Podcasts about marketplace mission trip

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In this episode of the Follower of One podcast, we share a recording of a recent livestream from our online community. Mike Henry Sr. discusses the vision of Follower of One, a ministry dedicated to helping believers integrate their faith into their work. He shares the inspiring story of how Follower of One began, highlighting the spiritual warfare faced and the incredible growth experienced. Mike emphasizes the importance of community and highlights the five daily habits of prayer, appreciation, knowing what you believe, serving others, and speaking for yourself as a framework for living out faith in the workplace. He encourages listeners to join the Follower of One community, participate in their Marketplace Mission Trips, and utilize the free Marketplace Mission Trip workbook to deepen their faith journey.

This is an Encore episode of the Follower of One podcast from our archives. We are on a short break. Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry senior. And today I want to talk about Galatians 6:1-2. I'm reading from the English Standard Version. "Brothers. If anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself. Lest you are too. Be tempted, bear one another's burdens. And so, fulfill the law of Christ." This book and this verse, this passage, verses one and two of chapter six are aimed at believers. The "brothers" comment there translated in the CSB as "brothers and sisters,” in the New American Standard, it's translated as "brethren." It's basically saying "you who are believers in Jesus, you're our brothers and sisters. And then it says, "if anyone is caught in any transgression." When I was first taught this verse, my initial understanding, I'm not sure it was even the fault of the teachers, but my initial understanding was "if anyone" referred to those brothers, in other words, this passage applied to Christians interacting between Christians. Now studying the verse, a little more and praying about this, and I still may be wrong. I believe that "anyone" here, "brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression," I believe that anyone means anyone. I believe it's very general and it's not limited to just other believers. In other words, "brothers, if any brother is caught in any transgression," would be different than "brothers if anyone is caught in any transgression." I believe this is a command to us as believers to be peacemakers in the world, to be those who build one another up and who bear one another's burdens. We're challenged in this passage that for anyone who falls short, who has an error, "who's caught in any trespass," one translation says. Another one says, "is caught in any sin" or "is overtaken in any wrongdoing." Anybody screws up, we who are spiritual should restore that person in a spirit of gentleness. What does that mean? Well, it doesn't mean that we hold a grudge. Often in our workplaces, we keep score. We keep track of how other people have dropped the ball or how someone failed in the past. Here I believe he's challenging us to create restoration, to help put things back. To help things get back to being right. Not just being to where the damage is controlled but being as right as it can be. And we want to restore that person in a spirit of gentleness, which means that we don't do this complaining or sighing, which I'm famous for having done.  I would make faces or go, "Oh, whatever!" I don't think that was biblical. I don't think that was in accordance with this passage.  I need to have a spirit of gentleness. I want to bring a spirit of gentleness to the situation because I might be tempted. Now, I don't know exactly what temptation he's talking about here, but some of the temptations that I faced where I would be tempted to think better of myself than the other person, or I would be tempted to think that I was immune from the kind of mistake that they made. I want to challenge us. If anyone drops the ball, comes up short, fails in their work, let's be the people who restore that person with a spirit of gentleness. Let's keep watch over the others around us and ourselves so that we're not tempted to think better of ourselves. Today our challenge: watch for people around you. When people fumble or drop the ball, don't let them beat themselves up. Help restore them in a spirit of gentleness. This is what we try and do. We encourage one another through our online community, at Follower of One. And I want to encourage you with this podcast. These commands that were given all throughout scripture to be difference makers in our workplaces, these commands apply to every one of us. This is not just for the super spiritual. This is a choice that we can all make every day in our job to bring a spirit of gentleness and to look for people to restore. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of the people around you. Join us as we work to get better at this in the online community, https://community.followerofone.org. You can join us there and take part in the next Marketplace Mission Trip, where we practice these things on a daily basis. Thanks very much.

This is an Encore episode of the Follower of One podcast from our archives. We are on a short break. Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry. And I'm grateful that you've joined me. This is a challenging verse to explain for me, because I fail so badly in this area. James 5:9, "Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door." I don't see any way around this command to not complain. And yet I complain a lot. Literally the   word is groan. In, the English Standard Version. It says, "do not grumble against one another brothers." I do believe that he's speaking to believers, but I'm not too sure it's constructive to complain about anything ever. When I look at my own life, I can't see anything constructive that came from a simple complaint. Often it was from a request to do something differently.  Often, I would need to ask someone else, "Hey, could we do this differently?" You can get into a situation where you're not comfortable or something doesn't seem right. But asking to make something better is not complaining. I think this word "complain" and more accurately "grumble" here in the English Standard means whining, complaining about what's going on without being able to offer a suggestion or a way to make things better. We all know there's a right way to request something be changed. And there are several bad ways.  Much of what happens in our world today, I think is people just complaining. They feel powerless to make a difference. And so, they just want to create some grief, or they just want to get applause from someone else who's complaining. Look at what you talk about in social media. Look at the way we interact with one another in our world. Look at the way that different things happen. I want to do a better job of identifying what it is that I'd like to be improved and then request that something be changed. "Could we do this a different way?" is much different than just whining about the way it's being done. Today, I want to challenge myself and I hope I challenge you. If you hear this, when it airs we're in the holiday season. It's easy to get tired and angry and frustrated with traffic and the things that are going on around us. I want to complain less. If you interact with me, ask me how I'm doing. Challenge me to complain less. Challenge me to have constructive, positive things to say, not to grumble so that I'll be judged, but rather to lift others up. To share and to offer a blessing and an encouragement, something that might motivate someone else. There's so many opportunities that we have to be a blessing to the people around us and in my mind, many of those opportunities begin by simply not complaining. So today I want to listen to James. I want to not complain. What about you? Are you willing to pray and ask God to help you not complain as well? Let's try it today and see how God makes a difference in our day. Thank you so much for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for helping other people move one notch closer to Jesus. I pray that you're actively considering following and practicing our five daily activities. I also would ask that you consider joining the Follower of One online community? It's at https://community.followerofone.org. And you can join for no cost. You can take part in our next Marketplace Mission Trip. We have a Marketplace Mission Trip coming up in about six weeks, and you can learn more about how to live your faith every day, integrate your faith into your daily life and experience the joy of following Jesus every day of the week. Check it out at https://community.followerofone.org. Thanks very much.

This is an Encore episode of the Follower of One podcast from our archives. We are on a short break. Hey, it's Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Welcome back to our podcast and today's devotional. I want to dig back into the Old Testament again. This has to do with my daily reading, and I was reading in 2 Chronicles 25:9. I'll read you the whole verse, but we're going to just focus on the very end. "And Amaziah said to the man of God, "But what shall we do about the hundred talents that I have given to the army of Israel?" The man of God answered, "The Lord is able to give you much more than this."  The kingdom of Israel was split. You remember there were 12 tribes, 10 went to the Northern kingdom after Solomon passed away. Ten went to the Northern kingdom and were called Israel. And the two remained in the Southern kingdom, Judah and Benjamin, and they were called the kingdom of Judah. It also happens that all the Kings of the Northern kingdom were not God-followers and some of the Kings of the Southern kingdom were good guys. They were trying to follow God. And this fellow who was the king was named Amaziah. And Amaziah was planning to go to war with another kingdom, but he was afraid he didn't have enough of an army. And back then you needed a lot of people to win a battle. You needed God to be on your side too. Amaziah paid a chunk of change to the king of Israel to get an extra a hundred thousand men to fight with him. And this man of God came to him in verse seven, it says, and he says, "Do not let the army of Israel go with you for the Lord is not with Israel, nor is he with any of the sons of Ephraim." That's anyone in the Northern kingdom. "But if you do go do it, be strong for the battle and God will bring you before the enemy." He says he will bring you down before the enemy because God has the power to help. And he has the power to bring down. And Amaziah, said, "But what shall we do? We've invested a hundred talents." This is a hundred year wages. I've got this sunk cost. My challenge for us today is to not sell God short. Let's not take the things that we've done and stick with them when we believe we're convicted by God to trust him. Here, the man of God is challenging this king. "Trust God. And he will give you this win." Now, Amaziah let go of the troops of Israel and, and they even created some more trouble for him. But Amaziah trusted God in this particular case and was victorious in this battle. Where are we not trusting God today? That's my challenge for us. Where am I not trusting him? I can think of one place in particular. And so as I record this, I'm challenging myself to follow through on this need to trust God. I want to trust God. I don't want to worry about the money that's already been invested or any sunk costs or any sunk effort. "The Lord has much more to give you than this." It says New American Standard and in the English Standard, it says, "The Lord is able to give you much more than this." God has everything and he owns everything. When we listen to him, and when we trust him and obey him, that's when we get to see him work. We get to see him make a difference in the world, through us or near us. We get to take part in it. I want to challenge us today. Trust God, ask him, "Where am I not trusting you?" Should I trust you to go into battle with what I have or should I, bend my commitments? Should I cut corners, or should I take shortcuts?" I believe that if we can trust God and do what he calls us to do, that he will become visible and he will work great miracles in our presence if we will trust him. Today in your workplace. Let's challenge ourselves, ask God where he would have us trust him, and then do it. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for investing some of your energy and your time and your effort to making a difference for the kingdom of God in your daily job. It matters. Practice the five daily activities. Check our online community out at https://community.followerofone.org, where you can join us for free and take part in the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Thanks very much.

