Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

Discipleship

Leave Your Nets

by

When you read about Jesus calling His disciples, it’s easy to overlook some important details because of the familiarity of the stories. Remember, the Bible is for savoring, not for speed-reading. Peter and Andrew were brothers and fishermen. Fishing was their life. It’s how they put food on the table and how they spent their days. James and John were also fishermen, in business with their father. Fishing wasn’t just a job for them. It was the family business.

leave your nets,surrender,discipleship,commitment,faith

And yet, when Jesus passed by and called these men to follow Him, Matthew is explicit in recording that each of them immediately left their nets, boats, and family behind. They did not hesitate, and they did not look back. Jesus called, and they obeyed. Would you leave your nets to follow Jesus?

[Read more…] about Leave Your Nets

Urgency

by

I’ve talked about this many times before, but I don’t think we get it yet. Perhaps we get it intellectually, but anecdotal observation of the lives of others and myself tells me we haven’t ingested it. We need to live with urgency. We must turn to Jesus now. Our best intentions to surrender our lives are nothing more than that if we never act on them. I certainly am speaking to myself here, as well as all my brothers and sisters in Christ.

urgency,God's Kingdom,discipleship,commitment,surrender,priorities,purpose,mission,Kingdom of God

As I survey the world around me, I continue to see Christians living a nominal faith that is more concerned with their well-being than it is for the lost, the Church, and the Kingdom of God. Though we claim to surrender all, we still live for ourselves. Our time isn’t given to our King, it’s given to entertainment and pursuing comfort. We eat and drink while tomorrow the lost will die.

[Read more…] about Urgency

Stand Firm

by

Almost everyone I talk to these days is experiencing some level of anxiety, depression, or hopelessness. It’s as if this is a pandemic all its own. The world is bathed in fear. People fear a virus, their government, diminishing freedoms, or increasing violence. Between fear and depression, I think it’s safe to say a large percentage of our population is desperate for a way out. They need hope.

stand firm,commitment,discipleship,faith,fear,love,mission,priorities,purpose,the church

Meanwhile, we as followers of Jesus hold the answer to all their problems. There has never been a more necessary time to talk about Jesus. There has never been more fallow ground. Our job is to go and plant the seeds of the gospel. People are hungry, and we hold the bread of life.

[Read more…] about Stand Firm

Obey Him

by

I think it should be obvious you cannot be a disciple unless you have first accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior. But can you be saved without being a disciple of Jesus? I don’t think that answer is as clear. Earlier in my faith walk, I probably would have said yes. These days, my answer is leaning towards no.

obey Him,obedience,discipleship,commitment,works,God's Kingdom,Kingdom of God

We could probably trade scriptures all day long trying to prove one side or the other, but at the end of the day, I think the bulk of evidence lands on the fact that to be a believer in Jesus is to be His disciple. This has serious ramifications for the way we live our lives.

[Read more…] about Obey Him

Be Prepared

by

In 2 Timothy 4:2, Paul exhorted Timothy to always be prepared to preach the Word of God. Peter tells us we should always be prepared to give a defense of the reason we have hope in Jesus (1 Peter 3:14-15). And Jesus instructed His disciples to be prepared for the attacks of the world as they went out preaching the gospel (Matthew 10:16). As you survey the world today, if your eyes are open, you will see it is decaying at incredible speed.

be prepared,commitment,discipleship,persecution,memorization.Bible study,prayer,the church

I’ve been asked if I believe we are living in the end times. I cannot presume to know such things. Jesus told us no man knows when He will return. What I will say is I struggle to imagine the lawlessness and depravity getting much worse. I think Christians face hard times ahead, and we must prepare now.

[Read more…] about Be Prepared