Tag: Following Jesus

Morning Musing: 1 Samuel 16:2

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“And Samuel said, ‘How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.’ And the Lord said, ‘Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.'”  (ESV – Read the chapter) ‬‬

Following Jesus can be an adventurous affair. Things had disintegrated under Saul to the extent that he was actively eliminating potential threats to his rule. This is a mark of a truly insecure ruler. Samuel wasn’t someone who could travel freely in Israel. His profile was high enough that when he went somewhere, everyone—including Saul—figured it meant something. If he did anything significant—like, say, anointing someone else to be king—word was likely to get back to Saul who would likely deal with both the threat and its source with ruthless efficiency. Read the rest…

It’s Worth It

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In this final part of our series, Hard Sayings, we are faced with the ultimate reality: Following Jesus is worth everything.  After blowing the disciples’ minds, Jesus makes this point rather graphically for them.  Keep reading to see how and stay tuned for our next teaching series, Grace in Hard Times, as we walk through the book of Job.

It’s Worth It

Have you ever experienced the disorienting phenomenon known as sticker shock?  Let’s say you’re walking through a department store and there you see it: the dress.  What you might possibly need the dress for is entirely beside the point.  What your husband might say about you buying the dress doesn’t even factor into the decision-making process.  You must have this dress.  Somehow you know that it will fit perfectly so you don’t even bother trying it on.  You take it up to the counter, gently lay it on the counter, and smile at the cashier.  Then it comes.  The cashier scans the barcode, punches a couple of buttons on the register, and says, “That’ll be…”  Well, I’m not sure what your price-point is, but whatever it is, this dress is beyond that…well beyond that.  And it hits you: Sticker shock.  It may be the dress, but…that price.  Ouch. Read the rest…

Knowing Jesus

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This week we got back on track with our series, Hard Sayings.  One of the things Jesus made fairly abundantly clear over the course of His ministry is that following Him isn’t something to which we can get by with giving merely a cheap lip-service.  The hard saying we examined together yesterday morning makes this even clearer than most.  Too often we rely on serving Jesus to cover up for not knowing Him well.  That won’t cut it.  Keep reading to see why.

 

Knowing Jesus

Think back with me for a minute to your bedroom growing up.  What kind of stuff did you have in it?  Specifically, whose poster did you have on your wall?  Was it an actor?  A musician?  A sports star?  Who was it?  How much did you know about this person?  Were you a casual fan or a full-blown disciple in the model of the Beliebers?  It is not at all uncommon for young people to have someone they idolize.  A lot of young, aspiring basketball players today want to be the next Steph Curry.  Baseball players look up to Aaron Judge—literally, since he’s a giant.  Singers want to be the next Arianna Grande or Miranda Lambert or Taylor Swift. Read the rest…

Digging in Deeper: Joshua 7:1

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“But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things.  And the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

The story of Achan is an interesting and sad one.  The people were coming off a major victory.  Their first stop on their tour through the land of Canaan had ended with them sacking a significant military outpost in the city of Jericho.  The city was famous for its incredibly high and thick walls.  The walls were so massive that archaeologists today can see in the various layers of rubble around the city where this battle took place.  So, the people are high on a sweet victory, but then things take a turn for the sour.  What happened? Read the rest…

Steep Rates

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This past Sunday we began a new teaching series called Hard Sayings.  For the next few weeks we are going to be examining some of the hard things Jesus said to see if we can’t make some sense out of them.  We’ll see if perhaps even though they are hard, they’re also just as important for us to know as some of the easier things like, “For God so loved the world…”  Stay tuned in the weeks ahead as we journey together to see that everything Jesus said is important…even if we don’t like the way it sounds at first.

 

Steep Rates

What are some of your favorite sayings of Jesus?  Just shout them out as you think of them if you are willing.  As I was sitting writing this a few stood out to me: “I am the good shepherd;” “I will be with you always, even to the very end of the age;” “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest;” “Do not be anxious about your life;” “For God so loved the world…” “Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do;” “If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it;” and there are probably more, but these are what came to mind first.  Those are all really nice and encouraging sayings.  It would be great if the things Jesus said were pretty much limited to these kinds of things.  You know what I’m talking about: things such as, “I love you,” “I’ll take care of you,” “I’ll give you eternal life,” and the like. Read the rest…