Posts with the tag “discipleship”

"And as Jesus reclined at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples." - Matthew 9:10 When Matthew chose to follow Jesus, he didn’t isolate himself from his old world. He invited Jesus into it. His house became the setting, and his relationships became the mission field. People he had once shared a table with were now sittin...  Read More

"As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, 'Follow me.' And he rose and followed him." - Matthew 9:9 It probably felt like just another normal day. Matthew was at work, doing what he always did. But Jesus walked by and spoke two simple words that would change everything. Follow me. No warning, no preparation, just a call. And Matthew o...  Read More

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." - John 15:4-5 There is a constant pressure to measure your worth by what you produce. Whether it is your performanc...  Read More

"And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’" - Matthew 9:11 When Jesus called Matthew, in Matthew 11, it did not sit well with the religious crowd. The Pharisees could not understand why someone claiming to be from God would choose to associate with the likes of a tax collector. From their view, Jesus was crossing a lin...  Read More

"And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding." - Colossians 1:9 Some days it feels like everyone else has the answers, and you are just trying to keep up. The path ahead can feel blurry, the pressure to make the right moves can weigh heavy, and deep down you may wonder if y...  Read More

"So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." - Colossians 1:10 There are a lot of voices trying to tell you who to impress and how to do it. But as a follower of Jesus, the aim of your life is not to impress a crowd. It's to please your Creator. That does not mean perfection. It means pursuit. A life...  Read More

“After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, Do you want to go away as well? Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” – John 6:66-68 This moment in John 6 is one of the most sobering scenes in the Gospels. Jesus had just delivered a hard teaching. Not a feel-good message or a crowd-pleaser...  Read More

“When many of his disciples heard it, they said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?’” – John 6:60 Not long after Jesus fed more than five thousand people with just five loaves and two fish, the crowds followed Him across the sea, looking for more. They had seen a miracle with their own eyes. Their stomachs were full. Their curiosity was stirred. But Jesus didn’t give them another perfor...  Read More

“Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.’” – John 8:58 In John chapter 8, Jesus was in the middle of a heated conversation with the religious leaders. They were accusing Him of all kinds of things, questioning His authority, and dismissing His words. But what Jesus said next stopped everyone cold. He claimed a name that carried weight beyond anything they expecte...  Read More

"Jesus said to her, 'I who speak to you am he.'" – John 4:26 She didn’t expect a conversation. She definitely didn’t expect transformation. But that’s what happened when Jesus met the woman at the well. He broke through every barrier she tried to throw up, not with force, but with love. And we do the same thing she did. We offer excuses to keep Jesus at arm’s length. But He keeps showing up anyway...  Read More

“Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” - 1 John 2:6 We often imagine discipleship as a classroom or a stage. We think of sermons, conferences, or podcasts. And while God absolutely uses those, most discipleship is not forged in the spotlight. It is built in the ordinary. When Jesus walked with the disciples, not every moment was recorded. But we know they...  Read More