This is an Encore episode of the Follower of One podcast from our archives. We are on a short break. Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm your host, Mike Henry Sr. Today. I want to talk about James 2:26, "For as the body, apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead." That's from the English Standard Version. We talk about work regularly here, but we're not talking about your job today. We're talking about actions that we take because we follow Jesus. James is explaining how we can claim to believe. But if that belief never changes our lives in any way, we're just fooling ourselves or we're trying to. If we claim to believe in Jesus, but we do not change as a result, we don't know him very well. We're not really following him. And I think this sometimes gets mistaken in the tug of war that kind of goes on about trusting God with my salvation. If I trust God with my salvation, then I should live differently. I shouldn't just trust him and relax and not do anything different. By trusting him it means that I now live differently because I believe that what he says matters. One of those great examples is with the tithe. Do you give some of your money to support the church; to support the work of God? We give a 10th of our income or more. We give whatever we give, because we trust God to do more with the remainder of what we keep than what he would do if we kept it all. It's the same concept behind being closed on Sunday or taking a Sabbath rest day or going to church. If you spend a couple of hours every week going to a local church or being a part of a body of believers so that your relationship with God can grow, God has the ability to use the rest of your time to bless you more than you might possibly be blessed by using all of your own time. God challenges us to give away things from time to time because we trust him. We trust him to do more with what we hang on to. That's the way I think we're called to be at work. We get a challenge to live our life differently in the workplace. We can give away more than is expected of us. We can do more than our job might demand. We can give to our coworkers and bless our customers or our vendors more. We're free to do that. Today, I want to challenge us. Let's use our true faith and let's ask God to make it cause a change in our lives. If we claim to be Jesus' followers, let's ask God one quick question right now. "God, what do I need to change today?" Can you ask God that question? The things that come to your mind are from him. You can tell him "No." You can think, " God, I can't really do that." Or "God, you really don't want me to do that today, do you?" This is very convicting to me, because I've been struggling with myself in a particular area as well. And now I need to take action on what I just told you. So, let's ask ourselves one more question. "What happens if I don't listen to God?" I want to follow Jesus more and more every day. Do you? Today let's turn to him and follow him. What he puts on your mind today to do, figure out a way to get it done. Do things that glorify him. Do things that you know that he would have you do in your workplace simply because you trust him. Let's follow him. This is between us and Jesus.  My prayer is that today we are each courageous enough to ask this prayer and then act on the answer we hear. You'll be blown away by what happens next. If you want to be a part of a community of people who are trying to grow in their faith and trying to make a difference in the world that they live in every day, then check us out over at https://followerofone.org. We'd love for you to join our community and join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Thanks very much.

This is an Encore episode of the Follower of One podcast from our archives. We are on a short break. Hey, welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry Sr. Today, I want to talk about 2 Chronicles 15:1-2. We don't often do a lot from the Old Testament, but this is a challenging passage that I happened to read the other day and I wanted to pass it along. The verse reads like this, "Now the spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded, and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, Listen to me Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you're with him. And if you seek him, he will let you find him. But if you forsake him, he will forsake you."  Now I read that from the New American Standard. That word "forsake," that's like "abandon." If we abandon God, he will abandon us.  This is a challenging word from the Lord. This prophet has been challenged to go talk to the king and to remind him that if you we are with God, if we seek him, if we pursue God, then he will let us find him. But if we abandon him, he will abandon us. Let's remember who we seek. Let's remember where we want to point our heart and our desires and our ambitions. For me, it's so easy to get wrapped up in the things of work, to try and get the next promotion to try and pursue the next shiny object or the next thing we want to buy. It's so hard to follow after God. But if we can follow after God and remind ourselves to seek him, then we have this promise and many more that God will be with us when we are with him. And if we seek him, he will let us find him. Our relationship with God is so far outside of our control, it's hard to fathom. And yet God has given us this ability that if we truly turn toward him, he will let us find him. But if we're joking with ourselves or if we're lying to ourselves or if we just choose not to have anything to do with God, he'll let us go that way too. The key to our life is learning to live it pointed towards God. In the Follower of One community, we try to encourage each other to be intentional in the way that we live our daily life. Today. I want to challenge you. Let's ask ourselves, are we seeking God? Or are we seeking something else? And what has to change? We can change with a prayer. We can punch in and tell God, "Here I am." And then we can also pray and ask him to bless the people around us. We can get on this eternal clock by punching-in with God and letting him use our life to matter forever. That's our job. We can follow Jesus and stick with him like we're following the bumper of a friend in a town where we're lost, where we don't know where we are. Let's stay close to Jesus and not let the shiny objects of career and material possessions take us off track. When we focus on God, he will challenge us to pay attention to the people around us, and the people that we work with. Let's follow hard after him today and let him direct our actions and use us for his glory. You never know, your life may change so much that someone will come up to you today and go, why are you different? Or why did you just do this for me? Why did you go outside of your way to help me when you didn't have to? And that gives you an opportunity to share how Jesus transformed your life. That's part of the excitement that we get by following Jesus every day. If you want to take part more in this type of a spiritual life and this life with Jesus, where our life matters as we interact with others, it matters for eternity. If you'd like to take part in that life, join us at https://followerofone.org. You can check out our online community there. You can see our videos and different things that we offer. And by joining the online community, you can also take part in our next Marketplace Mission Trip, which is a two-week exercise to help us learn how to practice following Jesus carefully at work. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for wanting to integrate your faith into your daily life. Ask God to help you, and he will make it happen. I promise. Thanks very much.

