“As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.” – Matthew 13:22

One of the greatest spiritual hazards of our marvelous modern age isn’t new at all. There are many who hear the good news about Jesus and aren’t hostile toward it. They may like it. They may even think they believe it. They may even go to church for a while. Yet ultimately, they’re more consumed by the opportunities and challenges of life on earth than by the eternal things of God. That’s what wills their minds and schedules.

Busy-ness is a tremendous spiritual threat to those who are positively inclined toward Jesus. When we’re overly focused on kids, careers, degrees, certifications, accomplishments, promotions, status, and hitting financial goals those things grow to consume all our time and energy. There’s simply nothing left for God. When we put everything we have into getting ahead in this world, we inevitably neglect those things which matter for eternity.

Is such a person even saved? That’s difficult to say. Fortunately, the answer to that is in the gracious and merciful hands of God. Nonetheless, this clearly isn’t how a Christian should live. Those earthly concerns may be good and important but they must always take second place to the eternal work and rewards of serving God’s Kingdom. Every follower of Jesus is called to live a fruitful life of spiritual growth and Kingdom impact that will last for eternity. Not later…not when life slows down…not when the kids are grown…TODAY. And every day.

Take time to talk to God. Make sure you aren’t like the thorny soil Jesus describes here. Then reflect on those close to you who may be living the thorny life. Pray for them and seek opportunities to lovingly discuss their priorities with them. Help them place God and His Kingdom above their own kingdom. Help them trust God’s provision enough to prioritize worship and obedience to Him over “getting ahead” here on earth. Help them #FollowJesus

“This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” – Matthew 13:13

There is a spiritual dimension that’s required to truly understand the teachings of Jesus and the word of Scripture. The Holy Spirit helps us understand in a way that no amount of education and expertise can replace. The words of Jesus aren’t intended to simply convey information. They’re meant to stir the soul to worship and obedience. A brilliant expert in language, history, and culture who lacks the Holy Spirit may know a tremendous amount of information about what Jesus said but they still won’t fully understand because they will neither worship nor obey.

Likewise, there must be a desire to truly understand. If the mind and heart aren’t open to what Jesus had to say, then it will remain stubbornly difficult to understand what He taught and what the rest of the Bible is communicating. This is why Jesus began teaching in parables after being accused of using Satanic power. He knew there would always be people who knew a lot but had no desire to understand. Communicating with them was no longer His priority. His desire was to communicate effectively with those who wanted to understand and who would have the Spirit within them to understand.

This is a good news / bad news situation for you. The good news is that if you’re a believer in Jesus, then you have what you need to understand the teachings of Jesus and the Bible. You have the Holy Spirit. You have (or should have) a desire to understand. That doesn’t mean it will always be easy to understand, but this should encourage you to start reading and studying God’s Word for yourself, confident that understanding will come when you want to understand and ask God’s help to understand.

The bad news is that you may have people in your life who don’t have the Spirit and don’t honestly want to understand Scripture. They may be more interested in scoring clever points, twisting Scripture, or mocking it. The painful reality is that they’ll continue to think you’re wrong and foolish for caring about, studying, and obeying the ancient words of Jesus. This will be discouraging, but remember – it’s because they literally can’t understand. Not fully. Don’t be surprised about this, be prepared. Help them believe in Jesus first, knowing that until they do, they’re always going to misunderstand God’s Word and be hostile toward it. Trust in Jesus, study His Word, share your hope with those who don’t understand. #FollowJesus

“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” – Matthew 12:30

There’s no pleasantly neutral position on the sidelines of the most important decision each person must make! Once a person has heard the Gospel, he or she must decide for themself whether they follow Jesus or oppose Him. There’s no in between. There’s no “third way”. To refuse to actively follow Jesus is to remain in rebellion against God’s design, will, and authority. Holding a “neutral”, “agnostic”, or uncommitted position toward Jesus is to remain dead in one’s sins, actively at war with God.

