“But he said emphatically, ‘If I must die with you, I will not deny you.’ And they all said the same.” – Mark 14:31

It’s very easy to speak boldly of your courage and devotion when you’re safe, comfortable, and well-fed. Peter certainly did! But when the test came a few hours later, he completely failed. He pretended he’d never met Jesus! Could there be a worse betrayal??? Thankfully, by God’s grace, that failure didn’t define his life. Instead, what came to define Peter’s life was decades of bold ministry that included plenty of suffering for Jesus before reportedly ending in his own brutal death on a cross (upside down!)

What was the difference between Peter’s cowardice and courage? What will make the difference for you if you’re ever confronted with the opportunity to suffer for your faith? One key difference was the Holy Spirit. When Peter failed, he hadn’t yet received the Holy Spirit. When Peter succeeded, he not only had the Spirit, he was filled by the Spirit and the Spirit led Him. If you’ve put your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you have the Spirit. But are you filled with the Spirit? Is the Spirit leading you and revealing His fruit in your life (increasing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control)?

To walk in the Spirit with the boldness of Peter, you’ll need to do some fundamental things. You’ll need to break out of any sinful habits and patterns in your life, repenting of those sins and fighting to live like Jesus. You’ll need to get serious about worship, Bible reading and meditation, prayer, engaging in deep Christian relationships, serving God, and sharing your faith (we call that Five to Thrive). You’ll have to be intentional about turning control of your day and your life to God’s authority and expectations rather than your own. You’ll have to do what the Spirit prompts you to do, no matter how surprising or improbable.

Peter also came to understand some profoundly critical things. When he failed, he didn’t understand what Jesus was going to suffer and die to do for him. Later in life, Peter knew that his Lord and Savior had suffered humiliation, torture, and death to redeem him from his sins. Peter knew that Jesus had risen back to life having conquered the power of sin and death. He understood that the invitation to follow Jesus, even to suffering and death, was actually an invitation to enjoy eternal life with Jesus.

Do you have that understanding deep in your soul? Do you meditate regularly on the terrible price of your salvation and the glorious victory that you share in through Jesus Christ? Do you really know what Jesus did for you personally? Do you celebrate what that sacrifice has changed about and in you? Regularly meditate on these things and trust that as a Spirit-filled follower of Jesus, you have everything you need to glorify Jesus should suffering and persecution find you. #FollowJesus

“And Jesus said to him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.’” – Mark 13:2

When we stand next to enormous, beautiful buildings, it’s natural to imagine they’ll last forever. Beside them, we feel so small while they seem so large and permanent. Gazing at the stately buildings that fill the capitals of the nations, we imagine they’ll always be standing there. But they won’t – Jesus was very blunt about that.

The beautiful temple His disciples were marveling at was destroyed just a few decades later. That’s the way of this fallen world. Buildings get destroyed. Nations fall. Empires crumble. These things aren’t permanent. However, one thing IS permanent – the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom that Jesus came to establish will last forever. It’s a kingdom of eternal life in Him. It’s an eternity of delighting in God’s presence and enjoying the fellowship of believers from every tribe, ethnic group, and nation.

Don’t give too much energy or attention to things that won’t last. If you have eternal life in Jesus Christ, devote yourself to God’s Kingdom instead. Invest your earthly life, energy, time, talent, and treasure into helping others enter the eternal Kingdom. Share your hope in Christ with those you meet in life. Pray and support those who are doing likewise all over the world. By doing that, you touch eternity and alter the course of generations to come. Seek first the Kingdom of God because it will last forever! #FollowJesus

“And Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.’” – Mark 10:18

What do people actually mean when they say something positive, yet vague, about Jesus? That’s what Jesus is pushing back on here. A man came and called Him a good teacher. What did he actually mean by that? Was it mere flattery? Or did he mean something deeper? When Jesus says only God is good, He’s asking the man, “Do you actually mean that I am God come in the flesh or are you just being polite?”

In our own time, many people say nice things about Jesus. They’ll praise His teaching, His character, His radicalness, His boldness in calling out hypocrisy, or His moral example. But what do they really mean by that???

