Author: Aaron Hufty

Re:Verse passage – Matthew 4:18-19; 1 Corinthians 3:6-9; Galatians 4:4–7 (day two)
But when the fullness of the time came…v. 4a

I have loved this text for years, and each time I re-read it I marvel at God’s great design. There is a cosmic orchestration that has been playing out since creation to fulfill a grand design that we can only guess at. Jesus’ incarnation was the pivotal moment in human history, and the timing was not by chance. All of the world was primed to receive, and all of the world was changed. Your role as an heir in this orchestration is also beautifully rendered in the tapestry of time. As believers who are seeking to honor the Lord with our lives, we should take these words as a sign that God is fully aware of circumstances, forces, situations, and struggles. As such, we must trust his timing as perfect. Trust the timing even if it feels too long. He got it right with Jesus; he will get it right with you, too.

Re:Verse passage –Mark 1:1-4; Luke 4:42-44; Acts 5:42; 11:19-21 (day two)

 But He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.” Luke 4:43

Have you ever been so clear-minded about a task or direction that nothing would dissuade your focus? Jesus understood this very well. He was a man who knew his why. He knew why he was sent, and this was the time for him to act on that why. Jesus’ whole life was spent in preparation for this, and he could clearly articulate his purpose before now; but this was the time that the disciples needed to hear it from his mouth.

God has been preparing you for a task. As we have studied the aspects of discipleship this summer, every discipline is helping to build a stronger testimony and grounding in your belief. One of the things that you are being prepared for is to give an account of God’s work in your life. All of us have a story to tell; how prepared are you to tell it? It is not about education or vocation. It is all about our trust in the call to go and tell. If you struggle finding your why, consider using the FBCSA Mission Statement as a good place to start. “Our mission is to follow our Lord Jesus Christ, and to lead all others to a joyful life with him” (bonus points if you just sang those words!)

Re:Verse passage – Luke 6:12–16; 8:1; 9:1–6; 10:1–17 (day two) 

And He was saying to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 10:2

Many years ago, I was attending a revival at the church I was serving in college. The evangelists were a husband and wife team who both sang and preached. He was a former division one football player, and had quite a large presence behind the pulpit. He also had an amazing voice. One particular evening, as he was preaching, he began to sing a cappella “it’s harvest time…it’s harvest time…the fields are white, the grain is ripe, it’s harvest time.” His voice filled the small sanctuary, and although it was just one part of his sermon, it has lived with me for over 30 years.

We have only to step outside our door to understand this passage. There are so many people hurting, longing, seeking, and desperate for someone to help guide them. That person is you. Our passages this week help remind us that through the Holy Spirit, we have everything we need. Our responsibility is to be obedient.

This week during worship the choir will sing a setting of “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come.” It is a hymn that we traditionally sing around Thanksgiving. The language has a lot of agrarian references, but in context of this scripture, I find it very appropriate.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Thessalonians 2:13–17; Hebrews 5:11–13; Romans 16:17–18 (day two)

 …because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 2 Thess. 2:13b

So many prepositions in this half of a verse show the incredible thread and process of God’s great work (from, for, through, by). It gives me this grand sense of cosmic purpose in everything that God has designed. The idea that God has created a process, called sanctification, whereby we grow in knowledge and wisdom is also an incredible thought. He is aware of our limited understanding; and it is his design that as we journey in faith, we should grow into a more complete understanding of his purpose and plan. And in so doing, we will become more and more like him. As a disciple who invests in others, we can point to this process to help others understand growth. The Spirit of God is investing in your growth as you devote your time to becoming a disciple. It is an investment that will only yield benefits.

Re:Verse passage – John 15:6–10; Hebrews 12:10; Acts 13:2–3; Colossians 4:2–4 (day two)

Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; Colossians 4:2

Just yesterday I was scrolling on my phone and saw a video of a young man about running. He was from Kenya, and he said they have a sort of discipline for people who wake up and don’t feel like running that day. The idea is to commit to run for five minutes, after which, you can stop. All you have to commit to is five minutes, but something happens in those five minutes. Your body begins to loosen up, your muscles aren’t so tight, your brain begins to unfog, and the endorphins begin to do their work. Soon, you decide that you will keep on running beyond the five minutes. This is a training discipline.

