The Imperfect Disciple: Grace for People Who Can't Get Their Act Together

“In a world--and church--infatuated with 'leaders,' 'platforms,' and 'influence,' The Imperfect Disciple offers a much-needed antidote to our leadership overdose: following. Jared Wilson reminds us that following Christ is not about what we do but about who we are. And we need be no more--or no less--than flawed but faithful disciples of the One who has already won all of our battles for us.”

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“I've read too many 'discipleship' books that made me feel, somehow, less. This book is the exact, wonderful opposite. It's like talking with a very insightful friend about Jesus. It's honest, thoughtful, and unpretentious. Thank you, Jared.”

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“I own my bias, but this is the most refreshing and encouraging book of discipleship I've read in the past decade. For twenty-one years, I had the priceless experience of being pursued, loved, and fathered by a 5'6'' gospel Yoda named Jack Miller--my advisor and professor at Westminster Seminary. Jack taught me, showed me, and prayed into my bones that my need for Jesus is far greater than I'll realize in this life, but that the grace of Jesus is exponentially more extravagant, outrageous, and liberating than I could ever imagine or hope. With tears, I write this 'blurb,' because Jared has given fresh words, voice, and understanding to this grand reality. Everything about me is imperfect, so I'm just like you. Together, let's seek to discover the much-more-ness of the perfect gospel. Jared helps us do so, with his words and heart.”

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“While most every Christian would joyfully acknowledge that we are saved by grace alone, many of us live as if our ongoing growth in Jesus is not driven and sustained by that same grace. In terms of our discipleship, we suffer from the same self-justifying tendencies that would keep us from the cross to begin with. I'm grateful, then, for this refreshing, grace-saturated, and realistic treatment of what it means to follow Jesus.”

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“Follow Jared as he demystifies discipleship on this unpredictable quest into the kindness of Christ.”

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“It is a hard thing to win people to Jesus who already know him. For too many Christians, the gospel exists only as white noise, always present but rarely heard. Consequently, many Christians know all about freedom but are not actually free. They are good people, but their goodness has begun to strangle them. This is what happens when Christians become desensitized to the good news of Christ, and it is a tall order to snap them awake, but that is exactly what Jared Wilson positions himself to do. Drawing from his own story, The Imperfect Disciple is a book about grace for people who know about grace. It replaces our neat and tidy notions of discipleship with the real-life messiness of real people--even the 'good' ones. For anyone who draws confidence--or shame--from the belief that God is keeping track of their goodness, this book is for you.”

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“Yet another discipleship book. Perhaps you had those thoughts when you picked up Jared Wilson's Imperfect Disciple. It's not. Not even close. Wilson takes our idea of discipleship--you know, the list of things we need to do to be a perfectly obedient Christian--and turns it on its head. Discipleship is not about our to-do lists; it's about the glorious gospel. Wilson makes us dizzy with gospel truth and disoriented by beholding the Lamb of God. He helps us refocus so that our obedience is no longer about us. You'll be encouraged as you read this book about discipleship.”

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“Too often discipleship is described in strings of clichs. In The Imperfect Disciple, Jared Wilson cuts the string, shares his story, and helps readers envision following Jesus in clear, inviting, and realistic ways. It's personal, prophetic, and pastoral and it will help readers reimagine discipleship as a real possibility in the midst of ordinary life.”

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“Even though St. Paul wrote that the gospel was 'of first importance,' for some reason most people, even Christians (no less), don't really believe it. The majority of those who self-identify as evangelicals would pay lip-service to the sinless life, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection, and sovereign reign of Jesus, the God-Man, but when it comes down to the practical, rubber-meets-the-road nitty-gritty of daily life--well, we've weighed the gospel in the balances and found it wanting. What we want are practical steps about how to build a discipleship group and facilitate communication, and though those things aren't wrong in themselves, we want to do it detached from the gospel itself. Which, of course, means that it's doomed to failure before we even start. But this book is different. Jared ties everything he has to say about being and loving disciples to the realities of what Jesus has already done. And that, dear friends, is what sets this wonderful book apart from all the others. Please do buy it. Buy one for a friend. And then read it together--and rejoice in the gospel.”

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“Few things steal vitality and life in Christ like forgetting that we are human. Jared does a great job, with his humorous yet serious style, reminding us of God's perfection in the midst of our inconsistencies, fears, and falls--in other words he has faithfully 'demystified discipleship.' Whether you feel you're barely hanging in there or riding a wave of joy-saturated obedience, the grace of God found in this book will encourage and remind the saint that there is only One who is perfect--and that perfection is enough for all who believe on the name of Jesus.”

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