Follower of One : Missions For The Rest Of Us

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 cor...

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...

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...

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 w...

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 everythin...

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...

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 helpi...

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 th...

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 ab...

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...

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...

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...

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 tha...

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 E...

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 fo...

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...

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 c...

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 w...

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 co...

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 sinn...

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 G...

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...

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 ap...

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. Everyth...

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 aut...