Follower of One : Missions For The Rest Of Us: Recent Episodes
Mike Henry Sr.
A show for marketplace Christians to energize and encourage you to live out your faith every day, right where you are. Begin your day with Christ-centered ideas to share your joy with those around you. Add in weekly interviews with other like-minded Christians so you can share in their joy and learn how they make Jesus visible in their workplace every day.”
In this episode of Vision Cast, Mike Henry Sr. delves into the purpose and impact of marketplace mission trips, inspired by Hebrews 10:24. He recounts the milestones achieved since the inception of these trips in 2018 and shares his vision for the future, which includes involving a thousand churches globally in these mission trips. Mike highlights the importance of living out faith in everyday actions and how local churches can support this initiative. He also invites listeners to pray, participate, and provide feedback on this ambitious vision.
In this episode of the Follower of One podcast, we share a recording of a recent livestream from our online community. Mike Henry Sr. discusses the vision of Follower of One, a ministry dedicated to helping believers integrate their faith into their work. He shares the inspiring story of how Follower of One began, highlighting the spiritual warfare faced and the incredible growth experienced. Mike emphasizes the importance of community and highlights the five daily habits of prayer, appreciation, knowing what you believe, serving others, and speaking for yourself as a framework for living out faith in the workplace. He encourages listeners to join the Follower of One community, participate in their Marketplace Mission Trips, and utilize the free Marketplace Mission Trip workbook to deepen their faith journey.
Join Mike Henry on the Follower of One Vision Cast for a powerful message about the true purpose of the local church! Drawing inspiration from Matthew 16, Mike unpacks the often-overlooked truth about the Church's offensive nature. We're not called to simply hunker down and wait for heaven; God has designed the Church to actively advance His Kingdom into every corner of society. Mike challenges listeners to see their everyday lives—work, relationships, passions—as opportunities to make Jesus visible. Discover how your actions, when motivated by faith, become acts of worship that build God's Kingdom. This Vision Cast is a call to action for every believer who wants to see God move in their world.
Celebrating Seven Years of Follower of One: Progress and Vision
Join Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One as he shares the progress and vision of their online community ministry. Recording on April 1st, Mike recaps the journey since becoming a #nonprofit in 2017, emphasizing practical faith integration and recent activities like the #marketplace #missiontrip . He encourages listeners to pray, support, and engage with the ministry to mobilize the body of Christ further. Mike also highlights future goals, including increasing church participation and continuing to enable believers to live out their faith daily. 00:00 Welcome to the Vision Cast!
00:31 Celebrating Progress and Milestones
01:32 The Journey of Follower of One
04:00 Impact and Feedback: The Ministry Mindset Challenge
04:49 The Power of Support: Donations and Volunteerism
06:26 Expanding the Mission: Marketplace Mission Trips
08:48 Future Goals and Community Engagement
10:40 A Call to Action: Mobilizing for Ministry
16:57 Closing Thoughts and Gratitude
In Matthew 18.7, Jesus warns us about the consequences of causing offenses, or "woe to that person by whom the offense comes." This verse serves as a sobering reminder of our responsibility to maintain harmony and unity within the body of Christ. The world is filled with offenses that distract us from God's purpose for our lives. These stumbling blocks can take various forms, including arguments, slander, gossip, or any action that hinders a brother or sister in their walk with Christ. When we harbor offenses or spread negativity, we become obstacles to others and bring ourselves under the condemnation of God. Jesus calls us to be gentle, humble, and authentic, like little children. By setting aside our pride and personal grievances, we can resolve offenses and create a conducive environment for faith to grow. In Romans 12:18, we are instructed to "live at peace with all men, so far as it depends on you." The goal of every follower of Christ should be to serve others, as Jesus himself did. When we lay down our own rights and desires to uplift and support those around us, we minimize the potential for offenses. Let us strive to be peacemakers and bridge-builders rather than stumbling blocks. As an organization dedicated to integrating faith into work, Follower of One recognizes the importance of fostering a positive and encouraging work environment. Our five daily habits – praying for others, expressing appreciation, knowing what we believe, serving others, and speaking for ourselves – are designed to promote unity and prevent offenses. By embodying these principles, followers of one can become catalysts for a transformative work culture. Remember, "woe to that person by whom the offense comes." Let us choose to be intentional about avoiding offenses and work towards creating a world where the love of Christ unites us all. of this world are temporary, but the consequences of our actions are eternal. Let us strive to be humble, gentle, and forgiving, reflecting the character of Christ and creating a world where love and unity prevail. #offense #humility #authenticity #servingothers #gospel #gospelofmathew #followerofone
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Join Mike Henry, Sr., founder of Follower of One, as he shares his vision for a community of believers who are making a difference in the world by living out their faith in all spheres of life, including the workplace.
In this inspiring livestream recording, you'll discover:
- How to overcome the compartmentalized life and live a fully integrated life
- Strategies for transforming your workplace through your faith
- Opportunities to connect with other Christ followers who are passionate about integrating faith and work
- How to join the Follower of One movement and be part of the solution to filling the earth with the knowledge of God's glory
Whether you're a business professional, entrepreneur, or stay-at-home parent, this livestream recording will equip and inspire you to live out your faith in all aspects of your life.
Join the Follower of One community today and unlock the power of integrated faith and work!
#FollowerOfOne #MarketplaceMinistry #IntegratedFaith #FaithAndWork #ChristianCommunity
Discover the Power of Community for Marketplace Christians: Vision Cast #2
Welcome to Vision Cast #2! In this live stream, Mike Henry, Sr. invites you into the journey of Follower of One, an online community designed to help marketplace Christians integrate their faith and work on a full-time basis. Learn why community is essential for our Christian growth and how it can transform our daily lives.
Reasons We Chose to Be a Community:
- We Need Each Other: Discover the biblical mandate for togetherness and why we thrive when we connect with others who share our faith.
- We're All Equal at the Foot of the Cross: Understand the significance of equality in God's eyes, transcending hierarchies and recognizing our shared purpose.
- We Become Like the People We Hang Around: Embrace the influence of our relationships and intentionally surround ourselves with individuals who inspire and encourage us in our faith journey.
Join the community and explore marketplace mission trips, engaging reading plans, courses, and affinity groups that align with your interests. Find support, encouragement, and practical insights to infuse your faith into every aspect of your daily life.
Remember, what we do because we follow Jesus matters forever. Together, let's make a difference and inspire others to draw closer to Him.
Subscribe to Follower of One for more inspirational content!
Nicole Valance, Founder of Connected with Nicole, is a passionate leader driven by the Great Commission to reach people for Christ. Through her work as a keynote speaker, executive leadership coach, and consultant, Nicole empowers business organizations to achieve leadership growth and fulfillment. However, her ultimate goal is to facilitate encounters with Christ, particularly within the business community, helping individuals experience healing, deliverance, and a deeper connection with God.
"In This Episode" Section:
- 00:00 - Intro: Nicole and Mike Henry, host of the Follower of One podcast, introduce themselves and discuss how they connected through LinkedIn.
- 01:24 - How Nicole got Connected with Mike: Nicole shares how she reached out to Mike after listening to his podcast and resonating with his mission to help Christians live out their faith in their everyday lives.
- 02:26 - Encounters Retreats: Nicole explains the purpose and format of her Encounters Retreats, which are designed to provide individuals with an opportunity to encounter God's presence, experience healing, and connect with others on a deeper level.
- 06:36 - How did Nicole get started: Nicole shares her journey from working in vocational ministry to becoming involved in organizational coaching and consulting. She emphasizes that her mission remains the same—to fulfill the Great Commission—but her methods have changed to accommodate the needs of the business community.
- 09:55 - How to live out your faith each day: Nicole offers practical advice for Christians who want to live out their faith in their daily lives. She encourages listeners to identify three people in their lives who don't know Christ and pray for them consistently. She also suggests inviting people to coffee or lunch to build relationships and share their faith in a natural and loving way.
Summary:
In this inspiring interview, Nicole Valance shares her passion for reaching the business community for Christ and facilitating encounters with God. She emphasizes the importance of personal experiences with God and provides practical tips for Christians on how to share their faith in a loving and authentic way.
How to Connect with Nicole:
You can connect with Nicole Valance and learn more about her work through her website, connectedwithnicole.com, or on LinkedIn. She also invites listeners to attend her upcoming Encounters Retreats, which are held throughout the year in various locations.
Join Mike Henry Senior in this inspiring vision cast.
Discover how Follower of One is empowering believers to embrace the purpose Jesus has for their lives and make a difference in the world. In this live stream recording, Mike shares:
- The importance of integrating faith into daily life and work
- How Follower of One provides support and resources to help believers fulfill their God-given calling
- Exciting updates on the organization's growth, including the success of their @youversion reading plan and the increase in Marketplace mission trip participants Link to Bible Plan
Whether you're a seasoned believer or new to following Jesus, this vision cast will inspire and challenge you to live a life of purpose and impact.
Join the Follower of One community today and discover how your faith can make a difference in your sphere of influence and beyond. Visit followerofone.org to learn more and join the community of believers who are making a difference in the world.
#FollowerOfOne #ChristianPurpose #FaithAndWork #MarketplaceMissionTrip #YouVersionReadingPlan #ChristianCommunity #SpiritualGrowth #Discipleship #EmpoweringBelievers #MakingADifference
Garry Miles is a fractional COO and integrator who helps visionaries and business owners with operational aspects and culture.
He is passionate about creating ecosystems where people thrive and feel fulfilled, and he believes that businesses can be used as a force for good in society.
Garry's unique approach to integration involves prioritizing the well-being of people within the organization and creating cultures where individuals can laugh, appreciate each other, and have a good time together. He is skilled at identifying and addressing obstacles to growth and is an advocate for the role of integrators in businesses.
Garry is a sought-after speaker and writer on the topics of leadership, culture, and business operations, and he is passionate about helping others succeed.
In this episode
00:00 - Intro
06:17 - Introduction and Background(6:17)
11:37 - The Importance of Integrators in Businesses (11:37)
22:19 - Creating a Thriving Business Culture (22:19)
26:00 - Overcoming Obstacles to Growth(26:00)
28:30 - Gary's Involvement with Follower of One(28:30)
Connect with Garry Miles LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garry-miles-integrator
LiveStream Recording In this inspiring conversation, Mike Henry Sr. and Dale Young explore the concept of #calling and how we can discern and pursue it in our lives. Dale, a guest on the podcast, shares his insights on the importance of following God's leading and making our faith relevant in the workplace.
Key Points:
- Calling is a God-given sense of purpose that is bigger than any other goal or ambition.
- The five daily habits of gratitude, serving others, sharing our faith, praying, and reading the Bible can help us connect our faith with our work and open ourselves up to hearing God's calling.
- Community plays a vital role in discerning and pursuing our calling. Surrounding ourselves with like-minded individuals can provide support, encouragement, and accountability on our journey.
- To discern our calling, we need to seek God's guidance through prayer and self-reflection.
- Once we have a sense of our calling, we need to take steps to pursue it, set goals, take action, and persevere in the face of challenges.
- Fulfilling our calling is not just about personal fulfillment, but also about making a positive impact on the world around us.
Join the Follower One community and connect with like-minded individuals who are intentionally following Jesus every day at work and beyond. Visit community.followerofone.org to learn more.
00:00 - Into
00:26 - The Essence of Calling
04:09 - Seeking God's Guidance
07:15 - The Five Daily Habits
08:50 - The Power of Community
12:47 - Taking the Next Steps
16:03 - Serving Others
#calling #faithatwork #followerofone #christiancommunity #purpose
In Matthew 16:20, Jesus instructs the disciples not to tell anyone that he is the Messiah. This seems contradictory because we are called to share our faith with others. However, in this specific instance, Jesus had a set number of tasks to accomplish, including fulfilling Old Testament prophecies. If too many people knew too much too quickly, it would have been difficult for Jesus to complete his mission.
After his resurrection, Jesus gave the Great Commission to the disciples, instructing them to go and make disciples of all nations. This shows that while Jesus wanted to keep his identity as the Messiah a secret for a time, he ultimately wanted his followers to spread the word about him to the entire world.
For the past 2000 years, Christians have focused primarily on talking about Jesus when sharing their faith. While this is important, there are other ways to share our faith as well. By living like Jesus followers and demonstrating his love and compassion to others, we can help people understand that we follow a different guide and that our Savior is in charge of our lives.
The ultimate goal is to help others move one notch closer to Jesus, which brings great joy to both the person helping and the person being helped. By living our faith in the world every day, we can make a difference and show others the love and compassion of Jesus.
The passage for today is Matthew 16:18. It says, "I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
This verse tells us that Jesus Christ has established his church, and the forces of evil will not be able to overcome it.
We are called to take part in Jesus' work of taking back His creation from the forces of evil. We can do this by serving others, praying for people, and making a difference in the lives of those around us.
We should not see our faith as a set of rules to follow or a way to stay out of trouble. Instead, we should see it as an opportunity to make a difference in the world for Jesus Christ.
So let's not wait any longer. Let's start today by serving others, praying for people, and making a difference in the lives of those around us. We have been given a calling by God Almighty - to take dominion over the evil in the world and we need to remember that the gates of hell cannot prevail against His Church.
The passage for today is Matthew 16:16. It says, "Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Messiah, the son of the living God.'"
This passage tells us that Peter clearly stated his belief about Jesus. He said that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of the living God.
We are called to do the same. We should be able to clearly state our belief about Jesus to others. This doesn't mean that we have to give a long or complicated answer. It simply means that we should be able to say who Jesus is and why we believe in him.
When we are able to clearly state our belief about Jesus, we invite him into the dialogue. Our friends and co-workers begin to realize that we are motivated by something different than they are. This can transform our relationship with them and it might even transform their relationship with Jesus.
So let's all think about how we would answer the question, "Why are you doing this?" if someone asked us about our faith. Let's practice giving a simple, clear answer that explains who Jesus is and why we believe in him.
We are all marketplace ministers. We have the opportunity to make a difference with our faith in the world. Let's not be afraid to share our beliefs with others.
In this inspiring conversation, business consultant and author Barbara Hemphill shares her journey as a professional organizer and her passion for helping people transform their homes and offices into productive environments.
Barbara Hemphill is the founder of the Productive Environment Institute, a company that provides training and certification for professional organizers. She has over 40 years of experience in the organizing industry and has authored several books, including "Less Clutter More Life" and "Walking with Barbara: 30 Emails from God."
In this interview, Barbara shares how she got started in the organizing industry, the challenges she faced in the early days, and the innovative systems she developed to help people manage their paper and digital clutter. She also discusses the link between physical and digital clutter and our emotional and spiritual well-being.
Barbara's story is an inspiring example of how one person can make a difference in the lives of others. She is a gifted communicator and a passionate advocate for incremental change, believing that small changes over time can lead to big results.
Whether you're struggling to keep your home or office organized or you're looking for inspiration to make a positive change in your life, this interview with Barbara Hemphill is sure to leave you feeling motivated and empowered.
Connect with Barbara Hemphill at https://barbarahemphill.com
In today's passage, Matthew 14:30, Peter is walking on water with Jesus. When he sees the wind, he focuses on his circumstances and begins to sink. He cries out, "Lord, save me!" This short prayer is a reminder that we can pray to Jesus in any situation, no matter how desperate it may seem.
Little prayers matter. When we follow Jesus, what we say and do matters. Prayer is a dialogue between us and Jesus, and we can pray all the time.
We are called to be ministers in the marketplace, serving others so that they might see Jesus. This is our calling, and it is why we should focus on sentence prayers. They help us to stay connected to Jesus and to be open to His leading.
Let's pray, "Lord, save me. Use me today. And may what I do today count forever."
The passage for today is Matthew 14:28. It says, "Lord, if it is you, Peter answered him, command me to come to you on the water."
In this passage, Peter is asking Jesus to command him to come to Him on the water. This is a prayer, even though it doesn't look like one at first glance.
Prayer is simply talking to God. It can be formal or informal, long or short. The important thing is that we are communicating with God and seeking His will for our lives.
Peter's prayer is a good example of how we can pray to God. He is asking Jesus for something specific, but he is also submitting to Jesus' will. He is saying, "If it is you, command me to come to you on the water."
We can all learn from Peter's example. When we pray, we should be specific in our requests, but we should also be willing to submit to God's will.
We should also pray often. The more we pray, the more we will grow in our relationship with God. And the more we grow in our relationship with God, the more He will use us to make a difference in the world.
Let's all make a commitment to pray more often. Let's talk to God about everything, big and small. And let's be open to His will for our lives.
In John 5:25, Jesus says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live." This means that Jesus brings life to those who believe in Him.
We can help others come to know Jesus by living our lives differently, because we follow Him. We can pray for people, appreciate them, be prepared to answer questions about our faith, and serve others.
When we do these things, people may notice and ask us why we are doing them. This is an opportunity for us to share our faith and tell them about Jesus.
We are all part of Jesus' life-giving and life-distributing system. We can help bring Jesus to the world by living our lives differently and sharing our faith with others.
To live our faith differently, we can:
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Pray for people and appreciate them.
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Be prepared to answer questions about our faith.
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Serve others.
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Share our faith with others.
By doing these things, we can help others come to know Jesus and experience the joy of following Him.
In this video, we explore the concept of giving life in the context of following Jesus. We delve into John 5:21, where Jesus declares his authority to grant life to whomever he chooses, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life.
We reflect on the idea that people who do not follow Jesus are not necessarily "lost" or "dead" in a negative sense, but rather separated from true life and separated from Jesus, who is the source of life.
We emphasize the significance of helping others discover Jesus and experience eternal life through him. By living transparently and openly following Christ, we can be a blessing to others and share the message of Jesus, helping them to see what life is like following him.
We encourage viewers to start their day by declaring, "Here I am, Jesus, what do you want me to do today?" This act of surrender to Jesus' will marks the beginning of a journey of following him and enjoying eternal life.
By being a blessing to others and sharing the message of Jesus, we can help others experience the transformative power of following Christ.
In the Gospel of John, we encounter a compelling dialogue between Jesus and his disciples. As they navigate the tumultuous journey of ministry, Jesus proposes a seemingly audacious plan - to return to Judea, where just days before, the Jewish authorities had attempted to stone him. The disciples, understandably apprehensive, question his decision, prompting Jesus' profound response.
This exchange offers a valuable lesson for us as followers of Christ. When Jesus presents us with challenging or seemingly risky opportunities, how do we respond? Do we allow fear or doubt to hinder our obedience?
It's natural to question Jesus' directives, especially when they push us beyond our comfort zones. Yet, we must remember that he is the ultimate authority and has our best interests at heart. When we choose to obey him, even when it seems counterintuitive, we open ourselves up to unexpected blessings and divine transformation.
To help us navigate these challenging moments, we suggest two practical steps:
- Examine the Idea Against Scripture: Reflect on the biblical principles that guide our faith. Consider whether the idea aligns with God's character and teachings. Seek guidance from trusted spiritual mentors or resources.
- Take a Trial Balloon: Instead of diving headfirst into the unknown, begin with small, manageable steps. This allows us to test the waters, receive feedback, and discern if the idea is indeed God's leading.
As we follow Jesus more closely, we may encounter fear or resistance. In such moments, we can turn to our faith community for support and encouragement. Our fellow believers can offer fresh perspectives, help us challenge our assumptions, and provide a safety net as we step into the unknown.
The call to follow Jesus isn't always easy, but it's a path that leads to abundant life and eternal fulfillment. If you're feeling challenged by a particular idea or opportunity, remember that Jesus is with you every step of the way. Trust in his guidance, take courageous steps, and prepare to witness the extraordinary ways he works in your life.
The passage for today is John 6:47, which says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life."
This verse tells us that eternal life is not something that we get in the future, but something that we have now. We can experience eternal life by believing in Jesus Christ.
When we live our lives for Jesus, we are living in eternal life. We are not afraid to take risks or do things that are difficult, because we know that we have nothing to lose. We are free to love others and serve them, because we know that we are loved and accepted by God.
Let's all live like we have nothing to lose. Let's trust Jesus completely and let him lead us into the abundant life that he has for us.
Here are some ways to live like you have nothing to lose:
- Take risks for Jesus. * Step out of your comfort zone. * Don't be afraid to fail. * Love others unconditionally. * Serve others selflessly. * Live with joy and gratitude.
When we live like this, we are not only living in eternal life, but we are also making a difference in the lives of others.
In today's passage, John 6:35, Jesus says, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." This means that Jesus is the source of all that we need to sustain us, both physically and spiritually.
We often think of Jesus as the answer to our spiritual needs, but He is also the answer to our physical needs. He can provide us with food, water, and shelter. He can also give us the strength and courage to face whatever challenges we may encounter.
When we come to Jesus, we will never be hungry or thirsty again. This is because He is the source of all that we need. He is the bread of life.
We can trust Jesus to provide for us in all of our needs. He will never let us down. He is always there for us, no matter what.
Let's ask Jesus to show us how He is our bread and how He is our drink. Let's follow Him today and ask Him how He would have us show up in our world serving other people so that they might come to know Him.
The passage for today is Acts 5:42. It says, "And every day in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ."
This verse tells us that the apostles were committed to sharing their faith with others. They did this by teaching and preaching about Jesus, both in the temple and from house to house.
We can follow the example of the apostles by being intentional about sharing our faith with others. We can do this by talking to our friends, family, and co-workers about Jesus. We can also invite them to church or Bible study.
It is important to remember that we do not have to be perfect in order to share our faith. We just need to be willing to be obedient to God's call.
Let's all strive to be like the apostles and share our faith with others. Let's pray that God will give us the courage and the words to speak to others about Jesus.
We also need to be ready to face opposition. Not everyone will be receptive to our message. But we should not let this discourage us. We need to keep sharing our faith, even when it is difficult.
Let's all remember that we are called to be witnesses for Jesus Christ. Let's not be afraid to share our faith with others. Let's pray that God will use us to make a difference in the lives of others.
In Acts 5:40, the apostles Peter and John were flogged and ordered not to speak in the name of Jesus after being released from jail. Despite this unfair treatment, they rejoiced and continued to preach the gospel.
As followers of Christ, we may also face unfair treatment and challenging circumstances. It's important to be prepared for these situations and to trust God to make things right. We should not whine or complain, but instead, we should ask God to use our circumstances for His glory.
We have an opportunity to minister to others when we are treated unfairly. By trusting God and responding with grace, we can show others the love of Christ. We can also be a witness to our faith by continuing to live for Jesus, even when it is difficult.
Let's remember that our job as marketplace ministers is to simply help other people move one notch closer to Jesus. We can do this by living our lives according to His teachings, by sharing our faith with others, and by praying for them.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. What we do because we follow Jesus matters forever.
The main idea of this podcast episode is that fearing the Lord is the most important thing in life. This means living our lives in a way that reflects his character and doing what he says. When we fear the Lord, we are a blessing to others and we will be praised by him.
The passage for today is Proverbs 31:30, which says, "Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."
The author of Proverbs is challenging us to remember that we are not God and that we should put him first in our lives. When we do, he will make us to be praised and rewarded.
Fearing the Lord does not mean that we are afraid of him or that he will punish us. It means that we give him reverence and awe, we respect him, and we do what he says.
The wisest thing we can do is what we believe Jesus would have us do, even if it ends up not working out the way we thought it would. This is how we learn and grow closer to him.
When we fear the Lord, we are a blessing to others. We reflect his character and we do what he has called us to do.
The speaker's prayer is that we would all ask God what he would have us do and then go do it. This is how we show that we fear him and follow him.
Fearing the Lord is the most important thing in life because it leads to a life that is pleasing to God and a blessing to others.
In Proverbs 30:8-9, the author prays for enough provision to live, neither poverty nor riches, lest he be tempted to deny God or steal and profane His name. This verse teaches us to be content with what we have and to trust God to provide for our needs.
It's important to have ambition, but our ambition should be centered on Christ, not on stuff, rewards, or accolades. We should aim to follow Jesus and do His will, rather than pursuing our own selfish desires.
When we aim too high, we are tempted to go after the temporal things of the world. When we aim too low, we go after nothing. We should aim to live in the sweet spot, pursuing Jesus and His calling for our lives.
Let's find our spot in Christ and live in it, letting Him define our ambition and guide our steps. When we do this, we will be content with what we have and we will be able to use our resources to serve God and others.
The passage for today is Proverbs 29:11. It says, "A fool always loses his temper, but a wise man holds it back."
This verse teaches us that it is important to control our anger. When we lose our temper, we are acting like a fool. But when we are able to hold back our anger, we are acting like a wise person.
There are many reasons why it is important to control our anger. First, when we lose our temper, we say and do things that we later regret. We may hurt the feelings of others, or we may even damage our relationships. Second, losing our temper can lead to violence. When we are angry, we are more likely to lash out at others. This can lead to physical fights, or it can even lead to more serious crimes. Third, losing our temper can damage our health. When we are angry, our bodies release stress hormones that can increase our blood pressure and heart rate. This can lead to health problems such as heart disease and stroke.
For all of these reasons, it is important to learn how to control our anger. There are many things that we can do to control our anger. We can learn to identify the things that trigger our anger, and we can develop strategies for dealing with those triggers. We can also learn to relax and to calm ourselves down when we start to feel angry.
If we are able to control our anger, we will be happier and healthier. We will also be more successful in our relationships and in our careers. So let's all strive to be wise people who hold back our anger.
The passage for today is Proverbs 28:1. It says, "The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, but the righteous are bold as a lion."
This verse tells us that the wicked are afraid even when there is no danger, while the righteous are confident and secure. This is because the wicked know that they are deserving of punishment, while the righteous know that they are forgiven by God.
We can be righteous by trusting in Jesus Christ for salvation. When we do this, we are forgiven for our sins and we become children of God. We can then live our lives with confidence and security, knowing that we are loved and accepted by God.
Let's all strive to be righteous by trusting in Jesus Christ. Let's not be afraid of what others think of us, but let's be bold and confident in our faith. Let's live our lives for God and for His glory.
The passage for today is Proverbs 27:12. It says, "A sensible person sees danger and takes cover. The inexperienced keep going and are punished."
This verse teaches us that it is important to be aware of the dangers around us and to take steps to protect ourselves from them. If we are not careful, we can easily get into trouble.
As Christians, we should be especially careful to avoid the dangers that can lead us away from God. These dangers include things like temptation, sin, and worldliness. If we are not careful, we can easily be drawn away from God and into a life of sin.
To avoid these dangers, we need to be constantly on guard. We need to be aware of our own weaknesses and the temptations that we are most likely to face. We also need to be careful not to let our guard down, even when things are going well.
If we are faithful to God and we stay on guard against the dangers that surround us, we will be able to live a life that is pleasing to Him. We will also be able to help others to avoid the dangers that can lead them away from God.
Let's all be sensible people who see danger and take cover. Let's not be inexperienced people who keep going and are punished. Let's be careful to avoid the dangers that can lead us away from God and let's help others to do the same.
The passage for today is Proverbs 26:12. It says, "Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him."
This verse tells us that it is dangerous to think that we know everything. When we think we know it all, we stop learning and growing. We also become arrogant and prideful, which are both sins.
Humility is the opposite of arrogance. It is being honest with ourselves about our strengths and weaknesses. It is also being open to learning new things and growing in our knowledge and understanding.
Humility is important for Christians because it helps us to rely on God. When we realize that we don't know everything, we are more likely to turn to God for guidance and wisdom. Humility also helps us to be more compassionate and understanding towards others. When we realize that we are all sinners, we are less likely to judge others.
Let's all strive to be more humble. Let's be honest with ourselves about our strengths and weaknesses, and let's be open to learning new things. Let's also be compassionate and understanding towards others, remembering that we are all sinners.
The passage for today is Proverbs 25:6-7. It says, "Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence or stand in the place of the great. For it is better to be told, 'Come up here,' than to be put lower in the presence of a noble."
This passage is warning us not to be arrogant or presumptuous. We should not think more highly of ourselves than we ought to. Instead, we should be humble and let others put us in the place that they think is best for us.
It is better to be surprised by a promotion than to be embarrassed by being demoted. We should always be willing to serve others and put their needs before our own.
When we do this, we are not only being kind to others, but we are also honoring God. He is the one who gives us our gifts and abilities, and He is the one who will ultimately decide our place in life.
Let us all strive to be humble and to put others before ourselves. This is the way to live a life that is pleasing to God and that will bring us joy and fulfillment.
The passage for today is Proverbs 24:16. It says, "For a righteous person falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in time of disaster."
This verse tells us that it is okay to fail. Everyone fails at some point in their lives. The important thing is to get back up and try again.
We can learn from our failures and become stronger as a result. When we stumble, we should not give up. We should keep trying until we reach our goals.
Let's all remember that we are not perfect. We will all make mistakes. But we can learn from our mistakes and become better people as a result. Let's not be afraid to fail. Let's keep trying until we reach our goals.
The passage for today is Proverbs 23:17-18. It says, "Don't let your heart envy sinners. Instead, always fear the Lord, for then you will have a future and your hope will not be dashed."
This verse tells us that we should not envy others, but instead fear the Lord. When we envy others, we are focused on what they have and what we don't have. This can lead to discontentment and unhappiness. However, when we fear the Lord, we are focused on Him and His promises. This gives us hope for the future and helps us to avoid the trap of envy.
Envy is a destructive emotion that can damage our relationships and our own well-being. It is important to be aware of the dangers of envy and to take steps to avoid it. We can do this by focusing on our own blessings, being grateful for what we have, and trusting in God's promises.
Let's all strive to live our lives free from envy. Let's focus on fearing the Lord and living for His glory. When we do this, we will find that we have a hope and a future that will never be dashed.
The passage for today is Proverbs 22:16. It says, "Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth or gives to the rich will only come to poverty."
This verse warns us that if we take advantage of the poor or give to the rich, we will only end up in poverty ourselves. This is because God is just and He will not allow us to profit from the suffering of others.
Instead, we should be generous to the poor and help them in any way we can. This will not only please God, but it will also benefit us in the long run. When we give to the poor, we are not only helping them, but we are also investing in our own future.
Let us all be mindful of this verse and make sure that we are not oppressing the poor or giving to the rich. Instead, let us be generous to those in need and trust that God will reward us for our kindness.
The passage for today is Proverbs 21:13. It says, "He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be answered."
This verse warns us that if we are not compassionate to the poor, we will not be shown compassion ourselves. We need to have compassion for the people around us, especially those who are struggling financially or in other ways.
As Christians, we are called to be compassionate and to help those in need. We should not ignore the poor or turn a blind eye to their suffering. Instead, we should reach out to them and offer them our help.
There are many ways that we can help the poor. We can donate money to charities that support the poor, volunteer our time at soup kitchens or homeless shelters, or simply reach out to those in need in our own communities.
No matter how we choose to help, the important thing is that we do something. We cannot afford to ignore the poor and needy. We must have compassion for them and show them the love of Christ.
Let us all remember the words of Proverbs 21:13 and open our hearts to the cry of the poor. Let us be compassionate and generous, and let us help those in need.
The passage for today is Proverbs 20:3. It says, "Honor belongs to the person who ends a dispute, but any fool can get himself into a quarrel."
This proverb is reminding us that it is better to avoid conflict than to engage in it. It is easy to get into a quarrel, but it takes wisdom and maturity to end one.
As Christians, we are called to be peacemakers. We should strive to avoid conflict and to resolve disputes peacefully. When we do this, we bring honor to ourselves and to God.
Let's all ask God to help us to be dispute-enders. Let's choose to avoid conflict and to seek peace in all of our relationships.
The passage for today is John 1:14. It says, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."
This verse tells us that Jesus is the glory of God in human flesh. He is the only Son of God, and He came to earth to save us from our sins.
We can enjoy Jesus by spending time with Him in prayer, reading the Bible, and worshiping Him. We can also enjoy Him by serving others and sharing His love with the world.
Let's all take some time today to enjoy Jesus. Let's thank Him for coming to earth to save us, and let's ask Him to help us to live our lives for Him.
The passage for today is Proverbs 19:20. It says, "Listen to counsel and accept discipline that you may be wise the rest of your days."
This proverb reminds us that we should be open to criticisms and correction from others. This is the only way we can learn and grow. When we are defensive, we are not able to take in new information and we are more likely to make mistakes.
We should also remember that criticism and correction are not always easy to hear. However, if we can learn to accept them with humility, they can be a great blessing to us. They can help us to become better people and to live more fulfilling lives.
Let's all strive to be open to criticism and correction. Let's not be afraid to ask for feedback from others, and let's be willing to listen to what they have to say. If we do this, we will be on our way to becoming wise and successful people.
The passage for today is Proverbs 18:13. It says, "If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame."
This proverb teaches us that it is important to listen before we speak. When we speak before we have heard the whole question or situation, we are likely to say something foolish or embarrassing.
We can avoid this by being patient and waiting to hear everything before we respond. This will help us to avoid making mistakes and damaging our relationships.
Let's all remember to be patient and listen before we speak. This will help us to be more wise and effective communicators.
The passage for today is Proverbs 17:3. It says, "The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests hearts."
This verse tells us that God tests our hearts to show us what we are made of. He does this by allowing us to go through difficult situations. When we face these challenges, we have the opportunity to respond in a way that reflects our true character.
God tests our hearts to help us grow and become more like Him. When we allow Him to refine us, we become stronger and more resilient. We also learn to trust Him more and to rely on His strength.
If you are going through a difficult time, remember that God is testing your heart. He is not trying to punish you, but to help you grow. Trust in Him and allow Him to work in your life. He will bring you through this and make you stronger than ever before.
Remember, God is always with you and He will never leave you or forsake you.
In today's passage, Proverbs 16:16, we are told that it is better to get wisdom than gold, and to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. Wisdom is the skillful application of understanding or knowledge, while understanding is the ability to comprehend something. Both are important, but wisdom is what allows us to put our understanding into practice.
As Christ followers, we have been given the Holy Spirit and access to a greater understanding of the world. We should use this understanding to make a difference in the world by helping others move closer to Jesus. We can do this by sharing our faith, praying for others, and simply being a blessing to those around us.
Let's not let a day pass without moving one notch closer to Jesus and allowing Him to transform our world.
The passage for today is Proverbs 15:8. It says, "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is his delight."
This verse tells us that God is pleased with the prayers of the righteous. This means that when we pray to God with a sincere heart, He is happy to hear from us.
Prayer is a powerful way to connect with God and to experience His love and peace. It is also a way to ask God for help and guidance in our lives. Let's all make an effort to pray more often.
Let's talk to God about everything that is on our minds and hearts. He is always listening and He is always ready to help us. Prayer is a gift from God. Let's all take advantage of this gift and make it a regular part of our lives.
The passage for today is Proverbs 13:20. It says, "Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm."
This verse tells us that the people we surround ourselves with have a big impact on our lives. If we spend time with wise people, we will become wiser. But if we spend time with fools, we will suffer harm.
We should be careful about who we choose to spend our time with. We should seek out wise people who can help us grow in our faith and become more like Jesus. We should also avoid spending time with fools who will lead us astray.
Let's all strive to be wise and to surround ourselves with wise people. Let's also pray for the fools in our lives, that they would come to know Jesus and become wise.
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The passage for today is Proverbs 12:15. It says, "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice."
This verse tells us that we should not be too sure of our own opinions. We should be open to listening to advice from others, even if it is not what we want to hear.
When we are open to correction, we are more likely to make good decisions and avoid making mistakes. We are also more likely to be successful in our relationships with others.
Let's all remember that we are not always right. Let's be open to listening to advice from others and let's be willing to change our minds when we are presented with new information.
Let's also remember that we are all works in progress. We are all learning and growing. Let's not be afraid to ask for help when we need it.
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The passage for today is Proverbs 11:2. It says, "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom."
This verse teaches us that pride leads to disgrace, while humility leads to wisdom. Pride is thinking too highly of ourselves, while humility is thinking of ourselves rightly. When we are proud, we are more likely to make mistakes and to be embarrassed. When we are humble, we are more likely to learn from our mistakes and to grow in wisdom.
We can avoid pride by being aware of our own weaknesses and limitations. We can also avoid pride by being grateful for what we have and by acknowledging the good in others. We can grow in humility by spending time with God in prayer and by reading the Bible. We can also grow in humility by serving others and by putting their needs before our own.
Humility is a valuable virtue that can help us to live more fulfilling lives. When we are humble, we are more likely to be happy, healthy, and successful. We are also more likely to be a positive influence on others.
Let's all strive to be humble and to avoid pride. Let's remember that with the humble is wisdom.
The passage for today is Proverbs 10:4. It says, "A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich."
This verse tells us that if we are lazy and do not work hard, we will be poor. However, if we are diligent and work hard, we will be rich.
Diligence is characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic effort. It means that we are careful and intentional about our actions and that we bring our best energy to our work.
When we are diligent, we are not just going through the motions. We are not just trying to get by. We are putting our heart and soul into our work and we are doing our best to make a difference.
Diligence is important because it allows us to create wealth and to bless others. When we are diligent, we are able to provide for our families and to help those in need. We are also able to make a positive impact on our communities and the world.
Let us all strive to be diligent in our work. Let us put our heart and soul into everything we do and let us make a difference in the world.
The passage for today is Proverbs 9:8. It says, "Do not reprove a scoffer or he will hate you. Reprove a wise man and he will love you."
This verse tells us that we should be careful about who we give advice to. If we give advice to someone who is not receptive to it, they will likely reject it and may even become angry with us. However, if we give advice to someone who is humble and willing to learn, they will appreciate it and may even love us for it.
We can apply this verse to our lives by being mindful of the way we respond to correction. If we are humble and willing to learn, we will be more likely to accept correction and grow from it. However, if we are defensive and unwilling to listen, we will be more likely to reject correction and miss out on an opportunity to improve.
Let's all strive to be wise people who are open to correction. When we are corrected, let's receive it with humility and love. This will help us to grow in our faith and become more effective in our work.
The passage for today is Proverbs 8:35. It says, "For one who finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord." This verse tells us that wisdom is the key to finding life and favor from God. Wisdom is not the same as knowledge. Knowledge is information, but wisdom is the ability to use that information in a way that is beneficial. We can find wisdom by seeking God and asking Him to give it to us. We can also find wisdom by reading the Bible, which is full of wisdom from God. When we find wisdom, we will find life and favor from God. We will be able to make better decisions, and we will be more likely to succeed in our endeavors. We will also be more likely to please God and to live a life that is pleasing to Him. Let's all seek wisdom from God today. Let's read the Bible and ask Him to give us the wisdom we need to make good decisions and to live a life that is pleasing to Him.
The passage for today is Proverbs 7:1, 5. It says, "My son, keep my words and treasure my commandments within you so that they may keep you from an adulterous, from the foreigner who flatters with her words." Purity is important because every little bit matters. Every little lack of purity, every little impurity matters. Every little challenge matters. When we compromise even in the least, it matters. However, the good news is that every little thing we do can also matter forever. In Matthew 10, Jesus says that even when we give a cup of cold water, because we're a disciple, we shall not lose our reward. Let's ask God to show us where we're being lazy when it comes to purity. Let's ask Him to show us where we're tolerating just doing what we've always done. Because when we do what we've always done, we get what we always got. Today, let's attack our own purity. Ask God what He would have you change and then use the next five minutes to do something about it.
The passage for today is Proverbs 6:2-4. It says, "If you have been ensnared by the words of your mouth or caught by the words of your mouth, then do this, my son, and save yourself. Since you have come into the hand of your neighbor, go humble yourself and be urgent with your neighbor to free yourself. You have no sleep to your eyes nor slumber to your eyelids."
This passage is telling us that if we have said something that we regret, we should humble ourselves and apologize to the person we offended. We should do this quickly, before the situation gets worse.
This is important because it shows that we are taking responsibility for our actions and that we are willing to make things right. It also helps to restore the relationship that was damaged by our words.
When we humble ourselves and apologize, we are showing that we are more concerned about the other person's feelings than we are about our own pride. This is a Christ-like attitude, and it is one that we should all strive to have.
If you have said something that you regret, don't wait to apologize. Humble yourself and make things right. It will be worth it in the end.
The passage for today is Proverbs 5:21. It says, "For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he watches all his paths." This means that God is always watching us and he knows everything we do.
We should live our lives in a way that pleases God, knowing that he is always watching. We should not do anything that we would be ashamed of if God saw it.
We should also be thankful for God's constant presence in our lives. He is always there to help us and guide us. We can trust him with our lives and know that he will never leave us or forsake us.
Let us live our lives for God's glory, knowing that he is always watching and that he loves us very much.
What is different about people who follow Jesus? The passage for today is Proverbs 4:18: "But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full light of day." This verse tells us that the lives of those who follow Jesus should be getting brighter and brighter. This means that we should be growing in our faith and becoming more like Jesus every day. There are a few things that we can do to make sure that our lives are shining brighter and brighter. First, we need to spend time in the Word of God. The Bible is our source of spiritual nourishment, and it helps us to grow in our faith. Second, we need to pray regularly. Prayer is our way of communicating with God, and it helps us to stay connected to Him. Third, we need to be involved in a community of believers. The church is a great place to find support and encouragement from other Christians. When we do these things, we will be able to live lives that are shining brighter and brighter. We will be a light to the world around us, and we will help others to come to know Jesus.
Kindness and truth are key to being a good person and a good Christian. We should strive to be kind and truthful in all that we do, and to let these qualities shine through in our interactions with others. When we are kind and truthful, we are in a position to do what's best for the people around us and to help them move one notch closer to Jesus. We should also remember that kindness and truth are not always easy, but they are always worth it. When we live a life that is kind and truthful, we will find favor and a good reputation in the sight of God and man.
In Proverbs chapter 2, verses 1-5, we learn how to discover the knowledge of God. The author tells us that we must receive God's words and treasure his commandments within us. We must make our ear attentive to wisdom and incline our heart to understanding.
If we do these things, we will understand the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God. The author reminds us that the beginning of knowledge is the fear of the Lord.
When we receive God's words and treasure his commandments, we are putting ourselves in a position to understand the knowledge of God. We are also given the opportunity to be a blessing to the people we work with.
Let's turn our lives to listening to and trusting God so that we can be his instrument in every interaction we have today.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. This verse from Proverbs 1:7 is the starting point for a series of podcasts on the book of Proverbs.
The fear of the Lord is not about being afraid of God, but rather appreciating his power and strength. When we understand his power, we will be in awe of him. God is the origin and beginning of everything, and true knowledge begins with trusting him.
The opposite of fearing the Lord is despising wisdom and instruction. This foolishness leads to a life separate from God and uninformed about the eternal. When we despise wisdom and instruction, we become fools.
This knowledge of God gives us the freedom to make choices that are informed by the eternal. We can choose to spend our time, money, and energy in ways that matter forever. We can be involved in loving God and loving people, the two great commandments that Jesus gave us. Our actions, choices, and what we do matter forever.
The challenge is to live in such a way that we make God visible. We can do this by doing something for someone we work with or go to school with, simply because we follow Jesus. This is our opportunity to make him visible in the world.
Being a marketplace minister means considering how our faith can make an eternal difference. It all begins with the knowledge of God and the fear of God. Let's start there today and be a blessing to others.
The passage for today is Mark 4:40-41. It says, "And he said to them, 'Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?' And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, 'Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?'"
In this passage, Jesus is asleep in a boat with his disciples when a storm arises. The disciples are afraid and wake Jesus up, asking him to save them. Jesus rebukes them for their lack of faith and then calms the storm.
This passage teaches us that we should not be afraid when we face challenges in our lives. Instead, we should trust in Jesus and have faith that he will help us through them. When we have faith in Jesus, we can be confident that he will always be there for us, no matter what.
The passage for today is Mark 4:38. It says, "Jesus himself was in the stern asleep on the cushion and they woke him and said to him, 'Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?'"
This passage shows us that Jesus is the one who gives us peace. Even in the midst of a storm, Jesus was able to sleep peacefully because he trusted in God. We can have the same peace if we trust in Jesus.
When we are worried or anxious, we can remember that Jesus is always with us and he will never leave us or forsake us. We can also pray to God for peace and he will give it to us.
Let's all strive to have the peace of Jesus in our lives. Let's trust in him and let him give us the peace that we need.
The passage for today is 2 Thessalonians 3:16. It says, "Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all."
This verse tells us that God is the source of peace. He is the one who can give us peace in all circumstances. When we trust in Him, we can have peace no matter what is going on around us.
We can be peacemakers by bringing peace into our relationships and into our workplaces. We can do this by being kind, compassionate, and forgiving. We can also be peacemakers by praying for peace and by working to resolve conflicts.
Let us all strive to be peacemakers in our world today. Let us trust in God and let His peace reign in our hearts and minds.
In this devotional, we explore the universal commands in the Bible to give thanks in everything.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us, "Give thanks in everything for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on God's goodness and provision. As we give thanks, we turn ourselves more to Him and step into the potential of the contentment He created us for. We also send a message to the people around us that we know who's in charge and that we trust His character. Let's take some time today to thank God for all He has done and for what we know He will do. Let's be thankful for the people in our lives and for the opportunity to make a difference in the world.
Thank you for being a follower of Jesus Christ. Thank you for committing to make a difference in the lives of the people that you work with. Remember what we do because we follow Jesus Matters forever. And it starts with thanks.
Reflecting on Thanksgiving, consider the valuable connection between gratitude and contentment explored by Mike Henry Sr. in the latest Follower of One podcast. Drawing inspiration from 1 Timothy 6:6-7, he emphasizes the genuine nature of contentment, rooted in authentic thankfulness. Challenge yourself to set a goal for the holiday season—to embrace contentment by recognizing and appreciating the gifts life has bestowed upon you.
To our amazing listeners, your support is the driving force behind this community. As we approach Thanksgiving, let's not just talk about gratitude but actively make a positive impact in our spheres of influence. Join us in spreading positivity and making a difference as followers of Jesus Christ. Grateful for each one of you. Stay tuned for more!
The passage for today is Matthew 17:20. It says, "He said to them, 'Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.'"
This verse tells us that even a small amount of faith can have a big impact. When we trust in God, He can do great things through us.
We can see this in the story of the mustard seed. A mustard seed is one of the smallest seeds in the world. But when it is planted, it can grow into a large tree. This is because the mustard seed contains all of the information it needs to grow into a tree.
In the same way, when we have faith in God, we have all of the resources we need to live a successful life. We may not be able to see the results of our faith right away, but if we keep trusting in God, He will eventually bring our plans to fruition.
So don't let your faith be discouraged. Even if it is small, it is still powerful enough to move mountains. Just keep trusting in God and He will do great things through you.
In this episode of the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry hosted Greg Frost, the driving force behind The Well Exchange. Their conversation unveiled the remarkable journey and mission of The Well Exchange, centered on fusing faith with organizational development. Greg Frost, in this compelling dialogue, shared the evolution of The Well Exchange, providing insights into the unique blend of faith and business strategies at the heart of their operations. Greg Frost is the founder and guiding visionary behind The Well Exchange. His journey into establishing the organization stemmed from personal experiences, including rapid life changes such as marriage, relocation, and a series of transitions within a short span of time. His resilience and reliance on the support of a nurturing community, particularly older women engaged in intercession at their church, laid the foundation for The Well Exchange's inception six years ago. It's not just about prayer – it's about investing time and unwavering commitment to foster a kingdom culture within businesses. Greg's narrative vividly showcased the pivotal role of intercession, coaching, inner healing, and prophetic revelation in transforming organizations. It's an approach that sparks curiosity and the desire to delve deeper into this captivating fusion of faith and business. In this Episode: * Foundational Experiences: Rapid life changes led to the inception of The Well Exchange. * Intercession and Business Fusion: The integration of faith into business strategies. * Developing a Kingdom Culture: Nurturing an organizational environment centered on peace, joy, and righteousness.
How to Get Connected: * Visit The Well Exchange's Website: Explore their unique blend of services and free resources. * Connect with Greg Frost: Engage with the visionary behind The Well Exchange. * Podcast Resource: Access the episode to dive deeper into faith-centered business strategies.
The passage for today is Mark 4:31-32. It says, "It's like a grain of mustard seed, which when sown on the ground is the smallest of all the seeds on earth. Yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade."
This passage is about the power of faith. Jesus is saying that even though faith may start out small, it can grow into something big. He compares faith to a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds. But when it is planted, it grows into a large plant that can provide shelter for birds.
This is a reminder that we should never underestimate the power of our faith. No matter how small it may seem, it can grow into something great. We just need to plant it in the ground and water it with prayer and trust.
If we do this, our faith will grow and we will be able to do great things for God. We will be able to help others and make a difference in the world.
So let's not be afraid to share our faith with others. Let's plant the seeds of faith in their hearts and water them with prayer. We never know how big they might grow.
The passage for today is Mark 4:26-27. It says, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows. He knows not how."
This passage is a parable about the kingdom of God. Jesus is saying that the kingdom of God is like a seed that is planted in the ground. The seed grows and sprouts, even though the farmer does not know how it happens.
This parable teaches us that the kingdom of God is a mystery. We do not always understand how it works, but we can trust that God is at work in it. We can also trust that the kingdom of God will grow and spread, even when we do not see it happening.
We can apply this parable to our own lives. We may not always see the results of our work, but we can trust that God is at work in us and through us. We can also trust that the kingdom of God will grow and spread, even when we do not see it happening.
Let us not be discouraged if we do not see immediate results from our work. Let us continue to sow the seeds of the kingdom of God, and trust that God will bring about a harvest in his time.
The passage for today is Mark 2:17. It says, "And hearing this, Jesus said to them, 'It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.'"
This verse tells us that Jesus came to save sinners, not those who are already righteous. This means that we are all in need of Jesus, no matter how good we think we are.
We can help others move one notch closer to Jesus by sharing our faith with them. We can do this by talking to them about Jesus, inviting them to church, or simply living our lives in a way that reflects His love.
Let's all remember that we are all sinners and that we all need Jesus. Let's also remember that we have the opportunity to help others come to know Him. Let's not be afraid to share our faith with others and let's pray that they will be open to hearing what we have to say.
Do you ever think of yourself as belonging to Jesus? "Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." Galatians 5:24 NASB Often, when I memorize a passage of scripture, I often stop there in my study. I confess that until recently, I haven't thought much about this verse. Now, I'm working to memorize it. A friend once told me that to decide means to cut or cut away. She said "decide" is like "homocide. You kill all the other options." This verse says much the same thing. If I choose the Spirit I must crucify my flesh. I have such a hard time with this. I eat too many sweets and I can always come up with a better idea than working out. These are areas where my flesh and it's passions and desires aren't crucified. Does that mean I don't belong to Christ Jesus? I don't think so. I have in so many other areas. We're all works in progress. This side of heaven, there is always some degree of error. I'm grateful for that. Verses 25 and 26 seem to also be speaking to this same issue. Today, thank God for the victories you have already won. If you've been a Christian more than a day, there are areas of your life where you have crucified the flesh. Thank God for those. Focus on the gain. The gap will always be with us. Ask God to help you close the gap between where you are and where you want to be. Then, take part in a community where you can help and be helped. Check out https://community.followerofone.org. This is an online community where we concentrate on helping one another move one notch closer to Jesus. Community is the habit that can strengthen all of us. Why not join us there. Remember, what we do because we follow Jesus matters forever.
What does it mean to be really free, or to be free indeed? "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:36 ESV This means that we have the freedom to choose our own path and make our own decisions. We are not bound by the expectations of others or by the circumstances of our lives. We are free to live our lives for God and to make a difference in the world.
We can exercise this freedom by taking every thought captive and choosing to obey God. We can also choose to serve others and to love our enemies. When we do these things, we are walking in the freedom that Jesus has given us.
We are free indeed when we trust Jesus and follow him. We are no longer slaves to sin or to the world. We are free to live our lives for God and to make a difference in the world.
What would you do if you knew you couldn't lose? “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. John 5:24 NASB I also talked about this in Episode 93: How to Live Your Eternal Life Now. Check it out.
Just where is the kingdom of God? Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst." Luke 17:20-21 NASB95 The kingdom of God is not an earthly kingdom, but a spiritual one. It is present wherever Jesus is obeyed. We can live in the kingdom of God by following Jesus and doing what he says. When we forgive someone, when we love someone, or when we serve others so that they might know Jesus or know him better, we are helping others see the kingdom of God. We are living in that kingdom.
Our job is to challenge life for ourselves and confront it with life for God, life obeying God. Today, let's live in such a way that we can glorify God because we obey him and we do what he says. Let's remember our job is to simply help others move one notch closer to Jesus. And then what we do because we follow Jesus matters forever.
In Mark 9:24, the father of a sick child cries out to Jesus, "I believe. Help my unbelief." This verse reminds us that even when we have faith, we can still struggle with unbelief. It's okay to admit that we don't have all the answers and that we need God's help to believe more fully.
When we go into our workplaces, we should believe that the best things that we can imagine will happen for the people around us. We should believe that they will grow in their knowledge of Jesus, that they will be drawn closer to Him, and that they will experience more joy in this life.
We should also believe that Jesus will use us to make a difference in the lives of others. We should pray for opportunities to share our faith and to serve those around us.
When we believe in Jesus and do what He says, we can make an eternal difference in the lives of the people we meet every day.
In Mark 9:23, Jesus says, "If you can, all things are possible for one who believes." This is a powerful reminder that anything is possible if we have faith in God. When we believe in Jesus, we are able to tap into His power and accomplish great things. We should go into our workplaces, schools, and other environments with the belief that all things are possible. We should remember that we are called to be God's people in the world and that we have the opportunity to see His glory and accomplish the good things promised in Scripture. Let's go into our environments today and remember that everything is possible for one who believes. Let's believe in Christ and ask Him to inform us and correct our beliefs. Let's be people who believe in Jesus and who are following Jesus. Let's serve others and speak for ourselves in a way that blesses the people around us. We have a miraculous opportunity to live in this world as Christ followers on an eternal clock. All things are possible to the one who believes.
Do you meet the requirement for entering the Kingdom of God? And Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! “For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Luke 18:24-25 NASB95 In the previous episode, I talked about how the Kingdom of God belongs to children. Today, we find that it is humanly impossible for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. Right after the scene in yesterday's episode, we find Jesus talking with the rich, young ruler.
In this podcast, Mike Henry from Follower of One interviews Jason Davis @thefortifiedlife , the founder of Jericho Force Enterprises. Jason shares his journey of moving from a scarcity mindset to a mindset of stewardship and abundance, aligning his financial approach with God's principles. The conversation explores how faith can be integrated into the business world, the importance of taking the next step in sharing one's faith, and the impact of faith in various industries. Jason also discusses his upcoming projects and his podcast, "The Fortified Life," aimed at helping Christian professionals integrate their faith into their work.
In this episode:
(0:27)Starting Jericho Force Enterprises to provide financial coaching and assistance. (8:10) Writing the book "Fortify: Being Rooted in God's Plan for Work and Business." (12:51)The Profit Blueprint ebook (15:03)Upcoming projects, including a devotional book and speaking engagements. (17:00)Jason's podcast, "The Fortified Life," helping Christian professionals integrate faith into work. (22:01)The role of Follower of One marketplace mission trips in empowering individuals to engage with their faith in the workplace. Jericho Force Enterprises: https://www.jerichoforce.com/ The Fortified Life Podcast: https://www.jerichoforce.com/podcast Jericho Force Enterprises Blog: https://www.jerichoforce.com/blog Jason Davis Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mrfortify
How can you take possession of the kingdom of God? And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them. But Jesus called for them, saying, “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." Luke 18:15-16 The Jews are coming to Jesus to be near him and to be blessed by him. The disciples told them not to bother the Teacher. But Jesus responded that the children should be allowed to come to him for the kingdom of God belongs to them. What does this mean? Most every modern translation uses the term "belongs." We have access to the Kingdom of God based on innocent trust. At least that's my understanding. In this passage, Jesus says the children have the kingdom of God in verse 16 and that others receive the kingdom like a child in order to enter it. Think about the Kingdom of God as being something a child can possess. Why do they "have it?" They "received [it] like a child [in order to] enter it."
This is an Encore episode of the Follower of One podcast from our archives. We are on a short break.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry, Sr. Thanks so much for joining me today. I want to finish up this section of Galatians 6. We've been doing a series on this and today we want to do the last two verses of the section that I want to cover. And those are verses 9 and 10.
I'm reading from the English Standard Version
"And let us not grow weary of doing good for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."
I love this section of Galatians because it's a great practical guide for how we can interact with the people that we come into contact with every day.
And he's reminding us here not to grow weary. He just used this analogy, we talked about yesterday, or in the previous episode, he used this analogy of sewing, planting, and growing. And he's reminding us too, that it takes time. In due season, we will reap, if we do not give up. Many times, we do what the Spirit tells us to do, and we don't see any results, or we see results that appear to be negative.
In my case, I struggled in my career. For many years, I would ask God to use me, to show me what to do, to get me out of the workplace that I was in and put me to work for him. And what he was doing was he was preparing me. I used to tell people that I was career challenged because I'd had so many jobs and I'd worked for so many different people.
And I was almost never happy in my work. And the times when I was happy, those companies went out of business. I felt like I had the kiss of death from a career perspective. But this verse came back, “if we do not give up." Now after being a Christian for over 30 years, I'm experiencing great joy because I get to help you figure out how to integrate your faith into your daily life.
That's my goal is to help believers integrate their faith, make their faith part of what they do every day. I begin that by praying. I punch in, I want to get on my eternal clock and say, "Here I am God." And then I want to do what I'm told. I don't need to grow weary in doing what I'm told by the Holy Spirit, because in due season, I will reap if I do not give up.
Many days I reap right then. I experience the joy of walking with Jesus. I experience the satisfaction of knowing that, even what happened to me today does not end up resulting in negative things; that God uses it all and causes good to come from all of it. So then as we have opportunities, let's listen to the Holy Spirit and do what he says.
We can do good to everyone, especially to those who are our brothers and sisters in Christ. Let's find a way today to share God's love with others through our actions. It begins with prayer. He will give you ideas. He will give you questions, and he will make suggestions that might sound a little crazy. But if you can do them, then he will give you more.
Let's practice today following Jesus in our workplace. Because in due season, we will reap, if we do not give up. Look for a way to bless someone that you work with today, someone that you interact with today. Some little thing that pops into your head is an idea given to you by God, to bless someone else. Try it out and see what happens.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for investing your life in trying to find Jesus and trying to reap the eternal life that he talks about. You will experience joy doing good and if you don't, reach out to me, I'd love to communicate with you.
You can shoot me a note at mike@followerofone.org. Or you can check us out in our online community, https://community.followerofone.org. You can find all of that on our website at https://followerofone.org. Thanks so much for being a marketplace minister. And thank you. In advance I want to thank you for the difference that you're going to make at work today.
This is an Encore episode of the Follower of One podcast from our archives. We are on a short break.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry, Sr. Thanks for joining me today. I'd like to continue our conversation. in Galatians 6. Today I want to read verses 7 and 8 from the English Standard Version.
"Do not be deceived: God is not mocked for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life."
I titled this podcast "Begin With the End in Mind." And that's from Stephen Covey's book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. But the idea originates here in scripture, and I think it might even predate this. The apostle Paul though is reminding us that whatever we sow we also reap. This is a farming analogy.
Our point is that if you put a seed in the ground, that's, what's going to grow whatever seed you put in there. That's what's going to grow. So, if you want a particular crop, you have to plant that crop. Well in our lives, we only have two choices. I don't know if you notice here, but this is very limiting.
There are only two choices. Either we sow to the Spirit, or we sow to the flesh. Everything that's not us asking God for direction, everything that's not us looking to God for guidance, it's our flesh. It's what we want. There are only two gods on this planet, the God of the universe and me. And if I'm God, this whole thing doesn't work.
But if he's God, then we get from the Spirit what we sow. We get eternal life. Also, the word's eternal life here in this translation and in others, remind me of a great book by John Ortberg Eternity Is Now In Session. We actually experience our eternal life. When we walk with Jesus when we go through our day with him. When we're sowing to the Spirit, we experience the eternal life now. Those of us who trust Jesus, we have the opportunity to live in our eternal life or to live in the temporal life.
In 2 Corinthians 4:18, it says that the things that are unseen are eternal, but the things that are seen are temporal. That's not an exact quote, but my point is, if I can see it, if it's something that's going on, it's not eternal. If it's all the things that we can see and touch and feel they'll burn up. But all the things that we do because we listened to the Spirit, those things last forever.
So, what's the application for us today? Today, I want to challenge you as you go to work, whoever you interact with today, remember to pray for them before you start. Remember to ask God to show you how he would have you interact with them.
Ask him to give you ideas for questions to ask. The Lord will give us questions. He will guide us to ask things that will cause other people to share information with us so that we might appreciate them more and express that appreciation and help them feel appreciated. And we may also find ways to serve them.
Those are our action items. And then, because we practiced being able to explain that Jesus is the motive behind everything that we do, we can also speak when someone asks. These are our daily activities that we talk about in Follower of One. It all begins with prayer. We can't sow to the Spirit unless we know the Spirit, unless we're chasing after Jesus and listening to God. Today, let's sow to the Spirit and watch him transform our lives.
We will reap eternal life, not at some point in the future, but even today, you may experience some.
This is an Encore episode of the Follower of One podcast from our archives. We are on a short break.
Welcome to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry, Sr. and our mission at Follower of One is to help every marketplace Christian see themselves as a full-time minister, as someone who's available to serve the people around them. We're currently going through Galatians 6 and we're on verses 5 and 6 today. I'm reading from the New American Standard.
"For each one will bear his own load. The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him."
I purposely put these two verses together. In your translation, I would be willing to bet there's a paragraph break in between verses 5 and 6, that 6 begins a new paragraph. But I'm not sure that it does. I wonder if Paul wasn't continuing his thought. The thought was, we begin 1 and 2 by bearing other’s burdens. And then three, four, and five are about us not being prideful or arrogant about that, but being humble, not boasting in regard to anyone, but what we do ourselves.
We can't compare ourselves to anyone else. And then five and six, I think tie together because Paul's reminding us that we are all taught. We are all students. We are all learning our faith and learning how to grow it and learning how to deliver it into the world. And then each one of us has to learn individually.
This is not a contradiction about bearing one another's burdens in verse two. We bear our own load when it comes to how we learn the faith and how we live it out in the world. That's up to us. Much of what we learn though comes from others. And therefore, we should share all good things with the one who teaches us.
Often, I learn some great lessons from people that I don't like or from people who are not believers. I've learned much about how to live my faith on a daily basis from challenging work environments. I was taught much by many people simply because I was looking and searching.
I was also taught by pastors. I've sat at the feet of pastors. I've been in church for my entire career as a follower of Jesus. I'm regularly in a church on Sunday. And that's because we have to be taught the word of Christ. We don't get to learn this on our own. Our job is to be a learner, to follow Jesus, and to be open to input from other people.
This is a command I believe to humility. To remembering that we didn't invent our faith and that we didn't just get it from God like Moses, we got it through the holy spirit, but through friends and people that were around or people that we're listening to. And so, the challenge for us today, I believe is to be humble.
To remember that what we know about the faith and where we are in our spiritual walk, it all came to us from other people. Therefore, we should share all good things with the one who teaches us. Let's be humble today. Let's go into our workplace with an attitude of being a learner.
God can teach us much through the people that we interact with, whether they're believers or not. And then we have a humble spirit, we will learn more and we will grow more. And Jesus will use us more. This humility, I think is part of us bearing our own load. You have a ministry in your workplace. Your ministry is how your faith becomes visible to every person that you interact with every day. We bear our own load and therefore we're in a position to share with others when we are taught. Let's be humble along those lines. Today, I want to challenge us. I can always hear another story or a lesson on humility. There's always more humility for me. And I expect there is for you. Let's ask God to show us where we can be humble, where we can be taught, what we can learn in our environments today.
Let's be sharers, so that we make a difference, and our faith makes a difference in our daily life.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for remembering that every action you take because you follow Jesus Christ matters. And how we show up in the lives of the people that we interact with daily, that matters too. Thanks very much for being a minister and for making a difference in your workplace.
This is an Encore episode of the Follower of One podcast from our archives. We are on a short break.
Welcome back to the Follower of one podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry. Thanks for joining us again today. We're in part two of Honest Self Evaluation from Galatians 6:3-5. And today I'd like to read that passage in the Christian Standard Bible.
“For if anyone considers himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Let each person examine his own work, and then he can take pride in himself alone, and not compare himself with someone else. For each person will have to carry his own load." Yesterday. I read this from the New American Standard, and you can tell there are differences in translation.
We talked a little bit about not comparing ourselves to others or not thinking that we are something when we're nothing. So, we have to be careful what we compare ourselves to because in verse four, he says, we need to examine our own work. We need to be objective about how we live and then we can take pride in our self alone, but we can't compare ourselves to other people.
Comparison is a trap. Comparison is what we use to make ourselves feel superior to others. Oftentimes I'll use comparison to make myself feel inferior to others. I feel like I don't measure up and I beat myself up about something. Then I always try and find someone who's better off than me to compare myself to. When I want to feel good about myself, then I try and find someone who's not as well off as me.
In every case that's a lie. These feelings that we have when we compare ourselves to others, they're false. They're a lie. It's us and Jesus. There's no one else to compare ourselves to. We're each on our own plan. And that's one of the things that we'd like to talk about here at Follower of One. I want to encourage you: our first daily activity is to pray. We try and remind ourselves about five daily activities on a regular basis. 1) Pray, 2) Appreciate others, 3) Know what you believe, 4) Serve others, and 5) Speak for yourself. Those are the five daily activities. Prayer is first because this is between us and Jesus. How you show up is a mix of who you are, what Jesus has called you to, all of your experiences and all of your history, and the environment that you're in, and the people that you're around.
You shouldn't do exactly the same thing as any other believer, most of the time. Most of our time, my prayers will look a little different than yours. My actions will look a little different than yours. My calling and my relationship with the people that I work with will look different than your calling and your relationship and the people that you work with.
So, let's not compare ourselves to one another. Rather let's compare ourselves, let's evaluate our relationship to Jesus. Are we doing what he said? If we're doing what he said, then we're examining our own work. We can take pride in what we've done, because we did what Jesus told us to do. Each person will have to carry his own load.
I'm not going to win any awards for something someone else did. My job is to listen to Jesus and do what he says. And I'm blessed when I do that, I experienced the peace and the joy of trusting Jesus and walking with him.
There've been many years when I really thought I was out in left field. And I might've been. I didn't seem to fit in the church.
We've actually talked in our community about how many of us feel underutilized in the church. And it's because our gifting doesn't line up with many of the jobs that the church has for us. And that's, what's so cool about Follower of One. We want to invite you to talk with Jesus and let Jesus put you to work.
And this way we will examine our own work, and not compare ourselves with others for each person will carry his own load. Jesus one day will ask you, "what did you do with what I gave you"?
Today let's follow Jesus. Today, let's ask him what he would have us do. And then as long as it lines up with scripture and it isn't illegal, then let's try and figure out how to do it. Let's solve for how. Our goal is to make Jesus visible in our world. When we obey him, we start that process. We begin to make that happen. Let's trust Jesus and live like we follow him, and he will put us to work.
And I promise you won't feel underutilized. Jesus will put you to work in your workplace and in a big way. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for making a difference with your faith. Everything you do because you follow Jesus matters. So today let Jesus invade your workplace and put you to work.
In this podcast, Steve Irby from Stillwater Designs shares his journey from starting a speaker company to integrating his faith into his business. He talks about how his faith influenced his decisions, particularly in how he treated people, even in a competitive business environment. Steve emphasizes the importance of trusting God in business decisions rather than relying solely on quick, profit-driven choices. He also highlights the significance of seeking God's guidance and finding peace in decision-making.
Steve's story showcases the intersection of faith and work, demonstrating that following Jesus can have a positive impact on how we conduct ourselves in the business world. It's a testament to how faith can shape one's values and decisions in both personal and professional life.
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This is an Encore episode of the Follower of One podcast from our archives. We are on a short break.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry Sr. I'm grateful to have you here today. We've been talking a little bit through Galatians 6, and today we're on verses 3-5: "For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself, but each one must examine his own work, and then he will have a reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. For each one will bear his own load." That's from the New American Standard Bible.
I could probably talk about verse three for the entire time today. "If anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself."
This is a definition of me. I feel like I'm often wrong, but seldom in doubt. I often think I'm something, but I have to be reminded regularly by God that I'm nothing.
I'm not nothing because he died on the cross for me. But I believe that Paul is making a comparison here. When it comes to saving ourselves - and he will talk about this and the next two verses, and this is how I believe he completes this meaning of this word, "nothing" here. We deceive ourselves when we believe that something we do matters for our own salvation.
There's nothing about us that's a good. We do good things because God calls us to, and we make those choices and those are great things. But overall, when it comes to saving ourselves, we're nothing. We're destined to destruction.
"If we think ourselves something, when we're not, we deceive ourselves." And the different translations also talk about this. I noticed in the CSB, it says. "If anyone considers himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself." In the New Living Translation. It says, "If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You're not that important." The Message says, "If you think you're too good for that, you're badly deceived." And the message is a little more discussional, but the point here is our job is to bear one another's burdens. We're not above bearing other people's burdens. And if we think we are above that, we deceive ourselves.
"Each one must examine his own work," it says in verse four, "and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone and not in regard to another." Again, the New American Standard is a little forced in the translation here because it tries to get a very accurate translation of each word. I believe what we're being told is we're not better off than the people we need to bear burdens for. Our job is to bear the burdens of others. And we're not better off.
Today, let's not think better of ourselves than we ought to. Let's not deceive ourselves. I want to stop right here because there's much to be talked about with regard to this word boasting and how each one of us will bear our own load.
So, we'll pick that up in the next episode. Today, let's remember, what we think of ourselves doesn't matter necessarily. We don't want to deceive ourselves. We want to think accurately and examine our own work objectively, not compare ourselves to others. Our job is to look out for the people around us, to look for opportunities to bear other people's burdens and not think of ourselves as above or better than that situation.
Today in your workplace, I'm praying that you find an opportunity where you can bear someone else's burdens, where you can learn more about them and be in a position to help them.
Let's pay attention to the people around us so that we can make a difference in their life. We can have the opportunity to bear their burdens today. Let's not think ourselves something when we are nothing. Today let's trust Jesus and do what he says. Thanks for being a marketplace minister.
And thank you for listening to this podcast. Please share this with one friend today, or if you didn't think this was that great of an episode, let us know what you think. Tell us what you would like us to talk about. I'll be going through Galatians 6 for a few more days. Thanks very much for your ministry.
This is an Encore episode of the Follower of One podcast from our archives. We are on a short break.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry Sr. And today's podcast is a part two. It's a continuation of the passage from yesterday. I want to reread the whole passage from yesterday. We're reading Galatians 6:1-2. And I'm reading from the English Standard Version.
"Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
We pretty well covered verse one yesterday or in the previous episode. Today, though, I want to talk about this challenge to bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
What does it mean to bear someone else's burdens? Does it mean to be aware of them? You'll notice in scripture, there are a number of places where we're told to do different things for one another. The apostle Paul is challenging us here to bear one another's burdens.
What might that mean? In our workplaces I think it requires us that we know that we get to know the people around us, not in a prying way, but in a transparent way. We need to know enough about the people around us through genuine interest.
This is not through prying. I'm not trying to find out things about my coworkers so that I might be able to use that against them or use that to judge them or to classify them. I want to know about my coworkers because I'm genuinely interested in them. I think we do our world a disservice, if all of our first-tier friends are people that live in some other part of town, and we see them on the weekends at church.
If we don't have friends in our workplaces, I believe we're not well equipped to bear their burdens. We need to have good friends in our workplaces. And the way that happens is by expressing a genuine interest in other people. This genuine interest is magnetic. In some regards, it's not always the case, but we tend to reciprocate.
I don't know if you've ever noticed. I often say this. We tend to like the people who like us, not always because there are sometimes when things just get a little strange. But genuinely, if you have a genuine interest in someone else, they will have a genuine interest in you or vice versa. And I don't even know which one comes first. But I believe as Christians, it's our job to have a genuine interest in others so that we can become aware of what's going on in their lives. In the United States, especially, but in the west, we have enough money to keep the world from knowing much about what's going on in our lives.
We can hire people to fix things and we can manage our own troubles. And our coworkers may not even know what's going on. But I'm challenging us as believers in Christ to be people who are in a position to bear another person's burdens. I also don't think this is a command only to Christians. In other words, I need to bear the burdens of people who are around me, if they're agnostic or atheist or if they belong to another religion. My goal is to be someone who's ready to bear the burdens of another person. And therefore, I will fulfill the law of Christ. I will be living in a way that Jesus did. Jesus didn't ask us if we wanted to be saved. He came and saved us. And I believe we need to be in a position to serve the people around us.
"Bear one another's burdens" is my version of serving people, knowing enough about them to find ways to be a blessing to them. Today, I want to challenge us as believers. Let's look around us. Are we as good a friend as we can be? Are we interested genuinely in the people around us? Are we in a position to be able to bear their burdens?
And if the answers to those questions are no, then let's ask the Holy Spirit to help us change. That's our job as marketplace ministers. Thank you for being a minister in the marketplace. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of the people around you. It all matters. If you'd like to hear more podcasts like this and join a community of people who are actively involved, trying to integrate their faith more into their daily lives, check us out at https://followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
This is an Encore episode of the Follower of One podcast from our archives. We are on a short break.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry senior. And today I want to talk about Galatians 6:1-2. I'm reading from the English Standard Version. "Brothers. If anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself. Lest you are too. Be tempted, bear one another's burdens. And so, fulfill the law of Christ."
This book and this verse, this passage, verses one and two of chapter six are aimed at believers. The "brothers" comment there translated in the CSB as "brothers and sisters,” in the New American Standard, it's translated as "brethren." It's basically saying "you who are believers in Jesus, you're our brothers and sisters. And then it says, "if anyone is caught in any transgression." When I was first taught this verse, my initial understanding, I'm not sure it was even the fault of the teachers, but my initial understanding was "if anyone" referred to those brothers, in other words, this passage applied to Christians interacting between Christians.
Now studying the verse, a little more and praying about this, and I still may be wrong. I believe that "anyone" here, "brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression," I believe that anyone means anyone. I believe it's very general and it's not limited to just other believers. In other words, "brothers, if any brother is caught in any transgression," would be different than "brothers if anyone is caught in any transgression." I believe this is a command to us as believers to be peacemakers in the world, to be those who build one another up and who bear one another's burdens. We're challenged in this passage that for anyone who falls short, who has an error, "who's caught in any trespass," one translation says. Another one says, "is caught in any sin" or "is overtaken in any wrongdoing."
Anybody screws up, we who are spiritual should restore that person in a spirit of gentleness. What does that mean? Well, it doesn't mean that we hold a grudge. Often in our workplaces, we keep score. We keep track of how other people have dropped the ball or how someone failed in the past. Here I believe he's challenging us to create restoration, to help put things back.
To help things get back to being right. Not just being to where the damage is controlled but being as right as it can be. And we want to restore that person in a spirit of gentleness, which means that we don't do this complaining or sighing, which I'm famous for having done. I would make faces or go, "Oh, whatever!" I don't think that was biblical.
I don't think that was in accordance with this passage. I need to have a spirit of gentleness. I want to bring a spirit of gentleness to the situation because I might be tempted. Now, I don't know exactly what temptation he's talking about here, but some of the temptations that I faced where I would be tempted to think better of myself than the other person, or I would be tempted to think that I was immune from the kind of mistake that they made.
I want to challenge us. If anyone drops the ball, comes up short, fails in their work, let's be the people who restore that person with a spirit of gentleness. Let's keep watch over the others around us and ourselves so that we're not tempted to think better of ourselves.
Today our challenge: watch for people around you. When people fumble or drop the ball, don't let them beat themselves up. Help restore them in a spirit of gentleness. This is what we try and do. We encourage one another through our online community, at Follower of One. And I want to encourage you with this podcast. These commands that were given all throughout scripture to be difference makers in our workplaces, these commands apply to every one of us. This is not just for the super spiritual. This is a choice that we can all make every day in our job to bring a spirit of gentleness and to look for people to restore. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of the people around you.
Join us as we work to get better at this in the online community, https://community.followerofone.org. You can join us there and take part in the next Marketplace Mission Trip, where we practice these things on a daily basis.
Thanks very much.
This is an Encore episode of the Follower of One podcast from our archives. We are on a short break.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry. And I'm grateful that you've joined me. This is a challenging verse to explain for me, because I fail so badly in this area.
James 5:9, "Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door."
I don't see any way around this command to not complain. And yet I complain a lot. Literally the word is groan. In, the English Standard Version. It says, "do not grumble against one another brothers." I do believe that he's speaking to believers, but I'm not too sure it's constructive to complain about anything ever. When I look at my own life, I can't see anything constructive that came from a simple complaint. Often it was from a request to do something differently. Often, I would need to ask someone else, "Hey, could we do this differently?" You can get into a situation where you're not comfortable or something doesn't seem right.
But asking to make something better is not complaining. I think this word "complain" and more accurately "grumble" here in the English Standard means whining, complaining about what's going on without being able to offer a suggestion or a way to make things better. We all know there's a right way to request something be changed.
And there are several bad ways. Much of what happens in our world today, I think is people just complaining. They feel powerless to make a difference. And so, they just want to create some grief, or they just want to get applause from someone else who's complaining.
Look at what you talk about in social media. Look at the way we interact with one another in our world. Look at the way that different things happen. I want to do a better job of identifying what it is that I'd like to be improved and then request that something be changed. "Could we do this a different way?" is much different than just whining about the way it's being done.
Today, I want to challenge myself and I hope I challenge you. If you hear this, when it airs we're in the holiday season. It's easy to get tired and angry and frustrated with traffic and the things that are going on around us. I want to complain less. If you interact with me, ask me how I'm doing. Challenge me to complain less. Challenge me to have constructive, positive things to say, not to grumble so that I'll be judged, but rather to lift others up. To share and to offer a blessing and an encouragement, something that might motivate someone else. There's so many opportunities that we have to be a blessing to the people around us and in my mind, many of those opportunities begin by simply not complaining.
So today I want to listen to James. I want to not complain. What about you? Are you willing to pray and ask God to help you not complain as well? Let's try it today and see how God makes a difference in our day. Thank you so much for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for helping other people move one notch closer to Jesus.
I pray that you're actively considering following and practicing our five daily activities. I also would ask that you consider joining the Follower of One online community? It's at https://community.followerofone.org. And you can join for no cost. You can take part in our next Marketplace Mission Trip. We have a Marketplace Mission Trip coming up in about six weeks, and you can learn more about how to live your faith every day, integrate your faith into your daily life and experience the joy of following Jesus every day of the week. Check it out at https://community.followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
This is an Encore episode of the Follower of One podcast from our archives. We are on a short break.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry Sr. I'm grateful that you're joining us today. So today I want to talk about Hebrews 10:14 "For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified." That was from the English Standard Version.
Do you ever think about the word sanctification or what sanctification means? In a way, it just means to be set apart for something special. We dedicate certain things may have good dishes, maybe putting out your Christmas dishes right now, as you hear this. In this chapter, the author is talking about the Jewish sacrifices, and it begins in Hebrews 10:1.
He points out that the sacrifice has never finished the job. They had to sacrifice over and over and over again for thousands of years. But the sacrifices never made them right with God, for the long haul. To be holy or to be sanctified, that means to be totally dedicated for a special use. Sacrifice is only substituted for the payment for our failure.
God allowed the Jewish people to make a sacrifice to pay for their failures. The next failure had the same problem though. They had to sacrifice again. The sacrificial system was only designed to point people to Jesus. This passage states that Jesus completed or that he perfected for all time, the sacrificial system. He ended it.
I often, when I mess up, when I spend time not thinking about God, when I overeat or when I behave in some way, that's just not God honoring, sometimes I feel like I have to give penance, or I have to make some penalty. And I think that goes back to, what's built into us around these sacrifices. This passage is telling us that Jesus finished this job.
Now I confess, I don't understand God. He went to a tremendous amount of trouble to save us. I can't fathom the extent of the trouble and I can't even imagine the expense and the difficulty. But Jesus has made it all seem so easy for us. Our salvation is complete. We experienced this one offering that completed for all time those who are sanctified.
And yet there's still a job for us. There's a calling for us to continue to grow in our relationship with Jesus too. I would like to concentrate on the piece of this that Jesus has finished. I've been set apart for God. Now there's still growth that needs to happen in my life.
And that growth is sometimes called sanctification as well. But I have been set apart. I have been completed; my sacrifices have been completed through Christ. I've been freed so that I can join Jesus in his work in our world. My seat with Jesus is reserved and therefore I'm free to take part in Jesus's work in our world.
Today, let's enjoy being completed. Let's enjoy being God's perfected people. No, we're not perfect. We don't live out the perfection, but the credit for that perfection, as far as it stands in our relationship with God is credited to our account. We're free to help others move closer to Jesus today because of what he's done for us.
How might that affect your plans for today? Might that change the way that you interact with the people that you come in contact with today? I hope it does. I hope today that we can focus our energy and our faith on how we live because of what Jesus has done for us. We're free to now take part in helping others move one notch closer to Jesus.
And that's what ministry is. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of others. Let's remember today that Jesus has completed the payment for us. And it's our job to simply live as his friends and his children and invite other people to move one notch closer with Jesus.
Thanks very much.
This is an Encore episode of the Follower of One podcast from our archives. We are on a short break.
Hey, it's Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Welcome back to our podcast and today's devotional. I want to dig back into the Old Testament again. This has to do with my daily reading, and I was reading in 2 Chronicles 25:9. I'll read you the whole verse, but we're going to just focus on the very end.
"And Amaziah said to the man of God, "But what shall we do about the hundred talents that I have given to the army of Israel?" The man of God answered, "The Lord is able to give you much more than this." The kingdom of Israel was split. You remember there were 12 tribes, 10 went to the Northern kingdom after Solomon passed away.
Ten went to the Northern kingdom and were called Israel. And the two remained in the Southern kingdom, Judah and Benjamin, and they were called the kingdom of Judah. It also happens that all the Kings of the Northern kingdom were not God-followers and some of the Kings of the Southern kingdom were good guys.
They were trying to follow God. And this fellow who was the king was named Amaziah. And Amaziah was planning to go to war with another kingdom, but he was afraid he didn't have enough of an army. And back then you needed a lot of people to win a battle. You needed God to be on your side too. Amaziah paid a chunk of change to the king of Israel to get an extra a hundred thousand men to fight with him.
And this man of God came to him in verse seven, it says, and he says, "Do not let the army of Israel go with you for the Lord is not with Israel, nor is he with any of the sons of Ephraim." That's anyone in the Northern kingdom. "But if you do go do it, be strong for the battle and God will bring you before the enemy."
He says he will bring you down before the enemy because God has the power to help. And he has the power to bring down. And Amaziah, said, "But what shall we do? We've invested a hundred talents." This is a hundred year wages. I've got this sunk cost. My challenge for us today is to not sell God short. Let's not take the things that we've done and stick with them when we believe we're convicted by God to trust him. Here, the man of God is challenging this king. "Trust God. And he will give you this win." Now, Amaziah let go of the troops of Israel and, and they even created some more trouble for him. But Amaziah trusted God in this particular case and was victorious in this battle.
Where are we not trusting God today? That's my challenge for us. Where am I not trusting him? I can think of one place in particular. And so as I record this, I'm challenging myself to follow through on this need to trust God. I want to trust God. I don't want to worry about the money that's already been invested or any sunk costs or any sunk effort.
"The Lord has much more to give you than this." It says New American Standard and in the English Standard, it says, "The Lord is able to give you much more than this." God has everything and he owns everything. When we listen to him, and when we trust him and obey him, that's when we get to see him work. We get to see him make a difference in the world, through us or near us.
We get to take part in it. I want to challenge us today. Trust God, ask him, "Where am I not trusting you?" Should I trust you to go into battle with what I have or should I, bend my commitments? Should I cut corners, or should I take shortcuts?"
I believe that if we can trust God and do what he calls us to do, that he will become visible and he will work great miracles in our presence if we will trust him. Today in your workplace. Let's challenge ourselves, ask God where he would have us trust him, and then do it. Thank you for being a marketplace minister.
Thank you for investing some of your energy and your time and your effort to making a difference for the kingdom of God in your daily job. It matters. Practice the five daily activities. Check our online community out at https://community.followerofone.org, where you can join us for free and take part in the next Marketplace Mission Trip.
Thanks very much.
This is an Encore episode of the Follower of One podcast from our archives. We are on a short break.
Hey, welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry. And I'm looking forward to today's message. Today. I want to talk about 2 Corinthians 5:14 "For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died." And that's from the English Standard Version of the Bible.
I'm tempted to bring in the next verse two. And I may stumble over into that. This is a favorite passage of mine, as many of these are. So, I apologize about that, but I hope you hear the excitement. I want the love of Christ to control me. The love of Christ controls us. That could either be Christ's love for us or our love for him. It doesn't really say.
Can you agree? It's just you talking to you now, does the love of Christ control you? Does it control me? I work often to be more controlled by the love of Jesus. I read my Bible and I work on these podcasts. I go back to first Corinthians 9:27, even "to discipline my body and make it my slave."
Maybe if I do that for long enough, I can say that the love of Christ controls me. Sometimes. I honestly don't believe the love of Christ controls me, but I would like his love to capture more my attention to be a bigger part of my daily life. I can give Jesus the ability to control me and step one of that is step one of our daily activities.
It's to pray. "Jesus, here I am. Would you put me to work for you today? I want to ask you to take over my life, to let me be so absorbed with the love of Christ that I'm controlled." And I want to let go of the other things that might be controlling me. I want to achieve a goal, so I take an action and I believe that my actions contribute more to that goal than the love of Christ.
But today I want Jesus to show me an action that I can sacrifice. This is not a job activity. I'm not talking about you sacrificing part of your job responsibilities. We still need to do what our managers and our leaders expect. We still need to do excellent work all the time. But what's something that we cannot do and trust Jesus?
One of those things is worry. Another one of those things might be working extra to make something happen. It's late in the year as I record this. Have you taken all of your vacation time, or do you need to take some vacation time and spend it with your family? I can pray and read my Bible instead of doing something else, instead of watching TV or playing a video game. I can trust a coworker rather than checking up on them or following up on them and nagging them. And for those of you that I've nagged, I apologize. I want the love of Christ to control me. So today, at least on this podcast, I choose to be controlled by the love of Christ.
Then let's ask him, Jesus, control me today. Let's keep asking. "Please, may I, so concentrate on your love for me that I enjoy my relationship with you and trust you more than ever. What would you have me to do? Jesus, take my life over and do what you want with it. I want to listen to you today. Use me as a minister in this workplace to be a blessing to others for you."
That's the way that I want the love of Christ to control my life. What about you? Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you if you have the courage to pray that prayer. Let's let God direct us on how we impact the lives of the people that we work with every day. The natural result is that we would no longer live for ourselves, but for him who died and rose again for us. Let's live for Christ because his love for us and our love for him controls us today.
If you think about it, join the community, https://community.followerofone.org. Let's put people into our lives that are helping us be controlled by the love of Christ on a daily basis so that we can serve the people that we interact with every day.
Thanks very much.
This is an Encore episode of the Follower of One podcast from our archives. We are on a short break.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with the Follower of One podcast. Welcome back. Thanks for joining us. Today, let's talk about Galatians 5:1 (ESV) "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to yoke of slavery." I think it's interesting because I believe Jesus came to set us free.
Sometimes I think we take that freedom for granted. We're created with the freedom to choose. God created us with this ability to choose. And all of the effort that I believe that Jesus has gone through to save us is designed to protect our freedom of choice. We choose wrongly before we even know, and we suffer the consequences of being separated from God.
All of us choose some way of life other than Jesus. But then Jesus paid for our poor choices so that we could still have another chance. In our previous episode, I asked you to consider the question, "God, what do you want me to change today?" Jesus set us free to hear God's answer and then to choose to do it.
Galatians 5:1 says it was for freedom, that Christ set us free. He got us back out of our yoke of slavery, our bondage to slavery. We go back into that mode when we choose to obey our own flesh. But we have the freedom to step out of that mode because Christ died on the cross for us and he gave us the opportunity to step out of this yoke, this chain, this slavery model.
And we can stand firm, therefore, as it talks about here today, Jesus set us free to hear God's answer to that question and then choose to do it. We were set free for that very freedom. What was your choice? Jesus paid for your freedom. Did you take advantage of that payment by Jesus yesterday? Or will you today?
If we want to be active with our faith every day, we begin by saying yes to God. We listen to the Holy Spirit, and we do what he says. This verse goes on to say that we can stand firm in our new life and not be a slave to sin any longer. Let's ask God the question again today. God, what would you have me change today?
Then let's do what he says. Let's choose today to do whatever he challenges us to do. This is convicting to me, because there are things going on in my life, I know I ought to be doing. And so, I have to confront those as I speak to you about this, on this podcast. It's a challenging place to be, but let's be there.
Let's challenge ourselves to follow Jesus, to step into the freedom that he paid for and not submit again to this yoke of slavery. Our habits and our environment are powerful things. If we can start the habit of saying yes to God, we strengthen our muscle. We may need to hang out with some other believers who have the guts to ask God this question over and over and over again, and then step into the answer.
Don't underestimate the pull of our enemy, our flesh, and our habits. Let's get the help we need. You can join the online community of Follower of One. That's what it's designed to do. It's designed to create an opportunity for us to be able to connect with other believers who intentionally try and live their faith every day.
Check it out at https://followerofone.org. You can take part in the Marketplace Mission Trips for free as well. We simply ask you if it's beneficial to you to pay it forward. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for making a difference in the lives of the people that you're around every day.
Let's ask God the question, "God, what would you have me change today?" And then do what he says.
Thanks very much.
This is an Encore episode of the Follower of One podcast from our archives. We are on a short break.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry Sr. Today. I want to talk about James 2:26, "For as the body, apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead." That's from the English Standard Version.
We talk about work regularly here, but we're not talking about your job today. We're talking about actions that we take because we follow Jesus. James is explaining how we can claim to believe. But if that belief never changes our lives in any way, we're just fooling ourselves or we're trying to. If we claim to believe in Jesus, but we do not change as a result, we don't know him very well. We're not really following him. And I think this sometimes gets mistaken in the tug of war that kind of goes on about trusting God with my salvation. If I trust God with my salvation, then I should live differently. I shouldn't just trust him and relax and not do anything different.
By trusting him it means that I now live differently because I believe that what he says matters. One of those great examples is with the tithe. Do you give some of your money to support the church; to support the work of God? We give a 10th of our income or more. We give whatever we give, because we trust God to do more with the remainder of what we keep than what he would do if we kept it all. It's the same concept behind being closed on Sunday or taking a Sabbath rest day or going to church. If you spend a couple of hours every week going to a local church or being a part of a body of believers so that your relationship with God can grow, God has the ability to use the rest of your time to bless you more than you might possibly be blessed by using all of your own time. God challenges us to give away things from time to time because we trust him. We trust him to do more with what we hang on to.
That's the way I think we're called to be at work. We get a challenge to live our life differently in the workplace. We can give away more than is expected of us. We can do more than our job might demand. We can give to our coworkers and bless our customers or our vendors more. We're free to do that. Today, I want to challenge us. Let's use our true faith and let's ask God to make it cause a change in our lives.
If we claim to be Jesus' followers, let's ask God one quick question right now. "God, what do I need to change today?" Can you ask God that question? The things that come to your mind are from him. You can tell him "No." You can think, " God, I can't really do that." Or "God, you really don't want me to do that today, do you?" This is very convicting to me, because I've been struggling with myself in a particular area as well. And now I need to take action on what I just told you. So, let's ask ourselves one more question.
"What happens if I don't listen to God?"
I want to follow Jesus more and more every day. Do you? Today let's turn to him and follow him. What he puts on your mind today to do, figure out a way to get it done. Do things that glorify him. Do things that you know that he would have you do in your workplace simply because you trust him. Let's follow him. This is between us and Jesus. My prayer is that today we are each courageous enough to ask this prayer and then act on the answer we hear. You'll be blown away by what happens next.
If you want to be a part of a community of people who are trying to grow in their faith and trying to make a difference in the world that they live in every day, then check us out over at https://followerofone.org. We'd love for you to join our community and join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip.
Thanks very much.
This is an Encore episode of the Follower of One podcast from our archives. We are on a short break.
Hey, welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry Sr. Today, I want to talk about 2 Chronicles 15:1-2. We don't often do a lot from the Old Testament, but this is a challenging passage that I happened to read the other day and I wanted to pass it along. The verse reads like this, "Now the spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded, and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, Listen to me Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you're with him. And if you seek him, he will let you find him. But if you forsake him, he will forsake you." Now I read that from the New American Standard. That word "forsake," that's like "abandon." If we abandon God, he will abandon us. This is a challenging word from the Lord.
This prophet has been challenged to go talk to the king and to remind him that if you we are with God, if we seek him, if we pursue God, then he will let us find him. But if we abandon him, he will abandon us. Let's remember who we seek. Let's remember where we want to point our heart and our desires and our ambitions.
For me, it's so easy to get wrapped up in the things of work, to try and get the next promotion to try and pursue the next shiny object or the next thing we want to buy. It's so hard to follow after God. But if we can follow after God and remind ourselves to seek him, then we have this promise and many more that God will be with us when we are with him.
And if we seek him, he will let us find him. Our relationship with God is so far outside of our control, it's hard to fathom. And yet God has given us this ability that if we truly turn toward him, he will let us find him. But if we're joking with ourselves or if we're lying to ourselves or if we just choose not to have anything to do with God, he'll let us go that way too.
The key to our life is learning to live it pointed towards God. In the Follower of One community, we try to encourage each other to be intentional in the way that we live our daily life. Today. I want to challenge you. Let's ask ourselves, are we seeking God? Or are we seeking something else?
And what has to change? We can change with a prayer. We can punch in and tell God, "Here I am." And then we can also pray and ask him to bless the people around us. We can get on this eternal clock by punching-in with God and letting him use our life to matter forever. That's our job. We can follow Jesus and stick with him like we're following the bumper of a friend in a town where we're lost, where we don't know where we are. Let's stay close to Jesus and not let the shiny objects of career and material possessions take us off track. When we focus on God, he will challenge us to pay attention to the people around us, and the people that we work with. Let's follow hard after him today and let him direct our actions and use us for his glory.
You never know, your life may change so much that someone will come up to you today and go, why are you different? Or why did you just do this for me? Why did you go outside of your way to help me when you didn't have to? And that gives you an opportunity to share how Jesus transformed your life. That's part of the excitement that we get by following Jesus every day.
If you want to take part more in this type of a spiritual life and this life with Jesus, where our life matters as we interact with others, it matters for eternity. If you'd like to take part in that life, join us at https://followerofone.org. You can check out our online community there. You can see our videos and different things that we offer.
And by joining the online community, you can also take part in our next Marketplace Mission Trip, which is a two-week exercise to help us learn how to practice following Jesus carefully at work. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for wanting to integrate your faith into your daily life.
Ask God to help you, and he will make it happen. I promise. Thanks very much.
This is an Encore episode of the Follower of One podcast from our archives. We are on a short break.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. Today, I want to talk about God being at work. If you hear this on the day that it airs, it's actually the Monday after the U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving and we're back at work. And so, I wanted to check out and just think a little bit about how God is always at work.
In John 5:17 it says, "But Jesus answered them, 'My father is working until now and I am working.'" And that's from the English Standard Version.
Where are you today? What's your situation? Are you at work or going to work? Are you working from home? Maybe you're retired or maybe your day is trying to get healthy from an illness or caring for someone else who's not healthy. You may be on vacation. Wherever you are, we are workers. God created us to work. The original mandate in the original story in Genesis, you will find that we were challenged to subdue the earth and be fruitful and multiply, to fill the earth. We have a working God who calls us to work.
So even if we're on vacation, even if we're outside of the normal work world or we're in some situation as a volunteer, our job is to work, to make the earth better for everyone on it. Now, if God created us to work, who do we work for? Do we work for God? Or do we see ourselves as the boss? Or do we see someone else as our boss?
What's our goal in our job? Do we work for a purpose? Do we work simply so we can spend time not working? Do we work only to get through Friday? If God has created us to work and God is always at work, what's he challenging us to do? The entire Trinity is working. Can we see our work as something that God has assigned to us?
And since our original mandate is to work, do you think of yourself as an employee of God's? That was a big transition that I had to make many years ago. I had to realize that the people that I reported to at work, the people who signed my paycheck, they really weren't my boss. They were in charge of me. I was assigned there, but I was working for God.
If God's working and Jesus is working, I want to work for them. Today at work, I want to focus my perspective. I want to point my brain to working for God. Colossians 3 23 and 24. We're challenged to do our work heartily as if we work for the Lord. As we get back into it and we get on our tasks at work, let's remember that we do them for God.
That our job is to do excellent work and to do our work with quality and with energy and with passion so that we can glorify God. We can show other people that we worked for him. Today, if we focus our perspective on work, as if we work for God, how will that make us behave? Would we work differently?
Will we take our assignments from him and do our work like we report to him? And if so, how will that change how we work today? That's my challenge to us. Today let's work as if we work for God. If that's something you normally do, go ahead and ask him for one additional assignment today. Ask him to give you something else that you can do today, just because you work for him. He will answer and he will call us out and he will challenge us if we let him. Today, let's remember we're marketplace ministers. We have an opportunity to make a difference in the world, right where we are, because we follow Jesus. Let's pray for the people around us and look for opportunities to follow Jesus with our whole life.
If you want to practice this more, you can join the next Marketplace Mission Trip. There's not one coming up for another month or so, but you can find out more about that mission trip by joining our online community at https://community.followerofone.org. Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for making a difference with your faith. What we do matters and your actions on behalf of Jesus, your actions as a Christ follower matter forever.
Thank you very much.
Do you ever get surprised by the things other people do? Remember what I told you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they obeyed my word, they will obey yours too. John 15:20 NET In this verse and this section of John 15, Jesus is very black and white. He can be. He's God. Fortunately for us, we're not God. We can't handle our own job, much less God's job. Jesus is giving us a statement about the people who don't follow and obey Jesus. Unfortunately, I still fall short enough that I might even be mistaken as someone who doesn't follow Jesus either. I don't think we need to act like we know. I want to be humble and open to the evidence I see in someone's life. At the same time, I want to listen to the Holy Spirit. But fortunately, since I consider the definition of "ministry" to be "helping everyone move one notch closer to Jesus;" I don't have to act differently around anyone. Jesus calls us to love others, even those who don't love us back. He asks us to represent him in the world. The people who persecute us, or who take issue with us or with our faith are also the kinds of people who took issue with Jesus. I read this more as an encouragement. Whatever we go through while we're loving people is something Jesus experienced and he knows what we feel. Today, even if people let you down, love them. Even if they don't like Jesus love them. You don't have to force your methods on them. Find a way to love them asking God and trust ing him, too. Remember, what we do because we follow Jesus matters forever. Also, please remember we have three weeks left in our matching gift. At the time of this recording we still have over $18000 that will be matched dollar for dollar. Would you help us reach that goal? Please head over to www.FollowerOfOne.org and click the donate button to help us make it. Thanks very much.
Can you love people who don't love you back? "If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you do not belong to the world, but I chose you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you." John 15:19 NET When we start following Christ, we begin to leave "the world." Jesus doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room in this process. So what are we to do? Love people. That's about the only thing we can control. We can't save them? We can't help them see Jesus any way other than simply living our life following Jesus. We can't fix the broken in people, we can simply love them. It seems that Jesus is saying, anyone not following him hates him. He's not wrong. When we follow him, we're called to love people, knowing they won't love us back. How can that challenge you today? Pray for the people you will meet and ask God to show you how to love them. And remember, what we do because we follow Jesus matters, forever.
Are you an optimist or a realist? "This I command you—to love one another. If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me first." John 15:17-18 NET Bible I'm pretty optimistic. I generally expect the best. I think Jesus is speaking a bit to me here. First he sums up what he has been saying. It's important that we realize that verse 17 is a repeat of verse 12. Repetition is for emphasis. We're commanded to love one another. And while the context of this passage is to love our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, this next verse also exposes another idea. Often when Jesus says one another, he's talking about our fellow humans, period. We can't just love the people we want to love. God is sovereign, which means he doesn't answer to anyone. He can do whatever he wants. And he's also omnipotent. That means he has the power to do anything he wants. Based on those two ideas, the people you're around aren't an accident. God wanted you to be his witness with the people you're around today. Today, don't expect everything to be fun and joyful. Sometimes we will not be received well. Jesus has enemies. Everyone won't agree. That's all the more reason we need to practice our 5 Daily Habits. We can pray, appreciate others, know what we believe, serve others and speak for ourselves. Some won't agree. Some may even get hostile. Let's trust God and do what he says. Please also consider joining a community where we try to do all these things. You may be the only person you know trying to obey Jesus where you work. Why not connect with some others in our online community. Check it out at https://community.followerofone.org.
Do our actions as a Christ-follower really matter? "You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you." John 15:16 CSB Notice a few things in this passage. First Jesus chose them. Jesus is choosing the people and assigning the work. He chooses which branches bear fruit. Notice second that the fruit we bear will remain. This means that what we do matters. We get to take part in Jesus' strategy for saving the world. Our actions matter and if our actions matter, our inaction matters too. This is why I think complacency and lack of urgency is a problem for us. We can get occupied with so many useless things. But we can do things that will last forever. As a result, when we ask God for something according to his will, he will do it. The reference to the ask being according to God's will comes from the phrase "in my name." So you can pray for every person you meet. Your prayers will be answered when they line up with the will of Jesus and you will experience joy. What you do matters. If you never pray, God still accomplishes his work. He still saves people. He will still be glorified. But you will miss out. If we all celebrate the victory, but you know you didn't have much to do with it, you are less joyful than if you scored the winning run or if you made a key play. Today, we can remember that we can bear fruit and that fruit can remain. What we do matters. Even if you have a meaningless job you hate, you can still say or do something that can matter forever. So stand up straight. Take your position and do your job like you're doing it for God. You are. Any moment you can interact with someone and impact their eternity. Please also remember we're a donor supported ministry. If these podcasts, or our Marketplace Mission Trips are beneficial to you, please consider paying it forward. We want to help every Christ-follower integrate their faith into their daily life. Find out more and join us at https://FollowerOfOne.org.
Do you have a lot of secrets? "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you." John 15:15 NASB Notice how Jesus explains further the idea of us being friends. Since we're friends he's showing us the difference between being a friend and being a slave or an employee. We're part of the family, not hired help. One of the benefits of being family is that we're "in" on what Jesus is doing. He's saving the world. He's using us. We're friends. We not just given a task, but we know the plan. We're part of the strategy. Today, what are we doing with the knowledge we have? Do we keep our faith to ourselves? Or does our faith inform the way we live? We can live so differently, and still be great employees and friends. When we do, others will ask us what we're doing, or why are we different. And when they do, we can tell them our relationship with Jesus is what causes the difference. We speak for ourselves, which is our 5th daily habit. When we state our faith as being a normal part of how we live, it makes a difference and it causes others to have to think differently. Why not try to live differently. Be a blessing to others. Practice our 5 daily habits and watch Jesus put you to work. Learn more and join us at https://community.followerofone.org.
Are we friends of Jesus? "You are My friends if you do what I command you." John 15:14 Jesus is speaking and he's calling the disciples his friends. He's telling all of us that if we obey his commands, we are his friends. What command is he talking about? Probably the one he talked about 2 verses before, that we love one another just as he loved us. Are we friends of Jesus? If so, we do what he says? Can you ask yourself today where you can be more loving? Maybe a better question is, "How can I love this person I'm talking to or thinking about or working besides?" What is Jesus saying? Also, listen for something that sounds like Jesus. I don't think he's going to tell you to fix the people you're praying for. He may tell you to pay for their mistake without judgment. He may tell you to find a way to give them a break. Can you give people the benefit of the doubt even if you don't agree with them? Today, ask Jesus to to show you who he would have you befriend and love. We have a great blessing as the friends of Jesus. We also have a great opportunity. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Remember, everything you do because you follow Jesus matters forever. Please consider making a gift to Follower of One. We're donor supported. We have a matching gift that will expire in just a couple of weeks. Everything you give before the end of October, 2023 will be doubled. Your gift will make a huge difference helping us with this podcast and helping us mobilize Christ-followers. Thanks for considering an investment in Follower of One so we can help more grow as friends of Jesus.
What does it mean to lay down our life? Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13 ESV The words are very clear, but if you're like me, I start looking for loopholes. The translation of the Greek to English is pretty plain. Most every translation has the same words. But what do they mean? Laying down our life is a challenging idea. It's not every day that I get to put my life on the line for someone else. In Romans 12:1 Paul reminds us that this illustration includes everything up to dying for someone else. We're challenged to consider ourselves as living sacrifices. Have you ever realized that you live according to your identity? We don't do things that contradict how we really see ourselves. We may say we're one thing, but our identity, or our true picture of ourselves takes over. I say I want to be healthy, but I often find excuses to exercise. We may want to get out of debt, but we keep spending. Or we say we want to memorize scripture, but we end up watching YouTube videos or listening to our favorite playlist instead. Jesus is calling us to be the people who lay down their lives for their friends. If we love someone the way Jesus did, that's our job. The day-in-day-out hardest thing to do is serve others instead of our own agenda. Can you go out of your way for someone else? Can you change your plans? Can you give up time or money? Will you ask the Holy Spirit today to show you how you can lay down your life in our daily situation. Maybe you're a student. What can you do for a fellow student or for a teacher simply because you follow Jesus? Or maybe you're an employee? What can you do over and above what is expected that might demonstrate your love for someone at work? I have found that if we genuinely ask God and expect him to answer we will get an idea. Don't tell yourself (or God) "No, that's silly." It may be the very thing God wants. He's working in the life of everyone you interact with today. Your silly idea may be his strategy for including you. Don't pass up the opportunity to join God and then experience his joy. Remember, what we do because we follow Jesus matters, forever.
In this episode of the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry Sr. interviews Sondra Calhoun, a leadership consultant from Strata Consulting. Sondra shares her journey into the consulting world, the role of her faith, and how she helps leaders grow and develop.
Today's Guest... Sondra Calhoun is a certified executive coach and organizational development consultant. In her 25 years of professional experience, she has led organizations through growth cycles, strategic planning, mergers & acquisitions, implementing new processes, and engaging employees. Sondra is the founder of Strada Consulting, an organization that helps leaders and organizations unlock, execute, and deliver on behaviors that lead to success.
In this Episode How Sondra Got Started(1:05) Sondra's career began in training and development within large organizations, offering valuable learning experiences and mentorship. Sondra pursued coaching training to address the challenge of workshop participants not translating knowledge into practical growth, eventually creating a coaching role within T-Mobile.
Faith Journey(4:45): Sondra's faith journey began in childhood, witnessing her parents' transformative experience with faith, which strengthened their family.
Coaching and Consulting(5:54): Sondra provides one-on-one and team coaching, helping leaders align their values with their leadership approach, emphasizing holistic integration of faith.
Challenges in Leadership(7:54): Mike and Sondra acknowledge that leadership can be difficult, particularly in environments that downplay faith.
Prayer in Leadership(14:12): Sondra starts her day with prayer, seeking wisdom, guidance, insights during conversations with others.
Marketplace Mission Trip Experience(14:48): Sondra participated in a marketplace mission trip with Follower of One, appreciating its practical, engaging content and the importance of community and prayer support for believers in the workplace.
Resources & People Mentioned * www.strada-consulting.com
Follow Sondra Calhoun * Connect on LinkedIn
Connect With Follower Of One Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
How do we love one another? This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. John 15:12 NASB Can we really love someone we don't know? We can love a certain place or a certain kind of food. The Greeks had at least 4 words that are often translated with the word "love" in the English. This is the grandest of those words, and it means unconditional love. It means we actively choose to do what's best for the other person. It doesn't have as much to do with affection, or emotion as much as it is an active choice. We do what's best for them. Jesus makes a point that this is a command. We don't have to guess. And he gives it to them on the last night he is a free man with his closest friends. Judas isn't around. We must perform this "others-first" love. But how? He will repeat this command in 5 verses. In between, we have some conditional phrases that help us understand what he meant. The first is, "just as I have loved you." So, how did Jesus love these guys. He spent a great amount of time with them. He taught them. He's going to die for them. Jesus has the greatest others-first love for us. He is the standard. Here he commands us to pass that standard along "just as" he has loved those disciples and all the disciples after them. He chose them. He invested in them. He gave his life for them. In Romans 12, Paul challenges us to be a living sacrifice. We don't have to give up our lives, we give our time and energy away. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how to love someone extra today. If we increase just a bit every week for the rest of our lives, we still won't get close to where Jesus is, but we will experience his joy, purpose and presence filling our lives. Ask God to expand your love for the people you interact with today. It's harder to love people you're not around. The people that you interact with are the first people we get to love. What ideas come to mind? Make a note and do them. Don't let anything stop you. Then, do it again tomorrow. Love "just" as Christ loved us. Build the habit. Either Jesus is King and we do what he says, or he's not.
Do you consider yourself a joyful person? "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full." John 15:11 NASB95 Joy is pretty cool. The more I experience it, the more I appreciate it, and the more I realize that you can't substitute anything for it. Happiness seems to be based more on what happens. Joy transcends my circumstances. Joy just seems more valuable, too. It can be addictive. It changes those things I do because I should, and turns them into what I do because I want to. When I do what Jesus wants, and I see him working in and through me, I experience a joy that I can't replicate. Others may have another method, but I don't believe that method produces this joy that Jesus is talking about here. Jesus is speaking and said he was talking about "his" joy. This joy comes from Jesus. it's his. He wants us to have it and for it to be complete, full, to the brim. This isn't green, unripe joy. This is the full-blown, 5-alarm joy. He wants us to have all of it. So how do we get it? By listening to "these things." Basically, what he said in John 15:1-10 is the key. When we abide in Jesus and obey his commandments our joy becomes full. Today, take a few minutes right where you are unless you're flying or driving and ask Jesus to give you an idea for how you can abide in Jesus today. Celebrate the joy you've received. Or wait quietly on a word from him. It may seem like forever, but wait a minute or two and let him speak. He wants to be glorified through you and he will give you his joy when he does. Give him a moment or two today and then do what he says.
What does it mean to abide in Christ's love? "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love." John 15:9-10 ESV Abide means remain or stay. The idea is that we're fully connected, engaged. In our multi-tasking world, this is a single-tasking word. We're doing one thing. We're remaining tethered to Jesus. We draw our life from him. We take our direction from him. I've learned that no matter how much I think this means that I'm single-minded in my focus on Jesus, I believe there is more room. I don't believe I achieve anything near the ideal or the standard Jesus is describing. He is greater than all I can ask or imagine. If I can keep his commandments, I can remain in his love. It seems simple. We know the 2 greatest commands. They're from Matthew 22:36-38, which paraphrased is love God all you can and love others the way you love yourself. If I'm honest, I have a gap. If you're in between me and where I want to go, I'm not so loving. I can easily find ways I don't measure up. Fortunately, Jesus paid for the gap. But I'm still called to grow. Today, let's grow. Let's try to remain a bit longer or to abide a bit longer. Let's try to be slower to get angry at someone else and let's be quicker to love others. In fact, ask God to show you how you can display love to someone right now and do it. If at any moment, you sense a gap between where you are and the center of Christ's love, you know the key: keep his commandments. Let's be a people marked by keeping his commandments today. And if you want to do that better, check out our online community called Follower of One. Head over to https://community.followerofone.org and check it out.
How do we prove we're disciples of Jesus? "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples." John 15:8 NASB95 We prove our relationship to Jesus by bearing fruit. But if you read what it means to bear fruit, you can get differing opinions. Some talk about the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 which includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We can always demonstrate more of these. The supply of the fruit of the Spirit is only limited by the strength of our relationship to Jesus. Others think bearing fruit is leading others to trust Jesus. We actually talk about helping others move one notch closer to Jesus. We know from this verse that when we bear fruit, we glorify the Father; we help others see him and know him better. My working definition for bearing fruit is living a life that can't be explained without including Jesus. When an apple shows up, we know it's an apple tree. When a grape shows up, we know it's a grape vine. When the evidence of Jesus is present, we know the person acting is a Jesus follower. Our job today is to live our lives following Jesus. In the end, we won't look like everyone else. We can practice any of our daily habits and expect Jesus to become a bit more visible to the people around us. Right now, the Holy Spirit may be giving you an idea that he can use to glorify God. Don't tell him "No." Rather figure out how you can do what he asks. You'll experience joy. You'll see the Father glorified. And you'll prove to be a disciple of Jesus'.
What do you want? "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." John 15:7 NASB I wonder about this passage regularly. I wonder if I really abide. How many of the things I ask Jesus about are still being answered? How many did I blow because I stopped asking? How many were me being wrong about thinking I remained in Jesus but I was really trying to do my own thing? Do you have the courage to abide in Jesus and then trust until your request comes to pass? I want to. I want to see Jesus working miracles in my life all the time. I wonder where I don't abide, or in which things I really don't trust him. I know God answers prayer. I prayed things 35 years ago that are being answered now. I'm not any better than anyone else except that the Holy Spirit helps me remember. I remember praying that God would use the frustration of my career and he is. I remember praying that God would provide for us and he has. So many answered prayers. And yet, I can still get afraid thinking about how we lead this ministry or how we handle our finances. Today, let's ask God to show us where we can trust him more. As I record, I choose to trust Jesus. I choose to tell myself not to consider my own anxiety. It is less real than the Holy Spirit. May I trust Jesus and invest in the next person I meet. May I trust Jesus and boldly choose to do any crazy thing he tells me to do when I'm interacting with coworkers, customers, vendors and friends today. Life following Jesus seems too good to be true. That's the kind of God we serve. Let's believe him for more and believe him to be bigger and more powerful than we can ask or imagine. Then let's live accordingly.
What do you do with yard trash? If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned." John 15:6 NASB When you trim a tree, or pull weeds in your yard, you pile them up somewhere and eventually they're burned. Jesus continues his analogy of the vine and the branches. When we don't abide in Jesus, we are cut off, hauled off and burned. That's a pretty vivid analogy. Do we believe this? Abide can also be translated remain. Our life, both the temporal life and the eternal life, come from God the Father. We get them by being connected to Jesus. Eventually, if you don't connect to Jesus, and remain in him, you'll burn up. It's not a pleasant thought. Fortunately for those of us who put our trust in Jesus, he is the one who helps us remain, or abide in him. When we abide in him day-to-day, we can do work that will last forever. But in this verse, Jesus isn't talking about our accomplishments. I believe he has flipped the analogy to people, not works. This clearly says, "If anyone..." It's like Jesus has said up through verse 5 he was talking about our fruit. But now he's talking about those who don't remain in him. Do you remain in Jesus? If you have trusted and bent your life to follow him, I believe you will abide and that will result in salvation. In a 5-minute devotional, it's hard to finish the argument. Let's trust Jesus today. Those that don't abide in him will end up being cast off like dead branches. It's a challenging thought. Today, let's abide in Jesus. That may mean that we remind ourselves what we know and trust about him. It may mean doing something you know he wants you to do. Whatever it is, do it, and let us know what happened. Send a note to info@followerofone.org to share your experience. Thanks for being a marketplace minister and for remembering that what we do because we follow Jesus matters, forever.
Are you the kind of person who enjoys checking things off your to-do list? I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5 ESV We spoke about abiding in yesterday's message. Look for it if you haven't heard it. Today, I want to concentrate on the phrase, "for apart from me, you can do nothing." What did Jesus mean? Certainly, he couldn't mean absolutely nothing. Apart from Jesus many things have been done. But I think he's talking about things that will matter forever. We can't bear any eternal fruit. We can't lay up any treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:20) apart from Jesus, either. Are we just in this life for what we can get in this life? Or do we want to believe in something beyond this life? If you want to believe something beyond the years in this body, then Jesus is very clear. There is only one way to get to the next life with any choices. And when I consider this 2nd life that lasts forever, I can consider how by abiding Jesus I can do something. Apart from him I can do nothing. So I concentrate on Jesus and what he would have me do. Then I must trust that what I'm doing amounts to "something." Today, do you want to do "something?" Let's concentrate on Jesus and then trust him. If we can join him, know him, grow our trust in him, believe him, study him. If we can learn about him from our local church and from trusted teachers and friends who follow him, then we can expect we're doing something. Our life makes a difference. This is one of the reasons we say, what we do because we follow Jesus matters, forever. If you'd like to grow closer to Jesus and abide in him, get around his people. One place you can do that online is at https://community.FollowerofOne.org.
In the day-to-day, where are you focused? What do you pursue? "Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me." John 15:4 NASB What does it mean to abide? Some translations use the word "remain," or "stay." I think of resting, persisting, persevering, hanging on. To abide in Jesus means that I don't abandon him and try to do things my own way. No branch can bear fruit unless it is connected and drawing it's life from the vine. We're pretty powerful and wealthy. It's easy to believe that we have the power to do the things we want. But we can't make ourselves right with God. And I wonder what we miss because we do things on our own instead of trusting and waiting for Jesus. We even mentioned about focusing on Jesus yesterday, too. When we focus on him, he makes things work. I confess I even struggle with this from time to time. I want to trust him. I want to remain in him. I turn to him to make that happen. I don't have the power in and of myself. Trusting God is an active choice. I have to choose to abide or remain. Deep down, I know I can't do anything without him. However sometimes abiding in him takes a long time. I hope I can remember to stick to my pay grade. How long is God's problem. How much fruit is also his problem. What I have to do to be pruned, again, that's God's problem. My challenge is to remain. What would help you remain? For me, I'm a community person. I need people around me to help me abide, as well as friends who are also abiding and waiting on Jesus. If you need a community like that, check out a local church. Or, you can also connect with us at https://community.followerofone.org. Remember what we do because we follow Jesus matters, forever.
When a branch has been pruned, they say it was cleaned. Have you been cleaned by God recently? "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you." John 15:3 NASB Jesus is speaking. The disciples and Jesus are walking (see John 14:31). We think they may have walked by a vine and Jesus started this analogy of the vine and the vinedresser. He's talking about pruning which we discussed in yesterday's episode. Today, Jesus tells the disciples that at this moment, they're clean. The fruit hasn't come yet. There's nothing to prune. What Jesus has told them has placed them in this state. When the word of God transforms us, we are clean. That's one way God prunes us. His word changes our behavior. Changing behavior isn't easy. left to ourselves, we drift. the the Bible, the Word of God, transforms us. It causes us to change our behavior. It causes us to re-think our practices. This is one way we're pruned. Some people feel that pruning is God taking away things we love. I think it means that God is both harvesting his fruit and planning for the future. He is the owner, the vinedresser. The fruit belongs to him. As a branch, my job is to remain or abide in the vine. I concentrate on the vine. The vinedresser focuses on the fruit. He does the pruning. Something in God's word may challenge me, but if I can concentrate on the vine, I live. When I focus on anything else, things don't go so well. What are you going to focus on today? Your circumstances are an opportunity to show others Jesus. Whatever you do, you can do it with all your will, focused on your Lord and God will bear fruit through you. Let's concentrated on Jesus' word and be transformed, cleaned and ready for the next work.
What does it mean to be "pruned?" It doesn't sound very pleasant. "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit." John 15:2 Pruning is the act of removing leaves and branch tips and even budding flowers in order to make room for more. The way a vinedresser prunes, what they remove and what they leave, can direct the way the branches grow and how many blooms there are. Vine-dressing is a skill that is learned. It takes time and care. Jesus states that God prunes us. We're branches. The life of Jesus flowing through us produces fruit. When that fruit is ready, the vinedresser will cut it off. If he leaves it, it will just rot and nothing else will grow there either. Bearing fruit is the first step in pruning. We want to bear fruit, but we don't like the idea of being pruned. Jesus is giving us a fact of life. Pruning is necessary for us to reach our destiny. The reward outweighs the cost. We know this principle. We need a community of friends to help us remember this principle and live in it. That's why we created Follower of One, an online community for marketplace Christians. We want our faith to produce fruit every day. Why not join us at https://community.followerofone.org and watch God bear fruit through you, too?
Do you ever think about the fruit of your life? Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. John 15:2 ESV Notice how both of these activities are painful. The vinedresser is God the Father. If we get life, God works to make sure we produce fruit. The life comes through the vine. Jesus is the vine. He is the source of life. And the life he gives lasts forever. But God also expects a return on this life. He expects it to bear fruit? Some people think the fruit is people coming to trust in Jesus. But I think the fruit is the outcome of our lives following Jesus. As we live following him, others see that we're different. For some, that is what God uses to save them. For others, God uses our obedience to him as a way to give him glory. Giving him glory means that we operate according to his will. One day, everyone will operate according to his will. Right now, while we live in the flesh, we have a chance to choose. And our choice matters. Today, let's choose to live like we believe God. Let's obey him and do what he says. When we do, even in small things, God uses that. He calls it bearing fruit. We believe we need one another to do this well. That's why we formed an online community. You can join us at https://community.followerofone.org and check it out.
What is your purpose? "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser." John 15:1 Do you wonder about your purpose? Have you discovered your purpose? Based on this analogy, we bear fruit for the vinedresser. What does that mean to you? We spoke yesterday about how our life comes to us from the vine and Jesus says here that he is the true vine. Jews thought of Israel as the vine and Jesus upset that idea. God is the vinedresser. Think a bit about the vinedresser or gardener. The gardener is the one who chooses what is planted. If nothing grows, that's on the gardener. If there is a great harvest from the garden or the vine, the gardener gets the credit. He's the one doing the work. He's the one tending and pulling weeds and pruning and watering. The work is on the gardener or the vinedresser and the outcome is his. So where does our purpose come from? It doesn't come from inside of us at all. It comes from the outside. You were created for a purpose by a Creator. Notice how he is doing the work and he gets the results. I'm so money focused. As I enter my 4th quarter, I confess that I worry about money, how much things cost and whether or not Vicky and I will have enough. But if God is the vinedresser, and the fruit isn't money, then what am I obsessing about? He says all throughout scripture, even later in this chapter, that he will provide. That makes me free to make a difference. I'm not free to not earn. I'm not free to consume more than I produce. We live in a free market world. But I'm in control of less than I think in the overall scheme of things. My purpose came from God. Today, let's focus our life on God. What can we do for our family and the people we interact with today. Jesus came to serve others. Do you want to work on this more? Join our online community at www.FollowerOfOne.org
In this podcast conversation between Mike Henry and Todd Melby, Todd shares insights about his work at Leadership Edge, a Christian nonprofit focused on leadership development through one-on-one mentoring. Here are the key points discussed:
Introduction to Leadership Edge: [01:00] Todd introduces Leadership Edge as a 30-year-old nonprofit dedicated to developing leaders of integrity through personalized mentoring. The organization's focus is on helping young people understand and embody leadership integrity in all aspects of life.
Getting Connected with Leadership Edge:[02:09] Todd shares how he became involved with Leadership Edge when he was seeking guidance on living a faithful life in various areas. A mentor suggested that Todd become a mentor himself, leading him to engage with the organization.
Mentoring Range: [04:44] Todd explains that Leadership Edge mentors a wide range of individuals based on their readiness for intentional developmental relationships. While the typical age range is 20 to 35, mentees can be as young as 17 or as old as 55.
Personal Faith Journey:[06:01] Todd reflects on his Christian journey, emphasizing that his faith developed over time rather than through a single moment. He describes the progression from a good family upbringing to a deeper understanding of walking with Jesus in his thirties.
First Mentoring Experience: [21:35] Todd shares his initial mentoring experience, acknowledging that he didn't invest enough intentionality into the relationship. He later learned to approach mentoring more effectively, with success measured by the growth and positive decisions of his mentees.
Continuous Friendships: A key aspect of Leadership Edge's approach is maintaining friendships even after formal mentoring relationships conclude. This ensures ongoing support and connection.
Success Stories: [20:40]Todd highlights success stories where individuals faced challenges and turned to the principles learned through Leadership Edge for guidance. One example is overcoming marital difficulties through open communication and faith.
Mentor Training: [26:47] Todd discusses the rigorous mentor training provided by Leadership Edge, covering theology of leadership and mentoring, helping mentors effectively guide their mentees.
Impactful Stories: Todd shares a story of a young man who found faith in college and later grew into an influential leader with the support of Leadership Edge, showcasing the organization's positive impact.
Future Plans:[26:47] Todd mentions Leadership Edge's plans to expand by working with executive leadership teams in churches. The organization aims to mentor youth pastors to establish leadership development programs and provide resources for effective mentoring.
Encouragement for Difficult Times: Todd concludes by encouraging listeners to maintain their focus on the Lord even in chaotic times, emphasizing that God's control can lead to miraculous outcomes.
Connect with Todd on Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddmelby/)
Connect with Leadership Edge
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/leadership-edge-inc
Website: https://lead-edge.com
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/followerofone
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/follower-of-one
Community: https://community.followerofone.org
Do you ever think deeply about where your life came from? "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser." John 15:1 ESV Think about all the things leading up to today that you had no say in. You didn't get to choose to come to life - the day, the time, the parents, nationality, skin color, height. Our life comes from someone or somewhere else. Jesus makes the vine analogy. He and the disciples had left the room where they had the last supper (see John 14:31). Jesus is saying this as they walk. I imagine they walked past a vine of some kind. Also, Israel was considered a vine in the old testament. Jesus is establishing a new idea. Jesus is the vine. Life comes from him. Let's focus on that today. The vine is life. Have you ever thought about life? It came from outside of you. God, the vine dresser, gave you life. If all life comes from Jesus, which he seems to suggest here, people who don't want anything to do with him will eventually be thrown off and burned up. If Jesus is the life, and that life is in us, we have a job to do: live. By living connected to Jesus, we help others see the benefits and joy of living connected to him. We're always loved. We're forgiven. We have a heavenly father who is always working for good. So how does Jesus show up in your life today? What can you do to make him visible? Why not ask him for some direction? Our first daily activity on the Marketplace Mission Trip is to pray and we're starting one of those today. Ask Jesus to show you what he would have you do today. Step two: do it! Let's spend a few days talking about the remainder of John 15 and see where Jesus takes us. In the meantime, ask God what he would have you do today and then do it.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry Sr., thanks for listening. Today we want to finish our three episodes on thankfulness. If you hear this on the air date, it's the Friday after the U.S. holiday for Thanksgiving. And today I want to cover the verse in Ephesians 5:20 from the ESV, it says, "giving thanks always and for everything to God, the Father in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ." Notice how the author words, this. This goes all the way back to verse 18. Paul seems to be saying that giving thanks for all things as a result of being filled with the Holy Spirit. We're thankful in the name of Jesus. I think of "in the name of" as being something like me saying, I want to express my gratitude on behalf of myself and my family. I'm sharing the gratitude that my family has. I want to share the gratitude that Jesus had. Jesus wasn't happy about having to go to the cross, but I believe he was grateful. We're hearing here that he was thankful, and he saved us and he was thankful that he had the opportunity to do that. I never thought about that a whole lot until I was thinking about being thankful. It's easy for us to think about being thankful. But what about being thankful for those hard things and being thankful to God, even in the middle of them. In this passage, we see that the Holy Spirit fills us, and we become grateful with the gratitude of Jesus. We're thankful to God, the Father. The entire Trinity is involved. Today, let's remember which camp we're in. The holy spirit fills us. Therefore, we belong to Jesus, and we experience his gratitude. Even the negative things that happened to us will be used by God. Therefore, we can join in Jesus's gratitude to God, the Father. The end of everything is good for those who love God and who are called according to his purpose, it says in Romans 8:28. Let's keep the gratitude going. Let's remember what God has done for us and let that memory make us grateful so that others notice. I hope that your gratitude causes others to ask you, "Hey, what's different? What's going on?" And then you'll get an opportunity to speak for yourself to talk about how Jesus transformed you. That's what we talk about in Follower of One. We want to live our faith in such a way that others question what's going on in our lives. And we get to share with them a little bit about how Jesus has changed us. Thanks very much.
Hey, welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry Sr. and I'm glad to be here. If you're in the U.S. and hearing this on-air date, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I'm recording this message to be aired on Thanksgiving Day. And today our passage is 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "In everything give thanks for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." That's from the New American Standard. In everything we want to give thanks. We're talking now about expressing gratitude to God. We talked about expressing gratitude to others a little bit yesterday as well but expressing gratitude to God is worship. And here Paul is exhorting us to give thanks to God for everything that happens "for this," and that word, "this" is not specific. Whatever's happening in our lives. What's going on in our lives. It's the will of God, for us. Notice that we give thanks in everything. When good things happen, it's easy to give thanks. But when not-so-good things happen. Well, that's a different story. At least it is for me, I'm quick to complain when the not-so-good things happen. If I can break that habit and be grateful when those not-so-good things happen, I demonstrate my faith. Others will be prompted to ask because I'm acting so differently than I typically do. Then I get an opportunity to explain how Jesus is the source of my ability to respond to everything with gratitude. Today, it's easy to think about being grateful, but I hope you can. Some days, some holidays are difficult for some of us as well. But I want to encourage each of us to express our gratitude to God today, for whatever our circumstances are. Because of this grateful life puts us in touch with God. It's the avenue to receiving his peace and his joy, even in difficult circumstances. I hope that we can live as a way where others can see us as grateful to God and then they can know that he is the source of the good he's the source of the not-so-good too, but he makes everything right. I want to challenge us today. Enjoy your day, wherever you are. I pray that you have a great holiday or a great workday if you're working in another country. But ask God to help you be more genuine in your gratitude to him, even in the things that you don't appreciate. He will do that. He will help us to be more grateful because it glorifies him. Life is hard and we broke the world as humans. But God gives us the ability to cling to him, partly through being thankful and being grateful. We get to join him and experience his joy. Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for making a difference with your faith. I pray that you have a great day and that you make a difference in the lives of others today. Thank you very much.
Hey, welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry, your host and the founder of Follower of One. I love doing the podcast and today I want to talk about Colossians 3:15. If you hear this on-air date, this is the day before Thanksgiving in the US. The verse that I chose for today is, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts to which indeed you were called in one body and be thankful. That's Colossians 3:15 from the New American Standard Bible. In the U.S., as we celebrate Thanksgiving, which we will do tomorrow, many don't even understand, that the original thankfulness wasn't just to the Indians or just to each other, but it was to God for the provisions that he made. Thankfulness is worship. It's easy to be thankful to others and we need to be thankful to others. It lubricates our relationships. When we're thankful to others. And when we appreciate others, they feel appreciated. And that feeling reduces the friction that typically happens when people interact. Friction is the force or the result of two objects coming into contact with each other. And friction causes heat. When we interact with our fellow humans, we can cause friction. But a spirit of genuine appreciation, frees everything up. It's like it lubricates all the mechanisms. We look out for others, and we consider them more important than ourselves when we appreciate them. And it lubricates our relationships. So, thankfulness to others is key. But also, thankfulness is to God. As Christ followers, all gratitude or thankfulness is aimed at him. We know he is in control. Our thankfulness reminds us, my thankfulness reminds me that I'm dependent upon God and not the other way around. It puts me in my proper place in the world. So today and every day, I want to be thankful to God for the things that happen, even the good and the not so good things. We'll talk about that a little bit more tomorrow. Today, just thank God for what's going on today and tomorrow. Ask him to help you be thankful in everything that you do. We want thankful to be a word that others use to describe us.
Thanks for joining us on the Follower of One podcast again today. I'm Mike Henry, your host. And today I'm talking about 2 Timothy 2:2, "The things which you've heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." This is a great verse about discipleship and that translation that I read was the New American Standard version. This is a great passage about discipleship, as I said, because it's challenging us to think about four (4) generations. If you see it here, we see Paul passing this on to Timothy, who is to entrust these to faithful men, that's generation three, who will be able to teach others also generation four. So it's like four degrees of separation from the apostle Paul to people who are teaching others about the scripture. We want to be people who ship grace. I mentioned this yesterday. He challenges us to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. I believe we're all like little warehouses and God gives us his grace, not so that we would hang onto it, but so that we would distribute it to other people, to the people that we come in contact with. I believe Jesus puts his people in every company, in every workplace situation, and in every life situation so that others can see what a Jesus follower does in that circumstance. And us having grace that's strong, that's available to be present and delivered to others that we can teach to others about the grace of Jesus Christ. When we have that grace, we make a difference in the lives of the people that we interact with. Today, let's ship the grace that we have received. What we have learned about Jesus Christ and his grace is what we pass along to others. Yes, this is a verse about teaching, but it can also be a verse about showing. The things which we have heard from the people who taught us, let's trust those to faithful people. Let's deliver those things. We want to deliver those in speech to people who want to hear them, but we live them in action. We put them to work. Let's put our faith to work by shipping this grace into the lives of the people around us today. We want to think about generation and generation and generation. Challenge a friend to be the kind of Christ follower that others might want to emulate. And let's pass that on to the people that we meet and the people that we know. Yes, we're going to teach people that, but we need to teach with our lives too. So, let's not just be talkers. Let's entrust these things. Let's pass them along with our life, with our lifestyle and with the way that we speak and act. I'm guilty of this as much as anyone. There are times when I don't live like a good Christian, or I don't act like a good Christian. So, I have to remind myself to be strong in the grace. That's the verse above this. To remember my relationship with Jesus Christ and the grace that he's given me, and then live according to that grace. Join us in this marketplace ministry that you have by taking the grace that you've been given and delivering that to the people around you. The faithful ones will be able to learn and teach others also. Let's pass this along. Let's think about the four degrees of connection that we each have and take our faith and make a difference with it in our world today. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for sharing this podcast with your friends. Invite people to join us at https://community.followerofone.org, where you can join other marketplace Christians and take place in the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Thanks very much.
Hey, thanks for joining us again on the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry Sr., and part of Follower of One. And we have a daily devotional to encourage believers as they head to work each day. Today, I want to talk about second Timothy chapter two, verse one. "You therefore, my son be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." It's believed that second Timothy is Paul's final letter. He's writing it to Timothy, a young pastor that he's trained up. Many people interpret much of the book of Timothy as instruction to pastors. And maybe it is. I'm not a qualified to say exactly what Paul was intending to do, but I saw this challenge to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And I wanted to encourage us with that today, as we get ready to go to work, or as we're heading to wherever we're going. What does it mean to be strong in grace? Christ Jesus is the model of grace for us. He came and died to pay for our sins. He came and did everything in his power to restore our relationship with him. He is the definition of grace - unmerited favor at Christ's expense. I believe that God calls us to ship his grace into the world. He asks us to be grace distributors. To be strong in the grace means that we have God's grace in the front of our mind. It's present with us all the time and we're available to bring that grace to bear in the lives of others. Part of the reason why I chose this first today, tomorrow, we will talk about 2 Timothy 2:2, which is about discipling other people. It's about how we trust the message of Jesus from generation to generation to generation. But today we carry that message in our actions. We're strong in the grace. That means that we live being able to give grace to others. We're available to be patient and peaceful and give people a break, give others the benefit of the doubt. I'm preaching to myself as I often do, because I don't believe I'm strong in grace, often. I want to be strong in grace more. I want to be present mentally with Jesus. In whatever situation I'm in, whether it's a workplace or if I'm in a store or a restaurant, wherever I am with my family at home, I want my relationship with Christ to be present in my mind so that I'm strong in that grace. I've got the grace that comes from my relationship with Jesus, ready and available to insert into my relationships with any other person and any other activity. Today in your job and your workplace, I want to challenge you to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Ask God to show you what it means to be strong in grace, and then go deliver that into your workplace, into your work situation. Let's ship Jesus's grace, to every person that we see today. Let's be people who have a little extra and who can give a little break. We can give an extra moment. We can ask someone to tell us more. We can take an extra second or two or moment or two to spend some time with a friend and just be available to them. Let's be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, just as Paul reminded Timothy in this book. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of the people that you work with every day.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One, and today's devotional is a continuation a little bit of the previous episode. We're talking about Psalm 78. I want to read verses five through seven. We're talking about verse seven today. If you have questions, you can go back and catch the episode that I did on verses five and six. For he established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should teach them to their children, that the generation to come might know even the children yet to be born, that they may arise and tell them to their children, that they should put their confidence in God and not forget the works of God but keep his commandment. Verse seven says that they should put their confidence in God and not forget the works of God but keep his commandments. How do we put our confidence in God? We don't forget what he's done, both in what we've learned in the Bible and in our own lives. And we obey him, and we want to remind our children and remind them to remind their children. About these things of God, how he has done great things in our lives. And when we obey him, we get to see him work. We get to see what he's doing and the difference that he makes, and we get to experience the joy of following him. He's he gives us great joy when we obey him, and we see him accomplish cool things in our lives and in the lives of the people that we work with. I want to challenge us. To live with confidence in God, that confidence in God is what gives us the ability to be calm and to make a difference in the lives of the people that we work with confidence in God is what challenges us to pray for others. Appreciate them, know what we believe, serve others and speak for ourselves. That's our five daily activities with follower of one. We want to exercise those practices so that we can remain engaged with our faith on a daily basis, in the middle of our tasks. Even if things are crazy in your workplace today, you can be confident in God. You can remember what he has done and obey him. That confidence makes a difference in everything that you do at work. In the ways that you relate to your coworkers, and it also can make a difference in the lives of your children and your grandchildren and your great-grandchildren, and maybe even in the lives of the children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren of your coworkers and your peers. Imagine that for a moment, set a 150 or a 200-year goal for the reputation and for the difference that your life makes. You can do things today that can impact people for generations by simply being confident in God, remembering what he's done and keeping his commandments. And that's our tip for today. Our goal is to be confident in God, the way we do that is we don't forget the works of God and we keep his commandments. Let's find out how we can do that today. Let's challenge ourselves. Remember a Bible verse. Take a minute to get to work a little early and pray for the people that you're going to meet today, and then go out of your way to do something special for someone look for ways to serve others. Ask God to show you how you can make a difference in the lives of someone that you work with. You have an opportunity today to practice this confidence and make a difference for generations. Your life matters. The difference that you make in the lives of the people that you work with matters. And you do that through this confidence in God. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for following Jesus and for making a difference in the lives of the people that you work with your actions matter, be confident in God. Don't forget what he's done in your life. And let's obey him today. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Today I want to talk a little bit about praying for one another. 2 Daniel 17:18. Then Daniel went to his house and informed his friends and Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah about the matter, so that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery so that Daniel and his friends would not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men in battle. Daniel and his friends are in trouble. The king has had this dream and the Wiseman and the conjurers of that time, couldn't tell the dream to the king and he was angry about it. And so, he was going to kill them all. And Daniel and his three friends, the guys probably more well known as a Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Daniel and his three friends were among those who would be killed. And so this is a tense work situation. Think you will agree. We face tense work situations every day, but we don't often face them where there's life and death involved. Some of us do, there are people who listen to this podcast who are first responders, and they face life and death on a regular basis. I'm grateful for what they do. But today's point is about praying for one another. And about having friends who are praying for one another. Do you have people who pray for you? Often? We tend to focus on what's not happening by someone else, not praying for us, but if we want more prayer in the world and I want to challenge us to pray for others, this story goes on because Daniel does receive a response from God and gives that response to the king. And it makes a difference in the King's life makes a difference in the lives of all these wise men in these conjurers, this story ends up being one where Daniel and his three friends become more important in the kingdom. It's because of their relationship with God. The way prayer works is interesting because we spend most of our time. If you're like me, I spend most of my time asking God for things. God uses prayer to communicate with me. And God uses prayer to communicate with us. He's putting us to work. He's working his plan. What he wants to happen is what's going to happen in the world. Daniel and his three friends got in on it through prayer. We get to take part in the work of Jesus in the lives of every person that we know when we regularly pray. And I want to challenge each of us, our first daily activity as a follower of Jesus Christ is to pray. We talk about three prayers on a regular basis. One of those is punching in. Here I am. The next one is praying for others. We want to pray for the people in our lives, and sometimes we need to pray and give thanks to God for the circumstances that we face. Even the ones that we don't like. And finally, there are the times like this, where there are situations going on in our life that are just so extreme that we need God to make a difference. In all of these situations, I want to encourage you find people that you can pray with and pray for about what God's doing in your workplace. Ask God to show him who else around you, who else in your workplace might be someone who can pray for you, or if you need to, you can actually connect with those people in our online community at https://www.Followerofone.org. Open to believers who want to integrate their faith in the workplace. I want to challenge you, find two or three or four friends who are praying with you and understand enough about each other's work situation, to where your prayers are making a difference where your prayers will make a difference in the things that happen inside that business. Your prayers can make your employer more successful. You can make you be more successful in the workplace, those prayers can help you see God working and see the difference that he's making in the lives of every person there. Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for being a part of what God's doing in the world. That's what we're doing. We're checking in. We're punching in when we pray. And say, God, I want to be part of what you're doing in the world today. Show me what to do. Thanks for being a part of that. And thank you for listening to this podcast. If you get a chance, share it with a friend. Thanks very much.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry Sr., thank you so much for joining us. Today's devotional, I'm continuing this self-coaching, self-study on the word self-control, and I came to a verse in 2 Timothy 3:3. But realize this then in the last days, difficult times will come for men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good." He goes on. But I want to share today some thoughts that crossed my mind as I was studying the term "self-control." There are a few episodes in the recent days that have been around that topic because I'm studying self-control for me. I want to do a better job of controlling myself; of being in charge of my attitude and my temper and the way I eat and the way I think. And this word self-control here. I got to looking at the Greek and I was surprised because the Greek word was actually a little difficult to look up. The Greek word is actually, "power." It's a word translated power. And then the Greeks, they add an "a" to the beginning of it- "ah". When they add an "a" to the beginning of a word, it negates it. And so, it's "negative power" or "without power," "without self-control." I can't pronounce the Greek word, but you can look this up. It's interesting because it's often translated as, without self-control clearly. However, in The Message, they talked about it being impulsively wild. And what's interesting is in the original King James, and this is what really caught my attention, in the original King James it is translated "incontinent." "Without natural affection, a truce breaker, false accusers incontinent for your despisers of those that are good." That's the King James version. The word "incontinent" means something narrower now. It means unable to control our bowel movements or our digestive processes. It's not just generally unable to control ourselves. Self-control is an inability to behave in public and inability to choose proper manners or words, an inability to eat to moderation, which is my challenge. I overeat, I eat too many sweets. But in many areas, it can be any kind of a habit we can let get out of control. The question today, the question for us as followers of Jesus, where do we surrender our power over ourselves? I wanted to challenge myself today and challenge you. Let's control ourselves. Let's exercise control over ourselves let's bring our bodies and our minds and our spirits in line with what God would have us do. Our job is to glorify him. Our body exists and our resources exist so that we might bring him glory. We might use those things to serve him. Our time is so that we can serve him. If we can make Jesus visible by giving away little bits of our life and little bits of our resources and our time and our energy to the people that we interact with. We are glorifying God. We're doing what he called us to do. We're serving as ministers in the marketplace. I'd like to challenge you today. Control yourself. Let's exercise power over ourselves and use our time and our resources and our spirits to glorify God at work. That's our challenge for today. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for being self-controlled and for using your time and resources to make Jesus visible and to help other people move one notch closer to Jesus.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry Sr., and we do a devotional each workday where we challenge ourselves to live our faith in some way that makes Jesus visible in our workplaces. Today, I want to talk about Acts 10:3, and I'm stealing this from Mark Batterson in his book, Draw the Circle. I would like to encourage you to consider getting that book. It's a great book. It's based on the Circle Maker, which is another book that he wrote both about praying circles around our problems until God does something with them. We pray until something happens. Pray as long as it takes. On day 13 of Draw the Circle, he actually talks about one day. Acts chapter 10, verse 3 from the New American Standard, says, "About the ninth hour of the day, he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had just come in and said to him, Cornelius." Cornelius was a centurion, of the Italian cohort. So, he was based in Rome. He was a devout man. He feared God. It says in verse two and he prayed to God continually, but on some odd day, one day at about three o'clock in the afternoon, he clearly got a vision. An angel of God had just come and said to him, "Cornelius." He'd called his name. What's happening here is that Cornelius will send some people to Peter. Peter will also experience a vision. And this is the way that the gospel was first given to the Gentiles rather miraculous event, or rather miraculous series of events. Actually, that took place just one day at three o'clock in the afternoon, about the ninth hour of the day, Cornelius got this vision. Maybe there's something that you've been praying for about your work or a relationship with Jesus, or about how you interact with the people in your workplace. And you've been praying about that for a long time. I want to encourage you to pray one more day. We never know which day it is. We never know what day and what time God will do what God is going to do. And I'm speaking to myself as I often do. As I pray for things around Follower of One or about, other activities going on in our family and in the lives of our kids and grandkids and my relatives and other people that I know. I never know when it's the one day. I never know when it's time. God keeps it that way. This isn't about us knowing what God's going to do. It isn't about us, being there at the right moment. This is about us being followers of Jesus, constantly asking, seeking, and knocking. It says here that he was praying. Cornelius was praying to God continually in verse two. We need to be searching for God, continually. And today I want to encourage you in your workplace search for God continually. Don't give up. Go one more day. We can all go one more day. We can all make one more prayer. We can all purpose in our hearts to wait a little longer, to be patient a little better. Everyone who knows me knows that I am not the guy saying this to you. I'm saying this to me. This is for me. I want to learn to wait. I want to trust God, because one day at about three o'clock in the afternoon, he will do what he will do. In the meantime, it doesn't mean that we keep doing the same things over and over again, expecting our actions to bring about a different result. It does mean that we continue pursuing God; chasing after him, listening to his ideas and his suggestions, the things that he prompts into our mind that put us on his mission. And I want to challenge you today. Let God direct you and let's be patient. Let's ask one more day. Let's wait a little longer. And let's trust God a little more.
Welcome to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry Sr. and we've been doing these daily devotionals on business days or workdays for now over a year and a half, almost two years. This is our 543rd episode. Thank you so much for listening to these. Today, I want to talk about Isaiah chapter 43 verses 18 and 19. "Do not call to mind the former things or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, now will spring forth. Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert." This is from the New American Standard. Again, I typically use that translation. It's the one I'm most familiar with and I memorized this verse in the New American Standard. I enjoy this verse. I love to come back to this. "Behold, I will do something new," verse 19 begins. This is Isaiah prophesying to the Jews before the captivity, telling them about how he will punish the people who take them into captivity. And he will bring Israel back. Israel is the only nation that I'm aware of that went into captivity and stayed a nation. It's amazing to me. I'm sure there were others. I'm confident that's not the only one. But it's amazing to me how Jesus has managed to keep his people together; how he's managed to keep the people of Israel together. The line of Jesus, if you will, the way that God brought about our salvation, he keeps all of this intact, and here he's promising these people in advance, decades in advance of what will happen. Don't worry about the past. Don't think about the past. "Behold, I will do something new now it will spring forth. Will you not be aware of it?" I remember being convicted one time because I felt like I was the only Christian in my workplace. And God reminded me that our overnight delivery driver who came to our office twice a day, was also a believer and he, and I would share prayer requests when we saw each other. And it was like, God reminding me, "I can do anything I want, and I will get you what you need. You just do the job that I've given you to do." Today, you have an opportunity to honor God, by the way, you live your life in the presence of everyone you're around. Even if you're in a bad job situation, even if you're in a negative work environment or around toxic people, no matter your circumstance; if it's, if it's painful or illegal, get out of it, do what you can to get out of it. But if you're just in a toxic work environment, if you're just in a negative circumstance in your workplace or in your relationship, be the person who trusts Jesus. Do we trust God? He's able at any time to do something new and he will. He promises it here to the Israelites. But he is the God who did it for them. And he can do it for us. He always gives us the opportunity of something new. Now I will flip this a little bit. It is the definition of insanity to believe that you can do the same thing over and over and over again and expect a different result. God also challenges us to live in such a way that we are growing in him. And so I don't believe that any of us are to the point to where God would tell us, "No, you're good. You don't have to, you don't have to improve any, you don't have to change." And so there's nothing he's telling us that we need to leave the same. But at the same time, we can trust him in the circumstances we find ourselves. I want to encourage you today in your work, you are a marketplace minister. You serve others. Serve the people around you so that Jesus might become visible. That's what ministry is. It's helping the people around us have the opportunity to move one notch closer to Jesus. We can do that simply by the way we live. And if you do that today, I'm grateful for you. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for making a difference. Wherever it is you work or spend your time, turn your heart to God and let Jesus and the Holy Spirit direct you in how you live today and ask him to give you an opportunity to help other people move one notch, closer to him.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Today I want to talk about a passage in Matthew. Jesus is speaking. This is Matthew 12:33 and I'm reading from the new living translation. A tree is identified by us fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, it's fruit will be bad. What are you known for? What am I known for? What we find out is, is that the tree is identified by the type of fruit that it produces. And you and I are known for the type of results that we create. Do people feel better or worse when we're around? Do we bring an attitude of a group up or do we bring the attitude of work down? Are we someone who always sees the opportunities and the encouraging things that we can say to others? Are we someone who chooses to find out what's wrong and to point out what's wrong and other things that are going on, or the attitudes that our friends have, we will be known by the results that we create? And I want to challenge myself to think a little bit more about the legacy that I leave. What kind of an imprint does my life make on the lives of my family members on the lives of the people that are working. What type of a difference do this? Some of my actions end up making and did I do anything that made a difference in the lives of the people who will live beyond me? I was challenged to consider this verse and to add it to our podcast simply because I was challenged to consider a 150-year vision for the legacy of my own life. Instead of thinking about. How my job produces good results for this quarter or this month, whether or not I made my sales objectives or whether or not we got our freight delivered on time, which for, from my old life, what kind of a difference is my life make a hundred years from now or 50 years from now? What can I do to make sure that I was a positive influence on the world after? That I think is a challenge that we're being called to as believers who follow Jesus, we don't have to set a long-term horizon. I think it's a daily decision, but the sum of our daily decisions over time, I would believe, turn out to be the fruit that we are known by. So, I want to challenge us today. Let's examine how we go to work and how we interact with people today. Did we pray for the people that we met with? Were we making time to serve them, or are we constantly living with this expectation that others should serve us? Let's be the kind of people that produce good fruit that make the lives of the people around us better. Let's do that in such a way, even that they might add. If you pray and you ask God to put you to work in the lives of the people around you, I believe he will. If he doesn't reach out to us, you can connect with me at https://followerofone.org and you can respond or comment to this wherever you're listening to it on any platform or reply to me at mike@followerofone.org And I'd love to talk with you about how to make a positive difference for the rest of your life. Let's produce the kind of fruit that we want to be known by for 150 years.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Today I'm continuing what we've been talking about for the last two episodes: 1 Peter 4. Today, I'd like to talk about verses three and four for the time already passed is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles. Having pursued a course of sensuality, Euless, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and abominable idolatry. In all this, they're surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you. I'm almost disappointed at the different ways, the different translations struggle with these two verses the new living translation says this. You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy their immorality and law. Their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties. And they're terrible worship of idols. Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So, they signed, or you, I liked that translational a little bit better, even though I'm not sure it's a direct translation, but I think it communicates the idea. We just decided if you remember, from the previous episode, we decided that we didn't want to pursue living for ourselves anymore. We wanted instead to pursue living for the will of God. What will happen is that we will surprise our friends. We'll surprise our coworkers when we no longer plunge into whatever it was, we used to do, as we stopped doing the things we used to do, other people notice. The time of doing that is done. He's Peter saying, we've already spent enough time living the way we live living for ourselves now. And let's spend the rest of our lives living for God, but we will surprise our friends when we no longer plunge into what we used to do. And that way they will be surprised. Some may actually slander you or speak badly against you or malign you. These are not words that I commonly use anymore, but they will look down on us. They don't think that we are as smart as they are. They think that we're living by some other standard, but that's actually the twist that causes them to ask us. Why are you doing this? When we do something over and above what might be normally expected? They are curious. Others are curious, are former friends are surprised. It says in living translation, when we no longer do what they do, the time already passed is sufficient. And so, we can give this up and help them be surprised because we did not run with them into the same excess. Or the way that we used to live, we don't seem to live according to the same worldview, which is one of the common words we use or the same kind of mental model that other people live with. I want to challenge you today, look for ways to bend your life and follow Jesus instead of doing what you normally did. And others will be curious, they will be surprised, and they will ask, I think some will ask some will sign or. That's part of the price of being a Jesus follower. Some will look at you and go, well, that's silly, or that's stupid. They will think we're dumb. They will think we're dumb for living this way. And I feel sorry for them sometimes, because I believe we're right in the long-term, in the eternal long-term. And therefore, it could be a bad thing for them in the long-term. I experienced a lot of joy doing what Jesus has for me to do today. And I expect to experience joy throughout eternity as a result of following him as well. And I believe that some of our friends will ask, and some will speak badly of us today. I want to challenge you, bend your life to follow Jesus and watch what happens. I believe it's all part of his plan for our world. Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for making a difference in your work. Follow him bend your life to follow the will of God instead of the loss of yourself and your flesh and watch what God does in the lives of the people around you. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. This is the second of a multi-part discussion on first Peter four. Today I'd like to read verses one and two, "Therefore, since Jesus Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin. So as to live the rest of the time in the flesh, no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God." Again, that's from the new American standard. Yesterday, or in the previous episode, I spoke about how the first verse talks about we prepare ourselves by arming ourselves with the purpose that Jesus had, which was coming to die. He came to die, and we are all destined to die. That's our destiny. But when we are prepared to suffer in the flesh, we cease from sin. And he goes on to talk about this here. How do we stop sinning? We don't stop sinning in this life. It's when we enter the next life that we cease from sin, we live the rest of our time in this life, in the flesh, no longer for the lusts of men. My expectations were always wrong, and I would always get surprised by my circumstances. I always dreamed about the most positive outcomes to everything. I expected everything to work well and to go well, to be easy, to be beneficial, I always had high positive expectations. I'm a good example of why people like to be pessimists because as an optimist, I feel like I'm regularly disappointed. I joked last time about how the secret to happiness in golf is to maintain low expectations. Many people who are pessimistic will tell you that if they can maintain low expectations, they're always positively surprised. That's not what this verse is talking about though. It's not coaching us on being pessimistic as a lifestyle. This passage, I believe is challenging us to put aside the idea that our life works for us. We will not leave this life with anything. The treasure that we lay up in heaven, which is something that I love to think about. I believe that's in the form of the relationships that we have and the investment that we made in people and the investment that we made in helping others learn about Jesus. To me, that's laying up treasure in heaven is basically making a difference. Taking part in Jesus's work. Jesus came to restore man to a right relationship with God. The degree to which we participate in that action. I believe we're laying up treasure in heaven. In other words, we're being challenged in this passage to focus, not on ourselves, but on what Jesus would have us do no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God, Jesus said over and over again that he came to do the will of his father. He's showing us. That our job is to do the will of God the father. Our job is to make Jesus known and visible in the world. And the way that we do that, isn't by just going to church all the time. It's by living as a follower of Jesus Christ. That's why we talk about our five daily activities. Pray, appreciate others, know you believe, serve others, and speak for yourself. I hope to challenge you today, as you prepare, remind yourself today, my life extends beyond my flesh. My life extends beyond that to the point where it's just me and God, there's no more sin and I'm there with him. What do I need to do today to work towards that end to lay up treasure in heaven? Not to be focusing on my stuff and my comfort today, but rather to focus on where I will one day be in eternity. I believe that's the great part about this challenge. And my favorite part of this passage is coming up in the next episode, which we'll talk about tomorrow or whenever you hear this, it's the next episode verses three and four are exciting to me. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for making a difference in your workplace. Today, ask God to show you how to look past your flesh and past your present circumstances to look 150 years into the future and the type of difference that you hope your life makes both in this world and in the next it all matters.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One, and for the next couple of episodes I'd like to talk about 1 Peter 4. The first four verses of 1 Peter 4. The first verse says, "Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin." That's from the New American standard. That's kind of my default translation. Our attitude matters and our expectations matter. Accurate expectations are like armor. I always joke when I play golf that the secret to happiness in golf is to maintain low expectations. And in a way, some people may interpret this passage as Peter telling everyone expect things to be bad. I'm not exactly sure that's the message here. So yes, clearly the phrase opens. Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh arm yourselves also with the same purpose, Jesus suffered and died. And this word suffering is clearly about that. He's talking about how Jesus suffered and his suffering brought about death. But if we can arm ourselves with the same purpose, We can prepare ourselves. We have armor. We have this armor that comes from God. Is the armor what you might call pessimism or planning for the worst? I don't believe so. I believe the best is what we're looking for. The best happens to be something other than what we see and feel and think in our own minds. I believe our world is much more broken. Then we like to admit, especially when I use the term, we as those of us in the western world who have enough money, much of the people of our brothers and sisters around the globe are not as well off and they're not as wealthy as the people of America are. Poor people in America are wealthy by most nations standards, but this suffering that he's talking about here results in death. We will die. Prepared to die. That's a different story. How can we prepare to die? We can't prepare pessimistically to die and not, in my mind, I think my preparation for death must extend beyond it. It must extend to the resurrection, and I believe that's what Peter's saying here. If we can see past the worst that can happen to us on this planet, in this life. Then we are free to cease from sin. He will go on and explain that phrase a little more in the next verse, and we'll talk about that tomorrow. Today I want to keep this short and simple. Let's arm ourselves with the purpose of Jesus Christ. That purpose is to follow him, be like him, and do what he said. We will die. Death is inevitable for each and every one of us. But we can arm ourselves with the preparation that there's a life beyond that death and that life calls us to serve Jesus now and through everything that happens to us. I hope that you get this message and that I get this message that by preparing myself for all of the worst things that can happen, I'm focusing on what Jesus would have me do in spite of my situation. In spite of the suffering, Jesus is calling me to a life that extends beyond our circumstances and to beyond this life. And I want to go there. I want to be armed for that, to serve alongside Jesus and to make a difference in his world. Today, I hope you prepare yourself not for misery and agony and difficulty, but for whatever happens, knowing that you, your life extends beyond your circumstances. I want to focus beyond my circumstances today. I arm myself with the purpose that Jesus had. I get to serve other people regardless of what happens today so that he might become glorified. Thanks so much for being a marketplace minister, and thank you for intentionally trying to live your faith to make a difference in the lives of the people that you meet every day.
Logan Bloom is an author, speaker, and founder of the Servant Leader Network. Their mission is to help empower leaders to be a light to the world in whatever context they find themselves in.
As a pastor’s kid, Logan felt called to serve God, which he thought meant attending bible school and choosing vocational ministry. So he followed that path and has been in ministry most of his life.
But he realized that you don’t have to be in ministry to be a light to the world. Ministry isn’t just left to pastors, church staff, and missionaries. God is activating the saints in every sphere of society to be a light to the world.
Ministry is service. You don’t have to quit your job to do that. Detaching Jesus from the day-to-day is a mistake. It’s not the vision Jesus has for us. God loves to get into the ordinary details in our lives and turn them into extraordinary things.
In this episode of Follower of One, Logan shares how his ministry is helping equip business leaders to be a light to the world exactly where they are.