This is an Encore episode of the Follower of One podcast from our archives. We are on a short break. Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. Today, I want to talk about God being at work. If you hear this on the day that it airs, it's actually the Monday after the U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving and we're back at work. And so, I wanted to check out and just think a little bit about how God is always at work. In John 5:17 it says, "But Jesus answered them, 'My father is working until now and I am working.'" And that's from the English Standard Version. Where are you today? What's your situation? Are you at work or going to work? Are you working from home? Maybe you're retired or maybe your day is trying to get healthy from an illness or caring for someone else who's not healthy. You may be on vacation. Wherever you are, we are workers. God created us to work. The original mandate in the original story in Genesis, you will find that we were challenged to subdue the earth and be fruitful and multiply, to fill the earth. We have a working God who calls us to work. So even if we're on vacation, even if we're outside of the normal work world or we're in some situation as a volunteer, our job is to work, to make the earth better for everyone on it. Now, if God created us to work, who do we work for? Do we work for God? Or do we see ourselves as the boss? Or do we see someone else as our boss? What's our goal in our job? Do we work for a purpose? Do we work simply so we can spend time not working? Do we work only to get through Friday? If God has created us to work and God is always at work, what's he challenging us to do? The entire Trinity is working. Can we see our work as something that God has assigned to us? And since our original mandate is to work, do you think of yourself as an employee of God's? That was a big transition that I had to make many years ago. I had to realize that the people that I reported to at work, the people who signed my paycheck, they really weren't my boss. They were in charge of me. I was assigned there, but I was working for God. If God's working and Jesus is working, I want to work for them. Today at work, I want to focus my perspective. I want to point my brain to working for God. Colossians 3 23 and 24. We're challenged to do our work heartily as if we work for the Lord. As we get back into it and we get on our tasks at work, let's remember that we do them for God. That our job is to do excellent work and to do our work with quality and with energy and with passion so that we can glorify God. We can show other people that we worked for him. Today, if we focus our perspective on work, as if we work for God, how will that make us behave? Would we work differently? Will we take our assignments from him and do our work like we report to him? And if so, how will that change how we work today? That's my challenge to us. Today let's work as if we work for God. If that's something you normally do, go ahead and ask him for one additional assignment today. Ask him to give you something else that you can do today, just because you work for him. He will answer and he will call us out and he will challenge us if we let him. Today, let's remember we're marketplace ministers. We have an opportunity to make a difference in the world, right where we are, because we follow Jesus. Let's pray for the people around us and look for opportunities to follow Jesus with our whole life. If you want to practice this more, you can join the next Marketplace Mission Trip. There's not one coming up for another month or so, but you can find out more about that mission trip by joining our online community at https://community.followerofone.org. Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for making a difference with your faith. What we do matters and your actions on behalf of Jesus, your actions as a Christ follower matter forever. Thank you very much.

Do you ever think deeply about where your life came from?   "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser." John 15:1 ESV   Think about all the things leading up to today that you had no say in. You didn't get to choose to come to life - the day, the time, the parents, nationality, skin color, height. Our life comes from someone or somewhere else.   Jesus makes the vine analogy. He and the disciples had left the room where they had the last supper (see John 14:31). Jesus is saying this as they walk. I imagine they walked past a vine of some kind. Also, Israel was considered a vine in the old testament. Jesus is establishing a new idea. Jesus is the vine. Life comes from him. Let's focus on that today.   The vine is life. Have you ever thought about life? It came from outside of you. God, the vine dresser, gave you life. If all life comes from Jesus, which he seems to suggest here, people who don't want anything to do with him will eventually be thrown off and burned up.   If Jesus is the life, and that life is in us, we have a job to do: live. By living connected to Jesus, we help others see the benefits and joy of living connected to him. We're always loved. We're forgiven. We have a heavenly father who is always working for good.   So how does Jesus show up in your life today? What can you do to make him visible? Why not ask him for some direction? Our first daily activity on the Marketplace Mission Trip is to pray and we're starting one of those today. Ask Jesus to show you what he would have you do today. Step two: do it!   Let's spend a few days talking about the remainder of John 15 and see where Jesus takes us. In the meantime, ask God what he would have you do today and then do it.

Thanks for joining us on the Follower of One podcast again today. I'm Mike Henry, your host. And today I'm talking about 2 Timothy 2:2, "The things which you've heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." This is a great verse about discipleship and that translation that I read was the New American Standard version.   This is a great passage about discipleship, as I said, because it's challenging us to think about four (4) generations. If you see it here, we see Paul passing this on to Timothy, who is to entrust these to faithful men, that's generation three, who will be able to teach others also generation four. So it's like four degrees of separation from the apostle Paul to people who are teaching others about the scripture.   We want to be people who ship grace. I mentioned this yesterday. He challenges us to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. I believe we're all like little warehouses and God gives us his grace, not so that we would hang onto it, but so that we would distribute it to other people, to the people that we come in contact with.   I believe Jesus puts his people in every company, in every workplace situation, and in every life situation so that others can see what a Jesus follower does in that circumstance. And us having grace that's strong, that's available to be present and delivered to others that we can teach to others about the grace of Jesus Christ.   When we have that grace, we make a difference in the lives of the people that we interact with.  Today, let's ship the grace that we have received. What we have learned about Jesus Christ and his grace is what we pass along to others.   Yes, this is a verse about teaching, but it can also be a verse about showing. The things which we have heard from the people who taught us, let's trust those to faithful people. Let's deliver those things. We want to deliver those in speech to people who want to hear them, but we live them in action.   We put them to work. Let's put our faith to work by shipping this grace into the lives of the people around us today. We want to think about generation and generation and generation. Challenge a friend to be the kind of Christ follower that others might want to emulate. And let's pass that on to the people that we meet and the people that we know.   Yes, we're going to teach people that, but we need to teach with our lives too. So, let's not just be talkers. Let's entrust these things. Let's pass them along with our life, with our lifestyle and with the way that we speak and act. I'm guilty of this as much as anyone. There are times when I don't live like a good Christian, or I don't act like a good Christian.   So, I have to remind myself to be strong in the grace. That's the verse above this. To remember my relationship with Jesus Christ and the grace that he's given me, and then live according to that grace. Join us in this marketplace ministry that you have by taking the grace that you've been given and delivering that to the people around you. The faithful ones will be able to learn and teach others also.   Let's pass this along. Let's think about the four degrees of connection that we each have and take our faith and make a difference with it in our world today. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for sharing this podcast with your friends. Invite people to join us at https://community.followerofone.org, where you can join other marketplace Christians and take place in the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Thanks very much.

Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry Sr., the founder of Follower of One. And I like to talk a little bit about the Bible every day and challenge us to go to work as people who make a difference in the lives of the people that we interact with. Today, we're wrapping up the series on second Peter, one, one through eight. I want to finish by reading second, Peter eight today. "For these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord. Jesus Christ. "I read from the New American Standard translation of the Bible. Those words "useless" and "unfruitful" are translated slightly differently in different texts. But the general idea is these eight qualities that we've just been talking about beginning with faith, moral excellence, knowledge self-control perseverance, godliness, brotherly, kindness, and love. These qualities are this process. I believe that Peter is talking about. In this process, God gives us the faith. Then we add moral excellence and knowledge and self-control and perseverance. We add these things. I always feel like the before picture, I've been a Christ-follower for a long time, but I still often feel underdeveloped. I feel like I should have more faith or I should be able to trust God more. I should walk more in my ability to trust him and to obey him and to do what he says. And I don't often measure up. And that is a problem for me. I work on that regularly. Maybe you feel that way. I think what we need to do is give ourselves a little bit of a pass because what we learn here is we iterate through this process. Faith, moral excellence, knowledge. All of these qualities are a process and we grow in them. We make another lap around the track. I would consider this a lap around the track. So we exercise our moral excellence and our knowledge and our self-control and our perseverance through a series of activities that occur over a period of time in our lives. And at the end by adding brotherly, kindness and love. We grow in our faith. Our faith grows. God gave us the faith, but he didn't give us a fully developed faith. It's still our responsibility to grow it. That's the challenge that Peter gives us here with the phrase "increasing". We need to be increasing. We need to be growing our faith. And that requires that we grow our moral excellence and our knowledge all the way through to love. We want to continue to grow and those things are ours to do. In fact, I think what I'll do is I'll add one more episode to this and talk about verse nine tomorrow. To continue growing, eventually we grow to reduce the uselessness or the unfruitfulness of our knowledge of our Lord, Jesus Christ. If you remember back in verse two, it talks about the knowledge of God and in verse three, the knowledge of God results in us, getting everything pertaining to life and godliness, Peter's helping us grow in our knowledge. I want to help you grow in your knowledge, but it's not through any teaching of mine. Let's read the scripture and let's trust the Lord. Let's spend some time obeying him today. Ask him, go ahead and pray. That's our first daily activity. Punch in, get on the clock and ask God to show you where you need to grow today. What can you bring today? Is it godliness or is it brotherly kindness or is it love? Let's bring some more of these qualities to our workplace. Eventually, God guides us through this process. Our faith grows and we become more useful and more fruitful. In the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's my prayer for us today. My prayer is that we become more useful and more fruitful, right where we are in our workplaces, however, we spend our time each day. We become more useful and fruitful. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for growing in your faith. Thank you for actually investing a little energy every day, to try and continue to increase these qualities and become more useful and fruitful. The difference that you make matters. Over time, this changes and God uses us in the lives of people. Thank you for being a marketplace minister. And also thank you for checking out https://followerofone.org. That's our website. Go there, check out our online community and also sign up for the next Marketplace Mission Trip, where you get to practice these things a little more every day. Thanks very much.

Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. We're continuing our series through 2 Peter.   Today, we're in chapter 1, verse 6. Let me read 5, 6, 7, and 8. "Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence in your faith, supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”   We have this process that's going on in our life that begins with faith, and then we bring moral excellence and knowledge and self control. And today, in addition to our self control, we want to bring perseverance. And then to perseverance, we will bring godliness. Perseverance is necessary because if you're like me, persevering is one of those things that requires energy.   Just because I can make myself be operating under self-control today, doesn't mean I'll do it again tomorrow. Perseverance takes time. It's difficult for us to tame ourselves and train ourselves in self control, and therefore we must persevere. Perseverance is the natural next step. Just because we begin self-control today, doesn't mean we will persist in it. Persisting in it requires this perseverance, and so we must bring perseverance. It's important because we will not achieve godliness. Godliness is being like God, doing the things that God would have us do. We want to be God-like.   Our goal is to be like Jesus Christ, to model Jesus Christ in our lives and to our friends. That requires that we are godly people, that we become like God, that we do the things that God would have us do. It's interesting because this word's clearly translated godliness. I believe that's the natural result of this process.   We stepped through from moral excellence to knowledge to self control. When we persevere in our self control, the result that we produce is godliness. We become like God. We do the things that He would do.  Today. I want to challenge us. Let's persevere. Let's chase after God hard. Let's keep going. Whatever one more day, one more hour, I'm speaking again to myself. I chose this entire passage because it's talking to me.  We need to prepare ourselves and grow up in our faith, and this process, we step through these different qualities. We iterate through this process, and we grow as followers of Jesus Christ. And He puts us to work in more and more opportunities with our friends and the people that we work with. Today let's grow. Let's keep growing. Let's persevere. Hang on, go one more time. Do another lap. Exercise for another few minutes. Let's persevere so that we move on into godliness to being like God, so that we can make Him visible in our world every day.  I want to challenge you today. Pray. Ask God to help you persevere. Ask Him to help you remain present with the people that you interact with. Ask Him to help you make a difference in the lives of every person that you interact with today. You will become more like God as you do that, as you listen to Him. You ask Him for guidance and listen to Him, and then do what He says.And so that's what we want to do today.  Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for spending your energy and trying to grow up in your faith so that you will glorify God. That's what we try and do in Follower of One. I'd like to invite you to become a part of our online community. Join us at https://community.followerofone.org. You can join our online community for free, take part in a Marketplace Mission Trip, and begin to practice these traits in your life and grow up in your faith. Thanks very much.

Welcome to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry Sr., and today, we're continuing our conversation through 2 Peter chapter 1 in this progression of character traits or things that we should pursue as followers of Jesus Christ. And today we're in 2 Peter 1:6. "And in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness." Self-control is the core reason why I chose to study this passage, and to make a series of podcast episodes, or devotionals, on this topic. Self-control is what I need to focus on as a human being and as a Christ-follower.   We spoke earlier about how we were to supply moral excellence in our faith. Moral excellence, I believe, is this pursuit of trying to get where we are living according to the best that Jesus has for us. We take the knowledge that we have of Him in our first set of faith, in the first faith that He gives us, and we apply our lives to that knowledge. We act according to what we believe. Self-control comes after knowledge. So knowledge follows moral excellence, and then self-control follows knowledge.    Now this is a different command. This is about managing ourselves. Managing ourselves toward what's best from God, and toward what's best for others. Self-control is this ability to keep my body tamed; to keep my mind and my spirit and my energy within the control of myself, and also submitted to the Lord. I can overeat or I can lose my temper, and where I lose self-control, I'm not a God-honoring person. I'm not all aligned. There's another reference to self-control in 1 Corinthians chapter 9, verse 24 and 25. It says, "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things." This self-control is subordinating my own desires to my long-term goals. This is where I have the biggest problem. I give myself a pass. I claim that I don't want to eat sweets, but then in the evenings, I decide I want to have some sweets. I give myself a pass. I give myself a "bye." Do we give ourselves a "bye" in and around our friends and in, and around those people that we are with? Self-control is one of these characteristics that we have to bring to the Lord. He gives us the faith, and then we bring these other attributes, and self-control is a key piece in this puzzle. Today, I want to challenge us. Where do we need to exercise some self-control? The Holy Spirit will tell you where you need to do this. Just ask Him. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to show you where you need to exercise self-control. And while you're praying, you can pray for me, because I need to exercise self-control too. Ask the Holy Spirit to help me exercise self-control; to do the things necessary to achieve the goals that I want to achieve. Just like in this passage in 1 Corinthians 9, I exercise self-control so that I can achieve the goals that I have. My rational mind has these goals. The Holy Spirit gives us a passion and a desire to accomplish certain things. Do we want to allow our own lack of self-control to take us out and to disqualify us?  Today, I'd like to challenge you, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to show you where you need to use more self-control, and ask Him to give you the strength and the energy to add that to the knowledge and the moral excellence that you brought to your faith already. Ask Him to allow you to add self-control to the knowledge and the moral excellence that you've already added to your faith. Let's keep this process going so that we can glorify God daily in our workplace. Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for making a difference in the lives of the people that you interact with every day. Your self-control matters. All of our effort in this area matters. And so, let's continue to add these features to ourselves and to our faith so that we can glorify God in our workplace. Thanks again for being a minister in your marketplace. And also we're getting ready to have another Marketplace Mission Trip. Go check that out at https://FollowerOfOne.org. Thanks very much.

Welcome back to the Follower of One podcast. I'm Mike Henry Sr., and our goal is to help you to be a full-time minister in your regular job. We've been going through a series on 2 Peter chapter 1, and today, we want to talk a little bit about adding knowledge to moral excellence. We're in verses 5 and 6. "Now for this very reason, also applying all diligence in your faith, supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance..." I stated before that I see this as a circular progression.  It begins with faith as we spoke about in the last episode, and the first thing we add to our faith is this moral excellence. This commitment to doing what's best to choosing- to live a life that's morally excellent; that lines up with God. Our choice to obey is the key first step. What we add to our faith is our choices to obey, and then God gives us more.  He gives us more intelligence. He gives us more opportunities. He gives us this knowledge, and that's why I believe knowledge is second. We obey our way into knowing Jesus, we don't simply study our way into knowing Jesus. Our truth of knowledge, our growing up in Christ, comes first from obedience, and that opens the door to knowledge. But we have to work on our knowledge. And then when we learn new things, we can't unsee them. We can't unlearn them. So then we must begin to control ourselves to live according to the knowledge that we've gained. Knowledge and self control go together.  This whole series that we began on 2 Peter verses 2 through 8, it was motivated by my own goal to focus on self-control. So please know that I'm speaking to myself as I often say. This is my time to remind me what needs to happen in my life today too. Self-control is the ability to dictate to ourselves what we're going to do. And in my case, I tend to give myself a pass. We'll talk about this more tomorrow, because what follows self-control is perseverance, and we'll still be in verse 6 tomorrow. Today, I want us to concentrate on adding knowledge, studying about Jesus.  Do you read the Bible every day? And then do you let that Bible reading transform you? Take a few minutes every day, and read a little bit of the Bible. You can read a proverb, you can read just a few passages of scripture. Many daily reading plans are only a verse or two or three long. I would encourage you to get more of the Bible in, if you can, to grow your knowledge, to take in more.  There are places in the Bible that require some work, and there are other places in the Bible that may call for memorization. Let's focus on knowing Jesus. Let's obey Him and study Him, and the way we know Him is we obey Him and we study Him some more. The knowledge and the obedience go together. Add to your moral excellence knowledge, and then to your knowledge, self-control. Today, let's read the Bible. Let's ask God to show us Himself through our scriptures, and then let's look for opportunities to obey what we read today at work. Watch how often Jesus will use what you read this morning in your workplace today. It will surprise you.  Thank you for being a marketplace minister. And thank you for making a difference in the lives of the people that you work with every day. We are excited to live our faith, and I hope that we help you live your faith on a daily basis. That way we can enjoy our relationship with Jesus and glorify Him as we do our daily job and as we do the things that we enjoy. Also, if you'd like to learn more about our community, check us out at community.followerofone.org, where you can sign up to become a member, take part in our community, and even go on the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Thanks very much.

Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. Today I want to talk about God's will for us. What is God's will for us? One of the places where the Bible tells us God's will is in 1 Thessalonians 4:3, and that verse begins “For this is the will of God, your sanctification...” I confess this was kind of a "duh" moment when I first heard this verse.   When I first remember paying attention to this verse, I had been wondering about God's will for my life in my work, and how I would spend my time, and whether or not I should stay in the job I was in, or how I would find a new job. I actually think I was self-employed and considering job transition the first time I really paid attention to this verse.   And my challenge came in the area of what follows this verse. He talks about how we're called to avoid sexual immorality, how we're to learn, to possess our own vessel in honor, and not in lustful passion as the Gentiles do.    Paul is challenging us with the will of God. He's saying God's will is clear. I want you to be sanctified. What does sanctified mean? Well, sanctified means that we're set apart. We're designated for a specific purpose. My being sanctified means I dedicate more of my life to doing what Jesus would have me do, then I spend my energy trying to do what I want to do. The energy of my life needs to be pointed toward obeying Jesus and doing what He says, instead of trying to do what I want, do just what I want, which might be participating in sexual fornication or overeating. That's one of the ways where I don't possess my own body in honor. I eat too much.   It's one of my challenges, and it's one of those places where you can pray for me. Whatever our addictions are, whatever our challenges are, these are the places where we're consistently reminded that there's more of our life to give over to Jesus. There's more of our time, our thought processes, more of our effort and our energy that can be given over to Jesus.   God's will is that we grow up in sanctification; that we work out our salvation, as it says in Philippians. That we turn ourselves to following Jesus, instead of just following our own flesh, chasing after what we seem to want, or what we think we want, whether that was another drink, or another hamburger, or another foray into pornography on a website or anything like that.   We are called to deny ourselves and pursue Jesus, to follow Him. That's what this passage in 1 Thessalonians is telling us. Let's be sanctified. Today, I want to challenge you: Ask God to give you the energy and the strength and the desire to follow Him and to do exactly what He says. When He gives you clear direction, do it.   If He doesn't give you clear direction, then do the next right thing. We always can do the next, most godly thing in every circumstance, in every situation, in our work, in our daily jobs, in the ways that we interact with people. The next right thing is what God calls us to do when we don't have any other clear direction.   I want to challenge you today to trust God, ask Him for wisdom and guidance and then go do the next right thing. Thank you very much for being a marketplace minister and thank you for following Jesus and for making a difference in your marketplace. If you'd like to join us and learn more about Follower of One, head over to followerofone.org, you can learn more about our ministry there.   Join our online community and take the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Thanks very much.

What do you do when you're joyfully surprised?   And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. Luke 15:20 ESV   Elder heads of families didn't run in Jesus time. Running is what the immature and the afraid would do. In this parable, the father saw his lost son coming back home. He was looking. He saw him while he was still very far away, and he ran to see him.   The father in this story represents God. The sun represents us, every one of us. We're all some distance from God. When we turn to him, he sees it and he runs to close the gap.   Whatever distance that might exist between You and God, you can change it. He's watching and even though you're a long way off, the minute you turn to him, you're on the way to restoration. Jesus told this story. The Jewish leaders of the time would have thought the father silly, even childish. They would have looked down their noses at him.   But Jesus says our Heavenly Father longs for us to turn back. Once we do, he runs to meet us. He schedules a celebration. He's not worried about appearances. He is looking for us.   Today, let's remember the kind of love that is available to us. I hope it changes the way we love others. We are free to impersonate the Father in this story because we experienced this behavior. If you haven't then I want to challenge you to turn to God the Father even more than you already have. Resist the temptation to make demands. You know you don't like what you're doing. So, any thing God does is an improvement. Turn to him, head back toward him and then watch for him as you walk.   Around you today are others who don't want to be separated from God. Maybe you can help them imagine the joy of seeing the Father run in their direction. Anything you can do to help them move one notch closer to Jesus maters. It could be the move the Father sees. Pay attention to the people around you. Pray for them, appreciate them and serve them. And remember to have an answer ready for them when they ask.   Join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip, too. One begins in just a few days. Why not join our online community at https://community.followerofone.org and then ask to join the next Marketplace Mission Trip using the main menu. God will use you in the lives of others. And he will give you a new joy and purpose in your everyday work. Check it out!   I also want to encourage you to check out The Morning Mindset with Carey Green. He's a friend of our ministry and he's been. inviting his listeners to join our Marketplace Mission Trip, too. Listen to today's episode at www.CareyGreen.com.

Do you ever experience times when you know you're not thinking right?   In the story of the prodigal son, the younger son asks for his inheritance and splits. Then he blows the whole thing, and ends up with a terrible job, starving. The whole story turns on this verse.   "When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired workers have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger!" Luke 15:17 CSB   Is there an area of your life where you sense God wants you to come to your senses? What's involved in coming to your senses anyway?   God wants us to live according to the best we know. This person had experienced a different reality. And he realized it was within his power to re-enter the old reality, even at a lower position, and he would still be better off.   Does this apply to you in a particular area of your life? Notice how he immediately turned toward the father in this story. We'll talk about his father's response tomorrow.   Today, living according to our senses is fully within our control. Let's live up to the best we know. Let's live like we trust Jesus to do what's best. Maybe we need to get around others who are thinking and living up their best. One of our friends, Carey Green has another podcast called the Morning Mindset. Check it out at www.CareyGreen.com.   Another way to get around others who are chasing Jesus, would be to join our online community. Head over to https://Community.FollowerofOne.org and join our community and take part in the next Marketplace Mission Trip, too!  

What does Jesus mean when he tells us to repent?   "No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:5 ESV   The Jewish people were hung up on acting correctly. For hundreds of years, they concentrated on doing the right things the right way. In the middle of an interaction with a group of people, someone asks Jesus about some Jews who were killed and their blood was mixed in with the sacrifices.   This would have been particularly difficult. The Romans thought their rules were silly anyway. They only tolerated the Jewish laws because they happened inside the Roman law. How is it that God would allow these terrible things to happen to good people? I believe this is what the Jews were asking Jesus.   We ask this question today, too. Why do bad things happen to seemingly good people?   Jesus doesn't directly answer the question here. He does address the question of whether or not these people were worse than any others by simply saying "No!" Then, Jesus simply suggests that unless they repent, they would have something similar happen to them. And he does this twice, both in verse 3 and in verse 5. He repeats himself.   Jews repeated themselves for emphasis. We do it too. Jesus is emphasizing the idea that unless we repent, we will "likewise perish." We will cease to exist in a similar fashion. Most every translation says the same thing.   So what is repentance and what does Jesus mean? It seems pretty important since it's the only idea Jesus gives here. If we don't repent, we will perish.   Repentance is to change your mind. You thought one thing, but now you think something different. It seems to suggest here and elsewhere in the New Testament that our life was a pursuit of something, and when we repent, we change our mind and our direction and pursue something else. I used to chase full-time after my own goals and my own life outcomes. I was my own authority. But I changed and now I pursue what Jesus wants of me. I realized that I'm not the ultimate decision-maker when it comes to my own personal success. The one who created me had a purpose and I'm now trying to discover and fulfill that purpose.   And that changes the way I interact with others. I now want to cooperate with Jesus and do what he says. I've changed direction. I believe that's the repentance Jesus is referring to in this passage.   What about you? Have you made the decision to chase after Jesus and what he wants? Then join me. Let's pray today and ask him to show us where we can change our behavior?   Maybe you'd like to join our online community. We are a group of people who follow Jesus. We like to help one another. There is strength in numbers. Join us at https://community.followerofone.org.   Don't forget to join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip, too. One starts in just a few days. Head over to https://MarketplaceMissionTrip.com to request an invitation or if you're a member of the community, just go to Mission Trips and sign up for the next trip.

