RE: Catechesis "does not point us to ourselves for answer or effort."

God's own Word tells us to "make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:5-8 ESV, emphasis added).

So "let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works" (Heb. 10:24 ESV, emphasis added). "Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them (Romans 12:6 ESV), always remembering that it is "God who gives the growth" (1 Cor. 3:7 ESV).

(As compelling as the four verses cited here are, none are referenced in Luther's Small Catechism with Explanation (CPH 1986). To obtain the whole counsel of God concerning discipleship or anything else, there is surely no substitute for being in the Word.)