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... * Learn more about Logan Bloom [1:23] * The Servant Leader Network [5:49] * The courses and resources available [8:51] * Consider yourself a servant (not a leader) [12:31] * What’s next for Servant Leader Network [17:49] * Logan’s prayer for Follower of One [25:20]
Resources & People Mentioned * Servant Leader Network
Connect with Logan Bloom * Connect on LinkedIn
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Welcome back to the follower of one podcast. I'm Mike Henry Sr. Thank you so much for being a part of this podcast. I'm grateful that God has called us to do these episodes, and I believe he will continue. We've been talking through 2 Peter 1. Beginning pretty much at verse two and going through verse eight. So far, and today I'd like to add a little bit more to this series. I keep thinking it's about to end and I believe it will soon. Let's see how we could do today. For today, let's talk about verses nine and 10. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or shortsighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. Therefore, brethren be all the more diligent to make certain about his calling and choosing you. For as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble. Let me go ahead and read verse 11 two for in this way, the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you. We've been talking about this whole list of traits, these list of attributes as being a process. It begins with God giving us faith, and then we supply moral excellence and knowledge, self-control and perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. We add those things to the faith. We add each thing in its order almost. It's almost like the series that we go through and I spoke in the last episode. About how we make a lap around the track today. I think he's challenging us that if we lack these qualities, we're blind or shortsighted. We've forgotten the race that we run. We've forgotten the which lap we're on. We've forgotten the purification that we were given from our former sins. We just stopped focusing on our relationship with Jesus when I first became a Christian. I remember thinking, you know, it's Wednesday and I haven't thought about Jesus at all since Sunday. I would go days without thinking about my relationship with Jesus. I would forget my position in Christ and I would have to be reminded Jesus or the Holy Spirit would remind me, or something else would remind me. I think sometimes we can also get stuck on one of these, one of these issues I. I admitted at the beginning of this that I come to this because I struggle with self-control. I constantly give myself a pass, and it's almost like every time I get to the self-control chapter, I take a break, I give myself a bye, I take a day off. I want to keep making laps around this track because every lap is an opportunity to grow, to not be blind or shortsighted. But to remember and be diligent about making my calling certain, as long as I practice these things, I won't stumble. If I keep making trips around this track, I have the opportunity to continue my growth, to continue growing in the Lord, to walk with him more. And I see that because now after being a Christian for a really long time, I do spend more time. Consciously thinking about my relationship with Jesus. It didn't happen overnight. It takes time. And that time is something that I was always in a hurry for. I always wanted God to make something happen today. But what we're being told here is we make laps around this track and we grow in our relationship to Jesus, and the more times you've been around the track, the less you will stumble. The more you know who you're chasing, the more we know what we're doing, and the more we know the one who calls us, the greater the likelihood that we will not stumble Jesus will be present in our mind on a daily basis or on a moment by moment basis. Our faith will be real to us on a moment by moment basis, and as a result, the entrance into the kingdom of our Lord and Savior. Everything about knowing him and knowing God will be abundantly supplied to us. We get that because we made these laps around this track today. I would like to encourage you to make sure that you grow. Keep moving around the track. Don't let something like self-control stop you, as I'm telling you is my challenge. I'm admitting that here so that you can help me by praying for me and make sure that I keep going past self-control to perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love that I keep making my laps around the track. And I prayed that for you. I prayed it before I recorded this, and I will continue to pray it. Thank you so much for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for growing in your faith. Thank you for letting your life make a difference in the lives of the people around you.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry Sr., the founder of Follower of One. And I like to talk a little bit about the Bible every day and challenge us to go to work as people who make a difference in the lives of the people that we interact with. Today, we're wrapping up the series on second Peter, one, one through eight. I want to finish by reading second, Peter eight today. "For these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord. Jesus Christ. "I read from the New American Standard translation of the Bible. Those words "useless" and "unfruitful" are translated slightly differently in different texts. But the general idea is these eight qualities that we've just been talking about beginning with faith, moral excellence, knowledge self-control perseverance, godliness, brotherly, kindness, and love. These qualities are this process. I believe that Peter is talking about. In this process, God gives us the faith. Then we add moral excellence and knowledge and self-control and perseverance. We add these things. I always feel like the before picture, I've been a Christ-follower for a long time, but I still often feel underdeveloped. I feel like I should have more faith or I should be able to trust God more. I should walk more in my ability to trust him and to obey him and to do what he says. And I don't often measure up. And that is a problem for me. I work on that regularly. Maybe you feel that way. I think what we need to do is give ourselves a little bit of a pass because what we learn here is we iterate through this process. Faith, moral excellence, knowledge. All of these qualities are a process and we grow in them. We make another lap around the track. I would consider this a lap around the track. So we exercise our moral excellence and our knowledge and our self-control and our perseverance through a series of activities that occur over a period of time in our lives. And at the end by adding brotherly, kindness and love. We grow in our faith. Our faith grows. God gave us the faith, but he didn't give us a fully developed faith. It's still our responsibility to grow it. That's the challenge that Peter gives us here with the phrase "increasing". We need to be increasing. We need to be growing our faith. And that requires that we grow our moral excellence and our knowledge all the way through to love. We want to continue to grow and those things are ours to do. In fact, I think what I'll do is I'll add one more episode to this and talk about verse nine tomorrow. To continue growing, eventually we grow to reduce the uselessness or the unfruitfulness of our knowledge of our Lord, Jesus Christ. If you remember back in verse two, it talks about the knowledge of God and in verse three, the knowledge of God results in us, getting everything pertaining to life and godliness, Peter's helping us grow in our knowledge. I want to help you grow in your knowledge, but it's not through any teaching of mine. Let's read the scripture and let's trust the Lord. Let's spend some time obeying him today. Ask him, go ahead and pray. That's our first daily activity. Punch in, get on the clock and ask God to show you where you need to grow today. What can you bring today? Is it godliness or is it brotherly kindness or is it love? Let's bring some more of these qualities to our workplace. Eventually, God guides us through this process. Our faith grows and we become more useful and more fruitful. In the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's my prayer for us today. My prayer is that we become more useful and more fruitful, right where we are in our workplaces, however, we spend our time each day. We become more useful and fruitful. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for growing in your faith. Thank you for actually investing a little energy every day, to try and continue to increase these qualities and become more useful and fruitful. The difference that you make matters. Over time, this changes and God uses us in the lives of people. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. And also thank you for checking out https://followerofone.org. That's our website. Go there, check out our online community and also sign up for the next Marketplace Mission Trip, where you get to practice these things a little more every day. Thanks very much.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. We continue our discussion of second Peter chapter one verses five through eight. Today, our verse is verse seven. "And in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness love." If you remember from the previous episodes, we are supplying these things to our faith. The faith was given to us by God. And then we supply moral excellence and knowledge and self-control and perseverance and godliness. We have supplied those things. We've talked about those in previous episodes. Today, we want to talk about brotherly kindness and love. These are two Greek words that the Greeks use to distinguish between different kinds of love. And we tend to use the word "love" to mean both of them. Brotherly kindness. You maybe have heard people talk about "phileo" love. I believe it's where we get the word Philadelphia. It's this desire to do what's best for our brother to look out for our family and our friends. Brotherly kindness is an appreciation similar to what would be expected of us in a workplace. Brotherly kindness, being kind to the people that we work with, the people that we interact with. when we talk about appreciating others is one of our five daily activities at Follower of One. We're talking about brotherly kindness and love a little bit. We're vague because I believe both of these go together in our progression of our faith. Brotherly kindness, the first one is this affection that we have for people that we know. We look out for the people we know. And then we go on, we graduate into this next level of love. Again, remember that we bring it. It's not given to us, but we bring this love. The last love that we add to our brotherly kindness is "agape" love. This is a different Greek word, but this is a love that is intentional. Love is action. This love. Acts in the best interests of the people that we interact with every day. This love does what's best for others, even to our own detriment, in some degree. These are the kinds of love that are, it's our challenge to bring. We add them. It's our job to bring these qualities to our faith. God challenges us through the apostle Peter and through his word. To bring this kind of kindness and love to the interactions that we have every day at work today, I would like to challenge us what can we do to love the people around us more? Well, our first daily activity is to pray and maybe what we need to do today is ask God how we can show more kindness, more, love, more appreciation for the people that we interact with. Who do we look past? Who do we miss? Are there servers at food restaurants or male persons or other people that serve us in different ways? And we just look past them. Let's add brotherly kindness and love to the interactions that we have with people today. I believe that's our challenge as followers of Jesus Christ. When we see in this progression that Peter. As run us through faith results in love. And I believe that we even iterate through this. It's almost like it's a cycle. So our faith, we add moral excellence. We add knowledge. We add self-control perseverance, godliness, brotherly, kindness, and love. And it brings us right back to God. This whole process is an iterative process to grow us up in our face. The end result being that we end up like, God, God is love. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. And thank you so much for making a difference in the lives of others as you work your faith and your actions matter. And I'm excited that you're listening to this podcast, take a minute and share it with your friends, or if you'd like to join us at https://followerofone.org.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. We're continuing our series through 2 Peter. Today, we're in chapter 1, verse 6. Let me read 5, 6, 7, and 8. "Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence in your faith, supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We have this process that's going on in our life that begins with faith, and then we bring moral excellence and knowledge and self control. And today, in addition to our self control, we want to bring perseverance. And then to perseverance, we will bring godliness. Perseverance is necessary because if you're like me, persevering is one of those things that requires energy. Just because I can make myself be operating under self-control today, doesn't mean I'll do it again tomorrow. Perseverance takes time. It's difficult for us to tame ourselves and train ourselves in self control, and therefore we must persevere. Perseverance is the natural next step. Just because we begin self-control today, doesn't mean we will persist in it. Persisting in it requires this perseverance, and so we must bring perseverance. It's important because we will not achieve godliness. Godliness is being like God, doing the things that God would have us do. We want to be God-like. Our goal is to be like Jesus Christ, to model Jesus Christ in our lives and to our friends. That requires that we are godly people, that we become like God, that we do the things that God would have us do. It's interesting because this word's clearly translated godliness. I believe that's the natural result of this process. We stepped through from moral excellence to knowledge to self control. When we persevere in our self control, the result that we produce is godliness. We become like God. We do the things that He would do. Today. I want to challenge us. Let's persevere. Let's chase after God hard. Let's keep going. Whatever one more day, one more hour, I'm speaking again to myself. I chose this entire passage because it's talking to me. We need to prepare ourselves and grow up in our faith, and this process, we step through these different qualities. We iterate through this process, and we grow as followers of Jesus Christ. And He puts us to work in more and more opportunities with our friends and the people that we work with. Today let's grow. Let's keep growing. Let's persevere. Hang on, go one more time. Do another lap. Exercise for another few minutes. Let's persevere so that we move on into godliness to being like God, so that we can make Him visible in our world every day. I want to challenge you today. Pray. Ask God to help you persevere. Ask Him to help you remain present with the people that you interact with. Ask Him to help you make a difference in the lives of every person that you interact with today. You will become more like God as you do that, as you listen to Him. You ask Him for guidance and listen to Him, and then do what He says.And so that's what we want to do today. Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for spending your energy and trying to grow up in your faith so that you will glorify God. That's what we try and do in Follower of One. I'd like to invite you to become a part of our online community. Join us at https://community.followerofone.org. You can join our online community for free, take part in a Marketplace Mission Trip, and begin to practice these traits in your life and grow up in your faith. Thanks very much.
Welcome to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry Sr., and today, we're continuing our conversation through 2 Peter chapter 1 in this progression of character traits or things that we should pursue as followers of Jesus Christ. And today we're in 2 Peter 1:6. "And in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness." Self-control is the core reason why I chose to study this passage, and to make a series of podcast episodes, or devotionals, on this topic. Self-control is what I need to focus on as a human being and as a Christ-follower. We spoke earlier about how we were to supply moral excellence in our faith. Moral excellence, I believe, is this pursuit of trying to get where we are living according to the best that Jesus has for us. We take the knowledge that we have of Him in our first set of faith, in the first faith that He gives us, and we apply our lives to that knowledge. We act according to what we believe. Self-control comes after knowledge. So knowledge follows moral excellence, and then self-control follows knowledge. Now this is a different command. This is about managing ourselves. Managing ourselves toward what's best from God, and toward what's best for others. Self-control is this ability to keep my body tamed; to keep my mind and my spirit and my energy within the control of myself, and also submitted to the Lord. I can overeat or I can lose my temper, and where I lose self-control, I'm not a God-honoring person. I'm not all aligned. There's another reference to self-control in 1 Corinthians chapter 9, verse 24 and 25. It says, "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things." This self-control is subordinating my own desires to my long-term goals. This is where I have the biggest problem. I give myself a pass. I claim that I don't want to eat sweets, but then in the evenings, I decide I want to have some sweets. I give myself a pass. I give myself a "bye." Do we give ourselves a "bye" in and around our friends and in, and around those people that we are with? Self-control is one of these characteristics that we have to bring to the Lord. He gives us the faith, and then we bring these other attributes, and self-control is a key piece in this puzzle. Today, I want to challenge us. Where do we need to exercise some self-control? The Holy Spirit will tell you where you need to do this. Just ask Him. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to show you where you need to exercise self-control. And while you're praying, you can pray for me, because I need to exercise self-control too. Ask the Holy Spirit to help me exercise self-control; to do the things necessary to achieve the goals that I want to achieve. Just like in this passage in 1 Corinthians 9, I exercise self-control so that I can achieve the goals that I have. My rational mind has these goals. The Holy Spirit gives us a passion and a desire to accomplish certain things. Do we want to allow our own lack of self-control to take us out and to disqualify us? Today, I'd like to challenge you, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to show you where you need to use more self-control, and ask Him to give you the strength and the energy to add that to the knowledge and the moral excellence that you brought to your faith already. Ask Him to allow you to add self-control to the knowledge and the moral excellence that you've already added to your faith. Let's keep this process going so that we can glorify God daily in our workplace. Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for making a difference in the lives of the people that you interact with every day. Your self-control matters. All of our effort in this area matters. And so, let's continue to add these features to ourselves and to our faith so that we can glorify God in our workplace. Thanks again for being a minister in your marketplace. And also we're getting ready to have another Marketplace Mission Trip. Go check that out at https://FollowerOfOne.org. Thanks very much.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry Sr., and our goal is to help you to be a full-time minister in your regular job. We've been going through a series on 2 Peter chapter 1, and today, we want to talk a little bit about adding knowledge to moral excellence. We're in verses 5 and 6. "Now for this very reason, also applying all diligence in your faith, supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance..." I stated before that I see this as a circular progression. It begins with faith as we spoke about in the last episode, and the first thing we add to our faith is this moral excellence. This commitment to doing what's best to choosing- to live a life that's morally excellent; that lines up with God. Our choice to obey is the key first step. What we add to our faith is our choices to obey, and then God gives us more. He gives us more intelligence. He gives us more opportunities. He gives us this knowledge, and that's why I believe knowledge is second. We obey our way into knowing Jesus, we don't simply study our way into knowing Jesus. Our truth of knowledge, our growing up in Christ, comes first from obedience, and that opens the door to knowledge. But we have to work on our knowledge. And then when we learn new things, we can't unsee them. We can't unlearn them. So then we must begin to control ourselves to live according to the knowledge that we've gained. Knowledge and self control go together. This whole series that we began on 2 Peter verses 2 through 8, it was motivated by my own goal to focus on self-control. So please know that I'm speaking to myself as I often say. This is my time to remind me what needs to happen in my life today too. Self-control is the ability to dictate to ourselves what we're going to do. And in my case, I tend to give myself a pass. We'll talk about this more tomorrow, because what follows self-control is perseverance, and we'll still be in verse 6 tomorrow. Today, I want us to concentrate on adding knowledge, studying about Jesus. Do you read the Bible every day? And then do you let that Bible reading transform you? Take a few minutes every day, and read a little bit of the Bible. You can read a proverb, you can read just a few passages of scripture. Many daily reading plans are only a verse or two or three long. I would encourage you to get more of the Bible in, if you can, to grow your knowledge, to take in more. There are places in the Bible that require some work, and there are other places in the Bible that may call for memorization. Let's focus on knowing Jesus. Let's obey Him and study Him, and the way we know Him is we obey Him and we study Him some more. The knowledge and the obedience go together. Add to your moral excellence knowledge, and then to your knowledge, self-control. Today, let's read the Bible. Let's ask God to show us Himself through our scriptures, and then let's look for opportunities to obey what we read today at work. Watch how often Jesus will use what you read this morning in your workplace today. It will surprise you. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for making a difference in the lives of the people that you work with every day. We are excited to live our faith, and I hope that we help you live your faith on a daily basis. That way we can enjoy our relationship with Jesus and glorify Him as we do our daily job and as we do the things that we enjoy. Also, if you'd like to learn more about our community, check us out at community.followerofone.org, where you can sign up to become a member, take part in our community, and even go on the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Thanks very much.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry Sr., and we've been talking through the first chapter of 2 Peter. We're in verse 5 today. "Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge". The title of today's post is about “Why is faith first?” What we're talking about here is growing into the God-life. I mentioned the God-life in the previous episode, where it says that we become partakers of the divine nature in the New American Standard. We actually get to start living the God-life. That's our salvation. And it's God's divine power in verse 3 that grants us everything pertaining to life and godliness. We get everything pertaining to life and godliness through the knowledge of God. That's in verse 2. And all of this begins with faith. In verse 1, Simon Peter says, "to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours." We get the faith first. Faith is the down payment. It's what God gives us when He gives us the Holy Spirit, and He gives us faith, and as we exercise that faith, we grow into this God-life. And that's what I think this whole exercise - these next four verses - are about. They're about how we grow into the God-life. I want to put it on like a jacket, or I want to grow into it. I want to learn how to use the professional tools instead of just the amateur tools or the kids' tools. I want to grow up in my faith. I want my faith to be something that is applicable and makes a difference in the lives of my family and myself and the people around me. And so I have to grow up in my faith. We come to our faith in the Lord from death. Remember in Ephesians, it says we were dead in our trespasses and sins. And what we've done is we've come to the life. We've come to this new God-life through faith. Faith is first. And he says that he begins this verse, "Now for this very reason, also". He's tying together those first four verses. And then he challenges us to apply all diligence. Diligence is "persevere with careful or painstaking attention and effort." This is hard. We broke the world, and restoring these- this God-life, rejoining the God-life requires effort and work. God summoned us. He's given us this responsibility. He brought us to this challenge. Our work is to grow into it. And that's where we supply moral excellence. That's the first thing that we apply to our faith. We get our life right. We get morally excellent. We live as if we believe God. Moral excellence is this idea that I abstain from certain things. I do other things that I might not do if I were not a follower of Jesus. In doing these things, we start to grow up. It's like doing practice. When you start, when you first begin to golf or when you first begin to take part in any sport, you take the baby steps first. You do the small things first. The small things first are moral excellence. Moral excellence is where we are called to line our lives up with God and with His life. We want to live according to what we know about God. I want to talk about this more in the next episode. So we'll continue in 2 Peter, 1:5. We'll continue in that verse tomorrow, as we go through these different characteristics that we bring to this God-life and grow up in the God-life. Today I want to challenge us as followers of Jesus. Let's ask God to show us where our own life doesn't line up with the things that God wants in us. Let's supply moral excellence by lining our lives up with what we believe about God. Ask Him to show you where your life doesn't line up with what you know is consistent with your beliefs, and then do something about it. Take some action, and do something about it. Let's not let another day go without pursuing moral excellence, because it's the first step in growing into the God-life. Thank you for being a marketplace minister, and thank you for making a difference in the lives of the people that you interact with every day. Our job as ministers is to help other people move one notch closer to Jesus. I'm excited that you listened to this podcast, and that you consider how you might be able to help other people move one notch closer to Jesus. Your actions make a difference in our world. And I'm grateful for that. Thank you very much.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry, and today we continue our conversation about 2 Peter chapter 1. Today we're in verse 4, “For by these, He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.” Maintaining consistency, that's the New American Standard, and the reason why I'm continuing in this translation, it's natural to me. It's the translation I've been reading for a long time. This particular passage is a little bit difficult in that verse, in that translation. In the CSB, it says "By these He has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire." I think that's a little more natural language for speaking how this passage- what this passage means. “By these” is a reference to the previous episode. It's by the power of God. It says, “through true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” I think the "by these" is to His glory and excellence, although it also refers to His power in that verse. So that's the "by these" of 2 Peter 1:4. By these, He has granted us His promises. He gives us the promises, and then He grants them. And that way we get to, it says "become partakers of the divine nature." In the CSB it says "that we may share in the divine nature." That divine nature is really- it's the God-life. We get to share in the life and the character of God. We get to take part in that, because we've escaped the corruption that is in our world because of the evil desire of us, people. Our sin corrupted our world. We get to escape that corruption through our relationship with God, and through His promises. We get to escape the corruption. I want to ask you today to escape the corruption in our world, to enjoy and take part in the God-life, because as we join God in His life, and we escape this corruption, that's where we get the power to do the things that we'll be talking about in the next few verses as well. We get God's life and His strength and His power, and we can make a difference in the lives of the people that we interact with every day. Just simply because we've chosen to enter the God-life, we've been given this access. He talks about in these first four verses of 2 Peter, God gives us this access. And because we have it, we can choose to step into the God-nature and escape the corruption. That calls us to live this God-life in the presence of our peers and our friends. We're part of God's marketing plan. We're part of His idea to help us live His life in the presence of our friends, so that they might want a piece of that too. They might want to join Him and experience the same life and the joy and the peace that we experience. So today, I want to challenge us. Can we live a life of joy and peace? Can we celebrate in our own heart, His precious and magnificent promises? And that way, we get to enjoy the God-life and escape the corruption in our world. This is all part of His divine plan. We get to take part in that today, by focusing on Him and joining Him in His life. I want to ask you today to make it a purposeful, intentional act that you want to join God in His life at your workplace. God's life enters your workplace when you do, and that way, you become a marketplace minister. Ministry is nothing but helping other people move one notch closer to Jesus. When we live His God-life, we make Him visible in the lives of our friends and our family. Thank you for being a marketplace minister, and thank you for making a difference in your job and wherever you are today. And you can check us out and you can join us and find a community of people who are trying to concentrate on living this God-life on a consistent basis. Our website is followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry with Follower of One, and today, we're talking about 2 Peter chapter 1, verse 3, "seeing that His divine power has granted us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence." The reason why this is pulling this one verse out of a sentence fragment, I spoke in the previous episode about grace and peace being multiplied to us, how we multiply grace and peace. And we're able to do that because of the knowledge of God and Jesus, our Lord, but here in this passage, I want to notice something. This is something I want to remember all the time. His divine power, Jesus' divine power, has granted us everything pertaining to life and godliness. I don't live like I have everything pertaining to life and godliness. I'm constantly buying something else, or eating some sweets, or doing something that basically sends the message that I really don't believe that I live as if I have been granted everything pertaining to life and godliness. And I want to challenge us a little bit. I think our ability to multiply grace and peace, our ability to be these people who bring grace and peace into every circumstance comes from this true knowledge of the fact that we have everything pertaining to life and godliness. Do you believe that? Do you believe what Peter's saying here? Do we have everything pertaining to life and godliness? The only two answers I can realize from this are if I think I don't have them, then I'm questioning God and His word. And if I think I do have them, then why don't I live trusting that? Why am I worried about finances? Why am I struggling to do different things or pressing to get things done in a particular timeframe? Why am I sensing pressure if I have been granted everything pertaining to life and godliness? I think this verse also explains to us part of the gap, "through the true knowledge of Him who called us." The gaps are my knowledge where I come up short that may equal exactly the gap in my own knowledge. I'm not trusting Jesus and I don't know Him well enough, and that's where these gaps show up. But as I know Him better, then I experience everything pertaining to life and godliness. I will be praying about this verse for both you and me. I pray that we can live knowing Christ more and experiencing more and more everything pertaining to life and godliness. We'll talk about this some more in the next verses too. The whole reason why I want to go through at least verse 8 is because this passage is this great example of how we can be grace and peace multipliers. We remember, first of all, that we are being granted everything pertaining to life and godliness through the true knowledge of Jesus. I want to challenge us today. Let's sharpen our knowledge of Jesus and live like we know that we have been granted everything pertaining to life and godliness. Those places where we sense the gap, those may directly correlate to someplace where our knowledge comes up short where we don't know enough about God and we don't trust enough about God to see Him working through everything that's happening in our life. I hope that your faith makes a difference in the lives of the people that you work with. I hope that you can intentionally walk with Jesus today and ask Him to show you how His divine power has granted us everything we need pertaining to life and godliness. Thanks for being a marketplace minister, and thank you for making a difference in the lives of the people that you interact with every day. One moment at a time, we can choose to follow Jesus and watch Him put us to work in the lives of the people that we interact with. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Today, and for the next few episodes, I'm going to go through 2 Peter chapter 1, at least the first few verses of it. I so love this passage of scripture, and I've been focusing more on self control, even though I'm not winning the battle, and we'll come to that in verse 6. But today, 2 Peter chapter 1, verse 1 and 2, I'm just going to go ahead and read verses 1 and 2. “Simon Peter, a bond servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and savior, Jesus Christ, grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord...” Again, that's from the New American Standard. For those of you who listen to this podcast, you know, I generally read from that translation. It's just something that I've been in the habit of doing. Today, I want to talk about how we are called to multiply grace and peace. The model that we're given is Jesus. Jesus came and brought us this idea that we can be distributors of grace and peace, and Peter's expounding on that idea today. Peter's saying, I want you to have grace and peace multiplied to you. Different translations say it's lavished, or in abundance. This multiplication of grace and peace is the idea that we would get more than we need, and it would be multiplied to us in the knowledge of God and of Jesus, our Lord. In other words, as we know God, and as we know Jesus, grace and peace are multiplied to us. The gateway for this comes further on. We'll break this apart, and I'm not too sure I have it all mapped together, but my challenge for us: I want to make sure that we have a challenge every day as we go into the workplace. I have a friend whose target word idea for this year is “multiplication”, “multiplying”. And I like the fact that the word is used here. Let's be people who multiply grace and peace in the world around us because we know God and we know Jesus, our Lord. We know them and we are associated with them. We follow Jesus, and that gives us the ability to take the grace and peace that are multiplied to us, and distribute that. We can share that with every person that we're with. Simply living with grace and peace makes a difference in the world around us. Sharing that and multiplying that to others makes a difference. We have the power to do this, because we have the knowledge of God and Jesus. We received it. We received the faith of the same kind he mentions in verse one. Having received this faith, we get this knowledge of God and Jesus, our Lord, and therefore grace and peace are multiplied to us. If you're living without grace, if you're living without peace, I can tend to live without peace. I can get all wrapped up in what's going on in my world. I can feel like I don't have extra to give away. I always feel like I need to give more than I feel comfortable doing, but I believe that comes from me focusing on things that are not God and Jesus, our Lord. When I focus on what I know about God and Jesus, our Lord, I realize that I have grace and peace to spare. I have grace and peace and the ability to make a difference in the lives of the people that I work with today. And that's what I'd like to challenge us to do today. Find a way to ship some extra grace. I believe if you ship it, you will find that you have more and more. And so let's ship some extra grace and peace into the lives of the people that we interact with today. Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for making a difference in the world around you. Let's be intentional in our relationship with Jesus and ship this grace and peace to our friends. And if you want to join a community of people who are trying to do the same thing, check out followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
Jim Lapinski and Tom Nohelty are two men who sought to share their faith in their workplace, both seeking to make an impact for God’s kingdom by completely surrendering. Their obedience led to the creation of Marketplace Impact.
Jim and Tom join me in this episode of Follower of One to share more about their global ministry and how they’re working to equip Christians to share their faith every day of their lives. Their like-minded approach to ministry is one of the reasons their course is becoming part of the Follower of One resource library. Don’t miss it!
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... * Learn how Jim and Tom connected [0:49] * The mission of Marketplace Impact: Living on Purpose [4:12] * Creating marketplace impact by being obedient [9:18] * Making “Foundations” easily accessible worldwide [11:31] * What’s next for Marketplace Impact? [18:29]
Resources & People Mentioned * Marketplace Impact * Marketplace Impact on LinkedIn * Friend on Facebook
Connect with Jim Lapinksi and Tom Nohelty * Connect with Jim on LinkedIn * Connect with Tom on LinkedIn
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Audio Production and Show Notes by - PODCAST FAST TRACK
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Today I've chosen a passage from John chapter 3, verse 36. “He who believes in the Son has eternal life, but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” This is from the New American Standard Bible, as I typically do, but there are several translations of this that either say “does not obey”; some say “do not believe.” “He who believes in the Son has eternal life, but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” This word is translated, “obey”, or “does not obey” is "disobedient" in some translations. And I believe that's the accurate rendering because that word is translated most often as disobedience throughout the remainder of the New Testament. John the Baptist is speaking here, and he's the last Old Testament prophet. And he's explaining about Jesus to his followers, to his disciples. And this is the last thing that he says about Jesus. He actually says before this, “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. He who believes in the son...” Now he's talking about us. He's talking about those of us who believe in Jesus. We believe in the Son, we have eternal life. These are present tense. He who believes, has; they're linked together. This alternate version though says “does not”, “but he who does not obey”. He's talking about the opposite and this is why I think belief and obedience are tightly linked. When we- Jesus is here to do a job. The Holy Spirit is here on earth, doing a job. He's calling all people to Him. He's redeeming us and challenging us to choose to follow Him. Following Him isn't just mentally deciding that He's right, or mentally acknowledging that He's in charge, as I did for the first 30 years of my life. I believe that God created all this, but He left me alone and I left Him alone, and I felt like we were fine, but I didn't understand the scripture, and I wasn't reading the Bible. As I start reading the Bible, I see that the Son and the Holy Spirit are actively involved in the lives of every person on the planet, calling us to follow Jesus. And following Jesus grants us eternal life, and I believe based on this sentence, that eternal life produces obedience. It produces us doing what Jesus would have us do, and that's the challenge I have for us today in the workplace. When was the last time you asked Jesus “Okay God, what do you want me to do?” Here I am. That's our kickoff prayer. We punch in, “Here I am Jesus. What do you want me to do today?” If I do not obey the son, then I will not see life. The wrath of God will abide on me. But I want to obey Jesus. That's my bent. That's something that the Holy Spirit has been growing in me since the day I first trusted Him. And I want to continue to grow, and I get more responsibility by doing more. We'll talk about that in another episode. Today, I want to challenge us. Ask Jesus what he would have us do, but then solve for how. Solve for how you can do what Jesus challenges you to do. If you get a wild idea while you're praying that you should give somebody an exorbitant tip, or that you should stay after work and help someone today, figure out how to make that happen. Don't question the challenge, solve for how. I want to challenge us today. Let's link. Let's keep our belief in Jesus and our obeying Jesus tightly coupled, because this verse does the same, John the Baptist challenges us. Because we believe, we obey. That's the proof. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for paying attention to your relationship with the Holy Spirit and your relationship with your coworkers so that you can take part in Jesus's work in your world. I challenge you also, check out our website at followerofone.org. Join a community of us who are working together to try and help one another do a better job of believing and obeying and making a difference in the lives of people around us. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Today I want to talk about 2 Kings chapter 6 verse 23. "So he prepared a great feast for them; and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away and they went to their master. And the marauding bands of Aramaeans did not come again into the land of Israel." I talked about this a little bit on the episode proceeding, this. This army of men came to capture Elisha who had been telling the king of Israel about everything that the king of Aram was planning. And so they sent this army of people there. And the chariots of fire were presented to Elisha's helper. That's what we talked about in the previous episode. And then Elisha spoke. He prayed and asked, and God blinded these- this whole army. And he directed them. He guided them to Israel. All the way down to Samaria, actually in verse 20, it says. And when they had come to Samaria, Elisha said, "Lord open the eyes of these men that they may see." So what Elisha did was he took this entire army of people down into the middle of the enemy camp and handed them over to the king of Israel. The king of Israel thought, "Well, should I kill these guys? They're the enemy." But Elisha said, "No, don't kill them." He suggested that they bless them. That they set bread and water before them and let them eat and drink and then go home. And verse 23, they prepared this great feast and fed these men who came to kill Elisha. I think it's important to note and the point that I want to make today is the grace that we have as followers of Jesus should show up, even when people are trying to do us harm. That grace may not prompt you to do what these people did, but notice how the Israelites were feeding these people, and blessing them, and sending them away filled. They had grace for these people. They didn't kill them even though these people came to take Elisha captive. I want to challenge us today as followers of Jesus. And this may be a little bit of a stretch from this passage, but we know what elsewhere in scripture. Where can we bring grace? Where can we go beyond what is expected of us and deliver this grace so that other people might see Jesus? This question, "How can I ship grace into this environment?" Is a good question for us every day. How can we ship grace to the people that we interact with? Even people who would be our enemy. Today on your marketplace mission trip, as you go into your own workplace, I want to encourage you to be a missionary, to take some extra grace, to build some time into your schedule and pray for the people around you. And then, let God give you the ideas of how to treat other people, so that they might see Him, not us. The Israelites prepared a feast for their enemy, and we can prepare a feast for the people that we work for as well. Let's be grace distributors in our workplace today. Let's help the people around us move one notch closer to Jesus. Thank you for being a marketplace minister, and thank you for making a difference, making your faith applicable and relevant in our daily lives. Your movement, your effort as a follower of Jesus Christ matters forever, and I'm grateful for you. If you want to join a community of people who are also trying to make their faith matter on a daily basis, check us out at followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. In today's podcast, I want you to just think for a moment about those with us. “Those with us” is a phrase that comes from 2 Kings 6:16. “So he answered, ‘Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’” That's from the New American Standard Bible. If you remember this story, or if you don't, quickly, what happened was this king north of Israel is contesting Israel. He's at war with Israel, the king of Aram. And he's mad, because Elijah is constantly telling the king of Israel everything that's going on. He thought there was a spy, but there wasn't a spy. It was just the prophet, Elijah, who was being told all of this information and passing it along to the king of Israel. And so the king of Aram gets angry about that. He sends an army of people to go down to Israel, to kidnap Elijah, and the attendant of Elijah's comes to him and says, “Look at these Lord, look at all these horses and chariots circling the city.” He's very worried; and this is the famous chariots of fire story. Elijah prayed after he said this verse 16, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Elijah prayed and asked the Lord to show his attendant the army that was around them, and all over the mountain was this- was full. The mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elijah. Our lesson for today, our thought for today, is about the situations that we face at work. There were days in my career when I would be almost absorbed or overwhelmed with a broken situation, a support mess with a client. I remember one time a vendor and I got into a wrestling match, and we were sent a massive bill that it looked like my company might be responsible to have to pay because I had shot off my mouth. There are these problems that we face in our workplaces on a regular basis, and maybe you're facing one of those today. And so this message for you and for me is “Look around. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Bad things still happen. I'm not saying that the bad things stop happening, that when we come to Jesus, everything just works out. Bad things happen, but those who are with us are more than those who are with them, with the enemy. Our enemy will not win. We may suffer harm, we may suffer loss, but our enemy will not win. And it gives us this perspective that can look beyond our circumstances, and be a peacemaker and one who blesses others; someone who ships grace. We can ship grace into the lives of the people around us. That's our call as marketplace ministers, to be the kind of people who remember that those who are with us are more than those who are with them. Today, I want you to appropriate the chariots of fire. Think about God, protecting you. His resources are at your disposal and you want to live your life and glorify Him the way I want to. If we want to do that, then we will expect God to provide the resources so that His honor is maintained and that He is glorified. Let's not mix up our own personal circumstances with everything else, but let's trust to God in them, and let His peace transcend all understanding as it says in Philippians 4. His peace transforms us. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for looking for ways to bring His peace and His joy into our workplaces. That's what makes you a minister of Jesus Christ. Ministry is nothing but helping other people move one notch closer to Jesus. Thank you for being a marketplace minister and check us out at followerofone.org, where you can find a community of us who are working to make God present, make Him visible in our world. He's already present to make Him visible in our world every day. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One again. Today I want to talk about a passage from John chapter 3, verse 30. John the Baptist is speaking, and he says “He must increase, but I must decrease.” I think about this passage in several ways. One way to think about it is to remember that this is John the Baptist talking. John the Baptist isn't really part of the church. He's actually the last Old Testament prophet. He's outside of the church in some degree. He's still the body of Christ, because he, like the rest of us, are saved, but he's a prophet. He's been ordained by God to speak for God, and he's clarifying for his own friends and his own listeners that this is about Jesus getting bigger. Jesus increases. He takes over. This is His show. The world is operated for Him, and He is on the stage. And the old model of the Hebrew life, the prophet's system, is going away. It's gone. And what's new is this “bridegroom and the bride”. He actually mentions in the verse right proceeding this “He who has the bride is the bridegroom.” John's making this clear that all of everything that God is doing in the world is summed up in Jesus. He will increase. This is His show, His plan, and He's taking over, and I will decrease. This model will decrease. This also applies to us in the workplace. It applies to us everywhere. I think our sin nature is really, at its core, the idea that we get to call our own shots. I want to be my own king. I make my own decisions. I choose what I eat, and I choose how I spend my time. I want to run my life. I don't want Jesus running it. I don't want anybody else running it. The “no one else running it” is all part of the great lie. We either serve God or we serve sin, we serve the enemy. And when we think we run our lives, what we do is we separate ourselves from Jesus and we become part of the enemy. Satan, his people, the world, the flesh, and the devil. Those are the three groups of things that take us away from God. And so the world, our flesh, and our enemy, the devil, are all pulling on us, and the big deception, the big trick is we're in control. We get to choose. I get to call my own shots. When I follow Jesus - and this is part of the reason why we call this organization Follower of One - when I follow Jesus, then my life works. Then everything about my life fits in eternity. I'm not outside of Christ's plan, I'm part of it. I get to take part as a member of His church, His bridegroom. I get to join Him as He increases. This world is His, and He will run one day. Every knee will bow. Jesus will be running the show, and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. If we can remember that He must increase and we decrease, then we put ourselves in a proper position to join Him as He works in the lives of the people that we come in contact with every day. That's part of the reason why our first daily activity is to pray, and the first prayer that I like to talk about is “Here I am.” Lord Jesus. Here I am. I want to follow you today. Would you please, as we used to do this when I was in the trucking business, they would give us a stack of freight bills and say, “here, go load this truck.” And we would go take each bill in that stack and go load the truck. Lord Jesus, today, would you give me my stack of bills and tell me what I'm doing? I want to do what you want me to do today. And I get to take part, then, in your work in the world. Let's join Jesus in His effort today, and let Him use us, so that we get to see Him glorified. He will increase. We will get to see that if we join Him and follow Him. Check us out at followerofone.org. We're an online community where we try to help one another. Remember, Jesus is in charge and we follow Him. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Today I want to talk about God's will for us. What is God's will for us? One of the places where the Bible tells us God's will is in 1 Thessalonians 4:3, and that verse begins “For this is the will of God, your sanctification...” I confess this was kind of a "duh" moment when I first heard this verse. When I first remember paying attention to this verse, I had been wondering about God's will for my life in my work, and how I would spend my time, and whether or not I should stay in the job I was in, or how I would find a new job. I actually think I was self-employed and considering job transition the first time I really paid attention to this verse. And my challenge came in the area of what follows this verse. He talks about how we're called to avoid sexual immorality, how we're to learn, to possess our own vessel in honor, and not in lustful passion as the Gentiles do. Paul is challenging us with the will of God. He's saying God's will is clear. I want you to be sanctified. What does sanctified mean? Well, sanctified means that we're set apart. We're designated for a specific purpose. My being sanctified means I dedicate more of my life to doing what Jesus would have me do, then I spend my energy trying to do what I want to do. The energy of my life needs to be pointed toward obeying Jesus and doing what He says, instead of trying to do what I want, do just what I want, which might be participating in sexual fornication or overeating. That's one of the ways where I don't possess my own body in honor. I eat too much. It's one of my challenges, and it's one of those places where you can pray for me. Whatever our addictions are, whatever our challenges are, these are the places where we're consistently reminded that there's more of our life to give over to Jesus. There's more of our time, our thought processes, more of our effort and our energy that can be given over to Jesus. God's will is that we grow up in sanctification; that we work out our salvation, as it says in Philippians. That we turn ourselves to following Jesus, instead of just following our own flesh, chasing after what we seem to want, or what we think we want, whether that was another drink, or another hamburger, or another foray into pornography on a website or anything like that. We are called to deny ourselves and pursue Jesus, to follow Him. That's what this passage in 1 Thessalonians is telling us. Let's be sanctified. Today, I want to challenge you: Ask God to give you the energy and the strength and the desire to follow Him and to do exactly what He says. When He gives you clear direction, do it. If He doesn't give you clear direction, then do the next right thing. We always can do the next, most godly thing in every circumstance, in every situation, in our work, in our daily jobs, in the ways that we interact with people. The next right thing is what God calls us to do when we don't have any other clear direction. I want to challenge you today to trust God, ask Him for wisdom and guidance and then go do the next right thing. Thank you very much for being a marketplace minister and thank you for following Jesus and for making a difference in your marketplace. If you'd like to join us and learn more about Follower of One, head over to followerofone.org, you can learn more about our ministry there. Join our online community and take the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. This is another one of those episodes where I'm mostly talking to me. I hope you enjoy it. 1 Peter 4:12 & 13, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exaltation.” So I study and contemplate and think about joy. I enjoy the joy that God has given me as I've learned to integrate more of my life, my daily work life and my daily living with Jesus. I wish I had done a better job of that when I was younger and when my faith was newer, and that's part of the reason why I'm involved with Follower of One at all. I want to help us integrate our faith in our work so that we may rejoice with exaltation as he says here at the end of this verse. But he's giving us tips for dealing with difficulty. Tip number one: do not be surprised at the difficulties that you face. He says “the fiery ordeal among you”, that difficulty comes upon you for your testing. God is using this to strengthen us. You know as well as I do that we get stronger at anything by lifting above our weight, by trying to do more than we are equipped to do, our muscles get torn down, and then they heal back stronger. We're working out our faith in the same way by facing the fiery ordeals that come upon us for our testing. But when I look at it like it's some strange thing that was happening to me, my expectation is I'm living the good life. My expectation is this should be easy. It should take less time. I always seem to plan for the ideal situation, and then I'm surprised, as though some strange thing were happening to me, as he says in this verse. And he's reminding us if we can create in ourselves this attitude that comes from Jesus, but if we can create it and say “This comes upon me for my testing, it's not a strange thing. It's part of God's plan”, then to the degree that I can share the sufferings of Jesus, I get to rejoice, so that I can see His glory through my life. When I see His glory through my life, I experience His joy. I enjoy doing these daily devotionals. I don't do them as often as I'd like, but I just don't want you to go nuts listening to my voice all the time. I hope that these are helpful, because I struggle with this whole idea of following Jesus in the difficult times. I really want the easy job, I want the easy shift. But it's in the difficulty that I get to rejoice, because His glory is revealed. When I do what Jesus would have me do in my workplace, in the difficulties of my daily life, Jesus is glorified. People go, “Well, why are you doing this?” And I get to tell them about my relationship with Jesus. I get to glorify God, and then I can rejoice with exaltation. I can enjoy watching God work through me when I am not surprised by the difficulties that face me. I'm preaching to me again, please remember, but maybe this will help you too. Let's look at our circumstances today as the weight Jesus is loading on the bar for us, and it's ours to push. It's ours to lift. Let's not look as though some strange thing were happening to us, but let's face our difficulties with joy and trust Jesus. Now, maybe you need some help with that. And you can reach out to me at followerofone.org, you can reach out to mike@followerofone.org. I'd be happy to help you to pray for you to do whatever we can. We probably need to create a page where we can share prayer requests. But I want to encourage you if you need prayer, let me know. And people from our team will pray for you, And so will I. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for looking for ways to integrate your life and Jesus’ in such a way that He becomes visible. And any way you want to do that, we can help you. We’re trying to help people do this better all the time at followerofone.org. You can check it out over there. Thanks very much for being a minister in your marketplace.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. In episode 199 of our podcast (https://followerofone.org/who-is-greatest-luke-22-27/), we talked about Luke 22:27, but today I want to talk about Luke 22:28. And the verse simply says “You are those who have stood by me in my trials.” Jesus is speaking to the disciples and He's actually calling them out a little bit, because they're having an argument about which one of them is greatest in the kingdom. And this is the last night or so of Jesus's life. So here they are, arguing about which one of them is greatest, and Jesus interrupts them and He reminds them the story about who's greater. That's what episode 199 is about. But this episode, which I think is 522 of our podcast - thank you for being a listener - this is about the next phrase. You are those who have stood by me in my trials. We get the choice as followers of Jesus to go with Jesus and stand by Him in His trials, to follow Him daily, or we can choose not to follow Him. I can choose to not follow Him in the next few minutes. Choose to watch something that takes me away from Him or do something that separates me from Him. I can concentrate on myself. There are so many millions of ways that we can leave Jesus. It's this constant struggle. And I think one of the goals of at least my Christian life has been learning to trust Jesus to keep me drawn to Him, and to keep me connected to Him. And today what I wanted to do is challenge us a little bit. I wanted to ask the question: How are you? No matter where you are, do you know that if you made a long series of choices to not follow Jesus, the next choice, you can choose to follow Him. You can choose to do what He says again. I don't... I can't get into the “Once saved, always saved” or any of those kinds of arguments. I just know I want to do the next right thing. I want to choose in my next choice to follow Jesus and obey Him. That's why our prayer that we like to talk about at Follower of One, “Here I am, send me” is a profound, powerful prayer, especially when followed with the question “Okay Jesus, what do you want me to do today? What would you have me do next?” When we focus on following Jesus in our circumstances, one choice at a time, we get another chance to remain with Him in His trials, just like He says here. We are those who have stood by Him in His trials. “You are those who have stood by me in my trials” Luke 22:28, from the New American Standard. Let's choose today to stand by Jesus. The difficulties and the temptations and the distractions to separate ourselves from Him, to not stand by Him and to not follow Him, those stay. They remain. We will always be challenged by these temptations to separate ourselves from following Jesus. We can’t avoid the difficulty, but we can gain the joy and peace and love of following Jesus by simply choosing. Here I am. Would you please put me to work? How can you use me in the lives of the people that I will interact with next? Show me what you would have me do today, Jesus, and I will do it. Try that prayer today and watch Jesus start to transform your life. The more often I believe we can remind ourselves that we're on the clock for Jesus Christ, the more joy filled we will be, the more different we will live, and the more others will ask about why it is that we're doing the things that we do. That's also why we have to practice knowing what we believe in saying what we believe, but start it, begin it all today with here I am. You can begin right now. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for making a difference in your world and in your workplace. The joy that Jesus gives us when we join Him, can transform our world. Jesus is in the process of doing that right now. Let's join Him and take part. Thanks for listening to this podcast or this audio, wherever you're getting it. Thank you for listening to it. Please share it with someone else. Invite them to join you and me over at followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Today's passage is Hebrews 4:15, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” On the September 18th edition of “My Utmost for His Highest”, the September 18th entry, Oswald Chambers talks about this passage, and he draws a parallel between temptation and distraction. Jesus said many times that He came only to do the will of His father, and He focused on that and He achieved that. He also said at the end of His life, that it is finished, He had done the will of His father. He had done those things. Chambers makes this suggestion that whenever we're tempted to do something else with our resources, our time, our energy, our attention, any of those things, those temptations… That's one way that we can talk about temptation in this passage, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” In other words, anytime I'm distracted, taken away from what God would have as my purpose in my job or in my day, how I live my life. If I live according to my own flesh, if I live according to my own desires, my own wants and needs. Even if I don't do anything that hurts anyone, if I'm a good Christian and stay out of trouble, but I'm distracted and I use the resources God has given me for some goal other than what God might've intended, I'm submitting to this temptation. I'm falling into it. Satan can distract us from God's plan and take us out of being part of God's plan with these kinds of distractions. Maybe it's watching movies, or maybe it's playing video games. Maybe it's focusing so much on our career and our job, that we miss opportunities to be a blessing to the people that we work with. I think these are all acceptable temptations to Satan. He wants to take us out of God's plan and if he can distract us, he's accomplished his objective. We have this challenge to, and Chambers calls it “be of value to God.” I would actually call it more “take part in God's plan.” We can punch in. We say, here I am. We put ourselves on God's clock and we say, “Alright, God, what do you want me to do today?” We remind ourselves that we want to listen to him and do what he has for us. Because when our attention is focused on him, when we use our time and our energy and our resources to further the kingdom of God in some way - maybe it's simply by appreciating people or by praying for our coworkers - we get to take part in the joy that God intends for us. This is a joy that we can experience now by following Him, and we will experience it in eternity. I want to challenge us today as followers of Jesus. How can we pay a little more attention to how we allocate the resources God has given us towards his work? Towards taking part in his plan? Let's try and use our time, and our energy, and our attention, and our money, and everything that we do as something that can glorify God. And let's consider the distractions, the things that make us stop thinking about God, as temptations, and trying to avoid those. I want to be intentionally engaged with Jesus all day today in my job. Lord Jesus, would you make that happen? That's my, "here I am" prayer for today. Thank you so much for being a marketplace minister, and thank you for making a difference in the marketplace. I hope these are beneficial to you, these devotionals. Please share them with your friends and check us out at followerone.org, where you can learn more about our online community and take part in the next marketplace mission trip. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Today, I want to read a very convicting verse to me. This is a conviction to me, and that's part of the reason why I want to read it. I think it's a challenge to all of us, especially in business, but in any type of work. Proverbs 16:9, “The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” I've been working for the last few days, doing some strategic planning around the growth of what I hope the growth will be for Follower of One, and bathing that in prayer and asking God for his direction, for his wisdom and his guidance. And then I would turn right around and get something- we’d get interrupted. And what I thought I would be spending my time doing X, I ended up having to spend my time doing Y. The Lord directs my steps. He ordains interruptions and circumstances and things that happen in my life, and I often don't like it. I've just become a pouty little child because God's not letting me do what I wanted to do. The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. I pray constantly. I don't pray constantly. That's an exaggeration. I pray regularly. That I would be easier to interrupt, that I would trust God more. My natural instinct is to get angry at interruptions, not to trust God that He would have me do something else. Almost every interruption, almost everything that takes longer than I thought it would take, ends up being a blessing to me, if I would just trust Jesus and do what He says. Today in our workplaces, I would like to challenge you: let's remember the mind of a man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. And now let me say that exactly correctly. I'm reading from the New American standard, the mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. I don't really think that references all that gender-oriented. I think, male or female, we can get all wrapped up in our own goals and objectives and we forget God, but the Lord directs our steps. He's the one directing us. He's the one choosing what we do. I want to plan to do what God has for me to do, and that means my plans must include interruptions. My plans, and my attitude must be good with interruptions, because God is sovereign. He's the one choosing the plan. We have a person on one of the recent mission trips talking about how she had it all planned out that she was going to do her fastest exercise time walking through her neighborhood, but she couldn't get any of her timer apps to work, and she was very frustrated about that. So she took off anyway and she got interrupted a couple of times on the way and had opportunities to interact with her neighbors, that she never would have done had she had the timer ticking. And it was just God saying, no, you're walking around the neighborhood today, but I want you to interact with the people that you come into contact with. I think God does that with my schedule. That I wire it tight as a drum, and I'm always in a hurry, and I always have to hurry up and get to the next thing. And then an interruption will occur, or something will take longer, or something will need to be redone. Lord, may I please have an attitude of openness to you. And I pray that we all do. That openness and that willingness to be God's person in our situation is what makes our faith attractive to the people around us. I hope today that this criticism of myself, this challenge I'm giving myself is beneficial to you in some way. Let's be the people that Jesus calls on today to make a difference in the lives of our coworkers and bank on it, that will require some interruptions. Thank you for being a marketplace minister, and thank you for making a difference with your faith. Don't forget if you're interested in more of this content, check us out at followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Today I'm doing our podcast on both video and audio. And so you can hear this in both places and it will come out at different times, but our verse for today is 1 Peter 5:7 “casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” Peter is talking to us, and he's telling us that we can cast our anxiety on him. In our previous episode, we were talking about being humble, and the humility is a key for this anxiety passing. We sometimes feel like we're the victims of anxiety. We're confident that we're not powerful enough to deal with our fear, and yet, it's not our fear that exceeds the power that we have. It's God who exceeds the anxiety and the fear that we have. When we humble ourselves and put ourselves in the right place, then we're in a position to be able to hand our anxiety to Jesus. We can give it to Him, because He cares for us, and He's powerful. In John 16:33, Jesus said: "These things I've spoken to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have trouble. But take courage, I have overcome the world." The trouble of the world does not exceed the authority of Jesus. And so even the true things that we fear, much less the anxiety, which is as Seth Godin called it “experiencing failure in advance”, the anxiety is something that we can give away. We can give it back to Jesus. We can place that on Him because He cares for us. Today, I want to encourage us to go into our workplaces to pray, and to take that anxiety. If you have a big meeting coming up, or if you know you have a difficult conversation coming up. Or maybe it's a review that's going on. Cast that anxiety on him. Don't spend time experiencing your failures or your fears in advance, wait for them, and trust Jesus. He has this under control, and He will care for you in such a way that you can take that anxiety and put it on Him, and He will give you peace in its place. And use that peace to make a difference in the lives of the people that you work with. We do these things so that we can be ministers in our marketplace. A minister is just a servant. And so we give this anxiety away and we're back and we're free to be able to serve the people that we work with so that they might ask us, “Why are you doing this?” And we can tell them, "I'm doing this, and I'm peaceful because I trust Jesus, and He's working these things out in our lives and He can do that in yours as well." I'm so excited to get the chance to be a minister in the marketplace, a minister of Jesus Christ in the marketplace. I hope you join me. Ministry is helping other people move one notch closer to Jesus. And that's what we try and do at Follower of One. And so I want to encourage you to join me by going to followerofone.org and checking out our online community and signing up for the next marketplace mission trip. Thank you for being a minister in the marketplace and thank you for making a difference in the lives of others. Your ministry at work matters and it makes a difference to those around you. Thank you very much.
Markee Johnson was the Director of a marketplace ministry called “Endeavor” at Celebration Church in Austin, focused on empowering and equipping the Body of Christ to bring their faith to work. But her journey of faith in the workplace didn’t start there. Markee shares how her unique background in a Fortune 100 tech company led her down the path of workplace ministry in this episode of Follower of One.
“Instead of cursing the workplace, appreciate that your light shines even brighter in dark situations.” – Markee
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... * How Markee got involved in marketplace ministry [2:32] * The evolution of Markee’s employee resource group [5:16] * How Markee transitioned to Celebration Church [8:22] * Why start a marketplace ministry? [10:00] * The global anti-human-trafficking organization: A21 [15:42] * Excellence is how we build equity in the workplace [19:35]
Resources & People Mentioned * A21 * Endeavor
Connect with Markee Johnson * Connect on LinkedIn
Subscribe to Follower of One: A Faith at Work Podcast
Audio Production and Show Notes by - PODCAST FAST TRACK
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Today, I want to talk about how humility unlocks joy for us. Let's use 1 Peter 5:6 as our verse. “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you at the proper time.” Exalt is one of those words that I don't use very often, but when I look at the word, I see the definition: it's to raise in rank, or to elevate, or to praise. We want to experience the exaltation of God. My goal here is to experience this relationship with Jesus, where I experience His joy. I enjoy what He's doing in my life, and it's not a transactional thing. His exaltation and lifting me up, I believe involves me more in the work that He's doing. I experienced joy when I joined Him in the work that He's doing in and around the people that I'm with, the people that I work with or in my family. When I humble myself under His hand, what I'm doing is I'm realizing my position. My right place in the world is doing whatever God says. He's the one who created me. He will always be my boss. He will always be my king and my Lord. Those are awkward. Some of those words are awkward for us. We think we're in charge, but when we can humble ourselves under God's mighty hand and do what He says, we experience exaltation. We are lifted up. We are blessed. We are praised. We are exalted. That's the word. That comes from having a right understanding of what God is doing, and where we are in relation to Him. In relation to God, I'm not that much, yet He died on the cross for me. Jesus died on the cross for me to restore my relationship with Him. And today, if I can remember who He is, and who I am, it's my job to just shut up and do what He says. It's my job to listen to Him and do what He says, and then I will get exalted at the proper time. If you've experienced the joy of following Jesus, you know what I mean. And if you haven't, maybe you need to ask God to give you some direction on how you can be humble. How you can have a proper understanding of where you fit in the world. I believe God will give you that if you ask Him for it. In fact, asking Him for it is our first daily activity. Praying, punching in, telling God that we're on the clock. Here we are. We want to do whatever He has for us to do today. And listening to Him. That's our job. When we do that, we're on a mission trip. We're on mission with Jesus Christ when we obey God in our world, and in and among the people we meet every day. I want to challenge you today. Stick your foot in the ground, and from here forward, say “I want to do what God calls me to do.” You'll mess up again pretty soon if you're like me. I mess up pretty regularly, but I want to keep trying. I want to follow God and do what He says. And I'm on this podcast, I'm involved in this ministry called Follower of One, because I believe as I do that, and as we do it together, we help one another. Check us out at followerofone.org where you can practice this a little bit. One of the ways we practice is through our marketplace mission trip. Trust God today, humble yourselves under His mighty hand, listen to Him, do what He says, and trust that He will exalt you at the proper time. We have a choice to make. Every action is a choice. Make the choices that line you up in the right relationship with God and watch Him exalt you. You will experience joy through that. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for listening to this and for sharing it with people. Let's follow Jesus today and do what He says. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Let's continue our conversation from yesterday, where we were talking about how to get right with God, so we'll call this episode part two. Today our verse is Acts 16:31. They said: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." Yesterday we were quoting from the old Testament in Habakkuk, and it said that the righteous shall live by faith. Sometimes, we think that all you have to do is believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. That's exactly what this verse says, but this word believe, and sometimes what we translate, what we understand as “believe”, like “I believe that certain things will happen” or I believe this, or I believe that, the way that we hold our intellect and our beliefs in this country, in this culture, in this time, it's a little different than what Habakkuk and the author of Acts are saying. I believe this word “believe” and this word “faith”, the faith that we live by in Habakkuk, and this belief that the Jews understood when they were being told “believe in the Lord, Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household”, it means the same thing. It means that we must translate our life. We must transform our life. Maybe even the word “repent” fits in this, because as I believe in the Lord Jesus, I now bend my life to do what He says. Yesterday, or in the previous episode, we heard that as lining up behind Jesus; the righteous will live by faith. And here we're learning it as well. Turn your life, bend your life to follow the Lord Jesus. Believe in Him and do what He said. Some of us, we filter, I filter, I do this. I filter my own choices sometimes through the lens of the Lord Jesus. There are times when I choose not to do what He says. There are times when I choose not to tell the absolute truth. That's a full confession. There are times when I want to cut corners on the truth, or make something sound better than it was, just so that I won't irritate someone else. When I do those things, I'm not believing in the Lord Jesus at that moment, I'm actually trusting myself. I'm following my own instruction. I become an idolater, because I put something else in the place of God. I'm listening to me, instead of listening to Jesus. I want to challenge us as followers of Jesus Christ. We want to live by our faith from Habakkuk 2 in the previous episode. And we want to bend our life to believe and to live like we know that everything that Jesus Christ said is absolutely true. When we point our lives after Jesus, we are saved, and that salvation, it's dependent upon Him, not us. So it doesn't turn on or off when we stop believing, but the salvation that we experience every day, the salvation that we experience comes because we follow Jesus Christ. Today, you can choose moment by moment, decision by decision, to follow Jesus Christ and do what He says. And you watch, you will make a difference in the lives of the people that you work with. Don't believe me? Try it out. Try for 30 days, pray for your coworkers every day for the next 30 days, and watch what Jesus does. I hope that every person listening to this podcast can bend their lives and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. But that means that our lifestyle will change, because now, we'll be taking direction from Him. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for considering daily how you can transform your own life by following Jesus, and making a difference in the lives of your coworkers. Check out the tips that we have and the online community that we've created at followerofone.org, where you can connect with others of us who are trying to do the same thing on a daily basis. We want to move our faith forward daily by trusting in Jesus and doing what He says. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One and today's passage, still in the Old Testament, Habakkuk 2:4, "Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him, but the righteous will live by his faith." I love the last phrase in that verse. I love an old Rich Mullins song that he wrote that was about this verse: The Just Shall Live. And, I want to talk today about how we get right with God. I think it's interesting because I always thought that getting right with God meant that I had to live according to a bunch of rules. I had to check the boxes and do the right things. I had to be baptized and go to church and do this and do that. And I love the way now that I think about this verse, because I think Jesus has flipped it in my mind. When I live by faith, I do what Jesus says. There are days when Jesus tells me I need to go to church, or I need to tell the truth, or I need not to eat that extra dessert. When I'm living by faith, I listen to Jesus. I follow him. I am a Follower of One. When I'm living by faith, I'm righteous. I'm doing the things that Jesus would have me do. I'm following Him and I'm in line with Him. I'm in the Jesus groove, doing the things that Jesus would have me do. It's not that I'm trying to obey a certain set of rules. I'm trying to conform my life to the direction set for it by my Creator, by the person who gave me life and who put me here. And we're also told in Ephesians 2:10 that He gives each of us a job to do, that He created us for good works that He prepared beforehand, that we would walk in them. "Behold as for the proud one," the one who goes his own way, which is what I tend to do. I can be one of the most arrogant, proud people I know, and when I do, my soul is not right within me. I'm wrong, I'm broken, I'm off track. I'm out of the groove. I'm not operating according to those things that I was created to do. But when I live by faith, when I put my trust in Jesus and I do what He tells me to do on a moment by moment basis, I'm righteous.That's how you get right with God. It's not about doing the things, the rules that other people cast on you, it's about following and obeying Jesus. Today in our workplaces, I would like to challenge us. Today, let's listen to God, ask him what He would have us do. Remember, our first prayer is to punch in. Here I am lord, put me to work. Let's punch in and ask him to show us what He would have us do for the people that we will interact with today. And then when we hear a word from him, when we get an idea, if you pray and all of the sudden you get this wild idea, you can pretty much bet it was Jesus. If that wild idea lines up with scripture, find a way to do it, find a way to solve for that. Whatever idea came into your brain, find a way to implement it. You can believe that you're following Jesus. You're living by faith, living by trusting Him. Listen also to other believers in your life, attend church and listen to the leadership of your church. Have other Christians who are involved, and read the scripture. But when we talk to Jesus and He gives us ideas, let's find ways to do them. Today, give away a little bit of your life to the people that you work with. Ask Him, ask God to show you what to do, and then do it. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for following Jesus at work for living by your faith. That makes us righteous. Let's do that today so that Jesus will be visible in our world. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One, and today's episode, I want to talk about where our faith is based, or what is our faith based on, and I'm using a fragment of a sentence. 1 Corinthians 2:5, “so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.” That's from the New American Standard Bible. What does your faith rest on? Does it rest on the wisdom of man, or does it rest on the power of God? I believe that our faith rests on the power of God, the more we can show that we make choices according to what we know Jesus would have us do. When we go above and beyond what is expected of us at work, because we trust Jesus, we demonstrate that our faith rests on the power of God. When we can do the right thing and be bent towards serving others on a day in and day out basis, moment by moment, as opposed to trying to serve ourselves, we prove that our faith is based on the power of God. I want my faith to be based on the power of God, not just on the miracles that I see. Not the flashy miracles. You know, it's a miracle to be- to stay married for a number of years. It's a miracle to avoid sin when sin is very tempting. It's a miracle to avoid shading the truth, or telling a white lie when you have the opportunity. Those things are miracles. We look past them often because they're common. They're miracles that we're expected to do every day, and we look for the exceptional miracles. We look for the drama and the exceptions, but the miracle of God is that we can live based on His power on a daily basis for the rest of our lives. So we want to base our faith, and I want to base my faith, not on the wisdom of men, not even on my own wisdom or my own understanding, but on the power of God, the ability of God to make His word true in my life, even when I don't see it. That's a challenging idea for us, but today I want to challenge you to put it to work. Today in your life, go outside of what's normally expected of you, and serve someone over and above what you might normally do. Today, you might give a large tip to a waitperson at lunch or at dinner, or you may go out of your way to provide a gift for someone who's a service provider, like the people who clean your office or the people who deliver the mail, or your package delivery person. Let's get outside of our comfort zone and let's go and invest something - some money, some time, some energy - in our own faith. Let's go spend some money to make Jesus visible. When you do that, you're resting not on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God today. Let's do that. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. I also would like to challenge you to consider building this into your life. Join us at followerofone.org. We have an online community there where we challenge one another to live this way, to live blessing other people so they might know Jesus, and we want to do that on a daily basis. I want my faith to make a difference in every day of my life. And I hope you do too, because then we get to experience the joy of walking with Jesus on a daily basis. Check out followerofone.org, and also look at the marketplace mission trip. There's always another one about to happen. Sign up for the next marketplace mission trip, and join us as we practice this. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One, and today, I'm thinking about what makes things happen. What moves the needle in our world? I'm reading from Zechariah chapter 4, verse 6. “Then he said to me, this is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.” God is reminding His prophet to go speak to the priest and the king - I think Zerubbabel is the king; I probably should have done a little more research - to say to him it's not might or power that makes things work. It's my spirit. The spirit of God makes things happen in our world. He's what moves the needle. He's what makes things change. He is the one factor of all the factors. Often, I tend to believe that my actions or my power, my effort, or my energy, my money, or time, or resources are what's needed to make something happen. Often we tend to believe that the government is, or that some other person is supposed to be making something happen. It's their fault that they didn't do something, or someone else is responsible. We might take responsibility among ourselves, or we might dump it on someone else, but here it's as clear as it is anywhere in scripture. God's saying it doesn't matter what you think you do. It doesn't matter what you think you're doing or how powerful you think you are. It's my spirit that makes things happen, and I wanna remember that today. This could be a short podcast. Today God is the one who makes things happen in our world. He was then, and He is now, and we believe that is something else or that we might wring our hands, that something's outside of our control, but today I want to remind myself, and I hope I remind you, the holy spirit is what makes things happen in this world. And He's working His plan. Nothing, nothing is going to thwart his plan. Nothing will stop Him. We get to relax in that, to trust Him, and to do what He says. Today, let's ask God to show us how we can relax in trust, and then just obey Him and do what He says. I pray that for you and for me. Let's relax in trusting Him and do what He says today, because He's the one who moves the needle. Thank you for listening to this podcast. Let me give you a minute back today. Also take a minute and check out followerofone.org. This is our community; it's a community of believers who come together to try and practice living our faith more on the six days between Sundays. I hope that you will join us there. Go to followerofone.org, where you can check out more about our ministry, about the online community and join the online community and then you can take part in the next marketplace mission trip too. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Today, I want to jump into the Old Testament for a couple of days to get us to think a little bit more strategically and long-term about our faith at work in the practical attitude towards how we live our lives. In Psalms 78, verses 5 and 6 says “For he established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should teach them to their children, that the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, that they may arise and tell them to their children.” Psalm 78:5-6 This part of the Psalmist is making a statement about how God has called us to pass down the things that we learn about him. To pass them to the next generation. And part of how we do this- most of what we talk about in the marketplace mission world that Follower of One is involved in has to do with here and now, at work, how we live our lives today. We want to be very practical. There will be an application today at the end of this recording. We have things to do today. But we're also challenged to pay attention to our children, and their children, and their children after them. What are we doing to make sure that we have a legacy that goes forward into the future? And I'm not talking about saving up money for retirement, or building a retirement fund or something that you can allow your children to inherit. I'm talking about creating the kind of reputation and being the kind of person that makes a difference in the lives of the people around them. Set up a character for your family, for the people that bear your name and the people that are part of your family. We're the kind of people who do X. Here, the Psalmist is talking about the people of Israel. He established a testimony in Jacob. He appointed this law in Israel, and he commanded the fathers to live a certain way. Basically, this is an identity statement. We are this kind of people, and you can't see me, but I'm using air quotes again. We are this kind of people. We are the kind of people who minister to our coworkers, and who make a difference in the lives of every person that we meet. We are the kind of people who help everyone around us move one notch closer to Jesus. I want to challenge you today to begin asking God and praying about how you can live in such a way that the intentionality of your faith, the way that you are purposeful about living and serving others for the sake of making Jesus known. The way that you live becomes something that even your kids and your grandkids and your great-grandkids pick up. That generations after this one know what kind of person you were, and they try to live up to that standard as well. This is not something that we're trying to project on other people, but it is something that we decide to be on the inside. When we choose to be a minister, instead of just choosing to do ministry, we flip a switch. This choice to be a minister makes a difference. It says that we are the kind of person who does certain things, and our identity directs our actions. Today, ask God to show you how your identity in Him might need to transform some part of your life. It might need to make a difference in the way that you do your work. It might need to make a difference in the way that you interact with your coworkers, or the way you teach your children and grandchildren about these types of beliefs. Let's live intentionally today, so that our faith is making a difference in the lives of our family for generations to come. Set a goal now for what you'd like people to say about your family 150 years from now, and see if that doesn't change the way that you do your job. Thanks very much for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for making a difference in the lives of the people that you work with. Your actions matter. Let's develop an identity that is based firmly in Jesus, and let that identity guide us as we take our faith into the workplace every day. Join us at followerofone.org as well to check out the online community that we have, the next marketplace mission trip, and to connect with others who will help you. And you can help them as we move forward, being intentional with our faith in the workplace. Thanks very much.
How clever are you when it comes to using money? And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” Mark 12:42-44 ESV I don't know about you, but I like to think I'm pretty sharp with how I handle money. I am a pretty good shopper and I can make a good deal. I'm not the best I've seen, though. I've seen better. We've been talking about how we use temporal resources in our world and we've called this series Eternally Shrewd. To be shrewd means that we are clever, resourceful. We may even be cunning, or a bit under-handed. We get the results we want. In this passage 2 really extreme things are happening. First Jesus is noticing something and he makes a point of it. He sees something no one else sees and he points it out to the disciples. But the second thing is this poor lady gave away everything she had to live on. I can't imagine the kind of guts that took. I want to be courageous, but I confess when it comes to money, I can be a coward. I want the courage of this lady, but I am afraid to ask for it. In one way, only having a penny would be a bad situation. But in another, Jesus makes a great point. She put in all she had to live on. The next move is up to God. Jesus doesn't even discuss it. She is dependent on God. Jesus also said in Matthew 6, "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? Matthew 6:26 NASB. Can we trust Jesus like a bird, or like this widow? And what do we miss if the answer is "No?" To be eternally shrewd it would mean to make choices and take actions that produce the best result. Everywhere in scripture, I see God challenging me to trust him more, to give more away, to go big. Today, I want to live more like that. You can pray about that for me, and I will pray about that for both of us. I hope God's people live so radically different that every person notices. If you heard yesterday's podcast, ask me what I did. Head over to https://twitter.com/mikehenrysr and ask. Let's work to be shrewd in the eyes of God. Let's do the things he says even when they sound a bit crazy. That may mean taking a marketplace mission trip. Or getting some friends together to take one. God to www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com to learn more and step out.
Do you serve God or money? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” Luke 16:13 ESV If you're like me, you probably don't think of yourself as someone who serves money. I give money, but I'm also challenged by passages in scripture when Jesus is particularly challenging about money, too. For example, in 2 chapters he will tell a wealthy man to sell everything and give it away. Are you ready to do that? I confess, I don't trust Jesus enough to do that. I want to be quick to give, but there are times when I pause. So am I serving money? Fortunately, God allows me to grow. I want to do a better job of being willing to give. I wonder what I miss because I won't give. What do I miss out on because I'm not quick to give or share? Today, I want to challenge us again. Do you have the guts to ask God where you need to give more or where you need to trust him more? I asked that as I wrote these notes, and as I record this. Lord, please help me be quicker to give and trust You, too. What about you? Can you ask God to show you what to do with your money and then do whatever pops into your mind. I'm asking. It has been hard. Would you please follow up? Would you ask me what I did? If you have my contact info, shoot me a note. Or post a tweet to @mikehenrysr on Twitter (https://twitter.com/mikehenrysr and say, "I heard Eternally Shrewd, Mike. What did you do?" Thanks for being a marketplace minister and for using your resources to make an eternal difference. What we do because we follow Jesus matters forever.
What are true riches? If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?" Luke 16:11-12 ESV This passage and the ones yesterday and the day before were what Jesus said at the end of a unique parable. He talked about a dishonest manager. He made the point that the manager was shrewd, or clever, resourceful even if he was dishonest. He made a reference to our honesty, and how if we're dishonest or unfaithful in a small thing, then we will be in bigger things too. Then, Jesus asks these 2 questions. These questions seem to guide us to conclude some other things about our next life. In our life after this temporal life, there will be true riches and they will be our own. True riches must be those that never lose their value. And for them to be ours, we won't lose them either. Does that idea cause you to think of any questions? it does for me. If there are "true" riches in heaven, and if they will be "my own." What must I do to get them? I go back to the parable. I need to use the wealth and resources I've been given in this world to make friends for eternity. I need to use temporal resources to make Jesus visible while I'm here on this planet, living this temporal life. How are you doing? Do you often think much about true riches, or wealth that is truly yours? Are these podcasts helpful to you? If so, please consider making a gift to our ministry. We have a matching grant that is going on right now. Money you give that is over what you've given to Follower of One in the past will be doubled, up to $25,000. Please head to https://followerofone.org and click the Donate button in the upper right hand corner.
What does it mean to be faithful to Jesus? “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much." Luke 16:10 ESV I memorized this verse or made a mental note of this verse without considering its context. When I look at what Jesus said right before this and right after it, my eyes are opened a bit more. He's been talking about a dishonest steward. The guy was clearly dishonest. In the ESV and many translations it uses the word dishonest. In the New American Standard strain of translations, it uses the word unrighteous. The guy was misusing the master's resources. But as we'll see in the next verse, I believe Jesus is challenging us to use the wealth we've been given in this life to make an eternal difference. If we hold it for ourselves or if we fail to do with it what the master wanted, then we've become dishonest, unrighteous. Jesus isn't telling us to steal. He's telling us to do what our master wants us to do with what we have. That's why I think it's helpful that the ESV contrasts the words faithful and dishonest. Are we doing what God wants us to do with his riches? So what will you do today? Why not give something away. Ask God what he would have you do with the things he has given you. Then you'll get to watch him work. Please join us in our online community and share any ideas. Head over to https://community.followerofone.org and create a free profile.
Ed is a storyteller, speaker, author, and coach. Ed believes that all leadership begins with personal initiative to create impact that makes a difference that matters (based on Ephesians 2:4). In this episode of Follower of One, Ed shares how he encourages Christians to take initiative, determine what their values are, and be more intentional with their impact.
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... * Learn more about Ed Brenegar [1:22] * The purpose of the Circle of Impact [5:30] * Encouraging leaders to take initiative [10:22] * The role of facilitation leadership [14:41] * Values are foundational to everything [16:41] * Three significant points of transition [20:57] * The third significant life transition [24:07] * How to be more intentional with your impact [26:30]
Resources & People Mentioned * Circle of Impact: Taking Personal Initiative to Ignite Change * The Future of Leadership with Ed Brenegar
Connect with Ed Brenegar * Ed’s Website * Ed’s podcast on YouTube
Subscribe to Follower of One: A Faith at Work Podcast
Audio Production and Show Notes by - PODCAST FAST TRACK
How shrewd are you with finances? How do we make the most of our resources? And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. Luke 16:9 ESV Notice how this guy was commended for stealing from the master to make friends for himself. Why would Jesus tell a story where this guy comes out ahead? I can only conclude one thing. Notice that none of that money belonged to the manager. How much of your money belongs to you? Is your answer was "none," you'd be right. Everything belongs to God. We only get to manage it for a time. Do we do a good job of using the wealth God has given us to make friends for eternity? I'd like to do a better job of using the wealth and resources. What things come to mind when you ask the Holy Spirit this question today? How does he want you to use the resources he has given you? What more can you do? Can you buy a lunch or a coffee? Can you give more freely? What can we do to live like we know what God wants us to do? Today, lets use the resources given to us by God for his glory. As you get ideas, do them. Then, join us in the Follower of One online community and share those ideas. Let us know what happened. Invite another believing friend to join you. Use the masters stuff to make friends for eternity, not just to get out of trouble. Even if you're too busy, there are things you can do. You could make a gift to Follower of One. We have a matching gift donor who is matching new gifts (or new amounts given) to Follower of One through October 31, or until we receive an additional $25,000. Would you consider making a contribution? Your gift will be doubled as long as you are in that first $25,000 that we raise. Thanks very much.
What do you do when you're joyfully surprised? And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. Luke 15:20 ESV Elder heads of families didn't run in Jesus time. Running is what the immature and the afraid would do. In this parable, the father saw his lost son coming back home. He was looking. He saw him while he was still very far away, and he ran to see him. The father in this story represents God. The sun represents us, every one of us. We're all some distance from God. When we turn to him, he sees it and he runs to close the gap. Whatever distance that might exist between You and God, you can change it. He's watching and even though you're a long way off, the minute you turn to him, you're on the way to restoration. Jesus told this story. The Jewish leaders of the time would have thought the father silly, even childish. They would have looked down their noses at him. But Jesus says our Heavenly Father longs for us to turn back. Once we do, he runs to meet us. He schedules a celebration. He's not worried about appearances. He is looking for us. Today, let's remember the kind of love that is available to us. I hope it changes the way we love others. We are free to impersonate the Father in this story because we experienced this behavior. If you haven't then I want to challenge you to turn to God the Father even more than you already have. Resist the temptation to make demands. You know you don't like what you're doing. So, any thing God does is an improvement. Turn to him, head back toward him and then watch for him as you walk. Around you today are others who don't want to be separated from God. Maybe you can help them imagine the joy of seeing the Father run in their direction. Anything you can do to help them move one notch closer to Jesus maters. It could be the move the Father sees. Pay attention to the people around you. Pray for them, appreciate them and serve them. And remember to have an answer ready for them when they ask. Join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip, too. One begins in just a few days. Why not join our online community at https://community.followerofone.org and then ask to join the next Marketplace Mission Trip using the main menu. God will use you in the lives of others. And he will give you a new joy and purpose in your everyday work. Check it out! I also want to encourage you to check out The Morning Mindset with Carey Green. He's a friend of our ministry and he's been. inviting his listeners to join our Marketplace Mission Trip, too. Listen to today's episode at www.CareyGreen.com.
Do you ever experience times when you know you're not thinking right? In the story of the prodigal son, the younger son asks for his inheritance and splits. Then he blows the whole thing, and ends up with a terrible job, starving. The whole story turns on this verse. "When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger!" Luke 15:17 CSB Is there an area of your life where you sense God wants you to come to your senses? What's involved in coming to your senses anyway? God wants us to live according to the best we know. This person had experienced a different reality. And he realized it was within his power to re-enter the old reality, even at a lower position, and he would still be better off. Does this apply to you in a particular area of your life? Notice how he immediately turned toward the father in this story. We'll talk about his father's response tomorrow. Today, living according to our senses is fully within our control. Let's live up to the best we know. Let's live like we trust Jesus to do what's best. Maybe we need to get around others who are thinking and living up their best. One of our friends, Carey Green has another podcast called the Morning Mindset. Check it out at www.CareyGreen.com. Another way to get around others who are chasing Jesus, would be to join our online community. Head over to https://Community.FollowerofOne.org and join our community and take part in the next Marketplace Mission Trip, too!
What does Jesus mean when he tells us to repent? "No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:5 ESV The Jewish people were hung up on acting correctly. For hundreds of years, they concentrated on doing the right things the right way. In the middle of an interaction with a group of people, someone asks Jesus about some Jews who were killed and their blood was mixed in with the sacrifices. This would have been particularly difficult. The Romans thought their rules were silly anyway. They only tolerated the Jewish laws because they happened inside the Roman law. How is it that God would allow these terrible things to happen to good people? I believe this is what the Jews were asking Jesus. We ask this question today, too. Why do bad things happen to seemingly good people? Jesus doesn't directly answer the question here. He does address the question of whether or not these people were worse than any others by simply saying "No!" Then, Jesus simply suggests that unless they repent, they would have something similar happen to them. And he does this twice, both in verse 3 and in verse 5. He repeats himself. Jews repeated themselves for emphasis. We do it too. Jesus is emphasizing the idea that unless we repent, we will "likewise perish." We will cease to exist in a similar fashion. Most every translation says the same thing. So what is repentance and what does Jesus mean? It seems pretty important since it's the only idea Jesus gives here. If we don't repent, we will perish. Repentance is to change your mind. You thought one thing, but now you think something different. It seems to suggest here and elsewhere in the New Testament that our life was a pursuit of something, and when we repent, we change our mind and our direction and pursue something else. I used to chase full-time after my own goals and my own life outcomes. I was my own authority. But I changed and now I pursue what Jesus wants of me. I realized that I'm not the ultimate decision-maker when it comes to my own personal success. The one who created me had a purpose and I'm now trying to discover and fulfill that purpose. And that changes the way I interact with others. I now want to cooperate with Jesus and do what he says. I've changed direction. I believe that's the repentance Jesus is referring to in this passage. What about you? Have you made the decision to chase after Jesus and what he wants? Then join me. Let's pray today and ask him to show us where we can change our behavior? Maybe you'd like to join our online community. We are a group of people who follow Jesus. We like to help one another. There is strength in numbers. Join us at https://community.followerofone.org. Don't forget to join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip, too. One starts in just a few days. Head over to https://MarketplaceMissionTrip.com to request an invitation or if you're a member of the community, just go to Mission Trips and sign up for the next trip.
Who do you want to win the big game? "For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." Luke 9:26 ESV I hope this isn't a one-time thing. In my past, I've missed opportunities to tell others about Jesus. Fortunately, Jesus paid for my mistakes. But if I'm not one of Jesus' people, I can expect this kind of rejection one day. You might think me a bit cruel in this, but I didn't say it. Jesus did. I want to choose moment by moment to listen to and do what Jesus says. That's where his kingdom is. His kingdom is the place where people do what he says. I want to stay in that kingdom. As I listen to Jesus, I'm there. As I choose to do what he would want, I'm there. If I'm one of his children, I won't experience any separation from God. When Jesus takes his throne, I get to be there. I won't be shut out. Want to practice life following Jesus? Join us for a Marketplace Mission Trip. You can request an invitation to this at www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com. Also, don't forget to check out my friend Carey Green's Morning Mindset Podcast. You can listen to today's episode at www.CareyGreen.com or on your favorite podcast listener.
Dr. Chip Roper is an entrepreneur, speaker, and executive coach who leads the VOCA Center. The VOCA Center is an organization based in New York City that serves people all over the world. They offer professional solutions to problems that are rooted in Biblical wisdom. Dr. Roper shares their mission and vision for ministry in the marketplace in this episode of Follower of One.
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... * Learn more about Dr. Chip Roper and the VOCA Center [1:00] * How the VOCA Center chooses projects [5:14] * Learn more about the VOCA Center coaching program [9:52]
Resources & People Mentioned * The VOCA Center * Resilient Faith at Work Podcast * VOCA Center Career Navigator
Connect with Dr. Chip Roper * Connect on LinkedIn
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What is your net worth? "For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?" Luke 9:25 ESV One of the recurring questions I experience in life is what would happen if I gave more of my stuff to help others. I use the phrase "my stuff" because I grew up in the days of George Carlin. Our "stuff" is a reference to our possessions, our riches, our things. I wonder what would have happened if I had given more of it away. Jesus is in this series of statements that we've been discussing for a few days now. We live in a world where we know that one day, our money will be worthless. I heard someone once describe it as owning the currency of a government that was about to be overthrown. We know the end is coming. So why would we hold on to the money? Why wouldn't we take all of the old money and purchase things that would have a value in the new economy. This is exactly what Jesus is questioning here. What good is it if we accumulate a bunch of wealth today that will be worthless tomorrow? How silly would we feel? Many of us work our whole lives to save up money and have a lot of stuff. Then we die and it all goes to someone else. If we do this in the extreme, we forfeit ourselves, according to Jesus. We have another Marketplace Mission Trip coming up in just a few days. This is a 2-week exercise to practice following Jesus rather than forfeiting ourselves. Check it out and request an invitation at www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com.
Would you like to make the most of your life? "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it." Luke 9:24 CSB How can we save our life? I don't know first hand, but I'm pretty sure everyone who ever lived has transitioned out of this life. Some believe the story just ends. The Bible teaches that we have a life that lasts forever. We begin enjoying that life when we trust Jesus. We can live that life enjoying ourselves or not. It's our choice. We only need to make one choice. We choose to follow Jesus and we get to enjoy that life from that moment and forever. If we never trust Jesus, we miss out. Would you like to enjoy life forever? For me to read this verse and it make sense, I had to think about what Jesus was calling life. There must be some difference between the life that lasts forever and the one I'm living right now. If I want to save my eternal life, I need to lose my temporal life. I give it away. I live following Jesus even though it doesn't seem to make sense. Just thinking in terms of my flesh, I should grab all the gusto and go for everything. I should take anything I want and put me first. But when I trust Jesus, deny myself, take up my cross and follow him, I put others ahead of myself. I serve rather than seek to be served (Mark 10:45). I consider others more important than myself (Philippians 2:3). What will you do today? Dont' forget to go visit and share Carey Green's Morning Mindset podcast. Head over to www.CareyGreen.com to catch today's episode. And please join us for the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Request an invitation at www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com.
What does it mean to "take up our cross?" And he said to all, "if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23 ESV Being crucified on a cross was a horrible way to die. Actually it was more of a torture that resulted in death. The Romans had made it into a science. It was hours of excruciating pain and suffocation that only eventually ended in death. When Jesus talks about taking up a cross, he's referring to crucifixion. He's adding to the picture of denying ourselves. He's not talking about eating less, or not having sweets. He's not even talking about dying in a quick and painless way. He's talking about volunteering to die a miserable death in place of someone else. It's pretty graphic. And he's telling his disciples this early in his ministry. He is probably thinning out the crowd. Why? Giving up our rights to ourselves is the only way to God. Fortunately, he doesn't make us do it all at once. Fortunately Jesus' death paid for the gap between what is required and what we do. I think we can't even begin to understand how wide the gap is. All we can do is thank God that we don't have to understand. We need to trust. When we trust God, how does that transform our day today? What can we do to be part of his calling while we're here? If you get a chance, go check out The Morning Mindset. It's another 5-minute podcast by my friend Carey Green. Check out today's episode at www.CareyGreen.com. Carey is inviting his audience to join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip. We have one starting in just a couple of weeks. Request an invitation at www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com
How often do you deny yourself of something? And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me." Luke 9:23 NASB95 What does it mean to deny ourselves? Our online community, Follower of One got its name from a conversation I had with some friends. The conversation was about leadership and someone said a leader was someone who "had followers." I said I never followed anyone. I don't think any leader really "has" anyone. People choose to submit, join, cooperate, invest. But "follow" always seemed like I needed to become a passive, do-what-I'm-told kind of person. After that conversation, the Holy Spirit convicted me. If I don't follow Jesus, my life doesn't work. My eternity becomes a blooper that I can never take back. Imagine having 80 years to get something right and blowing it forever. The only right answer is to follow Jesus instead of anything else. In the end, it's following ourselves or others. We can't help but follow. Jesus didn't call us sheep all the time for no reason. My biggest obstacle to following Jesus is me. You don't have me as an obstacle. You're too busy dealing with you. We are each our own worst enemy. That's why Jesus very clearly states in just about every translation of this passage the words, deny himself. We must tell ourselves "no!" That is step one. But the negative isn't motivation. We need to focus on something else. We focus on Jesus and do what he did. Let's talk about that tomorrow. Check out the Morning Mindset podcast. It's a 5-minute daily devotional podcast like Follower of One but it's done by Carey Green. Check it out at www.CareyGreen.com. Also, why not join us and practice denying yourself. Go to www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com and request an invitation to our next Marketplace Mission Trip.
Should we be telling others about Jesus? But He warned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone, saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and raised up on the third day." Luke 9:21-22 Why did Jesus tell them to keep the secret of his true identity? I think it was because the time was not right. We're instructed to make disciples of all nations now. It was Jesus final command, the Great Commission. We were also told that we would be his witnesses. But at this point in time, to people who didn't know who Jesus really was, they were to keep quiet. Jesus had enough distraction, and misunderstanding already. Even among the disciples, there was confusion. Before the Holy Spirit was given, telling others about Jesus would have been a distraction. Besides, he points out that people don't receive this kind of news well. They were going to cause Jesus to suffer, be rejected and be killed. Everything has a time. Jesus was encouraging them to wait until the proper time. But this is Luke Chapter 9. They don't understand. Do we understand what we will need to endure? That's our topic for tomorrow. If you get a chance, go check out our friend Carey Green's podcast, the Morning Mindset. You can find a link to it at www.CareyGreen.com.. And also, please join us on our next Marketplace Mission Trip. This is a lab exercise for our faith. For 2 weeks, you can try some practical ideas to share Christ's love with the people you see every day. And I promise, you won't be asked to break any company policies, either. Check it out and request an invitation at https://MarketplaceMissionTrip.com.
I read “My Utmost for His Highest” every year and every year I take notes. So as I read through each passage the next year, I see those notes and think about how far I’ve come. Or, I see where I still struggle with the same problems.
When we started Follower of One six years ago, I was still working full-time. But I wanted to realize a way that my faith could take up more of my life. I was frustrated because I’d look at these notes and realize I still struggled with many of the same problems.
It’s one of the reasons why I created Follower of One. Listen to this episode to learn more about building a community of like-minded people and the goal of this community.
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... * [1:05] The purpose of Follower of One * [3:24] Why Follower of One focuses on faith at work * [6:15] Building a community of like-minded people * [10:36] The goal of the Follower of One community
Resources & People Mentioned * My Utmost for His Highest * Equipping Christians for Kingdom Purpose In Their Work
Connect with Mike Henry Sr. * Follower of One * The Follower of One Community * Watch on YouTube * Connect on LinkedIn
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Almost everyone who knows about Jesus has an opinion. Do you live your life according to your opinion of Jesus? And it happened while he was praying alone , the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them saying, "Who do the people say that I am?" They answered and said, "John the Baptist, and others say Elijah; but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen again." And He said to the, "But who do you say that I am?" And Peter answered and said, "The Christ of God." Luke 9:18-20 NASB I ask the same first question of you. Look around you? Who do your friends say Jesus is? Who do the people in your community say that he is? Who do the people in your country, or on this planet say he is? We all live our lives according to our real opinion of Jesus. What we say we think of him may not line up with how we live. So when you look at the world, what conclusion do you draw? Notice how Jesus takes their answer and turns it. In the end, our eternal life, our happiness and our satisfaction, joy, peace, freedom all ride on one idea. Who do we say Jesus is? Check out The Morning Mindset. This is another daily devotional podcast by my friend Carey Green. They're helping promote our next Marketplace Mission Trip, so please search for his podcast and check it out. You can find out more info at www.CareyGreen.com.
How do we join in God's vision for our world? “Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith." Habakkuk 2:4 NASB95 Would you like to see the best you can imagine come to pass? I believe what God is doing will end up being the best I can imagine. And I know in Romans 8:28 that God causes all things to work together for good to those who are called according to his purpose. So the vision, God's plan as it is revealed to us, will come about. Those who are proud and arrogant will miss out. But those who want to be right with God humble themselves and listen to him out of faith in him. We benefit from the vision in the long run. Now I confess, I wish I lived this way with confidence. And we can clearly get this wrong and suffer some pretty extreme consequences. But what gets us right with God is faith. It puts us on God's side of the vision. Today in your interactions with others, remember we have been given some great promises and we can freely live serving others because we follow Jesus. How will you let your faith in Jesus change the way you live? Will you continue to live scared about the future, or can you open up and be more generous with your time and resources? Can you do something for someone even though they can't pay you back? Today is another day when you have the opportunity to live like you trust Jesus. What will you do? Join us in Follower of One and let's live helping others move one notch closer to Jesus. Check it out at www.FollowerOfOne.org.
Can you be certain about the future? For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it testifies about the end and will not lie. Though it delays, wait for it, since it will certainly come and not be late. Habakkuk 2:3 CSB Do you have trouble communicating the vision of things as you see them? When God gives us a vision it will come to pass. It has a time. I confess, this is a challenge for me. But I'm old enough now to have seen several ideas come to pass. Many didn't end up like I thought. I probably wasn't listening to God. Others happened much later than I thought or they took place differently than I thought. I don't profess to know the future. I am certain about the future, but not my ability to see it or guess it. God's vision will in-fact happen. In fact, God, who is outside of time, has already seen to it. He's in charge. God is answering Habakkuk. He was asking God about the things he saw that were coming and he wasn't happy. But God's answer was about the certainty of God's plan. God will execute his plan. And his plan is to save all who will be saved. Today, we can trust that God is on schedule and everything is A-O-K. He isn't surprised or frustrated in any way. What we face is part of his strategy. That's why we're free to forgive and love our enemies. God is driving. Still, things can be hard. Let's look for God in what we do every day. Let's draw near to god and encourage others to do the same. We can be part of God's vision or we can miss it entirely. Would you like to be in a community of people who live and work every day to walk in our eternal purpose? Check out our online community at https://community.followerofone.org.
How often do you write what God tells you? "Then the Lord answered me and said, 'Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run.'" Habakkuk 2:2 NASB Basically, the Lord tells Habakkuk to record the vision so that the runner may run. Messages were hand-carried in that day. They didn't have text messages, and email and smartphones. They didn't even have dial-up lines. Messages were carried. God is telling Habakkuk that he needs to write down what the Lord says. It needs to be spread around. Our first principle two days ago was that we need to be patient and watch for a word from God. We want to hear him but it will require patience and perseverance. We need to look patiently. We also need to be open to hearing things we don't like. Today, we're told to write down what we hear. If we don't write it, we'll miss out. Writing it makes it easier to remember and to carry with us. The messenger needed to take the message with them back in those days. Today, take some time to write God's vision. What is he saying to you? Make some notes. Then, put his word to work in the lives of the people around you. We can all help others move closer to God. His vision is important. Let's listen to him and do what he says. Get quiet before him, wait on him and write what he says. Then, we're equipped to share it. Some of these ideas on vision come from Mark Virkler's 4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice at this link.
How do you handle bad news? I will stand at my watch post; I will remain stationed on the city wall. I will keep watching, so I can see what he says to me and can know how I should answer when he counters my argument. Habakkuk 2:1 NET In the previous episode, we talked about how to hear from God and how to use what we hear as part of our vision for the future. Sometimes we don't hear what we want or expect. Habakkuk seems to me to be saying that he wants whatever God will share even if it's not what he wants to hear. This prayer and answer began in Chapter 1 of Habakkuk. He is asking God why let bad people, specifically the Chaldeans, to deliver God's punishment to Israel. This is another in the discussion of why do bad things happen to good people. Except that we know God states pretty plainly elsewhere in scripture that he is punishing the Jewish people because they didn't obey him. See Hosea 4:6. which is one of the many verses on this subject. Habakkuk was prepared for God to disagree with him or to correct him. In addition to understanding what God wants him to know, he also is asking God how he should respond. It's like he's saying, "God show me how to respond. " Do you ask God to give you a response to the things that will happen to you today? Ask him to guide and direct you. Our willingness to obey is part of the reason we hear from God. I think we can be too quick to answer. I certainly need to be more precise, and I need to chose my words more carefully. In fact, I need God to choose my words. Today, let God choose your words. Let him put words in your mouth. Ask Him for words and how to respond to every surprise and situation. Then ask him what actions you need to take. Many times, praying to hear him is all you need. Your next actions may even seem strange, but you reminded yourself that God is in charge.
What does it mean to be an image bearer? In a world where we feel like we’re missing the mark if we’re not called to pastoral ministry, how do we find our kingdom purpose? How do we become disciples of other disciples? These are a few of the topics Dr. Thomas (Tom) Lutz covers in his recently authored book, “Equipping Christians for Kingdom Purpose in Their Work: A Guide for All Who Make Disciples.” We scratch the surface of his wonderful book in this episode of Follower of One.
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... * [1:01] Learn more about Tom Lutz and Vision Planners * [7:50] Equipping Christians for Kingdom Purpose in Their Work * [16:55] The three instructions God gives His image bearers * [23:47] What you do is important to God
Resources & People Mentioned * Follow this link to get a 52% discount on Tom’s book: Equipping Christians for Kingdom Purpose in Their Work: A Guide for All Who Make Disciples * Convene
Connect with Tom Lutz * Connect with Tom on LinkedIn * Follow on Facebook
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What's your vision for your future? "I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me and what I will answer concerning my complaint." Habakkuk 2:1 ESV Notice here and for the next couple of days, I want to talk about the importance of vision. Here, the prophet Habakkuk is asking God for direction. He says he will stand his post and look out to see what God will say to him. Do you ever wait for God to give you direction? Are you someone who believes that God will guide you? Or are someone who believes that everything is outside of our understanding? For me, passages like this show me that others have struggled with what I struggle with. Can I trust God? Will he guide me? We will discover this some in the next couple of days. But today, let's start with what this prophet did. He took his post. He did his job. You're called to do your job today. You may not like it. But it is there. We don't get a pass. He went to work and he waited to hear from God. He anticipated being able to communicate with God. Jeremiah 33:3 ESV says "Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known." I confess, I know I will hear from God and yet, I don't spend much focused time listening. I want to hear him all the time. But I don't spend enough time just listening. I want to listen more. I want to dedicate time to hearing from God. This passage shows us some things about listening to God. We must stand our post. We must anticipate hearing from Him. Tomorrow, we'll talk about how Habakkuk is bracing himself even though he doesn't expect a good or easy answer. Will you listen to God. Do you want his vision? Would you like to understand him better? Why not join our community of Christ-followers who want their faith to impact their everyday life. Head over to www.FollowerOfOne.org to find out more.
What's the big deal about giving a gift? "For this perhaps is why he was separated from you for a brief time, so that you might get him back permanently, no longer as a slave, but more than a slave- as a dearly loved brother- especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord." Philemon 15-16 CSB Have you ever noticed how the choice makes something more valuable? If I give you $20, you would appreciate that more than if I was simply giving you a $20 bill that you had given me. If I owe you the $20, or if I purchase something from you for $20, it's different than if I just give you $20. The same goes for just about anything else. We must choose to follow Jesus. One day, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess Jesus is Lord, (Isaiah 45:23, Philippians 2:10). Our need to choose shows up over and over again. Some estimate thousands of times a day. When we choose to do the right things, the rewards are more valuable. If we do those right things under compulsion, well, not so much. Today, because we follow Jesus, we can choose to do what he would want, or not. We can show love to others. We can live productive lives. We can serve others, ready to give a defense for the hope we have (1 Peter 3:15). Or we can choose to be selfish, self-centered, focused only on our own needs and desires. The next choice you make can matter forever. You can choose to give a cup of cold water, just because you're a disciple of Jesus. And in Mark 10:45, Jesus said you will not lose your reward for that action. We can choose to obey the Holy Spirit. He is speaking to you. He is prompting you to make a difference in the lives of the people you work with. Make a choice. Take an action. Don't let another moment pass. Let's focus on what we can do. Give something away. Choose to bless someone else today and watch God work. You will give up a little selfishness, but, if God is who he claims to be, the rewards will be great.
What's the most spiritual thing you do? "[B]ut without your consent, I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will." Philemon 14 NASB In the letter to Philemon, Paul has sent Onesimus back to Philemon. Onesimus was one of Philemon's slaves who escaped, and became a Christ-follower while apparently in prison in Rome when he met Paul. Now free, Paul happens to be sending a letter back to Ephesus, where Philemon lived, and so he had Onesimus take a letter back to his former owner. Erwin McManus gave a talk a number of years ago where he said he thought the most spiritual thing we did every day was that we made choices. In Dan Rooney's book, Fly Into The Wind, he talks about the first Line of Effort (or LOE) is volition. We get to choose. This is a fundamental ability God has given us. He protects our ability to choose. Because of our sin, we lost our ability to choose to do the things that would allow us to have a relationship with God. Jesus came and died on the cross to purchase for us the freedom to choose. Paul here is asking Onesimus and Philemon to make a choice. Onesimus has been asked to choose to return to his "owner." Philemon is being asked to free Onesimus and credit his debt, or obligation to Paul's account. Paul's protecting his choice here rather than compelling him or forcing him. He's modeling what God has done for us. Your choices matter. Today, choose to serve Jesus by praying for and loving the people around you. You have that freedom. Those who don't follow Jesus don't have that freedom. Let's live like we're free because we are. We can choose. And our choices matter. God protects your right to choose and he is doing that for everyone you meet. Your life is just one of the illustrations, one piece of evidence when your coworkers try to reason for or against the existence of God. What kind of witness will you be today? Also, consider joining us in our online community and becoming a recurring member. The choices we make can matter forever. Choose to be and do what Jesus would have you do today.
Is the Christian faith relevant today? And He did not let him, but He said to him, “Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.” Mark 5:19 NASB This story in Mark is a story I talk about often. Jesus came ashore in a place that was a remote part of Israel. They weren't great at keeping the law. He and the disciples came up on this man that was possessed by an army of demons. Jesus ended up getting the demons out of the man but they went into a herd of pigs, who, in turn, rushed down the bank and into the lake and they drown. The people of the community were upset that Jesus messed with their pig farming operation, even though pigs weren't part of the approved diet of the Jews. So they asked Jesus to leave their region. The guy Jesus healed asked if he could go with Jesus. And this verse is his answer. He tells the guy to go back to his people and tell them what great things had been done for him and how he had been saved. Jesus knew he wasn't going to be well received in this community, but a guy from there would be. After all, he was one of them. So Jesus transformed this person and sent him back to his own people. He does the same for us. We want to be culturally relevant. which means what we say and do fits our time. Now I'm not talking about fitting in. It's a small difference. We need to know and serve the people we meet. We're called to be different. But if we like them and we're trusted by them, then what we say and do becomes more believable, more trustworthy. We are called to be in the world. Our love for others should be visible. But we don't operate by the world's standards. We don't buy into the prevailing opinions. It requires that we know what God has done for us and to be genuine when we explain that to others. It takes practice. Our goal is to have a ministry to people I know and live with based on who I am. It's transparent, authentic, and genuine. We want to serve others in a way that is helpful to them. We want to love people. We look for ways to serve and love others while we follow Jesus, because we follow Jesus. We can find many people to serve that way without even leaving our city or workplace. That's why being culturally relevant calls us to listen to the Holy Spirit and do what he says.
How many different jobs do you think there are? "There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all." Ephesians 4:4-6 Our fifth guiding principle as Followers of One is that there is one mission with many variations. Our mission is to make Jesus known. That's what God is doing and we join him in it. But that doesn't mean we all do the same things at all the same times. It doesn't mean there is only one valid Bible translation. It doesn't mean there's only one worship style or one way to live. God created variety. You are unique; one of a kind. There has never been nor will there ever be another one just like you. Even if you started out very close, your experiences and the people you interact with make a difference, too. You are one of a kind. Jesus has works prepared in advance for you according to Ephesians 2:10. You are a custom job with a custom role. But all of those roles fit into one overarching purpose. We want everything we do to point to the One Lord, one faith and one baptism, one God and Father who is over all. We have a similar job, but we don't all do that job the same way. In Follower of One, we pray for our members and produce this podcast and connect people to encourage them to interact with the Holy Spirit and live out each person's individual calling. That calling from God will glorify him. It will point others to Jesus. But we won't all do it the same way. We get a chance to help others move one notch closer to Jesus with everything we do. We want to encourage you to find the peace, joy and purpose of living your life as a follower of Jesus too. We'd like to help you inject your faith intentionally into your everyday. If that's something that interests you, check out Follower of One. Head over to www.FollowerOfOne.org and see what's going on. Join our community and let's help one another live this mission every day.
Bruce Zoeller is the Owner and Founder of The Christian Advantage. His mission is to “Live a life that points others to the love of Christ. To be an example worthy to follow. To inspire others to use their God-given talents for His glory.”
Bruce shares how he seeks to help Christians live their faith in their everyday lives through his ministries—The Christian Advantage and Business Ministry Initiatives—in this episode of Follower of One.
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... * Learn more about Bruce Zoeller and the Christian Advantage [1:03] * Learn more about Business Ministry Initiatives [6:00] * What’s happening next for Bruce’s ministries [10:24] * The changes in ministry brought about by COVID [13:14]
Resources & People Mentioned * Learn more about the next ARISE event on Sept. 19th, 2023 on their website.
Connect with Bruce Zoeller * Connect with the Christian Advantage on the website, LinkedIn and Facebook * Connect with Bruce on LinkedIn and Facebook * Business & Ministry Initiatives * Business & Ministry Initiatives on Facebook * Check out the ARISE mini-conference
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Who has authority over the choices you make? "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NASB As a community and a group of people, the conversation stops at the Bible. The Bible is our authority. We believe God is powerful enough to get his point across to his creation. Sure, there are many ways to interpret scripture incorrectly or inaccurately. But God's word is there if we look for him we will see him. That's why the Bible is our authority. We also listen to the Holy Spirit living in us. And we listen to scholars and church elders and to friend who are well versed in their relationship with God. But in the end, if something contradicts scripture, we don't trust it. We want to treat the Bible as our employee manual or owner's manual. It's the manual our Owner wrote for us to flourish in this life he has given us. That's why, even when we defend differences and encourage individual initiative, we also acknowledge the authority of the Bible. Our 4th guiding principle is trusting in the authority of scripture and using the Bible as our direction from God. The author of this book is also the God of the universe and the One we follow. Today, let's be energized in our commitment to follow him. Let's serve the people around us because Jesus served. And then let's watch God work and enjoy the show!
How creative does Jesus expect us to be? "But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." 1 Corinthians 12:7 NASB Our third guiding principle is individual creativity. You're different than anyone ever made. So am I. There will never be another one just like you or me. God does everything differently. So why do we criticize others who don't worship the way we do, or who don't like what we like? In Follower of One, we've each been called to make Jesus visible in our world. In Lamentations 3, we're told that God's mercies are new every morning. God creates new things every day. Maybe you're one of those who thinks there's nothing new under the sun from Ecclesiastes 1:9-10. But I think that was a sarcastic King Solomon talking about the universe from God's perspective. He's seen it all. It's not new to him. But it can be new to us. We want to connect one another to the Holy Spirit and watch what he does. You have ideas for ways to serve others. Your ways will be different than mine. But you were made like you and I was made like me and God's in charge. So in Follower of One, we want to celebrate ideas that help others see Jesus. We want to embrace new ideas and new ways of pointing people to God, as long as they're not contrary to scripture and they glorify God. In the end, how you represent God to your coworkers, customers, fellow students, vendors or friends today is what matters. Even if you give a cup of cold water because you're a disciple of Jesus, you will not lose your reward (Matthew 10:42). Today, let's be a blessing to others simply because we follow Jesus. We'll step into our 3rd guiding principle and we will experience joy knowing that we were faithful to try and help others see Jesus.
What's your life vision? "Jesus said to him, 'If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!'" John 21:22 NASB I had a friend mention that question the other day. What is your personal vision. I know ministries that have visions, businesses that do. Even a ministry called Family ID challenges families to develop a vision. But what is your personal vision? When I was a kid, I bought into the American Dream. I wanted to have enough money to have choices. The more money I had, the more choices I had. A vision means I have to decide. I have to chase some things at the exclusion of others. To decide means to cut away. When we decide, it's like homicide; we kill all the other options. I wanted to keep my options open, but I kept making poor choices that didn't result in me being happy or satisfied. Eventually, I turned to Jesus and trust him. And my vision became a bit more clear. Some options were off the table. But until I started thinking about my personal vision, I still wasn't clear enough. Our second guiding principle in Follower of One is Individual Initiative and Leadership. We believe our relationship with Jesus is very personal. No two are identical. In the story behind our passage, the resurrected Jesus has appeared to some of the disciples on a lakeside. He challenges Peter to follow him, but not John. Peter asks why John isn't following and Jesus gives this answer. Basically, we don't need to worry about others. We don't need to compare. We need to simply focus on Jesus and trust him. How your faith shows up in the world is between you and Jesus. It should line up with scripture. You should be able to find other Godly people who will help you discern what God wants, but in the end, it's like salvation. It can't be done for you. You have to make the choices and take the actions yourself. We value individual initiative at Follower of One. It's our 2nd Guiding Principle. Stay tuned over the next few days to hear the other 4. You can also read about these by searching for "values" at www.FollowerOfOne.org. Why not let your relationship with Jesus transform the way you live. Check out our community and join us.
What does it mean to do something "in the name of Jesus?" "Whatever you do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father." Colossians 3:17 NASB A friend of mine recently talked about core values and he recommended that organizations actually treat them as guiding principles. This is the first core value or guiding principle for Follower of One. And since we're a volunteer organization, I like the idea of a guiding principle. We want to establish ministry as a lifestyle. What doest that mean? Well, ministry is just service. When we decide that every day, we're going to get out of bed and serve others so they might see Jesus, we're in full-time ministry. In fact, I consider ministry as the practice of helping others move one notch closer to Jesus. I can do that in any job, or life situation. And once I realized that I can serve others anywhere, I became a full-time minister. I don't believe we go through this world in neutral. Either we're for God or we're not. I don't think God saved us to just get us out of hell. He left us here to take part in his great adventure, saving the rest of mankind. We get to play. When Jesus stated his purpose, It surprised the Jews. At the end of one of the struggles the disciples had about who was the greatest, Jesus said, "whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all." He wrapped it up with For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many. (Mark 10:43-45 NASB). To make ministry my life, I need other Jesus followers around me. I want to interact with others who are trying to make ministry the hallmark of their life, too. Thats why we formed an online community. Would you like your faith to invade everything you do every day? Check out Follower of One. Head over to www.FollowerOfOne.org and check it out. Also, check out our original post on this value at https://followerofone.org/values-ministry-lifestyle/
Do we hear some commands in scripture through a filter? "But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." Luke 6:27-28 CSB I confess I don't love the people who want to change the way I live and the things that are accepted as lawful in my country and city. I get angry when people who are selfish want to take advantage of others. And I want to love those others enough to defend them. But when I read this passage, I notice something. I'm not supposed to defend myself. What does Jesus mean when he tells us to do good to those who hate us? Check the context around this. Ask God to show you where you need to drop your guard. Can we love those who would take away our constitutional rights? Can we extend these statements of Jesus into our own life and situation? As I sense all kinds of tension in the media which exists to accentuate the conflict, I am convicted and embarrassed by this verse. Can I do good to those who hate me? Will I let myself wiggle off the hook or will I confront this behavior in my life? Today, ask God to show you where you're holding back. "Do good to those who hate you." It may be that we who follow Jesus will have to get better at loving people who don't love us. Will we trust Jesus and the Bible in this? Take a minute and tell someone else about this podcast. Just one person. Every one who listens can spread the word. We've been called to live and love others like Jesus did. How are we doing? Are we willing to honestly work to get better?
Daniel was raised in a Baptist church in a small tight-knit community in West Tulsa. But in March 2022, Daniel realized he wasn’t really following Jesus. He thought he was doing all of the right things. But it felt like a chore. Then he heard a message about surrender.
When you’re in a Jiu-Jitsu match, the goal is to get your opponent to tap out. As a Christian, you have to tap out to God and say “I can’t do this on my own.” Daniel realized he’d been trying to live like a Christian without surrendering to God. As soon as he chose to go all in and surrendered, God began to produce fruit.
When he recognized that life wasn’t about him, everything changed. In this episode of Follower of One, Daniel shares his experience when his men’s Bible study started working through the Marketplace Mission Trip workbook. Give it a listen!
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... * Learn more about Daniel and why he launched a men’s Bible study [4:11] * Daniel’s experience with the Marketplace Mission Trip workbook [6:02] * Daniel’s advice for anyone working through the six-week course [13:17]
Resources & People Mentioned * Purchase copies of the Marketplace Mission Trip Workbook * Learn more about the Marketplace Mission Trip and the Online Community
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Do you agonize over deadlines and pressure in your schedule? "[C]asting all your cares on him, because he cares about you." 1 Peter 5:7 CSB This is another of the "cans" of scripture from Victory Over the Darkness by Neil T. Anderson. Why should we worry and be upset when we can cast our cares on God? Do you have any worries or cares? Do you sense pressure in your schedule? In my own situation, I feel the pressure that comes from being overcommitted. God is so good in my life, and yet, I can get worried about how I'm going to honor my own commitments. I'm my own worst enemy. I don't say "no" enough. But I think this passage goes way beyond that. Maybe you're in a serious mess that you didn't create. Maybe it's health related or related to the current financial situation. Maybe you've lost your job. Can we really cast our cares on God? Do we really trust verses like this? I want to do better. Today, take an action that shows you trust God. Ask him what he wants you to do next. Then do it. Even if it seems like something out of the ordinary, let's practice doing what God tells us to do. If your idea lines up with scripture find a way to do it. Let's listen to Jesus and do what he says. I'm part of a community that tries to actively follow Jesus every day. It's called Follower of One. You can check it out at www.FollowerOfOne.org.
Do you see yourself as being in a battle? "You are from God, little children and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." 1 John 4:4 NASB When terrorists attacked the United States on 9/11, I was shocked out of my self-centered, comfortable life to some degree. For years leading up to that day, I has been pretty absorbed in my career. That day, I remembered that the Bible says we're in a battle. This passage is a reminder that not only are we in a battle, but we're on the right side. Chances are you're not in a position to have to "overcome" someone. The word "them" in this passage refers to the spirits that are not from God. We must overcome them. Some translations use "conquered." There is a battle going on for the eternal lives of people. God is working to save us. Our enemy the devil and his demons do work to distract us and separate us from God and from our purpose of helping others move one notch closer to Jesus. We overcome those spirits when we side with God. And he becomes our help in this battle. Fortunately for us, greater is he who is in us than he who is in the world. We're free to obey God any time we choose. People who don't follow Jesus don't have that freedom. They don't have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them, enabling them to choose. So what do we do about it? Choose today to lean into God and what he asks you to do. He has ideas for you and things you can do today. Look around you. Ask God for wisdom and then do whatever he says. Let's burn some of our energy inviting people to a closer relationship with Jesus. If you want to learn more, join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Go to www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com to learn more.
Have you ever given someone a bad idea? "By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist of which you have heard that it is coming and now it already is in the world." 1 John 4:2-3 NASB Ideas can come to us from anywhere. But we know the world, and our own flesh and our pride, our own desires are fallen (1 John 2:16). Everything in the world or part of the world system, can pull us away from God. The third way we can get pulled away is by our enemy the devil (1 Peter 5:8). Here, we're being reminded that we can test our ideas, how we spend our time, and what we do by this standard. If it lines up with Jesus, it is from him. And if it doesn't, well, it's not from him. That's how we know that appreciating, serving and loving others is generally a good idea. Jesus said he came to serve (Mark 10:45). Paul tells us that if we don't have love, nothing else matters (1 Corinthians 13). Today, let's ask God for some ideas of ways to serve the people we're around. If God gives you an idea, test it. See if it lines up with his word and the Holy Spirit. And if it passes the test, do it. Even if you're not sure, try. Screw up in gear. Let's be people who love Jesus and do what he says. Also, if you find these podcasts helpful to you in your daily walk with Jesus, please consider becoming a monthly donor. We're donor supported. You can make a one-time or recurring donation on our home page, www.FollowerofOne.org.
Do you listen to every idea that pops into your head? Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1 NASB We can't believe everything we hear or even think. Much of what we hear or think may be ideas suggested from a false spirit or teaching from a false prophet. A prophet is someone who speaks for God. False ones speak for anything else. They're aligned with the false spirits. When God gives us an idea, it will be through a Godly messenger, either the Holy Spirit living in us, or from the Bible, or from Godly people around us. The ideas will line up with the Bible. We're told to test the sources of the information we have to see if it is from God or not. God created you to freely choose to listen to and follow him. Often, our world, our physical bodies, and even our friends can pull us away from God. But God gives us each other to help us stay focused on him. That's why we created the Follower of One online community. We're a community of people who want to help one another live our faith daily in our workplaces or schools or wherever we are. You can learn more and join at https://community.followerofone.org.
Would you say you live in the fast lane? "And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV Do you remember the Eagles song, Life In The Fast Lane? There was a line in that song, "Everything, All the time." The song wasn't a good Christian hymn. It was a rock and roll anthem for a very empty life. But that phrase always stuck with me. Paul tells us God is able to make all of his grace abound to us. Abound means we have something abundantly. We will have abundant grace. Paul is responding to the Corinthians that as they give, they will receive. He's talking to them about giving to the church in Jerusalem. God provides abundant grace so that we will have what we need to be a blessing to others. The Christian Standard Bible says, "so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work." God will give you everything you need to excel in every good work. If we need something today, we can tell ourselves a couple of different stories. We can whine and complain to God or about him. Or we an ask him if what we want is really what he wants. If we don't have something, maybe it's because God doesn't want it. What will it take to get us to focus on what we already have and what we can do? Could it be that God has equipped us for something, but we don't see it because we're looking for something else? Maybe we're chasing the wrong thing. Or maybe we're not making the resources available to him. Ask God to show you what you "can" do and then do it. Let's be people who do what we can rather than focusing on what we can't do. We want to be that kind of community. Would you like to be around people who concentrate on what we can do? Then check out www.FollowerOfOne.org and consider joining our community.
Most people don’t realize that their biggest problem in life is that they aren’t living out their purpose. That’s why Mark Delaney and his wife run an eight-week Purpose Mastermind, designed to help people get back the life they were made for. Mark meets with people to talk about their purpose and help them take steps toward it. They go from being lost in the wilderness to walking the path to purpose.
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... * Learn more about Mark Delaney and Purpose Mastermind [1:07] * How the Purpose Mastermind experience is structured [6:01] * Helping mobilize people to be who they were made to be [7:38] * The Game Analogy: How you can look at life as a game [9:16] * Applying the game attitude to every aspect of your life [12:00] * Why it’s important to concentrate on your purpose [16:59] * It’s time to discover the purpose God created you for [21:40]
Resources & People Mentioned * The next online Purpose Mastermind Experience begins June 12, 2023. To Join, text “FREEDOM” to 918-401-9608 * Purpose Mastermind
Connect with Mark Delaney * Mark Delaney’s Website
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For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 NASB Today is a day we commemorate the members of our armed forces who died serving our country. I think many nations have a way of recognizing those who gave an ultimate sacrifice. But my appreciation isn't for just the US. Whatever you think about the US, we have many freedoms that we wouldn't have if we lived in a different time or a different nation. Some of the people hearing this podcast may not even be able to publicly follow Jesus without fear of some kind of persecution. I thank God for everyone who died fighting against injustice and in defense of freedom. So, please enjoy this holiday in the US. And let's not take our freedom for granted. Jesus gave his life so we could be free to show the world what following Jesus looks like. Many wonderful people died to keep that freedom for us here in the US and in other countries, too. Every day with our lives, we can say thanks. Let's not use our freedom for our own flesh as we're told in Galatians 5:13. Rather because we're free, let's serve one another through love.
Do you feel confused or defenseless? "The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?" Psalm 27:1 NASB Why would we feel lost or helpless when we have the Lord? We're reminded in this verse that he is our light and our salvation and our defense. We don't have to shrink back. What areas do you find yourself uncertain about? Are you uncertain about how to speak with people who don't follow Jesus? Do you feel poorly equipped to have a conversation with someone who believes Jesus is a figment of your imagination? This passage reminds us we can walk in the light. We can live as saved people. We have a defender. This doesn't mean we can engage in discussions or interactions with others without preparation. We must prepare. But with preparation, we are not uninformed or defenseless. We talk in Follower of One about how we need too know what we believe. We should prepare and be ready to give a defense (1 Peter 3:15). Our job is to be able to explain our faith and our reasons for our beliefs and the way we live. And our lives must back up our words. God doesn't cover up our carelessness. Our carelessness is proof we don't really believe. It shows we're lazy. If we really believed, we would do what it takes. God is your defense. But you need to prepare. Think about why you follow Jesus. Be able to give a reasonable, 2-sentence explanation for the hope we have. We do that by explaining our actions based on our faith in Jesus. Why not join us in our online community? We work to help one another live a life that can't be explained unless you factor in Jesus. Check it out at https://community.followerofone.org.
Where is God challenging you? What keeps you from acting? For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith." Romans 12:3 NASB We have each been given a measure of faith. So why would we lack the faith to live for Christ? Do you think you've been short-changed on the faith? Either I choose to live a life of faith, or I choose to abandon or ignore the faith I've been given. We are told that faith is the assurance of things hoped for, and the conviction of things not seen. The Greek for each of those words means more than a feeling. Faith is substantial. It is substance. Some translations say substance instead of assurance and reality instead of conviction. Faith makes things happen. It's like money. Faith isn't the thing, but it is the means to achieve something. I am getting a more personal understanding of faith as I work in this ministry. I continue to work toward something that is difficult to imagine or to produce. There are so many factors involved. My faith makes me move. A lack of faith would paralyze me. There are days when that paralysis is very close. Some days it's easier to be tempted to just take the day off. But my faith keeps me moving. Since we have a measure of faith, let's remember what we have and what God expects of us. When we exercise our faith, we don't wear it out, we strengthen it. And the stronger my faith, the more joy I experience. Would you like more joy? Take your faith to the gym. Why not join us on a Marketplace Mission Trip. It's a 2-week activity or a 6-week bible study designed to get you exercising your faith on any given work day. Check it out at https://MarketplaceMissionTrip.com.
Damian Gerke is a leadership coach and the author of three books: “In the Way: Church As We Know It Can Be a Discipleship Movement (Again),” “Taking the Lead: What Riding a Bike Can Teach You About Leadership,” and “Are You Who You Want to Be?”
In this episode of Follower of One, Damian shares why he wrote each book and what Christians can learn from them. More importantly, he shares how each of us is called to be a reflection of Jesus in our lives. After all, discipleship happens in everyday relationships. He shares how we can live in that truth in his newest book and gives us a taste in this episode.
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... * Learn more about Damian’s book, “Taking the Lead” [1:22] * What led Damian to write his second book, “In the Way” [5:34] * Damian’s upcoming book, “Are You Who You Want to Be?” [9:16] * How you can become a reflection of Jesus [15:10] * The details about Damian’s newest book [20:12] * Discipleship happens in everyday relationships [23:16]
Resources & People Mentioned * In the Way: Church As We Know It Can Be a Discipleship Movement (Again) * Taking the Lead: What Riding a Bike Can Teach You About Leadership * Preorder “Are You Who You Want to Be?”
Connect with Damian Gerke * Connect with Damian on LinkedIn * Watch his videos on YouTube * Entre Results Coaching * Leadership Coaching with Damian
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Do you see possibilities or obstacles? "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love and sound judgment." 2 Timothy 1:7 CSB I'm reading a list of "can's" from Victory Over Darkness by Neil T. Anderson. The third "can" asks us why would we fear when God's Word says we haven't been given a Spirit of fear, but of power, love and sound judgment. Fear paralyzes us. Fear of failure keeps us from taking action. Fear of the future may cause us to abuse alcohol or drugs. Fear of consequences may cause us to do many things. I think I overeat because I am afraid of missing out. Notice how Paul reminds Timothy that the opposite of fear is power. We find the power to boldly act when we avoid a focus on fear. The NET translation even capitalizes "Spirit" here to say we've been given the Holy Spirit, not a spirit of fear, but the Spirit of God. So why would we freeze, or get anxious, or say we can't do something when we've been given a Spirit of power and love and sound judgment? Why not take some bold action today? We are a listener supported ministry. If you enjoy these podcasts, why not make a bold gift to our ministry or to any ministry you feel God is directing you to support. God has chosen to provide for his people through their own gifts. It's one way of showing ourselves we trust God. Head over to www.FollowerOfOne.org and click the donate button in the upper right hand corner of every page.
Does God really supply all our needs? "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19 ESV. In the book Victory Over The Darkness by Dr. Neil Anderson, this is the 2nd of the 20 "Cans" he lists on pages 115-117. I confess I don't trust this verse as much as I might like to for a couple of reasons: First, as an American, I have trouble separating needs from wants. Second, I see many people on our planet that don't seem to have what they need. I confess, I don't see many of them first hand because of where I live and work. But I know they exist. Third, it is very easy to think I earned a paycheck our built a business. I forget that even my breath came from God. My family came from him. When we're young, the stuff we have was earned by someone else. My parents were most of what separated me from death when I was small. So as I work on what I can do, I want to stretch my own ideas. If God supplied everything I have, he can do more. Paul is reminding the Philippians the will supply their needs. This gives me reason to know and trust that he can supply my needs too. So why would I worry about our finances? Finally, I confess, this is a very Western perspective. I want to believe in the biggest God. I pray that he continues to use us (his people) to make this verse visible to our world. Please take a minute and join our online community. There you can connect with others and you will find people who can help you do what God is calling you to do. He will supply your needs. He will give you the strength. Let's chase God harder and farther than we ever have and see what happens. What have we go to lose?
Do you catch yourself getting down about what you can't do? "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13 NASB Many people see this passage as some promise from God that we can do anything. But that's not an accurate representation of this idea based on the context if this passage. At the time he wrote this Paul was in prison. He wasn't able to do many things. His thought was that whatever God had given him to do, he could do it because God would give him the strength. Whatever he had to face, he could face it because of who God is and what he does. He strengthens us. This is the first of 20 "cans" that Dr. Neil Anderson laid out in the book Victory over the Darkness: Realizing the Power of Your Identity In Christ. I don't like to focus on the things I can't do. Paul wasn't concentrating on them either. He was saying that whatever he faced, he could face it because of the strength given by God. Everything God calls us to do, we can do it through the strength he provides. We know he called us to love God and others. And we can find a number of other calls in scripture, too. What is God asking you to do today? Maybe he's bugging you to serve a coworker. Or maybe he wants you to do something unpleasant to help a problem customer. Maybe he wants you to befriend a fellow student. Today, God's action for you will be something you can do in his strength. Let's focus on the things we can do and be a blessing to the people we interact with today. Let's do what we can by following, listening to, and obeying Jesus. The rest is his problem. Please also remember we're a listener-supported podcast. Please consider making a gift. Head over to www.FollowerOfOne.org and click the donate button in the upper right hand corner of our home page.
How does it make sense that Jesus said we will do greater works? "Truly, truly I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father." John 14:12 ESV If we believe in Jesus, we will do the works that he does. That's big enough! But Jesus goes on and adds "greater works" too. How is it that we'll do greater works? Think about how the body of Christ has multiplied. At the moment Jesus said this, it was him and a handful of others. Now, Christ's followers are all over the place. Even conservative numbers are in the hundreds of millions, each doing the works of Christ. Also, we have technology that allows us to share the Gospel online or with people who aren't in the same place or moment of time. Today, you have at your disposal, everything you need to make an eternal difference in another person's life. You don't have to look past the person in the next cube. You don't have to go on some overseas adventure. God is busy putting his people there. Today you can concentrate on the people you will already see. Will you really see them? Every person you interact with today is an opportunity. You can even pray for people you don't speak with. Pray for people in traffic, or in line at the airport. Pray for people in line at the coffee shop. Let God direct your moments and idle thoughts and he will use them. He is in the business of multiplying his family. You and I are part of the marketing and operations teams.
How far in advance do you plan things? No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” John 10:18 ESV Jesus came to die. He states it plainly right here. So if you thought Jesus was a victim, or if you thought there was some possibility of a different outcome, this verse is a problem. This whole chapter is. In fact, in verse 31, the Jews took up stones to stone him. The Jewish Law required stoning anyone who claimed to be God. So they clearly understood his claim. He didn't present himself as a good teacher. He was here, on our planet to complete the plan. I believe the plan was created before Adam was created. God knew what it would take for this creature, a human, to have the kind of relationship he wanted to have with us. He planned this from the beginning. That means I can't foil the plan. I won't ruin the deal. God's doing his thing. We get to be a part of his strategy simply by trusting Jesus and living among our friends. Our job is to do what Jesus says. Today, let's do our job. On our Marketplace Mission Trip today's lesson is about serving others. We can serve others simply because our eternal destiny has been provided. It's a lock based on who Jesus was. He had the plan from the beginning. Our job is to live differently simply because we trust Jesus. Why not join us? Head over to https://community.followerofone.org and create a profile. Join us as we inject our faith into every aspect of our daily lives.
Do you need to be saved? "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12 If there was any other way to restore mankind to God, then Jesus didn't have to die. But if Jesus had to die, then what else would be required? At the same time, all the work to save you or me is done by Jesus. Our job is to make a choice. We have no reason to boast. Even the power to choose came from God. But rather than take us home when we believe, we get to stay. Our job is to be part of the marketing strategy. Today, let's remember with humility that we have the answer. We didn't do anything to earn the answer. We don't deserve it. We're called to join our humility with confidence in Jesus. Humility is simply the knowledge that there is nothing in us that can save us. Our testimony is to live according to this balance. Let others know your confidence in Jesus and your accurate understanding of your own ability to be right. We're called to display this confident humility. Well, it's either confident humility or humble confidence. Jesus did the work. He loves us. He is the answer to the greatest dream we could have, to be known and loved forever. If you don't know that answer or if you want to know more, let me know. Send a note to mike@followerofone.org or call 918-899-4239. If you do know that answer, then do you live according to your knowledge? Join us in https://community.followerofone.org and let's help one another live a life that shows others the dream we get to live and enjoy.
Do you want to be blessed? What is a blessing anyway? "She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed." Proverbs 3:18 ESV I read several definitions of blessing. Basically, it's the idea that we are favored, happy, everything is going our way. To bless someone is to wish happiness and favor for them. We truly want their good. And when we speak a blessing to someone we're asking it to happen. We hope it happens. Wisdom is a source of life. The life we experience through wisdom makes us happy, favored. We experience joy when we live by wisdom. We need to take hold of wisdom and hang on to her. "Lay hold of her" means we catch her. We tracked her down and got a hold on wisdom. "Hold her fast" means to hold closely without slack or space. We need to grab wisdom every chance we get and we need to hang on to her. The blessing and favor don't come from a fleeting grasp or a handshake. We need to hang on. Our relationship with wisdom needs to be long-term, too. We talked about these 5 benefits of wisdom: profit, value, life, peace and blessing. Wisdom is the ability to put our knowledge to work for God. We work toward his goals and his outcomes. We trust that his ways produce his results. And the fruit of wisdom are these 5 things, profit, value, life, peace, and blessing. Do you pursue wisdom? Is your life marked by the search for and application of wisdom? If not, what's holding you back? Why not check out a community of people who are trying to hang onto God's wisdom all the time. We created this community for the express purpose of helping one another move one notch closer to Jesus. And it doesn't cost anything to join. Check out https://community.followerofone.org. Join us as we all reach for wisdom and chase after God. We want his life to invade ours. Check it out.
Hosanna Wong is an international speaker, best-selling author, and spoken word artist helping everyday people know Jesus for real. She preaches in churches, conferences, prisons, and at events around the world. Her newest book “You Are More Than You’ve Been Told” is available for pre-order now! I connected with Hosanna after reading her first book, “How (not) to Save the World.” In this episode of Follower of One, Hosanna shares more about her books, her spoken work, and how to embrace and truly live our true identity in Christ.
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... * Learn more about Hosanna Wong and her mission [1:23] * Hosanna’s newest book, You Are More Than You’ve Been Told” [6:32] * What we think about ourselves determines how we live [8:27] * Hosanna’s spoken word piece, “I Have a New Name” [13:49] * Evangelism in the workplace requires being bilingual [14:19] * Why it’s important to learn to see from the lens of others [18:44] * Life is about building relationships with others [21:53] * What’s happening next for Hosanna Wong? [24:51] * Embrace the power of specific prayer [29:18]
Resources & People Mentioned * Preorder “You Are More Than You’ve Been Told” (launches August 8, 2023) * How (Not) To Save The World
Connect with Hosanna Wong * Learn more on Hosanna’s website * Follow with Hosanna on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube * Read her books on Amazon * I Have A New Name - Available now on Spotify + Apple Music
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How important is peace to you? "Her ways are pleasant ways and all her paths are peace." Proverbs 3:17 NASB What is peace? It's not just the absence of violence or war. Peace is what we experience when everything is right. Peace is the outcome of everything working as designed. As humans, we have a desire for peace. We want a world where everyone wins. But in our scarcity-mindset world, often someone winning means someone else has to lose. For peace to exist in a scarcity-based worldview, the losers have to accept defeat. Deep down inside, none of us wants to accept defeat. Therefore the search for peace is more extreme than most of us expect. We want win-win for everyone. From God's perspective, since all of us have fallen short of his glory (Romans 3:23), that is win to the power of 8 billion. Wisdom makes peace possible. Wisdom doesn't start into the violence, war, or scarcity-based mindsets. Wisdom searches for win-win. It works for win-win all the time. Today, ask God to increase your wisdom. Notice how your thoughts and attitudes result in peace. Let's be people who apply wisdom to bring peace. Peace is only possible when a good God works all things together for good (Romans 8:28). Let's ask God to use us to distribute wisdom and peace. We just began a Marketplace Mission Trip. This is a 2-week exercise where we practice intentionally trusting Jesus. We practice 5 daily habits, and we connect in our online community to encourage one another. Why not join us and check it out. Your faith can be a bigger factor in your everyday life. Join us at https://community.followerofone.org and check it out.
What about life do you most enjoy? "Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor." Proverbs 3:16 ESV The "her" mentioned in this verse is Wisdom again. The author of these proverbs calls wisdom a lady. And in her right hand is long life and in her left hand are riches and honor. I believe the author is talking about the enjoyment of life and riches and honor. Long life can be unpleasant. I get the sense that this long life is an enjoyable life. Stress and anxiety wear us down. A long stressful life is not good. This verse seems to be saying that the enjoyment of life and contentment with riches and honor come from wisdom. I think about the margin that comes from joy. We get to experience more joy and to use that joy to bless others. Wisdom gives us the ability to experience joy and to have margin in our life. When we live following Jesus, and we experience the wisdom from God, we have a minute for others. We're in a position to be more grace-filled. We're ready to share; able to bless others. We find the energy to put others ahead of ourselves. This creates margin for others, too. We bring ease and energy for others. We become givers. Today, give life. Bring life, courage, energy to others. Be an encourager. Spend a minute longer with someone today. Wisdom comes from knowing God is our source and he has our situation under his control. We're free to help others enjoy the confidence we experience because we know our Redeemer lives and that our eternal ticket is punched. We're free to be a blessing to others because of the wisdom we have following Jesus and listening to the Holy Spirit. Why not join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip where you can practice intentionally following Jesus. The next one begins Sunday. Commit about 8 hours over 2 weeks to read the devotionals and join the calls. You'll see God put you to work in other's lives. You'll experience new joy. And your faith will come alive. Check it out at community.followerofone.org.
What's most valuable to you? "She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her." Proverbs 3:15 ESV The "She" above is wisdom. This is the 2nd episode on wisdom from this section of Proverbs. We talked about profit and wealth yesterday. Today, we're talking about value. Value is different than wealth. We often equate the 2 because we purchase so many things with money. But there are things money can't buy. Those things can still be very valuable. Often we hear about someone who discovers something they have is valuable. But it is also associated with an ancestor or a memory. Therefore, without thought of the monetary value, they'll never sell. It's more valuable than money to them. This passage reminds us wisdom is more valuable than money. Like we said yesterday, wisdom can be given away over and over again. Wisdom can benefit people long after the value of an idea can be realized. Joseph trusted the vision and his wisdom saved both the Egyptians and the Jews for hundreds of years. What does God want you to bring to the world? One of those things is wisdom. We get this wisdom from God simply by fearing him (see verse 7.) This "fear" is a humility. It begins by realizing God is God and we're not. We listen to him because he knows, he created everything and sees everything. He operates in eternity. Our wealth and money and power will all stay on this side of forever. Look for ways to be a blessing to others today. It begins with fearing God, gaining his wisdom and then serving others by applying and sharing that wisdom in the way we live. Don't hear this as me suggesting we go tell people how wrong they are. We are called to quietly live by a different standard and let them figure it out for themselves. When they ask (1 Peter 3:15) we can give them the answers. Try that in your workplace next week on our Marketplace Mission Trip. This is a 2 week exercise we practice as a cohort in our online community. The next one starts in a few days. Head over to https://community.followerofone.org, create a profile and check it out.
What are some of the benefits of wisdom? Blessed is the one who finds wisdom and the one who gets understanding for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. Proverbs 3:13-14. ESV There's no limit to your ability to gain wisdom or to give it out. This passage and in other places in Proverbs, we find that wisdom is something we get from God, not just from our experience. And we can give it without limits. Our wisdom can be used to serve and bless others. But I'm talking about the wisdom that comes from God. Wisdom is referred to as a lady. The Message says in verse 14, "She's worth far more than money in the bank; her friendship is better than a big salary." Wisdom comes from our ability to abide in Jesus. When we're plugged into our relationship with Jesus, and we listen to the Holy Spirit, God gives us his wisdom. We can then share that wisdom by our actions. We don't need to share it with our words necessarily. Today, let's practice gaining and listening to the wisdom from God. Don't forget to try this out! Our next practice begins in a few days. It's called the Marketplace Mission Trip. This is a 2 week exercise we practice as a cohort in our online community. Head over to https://community.followerofone.org, create a profile and check it out.
Are you interested in a Marketplace Mission Trip but on the fence because you won’t know anyone? Or do you simply want to learn more about what the experience will be like? In this episode of Follower of One, Cameron Baker and Jeff Harmon with Grace on the Mount Church join us to talk about their experience with a Marketplace Mission Trip.
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... * Learn more about Cameron Baker and Jeff Harmon [1:04] * Cameron and Jeff’s experience with a Marketplace Mission Trip [5:28] * How Grace Church made the format work for them [8:28] * How the mission trip helped people become more engaged [11:40] * Why you should learn more about Marketplace Mission Trips [15:17]
Resources & People Mentioned * Marketplace Mission Trip
Connect with Grace Church on the Mount * Grace Church on the Mount
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Do you consider yourself wise? "Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. Proverbs 3:7-8 ESV We struggle so hard to get what we want. I can get wrapped up in what I'm trying to accomplish; even so much that I get angry with other people, circumstances and situations that don't enable my own pursuits. You probably never do that. This pursuit of what we want, even if it is some good thing, can become a serious problem for us. It can cause us health issues. We're more aware of things like stress and anxiety than any people in history. We know how bad this can get, but we still do it. I wonder if some of this unbridled pursuit of what we want doesn't create some of the mass shootings and the rage that we find in our world today. The answer is to fear the Lord and turn away from evil. What does it mean to fear the Lord? One thing is that it means we should not be wise in our own eyes. It's so hard to consider that I might be wrong. it's hard to ask God for guidance and with humility, listen to others. Today, let's ask God to show us where we might be wrong. Ask him where we're pressing too hard and sensing too much stress and anxiety. Let's get back to trusting God and fearing him so we can be healed and refreshed and we can help others experience that healing and refreshment, too. We practice this on our Marketplace Mission Trip. This is a 2 week exercise we practice as a cohort in our online community. The next one starts in a few days. Head over to https://community.followerofone.org, create a profile and check it out.
Do you trust Jesus enough to enjoy negative situations or circumstances? This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 Is it foolish to rejoice in the Lord? After all, he made today. In the song Miracle Power by We The Kingdom, there's a line, "I may not know what the day may bring, but I know who brings the day." This is the day the Lord has made. Joy is a choice. We can choose joy. The words, "let us rejoice," are a command to experience joy. To rejoice is to enjoy the joy. We have the opportunity, even the responsibility to live differently simply because we know who brings the day. We know he is good. We know he is powerful. If God didn't spare Jesus, what else is there? Everything else we could ask for is less. I base that on Romans 8:32. God freely died on our behalf. What else is there? Do those thoughts inspire you to enjoy your position as a child of Christ? This is the day the Lord has made. Our joy testifies to the world that we're different. We live according to a different standard and we experience a different outcome in every circumstance. We can be joyful in everything. Today, choose joy and watch God shine your light into the dark world where your coworkers and customers live. Would you like to do this more often than just when you hear a podcast? Check out the Marketplace Mission Trip - an exercise to help you take a mission trip every day. We have a 2-week version of the trip starting soon. Or you can get our small-group study and take the mission trip over six weeks in a small group study. Check it out at www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com or https://community.followerofone.org.
What end of the earth are you on? "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8 CSB Imagine all of God's people deployed all over the globe. Each one is able to share their story about how God has transformed them. The story lines up with their life. These people are not perfect. And they're not necessarily missionaries. They're bus drivers, assembly line workers, school teachers, sales people, managers, engineers, programmers, nurses, every occupation you can imagine. What if you got a similar story from all of them. An exciting story about how following Jesus has changed their life. What if they were ready and able to help and if they were kind and appreciated others? Ever since I started following Jesus, I became part of the problem and part of the solution. Our dream for Follower of One is to help everyday Christ-followers to realize their life, their energy and they work are all part of God's plan to save the world. We want to help you enjoy your faith in Jesus. Joyful Christ-followers are magnetic and contagious. We hope to help one another be the proof of scripture. We're not perfect, we're forgiven. God is fulfilling his purpose by engaging us in his work. Why not join us? We are an online community. You can create a free profile at https://community.FollowerOfOne.org. Join us and let's figure out how to live transparently following Jesus. We don't "have to" witness. We "are" witnesses.
How do you handle disappointment? "But many who are first will be last and the last first." Mark 10:31 ESV We just talked about how we can know that we will receive in some proportion to what we invest. We'll also receive some persecution. Then Jesus says this. Do you ever wonder why Jesus says what he says when he says it? I think he's reminding us that even if we think we have a great formula for understanding God, he is still wild. The next parable in Matthew, (Matthew 20:16), is the parable of the laborers in the vineyard. Jesus says the last shall be first and the first last. It is a summary of how the last people to the work received a days pay for very little work, and were also paid first. (Mark and Luke do not follow this verse with that parable.) I believe Jesus is reminding us there are variables, but we can never understand the formula. Can we believe in a God who is big enough to make everything right? Maybe you have friends who have suffered injustice. Maybe you have friends or family who have chronic illness or who are victims of evil. Our brains can't handle the formula. Many who are last shall be first. Can we trust a God who is so complicated we can barely understand him? We have Jesus. he is God. But even this will be hard to understand. Today, let's trust God. Let's make the investment. Let's give up something for the gospel. We will receive a hundredfold. We will experience some persecution, but in the end, we will be eternally joyful and present with our King. What a deal! Please join us on the Marketplace Mission Trip. Head over to www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com to learn more and sign up.
What's the downside of following Jesus? Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. Mark 10:29-30 ESV I didn't mention a phrase yesterday that is in this version of this story. It's not in the Matthew or Luke versions. The phrase is in verse 30, "with persecutions." I don't know why Luke or Matthew don't include this. But here, the Greek word used is in scripture 10 times and they are all translated "persecution" or "persecutions." We live in a broken world. Jesus is much more aware of this than we are. We don't even know what we don't know about how broken the world is. Yet, knowing what he knows, he still promises us 100 times what we give up and eternal life. We have nothing to lose. Persecution comes with living for the sake of the gospel. It's a package deal. Our enemy the devil doesn't want us to share about God to others. So persecution will come. Jesus reminds us. He says "There is no one who has left..." Today, let's not let our circumstances take us out. Jesus has provided for us. We talked yesterday about how the blessings are a lock. The persecution is too, but the consequences of it aren't forever. The blessings are. Let's remember to invest in others today and not be surprised by the results. Want to practice your faith a bit? Why not join us for a 2-week exercise to transform your work with your faith. We have created a reasonable way of sharing the gospel without being obnoxious. We practice that on the Marketplace Mission Trip. It's a 2-week exercise where we are intentional for between 15 and 45 minutes a day for 2 weeks. It will transform how you live your faith. Find out more at www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com. Then next one begins in just a few days.
Do we really believe Jesus? Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. Mark 10:29-30 ESV You've heard it said that you get out of something what you put into it. Jesus is making that point here. But I want to challenge us today. There are a couple of things we need to see. First, Jesus isn't saying we get what we invest. He's saying we get much more. It's hard for me to think that I can't lose. Is it that way for you? I think about things in a very temporal context. In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul reminds us that the things we can see are temporal. The things we can't see are eternal. In this present age, what we spend or give up in this life for Jesus sake, and for the gospel, we receive back in multiples. How is this true? What does that do to the way we live and work today? Can we give a little more? Can we share or take a minute? What are you holding on to that you could let go of? I pray God helps us see with his eyes. Why not practice this with us. We do a 2-week experience called the Marketplace Mission Trip. Check it out at www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com and join us. Also look at Matthew 19:27-30 and Luke 18:26-30 for the other times this exchange is discussed in scripture.
Reginald (Reggie) Foreman is an author, at-risk specialist, life coach, speaker, and inventor. His life is a story of loss and redemption. He’s taken his painful life experiences and uses them to help others turn their pain into purpose. In this episode of Follower of One, Reggie shares his powerful story and how he uses it to change lives.
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... * A powerful story of surrender [0:43] * Life can take unexpected turns [12:07] * Finding Purpose in Your Pain [15:14]
Resources & People Mentioned * Live Determined: Don't Let Your Struggles Bully Your Dreams
Connect with Reggie Foreman * Reggie the Lion * RL Coaching & Consulting * Reggie’s Website
Subscribe to Follower of One: A Faith at Work Podcast
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Would you say you focus more on your weaknesses, or on your strengths? But as for me, I will never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. The world has been crucified to me through the cross, and I to the world. Galatians 6:14 CSB I'm a fan of the Clifton Strengths Finder. It's good to improve the things where you find energy and joy. We call those our strengths. These are good, but also close to crossing a line that God draws and the Apostle Paul warns us about in this passage. What are you proud of? Paul asks that he never boast except in the cross of Jesus. This appears to me like a mountain that I will never climb. Fortunately, God gives us some joy and some encouragement with whatever progress we make. What does it mean to be crucified with the world? It means we don't want, or need the world's accolades. It's so easy to do things to be noticed, to be thought well of. One of my concerns with this ministry relates to how I would look if we failed. Ask God to show you where you boast. Then ask him for the guidance and the strength to begin turning from that very thing. Let's not let anything come between us and Jesus. Would you like to practice integrating your faith into your daily life for a 2-week period of time? It's work, but you can do it. It takes a few minutes each day to ask Jesus to direct you. To learn more head over to www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com and request an invitation. Or join https://community.followerofone.org and we'll invite you from within the community. Your faith can be much more focused on others than on yourself. And it's a lot more fun, too. Check it out.
How many days each week do you attend church? "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." Matthew 18:20 ESV I experience the joy of following Jesus more simply because I am working for him. But even when I was in a regular, for-profit job, I experienced him more and more because I intentionally interacted with several coworkers who were also Christ-followers. We can experience the joy of following Jesus in any circumstance. And where 2 or 3 gather in Jesus' name, there he is. We get to see him, and experience his joy when we get around his people for his purpose. The Trinity is working to make Jesus known. The more people who follow Jesus, the more who will experience his joy forever. Why wouldn't we help others experience that joy? Simply gathering matters, even if it's just 2 or 3 of us. Gathering can be a huge church service. Or it can be two believers over a Zoom call. Jesus shows up. Today, what can you do to be on the lookout for others to gather with? You might ask God to show you who of your coworkers needs a friend. Or you might schedule a zoom call with a friend. You could connect with others in our online community. We get to see God work when we connect with others to live according to God's purpose and goals, or "in his name." Step into this role. Be the intentional initiator. If you go through Follower of One, create a profile at https://community.followerofone.org. Or do it at work or over lunch. But let's gather with others and watch Jesus work.
Who do you work for? "Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven." Matthew 18:19 ESV Do you really believe this verse? I confess, I struggle with fully trusting Jesus in this area. I don't have a long enough horizon or I don't believe big enough. Jesus is throwing down the gauntlet today. Can we develop a level of optimism about this passage? I hope the Lord can help me trust him to this extent. I'm not afraid to ask but I confess I don't often believe it as much as I should. Today, let's ask God with a friend for something that is for others, so they will experience the joy of knowing and following Jesus. And then lets watch for him to work. When you get an answer, let me know. Send me a note at info@followerofone.org. I want to hear. You'll be helping me.
How well would you say you interact with other marketplace believers? Matthew 18:15 If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. ESV. I'm not talking about the people who work in your workplace and also attend your church or denomination. How are you in relationship with other Christ-followers at work who don't worship in the same tradition as you? When it comes to how our faith shows up in public, one of the big issues has to do with inter-denominational interactions with other Christ-followers in the workplace. Can we drop our distinct differences and agree that we all follow Jesus? Or must we focus on the different points of view we have on different isms of our faith? Wouldn't it be great if you could ask any Christ-follower and get a similar story about how Jesus changed their life? What if we lived so differently and appreciated people so well that people realized Christians were different in a good way? Matthew 18:15-18 talks about how we interact with believers when there is a failure or a disagreement.
When was the last time you experienced a revolution? "All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." Luke 10:22 ESV A revolution can be a rotational motion around an axis. A year is the time it takes for the earth to make a revolution around the sun. If we're not careful, the years drift by. How long have you been at your present job? How long have you been a Christ-follower? The time can build up. But I'm talking about what the dictionary calls a sudden and fundamental change in power or government. The United States began with a revolution against the then current political powers. This passage Jesus is talking about a revolution. The religion practiced by the Jews for centuries was changing. God the Father gave all of the power and authority to Jesus the Son. Things were changing then. And for each of us, when we follow Jesus, they change for us, too. We begin to operate by a different set of rules. Jesus changes everything, but not all in an instant. We're free to choose, so we can take time, sometimes too much time. Do we live like Jesus changed everything for us? Ask God that question for yourself today. Listen quietly for the Holy Spirit to answer you. Then, do whatever he says. Maybe you need to repent of stealing time from your employer. Maybe you need to make time to bless a coworker. Whatever it is, do it today. Let's walk in this revolution begun by our Savior. Use your time and energy to help others move one notch closer to him. It all counts and it all matters forever, too!
Denise Yohn is the Founder and Director of the Christian non-profit, Faith and Work Journey. She works to equip and empower Christian businesspeople to integrate their faith and work. Denise became a Christ-follower when she launched her professional career but she didn’t know how to mesh the two worlds. She felt like she lived a compartmentalized life. So after much research and prayer, she started a marketplace ministry in her church. Learn more about the important work Denise is doing in San Diego in this episode of Follower of One.
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... * Learn more about Denise Lee Yohn and the Faith and Work Journey [1:00] * You must consider your workplace a mission field [6:50] * Addressing questions about being a Christian in the workplace [13:34] * Being a faithful steward of your time can be your ministry [15:55] * What’s happening next for Faith and Work Journey [17:40] * The conversation of faith and work versus faith at work [23:08]
Resources & People Mentioned * Faith and Work Journey Experiences * Faith Driven Entrepreneur * Faith and Work Integration Assessment
Connect with Denise Lee Yohn * Follow on Instagram * Connect on LinkedIn * Friend on Facebook * Follow on Twitter
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Do you consider yourself pretty smart? In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father for such was your gracious will." Luke 10:21 ESV Jesus says God hid something from the wise and revealed it to infants. Where are you on that spectrum? First, let's acknowledge that Jesus is probably being a bit sarcastic. As he mentions the wise and understanding, I believe he's being sarcastic. This takes place right after the disciples return from having gone throughout the countryside and cast out demons and proclaimed the truth of the coming Messiah. Jesus is celebrating how God is working. I consider this passage to be a reminder that true wisdom comes from above. And we can only understand it through obedience to God. Godly wisdom comes from the Holy Spirit living in us. He reveals that true wisdom to his children, those listening to him and doing what he says. What about you? Do you think wisdom comes from experience or from books? In some degree, it does, but true understanding of God comes from him. Let's remember today that our obedience puts us in the position to know him better and trust him more. Then we're available to be used by God in the lives of others. We also discussed a parallel verse in Episode 329, Wisdom from Obedience.
Can we really put God at the center of our universe? "To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." 1 Timothy 1:17 ESV What does something like this mean to you? When you read a Bible verse like this, what do you think? For me, I hope it reminds me that I'm not the center of the universe. While my flesh wants me to believe that would be good, it would be miserable. When I'm sane, and when my brain can line up with reality, I know a statement like this is totally true. God in charge must be way better than I can even ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20-21). When I see God's tracks, when I see him do something in my life or someone else's life, I can only say "Oh, Wow!" I don't imagine I'll be able to even talk when I see Jesus. When people encounter angels, the first thing the angel usually says is "Fear not." We think we're so big and powerful. This verse helps me remember that I live for him, not the other way around. OK, God, what do you want me to do today? You have your plan. Where do I fit today? What can I do? We're training ourselves to stay plugged into God, taking our orders from him. That's true eternal life. We get to live it now by following him. And we get his joy now, too! Memorize verses like this so you can stay plugged in. If you get covered up by your task list today, remember, we want all glory and honor to go to the eternal, immortal, and invisible Creator of the universe. Join a community of people who try to remember this daily. Check out www.FollowerofOne.org and join the next Marketplace Mission Trip. It will help you train yourself to remember who you work for.
Are you an example of a Christ-follower? "But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life." 1 Timothy 1:16 Paul says he received mercy so that Jesus patience would be shown to others. Don't sense any pressure to be an example. The patience Christ has given us is an example to others of what he will do for them. In the NASB it says "so that in me, as the foremost sinner, Jesus Christ might demonstrate his perfect patience as an example." When we live, our life following Jesus shows others the patience Jesus has. Jesus said he didn't come to save the righteous, but sinners (Matt 9:13, Luke 5:32, Mark 2:17). In a righteous person, there's nothing for Jesus to do. He came to save us imperfect beings so that we might share that message with others. As Paul tells us in the verse before this, Jesus came to save sinners. Today, let's help others move one notch closer to Jesus. We do that simply by modeling life following Jesus. Practice the 5 daily habits, pray, appreciate others, know what you believe, serve others and speak for yourself. Join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip. But don't take that trip alone. Individually, most of us give ourselves a break. If you do this with a friend, you can help each other do the exercises and join the calls. It's work training ourselves to be intentional with our faith. Can you focus on the joy you receive as a Christ-follower and do the work? Check it out and learn more at https://followerofone.org.
Is God still working on you? And is that a trick question? "To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power," 2 Thessalonians 1:11 In the verses before Paul talks about what God is doing. Because God is so busy, we should be praying. He says he "always prays." Could you say that? In Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians, he famously said they (and we) should, "[p]ray without ceasing." (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Can we "always pray?" I think we should try. Imagine going through life like you know God was with you. Every thought you had was something you could discuss with God. Every time you think of a person, you pray for them. You ask God to bless them, and to make their life better. I have a number of people who I have committed to do this with, and I need to keep a list and set reminders to look at the list. Some people come to mind regularly. Others, less frequently. But if God is with me always, I can pray always. And for everyone I know, I can pray this verse, that God, through his power, would 1) make them worthy of his calling, and 2) fulfill every good desire, and 3) fulfill every work of faith. This 3-pronged prayer can be made for every believer the way it is and for every person if we make a precondition of them trusting in Jesus. Will you pray for the people you interact with today. My mail carrier just drove by and I prayed this for him. Nothing can stop you from being on mission with Jesus any day of the week. Jesus started our mission. He's saving the world. We join him in that mission when we pray for others. And we can do that any time. No one can stop us from praying for others. So will you get in the game? Pray for whoever just pops to mind. And you can pray for Follower of One, too. We work to mobilize the body of Christ. You can find out more at https://FollowerOfOne.org. Thanks.
Are you worthy of the Kingdom of God? "This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God for which you are also suffering." 2 Thessalonians 1:5 ESV By saying "this is evidence," Paul is pointing back to the previous verses and we covered those yesterday. Our ability to grow spiritually through difficulty is evidence of God's judgment. Our growth is proof of his promises in scripture. And it appears that our suffering is of of the ways God shows that we've been considered as righteous. God qualifies us for eternal life and a relationship with him and our ability to grow through suffering is proof of God and his strategy. Everyone has trouble (John 16:33). But we go through it differently, or we should, because we know Jesus has overcome the world. Our handling the difficulties in a way that makes God visible shows that we're part of his strategy. So what? Is this only for us? No way. We live our lives as Christ-followers to show others what happens when you follow Jesus. We will all experience hardship, but in the end we will be winners. Second Corinthians chapter 4 talks about how we are afflicted in every way but not crushed, perplexed but not despairing, persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:7-10). Ask God to show you how to love others and enjoy your relationship with him in whatever situation you are in like Paul talked about in Philippians 4:12-13. We can do all things, even the hard ones, through Jesus who strengthens us. Jesus is using us in the presence of the people in our sphere of influence. You are seen by people and you experience things and they're all allowed by God so that our trust of him would be visible to others. Being thankful and growing in difficulty is one of the ways we show others, we're considered worthy of the Kingdom. Thanks for listening and considering how your life can make an eternal difference. We're a donor supported ministry. This podcast, our online community and our activities, like the Marketplace Mission Trips are all donor supported. Please consider making a gift to Follower of One so others can hear the podcast and take part in our community with no up-front cost. Head over to www.FollowerOfOne.org and click the green "Donate" button to make a contribution. Thanks.
Carol Middlekauff is the author of the book, “Take Someone with You to Heaven,” in which she shares story after story of God working through her. Her message is simple: Anyone can share their faith with others—you just have to make yourself available. Carol joins me in this episode of Follower of One to share just how easy it can be to share your faith in natural conversations.
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... * Learn more about Carol Middlekauff [1:00] * Sharing your faith starts by taking one step at a time [2:11] * Working with Bill Glass’s ministry, “Behind the Walls” [ 6:04] * Carol’s experience sharing Christ in Austin [11:08] * Chuck and Carol’s ministry on the road [12:53] * God doesn’t call the abled—he calls the available [15:08]
Resources & People Mentioned * Carol’s book, “Take Someone With You to Heaven” * Share Jesus Without Fear by William Fay
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Do you whine to God? "We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring." 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4 Paul boasts about the Thessalonians because of their steadfastness in persecutions and afflictions. Their faith is growing abundantly. Their love for one another is increasing. This unnatural result of difficulty is seen over and over throughout history. The local church seems to thrive in difficulty and it seems to deteriorate in times of ease or prosperity. Do you thank God for hard things? Have you memorized James 1:2-4. James tells us to consider it joy when we encounter various trials. I've repeated that passage hundreds of times in my life. But I still whine. God hasn't baked it into me yet. Maybe I'm just a hard case. You know you. Maybe you're very good at this. If we were, I believe the world would see it. Because of my career, and position, I can alleviate most of my difficulties. But then, I potentially sidestep the design of God. I don't have to grow in my difficulties. But if I was stuck in them, I might. God becomes visible when I do, and others can thank God and take part in my suffering. Today, Can we give thanks to God for believers in other parts of the world? Can we live in a way that honors them by not whining, but by being steadfast in the difficult things that happen? Why not join a community of believers who want to be more intentional with their faith. Join us at https://community.followerofone.org and also join us on our next Marketplace Mission Trip.
