Followers of Jesus acknowledge God’s design for life in this world. God revealed His design for the family from the beginning, creating Adam and Eve in His image and blessing their unity. While we live in a society where marriage itself is declining, and the operative definition of marriage is shifting, as followers of Jesus above all our calling is to be beacons of light that shine, reflecting the light of Jesus in a dark world. As the family of God we do that best by simply living out our faith and reflecting God’s plan for the family in our own lives. In Mark 10 Jesus not only affirms God’s design for marriage, but He also makes clear God’s love and care for little children—all are important in His Kingdom. As a follower of Jesus, have you been wrestling with God’s design for the family? How is that design being reflected in your life or your family? Where do you need God’s forgiveness and strength? Come to Jesus like a little child—He will take you in His arms and bless you, for the “kingdom of God belongs to such as these”!
At the heart of being Christian, there is this core concept of following Jesus. The disciple follows his or her master, imitating the master and learning along the way. The church is in the disciple-making business, connecting people to Jesus and leading them in the process of walking in His ways. This discipleship process is never completed for any of us in this life—we are continually learning and growing as we follow Jesus until He brings us to our heavenly home.
• What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus, a Christ-follower?
• What are the core marks of those who follow Jesus faithfully? What does being a disciple look like?
• How are disciples shaped and formed as they continue to walk with Jesus?
And we always remember that God’s design is not to make us out to be “cookie-cutter Christians”—rather, discipleship is a process, a life-long learning adventure. It is, at its core, the art of following Jesus every day, knowing that Jesus has promised to be with us always, expecting that we will “bear much fruit” as we remain in Him and He remains in us.
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