– To praise Jesus as a radical without realizing that He was calling people to radical holiness and obedience to God’s unchanging will and standard utterly misses the point. In offering this praise, are they prepared to radically obey Jesus’s commands? If not, then He clearly isn’t their kind of radical.

– To praise Jesus as a good teacher without acknowledging that He clearly taught He was God on earth misses the point. In offering this praise, are they prepared to worship Jesus as God? If not, then He must have actually been a terrible teacher in their eyes.

– To praise His moral example without embracing that same morality utterly misses the point. In offering this praise, are they prepared to embrace His example and instruction on matters of marriage, divorce, compassion, and care for the vulnerable? If not, then He would actually have to be immoral in their eyes.

You get the idea…. To praise Jesus for some aspect of His life and ministry without embracing all of Who He is utterly misses the point. Indeed, it’s logically contradictory. If you, or someone you know, is praising part of Jesus, tug on that thread. What’s meant by that praise? Do they live as if they believed that praise? If praise of any sort is offered for Jesus, the only conclusion that actually makes sense of it is to fully worship Jesus as Lord, the Risen Savior, and God incarnate. #FollowJesus

“Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’” – Mark 9:24

Have you ever felt like this? This loving father knew Jesus could do extraordinary things. However, his son had suffered so terribly for so long that the man was afraid to get his hopes up again. This is the perfect prayer for such a situation!

Have you ever needed to pray this prayer? Have you ever believed and yet been afraid to truly believe and pray boldly in faith? Many of us have. We know what God is capable of. We know that He loves us. We know that He numbers the hairs on our head. Yet we still struggle to have confidence that God will come through in a mighty way about whatever’s on our heart (and we often lack the trust that if He says no, then His plan is even better). So, we shield our weak faith by refusing to pray bold prayers. Don’t limit your faith like that!

Like this father of a long-suffering child, most of us would do well to confess to God that we believe but still struggle with some level of doubt or unbelief that we need Him to touch and transform. Pray this prayer to God. When you do, you’ll probably find yourself growing bolder in your prayers. More frequent in your prayers. And more trusting in God’s decisions about those prayers. Let God build your faith. Let Him transform your prayer life into one of deep fellowship, satisfaction, and trust in Him. #FollowJesus

“And he cautioned them, saying, ‘Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.’” – Mark 8:15

This warning from Jesus remains extremely relevant even though the Pharisees and Herod are long gone. Jesus often used the image of leaven (or yeast) mixed into dough to illustrate the powerful effect even small things can have on the whole. It doesn’t take much leaven to turn plain old flour and water into excellent dough for bread. A little leaven has an enormous and transformative impact. That includes the leaven of sinful mindsets that easily infect the followers of Jesus.

The leaven of the Pharisees is the temptation to add man-made rules and the mandatory following of human traditions to the practice of our faith. It’s the temptation to take back control over salvation from God’s limitless grace and instead make ourselves feel self-righteous through “good” behavior while relentlessly finding fault in others for their “bad” behavior. This is a constant temptation for God’s people! As followers of Jesus, we’re called to live holy lives in obedience to God’s commands. But are we doing that out of love and gratitude for God’s grace which we’ve already received? Or do we secretly think we’re somehow making ourselves more acceptable to God, more loved by Him, and more deserving of His grace? The leaven of the Pharisees easily and invisibly infects the attitude behind the good things we do and the eyes with which we view other people as they struggle with sin in their lives. Take some time right now to prayerfully look for the leaven of the Pharisees in your heart and mind…

The leaven of Herod pulls us in the opposite direction. It’s about falling in line with the powers and culture of this fallen world. Herod was a political creature who knew how to work the system of the Roman Empire for power, influence, and wealth. Those aligned with Herod enjoyed the sinful delights of Greco-Roman life rather than the delights of holy lives devoted to God. This also easily infects followers of Jesus! When we become overly concerned with political power. When we’re willing to compromise the character and commands of Jesus to gain (or keep) influence or protect our prosperity or social standing. When we surrender to the sinful delights of a culture drunk on sex, money, cruelty, and endless entertainment. Take some time right now to prayerfully look for the leaven of Herod in your heart and mind… Then #FollowJesus