If we're all lost, how arrogant can it be to give directions? "Judge not, that you not be judged. For with the judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Matthew 7:1-2 First, let's say this isn't about using discernment. We make judgments multiple times a day as to how we will act, or what we say, or what we do. This "judgment" is about telling someone else they're wrong. I would think it even implies not minding your own business. So going out of our way to pick a fight, or to tell someone else what they should be doing seems to me to be included in this definition of "judgment." Why is this so important? Well, like I said at the beginning, if we're all lost, giving directions is a pretty arrogant thing to do. In just a few verses, Jesus will give us what became the golden rule. But even then, we can't just assume that everyone wants what we want. In the modern workplace, or school, people are trying to figure out life. But most are not open to criticism. An Andy Andrews book, called The Noticer, one of the characters said, "All unsolicited advice is received as criticism." Our coworkers or fellow students don't want to be criticized. Our job is to live differently so others might ask. Today, let's live following Jesus, but not like we have all the answers. Let's help others discover Jesus because we live giving our lives away, just like he did. We don't need to manipulate conversations or to argue with others. We live differently because we follow Jesus. That should make us into the trustworthy person others might ask for advice. Follower of One is an online community where we try to help one another live an integrated, transparent faith in the real world. You can check it out and join for free. Head over to https://community.followerofone.org to learn more.
What are we trying to accomplish by living and sharing the good news? "to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me." Acts 26:18 NASB Paul is retelling the story of his conversion, and he quotes the risen Jesus. In the January 10 My Utmost, Oswald Chambers says this is the clearest explanation of the purpose of our ministry. This is the goal of this age and of the work of the Holy Spirit and God's people in our world. And we can join Paul in this ministry every day. In Follower of One, we talk about helping everyone we meet move one notch closer to Jesus. In verse 16, he says he's making Paul a servant and a witness. Notice how neither of these roles pass judgment on others. Our job is to serve people and to tell them about what happened to us, what we've seen and experienced. Our job is to help others receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance. I just did a series on being an heir with Jesus. Today, would you like to walk in God's call for you? Take the position of a servant or a witness and live in such a way that others might move one notch closer to Jesus. Maybe you need to pray for them, without them ever knowing it. Maybe God will challenge you to purchase a gift card for them, or to do something to help their career. Whatever God gives you to do, find a way to do it. Solve for how. Let's not question Jesus today, but let's walk in the job he has for us. Maybe you need some help doing this on a daily basis. Check out our online community. If you're serious about making your faith a bigger part of your daily life, you'll find others there who will help you. And you can help others, too. Create a free profile at https://community.followerofone.org and check it out.
How good do we have to be to get to heaven? "For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:20 ESV The minimum standard to enter heaven seems like a pretty high bar in this passage. What did Jesus mean and what hope exists for us? Yesterday, we talked about the consequences of not keeping the whole law. In Romans 3:23, we are told that, "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." None of us measures up to the rule of the Law. Jesus adds a clarification for the Jews, but it can apply to non-Jews today, too. The most "righteous" of the Jews were the scribes and Pharisees. I put "righteous" in quotes, because we know Romans 3:23. We're not going to measure up to the Law and the Prophets. It's not doable. If we don't follow Jesus, we're going to end up in a bad situation for a very long time. So what? For those of us who follow Jesus, we may want to use the days we have left to help others avoid this terrible outcome. We can help others move one notch closer to Jesus. Often, that's easier done by serving others and acting the way Jesus would act. We're often tempted to try and tell everyone else what to do. That doesn't often work in my experience. Today, let's ask God how he wants us to interact with everyone we meet. If you ask God to show you how to serve every person you meet today, I bet he gives you some ideas. Do them. See what kind of adventure Jesus asks you to join. You may have a blast!
What difference does the Law make now that we follow Jesus? Why did Jesus say he came to fulfill the Law rather than to abolish it? "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." Matthew 5:17 ESV What do you think happens when the Law and the Prophets are fulfilled? Jesus says it in the next verse, "not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished." In just a few verses, in the same talk, Jesus says we should cut off our hand rather than be thrown into hell. The consequences of not obeying the Law are great. Everything is masked from us, I believe, to give us a free choice. If we saw God for who he is, or if we understood hell, basically, we would forfeit our freedom out of fear. Jesus is warning two things and we're talking about the first today. He fulfills the Law. Only those who follow him will escape the judgment. Tomorrow, he will tell us our righteousness must exceed even those who seem to be the most righteous. We can't do it. So what? I hope we realize God has given a job to those of us who follow him. Our job is to serve others so they can join us following Jesus and avoid the judgment that is to come. Often, we try to do that by judgment ourselves. But Jesus didn't come to judge. He came to serve (Mark 10:45). Today, how can you serve the people around you? Ask God the question and then do what he says. Even if you give someone a cup of cold water because you follow Jesus, it matters (Matthew 10:42). Ask God to show you how to serve the people around you and do it. The world doesn't need us to tell them what they're doing wrong. They need us to live like we follow Jesus. Also, please consider making an investment in this ministry. We're supported by individuals who want to help mobilize fellow Christ-followers. You can learn more by going to our website, www.FollowerOfOne.org and clicking the Donate button. Thanks very much.
Deb Brown Maher fell in love with sales when she was a kid. But when she entered the workforce and got her first sales job, she failed miserably. Why? She was expected to use a high-pressure script. She couldn’t sustain the behavior they asked of her, so she quit.
That spurred her to find a way to sell that was ethical, honors the prospect, and makes money. Because Deb is a Christ-follower, she looked to Jesus. As she read scripture, the Lord highlighted certain passages showing her how they applied to sales conversations. That’s how her book, “Sell Like Jesus” was born.
Deb recently completed a Marketplace Mission Trip and had an unforgettable experience. In this episode of Follower of One, Deb shares how her prayer to appreciate the gold in others is impacting lives.
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... * Learn more about Deb Brown Maher and her business [0:45] * Deb’s bi-monthly group problem-solving calls [3:30] * Deb’s experience on a Marketplace Mission Trip [7:38] * How Deb shares her appreciation for the gold in others [15:00] * Deb encourages others to make the time to do a mission trip [21:00]
Resources & People Mentioned * Building Relationships like Jesus with Deb Brown Maher, #63
Connect with Deb Brown Maher * Deb Brown Sales * Deb’s Fine Art * Sell Like Jesus * Deb’s Sales Training Course
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Why do we think following Jesus will be easy? So Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." John 20:21 NASB Notice that Jesus says, As the Father sent me, so I send You. What do we see when we consider the phrase "as the Father sent me"? I came across this verse when I was recording the podcast series on 2 Corinthians 6:1-12. We see hardship. We see a call to be totally focused and devoted. In Philippians 2:9 we see that God highly exalted Jesus and gave him a name above every name. But it says "for this reason." That reason was that Jesus was obedient even to the point of death on a cross. The call to follow Jesus has difficulty in it. How are we handling the difficulty? Don't listen to the voices in your head that say there is no difficulty if we choose to do whatever we want. The difficulties of life are inescapable. Jesus made that point in John 16:33. We don't avoid the trouble of this life by following Jesus or denying him. But we can avoid the difficulties of the next life by following Jesus. The outcome of that choice, to follow Jesus, needs to be service. It's discomfort. We are asked to do things that cost us time or money. We are asked to serve people we don't like. Choose to follow Jesus into his calling in this life and you escape the difficulty in the next. You also get a lot of joy and peace in this life, too. What is God asking you to do? I prayed that something would pop into your head just before or while you're hearing this. Go. Do it! Let's be people who encourage one another to follow Jesus. See also podcast episode 627, too.
When you're worried about something, where do you go? To whom do you turn? "The Lord is good, a stronghold in a day of distress; he cares for those who take refuge in him." Nahum 1:7 CSB Do you ever feel like you're in danger? Do you ever feel alone, or isolated? Nahum spoke to the Jewish people, probably the southern kingdom, about 100 years after Jonah. Many years before this Nineveh captured the northern kingdom and they're now about to fall to the Babylonians. They were a wicked bunch who would also go on to capture the southern kingdom of Israel and take it into captivity also. Nahum seems to be warning us that God is our only refuge. This world doesn't have a safe place. The people who won the first battle and were the victors were about to become the losers. And except for the Jews, most of those kingdoms from that time no longer exist. God is our refuge. He's who we go to for help. He's where we go when we don't know what to do. He is that One we want when nothing else will help. Fortunately for us, he's good. He is a stronghold, a safe place. And if you seek refuge in him, he cares for you. Today, let's remember God cares not only for us, but for everyone he created. Let's be people who point others to the safe place. What can you do today to be a blessing to others? Can you bring peace and calm to your world? Can you let your safety and security overflow into the lives of the people you meet today. I want to remember that I don't need to be in a hurry or get frantic. I work for the One who has this all under control. May the Lord build this peace into us so that others see him as the refuge that he really is. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. Would you consider sponsoring our ministry? We're working to help every marketplace Christ-follower realize we can join Jesus on a daily mission to help others move closer to him. Don't just jump to the next episode or the next podcast in your listener. Become a partner at https://FollowerOfOne.org/Partners.
Do you consider yourself wise? And I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness. Ecclesiastes 2:13 NASB Every day, you need wisdom. Wisdom is applied knowledge or the ability to skillfully apply knowledge. Many of us believe in Jesus. But we need wisdom or our faith won't make much difference in the day-to-day of our workplace. The CSB says, "there is an advantage to wisdom over folly like the advantage of light over darkness." The existence of light means the absence of darkness. The existence of wisdom means the absence of folly. Where do we need more wisdom? What are we doing that seems futile or impotent? Let's be wise today. How can we add wisdom to what we do? First, we can remember that wisdom comes from God. Proverbs 9:10 says "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Second, we must ask for it. James 1:5 says "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach and it will be given him." Third, we must believe God will provide it. James 1:6 continues, "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting. Ask God for wisdom today. He will not give you some great principle. He will suggest some actions. They may even seem a bit foolish. But if you asked for wisdom and got what seems like a silly idea, maybe you should do it. God may be testing your faith and challenging you to go to another level. Let wisdom inform your daily ministry. That's right. You're a minister. You are on a mission, the one Jesus gave you. And that mission includes what you do today. It's a ministry to the people you work with today. So put on the full armor of God and get to work. God will use you in the lives of people. And it will start with some wisdom he gives because you have faith. Please share these podcasts with someone. If you enjoy these podcasts and if they challenge you, why not tell someone else. You can point them to us on any platform or they can go to www.FollowerOfOne.org/podcast to subscribe using just about any podcast app.
How often would you say your motives are purely for another person's benefit? "[J]ust as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved." I spoke about the verse before this in Episode 784 Give No Offense, but I skipped to the next chapter in the next episode and never talked about this verse. Can you say that you seek the profit of others? I think we blow past comments like this in the scripture. This is actually part of a one-two punch. Give no offense was the idea from the previous verse. In this verse, we're challenged to do everything we do for the benefit of others. Paul said he did everything for the benefit of others. If I'm honest, I must admit that for me, that percentage is very low. I hope it's growing. Before I was saved, it was probably very close to zero. Paul's reason is even more compelling, "so that they may be saved." I do want others to experience the joy I have. I do want others to know Christ better. But my default behavior still can end up being what I want. Today, let's ask God to help us do everything for the benefit of others. That may cause you to pray for people you're waiting on. Oh, wow! I just discovered a weak spot. You can pray for me, that I remember to pray for people when I'm waiting on them. I almost never do that. What will God prompt you to do today? If these podcasts are valuable to you, please make a contribution to help us continue to provide this ad-free. Maybe you or your business would like to sponsor these so we can reach more people. Please contact us at www.FollowerOfOne.org to make a gift or join our effort.
Does Jesus expect us to be perfect? "You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48. Jesus seems to be summing up one section of his sermon and moving to another. This could be a great transition verse. In most of chapter 5, he's been blowing up the ideas of the past and the way the Jews think. He's making the point that perfection is the standard. All of the law was designed to show the Jews this verse. God is perfect, therefore, if we want to measure up, we must be perfect. If we want to achieve God's status and level, we must be flawless. It's just not possible. Jesus isn't done with the sermon either. It just keeps going. But for today, what difference does this verse make in our lives? How should it show up in the way we live. We can't take credit for most of what we want to take credit for. In the end, whoever you might compare to yourself, you will find that we're identical in the one measure that matters. We don't measure up. We're imperfect. Perfect is what mattes and we're not it. Jesus intends for this to make us humble, not despairing. Pride keeps us from God and from one another. When we remember the standard, we're free not to compete with our fellow man. We're able to take the lower position or take the second spot. For me and some of you, it's ok not to get there first. We're all imperfect. Jesus seems to be saying, based on everything I just said, "Give up. You can't do this. Stop trying to be God. Stop trying to be better than others." So let's remember that we're going to fall short today. We can pout about it or whine about it or we can help someone else who will be experiencing the same thing. Since our gap is covered, we need to be those who bless others. Ask God to show you how you can get on-mission with him today. What does he want you to do? Please take a minute and pray for this ministry, too. We have an ambitious goal of equipping every Christ-follower to live on-purpose for Christ. We are an online community, we host this podcast, and our Marketplace Mission Trips to help you be more intentional and get busy on your assignment from God. He doesn't want you to just stay out of trouble until Sunday, or until you die. He has a job for you. Why not join our online community and get in the game? Head over to https://community.FollowerOfOne.org to check it out.
In 2011, Dr. Self Charlie Self asked the question, “What does a healthy Christian look like 24/7? Can we measure that?” Dr. Self and colleagues Johan Mostert, and Jame Bolds set out to figure out ways to articulate wholeness in Christ to help Christians grow in both their strengths and weaknesses.
In 2013, they published an assessment tool to allow individuals to answer questions and receive a personal report. They’ve spent the last decade refining the work. Together, they wrote the book, “Life in 5D: A New Vision of Discipleship,” to describe their new vision for discipleship.
In this episode of Follower of One, Dr. Charlie Self talks about the dynamic nature of discipleship. He shares how the book and assessment can be used as a tool to increase biblical outcomes in individuals and organizations.
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... * Learn more about Pastor and Professor Dr. Charlie Self [1:08] * Learn about Life in 5D: A New Vision of Discipleship [5:51] * The dynamic nature of discipleship [12:26] * Your workplace is your ministry [14:02] * “May I add value to one person today” [17:32] * How “Life in 5D” can impact you personally [19:35] * Everyone has the capacity to be influential [27:03] * Learn more about Johan Mostert and Jame Bolds [28:59]
Resources & People Mentioned * Life in 5D: A New Vision of Discipleship by Dr. Charlie Self, Johan Mostert, and Jame Bolds * Tribal Leadership: Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization * The Discipleship Dynamics Assessment
Connect with Dr. Charlie Self * Dr. Self’s Website * Friend on Facebook
Subscribe to Follower of One: A Faith at Work Podcast
Audio Production and Show Notes by - PODCAST FAST TRACK
Imagine you're an heir to billions of dollars. What comes to mind? "[A]nd if children, then heirs - heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him." Romans 8:17 ESV I came to this passage thinking about being an heir with Jesus. It was really a cool devotional time as I thought about this. He owns everything, and I'm an heir to that fortune. I spend too much time obsessing about money. For others it may be your health, or your comfort, or a hobby or another person. We can think about things to excess. My obsession is rooted in this fear. The most common command in scripture is "Fear not!" When I can focus on being a fellow heir with Jesus, the tension surrounding my fear dissipates. I'm free to get back to work. Jesus has a job for me. Whatever I'm whining about has already been factored in. That includes my own failures and my own incompetence. God chose you and me. He knows us better than we know ourselves. And he has a job for us. In and on the other side of that job is great blessing, peace, ease and joy. So when I start whining to God, I often like to think that he says, "Mike, what are you whining about? Just get back to work and I'll take care of everything else." Think for a moment what it means to inherit your situation for all eternity from the Almighty God and Creator of the universe. What's God saying to you today? How does he want you to show up and serve others simply because you trust him today? What's stopping you? Follower of One is an online community designed to help us mobilize and launch one another in full-time marketplace ministry. We call that living on-mission or on-purpose with Jesus. We want to help everyone we meet move one notch closer to Jesus. Why not join us? Head over to https://community.FollowerOfOne.org and create a profile and check it out. Remember, what we do because we are on-mission with Jesus matters forever. Thanks for being a marketplace minister.
Have you ever been a witness in a trial? The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. Romans 8:16 ESV I've never had to be a witness in a trial. I have been asked to talk about things I've experienced before. I often share about what I've been through so I can help others avoid the misery of many of my mistakes. The image of this verse is about how the Spirit shows up and speaks for us. He tells others we're his. And he tells us that we're his possession, too. He stands up for us. And he's not shy. I did a podcast (Episode 62 How the Holy Spirit Testifies for Us) about this passage and I talked about how the Holy Spirit even tells others about our faith if we're living in obedience to him. If you're not being used by God in the lives of others, you might check out that episode. As we obey God and do what the Holy Spirit prompts us to do, he uses us in the lives of others. And he points others toward God because of our obedience. He's confirming for others, both those who follow Jesus and those who do not, that we are his children and his heirs. Today, you're free to live serving others simply because you trust Jesus. Whatever your circumstances are, ask God to give you an idea of something you can do and he will put you to work. And the Holy Spirit will tell others that you're a child of God. Why not try it out. If you get a list of several things you can't really do, that's not God. He's not reminding you of a bunch of things to make you feel guilty. He will quietly tell you about something you can do. Do it. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. Consider joining our online community at https://community.followerofone.org, too!
Are you adopted? How does that illustrate what God has done for us? For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by who we cry "Abba! Father!" Romans 8:15 Notice the contrasts again. Fear and death and slavery are all associated with the flesh in these passages. But we don't need to be subject to those things anymore. We have been adopted. We don't often get to choose our family. But imagine the joy of being chosen. After being alone, isolated, and unwanted, all the sudden someone wants you. They appreciate you. They want to help launch you and see you shine. We're all adopted by God if we follow him. We get to call him Dad. I always wanted a boss that would be OK if I screwed up trying to do the right thing. I could be wrong, but I bet your best friends are like you. We like people who like us. God not only loves you, he likes you. He chose you. And he has a job for you. You won't get fired from it. You may get reassigned, but you won't get taken out of the game. God can use you any time or place. Why not ask him to give you an assignment today? He has a job for you, but it's not as painful as you might think. In fact, when we do what he wants we experience his joy. Why not be a blessing to someone today and watch God bless you both? What we do because we follow Jesus matters. You've been adopted. Go for it. Also, if these podcasts or our online community are a blessing to you, please consider making a gift to Follower of One. We're supported totally by people who benefit from our community and our podcasts and who want to give others the opportunity to experience life following Jesus. We call that living on-mission. If you're up to sharing a gift, please head over to www.FollowerOfOne.org and click the donate button in the upper right hand corner or under the menu on mobile devices. Thanks in advance..
Do. you expect an inheritance from God? "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. Romans 8:14 ESV Back in the time the Bible was written, sons inherited things. Paul uses the term "sons" here to denote that we will be expecting an inheritance. We are heirs of God. We're his children. He's going to give us his glory and his riches. Once we trust God, and get in the position as a Follower of One, we are children. It's done. Are we led by the Spirit? We decide that once and he comes to live with us. He leads us and we "are" children. So how does that show up in the world today? Our eternal wealth is more than we can imagine. We have an unlimited supply now. We get the opportunity to live on-mission with Jesus. His purpose was to save mankind. Our purpose is to be led by the Spirit and take part in this grand strategy. We can be a blessing. We can do things to make the world and life better for everyone we meet. Maybe it's a prayer. Maybe it's a gift. Maybe it means we will do more so they can do less. Maybe we need to fix something. Imagine getting up every day and asking the Spirit what he would like you to do today. That's our first daily habit. We want to get in the habit of living on-mission with Jesus and being available to do what he calls us to do with and for others. What's stopping you? Do you think about all the things you can't do? Ask God to show you what you can do. He made us an heir. You're part of God's strategy. Let's get in the game. It may be that you would like to see how this is done? Check out our Marketplace Mission Trips. These are either 2-week online or 6-week offline exercises where we practice living like a child of God. Check them out at www.marketplacemissiontrip.com.
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits with John Decker. John Decker was one of the founding directors of Every Student Sent and lives in Syracuse NY with his wonderful wife Dorothy and has 3 children and 8 grandchildren who love Jesus. His passion has been to influence secular college campuses and the workplace by preventing the 70% college faith drop off and catalyzing awakenings in academic departments, then the marketplace. This has become a national movement and coalition to prepare and connect every college-bound student to ministries and churches many months before college, and prepare them to engage the secular culture and multiply disciples. In this episode, Mike and John talk about integrating your faith at work, the creation and impact of Every Student Sent, transitioning college students to the workplace, using your Christian influence to impact where you work, and the importance of Christian communities.
Outline of the Episode
- 01:10 - How John got started integrating his Faith at Work
- 04:16 - How Every Student Sent Got Started
- 06:44 - The impact of Every Student Sent
- 09:18 - Transitioning college students to the Workplace
- 10:40 - Using your Christian influence to impact where you work
- 12:22 - Getting opportunities to talk about Christ to people
- 14:12 - The importance of Christian communities
Transitioning from school to the Workplace
Transitioning from school to work is a hard thing to do. But, if we place our trust in the Lord and have Him walk alongside us throughout that transition, it won’t be as difficult. When we put the Lord first, people will see that through how we act.
Using your Christian influence to impact where you work
As Christians, we are called to look completely different from the world. This also includes where we work. We want to look so different that the people around us ask questions. The door to talk about our faith is opened when our coworkers ask us why we act differently.
Follow John Decker
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
How do you live? What guides your life? For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Romans 8:13 ESV Mostly in movies we see life or death situations. You know the bad guy has to die. Paul reminds us that we battle death all the time. If we live according to our flesh, we will die. Notice how the opposite of living according to our flesh is that we put to death the deeds of the body. Our physical nature is contrary to God. We can't live in a state of non-aggression. Either the flesh is killing us or we are killing our flesh. Often, I speak with people who say things are good. They're doing pretty good. But this verse seems to suggest that we're either battling our flesh or living according to it. What does this have to do with being an heir of God? I've chosen to do a series on these 6 verses in Romans 8 because they talk about us being heirs of God and co-heirs with Jesus. Because we're heirs, we don't have to fight for ourselves. We're free to fight for others. When we kill our own flesh, and start living for God, we will be a blessing to others. God puts us to work as part of his plan to save the world. You get to take part in his glorious strategy to save your friends and family. We do that by helping others move one notch closer to Jesus. Today, you can live on-mission with Jesus. Punch in and do what he says. Ask him for direction. He will bring people across your path and he will give you opportunities. Life according to the Spirit is real life. Life according to the flesh is death. Why not join us? We're an online community designed to help every believer live according to the Spirit every day of the week, even when we're at work or in school. Head over to https://community.followerofone.org and check it out!
What does it mean to be in debt? "So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh." Romans 8:12 Paul is reminding believers that we're in debt, but not to our flesh. The verses that follow show that we're in debt to God, or the Spirit. We don't owe our flesh anything. It hasn't done anything for us. We're told in 1 Corinthians 9:27 that we discipline our flesh. We need to tame it, not the other way around. Our debt is to the Spirit. We work for God. We're his servants. I keep coming back to an idea that we work for God. The Spirit is the one giving us direction. He's our manager. We're obligated to do what he says. For the next few episodes, I want to talk about how we're heirs with Jesus. We will inherit the universe. It begins by remembering that we're debtors, but to God, not to the flesh. Let's live like we know to whom we belong. Because we have been saved, we're free to love others and do what God wants. If you find yourself thinking about what you can't do, tell your brain to change it's tune. Let's consider what we can do and do it. We're free, not to do whatever our flesh wants, but to do whatever God has for us. How will you live in light of the idea that you're not in debt to the flesh? Please also check out our Marketplace Mission Trip workbook. This is a 6-week discussion guide for a group to consider how we can live on mission with Jesus. You can get a copy at https://followerofone.org/workbook. Get a few copies and take your small group through this study over the next few weeks. Or if your group normally takes the summer off, get some copies and plan to do this over the summer.
Did you ever consider that you are a letter to the world, written by Jesus? You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 I don't know about you, but I don't think of myself as a letter from God written to people in the world. And he wrote that letter to the people who would know you and interact with you. What kind of a letter are you? Do you encourage others or challenge them? Do you energize them, or deflate them? Do others feel like anything is possible when they interact with you? Do others feel loved by Jesus because of how you live? When I consider that I'm a letter written to my family, friends, coworkers, customers and vendors, I am struck by the idea. Is God using me to draw others to himself? Or am I repelling them? Does your life help others move one notch closer to Jesus? Today, please consider that you're a letter from Jesus to the world. The people who have helped you spiritually have contributed to that letter, but in the end, everyone will know the author is Jesus. One day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess him as the Lord of all. Let's consider how our life can help others for eternity. It's not too late. Follower of One is an online community where we hope you and I help one another live in a way that attracts others to eternal life that can be found in Jesus alone. We want to help you encourage, challenge, inspire and activate other believers in this effort, too. Please also join us. We're an online community being built to help Christ-followers encourage one another to help people move closer to Jesus. You can join at no cost because of the donations of others. Head to https://community.followerofone.org and create a profile.
Do you think we are called to peddle Jesus? Are we peddlers? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. 2 Corinthians 2:17 ESV The biggest slam against Christians is hypocrisy. Do you feel like you have to "sell" someone into trusting Jesus? Paul here reminds the Corinthians that he is not a peddler of the word of God. He is sincere in what he says. He doesn't ask anyone to do something he hasn't. He's a walking testimonial. In fact, the challenge by Paul to the church is for us to live what we claim. A peddler is someone who sells something. I think the idea here is someone who is selling something they don't use, or don't really believe in. Paul seems to be giving a bit of a defense to the Corinthians, reminding them he's sincere in the way he lives and speaks. And our challenge to you today is to live our faith rather than trying to sell it. Really pray. Genuinely appreciate others. Serve from sincerity. Live in such a way that others ask, "Why are you doing this?" Then you can tell them with sincerity why you do what you do. Your sincerity becomes the proof. I don't think you get some trophy in Heaven for having the most conversions. But genuinely live and let God use your actions as he works in the lives of others. Please also consider being intentional of your practice. We currently have 2 groups doing Marketplace Mission Trips. Did you know you can lead your group, business or ministry on a Marketplace Mission Trip of your own? Simply send a note to info@followerofone.org to learn more. One of our team members will get back with you quickly. Our dream is that thousands of everyday Christ-followers would live a genuine faith. Imagine what it would be like if your whole church took a mission trip to their own workplace. Either drop us a line or head over to www.marketplacemissiontrip.com to learn more.
Have you ever seen a triumphal procession? "But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere." 2 Corinthians 2:14 ESV I read that a Roman Triumph would occur whenever a Roman army defeated more than 5000 in battle and took new territory. The procession would be huge, with the leader in a gold chariot. Roman priests would burn incense to their gods and one commentator even said sometimes the incense smoke would obscure the procession. Paul is reminding the Corinthians that God is leading us in a triumphal procession, too. And we're the incense. In the verses that follow he talks about how the incense was a sweet aroma to the victors but a sickening aroma to the losers. Today, let's remember we're in God's victorious procession. We're celebrating his victory. We're on the winning team. And our lives are to be that incense. We are different. Our job is to live a life that can't be explained without Jesus. Paul says that Jesus spreads the fragrance through us. He's using us. He sealed the victory. This isn't as much about our wants and desires as it is about us remembering this is his victory. We get to celebrate in it. But he did the heavy lifting. Remember, too, to pray for others in the family of God. We have 2 groups doing Marketplace Mission Trips if you listen to this podcast on or near the air date. Ask God to protect them, and help them celebrate the work Jesus is doing in and through them. God's working in and through all of us if we'll cooperate. We begin by punching in. Check out more about our Marketplace Mission Trips and take your friends on one. You can find out more at www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com. Thanks!
What does "Amen" mean, anyway, and why does it matter to Jesus followers today? "For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory." 2 Corinthians 1:20 ESV Amen is a Hebrew word that was just kind of ported to Greek and English. The Jews were instructed to say Amen as if something was true, or finished or absolutely correct in God. Amen is often translated "truly," in scripture, too. In fact, many place in John, the words "truly, truly" or "verily, verily" are actually translations of "amen, amen." Amen is like us acknowledging to God that something is true or complete because of what God has done. In this passage, Paul, the apostle, is telling the Corinthians that Jesus is the Amen of God. Everything is complete, true, finished in Jesus Christ. How does this matter for us at work? I don't know about you but I get very tense when deadlines are approaching or when the pressure mounts. I can get tense and react sharply. I even do it now, when I have a deadline pending. This is a persistent problem for me. I want to remember that Jesus did his work. Everything is "amen" in Jesus. He has completed God's work. I can relax. And I can be someone who relieves pressure at work. How can you rest in amen at work? How can you bring grace and peace to your workplace today? Ask God to show you and then get to work. Also, take a minute and pray for this ministry. God has finished his work. We want to rest in him, and be a blessing to people. We're donor supported, so if this podcast or our online community are a blessing to you, would you pay it forward so others can also take part. Head over to https://followerofone.org/partner to make a gift so that others can enjoy integrating their faith and work, too!
Do you help when you pray? How is praying for someone helping? "You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many." 2 Corinthians 1:11 ESV By praying, many will give thanks. It seems Paul suggests here that prayer is effective. By praying God will bless. And because they prayed, they will give thanks. Just in this one verse, we see that God, who is doing his thing, allows us to join him through prayer. As a result, we get to celebrate what he does. We end up closer to God by praying and asking God to work in a situation. We also are more likely to see him work in that situation because we're praying. God is doing his thing. but he wants us to join him. We put skin on the works of God. When we take part in his work, and we celebrate what he does, we help others see him. We help them move one notch closer to Jesus. By actively praying for others, we join God in the work he is doing. I wouldn't have designed it that way. Often, I only want God to do what I say. Then I miss out on his goodness, his creativity, and his glory. I enjoy those much more than my own ideas. Who do you need to pray for today? Ask God to show you how to pray for the people you will interact with today. God will give you glimpses of the work he's doing, and then you will get to celebrate. Your joy can be directly traced back to your prayers. Spend more time praying and let me know if it doesn't work. When we truly focus on God, we must see his glory because he's doing his thing, not ours. Why not join our online community. We pray for one another in there, too. It's a key way that God puts us to work. Check our community out at https://community.followerofone.org. thanks.
Is your life a celebration of what God has done for you? "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:57 To wrap up this chapter and these last few day's episodes, Paul almost concludes his thought in this verse. Thanks be to God. He didn't leave us dead. He came and made a perfect way for us to be restored.
He gives us victory, but victory over what? Well, he talks about that in the verses above this. Sin results in death. In verse 54, he says that Death is swallowed up in victory." Jesus is the key to God's restoring all of creation to himself. It's a battle. Victory has been declared. But you and I still must battle. Our will and our flesh have been captured by the enemy. Our spirit must choose life.
As we choose to follow Jesus, we are saved. We instantly become part of his strategy to save others. All of this is God working to protect our freedom of choice and still save who ever wants to spend eternity with God. Our only response is to live in thanks.
What does that look like for us today? Let's go out of our way today to live like we know God is in charge. That doesn't mean we break the law or blow off work. We serve others. We go beyond what is expected of us so we might convince others about the possibility of the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Maybe you need to purchase treats for the office today. Or maybe you can send someone a text message and just ask how they're doing. It all matters. God uses everything we do and he rewards those of us who join him.
Today is the last Friday before our next Marketplace Mission Trip starts. Head over to https://community.followerofone.org and join us as we invest a little energy over 2 weeks where we invite our spiritual life to invade the rest of our life. Click the link and join the community and then join the Mission Trip. Bring a friend, too!
Why should we live like those who follow Jesus? What difference does it make? "Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame." 1 Corinthians 15:33-34 ESV Paul seems to caution us that bad company ruins good morals. We can be a negative influence. In fact, if we didn't know about life after this life, we wouldn't be responsible. But Psalm 19:1 points out that all of creation points to God. Therefore if we don't live like we know there is an eternal life, we are part of the problem. It seems Paul is quoting something here, but it was commonly known. It even is today. You've heard sayings like, "Show me your friends, and I'll show you your future." So our challenge today is to wake up! Do not go on acting like there is no God. Some of the people we interact with today have no knowledge of God. Do you want to be part of their celebration in eternity? Or do you want to be part of their eternal separation from God? Those are the 2 outcomes! How we live matters. What we do matters. It all matters. Today, ask God to show you where you need to change. A friend recently told me about this prayer: "Lord, how do you want me to trust you?" Ask God that question and write down what he says? Then do it. He may want you to purchase a lunch or give an enormous tip. Let's be people who live like we know this to be true. We will experience more joy in this life and the next. Also, please pray for this ministry. God is calling us to a new season. We need leaders who will help us scale this ministry so dozens of churches or businesses can take marketplace mission trips at the same time. We have proven, tested, practical activities that will help any marketplace Christian realize there is a calling for their life today. Now we need to grow, and I can't do it on my own. Please pray for leaders who will help us scale this idea and mobilize believers over the entire globe. Prayer is the key. The job is too big to simply write a plan. Voice a prayer for us today and let's see God mobilize his body for his glory! Thanks.
What is the heading of your life? Where are you headed? "If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." 1 Corinthians 15:32 We spoke in the last episode about how, if there is no resurrection, we're most to be pitied. Paul begins to conclude that thought in the end of this verse. What does it matter how we lived? We might as well go for the gusto. We might enjoy everything we can because one day, it will all be over. I used to have a cute saying from my fraternity days: "Live fast, die young, and leave a good looking corpse." It was a joke when I was younger, something I said to give me an excuese for eating and drinking for tomorrow I would die. But once I started following Jesus, I began to consider the longer part of my life. This life isn't going to last very long at all in light of eternity. I don't want to make light of difficulties you're facing, but compared to forever, 100 years isn't very long. I used to think a year was a long time. Now that I've done 65 of them, they come and go much faster than I'd like. Today, let's consider where we're headed and how long we're going to live. What we give away in this life, because we follow Jesus, matters forever. Give something away. Find a way to get outside of your job description. Give something to someone today simply because you know you will live forever. If we lived like we knew we would live forever, we would be more noticeable to the people around us. They might even ask us why we're doing what we're doing and then we can tell them about our faith. Don't forget to also keep improving. Join our online community to interact with other Christ-followers who want to invest this life in the next one. That's what we're doing. Head over to https://community.followerofone.org and join us.
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Mike Baer. Mike Baer is a former pastor, business executive, and now a leader and mobilizer for the modern Business as Mission movement. In this episode, Mike and Mike talk about the Third Path Initiative, God being faithful in giving us the desires in our hearts, how God is no man’s debtor, the idea of integrating Faith and Work, and how you don’t need to be the Billy Graham of your workplace.
Outline of the Episode
- 01:10 - About Third Path Initiative
- 03:20 - God is faithful in giving the desire of our heart
- 07:19 - The Third Path Initiative courses
- 08:22 - The true meaning of Capitalism
- 14:56 - God is No Man’s Debtor
- 16:05 - The idea of integration of Faith and Work
- 21:08 - Engaging congregations about being ministers in the workplace
- 24:33 - You don’t need to be the Billy Graham of your workplace
The Idea of Integration of Faith and Work
When we integrate our faith at our workplace, we get to be an example of Jesus to our coworkers. Now, we are not saying that you have to stand up and preach the Gospel every time you come to work, but you need to show the love of Christ in the way that you work. Whether that be through praying for a coworker, or going above and beyond at your job, our mission is to have people ask us why we are different.
God is Faithful in Giving the Desires of our Hearts
Have you ever thought about where your desires come from? As Christians, we are called to chase after what God has for us. He is the one that gives us the gifts that we have so that we can further His kingdom. God is eternally faithful, and He will always provide for us when we chase after Him.
Follow Mike Baer
- Business as Missions
- Third Path Initiative
- Triventure
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
What do you spend your time hoping for? "If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied." 1 Corinthians 15:19 ESV Our hope determines our aim. We live toward our hope. So what You hope for matters. I confess I still hope for material ease and comfort. The problem is, neither of those things will last beyond this physical world. Jesus spent a lot of energy helping us see there was a life after this one. He told stories and parables. There is much recorded in the scripture about what Jesus said about our life beyond this world. I was tempted to say "the next life," but I believe Jesus made it clear that we have that next life the moment we trust him. That's why he said the kingdom of heaven was at hand. (Mark 1:15) So he encouraged us to lay up treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21). He wanted us to send things ahead. But the only thing there would be the rewards we're given for how we live here on earth. The stuff we compile and the comforts we save up won't go with us. Today, let's remember that what we do for others, and the way we love others will go with us to the next world. We have a great promise in that regard. If we live like we know that even the cups of water we give (Matthew 10:42) will count for rewards in our eternal life. How we live matters. Invest in the lives of the people you're with. Go out of your way to show appreciation for your coworkers, customers and vendors. Join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip. One begins next week based on when this airs, but one is always on the schedule. Head over to www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com and request an invitation.
Do you consider yourself a preacher? Now, those who were scattered went on their way preaching the word. Acts 8:4 Imagine what the world would look like if each of us lived in such a way that others would ask. I don't think everyone went talking about Jesus all the time. But they went living in such a way that Jesus is what they ended up talking about. Basically, Saul chased the Christians into the world. Can you imagine years later, the Apostle Paul meeting someone in Corinth or Ephesus who he had chased out of Jerusalem? But now Paul's an apostle and the person he chased out of town was one of the people who started the church at Corinth? Do your relationships end up hearing about Jesus? And if not, why not? I confess, I'm not very urgent. I get passive. But as I interact with more and more people, I want to help them move one notch closer to Jesus. Do you interact with people who don't follow Jesus? Then ask God to give you opportunities to speak. There are words. We have things to say. Ask God to show you where you can step up, and then do it. Speaking of stepping up, Follower of One is looking for leaders. We need people who want to help their church take a mission trip. We need people who want to invest some prayer and money. It's time to start growing this ministry and making our mission trips available to other churches, ministries and businesses. Would you be a champion who tells others about Follower of One? Send a note to info@followerofone.org and let us know what God is prompting you to do!
Do our rights cause others to stumble? Are there areas where this might be true in your life? "But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak." 1 Corinthians 8:9 Paul is talking about meat sacrificed to idols. However in current days, this may be more true in the area of alcohol or marijuana. The Bible doesn't condemn alcohol. It speaks very sharply about the misuse of alcohol. I was an active drinker in college and beyond. But after I became a Christian, alcohol had less and less of a pull on me. Food or alcohol or sobriety doesn't commend us to God. But I believe we're here for a purpose. I'm not sure alcohol or drugs facilitate that purpose. In fact, I'm pretty sure they do not. Since a policeman, or a fireman, or a doctor or a pilot can't do their job once they've had a drink, I don't believe I can do my job under the influence of alcohol either. And my job is simply to help others move one notch closer to Jesus. Our rights can be a stumbling block to others. I have to remember that. I have the right to do what I want with my money. I have the right to drink whatever I want as long as it's legal. But in the end, it's not what's best for others. Today, ask God if you are claiming something as a right that might otherwise be a stumbling block for others. Let's remember our job is to minister in our workplaces. Minister just means serve. Are you willing to ask God to show you need to improve as a member of his team of marketplace ministers? Ask him and then act on what he says. He'll manage the rest of it. And then join us in the online community. Head over to https://community.followerofone.org and create a free account. And then join us on the next marketplace Mission Trip. Let's help everyone we meet move one notch closer to Jesus.
Are you quick to develop and share your opinions? A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. Proverbs 18:2 ESV This is like part 2 to our previous episode. I need to memorize this verse, too. In some of the older translations, it says "but only in revealing his own mind," (NASB) or "disclosing what is on his mind," (NET). Today, let's listen to what we say. How much of what we say is sharing our opinion? I am convicted as I record this. We have an opportunity today to live like we follow Jesus. That's the only chance we have of integrating our faith and work. We don't make more of Jesus at work by talking about him. We show others we follow him by obeying his word and doing what he says. Will you take this to heart? I hope I do. What we do because we follow Jesus matters. How can I delight in understanding more today? Well I can listen more. I can ask others to give me more detail. "Tell me more," or "What else?" Practice it. Try to use those phrases more. If you talk with me today, count the number of times I say it and if it's zero, tell me. Let's get better at listening to others instead of sharing our own opinions. God's in charge. He can make things happen. We simply need to trust him. Why not join us in a community where we can work on this more? Check out https://community.followerofone.org and join us. And please share this podcast with others. Think about the improvements that will happen in your workplace, if just one person, you, begins to listen more and appreciate others more.
Do you ever put your foot in your mouth? Proverbs 17:27-28 Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent. I talked about this passage (episode 143) over 2 years ago. I need to read it and recite it every month. Can you restrain your words? Can you cool your own spirit? There are times when I throw temper tantrums. I get angry at something. You probably never have that happen. If so, you're doing well. I've just always loved the practical nature of verse 28. Even a fool, when he keeps silent is considered wise and prudent. The more we're talking, the more likely we'll prove exactly what's going on in our brains and often, what's going on in our brains isn't as good as we think it is. I hope to remember to choose words carefully, especially when I do the podcast. Today, can you listen more than you talk? I need to listen more to my family, my coworkers, and my customers. Every person I interact with has something to say. Why not try to hear it all before you start talking. I even want to let a few seconds of silence pass just to see if I can do it. This falls under appreciating people in my book. If I can listen to them more, I may learn more, but I also show they're more important than myself. I exercise my faith at work when I can listen rather than trying to talk. Today, let's listen more and talk less. Let's remember that we may seem foolish to some, but if we open our mouths, we may just prove it. And please also remember we're a donor supported ministry. Please consider sharing this podcast with others. Either tell them about it or make a contribution so they can hear it at no cost. To make a donation, head over to https://followerofone.org and click the Donate button in the upper right hand corner of the screen. Thanks very much.
Do you handle your anger well? Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. Proverbs 16:32 ESV I often need to remember that I must be slow to anger. This verse is one that's pointed at me. When we're quick to get angry, we shut others out. When we're slow to anger, we can be quicker to share. We can ship more grace and we can integrate our faith and work when we are slow to anger. If we can rule our spirit, we're able to be a blessing to the people around us. Can you slow down and remember your calling? You're called to help others move one notch closer to Jesus. Step into that calling. When we lose our temper, we shut off God and we become gods to our selves. Why not stay connected to God and watch him work? Maybe you need to join a community of people who are working on these very things. We want to be used by God. He puts us to work as marketplace ministers, people who serve others so they might get to know Jesus. We have an online community called Follower of One and you can join for free. Check it out at https://community.followerofone.org and you'll see what I mean!
What terrifies you? "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:31 The writer of Hebrews reminds us it's a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Our faith doesn't negate the power of God or our need to fear him. Faith causes us to live differently. I want to use this verse as a reminder that I report to someone much larger and more powerful than I. He operates the world. He's given me a chance to play a part in the rescue he's engineering. But he is so much more powerful and terrifying than I am or anything I fear. I get the opportunity to play. I get to make a difference. I get chances to take part. But in the end, Let's not forget who is in charge. We don't choose our purpose. God created us for it. But we can know things about that purpose. We're created to know Jesus, and to be close to him. We're also equipped to help others move closer to him, too. That part of our job is clear to us. And we've been saved from the wrath that we deserved because we deserted and committed treason against God before we even knew who he was. When we live according to that much understanding, we help others move closer to Jesus. Just because we can't see him or we fail to fear his wrath, that's no reason to think we're in charge or that we're all there is. We get great joy from trusting Jesus, too. Step into the joy. Everything you give because you follow Jesus will be multiplied back to you. He's powerful enough to make that true. Let's ask him to use this verse to remind us. We're not victims of his wrath because of what Jesus has done for us. Now let's pass that along by the way we live and act. We have a choice, we have an opportunity. And we get to experience all the best things about God when we trust him and follow Jesus. Why not join our online community and see how we encourage one another on a Marketplace Mission Trip. Check out https://community.followerofone.org and join us.
Do you remember life before you started trusting Jesus? "They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus." Romans 2:15-16 ESV We're reminded again today that our enemy isn't flesh and blood. See Ephesians 6:12, 1 Peter 5:8. The people who don't follow Jesus are victims of the enemy, not the enemy themselves. When we don't follow Jesus, or when we're not listening to the Holy Spirit, our conflicting thoughts either accuse or excuse us. Other translations offer accuse or defend, condemn or approve. Without the Holy Spirit, we're stuck with this coin-toss. But as we listen to the Holy Spirit we end up getting more clear direction. We have access to better info. As a result, we're not to judge our coworkers or customers or vendors. We're to give them grace. So how can you show grace to your coworkers today? What about listening to them? What about giving them the benefit of the doubt? What about asking God to show you what he appreciates about them? What about doing something to be a blessing to them, rather than only focusing on yourself? Why not join us in the online community. You can intentionally put yourself into a community where everyone is trying to listen to God better and make a difference in the lives of our coworkers. You can find out more and create a free profile at https://community.followerofone.org.
Are certain things just wrong? "For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law." Romans 2:14 ESV As Jesus-followers, we find it easy to see that certain things are wrong. It's not wrong to each a lunch, but it is wrong to do it if you took it from someone else who was just about to eat it. We who follow Jesus and believe in God get our right-and-wrong from him, at least in some degree. But where do agnostics get it? If you believe the world was an accident, how is there so much purpose in how we all sense that certain things are right and others are wrong? Today, let's stay on the side of right. It's right to do what's best for someone else. We know it's right to forgive (Matthew 6:12-15). We know it's right to put others ahead of ourselves (Philippians 2:3). Ask God to give you a challenge today. What does he ask You to do? Will you do it? Others don't even need to know. Just do what Jesus has for you to do today and let him handle the rewards. In Matthew 10:42, we're promised a reward even for the cold water we hand out. What we do matters and God's keeping score. Let's live like we know the rules. It may cause others to ask us why we're different. Please also consider joining us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip. There's another one starting soon at https://community.followerofone.org. Or you can request an invitation to the next trip at www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com. Either way, we hope to see you soon!
Do you consider yourself a doer of the word of God? "For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified." Romans 2:13 ESV Knowledge of the law isn't what matters. Hearing the Bible doesn't count. Only doing the law matters. It's not what we know, but what we do that counts. That's why it's so important to be a doer of the word (James 1:22). What we do matters. So what will you do today? Will you tune God out until you get back to church? Or will you listen to him while you work? Our ability to hear and listen to him, and do what he says depends on several factors. Do you pray? That's our first daily habit or activity. Begin by punching in. Also, be thankful. Thank God for the things that happen that you don't appreciate. When we practice remembering that God is in charge, it's easier to act like God is in charge. We need continual reminders. Ask God what he would have you do. But also, do it. Only the doing counts. If you ask God and he tells you, but you say, "No, I'd rather not," after a while, you won't hear him at all. Ask God what you can do an do it. If all the answers you get are impossible, that's our enemy. Focus on what you can do today. Also, consider making a gift. Give something away at work, or to a coworker. but also consider paying it forward so others can hear this podcast. We operate on a pay-it-forward model. The money given to Follower of One goes to make sure the next person doesn't have to pay to take part. Everything we do is on a free trial. Try it out. Then pay so the next person can do it. Head over to https://followerofone.org/partner or click the Donate button and make sure others can hear the podcast or take part in our online communty and our Marketplace Mission Trips.
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Chris Champion. Chris helps companies and organizations build caring cultures and provide 'life-changing care' through our Chaplains and Care Coaches. In today’s episode, Mike and Chris talk about the creation of Telachap and LeapCare, using the internet to expand your business, the importance of security, becoming a chaplain, being called into ministry, playing in the Lord’s sandbox, and learning to recognize the kingdom opportunities around us.
Outline of the Episode
- 02:00 - About Corporate Chaplains of America
- 03:16 - Using the internet to increase your business
- 06:35 - Being an employer-provided service
- 07:45 - The importance of security
- 09:57 - How Chris got involved with Telachap and LeapCare
- 11:01 - The experience with Telachap and LeapCare
- 14:03 - What EAP stands for
- 16:10 - Becoming a Chaplain
- 19:43 - Being called into ministry
- 20:47 - Playing in the Lord’s sandbox
- 22:07 - Learning to recognize the kingdom opportunities around us
Being called into Ministry
Being called into ministry is a powerful and life-changing experience. It is a calling to serve others, to spread the love and compassion of Christ, and to make a positive impact in the lives of those around you.
Learning to recognize the kingdom opportunities around us
Do you see the opportunities around you that the Lord is giving you? We can be better at seeing what the Lord has in store for us by reading our Bibles, spending intimate time in His word, and being apart of a Biblical community. The Lord will always give us opportunities, we just need to recognize them.
Follow Chris Champion
- TelaChap
- LeapCare
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
Do we take God's blessings for granted? I probably do! "Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?" Romans 2:4 ESV Do I take another day for granted? I kind of assume that tomorrow is another day. When I consider that apart from God, I take on the role of his enemy. In reality, if I saw God for who he really is, I'd be scared to death. God's glory and his magnificence is disguised and cloaked in our world because if we saw him for what he really is, we would be freaked out. God is giving us the chance to turn to him. Every day is a day he has given us to choose him over any other path. He even came and died to show us the way. And he's giving us time, grace, and mercy so we can make the choice. Everything is in our favor. We just don't need to blow it! So what can we do today? Well, let's take seriously the time we have? Who might God want us to talk to today? Who can we pray for? Who can we help? Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and point you in the direction he wants you to go. Find someone to serve. Give a coffee, send a text, make a call. God has you right where you are so you can choose to follow him. Will you? Why not send someone a text today that you haven't communicated with in months. Tell them you were thinking about them and ask how they're doing? Listen and let God tell you what to do next. Appreciate them today because Jesus appreciates you and died for you. Even when we give a cup of cold water because we follow Jesus, it matters. See Matthew 10:42 Thanks for being a marketplace minister. What you do because you follow Jesus matters, forever! Don't forget it.
Do you obey the law? If not, which laws do you break? "So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty." James 2:12 ESV James mentions this twice. Check out James 1:25, also. If we judge others under the law of liberty, what are we to correct? You almost need the verses before this to put it in perspective, so check out the previous 4 podcasts or so. James is making a contrast to the Law of Israel. Not just the 10 commandments, but all the rules and observances. That was the law of sin and death. Now we have a new law. The commandments all boiled off to love God and love people. (Matthew 22:36-40; Mark 12:28-31 and Luke 10:25-28). James is reminding his readers that our goal is to speak and act (live) according to these principles. Today, how can we speak and act according to the law of liberty? Let's remember our 5 daily habits, 1) Pray, 2) Appreciate others 3) Know what we believe, 4) Serve others, and 5) Speak for ourselves. What can we do today? What can we say today. Remember when you're around the people you see regularly, find a way to serve them that can't be explained. Do an excellent job. Help them with their job. Get your work done early so you can help them. Go out of your way to trust Jesus by serving the people you interact with. Ask God to give you the ideas. Then consider joining a community of believers who want this to be the trademark of their life. We want our daily life to count for eternity, all seven days. Why not head over to www.followerofone.org and create a free account and join us. The more people you have around you serving others because they follow Jesus, the more likely you will be to do that too. You know it will work. Take the first step.
Does God grade us on a curve? James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. (ESV) Don't you wish we had a curve? James tells us there is no margin for error. If we keep the whole law but stumble in one thing, we're guilty of all. The bar for living our faith is very high. If we fail in one point, we failed in all. Romans 3:23 says, "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." We all fall short. I think James is reminding us of this point here for a reason. We can get tempted to think we're "OK." We can get tempted to think we are better than the next person. The challenge for us today is to never give up. Remember there is always more we can do. Often, we think doing what Jesus wants us to do is work. We think if we do what Jesus wants, we can't do our job, or we can't do what we want. But what Jesus came that we might have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10) What Jesus wants us to do seems like work, but we know when we do it we find joy. Don't let your flesh talk you out of listening to Jesus. Every place we come up short is a place where we miss out. Your next dreaded situation at work could be the place where you see Jesus do a miracle. Let's remember every compromise or every transgression is a place where we fail. We can make great choices, which we'll talk about in the next episode. Let's do them one at a time. I hope these podcasts challenge you. Please let us know what you think. Send a note to podcast@followerofone.org and tell us what you'd like us to talk about. Our goal is to help you integrate your faith and work. Begin by asking Jesus and he will guide you. Remember, what you do because you follow Jesus matters. Thanks!
Could your partiality masquerade as love? James 2:8-9 "If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall lvoe your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors." (ESV) What we call love actually might be partiality in disguise. To fully integrate our faith and work, we must let God test our motives for everything we do. We think if we show favor to someone, we are demonstrating love. James states very clearly that if we show partiality to someone based on how we judge them, especially regarding their wealth, we violate the law. Partiality becomes a cheap substitute for love. How can you tell? Well, do you show favoritism to people who can't pay you back? It's easy to love the good customers. What about the problem ones? We've all seen examples of people trying to look good to the people at the top of the org chart. What about people further down the org chart? Will you let God show you how to bring your faith to work? Where does he want it to show up today? Simply asking is the first step, but also listen for the answer. Then act. If you are given answers by God but you don't take action, after a while, you won't be able to hear his voice. Or he will change the message. Today, ask God to help you treat your work as ministry. Life doesn't have to be compartments. You can combine your faith and work. Practice our 5 Daily Habits, Pray, Appreciate Others, Know what you believe, Serve Others and Speak for Yourself and you will find that your faith and joy show up at work all the time! Also, remember this podcast is designed to challenge you. Take the challenge. Ask God to show you where you can improve and begin the process. Subscribe to this podcast and share it with others so you can integrate your faith and work daily!
What do you set out to do each day? James 2:5 Listen my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? (ESV) God doesn't work on the same economic principles we tend to choose. We think if we had more money, things would be better. We can get very busy building wealth. We talk about it quite a bit. Most of the world seems to be chasing it. Even in the faith at work world, much conversation is about how Christians can run their businesses better. But when we use the term "better," or when we try to measure "success," what are we measuring? Do we measure money, influence, ease, our ability to do what we want? I don't think any of those measures are important to God in the least. If we create kingdom value, we're laying up treasure in heaven. What's important to God and how can we produce more of that? We have a new commandment according to Jesus, to love God and love people. Today, let's ask God to give us his values. He can show us what we should measure. He will guide us if we'll ask and wait for his answer. And we must act. If we get an answer from God, but it's not what we wanted to hear, are we willing to move? Why not join a community of people who are trying to create eternal value, treasure in heaven, rather than wealth here on earth. Join us at https://community.followerofone.org so we can all help one another remember scripture like this. Let's challenge one another to love the people around us and that will create value here on earth and in eternity, too.
How can we love someone if we judge them? James 2:3-4 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, "You sit here in a good place," while you say to the poor man, "You stand ver there," or, "Sit down at my feet," have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? (ESV) James points out that when we classify people based on their appearance or any other reason, we exercise evil motives or evil thoughts. I confess that I can struggle with this passage. But James is steadfast. What do we base our judgments on? And should we judge at all? We have to judge. But we shouldn't label. You make judgments all the time. You judge whether or not you should leave your phone on the table or your keys in the car. When we label people and group them based on judgments about their character, that's wrong. We talk about trying to help everyone move one notch closer to Jesus. That requires that I at least consider where the other person already is. But I don't want to judge with evil thoughts or, as some translations say, with evil motives. If we judge so we can label people, then we dropped the ball. Today, I should ask Jesus what I can do. The people I'm already planning to meet, how can I help them move one notch closer to Jesus? What can I do for them? I can pray for them. I can ask God how he wants me to interact with them? I can do things I know are always correct, like demonstrate love, or forgiveness. What we do because we follow Jesus matters. Today, ask God to show you if you're showing partiality to some. Ask God to show you how to integrate your faith into your work daily. Can your faith direct how you interact with others? This verse will help you examine your own motives and make sure you do your job the way God would want it done. Are these podcasts helpful to you? Why not take a minute and share this podcast on social media. Mention it to your friends from church, or introduce us to your spouse or to a new person at work. Sharing this helps more of us remember God has a job for us to do every day.
What's your most valuable possession? "For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world." 1 John 2:16 ESV Do you find that you love the stuff of the world? We're clearly challenged by many things in the Bible to use our resources to help others see Jesus. They're really not our resources anyway. Everything came from God and goes back to him. Often the stuff I want to own, enjoy or experience can be a trap. God gives it to us to use for his purposes. But when we fall in love with it, we lose out. What will you do today with the stuff you have? You have time, money, energy, experience. All of those things can be used to help others see and follow Jesus. We lose out when we hold any of it back. Let that sink in and then take action. What we do because we follow Jesus matters. Don't forget to invite someone else to listen to this podcast, either. We're listener supported and shared. You can support us by going to www.followerofone.org and clicking the Donate button on the upper right hand corner. Thanks for following Jesus in the marketplace. What we do because we follow him matters forever.
Be honest with yourself. Do you love God, or the world? "Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 1 John 2:15 NASB You can tell when I'm convicted. I love God. But I still spend a lot of time, money and energy chasing things in the world. It took me several years to say I loved Jesus. I've always had trouble with authority and my dad and I had trouble. I didn't have good tools to understand what he was going through. My own perspective leads my thinking more than I know and I couldn't understand him or his perspective. He was a great man. I never realized that. My problems with authority also spilled over into my relationship with God. For the longest time, I thought he got tired of me screwing up. But as I get older, I learn more about his perspective and my dad's, too. Recently, I've started telling Jesus I love him. And I want to love him more. This verse doesn't give us much room. Either we love God or we love the world. I confess, I enjoy not having a lot of commitments. I enjoy being able to take it easy. I enjoy sweets. I enjoy a lot of the world. but I'm learning to actively love God more. I do that by doing what he says and reading his word, hanging out with his people, talking to him about others. I even try to be a better husband and father and friend. Let's talk tomorrow about the things that distract us a bit. Today, just tell God you love him. Or if you have a problem with that, I fully understand. I just prayed for you. Ask God to give you more time and trust him. Let's all do what we can and not concentrate on the things we're not able to do. Take a minute and ask God to give you an idea of how you can demonstrate your love for him. Maybe you need to give something away. He'll make it clear to you. Then head over to Follower of One online community and let us know what you did. There's a post in the community on this podcast. Comment on that post and share what you feel led to share. People in that community will pray for you and your faith will make a difference. Check it out.
What do we need courage for? What's the point of courage? "I have said these things to you, that in me you may peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." John 16:33 ESV Here is another passage about taking heart. Several translations say "take heart," while others say "take courage." Others translate it "be of good cheer." We might say "be encouraged." Jesus is headed to the cross. This is the night he is taken into custody. In hours he will hang on a cross. Judas is in the process of betraying Jesus as he speaks. Two verses before this, he challenges the eleven, "Do you now believe?" Then he reminds them again, things are about to get bad. This is all coming to an end. Then he reminds them that he's still in charge and they can take courage. This isn't passive. They had to choose. Judas made his choice. Now every one of them will have to choose. We must choose, too. We are to choose courage, heart, or cowardice and selfishness. We choose with Jesus or without. Will we let our circumstances cause us to focus only on ourselves? Or will we choose heart? Will we make a positive difference in the lives of others. Will we love God and love people, or will we protect ourselves. Will we ignore others and focus on our schedule, our commitments, or will we make time to appreciate, serve and value others? We formed a community for believers who want to take courage. It's called Follower of One. It's filled with people who want to take courage and they know sometimes they take courage, and sometimes they receive it. That's what a community is. We want our faith to be the source of our energy, our strength and our actions. We help one another through interactions either in the Marketplace Mission Trips we do, or by praying for and interacting with one another. Why not check it out. Head over to https://community.followerofone.org and join us.
Have you ever discouraged or exasperated someone? What happens to others when you interact with them? Are they lifted up, or taken down? Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so they will not lose heart. Colossians 3:21 NASB We've spoken for several days about losing heart. Today, I wanted to talk about this verse because it talks about how we can cause our kids to lose heart. Fathers are specifically mentioned in this passage. But I have found that parents and bosses, even friends can lift others up, or deflate them. When you interact with someone else, what is the outcome? Do they feel better? Are they more optimistic? Do you help them find new energy and hope for the challenges they face? As Christ-followers we live with a promise. We're promised that all things will work together for our good (Romans 8:28). We're promised that Jesus will overcome the trouble of the world (John 16:33). In this passage, we're challenged not to exasperate, provoke, embitter, antagonize, or discourage our children. Let's not do it to people we work with either. Today, in your family and in your workplace, what if you intentionally set out to lift others up? Imagine the words that are opposite of the list I just mentioned. What if you made a point to bring hope and encouragement to everyone you meet, coworkers, customers, vendors as well as family and friends? This will limit your complaints about government, or people of other faiths. It will limit our ability to whine and complain. We will have to choose to comment about the good rather than the bad. But we will fill others with hope and courage rather than exasperating or deflating them. As a man and a father, this has been a challenge for me. But today I have a choice. Today, I can choose to bring energy, hope, courage, rather than stealing it. What will you do today? Please consider how you respond to your kids or anyone else you interact with today. Don't discourage, encourage. Put life in others. The joy of the Lord is only limited by his people. Will we share that joy or hoard it today. We can help others not lose heart if we'll only share. Do you need some help with this. We can't all just turn on the joy. We need other believers around us to help restore the hope and joy in us, especially when we're tempted to lose heart. Why not join a community of believers who exist to help one another. We want to help each other take that hope and joy with us everywhere we go. Check out https://community.followerofone.org and join us for free. We want to encourage believers everywhere to live a life that can't be explained without Jesus being in the center. Why not join us?
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Nick Nelson. Nick Nelson is the founder of Mission 15:4. He was the one who was anxious and depressed. Now that he is on the other side, it is his purpose to go after the ones that are in the midst of their struggles and walk alongside them. In this episode, Mike and Nick talk about mental health, how Mission 15:4 got started, not relying solely on yourself, training men to help with mental health, placing our trust in the Lord, and allowing God to work through you.
Outline of the Episode
- 01:10 – About Mission 15:4
- 06:00 – Anybody can struggle with mental health
- 07:46 – Not relying on solely yourself
- 08:30 – Training men to help people with mental health
- 10:34 – What happens when you place your trust into worldly things
- 12:39 – It’s easier to connect with someone about their struggles if you’ve had that struggle
- 14:19 – How Mission got started
- 16:05 – Allowing God to work through you
- 18:29 – Nick's thoughts on the Marketplace Mission Trip
Anybody can struggle with mental health
Sometimes in dark places, you can feel alone and like nobody struggles with what you are dealing with, but anybody can struggle with mental health. No matter how “perfect” your life may seem, no matter how much money you make, you can struggle with mental health, so it’s important to keep up with your mental health.
Allowing God to work through you
As Christians, we are called to follow the Lord with all of our hearts and to pursue His will for us. We need to allow Him to work through us, so that His will can be carried out in our lives. We all have the ability to be used by God, we just need to allow Him to use us.
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Misson15four
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Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
What do you most treasure? And why does that matter on Valentine's day? The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart. Luke 6:45 NASB It's Valentines Day. I did a little research and found there are a number of global Valentine's Day traditions. I don't recommend you spend a lot of time on it. But since we've been discussing how we might lose heart, I thought today I would study the interaction between our treasure and our heart. This passage and others talk about how what comes out of us shows the true contents of our heart. If what comes out of us is good, it comes from a good heart. It even comes from the treasure of our heart. Our hearts are transformed by what we treasure. Later in Luke 12:34, Jesus says that where our treasure is, there our heart will be also and this is also recorded in Matthew 6:21. We set the value of things. Those things we value most become the makeup of our heart. Our motives and our motivations come from our heart. And no matter how hard we may try to hid or manage what others see, God sees our heart. God told Samuel that in 1 Samuel 16:7 when he selected David to be King of Israel. Be careful what you treasure. Over time, what you treasure will become the direction and the makeup of your heart. And God, who sees the heart will act. I've experienced more joy in the last few years simply because I chose to treasure listening to and following Jesus. Would you say your joy has increased in the last few years? If not, you can change it. Choose to treasure the things of Jesus and watch your heart change. Your joy will soon follow. You can turn this around RIGHT NOW. Simply tell Jesus, "Here I am!" and then ask, "What do you want me to do today?" He will put you on mission and you will sense your heart changing. Bless someone else today. Choose to give them good. Choose to encourage. Choose to bless. Choose to lift someone else up. God rewards those choices once they become actions. Then, join us over at https://community.followerofone.org and share that with us. Create a profile and join our community. Let's be people who deliver joy and courage and heart in the world every day. Now that's what I call real love.
Do you find yourself tired? Did you ever notice how easy it is to get discouraged when you're tired? "For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:3 NASB When we get deflated and tired, we become vulnerable. The author of Hebrews suggests that if we consider what Jesus had to endure, we will find energy and that energy will help us not become discouraged. The 2 verses before this are the response to the heroes of the faith. The author remind us to fix our eyes on Jesus. He completed the work the Father gave him to do. It's done. Our job is smaller. His work should motivate us. He did his part. And because he's almighty, he is helping us. He is directing. We can persist. We can finish. We can take heart rather than losing it. Today, what will you choose? Will you focus on your circumstances and fail, or will you consider Jesus, not grow weary and not lose heart? God has a job for you today. Romans 8 tells us that God will complete his work in and through us. We can keep our heart today by considering Jesus and doing the next doable thing. Let's not focus on what we can't do. Consider Jesus and do what you can. Maybe you need to get some rest. It's easy to get discouraged when you're tired. Consider Jesus and then, whatever you can do, do it. Every little bit matters. Jesus said the widow put in more than anyone else. She only put in two small coins (Mark 12:42-44). But he knew what it was relative to what she had. Do what you can and God will do the rest. Let's remember to do what we can today. Tell God "Here I am." Ask him what he wants you to do. And then focus on what you can do rather than what you can't do. He will do the rest. Also, check out our online community at https://community.followerofone.org. You can meet other Christ-followers there who can help you not lose heart, too. Check it out.
Do you get discouraged by difficulties in the world? "So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory." Ephesians 3:13 ESV Do we let the troubles of others get us down? Sometimes I can become disappointed at what others have to go through in this broken world. I can get angry or discouraged at what people have to endure in this world. And if they have to endure that difficulty because of me, that makes it even worse. But Paul is encouraging the Ephesians. He was so good at thanking God for everything. And I'm not. But he encourages them to reassure them that he trusts the will of God and so should they. Where do we need to remember that God's will isn't being thwarted in our world. The enemy isn't winning. God is. Everything is going according to plan. If you have a problem with that idea, let's talk. Call me or email me. I'd love to talk. In the moment, I have difficulty with what I'm saying, but I want to believe in a God who is bigger than all the mess of this world. Paul wants that for us, too. So let's not lose heart. I hope these podcasts are a blessing to you. We're supported by people who want to share in the cost of what we do so others can live an integrated faith. Would you consider making a contribution to help? Head over to https://followerofone.org/partner to make a gift. Thanks!
Do you have trouble with delayed gratification? Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. Galatians 6:9 Have you ever noticed how every single person is searching for the good life. Some of us work extra hard and save our money hoping to buy it. Others take drugs or drink trying to get it now. Even more want it in a job or a spouse, or by trying to change something about themselves. Jesus came that we might have life, (John 10:10). We're each on our own universal pursuit to gain life. We want the promise of joy, peace, blessing for ever. Not just for a day. It's baked into each of us. God put it there. We were created for it. But when the reality of the broken world hits us, we lose heart. Here Paul is reminding the Galatians not to give up. If we do not grow weary, we will receive the reward. As believers we're called to focus on the reward so we can hang on until the end. Today, can you have an attitude of confidence in our position and our Lord so that you're free to be a blessing to others? Our job is to live like we know Jesus so others might come to know him too.
How do you talk yourself into giving up? Jesus gave us an idea how to avoid losing heart and his idea was that we should pray. Notice Luke 18:1. "And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart." Luke 18:1 ESV Another way to avoid losing heart is to pray. This parable is about the woman who wanted justice from the unrighteous judge. Even the unrighteous judge would do what the woman wanted because she was right and persistent. For some reason, we have this narrative sentence of introduction from Luke. This parable is designed to remind us to pray and not give up. If the unrighteous judge will do what's right, we should expect a holy God to do what's right. Prayer keeps us from losing heart because it plugs us back into God instead of focusing on our circumstances. And prayer is used by God to change us. Even though this is one of the standard, Sunday school answers, it happens to be correct in this instance. Prayer is another tool God gives us to help us to persist. Today, pray. Ask God to help you keep going. Ask him to show you what he's doing, and to energize you to join him. He will use you in the lives of your coworkers, customers, vendors, friends and family if you just pray instead of losing heart. Focus on God and ask him for the strength to keep going.
Have you ever been tempted to give up? Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart," 2 Corinthians 4:1 NASB This continues the episode from yesterday. We've been given a mission. We talked about that yesterday. You have received a ministry. And since it was God that gave that to you, he will bring his results to pass. He's not working to achieve my goals. So I want him to inform my goals, and to guide my ministry. It's not mine anyway. It's his. I'm just a steward of it. We're talking about how to keep our heart, or avoid loosing it. Our first way that we're studying is by reminding ourselves we have a ministry. God has a job for us. By his mercy, he gave us a mission, a ministry, a purpose. Our purpose elevates and energizes us. If you're tempted to lose heart, ask God to remind you about your purpose. Purpose pulls us into the future instead of leaving us stuck as quitters in the past. Today, ask God to remind you about your purpose. Part of it starts with making Jesus visible. How you do that is up to you. We make some very basic suggestions in this community, but we want to encourage you to find ways that energize and excite you. Then share them with us. We're an online community of believers who are trying to live our our purpose and calling in our present jobs and situations. Why not join us. Head over to https://community.followerofone.org and create a profile. Join us on a Marketplace Mission Trip, connect with some other believers and step into the ministry God has given you. You have a ministry to everyone you meet. We want to help you see that calling and walk in it.
Have you ever been tempted to lose heart? "Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart." 2 Corinthians 4:1 Recently, I was tempted to lose heart. I got the idea that what I was trying to accomplish wasn't worth the effort. That very day, my daily devotional brought me to this verse. I was reminded that the Greek word translated "lose heart," in this passage is only used a few times in the New Testament. This Greek word means to cowardly surrender. I take that to mean to quit because I give up. I don't have the courage to persist. Often, I lie to myself and tell myself it's not worth the effort. But in reality, I'm afraid of losing. I don't want my career or my pursuit of God to end up short of what I expect. Since I grew up in the US, I can rationalize the explanation around to thinking my effort won't be worth the reward. But I know God is almighty. I must either fear that I'm chasing the wrong thing, or that God isn't powerful enough to complete the promise I sensed when I had a vision. So I decided to admit my temptation to surrender in a cowardly way; to give up. What would it take to let God inform me instead of my fears? So I want to study these verses with you. They're not in order of importance, but just the order I came to them. Let's see what we learn. In this first passage, we learn that God gave Paul a ministry. Since the ministry was given by God, he would not lose heart. But he's Paul the Apostle. I'm just Mike the ordinary. Do I have a ministry? Do you? We've all been given a ministry. Romans 8:29-30 says that everyone Jesus saves is called, justified and glorified. It's a done work. Ephesians 2:10 says we're created in Christ for good works that God prepared beforehand. We simply walk in them. You have a ministry. And since you do, and since it came from God, do not lose heart. Keep going. I asked God to help me keep going. I asked him to do that for you, too. He is guiding us. He is directing us. Things take more time, energy and money than we think. But God has given us his word so what we would focus on him and not on our circumstances. You have a ministry today. You've been called to good works. And since you do, then don't lose heart. Remember it was God, who knows you better than you know yourself who gave you this assignment. Talk to him. Listen to him and then ask him to help you keep going. And if he does something for you today or tomorrow to help you keep going, please share that with me. Send a note to info@followerofone.org and let us know.
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. Matthew 7:24 ESV The wise person acts and so does the fool. Notice the contrast in 24 and 26. The foolish man didn't listen. He was "smarter" than the first man. In some degree this comes back to humility. We can't always go against what we know to be right and get away with it. The building process, and the bad weather came to both men. They both built a house. The only difference we know about these two guys is that one went out of his way to build on a solid foundation and the other did just what he pleased. Today, what wisdom can you bring to your daily job? Ask God to show you how to do your work better. Or ask him for wisdom regarding who to interact with and how. If we listen to the Lord and do what we know to be best, we will experience the rewards. At the same time, we can be a blessing to the others around us too. In the Marketplace Mission Trip, we're remembering why we follow Jesus. Let's live so that people are puzzled about why we are motivated to serve them and bless them. Then, when they ask, let's give a genuine answer that explains our reason and also points out that our relationship to Jesus was the motivation. But the world won't see more Christians living their faith intentionally unless we get more believers living their faith intentionally. Please invite someone else on the next Marketplace Mission Trip with you. Every person needs 2 or 3 friends who follow Jesus. We need friends who can explain to us why they're different. And we need those people to be in our lives, taking direction from Jesus and living differently. Those are the people others will ask to explain their hope.
What does it mean to enter the kingdom of heaven? What difference do our motives make? “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ Matthew 7:21-23 ESV Why did Jesus say this right after the passage on the tree and its fruit above? Jesus seems fairly harsh in this little section. Is there something for us today? Our actions matter; words, not so much. Talk is easy. The fruit analogy continues. However, what is the motive behind our actions. What is the result of what I claim? What is the outcome of what I do? Those are the things that matter. Did we live following Jesus with our actions or only our intentions? Today on our Marketplace Mission Trip, we talk about the need to deliver excellent work. Quality work is a baseline requirement of workplace ministry. But people who don't follow Jesus can also do a great job. Do a great job because you follow Jesus. Serve others because you follow him. Bless others because you follow him. That completes the circle. We can produce bad fruit. We can produce good fruit. Regardless, if we're not following Jesus and growing our knowledge of him, we miss out. Today, listen to God and do what he says. We're called to be different. Why not join a community of believers who want to follow Jesus more closely. Check out community out at https://community.followerofone.org.
This powerful analogy has been used many ways. But what does Jesus mean. Notice where this is in the sermon. Do you ever think about the impact you have on others? "Thus, you will recognize them by their fruits." Matthew 7:20 When you interact with others, how do they feel? I confess there were long periods in my life where anyone I interacted with got angry or disappointed. I can be an critical jerk. I hope that doesn't cause you to stop listening. If you're honest, you can probably also judge the impact you have on others, too. This passage is famous. We know a tree by it's fruit. Healthy trees bear good fruit. Diseased trees produce diseased fruit or none at all. As God's people we're challenged to bear good fruit. So what kind of mark does a meeting with you cause? How do you make others feel? Jesus is making a point in this section about false prophets. (See verses 15 and 16). But our lives speak for God. How we live is a testimony of what we believe. When people interact with a Christ-follower, it should be different, in a good way. Even if the outcome is negative. Even if you have to report bad news. Even if you have to fire someone, a great question is, how would Jesus do this? What would Jesus do? Today, let's do our best to produce good fruit. Let's create positive interactions with people today. Let's be God's blessing to them. Also, are you blessed by these podcasts? We're a donor-supported ministry. Would you consider making a gift so we can grow this ministry. Our goal is to help everyday marketplace Christ-followers be intentional about integrating their faith at work. Head over to www.followerofone.org/partner to share a gift. We even have a matching gift going on right now that will double your new contribution to our ministry. Thank you for making a positive difference in your interactions today.
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Becky Robinson. Becky Robinson is the Founder and CEO of Weaving Influence, a full-service marketing agency that specializes in digital and integrated marketing services and public relations for book authors, including business leaders, coaches, trainers, speakers, and thought leaders. For more than a decade, under Becky’s leadership, the firm has provided a wide range of services to help clients launch more than 160 books. Becky's first book, Reach, launched this year. In this episode, Mike and Becky talk about how Weaving Influence got started, Becky’s new book Reach, the importance of leaving a lasting impact, valuing generosity, accessibility is the key to expanding an audience and leaving a lasting impact, and how God uses His followers to bless others.
Outline of the Episode
- 00:59 – About Becky Robinson and Weaving Influence
- 03:08 – About Becky’s new book Reach: Create the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause
- 03:49 – The importance of leaving a lasting impact
- 04:47 – Valuing Generosity
- 08:10 – How accessibility is the key to expanding audience and leaving a lasting impact
- 10:50 – How weaving Influence got started
- 16:09 – Following God and seeing who he wants to bless through you
Valuing Generosity
Generosity and accessibility is the key to expanding an audience and leaving a lasting impact. When you remove the barrier of finances from resources that you have, you open the door for more people to use those resources. If you want to expand your audience, you need to be generous.
God uses His Followers to Bless Others
When you agree with God’s will for your life and follow Him, you allow God to use you. God will use His followers to bless the people around them. So, next time you are at work, ask God to see how you can bless the coworkers around you.
Follow Becky Robinson
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Do you get in a hurry? “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 7:13-14 ESV I'm often in a hurry. It's silly. God's in charge and I know it. But if I can get there a little quicker, I can do something else. Often, the something else isn't any better, it's just "next." You can tell God is working on me a bit here. Today on the Marketplace Mission Trip, we talk about making time for others. This verse is about doing things Jesus wants us to do, rather than what's easy. I thought they went together. Fast, selfish, without caring for anyone else - that's the easy, or wide way for me. I can attack the world the way everyone else does. Or I can go through the world slowly, carefully, intentionally. I believe Jesus calls us to the latter. He wants us to pay attention to our brothers and sisters. (Remember, we all have the same Father.) One idea for taking the narrow gate and the hard way is to trust God and do things his way. It was his idea to have us slow down and pay attention to others. Therefore it must be that the life he mentions in this verse is worth it. Today, make time for others. Let God set your pace and give you direction. It will feel like the slow, hard, narrow way. But the end if life. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. Thanks for making a difference. What we do because we follow Jesus matters. Why not join a community of believers who are actively working to follow Jesus? Head over to https://community.followerofone.org and join us?
What does Jesus expect of us? But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” Matthew 14:16 ESV Today is the first day of Action Week on the Marketplace Mission Trip. When we hang out with Jesus, we quickly find we have a job to do. The story about feeding the 5000 is in every one of the 4 Gospels. This was a big deal. Probably more than 10,000 people had been following Jesus for some time. There is no fast-food restaurant around. It dawns on the disciples that these people are getting hungry so they bring it to Jesus' attention. Jesus tells them to solve the problem. Jesus left you and me here on this planet at this time to be part of the solution to the global problem. He called us to take part in the answer. We have a job to do. Every day, we interact with people who need to see and experience Jesus. They need to know he cares for them. They need to sense his love for them. They need to swim in his joy about them. Every one of us could use benefit from sensing the joy and excitement Jesus has when he thinks about us as his children. We who follow Jesus have been given the job of distributing his love, joy and grace in the world. On this, the first day of Action Week in the mission trip, we're challenging you. Step into the call God has for you. This isn't just about staying out of trouble. This is about loving people. We've been given that job. Will we step into it? Why not join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip? You can learn more and join our online community at https://community.followerofone.org. What's holding you back?
Why are you doing this? "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;" 1 Peter 3:15 NASB Peter challenges us "to give an account for the hope that is in you." In the ESV, it says "give a reason." Our fifth daily habit is to speak for ourselves. I watched another video the other day about someone who gave advice on how to turn a break-room conversation to spiritual things. I'm sure this person is very good at those things. But I never had a particular "skill" at manipulating conversations. Maybe I'm a 2nd class Christian in that regard, but my experience has been that most of my coworkers have one of 2 perspectives on bringing our faith to work: some appreciate it and some do not. Almost no one appreciates us having an ulterior motive. If we want to become friends with people simply because we appreciate them and want to be friends, that seems more genuine than wanting to be friends with them to get them to trust Jesus. I have to ask Jesus to give me a genuine appreciation for others. But I can serve others all the time. (I don't, but I can...) When I serve them, I'm talking about doing something for their benefit. Maybe I can change the way I do my job to make theirs easier. Maybe I can buy them a coffee. Maybe I can give them a ride. Anything like that is what we talked about yesterday. Often, when we go out of our way to serve people who don't do that for us, they'll ask. Why are you doing this. Peter is instructing us. When asked, we should give an account. We don't have to try and turn a conversation. We just serve until someone asks. Then we can give an account. We talk about using "I" and "me" statements so we can do it respectfully. We didn't do it to get them to do something. We did it because we follow Jesus. Today, practice how you would answer a coworker who asked you, "Why are you doing this?" The more natural you can make this the easier it will be. And you'll have the confidence to serve more, too.
Are you qualified to serve? 2 Timothy 2:20-21 says "Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work." (ESV) Sometimes, I meet people who think their job as a Christ-follower is to just stay out of trouble. They don't think of themselves as being very spiritual so they plan to sneak into heaven. They're just trying to stay out of trouble until they die. I started today's reading in verse 20. Paul makes an analogy in verse 20. In a large house, there are some special rooms, and some special furniture and some everyday stuff. If we cleanse ourselves from "these things," he says, we "will be a vessel for honor, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work." These things means the things he talked about before hand. We need to avoid worldly and empty talk (vs. 16), and abstain from wickedness (vs. 19). But when we do, and when we're prepared to talk about our faith (vs. 15), we're prepared for every good work. So are you prepared? We're working on it at Follower of One. We practice living our faith daily and in our online community we engage to integrate our faith into our daily lives better. You can get involved and begin growing purposely in your faith in just a minute or two a day. Head over to https://community.followerofone.org to create a profile and take part in the next mission trip.
Are you qualified to teach others about Jesus? "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 ESV I've talked about this versxe before, but it never hurts to talk about it again. Today, on the Marketplace Mission Trip, we talk about knowing what you believe. We're called to be ready to accurately handle the word of truth. Can you explain why you're different in a way that explains to someone else who Jesus is and what part he had in your transformation? This passages challenges us to "accurately handle the word of truth." We need to be studiers and we also need to discern error from truth. That's why we need teachers and we need others who can give us input. But we also have the Holy Spirit living in us. We also need to think about what we believe and practice talking about our beliefs. When you're with Christian friends, ask questions about spiritual things. Hear what they have to say. Practice talking about what you believe. All of that is practice for when you're with someone who doesn't follow Jesus. If all we talk about are politics, sports and weather, we never feel ready to talk about our faith. But our job as a marketplace minister is to be able to explain why we're different. So let's practice! The Marketplace Mission Trip is a tool we use to be more intentional with our faith on a daily basis. There's an online version and a discussion group for offline group discussion. Check them both out at www.marketplacemissiontrip.com.
Do you appreciate other people? Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love—but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 (CSB) Ministry is service. When we serve others, so they might see Jesus, we're in ministry. Everyone wants to be appreciated. Even those that seem to reject appreciation do so because they believe there's a hidden motive. But we all want to be valued, appreciated, first in someone else's mind. The Bible calls it love. But in our Western world, love has too many other connotations. So our second daily habit is to appreciate others. Appreciating others is speaking to them in their love language. We need to genuinely appreciate them so they will feel genuine appreciation. We know Christ loves them. He died for them. We established yesterday they're our brothers and sisters so we should show them some love or appreciation too. This verse and this chapter reminds us that anything we do, if we don't do it out of love, it's nothing. Today, let's show some appreciation for the people we typically don't even notice. Someone cleaned up where you are. Someone delivered your mail. The police and fire protect you. So does the military. Appreciation is one way we serve others. And we're the only limit on the supply of appreciation. We can always ship more appreciation. Three things last forever, faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love. If this podcast or our community is valuable to you, please consider supporting it. We're donor-supported ministry. In 2023, we have a matching partner who will take your new gift to our ministry and double it. Would you consider making a donation. Head over th https://followerofone.org and click the Donate button in the menu and help us mobilize every workplace Christ-follower.
How often do you pray? Do you think about prayer much? Matthew 6:9 (ESV) - "Pray then like this: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name." Today we're starting a Marketplace Mission Trip. And the first of our 5 Daily Habits in Follower of One is to pray. When we read Matthew 6, we find Jesus talking about prayer and in verse 9, he starts one of the most-repeated prayers. Notice how Jesus starts at the beginning, praying to Our Father. This is a universal prayer, so we all have the same Father. That, by itself may cause you to live differently today. Every person you interact with is your brother or sister. They may not hold your political beliefs. They may have a different idea how to worship our Father. They may not speak the same language. They may be in a different place than you in wealth, experience, resources, etc. You may look down your nose or look up at them. But they're your brother or sister. This is convicting to me. If they're breathing, they're loved by God and he's their Father. As you think about that, how will you work today? How will you do your tasks? How will you pay attention to them, or treat them? How will you act when the other person is as loved by God as you are? Let's let God transform us. Remember he's our Father and he has a plan. We're to represent him in the workplace today. Punch in with the prayer, "Here I am" and let him put you to work on his agenda, in his kingdom for his eternity.
Do you keep your word? Today's passage is Luke 14:31-33: “Or what king, going to war against another king, will not first sit down and decide if he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If not, while the other is still far off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:31-33 CSB I tell myself stories. I believe I'm better than I am, lighter than I am, in better shape, etc. I'm afraid I give myself the benefit of the doubt on every single measure. Continuing from yesterday's episode, we tell ourselves we're going to be God's people in our workplaces, but if we're honest, only a few people may know we're different. I wonder how many know we live in another world, much less play by different rules. I've threatened to lose weight and get in shape for years, but I haven't done it. I need others to help me. I can't do it alone. In our workplaces, we may want our faith to make a bigger difference, but, because we haven't counted the cost, we bail at the key moment. Jesus is wrapping up a teaching that he began back in Luke 14:16. Jesus told a parable about a man who invited many to a party, and they all accepted, but when it was time for the party, they all bailed. They all had something more important to do. Pastors and non-profit leaders see this behavior, too. We all intend well. But more important things come up. In verse 26 which we talked about yesterday, Jesus said that following him would require that we make everything, really everything, less important. Then he cautions that we must count the cost. Once we're prepared for the high cost of wanting Jesus, then we're ready to follow him. I don't think any of us really understands the cost. We make daily choices. But one choice at a time, we will go farther than we thought. It will cost more than we planned. This passage is warning us. Our Marketplace Mission Trip begins this Sunday. You can still go to https://community.followerofone.org and join our community and sign up for the next trip. But count the cost. You'll have a daily lesson
How hard is it to be a disciple of Jesus? Today's passage is Luke 14:26-28 " “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. “For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?" (CSB) Sometimes, you'll hear a pastor talk about this verse in Luke 14:26 and some of the verses following this and they'll make it sound like a disciple is some "special" Christian. This person hates their family and they take up their cross daily. Going back to the story that began in verse 16, we find that Jesus is talking about how hard it is to consistently follow Jesus. We run into this problem in Follower of One all the time. People sign up for the Marketplace Mission Trip thinking there will be nothing to it. Often, the problem with the mission trip lies in our affections. We didn't count the cost of reading a devotional every day. We didn't bake time into our schedule to spend praying for our coworkers. We let any one of hundreds of things keep us from making the calls at night. Jesus is simply saying that if we don't count the cost, and put following Him above everything else, we won't do it. The Marketplace Mission Trip is a perfect example. On the mission trip, we ask people to read a devotional daily. We also encourage them to pray for the people they will see daily. And we ask them to make somewhere between 3 and 8 video calls over 2 weeks. Almost 80% of the people who sign up for the trip fail to do those things. k As a Christ-follower, we know joy comes from presence with Jesus. But so many of us leave him in the car, or in the desk while we're at work. Many of us leave him at home. We make momentary choices daily that exclude Jesus. Through the mission trips, we've experienced the joy of seeing God work when we pray for our coworkers. And the next day, we have the same problem. Jesus is simply saying, don't underestimate our fallen spirit. We love the things we love more than we think. We will have problems. That's why we created Follower of One. If you're a member of our community, we pray for you. We ask God to help you enjoy your relationship with him daily. But if you don't put him first, it will never happen. If you want the joy of following Jesus, regardless of your job or life situation, you must treasure him more than anything else. Why not practice that with us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Do it one day at a time. You can start today. Take a minute right now and ask God who you can pray for that you will see in the next 24 hours. Then tell God that you'll do whatever he wants you to do in that person's life. When you meet that person, you'll be on a mission trip. Check out our mission trip by going to www.marketplacemissiontrip.com. Or create a profile and join us at https://community.followerofone.org. Either way works. Thanks.
Contrast patience with pride. We can't serve Jesus if we're proud. Today's passage is Ecclesiastes 7:8 "Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit." (ESV) We spent some time talking about humility recently. Notice how in this passage pride is contrasted with patience. How does that work itself out in the life of a workplace Christ-follower? Pride wants what it wants. I focus on me. Patience is a state of mind where I can invest the time, energy or whatever it is to achieve the outcome. I don't often think of pride being the opposite of patience, but I can sense how my lack of patience may be rooted in my pride. So what are my action items as I begin to work on this with the people on my team, or in my workplace? I must put others first. By accurately understanding my relationship with God and others, I must develop a spirit of patience. Patience shows that I consider others more important than myself. Join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip and let's explore patience together. Let's try to be more patient with our coworkers and team mates. Let's trust God with our time and money. Let's take the time to let go of our pride and trust God with how long something takes.
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Jeneen Hammond. Bringing people together around the stories that inspire, heal and transform us, Jeneen Hammond is an Actress, Storyteller who creates production experiences around the extraordinary stories of everyday people. In today’s episode, Mike and Jeneen talk about how God designed us to work with people, how Jeneen came to Christ and started acting, how God gives us unique gifts to share the Gospel and placing God as the focus in our life.
Outline of the Episode
- 01:06 – About Jeneen
- 02:31 – God calls us to work with people
- 04:26 – How Janeen came to Christ
- 06:45 – How Jeneen started acting
- 07:58 – How God uniquely wires us with gifts
- 12:53 – Jesus qualifies us
- 19:13 – Using our gifts to share the Gospel, placing God as our focus in life
God Calls Us to Work with People
God has designed humans to work with others. If we don’t work with others, how can we build relationships with other people and share the Gospel? Interacting with others is essential in the sharing of the Gospel, and God created us to do exactly this.
Jesus Qualifies Us
Jesus qualifies us to go out and share the Gospel. This doesn’t mean that sharing the Gospel will be easy, in fact, we will face trials as Christians. But, we are absolutely qualified to share the Gospel because we have the Holy Spirit, which enables us to endure any of the trials that we will face.
Follow Jeneen Hammond
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Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
What makes a difference, what we say, or what we do? A slave will not be instructed by words alone; For though he understand there will be no response. Proverbs 29:19 NASB Anyone can tell someone else what to do. But our associates and our kids and our friends will do what we do, not what we say. When we live our faith in the workplace, it has a bigger impact than when we simply tell people about Jesus. It begins by modeling our faith and work as an integrated life. This proverb is designed to remind us to model our desires. Telling someone is easy. Living out what we expect of others is much harder. And we all have built-in radar for a fake. We most commonly think of this as a boss or a parent. But this applies in just about anything. If something is easy to say and hard to do, we end up doing what we see others do. So what do your coworkers see? Are we praying for our coworkers? Are we available to help? Are we actually investing in our relationships with them because God brought them into our lives? Would you do that today? And why not join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Head over to https://community.follwoerofone.org and create a profile. Then join the next mission trip that begins this coming Sunday!
What are you waiting for? Don't we all wait for something? Or are you hoping for something? In that day is a phrase of forecast, prophesy. Depending on your translation, Jesus uses it up to 5 times. In John 16:23 and 16:26 he uses it and he's encouraging the disciples. In that day we can ask anything of the Father. the Jews didn't go directly to God the Father. They needed an intermediary, a priest. But this day that Jesus is talking about will be a time when we can ask the Father anything in Jesus name and He will give it to us. We will have direct access to God. What does this mean for us today? I want to go directly to God the Father all the time. I want to interact with God the Father and Jesus the Son. I want to learn what it means to be doing things "In Jesus' name." When something doesn't happen, maybe I don't know Jesus well enough. Maybe I want something contrary to his will. "In that day," can be "now" for us. We aren't forced to go through a priest. But we do need to know what Jesus wants. Asking in His name means we are asking for things that align with his personality and will. This is about us knowing him, not guessing correctly, but knowing him so well, we're not guessing at all. Today, in your workplace, ask God what he wants and be the change. Find ways to do what he wants right here, right now. We're not waiting for some day in the future. We can be the hands and feet of Jesus today. Also, join us as we practice being what Jesus wants us to be in the workplace. Check out the Marketplace Mission Trip by joining our online community at https://community.followerofone.org. This was inspired by "Untroubled Relationship" the May 29 entry of My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers
How do you think of yourself in relation to Jesus? What role does Jesus have for you and me? Notice how Jesus makes a bit of a play on words here. We know his salvation is for any who would believe. But often, the people who think they're OK take a pass. Jesus knows his message is for those who realized accurately the situation they're in. They know they're sinners. They know they come up short. They are aware they come up short when it comes to being right with God. Do you think you stand? In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul cautions us who think we stand to be careful because we might fall. Jesus says those who are hurting will turn to him. Those who are not, probably won't. If we can become humble enough to recognize that our life and our effort won't get us anywhere with God, then Jesus can help us. Jesus came to help those who want and need it. Let's examine ourselves. If we feel pretty good about our selves, Houston, we have a problem. Ask God to give you an accurate idea of your position and stay close to Jesus. Because the more accurate you see reality, the more you'll realize your need for a Savior.
Do you prioritize prayer? Notice how even when Jesus became very busy (vs. 15), that he still made time to pray. What about our faith are you too busy to do? Let God answer that for you. Now, what will you do about it? Can you make time for God? Or are you in too big a hurry? We make God small by living like there are things we must do. We divide our lives and put Jesus in a box. Some of us keep him in the trunk like a spare tire. And we only pull him out when we have a flat. Others of us use Jesus like a vending machine. We want it to stay nearby and fully stocked. And when we want something out of it, we put in a dollar and pull the lever. Imagine what Your life looks like if you commit fully to God. Time with him comes first. Direction from him becomes your guidance. You have less time for the news and for self-help podcasts. You want to listen to him and his word more. What changes happen in your life as a result? Lord, please forgive me because I get too busy to take time to listen to you. May I leave holes in my calendar and may I limit my busyness to have time to listen to you.
Do you ever feel like you need to tell someone something to help them correct an error in what they say or do? I chose to add this to the end of the series on Pride vs. Humility. Our echo chambers may be our biggest enemies... Have you ever noticed that in social media we can easily find people who agree with us and disagree with someone else? Have you noticed that much of what is "news" today is just someone saying what they thought about what someone else said or did? I see many Christ-followers online who speak against other Christ-followers. I'm still thinking on this. Here's an article that disagrees with me: https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-17-sin-judging-others-james-411-12. But I wonder the degree of error that is in everything said about Christ. I wonder how much we look divided because we argue about such small things. As we each follow Jesus, some degree of error is to be expected. When people are seeking correction, then I want to present it. But if those people aren't seeking correction, I prefer to concentrate on Jesus.
What causes you to be humble? When I'm around someone who is clearly superior to me, I appreciate them more. And I also think I assess myself more accurately too. Humility is accurately assessing my position and rank. If you or I stood next to a star athlete or someone in top physical condition, we see ourselves more accurately simply from the comparison. Imagine standing next to God! When we come into the presence of the Lord, we will be humbled, for sure. Here is a great positive action we can take daily: humble ourselves. Let's ask God for an honest assessment. Let's ask him to show us what we need to know. In Psalm 51, the psalmist asks God to search him. And to test him. Do we have the courage to ask God to search us and test us. Can we ask Him to make us aware of what we really are? If we're honest, we won't find much reason for pride. Let's keep our string going. Ask God to show you where you need work. Then submit to him. Take the actions he gives you. Maybe that action is to join our upcoming Marketplace Mission Trip. This is a 2-week exercise to practice living our faith in a positive way in front of our coworkers, customers, vendors and friends. To learn more go to https://marketplacemissiontrip.com and request an invitation.
How far should our humility go? When we draw near to him, he draws near to us, too. This is a great reminder. I've spoken before that this verse is behind our belief that ministry is just helping others move one notch closer to Jesus. Humility is remembering he is the source of our happiness and joy. It's not our actions and our efforts. We talked yesterday about submitting to God and doing what he says. When we draw near, we can hear him. We can recognize his voice. He will lean in toward us when we lean in toward him. In the rest of this passage, we're reminded that we're not as good as we think we are. I think these phrases go with the verse after this, which we'll talk about tomorrow. Today, let's remember that we're not what we think we are. Our humility should cause us to elevate Christ and lower ourselves. Let's not be so self focused, that we miss the benefits of being near to God. Would you like to be part of a community who encourage one another to draw near to God? Check out Follower of One at https://community.followerofone.org.
What are you most proud of? I used to think pride wasn't bad. You may not think it's very bad either. We spoke yesterday about how God is opposed to the proud. Today, James follows that up with this idea that we need to submit to God. Do you tell God no? I confess I do. I really don't want to know how often. But I catch myself telling him no all the time. That idea you got to do something for someone else... it was from God. The idea you should give to someone or do something out of the ordinary? It was probably from him too. Imagine what might happen if you did all the ideas you got each day. Submitting to God has two sides. One is doing what he tells us to do. Maybe those ideas are from him. How often do we fail to submit. The other side is when we turn our back. If we fail to resist the devil, we won't submit either. Submission means agreeing with God and doing what he says. We can't go with the devil and with God. We must resist the devil. Fortunately for us, when we resist, he will flee. Also, please consider supporting Follower of One. We're supported by people who appreciate what we do. They make provision for us to do these podcasts, and host marketplace mission trips. You can experience the joy of working full-time for Jesus. Join us giving to Follower of One as you grow your own career as a follower of Christ.
Do you consider yourself humble? I think I've asked that opening question before. We're commanded to be humble in scripture and we're talking about one of those passages again today. You get this often because I know this is a weakness of mine. I could be the poster child for arrogant. James is quoting Proverbs 3:34 from the Septuagint which is the Greek version of the Old Testament that was studied at this time. In fact, in 1 Peter 5:5, Peter quotes the same verse. This must have been a well known statement from the scripture. God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble. A humble person is someone who rightly understands their own position and ability. Today, how can you show yourself humble? One way is to listen more than you talk. There is so much to hear. Every other person on the planet can teach us something if we will let them. Even in our talking to God, let's listen more. He spoke you and me into being. He must have more to say. And when he speaks, things come into being. His speech is powerful. What are some other ways you can demonstrate humility? Why not share this post and those ideas on social medial. Only share if you're going to actually do the things you suggest. I'm going to be busy listening, so maybe I'll see your post, but it may be a day or two. Let's ask God to help us be humble and trust him to make the best of our obedience.
Do you ever wonder what Jesus wants you to do? This is the story about Jesus's first miracle, turning the water into wine. Do you ever wonder why Jesus asked them to fill the jars with water? I think Jesus has chosen to include us because we need to be involved. If we could just phone it in, we would. God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are workers. We were made to work. Jesus includes us in his ministry. We talked about that 2 episodes ago. We were created to take part in this. It's how we were made. We do better when we're working, doing what Jesus want's us to do. As you read the New Testament, notice how many miracles required others to act first. When they fed 5000, Jesus told the disciples to feed them. And he used someone's lunch of 5 loaves and 2 fish to do it. Let's remember we have a role to play. Step into your role. Be on the lookout for ways to serve the people around you. We have a calling. We're enlisted in the greatest battle in history. You're part of the team. Step up and take your position. And join us. We have an online community where we encourage one another daily. We're about to start our next Marketplace Mission Trip. Learn more and join us by going to https://marketplacemissiontrip.com.
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Ann D’Albergaria. She is an office manager at Lighthouse Christian counseling, in Colorado. Ann is passionate about providing a space for people to feel the hard things and inviting God to meet them there. She found out about Follower of One from a new connection she made at a networking event and am excited about ways to spur on my own faith as well as those around me. In today’s episode, Mike and Ann talk about how Ann came to Christ, how she got started with Lighthouse Christian Counseling, applying Biblical Principles to the workplace, and letting the Holy Spirit work.
Outline of the Episode
- 00:47 – How Ann came to Christ
- 01:58 – How Ann got started with Lighthouse Christian Counseling
- 03:13 – How Ann found Follower of One
- 03:53 – Ann’s experience on a Marketplace Mission Trip
- 04:22 – Applying Biblical Principles to the Workplace
- 06:54 – Lighthouse Christian Counseling’s upcoming event
- 09:33 – Letting the Holy Spirit Work
Applying Biblical Principles to the Workplace
When you apply Biblical Principles to the workplace, you make Jesus visible to the people around you. You are going to act differently and look different, and people are going to ask questions. When people ask questions, you are opening up avenues for conversations about Jesus to happen.
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Are you qualified to be God's ambassador? We spoke last year (a few episodes ago) about being an ambassador and a minister of reconciliation. Today, let's talk about your qualifications. We're not qualified. But God knows what he's doing. If we're not mighty, noble or wise. If we're foolish or weak, when God uses us, everyone will be able to tell who was behind it all. God is doing the work. He's chosen us because we're not qualified. But since he knows everything, our degree of error must be baked into his plan. Today, let's go into our lives, and our workplaces to be the people God calls us to be. We prove him by simply following him, living in his kingdom and doing what he says. Oh, you screwed up? Do what you can to make it right. But you're not disqualified. You can't get fired from this job. Join others who are trying to follow and serve Jesus full-time. Check out the online community at https://community.followerofone.org.
Welcome to 2023. How should we start the year? I went to one of my favorite verses, Ephesians 2:10 When we're saved, the next thought for me is, "for what?" What are we saved for? We're saved for a relationship with God, but we're also saved to be an example to people around us. And that example isn't what we might think. Imagine being created to do works, good works, and these works are prepared beforehand. All we need to do is walk in them. Every day, the most normal thing for us might be to bless someone or to do something unexpected. What if we lived such lives of grace that people were surprised. What if we were so obviously different than the way we're portrayed in the media? Consider the things that pop into your mind as a calling from God, especially if they are for someone else, and if they cause you discomfort or expense. I need to listen to this myself. Take a minute and pray for the people listening to this podcast. That includes you, but it's not just you. Pray for the others, too. Ask God to put our ideas into action. Ask God to change the world for the better by the way we live and do our jobs. In the end, what do we have to lose?
What a great passage for the podcast before Christmas. "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Corinthians 5:21 NASB Our righteousness is sealed when we choose to follow Jesus. How we work that out is still up to us. Jesus's part is complete. He knew no sin. Yet God made him to be sin on our behalf. Christ had the idea, and he took the penalty for our sin before we knew we needed it and without our even asking. And he did that "so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." When this originally airs, it's the Friday before Christmas 2022. The baby we're celebrating this weekend is the king of the universe. He will die for our sins. And he will make us reconcilers and ambassadors in the world. God has a job for you. As you do that job, you receive joy. God provides. Let's trust him and rely on him and walk in the joy he provides the rest of this year and the rest of our earthly lives. You're an ambassador of King Jesus. How will you live?
Have you ever served as a legal representative of someone else? When you represent someone, you act in their place. An ambassador is an official representative who has been given power to act on behalf of the one they represent. The apostle Paul says "we are ambassadors for Christ." That doesn't exclude you. He's our example. Paul is asking the Corinthians to be reconciled to God. They will become ambassadors. Paul skipped back to the appeal. "Step into this role Corinthians." We have the same opportunity. We have Paul's letter. Would you be reconciled to God? Would you take part in the ministry of reconciliation. Throughout this passage, Paul uses "us" to mean he and his people, but I also believe it means all of us who follow Jesus. We can step into this role. Think about that for a minute. You have been given the power and authority to represent God in this world. God is still very involved, but he's given each of us the opportunity to step into the role of reconciler. We're coming up on Christmas. I praise God for you and I prayed for you. May God bless you in this season and in the new year. Thank you for considering how you can walk in the ministry God has given you.
Have you ever had a strained relationship? Did you ever get reconciled? So here's our definition of the ministry of reconciliation. God reconciled the world to himself. The way he did that was by not counting our sins against us. God is just. He can't forget our sin and remain who he is. He came up with a plan. Jesus would take the penalty for us. And we would be trusted with the message of reconciliation. Every one of us who has been reconciled, has experienced that reconciliation and can pass it along. We can't give much when we haven't been given much. The more of our reconciliation we experience, the greater the likelihood God will use us in a service of reconciliation. When we focus on doing the best for others, we begin the service of reconciliation. We must get where we can be outwardly focused all the time. And I don't think anyone can do that totally, but Jesus did. We'll be getting better at it for eternity. We can start practicing today. And we get joy, we walk in our eternal lives, when we learn to put others ahead of ourselves. What a great topic at Christmas. Why not begin your ministry of reconciliation today. Join our Online Community at https://community.followerofone.org and help us improve as ministers of reconciliation.
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Jane Doerman. Jane Doerman is the Church Relations Coordinator for Women In The Marketplace- a global non-profit dedicated to equip working women to confidently pursue their faith and career for the glory of God. She also is a writer, speaker, and a media creative. She has a background in media communications, worked in the radio broadcasting and currently loves using her media production skills to serve her church and other organizations. In this episode, Mike and Jane talk about Jane’s life in media communication,how she got involved with Women in the Marketplace, what Women in the Marketplace is, the depths of God’s love, and the importance of fellowship, Jane’s experience on a Marketplace Mission Trip.
Outline of the Episode
- 00:33 – About Jane Doerman
- 03:24 – Getting involved with Women in the Marketplace
- 07:45 – How integrating your faith at work impacts other aspects of your life
- 09:13 – How Jane came to Christ
- 11:17 – The depths of God’s love for us
- 12:36 – The Boldly Speaking Conference
- 16:42 – The importance of fellowship
- 19:30 – Jane’s experience on a Marketplace Mission Trip
How Integrating Your Faith at Work Impacts Other Aspects of Your Life
When you integrate your faith at work, you start to take notice of what God is doing within the Workplace. When you do this, you start to notice where God is working also outside of your life. God is always working, and when you see it in the workplace, you notice how He is working. Then you can notice how He is working outside of the Workplace.
The Importance of Fellowship
The Bible is very clear about the importance of fellowship. When we are gathered around other Christians, God is present. Being gathered around other Christians also allows us to create a community of people who will build us up, and help us when we fall into struggles.
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What does it mean to reconcile? Are we now reconciled, or being reconciled? Jesus removes our debt. The obstacle to our reconciliation is God's justice. Our sin must be paid for. By paying for the sin of the world, Jesus removed that obstacle. The moment we trust Christ, we're reconciled. But there is still work to do. We still must tame our flesh. We don't just keep living the way we always did. We let God begin to transform us. And as long as we're alive, we'll take part in the transformation God has planned for each of us. We also must make a difference in the world. God left us here to be reconcilers. It's a ministry of reconciliation; or a service we perform. We must be in the world helping the world take part in Christ's work. We become reconcilers. As a reconciler, my job is to help others be reconciled to God. How do we do that? One way is that we must live reconciled. We're no longer enemies of God. We have access to the kingdom. We can enter and leave. We have a parking place. God has given us access. But we must also know and appreciate others. Christ served, and we must. As we serve others, they get a chance to see Jesus. We can't make them see him, but we can make Jesus visible by the way we live. The rest is up to him. Why not join us? Check out https://community.followerofone.org and become part of a community of believers who are actively working to grow as ambassadors and reconcilers.
What does it take to become an ambassador of Christ. What is an ambassador anyway? An ambassador represents the king or the ruler. We represent the King of the universe. Do you ever consider what that means? First, let's talk about what has to happen before we become ambassadors. Step one is we must become new creatures. When we trust Jesus, he makes us new. Our old motives are gone. Our drive begins to switch to being motivated by God. Romans 6:4 says we are buried with Jesus in baptism. Our old self is dead. We become a new creature. Are you a new creature? We all struggle. But are you winning more? Do you see the new life and enjoy it or are you still fighting the legalistic battle of rules and do's and don'ts? Let's make sure first of all that we're new creatures. Are you following Jesus? Are the old things passing away? Or have you let some things hang on? Ask God to show those to you. Get them out of your life so you can step into the role of an ambassador. Also, consider joining a community of people who are trying to grow as ambassadors for Jesus. Check out our online community at https://community.followerofone.org.
Do you notice what causes you to throw in the towel? We discovered yesterday that battling the devil isn't avoiding failure. We battle the devil when we love others. Whether we fail or succeed, we will suffer, and struggle. We live in a fallen world. We can get all wrapped up in our own situations and our circumstances. But in the end, God will perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish us. We see the promise in this verse. God wins. Jesus will himself restore, confirm, strengthen and establish us. We resist the devil and persist through the suffering and we will enjoy our relationship with Jesus. The promise can help me hold on, but often I do better when I focus on something instead of focusing on not doing something. I can't focus on resisting the devil. I need to focus on loving others. I must come up with a positive action. I can't stop doing something nearly as easily as I can focus on doing something else. When I focus on loving others and serving them, I step into this command. I put this command into action. Today, find ways to appreciate and serve others. It will take you out of the death spiral that the devil uses to try and drag you down. The devil wants you out of the game. When we can focus on loving others, we can experience this promise. Don't forget, too. We have a matching grant. If you appreciate this podcast, please consider a monthly gift. Every new dollar you donate will be matched by our generous partner. Head over to https://followerofone.org/donate to give a gift. Thanks very much.
What are we called to do when we're drawn into a battle at work? I like to talk about the universal job description. Some people ask for God's direction and right here, we have a universal job for all Christ-followers. One of our key jobs is to resist the devil, firm in our faith knowing that in whatever way we suffer, others are enduring that same challenge elsewhere in the world. We can always resist the devil. He's our adversary. See Episode 810, Beware Your Adversary where I talk about this in more detail. Resisting the devil means we need to love others and find ways to deliver grace to others. Firm in our faith means that we relax in our confidence in Christ. We remember that he is in charge and we exercise our confidence, lasting longer and holding on. Our job is to resist the devil with confidence We talked about the verse immediately preceding this in Beware Your Adversary - 1 Peter 5:8.
What are you most proud of? I used to think pride wasn't bad. You may not think it's very bad either. We spoke yesterday about how God is opposed to the proud. Today, James follows that up with this idea that we need to submit to God. Do you tell God no? I confess I do. I really don't want to know how often. But I catch myself telling him no all the time. That idea you got to do something for someone else... it was from God. The idea you should give to someone or do something out of the ordinary? It was probably from him too. Imagine what might happen if you did all the ideas you got each day. Submitting to God has two sides. One is doing what he tells us to do. Maybe those ideas are from him. How often do we fail to submit. The other side is when we turn our back. If we fail to resist the devil, we won't submit either. Submission means agreeing with God and doing what he says. We can't go with the devil and with God. We must resist the devil. Fortunately for us, when we resist, he will flee. Also, please consider supporting Follower of One. We're supported by people who appreciate what we do. They make provision for us to do these podcasts, and host marketplace mission trips. You can experience the joy of working full-time for Jesus. Join us giving to Follower of One as you grow your own career as a follower of Christ.
How are you at waiting? I don't wait well. But God has time for everything. The disciples had to wait for Jesus to be ascended before they received the Holy Spirit. But for everyone else, we receive him the moment we believe. The power of the Holy Spirit doesn't come by itself. It comes from the ascended Lord Jesus. We receive the Holy Spirit and the everlasting life and power of Jesus. They are one and the same. What does that mean for us in the workplace today? As I mentioned yesterday, maybe we need to wait on God more in our career. Maybe we need to focus simply on others and not look out for ourselves? What does God tell you when you ask? God will show you where you need to wait on him better. Today, let's wait on him more. Let's trust him more. Ask God to help you focus on the next person you will meet. How can you listen longer? Ask God to give you great questions to ask. Listen to the answers. Let God prompt you with another question. Let's get to know our coworkers, customers vendors and friends better and serve them better and trust God to do his part. I think we'll be glad we did. Don't forget to sign up for our next Marketplace Mission Trip. Head to https://marketplacemissiontrip.com to sign up.
How confident are you of God? Imagine living the life Job lived. It got pretty messy. He lost his wealth, family, and his health. I can't even imagine. But in the middle of that, we have this verse. "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. If we really understood what he's aware of, and what he's capable of, we would live differently. I would live differently. I'd be quicker to risk and give. I'd be quicker to help others. i could live differently because I trusted God saw and he would act. So often I give up. Today, where are you giving up? What can you wait on God for a little longer? What do we miss when we choose to solve the problem our way without waiting on God? We're asking ourselves this question, too. Wed like to challenge you to step out on God a bit. We'd love it if you felt God asking you to make a gift to our ministry. We've talked about our partner who has promised a match to Follower of One. Ask God where he wants you to give more and give more. If it's to us, great. Head to https://followerofone.org/donate. But if God calls you to give more to any organization, would you? We are. Ask Him to move and let's trust him. He lives and he's in charge. Let's remember that for sure.
Do you ever wonder what God thinks or does when we screw up? I often say that my mess ups are baked into God's plan. We know God knows everything based on several verses. One is 1 Chronicles 28:9. King David tells Solomon that God understands every plan and thought. This passage is another. In this story, the land owner gave to each according to his ability. That landowner is God. He knows our abilities. Often we may get in over our heads. Sometimes God puts us in those situations, but other times, we do it. Notice this phrase inside this verse: "each according to his ability." This parable the landowner is God and he gives to 3 of his servants a large chunk of money. Notice that he gave more to the one with more ability and less to the one with less ability. Don't forget to ask God to use you in the life of your coworkers, customers, vendors and friends today. God will use you even if you screwed up recently. He can use you again. Clock in by saying, "Here I am!" Then, do what he says. He may tell you to purchase something for someone. He may tell you to give something away. Let God use you today!
How much does the Word of God invade your mind and your life? James tells us to receive the word implanted in us. How do we do that? Well, it begins with turning away from filthiness and evil or wickedness. These things are evil, dark, negative. It seems like more and more of our world is getting dark and selfish. Then he says, "in humility receive the word implanted." Humility is required. We have to search for an answer that isn't ours. I'm so quick to jump to my own conclusions. Can we let the Bible transform us? Humility is required to let the word of God change us. If we hang on to what we think, instead of searching out what the Bible says, we'll never get the word. And when we get it, we need to allow it to be implanted in us. I think that's the equivalent of having the word of God penetrate us "to the bone." Do you memorize scripture? That's one way to have the word of God implanted in you. Let's focus on a memory verse. Or spend time recalling one you've already memorized. Let God transform you and soak you in his word until it penetrates you to the bone. Also, please consider a gift to Follower of One. We're a donor supported ministry. As we record this, we have a partner who has given us a $50,000 matching commitment. New contributions over our regular giving will be matched dollar for dollar. Head over to our website and invest in our ministry. Your gift will be doubled to help Christians grow in their ability to live their faith every day.
Right after James talks about people who hear the word but don't do what Jesus said, he goes into a conversation about religion. James won't allow the reader to separate living like we believe Jesus from the call to obey him. Our life must prove what we claim to believe. The word translated "religion" is used in these 2 verses, 26 and 27 and one other place. It means external observances of ritualistic practices. James won't let you "go through the motions." Even if you think yourself to be following a ritualistic practice of a religion, you're not following Jesus. Our faith is proven through actions. We must serve the least and keep ourselves separate from the world. The examples are broad. Help people who can't help you back and live above your circumstances and situation. What do you do for people who cannot pay you back? I confess, I don't do as much as I would like. It required me to consider my actions as less important than I typically. I think I "have" to do so many things. As I record this, it's December. We often serve others more and give more at the end of the year. Let this season challenge you. Look for one way you can do something today that provides no possibility of a return on your investment. Those are the ones God remembers.
What are you for? And what are you against? The NASB says a perverse man spreads strife. Other translations call this person dishonest, contrary. The Message calls this person a troublemaker. "Troublemakers start fights; gossips break up friendships. At work, would you be called a troublemaker? Are you contrary? I think of a perverse person as someone who is against things. As Christ-followers, I hope we're known for being for people. I confess that's not always the case for me. In some situations I can get defensive and selfish. But the more I can focus on who God is, as we discussed when we were talking about Proverbs 16:20, the more I can be "for" others. Perverse means obstinate, difficult, against, contrary. Let's be for the people we work with. Let's ask Jesus today to help us make a positive difference. Everyone around us wants to succeed. Let's do what we can to help them succeed eternally. Sometimes that means we need to live differently. Are you praying for your coworkers? Ask God to show you what he would have you do to bless the people you work with. He will do it. And you will be blessed. Please also consider sharing this podcast with one friend. Remember, what we do because we follow Jesus can matter forever. Let's not just go through the motions of our life, waiting to get someplace else. Let's be the kind of person who blesses others simply because we follow Jesus.
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Brett Oakley. Brett represents ASEA Global, a cellular health company with a unique medical breakthrough technology based around cellular communication called redox signaling. ASEA is the only company in the world that has been able to replicate how our cells heal themselves. ASEA Redox empowers our cells to amp up the signal that enables our cells to safely repair and replace themselves. In this episode, Mike and Brett talk about ASEA global, running an independent business, the good of the pandemic, Brett’s journey to Christ and ASEA, and how Brett’s faith has impacted his everyday life.
Outline of the Episode
- 00:25 – About ASEA Global
- 01:19 – Running an independent business
- 02:16 – The good that came out of the pandemic
- 03:10 – How Brett came to Christ
- 07:01 – How Brett got started with ASEA
- 11:33 – Where ASEA operates
- 13:18 – How Brett’s faith has impacted his everyday life
- 15:41 – Brett’s experience with the Marketplace Mission Trip
How Brett’s Faith has Impacted His Everyday Life
When we accept Christ into our lives, we are no longer of the world. Because of this, our faith is the reason we do not act like the rest of the world. We are called to be so different from the world that people ask questions. When people ask questions, we now have the opportunity to share Christ with those around us.
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Are you a planner? Do you always have a plan? I want to always have a plan. If I don't have a plan, then my next action is to make a plan. What seems right to us, often, is simply wrong. It won't produce the outcome we desire. Our minds tend to choose the opposite of what God wants and what God is doing. According to this verse, left to myself, I will always choose the way of death, or the dead end. Do you realize that? Often, we go through life making our choices. We can get in the habit of listening to ourselves and the media. But when we listen to God, when we choose what he would have for us, then we begin to move toward life. How can we deal with this? We have to learn to listen to the Holy Spirit. Begin by punching in. Say "Here I am, Lord. What would you have me to do?" Once we pray that prayer, the Lord begins to speak. He will direct us. The ideas we get may be from him. Other tests include comparing the ideas to scripture. Do these ideas lead to life? Are they selfish, or others-focused? We can understand God's direction and follow his plan. Or we can operate in our own limited mind and end up in death. The more we talk to him, and learn about Jesus, the more likely we are to hear his voice. When we trust God, we can get our ideas from God. He will guide us into his calling when we follow him. Another way we can avoid this way of death is to surround ourselves with other Christ-followers. Why not join our online community. Head over to https://community.followerofone.org and create a free profile. You'll connect with others who are trying to listen to God and live our faith daily. You have nothing to lose. And you can join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip, too.
How can we beat the pride in our lives? So I've spent some time the past couple of days dealing with pride, first in Micah 6:8 and then in Proverbs 16. But the answer to my pride problem is right here in verse 20. When we trust in the Lord, the world fits. We take our place in it and we do what he would have us do. It boils down to trusting our selves or trusting God. Trust has been my "word" for 2022. Can I remember to trust the Lord and do what he says? Or will I repeatedly apply my own answers and my own solutions? Trusting in God puts me right. I experience his joy when I do what he says. Even if I end up in trouble, I can know my faith put me there and I can therefore expect God to act. Does this mean we do silly things? No. But when we choose to listen to ourselves instead of the Lord and his word and his people, we end up either inflating ourselves, or messing everything up. Today, consider how you might trust the Lord. I begin by asking him to show me what to do. When I know I should do something, I need to act and stop making excuses. Let's ask God to show us how to bless others today. What can we do to serve the people we work with? How can we get outside of our job descriptions so that he might become visible
What are you proud of? How careful should we be when it comes to pride? I've been a Christ-follower for over 30 years, and I still struggle with pride every day. My worst days are the days when I don't struggle. I just go with the flow. My own pride and arrogance are very intrenched in who I am. And even though God made me, I'm commanded and warned all throughout scripture to avoid pride. Here's another reminder. Pride before destruction and arrogance before a fall. Please take a moment today and ask God to reveal your pride to you. I believe if we're genuine, he can show us and he can help us deal with our pride. If you get no answer from him, it may be because he knows you won't do. anything. We talked about walking humbly yesterday from Micah 6:8. Today, ask God to give you the guts to face your pride, and do whatever it takes to tame it including the sometimes painful activities of asking for forgiveness and making amends. Also, please consider making a contribution to Follower of One. We've been talking about our matching grant that we received. Any new gift will be doubled, up to a total of $50,000. We've already received about 10% of this number when I'm recording this. If this podcast blesses you, would you please share it with a friend, and please consider becoming a monthly patron. Go to https://followerofone.org/donate to make a recurring gift to make sure this podcast continues to serve.
What does God ask of his followers? Do justice: Do you ever notice how the argument about what's right or not only exists at the fringes? Often, we argue about how Government should behave or how others should behave. Could it be that "do justice" simply means to do what we know to be right? What's best for others? Often we have a pretty good and common idea. Would you say you "do justice?" Love kindness (or mercy): Do you lean toward the things that are kind? I often find myself focused only on myself. I think that's the opposite of this word. Can you love kindness? Can you make it something that comes from who you are? Walk humbly - Have a correct understanding of things. There's only one piece of the world you can manage, you. Remember God manages the rest. When we're busy managing us, we're looking for ways to give our lives away. We've been called to be a living sacrifice. This should move us toward humility. We belong to God, not the other way around. Let's remember how wrong we can be and ask God to direct us as we bless others so they might see him. Do you have the guts to pray for humility? It's scary. Ask God to guide you and give you humility. He will use us.
Do you have any idea what death is like? We've been called from death to life. Our position as Christ's people, which we first discussed yesterday, is completed in that we've been raised to the life of Jesus. We've been made alive together with Jesus. And he forgave all of our violations. Do you live every day like you just won the lottery? I don't want to make light of anyone's situation. But we've been forgiven, set free. So if we're free, what can we do that we couldn't do? We're free to enjoy life in Christ. We're free to serve others. We don't have to fight for ourselves because we've been promised forgiveness. How does that show up in your life today? What can you do to rest in Christ's work on your behalf? Maybe we should ask God to remind us of how he has provided for us so we can work on our story. Part of how we prepare to share the gospel is to practice being able to explain why we're different. When was the last time you prepared for someone to ask you, "Why are you doing this?" Thanks for considering how you can use your position in business, education, healthcare, government, or any other field as ministry. Our job is to serve others so Jesus might become visible to others. Care to join us? Check out https://community.followerofone.org and join a community of believers who are intentionally pursuing life with Jesus during our normal work days. You have nothing to lose.
What position are you in? Back before I understood that Jesus saves us by grace alone through faith alone, I wanted to be the 3rd to last guy to get into heaven. I didn't want to be too good. I was OK with cutting it close. My body, the worldly parts of me thought that being with Christ required work, loss. but after a few years of following Jesus, I realized that being with him is life, joy and peace. Doing what God tells me to do isn't work, it's joyful. But my flesh thinks of it as work and I have to wrestle all the time. We've been included in Christ's family. We're fully adopted. The reference to circumcision says we're included, one of the family. We've been brought in. There's no separation. We're also part of his resurrection. We were buried with him. Our old life is in the process of dying. Baptism becomes a symbol of his death and we are dying to our old life. We regularly find the joy of following Jesus in how we do our regular old jobs. We can be in a toxic work environment and still experience God's joy and peace. Don't believe us? Check out our online community and the Marketplace Mission Trip. You'll experience the joy of following Jesus every day.
Why do we thank first? Shouldn't we wait until something good happens and then be thankful? In 1 Chronicles 16, they're placing the Ark of the Covenant in it's tent. David begins by appointing that thanks be given to God. Why thank first? It shows that we trust God. We know "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28. Therefore we can begin with thanks. We can live thankful lives and we can enable God to use our thanks to help our friends move one notch closer to God. So if you're in the US, we hope you get to enjoy the holiday. Regardless, enjoy the spirit of thankfulness. Let thanks invade your attitude and your circumstances today. Let's enjoy our relationship with Jesus and bless the people we meet. Thank you for being a marketplace minister and allowing your faith to invade your daily life. What we do because we trust Jesus matters.
What does it mean to you that Christ is the head of all rule and authority? Have you ever had to escalate a problem. You ask someone to give you to the manager because you're not satisfied? Often, we think if we get high enough up the chain of command, we'll get what we want. But in reality, Christ is the head of all rule and authority. In Christ all of God exists. Many people think Jesus was a good teacher. He was. He performed the role of teacher. But he is God of the universe. The NASB says the fullness of Deity exists in bodily form. While he was on the earth, he was God in flesh. The NASB also says that in him we've been made complete. This word is very similar to the word translated fullness in verse 9. We have what we need. We don't lack anything when it comes to our position in Christ. He is in charge, and we're part of his charge. We're not a few bricks short of a load. Paul challenges the believers in this church to remember who they belong to and act like it. He'll go into more detail in the coming verses, too. For now, let this passage remind you that we're not to be captive to a worldview or the world's ideas. We belong to Jesus.
What philosophies have captivated you? Do we believe in Jesus, or do we believe in our beliefs? Several things can take us captive. We get hijacked and we're no longer working with Jesus. Paul suggests we can be taken captive by philosophy (worldviews), empty deceit (lies), human tradition (the way we've always done it), and elemental spirits. Mike talks about how we can be taken captive. What does that captivity look like? And how can we tell if we're a captive? (Hint: "not according to Christ.") Mike also talked about Colossians 2:6-7 in episodes 786, 787, and 788. Check out those episodes for further study.
Do you often feel like your boss or others in your workplace are against you? Who would you say is "against" you at work? Peter reminds us we have a common enemy. Our adversary is the devil.. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us of this same point. This means the people we work for aren't the enemy. Our problem customers aren't the enemy. Our competitors aren't the enemy. We're free to treat those around us, even the believers, as people who are constantly under attack. Satan would like to tempt everyone we know to get us to fail. But we're called to pray for them and forgive them. We all struggle with the enemy. He's our universal adversary. Ask God to show you how to bless those around you at work today, even those who seem like enemies. The real enemy is the devil. Resist him and pray for your coworkers and watch Jesus work. Also, we have a matching grant. New contributions made to Follower of One during this year-end season, are being doubled by a special foundation that supports our efforts. We don't charge for most of the things we do at Follower of One, but there is a cost. Please consider making a gift so we can help other Christ-followers enjoy serving Jesus full-time regardless of where we work. Head over to https://followerofone.org/donate to double your contribution and your impact! What we do because we follow Jesus matters. Thanks very much.
We've been all brought near. What separates us from any other person? In God's eyes, nothing. His one separation, Jew and Gentile has been removed. If we're all in one bucket, how are we as Christ-followers modeling that in the world? We're in the midst of a difficult political situation in the US. I am recording this before the election, but the timing isn't important. What if Christ-followers worked across the aisle or wall or whatever it is that separates us? How can we earn the trust of people on the other side? How can we serve them so that regardless of which party wins, God is glorified. His people live differently and act differently? What would it take for you to choose today to understand and appreciate someone who disagrees with you? Also, check out our online community https://community.followerofone.org and join us as we try to follow Jesus so that he becomes first in our world.
Jesus finished the job for us. He disarmed the rulers and authorities. But if he did, why do we have so much trouble? Jesus celebrated over the enemy. Notice the enemy isn't other people. The enemy is rulers and authorities. If they've been defeated, then what is God asking us to do? Let's make a positive difference in the lives of others. Let's give something away. Let's invest some time in someone else, just because they're a child of God, too! Send a message, buy a lunch. Let's live differently today and watch God use us. Even if we give a cup of cold water, we will not lose our reward (Matthew 10:42 or Mark 9:41). What will you give away today? Remember, too, we have a matching gift. Any contributions you make to Follower of One will be doubled. Please invest your giving to mobilize Christ-followers. Let's break the stereotypes. Let's model the life of Christ in our world today. That may get a little painful... Thanks for being a marketplace Christ-follower.
Have you ever considered the power that comes from knowing that you don't know? There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death. Proverbs 14:12 CSB When we trust the Bible, and consider it to be the word of God, then we come face-to-face with statements like today's passage. And we realize we aren't as strong or smart or powerful as we think we are. The Bible states very plainly that we don't know. The real problem isn't not knowing. It's not knowing that we don't know. You see if we can be aware that we don't know, we can search for the answers. God gives us many answers in his word. He provides answers through his Sprit living in us, and through other believers, too. If we don't know, much freedom and confidence come from knowing we don't know. Today, let's remember we don't know. We need God to show us. We need to remember that our ways seem right to us, but they're deadly. How can that change the way you work today? Will you remember this in the heat of the job today? Can you remember this in your conversations with your family or with your boss?
How different must we be to trust and follow Jesus? Jesus was humiliated, and killed. He was ridiculed. He allowed himself to be beaten and killed by the very people he was saving. Are we willing to endure the same kind of hostility? Are we even called to endure disgrace like that? He gave us grace, but he suffered disgrace. Interesting thought. What are we willing to endure because we follow him? Are we willing to be passed up for a promotion? Are we willing to be different? Have you asked God lately what he would have you do differently? Is there something you sense you should do something but you haven't done it yet? Will you take an extra 5 minutes today and pray for the people you work with but don't like? Will you ask God to show you something you can do for that person? Will you even go so far as to ask God to give you opportunities to go outside the camp? If you appreciate this podcast and this ministry, please consider giving a year-end gift. We have a partner that has agreed to match new donations up to $50,000 for the next few months. Head over to https://followerofone.org/donate to make a one-time or ongoing gift. Thank you.
How different must we be to trust and follow Jesus? Jesus was humiliated, and killed. He was ridiculed. He allowed himself to be beaten and killed by the very people he was saving. Are we willing to endure the same kind of hostility? Are we even called to endure disgrace like that? He gave us grace, but he suffered disgrace. Interesting thought. What are we willing to endure because we follow him? Are we willing to be passed up for a promotion? Are we willing to be different? Have you asked God lately what he would have you do differently? Is there something you sense you should do something but you haven't done it yet? Will you take an extra 5 minutes today and pray for the people you work with but don't like? Will you ask God to show you something you can do for that person? Will you even go so far as to ask God to give you opportunities to go outside the camp? If you appreciate this podcast and this ministry, please consider giving a year-end gift. We have a partner that has agreed to match new donations up to $50,000 for the next few months. Head over to https://followerofone.org/donate to make a one-time or ongoing gift. Thank you.
Today, on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Greg Gunn. Greg Gunn established and began growing the vision of Family ID in 1997. Since that time, Family ID has grown under the leadership and vision of Greg for over two decades. After starting out in the living room of his home, along with wife Rhonda, Family ID has established a global presence and is leading thousands of families to discover their unique identity. Family ID guides families in establishing their core values, mission statement, vision statement and living with intentional direction. In this episode, Mike and Greg talk about Family ID, the importance of having a Mission Statement for your family, navigating your family though life, how the internet has changed discipleship, the resources of Family ID, and having the right order in your life.
Outline of the Episode
- 00:30 – About Family ID
- 03:11 – About Greg Gunn
- 07:34 – Having a “Mission Statement” for your family
- 16:39 – How the internet has changed the approach of discipleship
- 20:13 – The importance of navigating your family through life
- 23:44 – Being intentional and coming up with God’s rules for your family
- 26:16 – The resources that Family ID provides
- 33:30 – Having the right order of life - God, Family, and then others
Having a “Mission Statement” When you go onto a churches website, or onto a website of a Christ-centered organization, you will typically find a mission statement. This outlines how the company is striving to follow God’s plan and heart. So, why don’t we have mission statements for our families? We can outline what our goals are for the Family, while keeping them centered in Christ.
Being intentional and coming up with God’s rules for your family
We need to be intentional with our relationship with God. As we navigate life with our family, God’s plan needs to be our plan. When we follow His plan for us, He will provide for us. It doesn’t mean that it will be easy but following the Lord in everything is the best way for us to live.
Follow Greg Gunn
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Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
Today, on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Greg Gunn. Greg Gunn established and began growing the vision of Family ID in 1997. Since that time, Family ID has grown under the leadership and vision of Greg for over two decades. After starting out in the living room of his home, along with wife Rhonda, Family ID has established a global presence and is leading thousands of families to discover their unique identity. Family ID guides families in establishing their core values, mission statement, vision statement and living with intentional direction. In this episode, Mike and Greg talk about Family ID, the importance of having a Mission Statement for your family, navigating your family though life, how the internet has changed discipleship, the resources of Family ID, and having the right order in your life.
Outline of the Episode
- 00:30 – About Family ID
- 03:11 – About Greg Gunn
- 07:34 – Having a “Mission Statement” for your family
- 16:39 – How the internet has changed the approach of discipleship
- 20:13 – The importance of navigating your family through life
- 23:44 – Being intentional and coming up with God’s rules for your family
- 26:16 – The resources that Family ID provides
- 33:30 – Having the right order of life - God, Family, and then others
Having a “Mission Statement” When you go onto a churches website, or onto a website of a Christ-centered organization, you will typically find a mission statement. This outlines how the company is striving to follow God’s plan and heart. So, why don’t we have mission statements for our families? We can outline what our goals are for the Family, while keeping them centered in Christ.
Being intentional and coming up with God’s rules for your family
We need to be intentional with our relationship with God. As we navigate life with our family, God’s plan needs to be our plan. When we follow His plan for us, He will provide for us. It doesn’t mean that it will be easy but following the Lord in everything is the best way for us to live.
Follow Greg Gunn
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
What does it mean to work with God? For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. 1 Corinthians 3:9 NASB God is doing the work. We labor with him. but the work, the schedule, the timing, the results are all up to Him. This passage is often interpreted to be pointed at pastors building churches, but this applies to our lives as well. The "ministry" part of our life is what lives on forever. We can't impact the eternal. We can only abide in Jesus. As we walk with God and do what he says, when he says it, then we get to take part in His work. I don't want to push and rush. I want to rest in Jesus more. Can I trust God more with my day? Our bosses and our customers expect a lot. Can we serve them and make a difference in their lives by trusting God more and doing what he calls us to do? Can we build into our schedules time to rest in Jesus and abide in him? Some ideas in this podcast episode came from My Utmost April 23 Do You Worship The Work? Are these podcasts beneficial to you? If so, please consider making a gift to our organization. We're a donor-supported podcast and online community. You can make a one-time or ongoing gift at https://followerofone.org/donate. And new gifts are being matched dollar for dollar up to a total of $50,000. So now more than ever, your contributions will help Christ-followers integrate their faith into their daily life.
What does it mean to work with God? For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. 1 Corinthians 3:9 NASB God is doing the work. We labor with him. but the work, the schedule, the timing, the results are all up to Him. This passage is often interpreted to be pointed at pastors building churches, but this applies to our lives as well. The "ministry" part of our life is what lives on forever. We can't impact the eternal. We can only abide in Jesus. As we walk with God and do what he says, when he says it, then we get to take part in His work. I don't want to push and rush. I want to rest in Jesus more. Can I trust God more with my day? Our bosses and our customers expect a lot. Can we serve them and make a difference in their lives by trusting God more and doing what he calls us to do? Can we build into our schedules time to rest in Jesus and abide in him? Some ideas in this podcast episode came from My Utmost April 23 Do You Worship The Work? Are these podcasts beneficial to you? If so, please consider making a gift to our organization. We're a donor-supported podcast and online community. You can make a one-time or ongoing gift at https://followerofone.org/donate. And new gifts are being matched dollar for dollar up to a total of $50,000. So now more than ever, your contributions will help Christ-followers integrate their faith into their daily life.
How are you at waiting? There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1 I don't wait well. Often, I think God makes me wait to teach me something, but I've failed the waiting class so much, that I really believe he's given up on me. But the other thing I need to remember is that things take time. This passage in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 helps drive this point home. Do you face a circumstance where God seems to be much more patient than you? How can you use this for his glory? One way is to pray about ways to actively wait. Maybe you can help someone else. Maybe there is some preparation you need to make. Maybe there is some blocking and tackling you need to do in some other area of your life. What can you do while you wait? As we become patient, we make God visible. It's not that we don't care. We want to do what we can like it depends on us. But when we can experience delays like we trust God, we make him visible. Today, let's remember there is a time for everything. Some things take time. Ask God to help you glorify him while you wait.
How are you at waiting? There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1 I don't wait well. Often, I think God makes me wait to teach me something, but I've failed the waiting class so much, that I really believe he's given up on me. But the other thing I need to remember is that things take time. This passage in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 helps drive this point home. Do you face a circumstance where God seems to be much more patient than you? How can you use this for his glory? One way is to pray about ways to actively wait. Maybe you can help someone else. Maybe there is some preparation you need to make. Maybe there is some blocking and tackling you need to do in some other area of your life. What can you do while you wait? As we become patient, we make God visible. It's not that we don't care. We want to do what we can like it depends on us. But when we can experience delays like we trust God, we make him visible. Today, let's remember there is a time for everything. Some things take time. Ask God to help you glorify him while you wait.
Are you in a work situation that you dread? The fear of mankind is a snare, but the one who trusts in the Lord is protected. Proverbs 29:25 CSB Do you ever dread workplace pressure? I remember having to make presentations before bosses or being chewed out by irate customers. I was fired twice. I would get into these situations where I dreaded what would happen next. I didn't often call it fear, but that's what it was. In every case, they didn't kill me. I lost jobs, I experienced correction. But I found out that God guided me in all of the situations. I've learned the truth of this passage. How does that change the way you face situations in your workplace today?
Are you in a work situation that you dread? The fear of mankind is a snare, but the one who trusts in the Lord is protected. Proverbs 29:25 CSB Do you ever dread workplace pressure? I remember having to make presentations before bosses or being chewed out by irate customers. I was fired twice. I would get into these situations where I dreaded what would happen next. I didn't often call it fear, but that's what it was. In every case, they didn't kill me. I lost jobs, I experienced correction. But I found out that God guided me in all of the situations. I've learned the truth of this passage. How does that change the way you face situations in your workplace today?
Do you focus on your strengths? Let's contrast a modern view of strengths with the Apostle Paul's perspective. Jesus told Paul that his power was completed, perfected in weakness. That means that our job isn't to be the coolest, or the smartest or to win. Our job is to look weak, to look silly, to follow Jesus no matter what. Jesus' power is made complete by becoming visible, doing the work of Christ without any strength that came through human hands. How does this change the way you live? If you're not already being changed because of this, it may be time to ask God to show you. And if you are, be encouraged. At the right time, God will show up. You will eventually be vindicated, but through the power of Jesus. I want to remember that my job in this life may be to lose. I'm called to lose my life for Jesus sake (Matthew 10:39). Check out these other podcasts, too: Mark 8:35 and Luke 17:33.
Do you focus on your strengths? Let's contrast a modern view of strengths with the Apostle Paul's perspective. Jesus told Paul that his power was completed, perfected in weakness. That means that our job isn't to be the coolest, or the smartest or to win. Our job is to look weak, to look silly, to follow Jesus no matter what. Jesus' power is made complete by becoming visible, doing the work of Christ without any strength that came through human hands. How does this change the way you live? If you're not already being changed because of this, it may be time to ask God to show you. And if you are, be encouraged. At the right time, God will show up. You will eventually be vindicated, but through the power of Jesus. I want to remember that my job in this life may be to lose. I'm called to lose my life for Jesus sake (Matthew 10:39). Check out these other podcasts, too: Mark 8:35 and Luke 17:33.
What do you desire? How do your desires create limits? "We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections." The word translated affections comes from a reference to the stomach or gut. Paul may be speaking about how the Corinthians were drawn to others more than Paul. He was, after all giving them some difficult news. We're called to be servants and to do so in hardship. We may want to hear from someone else. When we pursue the grace of God for ourselves, we become fond of it. It may be money, or honor, rewards, ease. The grace of God is given to us to give away. When we hang on to it, we receive it "in vain," as it says in verse 1. Our job is to give away the grace we've received. I have talked about the warehouse. When I ran a public warehouse, everything there didn't belong to me. I simply took care of it for the owner. My job was to keep it from losing it's value and then get it where the owner said to put it. when someone purchased some of we our job was to ship it. We couldn't decide we wanted to hang on to it. It wasn't ours. As believers, we're given the grace of God for his purposes, not ours. Our job is to ship it where he tells us to. He may tell you today to give someone a gift. Maybe you need to give away some money. If you're honest with yourself, you didn't create you, God did. Therefore everything you "earn" and everything you do comes from God. If you purchase a car that you love with your money, then you may hesitate when God asks you to give it away. Or when he asks you to use it to help someone else. Your affections restrict your ability to ship God's grace into the world.
What do you desire? How do your desires create limits? "We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections." The word translated affections comes from a reference to the stomach or gut. Paul may be speaking about how the Corinthians were drawn to others more than Paul. He was, after all giving them some difficult news. We're called to be servants and to do so in hardship. We may want to hear from someone else. When we pursue the grace of God for ourselves, we become fond of it. It may be money, or honor, rewards, ease. The grace of God is given to us to give away. When we hang on to it, we receive it "in vain," as it says in verse 1. Our job is to give away the grace we've received. I have talked about the warehouse. When I ran a public warehouse, everything there didn't belong to me. I simply took care of it for the owner. My job was to keep it from losing it's value and then get it where the owner said to put it. when someone purchased some of we our job was to ship it. We couldn't decide we wanted to hang on to it. It wasn't ours. As believers, we're given the grace of God for his purposes, not ours. Our job is to ship it where he tells us to. He may tell you today to give someone a gift. Maybe you need to give away some money. If you're honest with yourself, you didn't create you, God did. Therefore everything you "earn" and everything you do comes from God. If you purchase a car that you love with your money, then you may hesitate when God asks you to give it away. Or when he asks you to use it to help someone else. Your affections restrict your ability to ship God's grace into the world.
Do you have everything you want? Paul is listing things about their ministry that explain his point in 2 Corinthians 6:1, "Don't receive the grace of God in vain." And he's explaining the list of situations where we are called to be servants of God. The list can be pretty bleak. These last 3 conditions in this verse wrap up the list. But I want to focus on the last phrase he mentions, "having nothing yet possessing everything." We get the grace of God to ship it. If we hold on to it, it rots. Our job is to distribute the grace of God to the world. When we let our affections take over, we hang on to it and it goes bad in our warehouse. See episode 655 where I talk about this too. Verse 12 (ESV, NET or NASB) also makes reference to how our affections restrict us and we'll talk about that in the next episode. Are these podcasts helpful to you? We've been awarded a matching grant for new contributions. I don't ask people to donate to this ministry much, but we are donor supported. We have a donor who has pledged a lot of money to Follower of One for new donations, over and above what we've received in the past. Would you consider making a contribution? If we've been helpful to you, please head over to https://followerofone.org and click the Donate button and make a one-time or ongoing contributions. Your new contributions to this ministry will be matched until we reach the limit of their generous gift or the end of October 2023. Thanks very much.
Do you have everything you want? Paul is listing things about their ministry that explain his point in 2 Corinthians 6:1, "Don't receive the grace of God in vain." And he's explaining the list of situations where we are called to be servants of God. The list can be pretty bleak. These last 3 conditions in this verse wrap up the list. But I want to focus on the last phrase he mentions, "having nothing yet possessing everything." We get the grace of God to ship it. If we hold on to it, it rots. Our job is to distribute the grace of God to the world. When we let our affections take over, we hang on to it and it goes bad in our warehouse. See episode 655 where I talk about this too. Verse 12 (ESV, NET or NASB) also makes reference to how our affections restrict us and we'll talk about that in the next episode. Are these podcasts helpful to you? We've been awarded a matching grant for new contributions. I don't ask people to donate to this ministry much, but we are donor supported. We have a donor who has pledged a lot of money to Follower of One for new donations, over and above what we've received in the past. Would you consider making a contribution? If we've been helpful to you, please head over to https://followerofone.org and click the Donate button and make a one-time or ongoing contributions. Your new contributions to this ministry will be matched until we reach the limit of their generous gift or the end of October 2023. Thanks very much.
What can we expect once we choose to become a servant of God? Check this list! It's pretty difficult. I believe Paul is helping the Corinthians brace for the life of a servant of Jesus. There are good and bad things in this list. Have you memorized this list? This isn't like the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Serving God can happen in any job, any situation at any time. Notice how Paul moves through this list. We start with negative things like afflictions, hardships, distresses, beatings, etc. Then in verse 6, we move to purity, knowledge, patience, kindness. And in verse 8 we drift back to the negative again. But toward the end, he lists negative things, but also how we move through them. Paul understands our jobs are to be examples. Even when we're regarded as deceivers, we can yet be true. We can be considered unknown still be well known. We live in a broken world that mis-interprets us. We don't experience the normal consequences of the way the world perceives us. God has called us to be in the world, but the outcomes of our situation are different than what happens to others who do not follow Jesus. Where is Jesus calling you to show up as his servant?
What can we expect once we choose to become a servant of God? Check this list! It's pretty difficult. I believe Paul is helping the Corinthians brace for the life of a servant of Jesus. There are good and bad things in this list. Have you memorized this list? This isn't like the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Serving God can happen in any job, any situation at any time. Notice how Paul moves through this list. We start with negative things like afflictions, hardships, distresses, beatings, etc. Then in verse 6, we move to purity, knowledge, patience, kindness. And in verse 8 we drift back to the negative again. But toward the end, he lists negative things, but also how we move through them. Paul understands our jobs are to be examples. Even when we're regarded as deceivers, we can yet be true. We can be considered unknown still be well known. We live in a broken world that mis-interprets us. We don't experience the normal consequences of the way the world perceives us. God has called us to be in the world, but the outcomes of our situation are different than what happens to others who do not follow Jesus. Where is Jesus calling you to show up as his servant?
How can we develop a servant mindset and perspective? I had to look it up. We refer ourselves or we give ourselves to something. We recommend something to someone else. But when we volunteer, enlist, enroll ourselves, we commend ourselves. We do this as servants of God. Basically, we enlist as God's servants. A young man who took part in one of our early Marketplace Mission Trips said the mission trip helped him develop a service mindset. We put ourselves in a position as a servant. And service is ministry. We become full-time servants of Jesus. Are you a full-time minister? You can be. Decide that you are dedicated to God to serve him by helping everyone you meet move one notch closer to God. That's what Paul is saying in this verse. We give our selves to God as his servants. The following verses are a litany of things we can serve God through. Why not join a group of Christians who are all trying to develop this servant mindset and become full-time ministers in our own workplaces. Head over to https://community.followerofone.org and request to join. There's no cost. We want to help one another get better at serving Jesus daily wherever we find ourselves.
Do you participate in the social media opinion wars? What does it mean to give no cause for offense? What should "giving no cause for offense" look like in our present world? Do you catch yourself avoiding offense? I confess I'm not a person who naturally seeks harmony. I'm OK with conflict. But I'm convicted about this statement. I see Christians offending others simply because we don't agree with them. This passage seems to me to state that we have a responsibility. Since now is the acceptable time, maybe now needs to be when I examine my social media posts and the way I live my faith so as not to give offense. Also, I need to be graceful. Jesus' message is offensive to people who want to create their own truth. But I don't need to pile on. Take a look at our episodes 655 and 744 to listen to what we concluded about the first 2 verses in this passage, too.
How do you handle correction? If you don't experience discipline from God, you may not be one if his children. One time I asked my Dad why he never told my kids "no." He said that was my job. The man who seemed to specialize in correcting me and helping me be right, became a different person around his grandkids. We take a direct role in raising our kids. If we don't help them see the right way to behave, we're not doing them any favors. The older we get, the more expensive our lessons become. If we can learn something when we're young, our parents foot the bill. If we have to learn it as an adult, often it's much more costly and we bear the full cost. I mentioned this proverb in episode 731 since it's quoted in Hebrews 12:5-6. Often the lesson is hard. I hated being corrected. I spent some time after I became an adult, working for my dad's company. Correction then was particularly difficult for me. And I didn't handle it well. But when I can remember the one correcting me has my best interests at heart, often that makes things a bit easier. Today, ask God for direction and then remember that whatever happens comes from a loving Father. The way we handle correction can point others to God when we listen to him and do what he says. Why not join a community of believers who are helping one another? We want the bible to invade our daily lives. Check our online community out at https://community.followerofone.org.
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Bob Bartz. Bob is a practicing attorney of 42 years and is the founder of Strategic Impact Ministries. Strategic Impact Ministries created an app called The Faith Story App, which is an app that allows people to share their testimony in under 5 minutes. In this episode, Mike and Bob talk about Strategic Impact Ministries and the Faith Story App, the importance of sharing your testimony, different ways we share the Gospel, how conversation plays a big part in our testimony, how technology has changed the landscape of evangelism, and the importance of praying in sharing the Gospel.
Outline of the Episode
- 0:35 – About Bob Bartz
- 1:31 – About the Faith Story App
- 2:25 – The importance of sharing your testimony
- 4:14 – How Bob came to Christ
- 9:09 – The impact of the different ways you share your story
- 10:37 – How conversation plays a big part in your testimony
- 13:49 – Using technology to share the Gospel
- 19:22 – The 10 questions that help form your faith story
- 21:46 – The beauty of casual conversations about your faith story
- 25:23 – The importance of prayer in sharing the Gospel
The importance of sharing your testimony
A big reason why some people don’t follow Christ is because of the “lack of evidence” that they can’t see. But, when you share your testimony, you share what God did in your life. You talk about how God showed up for you, and it gives evidence to Christ.
Using technology to share the Gospel
Technology is growing at such a rate that we can never comprehend it. Technology gives us a farther reach to other people. So why wouldn’t we use technology to reach the people around us? Almost everyone has access to the internet, so we can use this to share the Gospel with all the world.
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
What does it mean to take hold of the eternal life? This word is used often in scripture. We "take" many things. We're to grasp eternal life. Pick it up. Take it as ours. Christ gives it to us, but we have to take it. We fight the good fight. I believe we must fight the tendency to deny God. The world's system and all of the people in it, the flesh (our own physical body), and the devil all want us to focus on them instead of the eternal life. What will it take to get the invisible world to be primary in our life? The physical world, and our flesh want to pull us away from God. So does our enemy the devil. Glory is what we value, what we focus on. When we value and focus on God, we give him glory and our world fits. It works. When we focus on anything thing else, we give it glory, we value it more than God. And God can't be OK with that because he knows more than any of us, what we lose when we focus on anything less than him. We work to take hold of our eternal life every day in the Follower of One online community. Why not join us on the Marketplace Mission Trip? You can join others in the online, 2-week version of the mission trip by joining our online community. Or you can get a copy of the marketplace mission trip in book form so a group of your friends can "take" the trip together.
How often do you give God the credit for your accomplishments? "Daniel answered before the king and said... However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries and He has made known... what will take place in the latter days." Daniel 2:27-28 I wonder if God selected Daniel because he knew Daniel would get the story straight? I also wonder if God doesn't choose me sometimes because I'll take the credit instead of giving it to God. This isn't about God's pride, but it's about his strategy of saving everyone who will call on his name (Romans 10:13 and Joel 2:32) Does God trust you that way? Could it be that we see God less because we see God less? What if we looked harder? What if we trusted more? Daniel stated very clearly that the God of the Jews made this vision known to him. Do we give God credit for the things we think, say or do? Or do we take the credit? I believe I need to give God more credit, not less. I want my whole life to point people to God. I experience joy when I see God working. And I'll take as much joy as I can get right now. What is the Holy Spirit telling you as you hear this? What do you need to change? Follower of One is an online community made up of people who want to help one another chase after God. You can join us for not cost, but following Jesus does have a price. It's just that everything we invest, we get back multiplied. Join our community, take our Marketplace Mission Trip and see for yourself. Go to https://followerofone.org to learn more.
What does it mean to be a friend of the world? James doesn't pull punches. In this passage he challenges believers to examine themselves. Wherever we're a friend of the world, we're enemies of God. You've heard a number of sayings that there are only 2 types of people in the world. Here, in scripture, James is telling us we're either enemies of God or friends of God. There's no place else to stand. So what does it mean to be a friend of the world? Where, where do we find our joy? What consumes our energy? If you look at our calendar or our checkbook, can we say that we do the things we do because we want to obey God, or because we want to do what we want? Often friendship with the world is just chasing what we want. But do we have to join a monastery? How can we do this without living a boring life? I say we ask God. I'm not going to give you a list. But if you're willing to do what God wants, he will figure out how to get you on his program. Listen to the podcast for more tips. If you're interested, join our online community to connect with others who want to live their faith daily. Head over to https://community.followerofone.org to create a profile and start connecting with others.
How is your vision? Do you see 20-20? Or do your eyes need some help? Our freedom that was mentioned in yesterday's episode helps us to begin to see the invisible. We broke our world and therefore we have trouble seeing the things of God. But they're there. What does it mean to be looking "as in a mirror?" And how does our transformation become visible? God is transforming us to be part of how he becomes visible in our world. Others see God in the way his people live. How can our lives make God visible today? Check out the podcast to think about this more and then get to work! Also, check out our new Marketplace Mission Trip discussion guide. This is a 6 week challenge to go into your workplace and live so that Jesus becomes more visible to the people you interact with everyday. Check it out and get your own copy at https://followerofone.org/workbook.
Just what is freedom and how free are we? Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17 CSB When you were young, did you ever remember not being allowed to do some things that your friends could do? Freedom is a strange concept when you think about it. The Spirit of the Lord makes us free. But we're not free to do anything we want. We're still limited. We aren't free to violate someone else. Our freedoms should not limit someone else's freedoms without their consent. We consent to limits on our freedom all of the time in the political world. Freedom is my reminder that I'm free to serve others. I'm free to bring grace. I'm free to love, appreciate, subordinate myself to someone else. The freedom the spirit gives us is freedom from the condemnation of God and freedom to work in faith, rather than simply in what I can see. What does your freedom mean to you? What about your coworkers and friends? Let's use our freedom to make a difference, not by limiting others' freedom, but by granting more for others.
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Greg Muehlberger. Greg is a Husband of 41 years, a dad, and a grandfather. He works for Kingdom Way Ministries, which is a “non-profit ministry that pulsates to incite and outfit business owners, CEOs, and other marketplace and ministry leaders to thrive in life, business, and ministry through transformative learning experiences.” In this episode, Mike and Greg talk about how Kingdom Way Ministries got started, how the influence of RoundTables can be seen throughout Colorado, asking God to open opportunities to share Christ, and how we can immediately integrate our faith into our lives and our workplaces.
Outline of the Episode
- 0:41 – About Greg Meuhlberger
- 1:31 – How Kingdom Way Ministries got started
- 3:55 – About Kingdom Way Ministries
- 8:14 – How RoundTables work with Kingdom Way Ministries
- 9:49 – How the RoundTables help integrate people’s faith at work
- 16:53 – Asking God for opportunities to share Christ
- 18:31 – How the flesh fights against what God asks
- 21:06 – How you can immediately integrate your faith more into your life
Asking God for opportunities to share Christ
The only way that we can effectively share the Gospel is by asking God to open opportunities. When we ask for God to give us ways to talk about Him, not only are we allowing Him to move in our lives, but we also allow ourselves to recognize the opportunities to share our faith in the workplace.
How the flesh fights against what God asks
Have you ever told God that what He is asking us to do feels too much like work? That is your flesh talking. The Bible talks about how when we follow what Christ says, joy gets brought out into our lives. The idea that doing what God calls us to do is work is directly from the devil, when we focus on Christ, we will have joy.
Follow Greg Muehlberger
- Dan Anderson’s LinkedIn
- Kingdom Way
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Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
Jeremiah is speaking to Baruch, one of the leading Jews of the day. Baruch is apparently sad because of what God is doing to Israel. But God challenges him through Jeremiah. "Are you seeking great things for yourself?" When we pursue God, we receive him and we also receive great things. But when we seek things, we may get them or we may not, but we fail to get God. And that's loosing any way you look at it. God is so much more than stuff. but we never know that without faith. We'll take the stuff any time if we fail to have faith. So how is God asking You to live your life? Is faith a key ingredient? Do you spend more time pursuing things, status, possessions, reputation, comfort? Or do we pursue God? For further reading, check out My Utmost for His Highest on April 27, What Do You Want?. Also, join a community of marketplace Christ-followers by going to https://community.followerofone.org.
Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. Colossians 2:6-7 NASB Notice how gratitude overflows as we walk in Christ. Are you as grateful as you'd like to be? Does your relationship with God cause you to overflow with gratitude? Generally, mine does. But there are times when I have unpleasant things to do, or when things don't go the way I want. Then my gratitude doesn't overflow.
Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. Colossians 2:6-7 NASB Notice how gratitude overflows as we walk in Christ. Are you as grateful as you'd like to be? Does your relationship with God cause you to overflow with gratitude? Generally, mine does. But there are times when I have unpleasant things to do, or when things don't go the way I want. Then my gratitude doesn't overflow.
Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. Colossians 2:6-7 ESV The way to walk in Christ begins with intentionality and we talked about that in the previous passage. But our ability to walk in Christ grows as we are firmly rooted, built up, established and instructed. And it ends with us overflowing with gratitude.
Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. Colossians 2:6-7 ESV The way to walk in Christ begins with intentionality and we talked about that in the previous passage. But our ability to walk in Christ grows as we are firmly rooted, built up, established and instructed. And it ends with us overflowing with gratitude.
Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, - Colossians 2:6 NASB Look around today. Question for a moment what motivates everyone you see? What motivates the person working next to you? What motivates your customer or your coworker? What does it mean to walk in Christ?
Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, - Colossians 2:6 NASB Look around today. Question for a moment what motivates everyone you see? What motivates the person working next to you? What motivates your customer or your coworker? What does it mean to walk in Christ?
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1 ESV This appears to be another unfortunate chapter break. Notice how verses 10:32 and 33 go with this sentence. Can we truly imitate Jesus and give no offense? Jesus upset everything. Did he really give no offense? If so, why did they kill him? I would challenge us to read this whole section again. Paul challenges us to do everything to the glory of God (vs. 31). There's a difference between me giving offense and glorifying God. We're free from the rules. We have liberty. The rules about what we eat or how we spend our time or money don't apply. We do everything we do to glorify Jesus.
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1 ESV This appears to be another unfortunate chapter break. Notice how verses 10:32 and 33 go with this sentence. Can we truly imitate Jesus and give no offense? Jesus upset everything. Did he really give no offense? If so, why did they kill him? I would challenge us to read this whole section again. Paul challenges us to do everything to the glory of God (vs. 31). There's a difference between me giving offense and glorifying God. We're free from the rules. We have liberty. The rules about what we eat or how we spend our time or money don't apply. We do everything we do to glorify Jesus.