Who do you want to win the big game?   "For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." Luke 9:26 ESV   I hope this isn't a one-time thing. In my past, I've missed opportunities to tell others about Jesus. Fortunately, Jesus paid for my mistakes. But if I'm not one of Jesus' people, I can expect this kind of rejection one day. You might think me a bit cruel in this, but I didn't say it. Jesus did.   I want to choose moment by moment to listen to and do what Jesus says. That's where his kingdom is. His kingdom is the place where people do what he says. I want to stay in that kingdom. As I listen to Jesus, I'm there. As I choose to do what he would want, I'm there.   If I'm one of his children, I won't experience any separation from God. When Jesus takes his throne, I get to be there. I won't be shut out.   Want to practice life following Jesus? Join us for a Marketplace Mission Trip. You can request an invitation to this at www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com.   Also, don't forget to check out my friend Carey Green's Morning Mindset Podcast. You can listen to today's episode at www.CareyGreen.com or on your favorite podcast listener.

What is your net worth?   "For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?" Luke 9:25 ESV   One of the recurring questions I experience in life is what would happen if I gave more of my stuff to help others. I use the phrase "my stuff" because I grew up in the days of George Carlin. Our "stuff" is a reference to our possessions, our riches, our things. I wonder what would have happened if I had given more of it away.   Jesus is in this series of statements that we've been discussing for a few days now. We live in a world where we know that one day, our money will be worthless. I heard someone once describe it as owning the currency of a government that was about to be overthrown. We know the end is coming. So why would we hold on to the money? Why wouldn't we take all of the old money and purchase things that would have a value in the new economy.   This is exactly what Jesus is questioning here. What good is it if we accumulate a bunch of wealth today that will be worthless tomorrow? How silly would we feel? Many of us work our whole lives to save up money and have a lot of stuff. Then we die and it all goes to someone else. If we do this in the extreme, we forfeit ourselves, according to Jesus.   We have another Marketplace Mission Trip coming up in just a few days. This is a 2-week exercise to practice following Jesus rather than forfeiting ourselves. Check it out and request an invitation at www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com.

Would you like to make the most of your life?   "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it." Luke 9:24 CSB   How can we save our life? I don't know first hand, but I'm pretty sure everyone who ever lived has transitioned out of this life. Some believe the story just ends. The Bible teaches that we have a life that lasts forever. We begin enjoying that life when we trust Jesus. We can live that life enjoying ourselves or not. It's our choice. We only need to make one choice. We choose to follow Jesus and we get to enjoy that life from that moment and forever. If we never trust Jesus, we miss out.   Would you like to enjoy life forever? For me to read this verse and it make sense, I had to think about what Jesus was calling life. There must be some difference between the life that lasts forever and the one I'm living right now.   If I want to save my eternal life, I need to lose my temporal life. I give it away. I live following Jesus even though it doesn't seem to make sense. Just thinking in terms of my flesh, I should grab all the gusto and go for everything. I should take anything I want and put me first. But when I trust Jesus, deny myself, take up my cross and follow him, I put others ahead of myself. I serve rather than seek to be served (Mark 10:45). I consider others more important than myself (Philippians 2:3).   What will you do today?   Dont' forget to go visit and share Carey Green's Morning Mindset podcast. Head over to www.CareyGreen.com to catch today's episode.   And please join us for the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Request an invitation at www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com.

What does it mean to "take up our cross?"   And he said to all, "if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23 ESV   Being crucified on a cross was a horrible way to die. Actually it was more of a torture that resulted in death. The Romans had made it into a science. It was hours of excruciating pain and suffocation that only eventually ended in death.   When Jesus talks about taking up a cross, he's referring to crucifixion. He's adding to the picture of denying ourselves. He's not talking about eating less, or not having sweets. He's not even talking about dying in a quick and painless way. He's talking about volunteering to die a miserable death in place of someone else. It's pretty graphic.   And he's telling his disciples this early in his ministry. He is probably thinning out the crowd. Why?   Giving up our rights to ourselves is the only way to God. Fortunately, he doesn't make us do it all at once. Fortunately Jesus' death paid for the gap between what is required and what we do. I think we can't even begin to understand how wide the gap is. All we can do is thank God that we don't have to understand. We need to trust.   When we trust God, how does that transform our day today? What can we do to be part of his calling while we're here?   If you get a chance, go check out The Morning Mindset. It's another 5-minute podcast by my friend Carey Green. Check out today's episode at www.CareyGreen.com.   Carey is inviting his audience to join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip. We have one starting in just a couple of weeks. Request an invitation at www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com

How often do you deny yourself of something?   And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me." Luke 9:23 NASB95   What does it mean to deny ourselves?   Our online community, Follower of One got its name from a conversation I had with some friends. The conversation was about leadership and someone said a leader was someone who "had followers." I said I never followed anyone. I don't think any leader really "has" anyone. People choose to submit, join, cooperate, invest. But "follow" always seemed like I needed to become a passive, do-what-I'm-told kind of person.   After that conversation, the Holy Spirit convicted me. If I don't follow Jesus, my life doesn't work. My eternity becomes a blooper that I can never take back. Imagine having 80 years to get something right and blowing it forever. The only right answer is to follow Jesus instead of anything else. In the end, it's following ourselves or others. We can't help but follow. Jesus didn't call us sheep all the time for no reason.   My biggest obstacle to following Jesus is me. You don't have me as an obstacle. You're too busy dealing with you. We are each our own worst enemy. That's why Jesus very clearly states in just about every translation of this passage the words, deny himself. We must tell ourselves "no!" That is step one.   But the negative isn't motivation. We need to focus on something else. We focus on Jesus and do what he did. Let's talk about that tomorrow.   Check out the Morning Mindset podcast. It's a 5-minute daily devotional podcast like Follower of One but it's done by Carey Green. Check it out at www.CareyGreen.com.   Also, why not join us and practice denying yourself. Go to www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com and request an invitation to our next Marketplace Mission Trip.

Should we be telling others about Jesus?   But He warned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone, saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and raised up on the third day." Luke 9:21-22   Why did Jesus tell them to keep the secret of his true identity? I think it was because the time was not right. We're instructed to make disciples of all nations now. It was Jesus final command, the Great Commission. We were also told that we would be his witnesses. But at this point in time, to people who didn't know who Jesus really was, they were to keep quiet.   Jesus had enough distraction, and misunderstanding already. Even among the disciples, there was confusion. Before the Holy Spirit was given, telling others about Jesus would have been a distraction.   Besides, he points out that people don't receive this kind of news well. They were going to cause Jesus to suffer, be rejected and be killed. Everything has a time. Jesus was encouraging them to wait until the proper time.   But this is Luke Chapter 9. They don't understand. Do we understand what we will need to endure? That's our topic for tomorrow.   If you get a chance, go check out our friend Carey Green's podcast, the Morning Mindset. You can find a link to it at www.CareyGreen.com..   And also, please join us on our next Marketplace Mission Trip. This is a lab exercise for our faith. For 2 weeks, you can try some practical ideas to share Christ's love with the people you see every day. And I promise, you won't be asked to break any company policies, either. Check it out and request an invitation at https://MarketplaceMissionTrip.com.

