How Do I Follow Jesus?
What does it mean to follow Jesus?
We live in a world consumed by social media. I am guilty myself. Not a day goes by that I don’t check my Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat… multiple times. We scroll through to see funny memes, people's lives, what someone ate for lunch that day. We follow people on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Facebook. So how do we follow Jesus?
Wouldn’t it be easy if Jesus had social media! We could “follow” him and watch what he is up to every day. What’s Jesus doing today? Helping the poor and needy? Sharing parables through Facebook Live?
However we would still be missing the point, Jesus wants us to literally follow him.
Matthew 16:24-25 (NLT) Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.”
Easier said than done, I know. It can be scary to step out of your comfort zone, to get off your couch and turn off Netflix, to put down your phone! The horror!! Here are a few ideas to help you get started.
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This one actually doesn’t involve putting down the phone. YAY! Download the YouVersion Bible app on your phone, it will allow you to connect with friends and read the bible together. Add me too if you’d like (Sarina Renee Rose, the one with the Batgirl photo). On this app you can find great devotionals to do on your own or with friends. They have the verse of the day and you can get reminder notifications. Take it a step further, next time you go to open Facebook, open the Bible app first and read for 10, 15, 20 minutes. Now watch your prayer life, work life and home life improve by reading your bible every day.
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Don’t do this alone. Yes, God is always with you, but he wants us to fellowship with other believers. If you are having trouble getting out of bed Sunday morning for church, invite a friend. Maybe your friends already go to the same church, so make plans to grab lunch after church or coffee before. Find a volunteer opportunity and ask someone to go with you. Join a Radius home group. Spending time with others who love God and have a desire to follow Jesus will make this much easier. Check our Radius homes here - http://radchurch.com/groups/find-a-group
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Help others. You may say “I am a mess myself, how can I help others?” This is exactly the time you should help others! There is nothing more rewarding when you are hurting than to help someone else. Join the Welcome Team at church and help us serve coffee and donuts (you can eat donuts while you serve!). Join the care team to make or deliver food to families who are in need. You can even volunteer to write a blog just like this. Check out all the Serve Team opportunities here - http://radchurch.com/next-steps/serve-teams
Most of the times that I stepped out in faith I had a friend by my side. Of course there will be times God is calling you to step out in faith on your own. Maybe it is something big like going on a mission trip, or starting a home group. Perhaps it is smaller (still very important) like picking up the donuts for Sunday’s gatherings. Either way Jesus is calling us ALL to follow him. As Pastor Blake says, “The church is not a building, it is a people. We are the church”. Let’s do this together!
