FOLLOWING JESUS – Part 1 of 2

How do we know God lives and works in us? I think the answer comes from Jesus’ basic call to discipleship in Luke 9:23-25: “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it but whoever loses his life for Me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world and yet lose or forfeit his very self?”

Beyond calling us to follow, Jesus also described the nature of the commitment that we need to follow Him. My whole life is the answer to Jesus' call to follow Him. He calls and I answer, not just in words, but in the action of following. George MacDonald noted, “Instead of asking yourself whether you believe or not, ask yourself whether you have this day done one thing because He said, ‘Do it,’ or once abstained because He said, ‘Do not do it.’ It is simply absurd to say you believe, or even want to believe in Him, if you do not do anything He tells you.”

When I answered Jesus's call with my whole life, I make myself His disciple at once. Deitrich Bonhoeffer said, “Only those who are obedient believe and only those who believe are obedient. Faith is only real in obedience.” 

-- Bill Hull in “The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ” 

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ARE YOU A BYSTANDER OR A DISCIPLE?

Palm Sunday brought to mind the ecstatic crowds that laid palm branches at Jesus' feet -- a powerful, yet bittersweet moment of adulation. In that fleeting celebration, many cheered a Savior who would soon face the cross. It’s a vivid reminder that worship shouldn’t be reserved for a single season or dramatic occasion. Instead, it calls us to ask ourselves: Are we content to be bystanders -- waving our palm branches when the excitement is high -- or do we commit to following Christ every day, even when the path becomes rugged and unclear?

In the bustling moments of Palm Sunday, the crowd's cheers were loud and visible. Yet, history reminds us that many of those same voices would soon fade into silence. They celebrated through an event marked by triumph but did not carry that same fervor into the long, shadowed hours and days that followed -- the times where fully embracing the cost of discipleship was required. This challenges us today. Are we simply passive observers of faith, quick to join in communal excitement for special events, while our everyday lives remain untouched by the radical call of Christ? The true disciple does not merely attend celebrations; he or she is transformed in the ordinary and breaks through the mundane, living out the love, sacrifice, and faithful perseverance that Jesus modeled.

During this Holy Week, reflect on whether you’ve been content to merely wave a branch from afar or if you’re ready to step into the vibrant, sometimes challenging, role of a true disciple. Remember, genuine faith calls not for bystanding but for wholehearted engagement with both the joy and the sorrow of Christ’s journey. Are you a bystander or a disciple? 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™

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DISCIPLESHIP… COUNTING THE COST

“A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, ‘If you want to be My disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else -- your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters -- yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be My disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow Me, you cannot be My disciple. But don’t begin until you count the cost.’”  (Luke 14:25-28a NLT)

In the corporate world, the phrase “the cost of doing business” is self-explanatory. There is an expected cost associated with leading or owning a business. It may be purchasing a building, paying employees, or buying a new vehicle, but I don’t know many people who jump into a life of discipleship and ask about the cost…

Living as if following Christ has no cost is like charging a credit card to its limit and then asking the bank to change the balance back to zero. Just as Paul wrote, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Romans 6:1–2)  Don’t get me wrong, discipleship is not a works-based system, but it does require our obedience and devotion.

Christians are fond of celebrating the lavish grace and unfailing compassion of Jesus, but we are sometimes hesitant to discuss the expectations of following Christ. But what a disservice to the Lord, especially as we remember that pain that He willingly endured so we could receive that grace. Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer reminds us that “salvation is free, but discipleship will cost you your life.” What is discipleship costing you right now? 

-- Excerpted from “Altar’d: The Transforming Power of Surrender” by Susan O. Kent 

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DISCIPLESHIP… IS A PROCESS

“Jesus said to the people who believed in Him, ‘You are truly My disciples if you remain faithful to My teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”  (John 8:31-32 NLT)

By definition, a disciple is a follower, one who accepts and assists in spreading the teachings of a Master. A Christian disciple is a person who accepts and assists in the spreading of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Christian discipleship is the process by which disciples grow in faith and are equipped by the Holy Spirit for ministry. This process requires believers to respond to the Holy Spirit’s prompting to examine their thoughts, words and actions and compare them with the Word of God. This requires that we read, study and apply biblical teachings; pray regularly; participate in worship and fellowship with other believers; and reach out in witness and mission sharing the love of Christ in word and deed. 

-- From “Got Questions Ministries” 

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FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

"And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?"  (Esther 4:14 NIV)

This past weekend my wife and I attended the retirement celebration for a former colleague and friend at the church I served for 25 years. In very specific ways, she told of her calling in regard to the many roles she has served there for the last eight years. I mentioned that God had called her “for such a time as this… and this… and this… and this.”

In moments of uncertainty, when fear or doubt whispers louder than faith, the biblical story of Esther reminds us that divine purpose often hides within ordinary circumstances. Her courage wasn’t born from confidence in herself -- it was rooted in the possibility that God had placed her exactly where she needed to be. “For such a time as this” isn’t just a phrase -- it’s a call to awaken to the sacred opportunities tucked inside our daily lives. Whether we stand in palaces or pews, boardrooms or kitchens, sports arenas or schools God invites us to respond with boldness, trusting that our presence, our voice, and our obedience may be the very answer to someone’s prayer.

My colleague’s presence, her voice and her obedience were the answer to many people’s prayers, mine included. Thanks for responding to your call, Lina. 

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry™ 

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EMBRACING SIMPLICITY IN A COMPLEX WORLD

“Speaking to the people, Jesus went on, ‘Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot.’”  (Luke 12:15 MSG)

The path of spiritual growth often requires us to walk through valleys of discomfort, but it is there we find clarity and deeper connection with Christ. The discipline of simplicity calls us to evaluate the layers of our lives, peeling away the excesses that cloud our spiritual vision.