Almost everyone who knows about Jesus has an opinion. Do you live your life according to your opinion of Jesus?   And it happened while he was praying alone , the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them saying, "Who do the people say that I am?" They answered and said, "John the Baptist, and others say Elijah; but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen again." And He said to the, "But who do you say that I am?" And Peter answered and said, "The Christ of God." Luke 9:18-20 NASB   I ask the same first question of you. Look around you? Who do your friends say Jesus is? Who do the people in your community say that he is? Who do the people in your country, or on this planet say he is?   We all live our lives according to our real opinion of Jesus. What we say we think of him may not line up with how we live. So when you look at the world, what conclusion do you draw?   Notice how Jesus takes their answer and turns it. In the end, our eternal life, our happiness and our satisfaction, joy, peace, freedom all ride on one idea. Who do we say Jesus is?   Check out The Morning Mindset. This is another daily devotional podcast by my friend Carey Green. They're helping promote our next Marketplace Mission Trip, so please search for his podcast and check it out. You can find out more info at www.CareyGreen.com.

Daniel was raised in a Baptist church in a small tight-knit community in West Tulsa. But in March 2022, Daniel realized he wasn't really following Jesus. He thought he was doing all of the right things. But it felt like a chore. Then he heard a message about surrender.  When you're in a Jiu-Jitsu match, the goal is to get your opponent to tap out. As a Christian, you have to tap out to God and say “I can't do this on my own.” Daniel realized he'd been trying to live like a Christian without surrendering to God. As soon as he chose to go all in and surrendered, God began to produce fruit.  When he recognized that life wasn't about him, everything changed. In this episode of Follower of One, Daniel shares his experience when his men's Bible study started working through the Marketplace Mission Trip workbook. Give it a listen! You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... Learn more about Daniel and why he launched a men's Bible study [4:11]  Daniel's experience with the Marketplace Mission Trip workbook [6:02]  Daniel's advice for anyone working through the six-week course [13:17] Resources & People Mentioned Purchase copies of the Marketplace Mission Trip Workbook  Learn more about the Marketplace Mission Trip and the Online Community Subscribe to Follower of One: A Faith at Work Podcast Audio Production and Show Notes by - PODCAST FAST TRACK

Do you see yourself as being in a battle?   "You are from God, little children and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." 1 John 4:4 NASB   When terrorists attacked the United States on 9/11, I was shocked out of my self-centered, comfortable life to some degree. For years leading up to that day, I has been pretty absorbed in my career. That day, I remembered that the Bible says we're in a battle.   This passage is a reminder that not only are we in a battle, but we're on the right side. Chances are you're not in a position to have to "overcome" someone. The word "them" in this passage refers to the spirits that are not from God. We must overcome them. Some translations use "conquered."   There is a battle going on for the eternal lives of people. God is working to save us. Our enemy the devil and his demons do work to distract us and separate us from God and from our purpose of helping others move one notch closer to Jesus. We overcome those spirits when we side with God. And he becomes our help in this battle.   Fortunately for us, greater is he who is in us than he who is in the world. We're free to obey God any time we choose. People who don't follow Jesus don't have that freedom. They don't have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them, enabling them to choose.   So what do we do about it? Choose today to lean into God and what he asks you to do. He has ideas for you and things you can do today. Look around you. Ask God for wisdom and then do whatever he says. Let's burn some of our energy inviting people to a closer relationship with Jesus.   If you want to learn more, join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Go to www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com to learn more.

Where is God challenging you? What keeps you from acting?   For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith." Romans 12:3 NASB   We have each been given a measure of faith. So why would we lack the faith to live for Christ? Do you think you've been short-changed on the faith? Either I choose to live a life of faith, or I choose to abandon or ignore the faith I've been given.   We are told that faith is the assurance of things hoped for, and the conviction of things not seen. The Greek for each of those words means more than a feeling. Faith is substantial. It is substance. Some translations say substance instead of assurance and reality instead of conviction.   Faith makes things happen. It's like money. Faith isn't the thing, but it is the means to achieve something. I am getting a more personal understanding of faith as I work in this ministry. I continue to work toward something that is difficult to imagine or to produce. There are so many factors involved. My faith makes me move. A lack of faith would paralyze me. There are days when that paralysis is very close. Some days it's easier to be tempted to just take the day off. But my faith keeps me moving.   Since we have a measure of faith, let's remember what we have and what God expects of us. When we exercise our faith, we don't wear it out, we strengthen it. And the stronger my faith, the more joy I experience. Would you like more joy? Take your faith to the gym.   Why not join us on a Marketplace Mission Trip. It's a 2-week activity or a 6-week bible study designed to get you exercising your faith on any given work day. Check it out at https://MarketplaceMissionTrip.com.

How far in advance do you plan things?   No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” John 10:18 ESV   Jesus came to die. He states it plainly right here. So if you thought Jesus was a victim, or if you thought there was some possibility of a different outcome, this verse is a problem. This whole chapter is.   In fact, in verse 31, the Jews took up stones to stone him. The Jewish Law required stoning anyone who claimed to be God. So they clearly understood his claim. He didn't present himself as a good teacher. He was here, on our planet to complete the plan.   I believe the plan was created before Adam was created. God knew what it would take for this creature, a human, to have the kind of relationship he wanted to have with us. He planned this from the beginning.   That means I can't foil the plan. I won't ruin the deal. God's doing his thing. We get to be a part of his strategy simply by trusting Jesus and living among our friends. Our job is to do what Jesus says.   Today, let's do our job. On our Marketplace Mission Trip today's lesson is about serving others. We can serve others simply because our eternal destiny has been provided. It's a lock based on who Jesus was. He had the plan from the beginning. Our job is to live differently simply because we trust Jesus. Why not join us? Head over to https://community.followerofone.org and create a profile. Join us as we inject our faith into every aspect of our daily lives.        

How important is peace to you?   "Her ways are pleasant ways and all her paths are peace." Proverbs 3:17 NASB   What is peace? It's not just the absence of violence or war. Peace is what we experience when everything is right. Peace is the outcome of everything working as designed. As humans, we have a desire for peace. We want a world where everyone wins. But in our scarcity-mindset world, often someone winning means someone else has to lose. For peace to exist in a scarcity-based worldview, the losers have to accept defeat.   Deep down inside, none of us wants to accept defeat. Therefore the search for peace is more extreme than most of us expect. We want win-win for everyone. From God's perspective, since all of us have fallen short of his glory (Romans 3:23), that is win to the power of 8 billion.   Wisdom makes peace possible. Wisdom doesn't start into the violence, war, or scarcity-based mindsets. Wisdom searches for win-win. It works for win-win all the time.   Today, ask God to increase your wisdom. Notice how your thoughts and attitudes result in peace. Let's be people who apply wisdom to bring peace. Peace is only possible when a good God works all things together for good (Romans 8:28). Let's ask God to use us to distribute wisdom and peace.   We just began a Marketplace Mission Trip. This is a 2-week exercise where we practice intentionally trusting Jesus. We practice 5 daily habits, and we connect in our online community to encourage one another. Why not join us and check it out. Your faith can be a bigger factor in your everyday life. Join us at https://community.followerofone.org and check it out.

