Jesus was a man on a mission. He didn’t drift through life aimlessly, nor simply adopt the cultural models of his day and age. He knew why he’d come. He knew why he’d been sent. In his own words: “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” (Luke 4:43) “The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.” (Luke 19:10) “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) “The Son of Man came not to be served...
Forgiveness is one of the hardest things you will ever be asked to do. “Why should I have to pay for someone else’s sin? Why should I have to bear the consequences of others’ wrongdoing, while they get off scot-free? It’s not fair.” No, it’s not. Forgiveness is always grace. But it’s what followers of Jesus are called to do. Jesus clearly and repeatedly mandates that his disciples be forgiving people. Not three times. Not seven times. But seventy-seven times over (see Matthew 18:21-22). The point is not that you literally count 74, 75, 76, 77 – “there, that’s it,...
In a world of self-indulgence, instant gratification, and “love-thyself” positivity, Jesus’ call to discipleship sounds wildly ungracious: “Hate your self, lose your life.” What?! How could a loving God be so cruel? You’re wise if you realize these words deserve some explanation. But first, let’s be clear that Jesus didn’t come to rubber stamp your life as is. People often say, “God loves you just the way you are,” perhaps giving a nod to John 3:16 or something. But this statement is false as it’s often intended – meaning Jesus accepts and affirms your natural, innate intuitions, choices, and lifestyle....
In the second chapter of the Bible, we read this: “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.” (Genesis 2:1-3) From the beginning, long before sin or law entered the picture, God was establishing the pattern of Sabbath. Like him, we...
Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:1). Does that seem backwards to you? It’s natural to spend our time and money on the things we already love. But Jesus flipped that around and said we’ll love most what we spend our time and money on. This implies we can retrain our hearts by choosing to be faithful and generous with our resources. Let’s talk about generosity for a bit. 1. The Mandate of Generosity. There’s no question Jesus requires his followers to give generously. The one place...
The original twelve disciples apparently found themselves debating their pecking order fairly often. Instead of being humbled in the presence of the divine, they squabbled over which of them was second or third best. They openly vied for positions of power, authority, honor, and control. They seemed eager to have others serve them. Meanwhile, when Jesus entered a home, walked down a road, or struck up a conversation, he was attentive to the needs, cares, and concerns of others. In his climactic statement on servanthood, he said, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to...
Worship is not simply another of the ten practices of following Jesus, it’s more like the practice beneath all the other practices. You see, God is not after external compliance; he’s after our hearts. He wants us to engage in the practices of Jesus wholeheartedly because we delight in him and fully trust him to satisfy our lives. 1. The Meaning of Worship. What do you think of when you hear the word “worship”? Do you imagine a dry, dull, compulsory act of honoring, serving, or praising God? Or do you imagine something vibrant and life-giving? Do you imagine worship...
Christians have a complicated relationship with obedience. On one end of the spectrum, legalists believe they earn and maintain favor with God by their own perfect adherence to God’s law. At the opposite end of the spectrum, antinomians believe they can live however they please – because they are saved by grace. In between these extremes is a lot of confusion, indifference, and even bickering over which rules we have to obey and which we don’t. To simplify the conversation, ask this question: Should we do what Jesus wants us to do, or should we do something else? Let’s be...
If Scripture is the primary means by which God speaks to us as his followers, prayer is the primary means by which we speak to God. Luke 11 is a key text on prayer because it’s the one place in the Bible where Jesus’ disciples literally came to him and asked, “Lord, teach us to pray.” So what follows are the words of the rabbi to his apprentices, saying, “This is how you pray.” 1. The Precedent of Prayer. You ever think about this? Why was Jesus so often found praying (e.g. Mark 1:35; Luke 5:15-16; 6:12; 11:1; 22:39-41)? He’s...
We begin our deep dive on the ten practices of following Jesus, and we begin with Scripture because it’s impossible to know Jesus, and follow the way of Jesus, apart from knowing his Word. It is through his Word that we know his person, his work, his will, and his ways. Before we get into four main ways of reading the Bible, consider for a moment what the Bible is. It’s more than a collection of stories, rules, poems, and prophecies. And it’s certainly not an anthology of myths, legends, and good advice. The Bible is the inspired Word of...