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Chris Young, the President of The Good Place Institute and former Chief of Staff at Good Place Holdings. Chris spent over twenty years researching and developing Biblically-based approaches, methods, and resources while leading and helping others build and steward for-profit and nonprofit organizations to bring about organizational life and achieve organizational success from a Biblical worldview. In today’s episode, Chris and Mike talk about the Good Place Institute and the Good Place Holdings Company, God’s calling for us in the business world, keeping God at the center of everything, how work is a means of grace, how seminary impacted Chris’ approach in the business world, serving a God of “Why”.
Outline of the Episode
- 0:29 – About the Good Place Institute and the Good Place Holdings Company
- 1:10 – How The Good Place Institute got started
- 3:51 – The deeper meaning of success in the business world
- 5:47 – God’s calling for us in the business world
- 8:18 – Keeping God at the center of everything we do
- 10:36 – Work is a means of Grace
- 12:14 – How seminary impacted Chris’ approach in the business world
- 15:19 – Serving a God of “Why”
- 19:42 – Training in the why, what, and how
The deeper meaning of success in the business world
The business world is built around success - the success of a project, the success of a business, or the success of a worker. But, worldly success only scratches the surface of the true success of business. The relationships we build are the marker of success. The more relationships we build, the more we get to know the people around us, and the more opportunities we have to share Christ.
Keeping God at the Center of Everything We Do
We go into the business world with success in mind, but who do we give credit for our successes? When we keep God at the center of everything we do, all of a sudden He will be the most visible in our lives. Our lives look different because of Him.
Follow Chris Young
- The Good Place Institute
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Chris Young, the President of The Good Place Institute and former Chief of Staff at Good Place Holdings. Chris spent over twenty years researching and developing Biblically-based approaches, methods, and resources while leading and helping others build and steward for-profit and nonprofit organizations to bring about organizational life and achieve organizational success from a Biblical worldview. In today’s episode, Chris and Mike talk about the Good Place Institute and the Good Place Holdings Company, God’s calling for us in the business world, keeping God at the center of everything, how work is a means of grace, how seminary impacted Chris’ approach in the business world, serving a God of “Why”.
Outline of the Episode
- 0:29 – About the Good Place Institute and the Good Place Holdings Company
- 1:10 – How The Good Place Institute got started
- 3:51 – The deeper meaning of success in the business world
- 5:47 – God’s calling for us in the business world
- 8:18 – Keeping God at the center of everything we do
- 10:36 – Work is a means of Grace
- 12:14 – How seminary impacted Chris’ approach in the business world
- 15:19 – Serving a God of “Why”
- 19:42 – Training in the why, what, and how
The deeper meaning of success in the business world
The business world is built around success - the success of a project, the success of a business, or the success of a worker. But, worldly success only scratches the surface of the true success of business. The relationships we build are the marker of success. The more relationships we build, the more we get to know the people around us, and the more opportunities we have to share Christ.
Keeping God at the Center of Everything We Do
We go into the business world with success in mind, but who do we give credit for our successes? When we keep God at the center of everything we do, all of a sudden He will be the most visible in our lives. Our lives look different because of Him.
Follow Chris Young
- The Good Place Institute
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 1 Corinthians 10:32 ESV Three powerful, convicting words. Give no offense. To whom? Pretty much everyone. Think about that for a minute. How can we live not giving offense? I'm not qualified to speak much as to how to do this. I am an expert in violating this principle. Imagine what difference we would make in the world if we could live according to this principle. Also, imagine the difference people would see if we stopped giving offense. So is it wrong to try and use someone's chosen pronouns? I confess to joking about this. Now I have to consider carefully how I respond. Finally, if you're someone who thinks you seldom give offense, maybe you need to start asking other people. Our world is very easily offended these days. Do you have some thoughts on this podcast? Share them with us at https://followerofone.org/contact-us/ Please don't forget to check out our online community at https://community.followerofone.org
Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 1 Corinthians 10:32 ESV Three powerful, convicting words. Give no offense. To whom? Pretty much everyone. Think about that for a minute. How can we live not giving offense? I'm not qualified to speak much as to how to do this. I am an expert in violating this principle. Imagine what difference we would make in the world if we could live according to this principle. Also, imagine the difference people would see if we stopped giving offense. So is it wrong to try and use someone's chosen pronouns? I confess to joking about this. Now I have to consider carefully how I respond. Finally, if you're someone who thinks you seldom give offense, maybe you need to start asking other people. Our world is very easily offended these days. Do you have some thoughts on this podcast? Share them with us at https://followerofone.org/contact-us/ Please don't forget to check out our online community at https://community.followerofone.org
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV Do everything so that God will become visible. Some people today talk about making God famous. Sometimes our illustrations ring a bit hollow. I often say we live in a way that makes Jesus visible. But even that is a bit empty, too. God's fame is. His name is I AM. We help others see him. We help others appreciate him. Our calling is to one another. How? By living according to all that he says. That's one way. How will you life today? For further listening: Full Time Faith - 1 Corinthians 10:31 Check out our online community at https://community.followerofone.org and The Marketplace Mission Trip: A Six-Week Mission Trip to Your Workplace at https://followerofone.org/workbook
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV Do everything so that God will become visible. Some people today talk about making God famous. Sometimes our illustrations ring a bit hollow. I often say we live in a way that makes Jesus visible. But even that is a bit empty, too. God's fame is. His name is I AM. We help others see him. We help others appreciate him. Our calling is to one another. How? By living according to all that he says. That's one way. How will you life today? For further listening: Full Time Faith - 1 Corinthians 10:31 Check out our online community at https://community.followerofone.org and The Marketplace Mission Trip: A Six-Week Mission Trip to Your Workplace at https://followerofone.org/workbook
Paul promises we will receive back the good we do. This promise is a motivation to do good for others, but this isn't just a general promise. It's also very specific to employees. This section begins with verse 5 and the first word is Bondservants. That's "employees." What can we take away from this command to bondservants today? And how will that change your view of your job today? "rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free." Ephesians 6:7-8 ESV And, don't forget to check out our Online Community at https://community.followerofone.org. For further study: Speaking to Employees - Ephesians 6:5
Paul promises we will receive back the good we do. This promise is a motivation to do good for others, but this isn't just a general promise. It's also very specific to employees. This section begins with verse 5 and the first word is Bondservants. That's "employees." What can we take away from this command to bondservants today? And how will that change your view of your job today? "rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free." Ephesians 6:7-8 ESV And, don't forget to check out our Online Community at https://community.followerofone.org. For further study: Speaking to Employees - Ephesians 6:5
“You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.” Luke 12:40 NASB What does it mean to be ready? Be ready for what? The Son of Man coming? What difference does that make? The parables before this passage and the illustrations seem to imply that we're waiting for Jesus to return. Jesus gives us the idea that there will be a day when things will change. We live in a time when people have a chance to wait for Jesus. What does waiting for Jesus look like? It means we must live in an "intense spiritual reality" according to Oswald Chambers (My Utmost March 29). We're waiting on Jesus to return. What do we do while we're waiting? We represent our master. We do what he would want us to do? How do we do that? By studying about him, learning about him and then doing what he would want. How is your intense spiritual reality today? Is Jesus present in your mind as you go through your tasks today? If not, what will it take?
“You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.” Luke 12:40 NASB What does it mean to be ready? Be ready for what? The Son of Man coming? What difference does that make? The parables before this passage and the illustrations seem to imply that we're waiting for Jesus to return. Jesus gives us the idea that there will be a day when things will change. We live in a time when people have a chance to wait for Jesus. What does waiting for Jesus look like? It means we must live in an "intense spiritual reality" according to Oswald Chambers (My Utmost March 29). We're waiting on Jesus to return. What do we do while we're waiting? We represent our master. We do what he would want us to do? How do we do that? By studying about him, learning about him and then doing what he would want. How is your intense spiritual reality today? Is Jesus present in your mind as you go through your tasks today? If not, what will it take?
How should we live and work in the world today? Paul told the Corinthians that when he was there, he demonstrated the Spirit's power by how he lived. It wasn't his preaching that made the difference. It was the power of the Holy Spirit.
How should we live and work in the world today? Paul told the Corinthians that when he was there, he demonstrated the Spirit's power by how he lived. It wasn't his preaching that made the difference. It was the power of the Holy Spirit.
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Teresa Tanner. Teresa Tanner is the owner and CEO of Reserve Squad, which according to the Reserve Squad website, was created “to finally create systems where women have the resources they need to thrive both in their career and at home; to remove the paradox of choice between caregiver or career. And, to help organizations achieve success both culturally and financially.”
In today's episode, Mike and Teresa talk about Teresa’s company Reserve Squad, what inspired Teresa to start Reserve Squad, following God even when you can’t see the future, how Teresa came to Christ, and trusting God on the path He has you.
Outline of the Episode
- 0:29 – About Reserve Squad
- 1:38 – How Teresa came up with the idea of Reserve Squad
- 5:21 – How Teresa came to Christ
- 7:23 – Trusting God on the path He has you
Trusting God on the path He has you on
It’s so easy for us to think we have it all together. But, as Christians, we are called to follow Christ in everything we do, and sometimes He will lead us somewhere we don’t know. We are called to put all of our trust in Him. God will always provide for us when we are following His path for us, so put all your trust in Him, and He will always provide.
Follow Teresa Tanner
- Reserve Squad
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Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Teresa Tanner. Teresa Tanner is the owner and CEO of Reserve Squad, which according to the Reserve Squad website, was created “to finally create systems where women have the resources they need to thrive both in their career and at home; to remove the paradox of choice between caregiver or career. And, to help organizations achieve success both culturally and financially.”
In today's episode, Mike and Teresa talk about Teresa’s company Reserve Squad, what inspired Teresa to start Reserve Squad, following God even when you can’t see the future, how Teresa came to Christ, and trusting God on the path He has you.
Outline of the Episode
- 0:29 – About Reserve Squad
- 1:38 – How Teresa came up with the idea of Reserve Squad
- 5:21 – How Teresa came to Christ
- 7:23 – Trusting God on the path He has you
Trusting God on the path He has you on
It’s so easy for us to think we have it all together. But, as Christians, we are called to follow Christ in everything we do, and sometimes He will lead us somewhere we don’t know. We are called to put all of our trust in Him. God will always provide for us when we are following His path for us, so put all your trust in Him, and He will always provide.
Follow Teresa Tanner
- Reserve Squad
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
How much energy do you spend planning? The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. I can't overestimate God's power. But for some reason, he lets me participate. I get to plan. But God directs our steps. What difference should that make in our workplaces today?
How much energy do you spend planning? The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. I can't overestimate God's power. But for some reason, he lets me participate. I get to plan. But God directs our steps. What difference should that make in our workplaces today?
Do you consider yourself someone who struggles with pride? Should you? The Lord detests the proud; they will surely be punished. Proverbs 16:5 NLT What does it mean to be proud? And if the proud are punished, what can we do to avoid that punishment? How does this apply to how we integrate our faith and work? Check out the Follower of One Online Community at https://community.followerofone.org
Do you consider yourself someone who struggles with pride? Should you? The Lord detests the proud; they will surely be punished. Proverbs 16:5 NLT What does it mean to be proud? And if the proud are punished, what can we do to avoid that punishment? How does this apply to how we integrate our faith and work? Check out the Follower of One Online Community at https://community.followerofone.org
Does everything have a purpose? "The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble." Proverbs 16:4 ESV We must discover our own purpose, but we must trust God that everything has a purpose. Or we have to believe he's not in control.
Does everything have a purpose? "The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble." Proverbs 16:4 ESV We must discover our own purpose, but we must trust God that everything has a purpose. Or we have to believe he's not in control.
Do all of your plans succeed? We all fail from time to time, don't we? But when we commit to follow the Lord, with intentionality and purpose, we're told that our plans will be established.
Do all of your plans succeed? We all fail from time to time, don't we? But when we commit to follow the Lord, with intentionality and purpose, we're told that our plans will be established.
Do you carefully examine what you follow? Are you even a follower at all? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast.
Today, we're talking about being led and we've been doing this series through Psalm 139 to enjoy God and the passage wraps up today with these two verses that are pretty famous. I'm reading from the New American Standard Psalm 139:23-24. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way."
You've probably heard those before. The Psalmist wraps up this Psalm with this request that God would search us, that he would know our hearts. Why is that a question? Well, I think it's a question because it's easy for us to fool ourselves. It's easy for us to follow something other than God. We can pursue the appreciation of others. We can pursue money and power and strength. We can pursue glory, trying to be famous or trying to be well known. When we pursue anything that comes from anyone other than God, our heart is not pure.
And he says here, "Try me and know my anxious thoughts." We want God to know what's going on in the recesses of our mind so that we can be his fully. We tend to listen to ourselves. We tend to let our minds guide us. And our mind is part of our flesh. It's part of our fallen nature. That's why it has to be renewed. And that's how our body gets transformed. That's how our life gets transformed is when we renew our minds. That's from Romans 12:2.
And so today our challenge as Christ followers is to turn to God. Ask him to search you. Ask him to show you what you need to get rid of that's in your heart. What are you anxiously thinking about? Or what are you worried about?
"See if there is any hurtful way in me," can also be "offensive" or "grievous" or "wicked," ways that are opposite of God. The New Living translation says, "Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life."
God would you examine our minds and our hearts and show us how you want us to live and what you want us to do in our workplaces and with the people that we come in contact with today?
Thank you so much for being a marketplace minister. Let's enjoy God. Let's trust him to examine our mind. Let's trust him to guide us and follow him. He's who we want in the lead. Not ourselves. If we let God lead us, he will use us in the lives of the people that we interact with. He will use you to make himself visible to the people that you work with, or the people that you're around today.
Let God transform you. Ask him to show you what you need to do, and then do it. The ideas that we get while we're praying. If they line up with scripture, they're God talking. Let's figure out a way to do them. Let's try and find a way to do what God says. If we listen to God, but we don't do what he says. Are we really being led?
Today let's pray for the people around us and let's ask God to search us and know our hearts, to try us and to sift out those anxious thoughts and show us how we can join him in the everlasting way. He can get rid of our wicked and hurtful thoughts. He can show us what those are and transform those in our lives.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for listening to this series. If you haven't heard the other seven episodes, check them out. Check out this whole series on our podcast. Also, if you'd like to be part of a community of people who are actively pursuing God on a regular basis, join us at https://community.followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
Do you carefully examine what you follow? Are you even a follower at all? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast.
Today, we're talking about being led and we've been doing this series through Psalm 139 to enjoy God and the passage wraps up today with these two verses that are pretty famous. I'm reading from the New American Standard Psalm 139:23-24. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way."
You've probably heard those before. The Psalmist wraps up this Psalm with this request that God would search us, that he would know our hearts. Why is that a question? Well, I think it's a question because it's easy for us to fool ourselves. It's easy for us to follow something other than God. We can pursue the appreciation of others. We can pursue money and power and strength. We can pursue glory, trying to be famous or trying to be well known. When we pursue anything that comes from anyone other than God, our heart is not pure.
And he says here, "Try me and know my anxious thoughts." We want God to know what's going on in the recesses of our mind so that we can be his fully. We tend to listen to ourselves. We tend to let our minds guide us. And our mind is part of our flesh. It's part of our fallen nature. That's why it has to be renewed. And that's how our body gets transformed. That's how our life gets transformed is when we renew our minds. That's from Romans 12:2.
And so today our challenge as Christ followers is to turn to God. Ask him to search you. Ask him to show you what you need to get rid of that's in your heart. What are you anxiously thinking about? Or what are you worried about?
"See if there is any hurtful way in me," can also be "offensive" or "grievous" or "wicked," ways that are opposite of God. The New Living translation says, "Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life."
God would you examine our minds and our hearts and show us how you want us to live and what you want us to do in our workplaces and with the people that we come in contact with today?
Thank you so much for being a marketplace minister. Let's enjoy God. Let's trust him to examine our mind. Let's trust him to guide us and follow him. He's who we want in the lead. Not ourselves. If we let God lead us, he will use us in the lives of the people that we interact with. He will use you to make himself visible to the people that you work with, or the people that you're around today.
Let God transform you. Ask him to show you what you need to do, and then do it. The ideas that we get while we're praying. If they line up with scripture, they're God talking. Let's figure out a way to do them. Let's try and find a way to do what God says. If we listen to God, but we don't do what he says. Are we really being led?
Today let's pray for the people around us and let's ask God to search us and know our hearts, to try us and to sift out those anxious thoughts and show us how we can join him in the everlasting way. He can get rid of our wicked and hurtful thoughts. He can show us what those are and transform those in our lives.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for listening to this series. If you haven't heard the other seven episodes, check them out. Check out this whole series on our podcast. Also, if you'd like to be part of a community of people who are actively pursuing God on a regular basis, join us at https://community.followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with John Scroggins. John Scroggins launched The Baton Exchange, a nonprofit training organization that focuses on equipping emerging leaders (20-Somethings) to be transformation catalysts for Christ in the global marketplace and culture. He’s enjoyed seeing the ministry touch about 30,000 lives from 20 countries. He lives in Columbus, Ohio with his wife and daughter. In this episode, Mike and John talk about the purpose of the Baton Exchange, the reason why The Baton Exchange focuses on Young Adults, how competency directly affects the influence of sharing Christ, the unique approach that The Baton Exchange uses to reach young adults, how the pandemic changed the approach of The Baxton Exchange, how life changes once you leave college, the idea of ministry at work, and expanding The Baton Project.
Outline of the Episode
- 0:23 – About the Baton Exchange
- 1:20 – Why the Baton Exchange focuses on Young Adults
- 2:16 – How John created The Baton Exchange
- 5:50 – How competency directly affects the influence of sharing Christ
- 8:25 – The unique approach that The Baton Exchange uses to reach young adults
- 10:30 – How the pandemic changed the approach of The Baxton Exchange
- 13:44 – How life changes once you leave college
- 16:07 – The idea of ministry at work
- 18:01 – Expanding The Baxton Project
How competency directly affects the influence of sharing Christ
How do you gain more influence in your workplace and among coworkers? The best way to do that is through competency. Your coworkers are much more likely to take you seriously when you do your job right. Because of this, when you have more competency, it becomes easier to share Christ with your coworkers.
The idea of ministry at work
God calls us to go out and make disciples across the world. This also includes our workplaces. There isn’t a place where you shouldn’t share the Gospel. This is why, as Marketplace Christians, we are called to share the gospel with our coworkers.
Connect with John
- Youtube
- Baton Exchange
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with John Scroggins. John Scroggins launched The Baton Exchange, a nonprofit training organization that focuses on equipping emerging leaders (20-Somethings) to be transformation catalysts for Christ in the global marketplace and culture. He’s enjoyed seeing the ministry touch about 30,000 lives from 20 countries. He lives in Columbus, Ohio with his wife and daughter. In this episode, Mike and John talk about the purpose of the Baton Exchange, the reason why The Baton Exchange focuses on Young Adults, how competency directly affects the influence of sharing Christ, the unique approach that The Baton Exchange uses to reach young adults, how the pandemic changed the approach of The Baxton Exchange, how life changes once you leave college, the idea of ministry at work, and expanding The Baton Project.
Outline of the Episode
- 0:23 – About the Baton Exchange
- 1:20 – Why the Baton Exchange focuses on Young Adults
- 2:16 – How John created The Baton Exchange
- 5:50 – How competency directly affects the influence of sharing Christ
- 8:25 – The unique approach that The Baton Exchange uses to reach young adults
- 10:30 – How the pandemic changed the approach of The Baxton Exchange
- 13:44 – How life changes once you leave college
- 16:07 – The idea of ministry at work
- 18:01 – Expanding The Baxton Project
How competency directly affects the influence of sharing Christ
How do you gain more influence in your workplace and among coworkers? The best way to do that is through competency. Your coworkers are much more likely to take you seriously when you do your job right. Because of this, when you have more competency, it becomes easier to share Christ with your coworkers.
The idea of ministry at work
God calls us to go out and make disciples across the world. This also includes our workplaces. There isn’t a place where you shouldn’t share the Gospel. This is why, as Marketplace Christians, we are called to share the gospel with our coworkers.
Connect with John
- Youtube
- Baton Exchange
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
Are we really supposed to hate our enemies? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast.
Since I committed to a series on Psalm 139, I have to read the parts that are challenging to us too. And that's what we find today in verses 19 through 22.
I'm reading from the New American Standard Bible. "Oh, that you would slay the wicked. O God; Depart from me, therefore, men, of bloodshed. For they speak against You, wickedly; And Your enemies take Your name in vain. Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? I hate them with the utmost hatred; They have become my enemies." Once again, that's Psalm 139 verses 19 through 22.
So my question that I opened with is, "Are we supposed to hate our enemies?" This clearly is what David is doing here. He's stating this very clearly in Psalm 139. But we have new information. We have information that's more recent than this and was spoken by Jesus and is in the New Testament. How do these things not contradict each other?
In Matthew 5:43-44, it says, "You have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." Jesus is speaking in that passage.
And so I believe we get our challenge here from the idea that we can read the Old Testament as being something that is descriptive of what was going on: it describes what's going on. Or it can be prescriptive that it can be a prescription for how we're supposed to live. And in these four verses I believe what we're reading is a description of how David felt.
David was honest with God, and I believe we're called to be honest with God as well. I do, in fact, hate the people who hate God. But I don't know who those people are. You see this side of eternity, we can't tell. They might be trapped in a sin, or they may be in a position of difficulty. Even people who violently object to the things of Christ in our world today, it's still possible for them to be saved.
And therefore, I don't think we can determine who the enemies of God are. Everything is still cloaked in this fallen world. And therefore Jesus tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.
And that's my challenge to us today. Even as we read what David felt and thought about his enemies in that day, we don't go all the way there. In fact, we postpone that and we trust God to handle that and make it right. God will get right with the world. And if people are enemies of God's, they will suffer the consequences. But all of us in flesh today, all of those people that you meet at work today, the people that you interact with today, they're people that we can pray for. And they're people that we can try and figure out how to love and appreciate.
So let's look for ways to appreciate people today. How can we show appreciation even to people who are cruel to us are difficult to us?
Now don't put yourself in a position where you will be harmed. Let's use some common sense here. But in our normal workplaces, we're not in a position of harm. We might be in a position where someone would like for us to be gone, or there's something difficult going on in our workplace. Pray for the people that are involved in that and ask God to show you ways that you can be a blessing to them.
That's our command today. Even when we read these statements in the Old Testament, we can use those to help us remember that our job is to love them and it's God's job to make it right. And he will do that.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for joining us on this podcast. Consider joining our online community. We're a group of everyday Christians who are trying to figure out how to glorify God in our daily lives. You can join us at https://community.followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
Are we really supposed to hate our enemies? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast.
Since I committed to a series on Psalm 139, I have to read the parts that are challenging to us too. And that's what we find today in verses 19 through 22.
I'm reading from the New American Standard Bible. "Oh, that you would slay the wicked. O God; Depart from me, therefore, men, of bloodshed. For they speak against You, wickedly; And Your enemies take Your name in vain. Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? I hate them with the utmost hatred; They have become my enemies." Once again, that's Psalm 139 verses 19 through 22.
So my question that I opened with is, "Are we supposed to hate our enemies?" This clearly is what David is doing here. He's stating this very clearly in Psalm 139. But we have new information. We have information that's more recent than this and was spoken by Jesus and is in the New Testament. How do these things not contradict each other?
In Matthew 5:43-44, it says, "You have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." Jesus is speaking in that passage.
And so I believe we get our challenge here from the idea that we can read the Old Testament as being something that is descriptive of what was going on: it describes what's going on. Or it can be prescriptive that it can be a prescription for how we're supposed to live. And in these four verses I believe what we're reading is a description of how David felt.
David was honest with God, and I believe we're called to be honest with God as well. I do, in fact, hate the people who hate God. But I don't know who those people are. You see this side of eternity, we can't tell. They might be trapped in a sin, or they may be in a position of difficulty. Even people who violently object to the things of Christ in our world today, it's still possible for them to be saved.
And therefore, I don't think we can determine who the enemies of God are. Everything is still cloaked in this fallen world. And therefore Jesus tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.
And that's my challenge to us today. Even as we read what David felt and thought about his enemies in that day, we don't go all the way there. In fact, we postpone that and we trust God to handle that and make it right. God will get right with the world. And if people are enemies of God's, they will suffer the consequences. But all of us in flesh today, all of those people that you meet at work today, the people that you interact with today, they're people that we can pray for. And they're people that we can try and figure out how to love and appreciate.
So let's look for ways to appreciate people today. How can we show appreciation even to people who are cruel to us are difficult to us?
Now don't put yourself in a position where you will be harmed. Let's use some common sense here. But in our normal workplaces, we're not in a position of harm. We might be in a position where someone would like for us to be gone, or there's something difficult going on in our workplace. Pray for the people that are involved in that and ask God to show you ways that you can be a blessing to them.
That's our command today. Even when we read these statements in the Old Testament, we can use those to help us remember that our job is to love them and it's God's job to make it right. And he will do that.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for joining us on this podcast. Consider joining our online community. We're a group of everyday Christians who are trying to figure out how to glorify God in our daily lives. You can join us at https://community.followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
How big is God. And does it matter? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. With Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast.
We've been doing a series of posts through Psalm 139, thinking about God and today I want to read verses 17 and 18 from the New American Standard Bible.
"How precious also are your thoughts to me, oh God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with you."
David is basically saying here, one of the things that I say, I can't imagine bigger than God. I can't imagine the sum of all of God's thoughts toward us. Each individually. God is immense and greater than we can imagine.
And if we should try and count them, they would outnumber the sand. Everything that God has for us, his thoughts for us, his wishes for us, his power, that's at our disposal, all of the characteristics and all of the attributes about God are greater than we can imagine. So imagine as great as you can imagine, and God is still yet more. In fact, I think this last phrase here, "When I awake, I am still with You," I think David's saying that even when I dream these things, you're there and when I'm awake, you are there. I'm still with you.
The reality of God is something that we can't grasp. We can't fully grasp it. But I want to spend a moment and just enjoy, how good God must be. He sent his only Son to die on the cross for us. He created us, we were his idea. He set it up so that we could be with him forever. And then we blew that; we broke that, and he knew we would, and he came to become a man and live among us, and die on our behalf so that we could still restore that relationship with him, and spend eternity with him.
It's amazing to me. And I want that amazement to infiltrate everything I do. I want it to invade my work. I want it to invade my life. The joy that I get from thinking about how big and powerful God is ought to outnumber my circumstances.
And for us today in the workplace, I hope it does for you, I hope it outnumbers your circumstances. I hope God is bigger than your problems. I pray for people who listen to this podcast. And so as you listen to this, know that I prayed for you, that you would realize that God is bigger than your problems. And in the moment by moment, you are therefore available to serve other people, so they might come to know him. We can live out of the abundance of what God is and what he does for us. And that's the way that he makes himself visible in our world. We are his strategy.
So today I want to challenge us. Let's go into our workplaces today, punch in with "Here I am!" again, and remind yourself that God is bigger than our problems, our circumstances, our tasks, and the issues that we face.
God, what would you have us think about today and what would you have us do? Thanks for using us.
And thank you for being used in the lives of the people that you work with. What you do because you follow Jesus matters. And so pay attention to the people around you and look for opportunities to live like you trust God. And see if it doesn't help the people around you also see and experience God a little better.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thanks for being a follower of Jesus. If you want, consider joining us on our next Marketplace Mission Trip. This is a two week exercise where we challenge ourselves to go to our own jobs like we're overseas missionaries. What would it be like to go to your workplace for two weeks and pray for the people that you work with and let God put you to work?
Join us at https://community.followerofone.org and learn more. Thanks very much.
How big is God. And does it matter? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. With Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast.
We've been doing a series of posts through Psalm 139, thinking about God and today I want to read verses 17 and 18 from the New American Standard Bible.
"How precious also are your thoughts to me, oh God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with you."
David is basically saying here, one of the things that I say, I can't imagine bigger than God. I can't imagine the sum of all of God's thoughts toward us. Each individually. God is immense and greater than we can imagine.
And if we should try and count them, they would outnumber the sand. Everything that God has for us, his thoughts for us, his wishes for us, his power, that's at our disposal, all of the characteristics and all of the attributes about God are greater than we can imagine. So imagine as great as you can imagine, and God is still yet more. In fact, I think this last phrase here, "When I awake, I am still with You," I think David's saying that even when I dream these things, you're there and when I'm awake, you are there. I'm still with you.
The reality of God is something that we can't grasp. We can't fully grasp it. But I want to spend a moment and just enjoy, how good God must be. He sent his only Son to die on the cross for us. He created us, we were his idea. He set it up so that we could be with him forever. And then we blew that; we broke that, and he knew we would, and he came to become a man and live among us, and die on our behalf so that we could still restore that relationship with him, and spend eternity with him.
It's amazing to me. And I want that amazement to infiltrate everything I do. I want it to invade my work. I want it to invade my life. The joy that I get from thinking about how big and powerful God is ought to outnumber my circumstances.
And for us today in the workplace, I hope it does for you, I hope it outnumbers your circumstances. I hope God is bigger than your problems. I pray for people who listen to this podcast. And so as you listen to this, know that I prayed for you, that you would realize that God is bigger than your problems. And in the moment by moment, you are therefore available to serve other people, so they might come to know him. We can live out of the abundance of what God is and what he does for us. And that's the way that he makes himself visible in our world. We are his strategy.
So today I want to challenge us. Let's go into our workplaces today, punch in with "Here I am!" again, and remind yourself that God is bigger than our problems, our circumstances, our tasks, and the issues that we face.
God, what would you have us think about today and what would you have us do? Thanks for using us.
And thank you for being used in the lives of the people that you work with. What you do because you follow Jesus matters. And so pay attention to the people around you and look for opportunities to live like you trust God. And see if it doesn't help the people around you also see and experience God a little better.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thanks for being a follower of Jesus. If you want, consider joining us on our next Marketplace Mission Trip. This is a two week exercise where we challenge ourselves to go to our own jobs like we're overseas missionaries. What would it be like to go to your workplace for two weeks and pray for the people that you work with and let God put you to work?
Join us at https://community.followerofone.org and learn more. Thanks very much.
When you think of the idea of being predestined, do you consider that makes us robots? Hey, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast. As we continue to enjoy God, let's read verses 15 and 16 from Psalm 139.
"My bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began."
That's from the Christian Standard Bible. I mentioned predestination or predetermination. I have not prepared to talk in great detail about this. But this very clearly states that God thought of us. We're God's idea and not just mankind, but each of us individually. The Psalmist is very specific here. And either the Bible is wrong or we learn about God in this passage. If God knew us before we were born, before we even became to be, if our days were written in his book and planned before a single one of them began, that makes God very powerful. He knows all of this. And yet he still carved out this space where we're free to choose. Today you and I can choose to follow him or not. We can choose to listen to his Holy Spirit and do things for other people so that Jesus might become visible. Or not.
We have an opportunity to take part in this grand, rescue that's taking place in our globe. God is saving a people for himself and the people who are alive today are potential prospects in that salvation. We have the opportunity to live as if we're saved because we are; because we have the holy spirit living in us. And then we get to take part in this temporal life with all these other friends and we can help them see Jesus too.
This is a big responsibility when we consider that all of our days were written in God's book and planned before a single one of them began. It doesn't take us out of the game. It makes us pay attention to our original orders, our original papers.
What were you created to do? We were created to know God and love him. We were also created to be a husband or a wife or a father or a son or daughter. We were created to be in a family and in a community and to make a difference. You were ordained into your present job, into your present situation. And you can choose today to take that role and do something with it. We've been given this opportunity that God of the universe handcrafted us each for our present situation. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says "Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Read the context, check out that passage. Our present situation is God's will for us in Christ, Jesus. How powerful is that?
We get to take part in whatever God has for us, from right where we are today. We don't have to get somewhere else or be somewhere else. The next person that you see is someone that God would love for you to minister to, someone that you can pray for.
The next person that you see is someone that you can bless because God created them too. This is our opportunity as Christ followers. We get this chance to take part in this grand rescue of a lost people. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for considering how your life fits into God's overall plan.
One way you can do that is by punching in. Just tell God, "Okay, God, here I am. What would you have me do next?" And God will put you to work in his kingdom.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister. Also take a minute and check out our online community. Join another group of people who are trying to live this on a daily basis. Go to https://community.followerofone.org and check it out. Thanks very much.
Where were you at the beginning? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast.
"The beginning of what?" You might ask, because we all have to ask. We've been talking about, enjoying God in Psalm 139.
Today, I want to read verses 13 and 14
"For you formed my inward parts. You knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."
We've been going through Psalm 139 to just enjoy God a little. And today I want to talk about how God is the one who started us. He's the one who put us together. Before our beginning, God was involved. It's not some accident that you came about. The Psalmist states here very clearly, that God is the actor that brought you into being. He created you and he created you for a purpose and he did it in a particular way.
And he formed you. He put you together. "For it was you who created my inward parts," it says in the Christian Standard Bible. "You knit me together in my mother's womb." We were assembled by God. I think it's interesting because often I consider other people as just an accident or just someone else, some other thing. But God was actively involved in creating every one of us.
He put us together. He knitted us together. And therefore the Psalmist praises God, and we should praise God, because we are fearfully and wonderfully made. God still is in control.
He still is in charge. And he is the one who fearfully and wonderfully made us. His works are wonderful. And deep down inside, we know it. Our soul knows it very well.
Today, I want to challenge us as marketplace Christians to remember that we were handcrafted by God. And as a result that doesn't exclude us from being involved in the world.
No, we were made for this world. We were made for the people who we come in contact with every day. In Acts 1:8, Jesus said we will be his witnesses. And I don't think that was a command. I believe that was a statement of fact. You were assembled by God. And if you follow Jesus, then your job is to glorify God. Its to show off what life looks like as a Christ follower in whatever occupation you have, and in whatever situation you're in .
Today. I'm praying for you. Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for considering how your faith can make a difference in the world. Our job is to show off life following Jesus.
If there's anything that we can do to help you with that, you can contact me mike@followerofone.org, or you can join our online community at https://community.followerofone.org, where you can connect with other people who are in similar occupations in similar life situations, and we can help one another glorify God in our daily life.
Thank you for being a minister and for making a difference. Celebrate God a little bit this morning, or whenever you hear this. Enjoy him and then let's get to work. Let's punch in and go to work, glorifying him. Thanks very much.
How sensitive are your eyes to the light that you see? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast. We're reading through Psalm 1 39, and today I wanna read six verses. So I'm reading verses seven through 12.
"Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there, your hand will lead me and your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say 'Surely the darkness will overwhelm me and the light around me will be night,' even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You."
We're appreciating or enjoying God in this series. That's what I wanted to study about in Psalm 139.
We get this vivid vision of God. He's everywhere. He seems to be wherever we could possibly be; in heaven, in Sheol or in Hell, "behold, You are there." If we fly, if we take wings or if we dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there, God will lead us. His right hand can lay hold of us. It says in verse 10.
And so wherever we go, God is there. And even in the darkness, we can't hide from him. Surely the darkness will overwhelm us, but the light around us will be night, but even the darkness is not dark to God. God is everywhere and he knows everything. Which means that the freedom that we have to do good or to do evil is known by him.
He's not surprised by what happens to us. This is a challenge and I'm sure I may say some things that push some buttons with you. Please feel free to reach out and contact me, if you disagree with what I'm saying. I'm not a theologian, but I can imagine beyond what I can understand. There is something beyond what I understand and that's where God is.
He's in that space that I can't quite understand. He seems to be everywhere. He seems to know everything. And yet my actions can create consequences that have eternal ramifications. I can choose not to trust Jesus and I will spend eternity separated from him. I can choose to take a life. I can make a mistake in the way that I drive my car or the other things that I do.
I make choices that fact shorten my own life, by the way I eat or the way I fail to exercise, which are two of my weaknesses that I've spoken of before on this podcast. The point is we have this great God who knows all of these things, still gives us the freedom to take part in what's going on, and even encourages us to turn to him, to listen to him and to do what he says.
It's just too cool. And so today I want to enjoy God a little bit. I hope this is helping you enjoy him. He is almighty and he is there. If you're in the darkness and you feel separated from him, he's there. If you're in the light, that's great. He's there. If you try to run away, he's still there. God knows what's going on in our lives and he's available to help us.
And you can reach out to me, mike@followerofone.org and I will try and help. No matter what you're facing. I believe that God has a calling on our life: to know him, to trust him, and then to do what he says. And we get great joy, when we step into those three things. And as a marketplace Christian, today, you have the opportunity to step into that calling with God and watch him work.
Let's take advantage of this God, who's greater than we can imagine, and join him as he restores all of mankind to himself. This is a great calling and a great opportunity. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for considering how your faith can make a difference in the world. What you do because you follow Jesus matters.
Thanks very much.
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with SJ Barakony, an American small business founder with a boundless appreciation for people, entrepreneurship, liberty, and lifelong learning. He has ties to multiple business ventures: He started the Education Sherpa in late 2011; over the next 11 years, he's been offered a number of opportunities to partner with others, inc. the H7 Network; Econ Impact Catalyst; The Entrepreneurial Leap; Bee Konnected, and Web Strategy + / Social Media Enthusiasts. He’s a thought leader; futurist; guest blogger; super-connector; speaker; historian; and soft skills specialist. In this episode, Mike and SJ talk about his involvement in the business world, the H7 network, the importance of networking as a marketplace Christian, how SJ came to Christ, the importance of having a Christian community, how to integrate your faith into your workplace, and the importance of being a “giver.”
Outline of the Episode
- 0:48 – About SJ Barakony and his involvement in the business world
- 6:25 – About H7 Network
- 10:37 – How SJ came to Christ
- 14:15 – The importance of having a Christian community
- 17:42 – How to integrate your faith into your workplace
- 23:45 – The importance of being a “giver”
The Importance of Having a Christian Community
God talks about the Church a lot in the Bible. The thing is when He mentions the Church, He means a community of believers. It is essential for our spiritual well-being to be a part of a Christian community so that we have people to push us closer to Christ.
How to Integrate Your Faith into Your Workplace
It can be easy to not see your workplace as a mission field. But, the people we spend the most time with are our coworkers. Our actions and our attitude need to back up our faith so that people will ask why we are different. This allows for a gospel conversation to be started.
Connect with SJ Barakony
- The Education Sherpa
- H7 Network
- Founders Live Media
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
Does God know our thoughts? I am Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast. We're in the middle of a series. I originally thought it was going to be five episodes. It may be a few more. We're talking about Psalm 139..
Today I want to read verses three through six. "You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold O Lord, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high. I cannot attain to it."
Some of this language is a little stilted. This is from the 1995 New American Standard Bible. The word translated scrutinize in verse three, is translated differently by many different translations.
It means that God understands or discerns. He searches out. He observes, he may even sift through or winnow our thoughts, our path. He's watching over us. Our path can also be our going and coming, our travels. And so these words are a little different. Our journeying, it says as an alternate translation.
My point here is God knows what we're thinking. He knows what's going on. And he has given us the ability to do the things that we do. We can cause great harm or we can create great good. Our challenge I believe, is to realize that God knows what's going on in our brain.
I want to give him my thoughts. I want to ask him to examine my thoughts and to shape them.
I want to give him authority over my thought life. In my past, I wanted control over my own thoughts. But I've come to the point of verse 6, I believe, where David says, "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is too high. I cannot attain to it."
Basically my brain won't stretch around this. It says in the Net Bible, "Your knowledge is beyond my comprehension. It is too far beyond me. I am unable to fathom it." God is so cool that he knows what we think. He knows what we're doing, and he still allows us to do it.
And it creates consequences. I wonder how much or how little God really intervenes in what we do. And yet I want him to intervene more, the more that I get to know him and trust him. And I think that's our challenge as marketplace ministers today. Do we want God to direct us or do we want to direct ourselves?
I've been learning since the day I became a Christian over 34 years ago that I wanted God's result in my life, even though I often wanted to do my own things. And so over time, I'm learning to trust him with the choices that he prompts me to make so that I can create the results that he's guiding me to create.
I think that's a complicated way of explaining it, but that's our call as marketplace ministers.
How much of our life can we trust God for? Can we trust him today and pray for people that we don't like? Can we trust him today and pray for a difficult boss or a difficult coworker? Can we trust him enough today to serve someone or give them something that they don't deserve, something way above what they deserve? Can we be a blessing to the people around us?
That's our job. Our job is to transform our environment like yeast transforms, dough. And that's an opportunity that we get because we're Christ followers.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister today. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of every person that you meet. Ask God to guide your mind and to protect your thoughts and to show you how you can be a blessing to the people around you.
Everything that we do because we follow Jesus matters. And so you have the opportunity today to choose thoughts and actions that glorify God and will last forever. Thanks so much for being a marketplace minister. If you'd like to be a member of an online community that helps other people share their faith and live their faith on a daily basis, go to https://community.followerofone.org and check it out.
Thanks very much.
If you had to describe God, how would you do it? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast, I want to take a few days and just enjoy God and just spend some time thinking about him. I hope to do five posts in Psalm 139. Today. I want to read verses one and two.
"Oh Lord. You have searched me and known me. You know, when I sit down and when I rise up; you understand my thought from afar." And that's from the New American Standard translation.
When we want to appreciate God and understand God and think about him, first we have to think about who he is. This is a Psalm of David. So David is reminding us at the very beginning that God has searched us. He knows us. He knows when we sit down and when we rise up, he understands every thought that we have, different translations reference, this only slightly differently.
It says in The Message, "God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I'm an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking." God knows what we think. And he knows what we do. It's impossible for us to imagine God in much accuracy beyond what he has taught us in his word, because he's infinite and we're not.
I mean, the one thing I know when I get to see God is that I will not say something stupid, like, "Oh, I thought you were bigger." I believe that my imagination doesn't measure up to the God of the universe. The God of the universe is almighty and all powerful. And we'll talk about that a little bit more in the coming days.
But today I wanted to challenge us to remember. God knows what's going on. He knows what's in our brain. He knows all of these things about us; more even than we are conscious of at any given moment for ourselves. God knows you. And he knows me. And we'll talk a little bit more as we go through the series, but God knows us.
He knows what we'll do, and yet we're still free to choose and to create blessing or consequences and to then have to deal with those blessings or consequences as well. That's the challenge of being a follower of Christ. Once we realize where we fit in this grand reality, that begins and ends with the God of the universe, and we realize that we have an opportunity to take a role. We're not passive. We're not spectators. We're participants. Any time you want, God can put you in the game. All you have to do is pray for the people around you. It begins with a simple prayer, like "Here I am!"
This acknowledgement that God searches us and knows us, and he knows what we think. "God, would you take my mind and point it toward what you want it to do today." And he will do that. That's what our "Here I am" prayer is. Our first daily habit is to pray.
When we pray "here I am," we clock in and we tell God that we want to do what he wants us to do today. And so for the next five days, let's go through Psalm 1 39 and let's examine God and let's see what he wants us to know about him so that we can live for him in our current day and time.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for making a difference with your faith. Look around. Any idea that you get while you're praying or talking to Jesus, it may have come from him. If it does make a point to do it. Act on the promptings that you get from the Holy Spirit, and watch him work in your world. Take a moment and join us in the online community that is Follower of One.
You can go to https://community.followerofone.org and join us. We want to help one another live our faith on a daily basis. Thanks very much.
Do you consider yourself to be the slave of a habit or a practice or a person?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast. Yesterday, we spoke a little bit about 1 Corinthians 6:11, and today our verse is 1 Corinthians 6:12.
"All things are lawful for me. But not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything." And that's from the New American Standard Bible.
The apostle Paul is talking to the people in Corinth. And in this letter, he is talking about our freedom in the Lord, how we're free to do the things that God would have us do.
How free do you feel? How free are you. People may be listening to this who aren't free. We may be addicted to food, or we may be addicted to other habits. We may even be addicted to a way of thinking. The apostle Paul actually refers to it here as being mastered. Other translations, use the word dominated or to be a slave.
We can be a slave of our actions. We can become a slave to drugs. To some degree I'm addicted to sweets. I eat way too many sweet foods and I'm not in shape. We can let certain things have a pull over us. But this verse is a reminder that God made all things lawful to us.
Through our salvation, everything is lawful, but not everything is profitable. And that's the comparison that I want to make today. What's profitable? What makes our life better? What makes the life of the people around us better? The only things profitable are those things that move us closer to God. The only things that are ultimately profitable are those things that help us and the people around us be more like Jesus. If we make money, but it makes us less like Jesus, that's not a good trade. If we feel better, but it makes us less like Jesus, that's not a good swap either.
What we want to do is we want to live as people who are helping others and ourselves achieve this ultimate profitability. The ultimate profitability is our proximity to the Lord. How close can we get to Jesus? Because it's there that we are right, forever. And any place else, we might be right a little bit in the short run, but we will be wrong in the long run.
Today, our goal is to remind ourselves as we go into our workplaces, how can we aim for the highest, best good for the people that we work with? Let's do a great job. Let's pray before we act. Let's ask God to use us to bless the people around us. Our life on this planet is still designed to be so that other people might draw nearer to God, and so that we might be more like him. That's our goal. And that's our purpose. And we can wake up today, remember our why, go to work, serving the Lord. It begins with punching in; just telling God, "OK, God, here I am. Would you please put me to work today? Would you please show me how I can be ultimately profitable for the people around me?"
This is not about what's right or wrong, legal or not legal. This is about what's best. How can I do what's best for the people that I work with today? That's my challenge. And I want to make that challenge to you as well.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for considering the difference that Jesus would have you make in your workplace today. You are not there by accident. Our job is to be God glorifiers in our present situations. Join us in that. You can join a community of people who are focused on that by joining https://community.follweorofone.org. Go check it out.
Thanks very much.
Do you consider yourself a righteous?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast.
Today, I want to talk about first Corinthians chapter six, verse 11, but I'm actually going to start in verse nine for my reading today.
"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. Do not be deceived neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you, but you were washed, you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ and in the spirit of our God."
So that's 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 from the New American Standard Bible.
I was actually tempted to shy away from this verse a little bit because of this list that Paul gives us in verses 9 and 10. But the keyword for us to examine here is he says, do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?
And then in verse 11 it says, "such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified." This point, being that the difference between an unrighteous person and a righteous person happens to be what we do. Do we follow Jesus? And part of the reason why we call our organization Follower of One is because there is this one person that I want to follow and that's Jesus Christ.
I'm afraid that I don't do it perfectly or every day. I would expect that every day I fall short in some measure, I don't follow Jesus the way that I should, but it's my intention too. And it's my goal too. Our salvation comes from following Jesus. He gives us the Holy Spirit when we trust him and follow him. And there are verses about all that, that I'm not even prepared to dig up today.
My point was to remember that such was I. I was one of those people, but I was washed, sanctified and justified in the name of Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God when I trusted Christ for my salvation and chose to bend my life to follow him.
Today. I want to live that way. I don't want to be a fornicator or an idolator anymore.
I don't want to be identified by the behaviors that I take that are selfish. No, I want to be identified by the behavior of following Jesus Christ and doing what he says. I still stumble, like I said earlier, and you will too, but today I want to remind us, we have an opportunity to choose every single moment to follow Jesus or not.
It's our choice that we make and it gets easier as we do it. So today, thank you for being one of those people that chooses to follow Jesus. As you're listening to this podcast, if Jesus gives you an idea of a way to be a blessing to someone. or to do anything so that someone else might move one notch closer to Jesus, please take a moment and do it. Make some time and put it into your schedule to be someone who can say, "such was I. I am not one of those anymore. I'm trying to be this person who follows Jesus." That's our story, and we're sticking to it. And today we want to do that with 1 Corinthians 6:11.
Tomorrow. We'll talk about verse 12 as well, because I think it piggybacks right on this. But today let's remember, "Jesus, show us how you want us to act, show us how we can make you visible to others around us."
Thanks for being a marketplace minister. Thanks for considering this podcast. Please take a moment and share it with your friends and join us at https://community.followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
Do you catch yourself judging other Christ followers? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast.
Today's passage. I want to read Romans 14:13, and I'm reading in the English Standard Version. Therefore, let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother."
I'm convicted when I watch YouTube videos or read how certain pastors or certain people on YouTube are criticizing other Christians. I'm challenged often, because I believe that there's an interesting secret in this passage that we tend to forget. I want to judge everyone and compare them against myself.
And I'm practicing speaking in the first person, because I think we all do it a little bit. Maybe you are from a charismatic background or you're from a very conservative background. And we tend to be critical of those who come from a different way of worship or a different way of behavior. And when I read this verse and it's in a context, where Paul is actually encouraging the Roman Christians on how to live.
But when I read this passage all by itself, I see that I'm not supposed to be judging others. There's this wide variety of ways that I believe God wants to be worshiped. And there are certain ways that I choose to worship him because they're comfortable for me. And there are certain ways that others choose to worship him because they're comfortable for them.
And I don't need to judge those people or criticize those people or put a stumbling block, or as the Christian Standard Version says, or a pitfall in their way. I'm not trying to be an obstacle or a hindrance to people who practice following the Lord different than me. And I want to look critically at those people online and those people who publish books and criticize other Christians.
I do believe that it's important for us to examine ourselves and to be careful about the error that we perpetuate or that we pass along. In fact, as I'm talking to you about this passage, I want to be careful and I pray that God would give me wisdom on how to speak in this area.
But today in our marketplace, my challenge to us is this: let's not criticize fellow believers. Let's find ways to help them do what they're trying to do in glorifying God. Let's not pass judgment on them, but rather let's decide not to create obstacles or hindrances for them. Our goal is to cooperate.
We're both trying to promote our relationship with Jesus Christ as the answer to our friend's and our coworker's problems. We both want to live in such a way that other people might be drawn to the Lord. Therefore let's not put a stumbling block in someone's way today. That's our challenge for today. Let's look for ways to be encouragers of the other people that we work with. Let's encourage and bless and build up, as we said in the previous two episodes. Let's help other people live closer to Jesus.
That's our job as a minister is to help other people move one notch closer to him.
Thanks so much for being a marketplace minister. And thanks for being in Christ-follower, who wants to make a difference in the world with your faith. What you do matters. In fact, it matters a lot. Thanks also for listening to this podcast. Please consider sharing it with a friend.
Join us in our online community at https://community.followerofone.org. And also please consider making a contribution to pay it forward so that other people might be able to hear this podcast or join us in the online community. Thank you so much for being a marketplace minister and thank you for what you do in your faith.
It matters. Thanks very much.
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Hunter Wadlington. Hunter Wadlington lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma and serves as the Missions Associate at First Baptist Owasso. Whether it be short term mission trips, full time overseas ministry, or local community impact, she loves giving people the tools and opportunities to serve their neighbors and share Jesus around the world. In this episode, Mike and Hunter talk about how they got connected, the partnership between First Baptist Owasso and Follower of One, how Hunter came to Christ, the important community that Hunter found in Follower of One, Hunter’s experiences on a Marketplace Mission Trip, being a follower of Jesus in a secular context, and Hunter’s advice to Church Leaders wanting to do a Marketplace Mission Trip.
Outline of the Episode
- 0:28 – How Hunter got connected with Mike
- 1:57 – How Hunter got started with First Baptist Owasso
- 3:09 – How Hunter came to Christ
- 6:17 – The important community that Hunter found in Follower of One
- 7:41 – Hunter’s experiences on a Marketplace Mission Trip
- 8:11 – Being a follower of Jesus in a secular context
- 12:29 – Hunter’s advice to Church Leaders wanting to do a Marketplace Mission Trip
The Importance of a Community like Follower of One
Finding a community like Follower of One has become essential in the life of Marketplace Missionaries. The Bible calls us to surround ourselves with a community of believers, and communities like Follower of One allow for Marketplace MIssionaries to find people in the same situation as you.
Being a Follower of Jesus in a Secular Context
If you grew up in a Christian family, it is easy to talk about the Gospel. But, for those who haven’t grown up in a Christian Household, conversations about Christ don’t come naturally. We need to gain this perspective as we talk about Christ so that we can more effectively share the Gospel in our workplace.
Follow Hunter Wadlington
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
Do you believe tearing others down has become a national pastime? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast.
We're doing a couple of episodes on building others up. We did yesterday in part one, and we're also doing a part two today on building others up.
It's interesting how the different translations use different words. Today, our verse is Romans 14:19 and I'm reading from the New American Standard Bible.
"So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another."
Paul's challenging us as Christians, as Christ followers to build others up instead of tearing them down. In this particular passage, he was talking about meat sacrificed to idols or about what kind of foods that we ate, and the different things that we did. And, he talks about in couple verses before this, how the kingdom of God is not tied up in eating and drinking. It's in doing what glorifies Jesus.
In yesterday's episode, we also talked about this because it was also based a little bit on the rules of the law of Moses, the Old Testament Law. And he was talking about how all things are lawful, but not all things are helpful, or not all things build up. That was yesterday's message.
Today. We can split hairs and I don't have many, but we can split hairs about the rules and the way that we live, or we can be people who build others up. And I'm challenged by this because often I'm so involved in my own selfishness that I don't notice others. But I want to be someone who notices others and who builds them up because when we bless other people, we're doing what God does. We're basically taking our faith and inserting it in the world.
Our calling is to be someone who builds others up. "So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another." Let's pursue these things that make for peace. Let's be the, peacemakers in our world. That was one of the Beattitudes, "Blessed are the peacemakers."
It's our challenge to be difference makers. And our world as it gets more and more tense and more and more negative, creates this opportunity for us to be visible and to show off what life is like following Jesus.
I don't often live like I want other people to even notice me as a Jesus follower. But that's something I want to do more of as well. My goal is to be this kind of peacemaker, to be someone who builds others up and helps them to feel good and to enjoy life and to realize that God created this world, that we would enjoy it and him.
We broke it and it's all messed up now because of what we did. Every one of us would've done what Adam and Eve did. So any one of us could have been the one who pulled the trigger. But our job now is to help build others up and help them see Jesus. He's paid the price for our sin. He's paid to undo all of this mess and to make it right one day. And God will, especially if we live, like we believe it. Let's follow him today and let him use us in the lives of the people around us.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for considering how your faith can make a difference. One way we can do that is to find ways to build others up. Look for ways today, to compliment people and to thank them for what they've done. And look for ways to help them see themselves in a better light and to feel better about themselves, as they move towards God, not just for the heck of it.
We want to help people move towards Jesus. That's our goal. That's our ministry is to help other people move one notch closer to Jesus. Thank you for being a marketplace minister and considering how you could do that. Please consider also joining us in our online community. It's at https://community.followerofone.org.
We want to help one another, be the kind of people who point people to Jesus. Thanks very much.
How much time do you spend building others up? Hey, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast. Today, I'd like to read 1 Corinthians chapter 10 verses 23 and 24. And I'm reading from the English Standard Version.
"All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful, but not all things built up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor."
When I thought about this particular passage, I was struck by the phrase building up or build up. I don't know that I build up others nearly as much as I want to believe. I often think that I build others up, but often I just keep to myself.
I keep my opinions to myself. And I want to be better at building others up. And one way that I can do that is by looking out for the good of the other person. It's good for others, if I encourage them, if I tell them how well they're doing. Often though, I have to make myself notice. Often I'm so absorbed in my own behaviors and my own thoughts and my own intentions and my own goals that I never see what someone else does. Therefore, I'm not grateful.
Today. I want to challenge myself. I want to be more intentional in building others up. I want to speak about things that others have done and thank them for what they've done for me and be grateful, and show gratitude. I also want to notice those things. And so I'm asking God to help me notice what others do.
Often, it's my own selfishness that takes me out of the game of building other people up. And so I don't want to be selfish anymore, although I probably will be. And keep your expectations low.
But let's try today to move things along, by noticing the people around us by making a compliment. And let's look for ways to help other people feel better about what they're doing in the world. So much of our world seems to be tearing down today. And today I think as Christians, we can make a difference by building others up. So that's our challenge today.
Take it from 1 Corinthians 10:23-24, even though everything may be lawful, not everything builds up. Let's not seek our own good, but the good of our neighbor.
Thanks so much for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for making a difference with your faith in the world. Let's take life following Jesus and go and stick it in the world in such a way that other people are blessed, and that other people are encouraged.
That's our job as Christ followers. Again, thanks for being a marketplace minister, and thanks for making a difference with your faith. If you'd like to be part of an online community that is trying to do this, we're trying to help one another be difference makers in the world because we follow Jesus, then check out our online community. It's at https://community.followerofone.org. You can join us there and take the next Marketplace Mission Trip, which starts in just a few weeks where we challenge ourselves to live our faith on a daily basis. Let's be difference makers in the world because we follow Jesus.
Thanks very much.
Can you explain your convictions to someone who might not agree with you?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast. Today is the last day of the first week of our Marketplace Mission Trip. And we always talk through the five daily activities in the first week of the mission trip.
The fifth of those daily activities is Speaking for Yourself. Today, I chose a verse that feeds into this. And that verse is Romans 14:22, "The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves." And that's from the New American Standard Bible.
I expect the different translations might have that stated slightly differently. But the challenge here is to be able to understand what you believe and know what you believe. Do this as your own conviction. If you convict yourself or condemn yourself, because you do something opposite of what your own convictions are, then you won't be very happy. You're living this dual split life.
This is at the end of a passage about not causing our brothers to stumble. And he's talking much about meat sacrifice to idols or drinking wine or doing anything that might cause your brother to stumble, it says in the verse before this. But the principle applies.
Do we know what we believe? That was Wednesday's activity. Are we willing to explain that to someone who might have different convictions than we have? And that's our fifth daily activity, which is Speak for Yourself. It's about using "I" and "me" statements to explain your actions and your beliefs. People don't care what we believe unless we live according to that belief.
But if we live differently and people see that difference and we can explain it reasonably. We make Jesus visible in the world. And that's our opportunity here. That's the whole point behind speaking for yourself on the Marketplace Mission Trip. When we're asked, we want to be able to explain why we're doing what we do.
And I often say that I do it because when I started following Jesus, that changed my life. And now I try and do what I believe Jesus would want me to. And often that's all the explanation I get to give to someone on the first time or the first conversation. People need to process what they hear.
Our whole five daily activity plan is we pray first. We appreciate others second. We know what we believe. We practice this answer, third. We serve others, which is what we're doing all the time. And then our fifth daily activity. Is that when we're asked, we speak for ourselves. We don't have to go forcing conversations. We don't have to try and manipulate the dialogue in the break room or anything like that.
What we need to do is be able to explain our convictions. " The faith which we have, have as our own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves."
Today let's live intentionally according to our faith. And when someone asks us, let's give them a simple explanation about why we believe what we believe and why we live the way we do.
That's a compelling reason for them to consider our faith. But they get to choose and they get to take the actions. They're not being forced or proselytized in any way. We're simply telling them the reasons behind our motives.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for joining us in this effort of trying to take our faith with us to work and trying to integrate our faith into everything that we do.
What we do because we follow Jesus matters forever. I say that often on this podcast. But even Jesus said that if we give a cup of cold water in his name, we shall not lose our reward. And so the things that we do because we follow Jesus matter forever.
Also consider if you would supporting our ministry. We're a donor supported ministry. The podcast we provided no charge, the online community and the marketplace mission trips that we do, we don't do them with any upfront cost. We ask people to consider making a donation so that other people can take part in these activities as well. Would you consider making a donation to Follower of One. Just go to https://followerofone.org and click the donate button in the upper right hand corner and make a contribution.
Thank you very much for being a marketplace minister and for integrating your faith into what you do every day. It matters and I'm grateful. Thanks.
Have you ever asked God to give you ideas for how you might serve your boss?
Hey, it's Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast.
Today, I want to talk about 1 Timothy 6:2. "Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved." That's 1 Timothy 6:2 from the English Standard Version.
A couple of years ago, episode 252. I actually talked about 1 Timothy 6:1. These two verses are addressed to "all who are under a yolk as bond servants," it says in the English Standard Version. In other words, these are what was called slaves in that day, but many of them were just indentured servants. They were working out debt. It was much like the employees that we have today. And so in verse two, he's actually charging these bondservants who have Christians who are their masters, and he's encouraging these people not to be disrespectful on the ground that their master is a brother. "Rather, we must serve all the better since those who benefit by our good service are believers and beloved."
The challenge here is for marketplace Christians to serve their bosses. We serve our boss, even if they're non-believers, and we talked about that in episode 252. But today we're talking about serving believers.
The reason why this topic is relevant to me is because we're talking about, serving others in the Marketplace Mission Trip. Our challenge, our fourth daily activity is to serve other people. That's our job as Christians is to serve others. That's what ministry means.
And so we serve others so that Jesus might become visible. One of those people that you serve is your boss, And if that person's not a believer, then we want to treat them as worthy of all honor, as it says in verse one. But in verse two, it says, even if they're believers, don't treat them with disrespect, but serve them all the better.
Let's be a blessing to the people that we interact with today. Let's look for ways to serve the people around us. Today, on serve others day in the Marketplace Mission Trip, ask God, to give you an idea for how you can serve your boss, how you can serve your supervisor. Or if you're an entrepreneur, or if you're self-employed, how can you serve your customers? How can you serve the people that you report to and the people that you do work for?
That's our job as believers is to serve others. When we start praying for them, which we did back on Monday, and we start appreciating them. Then God shows us ways to serve other people. And today what we want to do is remember that we want to show respect to the Christians that we interact with. We don't want to treat them disrespectfully, but we want to serve them all the better since they benefit by our good service and they're believers in Jesus Christ.
Today, as a marketplace, Christian, I want to challenge us to be servants in the workplace. It's how we show the Spirit that Jesus gave us. It's how we demonstrate to the world that we're different. It's not about what we say nearly as much as it is about what we do. And we can always find ways to serve other people.
So today ask God and then do whatever he tells you. Do what you can to be a servant to the people that you interact with daily.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of the people that you interact with every day. Your service to Jesus and your service to them can matter for eternity.
What we do can matter forever. And that's why it's important, how we live as Christians. And if you want to be part of a community of people who are trying to do this on a daily basis, check out our online community at https://community.followerofone.org. I'm grateful that you listen to the podcast and that you look for ways to integrate your faith into your life every day.
Thanks very much.
If you were building a building, how would you start?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast.
Today, I want to talk about 1 Corinthians 3:11, and I'm reading from the English Standard Version. "
For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ."
Now, this verse is part of a lengthy explanation that's going on by the apostle Paul, as he speaks to the church in Corinth. But he's pointing out that our faith in our life and everything that we do with our lives is something that is built on a foundation.
Your life will be built by you. You get to build it. But no one can lay the foundation. Jesus is the foundation. If we don't have, Jesus is our foundation, our life is built on nothing. It's built on sand and it won't stand the test of time. But if our life is built on Jesus Christ, it will stand the test of time.
He's our foundation. And when we build on him, our work in the lives of our coworkers, customers, vendors, and friends is designed to be part of God's activity. It's part of his grand strategy. It's not part of what we're building. It all becomes part of what Christ is building. It's a very interesting challenge.
Paul reminds us this all starts with Jesus. But when we punch in and listen to him, he will put us to work. And so we've been talking on our Marketplace Mission Trip about the first prayer is, "Here. I am," punching us in. And then we go to work for him and he puts us to work.
Sometime in the next few weeks, someone is going to ask you why you did something. Maybe you stayed late to help them. Maybe you bought a lunch or you did something over and above what was expected of you. When you do that because you're our Jesus follower, especially people will ask. They won't understand your motives. If they think you're just doing these things to get ahead in your job, they will never ask. But if you can clearly do things that won't get you ahead in your job, then people will be curious.
And hopefully Jesus will give you the idea. He's our foundation. He's our motivation. When we follow him, we become part of his plan, not ours. And our actions become the will of God. In My Most for His Highest, the author says we are the will of God when we're obeying him and doing what he says.
And so we will be the will of God when we do what God wants. My question for us today is do we trust Jesus enough to tell others that he's the reason why we did something? Our third daily activity is to know what we believe. We practice a one or two sentence answer that tells other people that we did what we did because we're a Jesus follower.
And if we're good at appreciating and serving others, they will ask us. They'll say, "why did you do that?" So as we practice answering this question, we get ready to be able to explain in one or two sentences using "I" and "me" statements, that Jesus was part of our motivation for us being a blessing to them, for us appreciating them, or for us doing something for them.
In one or two sentences, if you buy someone's lunch today, give them that answer when they ask. Just say something like, "I follow Jesus. And I thought this was something that Jesus would want me to do." Practice it some so that it becomes very natural.
If Jesus is your foundation, he's the basis for your actions. Your actions will point other people to Jesus, as you do what he says. So what we do, because we believe in him is part of what he's doing in our world. I hope that makes sense. I want to challenge us to go ahead and do the crazy ideas that pop into our mind, especially those that we get while we're praying. Let's let Jesus guide us into doing things so that he becomes visible and he will put us to work.
That's our challenge for today. Practice a little bit and get ready to answer the question, "Why are you doing this?" And if you're interested in continuing this activity, or if you're hearing this podcast and you're not taking our Marketplace Mission Trip, check it out. You can find out more about it inside of our online community at https://community.followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Clare Price. Clare Price is the President and CEO of Octain Growth Systems, the systems, process, and tools company that helps you take control of your marketing through smart execution. Her new book, Smart Marketing Execution (coming Fall 2022), defines the strategies, execution process and automated systems mid-market companies need to use marketing to accelerate their profits, performance and productivity. On a personal note, Clare is a foodie, amateur ornithologist, and proud Mom of Shetland Sheepdogs Toby and Ashton. In this episode, Mike and Clare talk about her business Octain Growth, her new book Smart Marketing Execution, describing the methodology and practice of the application of growth systems, The concept of “The 7 Mountains of our Globe,” how Clare came to Christ, and how to recognize the potential in tough situations.
Outline of the Episode * 0:28 – About Octain Growth * 1:15 – About her book Smart Marketing Execution * 3:06 – How Clare got started with Octain Growth * 3:54 – The importance of faith in growing businesses * 4:46 – The concept of “The 7 Mountains of our Globe” * 6:15 – How Clare came to Christ * 8:14 – Learning on the Lord as you lead your business * 9:29 – How Octain Growth helps grow businesses * 14:05 – How to recognize the potential in tough situations * 15:31 – Measuring success in a business
Clare’s New Book! Her upcoming book, Smart Marketing Execution is the handbook for businesses that want to accelerate their profits, performance and productivity in uncertain times. It showcases the Octain Growth System, a marketing operating system that integrates strategy, execution, and automation to provide business builders and marketers with a proven pathway to profitability. Learn more at www.octaingrowth.com.
Connect with Clare * Her website: http://www.octaingrowth.com * Her LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clareprice/
Connect With Follower Of One Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
Who's in the center of your universe?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast. Today, we're on day two of the Marketplace Mission Trip if you're taking part in our Marketplace Mission Trip in our online community. And on day two, our second daily activity is to appreciate others.
Our verse today is Romans 13:14. "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires." And that's from the English Standard Version of the Bible.
Paul's actually talking about and contrasting living for ourselves versus living for others. And he talks about how we want to live as people of the day and be in a transparent situation and be public and visible during the day.
So he gives us this command, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." We do not want to gratify the desires of our flesh. Appreciate others is our daily activity. As I said, in Philippians chapter two, Paul also talks about this very much, the same way.
He says, do nothing from selfishness. But consider others more important than yourself. He's telling us to take ourselves out of the center of the universe. And that's why I asked the question, "Who's in the center of your universe?" We all tend to put ourselves there.
One of the ways that we understand the truth of the biblical worldview is by looking at our fallen nature. When we look at our fallen nature, we see that all of us choose for ourselves naturally. We want what we want. But today I want to challenge you to think about how we might deny our selfishness, how we might make no provision for the flesh. Instead we provide for the needs of others around us. And that's why this kind of lines up with our second daily activity of appreciating others.
One way I try to do this is to focus on the eyes of someone else. If I can see their eyes, can I make them my focus? Can I pray for them in that moment? Can I listen to discover a way to bless them? Can I make a mental note to remember their name or something else about them? Can I find out more about their family and what's going on in their world?
Chances are they're in the center of their world. And if I can discover more about their world, I can find ways to show appreciation. I can simply ask God to grant me some measure of appreciation toward them. And for me, that's a code word for love. I believe the Great Commandment in our Bible is "Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself."
It's love God and love people. And so when we show appreciation to the people around us, We help send the message of what Christ would have known in the world. He would have us be this kind of a difference maker in the world.
For most of my life, the people I worked with were an obstacle to my success. Just like in traffic, they were in between me and what I wanted or where I wanted to be.
But when I became a Christ follower, I wish I could say that stopped. It began stopping. I still wrestle with this a little bit to this day. But I don't have as much trouble with it now, as I did when I first became a believer. But I'm not sure I'm even proud of the progress that I've made.
So today I want to challenge us. Let's come up with ways to actively, intentionally show appreciation to others, help them feel appreciated. That's the first step in loving someone. The great commandment, like I said, is to love God and love people. So let's love the people around us today. Let's find ways to help them believe that they are appreciated. And let's ask God to give us genuine appreciation for the people that we interact with. If you can see their eyes, let's concentrate on them a little bit today and be intentional blessers of others.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for choosing to make a difference with your faith in the world today.
What we do because we follow Jesus matters. If you'd like to be part of a community, that's trying to do this more and more on a daily basis, check out our online community. It's at https://community.followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
Do you often wish you could do something great for Jesus? Do you often feel disappointed when the results don't add up to what you expected?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast. Today, I want to talk about Luke chapter 10, verse 20.
"Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." And that's from the English Standard Version.
Today, our group is starting another Marketplace Mission Trip, and often on our mission trips, people come into them hoping to see God do some miracle in their daily workplace life.
It's a fun expectation. We want God to use us to make a difference and we want to hear him one day say, "well done, good and faithful servant." And we often compare our results against our own expectations to make that assessment. In this passage, Jesus is talking with the disciples. Seventy of them have been sent out across the country in pairs to preach about the kingdom of God being near.
They were like Jesus' advance guard. They basically announced that Jesus was coming to the entire nation. And they saw some great success. And in verse 19, Jesus celebrates that success with them. But he puts it all back in perspective in verse 20, when he says "don't rejoice in the results that you're experiencing; rejoice, instead that your names are written in heaven," that we have a relationship with God, that we are known by him.
So we can enjoy our relationship, with God today. We can enjoy the kingdom of God today. And we're told to rejoice now, but every day isn't a miracle day. Many days are ordinary days. And measured by human standards, even Jesus's ministry was a failure. How much more will ours be measured as a failure too? How successful can we expect to be in this world?
I think our success comes in our relationship with God and often that's what happens to people on the Marketplace Mission Trip. We enter these efforts for God with high expectations, and then we get deflated because reality sets in. Our world is broken and we broke it. And we're surprised when it doesn't line back up with what we understand about God. But he's working his plan.
And all of this brings me back to trusting God and living in the moment.
Today in our workplaces, we can find ways to pray. We can look for opportunities to be a blessing to the people around us. And you can always bless someone else by sincerely praying for them. As you're talking to anyone as you're looking at anyone, when you interact with anyone, say a prayer. Ask God to use you to bless them, or to do something else to bless them. He has this ability.
That's our first daily activity in the Marketplace Mission Trip is to pray. And one of the great passages for that is the easy memory verse from 1 Thessalonians 5:17, "pray without ceasing."
In every interaction that you have today, you can lift up a prayer. You can ask God to use you in their life. You can ask God to bless them any way that he deems necessary. He knows what's going on in the life of every person that we interact with today. And that's why we call what we do. marketplace ministry. "Ministry" is nothing but service and we can go into our workplace and serve others.
All we need to do is remember that good or bad, we can rejoice because our names are written in heaven from Luke chapter 10, verse 20.
So today, thank you for being a marketplace minister. Let's go into our workplaces today and pray for others and ask God to use us to make a difference in the world. We can integrate our faith into everything we do simply by praying for the people that we interact with every day.
And we'll talk about the other four daily activities in the next few days, and in a way you'll be going through the marketplace mission trip with us, even if you haven't joined our online community.
But if you haven't, what are you waiting for? Why not go to https://community.followerofone.org and sign up right now. Create a profile there and start hanging out with a group of Christians who want their faith to matter every day.
Who we are around matters.
And it makes a difference in our lives when we can put ourselves around other people who want to follow God. Let's follow him today. Remember that we can rejoice because our names are written in heaven and do whatever he says. Thanks very much.
Have you ever given so much, you thought it was too much? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. With Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast. Welcome to episode 757. Today, we're talking about the extravagant grace of God and we're using Ephesians chapter one verses six through eight as our reference.
I'm actually going to start reading though at the end of verse four. "In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight."
The "he's" and "him's" in here were talking about Jesus. And this passage is from the English Standard Version. I read part of this from the New American Standard yesterday's passage. Today, we're talking about God and we're talking about how he has blessed us. And he first blessed us by choosing us. We spoke about that yesterday.
And then what he does is he gives us this grace. He predestined us for this adoption. And then once we're adopted, he gives us his glorious grace. It says, "to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved." The "beloved" being Jesus, having looked at other translations.
In Christ we are blessed with this grace, this glorious grace that Paul is talking about. Grace is unmerited favor. It's like winning the lottery except better. It's getting what you dreamed about and better even than what you dreamed about without having asked, or maybe without having even thought of it. This grace is unbelievable.
And the fact that Jesus would die on the cross for our sins so that we could experience this relationship with God is just a tremendous miracle. So Paul is appreciating the grace of God that we've been given. And we have this redemption we've been redeemed through Christ's blood.
And the forgiveness of our sins is according to the riches of God's grace. In other words, it's not out of the riches of God's grace. It's not some fraction, but it's in accordance with. God's forgiveness is unlimited and his grace is unlimited. These things are unbelievably special to us and God, the apostle Paul says, lavishes, this grace upon us. He uses this word, that means he extravagantly gave us this.
He's blowing it out. And this blowing it out is for us. I can go into great detail about this, and I'm not even a biblical scholar. And I also don't want to state things that are in error, but when we concentrate on the unmerited favor of God, his grace, we can be so blessed that we want to give things away and enjoy God as well.
And that's, I think our challenge for today. Let's live in such a way that God's grace to us is visible to the people around us. Let's be people who can give the benefit of the doubt. Let's be people who can let others cut in front of us or go first. I'm talking to myself because I almost never do. I'm one of these people that's always in a hurry.
So today, can I be graceful in the relationships that I have? I believe that's one of the ways that God calls us to make a difference in our world. We can bring the grace of God into every interaction. We're grace distributors. That's our job is to take God's grace and deliver it into the world and "he has lavished it upon us, in his wisdom and insight." We'll talk about this a little more as we go on through the rest of Ephesians chapter one, but today let's make a difference in the lives of the people around us, by finding ways to deliver a little bit of God's grace in every interaction and in every relationship that we have.
Do you ever catch yourself thinking that you have God figured out? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. With Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast.
Today, I want to pick up where we left off in the previous episode. We're in Ephesians chapter one. This is a great passage about thinking about God and the blessings that he provides, but it also brings us to some challenging passages and some potentially controversial topics.
And so today we're reading verses four and five from chapter one of Ephesians. And I'm reading from the New American Standard simply because it's most familiar to me. "Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will."
We're learning about God a little bit through Paul in this passage. I skipped verse three, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." Paul is celebrating our salvation, our relationship to God and how wonderful God is, who saved us.
And then he goes into this description of these cool things about God. "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world." Predestination, which is a word used in the next verse is a somewhat touchy topic in Christian circles, because it's actually two parts of what we have to do. There's this predestination of God, but also there's still the need for us to believe. And we'll talk about that, when we get to verse 13 of this section.
We're just examining the magnitude and the massiveness of God in our relationship with him. And Paul is celebrating here because these things are true. "God chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love."
God decided that you would follow him. I don't understand how that is. I don't understand how we still have free will, how it's up to us to choose Christ, to believe in him. I don't understand how both those things seem to be true at the same time. But I can trust that what these passages say about God are true. "He predestined us to adoption as sons." He has made arrangement for us and he will go on in the next verses. And I will talk about those in subsequent episodes. He's gone on to bless us wonderfully. But simply choosing us is our point for today. God chose you. If you're following Jesus Christ, God chose you.
He was not surprised by this fact. He planned it and therefore he has a job for us. He created us for our purpose. It says in Ephesians 2:10 "we were created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we would walk in them." Even the works that we've been called to do have been chosen. Our time and our place have been chosen.
God is driving, not us. He's in charge. And this even lines up with other passages that say the same things like Romans 8:28-30, say similar things that God chose us.
What difference does this make? God is God and I'm not. And today I don't need to know everything. I want to remember that he's in charge and that I report to him.
And that's why I know that part of my calling is to make disciples, according to Matthew 28:18-20. Jesus gave me a job to do my status isn't in question. The only question is will I grow up in Christ and live following him.
And so today I want to challenge us as marketplace Christians. We've been chosen. Let's step into the role that we've been given and experience the joy and the blessing that God has for us. We'll talk more about the blessings that God has provided for us as a result of this choice in the next episode. But today let's remember that we can punch in. "God, here I am. I want to do what you have for me to do today." And God will put you to work in the lives of the people within your sphere of influence.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for considering how your faith can make a difference in your everyday life. What we do because we follow Jesus matters. Thanks very much for being a minister in your marketplace.
What's the best thing that ever happened to you? And did you deserve it?
Hey, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast, I'm grateful that you join us for these quick little episodes where we challenge ourselves to go into the workplace every day and live like followers of Jesus.
Today. I want to read from Ephesians 1:2, "Grace to you and peace from God, our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Paul begins almost every letter with the words, grace, to you and peace. Grace and peace are in there somewhere.
And I chose Ephesians because I actually wanted to praise God some this morning, and I came to Ephesians chapter one in my quiet time, and I realized that I had never recorded a podcast about anything in Ephesians chapter one. So I think we'll do that for a few episodes. But today we're recording about grace to you and peace. This phrase, "Grace to you and peace from God, our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" is word for word in both letters to the Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians and Philemon. It's almost the exact same phrase. In first Thessalonians changes around a little bit and also in Colossians. And it's still a little bit different in Romans, but it's there.
This is the way Paul begins every letter, "Grace to you and peace from God, our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."
Grace. I don't know if you use that word very often, or if you think about it much. But imagine winning the lottery, but not having purchased a ticket. Imagine the best thing that could possibly happen to you and you don't deserve it at all.
And then God's grace is above and beyond that. God is so wonderful in how he has saved us and how he created us. You wouldn't be breathing today if it wasn't for God, whether you want to believe that or not. And his grace and his piece is being wished upon all these people by the apostle Paul. And I hear this as a challenge to me, and as a challenge to marketplace Christians. I believe we're where we are every day, so that we can be bringing grace and peace from God to our world.
That's our job. We're grace distributors. I've talked about that before. Our job is to ship grace into the world. And when you went to work today, you started to ship grace into the world. The grace given to you is something that we can distribute to people around us.
We can live as graceful people. How can we do that today? Today, we can be a blessing to others. We can look for ways to do things for other people. We can get outside of our own limitations and our own self focus, and we can pray for those people. We can pray for them and they never know it. We can pray for the people that we work with. You can mentally walk through your office or your workplace today and imagine every conversation that will happen today and pray for those people.
And I want to encourage you to do that. You begin to distribute God's grace in the world by making it available to the people around us. Let's live as people who are totally filled with and conscious of the grace of God in our lives. Because when we are, it just kind of oozes out into the rest of the world and that's what we want to happen.
We want God's grace and peace to be throughout our world. Not by forcing people to accept something they didn't want; by just living it in such a way that they're drawn to it. And that's our challenge as marketplace Christians today, would you do that? Would you live like a Christian today by looking for ways to give away the grace and the peace that God has given to you?
Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for making a difference with your faith in the world. What you do because you follow Jesus Christ matters. So let's take that seriously today in our jobs and wherever we are. Thanks very much.
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Garth Jestley. Over the course of his business career, Garth Jestley has held many senior leadership positions in investment management, venture capital, corporate banking, international project financing, private debt placement, and investment banking. Garth is currently Vice Chairman of Middlefield Group and Special Advisor to the senior management team. He also serves on the national board of directors of Teen Challenge Canada based in London Ontario and the board of Catch The Fire Church in Toronto. Previously, he served as Vice Chairman of Crossroads Christian Communications in Burlington Ontario. Garth and his wife Mary are involved in various church leadership roles, including ministering and speaking in Canada and around the world. Garth is also the author of the book “More Than Your Business Card: a wake-up call for leaders desiring to follow Jesus in the marketplace.” They place a high priority on family and, in particular, enjoy spending time with their children and grandchildren. In this episode, Mike and Garth talk about exploring the relevance of Faith and God in employees’ professional and personal lives, provoking our role as Marketplace Christians, pursuing business as a Marketplace Christian, focusing on the present to pursue Jesus, challenging people to integrate our faith into the workplace, and the importance of confidence in your faith.
Outline of the Episode
- 1:27 – About Garth Jestley
- 2:39 – Exploring the relevance of Faith and God in employees’ professional and personal lives
- 7:26 – Provoking our role as Marketplace Christians
- 9:22 – Pursuing business as a marketplace Christian
- 14:33 – Focusing on the present to pursue Jesus
- 15:42 – Challenging people to integrate our faith into the workplace
- 18:01 – The importance of confidence in your faith
- 23:55 – Changing our victim mentality to a Holy perspective
- 28:07 – Living in a way to make Jesus known
- 32:42 – Being called to lead exchanged lives
Exploring the relevance of Faith and God in employees’ professional and personal lives
Once we accept Christ, God is always with us. He is involved in everything we do, so why wouldn’t we look into ways to make Him known in our professional and personal lives? When we accepted Jesus, our lives changed, and we are called to live in such a way where the people around us notice that we are different.
Pursuing business as a Marketplace Christian
In today’s world, it seems like business is getting less and less popular. But, Business is perfect for those who are pursuing the Marketplace Christian lifestyle, because the business world is built around personal relationships. We have a unique opportunity to build relationships around us and share the Gospel with our coworkers.
The importance of confidence in your faith
As we pursue the Lord in everything we do, questions are going to be brought up by non-believers. We need to be prepared to defend our faith throughout all conversations. We do this by spending time in His word to gain a greater understanding of the Lord.
Follow Garth Jestley
- Website
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
Do you consider yourself emotionally intelligent? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast. This is a daily podcast that we do five days a week, like a work week. So we can challenge ourselves as marketplace Christians going into the marketplace and making a difference for Christ.
Each of us are called to our daily jobs and our daily lives as ministers, as people who help other people move one notch closer to Jesus. And we've been talking through a little series in the last few episodes about interactions with others. And I confess that I was struck when I read this verse because it's talking about emotional intelligence. And we're being challenged in the Bible to be emotionally intelligent.
Romans 12:15, and I'm reading from the English Standard Version, "Rejoice with those who rejoice weep with those who weep." This is a challenge to be emotionally intelligent. In fact, the beginning of verse 16 says "Live in harmony with one another."
So we're being guided here by the apostle Paul; we're being instructed to rejoice with people who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. This isn't really a command to go with the flow. We're not supposed to be dragged about by our culture and the people around us. But we're being challenged to be sensitive to the people around us.
If the people around us are rejoicing, then let's not be weepers; let's not be the downers. And if the people around us are down, if they're sad or weeping or dealing with difficulty, let's be sensitive to that. Let's join them in their emotional state. Let's be emotionally sensitive to the people around us because it's a blessing to them. We live in harmony with them when we can make sure that we're sensitive to their emotions. We live in harmony with them by rejoicing, with those who rejoice and by weeping with those who weep.
We're not called to go along with everything that happens and everything that goes on in our world. That's not the point. The point here is just to be sensitive to the people around us.
So today I want to hear this as a command to myself. I want to be sensitive to the people around me. I want to notice if they're discouraged or disappointed or if they're suffering or if they're weeping. If they're sad, then I want to be sensitive to that. I don't want to just live my life, not paying any attention to the people around me. This command is telling us let's pay attention to the people around us.
So today, that's my challenge for me, and for you. Let's pay attention to the people that we interact with. Are they rejoicing? Then let's find something to rejoice about with them. And if they're weeping, then let's weep with them. Let's share their sadness. Let's carry their burdens, as it says, in Galatians chapter six. We're to bear others burdens. Let's do what we can to be sensitive to the people around us, and exercise and practice this command for emotional intelligence from scripture.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for considering how to take your faith into the workplace, every day .We each have a job as Christians to live like we believe this stuff.
So let's live like we follow Jesus. Let's obey his word today. Here, the command is very clear. Let's pay attention to the people around us and be sensitive to their situation. We can rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who we trusting that God will take care of us because we're his children, and we follow him. Our sins have been paid for. Let's go today and make a difference in lives of the people that we work with.
Thank you very much for sharing this podcast. Take a moment and share it with a friend, or if you get a chance, go join us in the online community that sponsors this podcast. That community's called Follower of One. You can join us there by going to https://community.followerofone.org and just requesting to join. It's a free membership and a way to hang out with some people from all around the globe who are trying to live their faith every day.
Thanks very much.
How do you react when others treat you badly and be honest about it? Hey, it's Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast.
We've been doing this series on how we interact with others. And today we're in Romans chapter 12, verse 14, and I'm reading from the New American Standard Bible. "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse."
This is a series of verses where, in very rapid fire fashion, Paul lays out a bunch of quick commands for how we interact with others. And we've been talking about this for a few days now. Today's verse, bless those who persecute you bless and do not curse them.
He's repeating the word bless twice in this verse. He's reminding us and emphasizing that we're to speak well, even of the people who treat us badly. I don't believe this persecution is just religious persecution. It can be people who just have it out for you or people that don't like you.
When we're treated badly, we have a choice. We can whine and complain and curse about it, or we can bless those people. I have a particularly difficult time with this. My self talk is negative and I tend to jump to conclusions about things. And I don't want to speak well of people who treat me badly, even if they were oblivious to it, even if they did it accidentally. And so I have to bend my mind on a regular basis to be someone who speaks a blessing instead of a curse.
I want to look for something positive to say and some way to be a blessing to the people I interact with every day, regardless of how they treat me. That's the command our Lord gives us. And he gives it to us here through the apostle Paul, but we have it in other places in scripture too. We have it in Matthew five and first Peter three.
How are we doing? How do we react when people don't treat us well? Let's do a little gut check today. How have we spoken to others online? How are we interacting with them in social media? How are we thinking about other people when we're behind the wheel of our car? How are we doing that, when we're in line in a grocery store, or trying to get somewhere in a hurry.
Oftentimes when I'm in a hurry, I'm a real pain in the tail and I don't want to be. And so this verse is a reminder for me to bless others, bless and do not curse. I want to be someone who's actively blessing people. Whether they're oblivious to me or they're actively persecuting me, I need to be actively blessing them. I need to speak well and wish well for them and do what I can to be a blessing to them.
Today, I don't know about you, but that's a challenge for me. I've thrown down the gauntlet. Today is a Monday, I believe when you'll be hearing this, if you hear it on its air date and therefore we have a challenge. We have a challenge to be godly people, blessing others, even the ones who treat us badly on purpose in our workplaces today. Can you do that? I hope you can. And I hope you help me do that as well. Let's pray for the people that we will interact with today. Ask God to make us intentional about the way that we bless other people, simply because we have this command here in scripture, to bless those who persecute us, and to, bless them and not curse them.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for every bit of energy that you spend trying to be more Christlike today. Our world needs it. And so let's do as good a job as we can do. Let's try and live like we follow Jesus today.
And one way we can do that is by blessing those who don't treat us the way we wanted to be treated. Thank you for being a marketplace minister, as I said earlier. Let's go today and make a difference in the lives of the people that we work with. Thanks very much.
Hey, I wanted to add a little challenge. We have another marketplace mission trip coming up in a few weeks. Why not go to https://community.followerofone.org and join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip. It's two weeks where we get to practice these very things on a daily basis. Thank you.
How do you react when others treat you badly and be honest about it? Hey, it's Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast.
We've been doing this series on how we interact with others. And today we're in Romans chapter 12, verse 14, and I'm reading from the New American Standard Bible. "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse."
This is a series of verses where, in very rapid fire fashion, Paul lays out a bunch of quick commands for how we interact with others. And we've been talking about this for a few days now. Today's verse, bless those who persecute you bless and do not curse them.
He's repeating the word bless twice in this verse. He's reminding us and emphasizing that we're to speak well, even of the people who treat us badly. I don't believe this persecution is just religious persecution. It can be people who just have it out for you or people that don't like you.
When we're treated badly, we have a choice. We can whine and complain and curse about it, or we can bless those people. I have a particularly difficult time with this. My self talk is negative and I tend to jump to conclusions about things. And I don't want to speak well of people who treat me badly, even if they were oblivious to it, even if they did it accidentally. And so I have to bend my mind on a regular basis to be someone who speaks a blessing instead of a curse.
I want to look for something positive to say and some way to be a blessing to the people I interact with every day, regardless of how they treat me. That's the command our Lord gives us. And he gives it to us here through the apostle Paul, but we have it in other places in scripture too. We have it in Matthew five and first Peter three.
How are we doing? How do we react when people don't treat us well? Let's do a little gut check today. How have we spoken to others online? How are we interacting with them in social media? How are we thinking about other people when we're behind the wheel of our car? How are we doing that, when we're in line in a grocery store, or trying to get somewhere in a hurry.
Oftentimes when I'm in a hurry, I'm a real pain in the tail and I don't want to be. And so this verse is a reminder for me to bless others, bless and do not curse. I want to be someone who's actively blessing people. Whether they're oblivious to me or they're actively persecuting me, I need to be actively blessing them. I need to speak well and wish well for them and do what I can to be a blessing to them.
Today, I don't know about you, but that's a challenge for me. I've thrown down the gauntlet. Today is a Monday, I believe when you'll be hearing this, if you hear it on its air date and therefore we have a challenge. We have a challenge to be godly people, blessing others, even the ones who treat us badly on purpose in our workplaces today. Can you do that? I hope you can. And I hope you help me do that as well. Let's pray for the people that we will interact with today. Ask God to make us intentional about the way that we bless other people, simply because we have this command here in scripture, to bless those who persecute us, and to, bless them and not curse them.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for every bit of energy that you spend trying to be more Christlike today. Our world needs it. And so let's do as good a job as we can do. Let's try and live like we follow Jesus today.
And one way we can do that is by blessing those who don't treat us the way we wanted to be treated. Thank you for being a marketplace minister, as I said earlier. Let's go today and make a difference in the lives of the people that we work with. Thanks very much.
Hey, I wanted to add a little challenge. We have another marketplace mission trip coming up in a few weeks. Why not go to https://community.followerofone.org and join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip. It's two weeks where we get to practice these very things on a daily basis. Thank you.
Do you let God talk to you about generosity? What about hospitality?
Hey, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast,. We've been doing this series on how we interact with others. And today we want to talk about Romans 12:13. I'm reading from the English Standard Version: "Contribute to the needs of thesaints and seek to show hospitality."
We're in this series of "bang, bang, bang, rapid fire" verses that Paul gives us in Romans 12 about how to live with others. And we're still in this section where I believe he's talking to Christians because he actually talks to us to in this verse about how we treat saints or other fellow Christians.
When he talks about saints, he's talking about other believers - people who follow Jesus. "Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality." We are called to make a difference to contribute to the needs of the saints. There are many other verses about generosity and the needs of others in the Bible.
In this particular verse, Paul's only talking about the needs of the saints. If we find out there's a need in our congregation or in our church, then we should be contributing to that. That's what he's talking about here. And that's the generosity, I believe, he's talking about in this verse. It clearly says "contribute to the needs of the saints."
In the New International Version it says, "Share with God's people who are in need and practice hospitality." So the call to be generous in this specific example is to give to members of our community, members of our faith community, or believers that we know of who are suffering, who are in need. That's our command here, to contribute to the needs of the saints.
Now, there are saints all over the place that are in need, and therefore there's plenty of opportunities to contribute. I think what he's saying here is to seek to show hospitality. For the Christians in this day, people didn't travel very much. They didn't have the internet and these other opportunities to serve people all over the globe.
Therefore serve the people around you. Be ready to give to people around you who are in need and to show hospitality; to open your home or to do these other things that might make other people feel comfortable when they're in a discomforted situation.
In the verse before this, he talked about being patient in tribulation. Now, if we're not going through tribulation, we can help someone else. We can be hospitable. We can be generous. And I believe that's the command here.
Let's look for ways today to be generous and to show hospitality. These are opportunities to give because we follow Jesus. That's what this whole passage is about. Every interaction is an opportunity to give. When there's a need, we fill it. And when we have a need, we persevere. I believe that's what Paul's constantly reminding us.
When we enter every relationship as a giver, then we're looking for opportunities to give, not looking for opportunities for other people to give to us, if that makes sense.
Today, I'm grateful that you're a marketplace minister and I'd like to challenge us as believers. Let's find ways to give.
We persist through our own difficulty. We persevere through our own difficulty. But we look for ways to give to those in need, either hospitality or material possessions, prayer, anything that we can give; let's be givers. That's our call in the marketplace. That's our call in every interaction we have with others.
I do it so poorly. I almost feel bad saying it. But I want to be a better giver. So you can pray for me in that regard, and I'm praying for you. I pray for the people who listen to this podcast. Let's be givers. We persist and persevere through our own difficulties, but we're givers when we see other people who have needs.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for making a difference with your faith in the marketplace.
Everything you do because you follow Jesus matters. So thanks so much for being a minister and for making a difference with your faith. I'm grateful for you listening to the podcast too. Thanks very much.
Connect With Follower Of OneGet social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app. Join us on our next Marketplace Mission Trip.
Do you let God talk to you about generosity? What about hospitality?
Hey, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast,. We've been doing this series on how we interact with others. And today we want to talk about Romans 12:13. I'm reading from the English Standard Version: "Contribute to the needs of thesaints and seek to show hospitality."
We're in this series of "bang, bang, bang, rapid fire" verses that Paul gives us in Romans 12 about how to live with others. And we're still in this section where I believe he's talking to Christians because he actually talks to us to in this verse about how we treat saints or other fellow Christians.
When he talks about saints, he's talking about other believers - people who follow Jesus. "Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality." We are called to make a difference to contribute to the needs of the saints. There are many other verses about generosity and the needs of others in the Bible.
In this particular verse, Paul's only talking about the needs of the saints. If we find out there's a need in our congregation or in our church, then we should be contributing to that. That's what he's talking about here. And that's the generosity, I believe, he's talking about in this verse. It clearly says "contribute to the needs of the saints."
In the New International Version it says, "Share with God's people who are in need and practice hospitality." So the call to be generous in this specific example is to give to members of our community, members of our faith community, or believers that we know of who are suffering, who are in need. That's our command here, to contribute to the needs of the saints.
Now, there are saints all over the place that are in need, and therefore there's plenty of opportunities to contribute. I think what he's saying here is to seek to show hospitality. For the Christians in this day, people didn't travel very much. They didn't have the internet and these other opportunities to serve people all over the globe.
Therefore serve the people around you. Be ready to give to people around you who are in need and to show hospitality; to open your home or to do these other things that might make other people feel comfortable when they're in a discomforted situation.
In the verse before this, he talked about being patient in tribulation. Now, if we're not going through tribulation, we can help someone else. We can be hospitable. We can be generous. And I believe that's the command here.
Let's look for ways today to be generous and to show hospitality. These are opportunities to give because we follow Jesus. That's what this whole passage is about. Every interaction is an opportunity to give. When there's a need, we fill it. And when we have a need, we persevere. I believe that's what Paul's constantly reminding us.
When we enter every relationship as a giver, then we're looking for opportunities to give, not looking for opportunities for other people to give to us, if that makes sense.
Today, I'm grateful that you're a marketplace minister and I'd like to challenge us as believers. Let's find ways to give.
We persist through our own difficulty. We persevere through our own difficulty. But we look for ways to give to those in need, either hospitality or material possessions, prayer, anything that we can give; let's be givers. That's our call in the marketplace. That's our call in every interaction we have with others.
I do it so poorly. I almost feel bad saying it. But I want to be a better giver. So you can pray for me in that regard, and I'm praying for you. I pray for the people who listen to this podcast. Let's be givers. We persist and persevere through our own difficulties, but we're givers when we see other people who have needs.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for making a difference with your faith in the marketplace.
Everything you do because you follow Jesus matters. So thanks so much for being a minister and for making a difference with your faith. I'm grateful for you listening to the podcast too. Thanks very much.
Connect With Follower Of OneGet social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app. Join us on our next Marketplace Mission Trip.
Do you consider yourself a hopeful person?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast. I'm grateful that you're here.
We're talking through a series in Romans 12. We're talking about the interactions we have with other people. And in this section of Romans 12, Paul gives us this rapid fire succession of things that we can do in our interactions with others that glorify God. And we're in Romans 12:12 today. The passage reads from the English Standard Version, "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."
I think it's interesting how Paul contrasts hope and tribulation, or affliction as it states in some of the other translations. We can rejoice when we have a positive idea about what's happening or about to happen. But we sometimes can get discouraged if we're undergoing any kind of difficulty or trouble.
So it's like Paul is saying, if you're hopeful, great! Experience your joy. But if you're facing trouble, be patient. The New American Standard says "persevere." We have to push through or hang on or persevere through our trouble, our tribulation. When we're experiencing good times, enjoy them. But when we are facing trouble, let's be patient and persevere.
And in all of these situations, in good times and bad, let's be constant in prayer. I think that to me is the greatest challenge from this verse. It's easy for me to rejoice about hope. It's a challenge to be patient in trouble. I often get urgent, or whiny, or complain to God when I'm facing difficulties and troubles.
But if I can be patient in those, the answer to my situation (both good or bad) is always to be constant in prayer. In good times and in bad, when I'm consistently praying, I see God work. He makes a difference in the lives of the people that I interact with every day.
When I'm constant in prayer, God changes me. He makes me fit for the circumstances. He puts me to work in everything that I do, and he will do that for you as well.
So today I want to challenge us as marketplace Christians. Let's enjoy the positive times. Let's persevere through the difficult times, and let's be constant in praying to God through all times.
That's this reminder for us today. We become a marketplace minister when we let the Bible inform us. And here in this one compact little verse, we have this easy to memorize: "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." Let's practice those things today and see how God uses us in our workplace.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for making a difference with your faith. I would like to encourage you to check out our online community at https://community.followerofone.org. If you're already a member there, please share this podcast with a friend. Share it with someone else. Through our online community, our goal is to help every marketplace Christian see themselves as a full-time minister. And ministry is nothing but helping other people move one notch closer to Jesus.
Why not join us? Go check out https://community.followerofone.org. If you want to make a donation, you can make a donation on our homepage, which is https://followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
Connect With Follower Of OneGet social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app. Join us on our next Marketplace Mission Trip.
Are there times when you just go through the motions?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. This is episode 750 for us. So thank you for this little milestone. I'm grateful for you listening to our podcast. We're in a series on Romans 12:10-15, and today I'm going to read from the New American Standard. I'm going to read Romans 12:11: "Not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord."
There are different words used in different translations for this passage. In the Christian Standard Bible it says, "Do not lack diligence in zeal. Be fervent in the spirit, serve the Lord." What we're hearing from Paul here is we shouldn't be bringing up the rear. There are times when I'm tempted to go through the motions and just check the boxes, just do the things that are asked of me. But I believe as Christians, what Paul's saying here is we are called to be people who go the extra mile by default.
We're people who come and bring extra energy. And we do things that we do every day with intentionality and with purpose, not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Similar to Colossians 3:23 we're being challenged here to remember that everything that we do is done for the Lord.
Therefore let's do it with energy, with zeal, as some of the translations say. Never lag in zeal, the Amplified Bible says. Our earnest effort, our intentional purpose is to do our best. So today let's check ourselves. Can we examine the things that we're going through the motions about and ask God, "Is there a way where we can find new energy?" God can give us the energy to do even menial jobs with power and love and energy. He can energize us to bring our best effort simply because we serve the Lord.
Colossians 3:23 says "Whatever you do, do your work hardily as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you'll receive the reward of the inheritance.
It's the Lord Christ whom you serve." We serve Jesus. So whatever we're doing today, let's do it with diligence, with energy and with intention and purpose. The way that we do our job matters. So bring energy and passion and zeal to everything you do. That's our challenge. We don't lag in diligence. Today when you go into your workplace, ask God to show you where you can be more diligent, where you can bring more energy and where you can deliver excellent work.
That's one of our reminders from the Marketplace Mission Trip. We want to challenge ourselves to do the best job possible because everything that we do reflects the one to whom we serve and we serve the Lord Jesus Christ. And so when we do that well, it reflects on our kingdom and it reflects on our faith. But more than anything, Jesus uses our life to make a difference in the lives of others.
So today let's not lag behind in diligence. Let's bring energy and passion and zeal to doing a great job, whatever we have to do today that glorifies God. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for trying to figure out how to live your faith in such a way that God can use you every day of the week.
He has a job and a purpose and a calling for each of us. And I'm grateful for you addressing your daily life and looking for ways to serve Jesus more in the lives of the people that you interact with every day.
Thanks for joining us on this podcast. Please share this with a friend and also join our online community. Go to www.community.FollowerOfOne.org and check out the online community there, where we encourage and help one another to glorify God every day in our workplaces. Thanks very much.
Connect With Follower Of OneGet social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app. Join us on our next Marketplace Mission Trip.
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Spencer Hogan, a husband, a dog dad, and the business development manager for an IT company. Spencer is also the executive director of Young Professionals at Work on Purpose, which helps equip young professionals for the business world. In this episode, Mike and Spencer talk about Work on Purpose, how to work with young adults, the purpose of Work on Purpose, the three strategic areas of working with young adults, how great employees make great disciples, building a network of Christians, the importance of the “Value Basis,” and putting yourself in the shoes of your boss.
Outline of the Episode
- 1:29 – About Spencer Hogan
- 4:26 – How Mike met Spencer
- 4:58 – About At Work on Purpose
- 6:02 – How to work with Young Adults
- 11:03 – The purpose of At Work on Purpose
- 13:10 – How great employees make great disciples
- 14:56 – Building a network of Christians
- 20:09 – Engaging with Marketplace Christians
- 23:38 – The importance of the “Value Basis”
- 27:08 – Putting yourself in the shoes of your boss
- 33:29 – The best tip Spencer can give to a young professional
How great employees make great disciples
Great employees make great disciples. When you think about it, an effective employee is respectful, doesn’t complain, gives interest in their work, and gets their work done.
Building a network of Christians
The Bible calls us to fellowship with other Christians around us. It is so important to build a network of Christians, because not only can you depend on them for business needs, but it creates an environment to be able to go to them when you need prayer.
Connect with Spencer Hogan
- At Work on Purpose
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
Would you say you're devoted to others in brotherly love?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr., with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast, I've often spoken about verses from Romans 11, and there's a section of verses in Romans 11 that I've not talked about before and that's verses 10 through 15.
So I want to do a few part series on these verses because they're right in the middle of a really cool section of this chapter where we are directed on how we interact with one another. And I believe it begins by talking to Christians about how we interact with other believers.
And that's what I think this verse is about. But I do believe that the apostle Paul applies this to our relationships with other people as well. And we'll talk about that in some of the later chapters and the later verses. Today's verse is "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Give preference to one another in honor." That's Romans 12:10 and that was from the New American Standard. In the English Standard Version it says, "Love one another with brotherly affection outdo one another in showing honor."
We are called to love other people like they're are brothers, especially those inside the church. And do we do that? Do you catch yourself doing that? This one of the summary verses of this section. It actually talks about our humility and how we're to be humble in verse 16.
And I've spoken about that before in episode 33. It was a long time ago in our podcast, so it was one of the very early episodes. But humility's one of those things that I want to talk about every 10 years or so. Actually, no - I need to talk about it more than that. I have a problem with arrogance.
And so that's one of those things I'm constantly on myself about. That's part of the reason why I keep coming back to this section of scripture. When I can put others ahead of myself, when I can be devoted to them in brotherly love, when I can give preference to them in honor, I can try and outdo each other by showing honor to others.
When I am able to love them and out do them and showing honor to them, this is a challenge. It's a practical challenge for us as marketplace Christians. Every day as we go into our workplace, this one verse is plenty to do.
We can be devoted to one another in brotherly love. We can show mutual love, It says in the net Bible. Or brotherly affection as it says in the ESV, or brotherly love in the other chapters. It's talking about phileo. It's talking about this mutual affection that we have for others. It requires us to give it first. As Christ followers we give that love first. Almost always we respond to people loving us with love.
But almost never do we give it first. And Christians, I believe, are called to give that love first. That way we get to go into our workplaces today and look for opportunities to give away the love of Christ, to appreciate people and show them that we appreciate them. Help them feel appreciated. It's not how we act as much as it is how they feel.
And so that's our challenge for today. Today. I want to challenge us as marketplace Christians: Let's go into our workplaces today and if we know other Christ followers in the workplace, then let's especially be preferential towards them. Let's do things to show this honor and brotherly love towards believers. But, let's also do that with our coworkers.
These people are giving away their lives in their job at the same rate we are giving away our life in our jobs. So let's go invest our lives because our lives as Christ followers will last forever. So we can give away what we have now, so that these other people that we know might move a little closer to Jesus.
That's our goal. That's our ministry - to help other people move one notch closer to Jesus. So today please be devoted to one another in brotherly love and watch what God does in your workplace. Thank you for being a marketplace minister, and thank you for making a difference with your faith. Share this podcast with a friend and remember we're a donor supported podcast.
So you can go to follower of FollowerOfOne.org and make a contribution to help us grow this podcast. Thanks very much.
Connect With Follower Of One. Get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app. Join us on our next Marketplace Mission Trip.
Would you say you're devoted to others in brotherly love?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr., with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast, I've often spoken about verses from Romans 11, and there's a section of verses in Romans 11 that I've not talked about before and that's verses 10 through 15.
So I want to do a few part series on these verses because they're right in the middle of a really cool section of this chapter where we are directed on how we interact with one another. And I believe it begins by talking to Christians about how we interact with other believers.
And that's what I think this verse is about. But I do believe that the apostle Paul applies this to our relationships with other people as well. And we'll talk about that in some of the later chapters and the later verses. Today's verse is "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Give preference to one another in honor." That's Romans 12:10 and that was from the New American Standard. In the English Standard Version it says, "Love one another with brotherly affection outdo one another in showing honor."
We are called to love other people like they're are brothers, especially those inside the church. And do we do that? Do you catch yourself doing that? This one of the summary verses of this section. It actually talks about our humility and how we're to be humble in verse 16.
And I've spoken about that before in episode 33. It was a long time ago in our podcast, so it was one of the very early episodes. But humility's one of those things that I want to talk about every 10 years or so. Actually, no - I need to talk about it more than that. I have a problem with arrogance.
And so that's one of those things I'm constantly on myself about. That's part of the reason why I keep coming back to this section of scripture. When I can put others ahead of myself, when I can be devoted to them in brotherly love, when I can give preference to them in honor, I can try and outdo each other by showing honor to others.
When I am able to love them and out do them and showing honor to them, this is a challenge. It's a practical challenge for us as marketplace Christians. Every day as we go into our workplace, this one verse is plenty to do.
We can be devoted to one another in brotherly love. We can show mutual love, It says in the net Bible. Or brotherly affection as it says in the ESV, or brotherly love in the other chapters. It's talking about phileo. It's talking about this mutual affection that we have for others. It requires us to give it first. As Christ followers we give that love first. Almost always we respond to people loving us with love.
But almost never do we give it first. And Christians, I believe, are called to give that love first. That way we get to go into our workplaces today and look for opportunities to give away the love of Christ, to appreciate people and show them that we appreciate them. Help them feel appreciated. It's not how we act as much as it is how they feel.
And so that's our challenge for today. Today. I want to challenge us as marketplace Christians: Let's go into our workplaces today and if we know other Christ followers in the workplace, then let's especially be preferential towards them. Let's do things to show this honor and brotherly love towards believers. But, let's also do that with our coworkers.
These people are giving away their lives in their job at the same rate we are giving away our life in our jobs. So let's go invest our lives because our lives as Christ followers will last forever. So we can give away what we have now, so that these other people that we know might move a little closer to Jesus.
That's our goal. That's our ministry - to help other people move one notch closer to Jesus. So today please be devoted to one another in brotherly love and watch what God does in your workplace. Thank you for being a marketplace minister, and thank you for making a difference with your faith. Share this podcast with a friend and remember we're a donor supported podcast.
So you can go to follower of FollowerOfOne.org and make a contribution to help us grow this podcast. Thanks very much.
Connect With Follower Of One. Get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app. Join us on our next Marketplace Mission Trip.
Would you say that you really understand your own motives? Hi, I’m Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. I’m grateful that you’re here today. We’re talking about how we have this tendency to misunderstand our own actions. Today. I want to read Romans 7:15 from the New American Standard Bible. “I do not understand. So I’m not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate as a Christ follower.” I felt like this verse was the application and the practical working out of my faith in my life. For many years, I struggled with my own desires to be more Christlike, to do the things that he would have me do, to live in such a way that would glorify him. Yet my habits and behaviors and my moment-by-moment choices mess me up every time. One of those areas for me is in eating snacks. I always just kind of give myself a pass, and before I know it,I’ve eaten way too many snacks. I give myself this pass and what I would like to do, I don’t really do it. I do the things that deep down in my soul (my habits, and subconscious) I think I want to do, but they take me off. I believe the Bible gives us a great explanation that when I listen to my flesh, when I listen to the world around me, and when I listen to the nature tugging on my spirit, it pulls me away from God. What I am doing I do not understand. I misunderstand my own actions. I don’t practice what I would really like to do, but I do the very thing I don’t want to do. I make choices in the short run to be lazy or to be selfish. Each of us, I believe, does this. Each of us have this capability to make a short-term temporary decision that takes us away from God, away from the opportunities to minister to other people. It requires discipline and hope for us to turn from this challenge, and hope is a key word for me. I hope to talk about the word “hope” much more in the coming weeks because I’m reading a book called Hope Rising by Casey Gwinn and Chan Hellman. It’s an interesting book and they have a definition for hope in there. This is where I wanted to be for today. Instead of misunderstanding our actions, let’s focus on hope. Their definition for hope states (this is a quote), “hope is the belief that a thriving future is possible and you have the power to make it.” So I don’t read the book from a particularly Christian perspective. I’m only four chapters into it, so I’m less than a third of the way in. But what I find in hope, and we find in the Bible,(I’ll talk about this in future days), is that hope is the belief that a thriving future is possible and God has the power to make it. So the Holy Spirit has the power to make it so, and to work through us. He’s given us the opportunity to be agents in that process. That’s what Paul’s talking about here in Romans 7: Left to ourselves, we’re not capable of participating in God’s program. We’re not capable of taking part in that, but the Holy Spirit transforms us and is the down payment for that. Our sin has been paid for. We no longer have to make these choices as he goes about through the rest of Romans 7 and into Romans 8. Rather than misunderstanding our motives and our beliefs, let’s enter our life every day with a biblical perspective. Today, that’s our challenge. Let’s remember that our flesh and our choices and our habits, they’re not necessarily what God would do. They might be, in fact, the very thing we would hate. But we can choose today to say “Here I am” to God and let him put us to work in our workplaces and in the lives of the people around us. We can go into any work situation and begin with the prayer, "Jesus. Here I am. What would you have me do today?” And then it’s God’s job to put us to work. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thanks for considering how you can make a difference by re-understanding your own motives and your own choices. And don’t forget to join us at www.community.followerofone.org. You can check it out there at no cost, and you can see about becoming part of a community of people that are helping o
Does faith in Christ make a difference in your day to day?
Hi, I’m Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. I’ve been thinking and talking about trust and hope and faith for the last couple of days. I came across this passage as a direct response to the two Psalms that I read in the previous two passages.
You can check the episodes out that were before this one. Today. I want to read Matthew 8:23-26: “As he got in the boat, his disciples followed him. Ssuddenly a violent storm arose on the sea so that the boat was being swamped by the waves. But Jesus kept sleeping. So the disciples came and woke him up saying, ‘Lord, save us. We’re going to die.’ He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid you of little faith?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea and there was a great calm.” That’s again Matthew 8:23-26 from the Christian Standard Bible. Jesus is in the boat, and he’s so tired that he’s sleeping in the middle of this storm.
This storm is bad enough to scare men who are fishermen. These men lived on that sea and they’re afraid. So, this is a bad storm and yet Jesus is asleep. His question to them was, "Why are you afraid you of little faith?” We talked a little bit about how our fear needs to trigger us, to put our trust in the Lord.
Here Jesus is demonstrating this by having rested, having slept right through the storm. He ranks this reference to “you of little faith.” That phrase, that Greek word that’s translated, “little faith” is used six times in the new Testament; five of them are in Matthew. One of those is a restating of Matthew 6 in Luke.
And so we have Jesus. We have record of Jesus referencing the disciples as “those of little faith” five times by two different authors. I think Jesus said it a lot. I think this was a kind of a cautionary reminder teaching tool that he used. We are people of little faith. We don’t have much faith. We have to work out our salvation. I believe that means we strengthen our faith by trusting God more and more. Jesus is basically challenging the disciples to relax in him. They’re with the God of the universe in a boat on a sea. This storm is subject to him. And it’s clear in the next verse, you can tell they hadn’t even considered that the winds in the sea might obey him.
They were not thinking of him as God. They were thinking of him as a man. But when he tells the wind and the sea what to do, they’re blown away. I want my fear to run from Jesus because I have this faith. My faith doesn’t measure up as much as I would like it to. As a result, I become afraid; but what can I do today?
Rather than going all the way back to the beginning of this week, what can I do today? I can put my trust in God. I can remember that I only have a little faith. Let’s put one more weight on the bar. Let’s try and trust God a little more. We have to build up our faith muscles. And today I want to challenge us as marketplace Christians:Ask God to show you where you can add a couple of pounds and trust him a little more.
Maybe it’s in praying for your coworkers and then doing the idea that comes to mind. If you pray for a coworker and the next day you get an idea of doing something for them, figure out how to do it. That’s a ministry opportunity. Ministry is just service, and so we can serve our coworkers because we follow Jesus, because we’re growing our faith. Our faith should help us rest in the difficulties and the challenges and the things that scare us. Our faith makes us rest, and then we’re free to do the work that Jesus has for us. Thank you for being a marketplace minister.
Thank you for serving the people around you because you follow Jesus. That’s all ministry is. In fact, you can join a community of us who are trying to do that every.
Go to www.community.followerofone.org and join us. We have a new marketplace mission trip starting in just a couple of weeks. You can join our online community and sign up for that next marketplace mission trip. It’s a two-week practice exercise where we practice lifting a little more faith and trusting God a little more.
Check it out at www.community.followerofone.org . Thanks very much.
Does faith in Christ make a difference in your day to day?
Hi, I’m Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. I’ve been thinking and talking about trust and hope and faith for the last couple of days. I came across this passage as a direct response to the two Psalms that I read in the previous two passages.
You can check the episodes out that were before this one. Today. I want to read Matthew 8:23-26: “As he got in the boat, his disciples followed him. Ssuddenly a violent storm arose on the sea so that the boat was being swamped by the waves. But Jesus kept sleeping. So the disciples came and woke him up saying, ‘Lord, save us. We’re going to die.’ He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid you of little faith?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea and there was a great calm.” That’s again Matthew 8:23-26 from the Christian Standard Bible. Jesus is in the boat, and he’s so tired that he’s sleeping in the middle of this storm.
This storm is bad enough to scare men who are fishermen. These men lived on that sea and they’re afraid. So, this is a bad storm and yet Jesus is asleep. His question to them was, "Why are you afraid you of little faith?” We talked a little bit about how our fear needs to trigger us, to put our trust in the Lord.
Here Jesus is demonstrating this by having rested, having slept right through the storm. He ranks this reference to “you of little faith.” That phrase, that Greek word that’s translated, “little faith” is used six times in the new Testament; five of them are in Matthew. One of those is a restating of Matthew 6 in Luke.
And so we have Jesus. We have record of Jesus referencing the disciples as “those of little faith” five times by two different authors. I think Jesus said it a lot. I think this was a kind of a cautionary reminder teaching tool that he used. We are people of little faith. We don’t have much faith. We have to work out our salvation. I believe that means we strengthen our faith by trusting God more and more. Jesus is basically challenging the disciples to relax in him. They’re with the God of the universe in a boat on a sea. This storm is subject to him. And it’s clear in the next verse, you can tell they hadn’t even considered that the winds in the sea might obey him.
They were not thinking of him as God. They were thinking of him as a man. But when he tells the wind and the sea what to do, they’re blown away. I want my fear to run from Jesus because I have this faith. My faith doesn’t measure up as much as I would like it to. As a result, I become afraid; but what can I do today?
Rather than going all the way back to the beginning of this week, what can I do today? I can put my trust in God. I can remember that I only have a little faith. Let’s put one more weight on the bar. Let’s try and trust God a little more. We have to build up our faith muscles. And today I want to challenge us as marketplace Christians:Ask God to show you where you can add a couple of pounds and trust him a little more.
Maybe it’s in praying for your coworkers and then doing the idea that comes to mind. If you pray for a coworker and the next day you get an idea of doing something for them, figure out how to do it. That’s a ministry opportunity. Ministry is just service, and so we can serve our coworkers because we follow Jesus, because we’re growing our faith. Our faith should help us rest in the difficulties and the challenges and the things that scare us. Our faith makes us rest, and then we’re free to do the work that Jesus has for us. Thank you for being a marketplace minister.
Thank you for serving the people around you because you follow Jesus. That’s all ministry is. In fact, you can join a community of us who are trying to do that every.
Go to www.community.followerofone.org and join us. We have a new marketplace mission trip starting in just a couple of weeks. You can join our online community and sign up for that next marketplace mission trip. It’s a two-week practice exercise where we practice lifting a little more faith and trusting God a little more.
Check it out at www.community.followerofone.org . Thanks very much.
As we wrap up the summer of 2022. How’s your rest coming? Did you get to take a vacation this year?
Hi, I’m Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. The last couple of days we’ve been talking about some different things. Yesterday we talked about trust and how we can put our trust in the Lord.
Today, I also want to read another Psalm, Psalm 62:5. "Rest in God alone, my soul. For my hope comes from him." That’s from the Christian Standard Bible. Our rest comes from God, and we can rest in God when our hope comes from him. Hope and trust and faith are words that I’ve been studying in the Bible. And rest is one of those outcomes of our hope and our peace.
We’ll talk about this a little bit more tomorrow, too. But as we rest in God, our hope comes from Him; or our hope comes from Him and it gives us this rest.
And I want to challenge us as marketplace Christians to remember that God gives our soul rest. If you took a vacation, did you get the rest you were looking for? Did your soul rest? Often our soul doesn’t rest on vacation. Our body rests, but our soul doesn’t rest as much. We maybe scheduled too many things or we’re concerned about what happens when we get back to work. We’re all covered up. I’ve had friends who took good summer vacations. But then when they came back to work, it was almost back to normal quickly, simply because they were buried when they got back and there was a bunch of other things going on.
Our circumstances steal our rest and our fears can cause us to be separated from God. They kind of take us off into our own plan. I talked about that too - that when I’m afraid, often I try to put together a plan. I don’t turn to God, but I want to put my trust in Him.
And the result of trusting in God is rest for my soul when I rest in God alone oh, soul or my soul. I mean, it’s like the Psalmist is talking to their own soul. Rest in God for my hope comes from Him.
I want to remind myself that hope and trust in the future, my promise of the future, all comes from God. It doesn’t come from our circumstances. It doesn’t come from our government. It doesn’t come from my financial situation. Everything in this world will burn up. It will be gone, or I’ll be separated from it. And this is a challenge for me. As I get older, I have certain goals that I want to achieve, and I catch myself pressuring myself to achieve these goals.
But when I can rest in God alone, my hope comes from Him. I want to remember that my eternal hope is in God. It’s in my relationship to Him. The single best thing that I can imagine is true if Jesus is who he says he is. It means that the God of the universe (the God who created everything) loves me and has provided for me forever. I can’t imagine anything better.
And so I want to join Jesus in for my eternal life and I want to rest and remember that my hope comes from God. It doesn’t come from my circumstances. Today, I want to challenge us. Let’s place our hope in God, not in our circumstances or our strategies or our resources. Our circumstances and our plans and our money won’t save us. Only the Lord saves us. Our hope comes from Him.
When we live with this peace, it transcends all comprehension. That’s what he talks about in Philippians 4. The peace of God transcends the comprehension of our friends, and it may cause them then to ask us, “Why are you different? Why are you doing this?”
That’s our opportunity to make a difference in the life of someone else. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for considering how you can take your faith with you 24/7. Let’s rest in God today. Remember that our hope comes from Him and be available to be a difference maker in the lives of every person that we meet.
Thanks very much.
As we wrap up the summer of 2022. How’s your rest coming? Did you get to take a vacation this year?
Hi, I’m Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. The last couple of days we’ve been talking about some different things. Yesterday we talked about trust and how we can put our trust in the Lord.
Today, I also want to read another Psalm, Psalm 62:5. "Rest in God alone, my soul. For my hope comes from him." That’s from the Christian Standard Bible. Our rest comes from God, and we can rest in God when our hope comes from him. Hope and trust and faith are words that I’ve been studying in the Bible. And rest is one of those outcomes of our hope and our peace.
We’ll talk about this a little bit more tomorrow, too. But as we rest in God, our hope comes from Him; or our hope comes from Him and it gives us this rest.
And I want to challenge us as marketplace Christians to remember that God gives our soul rest. If you took a vacation, did you get the rest you were looking for? Did your soul rest? Often our soul doesn’t rest on vacation. Our body rests, but our soul doesn’t rest as much. We maybe scheduled too many things or we’re concerned about what happens when we get back to work. We’re all covered up. I’ve had friends who took good summer vacations. But then when they came back to work, it was almost back to normal quickly, simply because they were buried when they got back and there was a bunch of other things going on.
Our circumstances steal our rest and our fears can cause us to be separated from God. They kind of take us off into our own plan. I talked about that too - that when I’m afraid, often I try to put together a plan. I don’t turn to God, but I want to put my trust in Him.
And the result of trusting in God is rest for my soul when I rest in God alone oh, soul or my soul. I mean, it’s like the Psalmist is talking to their own soul. Rest in God for my hope comes from Him.
I want to remind myself that hope and trust in the future, my promise of the future, all comes from God. It doesn’t come from our circumstances. It doesn’t come from our government. It doesn’t come from my financial situation. Everything in this world will burn up. It will be gone, or I’ll be separated from it. And this is a challenge for me. As I get older, I have certain goals that I want to achieve, and I catch myself pressuring myself to achieve these goals.
But when I can rest in God alone, my hope comes from Him. I want to remember that my eternal hope is in God. It’s in my relationship to Him. The single best thing that I can imagine is true if Jesus is who he says he is. It means that the God of the universe (the God who created everything) loves me and has provided for me forever. I can’t imagine anything better.
And so I want to join Jesus in for my eternal life and I want to rest and remember that my hope comes from God. It doesn’t come from my circumstances. Today, I want to challenge us. Let’s place our hope in God, not in our circumstances or our strategies or our resources. Our circumstances and our plans and our money won’t save us. Only the Lord saves us. Our hope comes from Him.
When we live with this peace, it transcends all comprehension. That’s what he talks about in Philippians 4. The peace of God transcends the comprehension of our friends, and it may cause them then to ask us, “Why are you different? Why are you doing this?”
That’s our opportunity to make a difference in the life of someone else. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for considering how you can take your faith with you 24/7. Let’s rest in God today. Remember that our hope comes from Him and be available to be a difference maker in the lives of every person that we meet.
Thanks very much.
What do you do when you're afraid?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. I'm grateful that you enjoy these little 5 minute daily devotionals to challenge ourselves to be difference makers in our workplaces and wherever we are, wherever we go every day today. Today, I'm preaching a little bit to myself.
I'm reading Psalm 56:3 from the English Standard Version. “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” What do you do when you're afraid? I've often said that I don't like me when I'm afraid. When I'm scared or worried, I sense those knots in my stomach, I sense this anxiety building in my spirit and I get tense about things, and one of the things that I tend to do is I tend to try and make new plans. I tend to grab all the resources that I have and come up with a new plan for how I'm gonna react to this fear.
But the Psalmist doesn't give us that option here. The Psalmist says “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you” and he's talking to God. The Psalmist is speaking openly to God here. He says “In God whose word I praise. In God I trust. I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” That's the next verse.
And so we're talking to God and we're saying that we've created, or this Psalmist has created a relationship. “When I sense fear, I put my trust in you. I actively place it there.”
I want to be the dictator of my own trust and confidence and peace. I want to rest in God, which we'll talk about in a future episode. But the way that I do that is by placing my trust in Him.
How can we do that today? And how can that difference matter in the lives of the people that we interact with?
Well, if I can put my trust in God, then the things that happen to me aren't setbacks. They aren't disappointments. God is almighty, and when I put my trust in Him, my fear goes down a notch. My anxiety and my tension, and my tendency to react quickly to the things that happen to me also go down a notch. I want to trust God in such a way that I'm relaxed so that I can experience what He would have me experience in every interaction that I have with my coworkers or with customers or with vendors.
My opportunities to be a difference maker appear because I'm confident and I'm trusting God. And I'm looking for those opportunities instead of obsessing over what might happen to me and the things that might go wrong according to my plan. All of these things are triggered by my own fear and so I want to create a new trigger for me today. I want my fear to trigger trust.
Trust is – I think I've said before – my word for 2022. And I'm trying to put my trust in God more and more. And so I notice these uses of the word trust in scripture.
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”
Today, let's deny the fear that we have by putting our trust in God, God is almighty and He's aware of our circumstances and our situation. And He's called us. He's given us an opportunity to be a difference maker in the lives of the people that we interact with every day.
All we have to do, and it's not that easy, is put our trust in Him. Don't let the circumstances of your life knock you off, but put your trust in God and then do what He would have you do in every choice you make and in the lives of every person that you interact with today.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for considering how God might use you in our world. It makes the world a better place. It also draws more people to him. Your actions matter. Trust God, punch in and do what He says and let's help the people around us move one notch closer to Jesus simply because we're trusting him today and we're not afraid.
And if you haven't done it yet, join us. We're a group of people who are trying to do this on a daily basis. You can join our online community at community.followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Chris Patton, a Disciple of Jesus, married for 27 years with 3 kids, and the Global CEO at His Way at Work. His Way at Work is a nonprofit dedicated to transforming company culture and implementing Christian principles into the workplace. In this episode, Chris and Mike talk about the creation of His Way at Work, going through the business world with an eternal perspective, navigating a Christian-based company with non-Christian coworkers, the global impact of His Way at Work, the calling of a Marketplace Missionary, and questions to ask so you can grow as a Marketplace Missionary.
Outline of the Episode
- 0:29 – About Chris Patton
- 3;54 – How Chris came to know Christ
- 5:13 – How His Way at Work got started
- 5:42 – Going through the business world with an eternal perspective
- 7:20 – Navigating a Christian-based company with non-Christian coworkers
- 10:10 – An example on how His Way at Work has changed companies
- 14:32 – The global impact of His Way at Work
- 20:06 – The Calling of a Marketplace MIssionary
- 23:21 – Questions to ask so you can grow as a Marketplace Missionary
Going through the business world with an eternal perspective
The business world can be a difficult life. When we go into the business world with an eternal perspective, the office becomes a mission field. When we put God’s perspective over our own, His will becomes our will.
The calling of a Marketplace Missionary
What is the calling of a marketplace missionary? Our calling as marketplace missionaries is to show God in the way we work and with the people with which we interact. We want people to ask why we are different so that we can start a conversation about Jesus.
Follow Chris Patton
- His Way At Work
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
What time is it? How often do you ask yourself that question?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. Yesterday, we talked about the word today and today I want to talk about now.
I'm reading 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 from the English Standard Version. “Working together with Him then we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain – for He says ‘At a favorable time, I listen to you and on a day of salvation, I have helped you.’ Behold, now is ‘the favorable time’. Behold, now is ‘a day of salvation’.” That's 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 in the English Standard Version.
I actually spoke about 2 Corinthians 6:1 in episode 655 of our podcast. And I talked about not receiving the grace of God in vain, but now in verse 2, the apostle Paul is quoting Isaiah and he says “In a favorable time, I listened to you in a day of salvation, I have helped you. Behold, now is the favorable time. Behold now is the day of salvation.” The key word here is now, and that's what time it is for us as marketplace Christians. It's always now.
Now is a favorable time for listening to the Lord and doing what he says. Now is a favorable time to be saved and to live as members of the Kingdom of God. Now is our called moment. We are called to now.
The next thought that pops into my mind is “so what?”. Why is it important that now is the moment, now is the day of salvation? Now is our opportunity to make a difference in the lives of other people. We don't have opportunities in the future and the opportunities in the past are gone. We can't do anything about them. Focusing on now puts us in the moment we're available to trust God and to do what we believe He says we should do in the lives of the people around us. This is not about the future or the past. It's about now.
Each interaction that we have, one moment at a time, one person at a time, one interaction at a time – in our workplaces – is the opportunity for us to make a difference in the lives of other people. It's the opportunity for us to live like we belong to the Kingdom of Heaven. Now is the favorable time. Now is our opportunity. And so in continuing from yesterday, today is the day. Now is the time.
Let's take a look around, ask God what he would have you do in the lives of every person that you meet and immediately your life kind of goes to a new level. It goes to this level where we live with Jesus and we take direction from the Holy Spirit and He puts us to work in the lives of the people around us. We can each make a difference in the lives of a coworker or a customer or a vendor, family member, or friend today.
Now is the favorable time. So, I wanna challenge you today. Let's ask God to put us to work. Again today, we can ask God to put us to work. It's not work. I almost use the air quotes when I say that, because we have to deny the lie that tells us that doing what God wants is painful and doing what we want is painless.
What we want creates the pain and what God wants creates the joy and the peace and the grace for us. Let's step into that joy and peace and grace today. Here I am, Lord, put me to work. Show me what you would have me do today. Help me to be present in every conversation and in every activity so that I can remember that now is the favorable time.
Thank you so much for being a marketplace minister. Thanks for making a difference with your faith in the marketplace. You matter, and your actions following Jesus matter and what you do because you follow Him can matter forever. So let's step into that. If you want to join a community of people who are pursuing God, check out community.followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
Do you catch yourself thinking about the future often? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. “Today” is a key word. And I try and use “today” often in the podcast because our work is focused on today. Our ministry to our coworkers is a “today” ministry.
Today, I'm going to read a passage in Hebrews 3:7. “Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as when they provoked me as in the day of trial in the wilderness.” That's Hebrews 3:7-8 from the New American Standard.
In this passage in Hebrews, actually twice in chapter 3 and again in chapter 4, the author of Hebrews talks about the importance of today. We’re to encourage one another, as long as it's still called today. In Hebrews 4:7, it quotes this passage again, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” (that's from Psalm 95).
The key of “today” I think is important for us because daily we have this opportunity to walk with Jesus as we live and demonstrate that we believe that Christ makes a difference, Christ has transformed us, The Holy Spirit is living in us, and as the Holy Spirit lives in us, He makes a difference in our lives. Each day, we get another shot at glorifying Him, of making Him visible, at living like we know He exists and He's there and He loves us.
I'm fascinated at this because even if we screwed up yesterday, even if you've already screwed up today, you get another shot. We all get another shot. We can live like we follow Jesus any moment in time and that's why we use the word “today'' in our podcasts. I believe I've probably used that word in every single podcast because our goal is to encourage other believers today. Today, we have a job to do. Today, you are powerful enough to change your own behavior and act in such a way that you believe that Jesus is Lord.
And when you do that, we join Him in His work in our world. He's busy drawing all people to himself and we join Him when we do that. And so, today, I want to challenge you. Begin with the prayer. “Okay. Jesus. Here I am. What would you have me do today?”, and then Jesus will put you to work. It's His job from that prayer on, He will put you to work in the lives of people.
Let's listen to His speaking to us through the Holy Spirit. Let's listen to His challenges. We will get opportunities to appreciate people and to serve people. We will have these chances. Here in Hebrews, we are reminded that today is the day. If we haven't followed Jesus yet, we can choose to follow him. If we make the choice to move one notch closer to Jesus today, we can help someone else move one notch closer to Jesus today.
And that's my challenge for us today. Let's help the people around us move one notch closer to Jesus. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for sharing these podcasts. We're a donor supported ministry. If you are blessed by our podcasts or the Marketplace Mission Trips or anything that we do in our online community, consider making a donation to help support our ministry.
You can make a donation one time or a recurring donation using the donate button on our website. Go to FollowerofOne.org, make a donation, and check out our online community. Thanks very much.
How do you train yourself to make good choices?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. For the last few episodes, we've been talking a little bit about compartmentalization and our choices are a function of that problem for our passage today, we're reading from the book of Joshua 24:15. Joshua was the person that took over for Moses, and led the people into the promised land, and this verse 15 reads and I'm reading from the New American Standard. "If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve. Whether the gods, which your father served, which were beyond the river or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But as for me in my house, we will serve the Lord."
You've probably heard parts of that verse in the past. That's a very famous claim that Joshua makes. "As for me in my house, we will serve the Lord." Our point today is about making choices, and so Joshua is challenging the people of Israel to choose for themselves today whom they will serve.
Bob Dylan even said famously in a song that we all serve somebody, their default choices. Our will is what we do. In the My utmost on July, the eighth Oswald Chambers talks about this topic. He says we can't help but make a choice. Being alive means we choose. Simply being alive means we operate according to our own will, even when we choose to obey or cooperate with someone else. Our will is engaged in our relationship with God, and so we must either choose to serve Him or not. But how do we train ourselves to serve Jesus? Well, it's one choice at a time, one decision at a time. When we give ourselves an excuse, which I often do. I often give myself an excuse "well, just this once." When we give ourselves this excuse, I think we miss out on the promises of God. We miss out on His joy. We miss out on the fellowship of doing what He would have us do and being what he would have us be. We miss out on this joy and pleasure of walking with Him because in my case, my body, my flesh, and my mind are telling me "oh, I don't want to do that. I want to do what I want."
Compartmentalization is making Jesus or our faith one of the things we do, one of the choices. Sometimes I watch TV. Sometimes I work. Sometimes I golf. Other times I spend with Jesus, but I wonder what we miss because we don't spend our TV, our work, and our golf time with Jesus or whatever your hobby is.
Notice again today, I'm talking to me. This is my challenge. I wanna be challenged by what I miss out on when I'm not walking with the Lord. I want the Lord to help me to be less compartmentalized, but I must remember that my will is always engaged as long as I'm alive. So one of my prayers is to ask God to help train my will.
I want to give more of my will to Jesus every day. Every choice I make needs to have Jesus at the center. He's not necessarily on one side or the other, but I want to include him in every choice, and how will that change our lives? How would it change your life if you asked Jesus to take domain over more and more of your choices and to guide you to make more and better choices?
Today, let's ask Jesus to help us choose to include Him in every choice that we make today in every decision that we make. I want to glorify Him, and I believe you do too because when we glorify Jesus, that's when we experience joy. We get to see Him work in our lives. We get to see Him work in our world. That's what we're here for.
I became a Christ follower because I believed it was true, but I remain a Christ follower because the Holy Spirit's living in me and I want to continue to make these choices over and over and over to grow my relationship with Jesus. Why not join us? This is a donor-supported ministry.
Thank you for listening to our podcast. Please share it with someone else and share this content and what we talk about with others. Let's live like Jesus' followers in every relationship that we have so that he becomes visible in our world.
Thanks very much.
Do you struggle with compartmentalization while living a segmented life? Or do you just kind of go along with it?
Hey, this is Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. Welcome to episode 741. We've been talking a little bit about com compartmentalization and today our verse is Deuteronomy 6:5, I'm reading from the New American Standard. "You shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might."
This is a key verse and a key passage in the Old Testament law. Moses is reminding the people of Israel that we are to have God first in our lives, and Jesus quoted this passage when he was asked what is the greatest commandment.
The greatest commandment was two commandments in fact, "loving the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and loving your neighbor as yourself." When Jesus quoted this passage in Greek, in one of the gospels, it uses heart, mind, soul, and strength, and in another one of the passages, it uses heart and soul, and mind. So the words are slightly different, but the basic meaning is, is that we love God with everything we have and everything we are.
In other words, Jesus isn't part of my life. He's all of it. Jesus created everything. He owns everything. So why do we then say we're too busy to do what he tells us to do? Integrity, you know, doesn't mean honesty. Integrity means that we're integrated, we're whole we're pure. We're not divided. I'm talking a little bit about the integrity of following Jesus today. To have integrity as a Jesus follower means there are not two of us. That was my struggle. I didn't want to live a different way at church than I lived at work, and yet when I went to my workplace, I battled regularly for a long time with my flesh and with the ways that I had done things. I became a Christian. I was already 30 years old, so I had 30 years of habits to break, but I've developed many new ones since then, too. I don't want to act like everything got better that day.
We all struggle, I believe a little bit, with being compartmentalized. With segmenting pieces of our lives and saying, well, I have to do what I have to do here, but then when I get back to church, God will forgive me. We know that God forgives us Christ paid for that forgiveness for us, and yet still what happens I believe when we compartmentalize is we miss out on the joy of walking with Jesus and doing everything that we do with Him.
I wanted to be a good manager of software developers. I wanted to develop good software applications that were helpful and useful. I wanted to lead teams of people who ran, worked in shipping, and did other things. We did customer support and we did, different kinds of work in my career. Each time when I could do those with God, I experienced more joy in what I was doing, and then when I got off on my thinking that I had to come up with my solutions, I experienced less joy and I had low points in my career.
I wanna challenge us today to think about being integrated and being whole. Today, let's remember the words all in this verse. "You show love the Lord, your God, with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." All means all. Let's try and give God more and more of our life, and we need His help to do that, which is part of the reason why for each of this daily kinds of messages, I've suggested that we remember the prayer "here I am."
When we punch in and ask God to accomplish His will in and through us, we experienced that joy more. We are cooperating with God and asking Him to interrupt us. It's up to us to catch that split second in every action when we can choose to follow God and often catching that split second comes from being around people who do that as well, which is why we also encourage people to join our online community.
Follower of One is an online community for marketplace Christians who want to live their faith every day. Why not join us? You can go to https://community.followerofone.org and join us there. You can also simply join us by punching in and telling God here I am and letting God direct you through your day. Then you become part of the team of people that are working towards the same goal that we are, which is what Jesus is doing in our universe.
Thanks for being a Marketplace Minister, and thanks for following Jesus.
Do you ever think about how you put parts of your life in compartments? Or do you?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. Today, and this came from yesterday's podcast, I got to thinking about how we compartmentalize things in our lives or how we might, and so I came to this verse in Romans 11:36, and I'm reading from the New American Standard Bible. "For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen."
This is a doxology. It's a short statement of praise to God. "From Him and through Him and to Him are all things." So my question for us is how compartmentalized are we? Do you find that you're too busy to pray for your coworkers? Or what about being too busy to spend a few minutes helping someone else? Is the problem of busyness robbing us of the joy of walking with Jesus? If God owns it, all which we talk about in this verse for, "from Him and through Him and into Him are all things," and we spoke in yesterday's episode about how God created it all and He owns it all.
These are all His things. All of the world and everything that we have and are, and do belongs to Him. So how is it that we put ourselves in a position where to do something with our faith means that we have to stop doing something else? I get challenged by that every time we do the Marketplace Mission Trip because I'm tempted to feel as many are that we're too busy to integrate our faith into what we do every day. Yet we have these examples of Jesus challenging us, and from the scripture in Luke 10, for example, we have the story of Mary and Martha and Jesus telling Martha that Mary has chosen the good thing because only one thing is necessary.
Matthew 19 has the story of the rich young ruler who wouldn't sell all of his possessions, and I think we sympathize a little bit with these people and we go back about our daily lives. At least I do, but I wanna challenge myself today. What part of my daily life am I keeping from God? Do I want to do something about it? Do you?
I mean, I get it. We can't go on an overseas mission trip, but I can't pray for the person I'm in line behind at a stoplight instead of wishing they'd get out my way. When I fail to involve Jesus in everything I do, I miss the joy of doing everything with Him and for Him. "For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things." Our verse says.
How much more am I willing to miss? How about you? What can we do today? Well, to me, I start with this daily prayer and I mentioned this in yesterday's episode too. I start with "here I am. Jesus, please use me today. Draw my mind back to you." The Holy Spirit living in me has the power to help me focus and bring my attention to my relationship with Christ. Even when I'm in a difficult staff meeting or I'm being chewed out by a customer, or I'm in line behind someone slow in traffic, God can do this, and so I want to depend on him.
Today I want to challenge us. Let's remember that all of what we experience and all of what we interact with every person that we meet, we all belong to God and we're on His plan and His program, not our own. That's how I compartmentalize. I take responsibility for the things I think I control, and at that moment I've segmented part of my life and tried to take it away from God. Today I wanna be available to God to do what He has for me to do today, and I hope you can do that too, because when we are available to Him, then we experience Him.
We experience His joy. We experience His purpose in everything that we do. Why not take a moment right now and tell God "here I am. Put me to work today, father." And watch what He does in your day. Then join us over at https://community.Followerofone.org and let us know how it goes. We're all working to do this for one another together.
Thanks for joining us and being Marketplace Ministers to the people that we meet every day. Thank you very much.
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Donna Skell. With a heart for God, people, and business, Donna stays active in the Christian community. She has been part of Roaring Lambs Ministries since its inception in 1980 and came on staff in 2008. Donna is an author, TV/Radio Co-host, and Jewish follower of Christ. She loves to help people effectively tell their stories of what God has done in their life. In this episode, Mike and Donna talk about Roaring Lambs Ministries, her journey to Christ, the purpose of Roaring Lamb Ministries, how Christians are created to fellowship with God, about the Hall of Fame, the importance of sharing your faith with others, incorporating your faith into your life, and the weight of the question “How can I pray for you today?”
Outline of the Episode
- 0:29 – About Roaring Lambs
- 1:08 – Donna’s journey to Jesus
- 3:29 – How Donna ended up with Roaring Lamb Ministries
- 6:33 – The purpose of Roaring Lamb Ministries
- 8:05 – How Christians are created to fellowship with God
- 10:00 – About the Hall of Fame
- 12:35 – The importance of sharing your faith with others
- 14:23 – How to incorporate your faith into your life
- 16:07 – Asking people “How can I pray for you today?”
- 17:06 – Growing up Jewish
The Purpose of Roaring Lamb Ministries
Roaring Lamb Ministries was created to engage with Christians outside of the Church walls. Their goal is to empower and activate other Christians to not be afraid to talk about the Gospel when they are not at Church.
How Christians are created to Fellowship with God
Christians are created to fellowship with God. Our end goal as Christians is to share the gospel to the ends of the earth. For us to share God, we need to understand him. The way that we get to know Christ is to fellowship with Him.
The weight of the question “How can I pray for you today?”
When you go and ask someone “How can I pray for you today?” it opens an opportunity to share Christ. This question also makes the person you are talking to know that you genuinely care about them, and you desire for their wellbeing.
Follow Donna Skell
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
Have you ever considered the importance of ownership? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. We appreciate you joining us for these brief messages every day as a way to challenge yourself as you go into your day to live a life that's integrated with your faith in Christ. Today, I want to talk about Psalm 24:1, which I'm reading from the Christian Standard Version. "The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants belong to the Lord." That's Psalm 24:1 from the Christian Standard Bible.
If you own or create something, you have control over how that thing is used and what it does. God created the universe and each of us, therefore He's in charge. We don't like to admit that, but it's the truth. He has given us some ability to create and some ability to choose what we do, however, exists inside of His control, and I don't fully understand that. I don't claim to. But what difference does it make in our life? Well, if I choose to believe Psalm 24:1, then when I don't have something, I can turn to God. But the question of what I want probably isn't the first question. The first question might need to be, "what does God want?" It's His stuff, and I'm His stuff. He must have had a reason for creating me, and therefore I want to find out part of that reason.
I want to understand as much of that reason as I can because I also believe that God is good and maybe we can do another post on that here soon. God's goodness leads me to believe that what He created me to do is something that I will enjoy. I can walk in His purpose for me and expect joy from that because He promises joy for us. And so I want to also ask you, what does it mean for you if God owns you? If God created you? We don't like those terms in our Western world. But today, I want to consider how God wants me to behave in the world. What difference does He want me to make? He's given us this opportunity to speak about our own lives and serve other people around us and take part in His global strategy for saving every person who will believe in Jesus.
We get to be part of that and we get to experience the joy of being part of that. I so often considered what God wanted me to do as being work. Something that would be negative and something I didn't want to do, and I was trying to do as little of what God wanted me to do as I possibly could because I believed I enjoyed these other things.
I enjoyed what I wanted to do more than what I thought God wanted me to do. But the more I follow and trust God and lean on Him, the more I understand that God's calling for me gives me joy and it gives me peace. Therefore I need to remember that God owns me. I believe Psalm 24:1, I believe the earth and everything in it belong to God. Therefore, I want to try and use it the way He would have it used. I wanna try and take part in the lives of other people and accomplish what God would have me accomplish. I wanna be His person in my world today.
What about you? Would you like to intentionally be more purposeful about this? One way you can do that is with our First Daily Activity. You can pray and simply tell God, "here I am God, what would you have me do today?" You punch in and you get on the clock with that prayer, and we start working for God today it's up to Him and the Holy Spirit living in us to help us understand what He would have us do. We get that opportunity. And I believe if you'll do that, you'll experience joy today.
Look back at the end of your day today, and then let us know what happened. You can drop me a line at mike@followerofone.org. You can communicate with me through our Facebook page or our LinkedIn company page or in any way that you would like. I want to know, and I want to help marketplace Christians integrate their faith into their daily life because I believe that will make our world better.
Anything that I can do to help you, please let me know at mike@followerofone.org and also consider joining us in our online community, which is https://community.followerofone.org. Thanks very much for being a Marketplace Minister and for choosing to make a difference with your faith today.
So if you would sum up the entire law, all of the old Testament law into one word, what would it be?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast, we've been talking about a variety of different ideas, but I came to this idea a few episodes back about the law. Today, I want to talk about this passage Galatians 5:14. "For the whole law is fulfilled in one word. You shall love your neighbor as yourself." That's from the English Standard Version of the Bible.
The apostle Paul, who's the author of the book to Galatians, the letter to the people in Galatia, summed up all of the law in one word, and its sentence "you shall love your neighbor as yourself." The one word I believe is love. In episode 725, we talked about Romans 3:20. The law shows us this is God's universe and not ours. Part of the purpose of the law is to show us that we don't measure up. We can't measure up, we won't measure up. We don't have a choice. We can try and we're called to try and we desire to measure up, but we don't.
Romans 3:20 says the law shows us this is God's universe. It's His plan. He's the one who made the law. He defines right and wrong. These are all up to Him. But in this passage, we're reminded that the whole law is fulfilled in one word - love. Jesus loved us. God loved us. God came to our earth as Jesus to down the cross for our sins and to make a way for us to get back to God, and this verse reminds us that if we want to do what Jesus has for us to do, we love our neighbor. We love the person next to us. We love other people. Often, that means we go out of our way. We give them something that we can't keep. We give them our time or our attention or our appreciation. We do what's best for them. Sometimes that's hard, but often it needs to be graceful. It needs to be something that we give away without purpose or reward. \
"God demonstrated his love toward us, and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us," it says in Galatians 2:20. We have this demonstration that we love others first. It's not based on their performance or their actions, but we love our neighbors because that's our response to what Jesus has done for us. Today in our workplaces, I would like to challenge us. Let's find ways to love others. Let's look for opportunities to love the customer that we're on the phone with, even though they're upset about a problem or two, to love a boss or someone who's created a challenging work environment for us.
We are called to give love when love is not a natural response. In that kind of circumstance, our hope becomes visible, and often we might even get asked to explain how we have a love that just transcends all understanding, as it says in Philippians 4. Our love should be something that the world sees because it just doesn't fit.
Let's live by summing up the law of Christ. Let's love our neighbor as ourselves and look for ways to do that in our workplaces today. Thank you for being a Marketplace Minister, and thank you for considering how your faith can make a difference every day in the way that you carry yourself, the way that you work and do your job, and the way that you interact with others.
Our life poured out in service to Jesus means that we go to work on behalf of Him. How would he have us do our jobs today? And if you wanna be part of a community of people who are working to make this happen more and more in their own lives, then check it out. Join us at https://community.Followerofone.org. You can sign up for free and you can also take our marketplace mission trip, which is a two-week exercise to practice living our faith regularly. We have another one starting in just a couple of weeks. Go check it out at https://community.Followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
Can you prove your faith? Should we try to prove our faith?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. I talked a little bit about the importance of our faith yesterday, and it prompted me to remember this verse and talk a little bit about the proof of our faith from 1st Peter 1:7 "so that the proof of your faith being more precious than gold, which is perishable, even though tested by fire may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." That's from the New American Standard Version of the Bible.
The proof of our faith. I often think about this phrase. What is the proof of our faith? Well, part of the proof of our faith is the fact that we behave in such a way that we demonstrate our faith. We are proving our faith by the way that we live, but we don't prove the success of our faith. The success of our faith isn't proven until we get to heaven. In 1st Corinthians 15:19, Paul said "if we have hoped in Christ in this life only we are of all men, most to be pitied."
Much of the proof of our faith exists on the other side of eternity, on the other side of death. Either eternity is there and we get to take part in it or it's not there, and we are most to be pitied. The proof of our faith though is more precious than gold, not the proof, but the faith. Faith is more precious than gold, which is perishable. Our faith isn't perishable. Gold is perishable. Our faith can be tested by fire and will be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. This is part of what we believe is Christians. We believe that our faith will result in praise and glory and honor when we see Jesus when we come face to face with Him. It will be a glorious day I believe because we will be able to see the proof of our faith.
It will finally be demonstrated. It will finally be obvious that our faith was true and our faith is precious, more precious than gold. This faith is what pulls us through the difficulties and the troubles of our world. Faith is what puts us in a position where we can be a blessing to others, even when we experience hardship. We can serve, even when it's not expected of us, or we can give more than others might expect. Our faith shows up in our world because we live like we're free. We live like we know that everything will be made right on the other side of death., And that's what I want to challenge us to do today.
Let's go into our workplaces today and live confident that the proof of our faith is coming. The proof of our faith is going to happen. It will happen, and it will be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. When we see Jesus again, we will experience this praise and glory, and honor. We will be overjoyed.
We experience pieces of this now when we obey Him in our workplaces and when we go out of our way to make a difference in the lives of others. We can experience some of the praise and glory and honor now by simply trusting Jesus and doing what He says in our workplaces or wherever we go today.
So today as you go, listen to Jesus. Let the Holy Spirit prompt you to make a difference in the lives of others. You have an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others today, simply because we know that our faith will eventually be proven and we will experience this praise and glory and honor when we see Jesus.
Thank you for being a Marketplace Minister. Thank you for going into your workplace to make a difference. This podcast and our online community all exist because of the donations of generous people who've experienced what we're doing. Consider contributing Follower of One so that other people can experience the podcast, can be energized and challenged to go into their workplaces and make a difference with their faith.
We all experience joy when we do that. So thank you for following Jesus and for being a Marketplace Minister in your workplace. Check us out at https://community.Followerofone.org. You can contribute there by clicking our donate button.
Thanks very much.
Do you work for rewards and approval? You know, I think we all do to some degree.
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. Today, I wanted to talk about a verse in James 1:12, and I'm reading from the New American Standard Bible. "Blessed is is a man who perseveres under trial. For once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
Let's take this verse apart a little bit and see how it applies to us. Blessed, first of all, is the statement, and it says good on you. We're asking for God's blessing to be given to a person and a person who perseveres under the trial will receive this blessing. The reference to man here, I think is more from the translations and the kind of gender leanings of the original Greek language.
"Blessed it is anyone who perseveres under trial." What does it mean to persevere under trial? Well, it means to hold up, to remain faithful to God, to do what he would have us do in these trials. Sometimes the trials are temptations, and some translations use that word or tests. What we're being tested, we're seeing how strong we are, how much we can endure.
And this trial, I think, is what happens in the world. We're being reminded that the world is broken because of the actions of humans. We broke it, and yet we can persevere under the consequences of the things that happen in our world. Once we do that, persevering, once we are approved, then He will receive the crown of life. That person will receive the crown of life, and we're told that this crown of life has been promised to those who love God. The Lord will deliver it to us. He's the one who promised it to us who love. The crown of life is this reward. I don't understand exactly what it is. I don't know if it's made up of life or if it's the award of life.
I haven't done enough study to recognize that, but I can still take away something from this verse for my life today and how we go about entering the world. We get to persist and persevere through the things that we face, the temptations to fail, and the trials that we're confronted with. As we persevere under those situations, then we know that we have a reward coming. It frees us up to be givers in our workplace. We're available to be a difference maker because we know that this is coming to us. We simply hang on for it. "We will receive this crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him."
This is where our faith comes in. Faith is this willingness to believe the truth of this passage and what else the Bible teaches and to hold on to our relationship to God, to reach its conclusion, to reach its eternal state, where we continue in relationship with Him who will continue growing and learning but will be freed from sin.
Therefore in our workplaces today, let's remember that we're people of the promise. We're living for something in the future, and that Promise's been given to us by God. It will be given to us by God. Therefore we're free to serve other people in our workplace. We're free to be a blessing to the people that we interact with. We're free to trust God and to persevere under the trials that we face, knowing that once we're approved, we will receive the crown of life. I wanna challenge us as Marketplace Christians today. Please continue to persevere. Whatever trials you're facing, continue to persevere and make yourself available to be a blessing to those of us around us who don't know the Lord, they don't have this promise. They can't focus beyond their circumstances, and we have been given that opportunity. So let's live that way today.
Thank you for being a Marketplace Minister. Thank you for looking for ways to bless other people in your daily activities. Everything that we do because we trust Jesus matters and it matters forever. So how you interact with the people that you work with today, matters. Thanks so much, and if you'd like to be part of a community that's living and trying to do this, join us at https://community.followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
Are you holy? Do you consider yourself holy?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. We touched on Hebrews 12:14 yesterday, but I want to touch on it a little more today because I think I'll probably step on some toes. Let's read this passage from the English Standard Version. "Strive for peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord."
I talk about how we make Jesus visible, and what we learn in this verse is that our holiness does that. But maybe you don't consider yourself holy. Maybe you're not looking forward to being holy. I thought about a couple of things related to holiness as I started yesterday's podcast and came to this verse and I felt like we might want to talk about it a little more today. First, we need to strive for peace with everyone. This is the first caution the author of Hebrews gives us. We strive for peace with everyone and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.
We need to have peace with everyone first. Peace is what we're going for, and also this holiness is an interesting word. In the New American Standard, it says sanctification. These are both big words for being something that is used by God. When something is set apart for God's use, it is considered holy and we are called to be holy. In Leviticus, the Jews were challenged to be holy because God was holy. He said, "I am holy, you should be holy because I am holy." And first Peter even quotes the same passage. This was a key passage for the nation of Israel.
Our call is to be holy, to be dedicated to God's purpose. God is working towards God's purpose and we are called to work towards God's purpose, that's what holiness and sanctification are. When we're doing what God has for us to do, we're holy. That doesn't mean that we wear robes, I talked about this in the previous episode. This is not about having something that's only used on Sundays in the church necessarily, but that's kind of the way that it became interpreted in the church when I was growing up. Holy things were those things that were special and only used on Sunday and they were only used in the church.
We are people of God. And when we do God's work, we're holy and if we strive for peace with everyone and we are listening to and obeying God, then we are this holiness that the author of Hebrews talks about in this verse. Therefore the people around us see the Lord. I keep using the phrase. I wanna make Jesus visible. I don't have the power to make Jesus visible. However, he shows up when I obey Him and other people see my life being different when I obey Him, and I believe that's the calling that we have in the workplace.
When we live as instruments of God in the marketplace or in the workplace or wherever we are every day, other people get to see Jesus. People will see the Lord when we're doing what Jesus would have us do. That's his strategy and his plan. That's the whole reason why I believe we're still here. Otherwise, why wouldn't God just save us and take us to heaven? I believe He saves us and He leaves us here so that we can strive for peace with everyone and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. That's our calling.
Today, I want to challenge us. Let's listen to God and do what He says. Often we tell ourselves that we don't have time. I can only do some of these things because I also have to work. Well, the way that I work is another effort at holiness. Maybe that's even another podcast today. Let's go into our marketplaces listening to God, doing what He would have us do in our workplace so that He might become visible to the people that we interact with every day.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for making a difference with your faith in the world. Simply obeying God and being His weapon in the world makes us holy and therefore we can become part of His strategy so that the world might see Him. If you wanna be part of a community that considers this regularly, check out https://followerofone.org. You can join our community at https://community.Followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Thomas McCoy, the Interim President of the International Christian Network. The International Christian Network is a network for Christians to mobilize and interact with each other and platform. In this episode, Mike and Tom talk about Tom’s journey to Christianity, how Christ changed the way Tom works and interacts with coworkers, the International Christian Network, meeting other Christians in the Marketplace, what to expect when someone joins the ICN, how media has changed discipleship and finding other Christians in the marketplace.
Outline of the Episode
- 0:44 – About Thomas McCoy
- 2:03 – How Thomas became a Christian
- 3:23 – Tom’s journey through different careers
- 4:59 – How Christ has changed how Tom works
- 7:27 – Tom’s position at ICN
- 10:51 – Meeting other Christians in the Marketplace
- 12:00 – What to expect when you join the ICN
- 14:02 – How media has changed discipleship
- 15:28 – What ICN offers to its members
- 17:46 – Finding other Christians in the Marketplace
- 18:53 – How to join the ICN
How Christ changes the way you work
When you become a Christian in the marketplace, you don’t insert Christ into every conversation that you have with coworkers. As Christians, Christ needs to overflow. We need to live in such a way where we don’t have to point Christ out in everything we do, to where people ask why we are different.
How Media has changed the marketplace and how we interact with other Marketplace Ministers
Media and technology have changed the way that Marketplace Christians interact with each other. It has become easier to connect with communities with other Christians like Follower of One and the International Christian Network. Not only has media changed the way we connect with Christians, but it has also changed the way that we train to disciple and reach unbelievers.
Follow Tom McCoy
- International Christian Network
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
How does discipline lead us to help others?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the follower of one podcast, we've been talking for several days about discipline, several episodes, and today we're wrapping that up. We're in Hebrews chapter 12. Today we're reading verses 12 through 14. "Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone and the holiness, without which no one will see the Lord." That's from the English Standard Version of the Bible.