In a world driven by materialism and social pressures, it is easy to lose sight of what truly matters. Our possessions, status, and the expectations of others can form barriers between us and our Savior. The call to discipleship is an invitation to shed these barriers and realign our focus on Christ.

Simplicity is not about deprivation; rather, it is about intentionality. It means regularly assessing our lives and making conscious choices to remove the clutter, both physical and spiritual. This could mean donating items we no longer need, limiting time spent on social media, or even simplifying our schedules to create more space for prayer and reflection.

As we practice the discipline of simplicity during Lent and beyond, we may find that our lives become lighter and our spiritual vision clearer. The process may not always be pleasant, but the reward is a deeper, more intimate relationship with Christ. Let us embrace simplicity, allowing it to guide us toward a life centered on our faith and purpose in Him. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry, compiled from a variety of sources

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KINGDOM PROMISES: REFLECTING THE LIFE CHRIST CALLS US TO

How can we actually avoid speaking ill of others? Here’s what I do when I am at my best and exercising restraint. First, I remember the call of Christ to avoid judging and to avoid calling names (Matthew 5:21-22). My aim is to do Christ’s will. Speaking ill of others does not accomplish my aim. Second, I try to search my own heart to see what is behind my need to speak ill of the other person. Usually the motivation will be fear, jealousy, insecurity, or revenge. I remind myself of the words of Mark Twain, “Among human beings jealousy ranks distinctly as a weakness; a trademark of small minds.” Third, I make it a point to look for the good in the other and to focus on lifting that up rather than pointing out the person’s weaknesses. Fourth, I remember the biblical call to humility, and remind myself that I may not be seeing the other the way God sees him or her. I may not know all the facts. And I remember the many ways in which I fall short of God’s plans (Romans 3:23)…

In many ways the evidence of our faith is found in our ability to control our tongue (or our keyboard). When you find Christians who speak ill of others, who tell half-truths, who resort to name-calling, remember the words of Jesus and the apostles and ask if this person reflects the life Christ call us to. The most important time to ask that question is the next time you prepare to hit the “enter” key when you are saying of another “You fool!” or let loose with your own “unwholesome talk” (Ephesians 4:29)…

Looking for the good in those with whom we disagree, expressing humility to admit that you may be wrong, and seeking to remove the log from your own eye before removing the splinter from your neighbor’s eye (Matthew 7:5) -- these are the characteristics of Christ’s followers. And it is in remembering and practicing these Scriptures that Christians will stop being the wedge that divides our nation, and start acting instead as bridge-builders and peace-makers. 

-- Adam Hamilton in “Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White” 

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RESPONDING TO GOD’S CALL

“For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was His plan from before the beginning of time -- to show us His grace through Christ Jesus.”  (1 Timothy 1:9 NLT)

Years ago a colleague in Ontario recounted an interesting experience with a fax.  Members of his church who were living in Australia sent him a fax.  He read it, and then noticed the date of the fax transmission. It was dated and sent the day after he received it -- because of Australia's time zone.  He dubbed the letter his "fax from the future".

God is calling to you from the future and into the future with increasing persuasiveness.  God is sending you "future messages" about what it means to be a child of God, to be a disciple of Jesus, to live a holy life.

None of us can manage, control or manipulate the future.  However, God calls you and then guides you toward the call.  God is always ahead of you, inviting you toward a richer life in Christ. 

-- from the church bulletin of Christ Church United, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada 

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IMMERSION IN THE LIFE OF JESUS

“Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation. Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.”  (Proverbs 3:3-6 NLT)

Conversion without immersion in the life of Jesus Christ is perversion of the gospel. St. Augustine talked about “the costly grace” of God. Discipleship, servanthood, costs us everything. Everything must go. Genesis 2:25 conveys this powerfully in the image of nakedness: “and the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed.”

Dorothee Soelle wrote, “To be naked means to be without protection; it is to be unarmed. It requires our surrendering ‘the weapons’ that we usually carry around with us. My credit card, my doctorate, the books I have written -- the whole fortress in which I live -- are all ‘clothes’ that I have to get rid of in order to love.”

To find favor is to be called to disarmament, called to defenselessness, called to discipleship. 

-- Leonard Sweet in “A Cup of Coffee at the Soul Café”

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HERE IS WHAT I KNOW

He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”  (John 9:25 NKJV)

You don’t have to be weird to follow Jesus. You don’t have to stop liking your friends to follow Him. Just the opposite. A few introductions would be nice. Do you know how to grill a steak?... Discipleship is sometimes defined by being normal.

A woman in a small Arkansas community was a single mom with a frail baby. Her neighbor would stop by every day and keep the child so she could shop. After some weeks her neighbor shared more than time; she shared her faith in Jesus, and the single mom did what Matthew did. She followed Christ.

The friends of the young mother objected. “Do you know what these people teach?” they contested. “Here is what I know,” she told them. “They held my baby.”

I think Jesus likes that kind of answer, don’t you? 

-- Max Lucado in “Cast of Characters: Common People in the Hands of an Uncommon God” 

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THE CALL TO DISCIPLESHIP

Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.”  (Matthew 16:24 ESV)

And if we answer the call to discipleship, where will it lead us? What decisions and partings will it demand? To answer this question we shall have to go to [Jesus], for only He knows the answer. Only Jesus Christ, who bids us follow Him, knows the journey’s end. But we do know that it will be a road of boundless mercy. Discipleship means joy. 

-- Dietrich Bonhoeffer in “The Cost of Discipleship”

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