Friday's Follow-up
Versus
Proverbs 3:1-6
1 My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
2 for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you peace and prosperity.
3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Pondering Point
Go back to this section of scripture and read it as if God is speaking it to you personally – your Heavenly Father to you, His child. Which phrase catches your attention? Ask yourself why. Ask God why. Pour over the words a third and fourth time. Own them; internalize them; take them into your heart; let them influence your thoughts and behaviors as you go – not from God – but with God and for God.
Prayer
Father God, etch Your word into my heart. Let it be a tablet that I can access all the time. I don’t want my lack of understanding to lead to a lack of trust in You. Here again, I submit my life to You and commit my ways to You, trusting You in life, death and everything in between. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Micro-Group (MG) Moment
Remembering our call to follow Jesus and let Him make us fishers of men:
The following is from Putnam, Real Life Discipleship workbook, week 2.
The Head: Jesus’ Invitation into Relationship with Him
Come Follow Me... To “follow” Jesus means know Him and come under His authority and direction. We call Him Savior and Lord; as Savior, He delivers from sin, death, and the devil; as Lord, He has ownership of our lives, and we are to submit to His leadership, even denying ourselves to do so (Luke 9:23).
Luke 9:23
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
The Heart: Being Changed by Jesus
And I will make you… Using His Word, Spirit, and body (other believers), Jesus’ brings change into the lives of His disciples. The result will be altered attitudes and shifting priorities. This happens as you spend time in relationship with Jesus in prayer, bible study, meditation & with His people in small group, worship, & fellowship.
The Hands: Joining Jesus on His Mission
Fishers of men… In response to Jesus’ call, we are to join Him in His mission to the world – fishing for men, or as Jesus says in Luke, “to seek and save what was lost” (Luke 19:10). We are committed to His agenda in life even above our own, serving at His pleasure with whatever time, talents and resources He puts at our disposal.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, with head and heart and hands, with soul and mind and strength, I am reporting to follow You and learn to fish for people, making disciples of all nations. Lead the way. Amen.