The author of Hebrews is wrapping up this discussion about discipline and he goes right into encouraging other people. So we talked about discipline and how we are disciplined by God. We were disciplined by our parents. The previous episodes all discussed this discipline because I was wrestling and always wrestle with my lack of discipline, But this switch to encouraging others and to caring for others is important, and that's why I thought I would include it in this series. For the moment, all discipline seems painful. It says in verse 11, "therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees," It begins in verse 12. The author of Hebrew is encouraging us to help those of us who are experiencing discipline.
We're on the harder end of life. Let's help those around us who are going through difficulty. We can make straight paths for their feet. We can set what is lame. We can fix their broken joints and different difficulties that they're going through to the degree that we can help others and encourage others, we strive for peace with everyone and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
Holiness is this key. Holiness is our dedication to God. It's being set apart by God. When we're holy, that means that we're doing the things that God would have us do. It's not about wearing some gown or doing all these other things, the ancient ages kind of created this model for the word holiness that I think freaks us. But when we're doing what God would have us do, we're holy; we're walking in the calling that he has for us. Ephesians 2:10 says" we were created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we would walk in them."
Holiness is us doing the job we were created for. People will see that holiness when we can live a disciplined life. We can strive for peace with everyone and then they will see this holiness because we live this discipline-controlled life as followers of God. Our challenge for being disciplined people is to go into the world and represent life following Jesus. That's our job. That's why we're still here. I always believed that I didn't want to just be saved and stay out of trouble until I died. Fortunately, God has a different plan. God plans that you and I reflect on life following Him in our various workplaces, in our difficult staff meetings, when irate customers are chewing us out, or when things are going wrong when prices are skyrocketing.
All of these are opportunities for us to walk in the calling of God to be holy so that others might see God. That's where we get our joy. The joy that comes through discipline is knowing that we walked in what God had called for us too. Today, I believe God would like you to pay attention to the people around you. I believe he wants us all to pray for the people that we interact with, appreciate them and serve them because that's one reason why we're still here. We're still here instead of with God in heaven because He has a job for us to do here.
It's to be holy so that others might see God. Thank you for being a Marketplace Minister. Follower Of One is nothing but a community of people who are trying to live life the way they believe God wants them to live it, and that's what I'm trying to do. Follower of One is my stab at trying to get a place for all of us to connect.
Why not check out https://community.followerofone.org and join us? You can create a profile in our online community. Meet other Christians. We're trying to do this daily and even take part in our marketplace mission trips. Check it out at https://community.Followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
I wrestle with discipline, do you,? I often give myself a pass and that's why we've been talking about discipline for the last few episodes.
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. I want to pick up where we left off in the previous episode, talking about discipline. We talked about the discipline of children for two episodes before this and you can check those out. Today in this passage, we're gonna read verses 9 through 11 of Hebrews 12, and I'm reading from the English Standard Version. "Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who have disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the father of spirits and live? Where they disciplined us for a short time, as it seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by."
The author of Hebrews is extending this illustration. He's talking about the act of correcting us children or correcting a person. God the Father corrects us, just like our parents corrected us as we were children. The word discipline is talking about the discipline of correction. I often wrestle with discipline, but it's not the discipline of correction as much as I wrestle with the discipline of internal guidance. I don't have the discipline or what my dad used to call intestinal fortitude. I don't have the guts to make myself behave.
In these external discipline examples that we're seeing here in verses 9 through 11. We're reminded that our earthly fathers disciplined us and we respected them. They disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but God disciplines us for our good so that we may share his holiness. I think it's important that the discipline that God brings to us, some of what happens to us, therefore must be God correcting us. God is correcting us with His actions, with the things that happen in the world. It's not all mechanical. In other words, some of the things that we experience are God correcting us. God corrects us for our good so that we may share His holiness. The benefit of this correction of God while it seems painful, will end up yielding the peaceful fruit of righteousness. It will help us discipline ourselves.
It helps us correct ourselves. We want the discipline that God brings to us from the outside to help us correct ourselves internally. Life is easier when we can control ourselves and when we can manage ourselves. We put ourselves in the places where we have opportunities to be used by God and to experience His joy. We have the discipline to wait on God and to do the things that He wants us to do. That's this whole point, for the moment, all discipline seems painful, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. I want to be trained by the discipline of God, do you?
Let's remind ourselves today that the things that happened to us, happen to us for our good. Romans 8:28 reminds us that "all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose." As we continue to pursue God and find His direction for our lives and find his moment-by-moment calling for us, we will learn to be thankful for this discipline, about the things that cause us to correct. I confess I don't want God to discipline me, but I would rather have the internal discipline, the internal self-control that I can only gain through the correction that I receive.
Let's look for opportunities today to walk in what God has called us to do. Let's remember that if we can apply this control ourselves, we won't need to be disciplined by God or by others, but rather we can enjoy life following Him. Thank you for being a Marketplace Minister and thank you for letting the word of God make a difference in your life. I pray that your difference makes a difference in the lives of the people that you work with too.
Thanks very much.
Do you discipline children that don't belong to you? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. This is the second part of a two-parter about how our discipline of children and how God disciplines us to relate to one another. Today, let's read Hebrews 12:7-8, and I'm reading from the English Standard Version. "It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom His father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons."
We talked yesterday about how our discipline of children is an example of the type of discipline that God is putting us through. Even in different translations, the challenge at the beginning of verse seven was to endure suffering as a discipline. In the ESV, it says "it is for discipline that you have to endure." The things that we have to endure, and the things that we go through are for this discipline, this training, this guidance and development that God is doing in our lives.
God is developing you to be the person that you will be for eternity, and He's doing that for me. Now, I don't understand the mechanics of all this. I do know that when I discipline my children, they learn the benefits of living with discipline, and we will learn more about that in the future that's part of the reason why I'm studying this whole chapter in a series, or at least this section of this chapter in a series.
My goal is to communicate to us that discipline has benefits. If we can take those benefits from the suffering that we face or the negative experiences that we have to endure, as it says here in the ESV, then God is making positive things out of the negative that happens to us. God is in charge of the world and we broke it. He let us break it. He gave us free choice and we broke it, and much of the consequences, all of the consequences that we face the result of the sin in the world. The sin that began when Adam ate the apple and it began when you and I decided that something was ours and we stole it from our brother or our parents or whatever. None of us are without sin. In Romans 3, it says " all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
So the consequences of our sin are part of this strategy that trains us to become the people that God would have us be. We are not illegitimate, but we are sons. We have been adopted into the family of God and He is raising us to be what He would have us be and to use us in the world. And part of that is the way that we endure difficulty. It's the way that we face challenges. It's the way that we deal with suffering. Part of that is also the way that we live in and among people in the world. That's our goal as followers of Christ, let's live in such a way that we glorify him. If we can remember that the difficult things that we face are part of God's discipline, we bring new energy to every situation and we make things possible.
We create, and we live this visible hope that we're challenged about in 1st Peter 3:15. People will ask us about our hope and they will ask us about the hope they see, and when they do that's when we get a chance to give a defense. This is all part of our strategy. God has this grand plan to deal with our broken world by letting us be his witnesses in it.
I want to invite you to join God. Be part of His strategy in your sphere of influence. Let's live as we trust Him. Let's remember that the difficulties that we face, the unfairness and the challenges in our job, and the difficult customers, all of those things contribute to us being able to make God visible in our workplace. If we can adopt the attitude that we trust God in this environment, then we're free to serve other people, and it makes our hope visible to them. Try it, check it out. Let's live like Marketplace Christians.
Thank you for being a marketplace Christian, and for considering how you can make a difference in the lives of others, your actions matter.
Thank you very much.
What does the discipline of children have to do with our relationship with God? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. We're chugging through Hebrews 12, and today I wanna read Hebrews 12:5-7. I'm reading from the New Living Translation, partly because there are fewer words to have to explain. It's kind of weird the way the different translations work, but here it is in the New Living Translation. "And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as His children? He said, my child, don't make light of the Lord's discipline and don't give up when He corrects you, for the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child. As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as His children." We'll stop in the middle of verse seven for today and pick this up again tomorrow.
In this first passage in verses five and six, the author of Hebrews is quoting Proverbs. This is Proverbs 3:11-12. "My child doesn't make light of the Lord's discipline and don't give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child." The way we discipline our children is an illustration of how God guides us and raises us.
Imagine what we do with our children, from when they're born to when they're old enough to go out on their own as part of what God is doing in our lives right now. God is working in our lives to turn us into the people that we will be for eternity. I'm fascinated by this idea. It's way outside of what I can imagine or conceive, but it's a challenge because He says in this verse seven, "as you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as His children." In the ESV it says " it is for discipline that you have to endure." in the CSB, the Christian Standard Bible, it says "Endure suffering as a discipline. God is dealing with you as sons."
God is dealing with us as His children and the suffering that we experience and the challenges that we face and the troubles that we face are all opportunities for us to grow or not. We can choose to treat these as discipline, or we can choose to choose a different attitude, and then we have to struggle with it like I'm struggling with this sentence. We are called to be God's people and everything that happens to us comes through some filter, and that's hard for me to say because, in the grand scheme of things, many things haven't happened to me. I have experienced some difficulties, but not much, and so I can't speak for you and your difficulties or anyone else, but I want to quote the Bible here and I want to say that we have this opportunity. We can choose to endure suffering as discipline as an opportunity for God to deal with us and to turn us into the people He wants us to be. Romans 8:28 is a very famous verse that says that God causes all things to work together for good. Many of us have endured many difficulties in our lives, and we have this promise and I want to believe enough about God to hang onto that promise.
That means that I can go into my workplace today, I can face the things that I face today, and try and be a blessing to the people around me, because I trust that God has my back. I want to encourage us today. Let's be people who live like God has our back. Let's remember that the disciplines that we face, that are the suffering that we face we can treat that as discipline and opportunity. We're gonna pick this up again tomorrow because I wanna talk a little bit more about how this relates to the way that we discipline our children. Today, let's remember as Marketplace Christians, whatever we face, we can choose to believe in God and therefore act accordingly, or we can choose not to. It's up to us.
Today, please choose to glorify God in every interaction that you have with the people that you work with. It will matter. It does matter, and God can make it count forever. Thanks very much for being a Marketplace Minister.
Where are you in the struggle against sin?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. I came to this next set of passages that we're going to study by focusing on the word discipline. I need more discipline and there are areas of my life where I constantly let myself off the hook, so I find myself in Hebrews 12. Today, our verses are verse three and verse four, and I'm reading from the English Standard Version of the Bible." For consider Him, who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, so that you won't grow weary and give up. In struggling against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood."
Again, that's Hebrews 12:3-4 from the ESV. So I've spoken a few weeks back episode, 675 and 676, were about Hebrews 12:1-2, and I didn't want to go through that again. So if you'd like to hear those two verses, you can go listen to those, podcast episodes. But the author of Hebrews goes from this effort of Jesus, how He focused on the joy that was set before Him so that he could endure the cross, and then he turns to this challenge to people and he's encouraging us to consider Jesus who endured such hostilities so that we won't grow weary and give up.
Jesus had to endure great pain and great suffering as God of the universe He died on the cross for us. He took our place. So for us in struggling against sin, the author reminds us we have not yet resisted to the point of shedding our blood. I don't know how far you've gone in the struggle against sin, but I don't go very far. I disappoint myself often. and how easily I overeat and how quickly I give myself a pass and don't exercise.
I don't do things to discipline myself. I constantly give myself excuses. I don't struggle very hard against sin. I don't struggle very hard against laziness or slothfulness, and maybe you don't have that problem. I know people who don't seem to have that problem in certain areas, but I believe we all have it in some areas.
What's your area like? Where do you just avoid the struggle against sin? I remember sitting around talking one time in a class and we were talking about what we struggled with and I said, you know, I don't struggle with many of those things at all. I just give up on the front end. I think God calls us to struggle for these things. The cost of growing in our faith is high because the consequences of our sins are great. We are struggling because we have created a great problem in the world. We broke this world that God created, and now you and I are trying to become God's agents in it. We've been called into this role where we can serve other people and help Him to become visible, help His strategy to break through the difficulties of our world.
Today, I want to challenge us as followers of Jesus. Let's not give up on our struggle against sin. We have not resisted to the point of shedding our blood. So let's go a little further. We can always go a little more. I want to challenge myself to go a little more in the areas where Jesus brings this conviction to mind, and I want to challenge you in the same way. We're gonna go through the next few verses of this section, just because I want to concentrate on discipline.
Let's discipline ourselves. Our obedience becomes a benefit to us. We will learn more about this in the coming days. Let's exercise discipline today, and practice ways that we can serve the people that we work with so that Jesus might be glorified.
One way we do that is through our online community at Follower of One. Go to https://community.followerofone.org and sign up and join us on the next marketplace mission trip. This is a two-week exercise to help us be more intentional about the way that we live our faith. Check it out at https://community.Followerofone.org.
Thank you very much.
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Orrin Liewuen, owner of Lionheart Leadership, located in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. Lionheart Leadership is focused on helping others increase his clients' confidence and resourcefulness through the clients' beliefs and values. In this podcast, Mike and Orrin talk about the importance of aligning your beliefs, working with someone that holds different beliefs and values, how Orrin came to the Lord, moving from vocational ministry to leadership training, how Christianity plays into leadership training, and the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone.
Outline of the Episode
- 0:25 – Introduction to Orinn
- 1:24 – Aligning your values and beliefs
- 2:37 – Working with someone with which you disagree
- 3:10 – How Orrin came to the Lord
- 4:47 – Getting into leadership with John Maxwell
- 5:46 – Moving from Vocational Ministry to Leadership
- 7:43 – About Lionheart Leadership
- 11:11 – The tools used in Leadership Training
- 15:00 – How Christianity plays into leadership Training
- 18:34 – Stepping out of your comfort zone
Aligning your values and beliefs
Aligning your beliefs and your values as a leader is one of the most important pieces of being an effective leader. When you align your values and beliefs, it increases your confidence. You know what you believe, and your actions portray that. It also makes you more resourceful for the team that you’re leading.
How Christianity Plays into Leadership Training
When you’re a Christian in a leadership role, you are no longer acting as yourself. When you lead a team as a Christian, your job is to effectively lead your team towards what Christ wants, not your personal desires. It is one thing to be an effective leader, but being a good Christian leader is a whole new job.
Stepping out of your comfort zone
When you succeed as a team and you make progress, you will need to step out of your comfort zone. Nothing will get done if you stay where you are comfortable. When you step outside of your comfort zone, you will grow and learn.
Follow Orrin Lieuwen
- Lionheart Leadership
- Youtube
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Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
What is the mercy seat and why does it matter to us?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. From time to time, I pick different verses and remember that I want to talk about them on the podcast and this is one of those verses where I've always wanted to talk about this mercy seat in the concept of a mercy seat.
We're gonna use Romans 3:25 as our verse today, and I'm reading from the Christian Standard Version. "God presented Him as the mercy seat by His blood through faith to demonstrate His righteousness because, in His restraint, God passed over the sins previously committed."
The author of Romans, probably Paul, is talking about Jesus. He's the "He" that he's talking about here. "God presented Him, Jesus, as the mercy seat, by His blood." Some translations, some of the older translations, use the word propitiation. He's the payment for our sins. He's the transaction if you will. He's our side. He represents our side of the transaction to pay for our sins.
The mercy seat was the cover of the Arc of the Covenant, and it was used to represent the throne of God. When they made sacrifices, when the Jews made sacrifices for the thousands of years of the sacrificial system, they would sprinkle the blood of those sacrifices on the mercy seat. But Jesus became our mercy seat.
His life became the payment for our sins. His blood was on Him and spilled for us so that we wouldn't have to pay for our sins, that we get to come to God freely. This is important. Often, I think we all assume this freeness. We don't want to believe in an angry God and God's not angry. I don't believe he's angry at all. God is love, the Bible tells us, but love is just, and there's justice that's required. In this passage, it says, "God presented him as the mercy seat by his blood through faith to demonstrate his righteousness because, in His restraint, God passed over the sins previously committed."
God is restraining himself, and this mercy seat is how he does that. Why is this important for us as believers in the marketplace? My question for us is, do you keep score? Do you get even? Do you kind of get back at the people who mess with you? We're called to be merciful and graceful. That means that we offer mercy where none exists and we bring grace where there is none.
Our job as believers in the marketplace is to represent Jesus, and He died on the cross for our sins, and it was his idea. We were still dead when He did it. Today, as marketplace Christians, I want to challenge us. Let's go into the workplace and find ways to be merciful. Just ask God. God, who can I show mercy to today? How would you have me be a blessing to other people? Is it by giving something away, by being merciful, by offering grace? When we bring mercy and grace to our coworkers and to the people that we interact with, we begin to demonstrate how we live according to a different standard.
In the back and forth of our world, everybody's trying to get even and use someone else's actions as an excuse for their actions. Let's use what Jesus did for us as an excuse for our actions. Let's bring mercy and grace to our workplaces today. That's my prayer for all of us that we will bring mercy and grace to the people that we interact with today. Please remember two that Follower of One is donor support. If you enjoy the podcasts, if you've taken part in our Marketplace Mission Trip, consider going to our website in the upper right-hand corner, there's a donate button there. Why not make a one-time contribution or consider making an ongoing contribution so that we can continue to make these podcasts available. We want to be full-time ministers in our workplace. Let's drive a stake in the ground today and change our lives forever by committing to doing God's work in our workplace every day.
Thanks very much.
Does your freedom advance God's kingdom or cause others to stumble?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. We've been spending some time in 1st Corinthians 8. Today. I want to talk about verse nine, we've jumped a few verses and I'll explain, but let's read verse nine. "But take care that this Liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the week." Again, that's from the New American Standard.
So Paul goes into a conversation. He begins talking about how knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. And then he goes into this little side story about the whole process of eating meat sacrificed to idols. This is not a common problem in our day, so it requires us to extrapolate this a little bit to our common day, but the question is, does our freedom or our liberty cause others to stumble? Here's the verse that says "but take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the week."
The only example I could think of this in the modern day was how we deal with things like alcohol. We are free as believers in Christ to mess up. That's the advantage that we have in the world. People who don't trust Jesus mess up and people who do trust Jesus mess up, but those people who follow Jesus, their sins are forgiven. That's been applied to us. I believe that the only thing keeping us from going to heaven is whether or not we trust Jesus.
So our sins are not hanging us in the balance, and that I believe is this freedom that Paul is talking about here. Trying to get to the point. I want to challenge us as believers to live in such a way that our freedom doesn't cause other people to stumble. If I'm free to consume alcohol, I might cause other people to consume alcohol thinking they can handle it, and they're not equipped to handle it. I am free to consume alcohol, but I do not consume it. I joke with people that I drank so much in college that now all I need is a little water to activate everything, but the real point here is I don't drink because it takes me out of a position to serve other people.
My job as a believer in Christ is to help other people move one notch closer to Jesus. So I don't drink because drinking makes me selfish. It turns me into somebody who can only consider what's going on with myself. But again, these are my choices. I want to take care that my Liberty does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. Please understand. I'm not telling you how to live. I wanna challenge us as followers of Jesus Christ to read this passage and consider it and study it. What does our freedom potentially cause other people to stumble doing? Maybe it's the way we spend our time at work. Maybe it's the way we drive our cars or the way that we speak.
There could be anything that we operate in as just a matter of habit. We do something as a matter of habit, and it might cause other people to be pulled away from a relationship with Jesus. Our job is to help everyone we meet move one notch closer to Jesus, not move away from Him, and therefore I want to take care that my Liberty and my freedom do not somehow become a stumbling block to the week.
Today, I would like to thank you just for listening to this podcast. I hope you become a little bit more of a Marketplace Minister, someone who serves other people so they might see Jesus. That's our job, and we experience great joy just knowing that we got to take part in that. I can't even imagine the joy we will experience when we see Him fully, as it says in first Corinthians 13 when we're no longer partially visible. When we no longer partially see Jesus, we fully see Him. Thank you for being a Marketplace Minister. Thank you for listening to this podcast and for considering how your faith can make a difference in the lives of the people that you interact with every day. Our actions matter and what you do because you follow Jesus, it matters. So let's take care that our liberty draws other people to Jesus and doesn't move them away.
Thank you for being a Marketplace Minister, and thanks for listening to this podcast. I appreciate it.
Can you know what you don't know?
Let's have a little fun with this today. Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. You're listening to episode 727, and I am grateful. Thank you very much.
We talked last time about 1st Corinthians 8, and today I want to talk about chapter eight verses two and three, I'm reading from the New American Standard. "If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by Him." This is a little confusing because of the way the apostle Paul wrote this letter and often in Greek, he and the him get a little complicated. We were talking about being things sacrificed to idols, and this is actually calling us, this whole passage, this whole chapter, and the next are challenging us on how we use the freedom that we have in Jesus.
In the last episode, we talked about things sacrificed to idols, but it wasn't so much that as it was knowledge and how knowledge makes us arrogant, but love draws us to other people. "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone supposes, he knows anything. He has not yet known as he ought to know, but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him."
This challenge for me is I often think I have the answer. Do you? Do you ever catch yourself thinking you have the answer to a particular problem? The world is bigger than we can imagine, and God is more powerful than we can imagine. So this verse challenges me and calls me up a little short because whenever I think I know something, I'm reminded that I don't yet know as I ought to. There is still some gap in our understanding. In 1st Corinthians 13, just a few chapters after this, he talks about how we now can only see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face, at some point in time when we get to heaven, we will know, as we have been fully known.
You see, God sees us, but we only see what He allows us to see of Him. He's blocked and masked. We see Jesus. He's the version of God that we get, and we can see Him through His Word, we can see the Holy Spirit working in our lives. We see God in nature. We have this very limited understanding of God, and Paul's reminding us here that even though knowledge would make us arrogant, knowledge would puff us up.
Love builds us up, it builds others up, and therefore let's pass on the knowledge and go straight for the love. I want to remember that I don't know what I think I know. Often, I'm so certain. How about you? Today, can we be a little less certain? Today, can we be quicker to love and slower to judge? Today, can we be quicker to do things for others instead of comparing their perspective to ours? Can we be quicker to serve other people and call ourselves out of our own little comfort zone of being right all the time? That's my challenge. I don't wanna be puffed up. I want to be someone who builds others up and I believe that our calling as Christians is to be those who build up our world.
Our world needs to be built up badly, so please consider joining us in that today. I wanna challenge you as a follower of Jesus, to find someone to build up today. Love someone instead of criticizing them and let's see how far that goes and what difference it makes in our world.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for considering how your life can make a difference in the modern workplace. Our lives and our interactions with other people matter as part of Jesus' plan to save the world. So join us, consider sharing this podcast or check us at https://community.followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
Do you ever think about the dark side of knowledge?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. Today, I wanna read a passage of scripture. 1st Corinthians 8:1. "Now concerning food offered to idols. We know that all of us possess knowledge, this knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." That's from the English Standard Version.
I may talk about 1st Corinthians 8 for a few days here. The food offered to idols is not a big problem in our world today, and so oftentimes we might get tempted to pass over passages like this quickly, but I think this whole chapter makes some telling illustrations for our world. The first one today is a particular problem for me, and Paul jumps into it right here. "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." Knowledge inflates. Often, I feel like I know things. I like to think of myself as being a pretty smart guy, and this verse is a reminder. I love the way that the Lord instructed the apostle Paul to put this in - that knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.
I don't think knowledge brings me closer to other people. Love brings me closer to other people. Love builds others up. Me knowing things separates me from them. I'm so tempted to be arrogant and it doesn't take much for me, I struggle with that often. I think often when we know things it's easy for us to consider ourselves better than others or different than others. Many highly educated people send that message to the people around them, and I felt that way around others. I often feel that way when I feel like somebody else knows more than I know.
This whole idea about "knowledge puffing up, but love building up" is important for us as believers because we know the Holy Spirit and we know about the Bible and we understand these things, but we aren't supposed to use that knowledge to separate ourselves from others. Instead, that knowledge should challenge us. We wanna lay that knowledge down so that we're available to love others and build them up.
This conversation about food offered to idols I believe is a lifestyle issue, and as we go into some of these other verses in this chapter, we'll talk about that a little bit more, but today let's remember that we all possess knowledge, but the use of knowledge tends to puff us up instead of building up others. And our calling I believe is to build up others, that's what love does.
God is a lover. He loved us first. He loved us even when we didn't deserve it, And when we love others, we build them up. Today, I want to challenge myself and you, if it applies, let's not focus on what we know. Let's instead focus on how we can build others up. We can be active by thinking about and loving others in our workplace.
Take an extra few minutes and ask the question "tell me more," or "what else?" How can I be a blessing to the people around me when we punch in and we say, here I am to God, let's ask Him to use us today in the lives of the people that we work with and the people that we interact with. I don't want my knowledge of God or my knowledge of the scripture to separate me from people. Instead, I want the spirit of love and the salvation that I've been given, and my response to that salvation is to be that I build other people up. So join us today. Let's find ways to love those around us and build them up.
Thanks for being a Marketplace Minister, and thanks for considering how you might be one who lives their faith in the workplace. We have formed a community of people who are trying to do that on a regular basis, and that community is online at https://community.Followerofone.org. Why not go over there and check it out?
Thanks very much.
Since you started following Jesus, are you outside of the law now? Let's talk about that today.
Hey, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. I'm excited that you have joined us for this podcast. Today. I want to talk a little bit about Romans 3:19, "now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be closed and that all the world may become accountable to God." That's from the New American Standard. As you know, if you listen to this podcast often, many times I'm talking to myself. In my early life as a Christian, and I've been a Christian for a long time now, but my early life was like everything up until yesterday.
In my early life as a Christian, I tried to tell God what to do. I spent several years telling Him what I thought He should do. I spent several other years asking Him to do what I wanted him to do, but this law, this whole phrase about the law, brings some new testimony. It's a new idea to us about God, and I want to challenge us with this today if you're like me.
It says, "we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God." You see, God's in charge. This is God's world. He runs everything and we are all accountable to Him, and the law exists to show us that we're outside of God's rule, and God's order, and God's direction, that the world is all about Him, it's not about us. In fact, let's look at the next verse. It says "because the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in His sight. For through the law comes the knowledge of sin." So both these verses together are basically telling us the rules are there to help us understand that we're not in charge.
No one gets to God through the law. The law is simply there to show us that being right on our own is out of our reach. Why is that important to us in the workplace? If we're broken like everyone else, then we're in need of help. We're in need of a savior., Like everyone else. Just because we follow Jesus, doesn't make us any less in need of a savior, than the others with us, because we cannot attain to the law. We can't operate according to God's rules. We won't measure up. In Romans 3:23, which it's building to, it says that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."
I think this is all to remind us that we're all in need of a savior. This is not about the law. It's not about telling other people how they should live. We try to live according to the law simply because we follow Jesus, but we will never measure up. I don't believe you can be sinless. I do believe that God makes us sinless and that we will eventually be sinless in another life, but not in our flesh. And as a result, I wanna challenge us as we go into our workplaces today.
Today, let's go into our workplaces humbly. I need practice and reminders about this more than anyone else. Let's go into our workplace with humility and let's help other people see that we can't measure up. We're just doing the best we can, and we all get in under the credit of Jesus Christ. It's by following Jesus that we get to live our eternal life with God. There's no other way. We won't be justified through the law. We're only justified because Jesus paid for our sins.
Thanks so much for being a Marketplace Minister. Let's go humbly to our workplaces today and be a blessing to other people because we follow Jesus. We have nothing to lose because of what he's done for us. Thanks for being a Marketplace Minister, and thanks for considering how you can be a blessing to others. Everything we do because we follow Jesus matters.
Thanks very much.
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Alex Huelle. Alex has been married to his best friend Delory since 2013. Originally from Florida but Kansas City is now his home, he moved here in 2016 to help plant a church. He has a daughter named Jovie, which means joyful and that describes her perfectly. He enjoys a good cup of locally roasted coffee, playing the bass, and serving people however He can. In this episode, Mike and Alex talk about planting a church, rooting your identity in Christ, Alex’s encounter with Christ, God answering Alex’s prayers for a sign, the desire to make your workplace a mission trip, letting God interrupt your schedule, and the importance of prayer.
Outline of the Episode
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0:54 – About Alex Huelle
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2:40 – Leaving home to plant a church
- 5:30 – How Alex is involved in His local church
- 7:17 – Alex’s journey to Christ
- 10:29 – Rooting your identity in Christ
- 11:35 – Alex’s encounter with Christ
- 13:57 – God answering Alex’s prayers for a sign
- 15:50 – How Alex got involved with Follower of One
- 19:51 – Alex’s experience with the Ministry Mindset Challenge
- 22:29 – Letting God interrupt your schedule
- 24:44 – The Importance of Prayer
Leaving home to plant a Church
Leaving home is a difficult thing to do. You’re leaving familiarity to go somewhere unknown. It is even more difficult to leave familiarity to go plant a church because you don’t know if the church will work out. But, if you put your trust in Christ, and you are listening to Him, He will provide.
Rooting your identity in Christ
It can be so easy to identify yourself with something worldly. Whether it be drugs, money, alcohol, or even social media and technology, making something an idol has never been easier. It is so important as Christians to keep our focus on Christ and to keep Him at the center of everything.
God Answering Prayers
God will answer prayers. He will not leave you to hang dry, but sometimes the answer that we get from Him is not the one that we want. It is so important to put all your trust in God because when He says no to a prayer, it’s a part of His plan.
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
What's another word for trust to you?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. As I made "trust "my word for the year 2022, I came across several words that could also be substitutes for trust. One of those words is patience and more accurately the word wait, just seems to associate with trust in several places in scripture. It does again in Psalm 37:9, "For evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land. Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more, and you will look carefully for his place, and he will not be there. But the humble will inherit the land and will delight themselves in abundant prosperity."
So I read Psalm 37:9-11 in the New American Standard Bible. In verse nine, we're reminded that all this worry and anxiety and the things that we experience because we're trying to keep up with others, or we're trying to make sure that we get the same or better deal than the next person. All of that worry just ends up creating a mess. When instead we can rest in the Lord, then we experience these blessings that He will give us. But often those blessings take time. "Those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land." Trust means that I do what Jesus says, but I do it over time. I do it over the long haul. It means that I have to pray for my coworkers, even though I may not enjoy my job. It means that I may have to wait or serve someone else who got promoted instead of me. It may mean that I have to persist through a layoff when people that I don't think care as much about Jesus as I do got to keep their jobs.
There are many things that happen to us as believers in the marketplace, and all of those things also happen to nonbelievers. But Jesus calls us to live following Him, trusting Him, and resting in Him. He just does. That's the way it works. And when we wait for the Lord, we have this promise of an inheritance. A little while and these others will be no more and we will look for their place and they will not be there, but we can be humble and inherit the land by simply trusting God and doing what He says and waiting.
I want to be somebody who waits better and I can't even believe I'm telling you that, but I want to be someone who waits better because I can't avoid waiting. I hate waiting, but since I can't avoid it, maybe I need to learn to get better at it instead of whining about it all the time. And so, as you listen to this friends, hold me accountable. I wanna be better at trusting Jesus, and that means that I must learn to wait. I want to do what He says while the things that are going on around me are not what I would desire, that Jesus doesn't automatically make things happen the way I want them to happen. But if I can wait on Him, then I will inherit the land, I will delight myself in abundant prosperity.
Thanks for listening to this podcast, and thanks for being a friend of Follower of One. Consider joining our online community, where we encourage one another. I need your help, and I bet you need someone's help, to help you wait for the Lord, to help you be patient, and to serve others in spite of what's going on around us. The Lord calls us to believe in him instead of our circumstances, our finances, or anything else that's happening to us. Can we do that? Can we rest in the Lord and glorify him in our circumstances? Today, we get an opportunity to choose in the moment, to pray for other people, to appreciate them, to know what we believe, to serve others, and to speak for ourselves.
These are five easy things that keep us on a mission with Jesus every day, and it amounts to us waiting on the Lord and trusting.
Join us. Take a moment right now and head to https://community.followerofone.org and check out our online community. Join us, and let's be part of helping one another, wait for the Lord, and make a positive difference in our world while we do it.
Thanks very much.
What causes you to worry or fret, and what can you do instead?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. We've been going through Psalm 37, the first nine verses, and today we're on verse seven. " Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Do not fret because of Him who prospers in His way because of the man who carries out wicked schemes." I read this passage in several translations - almost all used the word fret. One translation uses agitated, "do not be agitated."
I think sometimes, we talked about this in a previous episode, fret is this anxiety, this constant churning that's going on inside of us. I experience it. I feel like the inside of my body is working even if the outside of my body is not. I'm constantly thinking about something and Lord knows there are a few of those things these days. So take your pick. There were pandemics, there's inflation, there are several other things going on and if that's not enough, our jobs and our workplaces, the interactions that we have in our family, there are plenty of things to cause us to fret.
One of those is seeing other people who seem to get ahead without doing all the things that we need to do, and that's specifically what this passage is about. It's saying "rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Do not fret because of Him who prospers in His way because of the man who carries out wicked schemes."
We don't need to compare ourselves to people who don't follow Jesus. We don't even need to compare ourselves to others who do. Comparison is such a terrible challenge for us anyway. God interacts with each of us individually. We can rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Another passage or footnote says longingly. We can wait expectedly. We know that it will take a long time, but we can wait on the Lord. If we fret because of those who prosper on their own, who do their own thing and seem to get ahead, then we run the risk of taking shortcuts and challenging our own relationship with God. We're to cease from anger and forsake wrath and not fret, it leads only to evil doing.
I went ahead and read verse eight, verses seven and eight challenge us to relax and rest in the Lord. This rest, it reminds me of what Jesus said in Matthew 11. "Come to me all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." This is between us and Jesus and when we look at other people's situations, if we compare, then we stop praying for them. We stop serving them. We stop ministering to them. It takes us out of the very calling that we've been given as Jesus' followers.
Today, I want to challenge us as believers in Jesus. Let's not come out of our ministry service. Our job, whatever our job is, it's to serve other people so that they might see Jesus so that they might move one notch closer to him. That is what ministry is as far as I'm concerned. I want to help other people move one notch closer to Jesus. When I do I get this joy and peace, I see this rest. I experience this rest that the Psalmist is talking about here. I experience the rest because I can wait patiently for the Lord and do what He says.
There are days when that's hard and that's why I need a community of friends, so I want to challenge you to consider joining https://community.followerofone.org. There's no charge, but it's an online community designed to help us help one another rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him, serve others and not compare ourselves to others.
That's our calling as Marketplace Ministers. Thank you for being a Marketplace Minister. By the way, I also wanna remind you Follower of one is donor supported. If these podcasts or anything else that we do at Follower of One are beneficial to you in any way, would you consider making a donation? You can go to https://followerofone.org and click the donate button in the upper right-hand corner.
Thanks very much for being a Marketplace Minister, and for making a difference in the world because of your faith. Everything we do because we follow Jesus matters.
Thanks very much.
What is the promise related to trusting God?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. We've been talking through Psalm 37, and verse six is particularly key. It comes right on the heels of verse five. So I'll read the two together. "Commit your way to the Lord. Trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday." That's from the New American Standard Bible.
Verse six says that "The Lord will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday." In the net Bible, for example, it says that "He will vindicate you in broad daylight and publicly defend your just cause." What we're hearing here is a promise from the Lord through the scripture - that He will make us, He will reward us, that we will be blessed for our commitment and our trust in Him. So we commit our way to Him, and we trust also in Him, and that eventually, we will experience this celebration. We may not experience it in this life. I believe we will experience it in the next life.
I believe we will see this joy. In Psalm 23, it talks about how the Lord prepares a table before Him in the presence of his enemies. King, David was talking about how he will be made right, he will be set right, and the Lord will reward him in the presence of the people who were against him.
This passage is a similar verse here. The promise that we receive for trusting in the Lord is that we will be right. Everything in our world wants to tell us we're wrong. When we give away our stuff, when we give away 10% or more of our possessions, when we give away some of our time, we're saying we trust the Lord and we pray for the people around us.
Again, we're saying that we trust the Lord. Our trust in the Lord will be rewarded. The only way we can know that is to wait for it. We wait for God to reward us, but we do get the holy spirit living in us, and we get the encouragement, the joy of taking part in God's work in our world of being around people who are his followers.
That's something that we try to experience regularly in Follower of One and on the Marketplace Mission Trips. We get to experience this confirmation that comes from the Holy Spirit living in us because we are fully committed to Jesus. We've committed our way to Him. We trust Him, and we hear this promise that He will vindicate us in broad daylight. He will bring forth our righteousness as the light. "He will make our righteousness shine like the dawn." The New International Version says. "And he will bring forth your righteousness as the light." Jesus will say "well done, good and faithful servant" to those of us who are consistent, who commit everything to the Lord, we commit to do His will and trust Him and watch him show up.
Today, I want to challenge us as Marketplace Christians. Let's live one more day like we trust Jesus. Let's go for a few more minutes and pray for the people around us. Let's pray for people that we don't like. Pray for people in authority over us, maybe in the government or in other places, everything that we do because we follow Jesus matters. As we follow Him and do what He says, we stack it up. We're loading up this future celebration. I hope to hear "well done good and faithful servant," and I think many of us do as well. I committed my life to following Jesus, and I don't do it very well. I don't do it very consistently, but over and over and over again, I want to keep putting myself back there, I wanna keep going back and I want to challenge us again today.
Keep going back, get in a community of people who help you move closer to Jesus, not farther away. One way you can do that is to join us at https://community.followeroofone.org. I plug that a lot, but this community is the key because we help one another. When we commit everything we do to the Lord, then we can trust Him and we can trust Him to bring people around us that will help us work along those lines as well. Check it out at https://community.Followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
What comes first trust or commitment?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. We've been talking through Psalm 37, partly because of the use of the word fret and my challenge this year to trust Jesus. My word for this year is trust, and so we're on verse five, "Commit your way to the Lord. Trust also in Him, and He will do it." That's from the New American Standard.
There are not a wide variety of translations for this passage. The word translated commit is a specific word that almost every translation puts as commit. "Commit your way to the Lord trust also in Him, and He will do it." I think it's interesting that commitment comes before trust.
Commitment comes before trust. That's a challenge to me. I often want to trust first. I often want to see Jesus do His thing first before I commit. I don't want to make a decision and remove all my other obstacles. A friend many years ago told me that to make a decision that the word decide is like homicide, you kill all the other options. The word commit also means to roll in the Hebrew. It means to get rid of your other options, to choose. Once we have only one option, then we trust also in Him and He will do it.
Jesus is our only "best option." when we have another plan, that means we don't trust. "Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it." Where do you need to commit to God? For me, it's in several places. It's in how I choose to spend my time. It's in what I choose to eat. I tend to give myself a pass and I eat too much. I want to commit my way to the Lord. I want to say no and burn the other options and commit my way to the Lord, and, then I get to trust also in Him and He will do it.
I want Jesus to be my only option, and I want to calculate with Jesus in view in everything that I do, and that requires me to burn my ships, as you know, in an expression, I want to get rid of all of my other options. Today, I commit my way to the Lord. I choose to follow Him. I'm recording this podcast and I'm doing the things necessary to try and grow my own ministry in the lives of other people. What about you? What can you do today to commit your way to the Lord and then experience the trust, the relaxation, and the companionship of following Jesus and watching Him do what he's gonna do?
Can you do that today? Let's choose to commit our way to the Lord. Take a moment today and invest a few minutes in a coworker. Pray for people around you. Take some of your time and give it away in service to Jesus and see what He does. That's one way we can commit our way to the Lord. We can also do it with our money.
Maybe you need to make a donation to some ministry, or to some other organization, or spend some money on someone, give something away. Let's commit our way to the Lord, trust also in Him and He will do it. We'll talk a little bit more about this passage in the next episode as well about the next verses in this section in Psalm 37.
I want to challenge you, though, to consider joining the community Follower of One. https://community.followerofone.org. Join that community, put yourself deliberately around other people who are intentionally trying to live as ministers, trusting God and committing our way to Him. When we live as a minister to Jesus, that means we serve others so that they might see Him. Join us, check it out at https://community.Followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
Have you ever noticed that it's a little backwards how we're supposed to delight the Lord?
Let's talk about that today. Hi, it's Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. We've been talking about Psalm 37 and we're in verse four today in the New American Standard Bible. It says "Delight yourself and the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."
One of the things that's always challenged me about this particular passage is our delight in the Lord comes first. We delight in the Lord first and He will give us the desires of our heart. Often we want the desires of our heart to be met, and then we expect to delight in the Lord, but what we find is the more we get, the more we want. The more we have, the more we want. Really the more we have, the easier we scare, and the easier it is to help us be afraid of what our circumstances is changing or something going wrong. We're called and we're reminded by the Psalmist here, which is David, we're reminded to put our delight in the Lord first.
Almost every translation that I have says "take delight in the Lord" or "delight yourself in the Lord." What does that mean? When we enjoy our relationship with God, we take a few minutes and appreciate what God's doing in our lives. We realize that He meets the desires of our heart. Sometimes He does that after we've delighted in Him, sometimes He does it in a totally unrelated way. But if you remember, we're talking through the series because I'm tempted to fret. We talked about how we're not supposed to fret. , I wanted to go through this passage, these first nine verses of Psalm 37, because I want to trust God. I wanna lean on Him more and relax in Him more, and so when I can focus on the Lord and take my delight in just knowing who He is, what He's capable of doing, and how He's taking care of me to date. When I do those things, then I experience the desires of my heart. I get more desires. God blesses me in ways that I never even thought of.
Often it's not material. Often, He blesses us by giving us things that we didn't even know we wanted. I tend to think in physical terms. I want more money, more time, more rest, more ease, or more comfort, but the desires of my heart are to serve God, to give away something, to be part of His kingdom, to take part in His eternal plan.
The real desires of my heart are to live with Him, with my family and friends, and to make a difference in the lives of people. God gives me those desires as I delight in Him. So I want to delight the Lord. Today. I want to challenge you. What can we do to delight in the Lord? If you take a moment before you walk into work today, or jump on your first zoom call, and you just thank God for who He is and what He's done for you, if you express gratitude in advance, I promise it will make your day better. There are studies that show that I remember reading the book The Happiness Advantage by Sean Achor, and he talked about how if we can get in the habit of being thankful for three things, we automatically change trajectory of our day.
We have the ability to change our attitude by focusing on things that we're thankful for. Remember who did those things, let's delight ourselves in the Lord today and trust He will give us the desires of our heart and we will be free and ready and able to make a difference in the lives of the people around us.
Thanks for being a Marketplace Minister, and thank you for sharing this podcast and listening to this podcast. I hope that it's helpful to you and that it challenges you to live in a way that glorifies God and makes Him visible. If you wanna be part of a community that works on that on a regular basis, check it out https://community.Followerofone.org. Join us there, and be part of a community that wants to glorify God by the way that we do our jobs.
Thanks very much.
Today on the Follower of One Podcast, Mike Henry and Roger Courville got to sit down with Dennis Allen, who is the author of the book Disciple Dilemma - Rethinking and Reforming The Way Church Does Discipleship. In this podcast, Mike, Rodger, and Dennis talk about how discipleship has changed with COVID-19, identifying the issue within the Church, and how discipleship is the foundation of Christ.
Outline of the Episode
- 0:23 – About Dennis Allen
- 1:47 – About the Disciple Dilemma - Rethinking and Reforming the Way Church Does Discipleship
- 5:04 – How Dennis identified the issue with the Church
- 8:27 – Discipleship is the foundation of Christ
- 9:50 – What is discipleship?
- 14:49 – What do I do just to follow Jesus?
- 20:56 – Discipleship is relational, not transactional
- 25:53 – What is Sphere Sovereignty
- 28:24 – What does relational discipleship look like in everyday life?
- 34:38 – Breaking out of the traditional semantics
- 36:51 – How can we help the church?
- 45:37 – Parallels between the business world and the Church
Identifying the Issue with the Church
Dennis realized the parallels between the business world and the Church. People are walking out of church, they’re getting burned out of church, just like in the business world.
What is Discipleship?
Discipleship is the foundation of Christ. Disciple was used to describe Jesus' followers before he went to Antioch. But, they were not believers. Disciple is not a status, it is following Christ and staying in the mode of following Christ.
What is Sphere Sovereignty?
Think about bubbles in your life, and how they interact and intersect with the greater world. We have vocational spheres - or what we are called to be, and missional spheres - or how we are called to be missionaries of Christ. Sphere Sovereignty talks about how, as Christ followers, our multiple spheres intersect with our missional sphere.
Follow Dennis Allen:
- Website
- Youtube
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
How does worry counter appreciation? Hey, it's Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. We're in episode 719, and this is actually part two of a quick passage on fretting and worrying from Psalm 37:1-2. So yesterday's episode, we talked a little bit about this as well. Let's read verse one and two of Psalm 37, "Do not be agitated by evil doers. Do not envy those who do wrong, for they wither quickly like the grass and wilt like tender green plants." That's from the Christian Standard Bible. He talks about "do not be agitated," that's the Christian Standard's Version of "do not fret" from the New American Standard Version. Yesterday, we talked about the fact that the Marketplace Mission Trip is going on, and if you're hearing this during the Marketplace Mission Trip day two, which is today, is about appreciating others and we wanna make time for people. We wanna put time in our schedule so that we can appreciate others. In this passage, what we're looking is this relationship that the author of the Psalms, this is a Psalm of David, he's cautioning us not to let evil doers cause us to worry. Part of what we do in appreciating other people is look for ways to find the things that God loves in them. If we make time in our schedule and we can put some time in there to appreciate other people, then we can give them a glimpse of what life is like on the opposite side of this "evil-doer model." Almost everyone that we work with isn't necessarily an evil-doer, they aren't out to get us, or they aren't out against the people of Israel or things like that. Yet, our job is to be people who live following Jesus and in certain places in the world that could cause us difficulty or could cause problems. Therefore we're called to live and to not worry and to trust God, and it's out of this desire to trust Him that brought me to this passage in the first place. As we are not agitated, or as we are not fretting, as we are not worrying and ground up on the inside. If we're not tense on the inside, but we're relaxed and graceful, we can give our lives away. We can give little pieces of our day away. We can be a blessing to the people around us, even people that don't like our faith or people who don't have anything to do with us. We can still be a blessing to others because that's what I believe Jesus has called us to do. In this passage, we are not to be agitated or to worry about these people. We're not to worry about them getting ahead at our expense. We're not to worry about anything related to that. Because of what happens in verse three, which is the next verse, we trust in the Lord and do what is good. I actually spoke about that a few days ago. So go check out episode 717, which is two before this, because it was actually on verse three, about how we can trust in the Lord, and therefore we're free to do good. That's our calling in the workplace. We don't fret or worry about the environment that we're in or people who are against us because in the end we trust in the Lord and we're free to do what's right. We're free to do the good things. Today, I want to challenge you - go into your workplace today. Don't worry about your past or the experiences that you have with your coworkers, do whatever you can to make it right. Learn to serve others and appreciate them and make time, and the Lord will use all of that for his glory in our workplace. Thank you for being a Marketplace Minister. If you're on the Marketplace Mission Trip, thank you for taking part in that. If you're not doing the Marketplace Mission Trip, why not check it out? Head over to https://community.followerofone.org, create a profile there, and sign up for the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Thanks very much.
Do you fret? What does it mean to fret anyway?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. The air date of these next several episodes is actually during our Marketplace Mission Trip. The second week of our Marketplace Mission Trip is action week, but I've been studying trust, worry, waiting, and things like that for so long. We spoke in the previous episode about Psalm 37:3, and Psalm 37 is a great chapter about not worrying, about not fretting. So I've chosen to continue studying Psalm 37, but I also want to talk a little bit to people who are on the Marketplace Mission Trip.
This is our action week - as we go into our workplaces to make a difference in the lives of people, worrying about the pressures of today and not trusting God can cause us to freeze up. Please be a free giver in your workplace today. Serve others, go into your workplace and make opportunities, trust God to give you opportunities to let you interact with the people that you work with.
Psalm 37:1 says "Do not fret because of evil doers, Be not envious toward wrongdoers." In a way, this passage is about evil doers and people who do their own thing. People who are selfish and about their own way. I don't wanna worry. Threat means to be agitated or to worry, and I do that. I don't know about you, but I worry sometimes when things are outside of my control. I've been worrying for a while because I want certain things to happen and I get a little absorbed in them.
In this particular example where all these commands about not worrying are related to evil-doers, I don't want to compare my life to someone who operates without God and gets whatever they want. Often we see people's highlights real on social media and things like that, and we think that the other person has it better than we do.
I don't wanna worry or fret because of someone who's doing their own thing. I've chosen my life to follow Jesus and to try and follow Jesus. I struggle with it every day, but it's easy to worry or fret in this particular example he is talking about because of evil-doers because I see other people who don't do what I do and they seem to achieve those goals.
I think often it's easy for us to become warriors because we want God to do something. That's not exactly what this passage is talking about, but we don't envy those who do something else, they do their own thing. Our job is to not envy at all, but our job is to chase after God. We'll talk about that more because I want to go through these first nine verses of Psalm 37 over the next several days.
Let's not be agitated and worry and fret. We'll talk about the consequences of that in a future verse, but today, as we go into our workplaces, and we wanna bless other people, we do not worry because of them, we do not envy them. We do not try and search for or build a life like theirs. We're working on a different principle - our job is to follow Jesus. We have been called to go into our workplaces to serve other people. He's put us into our job for the purpose of serving others so that He might be visible. He talked about it in Mark 10:45, He said "For even the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve," and our job is to go into our workplaces today, not worry about what's going on, but be free servants of the people around us.
Let's serve other people and when they ask us we can tell them "well, we're doing this because we believe." that's what Jesus would have us. Thank you for being a Marketplace Minister, and thanks for joining us on this podcast. Consider joining us in our online community as well. Head over to https://community.followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
Is there a practical daily result of you trusting God? Does trusting God make an impact in your every day? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. We've been talking a little bit about trust. And if you hear this on the air date, it's actually day four of our Marketplace Mission Trip, and our daily activity that we talk about on day four is serving others. I wanted to draw a parallel between trusting in God and serving other people. When we trust God, we're free to give things away and to share things, and to serve others. Psalm 37:3 is a great example of that. From the New American Standard Bible, it says "Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness." Different translations have slightly different twists on the tail end of that verse, but the trusting in the Lord to do good is this natural result. When we trust in the Lord and do good we're living as if what he says is true. We live according to our belief in Him. In other words, believing in God isn't something that only changes us when we get to heaven. Believing in God changes us today. Believing in God gives us the freedom to live differently. We're free to look out for others more than just ourselves. We're free to serve other people, and that's our daily activity that we talk about. Believers show up in the world because we're free to serve others. We're free to give away little pieces of our lives. The living sacrifice that the author of Romans talks about in Romans 12:1 is us giving away our life. It's living for something other than ourselves. When we live for something other than ourselves, we make that other thing visible. If we live simply pursuing our own desires and our own wants, then all we make visible is our own selfishness. When we can live freely serving other people because we trust God to make things right in the long run, that makes God visible. It makes Jesus visible. Certainly, other people can live serving others, but our motive being our relationship with Jesus and our willingness to follow Him, is how we make Him visible in our lives. Eventually, we all come to this point where trusting the Lord is difficult, but if we can trust in the Lord and do good, then we cultivate faithfulness. We show our ability to follow God, and that comes from Him. I'm stumbling around a little bit, but my point is let's live like we trust the Lord, and that would cause us to serve others. That's our daily activity for the fourth day of the Marketplace Mission Trip. In fact, we formed this online community called Follower of One to encourage one another, to live our faith on a daily basis, and to let our faith make a difference today and every day that no matter what is going on in our lives. So I wanna encourage you today as a follower of Jesus Christ. First of all, thank you for following Him, and second of all, thank you for trusting in Him and doing good because it's part of His strategy. Finally, I want to thank you for listening to this podcast. Consider joining Follower of One. We're an online community, and our goal is to encourage one another, to live our faith on a daily basis, regardless of where we are in our workplaces or in our occupations, or wherever we are. Consider joining us, our website https://community.followerofone.org. You can join that community for free. You can take part in the next Marketplace Mission Trip, which is just a two-week exercise to help us practice living our faith on a daily basis. Let's trust God and stick our lives in the world in such a way that he becomes visible and hopefully other people will get to know Jesus, and we will experience this joy of following him and helping people live forever. Thanks very much for being a marketplace minister.
Do you trust that God has a particular purpose for you? Let's talk about that today. Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. I just decided a couple of days ago to start talking about trust, and all of a sudden I stumble across all these verses that prompt me to think more about trusting God and doing what He says. Today's passage, I wanna read Philippians 3:12, and I'm reading from the English Standard Version. "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me His own." I don't believe this is a typical verse for trust, but so much of what's going on right now in my own life is this desire to trust God and to trust that He's called me, and He's aimed me in a particular direction, and I need to keep doing what He says instead of looking at my circumstances and judging my behavior by what appear to be the results. Maybe that's something that applies to you as well. I believe God has called us in this passage, in the New American Standard, it says "so that I may lay hold of that for which I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus." It's a little bit of a complex twist in words that Paul's making here, but He's challenging us to step into the calling that God has given us. God selected us. I was reading a devotional today that brought this all up, and that's how I remembered as I'm recording this. This devotional said God chose us. We didn't choose Him. Often, we get to believing that we chose to do a particular thing for God. And then it's up to us to do it. This is my major kind of challenge. I think that I chose to do something that God has prompted me to do it. And then I believe I have to bring the resources and I have to make it successful. If God chose me for something, then even if I fail, that was part of His plan. It's really hard to grasp. And often we can be seen as passively kind of dumping everything off on God, but there's this counterbalance that's going on in Philippians 2:12-13. Paul talks about how we have to work out our salvation. He talks about salvation being from God, it's God's action. But then we have to work it out. We have to make it real because God is working in us. Our work goes along with God's work, and it's hard to do that work if we don't trust God if we don't trust His calling if we don't trust that He got us into this. I often have to remind myself that the ministry is God's, my business is God's, the way that I do my job, that's God's. If He wanted somebody to do it differently, He should have got someone else, but He didn't, He chose me to do certain things and He's chosen you to do them as well. In fact, today's challenge is a question. Do we trust God has put us where we are for his purpose? Are you in the job you're in because God has a purpose for you there? Are you doing the work that you do because God has a purpose for you there? We can punch in with God. We can say here I am and go to work for Him today again. Simply trusting that God has a strategy for us today. He has something for us to do today that will bring Him glory. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for considering that by trusting God to call you and to put you where He wants you to be, that there's work for you to do today. There's a role for you today in the lives of the people that you interact with. Look for opportunities to make God known. And you will experience the joy of being a Christ follower regardless of your job, regardless of your financial situation, regardless of your status. Take the opportunity now to ask God to put you to work in your own workplace. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for listening to and sharing this podcast. This podcast is listener support. Please consider going to followerofone.org/podcast to listen to the episodes and in the upper right-hand corner there's a little donate button. Make a contribution to help cover the cost of this and keep it free for the next guy. Thanks very much for being a marketplace minister and thank you for listening and sharing.
How confident are you about God? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. If you hear this on the day, it airs, we're in the middle of a marketplace mission trip, and on day three, we talk about knowing what we believe. This year as I record this 2022, my word for the year has been trust, and so I wanna spend a few episodes talking about trust and I thought it would be good to begin that on the day where we talk about knowing what we believe. Our passage today is Psalm 56:3, and I'm reading from the New American Standard Bible. But this is very common in all of them. It says "when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you."
The Psalmist is talking to God and he's asking God to be gracious to him, and he's asking God to guide him and direct him in this Psalm. Psalm 56, I'm studying more today, especially because he references trust in here three times. It says it again in verse four and in verse 11. The Psalmist is learning to trust God and he says, "when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you." I don't know about you, but I don't often think of myself as being afraid. Sometimes my fear shows up as anger. Many of us, I think have learned to deflect our fear into something else. We call it anxiety or panic, or we'll worry about things that we don't control. We think about them over and over and over again.
"When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you, Lord." I wanna put my trust in you. I wanna physically take the insides of me and say, "Nope, I'm sorry. We're not gonna burn any calories on that today. We're going to relax instead and focus on God." That's what I hope we do in our daily life.
And the reason why I believe that comes back around to this third daily activity in the marketplace mission trip about knowing what we believe, this all relates to the confidence we have in God. I believe it's so easy to put our trust in money, to put our trust in things, to put our trust in the number of people that were connected to online or the people we know that we could call if we had a problem, or to put our trust in our savings account, or in the things that are going on in the world.
But our trust really doesn't belong there. Our trust belongs on God. He's the one who provides for us. God is the one who's in charge, and He's who we should fear. Our fear should be of God. I don't wanna let Him down. I don't want to live a life that comes any shorter than necessary. I wanna live a life that measures up to what God intends for me to do.
I wanna take part in the actions that he has for me. And that means that I don't worry about my circumstances nearly as much as I look forward to opportunities to use my time and my energy and my resources to be a blessing to others. We're called to serve people. When I know what I believe I can state in one or two sentences, how I trust God. There are limitations to my trust, we all have places where we are afraid. But when I am afraid, I want to then deliberately put my trust in God.
And so today my challenge for us is let's work on our two-sentence statement, one or two-sentence statement about why we're different. That's the whole point of knowing what we believe, even if you're not on the marketplace mission trip, take a moment and just think about how you would answer someone else if they said, "Hey, why are you doing this? Why are you going out of your way to help me. Why are you being so generous?" Any of those kinds of questions, be able to answer those because you trust Jesus. Answer that by how your motives originated. I wanna put my trust in God, and then I'm free to give more than what might seem reasonable, to work harder than what might others might expect.
Let's live in such a way that we're giving our things away and trusting God. In God we trust. "When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you." That's my action for today. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thanks for joining us on the Follower of One podcast. And if you're taking part in it on the follower of one marketplace, mission trip.
You can check out all of the resources that we have with Follower of One by joining our online community at https://community.followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Jermaine Edwards, a multi-business owner and growth advisor. He is a proud father of 6 kids and spends most of his time helping leaders and organizations understand how to become the kind of place their customers never want to leave. In this episode, Mike and Jermaine talk about growing relationships as Christians in the workplace, building trust in the workplace, creating the right environment for the workplace, dealing with a toxic workplace
Outline of the Episode
- 0:21 – About Jermaine Edwards
- 2:05 – Growing relationships as Christians in the workplace
- 3:49 – Building trust in the workplace
- 4:48 – How Jermaine came to Christ
- 8:39 – Creating the right environment for the workplace
- 12:40 – The importance of creating the right environment for the workplace
- 15:53 – Dealing with a toxic workspace
- 21:38 – Jermaine's advice to marketplace Christians
Growing relationships in the workplace
Have you ever thought about the importance of relationships in the workplace? As a marketplace Christian, relationships are key to sharing the gospel. Creating these relationships builds trust between coworkers, and to share the Gospel, we need to build trust with coworkers.
Creating the right environment in the workplace
To create the right environment in the workplace and for your customers, you need to change the perspective of what it means to serve customers. Environments directly influence the activities and thoughts that happen within them. Creating the right environment will increase customer satisfaction and workplace morale.
Dealing with a toxic workplace
It’s likely that you will deal with a toxic workplace in your life. To deal with a toxic workplace, you need to step out and challenge the workplace. Join with your coworkers to cause a change in the workplace.
Follow Jermaine Edwards
- Youtube
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
What are some of the places where you tend to take credit for the things happening in your life? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. We've been talking about abundance for several episodes. Today, we'll finish Ephesians 3 with a challenge about the abundant glory of God. Let's read chapter three verses 20 and 21. Today, I wanna read from the New American Standard Bible. "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever, amen." Paul's closing out this prayer. We spoke yesterday about. God's abundant power beyond all that we can ask or think. Today, we want to give Him the glory, to Him be the glory in the church. What does glory mean? I sometimes think of it as credit. I often think that my finances solved a problem. My money solved a problem. When we see God for who He is, we will know the degree to which, or we will at least know more of the degree to which God is involved in everything that happens and the degree to which we are involved in everything that happens. I think we way overemphasize our own ability to make a difference in the world and we underemphasize God's impact and power. And glory comes from the credit that we give Him for the things that He does. For the longest time, I actually thought that God said everything in motion, and it was kind of running and He was off somewhere just, you know, minding His own business. And if I minded my own business, He'd leave me alone and I'd leave Him alone. But that's not the way it works. I wonder if God's not actively involved in every single thing that falls because of gravity. I wonder if God's not actively involved in holding every planet and every star in place. I wonder if God's not involved directly in the things that happen in our lives way more than we can imagine. Because I believe when we know Him and when we see Him, when He's no longer masked, and we see His glory, we will be blown away. I don't think any of us will say, "oh, I thought you were bigger." Rather we will be so fascinated by God that we will do everything that He says and wants us to do just simply because of the joy that we get for being around Him and doing it. We experience some of that joy now when we obey Him. And that's my challenge to us today as marketplace Christians. Let's obey Christ, let's trust him, and let's experience the glory that we see according to the power that works within us from the verse right before this, but the glory now is in the church, in the body of Christ. Those people who live forever because we followed Him. And in Jesus Christ to all generations, we will see God's glory forever. I don't think it will call us to just sing. I think it will call many of us to sing, but many of us will be. Working too. God is a worker. And we have these jobs that we have now, when we live them, looking for the glory of God, trusting in Him power, other people move closer to Him. That's our job. And when we see that happen, we experience joy. Today, I would want to challenge you. Let's serve other people like we trust that God is able to do far more abundantly beyond all we ask or think. Let's appreciate others, knowing that God will receive all the glory in the church. One day, this will all be right. We'll be so blown away just as a course of our life. We won't know how to act. I believe God will direct us and His joy will motivate us in everything that we do. Can you imagine the biggest God you've ever imagined and then do what you think He wants you to do? I believe that's our calling as Marketplace Christians. Thanks for being a Marketplace Minister, and thanks for considering how to serve others in the marketplace. Consider, today, joining us at https://community.followerofone.org and taking part in this community. And if you're already involved or you've been familiar with our ministry, consider making a donation. It's not so much that we need the money as much as it is that we need individually to give. We need to be giving our stuff our time and our energy and our resources to back up this premise that we believe that God is the answer and not our stuff. So consider making a donation, if not to Follower of One, to any ministry, get some place where God has to move, or we look like nuts. Let's trust him that far. Thanks very much.
Do you ever wonder about the power of God? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. We spoke most of last week, maybe the last several episodes, about abundance. And I want to conclude this passage in Ephesians 3. Paul has just started this prayer, tells the Ephesians about this prayer that he's praying for them, and in verses 20 and 21, he makes some amazing claims about God. Let's look at them. I'm reading from the English Standard Version today, and this is Ephesians 3:20-21. "Now to him, who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think according to the power at work within us. To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." I've actually titled this passage, the abundant power of God. Some people think that God must not be very powerful because if He was all this stuff wouldn't be broken in the world. That if God were powerful, such and such wouldn't happen, this particular thing wouldn't happen, or that particular thing wouldn't happen. And I believe in this passage, Paul's reminding us to consider the power of God differently. What if God's powerful enough to not fix the problems, but rather to allow the problems to persist so that we can choose to follow Him. I can't imagine any way of explaining how God's power is abundant, abundant more than we can ask or think He's able to do, I'm translating that as power. Able to do means powerful. He's powerful beyond what I can ask or think. If God's powerful beyond what I can ask or think, then the brokenness of the world must contribute to the plan. I don't believe that God intended the brokenness at all. He rather gave us this choice and he protects our choice. If I saw God for who he really was, I wouldn't have a choice. "Every knee would bow," it says, "and every tongue will confess." I will fall in line, scared to death of God if I saw Him for who He was. But in this world today, because He's masked because His glory is hidden because the only version of him we see is in creation or in Jesus or in the love of others. God has given us this opportunity to reflect Him in the world, to be part of His strategy, to give people the free choice to choose to follow Him. And that's our calling. I believe as marketplace ministers, we wanna help every person that we meet. Move one notch closer to Jesus. We do that through our five daily activities - prayer, appreciating others, knowing what we believe, serving others, and speaking for ourselves. Our job as Christ followers is to live remembering that it's entirely possible that God is more powerful than I can ask or imagine, rather than He's not powerful enough to solve all the problems in the world. I'm challenged by that thought, and it calls me to want to live trusting Him even more and more. And I'm preaching to myself today. And I have been through this entire passage because I get concerned about things that are going on. I've even mentioned that we're a donor-supported ministry, and God continues to force us to work, to make things happen. He doesn't just give us everything that we ask for. He's called us into the effort with him, but He is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think. And the proof that we have of this is the power that's at work within us. We see Him change us. We see Him give us marriages that last, we see Him do things in this mess that proved that He's there. I want my life to be proof that God's there. I don't want you to be able to explain my life without factoring in Jesus Christ. Let's talk a little bit more about the last verse tomorrow. Thanks so much for being a Marketplace Minister, and thanks for considering God is more powerful than we can ask or think because that God has called us to take part in His work. Thank you for being a Marketplace Minister. Join us in https://community.followerofone.org and be part of a community that wants to live in such a way that others move one notch closer to Jesus. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. Today is episode 712, and I'm grateful that you're here. Thanks for listening. We've been talking about the abundant love of God from Ephesians 3:17-19. I'll read that today from the 1995 New American Standard. "So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height in depth. And to know the love of Christ, which surpasses knowledge that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God." Often we get cautious and you may be wondering, am I doing some name it, claim it, gospel, where we claim these riches of God and then He makes us wealthy. This is not about wealth in this world. When we're filled up to all the fullness of God, it comes from this love of Christ. In fact, this love of Christ "surpasses knowledge," that's the piece of this that I wanna focus on today. "The love of Christ surpasses knowledge and understanding ." Here, paul is praying that we would comprehend this love, and yet it surpasses knowledge. We just want to comprehend a little more of it. Our understanding of the love of God sets the limit to how much of it we share. If we believe that we have to hang on to everything that we get from God, then we don't share it. And when we fail to share God's love, we miss out on God's blessing. It's the giving away and sharing of God's love and grace and mercy, His character and His attributes, that make such a difference in the lives of others. That's how God has caused all of us to work. As Christ people, we exist in this world to make a difference in the lives of others so that they might come to know Him. That's our goal. Knowing Christ is the solution to the problems of the world. We can't solve the problems of the world short of the knowledge of God. We just can't do it. We're the ones who broke the world. Our knowledge is what got us into this broken situation. But when we move to know the love of Christ, which surpasses knowledge, it sounds a little frustrating, but Paul is calling us into this pursuit of God. We are following Him. We continue to follow Jesus every day. That's our organization's name, Follower of One. We wanna follow Him every day and let Him direct us and guide us. That's part of the reason why our first prayer is here I am punching in. I want to go with God wherever he wants me to go today. I wanna serve the people that He brings across my path. They may work in the cube next to me. My job is to live and give away the love that God has given me. And it's in giving that love that I am blessed. I am filled up to all the fullness of God, but it isn't necessarily a joy that I experience in this world. I can trust God with everything because of this feeling. As I get ready to know the love of Christ, which surpasses knowledge, I can understand that I am being filled up to all the fullness of God. I can trust God and give away what He's given me. Today, I wanna challenge us as marketplace Christians, let's go give away Christ's love. As we give away His love, others might ask. Ask Jesus to give you ideas of ways that you can serve the people around you because that's our calling as marketplace Christians. And when we do that, people might ask. No matter what your job is today, maybe you're looking for work, or maybe you are in a situation where you don't like your job at all, it becomes a little better when you start looking for ways to report to Jesus, ask him what he would have you do, and then go give away some of His love. Because it surpasses knowledge. It's bigger and wider and longer and higher than anything we can understand. So give away His love and make a difference in lives of others. Thanks for being a Marketplace Minister, and thanks for following Jesus. Take a moment and share this podcast with a friend. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast, we're talking about the abundant love of God from Ephesians 3:17-19, and this is actually part two. Today, I'm reading from the New International Version beginning in verse 17 of Ephesians 3, "so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, and I pray that you being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the Lord's holy people. To grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. And to know this love, that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Yesterday, we talked a little bit about how we are "rooted and established," it says in the New International, it says rooted and grounded in some of the other translations. We get this love from God and it's the foundation. It's the life of us, and it's the standard. It's the foundation from which we launch every day. You go into the workplace beginning with enjoying and living on the love of God and taking it then with you into your job or to your daily life. I want to challenge us as believers that this love is unbelievable. It's greater even than we can imagine, which is where Paul is going in verses 20 and 21. The abundance here is greater than we can imagine. I've said before on this podcast, I know. I will never say to God "oh, I thought you were bigger." God is almighty and He's greater than what we can ask or imagine, and this love is higher and wider and longer and deeper than we can imagine. Paul praised that we would embrace this love that we would grasp it, that we would know it, many of the translation say that you would "comprehend or understand with all the saints." "What is this breadth and length and height in-depth" is what the New American Standard says. We want to understand God's love in a greater degree, we will never understand it all. But as we continue to understand it in a greater degree, we're freer to give away more and more of it. God's love is what attracts people to him. God is love. Love is the source of everything. The great command is that we would love God and love people. We're working our way into God's presence by loving others. We do what we can by giving away things and by serving others and putting them first. Everything about our faith challenges us to consider others more important than ourselves, it says in Philippians 2. So let's challenge ourselves to imagine that no matter what idea comes to our mind, it's not bigger or longer or higher or deeper than whatever God might ask us to do because His love is greater even than we can imagine. His love we hope shows up in our lives and in our world. Let's be people who love the people around us so that they might ask, "Hey, why are you doing this? Why would you do this for me?" Because that kind of love gives us the opportunity to talk about our relationship with Christ. We want to live in such a way that our relationship with Christ is necessary to explain our behavior. And I wanna challenge you to do that today. Thank you for being a Marketplace Minister. Go into your job or your workplace today, make a difference in someone's life, simply because you want to understand and grasp how wide and long and high and deep the love of Christ really is. Tomorrow, we'll even talk about how it surpasses knowledge. Today also I want to challenge you to consider joining us in. Follower of One. If this podcast is beneficial to you, We do this on a regular basis because of this organization called Follower of One. It's a donor-supported ministry. Would encourage you to go to https://followerofone.org and consider making a contribution. Give some of your money to cement the fact that you wanna be a follower of Christ and make a difference. You can give it to us, or you can give it to another ministry. I just wanted to remind people that we're a donor-supported ministry and the actions that we take as believers of Jesus Christ matter. And so your actions matter, give some love away today. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. I didn't have a little cute introduction question this morning. We're talking about the abundant love of God, and today I wanna read Ephesians Three 17-19, " and that Christ may dwell in your heart through faith. I pray that you being rooted and firmly established in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height, and depth of God's love. And to know Christ's love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." That's from the Christian Standard Bible.
I read different translations to get slightly different perspectives on the passages that we're talking about, and we've been talking about abundance for two days, two episodes. And again, today, I wanna talk about this love of God and how it's so abundant. He begins by praying that we are rooted and firmly established in love. Rooted and grounded in some other translations.
I was reading a commentary called Through the Bible by Jay Vernon McGee, and he talked about how being rooted means that we get our life, we get our nourishment from the love of God, and we're also firmly established as our foundation. We have this life that we get from God and it comes from His love, and it also is the foundation upon which we stand. God's love is so amazing, that it begins our life, it gives us the life, and it also gives us the foundation. We can face the things that we face today, and we get the love from God, and we have this foundation that comes from God. And He simply claims that in just half of a verse here in verse 17, it kind of blows me away.
"I pray that you being rooted and firmly established in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints." Our job is to understand what we can of God's love. We will talk more about this. I want to talk about this again tomorrow, the second half of this passage, but the verse breaks don't line up very well.
When we understand enough about God's love, we are free to start giving it away. That's our job., And that's our challenge for today. I wanna challenge us to remember that this love of God, which we get through faith. Our faith opens this door, we received the riches and the glory and the power of God in verse 16. And we get Christ himself and the holy spirit through faith. Our faith is the action. But then we immediately get to focus on this love of Christ, which is the source of the difference that we make in the world. The love is what we get for nourishment and it's the foundation. And from those two things, we're called to make a difference in the world.
And that's our challenge today as believers and as Marketplace Ministers, I want to encourage you, and myself, I'm always encouraging myself and challenging myself, let's go give away some of the love of God. We have the love coming to us through our roots and through our faith in Him. God's abundant. Love is available to us 24/7. You may not feel that way, but there's someone around you that could use the love of God and you are a distributor of that. Love you are in a position to distribute the love of God into the lives of the people that you meet every day. That's what Marketplace Ministry is. We serve others because we love God and His love goes to. Them and they see Him and are drawn to Him. Our job is to help other people move one notch closer to Jesus. And we do that by giving away His love, not by telling other people what to do. Please join me today and give away some of His love. That's what I need to do. I need to think for a moment today about how I will give away some of that love.
And then if you'd like to be part of a community that consistently reminds us that giving away Christ's love is the job of a daily believer. Then join us at https;//community.Followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Grant Smith, the CEO of Hand In Hand, and a quantity surveyor involved in construction for 40 years. His focus is to invest with impact, creating fairer paid employment and apprenticeships in Kenya, whilst realizing Christian ministry assets and constructing housing for lower-income groups. In this episode, Mike and Grant discuss Grant's book The Accidental Social Entrepreneur, Christians settling for second best, how humans are the limiting factor of what God can do in the world, putting your trust in Jesus, the definition of Entrepreneur, and God’s purpose for us.
Outline of the Episode
- 0:33 – About Grant Smith
- 1:46 – How Grant came to Christ
- 3:14 – Grant Smith's Book - The Accidental Social Entrepreneur
- 7:02 – How Grant’s book was created
- 9:14 – Christians settling for second best
- 10:53 – How humans are the limiting factor of what God can do in this world
- 17:06 – The definition of Entrepreneur
- 24:24 – God’s purpose for us
The Accidental Social Entrepreneur
(Note: From Grant Smith’s book ordering page) - Grant Smith is a problem solver. When confronted with the poverty he witnessed in Africa, he did the only thing he knew how – business. Both humorous and realistic, Smith tells of his successes and failures with diverse projects, challenging us to consider how we might use the resources we have been given to change lives.
The Definition of Entrepreneur
Entrepreneurs are typically defined as someone who creates and operates a business from scratch. But, in reality, entrepreneurs are not just in business, they’re everywhere. So, the best way to define an entrepreneur is someone who creates something out of nothing.
God’s Purpose for Us
God always has a purpose for us. As long as we have breath in our lungs, God is not done with us.
Follow Grant Smith
- Website
- Order “The Accidental Social Entrepreneur” Here
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
If I give something away, is it gone forever?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. This is our episode number 709. Thank you for being a part of the Follower of One podcast, you might even check out our online community where we try and encourage one another to live our faith on a daily basis. That community is at https://community.Followerofone.org. We've been talking for a day so far about abundance, and we will be talking a little bit more about it because I read a book called The Abundance Mentality by Mick Schovanec and Sean Copeland. And I just wanted to get us thinking about the things that God gives us, that we can freely give away, and this passage in Ephesians 3 is a great challenge in that area.
Yesterday, we talked about the beginning of this passage and how we are strengthened with this abundant power that comes from the riches of Christ glory. Today, we'll go a little further. I'll begin by reading at verse 14 and we'll read through verse 17. "For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. That He would grant you according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your heart through faith and that you being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth."
It's hard to stop at any passage in here because Paul kind of strings this into one long sentence, but today I wanna focus on the phrase "that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith." You see faith is the beginning of all of this. Many of Jesus' miracles, and I say many because I can't think of them all offhand, but I believe most of Jesus' miracles required someone to do something first. Before He fed the 5,000, someone gave five loaves and two fish. Before He healed certain people they had to reach out their hand or the friends lowered their friend through the roof. There was always an action that took place first.
We are called to act because our faith is part of this equation. Jesus has made what we believe about Him part of this formula. And we experience the abundance when we trust Him. It's not easy to trust Jesus, and think if I give something away that I may receive more later and I may not even receive that in this life, but God's keeping score; that's why we don't have to.
Our job is to let Christ dwell in our heart through faith, and then we can take the things that He's given us and use them to serve others. This whole passage doesn't really end. It's this one long strung out thought where Paul goes into chapters four and five of Ephesians and talks about how weird to live as people who love others and who serve others. That's the calling we have as believers. It begins with this knowledge of God that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith. We have Christ living in us when we trust Him, when we point our lives to Him, and when we begin following Him, we get the Holy Spirit.
Christ dwells in our hearts through faith, and we get therefore rooted and grounded in love, we'll talk about that some more tomorrow. But today let's know that our faith is step one. We have to trust Jesus enough to study His word and to listen to Him and do what He says. It's not natural to us. We're naturally fallen because Adam chose to sin and we have chosen to sin. We live in a broken world.
But we can begin to turn that tide and step into the abundance that Christ has for us by trusting Him and following Him. Who are you following today? I wanna encourage you to point your life to Jesus. Punch in, say "here I am," and ask Jesus to put you to work. And then the ideas that He gives you that line up with scripture, figure out a way to do them. You'll bless the people that you work with and you'll make Him visible in the world.
Thanks so much for being a Marketplace Minister, and thanks for considering how to live your faith on a daily basis. Our world needs it. And if you want to practice this with some friends, join us at https://community.Followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
Are you ever tempted to focus on what you don't have? How rich is God, anyway?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. I believe this podcast will air on what is independence day in the United States. I hope that you are taking a day off and enjoying the independence of our nation if you're in the United States, and for those of you who are outside the United States, let's enjoy some freedom in Christ. I wanna spend a few days talking about abundance. And "The Abundance Mentality" is a book that I just read by friends of mine, Sean Kouplen, and Mick Schovanec. And I want to challenge you with this abundant mindset some of us are a little hesitant to even talk about this idea because there's so much of what would be called the prosperity gospel - that we do and follow Jesus, and we do these things so that He will bless us in this world and in the next. I believe Jesus blesses us so that we will bless others. I believe some of that is found here in this passage that I hope to talk about for the next few days.
And that's Ephesians 3:13-21. I'm gonna read 13, 14, and 15, and we're gonna actually talk about verse 16 today. "Therefore, I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory. For this reason, I bow my knees before the father. From whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power through his spirit in the inner man." That's Ephesians 3:13-16 in the 1995 New American Standard Version.
Our focus here is that God would grant you according to the riches of His glory. To be strengthened with power through His spirit in the inner man. Paul's actually asking a special blessing on the people in Ephesus. He's asking them not to lose heart at his trouble because his troubles are part of their glory. And then he prays to God, that God would grant the Ephesians, according to the riches of His glory. I always catch that phrase there. A few translations use "out of," but I believe according to is the right word here. When you look at the Greek word, it means in accordance with, or in proportion to.
That God would grant us according to the riches of His glory means that we're not just getting some of His pocket change. We're getting something proportionate to the riches of His glory. And how rich is God anyway? And these riches are there to strengthen us with His power through His spirit, in our inner man. The point of this entire passage, and we will be talking for a few days about this, is God gives us this abundant blessing, and that is to be a blessing in our world. We're strengthen with power through His spirit in our inner man. God wants us to be fountains of living water. He wants us to be a blessing to the people around us. And Paul is putting together this broad blessing prayer to the Ephesians and to all of us who are downstream of this so that we would have Christ's power through His spirit in our inner self.
We'll talk more about why in the next few days, so be sure to tune in again tomorrow, a little bit of a teaser there. But I wanna challenge us today to remember that the situation that we're in, we have a blessing for us that's out of the riches of God's glory. He's blessed us and put us in a position to be a blessing to others. And today we have the opportunity to serve others and to give to others beyond what we can imagine simply because we follow Jesus. Why not take a moment right now and ask God to show you who you can help move one notch closer to Him today.
That's our challenge as Marketplace Ministers. Thanks for being a Marketplace Minister, and thanks for joining us on the Follower of One podcast. Please share this with your friends and check out our online community at https://community.Followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
When we talk about life, which one are we talking about? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. We've spent a few days talking about Matthew 16:24-25. Today, I want to add verse 26. I'll read the complete passage, and today I'm reading from the English Standard Version. "Then Jesus told his disciples if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?"
I think these verses are pretty well known. Many of us have heard them before. And if you were listening the last few days, we started talking about Jesus' commands to follow Him. And then we continued with verse 25, yesterday's episode, about losing our life, or gaining it, finding it. And then today I have to ask the question about life because you see the word translated life in verse 25 is the same Greek word that's translated soul in verse 26. I don't know why the translators did that, but I think oftentimes it's hard for us to remember that there are two lives going on. When we're born, we're born into a temporal life and it has a definite end. There's some time in the future when it will end, all of us have experienced that death, or we will. It's one of those things. It's not fun to talk about, and most of us try and act like it's not going to happen, but it does. It happens to each one of us. There's another life that can never end. And that life, I believe we also live, and that life will never end, but the latter parts of it may be really bad for some of us and the rest of the latter years, the eternal life, will be very good for many of us.
I think Jesus is making a point here in verse 26, that if we gain the whole world, if we get everything that we wanted, if I do everything on my to-do list from yesterday's conversation, if I do accomplish all my goals and all my objectives and everything else, and still don't get to take part in that eternal life, that is the joy and life that I get to spend with Jesus, then I've lost everything. And I believe the reminder for us today as Marketplace Christians is to remember that our words and our actions and the way that we live can give life to others. That's our job, I believe as followers of Jesus. Our job is to live in such a way that other people see and are reminded about the second life. About that life that will never end that we get to spend with Jesus forever.
I don't think that life begins when we die. I read a book called "Eternity is Now in Session" by John Ortberg, and I agree very much with the teaching of that book, and that's some of where I got my opinions. So you can check that book out. But it suggests that our eternity begins the day that we're saved. We begin to live this life that we experience when we're with and following Jesus. And that life is what we have to give away, to show other people. That's our job as ministers is to make that second life visible to the rest of the world.
I wanna encourage you today as a follower of Jesus Christ - let your light shine. Let that second life be visible through your actions and the way that you give away your first life. By taking extra time for people, by being generous, by sharing, and by blessing others. We can live in such a way that we attract other people to wonder about that second life.
And I believe this passage points that out for us. It will not profit us if we gain the whole world and we lose that second life. So let's live in such a way that we challenge the people around us. Thanks so much for being a Marketplace Minister, and thanks for following Jesus Christ. Let's give our life away so that we can follow Jesus and make Him visible to the people around us. And also consider joining us at https://community.Followerofone.org where we try and help one another, do these very things every day.
Thanks very much.
What does it mean to put Jesus first or to follow Him? And how can we know that we're doing it right? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. I hope in five minutes to answer that question, but it's a little challenging. It started the last couple of episodes, we've been talking about following Jesus. And yesterday we read Matthew 16:24. Today, I want to include Matthew 16:25 and talk a little bit about the difference between putting God first and following Jesus. "Then Jesus said to his disciples, if anyone just to come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." That's Matthew 16:24-25 from the New American Standard Bible, the 1995 iteration.
You have to qualify all this, which translations you're using anymore. It's getting a little complex. The point that I wanna make in today's passage is following Jesus is not just another thing that I do. My to-do list is booked, just like yours. We have a ton of things going on. Many of us have trouble saying no, and we overcommit, or we have too many things that are pulling on us and tugging on us. I hear people often talk about how they try and put God first and then their family second, and then their job third, and things like that. And I realize, and I believe this passage, Matthew 16:25, tells us that God isn't first, that God is all, and that then we organize everything based on what God says. "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
I want God to be everything that I do when I go to work. That's because that's what God has for me to do today. When I serve my bosses or pray for my coworkers or pray for the people around me, it's because I wanna be better at following God and following Jesus and doing what He says. When I look at my to-do list today, I'm swamped. I have a ton of things that I have committed to do. Many of those commitments were made trying to run a ministry. I'm in the middle of this. But at the same time, I'm not consulting God as much as I feel like I probably should. I need to listen to Him more and I want to hear Him talk and I want to hear His direction and His guidance. I wanna find his ease and his peace.
I need to be quicker to say no or slower to say yes because I want to lose my life for His sake. And I have to figure out how to do that. "Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it." I keep constantly struggling with trying to do what I want my schedule, on my timeline, my issues, my goals, my ideals.
Today, I commit to you, and I'm trying to be as honest as I can, I want to turn that around. I want to give God more of my life. I want to say, what would you have me do in everything that I'm doing in the way that I record these podcasts? In the way that I interact with people around Follower of One? In the way that I do service for others or interact with people, the way I pay bills, everything about what's going on in my life. The way I interact with my family, it needs to be God driven.
And I believe that's what it means to lose my life for His sake. Today, let's lose our lives a little more for Jesus's sake, ask Him where He would have you do that, and ask Him to put you to work in the lives of the people that you interact with every day. Let's trust God more, and watch Him use us.
Thanks for being a Marketplace Minister. And thanks for following Jesus. Why not help us follow Him better by joining our online community at https://community.Followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
Do you find yourself in a position of wondering about the cost of following Jesus? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. We've been talking for a couple of episodes about following Jesus and where the places in scripture where He said follow me. Today I wanna read Matthew 16:24, "Then Jesus said to his disciples, if anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." We actually talked about this passage, this similar phrase, this statement of Jesus from Luke back in Episode 104. If you want to check out that episode, it was several years ago now.
But look at this passage, "Jesus said to his disciples, if anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." There are three conditions here: denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following Jesus. In the verse in Luke, it actually says "take up your cross daily."
Following Jesus has a price. Jesus makes this statement in Matthew 16, right after He told Peter to get behind Him, satan, you are a stumbling block to me. He's explaining to the disciples that He's going to die. He's explaining to them the cost of doing what God wants. Hanging onto our lives and our desires and the things that we think put us at odds with God. God's model is exactly opposite ours. Our natural faith, our natural beliefs, our natural way of living is all 180 degrees at odds with God. Over time, we can train ourselves a little bit to think like God and to do what He would have us do.
But it's so different, and it's so foreign that Jesus makes this point: we must deny ourselves, we must take up our cross, and then we follow Him. I want to listen to Jesus and obey Him and do what He says. Oftentimes that calls me to a place where I'm not comfortable. And I don't understand what's going to happen next. All my little plans and all my ideas of the way things are going to work just don't fit.
Jesus has a different strategy for us and it all exists on the other side of us following Him. That's the idea. We follow Jesus. We don't get to make this up for ourselves. Our guesses, and our tendencies, and our beliefs don't naturally bring us to the place where we're following Jesus, where we're part of His strategy, and we're part of His plan. Our natural lives and our natural personalities take us totally out of the realm of where He gets to control and He's being glorified and where His plan is being executed. And that's why we have to remind ourselves regularly to follow Him.
Today, I want to challenge us as Marketplace Christians. If we wish to come after Him, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. The command to take up our cross, that's a command to die. Denying ourselves means we stop focusing on what we want and instead try and focus on what Jesus wants. This three-step plan: deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him means that we turn from our own desire, we realize that our own desires aren't ever coming back, and then we follow Him.
Following Jesus is very expensive and yet it's the most rewarding thing that we can ever do. I hope that you follow Jesus. I'm grateful that you listen to this podcast and you are a Marketplace Minister. I'm grateful that you serve other people on a daily basis so that Jesus might become visible. That's the definition of a Marketplace Minister. Often we use the term that we're just helping other people move one notch closer to Jesus. And if you're doing that today, you're a Marketplace Minister. Thanks for joining us. You might even check out a group of us who are trying to do this on a daily basis. We connect through our online community at https://community.Followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
Today on the Follower of One Podcast, Mike got to sit down with Krystal Parker, who is the president of the U.S. Christian Chamber of Commerce and principal consultant at Intent & Impact. She is also the author of the book The Best Robot Wins: It Ain’t Personal, It’s Just Business. In this podcast, Mike and Krystal talk about her book, the Central Florida Chamber Chamber of Commerce, and balancing work with Christianity.
Outline of the Episode
- 0:42 – About Krystal Parker
- 3:57 – The Best Robot Wins: It Ain’t Personal, It’s Just Business
- 12:22 – How Krystal Ended Up On The Central Florida Christian Chamber of Commerce
- 17:32 – U.S. Christian Business Expo and National Conference
- 22:20 – Balancing work and Christianity
The Best Robot Wins: It Ain’t Personal, It’s Just Business
(From the product page of The Best Robot Wins: It Ain’t Personal, It’s Just Business)
Business is a machine, and ultimately the best robot wins. Today's trend is to believe that everything in business rises and falls on leadership, but where is the strategy in that approach? Encompassing both strategy and leadership are the four basic elements that are the bedrock to business management: planning, leading, organizing, and control. Artificial intelligence and the robot revolution have created the need for an evolution of these vintage management principles. Whether you are a task-oriented or a people-oriented leader, Krystal Parker, former executive for a Fortune 200 publicly traded oil and gas company, believes that any leader who wants to construct the best machine must align human workers, processes, and systems with their enterprise's mission, vision, and values. This is where and how the best robot wins!
U.S. Christian Business Expo and National Conference
The Christian Business Expo and National Conference is a place for Christian business leaders to meet and discuss how they impact the way the world conducts business. The expo and conference focuses on how to further the Kingdom of God in the business world.
Balancing Christianity with the workplace
It is so easy to get caught up with others in the marketplace, that you start to talk about how to get Christ to bless your business. If you sit and listen to God and what He is saying, and you follow Him, your business is in His hands.
Follow Krystal Parker
- Linked-In
- Central Florida Christian Chamber of Commerce
- Intent and Impact
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
When was the last time you said not now to a prompting from God? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. Often I am tempted, when I get an idea from God, I get tempted to say not now or not right now, or can I do it later? Today's passage is Matthew 8:21-22, I'm reading from the English Standard Bible. "Another of the disciples said to him, Lord, let me first go and bury my father. And Jesus said to him, follow me and leave the dead to bury their own dead."
Some people, when they first read this, the first time they read the scriptures, or the first time they come across this passage, they think that all this guy's making a reasonable request. He's just asking for delay while he goes to his dad's funeral. But the way this is done, a lot of scholars believe that this man's father isn't dead yet. He's talking about, I wanna do this as soon as I'm done working for my dad or when I'm done doing whatever it is I'm doing when I receive my inheritance after I've received my inheritance.
And Jesus is saying to him, look. Go with me. The rest of this is noise. What's happening in the world. If you're not following me is noise. There's another story in Luke chapter 10. Where Jesus goes over to Martha's for dinner and Martha's sister Mary, instead of helping with the dinner was sitting, listening to Jesus as he spoke, and Martha was distracted with everything she was trying to do. And so she asked Jesus to straighten out her sister, send my sister into the kitchen so that she can help me with what's going on. And Jesus, in, in Luke 10:42 says "only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good part, which can't be taken away from her."
Jesus is challenging us that focusing on and following Jesus isn't the top priority, it's the only priority. Following him is the one necessary thing we're being challenged in this passage to drop what we're doing and follow Jesus. Today in our workplace, are we being challenged to drop what we're doing and follow Jesus.
Now I'm not telling you to stop doing your job. Following Jesus means that we do our job well. We honor our commitments, but there are ways where we can focus our brain and our mind on the things that Jesus would have us do. We can pray for the people around us. That's one of the easiest ways to engage our faith and to follow Jesus in whatever we're doing today is pray for the person you're looking at.
Pray for the person across the cube from you or pray for your boss. Instead of whining, like I used to whine about my bosses wanted done, and I would disagree with the way that companies that I worked for were being run. Instead of criticizing them, why not pray for them? We can follow Jesus with our daily actions in this moment, by simply praying for the person that comes to mind. Ask God to show you how he would have you follow him.
And then let's do it today. Let's not delay or say not now. If God gives you an idea, and he's just given me one, as I'm recording this podcast, I have something to do as soon as this recording is over. So that I'm not saying not now to him, but I'm going with him when he goes. Now. It's interesting to note too, that in the next verse, his disciples followed him.
"When he got into the boat," it says "his disciples followed him." That's Matthew 8:23. If we're not following him, we need to question whether or not we're disciples. Let's try and make more and more of our life the simple act of following him. To become a disciple of his is simply to follow him. That's the reason why our organization is called Follower of One.
We want to follow him. Today, let's follow him, ask him how you can follow him in the very thing that you have to do today. He's there and he's in charge and he'll make it happen. And also if you want to join a community of people who are bent on trying to do this with their life, check out our online community at https://community.Followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
Where has following Jesus taken you? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast, I'm grateful that you listened to these, and hopefully you share them as well. Today. I want to talk about the call to follow Jesus. And I wanna read Mark 1:17 from the English Standard Version. "And Jesus said to them follow me. And I will make you become fishers of men."
I wanna think a little bit today about what following Jesus does. It transforms our life. It's like my life changes in proportion to the degree that I can follow him and pursue him and do what he would have me do. The more I learn about Jesus and the more I get to know him. By doing what he asks and by hanging out with his people, by studying his word, and by listening to the holy spirit that lives within me. The more I follow Jesus, the more I become different, and the more I experience things differently. I love the command to follow Jesus. I think that's what makes us unique.
As Christians, we can believe in Jesus and never really follow him. But I believe when we follow him, he starts to transform our lives. And what ends up happening is we start to abandon things that we were hanging onto. Our flesh wants to hang onto the world. It wants to hang onto a comfort. It wants to hang onto its own peace and its own sense of self, fulfillment. But when we let go of those things to grab a hold of Jesus and to follow him more closely, we learn that those things are actually a distraction. The real act is in following Christ. We start to see things happen that matter forever.
We will take actions that make a difference in the lives of the people around us and people are what we'll live forever. And so the things that we do to interact with people, to help them move one much closer to Jesus, those things matter forever. And that whole phrase about helping others move one notch closer to Jesus is something that I kind of thought up through a combination of resources and ideas when I was trying to figure out how to be a missionary in my workplace.
I wanted to go into full-time ministry. I wanted my life to matter for Jesus and the idea of helping the people around me move one notch closer to him seemed to be a good idea. It seemed to be something that I could do every day in any of my jobs.
That helped me beyond mission with Jesus in spite of my circumstances or my situation or where I am today. And I think that's our challenge as Christ followers. If we've responded to this request in Mark 1:17, Jesus is actually calling Andrew and Peter or Simon. He's calling them, he's saying, follow me and I will make you become fishers of men. They left everything. They left their ships, they left their job, and their career. They left everything. I wonder the degree to which we follow Jesus if it doesn't also end up being our eternal reward. And therefore I want to follow him better
Today, I wanna challenge us as Christ followers, let's follow him better. Listen to the promptings that you get. If you get an idea that will bring glory to God, figure out how to do it. Today's the day. Let's follow him a little more and become fishers of men. Let's become the people that Jesus would have us be drawing people and encouraging them to move one notch closer to him.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for making a difference in the world and in the lives of the people around you. Our actions, because we follow Jesus matter. And therefore your actions today matter. I wanna challenge you ask the holy spirit what he would have you do today and then figure out how you can do it.
One of those things may be to join us in Follower of One. We're a community of believers who are committed to this idea that there's a calling for us every day. You can check it out at https://community.Followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
When you think about things happening in the world today, do you rejoice or are you tempted to be discouraged? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast., Today, we're doing one of my favorite verses and it's only two words. It's one of the easiest verses on the planet to memorize. It's 1st Thessalonians 5:16 "Rejoice, always."
I wonder sometimes where Paul gets off telling us that we should rejoice all the time. It's possible that he was in prison when he wrote this, or, he, certainly spent a lot of time in prison in his missionary journies. How is it that Paul can encourage us to rejoice always? I looked at this Greek word in Vine's dictionary, which is a book that kind of breaks down the Greek and Hebrew words used in the Bible. And it was interesting that we're reminded several times to rejoice or to have joy or to experience joy. And many of those actions many of those are in response to something that God has done. I think about the passage in Hebrews 12:2, where it says that "for the joy set before him, Jesus endured the cross." I tend to think that what we've done is we've substituted something simpler for joy. We've let the world kind of downgrade joy.
I believe joy is something that almost requires God to be involved. We exercise joy when we experience and take pleasure in the things that God does. Whether it's through another believer or through friends, we can experience temporal joys. We can also experience joy when we see God working in the lives of others or in our own life. I experienced great joy just thinking about what God's doing in and among the people who take part in Follower of One and what I believe he's doing in the faith at work world and in the business world in general. I experienced great joy thinking about those things.
The joy is this happiness, but it's happiness based on what God's doing. It's happiness based on what I can see of God, and what he seems to be doing. And I think our world has substituted plain happiness for that. We have words like enjoy and you can enjoy a candy bar. You can enjoy time at the pool. In some regard, in the grand scheme of God, he has given us the simpler joys, these easy joys that come from his common grace, the things that he gives to everyone.
But Paul is telling us in spite of our circumstances, in spite of the world around us, in spite of everything happening. In spite of maybe negative health situations or challenges that are going on in our world, we have this freestanding command right here to rejoice always. And I hear that as choosing to focus on what God's doing instead of focusing on the circumstances, or what I see.
When I look at the political world, when I look at the way we interact with each other, when I look at things like the gun violence going on in our world right now, or the media, the back and forth about all the political things, it's hard to rejoice. But when I focus on what God's doing and how he's working, his plan, That's where I get the ability to rejoice always.
And it's at that point that I believe that Paul is making this command because this is a universal command to people who believe in Jesus and the people who follow Jesus. As followers of Jesus, our object in our command today is this verse. Let's rejoice always. You may face some negative work situation or whatever, but as we participate in the joy that God that we get because God is in control. Then we're a little different than the people around us. And we can bring that joy to the people that we interact with every day.
Hopefully, your joy and mine will help other people move one notch closer to Jesus. And that way we get to be ministers of Jesus Christ. Thanks for being a marker minister. And thank you for considering this idea today. Let's rejoice always. We have an obligation to bring the one we follow to the world. He's here and he's running everything and he's driving, but we help other people see him when we obey him and do what he says.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thanks for listening to this podcast. I appreciate it.
In your workspace, are you a lights on or a lights off person? I am Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. I'm grateful that you're here. This is episode 701 on our podcast on our daily devotionals. Thank you so much for listening to these. Yesterday and today we've been talking about being salt and light in our world. And we're reading from Matthew chapter five today, I'd like to read verses 14 and 15. I'm reading from the English Standard Version. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand and it gives light to all in the house."
We started talking yesterday about being salt and light, and yesterday we talked about the salt part of this, about how we're supposed to make the situations we're in, in the relationships that we have a little different. We make them taste different. We give them flavor. It's not really us, that does it, it's the Lord living in us in the way that he calls us and directs us. And the same thing happens, the same principle takes place with light. Now, I asked about, are you someone who likes to have light or not? I used to be someone who turned on the lights all the time and my wife was constantly turning them off, but I believe we're all dependent upon a little light.
You never really been in total darkness. If you have, you didn't move, you can't see what to do. I once tried to walk through a warehouse when the lights were out, and tripped over something I didn't think was there and ended up breaking one of my fingers and having to be in a splint for a long time. We can't get very far in the dark. God has provided light. He's responded to our needs, by giving us this world and he creates this relationship. It's so cool about light because light chases darkness, it's not the other way around. Darkness doesn't overtake light, light overtakes darkness. It's almost as if God is mast in our world, partly because of our fall. And partly because we can't stand the brightness and the light of him in his natural state.
But he came to us as Jesus, and we can see him that way and we can see his actions and we can read about his life on our planet. And then when we follow him, our actions and our lives pass that light along to our friends and to the people that we work with.
I talk about verse 16, which we won't go into today, there's another podcast where you can read about verse 16. But Jesus calls it your light because it's our light. The light comes from our good works. The things that we do in the world when we live following Jesus, we expose him. The light that comes from us makes him visible to the people around us.
Our actions confound a little bit, the people who don't follow him because they don't understand our motives and they don't understand our motivation. They don't understand the joy that we experience and the peace that we get when we follow Jesus. So today, I want to challenge us as marketplace Christians, as people who live following Jesus in the normal everyday chunks of the world, let's live according to our faith in Jesus, let's follow him and ask him for direction.
The actions that he prompts us to take are all designed to help other people see him and come to him. Jesus is working this great strategy. That makes him and his kingdom visible in our world. And we are part of that strategy because we are the light of the world. Let's live like that light today.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister, and thank you for putting yourself in a position to bring a little bit of that light to the world. I want to challenge you to join a community of us who are struggling to do this as well. And our struggle is not hard, it's easy. And it's easier because we do it together. Check it out at https://community.Followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
Do you put salt on your food before you taste it? Or do you wait until after you've tasted it? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast today, we're talking about Matthew 5:13, and we'll talk again tomorrow, about 14 and 15 about being salt and light.
My dad used to salt this food pretty regularly, right? He consumed a lot of salt. We were talking about that the other day, but I wanted to talk about this passage because this passage sums up a lot of what we teach in Follower of One about how we live in the world as Christ followers. And this is our 700th episode. This is episode number 700. We did some bonus episodes. So we've done a little more than 700, but it's exciting to know that, your list. It's exciting to have made this kind of progress. God is the one who's bringing about all this fruit from just talking about the scriptures and challenging us. Challenging you and me to go to work today and make a difference for Jesus.
Today's passage is Matthew 5:13 from the English Standard Version. "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet." I often talk about us making Jesus visible by the way we live. And we'll talk more about that tomorrow because that's actually an analogy to the light. But the salt is different, the salt actually changes the flavor of what it's put on.
When someone chooses to put salt on something, it changes its taste. It changes it a little bit. God chooses to leave us here when he saves us. And part of the reason why he does that is so that we would make a difference on the earth. That we would be the salt of the earth. If our saltiness doesn't make a difference, then, what can we do? There's nothing we can do to, to restore that. It's no longer good for anything. Our lives are designed to be lived in public.
We're designed to be difference makers in the world, but I feel like we started for so many years by talking first. And of course, I talk a bunch on this podcast and everywhere else, but the talk doesn't mean nearly as much. If the actions aren't there. If we're not salt, if we're not making a difference in the lives of the people around us if we don't change the taste of the organizations, that we're a part of, if we don't make a difference or change the taste of the community, where we live or the country where we live, we're not fulfilling our purpose. Part of our purpose is to be a difference maker for God, wherever he has placed us. In this time, and in this place, he chose our time. He chose our place. He chose our background and our experiences. He's chosen so much for us. And this is our opportunity to be salt of the earth means that we want to go into every situation, finding a way to change the taste and the texture and the flavor of that circumstance, in that situation.
We want to change that just a little bit and move it a little closer to Jesus. Our goal and Follower of One is to help people move one notch closer to Jesus. When we change the taste of something, it should attract people to the holy spirit, to Jesus Christ through the holy spirit. Because that's our goal. Our goal is to help other people find him. And the reason why that's our goal, we were created for that purpose. But we also get great joy when we do it.
If you've taken part in anything that we do in Follower of One if you've tried to be active about living your faith in the workplace. Even if you mess up, God gives you a little bit of joy in doing that. And let's lean on that joy. Let's lean on our relationship with our brothers and sisters and make a difference in our workplaces today simply because we can. Simply because we have the holy spirit living in us. We don't have to lose our taste. We can make a difference in the world.
Join a community of people who are interested about making a difference in the world as well. You can join all of us at https://community.followerofone.org. Our goal is to help. As to move other people one notch closer to Jesus and to move ourselves one notch closer to Jesus. And we do that together in community at https://community.followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Dave Foucar. Dave spent his career as a financial professional but his heart has always been in ministry. He has spent decades in church leadership teaching Sunday school, Bible studies, and small groups for all ages. He has been a lead speaker and seminar leader at couples retreats, men’s retreats, and family and youth camps. Dave’s first book, "What Do I Say When Asked About Jesus?" is a conversational approach to helping people answer questions about Jesus. In this episode, Mike and Dave talk about the story of how his book came about, the difference between sharing the Gospel and sharing your Faith, and listening for opportunities to share the gospel.
Outline of the Episode
- 0:20 – About Dave Foucar
- 3:33 – About Dave’s book “What Do I say When Asked About Jesus?”
- 6:07 – The difference between sharing the Gospel and sharing your Faith
- 8:58 – How Dave became a Christ Follower
- 14:04 – Dave’s advice to give a marketplace Christian
- 17:36 – Listening for opportunities to share the gospel
About Dave’s book “What Do I Say When Asked About Jesus?”
The book “What Do I Say When Asked About Jesus?” approaches how to share the gospel in a conversational approach. Often times Christians try to unnaturally bring up Jesus and shove the Gospel down non-believers' throats, but this book goes through how to naturally talk about Jesus to non-believers.
The difference between sharing the Gospel and sharing your Faith
The Gospel is the story of Jesus, it’s the reason why we are Christians. On the other hand, sharing our faith is about how the Gospel has changed our lives. Sharing the Gospel is how to become a Christian, but sharing our faith is sharing how the story has changed our lives.
Follow Dave Foucar
- What Do I Say When Asked About Jesus
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
Practically on a daily basis, how do you solve your problems? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. Sometimes I think certain passages of scripture, you get to listen to God talk to me. , this is one of those passages. Today. I want to talk about 1st Timothy 6:17. "As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God who richly provides us with everything to enjoy." that's from the English Standard Version.
Often I wonder about my own motives and my own thoughts. I default to solving every problem that I face with my own resources, my own time, my own energy, or my own money. Do you? He says here, asked for the rich in this present age because, in the day when Paul was writing this, there were many people who didn't have the money to solve their problems. And many of the people listening to this podcast may not have all the money they need. I don't have all the money that I need.
However, most of us in the United States, especially our wealthy by the world standards. And especially by the standards of the day when Paul was writing to Timothy. And often I think what we do is we look for resources to solve our problems, instead of looking for God to solve them. He tells us here to focus on not the uncertainty of riches, but on God who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
At the risk of bordering on a political conversation. I think sometimes we expect the government to solve our problems. We expect someone else to solve our problems. How many times have you heard someone say they should do X? Often we have somebody else that we want to blame for solving problems, or we want to put in charge of solving problems, or if it's our problem to solve, then we default to our resources.
We will throw anything at a problem, but God. And so, and I say that a little bit loosely, but my point is I want to put God in between me and my problems. God, how can I turn to you and listen to you better? I think our challenge here is to focus on who God is because he richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
We can focus on turning to him instead of our own resources. And he becomes the source and the object of our hope. He becomes where we hope. If my hope is in God, then I'm looking for his answer to our solutions. Today, the answer may not be ready to come. The answer may not be for today. It may be for another day.
And so I want to learn to train myself to turn to God who richly provides me and you with everything to enjoy. So I want to charge us today as Christ followers. Let's not be proud. Let's not set ourselves in the center of the universe and set our hopes on the uncertainty of our resources, our money, and our energy, and our time.
Let's instead turn to God who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. How that shows up in your workplace today, maybe you need to trust God and stay late and do something that you know you need to do. Maybe you need to trust God and do a great job at what you're doing and not cut corners.
As we trust God to solve our problems and to be the hope that we focus on, he will call us to live differently. And that living differently will bring him glory. Not us. It will challenge the people around us to wonder why we're different, but then they might ask. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thanks for considering how we can engage our faith on a daily basis.
What we do because we follow Jesus matters. And your actions by turning to God to solve problems and to ritually provide for you is one of the ways where we make him visible in the world. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. If you're interested in joining a community of people who are passionate about trying to live their faith on a daily basis, check us out at https://community.Followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
I often say the things we do because we follow Jesus matter forever. Let's talk about the verse where I get that information today. Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast today, I want to read a favorite verse first 1st Corinthians 15:58. "Therefore my beloved brothers be steadfast and movable. Always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord, your labor is not in vain." That's from the English Standard Version. Paul went through this detailed reasoning in the latter part of first Corinthians to explain the promise of the resurrection.
The world isn't all there is, but God has chosen to leave us here in our temporal bodies, living our temporal lives, that will eventually end. Why, why do you do that? Because the way we live matters. What we do matters. We find out from this passage, the things matter, not necessarily in this world, but in the next. Earlier in this chapter, Paul even said that if we have hope only in this life, we are most to be pitied. Our actions matter in the next life too. Fortunately, though, God gives us joy and peace, as we believe in Him, and as we do what he says. Our ultimate reward will come into the next life, but we also receive rewards in this life.
And this is why I challenge us to serve our coworkers and the people that we interact with. We work for Jesus now in this life. We will be rewarded for eternity for the things that we did following Jesus. Where are we always right? No. Where we perfect? No. But again, we're God's only strategy. You may be the only version of Jesus that some people see today.
This matters because it says here in the passage, our labor is not in vain. That means that in the Lord, our labor, your labor, won't turn out to be for nothing. Your labor will matter. It may matter now. It definitely matters forever. It matters in the eternal life. So today let's take a minute and just review the Follower of One five daily activities.
These are not the only ways that we work with the Lord or do the work of the Lord, but they're some of the ways that we do that. Have you prayed for the people that you'll meet today? Take a moment and do that right now. You can pause this recording. Looking at your calendar and ask God to use you in the lives of every person on there. Ask him to show you a way to demonstrate appreciation to them. Your genuine, active effort to serve and be a blessing to others should make them feel better. It should make them feel appreciated. Maybe they'll even ask you about your motives. As you pray, Jesus will give you ideas. Maybe there are things you need to do to make something else right first. Maybe you have offended someone, whatever God brings to mind, let's do it. Let's solve for how.
You may need to get some flowers for your wife like I do, or you may need to do one other thing that just came to mind. God will give you ideas. Do what he says. Be steadfast, immovable, know that everything matters, and then do what the holy spirit prompts. Trust him, knowing that one day it will all become visible.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for making a difference in the lives of the people that you work with every day. Our labor is not in vain. It won't be for nothing. What we do because we trust Jesus will matter in this life and the next. Let's ask God to put us to work and then do what he says. We move from being a spectator to being a participant, simply by acting on what we know Jesus would have us do. We don't need anyone's permission to get in the game today.
Just do what Jesus is telling you. And you're in. Thanks very much for being a marketplace minister. If you want to be part of a community of people who challenge one another to live their faith actively on a daily basis. Check out https://community.followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
Let's compare words to actions today. Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast, I'm honored that you listened to these and I'm grateful when you share them. So please share this with your friends. Also, please communicate with us. You can reach me at mike@followerofone.org and let us know what you think about the podcast or what you'd like us to talk about.
Today, I want to challenge us in the workplace. One of the things that I studied from time to time is what the kingdom of God is or what it means in our lives. And I came across this passage in 1st Corinthians 4:20 that I wanted to talk about. "For the kingdom of God does not consistent talk, but in power." And that's 1st Corinthians 4:20 from the English Standard Version. In this chapter, Paul's kind of defending himself. He's talking about how the people of Corinth have started listening to other people, many of whom are not all that accurate in the way that they lead.
And so Paul who's away is talking about when he comes back. And he's defending himself a bit, but this nugget kind of exists as a single verse, right in the middle of this conversation. And his point is the kingdom of God is backed up by action. Not by words.
We don't reason people into the kingdom of God. We can't talk people into believing about Jesus. Little about our words actually causes anything to happen. Words can hurt and words can create pain and difficulty, but words and talk are not the meat of what's going on in the global universe. The kingdom of God, it's not a piece of ground. It's not a place that you can point out on a map.
It's the group of people who are obeying God. When we obey God, we see his power work through us. It meets us. When we step into the water, then the river is parted when we do certain things because we trust God, we see him act. Our trust, working with our actions, causes us to see God working. And this is not about words. We can't talk our way into the kingdom of God. This is going to boil down to what did we do? And today I want to challenge us as believers. What do we do because we follow Jesus? Are we the kind of people who trusted Jesus and we go to church once a week and we do as little as we can.
Like I talked about my original strategy was to be the third to last guy into heaven because I didn't want to work any harder than I had to. But this is not about work. It's about the power. It's about the power of God to change who I am and to cause me to live differently so that others might ask. The kingdom of God results in me living a changed life. I follow God and I do what he says and my life changes. And then others are prompted to ask.
And that's what we try and do in the Follower of One online community. We try to challenge one another to live differently because we follow Jesus. When we do, we experienced this new life. We sense God's presence in everything that we're doing. And we see the truth of this passage that the power of God is in the results of a different life from following him. Today, let's choose to follow God. Let's choose to obey him. No matter what we're called to do in our workplace, let's find a way to love others and to live differently. Maybe someone will ask us and we will get to talk, but we bring the kingdom of God to our work place simply by obeying Jesus and doing what he says.
Let's do that today. Let's obey him in our workplaces. Let's love others and be ready to serve other people because that's what Jesus. Thank you for listening to this podcast. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Consider joining us in our online community at https://community.followerofone.org, where you can take part in the next marketplace mission trip.
There's always another marketplace mission trip coming up and you might check that out as well. Thanks very much.
Do you ever think of light as armor? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One one. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. We've done the last couple of episodes in Romans 13, and as I've continued reading through that chapter, I came across verse 12. "The night is far gone. The day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light." I looked at this translation, this is the English Standard Version, but I looked at this in several translations and everybody refers to either the armor of light or the weapons of light. So we're not talking about something like a light armor as opposed to heavy armor.
We're talking about the defensive weapons that we get and the offensive weapons that we get when we can stand in the light. When we're not hiding anything. This is talking about not living a life that's hidden, but living a life that's open and exposed, and in the light that we get from Jesus .
In Matthew 5:16, it talks about how we need to let our light shine, in such a way that others may see God and glorify him. But this armor of light means I believe that we're to be transparent, that we have nothing to hide. Phillips Craig and Dean used to have a song called Nothing to Prove, and the chorus said nothing to prove nothing to lose, nothing to hide. This armor of light means that we're free to be what we are in the world, and the consequences of our actions while they might be bad or they might be good, we can trust God that he will cause them to work out for good.
According to Romans 8:28, for example, there's a confidence that comes from knowing that we only have one story that we only live one way. That there's only one version of I want there to only be one version of me and I want to live in the light in such a way that God's light becomes my armor. Now this word is not capitalized here, but I think he's talking about how practically living a transparent life makes us protected and ready for whatever God has for us. We have the armor that we get from living a transparent life.
Today, I want to challenge us as believers let's live transparently in our world. Our job is to be a servant. We can simply be saved, we can trust Jesus to get us into heaven when we die and not do anything else the rest of our lives. I believe , we can try that. I'm not too sure how effective that is. But we miss out on life with Jesus. We miss out on the highs and the lows of following Christ and being transparent servants and lovers of others in the world. That's what we're called to be.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for going into your workplace, not as someone who's hiding in the darkness, but as someone who lives according to the light. We have nothing to fear, if we're trusting Jesus. We live in a broken world and many bad things happen. I'm not saying that bad things won't happen, but I'm saying that we get this armor that we get from God when we trust him and we live transparently. And that's what I believe this passage is telling us to.
Would you like to be part of a community of believers who are working through the process of going from being saved to being a servant. We go from our starting point of trusting Christ to actually living according to his laws and his rules and his guidance. You remember, he bought all the commandments down to love God and love people. And that's what we try and do. We're working on that in our online community called Follower of One. You can check that out at https://community.followerofone.org. Thanks again for being a marketplace minister and for making a difference in your workplace, what we do because we follow Jesus matters.
Thanks very much.
Who do you owe and what are you going to do about it? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One. And yesterday's episode, we talked about Romans 13:7, and I'll also read verse eight, but I want to talk a little bit more about verse eight today. "Owe no one anything except to love each other. For the one who loves another has fulfilled the law." The word love in this passage is based on the word agape. It's about giving our faith away. It's about putting other people ahead of ourselves. It's about considering others more important than ourselves, which comes from Philippians chapter two.
It's not an emotion as much as it is an action, a preferential treatment of others. For the one who puts others ahead of himself has fulfilled the law. This is an interesting challenge. You know, the entire old Testament was considered the law and the profits. There were tons of laws for the Jewish nation and yet Jesus claimed at first, and Paul is following up here, that loving other people, loving God and loving others, is the whole law. And loving another fulfills the law. God is calling us as his people to love other people. And so today may be a short podcast, which I say that before. And then I end up rambling for the whole time anyway, but today, how can we love others in our workplace today?
This is our challenge. Wherever you go today, there is someone that you can express some love to. Maybe you pray for them and they never know it. Maybe you do something, you go out of your way to be a benefit to them, or to do something to bless them. Maybe you need to buy some flowers for a spouse, or you need to go out of your way to serve someone, to pay for the person in line behind you at the restaurant.
You can do all kinds of things to show that you consider someone else more important than yourself. And that's our challenge here. We're not to owe anyone anything except to be actively looking to love one another ,to love others. This is not talking about debt or anything else like that. It's talking about what our top priorities is. If our top priority every day is to love others, then we fulfill the law, as close as we're going to get. I mean, Jesus didn't die for nothing. He died on the cross to pay for our sins. He died because we all fall short of the glory of God. It says earlier in this very book in Romans. And so our salvation is not something that we can do. And we don't love others to be saved, but when we love others, we fulfill the obligation. We do the thing asked of us.
We are fulfilling the purpose. God left us here to do. You know, if God just saved us to make us better people, he could probably do that better in heaven, but he saves us any leaves us here because loving other people is how he is chosen to get the word out, and how to introduce other people to Jesus Christ.
So today let's look for ways to love others and it's not easy. Our natural tendency is to do this on our own or to remain focused and remain the center of our own universe. So that's part of the reason why we created the online community called Follower of One.
I'd like to challenge you to consider joining it because we are the sum of the people around us, were influenced by the people that we hang around with. And I wanted to hang around with a community of people who were actively trying to move from being a spectator in the faith to being a full-time servant of the Lord.
That's our job is to move from being a spectator, to being a servant. I call that full-time ministry. I can serve other people by helping them move one notch closer to Jesus. Why not join us at https://community.followerofone.org dot follower and check it out. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thanks for listening to and sharing this podcast.
Everything we do because we follow Jesus matters. Thanks very much.
Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Amy Withers, a 7th grade World History Teacher who was raised in the church, but strayed from God for the past 30 years. When she rededicated her life to Jesus, He led her to Follower of One. In this episode, Mike and Amy talk about rededication, her experience on a marketplace mission trip, the importance of Christian community. Outline of the Episode
- 0:24 – About Amy Withers
- 2:17 – How Amy came to the Lord
- 5:07 – Amy’s experience on a marketplace mission trip
- 6:23 – The importance of Christian community and fellowship
- 9:33 – How the Marketplace Mission Trip inspired Amy to start a Bible Study
- 11:54 – Inviting others on a Marketplace Mission Trip
- 14:07 – Invading your own schedule
The Importance of a Christian Community and Fellowship
Have you ever thought about how important a Christian community is? The Bible even talks about how important a Biblical community is in 1st Corinthians. The Church is not a building, it is the people. We need to have fellowship with other believers.
Invading your own schedule
You need to invade your schedule. That is, you need to create time to be in a BIblical community and spend time with the Lord. Satan will try everything to stop you from spending time with the Lord, so he will attack your schedule. You need to invade your schedule and make sure to spend time with the Lord.
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
How are you in relation to authority? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast, it's an honor to share these ideas with you and to challenge you and me as we go to work every day. Today, I'm reading a section of Romans 13, and this is a very challenging passage. I want to read Romans 13:7 from the English Standard Version. "Pay to all. What is owed to them. Taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed."
I'm challenged by this verse because it begins with this conversation about our relationship to God. I've always been somewhat critical of our government. It's the best kind of government and the worst kind of government because it's of the people by the people and for the people. And so it's the best it could possibly be. But at the same time, we're all flawed people and therefore it has its holes and its problems, but we're called as Christians to be great citizens and to be difference makers in our workplaces and in our cities, in our communities, in our relationships with others.
And here, Paul is actually summing up a section where he started off talking about how we have to submit to governmental authority. Government brings what order we have in the world. And so by submitting to that governmental authority, it puts us in a position to be free to glorify God in the way that we serve other people. We're moving through this process. We're going from being a spectator to be in an active participant in the ministry of God. When we were spectators, we might go to work each day thinking, well, I just need to stay out of trouble. But now that we're becoming a follower of Jesus and we want to serve other people so that he becomes visible, we can't be spectators anymore. And therefore how we act with our money and how we act with our attitude and how we live matters. And therefore Paul here is commanding us, pay everyone what is owed to them. Taxes, revenue, respect, or honor. In fact, he goes on in verse eight to talk about owing no one anything, except to love each other.
For the one who loves another has filled the law. Maybe we should bundle these two verses together. This is about trusting God with our money and our respect, and our honor. I need to be more quick to respect and honor people in authority, people in positions of authority. And the rebel in me doesn't want to do that, but I want to do that because I want to glorify Jesus.
I want to respect others and pay the things that I owe and get ready to pay some taxes. We need to pay the money that we owe because of who we follow. It matters. What we do because we follow Jesus matters all the time. So let's remember that we're on this journey and we're moving from spectator to participant, from a watcher of Jesus, to someone who participates with him in the way that he shows up in the world. Let's be Christ's people. And one of the ways we do that is by paying what we owe. Taxes, revenue, respect, or honor.
And that's our call for today. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Today as you go into your workplace, let's be quick to honor the authority we run into, to honor the authority that we work under. Let's do things because we trust Jesus and then how it works out, that's his problem. We work for him.
I'm grateful that you're a marketplace minister. I'm grateful that you listened to these podcasts. I'm grateful that you live in such a way that Jesus might become visible. Our world needs him badly and your actions will matter. Thanks very much. If you want to join a community of people who are working to make Jesus visible every day of their lives, we're working to move from spectator to servant, then join us at https://community.Followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
So if I believe in Jesus, does the law no longer apply? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast. For the last several episodes, we've been talking about faith and I'm going to continue talking about faith one more episode. I'm want to cover Romans 3:27, I'm reading from the English Standard Version. "Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law by a law of works? No, but by the law of faith." That's from the English Standard Version, Romans 3:27. We often get into this works or faith kind of argument. If I just believe in Jesus, am I going to heaven?
This is not about going to heaven. This is about how we live. We can join Jesus today and we can live with and experience life with Jesus as we go by living by faith. But this life by faith, Paul states here becomes a law. It's not a law of works. It's a law of faith. It's how God has seemed to have woven everything to require faith.
Faith is what we need to come to here. Faith is what is required for us to trust him. Faith is what is required for us to obey him. Faith is involved in everything that God makes happen. Faith is the way that we recognize him. We acknowledge him as Lord. We follow him and do what he says. That's why we call this organization that I'm a part of Follower of One. And I'm grateful that you listened to this podcast. I also want to challenge you though, just listening to this podcast doesn't help a whole lot. If the podcast doesn't get you to ask Jesus how he would have you live, and then you live accordingly, you see this law of faith requires you to interact with God directly.
We interact with him individually, therefore, we take the time to follow Jesus. We give up little bits of our life here and there because of our faith. That's the way God has caused us to work. That's the law that continues to exist today. It's not the Jewish law of all these rules and things that you have to obey by your works by your deeds or how you do things.
It's not about how we act, as much as it is that we are acting according to our faith. In the end, we still have to obey laws. We still have to be good citizens. We have responsibilities as human beings. Yet when faith is the law of our life, we bend our lives to following God. And it's that life that's bent toward him. That's the way, that's the only way I can describe my own salvation. I decided to defer to Jesus instead of deferring to myself. And I struggle with that every day. I still struggle with that because I make choices about what I eat and what I do. It's so easy for me to choose instead of asking
Jesus. But this is where I believe we're all challenged as believers. And so today I want to challenge us again. According to this law of faith, we take our direction from him. He's our boss. We follow him and we do what he says. He's assigned you to your present job situation. You may be in transition, or you may be in a difficult job situation, but he's assigned you there and you're not outside of his will. Trust him and do what he says, where you can.
Let's not focus on what we can't do today, but let's focus on what we can do. We can live by a law of faith, by simply saying, here I am, Jesus, what would you have me do next? That puts us in line with the holy Spirit's direction in our lives. And it puts us in a position to be used by God. And then we get to experience the joy of being his followers.
Thanks so much for being a follower of Jesus. Thanks for being a minister in your marketplace. Thanks for considering how to serve others so that they might also see that life by faith is so different than the life that we live when we're not following Jesus. Thanks for being a minister in the marketplace.
Share this podcast with one other friend today, challenge them live together by faith in your workplace with a coworker who's also a Christ follower and let's see what Jesus does in that workplace.
Thanks very much.
How alive is your faith? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. Thank you for joining me again today. We've been talking for several episodes about faith and I wanted to speak one more time in this series today on James 2:17. "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works is dead" James 2:17 from the English Standard version.
We talk a lot about work in this, podcast. We even talked about verses in this section and talked about faith on this subject previously in episode 555, I talked about James 2:26. Which is the closing statement in this section. This time, we're talking a little bit about the opening statement in this section.
James is challenging us, and he's saying that our faith, if it does not have works, it is dead. What does he mean by works? As we spoke about in that previous episode, he's talking about the deeds that we do because we trust God. There are things that God calls us to do every day. Like yesterday, we talked about how Ananias was challenged to go lay hands on Paul so that he could see. Jesus could have healed him. He could have healed Paul without Ananias going there, but God asked Ananias to go.
I think God asks you and me to do things because our faith comes alive when we act based on that faith, when we do things better based on that faith. And so my question for us today is how fit is our faith? Are we healthy? Is our faith alive and growing and dynamic and making a difference in our lives? Or is our faith dead? We haven't done anything because we believed in God in a long time. Or maybe it's somewhere in between its out of shape. I'm pretty out of shape. I would like my faith to be in better shape than my physical body, but I also know that I need to get my physical body in better shape.
That's an act of faith. I can trust God and do things to take care of myself so that I can enjoy my family and make more of a difference in the world. Our faith can cause us to do a number of things when we do them, because we got that direction from God. And today I want to challenge us. Let's do an evaluation on our faith. Let's evaluate ourselves. Am I listening to God and doing what he says? That's what faith is. Faith is believing God and acting as though what he tells us is exactly the right thing to do, because it is.
You see, God set up everything, as we've been talking in this whole series, he set this whole series up, all these verses in scripture lead us to the idea that without faith, we can't find God, we can't join God. We can't follow God. Everything is dependent upon faith. And faith that doesn't change our behavior is just us fooling ourselves. So our question for today is Jesus, am I fooling myself? Where am I fooling myself? Where can I act today that puts me more in line with what you would have me do? What can I do today?
Maybe it's praying for my coworkers or buying somebody a gift. I have a couple of actions that I'm thinking about as I record this. I have to act. My challenge is to do what God tells me to do. Every time I do that, I grow my faith more and I step into his calling on my life.
today, take a moment and pray for the people around you and ask the holy spirit to show you what to do. And he will put you to work. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. If you want to continue to grow in your faith, you must keep exercising. And one of the ways you can do that is you can join what we call Follower of One, this online community. It's like an online gym for our faith. We want to challenge one another to live by faith on a daily basis, and to grow stronger in our faith. And to be used by God in the lives of the people that we work with every day. Check it out at https://communtiy.Followerofone.org.
Thank you very much.
What do you do when Jesus gives you a difficult task? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining us again today on the Follower of One podcast, I'm grateful for you listening to this and sharing it with your friends. We've been talking for several days now about faith from the book of Hebrews, and today I want to talk about the results of faith a little bit, and we want to look at Ananias. In Acts 9:17. it says "so Ananias left and went into the house and he laid his hands on Saul and said, brother saw the Lord. Jesus, who appeared to you along the way by which you came here, has sent me that you may recover your sight and be filled with the holy spirit." That's from the Ampilified Bible.
Paul was persecuting the Christian. But Jesus had a special job for Paul. He also had a special job for Ananias. We don't talk about Ananias much, but he made a key choice because you see back in Acts 9:10. Ananias said, here I am. He responded to God, and he made himself available to what God wanted him to do.
Sometimes when we listen to Jesus, he gives us hard jobs. Jesus charged Ananias with going to the house of the man who would arrest him and throw him in prison. Jesus chose to use Ananias to be part of Paul's transformation. Jesus could have healed Paul's eyes without anyone going. And yet he decided to include Ananias in the job.
Why is that? Well, I think this is an example for us. He chooses us. He uses us all the time. Most miracles, when you look at the miracles of Jesus, many of the miracles that he did require the humans to take action. They had to fill the pots with water before Jesus turned them into wine. Many of these actions, he calls on us to take, and they grow and they strengthen our faith. It's like working out our faith. And part of the reason why I included this passage at the end of the discussion of faith was this need for us to remember that we work out our salvation and we work out our faith.
Our job is to do the things that make Jesus visible in the world. When we take part, and when we listen to him and when we do what he says, then we see him work and we become part of his grand plan. Our life takes on new meaning. Our question today is will we, each individual, will you listening to this podcast, open your life up a little more to God. It all begins with what Ananias said, he said, here I am.
Verse 10 says "the Lord said to him in a vision Ananias, and he said, here I am Lord." So Ananias began everything with this here I am. And it resulted in him going to the house where a man who could throw him in prison was sitting there listening to God and, Ananias took part in this healing. We often need to let go of something so we can grab hold of something else. And Ananias had to let go of a chunk of his life this morning, or this day, and go to where Paul was and take a risk. So today my question for us is will we choose to listen to God? We choose to listen to Jesus? Will we do what he says he wants us to do in the lives of the people around?
Ask him for an idea. He will give it to you. He will show you how he wants you to move in the lives of the people that you interact with every day. And when you do, he will use you in their lives. And if you're not, if you don't hear Jesus, then ask God to tell you what it is that's keeping you from hearing him. He has this amazing ability to move us in his will so that he becomes visible to the people around us.
You're a minister. You have a job today, so do I. Our job is to listen to Jesus and do what he says. That's what brings his kingdom here. We become his kingdom when we obey him and do what he tells us to do. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for considering how your actions can be part of Jesus's transformation of our world.
What we do matters. Everything we do because we follow him matters. You want to join a community of people who are focusing on this very activity, check out https://community.followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
What differences faith making your life on a daily basis? I am Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. You know, you can have some input into what we talk about on these podcasts. Just shoot a note to mike@followerone.org. We've been talking about faith for the last several days and we're in Hebrews chapter 11. Today, I want to talk about the results of faith - part two. Part one of this episode is actually two episodes ago because we took a little time off yesterday to talk about verse six in Hebrews and 11. Today, though, I want to finish this conversation about the results of faith. We begin this chapter and the author takes this entire chapter to call out these great people of faith throughout the history of scripture. And these are the named people, but what we find is is that they're the exception. I want to start reading in verse 35. "Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured refusing to accept release. So they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging and even chains and in prison. They were stoned. They were sawn in two. They were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated of whom the world was not worthy, wandering about in deserts and mountains and dens and caves of the earth. All of these though, commended through their faith did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us. But apart from us, they should not be made perfect."
That's kind of a long passage and there was even more at the beginning of it. There are so many great people who have lived by faith and we named the ones who had this, these great results. All these examples that the author of Hebrews uses are the exception. The rule, unfortunately are people who were stoned and sawn and in two, and who lived in chains. It's not necessarily always rosy that we have a life that God would just love to give us when we live by faith, because we live in a broken world.
We live in a challenging world. You may lose your job. You may have to go through some serious difficulty. We live in a wealthy nation. I'm recording this in the United States of America, but it's a wealthy time in much of the world. There are still people in much of the world that do not have much. There are problems and challenges that many people go through every day. And some of those are related to their faith.
The point I think the author of Hebrews is making, and he goes on to do this in chapter 12, beginning with these famous couple of verses. But the point I think about our faith is this, regardless of the outcome of our faith, we can focus on Jesus. Our faith is what's used, what God uses, to prompt us to live a different life and to make him visible. He becomes visible in our world, he receives glory, and he is seen by others, when we live, following him. All the bad stuff that happened to these people are, that's all result of our broken moral. God's not punishing them. Our world is broken because we broke it. We didn't follow God and we messed it up. And the consequences of that messed up world are bad things happening to us and to our friends and to others around us.
There's a lot of bad in our world, but when we can focus on God and we can rest in our faith, he becomes glorified. In Romans 8:28 says that he causes all things to work together for good. So he's in charge of the end result. All of these though, commended through their faith did not receive what was promised, but they will eventually, because in verse 40, it says God had provided something better for us. That apart from us, they should not be made perfect.
Your faith matters. Let's live according to our faith today. I want to respect your time, trust God and do what he says today. It may be hard and it may be easy, but when we can do that, he becomes visible and he's in charge of the results.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thanks for following Jesus in your everyday work life. Please let us know if there's anything we can do to help you. You can ping me at mike@followerofone.org and let me know what's going on and let us know how we can pray for you.
Thanks very much.
Have you ever thought about the importance of your physical and mental health in your walk with Christ? In this podcast, we talk to Lisa Ohata about the importance of health in the workplace, and how your health affects your walk with Christ. Lisa Ohata is a certified health coach that has created the Healthy Eating Active Living HEAL Cycle System, which focuses on what people are eating, and trains others on how to have an active living. In this podcast, Mike and Lisa talk about how she integrates her coaching with the Lord, and how your health directly affects your impact as a marketplace minister.
Outline of the Episode * 6:23 – What is the importance of your health? * 10:22 – How does health directly affect your impact as a marketplace minister?
Health’s effect on your impact You can’t share the gospel effectively if you are sick. Lisa talks about in this episode how our body is a temple, and it is important that we properly take care of our bodies. She discusses how if we take care of our body, we take care of our spirit.
Follow Lisa Ohata * Website * NOW for Wellness: Health and Transformation Coaching Sign-up * Lisa's LinkedIn
Connect With Follower Of One Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
Is faith foundational to everything that you do? Hey, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast, we're grateful that you joined us and we're grateful that you're challenged to try and live your faith on a daily basis. Trying to live our faith is what we keep talking about and so we're in the middle of chapter in Hebrews that talks quite a bit about faith. We're in Hebrews chapter 11 and today I want to read verse six. "And without faith, it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." That's Hebrews 11:6 from the English Standard Bible.
Faith is the foundation of a relationship to God. And this is by his design, we must have faith to come to him, to trust him and to listen to him. Faith isn't static. We're told in Ephesians that even the faith that we have is given to us, but we grow it like a muscle, a little faith gets us an introduction to Jesus.
More faith is needed for bigger tasks, and often what we have to do is we have to work out our faith. In Philippians two, for example, it talks about working out our salvation, but we work out our faith too. As we trust God and we watch him act, we strengthen our faith and we grow a little more. It says here without faith, it's impossible to please God. This is a reference to how faith is foundational.
God gives us the faith. It's the beginning. But it's also the middle and the end as we work it out and we strengthen ourselves more. More faith makes us available to do more things and we get called on by God to serve him more as our faith becomes stronger, we can't have more faith by just stirring it up.
We get more faith by exercising it, by getting a little further out on the limb. By going a little further in our belief by trusting God a little more. Today in our workplaces, I want to challenge us to trust God a little more. It's impossible to please him. It's impossible to experience the joy that we get following Jesus if we don't ever really follow Jesus, if we don't ever really get into that place where our actions can't be explained by anything other than the fact that we do follow Jesus. That's what I think a life of faith calls us to. It calls us to obey God in such a way that our life defies explanation, unless Jesus is part of the explanation.
hope that makes sense because it's important. It's important that we live a life that can't be explained without Jesus. When we do that, people will ask. When you live in such a way that Jesus is the only explanation for your actions, then people will ask and you get to tell them you get to speak for yourself. That's our final daily activity.
Today, I want to challenge us as believers. Take a minute, come to work a little earlier, take a few minutes and ask Jesus what he would have you do today, and then find a way to do it. Solve for how. Let's find a way to follow Jesus in our work, by going above what's asked of us or going beyond what someone else might have us do.
When we get outside of our job description, we increase the likelihood of someone asking us, why are you doing that? Why would you go to all that trouble? Well, I'm doing it because I followed Jesus and I believe this is what he would have me do. When I started following Jesus, that changed my life. An example, and a statement like that is a way to live by faith, to help other people see the foundation of your life is based on Jesus Christ.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister. This is what we call marketplace ministry. It's living in such a way that people see that we operate according to a different principle. You don't have to become a weirdo, you just have to live in such a way that other people see Jesus. Let him guide you in that. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for living your faith on a daily basis. Take a moment and share this podcast with a friend and join us at https://followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
What's your fuel? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. I think we all run on something. Sometimes I think I run on junk food, but really the fuel that I want to run on is faith. We started talking about Hebrews chapter 11 in our previous episode, and I want to talk a little bit more about how by faith, many of the people in Hebrews 11 are referenced. And so let's read verses two and three. "For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible." That's Hebrews 11:2-3 from the English Standard Version.
By it is the reference in verse two, it's talking about faith from verse one, we talked about in the previous episode. And by faith is used in several of these verses where it talks about this Paul of faith, this chapter of all these great people who did magnificent things by faith. What do you do by faith every day? Sometimes, I think we believe that our faith should challenge us to do these grand things. These massive examples, Abraham obeyed, when he was called and he went out, Noah built the Ark, Enoch was taken up, abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain. We see all these named people who did all these great things by faith.
But when we look at the body of Christ and when we look at, those people saved by Jesus throughout history, we see faith is something that happens every day. It challenges us every day. In the book Rare Leadership by Marcus Warner and Jim Wilder, they talk about how we either run on joy or fear and talks about joy or fear being our fuel. Well, joy is actually a by-product I believe of faith. When we operate according to our faith and we see the results of that, we experience joy. And we can live according to our faith and watch God move, we experience that joy and that joy becomes a motivator for us.
Our faith, I believe is the real fuel because faith is what causes us to go to church on Sunday. Faith is what challenges us to tithe. By faith, mike did X or Y. Did I today, by faith, do the things that God asked me to do? Today, did I pray for my boss? Today, did I go out of my way for a coworkers? Today by faith did I look out for my wife or do something special for someone else? By faith, did I take a few minutes and pray for someone or give an extra gift or go an extra mile? By faith I wish I drove the speed limit more. By faith I want to live according to the rules of the nation in which I live. I'm told to submit to authority.
My faith should change my behavior on a daily basis. Does it? Does our faith guide us? Today I want to challenge us as marketplace Christians. Let's ask God what he would have us do, and then lean into the faith and do it. Let's begin with the prayer here I am, Jesus. What do you want me to do today? The ideas that pop into our head, those are ideas from God. Let's do them. Let's pray for our coworkers. Let's look for opportunities to make a difference in the lives of others around us. That's what we're called to do as marketplace Christians. We're gonna talk a little bit more about faith in the next couple of days. This is, to me is great stuff and a great challenge to us as marketplace Christians.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister. If you'd like to join a community of people who want to make a difference every day with their faith, check out https://community.followerofone.org and join us on the next marketplace mission trip.
Thanks very much.
What is faith? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One, I want to talk about faith for a few days. And so I turned to Hebrews chapter 11 today's passages verse one, Hebrews 11:1. "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for the conviction of things not seen." That's from the English Standard Version. This is a very familiar passage. And I looked at it in a number of translations. Sometimes it's called assurance. Sometimes it's called reality. Sometimes it's called realization. In one translation in the original king James, or at least in an old version of the King James. It says that faith is a substance of things hope for. The evidence of things not seen.
Why is faith even necessary? First of all, faith is like this proof. It's the final say in what we can't see, God continues to hide from us to mask things and to make us trust him. The challenge is, is that we have to express this trust based on faith. That's what I'm doing. My word this year is trust. I want to have the faith that helps me relax, knowing that God is in control and that he's in charge of things. This faith needs to make a difference in our lives. We need to operate as if we see it, this conviction of things not seen. It means that we're confident. We have this confidence that comes from knowing that God is in charge.
Eventually we will see God, or we will see his glory. We will be blown away by him so much that every knee will bow. It says in Philippians and every tongue will confess. In the song. It Is Well With My Soul by Horatio Spafford. The author talks about a day when his faith shall be sight.
When we can see what's going on, faith isn't necessary anymore. But God has created the entire world and our entire relationship with him and all of eternity to ride on this faith. And so I wanted to talk about it for a few days. We're going to talk through different pieces of Hebrews chapter 11 and consider how faith shows up in our daily life.
Faith, I hope helps me be a better employee. It helps me take extra time for people. It helps me be a blessing to others. It helps me go beyond my job description. I'm not living in this scarce mindset where I believe that I can only give so much for what I'm paid. Faith tells me that I can trust God and I can go beyond what's expected of me.
And God will make it right. Romans 8:28 says that God causes "all things to work together for good to those who love him and who are called according to his purpose." Our faith helps us walk in what we know about God. We lean on that and we trust that because he is who he says he is. Our faith becomes this proof of what we believe. And our lives prove what we believe when we live according to faith, I believe that's the model God has for each of us. And that I believe is our challenge for today. Shall we live by faith? When we live by faith, Jesus becomes visible. He's the key to the faith that we have. He's the key to everything.
And when we live, according to that faith, other people see him, they see something different and they might even ask the question, why are you doing this? And that's our opportunity to tell other people about him. That's our goal is marketplace ministers. Today, I want to thank you for being a marketplace minister.
Thank you for considering how faith might make your day different today. That's our job is to live different lives so that others might ask. You can join a community of people who are passionate about doing that by heading to https://community.followerofone.org and creating a free profile there. You might even join us on the next marketplace mission trip.
Thanks again for listening and thanks for being a marketplace minister.
When you become a slave to Jesus or a slave to righteousness, where does that end up? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. And today we're continuing our dialogue on Romans chapter six. And I want to continue talking about being a slave to sin or a slave to righteousness. That's what the section seems to be about. Today, I want to read verse 22. "But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you drive your benefit, resulting in sanctification and the outcome eternal life." And that's from the 1995 New American Standard translation of Romans 6:22. Paul has been talking about this, , slavery to sin or slavery to righteousness. I don't believe there's a spot where we can be freed from being a slave to sin and not be a slave to God, or be a slave to Jesus, or to righteousness. I acquaint the phrase, slave to righteousness as working for Jesus. I want to be an employee of Jesus's and I want to do what he wants. And that's my mental model for being a slave to righteousness.
So now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit resulting in sanctification. And the outcome is eternal life. When I'm freed from sin, I'm immediately in slave to God. I'm not sure there's a spot where I can be freed from sin and not be a slave to God. I believe we're going to be slaves of something. We were created for a relationship with God. And when we know him, the better we know him, we realize that we're not just buds, that he is the God of the universe. He's the most powerful thing. He's more powerful than anything we can even imagine.
And therefore we are either a slave to sin, which is our own flesh and the world and the devil. Or we're a slave to God. And when we choose to become slaves to God, then it results in sanctification. What does that mean? While sanctification is the process of being dedicated, being committed to a particular thing, my sanctification is that more and more of my life becomes what Jesus would have it be.
I listened to him better. I take direction from him better. I transform myself a little bit with his help and the holy spirit living in us. He transforms me and makes me something dedicated for his will and his glory. That's our job as Christ followers is to be people who reflect Jesus to the world. We help others see what life following Jesus really looks like. And the outcome of all of this is eternal life. Eternal life is not something I believe we get when we die. I believe we get the rest of it when we die, but we can experience eternal life now. We can become the church. We can relate to other believers. You experienced joy in worship or in following Jesus, or even just spending time with your family. And these are glimpses of the eternal life that we get to live full time when we leave this life.
But we don't have to wait until then to experience it. We can turn from sin, assign ourselves to God and we derive our benefit. We become sanctified and we experience this eternal life. Part of the reason why we do these podcasts is to help marketplace Christians realize that our participation in that eternal life on a daily basis is part of Jesus's plan.
It's his goal to make us into the people that will help him be visible to the world. People see him when we live our lives obeying him. And to me, that's the greatest goal of being a follower of Jesus is learning how to be his vessel, his tool, his resource in every area of my life. Would you join us?
You can join a community of us who are chasing this very goal by joining https://community.followerofone.org. Today, let's pray for the people around us. Let's be more and more of Jesus's people, slaves of righteousness, and let him put us to work in the world.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thanks for listening to this podcast. I'm grateful.
Yesterday. I asked if you've ever been a slave or considered yourself a slave. We're still talking about slavery today. Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. Each day, we try and help one another going to our workplaces and see ourselves as ministers who make a difference in our work. And today I want to continue that process. Yesterday we started reading some passages in Roman six, and today I want to read Romans 6:17-18. I'm reading from the English Standard Version. "But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching, to which you were committed. And having been set free from sin have become slaves of righteousness." Paul's talking about our identity here. We act out of our identity. In our past, because of who we are, we trained ourselves to listen to someone and do what they said. Often we did that for our jobs or for our workplaces, but it didn't really change who we were. The way we figure out how to do things, though, becomes who we are. And we almost become slaves of ourselves, or saves of this process of making decisions without God, through the way that we train ourselves to make a living in the world. We figure out work often outside of the context of our faith, that's what I did. Today, I want to talk a little bit more about the alternative, which is to become a slave to righteousness.
It's to actually remind ourselves every day as we go to work who we work for. Here I am. When we say that prayer, we punch ourselves in, we put ourselves on the clock and we say, Jesus, here I am today. I want to work for you. Would you please put me to work in the world? This conversation with Jesus helps us remember that we're slaves to righteousness. We're committed to work for him. And when we do that, he puts us to work in the world. He uses us in the lives of our coworkers or customers, or our vendors. He will give you ideas and prompt you with ways that you can minister to other people.
And I know ministry doesn't sound like one of those fun things. But it is. We get some joy when we walk with Jesus at work. When you see Jesus on the weekends, you go to a worship service often as a Christ follower because you know that you've received some joy from celebrating and worshiping God. When we do what he says, we worship him in our world and that worship becomes part of our daily life.
We get to experience joy of being part of God's work in our own world, and we see that. A slave of righteousness is someone who's committed to remembering that I work for Jesus. This slave is, I don't even know which Greek word this really is here, I'm not looking at a Greek translation today, but often slaves were people who were just indentured servants. They work for a living, and this is what this is. I'm a slave to righteousness. I want to be somebody who's committed to Jesus Christ to doing what he wants so that he shows up in the world. Other people see him and they enjoy life following him.
That's my job as a marketplace Christian and a Christ follower. And today I want to challenge us. Let's take a look at our life and say, okay Jesus, here I am, for the next hour, whatever I do in my job, I want to do that for you. How would you put me to work? What would you have me do in the lives of someone else? While I was doing my quiet time this morning, I was reminded of three or four friends, and so I sent them each a note. Maybe you need to send a note or a text to a friend today who comes to mind while we're talking about this right now.
Becoming a slave to righteousness means we work for Jesus and that's our opportunity. We can work for him today, regardless of our job situation, regardless of our employment status, we can work for him and watch him make a difference in the lives of the people that we meet.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister, consider joining us, a community of people who want to follow Jesus more everyday at work. Join us at https://community.Followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
Today on the Follower of One Podcast, Mike got to sit down with Jane Trapman who is a multi-published creative author, writing the series “Jels.” She also runs a creative online writing course and founded “Born to Fly,” a Christian entrepreneurship online community. Outline of the Episode
- 7:01 – Why “Born to Fly” was started
- 8:11 – The importance of Biblical goals
- 10:52 – How God uses people’s unique stories to connect with others
The origins of “Born to Fly”
Born to Fly was created out of a desire to have a community of Christian entrepreneurs and business owners. Jane wanted to have a community of Christ-followers to pray with and navigate starting a business with, so Born to Fly was created.
The importance of Biblical Goals
Biblical goals are essential for Christ-following business owners. Setting Biblical goals allows for these entrepreneurs to further their businesses for the Lord’s glory. You also don’t have to be a business owner to have Biblical goals, an example of this is reading your Bible every day.
How the Lord uses unique stories to share the Gospel
The Lord uses his follower’s unique stories to bring others to Him. The Lord will use his people’s past experiences to connect with unbelievers, because every person’s story is different, and using similar experiences allows for deeper connections to be built.
Follow Jane Trapman
- Website
- Born to Fly
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
Are you now, or have you ever been a slave? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. Today, I wanted to talk about Romans 6:16, "do you not know that when you present yourself to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey. Either of sin resulting in death or of obedience resulting in righteousness." That's Romans 6:16 from the New American Standard Bible. Chances are when you came out of school and went to work, you submitted yourself to someone who was a boss, or it was yourself, or it was God. I don't think we do a good job of teaching Christian workers that we work for Jesus. I haven't done a comprehensive survey, but I see it happening, and it was that way in my career. I became a Christian after I had already entered the workforce. And it was a challenge for me to realize that my boss wasn't really my boss, Jesus was.
Jesus had assigned me to that particular workplace. This particular passage doesn't speak directly about bosses, but it is speaking about slaves. We can become slaves to ourselves, slaves to sin, slaves to our own choices. Either we're submitting to Jesus or we're submitting to ourself. We may have sold out and we're doing what a boss tells us to do and we're going through the motions of a job, or we could be totally locked in, pursuing our own goals and our own objectives and our own business.
Maybe it's the desire to pursue our own entrepreneurial efforts or to grow our own business. Maybe it's pursuit of hobbies. We can become a slave to our own wishes. That's who I was a slave to. And I still tend to become a slave to me, to my own comfort, to my own desires. I ask myself what I want, and then I go do that. But also I want us to think about something that happens when we leave school and go to work, because what we've done is we've left this world where we were being told what to do for the biggest chunk of what we did every day, now into a world where we're being told what to do in a work context.
But the rest of our life is ours. In some degree, we start training ourselves more and more and more to do what we want. We have more discretionary time than ever before. We also have more money and more obligations. As a result, I think many of us come out of school and we cement our own path towards satisfying ourselves. That we become our own God, if you will, because we now have more money than we ever had, but we have less time.
I was arrogant enough to know that I didn't want to become a slave of my bosses. I was in sales when I came right out of school and I started listening to myself and I wasn't a Christ follower, but after a short while, and we get in this habit of obeying ourselves, then we subject everything we know to what we think about it. I wonder the degree that figuring out work, and figuring out life by ourselves on our own, contributes to this sacred secular divide that we often see. So today I want to challenge us as Christians, as Christ followers, either we're listening to God with our whole life, or we're only listening to him in parts of it.
Who are we slaves to today? Are we slaves of sin, resulting in death? Or are we slaves of obedience, resulting in righteousness? Are we listening to Jesus or are we listening to the noise? Maybe it comes from inside us, maybe from our bosses, or from the world. That's our question today. Who are we listening to?
Thank you for being a marketplace minister, consider listening to the holy spirit as he guides you to interact with the lives and with the people that you work with. We can act in such a way that Jesus becomes visible in our work. All we have to do is begin with a little prayer, here I am. Why not pray that prayer today? Give yourself to Jesus and let him put you to work.
Thanks very much.
The Bible says we get to rest in Jesus. Do you take part in that rest? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. I was reading this morning in my quiet time, Hebrews 4:1-2 jumped out at me. And I there's a phrase in verse two "United by faith." Let's take a look at this. " Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering his rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. For indeed. We have had good news preached to us just as they also, but the word they heard did not profit them because it was not united by faith in those who heard." I'm concentrating on the phrase "united by faith." And this translation that I just read is the 1995 New American Standard. The phrase "United by faith" rings a bell in my life because I've heard a lot of preaching over the years. I've been a Christian over 30 years. And I hear the good news preach to me, but there are oftentimes when I operate outside of what I would consider the rest of trusting in Jesus. This particular passage, I believe he's talking about salvation. There's a believers rest. There's a rest, we're not working for our salvation anymore, but there's also a rest that I need. I need to trust my savior every day. I need to trust him as I live my life. And I can only trust him if I hear the word. And then it is united into my life by my faith. It's woven into the way I live. This word does not profit me when I don't unite it by my faith. And that's my comment and my thought for today,.
I want to unite what I know about Christ with my daily life and my daily actions. And I do that by trusting him. By acting like what he said is true, by believing what he said, and then acting according to what he said. These are my challenges as a marketplace Christian every single day. Do I trust him and give a little more? Do I trust him and go the extra mile? Do I trust him and invest a few moments in the person next to me in the grocery store or at work or in the next cube?
Can I take a few minutes and rest in my own relationship with Christ such that I'm able to be a grace giver to the people that I interact with every day. You see, I believe that's our calling as Christ followers. We unite what we've heard by faith and it becomes woven into our lives. And that changed life becomes something that other people see. When we unite what we know by faith into our own lives, others get to experience Christ and they get to see that life following Jesus is different then every other form of life. Life following Jesus should make us different in everything that we do. And that's why I believe Jesus has called someone in just about every life situation.
I have a friend who has cancer. I have friends who are undergoing difficult challenges. There are friends with financial problems and friends who have family issues going on. Each of us, we are not exempted from our situation, but we get to take what we know and unite it by faith into our lives and into our circumstances, and God puts us to work. Today, unite what you know by faith in Jesus Christ, weave it into your every day and let the rest of Jesus be seen by the people around you.
That's our job as marketplace ministers. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for taking action today. Act by uniting your faith with your understanding of our faith, our relationship with Jesus, and make a difference in the lives of someone around you today. Thank you for what you do.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. And if you'd like to be part of a community that wants to practice this on a daily basis, check us out at https://community.followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
What would you say you cling to? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me on the Follower of One podcast. Today, I want to continue reading in Romans 12:9. We started with this verse yesterday and only talked about the first part of it. The verse says, and this is from the New American Standard Version. "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good." Many translations use cling, or adhere to, or stick to what is good. Hold fast to what is good is what the ESV says.
Abhor means to hate, to hate what is evil. We don't like the word hate anymore in our world, but the Bible here in the author of Romans is challenging us to hate evil and cling to good. Stick to good. Our job is to identify those things which draw people towards Christ that build up the world and build up others. That follow through on our un-hypocritical love that we talked about yesterday. Today, let's hate those things that are evil and cling to those things that are good.
We want to stick to it. We want the good to stick to us. We want the good to be something that comes out of us all the time. Good is something that is designed to be good for others. It's positive. It lifts others up. It raises others up. Selfish things tend to drag things down. I think about good as being something beneficial for a large number of people. The more people it's beneficial for the better it is, and the fewer people it's beneficial for the worse it is.
Years ago, I wrote a blog post about good leadership versus effective leadership. Because there are many bad leaders who are very effective. The results of their leadership don't produce good outcomes. We know deep down inside what's good and what's evil. And if we're uncertain it, isn't hard to figure it out. We can ask God and we can ask others and we can find ways to be attracted to the good, to stick to what's good. And to hate those things that are evil. I think something that's selfish, something that's only for me, something that takes from others at their expense for my benefit, anything with that kind of a scarce model, where I have to take something from you so that I can give me something, those things end up being evil.
It's okay to do a lot of things, but they don't result in good. And that's my challenge for us today. Are we the kind of people who can ask God, what's the ultimate good here? What's the biggest best good thing that I can do today in my job. What's the best thing I can do. Let's cling to what is good.
Let's be people who always lean towards the good and turn to the good. Because it's that way that we show other people the benefit of our faith. We can trust our God that going for what is good will eventually pay off. He will make everything right. These are all based on the promises of who he is. And so our challenge today is to cling to what is good. Let's ask God to show us the evil that we're hanging on to, and let's get rid of it. As he says in Hebrews, we want to lay aside every encumbrance. We want to let go of these things that weighed us down so that we can cling to the things that promote our faith, that point other people to the one that we follow.
Let's do that today. Let's turn to the good every chance that we get today. Hold fast to it, cling to it, let it stick to us because of the good things are what glorify God.. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thanks for sharing this podcast with others. If you think of one friend today, share it with them. This is just a simple challenge.
Let's be people who bring good into the world, not who suck it out. So let's bring good to the people around us today. And we will glorify our father. Other people will see him then in our lives. Thanks very much for being a marketplace minister. I'm grateful that you listened to this podcast. Thank you.
How sincerely do you love other people? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. Today, I'd like to read Romans 12:9, and I'm reading from the ESV at first. "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good." And I want to focus on the first part of this passage in the new American standard. It actually says, "let love be without hypocrisy," but you also notice in the New American Standard that the words let and be are in italics, which means they're inserted for readability. The text actually says love without hypocrisy.
That's our title of our post today. Our challenge begins at the very beginning of today's message. Love without hypocrisy. What does that mean? Deep down inside, I tend to judge other people. And as we've talked about before, sometimes you learn more about me than you may be wanting to know, but I think we all do this a little bit. I think we tend to criticize other people in our brains or judge them or measure them or compare ourselves to them. None of those things are love. When we are called to love others, that love is an active willingness to put them ahead of ourselves. And Paul here, or the author of Romans here, is challenging us to love without hypocrisy.
"Let our love be genuine" the ESV says. Other translations talk about loving without hypocrisy or with sincerity. Be sincere in our love. We want to be genuine and pure. We want our love not to just have the appearance of love and be something else on the inside. Our love needs to be genuinely focused on creating what's best for the other person.
I don't know about you, but that doesn't come naturally to me. And I will have to work on it. In fact, I have to remember who I am and what Christ did for me in order for me to be effective at coming up with ways to work, to actively do what's best for others.
Today, our calling is to love without hypocrisy. What does that look like in our workplaces? First of all, I would also like to point out that there's some idea that this is talking about brotherly love, that this passage is to brothers, to people who follow Jesus, but we're challenged to love in other places in the scripture. And so our command here, I think, applies to everyone.
We need to find ways to think about what's best for other people. Philippians two says that we should consider others more important than ourselves. I believe this verse is calling us to act as if others are more important than ourselves. So we have to not only just force ourselves to think they're more important, or to force ourselves to consider them as more important, but we need to take some action that demonstrates that we consider other people more important than ourselves.
What will that be for you today? Why not give a huge tip today or why not do something for someone else, even though they can never repay it. Let's look for ways today to love without hypocrisy. I believe everything we do along this line matters forever. And I want to talk a little bit more about the rest of this first in our next post, but this is a great action item for us today.
Let's find a way to love sincerely. Would you please ask God to show you who and how you can love someone else sincerely today. That puts you on mission with Jesus Christ, that makes us a marketplace minister, and I'm grateful that you are a marketplace minister. Thank you for considering how your faith can transform your everyday.
That's what we try and do in our online community, too. You're welcome to join us at https://community.Followerofone.org and see what's involved in trying to live this Christian life on a daily basis. Can we let our faith invade what we do every day? Join us in the challenge. Thanks very much for being a marketplace minister.
And thanks for listening to this podcast and sharing it with someone I'm grateful for you.
How does fear show up in your life? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. I'm grateful you're here. So I've been reading through 2nd Timothy 1, and today I want to talk about verse seven. I'm reading from the English Standard Version. "For God, gave us a spirit, not of fear, but of power ,and love, and self control."
Often when I'm angry, I'm really kind of afraid. I sometimes get angry because things aren't going to work out the way I thought. And anger seems to be the way that my fear shows up when I'm afraid that things won't work out the way I wanted them to, then I get angry. Others of us show fear in other ways. I also think it's interesting that we're not supposed to fear anything, but God, as far as the scripture is concerned. We are to fear God, because of who he is and the power that he has, and the fact that he's in control. When we fear anything else, even angels, they tell us don't be afraid. Every angel shows up on the scene and the first words are fear not.
We're only supposed to be afraid of God, but fear often impacts us and it freezes us. And the reverse of that fear is what Paul is reminding Timothy about here. The opposite of this fear is power and love and self-control. We each have the ability to make a difference. Fear paralyzes us. Fear challenges us to withdraw and to freeze up. The wicked lazy slave in the parable of the talents went and hid the talent in the backyard. He was afraid something would happen to it. Fear causes us to be wicked and lazy, but power and love and self-control are available to us when we denied the fear. The power comes from God. So does the love and the self control should show up in our lives.
