Author: Aaron Hufty

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.

Re:Verse passage – 1 Corinthians 16:15–18; Acts 18:1–8; 11:22–26
(day two) 

I rejoice over the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have supplied what was lacking on your part.

Out of context, this looks like a pretty dismissive verse. In light of our study on discipleship, this takes on a different dimension. Paul wasn’t trying to highlight where the church was failing; he was helping them acknowledge where they could grow. Do you see the difference? We all have growth areas in every part of our lives, and especially our faith walk. We would do well to hear this encouragement from Paul to rejoice when others can help you grow. This is the heart of discipleship. The Lord wants to refine you. Our tendency, especially as adults, is to feel like we have somehow arrived developmentally. After all, we spend so much time in school, building a career, in relationships – at some point we want to feel like we’ve got it figured out. In truth each of those areas requires constant adjustment and refinement. Our walk with the Lord is a series of becoming more like him each day, and that means allowing others to help you where you are weak.

Re:Verse passage – Luke 14:25-35 (day two)

 For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? v. 28

I am writing this sitting outside a service station on the border of Portugal. One of our buses had a small electrical malfunction, and we are all waiting for the green light so we can continue our journey to Lisbon. This tour has been incredible, and I am so grateful to explore the world and sing the gospel.

Many of the towns we have seen have Roman roots, and some roots that pre-date those. In many cases those influences are clearly still on display and used. We traversed a first century bridge, we saw a first century aqueduct, and many of the castles and churches are several hundreds of years old. In the case of the aqueduct, there is no mortar or cement, just pieces of stone stacked precisely together. FOR 2000 YEARS! Doesn’t that blow your mind? In many ways, the Romans were living in the future. Their understanding of engineering was remarkable. You can be sure they understood the process before they began work, and that has made all the difference.

As we walk our faith journeys, may this example encourage you to take time to cultivate relationships, invest in people, and deepen your walk with the Lord, so that you may bear much fruit for the Kingdom of God. Your spiritual legacy will outlast any other work you do here on earth, so plan well.

Re:Verse passage – Matthew 28:16-20 (day two)

When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. v.17

As you go, some will doubt. This verse gives me a great amount of comfort. How could the disciples possibly doubt Jesus at this point? What more could they possibly need to see, hear, witness, experience to acknowledge they had been in the presence of the Son of God? If Jesus’ closest companions had doubts, it shouldn’t surprise or hurt you when others don’t believe what you are telling them. So what do you do with that? First, recognize it is not your job to make anyone believe. Your job is to love the Lord your God with everything you have, and to love others. In so doing, you will share with them the testimony of how Jesus has saved your life. This is the gospel lived out. The responsibility for whether or not they receive that testimony will never rest on your shoulders. As you go, give a clear witness; and if some doubt, keep going.