Hopefully, you’ve already embraced Jesus as your Lord. If you haven’t, what’s stopping you??? If you have, the pressing question becomes who in your life is still against Jesus? Many in our culture are against Jesus without even realizing it. They may think good thoughts and vibes about Jesus. They might not think about Him at all. They probably believe they’re good and decent which they consider to be good enough. They may consider themself to be a good citizen, good neighbor, good person. Self-satisfied, contented, non-following of Jesus is opposition to Jesus. A person is either truly with Jesus or they are opposed to Him.

Regardless of their personal, economic, or moral status from a human perspective, if they haven’t embraced Jesus, they’re still at war with Him. They are against Him. The outcome of that will be horrifying for them for all eternity if they die in that state. And they may well have no idea or the terrible danger they’re in. You are probably God’s appointed agent of reconciliation to them. Begin to pray for them daily, by name, to repent and believe the Gospel. Commit to talk to them about Jesus and pray for God’s wisdom on how to intentionally turn an ordinary conversation with them into a Gospel conversation. Pray that God will let you be present for the harvest when they choose to #FollowJesus

“A bruised reed he will not break,       
and a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory;”
– Matthew 12:20

As Jesus fulfills the ancient promise of Isaiah 42, it’s vitally important to see the way in which Jesus accomplishes His purpose. Jesus doesn’t use violence or force. The prophet declares that Jesus will proclaim and ultimately achieve justice in gentleness. In fact, Isaiah says that Jesus is so gentle in His nature that even an already damaged reed growing by the water won’t be broken by His actions. Even a candle that’s already sputtering and struggling to stay lit won’t be snuffed out by Him. That’s how gentle our Lord and Savior is!!!

Our culture, like that of the ancient Greco-Roman world, generally doesn’t appreciate or celebrate gentleness. That’s unfortunate. We celebrate the use of force, crushing our enemies, and taking our goals by any means. Nonetheless, our Savior declares Himself to be gentle (Matthew 11:28-30). He invites us to learn gentleness from Him and to be refreshed by a life of gentleness. To be clear, you can certainly be strong while being gentle. Indeed, it takes more strength to be gentle, as Jesus demonstrated throughout His suffering and death.

The question is, how will you use your strength? To force others to your will or to stay gentle in a hostile world? We’re saved and our sins forgiven because Jesus submitted to death on the cross with gentleness rather than calling down armies of angels to slaughter His persecutors. Take time today, on a day that commemorates strong, non-violent efforts to accomplish justice, to meditate on Jesus. Seek to have both His strength AND His gentleness through the power of the Holy Spirit. #FollowJesus

“It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.” – Matthew 10:25

If you’re a follower of Jesus, buckle up for a bumpy ride! You might remember that Jesus was treated pretty badly by His countrymen, religious leaders, teachers, and local authorities. He was accused of vile and blasphemous things. He was hated and rejected. He was betrayed, tortured, and murdered. Guess what??? Jesus made it very clear that His followers should expect the same things and worse!!!

Don’t imagine that following Jesus will suddenly make everything smooth in your life. Quite the opposite! Expect that if you’re serious about following Jesus, you’ll experience some of the same things He did. Prepare yourself to be disliked, mocked, rejected, and opposed. And know that it’s worth it!!!

Following Jesus is the greatest blessing and adventure there is! When you follow Jesus, you walk with the Lord of the Universe. When you follow Jesus, you’re forgiven, freed, cleansed, adopted, and loved. When you follow Jesus, you gain eternal life and fellowship with God. All this comes for free through God’s grace, love, and mercy when you believe in Jesus.

However, the path of a follower and disciple is the path of our Master. We will experience challenges in life and in our relationships because we serve and follow King Jesus. It’s logical. Jesus told us to expect it. So expect it and be prepared, not surprised! Find your identity and joy in Jesus, not the applause of those around you. Ground your hope in God’s unchanging love for you rather than your ever-changing popularity. #FollowJesus