𝑫𝑰𝑺𝑪𝑰𝑷𝑳𝑬𝑺𝑯𝑰𝑷: Stepping Out In Faith

"𝑨 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑰 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓: 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒔 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓. 𝑩𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒔, 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓.” ~Jᴏʜɴ 13:34-35 ESV

𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑.  To me, that is such a beautiful word.  But, it's a word that holds so much responsibility, so much weight, and so much excitement.  It's also a frightening word.

As followers of Jesus, we've accepted His call to follow, "𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎, “𝑭𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒆𝒏.” ~ꮇꭺꭲꭲꮋꭼꮤ 4:19 NIV  That, my friends is the easy part - comparatively speaking.  But, here's where it gets harder.  Becoming a disciple means stepping out in faith and exposing ourselves.  We must become courageous in order to reveal the deepest, most vulnerable side of our hearts to those who are struggling in their daily lives and are not necessarily open to hearing the Gospel.  We must also be prepared to put everything in our lives second to God. 

"𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑱𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒔 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒔, “𝑾𝒉𝒐𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 

𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒖𝒑 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒆." ~ Mᴀᴛᴛʜᴇᴡ 16:24 NIV  

In a world that has come to idolize people, money, status, and so many other things, we need to be prepared to have backs turned on us.  But, those backs are the ones we need to pray for.  Those backs are the ones we want to turn around.

I believe that each of us has the power of discipleship in us in some way. While we may not take the pulpit on Sunday morning, we take to social media every day. We may not have studied theology at seminary, but we read the Bible daily and study the Word closely. When we use these tools, we have the power to lift up God for everyone to experience, know, and love. We have the opportunity to spread a message of hope and love and peace. We're gifted with the chance to become disciples of Jesus.

As disciples, we're asked to be the "teacher's assistant" to THE Teacher!  A task that's not to be taken lightly but to be accepted exuberantly.  In our every day lives, there are endless opportunities to disciple in a multitude of ways.  We need only look to Him for guidance and direction.  

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅 

𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓. ~ Lᴜᴋᴇ 6:40 NIV

Let us all be daring, step out in bold conviction, and be ready to disciple our family, friends, neighbours, and others who may be in need of a guiding hand.

🐾💗🐾

Paws To Pray

Heavenly Father,

With full hearts, we thank You, for choosing us to carry out this important work of discipleship. Help us Lord, to look deep within our hearts to find ways to invite others to join us in our walk with You. Fill us with grace, Father, that we may show patience and understanding to those who've turned away from us because of our love for You. Give us strength and courage Lord, to find ways to build bridges so that those whose backs have turned will be joined to You, that they may experience the powerful connection in faith. And, Father, grant us the power to speak Your words boldly so that those turned backs will begin to hear and follow.

All these things we pray, in Jesus' Name,

Amen

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𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒀𝒐𝒖 & 𝑮𝒐𝒅 𝑩𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