There will undoubtedly be times when you don’t “feel” like reading, or praying, or sharing, or whatever it is you are called to do as a faithful follower of Jesus. Our call is to be obedient. If you will remember to earnestly pray for just a few moments, you will find the Spirit helping you to find the strength and energy to continue.

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 5:21–6:4; Matthew 12:46–50; 19:27–30 (day two)

 But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” Matthew 12:48

It can be very easy to look at this text and think that Jesus was being dismissive of his family. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Jesus actually wants to elevate each one of us that put our trust in him. Jews and Gentiles had a distinct separation between them; there were even separations between the Jewish leadership and the people. This statement was one of many that clear away any distinction other than the one that declares our love of Jesus. This grafting of family helps us understand the relationship that Jesus wants to have with each of us.

Re:Verse passage – Colossians 1:9–11, 28B–29; 4:2–4; Ephesians 4:11–16; James 1:2–4 (day two)

 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you …9a

For the past several weeks we have had several small passages of scripture to help illustrate the topic of the week. May I encourage you to zoom out on these texts and put them in a broader context? Our first passage this week comes from Paul’s letter to the church at Colosse. He is giving a spiritual report card to the believers there and wants his check-up to be one of encouragement and renewal. He was aware of their faithfulness to the work of the gospel, and was affirming their commitment to it.

As we study discipleship this summer, we must remember that we are both discipling and being discipled. Regarding the former, take time to affirm new believers. Encourage their walk, find ways where God is truly using their new found faith, and give them that blessed “well done.” Can you imagine what a letter from Paul meant to these people and the church? Your words of encouragement could carry the same impact in the life of someone young in the faith.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Thess. 1:3; 1 Peter 2:2; 2 Peter 3:18
(day two)

but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Peter’s words in the third chapter of his second letter offer us a picture of discipleship that is purposeful and practical. We are talking about growing in our faith this week, and every disciple should be constantly growing. Our hearts should yearn to be more Christ-like in every aspect of our lives. Part of Peter’s words tell us that very thing. We are to grow in the knowledge of the Lord, to become more like him. This is part of the process of sanctification. We should resemble Jesus in thought, word, and deed more each day.

There is also a note of practicality to this passage. To grow in our knowledge of the Lord also arms us against the influences of the world. The more we are aware of the work of the Spirit in our lives, we are more able to recognize what is not of the Spirit. This strong defense will also guard us to be able to continue to…grow.

Re:Verse passage – Mark 1:4–5, 9–11; Acts 8:9–13, 34–39
(day two) 

As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?”

How does baptism figure in to discipleship? Like so many other things we do, it points to Jesus. He did it, he demonstrated how we are to act and behave, and it signals to others not only our obedience, but a symbol of our new life as well. We must continue to fight the rhetoric that faith is a quiet personal matter that doesn’t impact others. Jesus publicly called his disciples, and he was baptized for all to see. Our lives should be oriented around a living declaration of who Christ is to us, and what he has done for us. Baptism is a way to demonstrate that.

We are currently finishing our Mission Choir Tour to Boston. You would be so proud of our youth and the way they have demonstrated their faith to others in very bold ways. It is a privilege to watch them grow as disciples.

Re:Verse passage – John 3:1-9 (day two) 

Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” v. 4

Each week during the children’s time in worship, we are answering questions that kids have asked Pastor Jimmy in the past few months. It is a lesson in discipleship, for sure. Kids have no guile, just inquisitive spirits. All of us have questions, but often, age and pride have often dulled our willingness to ask the questions. Nicodemus fought through his trepidation, and asked Jesus to explain how a man could possibly be born twice. Yes, he came at night and away from the crowds, but he found a way to get to Jesus with his questions. Notice that Jesus did not chastise him for the hour or location of the interview, and he was patient with this sincere inquiry. For Nicodemus, he took a great risk to come to Jesus. He was in a position where people expected him to have all the answers, and yet he was humble enough to recognize his need.

Along your journey of being a disciple you will likely find yourself in both positions. Someone will ask you a tough question. Recognize their vulnerability and help them; don’t make them feel ashamed for not knowing. At the same time, examine your own journey and find someone whom you trust; ask them the hard questions. Dig into the truth of scripture together. This is how we grow.