Elements City Church
Follow series wk2: Step Forward
Jesus’ invitation is open to each and every person. It’s a simple 2 word invitation: "follow me." Follow him, not in an observation from a distance kind of way or as a detached Twitter follower follows one of their favs from afar. But as one who begins taking baby steps in his direction - steps with him leading the way, sharing his life and thoughts on life. Baby steps into a relational connection that involves one step after another. Regardless of what you believe. Regardless of how you might behave. Jesus simply invites you to …FOLLOW.
Locations & Times
Elements City Church
1825 N Alvernon Way, Tucson, AZ 85712, USA
Sunday 5:00 PM
Thanks for joining us...
Whether you're on-site or online, we are praying that tonight will be an encouragement to your soul. May God whisper to you and help you in taking your next steps in a journey with Him. If you're new, we'd love to have you fill out our connection card.
https://connect-card.com/yr4Y0g8VLBSqzKXeubjbFollowing Jesus is meant to be much more engaging than simply following steps to a program. It’s highly relational in nature. An invitation to something different than manufactured and monitored religious rituals, it’s an experience with God himself.
It will challenge you at times
It will comfort you at times
It will enrich you, enlighten you, stretch you and continually call you forward…
Following Jesus is about discipleship
"A disciple is someone who knows and follows Jesus, is becoming like Jesus, and is committed to the mission of Jesus.”
It will challenge you at times
It will comfort you at times
It will enrich you, enlighten you, stretch you and continually call you forward…
Following Jesus is about discipleship
"A disciple is someone who knows and follows Jesus, is becoming like Jesus, and is committed to the mission of Jesus.”
Jesus extended an invitation to follow to every single kind of person imaginable. To rich people, poor people, people who were spiritual, that weren’t spiritual, religious, irreligious, all kinds of people he would say: just follow.
This seems way too quick, doesn't it? Luke's gospel account unpacks it with more detail of what unfolded.
Following Jesus always begins with listening, following Jesus does not begin with leave your world and leave your lifestyle and just start following blindly. Because real faith - real Christianity is built on truth, it’s built on teaching, it’s built on listening, it’s built on learning, it’s not just built on blind faith.
Following Jesus always begins with listening, following Jesus does not begin with leave your world and leave your lifestyle and just start following blindly. Because real faith - real Christianity is built on truth, it’s built on teaching, it’s built on listening, it’s built on learning, it’s not just built on blind faith.
Imagine what hung in the balance of Peter’s decision to take Jesus fishing.
The reason we even know who Peter is, is because in that moment he decided okay this isn’t that big a deal, I’m going to trust this guy with this one opportunity to do something I have done a thousand times a different way.
The reason we even know who Peter is, is because in that moment he decided okay this isn’t that big a deal, I’m going to trust this guy with this one opportunity to do something I have done a thousand times a different way.
“4 phases of Follow” - there are four steps to the trust Jesus is asking for...
sit and listen phase
Christianity is an informed faith. It’s not blind faith. God would never ask you to express blind faith. What (or WHO) you put your faith IN, matters.
...for some of you, the next step would be to continue to put yourself in some kind of environment where you’re getting the information to inform your investigation and decision about Jesus.
Christianity is an informed faith. It’s not blind faith. God would never ask you to express blind faith. What (or WHO) you put your faith IN, matters.
...for some of you, the next step would be to continue to put yourself in some kind of environment where you’re getting the information to inform your investigation and decision about Jesus.
loaning the boat stage
You’ve gotten enough information, you need to be able to sit in a circle (an Egroup) and ask your questions and live life connected with other people pursuing Jesus. Some of you need to get your Bible, download the Bible app and you need to begin to read the New Testament for yourself. You may say well that’s inconvenient. It’s inconvenient, but it’s not going to cost you anything but a little bit of time.
You’ve gotten enough information, you need to be able to sit in a circle (an Egroup) and ask your questions and live life connected with other people pursuing Jesus. Some of you need to get your Bible, download the Bible app and you need to begin to read the New Testament for yourself. You may say well that’s inconvenient. It’s inconvenient, but it’s not going to cost you anything but a little bit of time.
take him fishing stage
This is where it gets real exciting. Because your Heavenly Father wants you to do something you have done a thousand times, differently than you’ve ever done it before. Something different at work, a different approach at home or in your relationships or a different approach with your finances. There is a change you need to make, it’s not change your whole life, it’s just change one little thing that you’re doing and it’s as if it might be the voice of God and you have no idea what hangs in the balance of your decision to make that one change.
This is where it gets real exciting. Because your Heavenly Father wants you to do something you have done a thousand times, differently than you’ve ever done it before. Something different at work, a different approach at home or in your relationships or a different approach with your finances. There is a change you need to make, it’s not change your whole life, it’s just change one little thing that you’re doing and it’s as if it might be the voice of God and you have no idea what hangs in the balance of your decision to make that one change.
‘leave your nets phase'
This is some of us, we’ve obeyed God and wow look what happened and then we had another area of our life we obeyed God and look what happened and then we’ve got more generous and we obeyed God and you changed that trait and God honored that and now it’s time for you to just say, you know what God, I want to surrender my whole life.
This is some of us, we’ve obeyed God and wow look what happened and then we had another area of our life we obeyed God and look what happened and then we’ve got more generous and we obeyed God and you changed that trait and God honored that and now it’s time for you to just say, you know what God, I want to surrender my whole life.
Now the point is not to grade yourself. It's to evaluate where you are.
The issue is are you willing to take the next step? — what is the next step? Step forward friend, take it, because you have no idea what hangs in the balance. You have no idea what hangs in the balance but it is the balance of your decision that determines how real God is to you; how alive your faith becomes.
The issue is are you willing to take the next step? — what is the next step? Step forward friend, take it, because you have no idea what hangs in the balance. You have no idea what hangs in the balance but it is the balance of your decision that determines how real God is to you; how alive your faith becomes.
Thanks for partnering with us...
Thank you for enabling us to be the Church in our city! Your gifts help fuel the mission of Elements City Church, as well as our capacity to share His love with as many as we can. You help us bring the HOPE and LIGHT of Jesus to our city! You can give online at the link below or through the Elements app.
http://elementscitychurch.org/give/Thanks again for being with us tonight!
May you have a blessed week ahead friends. Check out the app for upcoming events and we look forward to gathering again next weekend!
May you have a blessed week ahead friends. Check out the app for upcoming events and we look forward to gathering again next weekend!