I want to challenge us today as followers of Jesus Christ. Let's be people of power and love and self-control. Let's remember that our actions matter. Power means that there's always something we can do. There's another thing that we can do to help God become a little more visible in the world, to the people around us. There's always an action we can take. Always something we can do. Maybe it's simply pray. Love is another thing that's within our control. We can choose to love others. By love, we're not talking about emotional feelings, but rather action. Acting on behalf of another person and helping them improve their situation, do something for the benefit of someone else. That's love.
And then self-control is managing ourselves. Doing such that we are not taking, but rather we're in the environment to be givers. Self-control is one of those areas where I constantly work on myself because I want to give myself a pass all the time. I can be the laziest guy I know. And self-control is my reminder word in scripture. It challenges me to have good judgment and to act according to what I know about our Lord.
Power, love, and self-control are the antidotes to the spirit of fear. They're how we show up in the world and make a difference as you go to your job today, you have the ability to bring power and love and self control, simply because of the gift of God that's living in you. Listen to yesterday's podcast, and you'll know what I'm talking about.
You have the ability to fan the gift of God. To fan that flame so that it shows up in the world as power and love and self-control, and you can make a positive difference in the lives of your friends and your coworkers and your customers. And when you do that, you're walking with Jesus at work. You're a full-time minister. When you consider that ministry is nothing but helping other people move one notch closer to Jesus. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. Thanks for living your faith on a daily basis, for taking it with you wherever you go and for living in such a way that you can join Jesus as he saves our world.
Thank you for your ministry to others. It matters. Thanks very much.
In today’s episode of the Follower of One podcast, Mike sits down with Tacoi Bell who owns The Anointed VA, which is a full-scale copyediting and proofreading service. Tacoi’s goal with The Anointed VA is to equip authors with their words to impact their readers. Outline of this episode
- 1:14 – The origins of The Anointed VA and the desire to equip writers to effectively share the gospel
- 4:08 – Developing the writers’ ideas
- 6:09 – The importance of filling out an idea
- 7:09 – The importance of inspiration
Equipping writers to share the gospel effectively
Sharing the gospel is an essential part of being a Christ-follower, and sharing it effectively is so important. Effectively sharing the Gospel allows for people to have a greater understanding of the Gospel and Christ.
Developing writers’ ideas
Taco’s services allow writers to get a second opinion on their work. Her services allow Tacoi to step in and help fill out writers' ideas by not only focusing on the end goal of their writings, but also the journey to the end goal.
The importance of inspiration
Inspiration is the origin of all stories. Having your inspiration rooting in Christ allows for your God-given gifts to bring Him glory.
Follow Tacoi Bell:
- Website
- Linked In
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
If you could have all of God you wanted, would you want more? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One, I'm grateful that you listened to these podcasts and I'm even more grateful that you go into your marketplace wherever you are, and serve the Lord as a minister.
Today. I want to read 2nd Timothy 1:6. "For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands." Paul's talking to Timothy, and we spoke yesterday about verse three, just a few verses before this, about how Paul was constantly praying for other people. Then he prayed constantly for Timothy and he prayed for others. Today, he's saying, I want to remind you to fan into flame, the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. Paul's talking about how he laid hands on Timothy so that Timothy would have this gift of God. But you and I have the holy spirit. We have everything we need. In fact, the challenge in this verse for me is the idea that Timothy would fan into flame the gift of God.
You and I have some control over the heat and the fire and the light given by the flame of God that is living in us. I believe that's a challenge to us. I often said that we have all of Jesus we want. I believe if we would pursue God more, he gives us more. As we chase him and follow him, we fan into flame this gift, the holy spirit living in us, and we can see that gift grow and make a bigger difference in the lives of the people that we interact with every day. This is my prayer for us and for the church, that we would see this flame of God in us fanned into a bigger and bigger flame. so that makes a bigger difference in the world. There are some who think that because Paul laid hands on Timothy, that Timothy had some special gift.
I believe he was gifted as a pastor. Some of us are gifted as engineers. Some of us are gifted as customer service people or truck drivers or welders. Our gifting impacts the difference that we make in the world. But at the same time, the amount of Christ and how he consumes our lives and how he shows up in the world through us, that's between us and him. And it's limited only by us. We can fan that into flame or we can put it out. We can quench the spirit. We can drown out the spirit of God. We can so pursue our own flesh and our own will and our own desires that the spirit of God just dies out in us.
This is our choice. We get to choose today. Will we fan into flame the gift of God in us, or will we let it die. Will we just kind of snuff it out. What will you do today? I believe you can fan that flame. You can fan the gift of God into flame simply by praying. Punch in right now and say, here I am, Jesus, put me to work today, show me what you want me to do and help me to accomplish what you have for me in this workplace.
Pay attention to the people around you. Ask God to show you how he can use you in their lives. That puts you in ministry, just like me. Ministry is nothing but helping other people move one notch closer to Jesus. Let's pursue that today and fan into flame, the gift of God, which is in us.
Thanks so much for being a marketplace minister. If you want to be part of a community that's committed to trying to fan this flame and grow our influence as Christians in the marketplace, then check out Follower of One. Just go to https://community.followerofone.org and sign up, create a profile you can join for nothing, and then join us on the next marketplace mission trip.
Thanks very much.
Could it be that the size of our impact is reflected by the size and the persistence of our prayer? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. I was reading 2nd Timothy 1 today in verse three, just kind of jumped out at me. And so I wanted to talk about that today on the podcast. Here's the verse. "I thank God whom I serve with a clear conscience, the way my forefathers did as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day." And that's from the New American Standard Version of the Bible.
I was struck by how Paul constantly remembered not only Timothy, but so many other people. I've been reading the letters of Paul for several weeks and. It seems like he's constantly remembering people in prayer, and that he pray's regularly night and day. And I wonder sometimes if my impact and the church's impact, isn't limited by how weak and how little we pray. I think about this because I'm not too sure. I constantly remember many things in my prayers. I have to be reminded. I maintain prayer lists and I do different things to try and remember to honor the commitments that I've made to people, to pray for different things and to pray for them. I'm constantly going through the lists of people that I know and trying to remember to pray for them.
And I just thought this morning, But even the people that I email, the people that I send text messages to the people on my calendar and the people that I interact with are all opportunities for me to pray. I can pray that we each move one notch closer to Jesus that we each draw closer to him. And that we do what Paul actually goes on to pray for Timothy here , that we would draw closer to God and allow God to work through us in the world.
I may talk about those verses in the coming days. I'm challenged by this whole section, because this is Paul's final letter. He's writing this final letter to his son in the faith, Timothy. And he's reminding him that there's so much riding on what we do and our prayers matter.
They keep us in the game. When we remember others in prayer, night and day, we take part in their work, in their impact. We become part of this bigger picture where God is working to save his people in our world. God will not come up short. He will accomplish his work. And we have that going for us.
We get to take part in his work and join that to agree that we can remain engaged. And I wonder sometimes if I don't just sleep through or if I don't go through the motions such that I miss out on the joy that I could have, because I'm praying for others today, I want to challenge us as marketplace believers. What is it that we constantly remember in our prayers? Is it anything at all? Is it all selfish or are we doing it for someone else? I think the more that we can pray for others and get outside of ourselves and put God's goals on our agenda, the greater the impact of our prayer and our faith will be today.
Let's walk in that. Let's ask God to put us to work. Ask him to help you be more constant and remember your friends and the ministry that you have to your sphere of influence in the world. Today and every day, let's ask God to put us to work. Thanks so much for being a marketplace minister. Thanks for considering our responsibility as Jesus followers.
Let's be people who bless those around us, so that Jesus is glorified and that others get to move one notch closer to him. If you'd like to be part of a community that's committed to this particular type of goal, then check out Follower of One, go to https://community.followerofone.org and create a free profile and become a part of our online community where we encourage one another to live our faith every day.
Thanks very much.
What difference does it make if we live righteously? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining us again today on the Follower of One podcast. I'm glad you're here. We do this podcast as Follower of One, which is an online community designed to help marketplace Christians integrate their faith into their work full time. Today I'm settling on one Bible verse from Romans 3:10, "as it is written, none is righteous. No, not one."
What difference does it make to us that no one is righteous? Paul's actually talking to the Jews and he's explaining to the Jews or to the Romans rather. And he's explaining to the Romans and the Jewish people that are among them that there is no preference. There's no longer Jews that have an advantage or Gentiles that have an advantage. There's also no righteous people. People who are better by class. He's breaking down all the class rules here. There's not a class of people who are righteous.
"None is righteous. No, not one." And I think the ramifications for us and the reminder for me today is even though I practice all of these things, , when I do practice them and there are days when I don't practice this as well as I'd like. Even though I might try and work and know, even though I may feel qualified because I'm saved or something else like that. My righteousness doesn't come from me. It doesn't come from any of my actions. I can't do anything to become righteous. Christ made me righteous. And he did that. And the ramifications for me in this particular verse is not to take this personally, not to take this as something that's to my credit.
It's so easy for me to judge other people against something that is my standard of living. I'm tempted by media and everything else to criticize or to judge other people. But since none of us deserves any grace or mercy from God, then none of us can look down our noses at anyone else. And yes, I'm capable of doing that, but I don't want to, I hope you understand. I'm not the after picture here. I've always said that before. I'm the before picture, we're all working on our faith. Today, our challenge I believe is to remember that "none is righteous. No, not one."
Let's live with mercy and grace and empathy in our world. Let's do things and serve other people in such a way that they might ask us, why are you doing this? And then we get to tell them we get to speak for ourselves. Remember we talk about five daily activities at Follower of One. Pray, appreciate others, know what you believe, serve others and speak for yourself. Today, I want to challenge you to try all five of those activities. Ask God to put you to work in his kingdom. But remember we didn't do anything to earn this. Jesus saved us and he will use us if we can focus and concentrate on him. And if we can remember that we didn't earn this, he provided it.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for making a difference in your workplace. You're part of God's strategy to show the world what a Christ follower looks. Let's not make Christ followers look any worse than they do today. Let's go into our workplaces and live in such a way that other people might ask us, why are you doing this? And then we get to tell them about who we follow.
Thanks very much for following us on the podcast and for taking part in a marketplace ministry. And why not join us on the next marketplace mission trip. If you go to https://community.followerofone.org, and create a profile in our online community. You'll get invited on the next marketplace mission trip.
Thanks very much.
Have you ever been surprised at what you can endure? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. This is our prompting every day to help us go into our jobs as full-time marketplace ministers. We started talking yesterday about Hebrews 12:1-2, and I read from the English Standard Version yesterday. But today I'd like to read from the New American Standard. "Therefore, since we have so great, a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin was so easily entangles us. And let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author, and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Yesterday, we talked to her a little bit about what we can get rid of, what's not essential, removing the non-essentials. Today, I want to talk about how we can focus beyond our problems. Our focus can get us past our trials. When we fix our eyes on Jesus, when we look beyond whatever we have to endure, we get new strength. We can move into what we're aiming for. And he uses Jesus as an example, "for the joy set before him, he endured the cross." He focused on the joy to endure the cross. When we focus on Jesus, we can endure our situations. And not only that become more than conquerors, we can be a difference maker and a blesser of others.
We can help people in ways that they can't even understand because our eyes are focused and fixed on Jesus Christ. He's the author, the starter and the completer of our faith. He started our faith and he finished it. And he did for the joy set before him. He endured the cross. We can for the joy set before us, for the savior given to us, for the freedom that we have in Christ, we can fix our eyes on Jesus to get through the things that happened to us in this world. We can focus beyond our trials.
My challenge to us today in this brief podcast is to encourage you to ask God where you need to focus beyond what's going on. Let's not focus just on today, but rather let's focus on Jesus. Let's focus on where we're going with. Let's listen to him in such a way that he encourages us and he guides us and he shows us what to do. When we fix our eyes on him, or when we focus on him to the exclusion of everything else, we gain the strength to endure. We gain the strength to do the things necessary to glorify him and make him visible in our world.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for considering how you can live your faith every day in your workplace. Every day, your job is not to just stay out of trouble until Sunday. Our job is to be difference makers in our environment, to show the world what it looks like to follow Jesus. When we fix our eyes on him, that becomes more and more possible. We also need a community of people to help us do that. And Follower of One would like to be that community. We would encourage you to join us at https://community.followerofone.org.
It's an online community where you can meet other people who are in a similar occupation to you, or maybe a similar life situation. And you can help one another fix your eyes on Jesus and focus beyond your trials so that you can glorify Christ in the marketplace. Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for making a difference with your life, our actions matter.
And I'm grateful that you listened to our podcast and are working on this with Jesus in your life. Thanks very much.
Do you ever feel like you're carrying too many things or trying to do too much? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. Today and tomorrow, I'd like to talk about Hebrews 12:1-2. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and the sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."
I like this challenge in scripture. It's a challenge to us who follow Jesus. To consider exactly what we're doing. Sometimes I treat my life much more like a vacation than a calling from the Lord. I think that I can sit around and waste my time and blow things and just take it easy. I'm trying to engineer my life in such a way that it benefits me.
Paul's reminding us here that we operate for our Lord. We're working for him. And we let these witnesses that he mentioned in chapter 11, be our inspiration. And then he challenges us to lay aside every weight. I was reading from the English Standard Version. In the New American Standard it said "lay aside every encumbrance." Our efforts and what we have to carry, the stuff that we carry with us clings to us.
The sin, which clings to us closely. He's challenging us to cast those things off. Let's get rid of the things that are not God. Do you spend much time talking to God and asking him what you should or shouldn't do? There are parts of my life where I've never really invited Jesus in as far as I probably should have.
How do I spend my time? How do I invest my energy in other people? How do I do my job? Those are all opportunities for me to give up those things I might be holding on to, to grasp more of Jesus, to find out more of what he would have. We have to let go of the things that cling to us and the weights that we carry around so that we're in a position to be able to run with endurance the race that is set before us.
The race is this calling God has given us. The life that we have, it's our one opportunity to bless other people, to help other people move one notch closer to Jesus. I believe that's the primary reason why Jesus leaves us here after he saved us. Yes, he's fixing us. And yes, he's doing things to glorify himself through us.
And that's our purpose is to be Jesus bearer. To show other people would a Christ follower looks like in every circumstance and every situation. Today, I want to challenge us. Let's run with endurance the race that is set before us. And the best way to do that is to let go of the non-essentials. Whatever is happening in your life, that is a problem for you. And I'm not talking about things that are essential. Our family, our relationship with Christ, our relationship with people, the quality of work we do. Our job. Please don't hear me is telling you to upset your entire life. Rather let's lay aside every weight and the sin which clings so closely. So that we may run with endurance the race that is set before us.
That's our challenge today. Take a moment and ask Jesus to show you what to concentrate on and what to let go of and then find a way to do it. And if you would like to be part of a community, that's constantly trying to follow Jesus better in our workplace. Check out https://followerofone.org.
Join our online community at https://community.Followerofone.org and join us on the next marketplace mission trip. Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for making a difference with your faith every day. Your actions matter. Thanks very much.
In today’s episode of the Follower of One podcast, Mike sat down with Ed Samuel, who is a Christian Career Coach and author that helps people in all walks of life. Ed has had hundreds of clients spanning across all different levels, from CEOs to high school students. He puts a focus on his faith through his work. Outline of the Episode:
- 14:33 – How Ed integrates his faith into career coaching
- 18:10 – How prayer impacts career coaching
- 19:32 – Letting the Lord open opportunities for people
Integrating faith into career coaching
The Lord calls you to be the example of Christ to others. Career coaches meet and interact with a lot of people. Career coaches are in a unique position to be the light of Christ to others.
The importance of prayer
Prayer is so important, especially in the context of finding a job and in career coaching. Praying for the Lord’s will to be done and thanking the Lord in your career is so important. The Lord calls for us to give thanks and for His will to be done.
Letting the Lord work through your work
Career coaches are in a unique position to interact with so many clients. Allowing the Lord to make decisions in your work is following His will. Following His will and allowing Him to call the shots is what He calls us as Christians to do.
Follow Ed:
- Website
Connect With Follower Of One Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
Are you willing to take the hypocrite test? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. And today on the Follower of One podcast, I'm grateful that you're here. I want to challenge myself and you a little bit today with what I would call the hypocrite test. I'm reading from Romans 2:21-23, and I'm actually reading in the New Living Translation because I wanted a modern translation, even though every translation that I read, I have some problems with this. But anyway, here's begins with the first 21. "Well then if you teach others, why don't you teach yourself? You tell others not the steal, but do you steal? You say it is wrong to commit adultery, but do you commit adultery? You condemn idolatry, but do you use items stolen from pagan temples? You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it. No wonder the scripture say the Gentiles. Blasphemed the name of God because of you."
When I talk to people who don't follow Jesus, often they site the people who do follow Jesus as their reason. What kind of a reflection do we make on the one in whom we follow. We're followers of Christ. If following Christ doesn't transform our lives into something that the rest of the world wants to be a part of, then we can expect them to react in a negative way. Our opportunities to glorify Jesus, to make him visible and known in our world, they come through the way we live. And God who knows everything is searching our souls and our spirits to see if we're willing to examine ourselves. Are we willing to call ourselves out in the places where we dropped the ball?
And none of us is perfect. You're not hearing someone talking today, who's claiming that he has this all right. No, I believe I'm part of this problem too. I need to teach myself. My goal is to remind myself on this podcast every day that I live in front of people who only see Jesus Christ through my actions. I live in front of people who will only move one notch closer to Jesus if I make that attractive. If I show my life, good and bad, for being what it really is, and it's just a pursuit of Jesus Christ. When I pursue what I want, that's idolatry, when I'm pursuing Jesus, that's living right. That's the way we glorify him.
And so today in our workplaces, I want to challenge us. Let's even ignore these old words, blaspheming. The name of God just simply means they don't believe. And, idolotry is simply chasing after something other than Jesus. We do those things today. Let's not let the language get out of hand, but rather let's examine ourselves. Let's look and see, ask God to show you what you need to change so that you can glorify him in your workplace.
He's in charge. We report to him no matter what we do, no matter where we work, we report to God and he's responsible for us. Let's ask him to give us direction about what we change and how we do it so that we don't fail the hypocrite test. That's my goal today is to just challenge us to do that.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for for examining your life to see if God wants you to change something so that he becomes glorified. I'm grateful for you. And I would love for you to share more about this podcast either with others or send us a note, send it to mike@followerofone.org. Send us a note to tell us what you'd like us to talk about on this podcast.
Our goal every day is to give you a little jumpstart to living your faith at work. I hope that this makes a difference in your life. And if it does, then please share it with someone else. Thanks very much.
Is it always wrong to be ambitious? Or is there a such thing as righteous ambition? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. In Romans 2:1-11, Paul's making a point for Jews that simply being born a Jew is no guarantee of eternal life.
This point is part of his bigger point about how we all must trust Jesus. In verses seven and eight, he makes this comparison and I'm reading Roans 2:7-8 from the English Standard Version. "To those who by patients in well-doing seek for glory and honor, and immortality, he will give eternal life. But to those who are self seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury."
Paul is basically saying that our salvation is given to us. Eternal life is given to us and people who get that eternal life are people who demonstrate patience in well-doing. They seek for glory, and honor, and immortality, which that's interesting to me. Because often I seek for glory and honor and immortality, but I do it in a temporal way. I do it in this self seeking way in that he talks about in verse eight, but to those who are self-seeking, if I'm searching for all these things for myself, instead of for God, I will tend to not obey the truth. Cut corners, I will obey unrighteousness. And as a result, I will incur God's wrath and fury.
Fortunately by trusting Jesus, I believe we are exempted from this wrath and fury. We've been given this opportunity to practice well-doing, to seek for glory and honor and immortality, but in the name of Christ. Do so following Jesus. And I call that righteous ambition. My ambition is to lay up treasure in heaven. Jesus challenged us to do that.
But lay up treasure in heaven. How do we do that? Well, we seek for glory and honor and immortality, but I believe also we seek for God's glory and God's honor. We seek for what draws other people to him. That to me is what I would consider righteous ambition. To those who are self seeking, or looking out for themselves, in the 1995 New American Standad even says. If you are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth.
We don't want to be selfishly ambitious. We want to have an ambition that is focused towards God. That is focused towards making him known I want to be focused towards doing things that make God glorified, and help him to be visible to other people.
I experienced real joy when I do that. And we'll talk about joy. We talk about it often, but there's a joy that we get that comes with this eternal life. This joy of being present with God and knowing that he has taken care of us, we get this special joy from helping others. I think you've noticed it. I don't know many people who are even not followers of Jesus Christ, who don't want to help other people.
Most of us have it built into us that we want to help others. We've been designed by God to take part in this structure and the pieces of us that died or had a negative result in the fall. There's still places in us that want to do what God has for us to do. But I'm excited about the idea that I can pursue glory and honor, and immortality in eternal life through God. And I do that by patience and well-doing. Thanks so much for being a marketplace minister. I want to encourage you to be ambitious for righteous goals, ambitious for glorifying the name of God. Let's help him get found in our world. Let's help him be seen, so that other people will draw closer to him. That's our goal is to help other people move one notch closer to Jesus. Please take a moment and share this podcast with a friend. Thanks very much for being a marketplace minister.
Do you consider yourself a servant? I am Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. This is actually the second episode of two parts that we're talking about Ephesians 4:12, and I want to read verses 11 and 12, and I'm reading from the 1995 New American Standard Version. "And he gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.
Our work as saints is to be servants. Our work is service. It's the work of service that we've been called to do. It's not just to be chipping in and helping out around our church. I believe service is the way Jesus made us so that we could communicate the truth of his salvation. I'm stumbling a bit. And I apologize about that, but I'm thinking through this, as I talk.
The holy spirit guides us to serve other people. And when we do that, because we are being led by the holy spirit because we followed Jesus. And because we're listening to God, then other people ask us, why are you doing that? It's not natural for fallen people to want to serve one another. It's natural for people who followed Jesus to be challenged by the holy spirit to serve other people.
I'm careful how I say that because I feel like it's not natural for me to want to serve other people. I tend to want to be served. And you know, every day you get an opportunity to learn more about the guy who you're listening to on this podcast, but I can tend to be pretty selfish. And I believe if you're honest with yourself, you can too. When we serve other people, especially when our motive is our faith in Jesus, it causes confusion.
It challenges them a little. And that's part of the reason why our fifth daily activity is to speak for yourselves. This work of service gives us an excuse to tell people why we did it. When they ask us, why are you doing this? Why did you stay late? Or why did you pay for something that I didn't have the money to cover?
Why are you going out of your way to do these things? When we do those things and they ask those questions and we can say, why do that? Because I felt like Jesus wanted me to do that. I'm a follower of Jesus. And that's what I thought he wanted me to do. You introduce Jesus into the real world. We make him visible in our world when we live, because we're obeying him.
When we live like we're obeying him, I believe this business of equipping the saints is a big deal. Pastors and apostles and profits, all those people help. They serve the believers. They serve people who are Christians and they help us serve others. And when we serve others, each of us, what we're doing is we're helping people move one notch closer to Jesus.
I would like tin challenge us as followers of Jesus Christ. Let's find ways to serve, ask Jesus how he would have used serve as your pastor and your Bible study and the things that you do as a Christian, equip you to serve other people. They equip you to serve them by knowing the scriptures and understanding what the Bible teaches.
They also equip us to serve other people because that's what Jesus did. As I mentioned in yesterday's podcast, Mark 10:45, Jesus said, "even the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life, a ransom for many." all of us are called to do what Jesus did. Let's serve. Let's serve others.
I'm convicted because I think of things that I don't do well when I serve others. And so let's get better at what we're doing. Let's continue practice. Again today, if you want to do this on a regular basis, then you need to be part of a community of people who are exercising this challenge, who are working our servant muscles out and trying to get stronger at serving others.
That community is https://followerofone.org. Go to https://followerofone.org and click on the community link and join us. Thanks so much for being a marketplace minister. And thanks for making a difference in your work. What we do as Christ followers matters.
Thanks very much.
How would you feel if I told you that the job of every Christian is to serve other people? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me today on the Follower of One podcast. I was surprised when I realized that I hadn't spoken about this passage before on the podcast. Ephesians 4:11-12 "and he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry for building up the body of Christ." That's Ephesians 4:11-12 from the English Standard Version. I actually memorized that passage in the 1995 version of the New American Standard, which uses a slightly different word there.
Often this passage is. , interpreted in the times that I've heard it talked about or in the commentaries that I've read, I see people and I hear people talking about how this passage is about the structure of the church. The apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds, and the teachers are the leaders in the church. Those are the people whose job it is to equip the saints, that's the rest of us, us chosen ones, us, people who are called to follow Jesus. Those people equip the saints for the work of ministry for building up the body of Christ. In my years, as a Christ follower, I've heard this passage explained a variety of different ways.
So the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds, and the teachers being the staff of the church are equipping the rest of us for the work of ministry. And I've heard people talk about that as being I'm supposed to serve in the church in the 1995 New American Standard, It even says the work of service it's equipping us for the work of service.
And so I've had people tell me that I need to serve in the church. I need to serve on Sundays or work in the nursery or teach a Sunday school class or do something associated with my church organization, with my local church. And that's been what I was told to do because I'm building up the body of Christ. I'm building up the whole local church.
I'm not sure that's exactly what this passage means. In fact, the local church was a kind of a different organization back when Paul wrote this letter. It was a community of believers in the same general vicinity. So it was a local church, but I think it was a little less of an organization that we make it to be.
I wonder if we don't take this a little too simply and keep it in the context of church when we ought to apply it to where we are and what we do every day, or you would think that I would come up with that kind of a conclusion just based on what you might know about Follower of One.
Our job, I believe is to help other people move one notch closer to Jesus. And I believe the way God created us to do that is to serve others. I think that's his strategy. In Mark 10:45 Jesus says "even the son of man didn't come to be served, but to serve and to give his life, a ransom for many." And the word translated ministry in verse 12 is actually the same Greek word that is often translated service.
You see our job isn't ministry, our job is service. That's the work we're supposed to be doing. The job a pastor or an apostle or a prophet does is they equip the saints. The job that the saints do is serve other people. We serve them and when we serve them well, and when we serve them, because we follow Jesus.
Then they're prompted to ask, Hey, why are you doing this? Why would you do something like that? And then we get to tell them about our faith in Jesus and when they become Christ followers, when they become disciples that builds up the body of Christ. I wonder if it's not that simple, I've gone a little long today.
Thank you for considering this idea. Let's talk a little bit more about the ministry of saints on tomorrow's episode is. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. If you want to be part of a community committed to growing as servers of people so that Jesus might become visible, then check us out at https://followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
Do you consider yourself a good listener? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on our podcast. I'm grateful that you joined us. As this airs, we're actually in day three of the action week on the Marketplace Mission Trip and the topic of the day is listening.
We want to listen to people better. And so I chose for today's verse John 5:6 "when Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition. He said to him, do you wish to get well?" This man had been ill for 38 years, it says in the verse before it. Jesus takes time to speak to a sick man at the pool of Bethesda. And he asks him, does he want to get well? And the man's answer was actually kind of deflective. It, it wasn't directly responding to Jesus. He'd been there for 38 years. He'd been trying to get well for 38 years, you must've been very discouraged and very lonely. And Jesus took the time to talk with the man. He didn't take a long time. It doesn't seem, or at least we don't have that recorded because in the next verse, he tells him to take up his pallet and walk, but Jesus took a moment to listen.
And that's what I believe is something that we can do every day. I don't do it very well. And I, you know, I've seen like many times I talk on this podcast about the things that I don't do very well. I tend to be pretty critical. Self-critical anyway. But the point is we want to be better listeners. When we listen to other people, we show appreciation. They become more important than our time and our agenda. And what we want to say, our ability to listen is part of what we should get as a result of being a Christ follower. Jesus died for every person that we meet. There is no such thing as an ordinary human being. We are all extraordinary. We're all a, one of a kind creation. All of us will never be repeated. There will be no duplicates. We are each unique and one of a kind. I'm struck by how easily I can not care at all for other people.
And so remembering to listen and asking God to give me questions. To give me questions to ask, instead of things, to say those are two ideas that I have that help me to listen better. Lord, would you please give me questions today? Lord, would you please help me listen to other people better? Help me think about things to ask so that there will prompt a dialogue.
We all want to talk and therefore you and I can build a relationship with just about anyone if we'll slow down long enough to listen. And that's our job. Our job is to show Jesus to the world. We're practicing that on the Marketplace Mission Trip, if you're with us. And if you're not even as a Christ follower, you're here to show Jesus to the world, how we live matters.
Therefore, today I want to ask you to consider listening to others better, just like Jesus did. He took the extra moment to ask this man a question. I'm not enough of a biblical scholar to understand all of this or to speculate some opinion, except to know that Jesus cared about people. He cared about people, and yet he walked away from that place and we have no record of him healing anyone else.
He went into Bethesda and he asked this one man a question. And he healed him. What do we need to do today to listen to our friends better? Let's ask God to direct us and challenge us in that regard. Our job as Christ followers is to appreciate other people and to serve them so that Jesus becomes visible. And this is our chance.
Every interaction that we have. Let's take a moment today and listen, ask one more question. Tell me more. Because using that kind of an approach will help us to interact with others more and we'll help them to see Jesus living in us. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. Thanks for making a difference with your faith.
Thanks for pursuing your relationship with Jesus so that he can use you better in the world. If you want to join a community of people who are engaged in that effort on a regular basis, checkout https://followerofone.org. But thanks very much.
Have you ever thought about truth journaling? On today’s episode of the Follower of One Podcast, we talk to Barb Raveling about renewing your mind, and the importance of truth journaling. Barb Raveling is an author, mentor, and coach. She is the author of multiple books and bible studies, including James (Transformational Bible Study), The Renewing of the Mind Project: Going to God for Help with Your Habits, Goals and Emotions, and Rally: A Personal Growth Bible Study. In this show, Mike and Barb talk about the importance of renewing your mind, and the importance of truth journaling.
Outline of the show:
- 4:12 - How does renewing your mind renew a job situation?
- 10:41 - What is truth journaling, and how do you start doing it?
- 13:10 - What's the importance of truth journaling?
- 19:32 - What advice would you give to someone about how to live their faith in their workplace?
The List Out Truth Journal
The list-out method of truth journaling involves investigating the reasoning behind habits or negative emotions. When you have those thoughts, you write down 3 to 5 beliefs involving those thoughts. When you list these beliefs out, it causes you to think about if those beliefs are true.
The Spiritual Opposition of Truth Journaling
You have spiritual opposition when you start truth journaling because you’re not going to want to do it. Satan doesn’t want you to investigate if your thoughts are true. He will lie using partial truths. Sticking to truth journaling will train you to recognize those times where you are facing spiritual opposition.
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If you get interrupted today, whose time is it? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for listening again today to the Follower Of Podcast podcast, we're grateful you're here. Today. I want to talk about Romans 12:1. And the reason is because this is day two of the second week of our Marketplace Mission Trip, and in the action week of the mission trip, we actually talk about making time for other people. That's part of our calling as believers is to make time for others. I'm interrupted so poorly. I get so focused on my own use of time that I have to remind myself with passages like this.
And I haven't talked about Romans 12:1 in a long time. I'm reading from the English Standard Version. "I appeal to you, therefore brothers by the mercies of God to present your bodies as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." I come back to this phrase, living sacrifice.
My life was given to me by God. I owe it to him. He gave it to me and he had a purpose for it. He didn't just create me because it seemed like a cool thing to do. I'm not too sure if he was trying to do a cool thing if he would have created someone like me anyway. But he created each of us for a particular purpose. Ephesians 2:10 says "we are created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we would walk in them."
He created us and he saves us so that we can show the world what life following Jesus looks like. That's our job. And the living sacrifice means that we don't get to take this time for granted for ourselves. In fact, I believe that all of the world is set up so that we are free to choose. But when we choose ourselves, we choose away from God and we suffer the penalty, or we choose to follow Jesus and it fights against our flesh and the world that we live in.
And Jesus begins to work through us to make a difference in the world. The idea of a living sacrifice means that my time today doesn't belong to me. Whose time is it? It's God's time. Every breath that I take it's God's breath. What does he want out of this? It seems rather weird to try and give our entire lives to God. But when we realize that the interruptions that happen today in our work, the challenges that we face, the things that take longer than we thought these are all recurring problems for me. I'm extremely frustrated when things don't happen at the speed with which I believe they should happen.
And so I'm reminding myself today that even the air that I breathe, the beats of my heart, they were given to me by God. And I want to give myself back to him. When I do I'm set apart, that's holy and acceptable. I've been accepted because Christ paid for that. This is our spiritual worship. God basically uses our energy and our time to help other people see him.
That's the point. God's restoring a people for his own possession. He's bringing us back to him. Today you and I get to join him because we make time for other people. We put time in our schedule so we can be interrupted. Don't schedule yourself hour to hour, minute to minute. Don't book everything back to back to back if you can avoid it. Try and build time into your schedule so that other people can interrupt you and your available to bring grace, to serve them, to worship God, by seeing that interruption as something that happened at his hand. He's in charge and pleased to also remember, I'm reminding me.
Thank you so much for being a marketplace minister, let's be people who take grace into the workplace today. We want to be grace distributors. Our job is to let the world see Jesus Christ in us. We need to live our lives, such that it can't be explained unless you factor in Jesus. Thanks so much for being a marketplace minister.
And if you'd like to take part, if you don't know what we're talking about in the Marketplace Mission Trip, or these other things that we're talking about, maybe you just stumbled across our podcast. Go check out https://followerofone.org. You can join us, you can join our private online community and take part in the next Marketplace Mission Trip, all at no cost. Check it out at https://followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
Would you consider yourself a person of hope? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thank you for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast. This is our 668 episode, and we're in the middle of a Marketplace Mission Trip right now, and our challenge on the first day of the second week of the Marketplace Mission Trip is to go. Is to be ready to go into the world.
The point of us going into the world is to be the presence of God in our world, to show people the answer to this problem that we've all struggled with since the beginning of time. Today's passage is Colossians 1:27 and I'm reading from the 1995 New American Standard "to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of mystery, among the Gentiles which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" this is the end of a pretty long sentence that Paul has strung together, but I want to focus on "Christ in us, the hope of glory."
You see, that's the mystery. The Jews spent centuries trying to figure out how to follow God, how, how to do what He wants. And it was all to make the point that we can't, we all fall short. It says in Romans 3:23. None of us will measure up to God's standard. However, God has made this way, this mystery that we wrestled with, that the Jews wrestled with and human beings have wrestled with since the fall, since the beginning of time.
This mystery is how in the world we can be part of the restoration of our relationship with God once we messed it up. And that mystery is the answer God had to our problem, which isn't us following rules. I think I mentioned before several times that up until I was 30 years old, I thought the way you got into heaven was you did enough good things. And good things were miserable and bad things were fun. And so I didn't want to do any more good things than I had to do.
But this mystery that Paul's talking about here is that it isn't what we do. It's what we have in us. It's Christ in us because we follow him. We get Christ in us when we follow him and he becomes the answer. He's the answer to our problems. And that is the hope of our glory. When you look at the movies in our world today, and you look at TV shows and things that are going on, much of our world doesn't have much hope. But Christ in us is God's answer for that problem.
Our job is to be the distribution system. Our job is to carry this mystery in the world. The mystery is Christ in us. When we live following Jesus, the world has no other explanation. We want our lives to be something that can only be explained when you factor in Jesus. That's our challenge today as believers in Jesus Christ, are we going into our world today to live in such a way that you can't explain it unless you factor in Jesus?
That's Christ in us. And it's the hope of glory. It's the hope of surviving this grand colossal screw up that we've all made by breaking our world, by not obeying God. I'm so excited. I love the fact that God saved me. And that God called me to do something about it.
And he called you to do something about it too. And so I want to ask you today, as we go into our workplaces, as we go into our world, remember Christ is in you. And he's the hope of glory for the whole world. Our job is to take him wherever we go so that the world might see him. And they must discover him.
It's harder for the world to recognize him when we're talking about him all the time. It's much easier for the world to see him when they discover him, because our behavior doesn't line up with theirs. That's what the Marketplace Mission Trip is all about. In fact, if you'd like to live a life that can't be explained any other way than when you factor in Jesus, join us at Follower of One.
Our job is to practice living life following Jesus on a daily basis. We would love to have you. Go to https://community.followerofone.org and create a profile and you can join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Thanks very much for being a marketplace minister and for taking Christ in you to the world.
Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast. We've been talking about a life worthy of the gospel from Philippians one verses 27 and 28. Today. I want to read from the original New International Version. So from 1984, something like that.
"Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man, for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved- and that by God."
We've talked a little bit about what it means to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. That means that we "stand firm in one spirit," and we "contend as one man, for the faith of the gospel," using this translation. The word "contending" here was the word "striving" in a couple of the other translations.
Today. I want to focus on verse 28, "without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved- and that by God."
I think this translation is a little sharp in that regard. This once again is the 1984 New International Version. In the 1995, New American Standard it says. " In no way alarmed by your opponents, which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you and that too, from God."
I don't want to be alarmed by my opponents. When I run into people who disagree or whenever difficult situations occur, my initial action is to be alarmed. There are bad things happening in the world, right now. There are major problems going on. As I record this, the Ukraine has been attacked by Russia for what seems to be no apparent reason to most of us in the West. And many people are dying and suffering as a result of that. This challenge about us being not alarmed or concerned or worried or fearful of our opponents comes from this confidence that God is in control.
I confess I don't have the confidence that God is in control sometimes, when I think about, life-threatening situations, wars or accidents. I can create some pretty stiff anxiety in myself when I think about being closed in a small place. I can be alarmed by a number of things, but Paul's challenging us here to have this confidence in God.
He's in charge of everything. And when we have confidence in him, we're not alarmed by the situations that we find ourselves in. We're not agonized by those things or scared or fearful. And that becomes a sign of destruction for them because our confidence is in God. It's our salvation because he gives us the peace and the joy.
I want to challenge us today to find the verses, look in the Bible. We can trust our God to pull us through. Maybe not even in this life.
"In no way alarm by our opponents," today for us, I think means that we relax. We trust God, our situation isn't as bad as we think. Even if we lose our jobs, even if certain things happened to us, let's turn to God and trust him and not be alarmed.
That trust and peace that we get from God is the difference maker. It's a sign of salvation for us, and it proves that people who don't have that peace don't have that God. I think that's what this whole reference to destruction means. Let's trust God today and follow him and do what he says. And he should give us peace because we won't be alarmed by our opponents. And it will be obvious to everyone else that we're connected to something bigger than what's happening to us right now.
When we conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, we look different to the world. And that's part of our job. Our job is to take life following Jesus and stick it in the world. Ministry is nothing but helping other people move one notch closer to Jesus, and that begins with us living life, following him.
Why don't you choose to follow Jesus today? Ask him how he would have you show up at work and then do what he says. Thanks very much for being a marketplace minister. If you want to be part of a community, that's also interested in helping one another live this way on a daily basis, check out our community at https://followerofone.org.
You can just go to https://followerofone.org and click on the community links to learn more. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast. Today, we're continuing our study of Philippians 1 27 and 28. And I want to read that today from the English Standard Version.
"Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation and that from God."
Again, that's Philippians 1 27 and 28 from the English Standard Version. We've been talking about a life worthy of the gospel. And we've talked about that in the previous two episodes. Today, we're talking about the second characteristic of a life worthy of the gospel that we are with one mind striving side by side, for the faith of the gospel. It's translated slightly differently in the other translations that I've used; the Christian Standard two days ago and the New American Standard yesterday.
Striving side-by-side for the faith of the gospel, I think is part of this example that Paul's making. When we live worthy of the gospel of Christ, we are locked in on the Holy Spirit. We do what God tells us to do. We're listening to him and obeying what we know and doing the things that he's called us to do.
And with one mind striving side by side, for the faith of the gospel, we live that way together. One of the challenges that I see in the world today, especially and our new kind of social media world is that it's easy for us to criticize other people. And many of us criticize other Christians.
People may be critical of my own teaching about the scripture here. I don't consider myself a teacher. I'm a challenger. I want to challenge us to live our faith. I want to challenge you to ask the Holy Spirit what he would have you do.
"One mind striving side-by-side for the faith of the gospel," doesn't necessarily mean that we all do the same things or that we all have the same beliefs. We don't all vote for the same candidates. We don't all show up on the same side of every single issue. I don't believe it's that way at all. "One mind striving side-by-side for the faith of the gospel," means that I give grace to the people around me.
Jesus called me to be a server of other people. That's what ministry is. I need to be a servant. When I see another believer and they do things slightly differently than me, I need to give them grace. I need to serve them and help them and assist them. I want to lay down my life for one another, for other people, I need to figure out ways to follow the holy spirit and be a blessing to the people around me.
Whether I necessarily agree with them or not. We're called to serve other people, whether they follow Jesus or they don't. And so "With one mind striving side-by-side for the faith of the gospel," to me means that I'm taking my orders from the Holy Spirit and I'm doing my best to serve everyone that I know.
In Mark 10:45, Jesus said, "the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve." That's part of that verse, but I believe that's the universal part of it. Jesus came to serve. Our job is to serve. Today, if you're doing that, I'm grateful for you. I'm thankful that God has called you to follow him and to serve other people.
Daily activity number four is that we would serve others. Today. I want to challenge you ask the Holy Spirit where he would have you serve others, and I believe that will make you be part of this answer, "striving side by side, for the faith of the gospel." We give away our faith, by the way we live.
Thank you for being a follower of Jesus. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for asking God, how he would have you make a difference in the world today because you follow him. Thanks very much.
What does it look like to live a life worthy of the gospel? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. With Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast. This is actually part two of a study I'm doing on Philippians 1 27 that will probably go into verse 28 as well. Today. I'm reading the passage from the New American Standard Bible.
"Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; in no way, alarmed by your opponents- which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God."
That's Philippians 1 27 and 28 from the 1995 New American Standard. Yesterday we talked about the idea that we need to work towards living a life worthy of the gospel or conducting ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel.
And we talked a little bit about how that's the core objective that we have as believers in Jesus, but what does conducting yourself that way look like what's the result? Well, the result, from this passage contains three components, standing firm in one spirit, striving together for the faith of the gospel with one mind and not alarmed by our opponents. I'll go into each of those.
The first one today, standing firm in one spirit.
I think it's an interesting challenge that we have when we think about the principles of the gospel and the idea of standing firm in one spirit. Does this mean that we all do the same thing? No. I think first of all, that standing firm in one spirit means that we are taking our direction from God. It doesn't mean that we will all do the same things or worship the same way.
It's not like Paul is calling us all to disassemble all the different denominations and all do everything the same. In fact, I believe that life following Jesus is probably the greatest team sport there ever is because God is the one conducting this orchestra. He knows who's supposed to be playing what notes when, and we each get to take part in a way that we are gifted and designed for. God picked our time. He picked our place. He picked our abilities. He's even involved in our experiences and the way that we process them. And as a result, each of us carry out life following God a little differently. We're each unique.
Standing firm in one spirit means doing what we know we need to do, following the Holy Spirit, asking God to direct us in our lives. How we serve our coworkers, how we do our jobs, how we live our lives is unique to each of us.
There are certain things that we need to avoid or that we need to do. For instance, we need to be honest people because we trust God. We're told not to lie.
All the basics, the 10 commandments and those types of things we know to do those.
Standing firm in one spirit means that we remain focused on the person that we're taking direction from, which is God. We want to follow God with our whole heart and with our whole lives. And that's our goal. Our job is not to do the same thing as everyone else. Our job is to listen to the Holy Spirit and do what he says.
Today. I am grateful that you are a Christ follower. I'm grateful that you follow Jesus. Your ministry to our world matters. Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for standing firm in one spirit. Let's make our goal today to listen to God and do what he says. Ask him, "Jesus, what would you have me do in the lives of the people that I interact with today? As you direct me, help me act, help me do what you call me to do."
We have plenty to do right there and working on ourselves and doing what Jesus would have us do. Let's abide in him and listen to him today. Thanks again for being a marketplace minister. And thanks for sharing this podcast. Share this podcast with one friend.
I'm grateful for you listening. Thanks very much.
In this week’s episode, Mike speaks with Dale Kreienkamp an author, speaker, consultant and CEO of Thriving Through Transitions. Mike and Dale discuss Dale’s journey as a Christian in the workplace, how to authentically live out your faith and Dale’s new book “How Long, O Lord, How Long?” a devotional for Christians navigating unemployment.
Episode Breakdown
- 1:38 - How Thriving Through Transitions Started
- 10:01 - How To Be An Authentic Believer At Work
- 14:05 - The Fear Of Not Being Relevant
- 18:45 - How Long, O Lord, How Long? Devotional
How Thriving Through Transitions Started
Thriving Through Transitions is the result of Dale’s own journey - navigating sudden and unexpected unemployment. Describing his journey Dale says, “when I came out of a second job loss I had two thoughts on my mind. One, I need to give back to those going through this experience. Two, I want to find organizations that are in the midst of a transition that I can help them with employee issues they don’t even know they have.”
How To Be An Authentic Believer At Work
Dale says, “who I was and how I behaved brought people to me. I think when people know that you’re a Christian, people will open the door for you to walk through it but you have to do something. And that’s why how we carry ourselves, how we treat other people and how we set our space up is one of the ways we can do that.” As Christians it’s important that we live our faith, not just talk about our faith.
How Long, O Lord, How Long? Devotional
We all go through transitions in our life and our business. Dale’s latest devotional “How Long, O Lord, How Long?” address this issue through a Christian perspective. The book supports individuals experiencing a period of unemployment and encourages those who love them along the way to something new. The book contains 80 devotions, each with scriptures to provide help, healing, and hope during the journey through unemployment.
Connect with Dale:
- Thriving Through Transitions
- On Linkedin
- Dale’s Devotional
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
What does it mean to live worthy of the gospel? I'm confident I've asked that question before, because that's so key to us here at Follower of One. Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. founder of Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on our podcast. In my quiet time today, I read Philippians 1:27 and today I'd like to read that from the Christian Standard Bible. "Just one thing, as citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, in one accord, contending together for the faith of the gospel." Again, that's Philippians 1:27 in the Christian Standard Bible.
This passage says a lot of things, but the key that I want to focus on today is this phrase, "live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ." What does it mean to live life for the, of the gospel? For so many years we've been told, and the message has been that if we believe on the Lord, Jesus Christ, we will be saved. This is in scripture.
This is a key principle of what we teach as followers of Jesus, what the church has taught and everything else. It's very important that we believe in Jesus, but it's also very important how we act. There's no way you can conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the gospel, which is what the New American Standard says, or live a life worthy of the gospel without acting.
We can't simply believe. Our actions are what show other people that we follow. Jesus, our beliefs don't help anyone else see Jesus. Only our actions do. When we live a life worthy of the gospel, we become visible to the world and we come up with five daily activities that we talk about and Follower of One that are designed to help us live that life in our workplace.
If you search the internet today, you'll see that Christians as a group, aren't really all that different from the rest of the world. I think part of this is because of the way Christians are described. Many people speak like they're Christians and act like they're Christians. And maybe even think they're Christians because they believe in Jesus, but they never do anything. They never follow him. Erwin McManus one time said how bad it is that so many of us claim to follow Jesus without ever actually following Jesus.
We want to be people who follow Jesus, and that means that our actions must be different. Those statistics that you'll find on the internet say that at the same rates, as most of the rest of the world, People who claim to be Christians participate in sex outside of marriage, or they take part in other vices that you will see. We lie and cheat and steal and show up late and speed and do a bunch of other things because we can, we know that we're free. I'm guilty of this as well. One of those measures is about using profanity. And as I've told you before, my self-talk is very profane. I don't often speak the words, but I think them, and so what's going on inside my mind needs to be transformed by the gospel.
I want to live my life worthy of the gospel and today, and I think we'll talk about this for another day or two, today I want to challenge us to ask God and get him to show us how a life worthy of the gospel changes our behavior today. What do we do differently today because we decided we want to live a life worthy of the gospel.
I think we'll find the answer to this question when we get it from the holy spirit, it won't look like many of the things that we've traditionally thought. We won't be thinking that we needed to go to church more or tithe more. I believe that God will call us to serve others more. Let's talk about this in the next episode too.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for considering what it means to walk worthy of the gospel. Let's live a life worthy of the gospel of Christ every day. Often that begins by punching in and asking him, okay, Jesus, here I am. What would you have me do today? Ask the holy spirit how you need to change your life today and make some notes and start making some changes.
And we'll talk a little bit more about this passage tomorrow. Thanks very much.
Would you consider God to be impartial? Let's talk about it today. I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me on the Follower of One Podcast. Today I want to talk about Romans 2:11, and I'll read it in the English Standard Version "for God shows no partiality." That's it. That's the extent of the verse.
In Romans 2, Paul begins by showing that there's no advantage to being a Jew or to being a Greek. That the Jews, if they do well, they go to heaven. If they don't do well, they go to hell. He says in verses nine and ten "for there will be tribulation and distress, for every human being who does evil. The Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good. The Jew first and also the Greek." That was verses nine and ten.
Paul's talking about judgment here, but he's also talking about judgment before he gets to the conversation about Jesus. This means that he's talking about our comparison of our lives to the law.
This whole section ends with Romans 3:23, or at least I think it ends there. I didn't do an in-depth study. I believe it ends at Romans 3:23 which says " for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." We all don't measure up. If everyone who does wrong suffers and everyone who does right is blessed and all of us do wrong, then that's bad news.
It's especially bad because God shows no partiality. I think it's easy to believe from time to time that God's just going to let us off the hook. The only reason why God lets us off the hook is because Jesus paid the price. This character trait of God, his absolute absence of partiality is a foundational tenant of our faith.
God is not partial. Everything will be judged. Everything will either measure up or won't. And guess what, "all have sinned," it says in Romans 3:23 "and fallen short of the glory of God." We have all fallen short .
I remember when I first learned about that verse, because I was told about an illustration. Imagine that you're trying to throw a rock a hundred miles. Well, you might throw it farther than me and I might throw it farther than you, but it doesn't matter because neither one of us are going to throw it a hundred miles. The bottom line of our faith is our works won't measure up, our works won't get it done. God shows no partiality. Therefore the wages of our sin, the penalty for our sin, all of that had to have been placed on Jesus.
I want to use this as a challenge in our workplace for today because we don't get to judge other people. We can't say "well, you're wrong is worse than my wrong." There are certain wrong things in the nation that you live in. I happen to be in the United States. There are certain things that are illegal that doesn't necessarily mean they're wrong or right. But if they're illegal, they're in violation of the law of our country. My point is we have to be careful as Christians in the marketplace, not to get into right and wrong discussions when it comes to the legality of life in a nation. Our right and wrong is trying to live according to what God has done for us through the salvation that provided to us through Jesus.
And that's our job today, is not to judge other people. Our job today is to live with someone who has been spared from this frustration, from this utter damnation that we would receive. "For God shows no partiality." Remember today that God shows no partiality, but therefore we can be graceful to everyone because of what Christ has done for us.
And I believe that's our call in the workplace today. Let's take the grace of Jesus into our workplace and not the judgment and the harshness because in the end, none of us measures up. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. And thanks for sharing this podcast. Let's go into our workplaces today and try and live a life that lines up with the grace of Jesus, not the harsh reality of sin. Because in any game of judgment, we all lose. It's only in the grace of Jesus Christ that you and I get to be winners. Thanks again for being a marketplace minister and for listening to this podcast.
How do we respond to resistance?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr with Follower of One, thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast.
Today, I want to take a look at Acts 14:3. "So they remained for a long time speaking boldly for the Lord who bore witness to the word of his grace granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands." Again that's Acts 14:3 from the English Standard Version.
Paul and Barnabas have just entered this town called OD conium or region. They entered there together and they went to the Jewish synagogue, and they spoke and many people believed, many of the Jews and the Greeks also believed in them. But the unbelievers stirred up one another and poisoned their minds against the brothers it says in Verse 2.
What did Paul and Barnabas do? Well, they didn't leave. They stayed. They remained for a long time. They went about speaking boldly for the Lord and the Lord bore witness to his word by signs and wonders. Now, many people talk about the charismatic movement and there are many people who believe that the signs and wonders are still present today. And I believe they are. I'm not sure exactly how, or how God does that, or why he shows up, or when he does what he does. That's not what this post is about today. Our conversation today is about the phrase "so they remained for a long time."
Sometimes I think as Christ followers, we pull out of work too quickly. We're anxious to get out of our workplace and go back to our suburb and be around our fellow Christians and hanging out in our fellow churches and do things with the people who believe the same things that we believe. We're quick to leave the area where we meet resistance. We're not quick to stay. These men remain for a long time. Yes. They spoke boldly for the Lord. Yes, the Lord bore witness to his word. And yes, signs and wonders were done by their hands. But even if those things hadn't been done, I believe Paul and Barnabas were called to remain. I believe we're called to remain. And sometimes I believe we can invest more of our energy into our relationships in our workplaces, because that's what God has called us to do.
Those people are more our neighbors today than many of the people that we live with in many situations, at least in mine. I don't know many of my neighbors very well. I live on a large lot, you know, somewhat rural part of town. And so all my neighbors are people I work with. They're people I interact with. I interact with people more on zoom these days since the pandemic, than I've done any other format. I know a few of our neighbors. Our job is to interact with whoever we interact with, to remain for a long time to be invested in their lives. We may get an opportunity to speak. We may only get an opportunity to serve, but I believe God calls us to be invested in the lives of the people that he brings around us.
My challenge for us today is let's not be so quick to leave our workplace. Let's not be so quick to jump out of our work relationships so that we can be around the people who believe the same way we do. Let's be more invested in the relationships where we are, wherever we are in this moment is something ordained by God. He's allowed it to happen. The relationships that you can build with the people that you interact with every day, this begins with your family. Those are your primary relationships. But also your work relationships, you spend a lot more of your time in relationship with the people that you work with then you do. Then the people that you go to church with,
but the point is we work with a group of people 40 hours a week, or 50 hours a week, or whatever that is. And we're only with people at church, a few hours a week, two or three or four or less. Let's invest in the relationships where the most time is already being spent. Remain for a long time, ask God to put you to work in the lives of the people that you interact with. Watch him do that, watch him move in their lives because of the way that you are a blessing to them.
Thank you for being a Marketplace Minister and thank you for making a difference with your faith. What you do because you followed Jesus matters. Join us at https://community.followerofone.org, and let's get better at paying attention to the people around us, to remaining where we are and to making a difference because of our faith.
Thanks very much.
Where do you limit God? Wouldn't it be great to break through some of the artificial limits that we put on God? Let's talk about that today.
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast.
Our verse for today is John 4:11 "the woman said to him, sir. You have nothing to draw water with and the well is deep." Where do you get that living water? I was reading from the English Standard Version of the Bible. And the woman at the well is asking Jesus about this living water that he just told her about. I wonder sometimes if we don't draw limitations around the promises of God, and we put our own circumstances, and our own experience in between us and what God promises. And I see that often. Now this is not a prosperity gospel kind of message. I'm not a prosperity gospel teacher, but I do believe that there are things that God calls us to. And we miss out on those because we fail to trust him. We fail to do the work. We fail to believe and take the effort and do those things.
He basically told her in verse 10, that if she'd asked him, he would give her living wall. She doesn't ask for the living water. She points out his limitation based on what she can see. And then she asks him for more information, where do you get this living water?
She's imposed her own limits on this interaction with Christ. And the reason why you even think about this is Oswald Chamber talks about this in a February version of My Utmost for His Highest in one of the later February messages. And it's always been something that I come back to because I put limits on Jesus. I think that he won't use me in my workplace. I think that my own finances or my own personal situation or my own time budget, keep me out of the things that Jesus calls me to. But here he's telling her that he would give her this living water if she simply asked what are the things that we know that we can be asking God for and working for, but we don't ask because we don't believe they will happen?
Often if we ask for things for ourselves, those won't be answered. But if we ask God to put us to work, if I ask God to use me in the lives of the people that are interact with, if I ask God to show me how I can be a blessing to someone today I may not see the answer just simply because I really don't believe it's there, or I'm not looking for it. But I do believe that if we ask God to show us how we can be a difference maker in someone else's life today, he will give us opportunities. He will happily answer that prayer. And that's what I want to challenge us to do today.
Let's not put limits on God in our workplace, in the interactions that we have with people today. Let's ask God to put us to work. Jesus here I am, would you please show me how I can act in someone else's life and prompt me to take action? Prompt me to do something different than I would normally do so that you can be glorified. I want to live my life a little closer to you and a little further away from me on a daily basis. That's what this lady did.
Thank you for being a Marketplace Minister. Thanks for considering that question today. If you pray that prayer, thank you for praying that prayer. Let's walk in the things that God calls us to do today and let him use us.
One challenge I will give you is we always have another marketplace mission trips starting. Head over to https://community.followerofone.org and create a profile and join us on the next marketplace mission. You will find ways to pay attention to how Jesus can use you in your everyday life. I promise. We've done 21 of these so far and over 500 people taking part. So please join us on the next one. And let's let God put us to work in his kingdom.
Thanks very much.
Today, let's continue our conversation on eternal life. Hi I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast. In yesterday's episode, I don't believe that I did a good job of talking about what eternal life really is. I did talk a little bit about how Jesus prayed that we would have this eternal life and that we would live in the kingdom of God, the eternal life equated to life in the kingdom. Today, I want to quote Romans 6:23 "for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." That's from Romans 6:23 from the New American Standard Bible.
I believe we get the eternal life when we trust Christ. We're told in Ephesians 2:1 that we were dead in our trespasses and sins. This death that we experience is a separation from God. And that means we have no eternal life. We're separated from God. And the eternal life that we get is our relationship with God.
So the answer to the question, what is eternal life? It's a relationship with Jesus. And we step into God's kingdom when we listened to him and obey him on this planet or in the next life in heaven. I believe we can live our eternal life now. And I got that from the book that I mentioned yesterday. "Eternity is Now in Session" by John Ortberg. I highly recommend the book. I want to challenge us as believers in this part of the reason why I came back to this topic again today is because our eternal life has built into it obedience to God. I believe the minute we disobey God, we step out of that life. We have the ability to do that today. I talked about wanting to sleep through my alarm yesterday.
We have the opportunity to choose to obey Jesus .The Holy Spirit prompts us, or we see a command of his in scripture, or we feel a challenge to do something that we believe God would have us do. And we can step into the eternal life. We can walk in the kingdom of God and make a difference forever in the lives of another friend or coworker or relatives.
We have those opportunities today as Christ followers. And I believe it's important for us to walk in them. I believe our world changes when you and I get a little more tightly integrated with Jesus in our daily walk. Yeah, it requires us to be intentional and to be purposeful about what we do and how we do it.
And one of the ways that we do that in Follower of One' is we have this activity, this exercise that we do call a Marketplace Mission Trip. People look at me like I've lost my mind when I talk about this. But over 500 people have taken this Marketplace Mission Trip now. It's a two week exercise, a daily devotional each day, and an opportunity on the second week, we interact with one another on zoom calls and we encourage one another to be much more intentional about how we integrate our faith with Jesus into our daily job, practicing the five daily activities that we talk about in Follower of One.
Why not join us on a Marketplace Mission Trip? There's one starting in just a couple of weeks. The way you do this is you go to https://followerofone.org and you click on community and create a profile in our online community that will require you to request access because it's a private community. But once you request access and you're approved, And then you go to courses and click on "Mission Trip 21" or whatever the next marketplace mission trip is that you can fit onto your schedule.
Start that trip the minute you get there. And when the next trip begins, you'll be notified. Check it out, go to https://community.followerofone.org today and join us. We want to help one another integrate our faith daily. We want to live our eternal life now. We want to step into this obedience and this relationship that God has built and created for us, so that we can enjoy him now and forever. And we get to participate with him in the difference that he's making in our world.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister, and thank you for making a difference with your faith. Join us at https://community.followerofone.org, and let's take it a step further.
Thanks very much.
In this week’s episode, Mike speaks with Tom Bassford the founder and Executive Director of Significant Matters, Inc. He pastored for 30-plus years before starting Significant Matters in 2005. He brings a unique combination of church, not-for-profit, and executive insight to his role. His experience has been in both United States and international fields and he has helped churches, businesses, city governments, and various other organizations move their charitable work and missional efforts toward more sustainable solutions. Episode Breakdown
- 1:45 - The Origin of Significant Matters
- 7:48 - Mission 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0
- 16:05 - Re-Defining Mission
- 25:20 - How To Make A Difference Tomorrow
The Origin of Significant Matters
“Our mission is to work with individuals, churches, business-minded people, even businesses who want to create sustainable solutions for people trying to break the cycle of poverty.” Tom shares more about the origin story of Significant Matters along with the work of the organization to create another (and improved) narrative to helping people - one that breaks away from the traditional model of how many Christians do mission.
Mission 2.0
Tom breaks down the concept of “Mission 2.0” a common situation many churches find themselves in when people become bored with simply donating money. So instead, churches work to build partnerships throughout the community - stopping at the mobilization of money and volunteers. “That formula of more money and more volunteers is not solving the problem and is creating greater dependencies.” Tom and his team are now working on “Mission 3.0” which is all about structures and strategies to help people lift themselves out of poverty. By providing environments that help others lift themselves out of poverty we’re getting to the root of systemic changes, the work that will have a lasting impact.
Redefining Mission
Missions are not just for non-profits, overseas trips, and other stereotypical ways the church designs systems to help people. Mike and Tom discuss more how to provide missional opportunities in other ways - right in our local community, workplace, and friend group.
Connect with Tom Bassford
- Significant Matters
- On Linkedin
- EquityVest
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
What is eternal life? And what difference does it make? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thank you for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast. We do these podcasts to just give ourselves a shot in the arm as we get ready to go to work each day.
Today, I want to read from John 17:3, "and this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." Much of what I talk about today is something that I first really understood reading a book by John Ortberg called "Eternity is Now in Session" and the kingdom of heaven, or eternal life, in my opinion, those are two of the same things.
The kingdom that we have, we enter it when we do what God says, a kingdom is where what the king says goes. And so when we do what the king says, we enter the kingdom of God. That was the first claim Jesus made. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. And so we experience when we enter the kingdom of heaven when we begin by trusting Jesus and we begin obeying what God says, and that's when I believe our eternal life begins.
Many people, I think believe their eternal life begins when they die. So they die from this life and they go to heaven and they get to live their eternal life. But I believe I live my eternal life when I'm listening to God and doing what he says. When I'm interacting with his people, when I'm praying and serving him. When I'm engaged and talking when I'm recording these podcasts, I believe that I'm stepping into my eternal life a little bit now, as the down payment. As an encouragement, I get to experience this eternity now because I will live there forever. And the joy that I experienced in my work, the joy that I experienced by integrating my faith into what I do every day, that joy is living my eternal life now. That's the idea behind the book. "Eternity is Now in Session," I would encourage you to check it out.
For us today in the workplace, this eternal life is our opportunity to experience the joy that we will experience forever on the other side of heaven, we can experience pieces of it now. When we know God, and when we see him for who he is, I believe we're going to be very blown away. I don't think it will occur to me at that point in time to disobey him. But for example, this morning, I woke up before the alarm clock and I had this instant thought that God wanted me to get up and exercise, yet I was tempted to roll over and stay in bed. I chose today, I don't often choose this, but I chose today to get up and obey him, and I experienced joy because I did what Jesus asked me to do. I believe that's what he wanted me to do.
When I really know God, I don't think I'll ever want to disobey him. When I see him for who he is, I believe I will obey everything he says. In fact, I believe that if we could see him for who he was now, we wouldn't really have a choice. And that's why I believe he's hidden. We have to choose, but when we choose that's, when we get to see him. Because we've chosen to follow Jesus, we have this opportunity to step into our eternal life right now in the middle of a miserable staff meeting, or in difficult meeting with a customer, or a challenging situation with a coworker. We can live our eternal life now by being willing to obey Jesus and to take our relationship with him into those relationships that we have with people. We do this by praying and appreciating others, by knowing what we believe, and by serving others, and by speaking for ourselves. Those are the five daily activities that we talk about in Follower of One.
And Follower of One is an online community. It's designed to help each of us challenge one another to live our faith on a full-time basis. Why not check it out and join us at https://community.followerofone.org. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for bringing your faith with you wherever you go. Our faith matters. When we step into our eternal life, it becomes visible to the people around us, and hopefully they'll want to join us there too.
Thanks very much.
Do you pursue increase? What is increase? And is all increase good? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thank you for joining us today again on the Follower of One Podcast. I'm grateful that you're here. Today I want to read another passage from Proverbs 11, we spoke about this in the previous episode.
Today I want to read verses 24 and 25. "One gives freely yet grows all the richer, another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched. And one who waters will himself be watered." Proverbs 11:24-25 from the English Standard Version. The word increase actually comes from the New American Standard and a couple of other translations.
What the ESV calls growing all the richer, other translations refer to that as increase. It's not necessarily riches, but I think it's more. And it's this desire that most of us have to grow and to gain more. There are some people who talk about how, when we give, we get things back, the Bible states this in many places. But do we give to get?
Giving to get in our motives are always in question. In fact, in 1st Corinthians 13:3, Paul says that if we give away everything, but we don't love other people, we gain nothing. So our motives are involved here. When we give freely, we grow all the richer, but if we withhold what we should give, we only suffer want.
I believe this is a reminder to us that giving is an act of trust in God. God's basically set up the world to operate differently than the way our brains work. Part of that is from our own fall. We broke the world. The world works the way God wants it to work, but we broke it because of our sin.
Whoever brings a blessing will be enriched. We gain when we bring a blessing, when we bring something to give away. When we have grace to give, when we share things over and above what might be asked or expected of us, we experience God rewarding us and helping us to grow and to increase. Does that mean that we can give away all of our money and be fine? I'm not sure. I don't know enough about it, but I do know that I want to ask God what he would have me give.
And I want to be quick to give when God calls me to give I've mentioned before that this is my year for the word trust. And I'm learning how to trust God. And he gives me these ideas to give a little more and to do more than I've done in the past and to trust him and theres this period of time where it looks like my trust will be for nothing. And I want to hang on and I want to follow Jesus in that
In our workplaces today, I want to challenge you to give a little more. Go the extra mile, be a blessing to the people around you. Our job is to bring Christ and our relationship with him to bear in every relationship we experience during the day. Our job is to be his ministers, to serve other people so that they might know him and might follow him.
As we serve him, often we will get called to give things away. We will be called to share more than might be expected of us. " Whoever brings a blessing will be enriched. And one who waters will himself be watered." Don't set a deadline for God either. We can't say well, if God doesn't give me X by a certain date, and then he must not be rewarding me. I want to pursue God until eternity, because I want to experience those rewards in eternity anyway.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for considering how you might give something away today, so that Jesus could become visible to the people that you work with. Let's be people who are quick to give, and watch God work his part of this bargain throughout the course of our lives. If you want to join a community of people who are actively pursuing this kind of life, a life where we give more than we get, and we trust God for the difference, go to over to https://followerofone.org and check it out.
Join our online community. We'd love to connect with you. We work to encourage one another, to share our faith and to make a difference every day. Thanks very much.
What is a true reward and how do we get it?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Senior with Follower of One, thanks for joining me today on the Follower of One Podcast, we're grateful to have you back. And thank you if you share these podcasts with others, we're a listener supported podcast and ministry, and our goal is to help marketplace Christians integrate their faith into their everyday life. Thank you so much for joining us.
Today I want to read from the Old Testament, Proverbs 11:18 from the New American Standard, "the wicked earns deceptive wages, but he who sows righteousness gets a true reward." I wonder sometimes about how these comparisons are made in Proverbs. Some months. I often read through Proverbs by reading one chapter a day, based on the day of the month. I read this several weeks ago and marked that I wanted to talk about it on the podcast because it's challenging to think in today's context about what it means to sow righteousness and what a true reward really is.
" The wicked earns deceptive wages, but he who sows righteousness gets a true reward." Sowing righteousness, I believe that in our current work context, is living according to what we believe. Living according to what we understand about Jesus. Growing, our understanding, we have to continue to grow in our faith.
But , it's a difficult enough job for us to live according to what we already know. We know that we should trust God, do the right thing, and let him work out the difficulties but we get tempted to cut corners. I know that I shouldn't tell a story or that I shouldn't make something sound better than it is, but sometimes I get tempted to do that.
We need to be careful, how we live. We sow righteousness by living, according to what we understand about Jesus. We know that if we pray for our coworkers, he will use us in their lives. And so we can step forward and start praying for people. And often that begins with the here I am prayer, and then asking God to bless our coworkers.
We can soe righteousness. We have to remember when we do that, this analogy is not wasted. Sometimes it takes a long time for the righteousness that we sow to grow. Often we see that we do the right thing, only to get negative consequences. We may do the right thing and lose our job. And yet later we get a better job. Sometimes it takes a long time for this reward to actually come to us. It may not come to us, even in this lifetime, he who sows righteousness gets this true reward
we may get this when we go to be with the Lord full time in our eternal life. We get to be with him now part-time. In our temporal life, we can bring eternity to bear by sowing this righteousness. I believe we bring the kingdom of heaven with us into our workplaces and into our jobs just simply by the way we live.
And so we get some of that reward now and we get the ultimate parts of that reward in the long run. Today. I want to challenge us as marketplace Christians. Let's so righteous. Let's plan a few more seeds and let's invest a little more of our energy in living according to our beliefs, trusting that God will give us a reward when the time is right.
That reward will come, and it may not come in this life.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for listening to me, as I stumbled through some of this podcast today. Our challenge as believers is to live in such a way that we know our job is sewing the righteousness. It's not counting the rewards, it's not seeking the rewards. Our job is simply being who Jesus wants us to be, so that he becomes visible in the world.. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. As you're listening to this, if you think you'd like to do this a little more, why not join us as we practice. We get together in the Follower of One online community at https://community.followerofone.org.
And once you create a profile there, you can join us on the next marketplace mission trip. Thanks so much for being a marketplace minister.
What do you hope happens as a result of your life?
Hi I am Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast.
I often talk about what we bring to the world or what we ship to the world. Our job as followers of Jesus Christ is to make him visible in our world.
And today I landed on this passage that's at the end of 2nd Corinthians. 2nd Corinthians 13:14, "the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." Paul, the apostle, is writing his second letter to the Corinthians, and this is the closing statement of that letter.
These are Paul's last words. And, , it's a great blessing. You'll notice little variation in this passage among translations. I was reading from the English Standard Version. Grace is unmerited favor. Jesus saved us by his grace. God the Father orchestrated this entire story because he created us and he loves us and he gave us the holy spirit to establish the relationship with us that we broke.
This sentence is a fitting closing for the note that Paul has written to the Corinthians. In fact today, I want to pray this for the people who listened to this podcast for you today. I pray that you will experience more of the grace of our Lord jesus. I hope that you will sense his willingness to do what is best for you no matter what it costs.
The same is true of God the father. He's been loving us since he had the idea to create us. And he loves us even today with a love that will never end. And finally we have the holy spirit, who's our friend and our helper. The person who's Jesus has helper. He's the one who comes alongside us to help us make a difference.
He becomes our best friend if we will let him. Instead of searching for friends among people, let's lean into the friendship with the Holy Spirit. We live in a broken world that wants to isolate us and separate us, but nothing can separate us from this love of God from this grace, love, and fellowship relationship that the Trinity has established with us.
What is your strategy to take the grace and love and fellowship of God into the world today? We talk about this and Follower of One through our five daily activities. And those activities are pray, appreciate others, know what you believe, serve others, and speak for yourself. We get to take our faith into the world every day, no matter what your job is, no matter where you are.
You can take the grace and the love and the fellowship, your relationship with the holy spirit and with God, you can take that relationship into the world and let it transform the relationships that you have with people. God can show you how to bring more of his grace, love, and fellowship into your world today and it will make him more visible.
It all begins with a prayer. And often we talk about that prayer that punching in. And it's telling God, "here I am. God, would you put me to work today? Help me to remember your grace, your love and your fellowship, and distribute those things into the world around me. My job is to take your faith that you've given me and put it in the world. I want to take the life that you've given me and stick it in the world." Others will see you and it will make a difference in their lives. And they might even ask us, "why are we doing this?" Which is where we get an opportunity to just speak. And do you use I and me statements.
Today, I want to challenge you to do this activity in your world. You can join us on the next marketplace mission trip, where we practice this. We do it in our online community and there's no additional cost or anything for the mission trip. You can check out a two week exercise to take your faith into the workplace by going to https://community.followerofone.org. Create a profile there, and we will invite you to join us on the next marketplace mission trip, the two week activity, where we practice putting our faith into the workplace.
Thanks so much for being a marketplace minister and for being a follower of Jesus Christ. We are excited to partner with you as we make God visible in our world on a daily basis. Thanks very much.
What are we supposed to do with the grace of God? Have you ever thought about what we do with the grace that God gives us? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Senior with Follower of One, and I came across a passage today in my own personal Bible study, and it just caught my attention. And so I wanted to talk about it on the podcast.
Thank you for joining me for the Follower of One podcast. We host this podcast to challenge ourselves to go into the marketplace each day and make a positive difference.
And I'm reading from 2nd Corinthians 6:1 in the New American Standard Bible. "And working together with him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain."
I love this passage and I re-read and studied 2nd Corinthians 6 quite a bit today. First I want to point out that Paul is talking to the Corinthians and this is his second letter to them. And he's reminding them that he's qualified as an apostle. He's been explaining things to them, but here he's talking about and working together with him. "We also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain."
I used to listen to J Vernon McGee quite a bit. He's a pastor who's passed away. Jay Vernon first pointed out, as far as my knowledge, that the words "with him" there in the New American Standard, those are in italics, those words, aren't there. In fact, J Vernon talked about how We need to eliminate the line between lay people and pastors or lay people and ministers.
And I can't agree more. I've always felt like that was a false distinction. We work together. It's interesting, the message says, well, let me read the message of the same " Companions as we are in this work with you, we beg you please don't squander one bit of the marvelous life God has given us"
In the message he talks about the life that God has given us in the New American Standard it's talking about the grace of God, "and let's not receive that grace in vain." Do you know why we get grace? I think we get grace so that we can live. We get grace so that we're free to choose. We get grace so that we can trust Jesus.
And then once we trust Jesus, I believe the grace that we are given is grace that we're supposed to distribute. We're given grace not to store it or consume it, but to ship it. Our job is to give that grace to the people that we interact with. Our job is to be distributors of God's grace to everyone that we meet so that they might see God.
Our job is to participate in the distribution of grace with God. In other words, let's not take the grace that we're given and just sock it away someplace. In vain means that it didn't accomplish its purpose. God's grace is designed to bring all of us to him. Even the grace that he gives you or the grace that he gives me he intends for it to bring him glory, not just in our own lives, but also in the lives of the people around us.
And we are each called to this ministry. Not just the pastors, not just the people who are overseas missionaries. We have all been given this job together with Paul and Barnabas and the other people on his team. We've been given this job to work together, to take the grace of God and stick it in the world. We want the grace of God to be visible by the people around us. That's our job as marketplace Christian.
If you'd like to practice that activity, join us in Follower of One, go to https://community.followerofone.org and create a free profile.
We're an online community. And in that community, we do things like our marketplace mission trips, where we challenge ourselves to practice giving away the grace of God, intentionally in our regular ordinary workdays. Join us once again at https://community.followerofone.org.
Thank you so much for being a marketplace minister. And thanks for sharing this podcast with your friends. We are grateful that you join us in sharing the glory and the grace of God among our friends and coworkers. Thanks very much.
What must you do to do the works of God? Have you ever asked yourself that question? We're not the first to ask. Let's talk about that today.
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Senior with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast, I'm reading John 6:28-29, and I'm reading from the English Standard Version "Then they said to him, what must we do to be doing the works of God? Jesus answered them. This is the work of God that you believe in him, whom he has sent. "
This is a great question for a follower of Christ. What must we do to be doing the works of God? Jesus's answer interestingly is about faith. It's about trusting God.
His challenge here is for us to punch in, to say, "here I am," and to do the works of God by believing in Him, realizing that God is the source of everything, that what God says is true, and how He has called us and what he desires for us today is the best work for us. This whole thing takes place on the day after Jesus fed thousands of people. What they'd done is they chased him down, and they wanted him to feed them again, which is the unfortunate part of this story.
We actually read when we read this chapter, you see that they hunt him down, they ask him what must we do to do the works of God, which is a great question, but what they really want is they want to be fed this limitless food again. In fact, immediately after this passage, after this response from Jesus, they say "well, do a miracle for us so we can trust you."
. He just did a tremendous miracle yesterday and he's been doing tremendous miracles in their presence. God's visible to all of us who look for him, but to those of us who demand a sign, we won't seem at all. This challenge I think, is to take this passage and apply it to our lives today.
Am I asking God to show me, or am I honestly, trusting him and trying to do what he says. That's my challenge today. I want to trust God and do what he says what must I do to accomplish the deeds that God wants? I must punch in. I must listen to him here. I am. God. Please put me to work today. Show me what you would have me do in the lives of the people around me.
This is not about what you're going to give me. This is not about what I receive because I'm a follower of Jesus. This is about what I give. My job is to ship your grace, to distribute the food that you gave, just like Jesus did the day before this event, when he fed all those people.
We can take those five loaves and two fish and feed thousands of people, if we will give our stuff away on behalf of Jesus. We can do the works of God when we begin by believing in the one that he is sent.
What does that mean for you today? Ask God, take a moment right now and ask God, "God, I believe in you. What do you want me to do today? I believe you have a job for me today. How would you have me carry out that job in my context and in my environment today?"
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for having the guts to ask that question and then to do what he says. Let's solve for how we can do what he says today. Let's look for ways to be given away a little bit at a time in the lives of the people that we interact with today, simply because we follow Jesus. What we do because we follow him matters and it matters for eternity.
So we have an opportunity today to serve Jesus Christ in the lives of the people that we interact with. You've been called as a minister, and I'm grateful for you listening to this podcast and considering that call. In fact, if this is something that you'd like to continue doing, check out our online community at https://community.followerofone.org.
You can join for free. You can take the next marketplace mission trip. We don't charge. We actually ask people to pay it forward. And so if you want to take a marketplace mission trip, somebody already paid the price. Join us and sign up at https://community.followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
How much of what you do every day would you say comes from love?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast. I enjoy doing these devotionals. I'm basically giving you the same challenge I give myself every day as I go to work, as I start thinking about how God would use me in the world.
Today, I'm reading 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, and I'm reading from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB). "Be alert, stand firm in the faith. Be courageous, be strong, do everything in love." Some translations say act like men in verse 13, but since that doesn't carry as much meaning today as it did when Paul, I think the CSB rendering is accurate.
First, it begins with be alert. We're called to pay attention to our surroundings and the people around us. Our job as believers is to use this life to glorify Jesus Christ. It's not to make money for ourselves or to get ahead, or to advance our careers, or even to fulfill our own enjoyment, it's to do what Jesus would have us do.
Secondly, he says, "stand firm in the faith." I think we're all challenged to follow Jesus and do what He says, even when it's not easy. Often it requires that we stand firm. It requires that we hold fast to what we believe because the world around us doesn't cooperate with our model. It doesn't agree with the way Jesus has said that things work. Our world is broken and we broke it.
The third phrase "be courageous" is the one that is often translated "act like men." Be courageous I believe is the challenge. We have to step into a world where our fear may dominate. Courage is choosing not to listen to our fears or choosing to act in spite of our fears. When we are courageous, we take responsibility. We step into challenges instead of running from them. We realize that the job is more important than reacting to our fears.
God calls us as believers to face the world as it is, broken and falling apart. We face the world as it is, and we challenge our circumstances by trusting our Lord.
And be strong. That means that we do the hard things. We spend the money or the time. We go out of our way to help others. We actually make arrangements to have time, money, and energy to give. Strong people have extra, they have more than they need. We need to be a people who gather and arrange to have more than we need so that we have some to share with others. We are in a position to be strong, to give our energy or our resources away for the benefit of others.
This is a calling for believers, and this is verse 13 from 1 Corinthians 16. But the key point in our message today is verse 14. " let all that you do be done in love," it says "do everything in love" in the CSB.
When we do everything in love, it means we must care for others first. Our love, our willingness to put them ahead of ourselves, is the flavor of everything that we do. It's the motive behind it. It's the energy behind it.
Today in our workplaces, let's do everything in love. Let's do our jobs in love, with love, for the people that we work with. And let's live our lives with love, giving away the things that we need to so that Jesus can be glorified. That's our job as believers, is to live our lives in such a way that Jesus becomes visible. When we do all that we do because we love. Then we are making Jesus visible in our world.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for following Jesus with your life. If you'd like to join a community of people who want to also glorify Jesus by the way they live, check us out at https://followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
Jesus can ask us to do some pretty difficult things, how we react matters. Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One, thanks for joining me on the Follower of One Podcast again today. We have these daily devotionals to help us think about how we integrate our faith into our work every day.
Today, I want to talk about John 9:7 I'm reading from the New American Standard. "And he said to him go, wash in the pool of Siloam (which is translated sent.) So he went away and washed and came back seeing."
Wasn't Jesus cruel to make a blind man go to the pool of Siloam. He would have had to have someone else help him get there. I don't know how far away it was, but it was far enough away for Jesus to be gone by the time he got back, Jesus made this guy walk with mud over his eyes. It probably would have looked pretty silly too. How do you think this guy felt, what was he thinking? God, I hope this works. Man. Am I going to feel stupid if it doesn't? I wonder how far it was. I think it was far.
On the Sabbath, working and making the mud, applying it to the guy's eyes and him washing. Those were all forbidden. The distance that he walked may have been farther than you were allowed to walk on a Sabbath. There are rules about all of that. Also sometimes Jesus asks us to do things that seem cruel.
Maybe it seems silly. Jesus asked this man to do this. Now if you also remember this man was born blind. The nerves that connected his eyes to the rest of his brain and his body weren't there, they didn't work. And so this is a major miracle. In fact, this whole chapter is extremely challenging to me. But my question today for us is what do we do when God asks us to do something that seems a little silly?
There are other commands like this in John, including having all the waiters, having all the servants, fill all the jars with water the night they ran out of wine at the wedding feast in John chapter 2. Rolling away the stone from Lazarus's tomb in John chapter 11. All these things seem kind of extreme. Everyone's in this position where what Jesus is asking them to do doesn't seem like the next logical step.
What difference does it make if we roll the stone away from a dead man's tomb, what does filling six jars full of water matter when you're out of wine? 5,000 people need to eat something. And what difference will five loaves and two fish make? This guy had to walk all the way to the pool of Siloam, and he's going to feel pretty silly if this doesn't work.
Is Jesus asking you to do something a little silly today? Is He asking you to serve your coworkers and you go above and beyond your own job? Is He asking you to get outside of your own job description, maybe come in early or stay late to help someone without any promise of getting ahead in any way, shape or form? Wouldn't you get ahead better if you only looked out for yourself? Wouldn't we all do better if we were just looking out for ourselves?
Today, Jesus is calling us to do some silly things because we follow Him. Ask Him what he wants you to do today, and then do it. Find a way to figure out how to do whatever it is that He's asking you to do.
And you will be blessed. You'll experience the joy of seeing Him work in your sphere of influence and among the people that you work with. There is much joy and much peace in following Jesus, even when He asks us to do things that may seem silly or cruel. Today let's see if we can lock arms with Jesus and do exactly what He would have us do.
He has a calling for us today that will help Him become visible to our friends and our, people that we work with. And then we might get a chance to tell them a little bit about the kingdom that we're belonged, to because we follow Jesus.
Thanks for being a market placement, and thanks for making a difference with your faith in the workplace. Join us as we do this together at https://community.Followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
How much of everything that you have, did you receive from God? Hi i'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast. This is a daily devotional that we do. It's designed to help us as we prepare ourselves and go to work. We want to be ministers in our marketplace. And at Follower of One that's what we concentrate on. You can check out more about Follower of One on our website https://followerofone.org.
Today, I'm finishing up a three part series on Matthew 10:7-8. And today we're concentrating on the last phrase of Matthew 10:8, which says "freely you received, freely give"
Jesus is challenging the 12 disciples to go into the Jewish countryside and to preach about the kingdom of Heaven is at hand. And He challenges them to go preach and heal. Those are those steps of what I would call everyday ministry. Our job as followers of Jesus in the workplace is the same job as we go, wherever we go, we live a life that says the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
And our words back that up. And then we "heal the sick, raise the dead, clense the lepers, and cast out demons," We heal our world, we step into our world to make it better than we left it. Our job is not to be a consumer of the world, but rather to be a producer of God's grace in our world. To show the world that life comes from Jesus.
And the way we do that, Jesus closes this statement out by challenging us freely. You received freely give what did we freely receive? I believe we freely received everything now. I don't live this way as much as I'd like, I tend to consider my money is mine and I give Jesus some of it. I consider my time and my energy is mine, and I get frustrated when circumstances force me to give more of my time to something than I wanted. I act like I control everything that I have, that I did it on my own, but this passage reminds me that I received everything I have from God.
Did you get anything that didn't come from God? I think we need to adjust our mindset in this area. Jesus is basically making a statement here that Paul makes in Romans. Romans 8:32 points out using a rhetorical statement that if God gave us His Son, how would He not give us everything else? God gave us the ultimate thing in the life of Jesus. Therefore, everything else that we have comes from God to. It's His breath and His life, His energy that we use to earn a living or to save money or to mow yards or to do anything else.
Our job is to execute the life that God gave us in the world. And so our stuff all ultimately belongs to Him. "Freely we received, freely give." Jesus is challenging us to give of everything that we have because we received it at no cost from God. It's a challenging idea, but the more we give away, the more likely people are to ask us.
Why are you doing this? And then we get to explain to them that we're doing it because we follow Jesus. We live in a different kingdom. We operate according to a different economy and therefore we freely receive the things that we have, and we've been challenged to freely give them, this is our opportunity and our universal call.
And it's why I believe that we are all full-time ministers. We're full time servants of the people around us and the people in our lives so that we can testify that the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for making a difference with your faith in the workplace or wherever you are. It matters how we live and how you live makes a difference in the lives of the people in your family and your friends and the people that you work with. Thanks for making a difference. Join us in Follower of One and let's help one another live this life better and proclaim the kingdom of Heaven better. We experience joy when we step into that role.
Thank you very much.
Are we all called to heal the sick? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One, thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast. We're talking about Matthew 10:7-8, and I'm reading from the New American Standard, the 1995 version of the New American Standard Bible. "And as you go preach saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. Yesterday we talked about how Jesus made this mention that as we go, we are to preach, we're to tell others that the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
We do that sometimes by the way we live. And we do that other times with words. Often when we live differently, people will ask us, and then we can explain to them that we live in a different kingdom. We live in the kingdom of heaven once we start following Jesus. Once, though, we go into the world, our daily calling is to "heal the sick, raise, the dead, cleanse the lepers and cast out demons."
What does that mean for us today? I believe this is a call for us to help improve and fix the world. The world's been broken since the first sin took place and all of the world, and all of the brokenness that we see in it are all opportunities for us to make a positive difference in the world. We have many opportunities to be a blessing to other people, to pray for them, to look for ways to serve them, to contribute to their well-being in some way, shape or form. All of these methods, The four examples that Jesus uses in this statement may not exactly be available to us today. I'm not in a good position to medically heal anyone. I'm not trained as a doctor. I've never raised anyone from the dead, but I can speak life into my relationship.
I can help the friends that I work with find and follow Jesus. I can do things to serve other people than I interact with on a daily basis. These are all calls that I have as a follower of Jesus Christ. I believe that we're still here in the world because we have an opportunity to serve other people just on the outside shot that we might get to explain to them that the kingdom of Heaven is at hand. The kingdom of Heaven is where I live. And when I go to work, I think I take that kingdom with me.
I believe that kingdom is part of the way that I live. I obey Jesus. A kingdom is the domain in which what the King says goes. And the King that I follow is Jesus Christ. And so I'm in His camp
. Today, I want to challenge us as believers. Let's go into our world. Our job today is to do our job. It's to be a blessing to others and to appreciate others and to serve them. To pray for them. And to be ready to answer the question, why are you doing this? That's our calling. We're given that job every day. We do it "as we go" it says in verse seven.
We can serve and heal others and be a blessing to others as an opportunity to interact with them on behalf of Jesus, that's our calling. And then we experience joy when we see Jesus working in our lives, we see the things that we did without thinking about it, make a difference in their life.
We see all kinds of things happening because we're paying attention to Jesus and to the people around us. Join us on this. Go into your workplace today and punch in and say, here I am God, put me to work. Show me what you would have me do today in the lives of the people I work with.
In fact, you can practice this whole activity with us as part of what we do in the Follower of One community. We do this two week exercise called a marketplace mission trip, head over to https://community.followerofone.org. Create a profile in our online community. And we'll invite you to go on the next marketplace mission trip. Take the two week exercise to practice serving your coworkers as part of your relationship with Jesus.
There is no cost. Check it out at https://community.followerofone.org. And thank you very much.
Do you ever think that some of the things in the Bible are pointed at the super spiritual people and they don't apply to you? Let's talk about a key passage today in this particular idea Hi, I'm Mike Henry with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me on the Follower of One Podcast. I'm grateful that you listened to this. If this is your first time, this will be a stretch. But if you listen to our daily devotions, This is in line with many of the things that we talk about, how we are all called to be missionaries in our every day.
Today, I'm reading Matthew 10:7-8, and the passage reads "and as you go preach saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand heal, the sick raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give." Once again, that's Matthew 10:7-8, and I'm specifically reading from the New American Standard translation of the Bible.
So in this section of scripture, Jesus is sending out the 12 disciples into the countryside. He sends them to the Jews, not to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but just to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. It says in the previous verse, and the passage immediately following this is a clear instruction for how missionaries should raise their support and how this should go about living. And so there are many people who think about this passage as applying only to those disciples who are sent by Jesus.
But I want to point out a few things about this passage and how it applies to all of us. Beginning in verse seven, it says, "and as you go," interestingly, the Greek word translated "as you go" in this passage is the same Greek word in Matthew 28, what is called the great commission where it says "go therefore and make disciples."
And that is considered to be a universal command. "As you go" is a universal statement about all of us. It's we are all going, we are Jesus's people. As we follow Him in our daily life and go through our lives as we go, Jesus is not excluding anyone. He's using the disciples as an example.
Now the next word is preach and many of us are not preaching. Jesus has challenging the disciples to go and tell other people that the kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Notice that they're not being told to tell other people that they need to trust Jesus to get to Heaven. They're just making a statement, that the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
How does that apply to us today? Well, I don't believe that we should go and preach every chance we get. Everybody's not looking to be preached, to the people that we work with don't want to have religion forced down their throat or introduced into every conversation. But as we live following Jesus, our life proclaims, that the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
And then when they ask us. Why are you doing this? We should clearly state that we do this because we belong to the kingdom of Heaven. We follow Jesus. That's our challenge for today, is to remember that the message for all of us is to go preach and heal. And we'll talk about heal in the next episode. And then we may take one or two more episodes to talk about this passage.
As we go today, we proclaim the kingdom of Heaven. Let's live like we belong in the Kingdom and other people will ask us, why are you doing this? And we'll get a chance to share and talk a little bit why we're different.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister. Thanks for joining us as we discover together how God would have us live our faith in the workplace. Your life matters and your choices that you make as a follower of Jesus matter. So let's follow Jesus today. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And if you get a chance to join us, as we all discover this together in our online community called Follower of One, you can find out more at https://community.followerofone.org
Thanks very much.
Can dead people hear? Let's talk about it. Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. And today on the Follower of One Podcast, I want to talk about John 5:25. Jesus is speaking. And He says, "Truly, truly I say to you, an hour is coming and now is when the dead will hear the voice of the son of God. And those who hear will live." And that's from the New American Standard Bible, , the 1995 version of the New American Standard Bible. Jesus claims the dead will hear. Some think this is a reference to a passage in Matthew 27:52, where Matthew claims that the dead were raised on the day when Jesus died. And that may be true. But also we work with people who don't follow Jesus and they don't have the eternal life living in them. And there are places in scripture where people who don't follow Jesus are considered as dead. It tells us in Ephesians 2:1, for example, that we were dead in our trespasses and sins. People who are dead to Jesus and to eternal life, they don't have the eternal life. We have this life that they don't have. I've spoken on our last episode about how people who don't follow Jesus find difficulty with some of sayings of His. We have everlasting life. We have been saved. My prayer is that the church, the people who follow Jesus, not the organized local church, but those of us who are followers of His, that we will live in such a way that others will see. They will notice our life being different and they will follow Jesus as a result.
If our life is no different than those who don't follow Jesus, we're in a sad state, but by asking God and doing what He says, we get to experience His everlasting life. I learned about the truth of eternal life, listening to a man, explain a passage of scripture, but I was listening because I was empty. I was dead. My discontent with my present situation, prompted me to go to this church and to sign up for this workshop that I attended. When we live following Jesus, the Holy Spirit causes us to begin to hear. We're dead, but we begin to hear. We can't make other people hear you and I. As followers of Jesus, we can't make them hear.
I've never heard of anyone being talked into following Jesus. Everyone has to make their own choices, but God causes them to hear. And when they hear, they live. This life comes from God, not from us. Our job is to live in such a way that Jesus becomes visible. I believe that's our role as followers of Christ is to live in such a way that other people would see the difference in our life and be prompted to ask questions.
Then they might get to pay attention and hear. So maybe this passage was about people leaving the tombs the day that Jesus was killed, but it also may be about the time someone, you know, came to Christ. Imagine having something to do with another person, trusting Jesus. Best reward that will never fade.
I want to thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for considering how your faith can matter during your normal everyday Workday. Please follow Jesus actively in your workplace today. Consider the five daily activities that we talk about and follow worldwide. In fact, if you'd like to learn more about how to live your faith so that Jesus might become visible, check out our website follower of one.org or our online community, which is community dot follower of one.org.
To learn more. You can even go on your own marketplace mission trip if you sign up for our online community. Thanks so much again for being a marketplace minister, and thanks for letting your faith make a difference. Your faith matters and everything we do, because we follow Jesus, matters forever. Thanks very much.
Jesus claims the dead will hear. Some think this is a reference to a passage in Matthew 27:52, where Matthew claims that the dead were raised on the day when Jesus died.
And that may be true. But also we work with people who don't follow Jesus and they don't have the eternal life living in them. And there are places in scripture where people who don't follow Jesus are considered as dead. It tells us in Ephesians 2:1, for example, that we were dead in our trespasses and sins.
People who are dead to Jesus and to eternal life, they don't have the eternal life. We have this life that they don't have. I've spoken on our last episode about how people who don't follow Jesus find difficulty with some of sayings of His. We have everlasting life. We have been saved. My prayer is that the church, the people who follow Jesus, not the organized local church, but those of us who are followers of His, that we will live in such a way that others will see. They will notice our life being different and they will follow Jesus as a result.
If our life is no different than those who don't follow Jesus, we're in a sad state, but by asking God and doing what He says, we get to experience His everlasting life. I learned about the truth of eternal life, listening to a man, explain a passage of scripture, but I was listening because I was empty. I was dead. My discontent with my present situation, prompted me to go to this church and to sign up for this workshop that I attended. When we live following Jesus, the Holy Spirit causes us to begin to hear. We're dead, but we begin to hear. We can't make other people hear you and I. As followers of Jesus, we can't make them hear.
I've never heard of anyone being talked into following Jesus. Everyone has to make their own choices, but God causes them to hear. And when they hear, they live. This life comes from God, not from us. Our job is to live in such a way that Jesus becomes visible. I believe that's our role as followers of Christ is to live in such a way that other people would see the difference in our life and be prompted to ask questions.
Then they might get to pay attention and hear. So maybe this passage was about people leaving the tombs the day that Jesus was killed, but it also may be about the time someone, you know, came to Christ. Imagine having something to do with another person, trusting Jesus. Best reward that will never fade.
I want to thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for considering how your faith can matter during your normal everyday Workday. Please follow Jesus actively in your workplace today. Consider the five daily activities that we talk about and follow worldwide. In fact, if you'd like to learn more about how to live your faith so that Jesus might become visible, check out our website follower of one.org or our online community, which is https://community.followerofone.org.
To learn more. You can even go on your own marketplace mission trip if you sign up for our online community. Thanks so much again for being a marketplace minister, and thanks for letting your faith make a difference. Your faith matters and everything we do, because we follow Jesus, matters forever. Thanks very much.
Have you ever said or done just the right thing at the right time? Maybe that wasn't an accident.
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. With Follower of One. Thanks for joining me for the Follower of One Podcast again today. We're reading from 1 Corinthians chapter two, I'm reading verses 11 and 12 today from the English Standard Version.
"For who knows a person's thoughts except for the spirit of that person, which is in him. So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God, except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God that we might understand the things freely given us by God."
The point that Paul I believe is making in this passage, is that we can understand God's thoughts because we have the Holy Spirit living in us. The Holy Spirit gives us direction and it gives us insight into the thoughts of God so that we might understand the things that God imparts to us, these ideas that he gives us and these considerations and thoughts and the knowledge that he gives us.
We can use this knowledge to make a difference in the lives of the people that we work with. Paul even reminds us a little further down in verse 16, that we have the mind of Christ. We've been given this spiritual understanding so that we might be God's servants in the world. A minister is nothing but a servant.
Paul is pointing out that we have the Spirit of God living in us and he equips us so that we might serve other people; so that Jesus might become visible. That's how our faith works. We're called to pray for, to love and to serve the people that we interact with every day. Take a look. Who are you around?
Who will you interact with today? Think through your schedule and ask God to show you his mind and his spirit so that you can do what he wants in those people's lives today. You're the person, you're the person on the ground, assigned to this role. It's your opportunity to walk in the calling of God and to make a difference in the lives of others.
We have the opportunity today to be a difference-maker in the lives of other people because we are connected to or plugged into God. We have the Holy Spirit living in us who can give us direction and help us understand the things freely given us by God.
God is a worker and He will call you to do things. Often, he calls you to work. He calls you to make a difference in the lives of someone else. Today, I want to challenge us to think through our schedule. Who would God have us serve? What can we do today to bless someone else simply because we follow Jesus Christ. That's our calling.
"We have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God that we might understand the things freely given us by God."
You've been given a job today. And if you want to step into that job, I believe you will experience tremendous joy knowing that God gave you the job, he gave you the understanding, and he gave you the opportunity.
Thanks so much for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for stepping into the calling that God has for you today.
I pray that you are blessed today as you hear this podcast and as you put it to work. I pray that you are excited and energized at the opportunity that you have to glorify God in the world, in the lives of the people that you interact with today. Thanks for being a marketplace minister.
And if you like being a marketplace minister, why not join us? We have an online community of people who are all working to try and be better ministers to our friends and our coworkers and the people that we interact with. Join us at https://community.followerofone.org where you can learn more about what we're doing and take part in the next Marketplace Mission Trip.
Thanks very much.
Do you often catch yourself doing something silly or something that seems to be foolish? Let's talk about that today.
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me on the Follower of One Podcast. Today's passage is 1 Corinthians 1:18, "For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God."
That's from the English Standard translation. The Word of the cross, what we believe, the way the world works according to the Bible, it seem silly to people who don't follow Jesus, to those who are perishing. The Word of the cross is silly or folly, or foolishness some translations say.
But to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. We demonstrate the power of God when we operate according to his principles and he manages to work things out. He manages to create these ideal results. When we demonstrate the ability to serve other people outside of our job description, and we have peace and joy, and God provides for us, our faith becomes visible to the world. We don't operate according to the same standard as the people who work with us. And that makes Jesus visible.
The Word of the cross is folly. The Word of the cross is foolishness. When we live according to the commands of Jesus, when we pray for people and when we appreciate them and when we serve them, beyond what our job requires of us, we look a little foolish. We look a little silly, but we then demonstrate the power of God because we are being saved. Our ability to do these silly things is the power of God.
Today you are the power of God. You can demonstrate the power of God, simply by going outside of your job description. Do something over and above, what's required of you. Go out of your way to serve a coworker. Go out of your way to serve a customer. Do something that can't be explained by anything else, other than the fact that you follow Jesus. And, listen, in case someone asks. One of our goals, as people who follow Jesus are to live in such a way that other people would ask, "Why are you doing this?"
Today in your work situation, you may be prompted to do something that would cause someone else to ask, "Why are you doing this?" The calling of Jesus, or as this passage says, "The Word of the Cross" is folly to those who are perishing. It didn't make any sense at all for the God of the universe to die on the cross for us.
And it won't make a lot of sense in the world's terms for you to get outside of your job description and glorify Jesus in your workplace today. But God will make it work. And I want to challenge you and encourage you, as a follower of Jesus Christ, that's our job. We're not just supposed to stay out of trouble until Sunday.
Our job is to live this cross in the world on a daily basis. I pray that you do that today. I pray that you live the cross of Jesus Christ in your workplace today.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for considering how Jesus might use you. It is possible that God has a job for you to do this every day in your very space. Let's do it. Let's look for what he has for us to do today and do it because then he will be glorified.
Also, if you get a chance, check out https://community.followerofone.org. That's our online community. We're creating a community of people who share this belief that we are each called to be ministers in to our own workplaces.
We want to build a community where we can encourage one another and help one another. Our environment matters. So take a moment and go check out our online community. It's at https://community.followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
If Jesus saved us for a relationship with Him, then why are we still here? Why didn't he just take us to heaven?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. This is a question that comes back to my mind, often. I know that I've been saved for a relationship with Christ. I know that my transformation is all part of Christ's work in my life to make me more like Him.
But why is he still doing it with me here? Why wouldn't he just take me to heaven? Galatians 2:20 is a favorite verse of mine, and I was studying that passage today and I want to read it from the Legacy Standard Translation or the Legacy Standard Bible. This is a newer translation that has just come out. It's not that different from the way I memorized it.
It says "I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me and the life, which I now live in the flesh. I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me."
I think about this passage often as I go to work or as I get ready to do my job. I really work out of my home right now. So I'm, I'm not doing commuting much anymore, which is kind of nice. But I want to live in the presence of the people that I'm with every day via Zoom or on telephone calls or any other way that I interact with people. I want to live before him in such a way that Jesus becomes visible.
I want to live my life in the flesh, by faith in the Son of God. It's the one thing that I can do. One day, I won't be able to do that anymore. As I get older, I become a little more conscious of the end time; the end for me time. I don't know that Jesus will return to our planet before I have taken my last breath, but I want to live in such a way that my life glorifies Him; that other people see Jesus through my life. I believe that's why he left me here, was to help me grow in Him, but also to show the world what it looks like to be a broken person, trying to follow Jesus. I believe we've all been given that opportunity. That's our ministry.
Ministry is nothing but service. The word often translated as "minister" is also often translated as "servant." And today I believe because we follow Jesus, he has given us a ministry. He has given us the challenge to live in the flesh, by faith in Him. When we live in the flesh by faith in Jesus, we make Him visible in our world.
Our world sees an alternate way of living. They're not told necessarily an alternate way of living. They just see it. We want them to experience our life following Jesus. That's part of the reason why we have these five daily activities in Follower of One. One of them is that we pray for our coworkers. We pray for the people that we interact with every day.
I pray that they will see Christ and they will be drawn closer to Him. And that's what I pray for every person that I interact with, whether they're believers or not. I can help other people move one notch closer to Jesus. And so can you. When we live by faith in the Son of God, we make him visible in our world.
That's our ministry today. We help other people move one notch, closer to Jesus, simply by the way we live. Today, let's remember that the life that I want to live, my old flesh and my own desires, and even my own frustrations with how things work out in today's every day, those things don't matter anymore. My top priority is to live the life Jesus has for me to live today and to make him visible.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for considering how your life is no longer your own. It's Jesus'. And let's live in such a way that Jesus is visible to the people that we work with today. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. If you haven't done so yet, hang out with a bunch of us who are trying to do this every day. Head over to our online community, https://community.followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
Is Jesus the only way to God? Let's talk about that today.
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me on the Follower of One Podcast.
Today, we want to discuss a passage, John 14:6 "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father, but through me.'" And that's Jesus speaking.
And we're talking in John 14:6, and that's from the New American Standard Bible. Jesus very boldly claims that He is the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Him.
What difference does that make in our daily life? Many of the people who criticize Christianity are critical because of our assertion that we have the only way to God. But Jesus is the perfect way to God. It's an interesting switch of perspectives. Many of our contemporary friends who don't follow Jesus think that all roads lead to God; that they can all get to God through any path they choose. But what God has said very clearly in scripture is in Romans 3:23, for example, it says that "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."
None of us can make it to God on our own, creating our own path. And that's why Jesus had to die. I don't understand it, but I believe that if there was any other way for us to get to heaven, Jesus wouldn't have been killed. Jesus wouldn't have had to suffer death on the cross and the separation from God that He experienced. I just don't understand how it could work any other way.
But we all get to choose. We all get to choose whether or not we want to follow Jesus. But Jesus tries to be very clear and the consequences of not following Him. No one comes to the Father but through Me.
I think it's also interesting that this exchange comes about immediately after Jesus tells Peter that he will deny him three times. No one comes to the Father, but through Jesus means that it's our following Him, that credits us with his salvation. His salvation comes to us. It was his, he originated it. He is the way the truth and the life.
How does this matter to us in the workplace today? Let's go to work and remember that we steward the proper way to heaven; the only way to God. We steward that relationship. Our relationship with Jesus Christ is the only opportunity many of our friends will experience when it comes to how to live for eternity. They will only see us and they will see everything else that is some other plan, some other strategy.
So today I want to follow Jesus in such a way that others might see him. I begin by praying. In fact, I want to do all five of the daily activities that we talk about in Follower of One. I want to pray for people, appreciate them. I need to know what I believe and why I believe it, which is why we talked through this devotional.
And I want to serve others. And then if I get an opportunity to speak, I talk about the decisions I made. I don't tell them what they have to do. Thank you for being a follower of one. Thank you for being a marketplace minister, your life following Jesus will make a difference in the lives of others.
Let's remember that no one comes to the Father but through Jesus. As we follow him, we demonstrate this truth. And if you have a challenge with this, I want to encourage you to study some more and to pray and to ask God for wisdom and direction. You're also welcome to reach out to me. I'm not a theologian.
I'm simply someone who follows Jesus, but I can read what I read and I see the truth in this passage. Jesus death on the cross is our one way to the Father.
Thanks so much for being a marketplace minister, and thanks for making a difference with your faith. If you get a chance, pray for the coworkers around you today, and the people that you will interact with today and let God put you to work in the world. Thanks very much.
What does it mean that Jesus overcame the world? And what difference will that make to us today?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast. We've been talking about bold statements made by Jesus. And today I want to talk about Matthew 16:33.
I'm reading from the English Standard Version, and Jesus is speaking. "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but take heart; I have overcome the world."
What does it mean when Jesus claims that he has overcome the world? All the things that we see going on today are within his control. They're happening under his authority. Many people face difficult situations. And there are many people who have challenges with our faith because they believe, "Well, if God was God, why would he let X happen?" or "Why would he let Y happen?"
And I don't have the answers for those kinds of questions in a five-minute podcast. It's a difficult thing to point out. Our world is broken. We broke it. But Jesus is saying, take heart. I have overcome the world. In the New American Standard. It says, take courage. We can take courage because we know that Jesus is in charge.
That's the point here. And the other point that I want to make, because we've been talking about these bold statements of Jesus, this is a very bold statement. Jesus can't just be a good teacher and believe that he overcame the world. He just can't. He has to be either the Lord of the universe who truly overcame the world, or he's got to be crazy or he's got to be lying.
And that's the point I want to make about these bold statements of Jesus. We pulled a bold statement from each of the four gospels and these bold statements are Jesus talking. His lips are moving. And these bold statements clearly claim that Jesus is God and that He's in control.
That should make a difference in our workplace today. Let's let the fact that Jesus made these bold claims. Let's let that fact invade our work. Let's let it invade our attitude. We work for the One who overcame the world. He's assigned us to our boss or to the problem customer that we have today. He's put us in an unemployment situation or he's put us in whatever circumstances that we're in, where we don't have enough money or enough time or enough resources.
Jesus is the God of our circumstances. Therefore he must have a job for us to do today. It may be to relax. It may be to trust Him, to wait a little longer, to pray a little more. It may be to make ourselves available, to serve someone else. I'm convicting myself as I suggest these ideas because I'm very busy too. And I, there are a lot of things going on in my life as well.
But I want to ask God every day, "Lord, here I am. What do you want me to do today?" And then I need to make a plan to do it. I need to actually execute the plan Jesus has for me today. Let's begin by praying for the people around us and looking for opportunities to serve others, simply because we follow Jesus.
Our actions matter. And this way we get to serve Jesus. We get to be full-time ministers, no matter what our occupation. We get to walk with the God of the Universe, no matter what our situation. And we can glorify Him by the way we live no matter what's going on. I believe that's what Jesus calls each of us to do is to glorify Him, to make Him visible because of the way we live.
Thank you for being a minister in the marketplace. Thank you for helping other people move one notch closer to Jesus. To me, that's ministry. And your actions matter. I'm grateful that you listen to this podcast.
Please let me know what you think, what you would have us change, or other topics you would have us talk about. We've done over 600 of these episodes. Thank you so much for supporting our ministry and for taking part in this podcast. You can learn more about us at https://followerofone.org. You can also join our online community and take the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Thanks again.
In this week’s episode, Mike speaks with Mike Little who leads the inward and outward work of Faith and Money Network as director. Mike serves as the lead money mentor, listening to and accompanying individuals who want to deepen their understanding of how money shapes their lives and take actions consistent with that depth of understanding. Episode Breakdown
- 1:30 - The Faith and Money Network
- 8:45 - Understanding Our Money Autobiography
- 14:00 - Using Faith As We Navigate Finances
The Faith and Money Network
As Mike explains, The Faith and Money Network’s mission is to, “explore and improve everyone’s relationship with money in regards to its connection to our faith values.” In addition, Mike adds, “we want to encourage others to move money from silence and secrecy into a place of openness and vulnerability.”
Understanding Our Money Autobiography
Mike explains a bit more about the “Money Autobiography” which is one of The Faith and Money Networks oldest tools. The Money Autobiography is a series of questions that helps you unpack your past about money, how you currently balance giving/ receiving, and diving deeper into your history with money to reflect on your current struggles or concerns around finances.
Using Faith As We Navigate Finances
Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, faith plays a major role in our relationship with money and how we decide what to do with our finances. Mike shares some success stories and how shifting the narrative around money has helped many within the community.
Connect with John Mccarthy
- Faith and Money Network
- On Linkedin
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
Jesus claimed to be the fulfillment of scripture. Let's talk about that today.
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. We've been talking about some of the bold statements that Jesus made and how those bold statements make it difficult for us to treat Him like he's just another good teacher. The statements are so bold in fact that he either must be a liar or a lunatic or Lord of the Universe, as CS Lewis famously stated.
Today I want to read a passage from Luke 4. We're going to talk about verse 21, but I'm going to read 17 through 21.
"And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him and he opened the book and found the place where it is written, 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.' And He closed the book and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, 'Today, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.'"
I'm reading from the 1995 New American Standard. "Today, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." What Jesus was doing was He given the opportunity to speak in the synagogue, right at the very beginning of his ministry.
And He read this passage from Isaiah that everyone in the room would've known. And, but he stopped in mid-sentence from Isaiah 61. And I'm not gonna go back and find the original passage in this short daily devotional, but you can look it up using a good reference Bible. Jesus stops in mid-sentence and he closes the book and gives it back to the attendant and sits down to teach.
They sat to teach. And he began to say to them, "Today, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." He's boldly proclaiming that He is the Messiah. Everyone in the room knows it. He's saying, "This scripture has been fulfilled. The Messiah is sitting before you." This is a very bold claim. And everyone would've taken issue with this.
And it says in the next verse, "And all we're speaking well of him and wondering at the gracious words, which were falling from his lips." But they were also saying, it says, "and they were saying, 'Is this not Joseph's son?'" But don't we know this guy. I mean, isn't this a known person? This isn't the Messiah, is it? They're actually questioning it.
Later on, the Pharisees would challenge him. And we talked about a couple of other bold statements in the previous episodes. But today I want to challenge us as marketplace Christians. The scripture has been fulfilled. Jesus is Lord of the Universe. He's not a crazy person. And he wasn't lying when he said that this scripture was fulfilled. He wasn't a liar and he wasn't a lunatic.
Therefore He must be Lord of the Universe. And as such, we work for him. We report to him today, and he's in charge of what we do. Let's let these bold ideas about Jesus, and how he confronted the world of his day, challenge us as well. We need to get outside of our job description.
Let's make some extra time. Don't steal from your employer, but do something today that's just above and beyond what's expected of you. When we live like that other people notice because we're following the one who fulfilled the scripture. We're following God, as he came to earth to save us.
Today, let's live in such a way that we follow the God of the universe.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for making a difference with your faith in the world. To be a minister means that we just help other people move one notch closer to Jesus. And often we can do that simply by our actions. We don't need to use words. Let's take our actions today and look for ways to bless the people around us.
Let's do a great job for our work and for our customers and for our bosses. And let's also make a difference in the lives of the people that we work with. Also consider checking out our online community, where we encourage one another. It's https://community.followerofone.org. You can create a free profile there and join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip.
That's a two-week exercise where we practice these daily activities. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. Check it out at https://community.followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
What did Jesus mean when He claimed to be Lord of the Sabbath?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me today on the Follower of One Podcast. We're in the middle of a short series on some bold statements made by Jesus, that would help us to understand that He wasn't just a good teacher. He was Lord of the universe. He is Lord of the Universe. And his statements that he makes in scripture, often when we read them with Western eyes and modern eyes, we don't see the boldness of the statements.
Today, I'm reading Mark 2:28, "So the Son of Man is Lord, even of the Sabbath."
The Pharisees were actually criticizing Jesus because He healed people on the Sabbath. The Sabbath day was a rest day. It was supposed to be holy. And the Pharisees had created this extremely complex network of rules that you could and couldn't do on the Sabbath so that you weren't working.
And they had decided what was lawful on the Sabbath, was to only walk a certain distance and to only do certain things. And healing people was not one of those things. And Jesus consistently ran in with the Sabba with Jesus consistently ran in with the Pharisees because he healed people on the Sabbath and he was doing that again here.
And this bold statement. So the Son of Man is Lord, even of the Sabbath. What he's telling the Pharisees is that he's in charge of everything. He's in charge even of the rules and the way they're interpreted. Jesus is Lord of all. And we sing that sometimes in songs. There are some older hymns that talk about Jesus being Lord of all.
Lord means boss; in control of, or in authority over everything. Jesus here is making a statement that will and not let us consider him just another good teacher. When Jesus says, "So the Son of Man is Lord, even of the Sabbath," you can tell throughout all of the scripture he's referring to himself when he uses the title Son of Man.
And the comment that he's Lord, even of the Sabbath means that he's overall the rules. That kind of a statement made to the religious authorities is a very bold statement because He's saying "I'm in charge of all this." When he makes this statement, he's either crazy or he's lying, or he is the Lord of the Universe. He's in charge even of the Sabbath.
For those of us who follow Him, let's let that sink in. It means that he's in charge of how we do our job today. He's our ultimate boss. He's the person that we actually work for. He's the Lord, even of us. And therefore we do what he says.
And that's why our first daily activity on our Marketplace Mission Trip is punching in; it's saying the prayer, "Here I am, Lord. What do you want me to do today? Put me to work. Show me what you would have me do so that I can do that."
He wants you to do your job and he often wants you to do it very well. He also may ask you to do several other things like praying for the people around you and looking for ways to serve them.
As followers of Jesus, when we realize that Jesus is our ultimate boss, it changes the way that we work. It changes the way that we live. Let God make that change in us today so that he might become visible to our friends and our coworkers.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister, for listening to this podcast, and for considering how you might glorify God, by the way you live. Everything we do because we follow Him matters.
Thank you. Also, consider checking out our online community. We built a community of people so that we can help one another, remember, to live following Jesus in the world where we exist today. You can check that out at https://community.followerofone.org. Create a free profile there and join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip, where we practice these activities every day.
Thanks very much.
Was Jesus, just a good teacher or did he really say some strange things? I think he said some really bold things. And I want to talk about a few of those bold statements in the next several episodes of the Follower of One Podcast.
I am Mike Henry Srl. Thanks for joining me today. I'm grateful whenever you listen to this podcast and I pray for the people who listen to it. So thank you very much.
Today, I want to talk about Matthew 12:6, one of the bold statements of Jesus. The Pharisees were criticizing Jesus and his disciples because they were doing something that seemed to be breaking their law. And in Matthew 12:6, it says, Jesus is quoted in saying, "but I say to you that something greater than the temple is here."
We often read over that statement, and we don't think a lot about what's going on here. But when Jesus is talking to the spiritual leaders of that nation, he's throwing down a gauntlet. The temple was what they spent, all of their nation's effort building. They had done it twice. They did it the first time when King Solomon was in charge. And they did it a second time after they came back from the exile. The temple was all there was about their religion. Everything centered around the temple. And Jesus is telling them, "but I say to you something greater than the temple is here." He's basically telling them, "I'm the guy the temple was built for."
"Something greater than the temple is here," is a very radical statement in that environment and in that day. But in our Western world where we don't worship temples and we don't live in nations that are set up around worship of a God, we don't experience that. We don't think about that. Today, I want to challenge us as marketplace Christians to let's live like we follow the one who is greater than the temple.
Let's do what we can to live according to what we know about this Jesus of Nazareth. He was a bold leader and he looked those leaders in the face and he challenged them with this statement.
It's also difficult to consider Jesus as just another teacher. I'm using my, our air quotes, again. We can't treat him like just another teacher when he makes a statement like this.
He's asserting that he's more important than the temple. Now he's either crazy or he's a total lunatic or he's right. Those are our choices. And if he's right, then that's why we follow Him. I believe he's right. And that's why I follow Him. I want to obey Jesus. I want to listen to him and look through his scripture and see what he tells me to do.
I want to ask the Holy Spirit who's living in me, for direction on a daily basis. I want to step into a partnership with the Holy Spirit in my workplace, and bless the people that I work with, simply because I follow Jesus.
When I live according to Jesus, I'm following the one who's greater than the temple. And I appreciate his bold statement and his bold leadership. Let's live like we follow Jesus today. Look around you. Pray and ask God to show you how you can make a difference in the lives of the people that you work with today.
You are a minister and you've been assigned to a post. Wherever you are today, let's minister. Let's serve God in such a way that other people might see Jesus and might follow him. That's our job.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thanks for making a difference in your work. Everything you do because you follow Jesus matters.
Thanks very much.
Oh, and I also want to invite you to join us on the next Follower of One Marketplace Mission Trip. This is a two-week exercise where we practice following Jesus on a daily basis right where we work. You can check it out and join us for free at https://community.followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
When taken at face value, I believe today's passage is rather bold. Let's talk about it.
This is part three in a series on a passage that I really enjoy, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. "Therefore, we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." That's from the New American Standard Bible.
Today, we're looking at verse 18, "while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal."
I don't believe we can get too much Bible. And this particular passage is challenging and compelling.
We do not lose heart because we remember that our afflictions today, our circumstances today are momentary and light in comparison to the eternal weight of glory that we will experience in heaven. And the way we remember that our afflictions are momentary and light is we look not for things we can see with our eyes, but for things that we cannot see with our eyes. We look for those things that are spiritual, those things that are of Jesus. We can't see those things with our eyes.
But the things that Jesus promises us, the things that were promised in scripture, the things that we experience in life because we follow Jesus, are real. What we see is temporal, it will all burn up. It will all be gone. "The things which are seen are temporal." They're temporary. They won't last forever. The things which are not seen: the Holy Spirit living in us, the way that we bless other people, the service that we provide to people simply because we trust Jesus, our motives and our desires in our relationship to Jesus Christ, these things, which are not seen, they last forever.
Jesus even said that if we give a cup of cold water in his name, we shall not lose our reward. We have to remember that we have rewards that we can't see laid up for us in heaven. Those rewards exist because we follow Jesus and we do what He says. The things which are seen: the world that we see, the money that we have, the situations that we're in, even this crazy attack that the Russian government has made against the people of Ukraine, it's all nuts. But it's all temporal. When I say it's all temporal. I don't mean that it doesn't matter. I'm saying that it will all burn up. It will all eventually be gone. What will be left will be the things that we did because we follow Jesus. Those things which are not seen are eternal.
Today, let's focus on the things which are not seen. Let's trust God. Talk to Jesus. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in how you do your job today. And trust that the rewards that you earn, that the things that you do that are not seen can last forever. We have living in us the Holy Spirit, and he can use us for his glory to help him become visible in the world and to be glorified by us and our actions.
Today, let's remember that our circumstances are momentary and light. But the things that we cannot see, those things will last forever. And let's concentrate on those.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for remembering that we look for the things that are not seen. Let's be the people who operate according to a different standard today, and bless the people around us simply because we follow Jesus Christ.
That's the job of a full-time minister. We get to help other people move one notch closer to him. Thank you for listening to this podcast. Take a moment and share it with your friends and check us out. Go to https://followerofone.org and take a look at joining our online community as well.
Sometimes our challenges can be daunting. Other times though, when we remember that the result is worth the effort it pays off.
Hi, I'm Mike Henry with Follower of One. Welcome to the Follower of One Podcast. Today, we're continuing this series. We began with 2 Corinthians 4:16 through 18.
Today, I want to read verse 17 from the English Standard Version, "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison."
In the previous episode, we read this entire three verse passage. Paul's talking about how we do not lose heart, even though our outer man is wasting away. The wasting away he's talking about there, he also classifies in this verse as light momentary affliction. Almost every translation uses the words, "light" and "momentary" in this description.
What's he talking about? Well, he's talking about the circumstances that we're in. Almost all of us face circumstances that are not desirable. The world is broken and we broke it. We messed it up. And Jesus is in the process of restoring it. Each of us has a light, momentary affliction.
Now I do not want to make light of your affliction. Each of us has an affliction. Each of us is struggling through a challenge. But just like a caterpillar must struggle to become a butterfly or just like a weight lifter has to struggle to lift more weight; it's the work and the effort that produces the result. And Paul's pointing out here that our attitude has something to do here. Our affliction is light and momentary, compared to the eternal and heavy glory that we will receive. It's beyond all comparison. There is no comparison. This passage becomes an encouragement to us, and we will talk about how to be encouraged by this passage tomorrow.
Today, I want to focus on remembering that what we face today, relative to what we will face when we get to heaven, when we get to be with Jesus, what we face today is light and momentary.
I joke often about most of my problems being what I would call first-world problems. No, one's trying to kill me. I'm not, under attack. As I record this, the Russians are attacking the nation of Ukraine. And there's no justification for this. It's unnecessary and embarrassing for the Russian people. And I'm sorry for them. And I'm praying every day about that.
There are difficult afflictions, but even those difficult afflictions, do not compare to the eternal weight of glory that we will receive one day when we're with Jesus.
And that's what I want to use this passage for today. I believe God gave us this passage to remind us that whatever we face today, he's got it. And ultimately what we receive as a result of that will be eternally heavy and meaningful. We have an eternally meaningful glory coming to us for our light and momentary affliction. Use that as an encouragement today.
I'm praying for the people who listen to this podcast. Thank you for being a marketplace minister, and thank you for making a difference in the world because you follow Jesus.
Everything that we do, because we follow him matters forever. Let's trust that today. Let's trust and remember that whatever we're going through today, it's light and momentary compared to what we will experience when we're with Jesus.
Thanks again for following Jesus. Don't forget to check us out at https://followerofone.org, too.
What matters most? What's the most important thing? Let's talk about that for the next day or two.
I am Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me on the Follower of One Podcast. I'm excited that you join us. If you get a chance, share this with someone, too. These podcasts are designed to help us take our faith with us to work. And not leave it in the car, but take it into the office with you, or into the workplace with you.
Today and for the next couple of days, I want to talk about three verses that mean a lot to me. We'll read them all today, but we'll only talk about the first one. This is 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.
"Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying yet, our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us and eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal."
And that's from the New American Standard Bible. Verse 16 says, "therefore we do not lose heart." Have you ever lost heart, get discouraged or despaired? Paul's reminding us that even though in the struggles that he's gone through as an apostle of Jesus Christ, he doesn't lose heart.
"Though, our outer man is decaying." This is something I've learned about up close and personal. I've never been much of an exerciser. And now that I get old, it gets harder. The longer you don't exercise, the harder it gets. The outer man is decaying. My physical body is seeing its last days coming up on it pretty quickly.
"Our outer man is decaying, but our inner man is being renewed day by day." Every day I get to go to work. Right now, I get to work for Follower of One, which is a lot of fun. But even when I had miserable jobs, the energy to do my job came from the fact that I knew that I was serving the people that I work with, or that I was serving the Lord in doing that.
As believers in the workplace, I believe we get new energy to do our jobs every day if we remember that this is what God has for us today. It must work out for good Romans 8:28 says, "It must work out for good." I can trust God because my circumstances are outside of my control today. And yet I can go into my circumstances with this renewed inner man, this new energy that comes from remembering that I'm a messenger and a servant of Jesus Christ.
My job is to find a way to follow Him. And often that shows up as trying to calculate and deliver the most godly response to every circumstance.
Today in your workplace. I want to challenge you. There's a most godly response. When we can find the most godly response to everything that happens to us, we're on a mission with Jesus. We're right there beside Him doing everything He has for us to do.
Watch for Him today. Watch for Him in your circumstances; in the interactions that you have with people. Look for ways to glorify Him by serving others and appreciating them. Remember every person you interact with today is loved by God.
And we can love them better. We can appreciate them more, and we can find ways to serve them. And Jesus may put you to work in other ways. He may give you an opportunity to speak to them. We may give you an opportunity to pray for them. You may get all kinds of opportunities today. Your inner man can be renewed day by day because you follow Jesus Christ. Let's take that into our workplace today.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for joining us on this podcast. Check us out. We're forming a community of believers all over the globe who help one another, have their inner man renewed day by day as we go into the work world.
Join us at https://community.Followerofone.org.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister.
We hear a lot today about calling and we also hear a lot of talk about what the Bible does or doesn't condone. Let's look at a controversial passage today. 1 Corinthians 7:20.
Hey, I'm Mike Henry with Follower of One. Thanks for joining us on the Follower of One Podcast. I'm grateful that you joined us for this quick little four or five-minute introduction every morning to help us think like God's people as we go to work. Today, I want to read 1 Corinthians 7:20 from the English Standard Version.
"Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called."
Paul is actually talking about, whether or not we were slaves or free or circumcised or uncircumcised at the moment that we came to Christ. And his examples are pretty specific. Some people use passages like this to claim that the Bible justifies slavery. But I don't think the Bible is justifying slavery at all.
The apostle Paul is reminding us that Jesus transcends circumstances. Sometimes the Holy Spirit prompts us to get out of a bad situation. And sometimes we're in a situation that isn't positive, but we can still make good things happen there. If you're in a negative situation that's your own choosing, or if you're in some difficult or illegal situation, by all means, get out.
But in this passage, I believe Paul is telling us, that our circumstances are subject to Jesus and not the other way around. I don't think Paul's talking about extremes either. When we look at the verse in context, we just see this over and over again. Jesus transcends our circumstances. If you became a Christian while you were a slave, don't seek to be freed.
This is the same thing about maybe employers and employees. I spent most of my career working for someone else. And many of the passages in scripture, the references to the slave are almost like employees. You sold yourself to someone and they supported you while you worked for them. That was a certain kind of slave too.
We're not all called to be entrepreneurs. We're not all called to do our own thing. Many of us do perfectly well working for someone else as a salesperson or an engineer or an accountant. And we're not supposed to necessarily strive to put ourselves in another situation.
I remember thinking and begging God to get me out of my workplace. And one day, it wasn't an audible word, but what God seemed to be saying to me was, "Mike, I didn't save you to take you out of where you are. I saved you, the leave you in there."
Where you work is part of the story and the people that you're around every day, they're part of your story. Let's not project some kind of belief system on all of scripture and all of Christianity from a passage like this. But we can apply it to our own situation. Am I in a circumstance that I can tolerate? If I am, then let me glorify God in that. And if I'm in a circumstance that I can't tolerate, then I need to glorify God as I find a way to get out.
Even if you choose to leave your job, find a way to leave in such a way that they would wish you weren't going. Make sure that when you go that you leave a hole; that they regret your having gone.
I don't think that God calls us to leave all the time. Often I believe He calls us to glorify Him right where we are. We talked about this a little bit in the previous podcast. Our spiritual gifts are the way that we make God show up in the world. Your circumstances and your environment is the place where that happens.
And so let's lean on Him today. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for considering how you can take your faith to work, and how you can glorify God in and among the people that you work with every day. Your actions matter. Everything we do because we follow Jesus matters forever. Thanks for being a marketplace minister.
How many spiritual gifts are there? And if there are only a few, then how unique are they? Let's talk about it.
Hi, I'm Mike Henry with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me on the Follower of One Podcast. Today, we're going to step on some ground where my brain may not work the way you expect. But I, when I think about spiritual gifts, I come to this first and first Corinthians 12:7.
"To each is given the manifestation of the spirit for the common good." That's from the English Standard Version.
Paul's challenging us with a summary statement and he's been talking about the gifts of the Spirit. And this is not really a summary statement. He goes into more detail both before and after this passage.
And there are several places where he's making the point that there are varieties of spiritual gifts. When I look to see the number of spiritual gifts in the Bible, there are different people who have different ideas of how you count them and how you categorize them. Are there nine? Are there 23?
I think Paul's challenging us, to focus on our unique ability to manifest the Holy Spirit. What does it mean to manifest something? It's to make it visible. Manifesting the Holy Spirit means we make the Holy Spirit visible; we make Him known in the world. The Holy Spirit becomes visible through our actions and the things that we do differently simply because we follow Jesus.
And so your spiritual giftings, they may fit along the lines of your temperament, or you may resist going into a box like I do. Either way, the way the Holy Spirit works through you is how He becomes visible in our world. And I believe that Paul's telling us that there are all kinds of different spiritual gifts because the spiritual gift is the action you take, that makes the Holy Spirit visible, that is based on who Jesus is, and who the Holy Spirit is, and what you believe and think.
Our gifting, our abilities, our strengths, our makeup, our personality, our background, and our experiences all go into how we relate to the Holy Spirit. And when we follow Jesus, we have this possibility of making Him visible.
To me, that's exciting. It's exciting to have this role and this ability. Each person, when they become a believer, is given the Holy Spirit. And that Holy Spirit then makes himself visible by giving different abilities and strengths and passions and energies, and those combine with your who you are and how you've made up.
And the Holy Spirit uses that to glorify God. That's, to me is an exciting idea. We're not manipulated in any way. We are given the opportunities to take who we are and go stick to who we are in the world so that the Holy Spirit becomes visible. You don't have to be someone you're not. In fact, we need to focus on being the someone we are. When we focus on the someone we are, and we continue to improve and draw near to God, then He draws near to us. And we glorify Him.
Today in your marketplace ministry, I'd like to challenge you not to think so much about the labels of spiritual gifts, but rather to ask the Holy Spirit, how He would have you show up in the world today.
What does He want you to do? And how can you get that done so that He becomes visible? He becomes manifest.
Thanks so much for being a marketplace minister. And thanks for joining us in the Follower of One Online Community. This is an online community of people who connect globally to encourage one another, to go and engage the world with their faith on a daily basis, regardless of their job. Check it out at https://community.followerofone.org. Thank you very much.
Whose approval do you seek? This is particularly challenging for me today. Let's talk about it.
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. With Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today for the Follower of One Podcast.
Today, I want to read John 12:42-43. "Nevertheless, many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees, they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God."
Our key verse is verse 43. Do we love the approval of men rather than the approval of God? I oftentimes change my behavior because of what I think some other person might want.
And I can't do a comparison of all the choices that I make every day. It's too overwhelming for me. My goal is to live for the approval of God; to do what He wants. There's a passage in the Parable of the Talents where the Master says, "Well done, good and faithful servant." My goal is to hear Jesus one day say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
And maybe that's your goal, too. Often, people who take their faith seriously come to a little bit of a conclusion like that. We want God to say "You did a good job," when we get to heaven.
How do we do that? I think a key is right here in this verse, we don't love the approval of men, but we pursue the approval of God.
What does that require? Often for me, it requires thinking seriously about my motives when I take an action. Or even before that, choosing my actions based on what I believe God would want me to do. That's the way I need to show up at work every day. "Okay. God, what would you have me do today?"
I don't know if I've said it recently on the podcast, but you don't work for your boss. And if you're the boss, you're not the boss. We have another boss. We were created for a purpose. I've changed jobs several times in my career, but I've often said that I was never unemployed because God had a purpose for me every day. He has a purpose for us. And when we pursue the approval of God, He shows it to us.
Matthew 7:7 says, "Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened to you." We have to continue to persist. This is a constant, regular, recurring, going back to God for His approval to find out what He would have us do, and then to go do it.
And it's also a challenge for me because I feel like I never measure up, which maybe we'll talk about that in the next episode. But today let's focus on the approval of God, rather than the approval of men. Let's follow God and do what he says. And he will call us forward.
These Pharisees believed in Jesus, but they didn't do anything about it, because they were worried about getting put out of the synagogue. Is God challenging you to live differently because of your faith today? Ask Him to search you and to tell you where you can change your behavior so that you're following Him more and you're seeking His approval more.
Thanks so much for being a marketplace minister. And thanks for trying to live your faith on a daily basis. The world needs to see genuine Christians who mess up but do it humbly. We live our faith and we're trying to make sure there's only one copy of us: that there are no versions, there are no masks, and there's no hypocrisy.
We actively pursue the approval of God. And we try and make a difference in the world through that. Let's try today to follow God and search for his approval by asking him to do something for the people around us. Bless the people around you and serve them.
That's what Jesus did. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thanks for making a difference in your life. Everything we do because we follow Jesus matters. Thanks very much.
Does knowing Jesus make a big difference in your day today? I hope it does. Let's talk about it.
Hey, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on our podcast. These devotionals are a way for us to program our brain as we go to work, or as we get ready to do whatever we're doing on a given day.
And today, I want to challenge us a little bit about the knowledge of God and how it changes our behavior. I'm reading Habakkuk 2:14. Habakkuk is one of the prophets in the latter part of the old Testament who was several hundred years before Jesus came. And in this verse, this is part of a projection of the future by Habakkuk. And he says,
"For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."
I memorized that verse because there's a song that actually has those words in it. And I memorized that song when it was being taught to my kids when they were younger.
The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. That's clearly not the case today. So this prophecy hasn't occurred yet, but this prophecy is happening. God has allowed us some period of time between when Christ died on the cross and the resurrection and the Holy Spirit's coming the day of Pentecost until today when people trust Jesus, we get the Holy Spirit living in us.
We experience the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, but we still only see it partially. We still see it masked and hidden. Any of us can't see God for who He really is because at that moment, no one would have a choice. At that moment "every knee will bow," it says in Philippians chapter two.
I believe when I see God, I'm going to be so blown away. I won't know what I will do. I might be speechless. There's a great song. "I Can Only Imagine" where he talks about this as well. But the knowledge of the glory of the Lord should prompt me to live differently today. It should prompt me to live in such a way that other people notice a difference. They notice a difference because I'm following Jesus. The rest of the world, the default behavior is to not follow Jesus. Even in places where there are a lot of other Christians around, we still accept and develop a lot of habits that don't really look like following Jesus.
And so as we examine our own lives and we ask the Holy Spirit who dwells in us to transform us today, He may challenge you to not gossip. He may challenge you to maintain confidence. He may challenge you to ask a couple more questions and listen more carefully to a coworker. He may challenge you to pray for some other person.
Let's let the knowledge of God change us. Because eventually, the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will cover the earth. It will fill the earth. But right now we have this opportunity to reflect that knowledge, by the way we live. And that's my challenge for us today, let's have the courage to punch in. That's our first prayer. "Here I am Lord." And then ask Him, "what would you have me do today? What can I do today to glorify you?"
He will give you an idea, things that you can do, and then you will just solve for how to do that. Your job is to go execute the plan that Jesus gives you.
Thanks so much for being a marketplace minister. I'm grateful that you follow Jesus Christ. If you have some questions about what we talk about, please feel free to contact me, Mike, at followerofone.org. You can also contact me through our online community or our website.
Our website is https://followerofone.org and our online community is https://community.followerofone.org. Thanks so much for being a marketplace minister. Thanks for listening to this challenge and accepting this challenge. Let's let our knowledge of God impact how we live. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Today, I want to talk a little bit about how we connect our "why," to our actions.
We actually prepare to speak about and to be able to explain our faith to other people in the marketplace. That's one of the things that we practice in the Marketplace Mission Trip.
Today we're taking a verse out of 2 Corinthians 7:1.
Let me read the verse and I'll explain it. "Since we have these promises beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God."
Paul is actually summing up a defense that he's making of himself to the Corinthians.
There are a couple of chapters where he's explaining to them that he did what he did because he's an apostle of Jesus Christ. And in making this defense, he's actually saying, because we have these promises, let's cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit. This is the English Standard Version by the way.
But the key phrase here is, "bringing holiness to completion." We're to complete the holiness. Jesus selects us. He sets us apart. He says, "You're special. I want you to be used for my instruction." That's holiness - us dedicated to God, us set apart for God. There are other big words that are used.
But we're set apart. We're designated for a specific use. We bring that holiness to completion when we actually step into that calling; when we do what the Lord has called us to do. And Paul is making a defense here. He's summing up his defense. It's the same way that we might make a statement when we're talking to someone else, if they asked us, "Hey, why are you doing this? Why did you stay late and help me in my job?" "Well, I'm doing it, because I follow Jesus. I want to close the loop for you and let you know that my following Jesus was a factor in the decision to do that."
When we point out that our following Jesus is a factor in the decision, it makes the rest of the world have to deal with the fact that we live according to a different standard. We're called to a different standard. Often it's used as holiness and that word sometimes gets negative connotations. This isn't about us wearing a gown or a collar. It isn't about us doing certain things, except that we do them because Jesus called us.
Jesus separated us. When He saved us, He basically said, "I have a purpose for you". I believe God creates every one of us with a purpose, but some of us never learn that purpose because we never trust Jesus. Some others of us trust Jesus and never really work to discover that purpose.
We never work to bring our holiness to completion. And the rest of us, we get to step into that holiness a little more, when we see these opportunities to glorify God and to do what He says.
We talk about this in Follower of One on a regular basis. Our goal is to help other people move one notch closer to Jesus.
Today, with every interaction that you have, you can help other people move one notch closer to Jesus. You begin to bring your own holiness to completion. You complete this sanctification that's designed for you to step into that role. Yes, sometimes we need to get rid of something. We need to stop behaving a certain way. For me, it's over-eating. Also, my self-talk is somewhat negative. I do need to also clean up my life. But bringing holiness to completion is part of this "remember your why;" being able to connect the dots and bring the, "why did you do something?". back around so that other people can know that Jesus was a motivator?. I hope I haven't rambled too much for you today.
This is challenging to me I want to figure out how my faith matters in my actions on a moment-by-moment basis. And then when someone asks, I want to just be able to give them a great explanation and one or two sentences for why Jesus prompted me to do that. That's the way we operate at Follower of One.
Would you like to live your faith a little more easily in the workplace today? Then check us out, go create an online profile at https://community.followerofone.org and join us in this community as we figure out how to live our faith together. Thanks very much.
Where do you draw the line? What won't you do as a follower of Jesus?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks so much for joining me again today on the podcast. I'm grateful for you listening to these daily devotionals and sharing them. If you will.
Today. I want to continue what we talked about starting yesterday. So yesterday I talked about John 10:10. Today, we want to talk about John 10:11. Jesus is still speaking. And he says, "I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."
And the question, "where do you draw the line is where do you draw the line when you're following Jesus?"
I wrestle with this from time to time. Fortunately, God hasn't called me to really dangerous laying down my life. I think about Secret Service agents who are, or expected to die in the line of fire, protecting the President. I think about other things that go on as well. Jesus is telling us the good shepherd - that's Him - lays down His life for the sheep.
He's going to die on the cross, for all of us. He also tells us in John 15, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friend." This laying down our lives or where do we draw the line, I think comes directly relative on a day like today, when, as this airs we're on Day 4 of the Marketplace Mission Trip the second week and our topic is "deliver excellent work".
Do you draw the line in the quality of work that you do? Do you give away your career in your time and your energy to serve the people around you? Some of this ought to sound a little radical. I have trouble with some of these statements too. Did I do everything I could? No, I could have gone farther.
I could've stretched harder. I could have delivered more. And if you've worked with me in the past, you're aware of that. So at least we're honest. I want to help us as Christ-followers consider the things that God asks us to do in service to our friends and our coworkers. One of those is to make sure that we deliver excellent work, that everything that we do is excellent. We want to make sure that the excellence of our performance is noticeable. Not because of what it says about us, but what it says about the person that we follow. Everything that we do because we follow Jesus matters forever. I think it counts forever.
Jesus said that even a cup of cold water given his name and we shall not lose our reward. And so if everything that we do, because we follow Jesus matters, then how we do our job because we follow Jesus matters. Let's do excellent work today. Figure out what you can do to make it easier for the people that you work with.
What can you do to make your quality of work better? I also want to encourage us to make sure that we're not showing off or that we're not showing up to our coworkers. Our job is to make them successful. Our job to help them get ahead in the world is the easy part; getting ahead eternally is what our ultimate goal is.
We want to help people get ahead eternally. I want to help every person that I know move one notch closer to Jesus because that step is on the path to their ultimate success, not to their temporal success, but to their ultimate success. That's why we focus on doing excellent work on Day 4 - Week 2 of the Marketplace Mission Trip.
Speaking of the mission trip, if you've never taken one of these trips before you don't really go anywhere. It's devotional, but we do it together. You can find out more about it at https://community.followerofone.org. Create a profile there and join the online community and you'll get invited on the next Marketplace Mission Trip.
There's always another one starting in just a few weeks. Thanks very much for being a marketplace minister and for making a difference. Your faith matters. Thanks.
In this week’s episode, Mike speaks with Rick Johnson, Executive Stewardship Officer at RC Fasteners & Components, about integrating his faith as a business leader as well as his recent experience going through Follower of One’s Marketplace Mission Trip experience. Episode Breakdown
- 3:40 - Surrendering and The Personal Struggles Of Building A Business
- 13:23 - Bringing Faith and Values Into The Workplace
- 21:05 - The Power of Prayer and Gratitude
Surrendering and The Personal Struggles Of Building A Business
Rick explains more about the first year of RC Fasteners & Components and how faith played an integral role in being able to navigate personal struggles and keep a business afloat within the aftermath of 9/11.
Bringing Faith and Values Into The Workplace
When we emphasize strong values within a small work team, the results are undeniable. Rick explains how performing daily gratitude, playing Christian music and giving employees personal team has only benefited their team.
The Power of Prayer and Gratitude
“It’s not our place to fix everything, it’s our duty to pray and pray for others. It truly is about that attitude of gratitude.” Rick explains how Follower of One has been helpful in helping him and his team put their focus back on what’s most important - personally and professionally.
Connect with Rick:
- On Linkedin
- RC Fastners & Components
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
Let's talk about the paradox of abundance today.
I'm Mike Henry Sr. Thank you for joining me on the Follower of One Podcast. I'm the Founder and Chief Troublemaker at https://followerofone.org. Today, we're in the second week in the middle, on day three on the Marketplace Mission Trip.
And the topic that we talk about on this day is "listening". And I thought it gave me an opportunity to speak about a verse that I haven't covered on the podcast before, but it's a very popular verse. It's John 10:10 from the English Standard Version. It says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."
And that's Jesus speaking. And He's telling us this difference between what the devil and the world system will do. It will steal and kill and destroy. It's taking things away from us. It's corrupting and destroying things.
Jesus came that we may have life and have it abundantly. And sometimes you will hear people talk about this. "God wants you to be wealthy and prosperous." That's not what I'm talking about today. The abundant life ties directly into our daily lesson about listening because listening takes time, paying attention to someone else takes time. Serving other people takes time.
Everything that we do depends on our ability to rely on Jesus. We have to earn a living. We have responsibilities and tasks that need to be completed. How can we take the time to spend extra time listening to a friend? How can we close our business for a Sunday for a day and still make a profit when we could be open seven days instead of six?
All of these things come from this abundant life that Jesus gives us. The abundant life is not something that we consume. The abundant life is what we give away. We're all measured, not by what we consumed in this life, but by what we gave away. And I want to encourage us today to live abundantly. Remember that Jesus can make sure that we have the time to do everything He wants.
Therefore, if He wants us to listen to a friend, let's listen. If He wants us to go out of our way to help someone, let's go out of our way to help them. Our job as believers of Jesus is to listen to Him so that His instruction and His plan and His system gets introduced into our world. As we follow Jesus, the kingdom of heaven steps into our workplace.
The kingdom of heaven is what takes over when we can live with this abundance when we can live available to serve other people. You've felt the anxiety of being behind and trying to press to make a deadline. Let's try to learn, to prepare more and live more abundantly to take this abundant life that Jesus gave us and put it to work in the world by giving it away. That's right. We give it away. That's how abundant our life needs to be. Let's give life to others.
Thank you today for being a marketplace minister. Thanks for listening to this podcast. He has a job for us to do no matter what our workplace occupation is today. Jesus has a purpose for you that exceeds the job that you do. And when you can step into that role, yes, you give a little more, but it puts you on Jesus's program taking his orders. It makes you a follower of Him.
Thanks so much for being a follower of Jesus. And if you want to join a community of people who are actively trying to follow Him better to then join us at https://community.Followerofone.org. There, you can meet other people with similar occupations and you can also go on your own Marketplace Mission Trip. Thanks very much.
In this week’s episode, Mike speaks with John McCarthy. John is the CEO of The Purpose Promise whose mission is to help all those in the workplace find their purpose in work and ultimately purposeful employment. In addition, John is also the Operations Manager for At Work On Purpose a ministry dedicated to mobilizing Church at Work across the country.
Episode Breakdown
- 2:00 - John’s Faith and Entrepreneurial
- 6:30 - The Purpose Promise
- 14:20 - Investing In Our Daily Relationships
- 19:14 - At Work On Purpose
- 21:20 - John’s Marketplace Mission Trip Experience
The Purpose Promise
John explains his journey and background in founding The Purpose Promise. After three major discoveries: that 70% of people didn’t enjoy their work, people spend more time at work than anywhere else and 80% of people who came to John for a new job didn’t know what they wanted out of their daily work life - John decided it was time to change the conversation around work and purpose. Now The Purpose Promise helps people across the country find purposeful employment.
At Work On Purpose
Beyond The Purpose Promise, John also helps run an organization called At Work On Purpose whose mission is to mobilize the workplace for Christ. When it comes to helping Christians integrate their faith in the workplace John shares, “when the lord moves in our life we get to steward our story” we get to give our story of faith and our experience as a gift to others.”
John’s Marketplace Mission Trip Experience
“The marketplace mission trip has been a profound experience. How profound is it that we can experience the same experience with people we don’t know in the digital world.” Through his experience in Follower of One’s Market Place Mission Trip John has continued to be reminded of how his faith can be an integral part of his daily life, leadership, and career.
Connect with John Mccarthy
- The Purpose Promise
- The Purpose Promise Book
- On Linkedin
- At Work On Purpose
Connect With Follower Of One
Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
Do you want to see Jesus do a miracle? There's a key step that's involved. Let's talk about it.
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks again for joining me on the Follower of One Podcast. Today, our Marketplace Mission Trip is going on too and our message for today is to make time for others.
I want to talk a little bit about how Jesus works with our stuff: with our time and our money and our resources. Our verse for today is Matthew 14:16-18, and primarily it's verse 18,
"But Jesus said, 'They do not go away. You give them something to eat.' They said to him, 'We have only five loaves here and two fish.' And he said, 'Bring them here to me.'"
That's from the English Standard Version. When you bring the five loaves and the two fish to Jesus, He works miracles. But the key is, we have to bring them to Him. You have to give away our lunch to feed 5,000 people.
I don't know about you, but I don't give things away easily. I want to give things away, easier. When we give something away because Jesus prompted us, it's an opportunity for us to see Jesus' work. It's an opportunity for us to see a miracle take place.
Here they saw a tremendous miracle. They saw Jesus break, five loaves of bread and two fish over and over and over again until 5,000 people were fed. And there were 12 baskets of food left over; one basket for each disciple. It's interesting to me that Jesus does things like this, where He reminds us, "If you give me a little of your time, I will multiply it. If you give me a little of your money, I will multiply it."
I don't believe that means that he's going to make us wealthy enough to have our own jet airplane. But I do believe that He may feed 5,000 people with our five loaves and two fish. Jesus takes the things that we bring to Him and He uses them.
And I also want to differentiate a little bit for much of my life as a Christian, I've attended churches, where we thought you had to have people come to church and walk down an aisle to become followers of Jesus.
All we need to do is introduce people to Jesus, right where we are. We can bring people to Jesus too by the way we live. And that's what we talk about Follower of One.
And even if He doesn't multiply it back to me, if I can give it away again tomorrow, and if I can give it away again the next day, eventually I will see God work. I will see these miracles and I will receive payment in joy and in peace. And in my lifestyle, I will receive things that you just can't buy, when I give things away.
I want to challenge us today. Let's be people who bring others to Jesus and we bring our stuff to Jesus and we let him put it to work. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thanks for listening to our podcast. If you've never been on one of our Marketplace Mission Trips, I would like to encourage you to go check out our online community.
Things are taking off there. More and more people are joining the online community every day, taking part in the Marketplace Mission Trips, and it's a chance for us to integrate our faith into what we do every day, whatever our job is. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Check us out at https://followerofone.org or you can go ahead and sign up and join the online community at https://communitydotfollowerofone.org. Thanks very much.
How can you tell when you're doing what the Lord wants? Is "easy" necessarily good?
I am Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Welcome back to the Follower of One Podcast. Thanks for joining me today. We're talking about 1 Corinthians 16, and I'm going to read verses eight and nine.
This is the end of the book where Paul is wrapping up his letter to the Corinthians. And he makes the statement in verse eight. He says, "But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries."
Do you consider adversaries a sign that you're doing what God wants? Often that's the case. Sometimes God uses difficulty to get us out of doing something or to communicate to us that we should be doing something else. But there are other times when God assures us that we should be going forward into what we're doing, and yet we still have many adversaries.
This podcast airs on Week 2 - Day 1 of the Marketplace Mission Trip and our topic for that day is "Go!" And we talk about how we all already go. We go to work or whatever we're doing. We are where we are and God puts us to work. Paul is saying I'm staying in Ephesus because "a wide door for effective work has opened to me." He sees fruit from his work, but there are many adversaries. The adversaries are almost like a secondary sign to help Paul understand that he's doing God's will. We have an enemy. This world is operated by a standard that doesn't align with Jesus and the Bible. Our world and our flesh all operate according to Satan's desires and will.
And we're part of the insurgency if you will. We're part of God's effort to restore mankind, to a relationship with him. And so to expect things to be easy for us all the time, I think that's unreasonable.
Paul's not running from the challenges. Paul's hanging out in the challenges. Where do we today need to hang out in the challenges? Where today might you say, "I need to invest more. I need to spend more time or give more energy." We talk about this on the Marketplace Mission Trip as being prepared to serve our coworkers, to pray for other people, and to do things to show appreciation to them because we follow Jesus.
And that's what I want to challenge us all to do today. Let's take our relationship with Jesus and remind ourselves that we're here to do what he wants; not to do what's easy.
I often default to easy, but I want to do what God wants. I want to listen to the Holy Spirit today and let Him prompt me on who I serve. Where can I spend a few extra minutes? Where can I take some additional time? What can I do that's extra effort so that I can show other people that my relationship with them, and my relationship with Christ is more important to me than the deadline or the timeframe. That's our action item for today. Let's find a way to invest in the lives of other people so that Jesus is glorified.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister. If you're on our Marketplace Mission Trip way to go, keep it going.
And if you've never taken our Marketplace Mission Trip, I'd like to invite you to go to https://community.followerofone.org and sign up for the next one. There's always another mission trip scheduled just a few weeks away.
Thank you for being a minister in the marketplace. Like I said earlier, thanks for sharing this podcast. Check us out at https://followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
Are you sent by Jesus? And what does it mean to be sent? Let's talk about it today.
Hi, I'm Mike Henry with Follower of One. Welcome back to the Follower of One Podcast. Today, I want to talk about John 20:21. From the New American Standard, it says, "So Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me. I also send you.'"
This is Jesus's first appearance, after the resurrection. He has appeared in this locked room where many of the disciples were located.
Some people actually think this command is not for the average Christian, that this command is just for the apostles. They were the ones who were sent. "Apostle" actually means "sent" or "sent one." And yet I believe this passage is aimed at every person who follows Jesus.
Jesus sent us back into the world as his people. We have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us and it's our job to be Jesus' followers in the world so that other people may see the difference that happens when we live following Jesus.
The next question might be, where do we go? Are we supposed to go on an overseas mission trip or are we supposed to sell our house and go into the mission field? Well, we talked today on the Marketplace Mission Trip about how the "Go" in Matthew 28 "Go therefore and make disciples," that "go" could also mean "having gone" or "as you go."
Our going is part of Jesus's plan. In Acts 1:8, He says that we will be his witnesses and he was talking to everyone. We witness life following Jesus. That's our challenge. When He sent us back into the world, that means "I'm not taking you with me to heaven. I'm leaving you here so that you can make a difference."
Your life will be visible to every person that you interact with. Will your faith be visible? I believe that's his challenge for us today. As we follow Him and live in the world, sent by him to wherever we work or whatever we're doing today, we have a responsibility to live like we follow Jesus.
What does that look like? Well, ask Him. Begin with prayer. Ask God, "Here. I am God. I want to use that phrase to punch in and I want you to tell me what you want me to do today. Please put me to work."
Jesus will put you to work in your workplace. He will help you live in such a way that you make him visible.
I want to challenge you today. Let's live trusting Jesus. Remember wherever you are, you've been sent. You've been dispatched there by Jesus Christ and he would love for you to live following him so that others around you would see that. He brought those people to you.
Today, remember that you're in the position, you're in to glorify God, to make Him visible. And he becomes visible, you make his kingdom present, you make Him visible when you live following Him. When we do that today, we're part of his plan, we're part of his strategy, and we get to experience the joy of following Jesus every day.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for trying to make a difference in the world every day, because you follow Jesus. Your faith matters. Don't just let that faith transform you, but also use it to make a difference in the lives of the people around you. Pray for those people, appreciate them and look for ways to serve them.
And then when someone asks, be ready to answer. Explain to them why you believe in Jesus and why he's the motivation behind your actions. It will glorify him and he will draw those people to himself. Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for making a difference in your world.
Our faith matters every day. If we ask Jesus to put us to work, he will do it. Thanks for joining us in this effort and also consider joining us in our online community at https://community.followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
What percentage of your life would you say is spent trying to please Jesus? Let's talk about that today.
Hey, I'm Mike Henry with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me on the Follower of One Podcast. I confess the answer to my own question is much lower than I'd like it to be. I spend most of my day, every day trying to please myself. But it's something I'm working on and I work on regularly.
Today, I want to talk about 2 Corinthians 5:9. "Therefore, we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him." And that's from the New American Standard translation.
I want to be pleasing to God. That's my awake, intentional purpose. But often my reflexes and my habits after 64 years, of living in this body, is to please myself. I struggle with trying to please myself every day. Today, we're also going through this exercise in our Online Community called the Marketplace Mission Trip. And the very last activity of the Five Daily Activities is "Speak for Yourself", it's finding a way to be able to explain why you believe Jesus, and why you follow Him, but doing so using first-person pronouns.
I want to be able to explain my motives as being initiated by Jesus. Part of that requires me to live my life, following Jesus. If I never live my life following Jesus, no one will ever ask me. And if I actually claim to follow Jesus, but I really don't live following him, then that disparity creates a lot of confusion.
And that's probably the biggest criticism of the church today by people who are not Jesus's followers. We don't look different. I want to have as my ambition, whether at home or absent to be pleasing to Him. Now, Paul is not talking about whether or not I'm in town or out of town. He's actually talking about whether, in this body or in the next life, my goal is to please, Jesus. This is like a vision for eternity. He wants to please Jesus, all day, every day today, and all day, every day for all of eternity.
I've noticed that I grow in my passion and in my desire to please Jesus. The more that I follow Him, the more joy I experience following Him. And then I want to do that more.
I want to follow Him some more so that I can receive that joy again. It's a little self-fulfilling. And you've experienced it too. Maybe it was in a wonderful worship service or going on an overseas mission trip, or serving other people in an area where you weren't comfortable and then watching Jesus work.
When we lean into our relationship with Jesus, we experience this joy and this peace, and I want you to be able to both experience that and be able to articulate that. That's how this verse and our daily activity, on the mission trip tie together. If we can focus our lives to living and pleasing Jesus.
Then we will come up with ways to explain that God will give us the words. We'll also have friends who are asking. Our lives will look different. And that I believe is our first goal as a marketplace minister, is to live a life that looks a little different. We follow Jesus. And when he becomes our north star, we're not on the same path as everyone else.
Our job is to follow Him; take part in His plan. And his plan is to be visible to everyone in the world so they can choose to trust Him. Today, I want to encourage you. Let's follow Jesus. Let's ask him to give us an idea today, of whether or not we live trying to please him.
Like I said, my bar, of pleasing Jesus is too low. I want to make it go up. And so as I look for ways to please, Jesus, I want to give my life away in trying to serve other people. That is one way I believe he's called me to serve him, is by serving his people, and by serving other people.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister. Ministry is just an opportunity to serve others and help them move one notch closer to Jesus. Thanks for being a minister in your workplace. I hope you're taking part in the Follower of One Marketplace Mission Trip. If you've never done that, go check it out. You can join https://community.followerofone.org and you'll get invited to the next Marketplace Mission Trip.
It's a two-week exercise where we practice living our lives, pleasing Jesus. Check it out at https://followerofone.org. And thanks very much.
What does it mean to walk by faith and not by sight?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again on the Follower of One Podcast.
Today, I just want to reflect a little bit on second Corinthians 5:7 "For we walk by faith, not by sight." The apostle Paul is actually defending himself a little bit to the people of Corinth.
And he's pointing out that walking by faith, instead of walking by sight, makes him do things differently. He does things differently than what the Corinthians would have expected of him. Today on our Marketplace Mission Trip, we're talking about our fourth daily activity, which is Serving Others. Serving Others is an act of walking by faith.
Most of what we see in the world is "Go for all the gusto!" "Grab all you can." "Get everything that you can. But Jesus said that He came to serve not to be served. We're challenged as followers of Jesus, to live by faith; to trust that going out of our way to serve someone else is the most direct route to success, to getting ahead.
