NMC Audio Podcast

As Jesus left this earth, He left behind a small group of 11 with a game plan. This household of faith - this OIKOS - put this game plan into action in a way that has revolutionized the world to this day. To this day, these parting words from Jesus have the ability to challenge us to our core.

After wandering for 40 years in the wilderness, a new generation is ready to enter the promised land. But first God prepares Joshua and the nation by reminding them of the importance of courage and consistent faith. As a family it is easy to forget the many ways that God has blessed our lives unless we pause regularly to remember.

Most of us as children remember misbehaving in church. While our goal was to entertain ourselves, our behavior often caught our parents’ wrath. So how should we behave ourselves? What’s expected of us? Is the local church even relevant today? Do we really need this thing called the local church? Amidst people whose lives are full, is there time for church? Is church really worth it?

Family is a big deal to God. From the creation of the first family to Noah, who was instructed to take his whole family on the ark, family is job one. it is God’s desire that every family be a family of faith. Family is where faith is modeled and God’s principles are taught. Family is where love is displayed. Family is a safe place in an unsafe world. While society seeks to redefine and even minimize family, God says family is how life is to be done.

Jesus’ first word to His disciple was follow. It was not lead. As we grow and walk in Him it’s imperative to be so filled with Jesus that following Him is the norm and not the exception. Tough choices will come. Hard decisions will need to be made. Following Jesus, filled with wisdom and learning to discern His best for us, is essential for victorious living.

The heart of following Jesus is all about His will; finding it and following it. Every person is faced with life-altering decisions. Big decisions have big consequences, so learning to live on God’s path for our lives is essential. Jesus teaches that being a part of His family is all about doing God’s will. It’s far more than a simple decision. It’s a lifestyle that says, “Your will be done.”

When Jesus calls us to follow Him it has a ring of exclusivity. Following Him requires us to abandon following other things. He desires to be in the lead. Our following Him needs not be burdensome or difficult. It simply requires obedience and letting Him be in the lead. Jesus uses a picture to describe following Him - a picture of a yoke. It’s when we put on His yoke that walking in faith becomes doable and not burdensome. It becomes life giving, not paralyzing.

The call of jesus to His followers is clear. There are no Monday morning quarterbacks, no benchwarmers, no spectators in the stands. Jesus takes passionless people and infuses them with a heart for the cause. Jesus demands His followers leverage everything they have for Kingdom impact. Doing nothing is not an option. Engaging with every ounce of our energy is the minimum standard.

So who is this one we are following? Is He trustworthy? Where will He take us? What do we know about Him? The actions of Jesus and the people He asked to follow Him tell us more about Jesus than about the people. Discovering who these people are tells us so much about Him.

Few symbols have as rich of meaning as the cross. While worn as a piece of jewelry, its meaning is varied. For believers the empty cross is a sign of life. The resurrection of Jesus gives us the confidence that death is destroyed and life is ours through Jesus.

When Jesus calls us, it’s a call to the cross - a call to die. Jesus boldly states that if a person wants to live they must first die. This death is a death to sin, to pride and independence. It’s a death to the desire to be king of our own lives. Simply stated, Jesus says, “Come and die!”