Following 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.”

What is God's end goal in having you become a follower of Jesus?

It's not. . .
to become a better person,
to get into Heaven,
to live a pain-free, problem-free life.

Jesus is bigger than...
your fear
your anxiety
your failures

We have to keep moving forward to follow Jesus —
otherwise, we’ll fall behind!

There’s freedom in letting go of the things we don’t control.
Instead, hold on to the One who controls it all.

An overwhelming faith that completely trusts and follows after Jesus is the kind of faith that frees us to love other people.

Look to the psalms for an effective strategy to turn worry into worship.

Learn how to preach to yourself.

“Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself? Take those thoughts that come to you the moment you wake up in the morning. You have not originated them, but they start talking to you, they bring back the problems of yesterday.

Somebody's talking.
Who is talking to you?
Your self is talking to you.

Now the psalmist’s treatment was this; instead of allowing this self to talk to him, he starts talking to himself. “Why are you cast down, O my soul?” he asks. His soul has been depressing him, crushing him. So he stands up and says: “Self, listen for a moment, I will speak to you. . . Why are you cast down? — What business have you to be disquieted?”

. . . And then you must go on to remind yourself of God, who He is, and what God is, and what God has done, and what God has pledged Himself to do. Then, having done that, end on this great note: defy yourself, and defy other people, and defy the devil, and the whole world, and say with this man: “I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.”
Martin Lloyd Jones

Whether you joined us on-site or online, thanks for being with us tonight!
May you have a blessed week ahead!

Check out the app for upcoming events, and we look forward to gathering again next weekend.