Following Jesus….Truly

"If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it. For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” - Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:24-26) You and I are called to follow Jesus Christ! God made us to belong to him, to love him, to stay close to him, and to live in joyful obedience to his will. Because Jesus Christ is Lord (the supreme ruler and owner of all creation), we, his creation, are to conduct our lives according to his character and purposes. We are happy that you joined us today. Together we will explore the Biblical idea of discipleship or following the Lord. We will grow in spiritual understanding of what it means to be led by the Lord, we will receive conviction and inspiration that will help us be true or better imitators of the Lord, and we shall obtain empowerment from God to follow him each day of our lives. You and your family will be blessed as you listen attentively with an open heart to know what God wants so that you can do it. Following Jesus is God’s will for you. You are to walk in his steps. You are to tread on paths that he has carved and set for you. Living like Jesus is the standard of God for us. You and I can fulfill it because we have the Holy Spirit living inside each one of us. Our faith in God enables us to overcome the world and other hindrances and limitations. What does it mean to follow the Lord? What does the Lord ask us to do? How do know that we are following the Lord and not just doing what we want or what other people want? The Word of God, the Bible, gives us the answers we need and seek. When we desire to know and, more importantly, to do what God says and to be what God wants us to be, we will receive all the help from heaven that we need. We will be able to follow Jesus...truly, and not just in words or intentions but in actual fact and practice. When we change lifestyle in some areas of our lives so we can please the Lord, we are entering into some challenging and exciting seasons of our lives. We will be thrilled at the results. There may be a time of waiting and the change may be very tough at the start for some, but we will be adequately helped by God and encouraged by our progress and the witness of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. Welcome to a very exciting season, your best season so far, as we Change Lifestyle for the glory of God! May God’s rich blessings be yours and your family’s this week and the weeks ahead! Lathur Badoy