Practicing the Way Sketchnote Summary

Be with Jesus, become like Jesus, do as he did.

A few months back I read John Mark Comer’s recent book “Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus, become like Jesus, do as he did”.

I enjoyed it a lot and wanted to make a sketchnote straight away…then life (and wanting to accurately sum up the lessons) all came at me. Now, finally, I have finished.

Here are some notes and reflections on the book.

Apprenticing under Jesus

What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus?

As “disciple” is not a common word today, It can be confusing. In Practicing the Way, John Mark uses the term “apprentice” instead. The main reason is that it helps us remember the active parts of learning that was core to the methods back in the first-century Jewish culture.

Those active methods then come out in the three sections of the subtitle of the book.

1. Be with Jesus

The first step of learning from someone is to be with them.

While we can now have distance learning programs thanks to the internet and video calls, they aren’t the same quality as time with someone. We aren’t just brains in bodies, and apprenticeship to Jesus involves abiding with him.

Some practical points

• Set dedicated time

• The first and last moments of the day are hugely influential

• Get away from people and phones

These are great starting points.

2. Become like Jesus

Jim Rohn is famous for coining the idea that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with.

This points to a deeper truth: we become like the people we spend time with. Sometimes it’s subtle, sometimes it’s significant. We are all becoming like something, the question is “Who do we want to become like?”

As Christians, that person should be Jesus.

3. Do as he did

We see this in the disciples.

After they spent time with Jesus, they started to copy what he did. Jesus sent out 72 disciples apprentices to heal the sick and proclaim the Kingdom of God. And they did it (Luke 10)! Plus Peter saw Jesus walking on water and copied him. Okay, not perfectly, but he was still copying.

When we are around Jesus, we naturally want to emulate him.

So how do we go down this process?

How: A rule of life

A rule of life is a schedule that gives space to be shaped in a particular direction.

We all have one.

It might be one that we’ve consciously constructed to lead us to be with Jesus, become like him and do as he did; or it might be an unconscious one that is forming us like the rest of the world. But we all have one.

In the book, John Mark shares a classic illustration that represents the role a rule of life plays: a trellis.

These are the structures in a vineyard that help keep the vine up so it can grow. The vine (Jesus) and its branches (us) are the things that grow; the trellis merely gives it shape and structure so it can grow. That’s how a rule of life works.

John Mark advocates for setting one up focused around the nine classic spiritual practices

• Sabbath

• Solitude

• Prayer

• Fasting

• Scripture

• Community

• Generosity

• Service

• Witness

And with daily, weekly and monthly rhythms.

Importantly, this should not be a rule of life just for you, but one for a community you are part of. That gives us accountability and helps us to share in each other’s growth and burdens.

The goal is not the habits, but the habits give space for the goal.

Want to learn more?

If this has whet your appetite, you might want to check out the resources on the Practicing the Way website (including guides for each practice) and you can pick up a copy of the book here.