We often don't see that in our world. The site that we see is, "Let's manipulate the stock market." "Let's do things to get ahead in the world." "It's our job to bring things to ourselves".
But in Jesus's economy, when we serve other people, we get outside of that calling and our response is to serve others. And that's why I chose this verse today while talking about serving others. Walking by faith requires us to do things that look silly to the naked eye.
When you see the stock market is having trouble or when problems are going on, can you trust Jesus? Can you trust him when things are very difficult? We broke the world and bad things happen, but we do have a promise from God that He will cause everything to work together for good, to those who love Him and who are called according to his purpose.
So as we try and follow him, even the bad things that happen, we can receive those as part of his strategy, as part of his plan. He will make them work out for good.
So as we talk about what it means to walk by faith, let's trust Him and do what He says. Let's get outside of our job description and serve others.
Let's also do things we know are true, that we know are right. Let's avoid gossip and give people the benefit of the doubt. Let's think best of others and look for ways to be a blessing to others. And for the hard things that happen, let's adopt that "So Be It" mentality that I mentioned from my friend, Jim Lange's book, if you didn't hear me talking about that earlier, he wrote a book, Calming the Storm Within, by Jim Lange.
And he talks about being a, "So Be It" Christian, being someone who can look at their circumstances and say, "Okay, God, this is the lot you've given me today. What do you want me to do?" I'm trying to adopt being more of a, So Be It Christian. And I think that's part of walking by faith.
Today, let's walk by faith. Ask God to show you how you can serve the people around you; how you can get outside of your job description because you trust Jesus. You want to serve other people and let Jesus do the work. Jesus can make our lives are better, both in this world and the next, and he calls us to serve other people.
So today that's our Marketplace Mission Trip activity, and it's one way to walk by faith and not by sight. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for stretching your faith to make a difference in the world. When we live, like we follow Jesus, other people will ask. And we'll get an opportunity to talk more about Jesus, to other people because we live differently.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thanks for making a difference in the lives of your friends. Check out https://followerofone.org and join our online community and become part of a body of people who are trying to do the very same thing; we're trying to live our lives, glorifying. God. Thanks very much.
If I ever truly saw God's glory, I would not fear anything but Him.
Hi, I'm Mike Henry with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again on the Follower of One Podcast. Today, I want to talk about a passage in Philippians 4, beginning in verse 5, "The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing."
And that actually spans the end of verse five and the beginning of verse six.
And because I always memorize these verses, one verse at a time, I never thought too much about those two phrases being that closely related. But that is exactly what the Bible says. In John MacArthur's Truth for Today, he eliminated that verse break for me when I was reading a devotional, he wrote on this topic.
And it struck a chord in my mind. "The Lord's near-ness should cause me to be anxious for nothing. I always thought it was my job to screw up the strength to be anxious for nothing. But actually, it's the Lord's nearness that causes me to be anxious for nothing."
Today on the Marketplace Mission Trip, we're talking about the importance of knowing what we believe. If we really knew the one in whom we believe, I don't think we would fear anyone or anything, but Him. He's more powerful than I can imagine. Whatever I face can't hold a stick to Him. Knowing what we believe means having the confidence to trust Him for the next thing, because of what He's already done.
Reflect for a moment on what Jesus has done for you. When we focus on the proximity of Jesus to His nearness to us, we have nothing to fear. That's why we're told to be anxious for nothing. If I think about Him being near, being powerful, knowing what I know, handling what I fear, I stop being anxious.
"Anxiety is experiencing failure in advance", according to Seth Godin. It's planning to lose or planning to fail. But God causes all things to work together for good. Therefore, I'm free to do what He wants. My heart wants to add a, "but" to that phrase, But I'm free to do whatever He wants because of his power.
And I can experience his peace doing that. I can deny anxiety as I trust Him and walk in what he's instructed me to do. I wonder what I forfeit sometimes when I solve things on my own, I wonder what I failed to experience because I trusted myself instead of trusting the Lord who is near.
Today on our Marketplace Mission Trip, we practice talking about knowing what we believe, being able to answer the question, "Why are you doing this?" We're free to help other people as Christ-followers because he's in charge. Because He's near, we don't have to be anxious. We're free to be helpers, to be available, to do things for other people.
Today, I want to challenge us as marketplace Christians. Let's find ways to let our faith matter in the world; not so much by what we say, but by what we do. We live differently because we trust God. We're free to live, trusting him because his power is near. We believe in his power. We follow Him. We take our marching orders from him and he works his plan through us.
It should make us different people. Let's spend less effort talking about Jesus and more effort living like we know how powerful he is and how close he is.
It should cause us to be anxious for nothing. It should cause us to be peaceful in everything that we do. It should cause us to be people who have time for others. Look for ways today. Ask God to show you how this shows up in your life because you're trusting Him.
"The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing."
Keep saying it that way to yourself and let him guide you today. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for listening to this podcast. Please share it with a friend and join us in our online community. https://community.followerofone.org Thanks very much.
In this week’s episode, Mike speaks with Greg Cross. Greg, CEO of Glimpse Video, has served the nonprofit world for 13 years and has an extensive background in raising hundreds of thousands of dollars, recruiting volunteers, and organizing and delivering consistent communication for a wide range of non-profits. His mission is to help nonprofits, including Follower of One, leverage video to help tell their story.
Episode Breakdown
- 1:38 – Greg's Journey Into Faith
- 6:50 – Leaving Ministry For The Business World
- 15:45 – Greg's Upcoming Event For Non-Profit Leaders
- 18:10 – Greg's Marketplace Mission Trip Experience
Greg’s Journey Into Faith
“Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian just as going to McDonald’s doesn’t make you a hamburger” Greg shares more about his own father’s shift in faith impacted his journey into Christianity.
Leaving Ministry For The Business World
Although most find themselves leaving the workforce to go into ministry, it was a bit opposite for Greg. Greg felt a push by God to leave ministry work and go into the mainstream workforce. This allowed him to lean into his entrepreneurial gifts – starting Glimpse Video that both blended his entrepreneurship and his passion for faith.
Greg’s Upcoming Event For Non-Profit Leaders
This is an amazing opportunity for any non-profit leader to gain resources, tips, and insight into the world of what it takes to move the needle. This webinar will help coach those within the non-profit space to learn what it takes to hone their mission and improve fundraising.
Greg's Marketplace Mission Trip Experience
Greg gets honest about his experience in the marketplace mission trip – and shares how the experience enriched his perspective of blending his faith and role as an entrepreneur. In particular, the marketplace mission trip provided an amazing and unique experience for him. As Greg puts it, “I see the Church not doing a good job of ministering to people in business. The Marketplace Mission trip was a ministry for ME, to get me in the mindset that my work is my mission field.”
Connect with Greg: * Glimpse Video * On Linkedin * Rise Beyond The Noise
Connect With Follower Of One Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
Did you ever dream about being a follower when you were a kid? I didn't. So why do we call ourselves Follower of One? Well, let's talk about that today.
I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again on the Follower of One Podcast. Today, we want to talk about Matthew 8:9.
We're talking about this story that takes place in verses two through 13. But verse nine is our key passage today. And it's about the phrase "under authority." A couple of episodes ago. I mentioned that Jesus insists that we follow him, but that I never liked to think of myself as a follower. I wanted to be a leader.
I work on my leadership and I've written about leadership. And I often read about leadership. Jesus spent time sharing about things that we can't see. And in the previous episodes, we discussed this passage about how we will lose our physical life, but we can have and keep an eternal life.
But if we lose our physical life for Jesus and for the sake of the good news, the gospel, we will gain a life that we can't lose, one that lasts forever. And in that world, in this other life, Jesus is the boss. Now he's the boss in our broken world too, but his power and authority are hidden.
Jesus gives us a chance to choose to trust him. Philippians 2 says, "One day, every knee will bow." One day, we will all know who's boss. Today we have a choice. God's glory is hidden and masked from us so that we are free to choose because if we saw him for who he really was, we'd be so freaked out that we wouldn't have a choice.
This story in Matthew chapter eight is a favorite of mine. A centurion wants Jesus to heal his servant. And he sends another servant to Jesus to ask for his help, Jesus agrees. So he starts to head toward the centurion's, house. But the centurion and sends another servant to say, basically to Jesus, "Hey, don't come. Just say the word. Don't bother coming here." And this verse says, "For, I also am a man under authority with soldiers under me; and I say, to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it."
That's Matthew 8:9 from the New American Standard Bible. Jesus marvels at this man's faith. This guy gets it. He understands how a follower is a leader. When we line up with the true authority, we receive authority. When we represent Jesus, we get some of his authority.
And this centurion knew it. This centurion knew that Jesus was God's representative on our planet. He knew that he was God on this planet. And when he told an angel or a servant or someone to do something, they did it. He understood that authority. When we follow the right guy, we lead. We influence others and we make a difference in the world.
If your influence doesn't lead others to Jesus, you sabotage your own leadership. You ultimately lead others the wrong way or to the wrong place. I often say most of the world's problems are leadership problems. None of us is the ultimate leader. And that's the point Jesus is making in all of the. As we follow Him, our leadership influences others for eternity.
Our leadership influences others to listen to Jesus and to do what he says and our leadership then matters. Leaders follow and followers lead. And we can't get out of that. And that's why we challenge ourselves to follow Jesus closely with our whole life. You never know how your own life will make a difference in the life of someone else's until you follow Jesus closely and trust Him.
Why not do that today? Check out our online community at https://community.followerofone.org. There you can join us, join with other people who are in a similar occupation to you, and you will be able to go on your own Marketplace Mission Trip, which is a way that we practice living our faith and growing every day.
Join us at https://community.Followerone.org. And thank you for being a marketplace minister.
Would Jesus really be ashamed of me?
Hey, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me for the Follower of One Podcast. We've been talking about this passage in Mark 8:34-37, the last couple of days. And today I want to pick up with verse 38 and wrap it up.
"For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." That's Mark 8:38 from the New American Standard Bible. And I switched between that and the English Standard Version. But in this particular passage, ashamed is a keyword.
We don't think about shame much in our world, or we talk about it as being something that's wrong, that we don't want to do almost every translation. I looked at, use the word ashamed here both when we were ashamed of Jesus and when He is ashamed of us. He's only ashamed of people who don't trust Him. And so our trust in Him, and our willingness to not be embarrassed or not be ashamed about our confidence in Him, is what he's talking about here.
And I actually believe this goes all the way back to where Peter originally said, "Hey, Jesus, don't be talking like that." Peter tried to correct Jesus at the beginning of this passage. We didn't really talk about that part of this passage, because we wanted to study Jesus and his situation here and about the need to be a follower.
I believe Jesus is reminding us that we follow Him. He's being direct. And he's making a point. We only have two options. Either Jesus is Lord of the universe, or he's not. He's this crazy person or he's badly mistaken.
And therefore, if he's Lord of the universe, we have to believe what he says, even if it's hard, even if it's difficult. We have this choice of following Jesus today. Let's choose to follow him. Let's choose to do what he says. Let's choose to trust him with our lives. We give our physical life away a little bit at a time by choosing to do the things that Jesus guides us to do either through his word or through his church or through other Christian friends, which are also his church.
Jesus can direct us and we can follow Him and do what he says. And when we do, we do not risk Him being ashamed of us. We will be his child. And we will get to be with him. I'm looking forward to that day. I look forward to being with Jesus on a daily basis today as I live my life. And also when I'm no longer in this life and I'm in the next.
And I want to challenge us today to remember that Jesus is Lord. He is the almighty ruler of the universe, and that should change our behavior. As followers of his, we should let him change our behavior on a daily basis. Let's look for ways to do that today. Sometimes it will look like taking up a cross.
Sometimes it will look like following Jesus. And sometimes it may look like just doing the next right thing because that's what he challenges us to do.
Let's join Jesus today in His work in our world and watch Him make a difference in our lives and in the lives of the people around us.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for making a difference with your faith in the workplace, your faith, and the way you live matters.
You're a leader because of the way you live. And we'll talk about that in the next episode to our commitment to following Jesus still makes us a leader. Thanks very much.
Do we really believe Jesus when He says that we must give up our life? Let's talk about that today.
Hey, I'm Mike Henry Sr. and yesterday we talked about Mark 8:34 and the setting of this passage. But let's continue today with Mark 8:34-37.
And calling the crowd to him, with his disciples, He said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me." For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul. That's Mark 8:34-37.
I think our civilized world lets things like this go in one ear and out the other. We all die. We know it's coming, but we ignore it. We put it out of our minds. Jesus is telling us something bold here. And often we simply snore right through it.
He told us yesterday that we must follow Him. That's contrary to the whole idea that we want to be leaders. And today He tells us that we can't hang on to our life. He describes following Him as marching down death row, taking up our cross.
Self-preservation is a given. We all try to compromise between what we have to do and what we want to do. It seems most of us question more and more of what we have to do with each year, or with each generation. Everyone's looking for a loophole. Jesus says, if we try to save our life we will lose it. But if we lose our life for his sake, we will save it. What does it mean to lose our life for Jesus's sake, and for the gospel's sake? A friend told me recently that David Platt said, "We don't make Jesus Lord of our life. He is Lord." Jesus. Isn't giving us a grandfatherly platitude here. He's telling us what's going to happen. He's telling us how reality works. We have a choice. We can give Jesus our life now, which means taking up our cross and following Him daily.
It means doing things we don't really want to do, but we do them because we want to follow Jesus. Or we can give Jesus our life when we die. He's going to claim it. And because I follow Jesus, I live two lives. I live the one that I will one day lose. And I live the one that he gave me when I trusted him.
You see, I believe I live my eternal life now. I can't lose that second life. But the first one will be over pretty soon. They're not many years left. If you don't lay down your first physical life, you can't have the eternal one. We will all see Him as Lord one day. It says in Philippians, "Every knee will bow. If we gain this whole world", but we don't have that second life we're done.
We're toast. It's not going to be a very good day for us when we die and meet Jesus involuntarily.
As contemporary Jesus followers. Let's remember that we live that second life. We can share it with others. We can even practice living this life, as someone who knows these things, by taking part in the Marketplace Mission Trip to find out more, join our Online Community. This is a community of believers who are trying to live our faith on a regular basis. It's not as weird as you think. We can make ways to allow our faith to be integrated into our actions every day.
Check it out at https://community.followerofone.org. Create a profile for yourself there and join our online community. And you'll get invited to go on the next marketplace mission trip, which is a two-week exercise where we practice this very idea of integrating our faith into our work daily. Most people think they don't have time, but you'll be surprised.
It takes about five minutes a day. Try it out at https://community.Followerofone.org. You might help someone save their life forever. Our actions matter. Thank you for being a marketplace minister.
Was it your goal in life to be a follower?
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One and it wasn't my goal in life to be a follower. But thanks for joining me on the Follower of One Podcast.
Jesus is talking with the disciples in this passage and he asked them who they think He is. Peter makes a famous confession and Jesus commends him. But in the next moment, Peter liked me, and many of us go a little too far. He says something a little strange. He kind of sticks his foot in his mouth and Jesus corrects him and corrects him sharply and he tells Peter and everyone else that he sees that we must follow Him.
Let's take a look at Mark 8:34, "And calling the crowd to Him with his disciples, He said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let Him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me." Again. That's Mark 8:34 from the English Standard Version.
I started a leadership community a few years back. And we had this ongoing dialogue about how you could tell when you were around a leader or what were the characteristics of a leader. And one of my friends said as I'm sure you've heard before too, or maybe even you believe that a leader is someone who has followers.
I took issue with that definition. I never much liked the idea of being a follower. I didn't like the idea that for me to be a leader that would force someone else to become a follower.
If you're like me, you want to be a leader. And many of us think that follower is like the opposite of a leader, but I don't go quite that far. Still, I don't want to be someone who passively does what they're told to do. I'm not the kind of person who likes to wait around for orders.
After that conversation was over though, because I'm a Jesus follower, I was stuck with the idea that one leader insists that I follow Him and that's Jesus. My life doesn't work unless I follow Jesus. And here Jesus, while straightening out Peter and the disciples, he makes this bold statement. We must lay aside our own desires. We must deny ourselves and take up our cross.
We must surrender our lives to follow Jesus. This is a bold claim. And He goes on in the next few passages to talk about this some more. We may go into this another day, but this is how Follower of One got its name. You see, even to be a leader, I must follow Jesus. But it's because Jesus isn't a normal human being.
Jesus is God of the universe - become flesh. God became flesh and dwelt among us, it says in John chapter one, and we just went through that, a couple of episodes back. Jesus is the Lord of the universe. We don't get to choose that he's Lord. He is Lord. He runs things and he's telling us how the real world works.
He's telling us how the real universe works. We must give up our lives so that we can follow Him. And that's a challenge for us because we want to be our own bosses. We want to run our own show. We want to do our own thing.
We'll talk a little bit more tomorrow about how a leader is also a follower or how a follower is also a leader. We are an online community for Jesus followers who want our faith to matter every day.
We don't think Jesus saved us to just stay out of trouble until we die. We want to take part in the work Jesus is doing in history. Care to join us, check out our online community at https://community.Followerofone.org, where you can meet other Christians who are also on this journey.
And you can join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip. That's a two-week exercise where we practice living like a Jesus follower in today's world. Check it out by creating a profile for yourself at no charge at https://community.followerofone.org.
Thanks very much for being a marketplace minister. And thanks for living your faith on a daily basis. Our actions matter. Thanks very much.
Have you ever felt disappointed by God?
I'm Mike Henry Sr. With Follower of One. And thanks for joining me again on today's Follower of One Podcast. I want to talk about John 11:37. Jesus disappoints this crowd. Lazarus has just died. The people who knew Lazarus were disappointed.
Jesus heard Lazarus was sick, but he waited two days before he did anything. What is Jesus doing showing up at Lazarus's funeral four days after he died? I think he was only a day away or maybe two when he did this. Jesus had already healed people who weren't around. Why did you let this guy die?
I'm reading a book titled Calming The Storm Within, by Jim Lange. He talks about wanting to be a "So be it!" Christian. Can we trust God even when He doesn't show up? Can we trust God when the circumstances don't line up with our interpretation? Can we trust Jesus when He shows up four days after our friend passed away?
Can I learn to be a "So be it!" Christian? Can I learn to trust God with my circumstances?
We can't learn trust if we never risk. And I won't really trust God until I've seen Him work. This is the American or the Western problem. Most of us never get where we have no other resource than Jesus. I do have a couple of friends who get there more often than I do, but I need to learn how to trust Jesus and have no other options.
And I don't get there. I have enough money to solve my problems, or I have enough friends or contacts or connections to figure out how to accomplish a particular goal. I'm not often painted into a corner that only Jesus can solve.
But that's one of the challenges that we even talk about in the church that I attend as well. We want to live a life that can't be explained without Jesus. Can your life be explained without Jesus? Well, that's our challenge today. You couldn't explain Lazarus's life without Jesus, not after this day. And hopefully, we can start living that way too.
I want to learn to trust God, but that requires that I take some risks. Otherwise, I don't really trust Him. Can I turn my mind and try and see things from God's perspective? Can I get where I trust God when I lose my job or when there's not enough money in my checking account, or when things go bad for me? Can I learn to trust God and say, "So be it," regardless of the circumstances? That's my goal today.
What are you facing that you need to say, "So be it", to God? Where can we turn to God and say, "This is the way you would have it today. Father, I trust you." Can I examine my life as what it is, and then trust Jesus enough that He becomes visible. Can I go through a hardship or difficulty? I'm not asking for or looking for those things, but I'm curious.
Can I trust myself? I'm beating myself up a little bit for some things I've recently done, but they are what they are and they set the stage for me to trust God. Can we stretch our brains to the biggest God we can possibly imagine? Even if our hardship overwhelms us, it's still part of His plan. And then can we rejoice always, as it tells us in Philippians.
Let's ask God to stretch our brains so that we can adopt this, "So be it," mindset. Let's tell Him, we know He is Lord of our present situation and of all the world and all the universe. And we will do our part. Let's choose the Most Godly response to everything that we faced today. The Most Godly response will result in us growing in our trust and our peace and our joy.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister, let's learn how to reflect Jesus in our world. Let's begin by trusting Him on his agenda instead of trying to line Him up with ours.
Thank you again for being a marketplace minister. One way we practice all of this is through the Marketplace Mission Trip. I'd like to challenge you to head over to Follower of One and sign up for an online profile and take the next Marketplace Mission Trip.
If you have any questions, you can send me a note to mike@followerofone.org, or you can, join the community there and check out the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Thanks very much.
Do we trust God? Let's talk about that today.
Hey, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Welcome back to the Follower of One Podcast. Thanks for joining us again today.
Yesterday I spoke about Exodus 14:14. And today I want to talk about verse 15 because I see these places in scripture where God always prompts us to trust Him first.
Almost all the miracles that I see anymore, when I noticed them in scripture, God is asking us to do something first. So the Egyptians are bearing down on the Jews and the Jews have the Red Sea in front of them. And they're whining to Moses. And Moses basically told them in verse 14, the Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.
Verse 15 says, "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Why are you crying out to me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward.'"
I think it's interesting because it's like God saying, "What are you whining to me about? Get moving. Start walking, like the sea is not there. Start walking like you trust Me."
The Lord goes on in the next verse to tell Moses what Moses is supposed to do. And then in the next verse, after that, He explains what He's going to do, but He says, "I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them." He doesn't talk about even parting the sea yet. He hasn't done that yet, but He tells the people to start moving forward. They have to move forward before the sea parts.
Did you listen to Jesus yesterday? Did you spend some time after yesterday's episode being silent? I want to encourage you again today. Spend some time being silent before God. And then ask yourself is God calling you to move forward in something, where the evidence doesn't exist? The evidence for moving forward may not exist for you.
He may be calling us to go forward in a particular endeavor, and there's no proof that the lights will be green. There's no proof that things will work out the way we want them to work. And yet Jesus is saying to us today, why are you crying out to me? Move forward. Go forward.
I want to go forward in my life. I want to live like Jesus is who He says He is. And every now and again, I'm going to crash. I'll make a mistake. I'll walk into the water. Forty years later, when they go across the Jordan river into the promised land, they have to step into the water before it parts. And that's in Joshua chapter three. We find out that the priests have to get their feet in the water before the water parts, but then they're standing on dry ground. The same thing happens at the Red Sea. They have to start moving to the water and then God parts the sea and they go across on dry land.
It's a huge miracle but it all begins with them moving forward. It begins with the fear that exists because Pharaoh and all of the Egyptian army is bearing down on them. What are you into today? What do we do in our workplace where we can step out in trusting God?
That's my word for 2022. I think I've said it before. My word is to trust. I want to trust God more. And so in my silence today, and in my quiet today, I'm asking God, show me what you want me to move forward on. What do I do? We move forward in Follower of One. And we ask the people who benefit from Follower of One to consider making a contribution so that other people can try being a marketplace minister themselves.
Maybe today, God wants you to make a contribution to a ministry of some kind. You can make it to Follower of One on our homepage, or you can make it to any ministry. Maybe God wants you to give something away today and trust Him like you're walking toward the Red Sea. Let's ask him what he wants us to do, and then do it.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for making a difference with your faith. What we do because we trust Jesus matters. Thanks very much.
Sometimes we just need to be silent. Let's talk about that today.
Hi, I'm Mike Henry with Follower of One. Welcome back to the Follower of One Podcast. And thanks for listening. Today, I want to talk about Exodus 14:14. So that's Exodus 14:14. "The Lord will fight for you and you have only to be silent."
What's happening is the Jews are leaving Egypt and the Lord actually hardens Pharaoh's heart and he changes his mind and decides that he's going to go after the Jews and bring them back to Egypt because they were the slave labor. And so Pharaoh and all of his army, it says 600 of his best chariots and all of his army go after the Jews.
And the people start whining to Moses about all of this. And they're scared. In verse 11, they say, is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you've taken us away to die in the wilderness? And Moses tells the people fear, not in verse 13. And then in verse 14, Moses says, "The Lord will fight for you and you have only to be silent."
Sometimes we have only to be silent. Today I want to take time to be silent before God. I'm confident that I listen to Him less than I should. And often I need to just take some time and try and shut off my mind and shut off the things that are going on around me and be silent and listen to God and do what he says.
"The Lord will fight for you and you have only to be silent." What about you? Do you get silent before God? Do you let the Lord fight for you? Or are you like me where you step in all the time and take action and do something before you've given Jesus an opportunity to make a difference? The Lord will fight for us and we have only to be silent.
Today, I'd like to challenge you. Take a few moments and ask God to talk to you. Ask Him to speak to you and then try and focus your brain on listening to Him. Listen to what He says, listen to what He wants you to do. Listen for Him to give you direction instead of your to-do list or your friends on Facebook or, everything that's going on in your life.
If you're like me, I have so many things bearing down on me. I'm into so many things that are often don't get silent. But today I want to spend a little time being silent before God. In fact, I will finish this podcast and be silent again before Him for a few minutes, because I want to hear His voice and I want to do what He says.
In our workplaces today, we can listen to Jesus and do what He says. Let's listen to Him. Take a few moments and be silent.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for making a difference in your workplace. What you do matters because you follow Jesus.
If we do something because we follow Jesus, let's ask Him to use that for his glory. He will become known by the way that we live-- if we live according to our faith in Him. Thank you for being a marketplace minister.
Jesus made God known to us, but He wasn't just a man and we have to wrestle with this concept. Can we handle things that don't quite make sense to us? Let's talk about that today.
Hey, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me on the Follower of One Podcast. I'm grateful that you're here and I'm grateful that from time to time, you might share this, even with your friends.
What does it mean to have beliefs or understandings about God that we don't quite understand? We've been talking through John 1:1-18 for several episodes now, and today we're on verse 18 in the English Standard Version. It says "No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known."
When you read this in a number of translations, some even translate that to say that it's the Son. The Christian Standard Bible, for example, says "No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son who is Himself God, and is at the Father's side, He has revealed Him."
I think it's important to understand the Trinity; that there are three persons in the Godhead.
And I understand so little of this, I can't really explain it. But there is God, the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. God manifests Himself these three ways. And He is one but He is three. And I don't understand it.
Can it make sense to me, that's something like this doesn't make sense? John is clearly stating right here that God the Father who has not been seen by us, has been made visible a little bit.
We've seen God, the Son we've seen Jesus. Jesus became flesh. It said in verse 14, "The Word became flesh." And we have seen His glory. We saw God the Son.
In John 14, Jesus even says, "Have I been with you so long? And you still ask, 'Show us the Father.'' He was talking to Phillip in John chapter 14. Jesus is God come to us in the flesh. He's everything we need.
Many of the people that we work with and live with and interact with on a daily basis, don't believe that Jesus was the Son of God. Or they don't think that Jesus is the only way to God. And these are both challenges for some of the people that we know and maybe challenges for you too, as you're listening to this podcast.
Today, I want to lean into this verse and think about how God the Son came to Earth for us and created a way so that we could restore and be restored in our relationship to God the Father. I believe that's true. And I believe that there are not multiple ways to God simply because if there were more than one way, then why did Jesus have to die?
I believe that's the way this works. And every day I deal a little bit with the gap between my own belief and my own understanding. I believe in a God who's bigger than my understanding, as well as I believe in a God who's more powerful than I can ever imagine. I know that I will never say to God, "Oh, I thought you were bigger." Because God is almighty and all-powerful and bigger than even I can think.
And I want to live that way today. I want to live like I follow a God who does impossible things. And so today I ask God to use my life in the world to make a difference with me. Would you do that with us? We start by praying, "Jesus. Here I am. Please put me to work. My job as a believer is not just to stay out of trouble today. My job as a believer is to look for opportunities to make you visible. Can I do that today?"
That's my job as a follower of Jesus. Would you join me in that role today? This is how we get to know God if we follow Jesus.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thanks for listening to this podcast. Please share it with your friends.
Also, please check out the next Marketplace Mission Trip. We do these things called Marketplace Mission Trips, where we try and live our faith daily over a two-week period. You can sign up for the next Marketplace Mission Trip by joining our online community at https://community.followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
Often we pursue justice. Jesus brought grace. Let's talk about that today.
I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Welcome back to the podcast. Today I want to talk about John chapter one, verses 16 and 17. We're continuing our discussion through this introduction, to the book of John.
"For of His fullness, we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ." Once again, that's John 1:16-17 from the New American Standard Bible.
As followers of Jesus, we're challenged to bring grace and truth. The word grace here is used three times in these two verses. First grace upon grace is what Jesus brought us and gave us.
And then he points out this conflict that the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. God makes certain things work and other things don't work very well. We choose how we live our lives and we can live according to our understanding of God's way, or we can live our own way.
We can call our own shots. We're free to choose. That freedom of choice, I believe, is the most valuable thing God gave us; this ability to choose. And Erwin McManus even said that "It was the most spiritual action we could take was choosing God." When we choose, we're saying, we decide that we trust God, or we decide that we trust ourselves.
Every choice is to some degree, a decision to trust God. Grace is unexplainable forgiveness. We can live according to this grace and this unexplainable forgiveness, or we can pursue justice. We can pursue justification. But when we have grace, when we have this unexplainable forgiveness, there's no reason for justification. Nothing was done to deserve the forgiveness that we were given.
Freely we have received. It says and freely we are called to give, and that's from Matthew 10 and Romans 8. The grace we received must be shipped. When we get grace from God, our job is to distribute that grace. Our job as believers is to be a distribution point for God's grace.
I have this theory, "If you don't feel grateful for the grace, you've been given by God, give more away." Jesus doesn't give us grace unless we're shipping it. I believe He fills up our warehouse and often we try and hang on to it and therefore he won't give us anymore until we ship what we have.
He doesn't give us His blessing or provision or anything else without the expectation that we give it away. Jesus's grace wasn't intended to be stored in our warehouse where we can look at it. Think about the rich man in the story about building bigger barns from Luke 12. That man built all these barns and then died.
And he said, who will have your wealth today? We receive more of God's grace when we're actively shipping it.
Today in your workplace, try to give something away. Everything we ship, everything we give away will be credited to our account and more will be given to us too. When we stop shipping Jesus' grace, Jesus may just stop delivering it to us.
So let's find ways to give away His grace today and be a blessing to the people around us.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for considering the idea that our job today might be to ship some of the grace that Jesus has given us. Let's find a way to ship that grace today.
Also, if you want to share your ideas or learn other ideas, why not join us in our online community? It's https://community.followerofone.org. There we encourage one another to live our lives, shipping Jesus's grace and making a difference in our world because we've been called to follow Jesus. This is our opportunity to re-imagine the idea of missions and become a missionary in our own workplace.
Check it out at https://community.followerofone.org and join us and see what God does is he challenges you to live your life as a full-time minister of his. Thanks very much.
Do you know someone who thinks Jesus was imaginary? I heard a friend one time tell a story about a cousin from Europe who thought that Jesus was like the Easter bunny or Santa Claus. Jesus was just a figment of our imagination. Some people in our world feel that way, but there are many eyewitness accounts of Jesus.
Hey, I'm Mike Henry Sr. With Follower of One. Welcome back to our podcast.
We've been talking through this introduction to the gospel of John and he gives us this eyewitness testimony of his relationship with Jesus. He recounts his testimony for us in John, one verses 14 and 15:
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness about Him and cried out, This was Ge of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me because He was before me.'"
Once again, that's John 1:14-15 from the English Standard Version.
John, the apostle wraps up this first-person account of who Jesus is by tying his account back to John the Baptist, and back to the introduction in this book when he refers to Him as "the Word." "The Word was with God," before anything was created, and "the Word became flesh," that's Jesus. John, the Baptist also talked about this. Some consider his testimony to be a confirmation that Jesus existed before creation as well.
John, the apostle is on the record and John, the Baptist is on the record. Many we know don't believe. They think you're silly for believing Jesus lived or much less than he was God. Many believed that he was just a wise man.
But what can we do? Can we argue them into submission? Can we sneak our beliefs into every conversation or try to sneak it into conversations? Can we legislate the Word of God and force people to agree with us?
Our job is to live differently. We have different facts. And when we live obeying Jesus, our world struggles for an explanation. That's why it's so important for us to be able to explain reasonably why we follow Jesus. There are so many things we can say to people who don't believe, but when we do a good job or when we're a good employee or a good coworker or a good friend, and we hold these seemingly crazy beliefs, our life creates a problem for our coworkers and our customers and our vendors and our friends.
If we believe John and we believe that Jesus was God in human flesh, we have a job to do. Our job is to live life differently and be able to explain why. I don't see any promises in scripture that our life is going to be so much better than anyone else's life here on earth.
I think it's our job to be an example of every hardship and every problem that you can experience. There must be a godly way to do that. And I believe Jesus, equips us to be that person for some people in the experiences that we have.
Today, let's ask God to show us how we can live our lives and help others see Jesus. That's our job. I often begin with prayer. I want to tell God that I work for Him today. I mentioned this yesterday as well. I also want to look for ways to appreciate other people. We are all in the same boat. We are either with God or without God, and those who are without God need us to live differently.
Will you join us today? Check out Follower of One. Join our online community at https://community.followerofone.org and become part of a group of believers who are helping one another live our faith on a daily basis. There's no charge.
We do things like Marketplace Mission Trips, as ways of practicing what we believe. The next Marketplace Mission Trip starts in just a couple of weeks.
Check it out at https://community.followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
What does it mean to be a follower of God or to be a child of God?
Hey, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Welcome back to our podcast. Today, we continue going through the first section of John chapter one, and we're reading verses 12 and 13, "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. Who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." And that's from the English Standard Version.
You became a child of your parents when you were conceived, but it was completed when you were born. In John chapter three, Jesus famously tells Nicodemus that we must be born again. We must be born to God. When we realize the first glimpses of who Jesus is, and we believe Him, just believing in what He claims, we receive Him. The Holy Spirit comes to live in us and begins making sense of everything God says. Like when you're born a whole new world comes alive to you.
And when we're born again, another world becomes alive to us. We were dead to that world. Ephesians 2:1 says, "But because of our choice to believe, Jesus, God makes us alive to that world. We become alive eternally." He talks about that in Ephesians 2:5. He gives us the right to become children of God.
All of the Follower of One assumes you've taken part in this new birth. Once we follow Jesus, we are alive in a new world. Our five daily activities are designed to help us live according to this new reality and the new life we have as believers in Jesus. We don't have to leave our work or our daily obligations in order to participate in this new world. That's what's so cool about it.
Jesus gives us this new life, right where we are. In fact, He lives us in our messes and in our life situations, so we can be an example of what life is like when we depend on Him. But we must trust Him and we must grow in this new life. He won't leave us where we are either unless we just resist Him over and over and over again.
So how are you doing at growing as a child of God? Our job is to trust Him; to live like what He says is true. Today, when you pray, I hope that you will appreciate others and serve others as a result of following Jesus. That's how we grow a little. When we prepare to answer others who might ask why we're different, we grow a little as children of God. And when we get a chance to help someone else know that we're different because we follow Jesus, we grow a little. We grow physically over time, but we must apply ourselves to grow spiritually.
Today, I want to challenge us again, like I often do; let's grow a little bit today. Let's apply ourselves. Let's lean into our relationship with Jesus. It all begins with a simple prayer. "Jesus, here I am. Whatever I'm doing today, I give it to you. Would you please use it for your glory? Would you please put me to work? Put me on the clock." Everything we do after that becomes this opportunity to grow with Christ, to grow in Him and to make a difference in the world because of Him.
We can have all of Jesus that we can ask or imagine if we'll just stop telling ourselves that we can't do it. If we just listen to Him and find ways to do what He says.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for making a difference in your work. Let's remember like John says here in John chapter one, "We have been given the right to become children of God."
Let's live like we know who we are, make a difference in the world today because we trust Him, and watch Jesus work. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Welcome back to the Follower of One Podcast. I'm talking through John chapter one and we're in a passage today where it switches back to talking about Jesus. And I just want to read the passage. I don't have a cute introduction.
In verses 9-11. It says, "There was the true light, which coming into the world, enlightens, every man. He was in the world and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know him. He came to his own and those who were his own did not receive Him."
So John, the apostle who's writing this book is switching between talking about Jesus and talking about John, the Baptist, which we spoke about in the last episode. And now he's back to talking about Jesus again. The true Light, which is capital L in the New American Standard, the true light enlightens, every man.
That's Jesus. So we have a new paragraph here and we're talking about Jesus again, and Jesus is the true light coming into the world. That light shines on everyone. And it gives light to everyone. But some of us don't recognize it. Most of the people that we know probably don't recognize the light of Jesus.
Our job is to live as if the light is on. To live like we know Jesus and that this is His world. He came into this world and the world was made through Him and the world did not know Him. That's how fallen we are. Jesus came into His own world that he created and we didn't understand Him or recognize Him.
But He is the light and He pushes away the darkness. And for 2000 years, His life has been pushing away more and more of that darkness.
"He came to His own." I think this is a reference to the Jewish people "and those who were His own did not receive Him." That's exactly what happened. He came to the Jewish nation, that's his lineage and those people did not receive Him.
And we'll talk tomorrow about what happens when we do receive Him. But today let's remember that he's the true light. He comes into the world and he enlightens every man. The light in you is designed to shine in your workplace. Often that's not through us talking. Often, that's more through our actions; loving God and loving others.
That's a Great Command. When we love God and love others, then we demonstrate, that the true light came into the world and is living inside us. We bring that light into the world every day, by the way we live. Today, I'd like to challenge us. Let's live in such a way that the light of Jesus becomes visible.
What can you do today to serve a coworker or to serve someone that you will see? Think about the people on your schedule. Think down through your list of, to do's, but don't think about the actions as much as the people that you will see. Flip the switch. Often we get so busy with our to-dos that we forget the people.
Today, I want to challenge you. Let's get so busy with the people that maybe we blow off a couple of to-dos. Today, our job is to pay attention to the people around us. Let's love others and let the light in us become visible. We don't have to do this in a showy way. We can trust God and know that even if you serve people anonymously, God's in charge and he will make it right.
And he will make it known and he will make a difference. Everything we do because we trust Jesus matters. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. Thanks for listening to this podcast. I hope you will share it with someone else. Let's challenge our brothers and sisters in Jesus to live in such a way that other people go, "Why are you doing this?"
And then we get to tell them a little bit about how Jesus changed our life. I believe that's the plan Jesus has for us today. And so today in your workplace, go ahead, love other people, let God be in charge and watch what happens. I believe it will be pretty exciting. Thanks for being a marketplace minister.
And thanks for listening to and sharing this podcast. If you want to join a community of people who are working on doing this every day, head over to https://community.followerofone.org and create a free profile. We're excited to have you on this journey with us: of trying to live in such a way that we glorify Jesus.
We experience joy when we do that. Thanks very much.
What does it mean to testify about Jesus? Let's talk about that today.
I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. We do the short devotional each day to help ourselves stay on mission with Jesus in our workplace.
Today, I'm reading from John 1:6-8 "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through Him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light."
This is talking about John, the Baptist, and that was the English Standard Version of the Bible.
These three sentences or these three verses are about John the Baptist. He came as a witness to bear witness about the light. He told other people, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world," as we will see in John chapter two. But being a witness, we want to be clear. And John wants to be clear here. John, the author of the book is different than John, the Baptist.
John, the apostle wrote the book of John and John, the Baptist, was a relative of Jesus. He came as a witness to bear witness about the light. How do we bear witness about Jesus in our world? Many people think that we have to talk. We have to know some gospel presentation and we have to sit down with someone or stand up with someone and make a sales pitch about why we follow Jesus or why we have to follow Jesus to get to heaven.
And I don't believe that's witnessing nearly as much as living as if Jesus was here. Do we really believe Jesus is alive? Do we believe He's the creator of the universe? Do we believe that He's God and He created everything in it? Then if we do, and if we believe He's present, then we will live accordingly.
We will do different things because we know He's here. And we know those things are part of what he wants us to do. We get joy from many of those things because we take part in His work. Some of that is, avoiding some of the sins in the world, not living selfishly. When I was focused on myself, I witnessed the fact that I believe that everything about the world that's important to me is something that impacts me.
But when I live, according to Jesus, I live differently. My witness bears witness about the light of Jesus. And so did John the Baptist. The true light, which gives light to everyone was coming into the world. That's why John the Baptist was a witness. He was a special witness because the true light was coming.
We'll talk more about verse nine tomorrow. Today. Let's remember that we get to be a witness simply by living, according to what we believe. If we believe Jesus is God. And if we believe that Jesus rewards us when we do what he says, then why wouldn't we do what He says? Why wouldn't we live according to His desire and His commands? He tells us there are two great commands. Love the Lord, our God, with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength, and love our neighbor as ourselves. Well, if we're loving our neighbors as ourselves, and if we love God, and especially if we love our neighbors, because we love God, we're doing what he said.
When we live with this love, we do a better job in our workplace. We watch out for the people around us. We pray for other people. We serve them. We go out of our way to be a blessing to them, to demonstrate love and appreciation. We've been called for that, I believe, as marketplace ministers. And today I want to challenge all of us, myself included.
Let's live love. Because when we do that, when we love other people, we make Jesus visible. We make his kingdom visible. Other people see us living according to a different plan. We basically either live to serve ourselves or to serve God. Which will be today? When we live serving Jesus, He will become visible and our lives will be a witness.
Thanks so much for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for making a difference with your faith. I pray that you will love other people because you listened to this podcast today. And because you follow Jesus. I believe that makes Jesus visible in our world. Thanks so much for being a marketplace minister.
Have you ever noticed how darkness can't overcome light? That's a principle that Jesus uses to illustrate things. Let's talk about that today.
Hi, I'm Mike Henry with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me on the Follower of One Podcast. We've been talking through John chapter one.
I love these first 18 verses, and so I just wanted to spend some time talking about those and the impact that they make on us in the workplace. Today, we're talking about verses four and five, and I'm reading from the English Standard Version. It says. "In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."
John explains to us that Jesus wasn't an ordinary man. Jesus was God. And Jesus was the Creator. And now he tells us that in Jesus was life and the life was the light of men. Life was God's idea. Making us alive: we didn't think of that. He did. And he uses this illustration of light and darkness to make this point about how Jesus is ruling in our world.
You see wherever the light shines, the darkness runs. Darkness can't stick around when there's light available. Light always chases away the darkness. We get this illustration because where Jesus comes, the darkness hides Jesus has the life and the life is also the equivalent of this light.
I also think John's talking about eternal life here. He's not talking about physical life because our physical life has a beginning and an end. It's our time in the temporal world. It has a start time and it has an end time. But our eternal life is available to us forever. It begins when we trust Jesus and it ends never.
And we were dead before that. The Bible says we were dead in our trespasses and sins in Ephesians 2:1. We were in darkness. But the light of Christ's life exposes us and we become alive. This life is great. And I want to encourage you. I hope that you're living your eternal life. We get to live that life, whenever we're present with Jesus, we enter his kingdom. When we listen to him and do what he says, we become his people. And this light in us then shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it.
Today in your workplace, I'd like to challenge you. Let's live like we're followers of Jesus. What will we do if we were totally in tune with Jesus and why can't we do that today?
Can we listen to him in such a way that we can live our lives a little differently so that people might ask. And when they ask, we can speak for ourselves.
That's our fifth daily activity that we talk about in Follower of One. We talk about how Jesus transforms us. We're not telling someone else how to live. We're just explaining to them the experience that we have. We've seen the light. The light shined in our life and the darkness of our life can't overcome that light. And then we can take that light into our world. I hope you can do that today. I'm excited that you're a follower of Jesus and I'm excited that you will consider yourself as a minister in your workplace or wherever you go Monday through Saturday.
I started Follower of One because I didn't want my only job to just be staying out of trouble until I could get back to church. And that's why we have this online community called Follower of One.
We're a group of people who are trying to live our faith on a daily basis. When we pray for other people in our workplace, we partner with Jesus and the work that He's doing in the lives of the people that we interact with every day. You can join that ministry anytime you want, just pray for the people around you.
And if you'd like to do that more, join us in https://community.followerofone.org. We're just a group of people who are trying to live our faith on a daily basis. Check it out and thank you very much for being a minister in your marketplace.
What difference does it make whether or not Jesus was the creator? Let's talk about that today.
I'm Mike Henry Sr. Welcome back to the Follower of One Podcast. Thanks for joining us. We're talking through John chapter one and today I want to talk about John one, verse three, "All things came into being through Him and apart from Him, nothing came into being that has come into being."
That's from the New American Standard Version. In the English Standard Version, it says "All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made."
John's being a little repetitive here in this verse, but I think it's to make a point. Often we don't consider the ramifications of the fact that Jesus was God, and that God created everything.
Nothing has come into being, that didn't come into being through Jesus and as followers of His, I think that simple fact might have an impact on how we live and how we work.
How much time do you spend worrying about your circumstances or the pressures at work? How much time do we spend trying to engineer things or force ourselves into a particular behavior? I've spent a lot of time beating myself up about things that I did or didn't do.
Jesus is the creator of the universe. And apart from Him, nothing came into being.
How does that make us work today? What does that do to us in our workplace?
This challenges me because I tend to think of Jesus as a man. But he created everything and all of my circumstances and everything happening in my life and to me and around me, all those things are within his control. Apart from Him, nothing came into being that has come into being. Jesus is the creator and I want to live like, I trust him. I want to point my life toward Him. And I want to relax in what He seems to be doing in and through me and the people that I work with. Some of those things are not positive. Some of those things are negative.
There are bad things happening in our world all the time. Is Jesus is the creator of those things? Well, it says nothing came into being except through Him, but I believe the bad comes about as a result of choices that we've made because people came into the world with free will and we broke it. The very first person did and every one of us would. But our workplaces and our lives exist in this creation.
And Jesus is in control of that. He's powerful enough to overrule certain things that happen and to bless us through certain things that happen. Today in the workplace. I want to challenge us. Let's go into our workplace today, remembering that Jesus created this world and he put us there. And the way we've broken it isn't outside of his control. And what's going on in our world isn't outside of His control. And when we search for Him, when we ask Him for guidance, He shows us how to live. He shows us the difference that we can make, and He uses our actions and our motives and our mistakes even, for His glory. He wants everyone in the world to see Him because He wants us all. We were all made to know Him and to have a relationship with Him.
And He's trying to restore that. Let's take part in Jesus'restoration of the world today. Take a moment and pray for the people around you and you will be "in ministry." You'll be calling the people in your sphere of influence to a relationship with Jesus. That's what He's doing.
It puts us on Jesus' team, working for Jesus' goals. Let's follow Him today and let Him use us in our jobs just by punching in and remembering that apart from Him, nothing came into being. Jesus is driving today. Let's follow Him and let Him use us. Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for making a difference with your faith.
Everything we do because we trust Jesus matters forever. Let's take it seriously today in our workplace. Look for opportunities to serve other people and expect that we will see the joy of Jesus. And we will experience that joy in our lives. Thanks very much.
Just who was Jesus anyway. And what difference does it make in our life? Let's talk about that today.
Hey, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again on the Follower of One Podcast. I recently began reading the book of John. And I just want to talk through some of the verses that I'm reading and some of the thoughts that I have in my daily quiet time.
Today, we're talking about John chapter one verses 1, 2, and 14: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God." And verse 14 says, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."
In the beginning, Jesus existed. He was God. And the Bible's very clear about that. It says that in several places. If you're one of those people that think of Jesus as just a cool teacher or someone who made a difference. I have news for you. We serve a God who became flesh. In the beginning was the word, the logos.
That's a Greek word that means meaning or word. I'm not even qualified to describe it, but it's the word that John used to describe Jesus. The son of God, this second person of the Godhead, existed at the beginning. He was not created. He is God. And he existed in the beginning of time before any time began.
And he was with God and he was God. And he became flesh. Jesus came to be us, to dwell among us. John was one of the people that saw him and walked with him and knew him. John knew it in the first person. And this is a very bold, clear statement, "that I was there. I was with the guy and I know him to be God Almighty."
Jesus was in the beginning with God. And when he became flesh, he became known by the man, John who's writing this chapter of the Bible. The word became flesh dwelt among us. And we saw his glory. We understood him and who he really was as of the only begotten from the father. That word begotten kind of gets us.
It means that he came from God, but he was not created by God. We substitute "born" with that because in our world, we don't really create the child in the womb. But our actions are something that God uses to create the child. In a way. This is like "becoming." He came to us.
The only one of God that came to us from God, the Father. This is God, the Son. And then finally it says, "full of grace and truth." When went live following Jesus, grace, and truth come out of us. It is who we are.
Today, I want to challenge us in the workplace. How can we bring grace and truth to everything that we do today? Our first daily activity is the key. I want to challenge you to pray and ask God, how do you want us to show up today? What do you want us to do? Would you please direct me, and make me someone who demonstrates grace and truth in everything I do?
That's the job of being a marketplace minister. So that's our topic and our to-do for today. Let's be people who bring grace and truth. I will talk more about these passages in John over the next few days.
I'm going to just talk through this passage as we go and make this our podcast. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Consider joining Follower of One, go to our online community and request to join. It's a private community of believers in the marketplace who are trying to help one another, bring grace and truth into everything that we do.
That's what it means to be a marketplace minister. Join us at https://community.followerofone.org where you can also go on the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Check it out. Thanks very much.
Can we handle suffering? I think sometimes it comes down to trust. Let's talk about that today.
I'm Mike Henry with Follower of One. Welcome back to the Follower of One Podcast. And thanks for joining us. We've been talking through a difficult passage of scripture in first, Peter chapter two. Today, we will wrap it up by talking about how we hand ourselves over from first Peter, 2:23. I want to read the entire passage from verses 21 through 23, "For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;" That's first Peter chapter two verses 21 through 23 from the new American standard Bible.
Jesus trusted God with his life and he was killed. We could believe that God let him down. We could believe that God didn't come through in the pinch. We could believe that Jesus wasn't God, because it makes no sense that God would let his only son die on a cross. But Jesus entrusted himself. Again, almost every translation uses the word "entrusted," "trust" or "committed." When we trust something we commit.
When you get on an airplane, you're trusting a machine, a manufacturer, the FAA and the crew and a company. You put your entire life in their hands. Jesus challenges us to hand ourselves over. When we cheat on our taxes or violate the speed limit, we basically tell God that we need to break the rules to get what we want. God, can't possibly prosper us as well as we can ourselves.
But when we submit to his rules, we entrust ourselves, which is what Peter reminds us Jesus did in this passage.
Peter began by suggesting that we submit to our bosses, even the ones that aren't so good. Can we entrust our careers to our bosses? Can we be submissive and work for their ultimate good and trust God? The scripture is clear. But I'm tempted to take my career into my own hands. I don't want to trust my boss to manage my career.
Yet in this passage, Peter's challenge is that we don't work for our bosses. We work for God. We entrust ourselves to God. I come up short of what I read all the time. And therefore I'm only qualified to share the questions with you because I don't walk this way. What happens when we trust God more? Can we trust him even to the point of personal career or financial difficulty?
We each must answer that question for ourselves. I hope this passage today prompts us to ask the question of God and see what he says. "God, can I trust you more? As I trust you, the world will see Jesus. I will experience joy, knowing your actions help someone else see him and follow him." And so will you.
We can take that part. That's what we call marketplace ministry. It's finding ways to trust God more and more in our job and let him direct the outcome. We serve others so that they might see Jesus. That's our job as followers of Jesus. And I can tell you it's exciting and enjoyable following Jesus, but I still know that I come short.
So please understand. I'm not telling you to do what I'm doing. Other than saying that I want to pray and ask God to show me where I need to trust him more today. Why not join our online community? We're a group of people who are all trying to do this more. We all want to trust Jesus more and let Him use us in our daily lives.
You can check it out at https://community.followerofone.org. There's no cost. We want to help you practice following Jesus seven days a week. Once again, head over to our website, https://community.followerofone.org. And thanks very much for being a marketplace minister. Thanks for considering how your faith can be used by God to make a difference in our world.
Lord knows our world needs it. Thanks very much.
Are purpose and suffering related? Let's talk about that today.
Hi, I'm Mike Henry with Follower of One. Welcome back to the Follower of One Podcast. Thanks for joining us. "Purpose" and "suffer" are very close together in this passage that I want to read today.
We're talking about 1 Peter 2:21. "For you have been called for this purpose since Christ also suffered for you leaving you an example for you to follow in his steps." That's from the New American Standard Bible
"Purpose" and "suffer" are very close together in this passage. And it doesn't matter which translation you read. Almost all use the same words Jesus suffered for us. Suffering is the path to Jesus' purpose.
Many of us don't like to hear this. God puts his people in a position to suffer from time to time, so the world can see how it's done. We're God's strategy. Our job is to live and experience the same things that everyone else does but to do so following Jesus, trusting him and doing what he says.
Jesus left us an example. He suffered for us and he didn't deserve it. He's God. So today might be a quick episode for you because I want to challenge you to think about your day. What will you experience? How might you end up suffering today? When we can mentally reconcile with our purpose in Jesus and the suffering that he may call us to do, he will use us.
The key is, can we trust him? Can we trust God with the injustice that we face today? Maybe it's a bad boss or an unreasonable customer. The bad bosses were mentioned in the episodes before this.
I must give a caveat too because I'm certainly not suggesting that you stay in a difficult or illegal situation. If it's in your power to do something, or if the other person is violating the law, use good judgment. But in our first-world kind of work context, if you are micromanaged or if others don't respect you or treat you the way you wish they would, or if you get passed up for a promotion, maybe Jesus is reminding you what he did for you.
In the next episode, we'll talk about the role of trust in all of this too. Today, we want to remember that we've been called for a purpose. God saved us. And the blessings of our salvation, we get some of them now, and we get some of them later. But the blessings of our salvation are something that we experience in a broken world, a world that we broke. We're in this world, and our job is to make God visible in it. And sometimes he calls us to suffer to fulfill his purpose. We have been called for this purpose. That's a dangerous, challenging thought, but for some of us, our purpose is to suffer some today, because we follow Jesus. And we can make him visible. Thank you for being a marketplace minister.
Thank you for listening to our podcast and sharing it with your friends. I know this isn't a particularly attractive episode of the podcast, but it is a reminder to us that we're part of a bigger battle. We're part of a bigger story. Our job is to listen to Jesus and do what he says.
And when we do that, we get to take part in his work. We get to help other people move one notch closer to him. And every time we do that, we experience joy. There's joy and peace and love that we experience when we listen to God and do what he says.
Join us in the Follower of One Online Community. This is a global community of online Christians who are actively trying to integrate their faith into their work seven days a week. You can join for free at https://community.followerofone.org. And join us also on the next Marketplace Mission Trip. There's one coming up in just a couple of weeks. Check it out. After you joined https://community.followerofone.org. , head over to the courses or watch for an invitation to the next Marketplace Mission Trip.
Thanks very much for being a marketplace minister. And thanks for making a difference in your life every day. Your faith matters and Jesus uses you and me to make a difference in the world. Thanks very much.
What does it mean to find favor with God? Let's talk about that today.
I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. We're talking through a challenging passage in first Peter, about how we reflect Jesus in our workplace. Peter seems to be telling us to submit to difficult bosses.
Today, let's read verses 18 through 20, but we will focus on verse 20. "Servants be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle but also to those who are unreasonable. For this finds favor if, for the sake of conscience toward God, a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God." That's first Peter chapter two verses 18 through 20 from the New American Standard Bible.
When we bear up because we trust God, even when we're treated unjustly or harshly, we find favor. Some translations say "is commendable" or "find God's favor." The idea is that the favor of God will find us if we bear up under sorrow or under difficulty if we endure hardship or pain. Today, let's focus on this next example that he makes in the scripture. If you get passed up for a promotion or because your performance is subpar, then you broke even.
"What credit is there, if when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure with patience?" If we do something wrong and suffer for it, what do we expect? We become someone who can't expect favor from God in the future, because we did something and we got what we deserved. But if we do well and we suffer, our actions find favor with God. We become someone who can expect favor from God in the future.
Maybe that favor comes in the joy of knowing God will make it right. Maybe the favor comes in the form of something we didn't expect someday. It doesn't always show up like winning the lottery. Don't head to Vegas because you got passed up for a promotion or because you didn't make a sale. But let's live knowing that God will make it right.
Favor will find us. Peter tells us to trust God and watch for it. God's strategy is more important than our end outcomes. We're all going to die, but in the end, God will make everything right. And he's working now to draw us all one notch closer to himself. When we suffer and endure it, we become part of his plan. We joined him in his work and we get to see his results.
Today, I want to challenge us. Let's join him. Remember the favor when you were mistreated at work. Sometimes it's hard to remember that. It's easy to jump to where we feel mistreated and we start whining and complaining. But we can submit to those in authority over us and trust God and suffer from gentleness and respect towards others, then we will find favor. And that favor will find us.
Let's trust God today to join Him in this exercise and watch how he works in our lives and in the lives of other people. Let's remember the favor when we're mistreated at work. We can bear up and let God have the glory by submitting to Him, praying to Him, and trusting him.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for making a difference through your faith in the workplace. Remember even the things that seem unjust to us today are part of God's strategy and his plan. And we can take part in his efforts to draw other people to him. Let's do that today. And you can also join a community of us who are working on this every day.
Check out https://community.followerofone.org. Join our community for free. Take part in the next Marketplace Mission Trip and let God show you how you can live your faith and integrate it into your actions on a daily basis. Thanks very much.
As marketplace Christians, how we act in difficult work situations is critical to our witness as followers of Jesus Christ. Let's talk about that today.
Hi, I'm Mike Henry with Follower of One. Welcome back to the Follower of One Podcast.
Today, and for the next few episodes, we're going to talk through a passage in first Peter chapter two, beginning in verse 18. And today, I'll read verses 18 and 19. "Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle but also to those who are unreasonable. For this finds favor if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly."
That's from the New American Standard. Peter challenges, servants to be submissive, to masters with all respect. And he goes on to suggest that servants behave this way with masters who are good but also to those who are unreasonable.
Have you ever had a bad boss? The older I get, the more, I wonder if many of my bosses really just didn't have a good employee. I wasn't very submissive. It was hard for me to live according to what I consider to be the universal job description, which is to make your boss successful. I worked for other people for most of my career.
And even today, self-employed, I work for my family and I work for people who invest their energy and time in Follower of One. And I work for Jesus Christ. I'm ultimately responsible to God for how I live my life. He's my boss and my owner. But if you report to someone, this passage is for us. I had to realize that my jobs were temporary assignments given to me by God.
When Peter talks to servants here, he's talking to people who would today be employees. We're to be submissive to our bosses with all respect. He's challenging us to live trusting Jesus; to live in a way that Jesus lived. My ministry was to my bosses and customers and coworkers, but I often forgot that. Peter explains why our submissions to our bosses find favor.
If we obey our difficult bosses, and if we bear up under sorrows or suffer, unjustly, God uses that. He uses that to make a difference in the lives of others.
Today. I want to challenge you to give the benefit of the doubt to every boss. Let's find ways to be submissive with all respect. As we go further in this passage, we'll see God use that submission so that others will see him, and we will experience the joy and peace that come from God. He's bigger than our situation. Let's live like we believe he is in control today and watches what he does.
Now, one caveat that I need to make in that is, is that if you're being subjected to a situation that's against the law or is physically painful, and you can remove yourself from that situation, please do so.
It's difficult to talk about these passages without people taking some of this out of context. But I want to challenge you today. If it's your choice to be in that workplace, and you work for a boss who might be difficult, find ways to be submissive. Ask God to show you how you can reflect the spirit of this passage in your everyday.
It will matter. It will matter to the people around you. It will matter to the people that you report to. And it will matter for eternity. We'll talk more about that in these upcoming passages as well. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thanks for considering how the Holy Spirit would have us live our lives in the workplace so that others might see Jesus. Your life and your faith matter forever.
And that's also part of the reason why we formed an online community, https://community.followerofone.org. Check us out at that website. Join that community and connect with other believers in the marketplace who are also trying to live their faith on a daily basis. Jesus has a job for every one of us, seven days a week, and we get to take part in that.
Join us at https://community.followerofone.org and check it out. Thanks very much.
One challenging thing for me about our faith is how everything begins with the Father.
Hi, I'm Mike Henry with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me on the Follower of One Podcast. We try and take a few minutes every day to challenge ourselves to live like full-time ministers in the workplace.
And in John chapter six, verse 44. Jesus makes a very challenging statement. He says, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day." That's from the New American Standard Bible,
Jesus states, many challenging things, very clearly in the Bible. And in this passage, he clearly points out that the Father starts salvation for each of us.
A friend brought this passage up recently while we were praying for other friends and family members who are not yet followers of Jesus. And we know from this passage that the Father is the one who starts the process. God, the Father draws us. We also know from first Timothy two, four, and from second Peter, three nine, that God wants all of us to be saved and to come to a knowledge of faith in Jesus and truth about how the world really works.
So what does this mean for us today at work? Well, we can't fix people. We can't talk them into following Jesus. That's between them and Jesus. But we can live in a way that is consistent with scripture. We can live like we know and trust God's power. We can live according to God's rules.
And when we live that way, that helps us to pray for others and to consider them more important than ourselves. It also helps us to appreciate others and to share Jesus' love for them; to look for ways to be a blessing to others. It helps us serve others because of what Jesus did for us, by coming as a servant.
Our lives change when we realize that everything begins with the Father. Our job is to simply do what he says. Our job is to simply take part in his plan.
But we also must be ready to give a defense. That's why we practice being able to explain our actions, using "I" and "me" statements. That's the fifth daily activity that we talk about called speaking for ourselves. This passage reminds us that everything begins with the Father. We still have a role to play. Our faith in Jesus provides contrast in an unbelieving world.
When we live differently, God uses our lives in the life of others. The facts of our lives can't be argued when we live according to a different strategy; when we live following Jesus.
So the question today for us is will we cooperate? It all begins with prayer. We can punch in, tell God "Here I am," and get on the clock with Jesus."
Jesus. Here I am. What do you want me to do today? Help me listen for you and act when you give me ideas to act." That's a great beginning prayer. Prayer like that will be answered, too. God will transform our common everyday weekday into a landmark day. Today could be that day. I would like to challenge you to live that way today and also to consider joining us in the Follower of One Online Community.
We're a body of people who want to live following Jesus every day, seven days a week. You can learn more about it at https://community.Followerofone.org. Join us and you can even check out our next Marketplace Mission Trip. Thanks so much for being a marketplace minister.
And thanks for making a difference in your life. Live today, following Jesus. And he will use that in the lives of other people. Thanks very much.
On the final day of the Marketplace Mission Trip, we remember how important it is to be able to give the reason for our faith.
Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. I love doing the Follower of One Podcast. Thanks for joining me again today. And I'm talking about one of my favorite stories in scripture. Our verse today is John chapter nine, verse 30, "The man answered and said to them, 'Well, here's an amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from, and yet he opened my eyes.'"
Jesus was walking through town and he came across a man who was blind from birth. And it was believed to be impossible to heal a man who was blind from birth. His eyes had never worked. There were no nerves connected. This was a physical impossibility. And yet Jesus healed this man. And all of John chapter nine is a story about this man explaining what happened to these Pharisees and, these righteous people who weren't there when it took place.
And this explanation is core for what we talk about in Follower of One, especially on the final day of the mission trip. We talk about being able to remember and be able to explain why you believe in Jesus or why you follow Jesus. You see, I believe that's what makes things different about us in the marketplace.
If we can explain our faith using "I" and "me" statements and speaking in the first person, we can introduce Jesus into the world without telling anyone else how they have to live or what they have to do. We simply tell them what we chose. This way we're not being offensive or telling someone else how to live.
We're simply stating facts like this man did. This man was healed miraculously. And then Jesus left. All these people are asking him about his healing and they're grilling him and questioning him. And at the end, the man finally says in verse 30, he says the man answered and said to them, "Well, here's an amazing thing, that you do not know where he is from, and yet he opened my eyes."
The religious leaders ended up getting irritated with this man, because here he is teaching them. And yet they're the ones who were educated. But the point of the story is your relationship with Jesus Christ matters. Your story and the way that you interact with Jesus, the difference that he's made in your life, it matters.
And it's relevant information, especially if you live a life that can't be explained. When we live a life that can't be explained by the normal everyday life without Jesus. All of a sudden people search for an explanation. Your coworkers want to know why you're different; why you always have a good attitude. Why do you never complain? And if these things aren't true about us, then let's change our behavior. I wasn't as good or representative of Jesus in the workplace, as I wish I could have been.
I chose to live more like my former self, than my saved self. And I'm sorry about that. When we can live-giving our life away, because we follow Jesus, it makes a difference. And our coworkers, want to know. They want to understand what's our motive and what's going on behind the scenes.
And a simple two-sentence answer about why I follow Jesus is often the key. When we live, like we've lived over these last two weeks of the Marketplace Mission Trip, praying for others, and loving others, and serving others, and doing things to bless other people, then they want to know why we're doing that.
It doesn't fit their mental model and our being able to give a succinct explanation about why we follow Jesus and why our relationship with Jesus is what prompted our behavior helps bring Jesus into the marketplace. It helps other people see him. I believe this is the secret sauce to the Marketplace Mission Trip, and to us being able to become full-time ministers of Jesus Christ, no matter what our job is. You can be a minister of Jesus Christ serving other people because you follow him. That's what a minister of Jesus Christ does. We can serve other people because we follow him. And then when they ask us, we give them this first person answer.
We speak using "I" and "me" statements. And we state very clearly while I did X because I follow Jesus, and I felt like that's what he wanted me to do. When I started following Jesus, he changed my life.
This man said, "Well, here's an amazing thing, you don't know where he's from, and yet he opened my eyes." God will give you cool words to say like that, if we can live in such a way that people ask. Let's live that way today. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thanks for making a difference in the world because you follow Jesus. The way we live matters. And then what we say about it matters, too. Let's practice walking our faith daily and living our faith so the other people would ask us, and then we can share our why. Thank you very much.
Seeing is believing, right? Maybe not. Let's talk about it.
Hi, I'm Mike Henry with Follower of One. Welcome back to the Follower of One Podcast and our 601st episode. Thank you very much for listening and supporting our ministry and sharing these podcast episodes with your friends.
Today, we want to talk a little bit about John 20, 29, and we're also right in the middle of a Marketplace Mission Trip.
And our message today in the Marketplace Mission Trip is about delivering excellent work. And I want to talk about living in accordance with our beliefs and the title of today's message, which is Belief Without Sight. Jesus appeared to the disciples after the resurrection, but in his first appearance, Thomas wasn't there. As a result, Thomas refused to believe.
So Jesus reappeared a few days later and spoke directly to Thomas. And Thomas was blown away and worshipped Jesus.
"And Jesus said to him, 'Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'" John 20:29. And that's from the New American Standard Bible.
We're tempted to think that seeing is believing. When we see something, we have our proof. Then we will believe. But Jesus operated on a totally different level. Our faith works that way too. We must believe, or we will not see. We talked about this a little bit in yesterday's podcast as well. In Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, he said the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. That's 2 Corinthians 4:18.
When we live our lives, according to what we believe, especially when we believe things that we can't see, we send a message. If you walk through a crowd, talking out loud to a friend who couldn't be seen, people would think you were a bit crazy or a bit off. But when that person does something and others see the work of that other person, but they don't see that person specifically, it causes them to pause. When we allow Jesus to cause us to live differently, others see the work. They see the results. Others begin to see the tracks that Jesus makes in our lives and our performance at work. The way that we live starts to look differently because of who we know and what we believe.
Over time, those tracks become visible to some, and maybe some of those people will even ask and come to a belief in Jesus. The more we believe, the more we see. As Jesus said, "Blessed are those who believe and who haven't seen." That's the comment that he made to Thomas here in this experience, but it's also a word for us because we haven't seen. We can see the results of spiritual life in our friends and our coworkers.
And that's what we challenge people to do on Follower of One. We want to encourage people to live their life as if they follow Jesus 24/7. We want to go to work like we're going on a mission trip because we are. We're on a mission with Jesus.
Will we live today like believers? Can we trust Jesus and deliver excellence even when no one is looking?
We don't do it to get ahead in our career because really, if we do, if we just did this extra work to get ahead in our career, then we would have our reward. But if we aren't rewarded in any other way then Jesus rewards us. He uses us in the lives of others and the things which are not seen the things that we experience, but we don't see, those are eternal.
Can we deliver excellence and live differently today? Our actions make our Eternal Savior visible to those who will believe. We need to live following Jesus. And I want to challenge myself and you today to live and deliver excellence. Live a life that is fully grounded on the Lord Jesus Christ, so that other people can see the results of that life and see the difference that it makes.
He will become visible to some because of the way we live. We won't need to talk or try to convince, we just simply need to live as if we believe that following Jesus matters. We know it does. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. Thanks for being on the Marketplace Mission Trip, if you are. And if you'd like to try this out, why not join us at https://community.Followerofone.org?
You can sign up for a profile in our online community and then go to our Courses Page and select the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Join us. They're free. You can try this out for two weeks in your own workplace and live your faith. And see about producing some evidence that proves to your coworkers, that Jesus is real.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thanks for making a difference.
Today, many assert that knowledge is common. Let's talk about common knowledge for a moment.
Hey, I'm Mike Henry Sr. With Follower of One. Welcome back to the Follower of One Podcast. And thank you for joining us for episode number 600. This is a landmark for us.
And so thank you for joining us on this podcast. It's also day three of the second week of our Marketplace Mission Trip, and our message today is to listen; to think about and listen to other people and appreciate them. And that brought me to first Corinthians chapter two, verse 14, "but a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually appraised." That was from the New American Standard Version of the Bible.
The English Standard Version of the Bible says that they are spiritually discerned. We talk about common knowledge often and common understanding. I thought that was commonly understood. Often you will hear people today say, well, you know, it's, it's settled fact that there's climate change going on or other things like that happening in our world.
And what I wanted to talk about a little bit today for us as believers in the marketplace, is how we interact with people who don't have the same knowledge that we have when it comes to spiritual things. "The natural man does not accept the things that are of the Spirit of God. They are foolishness to him."
Paul has been talking about how there's a difference between what's foolish and how certain things look foolish to some, but they're smart to others. Most people we know, especially those who don't claim to follow Jesus, can't discern the truth of scripture. I don't see how we can expect them to live according to the Bible.
Because there are many laws in the US that parallel laws in the Bible, we sometimes assume there is some correlation. But for most of our current world, this is no longer the case. Most people who don't follow Jesus eventually depart from his laws in one place or another, or maybe more. Does this mean that we don't vote or that we don't take part in our culture? No, it means that we still are involved, but we can't expect them to behave according to what makes sense to us.
What makes sense to people who believe in Jesus, will be different than people who don't believe in Jesus. When people don't believe in Jesus, those spiritually appraised things look different. They look foolish.
We can't expect the things of God to continue to be the rule in our land anymore, especially in a nation that's ruled by a majority or in a democracy. What then should we do? What can we do today? Well, we must live our own standard to the extent that we can. Listening to others and appreciating others comes from our knowledge of who created us and who saved us.
And as we stay close to Jesus and pray to him and ask for him to give us direction, then he will guide us. At work, we don't have to worry about convincing others about the truth of our scripture. We simply live trusting Jesus. He's in charge. We can pray for our coworkers, like every prayer matters because it does.
And we can appreciate and serve others too. The keys that Jesus has given us to make a difference in the world are serving others and appreciating others and loving them. And that's what we've been called to do: to go into our workplaces and do that today. We must know what we believe and be able to live that answer for ourselves and to be able to give that answer for ourselves too when we get a chance to speak.
Today, I want to encourage you as a marketplace Christian, let's go into the workplace, trust Jesus, and live according to our beliefs. The rest of this is the world's problem. We want to love people in such a way that they can't understand what's different about us. And then let Jesus open their hearts and their eyes to what's going on. Because they have to learn spiritual things from the Holy Spirit. They can't learn them from us necessarily.
I hope that makes sense. I'm thinking off the top of my head today and doing this podcast because I'm so excited about what's happening in our ministry. Right now, there are people on a Marketplace Mission Trip. That's an exercise that we take that puts us on a mission with Jesus in our workplace.
If you'd like to learn more about that, you can check out our website, at https://followerofone.org, learn more about the Marketplace Mission Trips, and join our online community. Thanks very much.
When things are going well, do you start to wonder when they're going to go bad or when something bad might happen? Do you often dread the future?
I'm Mike Henry with Follower of One. Welcome back to the Follower of One Podcast. I want to quote a verse from the first Thessalonians chapter four, verse one.
And I'm reading from the New American Standard version because I want to concentrate on a phrase that the very end. "Finally then brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God just as you actually do walk, that you excel still more."
What does it mean to "excel still more?" Other translations actually say "that you do so more and more." The English Standard Version and the New International, for example, say that.
Or "that you do this even more," is another translation. How do we walk even more or excel still more? That's our challenge in the workplace today. If things are going well for you at work, sometimes I get tempted to think, "Oh, well, I wonder what's going to happen bad." I wonder what bad thing will happen next.
When does the next shoe drop? When we think about our spiritual life, this is our job: to excel still more. To walk in our relationship with Jesus a little bit more each day. Let's stay in our relationship with Jesus. If you're out of it, or if you've dropped the ball, if you're feeling depressed or negative, remember that Jesus is right there.
He's with you at work today. He can help you with your circumstances and your situation. And all we need to do is remember that he is calling the shots. Our work life, our businesses, everything about us, it's really owned by him. He's the one who's in charge. And our relationship with him is one that we can re-enjoy anytime we want.
I want to challenge us today to excel still more. To walk in our relationship with Jesus more and more and more. Wherever you are today, ask God to show you the next thing. Ask him to show you what to do next. Today, we can depend on Jesus and trust him and let him use us in our place of work.
You see no answer or there's nothing for you to do today, but your job? Do it very well. If you come across an opportunity to be a blessing to someone, take it. If you get an idea that you ought to do something that seems a little silly, figure out how you can take that action. Every day in our workplaces is an opportunity to excel still more. To step into our relationship with Jesus Christ to live our full-time eternal life, instead of just reveling in our part-time temporal lives. Our physical life will end, but our relationship with Jesus will extend into eternity. I can't really explain that, but I can remind us to step into our relationship with Jesus Christ and experience that joy and that peace that he gives us we are his instruments in our work workplaces.
That's our job. Let's do that today. Thanks very much for being a marketplace minister. Thanks for considering how you can excel still more in your faith today. I want to encourage you to get around other people who are trying to do the same thing. Join us at https://community.followerofone.org. You will find a group of people who are trying to excel in living their faith in the workplace on a daily basis.
Thanks so much for being a marketplace minister. And thanks for making a difference with your faith. Everything we do because we trust Jesus matters forever. Let's walk in that relationship with him and excel still more. Thanks very much.
What is real life? What does it mean to really live? How do we experience this life? Let's talk about that today.
Welcome back to the Follower of One Podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry Sr. And I'm grateful to be here. I've struggled a little bit with COVID for the last several days, and I'm catching up in my podcast recordings and I wanted to talk about 1 Thessalonians chapter three, verse eight.
From the New American Standard, it says, "for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord."
I thought this was a fitting place to kind of restart my podcasting efforts. It's interesting how drained I felt when I was experiencing the symptoms of COVID. It was like a really bad cold. But I got to thinking about this because this passage, which is one that I like to come back to from time to time, challenges me a bit.
I don't know if you ever saw the movie Secondhand Lions, but there's a play on this phrase at the end of it.
"So they really lived?" "Yes. They really lived."
It's like we get to live two different lives. We have a temporal life, the one that's going to end. And we have this eternal life. The one that we're given. We were dead to it, but we're given that life when we trust Christ as our Savior. We re-enter eternal life. We become alive to God. And this real-life, this really living, becomes something that takes place on this plane, where we interact with the Holy Spirit and with Jesus and with God and with fellow believers.
This real-life is what we get to experience when we know that our friends are standing firm in the Lord when we're encouraged about the relationships that we have with fellow believers. It's a different level of life, a different kind of life. People who don't have that life don't understand. And part of our job is to live in such a way that they might see that life and want to take part in it.
That's part of the idea behind the Five Daily Activities for Follower of One. We want to challenge people by praying for them and appreciating them and serving them. And we also want to be able to challenge them by being able to explain the difference between this real life that we have that's eternal, and this temporal life that we have that will pass away.
Paul is actually celebrating the Thessalonians here. Timothy had brought a letter to Paul from the Thessalonians. And Paul is celebrating that. He's saying "We're glad to hear that you are standing firm in the Lord."
And therefore I'm drawing a parallel here. I'm going to challenge us to remember that our real life is growing in Jesus. It's standing firm in Jesus. Real-life is what we communicate and what we live when we can operate in our eternal life plane and not just on our temporal life plane.
Life is much more than what we eat or drink or even the experiences that we have by being a tourist or by going someplace or traveling. Those are all great things. And you may experience the blessing of God through nature or through friendship. But as we stand firm in the Lord, as we rely on our relationship with him, that's when we experience real life, the real-life that never ends.
Today, I want to challenge us as marketplace Christians. Let's live that real life. Let's be those real living people in and around our friends and in our workplaces. As we stand firm in the Lord, as we pray for others, and as we give away pieces of our life because we trust Jesus, we stand firm in him and we experience this real life.
I would like to encourage you to join us in this real life as well. We've created a community called FollowerOfOne.org. You can join us there. Go to https://FollowerOfOne.org and click on the community link and join us in the online community. And there you can take part in the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Thanks very much for living your faith and for making a difference with your faith. It matters. Everything you do as a follower of Jesus matters forever. Thanks very much.
On day five of the Marketplace Mission Trip, we talk about Speaking for Ourselves. Most of us spend the bulk of our lives in a world that doesn't want to be told what to believe. Let's talk today about how we speak when we're given the chance to relate to our faith.
Welcome back to the Follower of One Podcast. I'm Mike Henry Sr. Thanks for joining me. Today, as we talk about this statement made by the apostle Paul in second Corinthians three, two. "It is not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God."
And that's from the Christian Standard Bible. I tend to talk like I'm right all the time. If you disagree with me, you're not thinking, or you're missing some facts. My kind of default mode is that I'm right. Whether you agree or not, and I've had to learn over the years really, that I'm generally more wrong than right.
Yep. There it is. I said it. In fact, as you listen to me, you may be more wrong than you think simply because you're listening to a guy who's generally wrong. I can get things often, very wrong.
Everything I know about my faith and most of what I remember about what happened to me, all of those things have a perspective. Now that I'm aware of my perspective, I've learned to speak for myself. I only talk about the things that I can with my own perspective. Even now, as I speak to you about the Bible, you're hearing my perspective in my learning, but even those things came to me through others, and at the hand of God. Those things come to me from the hand of God. I'm not competent in myself to claim anything as coming from me, but my adequacy comes from God. In second Corinthians. Paul's defending himself a bit. And in this verse, he's reminding the Corinthians that what he knows and what he has done have all come from God.
God is our adequacy. He's the foundation of what we do. Some other translations use words like sufficiency instead of adequacy. God operates his plan, and even our own degree of error is factored in. And that's why we talk about speaking for ourselves as the fifth daily activity in Follower of One. We can talk with some degree of certainty about the things that we've experienced and the things that we chose to believe. But to tell someone else that they must do something that they have to live a certain way to get to heaven, or that they have to do certain things to be Christians, I'm not so certain about many of those things. I'm not suggesting that we make our own Bible or make our own religion, but fortunately, our faith allows for a degree of error.
We each have a degree of error and that's why it's important. My degree of error is unknown to me. I'm certain it's there. We're all, some degree wrong. Romans 3:23 says we've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We all come up short. That's the degree of error that I'm talking about. And I believe that degree of error is what challenges us to speak using the first person or to speak for ourselves.
Today, if you get an opportunity to speak about your faith, try and limit your words to statements that begin with I, or me. Let's talk about what God has done in our lives so that our coworkers and our friends can choose how they process that information. In the end, their salvation and their life with Christ is dependent upon choices they make while they're interacting directly with him, not things they say to us or how they behave.
Those factors don't matter. What matters is their relationship with Jesus Christ. And we want to challenge them to have a relationship with Jesus because we have a relationship with him and we experienced certain things. So let's try and limit things to the first person today and speak for ourselves. That way we avoid violating proprieties. And we are making a way for people to hear about our faith, without trying to tell them how to live. It's a necessity in our world.
Thanks for listening to me, stumble through some of this as we figure it out. Our job is to be witnesses, to do what we do because we believe who Jesus is and then tell others why.
Thanks so much for being a marketplace minister and thanks for serving other people in the workplace because you follow Jesus. Our actions matter. Today, let's focus on activity number five and speak for ourselves. Thanks very much.
Have you ever thought something was one way and you were 180 degrees wrong?
Welcome back to the Follower of One Podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry Sr. Thanks for joining us today. Today is day four of the Marketplace Mission Trip. And we often talk about the importance of serving others. Today's passage is Mark chapter 10 verses 43 and 44.
"But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all." That's Mark chapter 10 verses 43 and 44 in the English Standard Version.
Jesus is responding to the then-current view of authority.
You know the secular version of the Golden Rule, "the person with the gold makes all the rules." Much of our world operates on that basis even today. Jesus was responding to the disciples who were angry because James and John had asked to have positions number one and two in Jesus's new kingdom. Everyone else was upset.
They wanted those positions too. Jesus responded with these verses. Do you want to be great? Would you like to get ahead; succeed? The great person is a servant, Jesus tells us.
I spent much of my career trying to be great, but without looking like I was trying to be great.
What about you? Did you ever do anything like that? The great person is a servant, Jesus tells us the path to greatness goes down through servanthood, not up through success and conquest. But then Jesus adds more. He says, if you want position, number one, you must serve everyone else. Actually, he uses a different word here than serve.
He used a word that meant being a lowly slave, not just a servant, not an appreciated hired hand. No. This is a drone, robot, someone you didn't notice. You may be even didn't know their name. Can we go there?
Can we hear the world talk about servant leadership? Whether or not someone presented the idea before Jesus, God built servant leadership into each one of us. We lead best when we serve others. The world took Jesus out of the equation, but he's actually the proof. Without Jesus, the idea of servant leadership is only a theory. But with Jesus in the picture, we know the world was created to operate on servant leadership. Our world is servant-leader operated to the core and Jesus is the example.
God made us, all of us, to appreciate being served. Therefore people could make him known to just about anyone simply by serving them, because that's what Jesus did. When we serve others because Jesus said, too, we make his kingdom visible. We bring his kingdom to light. We bring his realm and his world into our world.
Others see Jesus when we live like we obey him. So today on the Marketplace Mission Trip, we want to remind you to serve others. When we start praying for people earlier this week, Jesus always responds. To the Holy Spirit, starts giving us ideas of other people that we can serve so that he would become visible.
Today, can we take the role of slave, even if it's only for a day? Try it. We're doing that on the Marketplace Mission Trip too, by serving others. If you've never been on a Marketplace Mission Trip, that's not a problem. Head over to https://community.followerofone.org and join our online community. And you'll get invited to the next Marketplace Mission Trip too. Thank you for being a minister in the marketplace.
And thanks for making a difference in the lives of the people that you interact with today. Everything you do because you trust Jesus matters forever. Thanks very much.
We often think we know the future. We forecast the weather. We imagine we will follow the same path as the people before us . But some things we just don't know.
Welcome back to the Follower of One Podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry Sr. Thanks for joining us again today. I was recently struck anew by a verse: first John three, verse two.
"Dear friends, we are God's children now. And what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears we will be like him because we will see him as he is."
That's from the Christian Standard Bible. And once again, that's first John chapter three, verse two. John's reminding us that we're uncertain about the future with Jesus.
We often try to avoid uncertainty. But if we consider what we're certain about, we find something else. We don't know what he will be like, but we've been told that we will be like him. In Philippians three we were told that.
If we focus on what we don't know, we might become paralyzed or we might jump to conclusions. I can fall into a trap for both of those. But if I focus on what I do know, things change. We will be like, Jesus. We don't have to worry about the future. We can focus on today. We will be like him and we will see him as he is. Are you confident in the grace of God? Are you able to live with the uncertainty and trust Jesus? Trust is my word for the year 2022. Today, I want to be fully present. I want to be right where I am. I want to live my life at the moment, trusting Jesus. He has my future.
Now I'm not telling us to disregard, save, or to be responsible family people, or to make a positive difference in the world.
That's not it at all. This is not live for a moment type of stuff. The Holy Spirit may warn us about the future. He may tell us to consider our retirement, tell us to save more and to be more healthy. I believe he's often telling me those things. But in everything, I want to focus on what I can control.
I need to avoid worrying about things outside of my control, like what eternity will look like and what will happen to me. I want to trust Jesus and do what he has for me to do today. I don't even have to speculate about what eternity will be like. I can trust that Jesus has that covered too.
The context of this passage is that we're to love others. We can actively make a difference in someone else's life today. Look for that opportunity. Your circumstances, your fears about the future, or any concerns about what's going on in your life, don't necessarily preempt the opportunities that we have to serve others and to love others. So let's look for an opportunity.
Let's ask Jesus. He will put us to work in the lives of someone other than ourselves. We can step into his calling in the moment and look for ways to help every one else that we meet today, move one notch closer to Jesus.
So today on the Marketplace Mission Trip, we're also talking about knowing what we believe.
Let's remind ourselves that Jesus has a job for us to do today. And that job is to love God and to love others. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. If you've never been on one of our Marketplace Mission Trips, there's one going on right now, as you're hearing this. And there will be another one going on sometime in the next few weeks. You can check it out at https://marketplacemissiontrip.com and request an invitation to join the next Marketplace Mission Trip.
Thanks very much for being a minister in your marketplace. And thanks for letting God use you in the world to make a difference. Your life can make an eternal difference. Thanks for trusting Jesus and following him at work. Thanks very much.
How often should we forgive others? That's our topic for today.
I'm Mike Henry with the Follower of One Podcast. Thanks for joining us today. As we talk about how we forgive others, I want to read from Matthew chapter 18 verses 23 through 27.
"For this reason, the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle accounts, one who owed 10,000 talents was brought before him. Since he did not have the money to pay it back, his master commanded that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt. At this, the servant fell face down before him and said, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything.' Then the master of that servant had compassion, released him, and forgave him the loan."
And that's from the Christian Standard Bible. I want to talk for a moment about 10,000 talents. This man had owed the king 10,000 talents. There are varying degrees of understanding with regard to talent, but often a talent of gold or silver was the equivalent to multiple years' wages.
It was a great amount of money. Imagine 75 pounds of gold or 75 pounds of silver. This was more money than any person could have spent almost in a lifetime. And there were 10,000 of them. And so this, this is an unbelievable amount of money and I believe Jesus is making this point to make an exaggeration. He's speaking directly to Peter and to others about how many times we should forgive others. And he makes this illustration. Can you imagine that you've been forgiven 10,000 lifetime's worth of income? That's an awful lot of money. And if we've been forgiven that much, then what should we forgive? This story goes on.
And this person after being forgiven, that amount of money would not forgive someone who owed him a hundred days' wages. So this massive comparison is taking place. And as a result, we find out further in the story that the king ends up not forgiving this man, his debt, but having him thrown in prison.
It's an amazing story because what Jesus is saying is we've been each forgiven 10,000 lifetime's worth of money. And we therefore should go forgive everyone else. So what's the number? How often should we forgive? It's way more than I tend to forgive. I don't know about you, but I don't forgive nearly enough and I don't forgive nearly as freely as I should.
And my challenge for us today is to be forgivers. Let's forgive like we've been forgiven 10,000 lifetimes of income. Imagine finding out one day that you owe a debt that you could never repay. That's exactly what happens to us when we become Christians. We've already created enough debt through our sin and our selfish lifestyle.
We've already been forgiven so much debt by Jesus at the moment that he saves us that there's nothing that we can't forgive someone else. And that's an interesting challenge. And I believe only Jesus can make that command of us because of what he has forgiven us.
So today I want to challenge us as marketplace Christians. Let's forgive. Look for opportunities to forgive others. Look for a way to give away a little more, to forgive a little better. As we're praying for people today, and as we're trying to appreciate our coworkers on our Marketplace Mission Trip, let's forgive others.
It's one of the ways that we show appreciation for others - that we freely forgive. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for considering how your faith shows up in the world every day. Join a community of us who are trying to bring our faith with us everywhere we go. And we connect together at https://followerofone.org.
You can join our online community at https://community.followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
What do you do when God gives you a job and it's not what you wanted. You know that the work came from him, but you know, you didn't want to do it.
Hi, I'm Mike Henry with Follower of One. Thanks for joining us on today's podcast. We do the short devotionals so that we can challenge ourselves as we go to work.
How can we live our faith on a daily basis? Some days, God asks us to do things that we didn't want to do. Today, I want to read one verse, but talk about a story in Matthew 14. Matthew 14:10 says "He sent and had John beheaded in the prison."
John, the Baptist had been in prison by king Herod. But Herod got drunk at a party and made a promise to his stepdaughter, and in order to keep his promise, he had John the Baptist killed.
Do you ever feel like God puts you in situations where you don't want to be? Sometimes I believe God calls us to unpleasant tasks and to difficult things.
He called John to prison and now he calls John to death. I don't believe Jesus is calling any of us who are probably listening to this podcast, to die physically today. But he may be calling us to let go of something that we're holding on to, so that we can serve him better.
That's one of the challenges, and one of the questions I ask myself, when I read a passage like this. I would like the Holy Spirit to remind me that everything's not rosy, that all of my days are not in all my strengths, and that I don't get to live the life that I choose. I'm living the life that God chose.
God created a life for me and he gave it to me so that I could live it for him. Today, as marketplace Christians, what's God asking you to do? Is he asking you to do something hard? Is he asking you to do something challenging? This story's interesting because it goes on and Jesus and the disciples don't even get a rest. They don't get to grieve this loss.
As soon as they hear about this loss, they go on to try and get away. They try and get away from the crowds, but the crowds chase them down. And that's when the feeding of the 5,000 happens. It's interesting how this just all is backed up one upon another.
Are you buried and covered up doing things you didn't want to do today?
I want to challenge you a little bit, but I also want to encourage you. I pray for the people who listen to this podcast. And I'm excited for you in one regard, and that is: God's working his plan. We have to remember that people in heaven celebrated John's arrival.
We grieve John's loss, or we grieve the loss of something that we wanted to do, or even the loss of a life of a friend. We grieve that loss, but heaven celebrates.
Let's ask God to give us his perspective on our activities today.
"God, what would you have me do? Some of it won't be fun. Some of it won't be easy. But I do know there's joy and there's peace trusting you. As I do the hard jobs."
Today, particularly I'm praying for each person doing a hard job, each person doing a job they don't like, each person praying for a boss they don't particularly care for, each person working for frustrating and irate customers or dealing with stubborn vendors.
We have a ministry. And often that ministry means that we give away little pieces of our lives so that God might be glorified. Today, let's remember, we won't always get to do the things that we enjoy, but we do get to glorify God in everything that we do. And in the end we can rejoice in that.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for making a difference with your faith today. Doing the hard things or the easy things with joy so that you glorify God, it all matters. Your actions matter forever. Thanks for being a marketplace minister and check us out over https://followerofone.org, where you can see other resources and talk with us.
We want to pray for you. We want to help you live your faith on a daily basis. Head over to https://followerofone.org and check it out. Thanks very much.
What are you worth? Do you ever think about your net worth? It's something that I've thought about before.
Hey, I'm Mike Henry with Follower of One. Thanks for coming back to the Follower of One podcast. Today I want to talk a little bit about net worth and our possessions and I'm reading from Luke 12:15 in the New American Standard Bible.
"Then he said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions."
Our life does not equate to our possessions. I pick up some of these verses from My Utmost For His Highest because it's something that I read on a regular basis.
And I really appreciate that devotional. Our stuff tempts us and separates us from God. It does no matter what. We're not good enough to manage our stuff well. "Beware and be on your guard against every form of greed." When we start thinking that our stuff is even ours, it creates a problem for us.
Money is tempting. It tempts us to compare. We're tempted to believe that it will solve our problems and help us achieve our goals. If our goal is the vision God put in us, then let God accomplish his own goals. Our stuff is part of the resources. It's like we were building our own warehouse and our own storehouse of things, and God came and took all that over when he said we were bought with a price. Christ died on the cross to pay for us. But he also then wants us to use our stuff for his glory. If our vision has been given to us by him, let's put our stuff to work for him. And if our vision hasn't been given to us by God, then we can expect God's agenda to run opposite our own.
And we'll be frustrated and disappointed from time to time. Beware because every form of greed looks like something that takes us away from God. It's my own desire to use my stuff, my way. That's a form of greed. That's one that I run into the most. I think I have this problem on a regular basis and I wonder often how to deal with it.
And today I want to challenge us. Let's ask God how he wants us to use the stuff that he has given us. Every day, we need to remind ourselves that the stuff that we have was given to us by him. It will all be gone one day. But we won't. We'll still be around. We'll be with God wherever he is, and we'll be able to bask in our relationship with him. Our stuff won't have been an obstacle.
Today. I want to encourage us to fight against this temptation by giving something away. As usual. I'm talking to myself, trying to tell myself I need to let go of the things that I have. I often see my own energy and my own resources as the answer to every problem.
But if the vision is from God, then I want to let God solve the problems. I want to be patient and wait for him. Listen for him to tell me what to do, and then act.
Today, if God gives you action, do it. If he challenges you to give away some money or if he reminds you that there's something that you need to do today, he's been bugging you about it for a while, let's do it. Let's figure out a way to do what he has for us to do today.
Today, ask God, what do you want me to do with my stuff? And then give it away. Because even when we have an abundance, our life does not consist of our possessions. Thanks for being a marketplace minister.
Thank you for giving God your life and your stuff to use for his goals and his objectives. Let's punch in today. "Here I am God!" And let him put us to work so that we can see his glory in the lives of the people that we work with.
Also, please share this podcast with a friend. And check out the Marketplace Mission Trip. You can find out more about it by joining the online community called Follower of One. Head over to https://community.followerofone.org, and create a profile there. Join us and check it out. It will put you to work, living your faith every day in the marketplace. Thanks very much.
Do you trust Jesus? What does trust look like for a marketplace believer these days?
Welcome to the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry. Thanks for joining me again today.
As you may have heard I'm struggling and wrestling with the word "trust." That's my word for 2022. And I'm studying passages about that. And today I want to read Mark chapter four, verses 37 through 40, and we're going to talk about verse 40.
"And there arose a fierce gale of wind and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus himself was in the stern, asleep on a cushion; and they woke him and said to him 'Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?' And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush be still.' And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And he said to them, 'Why are you afraid? How is it that you have no faith?'"
That's from the New American Standard Bible. What are we afraid of? You know, I want to say that I trust God. And I want to live my life in such a way that I trust God. But when I get into a contentious work situation or when I have an irate customer, when something's going wrong at work, I can get pretty wound up.
My stomach can turn and I can start calculating all the time. I've spent many years gritting my teeth and doing things like that. And that's an outward sign of me not trusting Jesus. I think I don't trust him near way as much as I'd like to believe that I do. I don't want to make lightly the situation the disciples were in.
So they're in this boat on the sea with Jesus, and there arose a fierce gale of wind. The waves are breaking over the boat so much that the boat is filling with water. Jesus is asleep. He must've been really tired and he must've been, very calm about what was going on. I can't imagine, but I want to. I can't imagine the peace that Jesus sensed knowing that God wouldn't let anything happen.
How can you relax in a circumstance like that? How can you rest and sleep? They had to wake him up. They had to go get him and say, "Do you not care that we are perishing?" I think that's where they made the mistake. I'd like to believe that I would wake Jesus up so that he would save us or I would wake Jesus up so that he would make the storm stop.
But they were clearly afraid. Once Jesus stopped the storm, they were left with their fear. It's interesting to me because I don't think I trust Jesus to clean up the messes in my life. I schedule my time and I plan my life so that I have the energy to clean up the messes that happen in my life. What does it take for me to wait on Jesus and trust him?
What about you? What's it going to take for us to trust him in our work environments today? So I want to challenge us, ask God to show you where you need to trust him more. And let's live like we're relaxed people watching God do his thing in our workplace. We can enjoy watching God do his thing in our workplace when we trust him. It's harder to enjoy seeing him do that when we're worried and fretting and anxious all the time. And so I want to encourage you punch in, remind God about the problem. Let's wake Jesus up, but let's not be afraid. If I wake him up, I don't have to do it out of fear. I can wake him up and say, "Hey, you see this mess we're in, don't you?"
I want to trust Jesus more today and I'm willing to ask him. Why not you, would you trust him more today? Let's ask him to show us how we can show up at work. And I want to encourage you too, as you're hearing this, the next Marketplace Mission Trip just begins in a few days.
Go to https://community.followerofone.org and join us on a two week experiment where we actively trust Jesus and take our faith into our workplace every day. You will not end up looking like a jerk to your coworkers. Trust me. But you will integrate your faith into your work more. Check out the Marketplace Mission Trip at https://community.Followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
In today's episode of the Follower of One podcast, Mike speaks with Os Hillman.
Os Hillman is an internationally recognized speaker on the subject of faith at work. He is the Founder and Executive Director of Marketplace Leaders Ministries, an organization whose purpose is to help men and women discover and fulfill God's complete purposes through their work and view their work as ministry. He is the author of over 21 books and a daily workplace email devotional called TGIF Today God Is First which is read worldwide in 104 countries.
They dive into:
- The Start of Os’ Faith and Work Journey
- Learning More About Os’ New Devotional
- Ministry and Moving People One Notch Closer to Jesus
And if you liked what you heard, be sure to join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
Are you happy? I spent most of my career angry. Can you say that you honestly enjoy your work and look forward to it?
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry. Do you ever consider that happiness is a product of trust? I think I've said yesterday, that trust is my word of the year for 2022. And so in my study of trust, I came to Psalm 40 verses one through four.
We talked about verses one through three yesterday. Today I want to focus on verse four because I want to trust the Lord better. If we trust God, we can enjoy him. We can experience happiness. But if we don't trust him, we may have a problem.
Here's the verse: "Blessed is the man who makes the Lord has trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie."
That's from the English Standard Version. The Net Bible says "How blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord and does not seek help from the proud or from liars." This contrast is interesting because if we trust in the Lord, the opposite of that is seeking help from proud people or from liars.
I tend to try and get things done on my own. When I don't trust the Lord, I try and do it myself. Maybe I'm the proud in the liar that the Psalmist is talking about here.
Back to my original question. Are you as happy as you would like to be? For the 30, some odd years that I was angry and frustrated and struggling in my career, it's because I was trying to do everything in my own power. I wasn't trusting the Lord with the things that were happening, the things that were taking place in my job. I want to trust the Lord more so that he will help me. And I want to challenge us today with this verse. "Blessed is the person who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud to those who go astray after a lie."
We are blessed, if we can make the Lord our trust, our hope. If we fix our hope for the future on the Lord, we can enjoy the things that are happening. I want to do a better job of enjoying the things that happen to me today. How about you?
Let's focus on that today. Let's ask God to help strengthen our trust so that we can be more joyful with the people that we're around and the people that we interact with. Let's live differently. And let's live this joy to the extent that we trust the Lord and let's grow our trust in the Lord while we do it.
I want to challenge all of us today. Actively trust Jesus. Listen to what he says. Ask him for guidance and direction and advice. And if it gives you a crazy idea and it lines up with scripture and you can do it without messing up your job, try and do it. Try and make it happen. When we obey Jesus in the crazy ideas that he gives us, he gives us more.
We experience more of him. We experience more of his joy, when we listened to him. Today, don't let your work environment or your challenges or your struggles or your anxieties keep you from listening to Jesus. The more we can listen to him, the greater that we will experience him and his joy. And we will show up as joyful, happy people in our workplaces.
And that will prompt other people to ask, "Why are you doing this? Why do you live like this? Why are you different?"
Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for actively trying to live your faith in the workplace and for listening to and sharing this podcast. I would like to encourage you in just a couple of weeks, we have a new Marketplace Mission Trip starting, and this is the new version of our Marketplace Mission Trip.
It's inside of our online community. Head over to https://community.followerofone.org and create a profile there, request access to that group and we will let you in. Then you can join the Marketplace Mission Trip that begins on January the 23rd.
Thank you very much for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for listening to this podcast and sharing it. I'm grateful for your service.
Does patience result in trust or does trust result in patience? Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. We invest a few minutes every day to think deeply about how we can integrate our faith into our daily life. I'm Mike Henry, the host. Thanks for joining us again today.
Today's passage is Psalm 40 verses one to three, and I'm reading from the Christian Standard Bible. It says, "I waited patiently for the Lord and he turned to me and heard my cry for help. He brought me up from a desolate pit out of the muddy clay and set my feet on a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see in fear and they will trust in the Lord."
Notice how this passage begins with patience and it ends with trust. Recently, I was speaking with a friend and we were both talking about how friends of ours has suggested that we consider having a word of the year. I don't know if you've ever had a word for the year, but neither of us had ever done that before. His wife had actually suggested to him that his word needed to be patience. I believe my wife probably suggested that to me several times over the past few years.
I also had a friend who suggested that I select trust as my word for this year. And I'm doing that. And so I was studying trust and patience and came across this passage today because I was talking with this friend about his word of patience and my word of trust. I lack patience, but I confess it's a little bit selective as patience leans over a little more towards passivity, I catch up with it.
I can be pretty passive. But when I have to actively wait on something outside of my own control, I don't relax. My mind is always working. I constantly calculate and figure and plan. Until I have a next step or next series of steps or a plan of some kind I don't rest well. I'm constantly busy. I'm constantly active in my mind.
This passage showed me the circular nature of trust and patience. When I trust someone to do what they say, I can relax. I can become patient. I don't think about something due next week when the person who's doing it is trustworthy. I trust them. Therefore, patience is easier or maybe patience is dormant.
My patience isn't necessary. Maybe I don't even need to be patient because I trust.
This podcast is part of my own discovery and search for trust. I want to trust Jesus more. I want to do what he says, but when the results, aren't what I expect. I go to work. I flip a gear and I jump into action. I become my own God trying to produce my own results. I stop waiting and to quote the next verse, I "turn to the proud." I'm the proud that I turn to most often.
God is working in your career and in your daily life right now and mine. What's he doing? Do you know? Are you waiting on him for anything? I believe we can live without ever trusting God because we have enough money or energy or resources to solve our own problems, but that becomes an empty lonely life.
We isolate ourselves because we're not dependent upon anything outside of ourselves. We save for retirement. We have insurance for just about everything. If we never have to wait on Jesus, do we ever really trust him? Today, I want to stop being my own. God. How about you? I want to ask God what he wants me to do.
I want to ask him to give me the state of the people that I interact with and the people that I work with, of my job and my workplace. And if he wants me to wait on him for something, then I want to bring my patience and put it to work. My patience needs some exercise, anyway.
I don't practice patience very often, and as a result, I can only talk about trust. But it's more like a city or country I've never been to. Today, I want to visit trust. I want to live there. I want to relax in my relationship with Jesus. And it requires me to exercise patience. It requires me to be dependent upon him. It requires me to lay back and to say, "okay, God, show me what you want me to do," and not act until he says what he wants me to do.
I'm not good at not acting. Today, let's ask God to let us visit trust more. Let's put our patience to work and do things that God asks us to do. But also let's put our patience to work and wait until he directs us. When we live like we trust Jesus, sometimes waiting on him instead of fixing our own problems, then we can talk about him. Then others will see him and they will trust in the Lord, which is what it says in verse three here.
Take some time today, reading Psalm 40. It's a deep multifaceted Psalm. And so is God. Let's do our jobs today and patiently wait. We will come out with a new song and we will help others trust Jesus more and more because we waited.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Check out our online community at https://community.followerofone.org, and let's get around other people who can help us exercise our patience, and rely on God, and trust God more. Thanks very much.
Are you a minister? Do you have a ministry? Let's talk about that today. I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Welcome to the Follower of One podcast. And thanks for joining us. Today, I want to talk about a passage in second Timothy chapter four, verse five. The verse reads, "As for you always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."
That's from the English Standard Version. Let's focus on this last phrase, "fulfill your ministry." Do you have a ministry? The Greek word translated "ministry" here is used several times in the New Testament, and it is most often translated "minister" or "ministry." But it's also many times translated as "service" or "servant." "Fulfill your ministry" means Paul's challenging his protege, Timothy to step into the calling God has given him. Are we all called? Are we all called by Jesus? Does he have a job for us to do? Ephesians 2:10 says "We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, that we should walk in them."
I believe each one of us is not only created, but then also saved to do a particular work, to do things that God intended; to do things that make God visible. When he challenges us to go the extra mile, because we follow him, he becomes visible in our world. And that job of serving people so that Jesus would become visible, to me that's ministry.
And so I think we all have a ministry. And I think this command here today applies to each of us. Let's fulfill our ministry.
How do we do that? Well, we have to go to work. We have jobs, or we have things that we have to do every day. And yet we found at Follower of One, five daily activities that we believe can put everyone on mission with Jesus, can put us into our own ministry. Those activities are Pray, Appreciate others, Know what you believe, Serve others and Speak for yourself. And we talk about all those topics on the Follower of One website, and we talk about them regularly in this podcast. When we do those things, we put ourselves in a position to be able to hear Jesus, as he guides us through the Holy Spirit. He guides us to make him visible in our world to do things because we believe he's real and he exists, and he's the only way to God.
So our job today is to fulfill our ministry. What's our calling? If we're not sure, let's ask God. Pray to him right now and ask him, "What do you want me to do today, Jesus? Here I am. I want to do what you want me to do." He will give you ideas. If those ideas align with scripture, and there are a blessing to others, find a way to do them. By all means, don't shortchange your employer or the commitments that you've made to other people. But find a way to serve Jesus in your actions today. That puts you into ministry.
You have a ministry. Today, let's be ministers. Let's make Jesus visible in our world because we listen to him and we served others. That's what he calls us to do, serve other people. And that's what I believe fulfilling our ministry is: finding the people around us who need us to serve them and stepping into that role.
Would you join us today? Become a marketplace minister. Just tell God right now. "Here I am. What do you want me to do?" And then let him put you to work. Thank you for being a minister in your workplace or in your marketplace today. And thank you for listening to this podcast and for considering ways to make your faith relevant and applicable in our world.
This is a great opportunity we're each given every day to make Jesus visible. So let's follow him and do what he says. One thing that we do to practice this through our online community. We have an experience called a Marketplace Mission Trip. This is a two-week activity. If you're hearing this on air date, there's another one of these mission trips beginning in less than two weeks.
Go check it out at https://community.Followerofone.org. You can sign up for our online community and request access to the next Marketplace Mission Trip beginning January the 23rd. You can do those things in our online community at no charge at no cost. Go check those out at https://community.Followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
Let's focus on what we can do, not on what we can't do. I want to talk about considering everything to be loss from Philippians three, verses seven and eight. Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry Sr. Thanks for joining us.
I recently read Craig Groeschel's book, Dangerous Prayers, and the prayer asking God to break me was a challenge for me. It still is. And I was challenged by that and praying about that and thinking about that the other day. And I was reminded about this passage in Philippians chapter three, verses seven and eight.
"But whatever things were gain to me, those things, I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them, but rubbish so that I may gain Christ."
This is a somewhat of a complex passage. I want to focus on some words, right at the beginning of verse eight. "I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord." I don't do a good job of counting things as loss. When I sit around and think about it, I can get anxious about things. I can get a little nervous about what am I supposed to give up everything I have?
Am I supposed to move to some foreign country? What am I supposed to give up as a follower of Jesus? And I think that I want to encourage us today. There are things that I can give up to be a follower of Jesus. I give money to the church and I give time to this ministry.
I try to do things to help other people because I follow Jesus. My goal is to live my life a certain way because I follow Jesus. And each time Jesus exposes me to another idea, I hope that I will move into that idea and not tell him no. Because wherever we do draw the line that ends up being the end of our growth as a follower of Jesus Christ.
However, I don't have to give it all away today. I'm not called to give it all away today. By all means, if the Lord is bugging you to do something, figure out a way to do it. I want to encourage all of us to follow Jesus in such a way that we do some strange things from time to time.
I believe life following Jesus is more of an adventure than any other life you could have. We listen to him, we pray to him, we read his word, and he gives us ideas of ways that we can make him visible in our world by serving the people around us.
I believe that this verse can become a trap for us because we can't let go of everything. But I want to encourage us today. Let go of whatever it is Jesus is asking you to let go of, and don't worry about anything else. Jesus calls us to a particular place from where we are. It's part of the reason why our goal in this ministry is to help everyone move one notch closer to Jesus.
We grow into these things that Paul's talking about. Paul could count all things loss because of the life that he had lived, and the experiences that he had. We can't jump to the Paul level from where we are. We get there over time. And so I want to encourage you, listen to Jesus, do what he says day in and day out.
And over time, these things grow. I'm going to still sweat, when I pray, Lord break me. It's always going to be a challenge I believe, for me. But I believe also that the Lord Jesus understands that challenge. And so I don't want to be afraid to pray it. Lord, show us how you want us to live today. Today's the day.
It's not what I need to do 20 years from now or what I should've done five minutes ago. It's what do you want me to do today? Let's help other people move one notch closer to Jesus. That's our full-time ministry. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for practicing your faith. As we said, in a recent episode, let's be people who practice following Jesus every day, because that makes him visible in our world.
Please share this podcast with a friend and also join us in our online community at https://community.followerofone.org. Thank you so much for being a marketplace minister for following Jesus and for letting your faith make a difference in our world.
It all matters. Thanks.
Let's talk about how humility proceeds glory.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. This is our 586th standard episode. I believe we've had over 600 episodes of this devotional. Thank you for listening to this show.
We talk about humility and I've talked in the previous episode about humility and thought I would continue in this passage from Matthew chapter 23, to talk about how humility proceeds glory. Our verse for today is Matthew 23 verse 12.
"Whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."
I think Jesus had certain phrases that he said many times. He says this one in Luke chapter 18. And I actually talked about that in our episode 208. If you want to go check that out, I'll try and put a link in the show notes. ( https://followerofone.org/the-key-of-humility-luke-1814/)
I think this was one of the phrases that Jesus said many times. "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." In episode 208. I talked about the verses that just precede this. And it was talking about how people try to get into a position of influence. They try to become leaders or authorities or teachers, or, they try to achieve positions of authority.
Today, the reminder, and this all begins right before he goes into these seven woes for the leaders of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, " whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." He's reminding us that humility comes before glory. We are just the same as everyone else. We're all children of Adam. We're like everyone else. We're not to put ourselves in a position where we consider ourselves better than others. Nor are we to consider ourselves as, advantaged or that we figured something out, that we're smarter or weaker.
I think it's interesting how Jesus puts us all in the same place. He basically says in the verse preceding this, "The greatest among you shall be your servant." And this word "servant" that's the word "minister." We're to be ministers. We're to be serving other people so that Jesus would become visible.
Our humility is reminding ourselves that if it wasn't for God, we wouldn't be here. We wouldn't be in a position to do anything. I can't tell you how many different lessons I've learned, how many times I've had to take the class and flunked the test, where I thought that I was supposed to be doing something and I was wrong. I see myself as the answer to every problem. And I struggle with this arrogance in everything that I do. And I've talked about it before on the show. For all of us who are believers in Jesus. Our job is to follow him. Our job is to practice doing what he tells us to do so that others might see the joy and the difference in our lives, and be curious.
Our job is to begin with humility. Begin remembering who Jesus says we are and what he's given us to do. God is the originator of our faith. He's the originator of our salvation. And everything he does is designed to draw us to him because he is the only valid answer. There are not multiple answers or multiple ways to God.
Jesus is the only way, according to Jesus' own words. And if that's offensive to you, I'm sorry, But that happens to be the truth. I want to trust Jesus. I want to do what he says, and I hope that you do too. As marketplace ministers. That's our job.
Let's follow him humbly today. He is the answer, not anything else. And therefore we don't have to judge anybody that we interact with. Our job is to just serve others so that they might see him.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister, and thank you for practicing your faith; practicing a life following Jesus.
That's our job. We practice that by doing five daily activities. And we also take part in a thing called the Marketplace Mission Trip. If you've never taken one of our Marketplace Mission Trips, we have another one coming up in just a few days. You can find out more about it on the website, https://marketplacemissiontrip.com. And you can request an invitation to join.
Thanks so much for living your faith every day in the marketplace. Thank you for serving and following Jesus and making him visible. Your faith and the difference that you make because of it matters every day. Thanks very much.
In today's episode of the Follower of One podcast, Mike speaks with TJ Tison.
TJ is the CEO of E5 Institute (E5I) whose mission is to help faith-focused organizations and professionals mobilize their mission and expand their impact for good and God in the world.
They dive into:
- The Mission and Vision of E5I
- How Spiritual Growth Can Be (And Should Be) Part of Your Business Objectives
- COVID’s Impact on the Faith Work Movement
And if you liked what you heard, be sure to join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!
I'm Mike Henry. Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. And our verse for today is Matthew chapter 23, verses two and three. "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice."
And that's from the English Standard Version of the Bible. And that's Jesus speaking. These are his words. For many of the latter chapters of the book of Matthew, Jesus is mixing it up with the scribes and the Pharisees, the leaders of the Jewish nation. And, he's beginning to let them have it.
This whole section of the scripture is actually got a whole heading over it. The seven woes to the scribes and Pharisees Jesus is going to let them have it in the verses to come. But in this verse here, he challenges us. And it's interesting because he begins by telling us to obey what they say. We're to obey our leaders. We obey the people who are in positions of authority over us.
That's not what I want to talk about today. Today, I want to challenge us to be people who practice and not preach. Practicing is much more important than preaching. We have a radar for people who talk, but don't do. That radar becomes sharper and sharper as we get burned by these people throughout our lives.
The word practice is a great word here because none of us are perfect. None of us are performers. We're practicers. We go through life trying to do and learning and getting better at the things that Jesus has for us. You've heard the stories of the great sports figures and how they continuously practiced.
And they always practiced well. Our job is to be practicers. We practice following Jesus by the way that we live our lives every day. We're all doing our best and no one has it all figured out. But if we're all practicing, one error we can avoid is telling others what to do.
All we have to do is remember our position. Remember where we came from. Once again, we're bordering on this topic of humility, which I've said before, I'm not qualified to speak on. I have so much trouble with this. But as Christ followers, we're all challenged to practice life following him. Our job is to be an example, and all of us are qualified to do that job.
Our job might even be to be an example of how not to follow Jesus, or to be an example of what we need to do when we make a mistake or when we screw up. I feel like that. I feel like the before picture all the time. But when we're transparent with our own pursuit of Jesus and our struggle to live up to the standard, we give other people hope.
We strive and practice and hopefully we're so well plugged in with Jesus that we succeed some and we fail others and we can always enjoy. And what's interesting is, is that we can also always rejoice. Rejoicing in the Lord is one of the most common commands in scripture.
We are transformed as we practice and we build our endurance and we experience great joy when we do this. When we live following Jesus, people will ask and then we can speak for ourselves. Those are our daily activities in Follower of One. Follower of One is an online community designed to help marketplace Christians live integrating their faith into their daily life.
Transparently, practicing following Jesus. Why not join us? Check out our free online community is https://community.followerofone.org. I want to challenge you to create a profile there and join us on our next Marketplace Mission Trip, a two week exercise to practice following Jesus. Another Marketplace Mission Trip begins in just a few days and we always have another mission trip starting in another few weeks, we do six or more a year.
Join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Let's follow Jesus together. Let's practice life as a follower of Jesus so that he can be glorified and he can become visible. Thanks very much for being a marketplace minister.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today for our devotional. This is our 584th episode. And we're grateful that you come back again and again. Today I want to talk about John chapter six, verse 68. So we started off talking about this a little bit in yesterday's episode, and today I want to continue the passage. So I'll read from verse 66 through 68: "As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. So Jesus said to the 12, 'You do not want to go away also, do you?' Simon, Peter answered Him, 'Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.'" That's from the New American Standard that was versus 66 through 68. This all sounds kind of formal. First of all, I don't really know what's going on in 67. I think Jesus saw everyone leaving and people confused at his message.
And so he's asking for confirmation from the twelve. I don't know that he's all that worried about them going away or anything like that. I've heard different ways. This is preached. My concern is more about the next statement. And I think this is cool because it reads a little academically in every translation that I read.
It's like, oh, we need to make Peter sound like a scholar. "Simon Peter answered him, 'Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.'" To me, the former Tennessee boy, I would say, "Where else am I going? You're the only one that makes any sense."
Jesus has this plan that's different than any other plan. It requires a Virgin born savior and it requires things that Peter hasn't considered yet either, or his mind would be blown. But this is beginning to make sense in his mind because he has decided that Jesus is the Messiah and he's following Jesus accordingly.
People who were following Jesus to watch the show or to see what was going on or to eat some more of the fish; those people are gone. But the people who believe that Jesus is right, and they're trying to follow him and understand him better; those people stick around. And I think this is the word for us today in the church.
People who were following Jesus to watch the show or to see what was going on or to eat some more of the fish; those people are gone. But the people who believe that Jesus is right, and they're trying to follow him and understand him better; those people stick around. And I think this is the word for us today in the church.
And if we don't believe Jesus, then let's stop fooling ourselves. Do we follow Jesus? Are we followers of Jesus? Am I willing to get up each day and tell him, "Here I am. Jesus. What do you want me to do today? What will you teach me today that will cause me to think differently about the way I live? And maybe do something in a way that glorifies you."
I want to be a person who glorifies Jesus every day of my life. Do you? Where else shall we go? He has the words of eternal life. Today, let's remember that Jesus has the words of eternal life. He has the strategy. It's his idea for how we get to heaven and anyone can follow it. I can create my own path, but I won't get there.
It's only when I follow the one who has the words of eternal life that I get there. Join us in eternal life.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for checking in and doing what Jesus calls you to do every day. The way you live and the actions that you take on a daily basis matter. They matter all the time.
Let's live differently so that others might ask and then we can speak in the first person and tell them about how Jesus has changed our life. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. Thanks for listening to this podcast. Please share it with a friend and invite them to go with you on the next Marketplace Mission Trip.
You can find out more about that on our website at https://followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. We're talking about John chapter six, verse 66, and it's an interesting story. And I just want to think about this for a little bit.
The verse says, "As a result of this, many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore."
That's from the New American Standard Bible. The word "this" in that verse, "As a result of this," that's a statement that Jesus made in verse 65. Maybe I should read that verse as well. "And He was saying, 'For this reason, I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.'"
There are many people following him around or are listening to him and watching what he was doing, thinking about following Jesus, but they weren't really bought in. They didn't really believe what he was saying. They were just thinking about it. And as a result of Jesus saying that no one can come to him, unless God arranges it, many of those people withdrew and we're not walking with him anymore. They gave up. "Oh, we're out of here." It's kind of the comment. I think about this because we live in this society and some of what many of us were taught as younger believers, we believe that it was our job to have some conversation with someone that brings them to the Lord Jesus Christ.
God does in fact, use us to be involved in bringing people to know him and to follow him. But not all the time. It's up to God what happens. Our life following Jesus is one of the ways that God helps other people see the difference between their life and ours so that they might choose. God is constantly asking people to follow him. " Behold, I stand at the door and knock," it says in Revelations chapter three. Jesus is asking us to follow him all the time. Everything about him is an invitation for us to follow, but if we want to go our own way, then we suffer the consequences. The people that we interact with every day, they may or may not follow Jesus.
Our job is to live in such a way that they might ask. that they might have an interest and they might ask God, the Father for permission. They might ask God the father for, an opportunity to follow Jesus. I believe what we have to do is we have to remember that it's our job to live as Jesus followers. And then it's God's job to bring our coworkers to him.
It's our job is to look for the opportunities that we get. That's part of the reason why we talk about speaking for yourself. And that's what I wanted to talk about with today's passage. When we speak for ourselves, we answer the question, "Why are you doing this?" in such a way that people know that Jesus is part of our motivation.
Jesus is the reason why we're doing something extra. We're staying late. Jesus is the reason why we pray for our coworkers. Jesus is the reason why we do a quality job. Jesus is the reason why we give our money away. He's the reason why we do much of what we do in the workplace. And if they want to follow him, they will find the energy to do that as well.
Speaking for ourselves is based on this concept that everyone's relationship with God is between them and God. It's not up to us to save them. It's not up to us to do any of these things. We follow Jesus. Some people won't. Today, I want to challenge you. I'm grateful for you being a marketplace minister.
Let's remember that God grants the opportunity to follow Jesus to our friends. He uses our lifestyle as part of that. Let's take part in the role that Jesus has given us today. Let's punch in with Jesus and do what he says today as we follow him in our 📍 workplace. Thanks for being a marketplace minister.
And thank you for making a difference with your faith in your workplace. We practice this whole idea in an experience called the Marketplace Mission Trip. You can check out our online community, https://community.followerofone.org and take the next Marketplace Mission Trip with us.
It begins on January the 23rd. If you'd like to learn more head over to https://community.followerofone.org, create a profile and we'll tell you all about it. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Welcome to the Follower of One podcast. We're on episode 582, and we titled this podcast. Who's My Boss. Our passage is Acts 17, verse 26. I got this passage from Shawn Sommerkamp with Motivationeer Christian Coaching and his website https://motivationeer.com.
He and I were talking about how this is a verse about faith at work. So let me read the verse today. I want to read from the New International Version "From one man, he made every nation of men that they should inhabit the whole earth, and he determined the time set for them and the exact places where they should live."
God created us for a particular time in a particular place. He chose it. He didn't pick us for the 18 hundreds or the eight hundreds or the 800 BCs. He chose us for today. And he chose us for the place where we live. The nation we live in. I'm blessed to be where I am to have the family that I have. I have so many things going for me it's not funny. And almost all of them are outside of my control. And I'm grateful for them.
But this verse calls me to remember that God is the initiator. He's the one who set me where I am to do a particular thing. My job is to figure out every day what he would have me do. That's part of the reason why I punch in and with a prayer. "Here I am, Father. What would you have me do today?"
I want to know why he put me in this period and in this boundary. Why did he put me here? And what would he have me do? There are certain things that we know from scripture that are keys. And I want to encourage you to search the scriptures and to pray and to ask God how he would have you live, because I believe there's a daily call. We talk about five daily activities in Follower of One: Pray, Appreciate others, Know what you believe, Serve others, and Speak for yourself. Barring any other call from God, we know we can do those activities every day and listen for God to give us promptings and ideas of ways that we can glorify him in the lives of the people that we already interact with.
Our place is picked. Our time was picked, but it's our goal to find ways to interact with God. Maybe he is calling you to some foreign country. Maybe he does want you to change your location. Then by all means work towards that. But if you're not working towards that, or if you can't get there today, then today you are where you are, and you can do what he has for you to do there.
I know it sounds a little rambling, but that's where this all started for me. Today, I'm not going to get a new job. Today, certain people I will interact with and others, I will not. What can I do to be a blessing to the people that I interact with today? You see if Jesus is my boss and my job is to do what he would have me do, I'm already in the right place. I'm already at the right time for the things that will happen today.
What about you? Do you look at your daily life that way? Do you look at your daily job that way? I spent a lot of time trying to get out of the job I was in. Most of us, I think work until we can go home. We're all trying to leave. But what if instead we decided to embrace the place we are and to let Jesus put us to work? That's the idea behind Follower of One. Today, let's ask God to show us what he would have us do, right where we are so that we can glorify him.
There's a group of us that work on this on a regular basis. On our website, you can go to the online community, it's https://community.followerofone.org. There you can request a profile and join this new body of believers. They exist all over the globe and in this online platform. And our goal is to connect by occupation or by industry, or even just to connect with our friends there where we can help one another live our faith on a daily basis, especially where we work or where we are.
Join us. Would you? Check it out https://community.followerofone.org. We want to help you live your faith on a daily basis. We work for the guy who set our times and our places. The exact places, the exact times .He set them. We want to work for him today. That's what we're struggling to do at Follower of One.
Join us and let's help one another do what God would have us do. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. Thank you for joining me for episode 581. I have a friend named Shawn Sommerkamp with Motivationeer Christian Coaching or https://motivationeer.com.
Anyway, Sean brought to my attention Acts chapter 17, verse 26, and I actually want to share two messages with you about this passage, because I think this is a great verse. Let me read the verse, see you today and we'll talk about the first part. "And He made from one man, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined, allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place." That's from the English Standard Version.
Paul is talking to the people in Athens. He's in this secular culture. He's been given an opportunity to speak to a group of people who don't have any connection to Judaism. And he's talking about God. The "he" that he mentions here is God. He made from one man, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth.
That's the part of this that I want to talk about today. Our titleis "Who Is My Brother?" We actually have another podcast, episode 366. That is also titled Who Is My Brother. And it approaches this topic from a different perspective and a different passage. But today it's challenging to me because I hear so much and I grew up in a world.
I grew up in America and we deal with race. And here's this passage that comes from scripture, that's designed to remind us that every single person on this planet is related. That's right. They're related to me. They're my brother or my sister. They're related to me.
I've never met an ordinary human being. They're all handcrafted by God. And made especially by God. He's excited about each person and He died on the cross. Jesus died on the cross for each person that I will interact with today. How dare I be angry toward another person or think badly of another person? I shouldn't. And I confess that sometimes I do.
I struggle. I am selfish and I focus only on myself and I can get angry with people. And I don't want to do that. I don't want to do that in my workplace. I don't want to do that with any person I interact with.
I want to remember that God made from one person, every nation of mankind. To live on all the faces of the earth. Help me remember that today. That's my goal for today. I want to talk about the next part of this phrase tomorrow. And it will take us a little longer.
God made each one of us. He handcrafted us. We are all unique. We are all made in his image. Today, let's pay attention to the people around us. Let's look for opportunities to bless the people around us simply because we follow Jesus. That's our job. That's my job as a believer, as a follower of Jesus Christ is to make a difference in the lives of other people, so they might see him.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of the people that you interact with. Please join us at https://follwerofone.org. Head over to the website. Request an opportunity to join the community. We want to help one another live like full-time Jesus' followers so that we can make him visible in our world.
Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Happy 2022. Again, today we're on episode 580. Thank you for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. Today, I wanted to talk a little bit about truth and I'm going to read John chapter eight, verses 31 and 32, but we're going to specifically talk about verse 32.
The passage reads, So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." The key about this passage, knowing the truth and how the truth sets us free, begins with abiding in Jesus's word. That's the scripture.
We need to know Jesus. And the only way we can know him is by studying about him in his word. We hear about him through pastors who teach us the word. We also learn more about Jesus from friends who are believers, because we share information with one another. And the Holy Spirit gives us information about Jesus because he dwells in us.
This all begins with abiding in his word, but the key here is, and the word that I want to focus on for today is truth. Do you remember the exchange between Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson in the movie, A Few Good Men? I think about that statement often. Can I handle the truth? I say, I want to be a marketplace minister.
I say, I want to lose weight. I say, I want to follow Jesus better, but over and over and over again, I often make choices that don't line up with my own desires. The truth is I fall short. I don't measure up to my own dreams, my own desires and my own expectations. I want to be someone who can face the truth.
And today I want to challenge us as believers in the marketplace. Let's ask Jesus to show us where we're fooling ourselves. Let's ask Jesus to show us what area of our job or what area of our performance or what area of our relationships do we need to work on so that we can make more of a positive difference.
And we can be a better representative of Jesus Christ in the world. Today, I want to make this a short podcast. I want to challenge us to know the truth, abide in Jesus' his word, and we will know the truth. And we can ask Jesus and ask the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, what the truth is. Seek that truth because the truth sets us free.
That freedom is a freedom to live for Jesus; to do what he would have us do. To be available, to invest in the lives of the people that we work with. To be free, to do more than is asked of us. To be free, to take the hard way or the difficult road so that we can serve the people around us. Where do we need to let the truth invade our lives today?
That's what I want to challenge us about. Let's ask Jesus. Jesus. Would you guide me? Help me see the truth. Help me understand you and experience the freedom that you give through the truth of knowing who you are. You're different than any other human being that ever lived. You came into our world from the outside and you saved us.
Thank you so much for what you're doing.
Today, let's ask God to show us how he would have us show up in our workplaces, how he would have us serve the people around us, and how we can be his ambassadors. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for considering the idea that our faith is supposed to make a difference in the way that we live our lives.
The truth of our faith does set us free. I'd like to encourage you to practice and work out your faith a little more in the workplace on a regular basis. So you might do that by joining our next Marketplace Mission Trip. This is our 19th mission trip. You can go to https://community.followerofone.org to sign up. Your profile in our online community and then you can request to access in the courses to the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Join us there. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Happy 2022. I'm actually a day late in telling you that because I totally forgot to say it when I recorded the episode before this. This is our 579th episode of the Follower of One podcast. Thank you for joining us. Thank you for being a part of this ministry. And thank you for listening to these podcasts.
The 579 episodes, those are our episode numbers. We have another 20, some odd that were bonus episodes. So we're very close to our 600 episode. We pray your faith makes a huge difference this year. Our goal for 2022 is to grow Follower of One, to encourage believers to live their faith in the marketplace.
Please let us know how we can help you. But one way we do that is by praying for you. The back half of James 5:16 states, "The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect." That's from the Christian Standard Bible.
My life following Jesus took a pivot on 9/11. We've been talking through these stories around Follower of One. I had spent five years or more, pretty much working on my career. And on 9/11, I was making more money than I had ever made. And I was in the technology world, which was a long way from the trucking business.
And while I watched those buildings burn and waited to go back to work after 9/11, I realized I had totally forgotten about my desire to be a minister; to go into full-time ministry. It was convicting to me because there was so much more going on in the world than I was paying attention to. And so I asked God to show me what to do next.
Would he put me into ministry this time? Or would he just remind me that I'm a minister and leave me to kind of figure it out the way he had in previous jobs? I decided to begin to look for work outside of our current business and industry. I was in the telecom business at the time and little did I know that that market was about to go through a lot of difficulties as well.
But as I was driving back to work on the Monday after 9/11, a thought crossed my mind, "I'm not going to get a new job today. Barring some miracle, I knew everyone I would see. Many were Christ-followers, but I didn't know that. I wasn't, I didn't have any idea.
I hadn't been paying attention. What can I do today, regardless? Was there something that Jesus had for me to do today? And the idea came to me that I could pray.
To me praying is like putting, if you are familiar with golf. With enough practice, there's no physical limitation that can keep me from being a good prayer any more than there is from being someone who's good at putting in golf.
I could putt as well as a professional golfer, if I practiced enough and if I got the same training. So I felt like I could pray like Billy Graham, if I wanted to, if I practiced and tried. So why not pray for everyone that I work with? I mentally walked through the office and prayed for each person. Our company had about a hundred employees at the time, so I could mentally touch base with God for each person.
I used my commute and I started asking God to use me in their lives. I remembered the idea that I had before about helping others move one notch closer to Jesus. And so I prayed for opportunities and I watched. And I began to have more faith-related conversations with coworkers.
My interactions seemed to have more purpose and I felt less futile in everything I did. Our company fell on some hard times after 9/11, but Jesus gave me challenges in ways to interact with people almost every day.
One day, a couple of coworkers came by my office to ask if I wanted to join the gym.
Now I'm no gym rat by any means, but it turns out that even though I didn't know these co-workers all that well, they needed another person so they could get the corporate discount. So I told them I needed to discuss it with my wife, but when they left the office, all I could do with smile. I knew Jesus was in this.
He was giving me an opportunity to get to know these coworkers better. If they'd asked me to go to a happy hour somewhere, I would have gone. But they're asking me to go to a gym. Jesus was solving two problems with one request.
Do you pray for the people that you interact with every day? Are you sincere in asking Jesus to use you in the lives of the people that you work with?
Everyone needs a prayer and James promises us that your prayers matter, ask Jesus to put you to work today and then pray for every person you see. The Holy Spirit will surprise you when he brings the people that he wants you to interact with across your path.
Would you like to join this effort called Follower of One and make your faith central to your daily life? We do an exercise called the Marketplace Mission Trip. We want to help each other be more intentional with our faith every day. Head over to our online community, https://community.followerofone.org and create a profile there.
It's no charge and we'll invite you to go on the next marketplace mission trip. It begins in just a couple of weeks, and it will give you two weeks of practice on how you can live your faith on a daily basis. I challenge you to make this the year that your faith moves up a notch, or Jesus puts you to work in the lives of the people that you interact with every day. And you'll experience joy and purpose in everything you do.
And you have nothing to lose. Check it out at https://community.followerofone.org. Thank you for being a marketplace minister.. And thank you for asking God to use you, to make a difference with your faith. He will honor that prayer and I'm excited to hear what happens. Thanks very much.
Hey, welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry Sr. And I appreciate you joining me again today. We've been talking through some of the stories that are the foundation of Follower of One, many of these earliest stories these last week or so of episodes are about my history, my coming to faith in Jesus. Immediately after I became a believer, I was challenged because I wanted to be a minister. I wanted to be a full-time Christian, not a part-time Christian. And much of what I thought, and for many years in my faith, I even thought some of these ideas, I felt like ministry was something that I had to do to people who didn't trust Jesus yet.
I thought I worked in a place where almost no one was a Christian, but it wasn't long because I grew up in the south and I was living in the south, it wasn't long before I started running into other believers in the work world. And I got into this challenge because I was struggling with the word "ministry".
Did I have to go someplace else to minister? Or did I have to find people who were not Christians so that I could be a minister? I wanted my whole life to matter, but I also watch football and I overeat and I can be pretty selfish. So I was challenged by the pitch of my day.
Some moments would be higher in my relationship with Jesus and others wouldn't. And then there were times when I was around other Christians and there was seemingly no ministry to do or was there? Will my Christian service always be what I do when I'm not at work? I struggled with this. And I wondered what could I do?
My first thought was to try and have a godly response to everything. I joke about this today as the Most Godly Response or the MGR, I want to choose the most godly response to anything that happens. And I seldom do that, but it's something that I practice.
I've said many times on this podcast, I'm not interrupted well. I'm not surprised well. But I want to do a better job of choosing the most godly choice to react to everything that happens. My job was to learn more about God, so that my choices wouldn't be so wrong and that my guesses wouldn't be so wrong.
I also early in my Christian walk, read a book titled About My Father's Business by Reggie Campbell. And from that book, I got the idea of helping others move closer to Jesus. My job, the author suggested was to pray for the people around me and the people that were in my sphere of influence and to ask God, to give me a little bit of understanding about where they are in their spiritual life, so that I could help them move closer to Jesus.
And this is all based on James 4:8. This is our verse for today. In the first part of James 4:8 says, "Draw near to God and he will draw near to you." I realized my full-time ministry, my full-time job as a Christian was to help others move one notch closer to Jesus. That way, if Jesus put me around someone that I enjoyed being around who was a believer, I could still help them move one much closer to Jesus.
I didn't have to look past them and find a non-believer to minister to. At the same time, if I was around people that didn't trust or know Jesus, I can help them move one notch closer too. My job became trying to figure out how the people around me related to Jesus and could I help them draw closer?
Whoever Jesus brings across my path, I can help them move one notch closer to him, whether they're a believer or not. My job now is simply the setting. Each day is a new day. I clock in with "Here I am". I punch in, and I ask Jesus to guide me as I pray for the people I will see or talk to or interact with today. Much of that's on Zoom or through this podcast.
If I meet a strong believer, I can help them move one notch closer to Jesus. I don't need to look over their shoulder and see if I can find another person who doesn't know Jesus yet. When I'm with someone I don't like I can thank Jesus that he brought them across my path and I can ask Jesus how he wants me to impact their life.
Or I can ask him to give me a glimpse of their strengths and the ability and the blessings that they bring to the world. I can always pray and interact with freedom, knowing that Jesus is in charge of my job assignments.
I've discovered this is full-time ministry for me, and it can be for you as well. Our job is to help other people move one notch closer to Jesus. Would you like to learn a little bit more about that? Would you like to enjoy your ministry with Jesus as part of your every day? Then why not check us out at https://followerofone.org?
The story doesn't end here. We will continue it in the next episode as well. But I want to challenge us to ask God, to show us how in our relationships and the interactions with the people around us, we can help other people move on notch closer to him. Thank you very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. If you're hearing this on air date, it's New Year's Eve. It's the last day of 2021, but I want to continue speaking through this history of Follower of One and how some of our ideas came about. We've been talking in this series and I'll make a couple of references to previous posts.
As I had said before, I didn't want to be in the freight business. I wanted to be a full-time Christian, but I was around people. I didn't like most of the day. I spent a lot of time whining to God about work, about my boss, who was my dad, and about the things I had to do. I didn't like my job. I felt like I was the only believer in the business and I was miserable.
I continued to ask Jesus to put me "into ministry" and I use quotes around that. Over the years. I heard people talk about how they were called into full-time ministry. I felt like a part-timer. Did God really only call me to ride the bench? Did God call me to do ministry on the sidelines? Even today? When you look at websites of people who are in Christian ministry, almost every website.
Of an organization shows the leader standing in front of a crowd speaking, or wearing a microphone or behind a podium. Just looking at the website you would think that faith in Jesus Christ is something that we do from a stage. Or it's something that we do in a crowd with hundreds of other people who are singing and waving their hands and enjoying Jesus together.
We always look happy. Ministry is something done in a church building. We "go to" church and I put air quotes around that as well. But the more I prayed for the people that I work with. And the more that I struggled with this challenge, that ministry is service, the more I realized that God was changing my heart a little bit. I became interested in the people that I worked with.
Some of my interests was even genuine. I want to say that almost jokingly. Over a period of time, I came to realize that part of my job as a believer was to appreciate other people. I realized my treasure was changing. I had read Matthew 6 21, which says, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." I thought like many people that I would put my money and time and energy where my heart was, but I learned that maybe it's the other way around.
I ended up leaving the freight business a couple of times, but I began to learn to appreciate people who are not like me. And I believe that's part of what Jesus calls us to. As I wanted to do this full-time ministry, I've never been much of a half-way guy. I want to be going all out. I prefer to be either going all out or be passed out.
If we're not going to do something all the way, then let's not do it at all. But trying to blend my faith in my work would take years. Early in my faith journey. I had to learn that faith is really in control and it's taken a long time.
God gives us the ability to appreciate. When we invest our time, money, attention, and energy into something, our heart will follow.
Often we want to put our time, money, attention, and energy into something we're interested in. It seems easier that way, but it's also easier to get separated from God. Today I want to challenge us. Let's ask God to give us the gift of appreciation for the people that we work with.
We interact with them every day. Jesus wants to put us to work in their lives. Our heart can follow our treasure, not the other way around. Our most valuable resource, our time is being invested with a group of people because we need to do that to make a living.
The people that we're around every day, they are our ministry. We don't have to go somewhere else. Let's ask God to give us a heart for them so that our time money, attention, and energy are pointed at the people that he would have us appreciate and serve. The people that were around today are our ministry. Let's ask God and he will give us a heart for them.
At Follower of One we want to help you with that. Take our next Marketplace Mission Trip and see what we're talking about. Go to https://community.followerofone.org and log in. And there you will get invited to join the next Marketplace Mission Trip. You have nothing to lose.
It takes just five minutes a day. We will challenge you to see the people that you interact with on a daily basis as your ministry and your mission field. And I guarantee you, you will find joy, life and treasure in your relationships.
Head over to https://followerofone.org and check it out. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Today, I'm continuing a story that we started a few days ago, talking a little bit about the past and the origins of Follower of One.
I struggled with trying to figure out how to live my faith at work. And, , I was constantly complaining to God that I felt like I was the only Christian in the place. I felt alone.
I knew that it couldn't be fully true, that I was the only Christian in the place. But I remember thinking that at the time. I felt like I was the only one struggling with all of this, my faith, the fact that the job didn't match my desire for what my future would be. I was struggling and many thoughts went through my head.
Some that we'll address in future episodes. One of those was did Jesus save me, and then leave me in this messed up work situation, and my only job was to stay out of trouble until Sunday? Another one that continually bugged me was if it wasn't just staying out of trouble, what was I supposed to do? I whined to God about being all by myself.
I believe my most common prayer was "Please get me out of here." And many days I probably didn't even say, please. I begged God to get me out of there. I wanted to work with other Christians and do work that I enjoyed with people that I enjoyed. One of the things that blew me away was the idea that the almighty God who created the entire universe needed me to pray.
I struggled with the idea. Why did I have to go ask him for things? It was a real problem for me because I realized he knew everything. So if he knows everything and whatever he does his best, why do I need to pray? I was struggling with that problem, when I found out one day that our FedEx guy was a praying guy.
He stopped by our office twice a day. He dropped off in the morning and then he came back and picked things up in the evening. One day, the coworker who typically interacted with him, wasn't there. And so the driver got me to sign and he asked me where my coworker was. He was praying for that coworker because that coworker had an ill relative.
And he wondered if that coworker was away helping that relative or at the hospital or something, if anything had taken a negative turn. I assured him that everything was okay and that my coworker was just running an errand. But now I also knew that our FedEx guy was a believer. He, and I began sharing prayer requests.
I don't think I prayed very much for my own coworker, but I did pray for the request shared with me by our FedEx guy. I'm blown away by how my reflections on that time seem so checkered, so much of a mix between interacting with this Christian coworker who was stepping into my space twice a day and being miserable about the rest of my day.
I spent most of each day angry about work. And yet God was clearly directing me to pray for the people that I interacted with. And a verse kept coming back to me. I kept thinking about a verse in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. It says "Pray without ceasing." Its one of the easiest memory verses in the Bible.
My friend was praying. He was being a marketplace minister. He lived his faith and he took his high pressure job, to quickly deliver packages, and he still found a way to turn that job into a full-time ministry.
I struggled with my full-time ministry for years. The result is Follower of One. It's this ministry that you see today, God was convicting me because I knew that he provided that FedEx guy to pray for me and to encourage me and to challenge me to be a minister in the workplace.
What can you do today to be a minister in your workplace? And what kind of an example can you leave for others? The result of my struggle, it's Follower of One. I continue to struggle with this, but I want to help you. Will you choose to be a minister today? You can. Just begin praying for the people around you.
Punch in. Like we talked about in a previous episode "Here I am, Lord." That's my first prayer. And then let's ask God how we can pray for the people around us. He will put us to work in the lives of every person that we work with. If you'd like to know more about this, if you'd like to be better at integrating your faith into your daily life, check out our online community.
The web URL is in the notes. It's https://community.followerofone.org. Feel free to join us as we help one another integrate our faith into our daily lives. Thanks very much.
And check us out, check out our community Follower of One. You can learn more about us at https://followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. And today we're continuing our story from yesterday or from the previous episode. We left off with me trying to figure out how I could go into full-time ministry. Even though we're talking about the very early days of my faith and work journey, this didn't happen in step-by-step order.
Things get kind of mixed up, even in my recollection. But I was very unhappy in the industry where I worked. I was in the trucking business. My friends all worked for banks or other types of firms, but I was stuck in the freight business. I wanted to do what Jesus wanted. I just hoped I would like it more. I came across Matthew 6 33, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you." (NASB)
We were living paycheck to paycheck and I was mis erable.. But I sought Jesus. I wanted the joy and the experience of following him more closely. And I expected I'd find it in "his kingdom," -again, another word that I kind of use the air quotes around. Is his kingdom, the trucking business?
I also came across Colossians 3, verses 23 and 24. "Whatever you do, do your work heartily as for the Lord, rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord, you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve."
So my effort, I realize now, even though I'm in the freight business, my effort is for Jesus. I work for him. Jesus came to serve. We serve Jesus. I often struggled with wanting to choose who I served. I had to decide that Jesus was my boss. My father was not my boss. And daily I began to ask Jesus what he would have me do. I read about Isaiah saying "Here I am" to God in Isaiah 60. Eventually I did a bit of a study on that passage and realize there are six people in the Bible who all used that phrase, "here I am," when they were called by God. I began to realize that I could punch in and get on the clock with Jesus. I would use the phrase "Here I am," as my time clock and get on the clock and say, "Okay, Jesus, here I am. What do you want me to do today?"
The only thing, keeping me from becoming a full-time minister then is me. It's not my circumstances or my environment or where I worked. It was my own choice, my own decision to punch in and be a full-time minister. I needed to turn my life and make myself someone who reported to Jesus Christ. So "here I am," became my time cock. Each day, I would punch in and ask Jesus to show me what to do.
Also kept looking for ways to serve him. And I must confess I was not terribly consistent, as we've said before, if you worked for me in the past, you know, that this story looks a lot better in the rear view mirror than I lived it. But it's one of the things that I deal with. I even went so far as to memorize Colossians 3:23-24 and Matthew 6:33, but I think I need to re-memorize some of that. Years later, I realized that we see what we look for. I've read a few books about this topic. We train our minds to see a certain color car, because we're either thinking about that car or we bought that car. And then we start to see them everywhere. We didn't see any of them before that.
When I make it my daily goal to do what Jesus wants. I begin to see opportunities to serve him and everything I do. Some of that is the nature of my brain, but some of that is Jesus being actively engaged. Where our heart is, will become our treasure, and where our treasure is, our heart will follow. It works in almost in the circular relationship.
Today. I want to challenge us let's program our minds. Let's begin to talk to Jesus like he's our boss. And let's ask him to give us opportunities to step into our own full-time ministry. I don't believe you'll regret it, if you do this. I experience great joy doing what Jesus wants, even though the next time he prompts me to do something, my initial reaction is to say, "No, I don't want to do that." This verse has become so very true in my life and even now I want to tend to think that working for Jesus and doing what he says is unpleasant. We receive his joy when we punch in and say, "Here I am," and then do what he says.
Also, if God's asking you to do more with your relationship with him, check out our website at https://followeorfone.org and even check out our online community at https://community.followerofone.org.
Having a group of people around us in our sphere of influence, who are pursuing Jesus, is a positive influence. Let the idea of following Jesus consume more of your day. You'll experience more joy, the farther you go following Jesus Christ. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One, and I'm continuing our podcast series where I just talked through some of the stories about Follower of One. We began this in yesterday's episode, and then I told you about the day that I decided to follow Jesus. That was a Saturday. I had a great day on Sunday. I liked the Christians that I knew, and I wanted to spend the rest of my life following Jesus and hanging out with these other people that followed him.
But Sunday afternoon reality set in. I started to get this pit in my stomach. I didn't want to go back to work. I didn't want to go be something that I wasn't just so I could make money. I thought I was the only Christian there. I worked for my dad's trucking company. I didn't want to honor my father and mother.
I didn't want to go to work at all. About the time that I followed Jesus somewhere in this timeframe, we had some missionaries who spoke at our church and they talked about how they were called into ministry. I often use air quotes when I say that. They sold their home and they moved to some foreign country and they had been serving the Lord ever since.
And I thought that was just a cool idea. I wasn't all that excited about moving to some foreign country. My kids were both three or younger. But I figured that was God's problem. My problem was how do I get "called?" What do you have to do to get called? I started begging God to call me, to get me out of here, when it came to my job.
I was unhappy. My coworkers knew it. My own father suggested that I not be such a sour puss all the time. I was a problem employee, but I was also a new Christian. I wanted to go "into ministry" and I wasn't shy about being miserable.
I should add that the other people weren't the problem. It took me years to realize this. I was my own problem. I felt like I had to be and do things that weren't me just to earn a paycheck. My own misery was the beginning of the issue, it wasn't the result of the issue. One day, I heard that the Greek word most often translated "minister" in the new Testament was also translated "servant." In fact, Jesus used that word in Mark 10:45 when he said, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many."
Things just kept getting worse. Now I have to serve other people? I don't even like these people. I didn't want to be in this industry. I didn't want this job. I didn't like these people before I started following Jesus. So I sat by my phone. My most common prayer was "Lord, get me out of here." And I kept hoping that Jesus would call.
I would ask him what he wanted me to do so that he would call me, but he never did at least not on the phone. Over the years. I realized that as I was asking Jesus to put me into ministry, it was like he was saying, "Okay, Mike, you're a minister. Now get back to work!"
Do you follow Jesus? Okay. Then you're a minister. Let's get back to work. Jesus puts any one of us to work for him. He did me. We'll continue some of this tomorrow. I still feel like the before picture. I still feel like I'm trying to figure out what God would have me do. And I feel like I'm the worst example or the best example of what not to do.
But this is about Jesus, not about us. Let's serve others simply because we follow Jesus. We watch him put us into ministry and the results are up to him. It's his job to create the results that he wants. He works through our ministry, our service to others because we follow him. Like I said, we'll continue this tomorrow, but there's one other thing I'd like to mention, because I do all of this now as Follower of One, Follower of One is a nonprofit.
We're designed to mobilize people who want to follow Jesus, full-time. Friends of this ministry contribute in order so that we can keep our stuff free for others. We want to help you begin your own marketplace ministry. We're all ministers. Would you consider supporting us? If you would go to https://followerofone.org.
That's our website, and look for the little green donate button in the top right-hand corner. We want to help put Jesus's people to work. Your contribution will move us in that direction. Thank you very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. And I wanted to take a few days and just tell some of the stories behind Follower of One. It seems to me like my whole life has been pointed at the idea that I would be involved in helping others figure out how their faith shows up in the world.
But I feel like the before picture. I feel like the picture on the before part of the poster, not the after part. And I always have. I never met my own expectations. This goes way back. I thought I had to be good to get to heaven. I thought the point of Christianity was to get me to behave.
I related to God much the way I related to my dad. He was always trying to get me to behave. I wanted to do the minimum necessary to get by. If I had to be good to get into heaven, my goal was to be just good enough. My plan was to be the third-to-last guy to get into heaven. I didn't want to be the last or next to last. I figured that was cutting it a little too close, but I wanted to be third-to-last.
If I got in any before third-to-last, I had worked too hard. I was too good. I'd missed out on too much of the good stuff. But life wasn't working. I mean, it wasn't all that good. Not behaving. I hated my job. I was miserable in my career. I made more money, but I liked work less with every single job.
My wife was a real Christ-follower. She wanted me to go to church and have a relationship with Jesus, but I didn't want anything about it. And my boss, who was my dad wanted me to just do what he said. It was already hard enough. I was afraid my life would be 40 or 50 years of being something I didn't want to be so I could make money. I would go play a part during the day and they give me some money at the end of the week or at the end of the month. But since I never met my own expectations, I figured I'd never meet theirs either. I wondered if I was destined for adult boring, miserable life. I really wanted my life to matter, but it seemed like everything was stacked against me.
Because I couldn't tell my boss no, I couldn't tell my dad no, and still get a paycheck, I decided I would go check out church. If church didn't work, then I just tell my wife to forget it. I could tell her no. Church would be one of those things that I just wouldn't do. I figured I could hold my position at third-to-last for getting into heaven without attending church. I don't know where I got that idea.
But they had this workshop that fall when I was involved in church and in the workshop they showed how you could show someone else how they might know for a fact they were going to heaven. So I went, I felt like I needed to know that. And there, I learned a way to explain the real good news of the Bible, but more importantly, I learned the good news.
The last bullet was a passage in Ephesians that blew my mind away. It was Ephesians 2:8-9, which I'm saying from memory here. So I may be saying it slightly wrong. "For by grace, you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God. Not as a result of works so that no one may boast."
I realized that I didn't have to be third-to-last. There was no order for getting into heaven. My job was to obey Jesus and follow him because he paid the way for me to get to heaven. I was just totally blown away. No line, no progression from effort. My mind was shot. I chose that day to see what else Jesus had to say.
And I've been following him ever since. I didn't come to Jesus through a church, but I was sitting in one, when it happened. But I came to Jesus through frustration and a life that wasn't working. Just me talking to him, studying his Bible and learning about him from his people, that's what I do. With a few steps in between, that's how I and Follower of One show up here.
Can you tell someone else why you follow Jesus? Think about it and practice it. When we live, like we follow Jesus, eventually someone will ask us why. Prepare, get ready to be able to tell them your motives. Just like I just did.
Jesus changed me that day. When I realized that I couldn't work my way to heaven, I knew I was onto something. And I've been learning about that something, that Someone, ever since.
Do you follow Jesus? If not, or if you have any questions, please let me know. Send a note to mike@followerofone.org or call me at (918) 899-4239.
You'll probably have to leave a message because I don't often answer calls where I don't recognize the caller, but I would love to talk with you. And if you do follow him, practice your answer to the question, "Why are you doing this?" We're praying that you have an answer to that question, and that you have to give it to someone over a dozen times next year. Care to join us, check out our ministry and let's let Jesus put us to work.
Join us at https://followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. If you're hearing this the day that it airs, it's the day before Christmas. It's Christmas Eve. And I want to talk about what happened on Christmas. Let's look at Matthew chapter three, verses one and two.
"Now in those days, John, the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea saying repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
The announcement that John the Baptist is making is that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Jesus would actually go on and repeat the same statement, in Mark 1:16, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
"What's the deal here? First of all, the king is coming, but he's been on the earth now for 30 years, almost 30 years. It's not that the king is coming it's that the kingdom is coming. What's the difference? The kingdom of heaven is here on our planet today.
It's what happens when people follow Jesus. We enter the kingdom of heaven when we're doing what he says and when we listened to him and when we obey him, we establish his kingdom. It goes with us wherever we go. As we listen to him, follow him, and obey him, his kingdom takes up more and more space on our planet.
We want to bring the kingdom of Jesus Christ and we do so by obeying him. A kingdom is nothing but the place where what the king says, goes. And the king in our case, Jesus, what he says goes in our life. And we therefore represent the kingdom of heaven. I believe this is compelling. And I like talking about this at Christmas because when Jesus was born, this was the great announcement, "Here comes the answer."
Jesus is our king. He is the answer. But the solution, as it appears on our planet is us following him. I hope that makes sense. I've been thinking about this and struggling with this for a couple of days. For Christmas. I want the kingdom that I belong to, to be present, to be represented.
I want to represent the kingdom that I live in. I live in the kingdom of Jesus Christ. I don't live in the kingdom of America. I do obey its rules. I'm assigned here by my true king, Jesus. We all have our temporary assignments. We can be assigned to a job. We can be assigned to a kingdom or a neighborhood or a place in time.
All of those assignments are made for us, but we chose to enter the kingdom of heaven. When we chose to follow Jesus Christ. Today, I want to challenge us. Let's live like children of the King. Let's live as children of the kingdom of Christ. We are in the kingdom of heaven and we follow him and we take his kingdom with us everywhere we go.
The kingdom of heaven is at hand. That's the radical news. And any person who wants to can enter the kingdom of heaven today by choosing to follow Jesus. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for making choices, moment by moment to punch in, to get on the clock, to appreciate other people and to serve other people because that's what Jesus did.
That's our way of entering his kingdom. Join us in the kingdom of Jesus today. Share this podcast with a friend. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Let's celebrate the birth of our Lord and let's take his kingdom with us everywhere we go. Thank you very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. We've been talking in Mark chapter 11 and we started out in verses 21 and 22. Then yesterday we spoke about verses 23 and 24. Today, I want to talk about verses 25 and 26.
"Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who's in heaven forgive your transgressions."
That's from the New American Standard. Verse 26, that second part, there has a little footnote around it. Some manuscripts do not contain that verse. It's almost as if someone in a later time added that for clarity. All of this is in red, in my Bible. It's Jesus speaking. And it's almost like he's telling us over the course of the last couple of days he's been talking, we begin with faith in God. And when we have faith in God, we can say whatever we want, we can pray for whatever we want.
And if we believe, and we're lined up with what God wants, then those prayers will be granted to us. But it's not about our believing. And I believe that's what Jesus is saying right here. The piece of this is within our control is not whether or not we have enough. The piece that's within our control is whether or not we have done what we're called to do, which is forgive.
"Whenever we stand praying, forgive." Do we hold something against the other people? Are you trying to keep score? Do you have a particular score against someone in the past? Is there something that you want to hold other people to account for? Are the things that were done to you that were mean, and ill?
If we can't forgive, then we can expect that we will have problems getting our prayers answered. That's what he's saying here. My challenge with this whole passage is the piece that's within my control is to forgive. If I have anything against anyone I forgive so that my father who is in heaven will also forgive me.
That's the piece that's within my control. I want to forgive other people. If I fall in love with Jesus, and if I do whatever he calls me to do, then my prayers will line up with his will. And it's the prayers that are in line with his will, that he grants. The prayers that I pray because I'm pursuing my own flesh or prayers that I pray when I haven't forgiven others, those prayers won't be granted.
In fact, we talked yesterday about the way that we can understand if we're praying, according to God's will, is the prayer is answered in the affirmative. It's granted to us.
I want to challenge us today. Let's forgive. Ask God to show you where you need to forgive someone. Ask him to give you direction and to bring to mind something that you need to forgive others for.
I think of things right now, as I'm talking to you. And so I have to ask God to help me and I have to forgive those people. I have to forgive those actions. I hope that we can be forgivers, because if we forgive others, then we stand well in our prayers. We're doing the right thing.
Let's forgive others. That's how Jesus becomes visible in our world. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. If you're listening to this, when it goes live, this is probably a day or two before Christmas. And I just want to challenge you. Let's forgive. Let's see what Jesus does in the world when we forgive the people who we feel like we have something against. Let's forgive them.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for making a difference with your faith and thank you for being a minister in your workplace. What you do matters. Thanks very much.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry Sr. And I'm thankful that you joined us for this podcast. Today I'm continuing from a passage that I started yesterday. We're in Mark chapter 11, verses 23 and 24, and Jesus is speaking and he says, "Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore, I say to you all things for which you pray and ask believe that you have received them and they will be granted you." I'm reading from the New American Standard, as I typically do.
And this passage is often taken in isolation to believe that if we have enough faith, that God will give us whatever we want. I heard Erwin McManus say a long time ago that the job of a Christian is to fall madly in love with Jesus, and then do whatever you want to do. And I believe that Jesus is making that point here.
This goes back to the question that Peter asked about how quickly the fig tree died and withered after Jesus cursed it. So he cursed it yesterday. Today, it's dead from the roots up. Peter is astonished by that and makes a comment. And Jesus answered yesterday. We talked about this, "Have faith in God," and then he makes this statement.
He makes another statement right after this, that we'll talk about in the next episode. But today I want to challenge us a little bit. Let's think about this passage. Does it mean that we get anything we ask Jesus for? It clearly cannot mean that because even Jesus asked that if the cup could pass, that it would pass and God didn't grant that request.
God granted the other requests, which said, but not my will, but yours be done. God's doing what God's doing. But he points out here in this passage that we sell him short. He's reminding us that we sell them short all the time. We don't believe, I don't believe. I'm not talking for you. I'm talking about me.
I don't believe. I don't often have faith in God. I don't often trust God to do what's best. I don't think about how, whatever it is that happens, must be what's best because God's working his plan, not mine. When I can line myself up with Him when I ask for things that will result in his glory, then I can ask for whatever I want and I will see it happen.
I need to believe though, or I won't see.
We have to believe first, then we will see the glory of God. Today I want to challenge us. Let's pray and ask, but let's also believe that we have received them. God will do. What's right. The answer to the question, "Does God want this or not?" comes in the answer. Did he make it happen?
