this type of transformation?

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Written by Sharit Saman Zapata, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Peru

There is a phrase that I heard years ago, and I still remember it because of how significant it was: "There is no such thing as coincidence, there is God-incidence". And to be honest, there were seasons in my life when I couldn't believe that, especially when I looked at my own spiritual life and felt like I wasn't "bearing fruit." I tried to do everything: I prayed more, served more, and demanded more of myself, trying to force the fruit on me, because somehow, I wanted to convince myself that I was useful to God. However, the more I tried to produce fruit by my own strength, the drier and more worn out I felt inside. But this passage in John 15:16 caused me to pause and reflect: "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you" (NIV).

These words of Jesus were spoken in one of the most intense moments of His ministry, a few hours before His crucifixion, in the middle of the Last Supper with His disciples, just before He faced fear, loss, and confusion. Jesus reminded them of something essential: their calling did not begin with them; it began with Him.

They didn't come to Jesus by merit, and neither did we, because we were chosen, called and appointed by Him, and that changes everything. If He was the One who chose us, then our permanence does not depend on our perfection or our efforts. We are not holding Christ with our fragile hands; He sustains us. For a long time, for me, bearing fruit felt more like a burden than a privilege, almost as if God was waiting for spiritual results while I was trying to survive. Over time, I understood something: the real fruit is never born from pressure; it is born from permanence.

An apple tree does not strive to bear apples; it simply remains rooted where it receives life. That reminded me of when Paul writes, "continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose" (Php 2:12b-13). Our responsibility exists, yes, but it is God who makes transformation possible. He doesn't just ask us for fruit, He works in us to produce it. And it's a promise that's repeated in Hebrews 13:20-21 as well, "Now may the God of peace, […] equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever." To understand that companionship in the struggle is a great relief, to know that God never demands something without also providing what is necessary to fulfill it.

But Jesus does not speak of any fruit; He speaks to us of a fruit that remains. It is not something superficial, emotional, or momentary. He desires to form in us a transformed character that consistently reflects Christ, a fruit that shows that we give up our battles, that we die to ourselves and let Him be who others see, so that they see God at work in us even as we continue to struggle every day.

"So that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work...” (Col 1:10). To bear fruit is evidence of a life surrendered to God, it is to love when it is difficult, it is to serve when no one applauds, to remain faithful when no one is watching, it is to show Christ in a world desperate for hope. And imagine how God feels when he sees us doing the right thing, even knowing it wasn't easy. To surrender our will to Him is not to lose, it is to gain the peace of knowing that God has already seen what we do not yet see.

And finally, Jesus adds something surprising: "and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you" (Jn 15:16b). This doesn't mean that God promises to do everything we want; it means that when our life is aligned with His will, our prayers begin to reflect His heart, God's will becomes ours, and eventually everything is aligned.

Being chosen by Almighty God should thrill our souls, because He saw our potential even before we saw it. And perhaps most shocking of all, Almighty God chose to trust imperfect people like us to reflect His image to the world.

The real question is not whether you are capable enough to bear fruit; the real question is: Are you abiding long enough in Jesus to allow Him to produce in you fruit that truly abides?