An Unexpected Journey
This story happened seven years ago, and as I recall, it was quite apparent that it was not the time to make a major life change. In fact, I really have no idea if it will ever happen at this point. But the thing I have learned, as the years have gone by, is that there does not always need to be a physical change to bring contentment and peace. I believe more often it is a heart change that brings contentment ... an attitude adjustment ... and an acceptance of what is, rather than what we wish it could be.
Renewed by the Spirit
At various times in our lives, many followers of Christ can identify with those bells. We express our faith through our words and actions, yet internally we may feel a lack of the divine power that once resided within us. In the coming weeks, I'll be posting a sermon series on my BLOG entitled “A Brand New You! This sermon is the first in this series.
Discipleship or Followership
Jesus had followers and disciples. What is the difference? Well, followers of Jesus are curious about Jesus. They may even attend church. Jesus’ followers, like many today, stopped following Him when things got tough. The disciples, while certainly not perfect, hung in there. This devotional addresses the difference between a disciple and a follower.
THE STRUGGLE OF SELF-DENIAL
“Then he said to them all, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23 NRSV Self-denial is a spiritual discipline that is hard to practice but is necessary for our growth in Christ.
Counting the Cost of Discipleship
Luke 14:28-30 provides an essential lesson on the importance of thoughtful commitment. Jesus is teaching the crowd traveling with him about the cost of discipleship. I imagine Jesus sees a guard tower under construction, turns, looks toward his followers, and says, “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?"