This is not about whether or not I have enough faith. This is about whether or not I'm asking for the right thing. And that's what I want to do. I want to ask God to be glorified in my workplace. That's my challenge for today. Today, my first prayer is "Here. I am, God. Punch me in; put me to work for your glory. Please show me how you want me to bless the people around me so that you are glorified." And he will put us to work under those circumstances.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for making a difference with your faith. I'd like to challenge you. A month from now, we're doing our next Marketplace Mission Trip, and we do these within our online community.
I'd love to challenge you to go join our online community. It's at https://community.followerofone.org. And there you can sign up for the next Marketplace Mission Trip, which takes place beginning January the 23rd. Let's challenge ourselves to be missionaries to the people that we work with and the people that we interact with every day. We can trust that God is doing his job and his job is to bring all of us closer to him.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for listening to and sharing this podcast. Thanks very much.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. This is our 569th episode. Thank you so much for listening and for joining us. I'm your host, Mike Henry Sr. And today I want to talk a little bit about how we have faith in God and how we're challenged to really have faith in God.
I'm reading from Mark chapter 11, verses 21 and 22: "Being reminded, Peter said to him, 'Rabbi, look, the fig tree, which you cursed has withered.' And Jesus answered saying to them, "Have faith in God.'"
Jesus goes on to talk about prayer and we will talk about that in the next episode, but the foundation for everything, the foundation for what Jesus has done, the foundation of our reaction to the things that happen in and around the world around us, and the basis for our prayer, all hinge on this statement "Have faith in God." Our belief and our trust and our faith in God Almighty is what brings everything together. We can trust Jesus, even when strange things happen, like the fig tree that Jesus cursed withered in a day. And it withered from the roots up.
This was fast. It wasn't slow. Yes they expected that treat and never have figs again. But Peter, I don't think expected it to happen in a day. The thing was just dead as a doornail in a day. And he was surprised. "Look, the tree, which you cursed has withered." I believe he was surprised. I believe he fully expected the tree to die. He didn't expect it to happen that quickly.
And Jesus reminded him that faith in God is a response to everything that happens. Faith in God is our response when things go badly. Faith in God is our response when things go well. If we trust God and we trust that he's really in control, then can we trust him when these seemingly bad things happen?
That's a challenge in our day. Many people today want to judge God, they want to say, "Well, why would God allow this? Or why would God allow that?" And Jesus' answer I believe is right here in this verse: "Have faith in God." It's his world and he's working his plan. Do we trust who he is? Do we trust what he says?
Are we willing to learn about him more and know him more and have faith in him? Or will we be the judge? Will we decide to judge God?
One day we will all be judged and we will have an opportunity to give an account for our actions and our life. And there won't be anything for us to say. I believe when we confront God, we will be so blown away, we will be speechless and scared - that God has masked himself in such a way to give us the freedom to choose and the freedom to believe. He's made it possible for us to have faith in him, but he hasn't made it impossible for us to not have faith in him.
I believe when we see him, it will be impossible for us to fail to understand who God is and what his power is.
Today. I want to challenge us as we go into the workplace. Let's have faith in God. If bad things happen today, if things happen that you weren't expecting or that you weren't looking forward to trusting God. Let's make "Have faith in God," our mantra today. Let's make that our story. I want to have faith in God, no matter what happens in my circumstances today. And because of that, I want to be in a position to be a blessing to the people around me. I want to look for opportunities to bless other people and serve other people because I know that everything that happens has been ordained. It's been allowed by God almighty and it will work together for his glory, as it says in Romans 8:28.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for listening to this podcast. Please share it with one other friend and ask them today to help you have faith in God to trust him no matter what happens and to be a blessing to the people that you work with.
And check us out, check out our community Follower of One. You can learn more about us at https://followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry Sr., and today I want to talk about the kingdom of God.
We talk about this from time to time. Particularly, I want to speak about how to enter the kingdom of God. And I'm using one single passage about this, but I've done several podcasts on the kingdom of God.
I wanted to add this verse today. It's Romans 14:17. "For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."
Paul's talking about divisions among the people of faith and whether or not you follow certain rules, whether or not we eat meat sacrificed to idols.
Many of these divisions are things that we don't interact with much today, but there are other ways that we divide ourselves up in the church. But rather than go into the divisions, the eating and drinking part of this passage, I want to focus on the positive side. The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking.The kingdom of God is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The Greek word translated "righteousness" means the character or quality of being right, or just. This word simply means that we line ourselves up with God. We put ourselves in line with what Jesus would have us do.
When I became a Christian, what I realized was I needed to believe Jesus and stop believing what I told myself.I want it to line my life up with what I knew about Jesus Christ instead of lining my life up with my own decisions, doing my own thing. That's what I believe this word righteousness means; that we align ourselves with God. And as a result, we also experience the peace and joy that we get from the Holy Spirit.This lining ourselves up with God, experiencing his peace and his joy; that's the kingdom.
We can punch into the kingdom of God by simply lining ourselves up with Jesus and then doing what he says. That's part of the reason why we talk about the first daily prayer daily activity that we want to recommend to our members is to punch in. It's to say, "Here I am, God. Help me line me up with you today. Help me do what you say." And I expect the peace and joy that come from the Holy Spirit living in me.
I believe we enter the kingdom of God the moment that happens. The kingdom is not a territory or a place. We can't put a fence around it. I actually got some of these ideas from a book called Eternity Is Now In Session by John Ortberg.
We can't put a fence around the kingdom of God. I don't believe the kingdom of God is what John would call a bounded set. There's certain people who are in and certain people are out. I believe the kingdom of God consists of all the people who follow Jesus.And that kingdom is growing. It's more and more people every day.
Jesus is growing his kingdom right now. And when we line ourselves up with him, when we put ourselves in line with his commands and his character, we're right. We're just, we're aligned. And we experienced the peace and joy of the Holy Spirit.I believe you can enter the kingdom of God today by simply telling God that you want to follow him and asking him to help you, and then doing what he says.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for joining us in the kingdom of God. I believe we're there and we bring the kingdom of God with us, wherever we go by simply praying to Jesus and doing what he says as we interact with the people that we interact with every day.
Once again, thanks for being a marketplace minister. If you'd like to know more about Follower of One, or if you'd like to be part of a community that wants to help you practice being in the kingdom of God, being properly aligned with Jesus, then check us out at https://followerofone.org. Thanks very much. Connect With Follower Of One
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Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry, Sr. Thanks so much for joining me today. I want to finish up this section of Galatians 6. We've been doing a series on this and today we want to do the last two verses of the section that I want to cover. And those are verses 9 and 10.
I'm reading from the English Standard Version
"And let us not grow weary of doing good for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."
I love this section of Galatians because it's a great practical guide for how we can interact with the people that we come into contact with every day.
And he's reminding us here not to grow weary. He just used this analogy, we talked about yesterday, or in the previous episode, he used this analogy of sewing, planting, and growing. And he's reminding us too, that it takes time. In due season, we will reap, if we do not give up. Many times, we do what the Spirit tells us to do, and we don't see any results, or we see results that appear to be negative.
In my case, I struggled in my career. For many years, I would ask God to use me, to show me what to do, to get me out of the workplace that I was in and put me to work for him. And what he was doing was he was preparing me. I used to tell people that I was career challenged because I'd had so many jobs and I'd worked for so many different people.
And I was almost never happy in my work. And the times when I was happy, those companies went out of business. I felt like I had the kiss of death from a career perspective. But this verse came back, “if we do not give up." Now after being a Christian for over 30 years, I'm experiencing great joy because I get to help you figure out how to integrate your faith into your daily life.
That's my goal is to help believers integrate their faith, make their faith part of what they do every day. I begin that by praying. I punch in, I want to get on my eternal clock and say, "Here I am God." And then I want to do what I'm told. I don't need to grow weary in doing what I'm told by the Holy Spirit, because in due season, I will reap if I do not give up.
Many days I reap right then. I experience the joy of walking with Jesus. I experience the satisfaction of knowing that, even what happened to me today does not end up resulting in negative things; that God uses it all and causes good to come from all of it. So then as we have opportunities, let's listen to the Holy Spirit and do what he says.
We can do good to everyone, especially to those who are our brothers and sisters in Christ. Let's find a way today to share God's love with others through our actions. It begins with prayer. He will give you ideas. He will give you questions, and he will make suggestions that might sound a little crazy. But if you can do them, then he will give you more.
Let's practice today following Jesus in our workplace. Because in due season, we will reap, if we do not give up. Look for a way to bless someone that you work with today, someone that you interact with today. Some little thing that pops into your head is an idea given to you by God, to bless someone else. Try it out and see what happens.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for investing your life in trying to find Jesus and trying to reap the eternal life that he talks about. You will experience joy doing good and if you don't, reach out to me, I'd love to communicate with you.
You can shoot me a note at mike@followerofone.org. Or you can check us out in our online community, https://community.followerofone.org. You can find all of that on our website at https://followerofone.org. Thanks so much for being a marketplace minister. And thank you. In advance I want to thank you for the difference that you're going to make at work today.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry, Sr. Thanks for joining me today. I'd like to continue our conversation. in Galatians 6. Today I want to read verses 7 and 8 from the English Standard Version.
"Do not be deceived: God is not mocked for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life."
I titled this podcast "Begin With the End in Mind." And that's from Stephen Covey's book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. But the idea originates here in scripture, and I think it might even predate this. The apostle Paul though is reminding us that whatever we sow we also reap. This is a farming analogy.
Our point is that if you put a seed in the ground, that's, what's going to grow whatever seed you put in there. That's what's going to grow. So, if you want a particular crop, you have to plant that crop. Well in our lives, we only have two choices. I don't know if you notice here, but this is very limiting.
There are only two choices. Either we sow to the Spirit, or we sow to the flesh. Everything that's not us asking God for direction, everything that's not us looking to God for guidance, it's our flesh. It's what we want. There are only two gods on this planet, the God of the universe and me. And if I'm God, this whole thing doesn't work.
But if he's God, then we get from the Spirit what we sow. We get eternal life. Also, the word's eternal life here in this translation and in others, remind me of a great book by John Ortberg Eternity Is Now In Session. We actually experience our eternal life. When we walk with Jesus when we go through our day with him. When we're sowing to the Spirit, we experience the eternal life now. Those of us who trust Jesus, we have the opportunity to live in our eternal life or to live in the temporal life.
In 2 Corinthians 4:18, it says that the things that are unseen are eternal, but the things that are seen are temporal. That's not an exact quote, but my point is, if I can see it, if it's something that's going on, it's not eternal. If it's all the things that we can see and touch and feel they'll burn up. But all the things that we do because we listened to the Spirit, those things last forever.
So, what's the application for us today? Today, I want to challenge you as you go to work, whoever you interact with today, remember to pray for them before you start. Remember to ask God to show you how he would have you interact with them.
Ask him to give you ideas for questions to ask. The Lord will give us questions. He will guide us to ask things that will cause other people to share information with us so that we might appreciate them more and express that appreciation and help them feel appreciated. And we may also find ways to serve them.
Those are our action items. And then, because we practiced being able to explain that Jesus is the motive behind everything that we do, we can also speak when someone asks. These are our daily activities that we talk about in Follower of One. It all begins with prayer. We can't sow to the Spirit unless we know the Spirit, unless we're chasing after Jesus and listening to God. Today, let's sow to the Spirit and watch him transform our lives.
We will reap eternal life, not at some point in the future, but even today, you may experience some.
Welcome to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry, Sr. and our mission at Follower of One is to help every marketplace Christian see themselves as a full-time minister, as someone who's available to serve the people around them. We're currently going through Galatians 6 and we're on verses 5 and 6 today. I'm reading from the New American Standard.
"For each one will bear his own load. The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him."
I purposely put these two verses together. In your translation, I would be willing to bet there's a paragraph break in between verses 5 and 6, that 6 begins a new paragraph. But I'm not sure that it does. I wonder if Paul wasn't continuing his thought. The thought was, we begin 1 and 2 by bearing other’s burdens. And then three, four, and five are about us not being prideful or arrogant about that, but being humble, not boasting in regard to anyone, but what we do ourselves.
We can't compare ourselves to anyone else. And then five and six, I think tie together because Paul's reminding us that we are all taught. We are all students. We are all learning our faith and learning how to grow it and learning how to deliver it into the world. And then each one of us has to learn individually.
This is not a contradiction about bearing one another's burdens in verse two. We bear our own load when it comes to how we learn the faith and how we live it out in the world. That's up to us. Much of what we learn though comes from others. And therefore, we should share all good things with the one who teaches us.
Often, I learn some great lessons from people that I don't like or from people who are not believers. I've learned much about how to live my faith on a daily basis from challenging work environments. I was taught much by many people simply because I was looking and searching.
I was also taught by pastors. I've sat at the feet of pastors. I've been in church for my entire career as a follower of Jesus. I'm regularly in a church on Sunday. And that's because we have to be taught the word of Christ. We don't get to learn this on our own. Our job is to be a learner, to follow Jesus, and to be open to input from other people.
This is a command I believe to humility. To remembering that we didn't invent our faith and that we didn't just get it from God like Moses, we got it through the holy spirit, but through friends and people that were around or people that we're listening to. And so, the challenge for us today, I believe is to be humble.
To remember that what we know about the faith and where we are in our spiritual walk, it all came to us from other people. Therefore, we should share all good things with the one who teaches us. Let's be humble today. Let's go into our workplace with an attitude of being a learner.
God can teach us much through the people that we interact with, whether they're believers or not. And then we have a humble spirit, we will learn more and we will grow more. And Jesus will use us more. This humility, I think is part of us bearing our own load. You have a ministry in your workplace. Your ministry is how your faith becomes visible to every person that you interact with every day. We bear our own load and therefore we're in a position to share with others when we are taught. Let's be humble along those lines. Today, I want to challenge us. I can always hear another story or a lesson on humility. There's always more humility for me. And I expect there is for you. Let's ask God to show us where we can be humble, where we can be taught, what we can learn in our environments today.
Let's be sharers, so that we make a difference, and our faith makes a difference in our daily life.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for remembering that every action you take because you follow Jesus Christ matters. And how we show up in the lives of the people that we interact with daily, that matters too. Thanks very much for being a minister and for making a difference in your workplace.
Welcome back to the Follower of one podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry. Thanks for joining us again today. We're in part two of Honest Self Evaluation from Galatians 6:3-5. And today I'd like to read that passage in the Christian Standard Bible.
“For if anyone considers himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Let each person examine his own work, and then he can take pride in himself alone, and not compare himself with someone else. For each person will have to carry his own load." Yesterday. I read this from the New American Standard, and you can tell there are differences in translation.
We talked a little bit about not comparing ourselves to others or not thinking that we are something when we're nothing. So, we have to be careful what we compare ourselves to because in verse four, he says, we need to examine our own work. We need to be objective about how we live and then we can take pride in our self alone, but we can't compare ourselves to other people.
Comparison is a trap. Comparison is what we use to make ourselves feel superior to others. Oftentimes I'll use comparison to make myself feel inferior to others. I feel like I don't measure up and I beat myself up about something. Then I always try and find someone who's better off than me to compare myself to. When I want to feel good about myself, then I try and find someone who's not as well off as me.
In every case that's a lie. These feelings that we have when we compare ourselves to others, they're false. They're a lie. It's us and Jesus. There's no one else to compare ourselves to. We're each on our own plan. And that's one of the things that we'd like to talk about here at Follower of One. I want to encourage you: our first daily activity is to pray. We try and remind ourselves about five daily activities on a regular basis. 1) Pray, 2) Appreciate others, 3) Know what you believe, 4) Serve others, and 5) Speak for yourself. Those are the five daily activities. Prayer is first because this is between us and Jesus. How you show up is a mix of who you are, what Jesus has called you to, all of your experiences and all of your history, and the environment that you're in, and the people that you're around.
You shouldn't do exactly the same thing as any other believer, most of the time. Most of our time, my prayers will look a little different than yours. My actions will look a little different than yours. My calling and my relationship with the people that I work with will look different than your calling and your relationship and the people that you work with.
So, let's not compare ourselves to one another. Rather let's compare ourselves, let's evaluate our relationship to Jesus. Are we doing what he said? If we're doing what he said, then we're examining our own work. We can take pride in what we've done, because we did what Jesus told us to do. Each person will have to carry his own load.
I'm not going to win any awards for something someone else did. My job is to listen to Jesus and do what he says. And I'm blessed when I do that, I experienced the peace and the joy of trusting Jesus and walking with him.
There've been many years when I really thought I was out in left field. And I might've been. I didn't seem to fit in the church.
We've actually talked in our community about how many of us feel underutilized in the church. And it's because our gifting doesn't line up with many of the jobs that the church has for us. And that's, what's so cool about Follower of One. We want to invite you to talk with Jesus and let Jesus put you to work.
And this way we will examine our own work, and not compare ourselves with others for each person will carry his own load. Jesus one day will ask you, "what did you do with what I gave you"?
Today let's follow Jesus. Today, let's ask him what he would have us do. And then as long as it lines up with scripture and it isn't illegal, then let's try and figure out how to do it. Let's solve for how. Our goal is to make Jesus visible in our world. When we obey him, we start that process. We begin to make that happen. Let's trust Jesus and live like we follow him, and he will put us to work.
And I promise you won't feel underutilized. Jesus will put you to work in your workplace and in a big way. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for making a difference with your faith. Everything you do because you follow Jesus matters. So today let Jesus invade your workplace and put you to work.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry Sr. I'm grateful to have you here today. We've been talking a little bit through Galatians 6, and today we're on verses 3-5: "For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself, but each one must examine his own work, and then he will have a reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. For each one will bear his own load." That's from the New American Standard Bible.
I could probably talk about verse three for the entire time today. "If anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself."
This is a definition of me. I feel like I'm often wrong, but seldom in doubt. I often think I'm something, but I have to be reminded regularly by God that I'm nothing.
I'm not nothing because he died on the cross for me. But I believe that Paul is making a comparison here. When it comes to saving ourselves - and he will talk about this and the next two verses, and this is how I believe he completes this meaning of this word, "nothing" here. We deceive ourselves when we believe that something we do matters for our own salvation.
There's nothing about us that's a good. We do good things because God calls us to, and we make those choices and those are great things. But overall, when it comes to saving ourselves, we're nothing. We're destined to destruction.
"If we think ourselves something, when we're not, we deceive ourselves." And the different translations also talk about this. I noticed in the CSB, it says. "If anyone considers himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself." In the New Living Translation. It says, "If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You're not that important." The Message says, "If you think you're too good for that, you're badly deceived." And the message is a little more discussional, but the point here is our job is to bear one another's burdens. We're not above bearing other people's burdens. And if we think we are above that, we deceive ourselves.
"Each one must examine his own work," it says in verse four, "and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone and not in regard to another." Again, the New American Standard is a little forced in the translation here because it tries to get a very accurate translation of each word. I believe what we're being told is we're not better off than the people we need to bear burdens for. Our job is to bear the burdens of others. And we're not better off.
Today, let's not think better of ourselves than we ought to. Let's not deceive ourselves. I want to stop right here because there's much to be talked about with regard to this word boasting and how each one of us will bear our own load.
So, we'll pick that up in the next episode. Today, let's remember, what we think of ourselves doesn't matter necessarily. We don't want to deceive ourselves. We want to think accurately and examine our own work objectively, not compare ourselves to others. Our job is to look out for the people around us, to look for opportunities to bear other people's burdens and not think of ourselves as above or better than that situation.
Today in your workplace, I'm praying that you find an opportunity where you can bear someone else's burdens, where you can learn more about them and be in a position to help them.
Let's pay attention to the people around us so that we can make a difference in their life. We can have the opportunity to bear their burdens today. Let's not think ourselves something when we are nothing. Today let's trust Jesus and do what he says. Thanks for being a marketplace minister.
And thank you for listening to this podcast. Please share this with one friend today, or if you didn't think this was that great of an episode, let us know what you think. Tell us what you would like us to talk about. I'll be going through Galatians 6 for a few more days. Thanks very much for your ministry.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry Sr. And today's podcast is a part two. It's a continuation of the passage from yesterday. I want to reread the whole passage from yesterday. We're reading Galatians 6:1-2. And I'm reading from the English Standard Version.
"Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
We pretty well covered verse one yesterday or in the previous episode. Today, though, I want to talk about this challenge to bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
What does it mean to bear someone else's burdens? Does it mean to be aware of them? You'll notice in scripture, there are a number of places where we're told to do different things for one another. The apostle Paul is challenging us here to bear one another's burdens.
What might that mean? In our workplaces I think it requires us that we know that we get to know the people around us, not in a prying way, but in a transparent way. We need to know enough about the people around us through genuine interest.
This is not through prying. I'm not trying to find out things about my coworkers so that I might be able to use that against them or use that to judge them or to classify them. I want to know about my coworkers because I'm genuinely interested in them. I think we do our world a disservice, if all of our first-tier friends are people that live in some other part of town, and we see them on the weekends at church.
If we don't have friends in our workplaces, I believe we're not well equipped to bear their burdens. We need to have good friends in our workplaces. And the way that happens is by expressing a genuine interest in other people. This genuine interest is magnetic. In some regards, it's not always the case, but we tend to reciprocate.
I don't know if you've ever noticed. I often say this. We tend to like the people who like us, not always because there are sometimes when things just get a little strange. But genuinely, if you have a genuine interest in someone else, they will have a genuine interest in you or vice versa. And I don't even know which one comes first. But I believe as Christians, it's our job to have a genuine interest in others so that we can become aware of what's going on in their lives. In the United States, especially, but in the west, we have enough money to keep the world from knowing much about what's going on in our lives.
We can hire people to fix things and we can manage our own troubles. And our coworkers may not even know what's going on. But I'm challenging us as believers in Christ to be people who are in a position to bear another person's burdens. I also don't think this is a command only to Christians. In other words, I need to bear the burdens of people who are around me, if they're agnostic or atheist or if they belong to another religion. My goal is to be someone who's ready to bear the burdens of another person. And therefore, I will fulfill the law of Christ. I will be living in a way that Jesus did. Jesus didn't ask us if we wanted to be saved. He came and saved us. And I believe we need to be in a position to serve the people around us.
"Bear one another's burdens" is my version of serving people, knowing enough about them to find ways to be a blessing to them. Today, I want to challenge us as believers. Let's look around us. Are we as good a friend as we can be? Are we interested genuinely in the people around us? Are we in a position to be able to bear their burdens?
And if the answers to those questions are no, then let's ask the Holy Spirit to help us change. That's our job as marketplace ministers. Thank you for being a minister in the marketplace. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of the people around you. It all matters. If you'd like to hear more podcasts like this and join a community of people who are actively involved, trying to integrate their faith more into their daily lives, check us out at https://followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry senior. And today I want to talk about Galatians 6:1-2. I'm reading from the English Standard Version. "Brothers. If anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself. Lest you are too. Be tempted, bear one another's burdens. And so, fulfill the law of Christ."
This book and this verse, this passage, verses one and two of chapter six are aimed at believers. The "brothers" comment there translated in the CSB as "brothers and sisters,” in the New American Standard, it's translated as "brethren." It's basically saying "you who are believers in Jesus, you're our brothers and sisters. And then it says, "if anyone is caught in any transgression." When I was first taught this verse, my initial understanding, I'm not sure it was even the fault of the teachers, but my initial understanding was "if anyone" referred to those brothers, in other words, this passage applied to Christians interacting between Christians.
Now studying the verse, a little more and praying about this, and I still may be wrong. I believe that "anyone" here, "brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression," I believe that anyone means anyone. I believe it's very general and it's not limited to just other believers. In other words, "brothers, if any brother is caught in any transgression," would be different than "brothers if anyone is caught in any transgression." I believe this is a command to us as believers to be peacemakers in the world, to be those who build one another up and who bear one another's burdens. We're challenged in this passage that for anyone who falls short, who has an error, "who's caught in any trespass," one translation says. Another one says, "is caught in any sin" or "is overtaken in any wrongdoing."
Anybody screws up, we who are spiritual should restore that person in a spirit of gentleness. What does that mean? Well, it doesn't mean that we hold a grudge. Often in our workplaces, we keep score. We keep track of how other people have dropped the ball or how someone failed in the past. Here I believe he's challenging us to create restoration, to help put things back.
To help things get back to being right. Not just being to where the damage is controlled but being as right as it can be. And we want to restore that person in a spirit of gentleness, which means that we don't do this complaining or sighing, which I'm famous for having done. I would make faces or go, "Oh, whatever!" I don't think that was biblical.
I don't think that was in accordance with this passage. I need to have a spirit of gentleness. I want to bring a spirit of gentleness to the situation because I might be tempted. Now, I don't know exactly what temptation he's talking about here, but some of the temptations that I faced where I would be tempted to think better of myself than the other person, or I would be tempted to think that I was immune from the kind of mistake that they made.
I want to challenge us. If anyone drops the ball, comes up short, fails in their work, let's be the people who restore that person with a spirit of gentleness. Let's keep watch over the others around us and ourselves so that we're not tempted to think better of ourselves.
Today our challenge: watch for people around you. When people fumble or drop the ball, don't let them beat themselves up. Help restore them in a spirit of gentleness. This is what we try and do. We encourage one another through our online community, at Follower of One. And I want to encourage you with this podcast. These commands that were given all throughout scripture to be difference makers in our workplaces, these commands apply to every one of us. This is not just for the super spiritual. This is a choice that we can all make every day in our job to bring a spirit of gentleness and to look for people to restore. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of the people around you.
Join us as we work to get better at this in the online community, https://community.followerofone.org. You can join us there and take part in the next Marketplace Mission Trip, where we practice these things on a daily basis.
Thanks very much.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry. And I'm grateful that you've joined me. This is a challenging verse to explain for me, because I fail so badly in this area.
James 5:9, "Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door."
I don't see any way around this command to not complain. And yet I complain a lot. Literally the word is groan. In, the English Standard Version. It says, "do not grumble against one another brothers." I do believe that he's speaking to believers, but I'm not too sure it's constructive to complain about anything ever. When I look at my own life, I can't see anything constructive that came from a simple complaint. Often it was from a request to do something differently. Often, I would need to ask someone else, "Hey, could we do this differently?" You can get into a situation where you're not comfortable or something doesn't seem right.
But asking to make something better is not complaining. I think this word "complain" and more accurately "grumble" here in the English Standard means whining, complaining about what's going on without being able to offer a suggestion or a way to make things better. We all know there's a right way to request something be changed.
And there are several bad ways. Much of what happens in our world today, I think is people just complaining. They feel powerless to make a difference. And so, they just want to create some grief, or they just want to get applause from someone else who's complaining.
Look at what you talk about in social media. Look at the way we interact with one another in our world. Look at the way that different things happen. I want to do a better job of identifying what it is that I'd like to be improved and then request that something be changed. "Could we do this a different way?" is much different than just whining about the way it's being done.
Today, I want to challenge myself and I hope I challenge you. If you hear this, when it airs we're in the holiday season. It's easy to get tired and angry and frustrated with traffic and the things that are going on around us. I want to complain less. If you interact with me, ask me how I'm doing. Challenge me to complain less. Challenge me to have constructive, positive things to say, not to grumble so that I'll be judged, but rather to lift others up. To share and to offer a blessing and an encouragement, something that might motivate someone else. There's so many opportunities that we have to be a blessing to the people around us and in my mind, many of those opportunities begin by simply not complaining.
So today I want to listen to James. I want to not complain. What about you? Are you willing to pray and ask God to help you not complain as well? Let's try it today and see how God makes a difference in our day. Thank you so much for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for helping other people move one notch closer to Jesus.
I pray that you're actively considering following and practicing our five daily activities. I also would ask that you consider joining the Follower of One online community? It's at https://community.followerofone.org. And you can join for no cost. You can take part in our next Marketplace Mission Trip. We have a Marketplace Mission Trip coming up in about six weeks, and you can learn more about how to live your faith every day, integrate your faith into your daily life and experience the joy of following Jesus every day of the week. Check it out at https://community.followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry Sr. I'm grateful that you're joining us today. So today I want to talk about Hebrews 10:14 "For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified." That was from the English Standard Version.
Do you ever think about the word sanctification or what sanctification means? In a way, it just means to be set apart for something special. We dedicate certain things may have good dishes, maybe putting out your Christmas dishes right now, as you hear this. In this chapter, the author is talking about the Jewish sacrifices, and it begins in Hebrews 10:1.
He points out that the sacrifice has never finished the job. They had to sacrifice over and over and over again for thousands of years. But the sacrifices never made them right with God, for the long haul. To be holy or to be sanctified, that means to be totally dedicated for a special use. Sacrifice is only substituted for the payment for our failure.
God allowed the Jewish people to make a sacrifice to pay for their failures. The next failure had the same problem though. They had to sacrifice again. The sacrificial system was only designed to point people to Jesus. This passage states that Jesus completed or that he perfected for all time, the sacrificial system. He ended it.
I often, when I mess up, when I spend time not thinking about God, when I overeat or when I behave in some way, that's just not God honoring, sometimes I feel like I have to give penance, or I have to make some penalty. And I think that goes back to, what's built into us around these sacrifices. This passage is telling us that Jesus finished this job.
Now I confess, I don't understand God. He went to a tremendous amount of trouble to save us. I can't fathom the extent of the trouble and I can't even imagine the expense and the difficulty. But Jesus has made it all seem so easy for us. Our salvation is complete. We experienced this one offering that completed for all time those who are sanctified.
And yet there's still a job for us. There's a calling for us to continue to grow in our relationship with Jesus too. I would like to concentrate on the piece of this that Jesus has finished. I've been set apart for God. Now there's still growth that needs to happen in my life.
And that growth is sometimes called sanctification as well. But I have been set apart. I have been completed; my sacrifices have been completed through Christ. I've been freed so that I can join Jesus in his work in our world. My seat with Jesus is reserved and therefore I'm free to take part in Jesus's work in our world.
Today, let's enjoy being completed. Let's enjoy being God's perfected people. No, we're not perfect. We don't live out the perfection, but the credit for that perfection, as far as it stands in our relationship with God is credited to our account. We're free to help others move closer to Jesus today because of what he's done for us.
How might that affect your plans for today? Might that change the way that you interact with the people that you come in contact with today? I hope it does. I hope today that we can focus our energy and our faith on how we live because of what Jesus has done for us. We're free to now take part in helping others move one notch closer to Jesus.
And that's what ministry is. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of others. Let's remember today that Jesus has completed the payment for us. And it's our job to simply live as his friends and his children and invite other people to move one notch closer with Jesus.
Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Welcome back to our podcast and today's devotional. I want to dig back into the Old Testament again. This has to do with my daily reading, and I was reading in 2 Chronicles 25:9. I'll read you the whole verse, but we're going to just focus on the very end.
"And Amaziah said to the man of God, "But what shall we do about the hundred talents that I have given to the army of Israel?" The man of God answered, "The Lord is able to give you much more than this." The kingdom of Israel was split. You remember there were 12 tribes, 10 went to the Northern kingdom after Solomon passed away.
Ten went to the Northern kingdom and were called Israel. And the two remained in the Southern kingdom, Judah and Benjamin, and they were called the kingdom of Judah. It also happens that all the Kings of the Northern kingdom were not God-followers and some of the Kings of the Southern kingdom were good guys.
They were trying to follow God. And this fellow who was the king was named Amaziah. And Amaziah was planning to go to war with another kingdom, but he was afraid he didn't have enough of an army. And back then you needed a lot of people to win a battle. You needed God to be on your side too. Amaziah paid a chunk of change to the king of Israel to get an extra a hundred thousand men to fight with him.
And this man of God came to him in verse seven, it says, and he says, "Do not let the army of Israel go with you for the Lord is not with Israel, nor is he with any of the sons of Ephraim." That's anyone in the Northern kingdom. "But if you do go do it, be strong for the battle and God will bring you before the enemy."
He says he will bring you down before the enemy because God has the power to help. And he has the power to bring down. And Amaziah, said, "But what shall we do? We've invested a hundred talents." This is a hundred year wages. I've got this sunk cost. My challenge for us today is to not sell God short. Let's not take the things that we've done and stick with them when we believe we're convicted by God to trust him. Here, the man of God is challenging this king. "Trust God. And he will give you this win." Now, Amaziah let go of the troops of Israel and, and they even created some more trouble for him. But Amaziah trusted God in this particular case and was victorious in this battle.
Where are we not trusting God today? That's my challenge for us. Where am I not trusting him? I can think of one place in particular. And so as I record this, I'm challenging myself to follow through on this need to trust God. I want to trust God. I don't want to worry about the money that's already been invested or any sunk costs or any sunk effort.
"The Lord has much more to give you than this." It says New American Standard and in the English Standard, it says, "The Lord is able to give you much more than this." God has everything and he owns everything. When we listen to him, and when we trust him and obey him, that's when we get to see him work. We get to see him make a difference in the world, through us or near us.
We get to take part in it. I want to challenge us today. Trust God, ask him, "Where am I not trusting you?" Should I trust you to go into battle with what I have or should I, bend my commitments? Should I cut corners, or should I take shortcuts?"
I believe that if we can trust God and do what he calls us to do, that he will become visible and he will work great miracles in our presence if we will trust him. Today in your workplace. Let's challenge ourselves, ask God where he would have us trust him, and then do it. Thank you for being a marketplace minister.
Thank you for investing some of your energy and your time and your effort to making a difference for the kingdom of God in your daily job. It matters. Practice the five daily activities. Check our online community out at https://community.followerofone.org, where you can join us for free and take part in the next Marketplace Mission Trip.
Thanks very much.
Hey, welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry. And I'm looking forward to today's message. Today. I want to talk about 2 Corinthians 5:14 "For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died." And that's from the English Standard Version of the Bible.
I'm tempted to bring in the next verse two. And I may stumble over into that. This is a favorite passage of mine, as many of these are. So, I apologize about that, but I hope you hear the excitement. I want the love of Christ to control me. The love of Christ controls us. That could either be Christ's love for us or our love for him. It doesn't really say.
Can you agree? It's just you talking to you now, does the love of Christ control you? Does it control me? I work often to be more controlled by the love of Jesus. I read my Bible and I work on these podcasts. I go back to first Corinthians 9 27, even "to discipline my body and make it my slave."
Maybe if I do that for long enough, I can say that the love of Christ controls me. Sometimes. I honestly don't believe the love of Christ controls me, but I would like his love to capture more my attention to be a bigger part of my daily life. I can give Jesus the ability to control me and step one of that is step one of our daily activities.
It's to pray. "Jesus, here I am. Would you put me to work for you today? I want to ask you to take over my life, to let me be so absorbed with the love of Christ that I'm controlled." And I want to let go of the other things that might be controlling me. I want to achieve a goal, so I take an action and I believe that my actions contribute more to that goal than the love of Christ.
But today I want Jesus to show me an action that I can sacrifice. This is not a job activity. I'm not talking about you sacrificing part of your job responsibilities. We still need to do what our managers and our leaders expect. We still need to do excellent work all the time. But what's something that we cannot do and trust Jesus?
One of those things is worry. Another one of those things might be working extra to make something happen. It's late in the year as I record this. Have you taken all of your vacation time, or do you need to take some vacation time and spend it with your family? I can pray and read my Bible instead of doing something else, instead of watching TV or playing a video game. I can trust a coworker rather than checking up on them or following up on them and nagging them. And for those of you that I've nagged, I apologize. I want the love of Christ to control me. So today, at least on this podcast, I choose to be controlled by the love of Christ.
Then let's ask him, Jesus, control me today. Let's keep asking. "Please, may I, so concentrate on your love for me that I enjoy my relationship with you and trust you more than ever. What would you have me to do? Jesus, take my life over and do what you want with it. I want to listen to you today. Use me as a minister in this workplace to be a blessing to others for you."
That's the way that I want the love of Christ to control my life. What about you? Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you if you have the courage to pray that prayer. Let's let God direct us on how we impact the lives of the people that we work with every day. The natural result is that we would no longer live for ourselves, but for him who died and rose again for us. Let's live for Christ because his love for us and our love for him controls us today.
If you think about it, join the community, https://community.followerofone.org. Check us out and join that community, and let's put people into our lives that are helping us be controlled by the love of Christ on a daily basis so that we can serve the people that we interact with every day.
Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with the Follower of One podcast. Welcome back. Thanks for joining us. Today, let's talk about Galatians 5:1 (ESV) "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to yoke of slavery." I think it's interesting because I believe Jesus came to set us free.
Sometimes I think we take that freedom for granted. We're created with the freedom to choose. God created us with this ability to choose. And all of the effort that I believe that Jesus has gone through to save us is designed to protect our freedom of choice. We choose wrongly before we even know, and we suffer the consequences of being separated from God.
All of us choose some way of life other than Jesus. But then Jesus paid for our poor choices so that we could still have another chance. In our previous episode, I asked you to consider the question, "God, what do you want me to change today?" Jesus set us free to hear God's answer and then to choose to do it.
Galatians 5:1 says it was for freedom, that Christ set us free. He got us back out of our yoke of slavery, our bondage to slavery. We go back into that mode when we choose to obey our own flesh. But we have the freedom to step out of that mode because Christ died on the cross for us and he gave us the opportunity to step out of this yoke, this chain, this slavery model.
And we can stand firm, therefore, as it talks about here today, Jesus set us free to hear God's answer to that question and then choose to do it. We were set free for that very freedom. What was your choice? Jesus paid for your freedom. Did you take advantage of that payment by Jesus yesterday? Or will you today?
If we want to be active with our faith every day, we begin by saying yes to God. We listen to the Holy Spirit, and we do what he says. This verse goes on to say that we can stand firm in our new life and not be a slave to sin any longer. Let's ask God the question again today. God, what would you have me change today?
Then let's do what he says. Let's choose today to do whatever he challenges us to do. This is convicting to me, because there are things going on in my life, I know I ought to be doing. And so, I have to confront those as I speak to you about this, on this podcast. It's a challenging place to be, but let's be there.
Let's challenge ourselves to follow Jesus, to step into the freedom that he paid for and not submit again to this yoke of slavery. Our habits and our environment are powerful things. If we can start the habit of saying yes to God, we strengthen our muscle. We may need to hang out with some other believers who have the guts to ask God this question over and over and over again, and then step into the answer.
Don't underestimate the pull of our enemy, our flesh, and our habits. Let's get the help we need. You can join the online community of Follower of One. That's what it's designed to do. It's designed to create an opportunity for us to be able to connect with other believers who intentionally try and live their faith every day.
Check it out at https://followerofone.org. You can join the online community for free. You can take part in the Marketplace Mission Trips for free as well. We simply ask you if it's beneficial to you to pay it forward. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for making a difference in the lives of the people that you're around every day.
Let's ask God the question, "God, what would you have me change today?" And then do what he says.
Thanks very much.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry Sr. Today. I want to talk about James 2:26, "For as the body, apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead." That's from the English Standard Version.
We talk about work regularly here, but we're not talking about your job today. We're talking about actions that we take because we follow Jesus. James is explaining how we can claim to believe. But if that belief never changes our lives in any way, we're just fooling ourselves or we're trying to. If we claim to believe in Jesus, but we do not change as a result, we don't know him very well. We're not really following him. And I think this sometimes gets mistaken in the tug of war that kind of goes on about trusting God with my salvation. If I trust God with my salvation, then I should live differently. I shouldn't just trust him and relax and not do anything different.
By trusting him it means that I now live differently because I believe that what he says matters. One of those great examples is with the tithe. Do you give some of your money to support the church; to support the work of God? We give a 10th of our income or more. We give whatever we give, because we trust God to do more with the remainder of what we keep than what he would do if we kept it all. It's the same concept behind being closed on Sunday or taking a Sabbath rest day or going to church. If you spend a couple of hours every week going to a local church or being a part of a body of believers so that your relationship with God can grow, God has the ability to use the rest of your time to bless you more than you might possibly be blessed by using all of your own time. God challenges us to give away things from time to time because we trust him. We trust him to do more with what we hang on to.
That's the way I think we're called to be at work. We get a challenge to live our life differently in the workplace. We can give away more than is expected of us. We can do more than our job might demand. We can give to our coworkers and bless our customers or our vendors more. We're free to do that. Today, I want to challenge us. Let's use our true faith and let's ask God to make it cause a change in our lives.
If we claim to be Jesus' followers, let's ask God one quick question right now. "God, what do I need to change today?" Can you ask God that question? The things that come to your mind are from him. You can tell him "No." You can think, " God, I can't really do that." Or "God, you really don't want me to do that today, do you?" This is very convicting to me, because I've been struggling with myself in a particular area as well. And now I need to take action on what I just told you. So, let's ask ourselves one more question.
"What happens if I don't listen to God?"
I want to follow Jesus more and more every day. Do you? Today let's turn to him and follow him. What he puts on your mind today to do, figure out a way to get it done. Do things that glorify him. Do things that you know that he would have you do in your workplace simply because you trust him. Let's follow him. This is between us and Jesus. My prayer is that today we are each courageous enough to ask this prayer and then act on the answer we hear. You'll be blown away by what happens next.
If you want to be a part of a community of people who are trying to grow in their faith and trying to make a difference in the world that they live in every day, then check us out over at https://followerofone.org. We'd love for you to join our community and join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip.
Thanks very much.
Hey, welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry Sr. Today, I want to talk about 2 Chronicles 15:1-2. We don't often do a lot from the Old Testament, but this is a challenging passage that I happened to read the other day and I wanted to pass it along. The verse reads like this, "Now the spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded, and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, Listen to me Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you're with him. And if you seek him, he will let you find him. But if you forsake him, he will forsake you." Now I read that from the New American Standard. That word "forsake," that's like "abandon." If we abandon God, he will abandon us. This is a challenging word from the Lord.
This prophet has been challenged to go talk to the king and to remind him that if you we are with God, if we seek him, if we pursue God, then he will let us find him. But if we abandon him, he will abandon us. Let's remember who we seek. Let's remember where we want to point our heart and our desires and our ambitions.
For me, it's so easy to get wrapped up in the things of work, to try and get the next promotion to try and pursue the next shiny object or the next thing we want to buy. It's so hard to follow after God. But if we can follow after God and remind ourselves to seek him, then we have this promise and many more that God will be with us when we are with him.
And if we seek him, he will let us find him. Our relationship with God is so far outside of our control, it's hard to fathom. And yet God has given us this ability that if we truly turn toward him, he will let us find him. But if we're joking with ourselves or if we're lying to ourselves or if we just choose not to have anything to do with God, he'll let us go that way too.
The key to our life is learning to live it pointed towards God. In the Follower of One community, we try to encourage each other to be intentional in the way that we live our daily life. Today. I want to challenge you. Let's ask ourselves, are we seeking God? Or are we seeking something else?
And what has to change? We can change with a prayer. We can punch in and tell God, "Here I am." And then we can also pray and ask him to bless the people around us. We can get on this eternal clock by punching-in with God and letting him use our life to matter forever. That's our job. We can follow Jesus and stick with him like we're following the bumper of a friend in a town where we're lost, where we don't know where we are. Let's stay close to Jesus and not let the shiny objects of career and material possessions take us off track. When we focus on God, he will challenge us to pay attention to the people around us, and the people that we work with. Let's follow hard after him today and let him direct our actions and use us for his glory.
You never know, your life may change so much that someone will come up to you today and go, why are you different? Or why did you just do this for me? Why did you go outside of your way to help me when you didn't have to? And that gives you an opportunity to share how Jesus transformed your life. That's part of the excitement that we get by following Jesus every day.
If you want to take part more in this type of a spiritual life and this life with Jesus, where our life matters as we interact with others, it matters for eternity. If you'd like to take part in that life, join us at https://followerofone.org. You can check out our online community there. You can see our videos and different things that we offer.
And by joining the online community, you can also take part in our next Marketplace Mission Trip, which is a two-week exercise to help us learn how to practice following Jesus carefully at work. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for wanting to integrate your faith into your daily life.
Ask God to help you, and he will make it happen. I promise. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. Today, I want to talk about God being at work. If you hear this on the day that it airs, it's actually the Monday after the U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving and we're back at work. And so, I wanted to check out and just think a little bit about how God is always at work.
In John 5:17 it says, "But Jesus answered them, 'My father is working until now and I am working.'" And that's from the English Standard Version.
Where are you today? What's your situation? Are you at work or going to work? Are you working from home? Maybe you're retired or maybe your day is trying to get healthy from an illness or caring for someone else who's not healthy. You may be on vacation. Wherever you are, we are workers. God created us to work. The original mandate in the original story in Genesis, you will find that we were challenged to subdue the earth and be fruitful and multiply, to fill the earth. We have a working God who calls us to work.
So even if we're on vacation, even if we're outside of the normal work world or we're in some situation as a volunteer, our job is to work, to make the earth better for everyone on it. Now, if God created us to work, who do we work for? Do we work for God? Or do we see ourselves as the boss? Or do we see someone else as our boss?
What's our goal in our job? Do we work for a purpose? Do we work simply so we can spend time not working? Do we work only to get through Friday? If God has created us to work and God is always at work, what's he challenging us to do? The entire Trinity is working. Can we see our work as something that God has assigned to us?
And since our original mandate is to work, do you think of yourself as an employee of God's? That was a big transition that I had to make many years ago. I had to realize that the people that I reported to at work, the people who signed my paycheck, they really weren't my boss. They were in charge of me. I was assigned there, but I was working for God.
If God's working and Jesus is working, I want to work for them. Today at work, I want to focus my perspective. I want to point my brain to working for God. Colossians 3 23 and 24. We're challenged to do our work heartily as if we work for the Lord. As we get back into it and we get on our tasks at work, let's remember that we do them for God.
That our job is to do excellent work and to do our work with quality and with energy and with passion so that we can glorify God. We can show other people that we worked for him. Today, if we focus our perspective on work, as if we work for God, how will that make us behave? Would we work differently?
Will we take our assignments from him and do our work like we report to him? And if so, how will that change how we work today? That's my challenge to us. Today let's work as if we work for God. If that's something you normally do, go ahead and ask him for one additional assignment today. Ask him to give you something else that you can do today, just because you work for him. He will answer and he will call us out and he will challenge us if we let him. Today, let's remember we're marketplace ministers. We have an opportunity to make a difference in the world, right where we are, because we follow Jesus. Let's pray for the people around us and look for opportunities to follow Jesus with our whole life.
If you want to practice this more, you can join the next Marketplace Mission Trip. There's not one coming up for another month or so, but you can find out more about that mission trip by joining our online community at https://community.followerofone.org. Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for making a difference with your faith. What we do matters and your actions on behalf of Jesus, your actions as a Christ follower matter forever.
Thank you very much.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry Sr., thanks for listening. Today we want to finish our three episodes on thankfulness. If you hear this on the air date, it's the Friday after the U.S. holiday for Thanksgiving. And today I want to cover the verse in Ephesians 5:20 from the ESV, it says, "giving thanks always and for everything to God, the Father in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ."
Notice how the author words, this. This goes all the way back to verse 18. Paul seems to be saying that giving thanks for all things as a result of being filled with the Holy Spirit. We're thankful in the name of Jesus.
I think of "in the name of" as being something like me saying, I want to express my gratitude on behalf of myself and my family. I'm sharing the gratitude that my family has. I want to share the gratitude that Jesus had. Jesus wasn't happy about having to go to the cross, but I believe he was grateful.
We're hearing here that he was thankful, and he saved us and he was thankful that he had the opportunity to do that. I never thought about that a whole lot until I was thinking about being thankful.
On Thanksgiving holiday weekend it's easy for us to think about being thankful. But what about being thankful for those hard things and being thankful to God, even in the middle of them. In this passage, we see that the Holy Spirit fills us, and we become grateful with the gratitude of Jesus.
And we're thankful to God, the Father. The entire Trinity is involved. Today, let's remember which camp we're in. The holy spirit fills us. Therefore, we belong to Jesus, and we experience his gratitude. Even the negative things that happened to us will be used by God. Therefore, we can join in Jesus's gratitude to God, the Father. The end of everything is good for those who love God and who are called according to his purpose, it says in Romans 8:28. Let's keep the gratitude going. Let's remember what God has done for us and let that memory make us grateful so that others notice. I hope that your gratitude causes others to ask you, "Hey, what's different? What's going on?" And then you'll get an opportunity to speak for yourself to talk about how Jesus transformed you. That's what we talk about in Follower of One. We want to live our faith in such a way that others question what's going on in our lives. And we get to share with them a little bit about how Jesus has changed us.
Join us in https://followerofone.org and find out more. You can join our private online community at no cost and take part in our next Marketplace Mission Trip, also at no cost. We ask people who do those things to consider paying it forward for the next person. So come and join us, check it out at https://followerofone.org.
Thanks very much.
Hey, welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry Sr. and I'm glad to be here. If you're in the U.S. and hearing this on-air date, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I'm recording this message to be aired on Thanksgiving Day. And today our passage is 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "In everything give thanks for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." That's from the New American Standard. In everything we want to give thanks. We're talking now about expressing gratitude to God. We talked about expressing gratitude to others a little bit yesterday as well but expressing gratitude to God is worship.
And here Paul is exhorting us to give thanks to God for everything that happens "for this," and that word, "this" is not specific. Whatever's happening in our lives. What's going on in our lives. It's the will of God, for us. Notice that we give thanks in everything.
When good things happen, it's easy to give thanks. But when not-so-good things happen. Well, that's a different story. At least it is for me, I'm quick to complain when the not-so-good things happen. If I can break that habit and be grateful when those not-so-good things happen, I demonstrate my faith. Others will be prompted to ask because I'm acting so differently than I typically do.
And then I get an opportunity to explain how Jesus is the source of my ability to respond to everything with gratitude. Today, it's easy to think about being grateful, but I hope you can. Some days, some holidays are difficult for some of us as well. But I want to encourage each of us to express our gratitude to God today, for whatever our circumstances are.
Because of this grateful life puts us in touch with God. It's the avenue to receiving his peace and his joy, even in difficult circumstances. I hope that we can live as a way where others can see us as grateful to God and then they can know that he is the source of the good he's the source of the not-so-good too, but he makes everything right.
I want to challenge us today. Enjoy your day, wherever you are. I pray that you have a great holiday or a great workday if you're working in another country. But ask God to help you be more genuine in your gratitude to him, even in the things that you don't appreciate. He will do that. He will help us to be more grateful because it glorifies him.
Life is hard and we broke the world as humans. But God gives us the ability to cling to him, partly through being thankful and being grateful. We get to join him and experience his joy. Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for making a difference with your faith. I pray that you have a great day and that you make a difference in the lives of others today.
Thank you very much.
Hey, welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry, your host and the founder of Follower of One. I love doing the podcast and today I want to talk about Colossians 3:15. If you hear this on-air date, this is the day before Thanksgiving in the US. The verse that I chose for today is, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts to which indeed you were called in one body and be thankful. That's Colossians 3:15 from the New American Standard Bible.
In the U.S., as we celebrate Thanksgiving, which we will do tomorrow, many don't even understand, that the original thankfulness wasn't just to the Indians or just to each other, but it was to God for the provisions that he made. Thankfulness is worship. It's easy to be thankful to others and we need to be thankful to others.
It lubricates our relationships. When we're thankful to others. And when we appreciate others, they feel appreciated. And that feeling reduces the friction that typically happens when people interact. Friction is the force or the result of two objects coming into contact with each other. And friction causes heat.
When we interact with our fellow humans, we can cause friction. But a spirit of genuine appreciation, frees everything up. It's like it lubricates all the mechanisms. We look out for others, and we consider them more important than ourselves when we appreciate them. And it lubricates our relationships. So, thankfulness to others is key.
But also, thankfulness is to God. As Christ followers, all gratitude or thankfulness is aimed at him. We know he is in control. Our thankfulness reminds us, my thankfulness reminds me that I'm dependent upon God and not the other way around. It puts me in my proper place in the world.
So today, but not just on the Thanksgiving holiday or around the Thanksgiving holiday, today and every day, I want to be thankful to God for the things that happen, even the good and the not so good things. We'll talk about that a little bit more tomorrow. Today, just thank God for what's going on today and tomorrow. Ask him to help you be thankful in everything that you do. We want thankful to be a word that others use to describe us.
Thanks for joining us on the Follower of One podcast again today. I'm Mike Henry, your host. And today I'm talking about 2 Timothy 2:2, "The things which you've heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." This is a great verse about discipleship and that translation that I read was the New American Standard version.
This is a great passage about discipleship, as I said, because it's challenging us to think about four (4) generations. If you see it here, we see Paul passing this on to Timothy, who is to entrust these to faithful men, that's generation three, who will be able to teach others also generation four. So it's like four degrees of separation from the apostle Paul to people who are teaching others about the scripture.
We want to be people who ship grace. I mentioned this yesterday. He challenges us to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. I believe we're all like little warehouses and God gives us his grace, not so that we would hang onto it, but so that we would distribute it to other people, to the people that we come in contact with.
And I believe Jesus puts his people in every company, in every workplace situation, and in every life situation so that others can see what a Jesus follower does in that circumstance. And us having grace that's strong, that's available to be present and delivered to others that we can teach to others about the grace of Jesus Christ.
When we have that grace, we make a difference in the lives of the people that we interact with. Today, let's ship the grace that we have received. What we have learned about Jesus Christ and his grace is what we pass along to others.
Yes, this is a verse about teaching, but it can also be a verse about showing. The things which we have heard from the people who taught us, let's trust those to faithful people. Let's deliver those things. We want to deliver those in speech to people who want to hear them, but we live them in action.
We put them to work. Let's put our faith to work by shipping this grace into the lives of the people around us today. We want to think about generation and generation and generation. Challenge a friend to be the kind of Christ follower that others might want to emulate. And let's pass that on to the people that we meet and the people that we know.
Yes, we're going to teach people that, but we need to teach with our lives too. So, let's not just be talkers. Let's entrust these things. Let's pass them along with our life, with our lifestyle and with the way that we speak and act. I'm guilty of this as much as anyone. There are times when I don't live like a good Christian, or I don't act like a good Christian.
And so, I have to remind myself to be strong in the grace. That's the verse above this. To remember my relationship with Jesus Christ and the grace that he's given me, and then live according to that grace. Join us in this marketplace ministry that you have by taking the grace that you've been given and delivering that to the people around you. The faithful ones will be able to learn and teach others also.
Let's pass this along. Let's think about the four degrees of connection that we each have and take our faith and make a difference with it in our world today. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for sharing this podcast with your friends. Invite people to join us at https://community.followerofone.org, where you can join other marketplace Christians and take place in the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Thanks very much.
Hey, thanks for joining us again on the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry Sr., and part of Follower of One. And we have a daily devotional to encourage believers as they head to work each day. Today, I want to talk about second Timothy chapter two, verse one. "You therefore, my son be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." It's believed that second Timothy is Paul's final letter. He's writing it to Timothy, a young pastor that he's trained up. And many people interpret much of the book of Timothy as instruction to pastors. And maybe it is. I'm not a qualified to say exactly what Paul was intending to do, but I saw this challenge to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And I wanted to encourage us with that today, as we get ready to go to work, or as we're heading to wherever we're going.
What does it mean to be strong in grace? Christ Jesus is the model of grace for us. He came and died to pay for our sins. He came and did everything in his power to restore our relationship with him.
He is the definition of grace - unmerited favor at Christ's expense. I believe that God calls us to ship his grace into the world.
He asks us to be grace distributors. To be strong in the grace means that we have God's grace in the front of our mind. It's present with us all the time and we're available to bring that grace to bear in the lives of others. Part of the reason why I chose this first today, tomorrow, we will talk about 2 Timothy 2:2, which is about discipling other people.
It's about how we trust the message of Jesus from generation to generation to generation. But today we carry that message in our actions. We're strong in the grace. That means that we live being able to give grace to others. We're available to be patient and peaceful and give people a break, give others the benefit of the doubt.
I'm preaching to myself as I often do, because I don't believe I'm strong in grace, often. I want to be strong in grace more. I want to be present mentally with Jesus. In whatever situation I'm in, whether it's a workplace or if I'm in a store or a restaurant, wherever I am with my family at home, I want my relationship with Christ to be present in my mind so that I'm strong in that grace.
I've got the grace that comes from my relationship with Jesus, ready and available to insert into my relationships with any other person and any other activity. Today in your job and your workplace, I want to challenge you to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Ask God to show you what it means to be strong in grace, and then go deliver that into your workplace, into your work situation.
Let's ship Jesus's grace, to every person that we see today. Let's be people who have a little extra and who can give a little break. We can give an extra moment. We can ask someone to tell us more. We can take an extra second or two or moment or two to spend some time with a friend and just be available to them.
Let's be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, just as Paul reminded Timothy in this book. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of the people that you work with every day. Check out more about Follower of One at our website, which is https://followerofone.org.
Join our online community and join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One, and today's devotional is a continuation a little bit of the previous episode. We're talking about Psalm 78. I want to read verses five through seven. We're talking about verse seven today. If you have questions, you can go back and catch the episode that I did on verses five and six.
For he established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should teach them to their children, that the generation to come might know even the children yet to be born, that they may arise and tell them to their children, that they should put their confidence in God and not forget the works of God but keep his commandment.
Verse seven says that they should put their confidence in God and not forget the works of God but keep his commandments. How do we put our confidence in God? We don't forget what he's done, both in what we've learned in the Bible and in our own lives. And we obey him, and we want to remind our children and remind them to remind their children.
About these things of God, how he has done great things in our lives. And when we obey him, we get to see him work. We get to see what he's doing and the difference that he makes, and we get to experience the joy of following him. He's he gives us great joy when we obey him, and we see him accomplish cool things in our lives and in the lives of the people that we work with.
I want to challenge us. To live with confidence in God, that confidence in God is what gives us the ability to be calm and to make a difference in the lives of the people that we work with confidence in God is what challenges us to pray for others. Appreciate them, know what we believe, serve others and speak for ourselves.
That's our five daily activities with follower of one. We want to exercise those practices so that we can remain engaged with our faith on a daily basis, in the middle of our tasks. Even if things are crazy in your workplace today, you can be confident in God. You can remember what he has done and obey him.
And that confidence makes a difference in everything that you do at work. In the ways that you relate to your coworkers, and it also can make a difference in the lives of your children and your grandchildren and your great-grandchildren, and maybe even in the lives of the children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren of your coworkers and your peers.
Imagine that for a moment, set a 150 or a 200-year goal for the reputation and for the difference that your life makes. You can do things today that can impact people for generations by simply being confident in God, remembering what he's done and keeping his commandments. And that's our tip for today.
Our goal is to be confident in God, the way we do that is we don't forget the works of God and we keep his commandments. Let's find out how we can do that today. Let's challenge ourselves. Remember a Bible verse. Take a minute to get to work a little early and pray for the people that you're going to meet today, and then go out of your way to do something special for someone look for ways to serve others. Ask God to show you how you can make a difference in the lives of someone that you work with.
You have an opportunity today to practice this confidence and make a difference for generations. Your life matters. The difference that you make in the lives of the people that you work with matters. And you do that through this confidence in God. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for following Jesus and for making a difference in the lives of the people that you work with your actions matter, be confident in God.
Don't forget what he's done in your life. And let's obey him today. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. And today I want to talk a little bit about praying for one another. 2 Daniel 17:18. Then Daniel went to his house and informed his friends and Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah about the matter, so that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery so that Daniel and his friends would not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men in battle.
Daniel and his friends are in trouble. The king has had this dream and the Wiseman and the conjurers of that time, couldn't tell the dream to the king and he was angry about it. And so, he was going to kill them all. And Daniel and his three friends, the guys probably more well known as a Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
Daniel and his three friends were among those who would be killed. And so this is a tense work situation. Think you will agree. We face tense work situations every day, but we don't often face them where there's life and death involved. Some of us do, there are people who listen to this podcast who are first responders, and they face life and death on a regular basis.
And I'm grateful for what they do. But today's point is about praying for one another. And about having friends who are praying for one another. Do you have people who pray for you? Often? We tend to focus on what's not happening by someone else, not praying for us, but if we want more prayer in the world and I want to challenge us to pray for others, this story goes on because Daniel does receive a response from God and gives that response to the king. And it makes a difference in the King's life makes a difference in the lives of all these wise men in these conjurers, this story ends up being one where Daniel and his three friends become more important in the kingdom.
And it's because of their relationship with God. The way prayer works is interesting because we spend most of our time. If you're like me, I spend most of my time asking God for things. God uses prayer to communicate with me. And God uses prayer to communicate with us. He's putting us to work. He's working his plan.
What he wants to happen is what's going to happen in the world. Daniel and his three friends got in on it through prayer. We get to take part in the work of Jesus in the lives of every person that we know when we regularly pray. And I want to challenge each of us, our first daily activity as a follower of Jesus Christ is to pray.
And we talk about three prayers on a regular basis. One of those is punching in. Here I am. The next one is praying for others. We want to pray for the people in our lives, and sometimes we need to pray and give thanks to God for the circumstances that we face. Even the ones that we don't like. And finally, there are the times like this, where there are situations going on in our life that are just so extreme that we need God to make a difference.
In all of these situations, I want to encourage you find people that you can pray with and pray for about what God's doing in your workplace. Ask God to show him who else around you, who else in your workplace might be someone who can pray for you, or if you need to, you can actually connect with those people in our online community at https://www.Followerofone.org.
Open to believers who want to integrate their faith in the workplace. I want to challenge you, find two or three or four friends who are praying with you and understand enough about each other's work situation, to where your prayers are making a difference where your prayers will make a difference in the things that happen inside that business.
Your prayers can make your employer more successful. You can make you be more successful in the workplace, those prayers can help you see God working and see the difference that he's making in the lives of every person there. Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for being a part of what God's doing in the world.
That's what we're doing. We're checking in. We're punching in when we pray. And say, God, I want to be part of what you're doing in the world today. Show me what to do. Thanks for being a part of that. And thank you for listening to this podcast. If you get a chance, share it with a friend. Thanks very much.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry Sr., thank you so much for joining us. Today's devotional, I'm continuing this self-coaching, self-study on the word self-control, and I came to a verse in 2 Timothy 3:3. But realize this then in the last days, difficult times will come for men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good." He goes on. But I want to share today some thoughts that crossed my mind as I was studying the term "self-control." There are a few episodes in the recent days that have been around that topic because I'm studying self-control for me.
I want to do a better job of controlling myself; of being in charge of my attitude and my temper and the way I eat and the way I think. And this word self-control here. I got to looking at the Greek and I was surprised because the Greek word was actually a little difficult to look up. The Greek word is actually, "power." It's a word translated power. And then the Greeks, they add an "a" to the beginning of it- "ah". When they add an "a" to the beginning of a word, it negates it. And so, it's "negative power" or "without power," "without self-control." I can't pronounce the Greek word, but you can look this up. It's interesting because it's often translated as, without self-control clearly.
However, in The Message, they talked about it being impulsively wild. And what's interesting is in the original King James, and this is what really caught my attention, in the original King James it is translated "incontinent." "Without natural affection, a truce breaker, false accusers incontinent for your despisers of those that are good."
That's the King James version. The word "incontinent" means something narrower now. It means unable to control our bowel movements or our digestive processes. It's not just generally unable to control ourselves. Self-control is an inability to behave in public and inability to choose proper manners or words, an inability to eat to moderation, which is my challenge.
I overeat, I eat too many sweets. But in many areas, it can be any kind of a habit we can let get out of control. The question today, the question for us as followers of Jesus, where do we surrender our power over ourselves? I wanted to challenge myself today and challenge you. Let's control ourselves.
Let's exercise control over ourselves let's bring our bodies and our minds and our spirits in line with what God would have us do. Our job is to glorify him. Our body exists and our resources exist so that we might bring him glory.
We might use those things to serve him. Our time is so that we can serve him. If we can make Jesus visible by giving away little bits of our life and little bits of our resources and our time and our energy to the people that we interact with. We are glorifying God. We're doing what he called us to do.
We're serving as ministers in the marketplace. I'd like to challenge you today. Control yourself. Let's exercise power over ourselves and use our time and our resources and our spirits to glorify God at work. That's our challenge for today. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for being self-controlled and for using your time and resources to make Jesus visible and to help other people move one notch closer to Jesus.
We're creating a community of people who are passionate about that. That community exists online at https://followerofone.org. You can check us out there. Thanks very much.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry Sr., and we do a devotional each workday where we challenge ourselves to live our faith in some way that makes Jesus visible in our workplaces.
Today, I want to talk about Acts 10:3, and I'm stealing this from Mark Batterson in his book, Draw the Circle.
I would like to encourage you to consider getting that book. It's a great book. It's based on the Circle Maker, which is another book that he wrote both about praying circles around our problems until God does something with them. We pray until something happens. Pray as long as it takes.
On day 13 of Draw the Circle, he actually talks about one day. Acts chapter 10, verse 3 from the New American Standard, says, "About the ninth hour of the day, he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had just come in and said to him, Cornelius."
Cornelius was a centurion, of the Italian cohort. So, he was based in Rome. He was a devout man. He feared God. It says in verse two and he prayed to God continually, but on some odd day, one day at about three o'clock in the afternoon, he clearly got a vision. An angel of God had just come and said to him, "Cornelius." He'd called his name.
What's happening here is that Cornelius will send some people to Peter. Peter will also experience a vision. And this is the way that the gospel was first given to the Gentiles rather miraculous event, or rather miraculous series of events. Actually, that took place just one day at three o'clock in the afternoon, about the ninth hour of the day, Cornelius got this vision.
Maybe there's something that you've been praying for about your work or a relationship with Jesus, or about how you interact with the people in your workplace. And you've been praying about that for a long time. I want to encourage you to pray one more day. We never know which day it is.
We never know what day and what time God will do what God is going to do. And I'm speaking to myself as I often do. As I pray for things around Follower of One or about, other activities going on in our family and in the lives of our kids and grandkids and my relatives and other people that I know.
I never know when it's the one day. I never know when it's time. God keeps it that way. This isn't about us knowing what God's going to do. It isn't about us, being there at the right moment. This is about us being followers of Jesus, constantly asking, seeking, and knocking. It says here that he was praying.
Cornelius was praying to God continually in verse two. We need to be searching for God, continually. And today I want to encourage you in your workplace search for God continually. Don't give up. Go one more day. We can all go one more day. We can all make one more prayer. We can all purpose in our hearts to wait a little longer, to be patient a little better.
Everyone who knows me knows that I am not the guy saying this to you. I'm saying this to me. This is for me. I want to learn to wait. I want to trust God, because one day at about three o'clock in the afternoon, he will do what he will do. In the meantime, it doesn't mean that we keep doing the same things over and over again, expecting our actions to bring about a different result. It does mean that we continue pursuing God; chasing after him, listening to his ideas and his suggestions, the things that he prompts into our mind that put us on his mission.
And I want to challenge you today. Let God direct you and let's be patient. Let's ask one more day. Let's wait a little longer. And let's trust God a little more. I'm part of a community of people, that want to help one another, do this. We want to help one another glorify God in our own workplaces. That community is called Follower of One.
Welcome to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry Sr. and we've been doing these daily devotionals on business days or workdays for now over a year and a half, almost two years. This is our 543rd episode. Thank you so much for listening to these. Today, I want to talk about Isaiah chapter 43 verses 18 and 19.
"Do not call to mind the former things or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, now will spring forth. Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert." This is from the New American Standard. Again, I typically use that translation. It's the one I'm most familiar with and I memorized this verse in the New American Standard.
And I enjoy this verse. I love to come back to this. "Behold, I will do something new," verse 19 begins. This is Isaiah prophesying to the Jews before the captivity, telling them about how he will punish the people who take them into captivity. And he will bring Israel back. Israel is the only nation that I'm aware of that went into captivity and stayed a nation.
It's amazing to me. I'm sure there were others. I'm confident that's not the only one. But it's amazing to me how Jesus has managed to keep his people together; how he's managed to keep the people of Israel together. The line of Jesus, if you will, the way that God brought about our salvation, he keeps all of this intact, and here he's promising these people in advance, decades in advance of what will happen.
Don't worry about the past. Don't think about the past. "Behold, I will do something new now it will spring forth. Will you not be aware of it?" I remember being convicted one time because I felt like I was the only Christian in my workplace. And God reminded me that our overnight delivery driver who came to our office twice a day, was also a believer and he, and I would share prayer requests when we saw each other. And it was like, God reminding me, "I can do anything I want, and I will get you what you need. You just do the job that I've given you to do."
Today, you have an opportunity to honor God, by the way, you live your life in the presence of everyone you're around.
Even if you're in a bad job situation, even if you're in a negative work environment or around toxic people, no matter your circumstance; if it's, if it's painful or illegal, get out of it, do what you can to get out of it. But if you're just in a toxic work environment, if you're just in a negative circumstance in your workplace or in your relationship, be the person who trusts Jesus. Do we trust God? He's able at any time to do something new and he will. He promises it here to the Israelites. But he is the God who did it for them.
And he can do it for us. He always gives us the opportunity of something new. Now I will flip this a little bit. It is the definition of insanity to believe that you can do the same thing over and over and over again and expect a different result. God also challenges us to live in such a way that we are growing in him.
And so I don't believe that any of us are to the point to where God would tell us, "No, you're good. You don't have to, you don't have to improve any, you don't have to change." And so there's nothing he's telling us that we need to leave the same. But at the same time, we can trust him in the circumstances we find ourselves.
I want to encourage you today in your work, you are a marketplace minister. You serve others. Serve the people around you so that Jesus might become visible. That's what ministry is. It's helping the people around us have the opportunity to move one notch closer to Jesus. We can do that simply by the way we live.
And if you do that today, I'm grateful for you. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for making a difference. Wherever it is you work or spend your time, turn your heart to God and let Jesus and the Holy Spirit direct you in how you live today and ask him to give you an opportunity to help other people move one notch, closer to him.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. And today I want to talk about a passage in Matthew. Jesus is speaking. This is Matthew 12:33 and I'm reading from the new living translation. A tree is identified by us fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, it's fruit will be bad. What are you known for?
What am I known for? What we find out is, is that the tree is identified by the type of fruit that it produces. And you and I are known for the type of results that we create. Do people feel better or worse when we're around? Do we bring an attitude of a group up or do we bring the attitude of work down?
Are we someone who always sees the opportunities and the encouraging things that we can say to others? Are we someone who chooses to find out what's wrong and to point out what's wrong and other things that are going on, or the attitudes that our friends have, we will be known by the results that we create?
And I want to challenge myself to think a little bit more about the legacy that I leave. What kind of an imprint does my life make on the lives of my family members on the lives of the people that are working. What type of a difference do this? Some of my actions end up making and did I do anything that made a difference in the lives of the people who will live beyond me?
I was challenged to consider this verse and to add it to our podcast simply because I was challenged to consider a 150-year vision for the legacy of my own life. Instead of thinking about. How my job produces good results for this quarter or this month, whether or not I made my sales objectives or whether or not we got our freight delivered on time, which for, from my old life, what kind of a difference is my life make a hundred years from now or 50 years from now?
What can I do to make sure that I was a positive influence on the world after? That I think is a challenge that we're being called to as believers who follow Jesus, we don't have to set a long-term horizon. I think it's a daily decision, but the sum of our daily decisions over time, I would believe, turn out to be the fruit that we are known by.
So, I want to challenge us today. Let's examine how we go to work and how we interact with people today. Did we pray for the people that we met with? Were we making time to serve them, or are we constantly living with this expectation that others should serve us? Let's be the kind of people that produce good fruit that make the lives of the people around us better.
Let's do that in such a way, even that they might add. If you pray and you ask God to put you to work in the lives of the people around you, I believe he will. If he doesn't reach out to us, you can connect with me at https://followerofone.org and you can respond or comment to this wherever you're listening to it on any platform or reply to me at mike@followerofone.org ,
And I'd love to talk with you about how to make a positive difference for the rest of your life. If you want to practice that, you can join us on the next marketplace mission trip, and you can learn more about marketplace, missiontrip@sfollowerofone.org today.
Let's produce the kind of fruit that we want to be known by for 150 years.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. And today I'm continuing what we've been talking about for the last two episodes. first Peter four today, I'd like to talk about verses three and four for the time already passed is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles.
Having pursued a course of sensuality, Euless, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and abominable idolatry. In all this, they're surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you. I'm almost disappointed at the different ways, the different translations struggle with these two verses the new living translation says this.
You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy their immorality and law. Their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties. And they're terrible worship of idols. Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do.
So, they signed, or you, I liked that translational a little bit better, even though I'm not sure it's a direct translation, but I think it communicates the idea. We just decided if you remember, from the previous episode, we decided that we didn't want to pursue living for ourselves anymore. We wanted instead to pursue living for the will of God.
And what will happen is that we will surprise our friends. We'll surprise our coworkers when we no longer plunge into whatever it was, we used to do, as we stopped doing the things we used to do, other people notice. The time of doing that is done. He's Peter saying, we've already spent enough time living the way we live living for ourselves now.
And let's spend the rest of our lives living for God, but we will surprise our friends when we no longer plunge into what we used to do. And that way they will be surprised. Some may actually slander you or speak badly against you or malign you. These are not words that I commonly use anymore, but they will look down on us.
They don't think that we are as smart as they are. They think that we're living by some other standard, but that's actually the twist that causes them to ask us. Why are you doing this? When we do something over and above what might be normally expected? They are curious. Others are curious, are former friends are surprised.
It says in living translation, when we no longer do what they do, the time already passed is sufficient. And so, we can give this up and help them be surprised because we did not run with them into the same excess. Or the way that we used to live, we don't seem to live according to the same worldview, which is one of the common words we use or the same kind of mental model that other people live with.
I want to challenge you today, look for ways to bend your life and follow Jesus instead of doing what you normally did. And others will be curious, they will be surprised, and they will ask, I think some will ask some will sign or. That's part of the price of being a Jesus follower. Some will look at you and go, well, that's silly, or that's stupid.
They will think we're dumb. They will think we're dumb for living this way. And I feel sorry for them sometimes, because I believe we're right in the long-term, in the eternal long-term. And therefore, it could be a bad thing for them in the long-term. I experienced a lot of joy doing what Jesus has for me to do today.
And I expect to experience joy throughout eternity as a result of following him as well. And I believe that some of our friends will ask, and some will speak badly of us today. I want to challenge you, bend your life to follow Jesus and watch what happens. I believe it's all part of his plan for our world.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for making a difference in your work. Follow him bend your life to follow the will of God instead of the loss of yourself and your flesh and watch what God does in the lives of the people around you. Also check out our website at https://followerofone.org, where you can meet with connect with other people who are on the process of trying to live their faith on a daily basis.
Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. And this is the second of a multi-part discussion on first Peter four. Today I'd like to read verses one and two, therefore, since Jesus Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.
So as to live the rest of the time in the flesh, no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. Again, that's from the new American standard. Yesterday, or in the previous episode, I spoke about how the first verse talks about we prepare ourselves by arming ourselves with the purpose that Jesus had, which was coming to die.
He came to die, and we are all destined to die. That's our destiny. But when we are prepared to suffer in the flesh, we cease from sin. And he goes on to talk about this here. How do we stop sinning? We don't stop sinning in this life. It's when we enter the next life that we cease from sin, we live the rest of our time in this life, in the flesh, no longer for the lusts of men.
My expectations were always wrong, and I would always get surprised by my circumstances. I always dreamed about the most positive outcomes to everything. I expected everything to work well and to go well, to be easy, to be beneficial, I always had high positive expectations. I'm a good example of why people like to be pessimists because as an optimist, I feel like I'm regularly disappointed.
And I joked last time about how the secret to happiness in golf is to maintain low expectations. Many people who are pessimistic will tell you that if they can maintain low expectations, they're always positively surprised. That's not what this verse is talking about though. It's not coaching us on being pessimistic as a lifestyle.
This passage, I believe is challenging us to put aside the idea that our life works for us. We will not leave this life with anything. The treasure that we lay up in heaven, which is something that I love to think about. I believe that's in the form of the relationships that we have and the investment that we made in people and the investment that we made in helping others learn about Jesus.
To me, that's laying up treasure in heaven is basically making a difference. Taking part in Jesus's work. Jesus came to restore man to a right relationship with God. The degree to which we participate in that action. I believe we're laying up treasure in heaven. In other words, we're being challenged in this passage to focus, not on ourselves, but on what Jesus would have us do no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God, Jesus said over and over again that he came to do the will of his father.
He's showing us. That our job is to do the will of God the father. Our job is to make Jesus known and visible in the world. And the way that we do that, isn't by just going to church all the time. It's by living as a follower of Jesus Christ. That's why we talk about our five daily activities. Pray, appreciate others, know you believe, serve others, and speak for yourself. I hope to challenge you today, as you prepare, remind yourself today, my life extends beyond my flesh. My life extends beyond that to the point where it's just me and God, there's no more sin and I'm there with him. What do I need to do today to work towards that end to lay up treasure in heaven?
Not to be focusing on my stuff and my comfort today, but rather to focus on where I will one day be in eternity. I believe that's the great part about this challenge. And my favorite part of this passage is coming up in the next episode, which we'll talk about tomorrow or whenever you hear this, it's the next episode verses three and four are exciting to me.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for making a difference in your workplace. Today, ask God to show you how to look past your flesh and past your present circumstances to look 150 years into the future and the type of difference that you hope your life makes both in this world and in the next it all matters.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. And today I want to talk a little bit about praying for one another. Daniel chapter two, verses 17 and 18. Then Daniel went to his house and informed his friends and Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah about the matter, so that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery so that Daniel and his friends would not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men in battle.
Daniel and his friends are in trouble. The king has had this dream and the Wiseman and the conjurers of that time, couldn't tell the dream to the king and he was angry about it. And so, he was going to kill them all. And Daniel and his three friends, the guys probably more well known as a Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
Daniel and his three friends were among those who would be killed. And so, this is a tense work situation. think you will agree. We face tense work situations every day, but we don't often face them where there's life and death involved. Some of us do, there are people who listen to this podcast who are first responders, and they face life and death on a regular basis.
And I'm grateful for what they do. But today's point is about praying for one another. And about having friends who are praying for one another. Do you have people who pray for you? Often? We tend to focus on what's not happening by someone else, not praying for us, but if we want more prayer in the world and I want to challenge us to pray for others, this story goes on because Damon.
Does receive a response from God and gives that response to the king. And it makes a difference in the King's life makes a difference in the lives of all these wise men in these conjurers, this story ends up being one where Daniel and his three friends become more important in the kingdom.
And it's because of their relationship with God. The way prayer works is interesting because we spend most of our time. If you're like me, I spend most of my time asking God for things. God uses prayer to communicate with me. And God uses prayer to communicate with us. He's putting us to work. He's working his plan.
What he wants to happen is what's going to happen in the world. Daniel and his three friends got in on it through prayer. We get to take part in the work of Jesus in the lives of every person that we know when we regularly pray. And I want to challenge each of us, our first daily activity as a follower of Jesus Christ is to pray.
And we talk about three prayers on a regular basis. One of those is punching in. Here I am. The next one is praying for others. We want to pray for the people in our lives, and sometimes we need to pray and give thanks to God for the circumstances that we face. Even the ones that we don't like. And finally, there are the times like this, where there are situations going on in our life that are just so extreme that we need God to make a difference.
In all of these situations, I want to encourage you find people that you can pray with and pray for about what God's doing in your workplace. Ask God to show him who else around you, who else in your workplace might be someone who can pray for you, or if you need to, you can actually connect with those people in our online community at https://www.Followerofone.org.
open to believers who want to integrate their faith in the workplace. I want to challenge you find two or three or four friends who are praying with you and understand enough about each other's work situation, to where your prayers are making a difference where your prayers will make a difference in the things that happen inside that business.
Your prayers can make your employer more successful. You can make you be more successful in the workplace, those prayers can help you see God working and see the difference that he's making in the lives of every person there. Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for being a part of what God's doing in the world.
That's what we're doing. We're checking in. We're punching in when we pray. And say, God, I want to be part of what you're doing in the world today. Show me what to do. Thanks for being a part of that. And thank you for listening to this podcast. If you get a chance, share it with a friend. Thanks very much.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry Sr., the founder of Follower of One. And I like to talk a little bit about the Bible every day and challenge us to go to work as people who make a difference in the lives of the people that we interact with. Today, we're wrapping up the series on second Peter, one, one through eight.
I want to finish by reading second, Peter eight today. "For these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord. Jesus Christ. "I read from the New American Standard translation of the Bible.
Those words "useless" and "unfruitful" are translated slightly differently in different texts. But the general idea is these eight qualities that we've just been talking about beginning with faith, moral excellence, knowledge self-control perseverance, godliness, brotherly, kindness, and love. These qualities are this process. I believe that Peter is talking about. In this process, God gives us the faith. Then we add moral excellence and knowledge and self-control and perseverance. We add these things. I always feel like the before picture, I've been a Christ-follower for a long time, but I still often feel underdeveloped.
I feel like I should have more faith or I should be able to trust God more. I should walk more in my ability to trust him and to obey him and to do what he says. And I don't often measure up. And that is a problem for me. I work on that regularly. Maybe you feel that way. I think what we need to do is give ourselves a little bit of a pass because what we learn here is we iterate through this process.
Faith, moral excellence, knowledge. All of these qualities are a process and we grow in them. We make another lap around the track. I would consider this a lap around the track. So we exercise our moral excellence and our knowledge and our self-control and our perseverance through a series of activities that occur over a period of time in our lives.
And at the end by adding brotherly, kindness and love. We grow in our faith. Our faith grows. God gave us the faith, but he didn't give us a fully developed faith. It's still our responsibility to grow it. That's the challenge that Peter gives us here with the phrase "increasing". We need to be increasing. We need to be growing our faith.
And that requires that we grow our moral excellence and our knowledge all the way through to love. We want to continue to grow and those things are ours to do. In fact, I think what I'll do is I'll add one more episode to this and talk about verse nine tomorrow. To continue growing, eventually we grow to reduce the uselessness or the unfruitfulness of our knowledge of our Lord, Jesus Christ. If you remember back in verse two, it talks about the knowledge of God and in verse three, the knowledge of God results in us, getting everything pertaining to life and godliness, Peter's helping us grow in our knowledge. I want to help you grow in your knowledge, but it's not through any teaching of mine.
Let's read the scripture and let's trust the Lord. Let's spend some time obeying him today. Ask him, go ahead and pray. That's our first daily activity. Punch in, get on the clock and ask God to show you where you need to grow today. What can you bring today? Is it godliness or is it brotherly kindness or is it love?
Let's bring some more of these qualities to our workplace. Eventually, God guides us through this process. Our faith grows and we become more useful and more fruitful. In the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's my prayer for us today. My prayer is that we become more useful and more fruitful, right where we are in our workplaces, however, we spend our time each day. We become more useful and fruitful.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for growing in your faith. Thank you for actually investing a little energy every day, to try and continue to increase these qualities and become more useful and fruitful.
The difference that you make matters. Over time, this changes and God uses us in the lives of people. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. And also thank you for checking out https://followerofone.org. That's our website. Go there, check out our online community and also sign up for the next Marketplace Mission Trip, where you get to practice these things a little more every day.
Thanks very much.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. We continue our discussion of second Peter chapter one verses five through eight. Today, our verse is verse seven. "And in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness love." If you remember from the previous episodes, we are supplying these things to our faith.
The faith was given to us by God. And then we supply moral excellence and knowledge and self-control and perseverance and godliness. We have supplied those things. We've talked about those in previous episodes. Today, we want to talk about brotherly kindness and love. These are two Greek words that the Greeks use to distinguish between different kinds of love.
And we tend to use the word "love" to mean both of them. Brotherly kindness. You maybe have heard people talk about "phileo" love. I believe it's where we get the word Philadelphia. It's this desire to do what's best for our brother to look out for our family and our friends. Brotherly kindness is an appreciation similar to what would be expected of us in a workplace.
Brotherly kindness, being kind to the people that we work with, the people that we interact with. when we talk about appreciating others is one of our five daily activities at Follower of One. We're talking about brotherly kindness and love a little bit. We're vague because I believe both of these go together in our progression of our faith.
Brotherly kindness, the first one is this affection that we have for people that we know. We look out for the people we know. And then we go on, we graduate into this next level of love. Again, remember that we bring it. It's not given to us, but we bring this love. The last love that we add to our brotherly kindness is "agape" love.
This is a different Greek word, but this is a love that is intentional. Love is action. This love. Acts in the best interests of the people that we interact with every day. This love does what's best for others, even to our own detriment, in some degree. These are the kinds of love that are, it's our challenge to bring.
We add them. It's our job to bring these qualities to our faith. God challenges us through the apostle Peter and through his word. To bring this kind of kindness and love to the interactions that we have every day at work today, I would like to challenge us what can we do to love the people around us more?
Well, our first daily activity is to pray and maybe what we need to do today is ask God how we can show more kindness, more, love, more appreciation for the people that we interact with. Who do we look past? Who do we miss? Are there servers at food restaurants or male persons or other people that serve us in different ways?
And we just look past them. Let's add brotherly kindness and love to the interactions that we have with people today. I believe that's our challenge as followers of Jesus Christ. When we see in this progression that Peter. As run us through faith results in love. And I believe that we even iterate through this.
It's almost like it's a cycle. So our faith, we add moral excellence. We add knowledge. We add self-control perseverance, godliness, brotherly, kindness, and love. And it brings us right back to God. This whole process is an iterative process to grow us up in our face. The end result being that we end up like, God, God is love.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. And thank you so much for making a difference in the lives of others as you work your faith and your actions matter. And I'm excited that you're listening to this podcast, take a minute and share it with your friends, or if you'd like to join us at https://followerofone.org.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. We're continuing our series through 2 Peter. Today, we're in chapter 1, verse 6. Let me read 5, 6, 7, and 8. "Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence in your faith, supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
We have this process that's going on in our life that begins with faith, and then we bring moral excellence and knowledge and self control. And today, in addition to our self control, we want to bring perseverance. And then to perseverance, we will bring godliness. Perseverance is necessary because if you're like me, persevering is one of those things that requires energy.
Just because I can make myself be operating under self-control today, doesn't mean I'll do it again tomorrow. Perseverance takes time. It's difficult for us to tame ourselves and train ourselves in self control, and therefore we must persevere. Perseverance is the natural next step. Just because we begin self-control today, doesn't mean we will persist in it. Persisting in it requires this perseverance, and so we must bring perseverance. It's important because we will not achieve godliness. Godliness is being like God, doing the things that God would have us do. We want to be God-like.
Our goal is to be like Jesus Christ, to model Jesus Christ in our lives and to our friends. That requires that we are godly people, that we become like God, that we do the things that God would have us do. It's interesting because this word's clearly translated godliness. I believe that's the natural result of this process.
We stepped through from moral excellence to knowledge to self control. When we persevere in our self control, the result that we produce is godliness. We become like God. We do the things that He would do.
Today. I want to challenge us. Let's persevere. Let's chase after God hard. Let's keep going. Whatever one more day, one more hour, I'm speaking again to myself. I chose this entire passage because it's talking to me.
We need to prepare ourselves and grow up in our faith, and this process, we step through these different qualities. We iterate through this process, and we grow as followers of Jesus Christ. And He puts us to work in more and more opportunities with our friends and the people that we work with. Today let's grow. Let's keep growing. Let's persevere. Hang on, go one more time. Do another lap. Exercise for another few minutes. Let's persevere so that we move on into godliness to being like God, so that we can make Him visible in our world every day.
I want to challenge you today. Pray. Ask God to help you persevere. Ask Him to help you remain present with the people that you interact with. Ask Him to help you make a difference in the lives of every person that you interact with today. You will become more like God as you do that, as you listen to Him. You ask Him for guidance and listen to Him, and then do what He says.And so that's what we want to do today.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for spending your energy and trying to grow up in your faith so that you will glorify God. That's what we try and do in Follower of One. I'd like to invite you to become a part of our online community. Join us at https://community.followerofone.org. You can join our online community for free, take part in a Marketplace Mission Trip, and begin to practice these traits in your life and grow up in your faith. Thanks very much.
Welcome to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry Sr., and today, we're continuing our conversation through 2 Peter chapter 1 in this progression of character traits or things that we should pursue as followers of Jesus Christ. And today we're in 2 Peter 1:6. "And in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness." Self-control is the core reason why I chose to study this passage, and to make a series of podcast episodes, or devotionals, on this topic. Self-control is what I need to focus on as a human being and as a Christ-follower.
We spoke earlier about how we were to supply moral excellence in our faith. Moral excellence, I believe, is this pursuit of trying to get where we are living according to the best that Jesus has for us. We take the knowledge that we have of Him in our first set of faith, in the first faith that He gives us, and we apply our lives to that knowledge. We act according to what we believe. Self-control comes after knowledge. So knowledge follows moral excellence, and then self-control follows knowledge.
Now this is a different command. This is about managing ourselves. Managing ourselves toward what's best from God, and toward what's best for others. Self-control is this ability to keep my body tamed; to keep my mind and my spirit and my energy within the control of myself, and also submitted to the Lord. I can overeat or I can lose my temper, and where I lose self-control, I'm not a God-honoring person. I'm not all aligned.
There's another reference to self-control in 1 Corinthians chapter 9, verse 24 and 25. It says, "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things." This self-control is subordinating my own desires to my long-term goals.
This is where I have the biggest problem. I give myself a pass. I claim that I don't want to eat sweets, but then in the evenings, I decide I want to have some sweets. I give myself a pass. I give myself a "bye." Do we give ourselves a "bye" in and around our friends and in, and around those people that we are with? Self-control is one of these characteristics that we have to bring to the Lord.
He gives us the faith, and then we bring these other attributes, and self-control is a key piece in this puzzle. Today, I want to challenge us. Where do we need to exercise some self-control? The Holy Spirit will tell you where you need to do this. Just ask Him. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to show you where you need to exercise self-control.
And while you're praying, you can pray for me, because I need to exercise self-control too. Ask the Holy Spirit to help me exercise self-control; to do the things necessary to achieve the goals that I want to achieve. Just like in this passage in 1 Corinthians 9, I exercise self-control so that I can achieve the goals that I have. My rational mind has these goals. The Holy Spirit gives us a passion and a desire to accomplish certain things. Do we want to allow our own lack of self-control to take us out and to disqualify us?
Today, I'd like to challenge you, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to show you where you need to use more self-control, and ask Him to give you the strength and the energy to add that to the knowledge and the moral excellence that you brought to your faith already. Ask Him to allow you to add self-control to the knowledge and the moral excellence that you've already added to your faith. Let's keep this process going so that we can glorify God daily in our workplace. Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for making a difference in the lives of the people that you interact with every day.
Your self-control matters. All of our effort in this area matters. And so, let's continue to add these features to ourselves and to our faith so that we can glorify God in our workplace. Thanks again for being a minister in your marketplace. And also we're getting ready to have another Marketplace Mission Trip.
Go check that out at https://FollowerOfOne.org. Thanks very much.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry Sr., and our goal is to help you to be a full-time minister in your regular job. We've been going through a series on 2 Peter chapter 1, and today, we want to talk a little bit about adding knowledge to moral excellence.
We're in verses 5 and 6. "Now for this very reason, also applying all diligence in your faith, supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance..." I stated before that I see this as a circular progression.
It begins with faith as we spoke about in the last episode, and the first thing we add to our faith is this moral excellence. This commitment to doing what's best to choosing- to live a life that's morally excellent; that lines up with God. Our choice to obey is the key first step. What we add to our faith is our choices to obey, and then God gives us more.
He gives us more intelligence. He gives us more opportunities. He gives us this knowledge, and that's why I believe knowledge is second. We obey our way into knowing Jesus, we don't simply study our way into knowing Jesus. Our truth of knowledge, our growing up in Christ, comes first from obedience, and that opens the door to knowledge. But we have to work on our knowledge.
And then when we learn new things, we can't unsee them. We can't unlearn them. So then we must begin to control ourselves to live according to the knowledge that we've gained. Knowledge and self control go together.
This whole series that we began on 2 Peter verses 2 through 8, it was motivated by my own goal to focus on self-control. So please know that I'm speaking to myself as I often say. This is my time to remind me what needs to happen in my life today too. Self-control is the ability to dictate to ourselves what we're going to do.
And in my case, I tend to give myself a pass. We'll talk about this more tomorrow, because what follows self-control is perseverance, and we'll still be in verse 6 tomorrow. Today, I want us to concentrate on adding knowledge, studying about Jesus.
Do you read the Bible every day? And then do you let that Bible reading transform you? Take a few minutes every day, and read a little bit of the Bible. You can read a proverb, you can read just a few passages of scripture. Many daily reading plans are only a verse or two or three long. I would encourage you to get more of the Bible in, if you can, to grow your knowledge, to take in more.
There are places in the Bible that require some work, and there are other places in the Bible that may call for memorization. Let's focus on knowing Jesus. Let's obey Him and study Him, and the way we know Him is we obey Him and we study Him some more. The knowledge and the obedience go together.
Add to your moral excellence knowledge, and then to your knowledge, self-control. Today, let's read the Bible. Let's ask God to show us Himself through our scriptures, and then let's look for opportunities to obey what we read today at work. Watch how often Jesus will use what you read this morning in your workplace today. It will surprise you.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for making a difference in the lives of the people that you work with every day. We are excited to live our faith, and I hope that we help you live your faith on a daily basis. That way we can enjoy our relationship with Jesus and glorify Him as we do our daily job and as we do the things that we enjoy.
Also, if you'd like to learn more about our community, check us out at community.followerofone.org, where you can sign up to become a member, take part in our community, and even go on the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Thanks very much.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry Sr., and we've been talking through the first chapter of 2 Peter. We're in verse 5 today. "Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge". The title of today's post is about “Why is faith first?” What we're talking about here is growing into the God-life. I mentioned the God-life in the previous episode, where it says that we become partakers of the divine nature in the New American Standard. We actually get to start living the God-life. That's our salvation.
And it's God's divine power in verse 3 that grants us everything pertaining to life and godliness. We get everything pertaining to life and godliness through the knowledge of God. That's in verse 2. And all of this begins with faith. In verse 1, Simon Peter says, "to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours." We get the faith first.
Faith is the down payment. It's what God gives us when He gives us the Holy Spirit, and He gives us faith, and as we exercise that faith, we grow into this God-life. And that's what I think this whole exercise - these next four verses - are about. They're about how we grow into the God-life. I want to put it on like a jacket, or I want to grow into it.
I want to learn how to use the professional tools instead of just the amateur tools or the kids' tools. I want to grow up in my faith. I want my faith to be something that is applicable and makes a difference in the lives of my family and myself and the people around me. And so I have to grow up in my faith.
We come to our faith in the Lord from death. Remember in Ephesians, it says we were dead in our trespasses and sins. And what we've done is we've come to the life. We've come to this new God-life through faith. Faith is first. And he says that he begins this verse, "Now for this very reason, also". He's tying together those first four verses.
And then he challenges us to apply all diligence. Diligence is "persevere with careful or painstaking attention and effort." This is hard. We broke the world, and restoring these- this God-life, rejoining the God-life requires effort and work. God summoned us. He's given us this responsibility. He brought us to this challenge.
Our work is to grow into it. And that's where we supply moral excellence. That's the first thing that we apply to our faith. We get our life right. We get morally excellent. We live as if we believe God. Moral excellence is this idea that I abstain from certain things. I do other things that I might not do if I were not a follower of Jesus.
In doing these things, we start to grow up. It's like doing practice. When you start, when you first begin to golf or when you first begin to take part in any sport, you take the baby steps first. You do the small things first. The small things first are moral excellence.
Moral excellence is where we are called to line our lives up with God and with His life. We want to live according to what we know about God. I want to talk about this more in the next episode. So we'll continue in 2 Peter, 1:5. We'll continue in that verse tomorrow, as we go through these different characteristics that we bring to this God-life and grow up in the God-life.
Today I want to challenge us as followers of Jesus. Let's ask God to show us where our own life doesn't line up with the things that God wants in us.
Let's supply moral excellence by lining our lives up with what we believe about God. Ask Him to show you where your life doesn't line up with what you know is consistent with your beliefs, and then do something about it. Take some action, and do something about it. Let's not let another day go without pursuing moral excellence, because it's the first step in growing into the God-life.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister, and thank you for making a difference in the lives of the people that you interact with every day. Our job as ministers is to help other people move one notch closer to Jesus.
I'm excited that you listened to this podcast, and that you consider how you might be able to help other people move one notch closer to Jesus. Your actions make a difference in our world. And I'm grateful for that. Thank you very much.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry, and today we continue our conversation about 2 Peter chapter 1. Today we're in verse 4, “For by these, He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.” Maintaining consistency, that's the New American Standard, and the reason why I'm continuing in this translation, it's natural to me. It's the translation I've been reading for a long time.
This particular passage is a little bit difficult in that verse, in that translation. In the CSB, it says "By these He has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire." I think that's a little more natural language for speaking how this passage- what this passage means.
“By these” is a reference to the previous episode. It's by the power of God. It says, “through true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” I think the "by these" is to His glory and excellence, although it also refers to His power in that verse. So that's the "by these" of 2 Peter 1:4. By these, He has granted us His promises. He gives us the promises, and then He grants them.
And that way we get to, it says "become partakers of the divine nature." In the CSB it says "that we may share in the divine nature." That divine nature is really- it's the God-life. We get to share in the life and the character of God. We get to take part in that, because we've escaped the corruption that is in our world because of the evil desire of us, people. Our sin corrupted our world.
We get to escape that corruption through our relationship with God, and through His promises. We get to escape the corruption. I want to ask you today to escape the corruption in our world, to enjoy and take part in the God-life, because as we join God in His life, and we escape this corruption, that's where we get the power to do the things that we'll be talking about in the next few verses as well.
We get God's life and His strength and His power, and we can make a difference in the lives of the people that we interact with every day. Just simply because we've chosen to enter the God-life, we've been given this access. He talks about in these first four verses of 2 Peter, God gives us this access. And because we have it, we can choose to step into the God-nature and escape the corruption. That calls us to live this God-life in the presence of our peers and our friends.
We're part of God's marketing plan. We're part of His idea to help us live His life in the presence of our friends, so that they might want a piece of that too. They might want to join Him and experience the same life and the joy and the peace that we experience. So today, I want to challenge us. Can we live a life of joy and peace?
Can we celebrate in our own heart, His precious and magnificent promises? And that way, we get to enjoy the God-life and escape the corruption in our world. This is all part of His divine plan. We get to take part in that today, by focusing on Him and joining Him in His life. I want to ask you today to make it a purposeful, intentional act that you want to join God in His life at your workplace.
God's life enters your workplace when you do, and that way, you become a marketplace minister. Ministry is nothing but helping other people move one notch closer to Jesus. When we live His God-life, we make Him visible in the lives of our friends and our family. Thank you for being a marketplace minister, and thank you for making a difference in your job and wherever you are today.
And you can check us out and you can join us and find a community of people who are trying to concentrate on living this God-life on a consistent basis. Our website is followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry with Follower of One, and today, we're talking about 2 Peter chapter 1, verse 3, "seeing that His divine power has granted us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence."
The reason why this is pulling this one verse out of a sentence fragment, I spoke in the previous episode about grace and peace being multiplied to us, how we multiply grace and peace. And we're able to do that because of the knowledge of God and Jesus, our Lord, but here in this passage, I want to notice something.
This is something I want to remember all the time. His divine power, Jesus' divine power, has granted us everything pertaining to life and godliness. I don't live like I have everything pertaining to life and godliness. I'm constantly buying something else, or eating some sweets, or doing something that basically sends the message that I really don't believe that I live as if I have been granted everything pertaining to life and godliness. And I want to challenge us a little bit. I think our ability to multiply grace and peace, our ability to be these people who bring grace and peace into every circumstance comes from this true knowledge of the fact that we have everything pertaining to life and godliness. Do you believe that? Do you believe what Peter's saying here? Do we have everything pertaining to life and godliness? The only two answers I can realize from this are if I think I don't have them, then I'm questioning God and His word. And if I think I do have them, then why don't I live trusting that?
Why am I worried about finances? Why am I struggling to do different things or pressing to get things done in a particular timeframe? Why am I sensing pressure if I have been granted everything pertaining to life and godliness? I think this verse also explains to us part of the gap, "through the true knowledge of Him who called us." The gaps are my knowledge where I come up short that may equal exactly the gap in my own knowledge.
I'm not trusting Jesus and I don't know Him well enough, and that's where these gaps show up. But as I know Him better, then I experience everything pertaining to life and godliness. I will be praying about this verse for both you and me. I pray that we can live knowing Christ more and experiencing more and more everything pertaining to life and godliness.
We'll talk about this some more in the next verses too. The whole reason why I want to go through at least verse 8 is because this passage is this great example of how we can be grace and peace multipliers. We remember, first of all, that we are being granted everything pertaining to life and godliness through the true knowledge of Jesus.
I want to challenge us today. Let's sharpen our knowledge of Jesus and live like we know that we have been granted everything pertaining to life and godliness. Those places where we sense the gap, those may directly correlate to someplace where our knowledge comes up short where we don't know enough about God and we don't trust enough about God to see Him working through everything that's happening in our life.
I hope that your faith makes a difference in the lives of the people that you work with. I hope that you can intentionally walk with Jesus today and ask Him to show you how His divine power has granted us everything we need pertaining to life and godliness. Thanks for being a marketplace minister, and thank you for making a difference in the lives of the people that you interact with every day.
One moment at a time, we can choose to follow Jesus and watch Him put us to work in the lives of the people that we interact with. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One, and today, and for the next few episodes, I'm going to go through 2 Peter chapter 1, at least the first few verses of it. I so love this passage of scripture, and I've been focusing more on self control, even though I'm not winning the battle, and we'll come to that in verse 6.
But today, 2 Peter chapter 1, verse 1 and 2, I'm just going to go ahead and read verses 1 and 2. “Simon Peter, a bond servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and savior, Jesus Christ, grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord...” Again, that's from the New American Standard. For those of you who listen to this podcast, you know, I generally read from that translation. It's just something that I've been in the habit of doing. Today, I want to talk about how we are called to multiply grace and peace. The model that we're given is Jesus.
Jesus came and brought us this idea that we can be distributors of grace and peace, and Peter's expounding on that idea today. Peter's saying, I want you to have grace and peace multiplied to you. Different translations say it's lavished, or in abundance. This multiplication of grace and peace is the idea that we would get more than we need, and it would be multiplied to us in the knowledge of God and of Jesus, our Lord.
In other words, as we know God, and as we know Jesus, grace and peace are multiplied to us. The gateway for this comes further on. We'll break this apart, and I'm not too sure I have it all mapped together, but my challenge for us: I want to make sure that we have a challenge every day as we go into the workplace. I have a friend whose target word idea for this year is “multiplication”, “multiplying”. And I like the fact that the word is used here.
Let's be people who multiply grace and peace in the world around us because we know God and we know Jesus, our Lord. We know them and we are associated with them. We follow Jesus, and that gives us the ability to take the grace and peace that are multiplied to us, and distribute that. We can share that with every person that we're with. Simply living with grace and peace makes a difference in the world around us. Sharing that and multiplying that to others makes a difference.
We have the power to do this, because we have the knowledge of God and Jesus. We received it. We received the faith of the same kind he mentions in verse one. Having received this faith, we get this knowledge of God and Jesus, our Lord, and therefore grace and peace are multiplied to us.
If you're living without grace, if you're living without peace, I can tend to live without peace. I can get all wrapped up in what's going on in my world. I can feel like I don't have extra to give away. I always feel like I need to give more than I feel comfortable doing, but I believe that comes from me focusing on things that are not God and Jesus, our Lord.
When I focus on what I know about God and Jesus, our Lord, I realize that I have grace and peace to spare. I have grace and peace and the ability to make a difference in the lives of the people that I work with today. And that's what I'd like to challenge us to do today. Find a way to ship some extra grace.
I believe if you ship it, you will find that you have more and more. And so let's ship some extra grace and peace into the lives of the people that we interact with today. Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for making a difference in the world around you. Let's be intentional in our relationship with Jesus and ship this grace and peace to our friends.
And if you want to join a community of people who are trying to do the same thing, check out followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One, and today I've chosen a passage from John chapter 3, verse 36. “He who believes in the Son has eternal life, but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
This is from the New American Standard Bible, as I typically do, but there are several translations of this that either say “does not obey”; some say “do not believe”. “He who believes in the Son has eternal life, but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
This word is translated, “obey”, or “does not obey” is "disobedient" in some translations. And I believe that's the accurate rendering because that word is translated most often as disobedience throughout the remainder of the New Testament.
John the Baptist is speaking here, and he's the last Old Testament prophet. And he's explaining about Jesus to his followers, to his disciples. And this is the last thing that he says about Jesus. He actually says before this, “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. He who believes in the son...” Now he's talking about us. He's talking about those of us who believe in Jesus. We believe in the Son, we have eternal life. These are present tense. He who believes, has; they're linked together. This alternate version though says “does not”, “but he who does not obey”. He's talking about the opposite and this is why I think belief and obedience are tightly linked.
When we- Jesus is here to do a job. The Holy Spirit is here on earth, doing a job. He's calling all people to Him. He's redeeming us and challenging us to choose to follow Him. Following Him isn't just mentally deciding that He's right, or mentally acknowledging that He's in charge, as I did for the first 30 years of my life. I believe that God created all this, but He left me alone and I left Him alone, and I felt like we were fine, but I didn't understand the scripture, and I wasn't reading the Bible. As I start reading the Bible, I see that the Son and the Holy Spirit are actively involved in the lives of every person on the planet, calling us to follow Jesus.
And following Jesus grants us eternal life, and I believe based on this sentence, that eternal life produces obedience. It produces us doing what Jesus would have us do, and that's the challenge I have for us today in the workplace. When was the last time you asked Jesus “Okay God, what do you want me to do?” Here I am. That's our kickoff prayer. We punch in, “Here I am Jesus. What do you want me to do today?” If I do not obey the son, then I will not see life. The wrath of God will abide on me.
But I want to obey Jesus. That's my bent. That's something that the Holy Spirit has been growing in me since the day I first trusted Him. And I want to continue to grow, and I get more responsibility by doing more. We'll talk about that in another episode. Today, I want to challenge us. Ask Jesus what he would have us do, but then solve for how.
Solve for how you can do what Jesus challenges you to do. If you get a wild idea while you're praying that you should give somebody an exorbitant tip, or that you should stay after work and help someone today, figure out how to make that happen. Don't question the challenge, solve for how.
I want to challenge us today. Let's link. Let's keep our belief in Jesus and our obeying Jesus tightly coupled, because this verse does the same, John the Baptist challenges us. Because we believe, we obey. That's the proof.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for paying attention to your relationship with the Holy Spirit and your relationship with your coworkers so that you can take part in Jesus's work in your world.
I challenge you also, check out our website at followerofone.org. Join a community of us who are working together to try and help one another do a better job of believing and obeying and making a difference in the lives of people around us. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One, and today I want to talk about 2 Kings chapter 6 verse 23. "So he prepared a great feast for them; and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away and they went to their master. And the marauding bands of Aramaeans did not come again into the land of Israel."
I talked about this a little bit on the episode proceeding, this.
This army of men came to capture Elisha who had been telling the king of Israel about everything that the king of Aram was planning. And so they sent this army of people there. And the chariots of fire were presented to Elisha's helper. That's what we talked about in the previous episode. And then Elisha spoke. He prayed and asked, and God blinded these- this whole army. And he directed them. He guided them to Israel. All the way down to Samaria, actually in verse 20, it says. And when they had come to Samaria, Elisha said, "Lord open the eyes of these men that they may see." So what Elisha did was he took this entire army of people down into the middle of the enemy camp and handed them over to the king of Israel. The king of Israel thought, "Well, should I kill these guys? They're the enemy." But Elisha said, "No, don't kill them." He suggested that they bless them. That they set bread and water before them and let them eat and drink and then go home.
And verse 23, they prepared this great feast and fed these men who came to kill Elisha. I think it's important to note and the point that I want to make today is the grace that we have as followers of Jesus should show up, even when people are trying to do us harm. That grace may not prompt you to do what these people did, but notice how the Israelites were feeding these people, and blessing them, and sending them away filled. They had grace for these people. They didn't kill them even though these people came to take Elisha captive.
I want to challenge us today as followers of Jesus. And this may be a little bit of a stretch from this passage, but we know what elsewhere in scripture.
Where can we bring grace? Where can we go beyond what is expected of us and deliver this grace so that other people might see Jesus? This question, "How can I ship grace into this environment?" Is a good question for us every day. How can we ship grace to the people that we interact with? Even people who would be our enemy.
Today on your marketplace mission trip, as you go into your own workplace, I want to encourage you to be a missionary, to take some extra grace, to build some time into your schedule and pray for the people around you. And then, let God give you the ideas of how to treat other people, so that they might see Him, not us.
The Israelites prepared a feast for their enemy, and we can prepare a feast for the people that we work for as well. Let's be grace distributors in our workplace today. Let's help the people around us move one notch closer to Jesus.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister, and thank you for making a difference, making your faith applicable and relevant in our daily lives. Your movement, your effort as a follower of Jesus Christ matters forever, and I'm grateful for you. If you want to join a community of people who are also trying to make their faith matter on a daily basis, check us out at followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. In today's podcast, I want you to just think for a moment about those with us. “Those with us” is a phrase that comes from 2 Kings 6:16. “So he answered, ‘Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’” That's from the New American Standard Bible.
If you remember this story, or if you don't, quickly, what happened was this king north of Israel is contesting Israel. He's at war with Israel, the king of Aram. And he's mad, because Elijah is constantly telling the king of Israel everything that's going on. He thought there was a spy, but there wasn't a spy. It was just the prophet, Elijah, who was being told all of this information and passing it along to the king of Israel.
And so the king of Aram gets angry about that. He sends an army of people to go down to Israel, to kidnap Elijah, and the attendant of Elijah's comes to him and says, “Look at these Lord, look at all these horses and chariots circling the city.”
He's very worried; and this is the famous chariots of fire story. Elijah prayed after he said this verse 16, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Elijah prayed and asked the Lord to show his attendant the army that was around them, and all over the mountain was this- was full. The mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elijah.
Our lesson for today, our thought for today, is about the situations that we face at work. There were days in my career when I would be almost absorbed or overwhelmed with a broken situation, a support mess with a client. I remember one time a vendor and I got into a wrestling match, and we were sent a massive bill that it looked like my company might be responsible to have to pay because I had shot off my mouth.
There are these problems that we face in our workplaces on a regular basis, and maybe you're facing one of those today. And so this message for you and for me is “Look around. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
Bad things still happen. I'm not saying that the bad things stop happening, that when we come to Jesus, everything just works out. Bad things happen, but those who are with us are more than those who are with them, with the enemy. Our enemy will not win. We may suffer harm, we may suffer loss, but our enemy will not win. And it gives us this perspective that can look beyond our circumstances, and be a peacemaker and one who blesses others; someone who ships grace. We can ship grace into the lives of the people around us. That's our call as marketplace ministers, to be the kind of people who remember that those who are with us are more than those who are with them.
Today, I want you to appropriate the chariots of fire. Think about God, protecting you. His resources are at your disposal and you want to live your life and glorify Him the way I want to. If we want to do that, then we will expect God to provide the resources so that His honor is maintained and that He is glorified.
Let's not mix up our own personal circumstances with everything else, but let's trust to God in them, and let His peace transcend all understanding as it says in Philippians 4. His peace transforms us.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for looking for ways to bring His peace and His joy into our workplaces. That's what makes you a minister of Jesus Christ. Ministry is nothing but helping other people move one notch closer to Jesus. Thank you for being a marketplace minister and check us out at followerofone.org, where you can find a community of us who are working to make God present, make Him visible in our world.
He's already present to make Him visible in our world every day. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One again, and today I want to talk about a passage from John chapter 3, verse 30. John the Baptist is speaking, and he says “He must increase, but I must decrease.” I think about this passage in several ways. One way to think about it is to remember that this is John the Baptist talking.
John the Baptist isn't really part of the church. He's actually the last Old Testament prophet. He's outside of the church in some degree. He's still the body of Christ, because he, like the rest of us, are saved, but he's a prophet. He's been ordained by God to speak for God, and he's clarifying for his own friends and his own listeners that this is about Jesus getting bigger.
Jesus increases. He takes over. This is His show. The world is operated for Him, and He is on the stage. And the old model of the Hebrew life, the prophet's system, is going away. It's gone. And what's new is this “bridegroom and the bride”. He actually mentions in the verse right proceeding this “He who has the bride is the bridegroom.”
John's making this clear that all of everything that God is doing in the world is summed up in Jesus. He will increase. This is His show, His plan, and He's taking over, and I will decrease. This model will decrease. This also applies to us in the workplace. It applies to us everywhere. I think our sin nature is really, at its core, the idea that we get to call our own shots.
I want to be my own king. I make my own decisions. I choose what I eat, and I choose how I spend my time. I want to run my life. I don't want Jesus running it. I don't want anybody else running it. The “no one else running it” is all part of the great lie. We either serve God or we serve sin, we serve the enemy.
And when we think we run our lives, what we do is we separate ourselves from Jesus and we become part of the enemy. Satan, his people, the world, the flesh, and the devil. Those are the three groups of things that take us away from God. And so the world, our flesh, and our enemy, the devil, are all pulling on us, and the big deception, the big trick is we're in control. We get to choose. I get to call my own shots.
When I follow Jesus - and this is part of the reason why we call this organization Follower of One - when I follow Jesus, then my life works. Then everything about my life fits in eternity. I'm not outside of Christ's plan, I'm part of it.
I get to take part as a member of His church, His bridegroom. I get to join Him as He increases. This world is His, and He will run one day. Every knee will bow. Jesus will be running the show, and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. If we can remember that He must increase and we decrease, then we put ourselves in a proper position to join Him as He works in the lives of the people that we come in contact with every day.
That's part of the reason why our first daily activity is to pray, and the first prayer that I like to talk about is “Here I am.” Lord Jesus. Here I am. I want to follow you today.
Would you please, as we used to do this when I was in the trucking business, they would give us a stack of freight bills and say, “here, go load this truck.” And we would go take each bill in that stack and go load the truck. Lord Jesus, today, would you give me my stack of bills and tell me what I'm doing? I want to do what you want me to do today.
And I get to take part, then, in your work in the world. Let's join Jesus in His effort today, and let Him use us, so that we get to see Him glorified. He will increase. We will get to see that if we join Him and follow Him.
Check us out at followerofone.org. We're an online community where we try to help one another. Remember, Jesus is in charge and we follow Him.
Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One, and today I want to talk about God's will for us. What is God's will for us? One of the places where the Bible tells us God's will is in 1 Thessalonians 4:3, and that verse begins “For this is the will of God, your sanctification...” I confess this was kind of a "duh" moment when I first heard this verse.
When I first remember paying attention to this verse, I had been wondering about God's will for my life in my work, and how I would spend my time, and whether or not I should stay in the job I was in, or how I would find a new job. I actually think I was self-employed and considering job transition the first time I really paid attention to this verse.
And my challenge came in the area of what follows this verse. He talks about how we're called to avoid sexual immorality, how we're to learn, to possess our own vessel in honor, and not in lustful passion as the Gentiles do.
Paul is challenging us with the will of God. He's saying God's will is clear. I want you to be sanctified. What does sanctified mean? Well, sanctified means that we're set apart. We're designated for a specific purpose. My being sanctified means I dedicate more of my life to doing what Jesus would have me do, then I spend my energy trying to do what I want to do. The energy of my life needs to be pointed toward obeying Jesus and doing what He says, instead of trying to do what I want, do just what I want, which might be participating in sexual fornication or overeating. That's one of the ways where I don't possess my own body in honor. I eat too much.
It's one of my challenges, and it's one of those places where you can pray for me. Whatever our addictions are, whatever our challenges are, these are the places where we're consistently reminded that there's more of our life to give over to Jesus. There's more of our time, our thought processes, more of our effort and our energy that can be given over to Jesus.
God's will is that we grow up in sanctification; that we work out our salvation, as it says in Philippians. That we turn ourselves to following Jesus, instead of just following our own flesh, chasing after what we seem to want, or what we think we want, whether that was another drink, or another hamburger, or another foray into pornography on a website or anything like that.
We are called to deny ourselves and pursue Jesus, to follow Him. That's what this passage in 1 Thessalonians is telling us. Let's be sanctified. Today, I want to challenge you: Ask God to give you the energy and the strength and the desire to follow Him and to do exactly what He says. When He gives you clear direction, do it.
If He doesn't give you clear direction, then do the next right thing. We always can do the next, most godly thing in every circumstance, in every situation, in our work, in our daily jobs, in the ways that we interact with people. The next right thing is what God calls us to do when we don't have any other clear direction.
I want to challenge you today to trust God, ask Him for wisdom and guidance and then go do the next right thing. Thank you very much for being a marketplace minister and thank you for following Jesus and for making a difference in your marketplace. If you'd like to join us and learn more about Follower of One, head over to followerofone.org, you can learn more about our ministry there.
Join our online community and take the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One, and this is another one of those episodes where I'm mostly talking to me. I hope you enjoy it. 1 Peter 4:12 & 13, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exaltation.”
So I study and contemplate and think about joy. I enjoy the joy that God has given me as I've learned to integrate more of my life, my daily work life and my daily living with Jesus. I wish I had done a better job of that when I was younger and when my faith was newer, and that's part of the reason why I'm involved with Follower of One at all. I want to help us integrate our faith in our work so that we may rejoice with exaltation as he says here at the end of this verse. But he's giving us tips for dealing with difficulty.
Tip number one: do not be surprised at the difficulties that you face. He says “the fiery ordeal among you”, that difficulty comes upon you for your testing. God is using this to strengthen us. You know as well as I do that we get stronger at anything by lifting above our weight, by trying to do more than we are equipped to do, our muscles get torn down, and then they heal back stronger.
We're working out our faith in the same way by facing the fiery ordeals that come upon us for our testing. But when I look at it like it's some strange thing that was happening to me, my expectation is I'm living the good life. My expectation is this should be easy. It should take less time. I always seem to plan for the ideal situation, and then I'm surprised, as though some strange thing were happening to me, as he says in this verse.
And he's reminding us if we can create in ourselves this attitude that comes from Jesus, but if we can create it and say “This comes upon me for my testing, it's not a strange thing. It's part of God's plan”, then to the degree that I can share the sufferings of Jesus, I get to rejoice, so that I can see His glory through my life. When I see His glory through my life, I experience His joy.
I enjoy doing these daily devotionals. I don't do them as often as I'd like, but I just don't want you to go nuts listening to my voice all the time. I hope that these are helpful, because I struggle with this whole idea of following Jesus in the difficult times. I really want the easy job, I want the easy shift. But it's in the difficulty that I get to rejoice, because His glory is revealed.
When I do what Jesus would have me do in my workplace, in the difficulties of my daily life, Jesus is glorified. People go, “Well, why are you doing this?” And I get to tell them about my relationship with Jesus.
I get to glorify God, and then I can rejoice with exaltation. I can enjoy watching God work through me when I am not surprised by the difficulties that face me. I'm preaching to me again, please remember, but maybe this will help you too. Let's look at our circumstances today as the weight Jesus is loading on the bar for us, and it's ours to push. It's ours to lift.
Let's not look as though some strange thing were happening to us, but let's face our difficulties with joy and trust Jesus. Now, maybe you need some help with that. And you can reach out to me at followerofone.org, you can reach out to mike@followerofone.org. I'd be happy to help you to pray for you to do whatever we can. We probably need to create a page where we can share prayer requests.
But I want to encourage you if you need prayer, let me know. And people from our team will pray for you, And so will I. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for looking for ways to integrate your life and Jesus’ in such a way that He becomes visible.
And any way you want to do that, we can help you. We’re trying to help people do this better all the time at followerofone.org. You can check it out over there. Thanks very much for being a minister in your marketplace.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. In episode 199 of our podcast (https://followerofone.org/who-is-greatest-luke-22-27/), we talked about Luke 22:27, but today I want to talk about Luke 22:28. And the verse simply says “You are those who have stood by me in my trials.” Jesus is speaking to the disciples and He's actually calling them out a little bit, because they're having an argument about which one of them is greatest in the kingdom.
And this is the last night or so of Jesus's life. So here they are, arguing about which one of them is greatest, and Jesus interrupts them and He reminds them the story about who's greater. That's what episode 199 is about. But this episode, which I think is 522 of our podcast - thank you for being a listener - this is about the next phrase. You are those who have stood by me in my trials.
We get the choice as followers of Jesus to go with Jesus and stand by Him in His trials, to follow Him daily, or we can choose not to follow Him. I can choose to not follow Him in the next few minutes. Choose to watch something that takes me away from Him or do something that separates me from Him.
I can concentrate on myself. There are so many millions of ways that we can leave Jesus. It's this constant struggle. And I think one of the goals of at least my Christian life has been learning to trust Jesus to keep me drawn to Him, and to keep me connected to Him. Uh, and today what I wanted to do is challenge us a little bit.
I wanted to ask the question: how are you? No matter where you are, do you know that if you made a long series of choices to not follow Jesus, the next choice, you can choose to follow Him. You can choose to do what He says again. I don't... I can't get into the “Once saved, always saved” or any of those kinds of arguments.
I just know I want to do the next right thing. I want to choose in my next choice to follow Jesus and obey Him. That's why our prayer that we like to talk about at Follower of One, “Here I am, send me” is a profound, powerful prayer, especially when followed with the question “Okay Jesus, what do you want me to do today? What would you have me do next?”
When we focus on following Jesus in our circumstances, one choice at a time, we get another chance to remain with Him in His trials, just like He says here. We are those who have stood by Him in His trials. “You are those who have stood by me in my trials” Luke 22:28, from the New American Standard.
Let's choose today to stand by Jesus. The difficulties and the temptations and the distractions to separate ourselves from Him, to not stand by Him and to not follow Him, those stay. They remain. We will always be challenged by these temptations to separate ourselves from following Jesus. We can’t avoid the difficulty, but we can gain the joy and peace and love of following Jesus by simply choosing.
Here I am. Would you please put me to work? How can you use me in the lives of the people that I will interact with next? Show me what you would have me do today, Jesus, and I will do it. Try that prayer today and watch Jesus start to transform your life. The more often I believe we can remind ourselves that we're on the clock for Jesus Christ, the more joy filled we will be, the more different we will live, and the more others will ask about why it is that we're doing the things that we do. That's also why we have to practice knowing what we believe in saying what we believe, but start it, begin it all today with here I am. You can begin right now.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for making a difference in your world and in your workplace. The joy that Jesus gives us when we join Him, can transform our world. Jesus is in the process of doing that right now. Let's join Him and take part.
Thanks for listening to this podcast or this audio, wherever you're getting it. Thank you for listening to it. Please share it with someone else. Invite them to join you and me over at followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One, and today's passage is Hebrews 4:15, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” On the September 18th edition of “My Utmost for His Highest”, the September 18th entry, Oswald Chambers talks about this passage, and he draws a parallel between temptation and distraction.
Jesus said many times that He came only to do the will of His father, and He focused on that and He achieved that. He also said at the end of His life, that it is finished, He had done the will of His father. He had done those things.
Chambers makes this suggestion that whenever we're tempted to do something else with our resources, our time, our energy, our attention, any of those things, those temptations… That's one way that we can talk about temptation in this passage, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”
In other words, anytime I'm distracted, taken away from what God would have as my purpose in my job or in my day, how I live my life. If I live according to my own flesh, if I live according to my own desires, my own wants and needs. Even if I don't do anything that hurts anyone, if I'm a good Christian and stay out of trouble, but I'm distracted and I use the resources God has given me for some goal other than what God might've intended, I'm submitting to this temptation. I'm, I'm falling into it. Satan can distract us from God's plan and take us out of being part of God's plan with these kinds of distractions.
Maybe it's watching movies, or maybe it's playing video games. Maybe it's focusing so much on our career and our job, that we miss opportunities to be a blessing to the people that we work with. I think these are all acceptable temptations to Satan. He wants to take us out of God's plan and if he can distract us, he's accomplished his objective. We have this challenge to, and Chambers calls it “be of value to God.” I would actually call it more “take part in God's plan.” We can punch in. We say, here I am. We put ourselves on God's clock and we say, “Alright, God, what do you want me to do today?” We remind ourselves that we want to listen to him and do what he has for us.
Because when our attention is focused on him, when we use our time and our energy and our resources to further the kingdom of God in some way - maybe it's simply by appreciating people or by praying for our coworkers - we get to take part in the joy that God intends for us. This is a joy that we can experience now by following Him, and we will experience it in eternity.
I want to challenge us today as followers of Jesus. How can we pay a little more attention to how we allocate the resources God has given us towards his work? Towards taking part in his plan? Let's try and use our time, and our energy, and our attention, and our money, and everything that we do as something that can glorify God. And let's consider the distractions, the things that make us stop thinking about God, as temptations, and trying to avoid those.
I want to be intentionally engaged with Jesus all day today in my job. Lord Jesus, would you make that happen? That's my here I am prayer for today.
Thank you so much for being a marketplace minister, and thank you for making a difference in the marketplace. I hope these are beneficial to you, these devotionals. Please share them with your friends and check us out at followerone.org, where you can learn more about our online community and take part in the next marketplace mission trip. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One, and today, I want to read a very convicting verse to me.
This is a conviction to me, and that's part of the reason why I want to read it. I think it's a challenge to all of us, especially in business, but in any type of work. Proverbs 16:9, “The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” I've been working for the last few days, doing some strategic planning around the growth of what I hope the growth will be for Follower of One, and bathing that in prayer and asking God for his direction, for his wisdom and his guidance.
And then I would turn right around and get something- we’d get interrupted. And what I thought would, I would be spending my time doing X, I ended up having to spend my time doing Y. The Lord directs my steps. He ordains interruptions and circumstances and things that happen in my life, and I often don't like it.
I've just become a pouty little child because God's not letting me do what I wanted to do. The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. I pray constantly. I don't pray constantly. That's an exaggeration. I pray regularly. That I would be easier to interrupt, that I would trust God more. My natural instinct is to get angry at interruptions, not to trust God that He would have me do something else.
Almost every interruption, almost everything that takes longer than I thought it would take, ends up being a blessing to me, if I would just trust Jesus and do what He says. Today in our workplaces, I would like to challenge you: let's remember the mind of a man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.
And now let me say that exactly correctly. I'm reading from the New American standard, the mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. I don't really think that references all that gender-oriented. I think, male or female, we can get all wrapped up in our own goals and objectives and we forget God, but the Lord directs our steps.
He's the one directing us. He's the one choosing what we do. I want to plan to do what God has for me to do, and that means my plans must include interruptions. My plans, and my attitude must be good with interruptions, because God is sovereign. He's the one choosing the plan. We have a person on one of the recent mission trips talking about how she had it all planned out that she was going to do her fastest exercise time walking through her neighborhood, but she couldn't get any of her timer apps to work, and she was very frustrated about that. So she took off anyway and she got interrupted a couple of times on the way and had opportunities to interact with her neighbors, that she never would have done had she had the timer ticking.
And it was just God saying, no, you're walking around the neighborhood today, but I want you to interact with the people that you come into contact with. I think God does that with my schedule. That I wire it tight as a drum, and I'm always in a hurry, and I always have to hurry up and get to the next thing.
And then an interruption will occur, or something will take longer, or something will need to be redone. Lord, may I please have an attitude of openness to you. And I pray that we all do. That openness and that willingness to be God's person in our situation is what makes our faith attractive to the people around us.
I hope today that this criticism of myself, this challenge I'm giving myself is beneficial to you in some way. Let's be the people that Jesus calls on today to make a difference in the lives of our coworkers and bank on it, that will require some interruptions. Thank you for being a marketplace minister, and thank you for making a difference with your faith.
Don't forget if you're interested in more of this content, check us out at followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One, and today I'm doing our podcast on both video and audio. And so you can hear this in both places and it will come out at different times, but our verse for today is 1 Peter 5:7 “casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” Peter is talking to us, and he's telling us that we can cast our anxiety on him. In our previous episode, we were talking about being humble, and the humility is a key for this anxiety passing. We sometimes feel like we're the victims of anxiety. We're confident that we're not powerful enough to deal with our fear, and yet, it's not our fear that exceeds the power that we have. It's God who exceeds the anxiety and the fear that we have.
When we humble ourselves and put ourselves in the right place, then we're in a position to be able to hand our anxiety to Jesus. We can give it to Him, because He cares for us, and He's powerful. In John 16:33, Jesus said: "These things I've spoken to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have trouble. But take courage, I have overcome the world." The trouble of the world does not exceed the authority of Jesus. And so even the true things that we fear, much less the anxiety, which is as Seth Godin called it “experiencing failure in advance”, the anxiety is something that we can give away. We can give it back to Jesus. We can place that on Him because He cares for us.
Today, I want to encourage us to go into our workplaces to pray, and to take that anxiety. If you have a big meeting coming up, or if you know you have a difficult conversation coming up. Or maybe it's a review that's going on. Cast that anxiety on him.
Don't spend time experiencing your failures or your fears in advance, wait for them, and trust Jesus. He has this under control, and He will care for you in such a way that you can take that anxiety and put it on Him, and He will give you peace in its place. And use that peace to make a difference in the lives of the people that you work with.
We do these things so that we can be ministers in our marketplace. A minister is just a servant. And so we give this anxiety away and we're back and we're free to be able to serve the people that we work with so that they might ask us, “Why are you doing this?” And we can tell them, "I'm doing this, and I'm peaceful because I trust Jesus, and He's working these things out in our lives and He can do that in yours as well."
I'm so excited to get the chance to be a minister in the marketplace, a minister of Jesus Christ in the marketplace. I hope you join me. Ministry is helping other people move one notch closer to Jesus. And that's what we try and do at Follower of One. And so I want to encourage you to join me by going to followerofone.org and checking out our online community and signing up for the next marketplace mission trip.
Thank you for being a minister in the marketplace and thank you for making a difference in the lives of others. Your ministry at work matters and it makes a difference to those around you. Thank you very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One, and today, I want to talk about how humility unlocks joy for us. Let's use 1 Peter 5:6 as our verse. “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you at the proper time.” Exalt is one of those words that I don't use very often, but when I look at the word, I see the definition: it's to raise in rank, or to elevate, or to praise.
We want to experience the exaltation of God. My goal here is to experience this relationship with Jesus, where I experience His joy. I enjoy what He's doing in my life, and it's not a transactional thing. His exaltation and lifting me up, I believe involves me more in the work that He's doing.
I experienced joy when I joined Him in the work that He's doing in and around the people that I'm with, the people that I work with or in my family. When I humble myself under His hand, what I'm doing is I'm realizing my position. My right place in the world is doing whatever God says. He's the one who created me.
He will always be my boss. He will always be my king and my Lord. Those are awkward. Some of those words are awkward for us. We think we're in charge, but when we can humble ourselves under God's mighty hand and do what He says, we experience exaltation. We are lifted up. We are blessed. We are praised. We are exalted.
That's the word. That comes from having a right understanding of what God is doing, and where we are in relation to Him. In relation to God, I'm not that much, yet He died on the cross for me. Jesus died on the cross for me to restore my relationship with Him. And today I, if I can remember who He is, and who I am, it's my job to just shut up and do what He says.
It's my job to listen to Him and do what He says, and then I will get exalted at the proper time. If you've experienced the joy of following Jesus, you know what I mean. And if you haven't, maybe you need to ask God to give you some direction on how you can be humble. How you can have a proper understanding of where you fit in the world.
I believe God will give you that if you ask Him for it. In fact, asking Him for it is our first daily activity. Praying, punching in, telling God that we're on the clock. Here we are. We want to do whatever He has for us to do today. And listening to Him. That's our job. When we do that, we're on a mission trip.
We're on mission with Jesus Christ when we obey God in our world, and in and among the people we meet every day. I want to challenge you today. Stick your foot in the ground, and from here forward, say “I want to do what God calls me to do.” You'll mess up again pretty soon if you're like me. I mess up pretty regularly, but I want to keep trying.
I want to follow God and do what He says. And I'm on this podcast, I'm involved in this ministry called Follower of One, because I believe as I do that, and as we do it together, we help one another. Check us out at followerofone.org where you can practice this a little bit. One of the ways we practice is through our marketplace mission trip.
Trust God today, humble yourselves under His mighty hand, listen to Him, do what He says, and trust that He will exalt you at the proper time. We have a choice to make. Every action is a choice. Make the choices that line you up in the right relationship with God and watch Him exalt you. You will experience joy through that.
Thanks for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for listening to this and for sharing it with people. Let's follow Jesus today and do what He says. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Let's continue our conversation from yesterday, where we were talking about how to get right with God, so we'll call this episode part two. Today our verse is Acts 16:31. They said: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." Yesterday we were quoting from the old Testament in Habakkuk, and it said that the righteous shall live by faith.
Sometimes, we think that all you have to do is believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. That's exactly what this verse says, but this word believe, and sometimes what we translate, what we understand as “believe”, like “I believe that certain things will happen” or I believe this, or I believe that, the way that we hold our intellect and our beliefs in this country, in this culture, in this time, it's a little different than what Habakkuk and the author of Acts are saying.
I believe this word “believe” and this word “faith”, the faith that we live by in Habakkuk, and this belief that the Jews understood when they were being told “believe in the Lord, Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household”, it means the same thing. It means that we must translate our life. We must transform our life.
Maybe even the word “repent” fits in this, because as I believe in the Lord Jesus, I now bend my life to do what He says. Yesterday, or in the previous episode, we heard that as lining up behind Jesus; the righteous will live by faith. And here we're learning it as well. Turn your life, bend your life to follow the Lord Jesus. Believe in Him and do what He said.
Some of us, we filter, I filter, I do this. I filter my own choices sometimes through the lens of the Lord Jesus. There are times when I choose not to do what He says. There are times when I choose not to tell the absolute truth. That's a full confession. There are times when I want to cut corners on the truth, or make something sound better than it was, just so that I won't irritate someone else.
When I do those things, I'm not believing in the Lord Jesus at that moment, I'm actually trusting myself. I'm following my own instruction. I become an idolater, because I put something else in the place of God. I'm listening to me, instead of listening to Jesus. I want to challenge us as followers of Jesus Christ.
We want to live by our faith from Habakkuk 2 in the previous episode. And we want to bend our life to believe and to live like we know that everything that Jesus Christ said is absolutely true. When we point our lives after Jesus, we are saved, and that salvation, it's dependent upon Him, not us. So it doesn't turn on or off when we stop believing, but the salvation that we experience every day, the salvation that we experience comes because we follow Jesus Christ. Today, you can choose moment by moment, decision by decision, to follow Jesus Christ and do what He says. And you watch, you will make a difference in the lives of the people that you work with.
Don't believe me? Try it out. Try for 30 days, pray for your coworkers every day for the next 30 days, and watch what Jesus does. I hope that every person listening to this podcast can bend their lives and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. But that means that our lifestyle will change, because now, we'll be taking direction from Him.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for considering daily how you can transform your own life by following Jesus, and making a difference in the lives of your coworkers. Check out the tips that we have and the online community that we've created at followerofone.org, where you can connect with others of us who are trying to do the same thing on a daily basis.
We want to move our faith forward daily by trusting in Jesus and doing what He says. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One and today's passage, still in the Old Testament, Habakkuk 2:4, "Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him, but the righteous will live by his faith." I love the last phrase in that verse. I love an old Rich Mullins song that he wrote that was about this verse: The Just Shall Live.
And, I want to talk today about how we get right with God. I think it's interesting because I always thought that getting right with God meant that I had to live according to a bunch of rules. I had to check the boxes and do the right things. I had to be baptized and go to church and do this and do that.
And I love the way now that I think about this verse, because I think Jesus has flipped it in my mind. When I live by faith, I do what Jesus says. There are days when Jesus tells me I need to go to church, or I need to tell the truth, or I need not to eat that extra dessert. When I'm living by faith, I listen to Jesus. I follow him. I am a Follower of One.
When I'm living by faith, I'm righteous. I'm doing the things that Jesus would have me do. I'm following Him and I'm in line with Him. I'm in the Jesus groove, doing the things that Jesus would have me do. It's not that I'm trying to obey a certain set of rules. I'm trying to conform my life to the direction set for it by my Creator, by the person who gave me life and who put me here. And we're also told in Ephesians 2:10 that He gives each of us a job to do, that He created us for good works that He prepared beforehand, that we would walk in them. "Behold as for the proud one," the one who goes his own way, which is what I tend to do.
I can be one of the most arrogant, proud people I know, and when I do, my soul is not right within me. I'm wrong, I'm broken, I'm off track. I'm out of the groove. I'm not operating according to those things that I was created to do. But when I live by faith, when I put my trust in Jesus and I do what He tells me to do on a moment by moment basis, I'm righteous.That's how you get right with God. It's not about doing the things, the rules that other people cast on you, it's about following and obeying Jesus.
Today in our workplaces, I would like to challenge us. Today, let's listen to God, ask him what He would have us do. Remember, our first prayer is to punch in. Here I am lord, put me to work. Let's punch in and ask him to show us what He would have us do for the people that we will interact with today. And then when we hear a word from him, when we get an idea, if you pray and all of the sudden you get this wild idea, you can pretty much bet it was Jesus. If that wild idea lines up with scripture, find a way to do it, find a way to solve for that.
Whatever idea came into your brain, find a way to implement it. You can believe that you're following Jesus. You're living by faith, living by trusting Him. Listen also to other believers in your life, attend church and listen to the leadership of your church. Have other Christians who are involved, and read the scripture.
But when we talk to Jesus and He gives us ideas, let's find ways to do them. Today, give away a little bit of your life to the people that you work with. Ask Him, ask God to show you what to do, and then do it. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for following Jesus at work for living by your faith.
That makes us righteous. Let's do that today so that Jesus will be visible in our world. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One, and today's episode, I want to talk about where our faith is based, or what is our faith based on, and I'm using a fragment of a sentence. 1 Corinthians 2:5, “so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.” That's from the New American Standard Bible.
What does your faith rest on? Does it rest on the wisdom of man, or does it rest on the power of God? I believe that our faith rests on the power of God, the more we can show that we make choices according to what we know Jesus would have us do. When we go above and beyond what is expected of us at work, because we trust Jesus, we demonstrate that our faith rests on the power of God.
When we can do the right thing and be bent towards serving others on a day in and day out basis, moment by moment, as opposed to trying to serve ourselves, we prove that our faith is based on the power of God. I want my faith to be based on the power of God, not just on the miracles that I see.
Not the flashy miracles. You know, it's a miracle to be- to stay married for a number of years. It's a miracle to avoid sin when sin is very tempting. It's a miracle to avoid shading the truth, or telling a white lie when you have the opportunity. Those things are miracles. We look past them often because they're common.
They're miracles that we're expected to do every day, and we look for the exceptional miracles. We look for the drama and the exceptions, but the miracle of God is that we can live based on His power on a daily basis for the rest of our lives. So we want to base our faith, and I want to base my faith, not on the wisdom of men, not even on my own wisdom or my own understanding, but on the power of God, the ability of God to make His word true in my life, even when I don't see it.
That's a challenging idea for us, but today I want to challenge you to put it to work. Today in your life, go outside of what's normally expected of you, and serve someone over and above what you might normally do.
Today, you might give a large tip to a waitperson at lunch or at dinner, or you may go out of your way to provide a gift for someone who's a service provider, like the people who clean your office or the people who deliver the mail, or your package delivery person. Let's get outside of our comfort zone and let's go and invest something - some money, some time, some energy - in our own faith. Let's go spend some money to make Jesus visible. When you do that, you're resting not on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God today. Let's do that.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. I also would like to challenge you to consider building this into your life. Join us at followerofone.org. We have an online community there where we challenge one another to live this way, to live blessing other people so they might know Jesus, and we want to do that on a daily basis. I want my faith to make a difference in every day of my life. And I hope you do too, because then we get to experience the joy of walking with Jesus on a daily basis.
Check out followerofone.org, and also look at the marketplace mission trip. There's always another one about to happen. Sign up for the next marketplace mission trip, and join us as we practice this. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One, and today, I'm thinking about what makes things happen. What moves the needle in our world? I'm reading from Zechariah chapter 4, verse 6. “Then he said to me, this is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.”
God is reminding His prophet to go speak to the priest and the king - I think Zerubbabel is the king; I probably should have done a little more research - to say to him it's not might or power that makes things work. It's my spirit. The spirit of God makes things happen in our world. He's what moves the needle.
He's what makes things change. He is the one factor of all the factors. Often, I tend to believe that my actions or my power, my effort, or my energy, my money, or time, or resources are what's needed to make something happen. Often we tend to believe that the government is, or that some other person is supposed to be making something happen.
It's their fault that they didn't do something, or someone else is responsible. We might take responsibility among ourselves, or we might dump it on someone else, but here it's as clear as it is anywhere in scripture. God's saying it doesn't matter what you think you do. It doesn't matter what you think you're doing or how powerful you think you are. It's my spirit that makes things happen, and I wanna remember that today. This could be a short podcast.
Today God is the one who makes things happen in our world. He was then, and He is now, and we believe that is something else or that we might wring our hands, that something's outside of our control, but today I want to remind myself, and I hope I remind you, the holy spirit is what makes things happen in this world.
And He's working His plan. Nothing, nothing is going to thwart his plan. Nothing will stop Him. We get to relax in that, to trust Him, and to do what He says. Today, let's ask God to show us how we can relax in trust, and then just obey Him and do what He says.
I pray that for you and for me. Let's relax in trusting Him and do what He says today, because He's the one who moves the needle. Thank you for listening to this podcast. Let me give you a minute back today. Also take a minute and check out followerofone.org. This is our community; it's a community of believers who come together to try and practice living our faith more on the six days between Sundays.
I hope that you will join us there. Go to followerofone.org, where you can check out more about our ministry, about the online community and join the online community and then you can take part in the next marketplace mission trip too. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One, and today, I want to jump into the Old Testament for a couple of days to get us to think a little bit more strategically and long-term about our faith at work in the practical attitude towards how we live our lives. I'm in Psalm 78, verses 5 and 6 says “For he established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should teach them to their children, that the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, that they may arise and tell them to their children.” This is part of the Psalmist is making a statement about how God has called us to pass down the things that we learn about him. To pass them to the next generation.
And part of how we do this- most of what we talk about in the marketplace mission world that Follower of One is involved in has to do with here and now, at work, how we live our lives today. We want to be very practical. There will be a today application at the end of this recording.
We have things to do today. But we're also challenged to pay attention to our children, and their children, and their children after them. What are we doing to make sure that we have a legacy that goes forward into the future? And I'm not talking about saving up money for retirement, or building a retirement fund or something that you can allow your children to inherit.
I'm talking about creating the kind of reputation and being the kind of person that makes a difference in the lives of the people around them. Set up a character for your family, for the people that bear your name and the people that are part of your family. We're the kind of people who do X.
Here, the Psalmist is talking about the people of Israel. He established a testimony in Jacob. He appointed this law in Israel, and he commanded the fathers to live a certain way. Basically, this is an identity statement. We are this kind of people, and you can't see me, but I'm using air quotes again. We are this kind of people.
We are the kind of people who minister to our coworkers, and who make a difference in the lives of every person that we meet. We are the kind of people who help everyone around us move one notch closer to Jesus. I want to challenge you today to begin asking God and praying about how you can live in such a way that the intentionality of your faith, the way that you are purposeful about living and serving others for the sake of making Jesus known.
That way that you live becomes something that even your kids and your grandkids and your great-grandkids pick up. That generations after this one know what kind of person you were, and they try to live up to that standard as well. This is not something that we're trying to project on other people, but it is something that we decide to be on the inside.
When we choose to be a minister, instead of just choosing to do ministry, we flip a switch. This choice to be a minister makes a difference. It says that we are the kind of person who does certain things, and our identity directs our actions. Today, ask God to show you how your identity in Him might need to transform some part of your life.
It might need to make a difference in the way that you do your work. It might need to make a difference in the way that you interact with your coworkers, or the way you teach your children and grandchildren about these types of beliefs. Let's live intentionally today, so that our faith is making a difference in the lives of our family for generations to come.
Set a goal now for what you'd like people to say about your family 150 years from now, and see if that doesn't change the way that you do your job. Thanks very much for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for making a difference in the lives of the people that you work with.
Your actions matter. Let's develop an identity that is based firmly in Jesus, and let that identity guide us as we take our faith into the workplace every day. Join us at followerofone.org as well to check out the online community that we have, the next marketplace mission trip, and to connect with others who will help you.
And you can help them as we move forward, being intentional with our faith in the workplace. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Are you the kind of person that makes things better at work, or the kind of person that makes things worse? I feel like I was a negative gloomy creature in some of my jobs. There were times when working with me was difficult and I was, I didn't care. I seem to be difficult to work with.
Some of that took place before I trusted Jesus, but other times, that happened after I trusted Jesus. My challenges in the workplace were born sometimes of my own arrogance. That I would try to just tolerate people who didn't see things my way. And they knew it, and I knew it, that I was being a jerk.
I- the reason why I'm even pointing this out is because I want to talk about John 4:14 today. “But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst, but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” Jesus is basically telling the woman at the well, the Samaritan woman, that He brings a different water. That He refreshes a different way, and the way that He refreshes the people that follow Him, that water refreshes not only them, but the people they're with. A well of water springing up to eternal life.
Our job as followers of Jesus Christ is to take the life that Jesus has given us and go distribute that in our workplaces and among the people that we're with today. We're not bound by whether or not we're remote or local.
We're not constrained in any way, except for our own flesh and our own sin. We can bring the joy of Jesus and the life of Jesus to the people we work with. And we do that by praying for people and appreciating them, by serving them, by knowing what we believe, and being ready to speak about that. Those are our five daily activities.
Today in the workplace, I would like to challenge you. Let's be this eternal life that Jesus gives. Let's demonstrate that with our own life in the workplace today, as we demonstrate our trust in Christ, and as we live according to his commands, and according to what he tells us to do. We make him visible and people get to see and experience this well of water springing up to eternal life.
I want to challenge you not to be the sad Nancy that I was back in the day. Let's bring joy and peace and the fruit of the spirit to our workplaces to make a difference in the lives of the people that we work with today. Ask God to show you where you need to work on this, and then make the change. That can be your first prayer today.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for listening to this podcast and let's promote it. I want to encourage you to share this with your friends. Let's challenge our believers who are friends in the workplace to live like we follow Jesus so that He gets to make a difference in the lives of the people that we work with. To learn more, check out our website at followerofone.org. Join our online community and join us on the next marketplace mission trip. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One, and for today's podcast, I want to talk about a little interruption of a story in Matthew chapter 17. When they came to Capernaum, those who collected the two drachma tax came to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the two drachma tax?” He said yes.
And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first saying, “What do you think Simon? From whom do the Kings of the earth collect customs or poll tax - from their sons or from strangers?” When Peter said from strangers, Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are exempt. However, so that we do not offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook and take the first fish that comes up. And when you open its mouth, you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for you and me.”
This is Matthew 17:24 through 27 in the new American standard Bible. I am just blown away by this little story. I've been thinking today because I'm listening to audio books and I deal with people who are in the faith at work world and in faith at work ministries.
So many of us seem to aim our energy for the influential and the key people in the business world. We seem to think that the leaders and the people who have discretionary time and the people who have complete an illustration.
Whatever He does, it's for our joy. And I'm talking to me as much as I'm talking to you. So I want to challenge us all today. Let's trust Jesus and do what He says. He's the one who knows what's going on, He's doing his thing and He doesn't need us as much as we need to take part in what He's doing. Thank you for being a marketplace minister.
And if you get a chance, check out all the new things that are happening in Follower of One's online community at community.followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One, and today I want to focus on Philippians 4:19, "and my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." When I think about this passage, we've been talking about, Paul is actually building up and thanking the people in Philippi for their donation to him, for their gift to him. They gave to him financially. And he's challenging them a little bit in his giving.
He says, "Thank you for going above and beyond. I didn't need this. I've learned to be content in whatever situation I'm in, but I also am grateful for what credits to your account because of the gift that you give in order to bless others." And then he says, "My God will repay you." That's what I believe he's saying, "My God will meet your needs in response to your gift or not." I believe he's saying that God will meet your needs. Now, he doesn't meet luxuries necessarily, but he does often. But to me, the key phrase in this isn't about meeting needs or luxuries or wants or desires, it's about being according to His riches.
God's riches are unlimited, and when He supplies our needs, according to His riches and not out of His riches, this is a different story. This provides a different opportunity for us. God is going to meet our needs and supply our needs, according to His riches out of His wealth, or rather not out of His wealth, but according to His wealth, He owns everything.
We have much to look forward to, and maybe you don't look forward to the future right now. Maybe you're challenged. This verse, I hope, becomes an encouragement to you. Paul says "I've received everything in full and having abundance in the verse." Before this, "I am amply supplied; having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent. It's acceptable and it's well pleasing to God that you gave this gift to me, and my God will supply your needs, according to His riches."
Let's watch God today supply our needs. What's our application for today? Ask God to show you where you can give what He's already given you, and create an opportunity for God to supply your needs.
Our job is to ship. Our job is to give things away and to serve others and to be a blessing for them. God's job is to supply our needs, according to His riches. The Lord fills the warehouse and it's our job to ship it empty, and I would like to encourage you today: look around. Pray and ask God to show you the people that you work with and the people that you interact with today.
What can you do to be shipping grace into their situation? Because God will supply your needs. According to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. I hope this verse becomes a memory verse for all of us and challenges us. We focus on shipping, let's ship the blessing of Jesus. Our calling is to serve others and to appreciate them for His glory.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for listening to this podcast. I'm grateful for your participation in our ministry. If you'd like to learn more, check out https://community.followerofone.org, and join us and take part in the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Thanks very much.
Hi, I'm Mike Henry with Follower of One, and today we're talking about Philippians 4:13. In our previous episode, we talked about 4:11 about being content in Philippians 4:13. Paul comes back with this statement: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” What's Paul saying here, and how does this apply to us in the workplace?
I think he's telling us that this is not a statement of that I can do anything I want. There are certain things that I just cannot do. There are things that are not physically possible for me to do. There are things that are not wise for me to do. It's not wise for me at my age to take up playing professional football. There are several things that are just kind of off the table.
This passage, though, I think is important for us because many of us face difficult work situations. Many of us face situations in our lives where we would like the circumstances to change. We would like something else to be different. We would like our employer to be different, or we would like our job situation or our finances to be different. And I believe what Paul is saying here is that anything going on in our lives is within God's control, and we can persist through those things. We can hold on to our faith and we can glorify God and honor Him in anything that happens to us.
He had spoken in the verse before. I know how to get along with humble means. He's, he's thanking them for a contribution that they made to him and he's in prison. And he's saying, thank you very much. I've learned to be content, even in this negative prison situation, I've learned how to get along and humble means, and I've learned how to prosper.
I can do all things. I can do the hard things and the easy things, whatever things Jesus gives me to do, I can do those things because I do them. And it says in my translation, The New American Standard translation, says “through him”, other translations say “in him”. There's a little variety in this word in the Greek, but because of our relationship in Jesus, we can survive the things that He gives us to survive.
We can glorify Him in them, and that's what I believe this verse is telling us today. Today in your work situation, I would like to challenge you. Let's live out our faith in such a way that we glorify Jesus. Let's look for ways to practice those five daily activities: Pray, appreciate others, know what we believe, serve others, and speak for ourselves.
We can do those five things in any circumstance in any job. We can trust the heart, then trust God, then that he will put us to work. We can trust God, then he will put us to work in the lives of the people that we come in contact with every day. Thank you for listening to this podcast or this video, and thank you for being a marketplace minister.
I would like to challenge you to live your faith daily. Go to followerofone.org. I'm on the wrong stuff here. Go to followerofone.org and check out our website and take part in the activities that we practice to help us live our faith every day. Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for making a difference in your workplace.
Hi, I'm Mike Henry with Follower of One, and I love to talk about the Bible and I love to motivate myself and to help motivate you to live our faith on a daily basis. Today, I want to talk about Philippians chapter 4, verse 11.
I love to talk about Philippians chapter four, but I almost always stop at verse eight because in verse 11, I get exposed. I'm not a very content person. It says in verse 11, and this is just a fragment of the verse "I have learned to be content." As for who I am, I haven't learned to be very content. I struggle with discontentment all the time.
Paul is in prison writing to the Philippians, and he's thanking them for the gift that they sent to him. And he said, "I appreciate you sending the gift. I didn't really need it, because I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself." And that's a little bit of a paraphrase, because I've been reading all these different translations of this passage.
I appreciate the fact that Paul said that he was content, and he's in prison. I'm not content and I'm not in prison. I spend most of my day, every day “trying” to do something, and I use the air quotes there because I'm constantly “trying” to do something. I sometimes wonder if I shouldn't learn to rest better; if I shouldn't learn to relax more.
My goal as a follower of Jesus always seems to be striving to do something else, instead of just trusting Jesus to do what He wants. We had a team meeting yesterday as I record this, and part of my discontent with that team meeting was the fact that I was trying to get us to do something that we clearly don't have the resources to do right now. I need to relax. "Mike it's not time," becomes a valid answer.
Today in your workplace, I want to challenge you to ask God to show you where you need to be in this whole discussion around contentment. Our contentment, our willingness to be involved and engaged, but to be sufficient, prepared and equipped and sufficient for the circumstances where we work and with the people that we interact every day.
That status of our life, that peace in our soul becomes a witness. Our contentment comes from what we know about the world. God is in charge. He's taking care of us, and He can do whatever He wants whenever He wants. Therefore, I should be content. I don't want to "should" all over myself, but in this particular case, I know for a fact that Lord, I want to be more content.
And so I hope that God will encourage you today to let your contentment show up. And then He will also encourage us. Each of us, me too. Let's let our contentment make a difference in the lives of the people that we work with today. I'm grateful that you're a marketplace minister. I'm grateful that you follow Jesus.
And I hope that these devotionals help you. But maybe you've discovered that because Mike is his own problem in this area - I'm my own source of discontentment all the time - that you don't want to listen to these devotionals anymore. I would understand, but I hope that our discontent in our present situation, turns us to God; that we turn to him and follow him and let him use us in the workplace, and be content with what he does for us and through us today.
Thank you so much for being a marketplace minister, take a check, take a chance. Take a minute - I'm stumbling around a little bit - and go check out our website followerofone.org, where you can sign up for the next marketplace mission trip. I hope that you can put your faith to work, that we can use the calling that Jesus has given us to make a difference in the lives of our friends.
Thanks very much for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for taking your faith to work. I appreciate it.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. What do you do when you don't know what else to do in the workplace? Today I want to talk about our fourth daily activity, which is to serve others. Jesus calls us to serve others. And he challenges us to do that in several places in scripture. I want to talk about one of those places today.
In 1 John 3:16, it says that we know love by this, that Jesus laid down his life for us. So we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. And that's from The New American Standard. There are different translations here. Sometimes this word brethren is, I believe, misinterpreted to convey that I'm only supposed to love other Christians.
Jesus clearly stated in his illustration of the good Samaritan that we love our neighbors. We lay down our lives for fellow humans, not just fellow believers. We lay down our lives for others. I believe when I had my worst days at work it's because I was focusing so much on what was happening to me and what I thought about it and how I perceived it.
And I was in the center of every one of my own perspectives, but when I can turn my attention to doing something for someone else, when I serve someone else, whether I follow Jesus or not, I believe when I serve someone else, I get outside of who I am and I develop a new perspective. If I do that service because I follow Jesus, then I get to take part in his work in our world.
We talk about five daily activities at Follower of One, and the first is to pray. And one of those prayers is to pray for the people around us. And when we start praying for those people, I believe God starts showing us how to serve them. It's this universal language for communicating. I can serve someone else, even if they don't like me or they don't know me.
And it breaks down barriers and it creates opportunities. I did such a bad job of this when I was working in the work world, but I want to do a better job of it. And so I try to pray for the people that I will meet every day and interact with them in such a way that I'm looking for ways to serve. I want to challenge you today in your workplace, lay down your life, look for a way to serve the people that you're with and look for a way to do something for them.
And Jesus will use that in their life. Thanks so much for being a marketplace minister. I'd also like to challenge you, to check out our website at followerofone.org. Thanks very much. Let's go live our faith today in such a way that others might ask us and we can tell them about our relationship with Jesus.
Thanks very much.
Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. And I'm just going live today with a devotional to talk a little bit about knowing what we believe. Do you know the person you follow in Jesus Christ? Do we know him as well as we should? Our verse for today is just a fragment. Philippians 3:10 that I may know him.
That was Paul's goal, that we would know Jesus, that we would know him, the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings. Knowing Jesus means that we know what He was about, and we understand His motives and His direction. We know what He would have us do and how He would have us live.
The more we study him, the more we know and it's limitless because He was God, there are no limits to what we can learn about Jesus, except the truth. We want to know the truth about him. That's part of the reason why we study the Bible. In the marketplace mission trip that we do in Follower of One, we talk about our third daily activity being that we would know what we believe.
Maybe it should better say that we would know who we believe. We need to know why it is we do the things we do. We want our relationship with Jesus to impact the way that we do our job, we want it to make a difference. I want my relationship with Jesus to make a difference in everything I do every day.
Now I confess there are days when I want some time off. I've asked God before to give me time off. I didn't want to be conformed to the image of Jesus today. I didn't want to have to live like a Christian today, but. When I take time off, I miss the joy of following Jesus. I miss the joy of doing what he says.
I miss the joy and the peace of walking with him and experiencing him. I want to enjoy my relationship with Jesus more, and therefore I need to know him better so that I can know how I should act in every circumstance. But the action of knowing what we believe on the marketplace, mission trip means.
That we practice having a one or two sentence answer. That explains why we got outside of our job description. Why did we go above and beyond to help someone else? Or, or why did we go the extra mile or give more than was expected of us? We want to live in such a way that people would ask us about why are you doing this?
And so we challenge ourselves. To have the answer ready. I want to challenge you today. Think about why you follow Jesus. Why do you follow Jesus? If you did a favor for someone and they asked you, "Why are you doing this?". Could you explain in one or two sentences that you did it because you follow Jesus and do it in a casual matter of fact way.
We want to challenge you today to practice thinking about why you follow Jesus. And then be able to articulate that in one or two sentences. That's our goal for knowing what we believe, which is the third daily activity on the marketplace mission trip. So practice that today and let's think about that as believers in the workplace, we want to be able to answer that question in a rational, simple way.
That doesn't offend anyone else that uses I/ME statements and explains why we act the way we do, because it's according to our beliefs. I want to challenge you today, think a little bit more about your faith and how it shows up in the workplace. And let's base that on. What we know about Jesus and grow our knowledge of Jesus at the same time.
Thank you for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for making a difference in your marketplace. If you'd like to know more about how to integrate your faith and work full-time, check out our website at followerofone.org, where you can learn more about the things that we teach and do, and you can also join us on our next marketplace mission trip.
Thanks very much.