What about life do you most enjoy?   "Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor." Proverbs 3:16 ESV   The "her" mentioned in this verse is Wisdom again. The author of these proverbs calls wisdom a lady. And in her right hand is long life and in her left hand are riches and honor.   I believe the author is talking about the enjoyment of life and riches and honor. Long life can be unpleasant. I get the sense that this long life is an enjoyable life. Stress and anxiety wear us down. A long stressful life is not good.   This verse seems to be saying that the enjoyment of life and contentment with riches and honor come from wisdom. I think about the margin that comes from joy. We get to experience more joy and to use that joy to bless others. Wisdom gives us the ability to experience joy and to have margin in our life.   When we live following Jesus, and we experience the wisdom from God, we have a minute for others. We're in a position to be more grace-filled. We're ready to share; able to bless others. We find the energy to put others ahead of ourselves. This creates margin for others, too. We bring ease and energy for others. We become givers.   Today, give life. Bring life, courage, energy to others. Be an encourager. Spend a minute longer with someone today. Wisdom comes from knowing God is our source and he has our situation under his control. We're free to help others enjoy the confidence we experience because we know our Redeemer lives and that our eternal ticket is punched. We're free to be a blessing to others because of the wisdom we have following Jesus and listening to the Holy Spirit.   Why not join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip where you can practice intentionally following Jesus. The next one begins Sunday. Commit about 8 hours over 2 weeks to read the devotionals and join the calls. You'll see God put you to work in other's lives. You'll experience new joy. And your faith will come alive. Check it out at community.followerofone.org.

What's most valuable to you?   "She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her." Proverbs 3:15 ESV   The "She" above is wisdom. This is the 2nd episode on wisdom from this section of Proverbs.   We talked about profit and wealth yesterday. Today, we're talking about value. Value is different than wealth. We often equate the 2 because we purchase so many things with money. But there are things money can't buy. Those things can still be very valuable. Often we hear about someone who discovers something they have is valuable. But it is also associated with an ancestor or a memory. Therefore, without thought of the monetary value, they'll never sell. It's more valuable than money to them.   This passage reminds us wisdom is more valuable than money. Like we said yesterday, wisdom can be given away over and over again. Wisdom can benefit people long after the value of an idea can be realized. Joseph trusted the vision and his wisdom saved both the Egyptians and the Jews for hundreds of years.   What does God want you to bring to the world? One of those things is wisdom. We get this wisdom from God simply by fearing him (see verse 7.) This "fear" is a humility. It begins by realizing God is God and we're not. We listen to him because he knows, he created everything and sees everything. He operates in eternity. Our wealth and money and power will all stay on this side of forever.   Look for ways to be a blessing to others today. It begins with fearing God, gaining his wisdom and then serving others by applying and sharing that wisdom in the way we live. Don't hear this as me suggesting we go tell people how wrong they are. We are called to quietly live by a different standard and let them figure it out for themselves. When they ask (1 Peter 3:15) we can give them the answers.   Try that in your workplace next week on our Marketplace Mission Trip. This is a 2 week exercise we practice as a cohort in our online community. The next one starts in a few days. Head over to https://community.followerofone.org, create a profile and check it out.

What are some of the benefits of wisdom?   Blessed is the one who finds wisdom and the one who gets understanding for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. Proverbs 3:13-14. ESV   There's no limit to your ability to gain wisdom or to give it out. This passage and in other places in Proverbs, we find that wisdom is something we get from God, not just from our experience. And we can give it without limits. Our wisdom can be used to serve and bless others. But I'm talking about the wisdom that comes from God.   Wisdom is referred to as a lady. The Message says in verse 14, "She's worth far more than money in the bank; her friendship is better than a big salary."   Wisdom comes from our ability to abide in Jesus. When we're plugged into our relationship with Jesus, and we listen to the Holy Spirit, God gives us his wisdom. We can then share that wisdom by our actions. We don't need to share it with our words necessarily.   Today, let's practice gaining and listening to the wisdom from God.   Don't forget to try this out! Our next practice begins in a few days. It's called the Marketplace Mission Trip. This is a 2 week exercise we practice as a cohort in our online community. Head over to https://community.followerofone.org, create a profile and check it out.  

Do you consider yourself wise?   "Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. Proverbs 3:7-8 ESV   We struggle so hard to get what we want. I can get wrapped up in what I'm trying to accomplish; even so much that I get angry with other people, circumstances and situations that don't enable my own pursuits.   You probably never do that. This pursuit of what we want, even if it is some good thing, can become a serious problem for us. It can cause us health issues. We're more aware of things like stress and anxiety than any people in history. We know how bad this can get, but we still do it. I wonder if some of this unbridled pursuit of what we want doesn't create some of the mass shootings and the rage that we find in our world today.   The answer is to fear the Lord and turn away from evil. What does it mean to fear the Lord? One thing is that it means we should not be wise in our own eyes. It's so hard to consider that I might be wrong. it's hard to ask God for guidance and with humility, listen to others.   Today, let's ask God to show us where we might be wrong. Ask him where we're pressing too hard and sensing too much stress and anxiety. Let's get back to trusting God and fearing him so we can be healed and refreshed and we can help others experience that healing and refreshment, too.   We practice this on our Marketplace Mission Trip. This is a 2 week exercise we practice as a cohort in our online community. The next one starts in a few days. Head over to https://community.followerofone.org, create a profile and check it out.

Are you interested in a Marketplace Mission Trip but on the fence because you won't know anyone? Or do you simply want to learn more about what the experience will be like? In this episode of Follower of One, Cameron Baker and Jeff Harmon with Grace on the Mount Church join us to talk about their experience with a Marketplace Mission Trip. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... Learn more about Cameron Baker and Jeff Harmon [1:04] Cameron and Jeff's experience with a Marketplace Mission Trip [5:28] How Grace Church made the format work for them [8:28]  How the mission trip helped people become more engaged [11:40] Why you should learn more about Marketplace Mission Trips [15:17] Resources & People Mentioned Marketplace Mission Trip Connect with Grace Church on the Mount Grace Church on the Mount   Subscribe to Follower of One: A Faith at Work Podcast Audio Production and Show Notes by - PODCAST FAST TRACK

Do you trust Jesus enough to enjoy negative situations or circumstances?   This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24   Is it foolish to rejoice in the Lord? After all, he made today. In the song Miracle Power by We The Kingdom, there's a line, "I may not know what the day may bring, but I know who brings the day." This is the day the Lord has made.   Joy is a choice. We can choose joy. The words, "let us rejoice," are a command to experience joy. To rejoice is to enjoy the joy. We have the opportunity, even the responsibility to live differently simply because we know who brings the day. We know he is good. We know he is powerful. If God didn't spare Jesus, what else is there? Everything else we could ask for is less. I base that on Romans 8:32. God freely died on our behalf. What else is there?   Do those thoughts inspire you to enjoy your position as a child of Christ? This is the day the Lord has made. Our joy testifies to the world that we're different. We live according to a different standard and we experience a different outcome in every circumstance. We can be joyful in everything. Today, choose joy and watch God shine your light into the dark world where your coworkers and customers live.   Would you like to do this more often than just when you hear a podcast? Check out the Marketplace Mission Trip - an exercise to help you take a mission trip every day. We have a 2-week version of the trip starting soon. Or you can get our small-group study and take the mission trip over six weeks in a small group study. Check it out at www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com or https://community.followerofone.org.

How do you handle disappointment?   "But many who are first will be last and the last first." Mark 10:31 ESV   We just talked about how we can know that we will receive in some proportion to what we invest. We'll also receive some persecution. Then Jesus says this. Do you ever wonder why Jesus says what he says when he says it?   I think he's reminding us that even if we think we have a great formula for understanding God, he is still wild. The next parable in Matthew, (Matthew 20:16), is the parable of the laborers in the vineyard. Jesus says the last shall be first and the first last. It is a summary of how the last people to the work received a days pay for very little work, and were also paid first. (Mark and Luke do not follow this verse with that parable.)   I believe Jesus is reminding us there are variables, but we can never understand the formula. Can we believe in a God who is big enough to make everything right? Maybe you have friends who have suffered injustice. Maybe you have friends or family who have chronic illness or who are victims of evil. Our brains can't handle the formula.   Many who are last shall be first. Can we trust a God who is so complicated we can barely understand him? We have Jesus. He is God. But even this will be hard to understand.   Today, let's trust God. Let's make the investment. Let's give up something for the gospel. We will receive a hundredfold. We will experience some persecution, but in the end, we will be eternally joyful and present with our King. What a deal!   Please join us on the Marketplace Mission Trip. Head over to www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com to learn more and sign up.

What's the downside of following Jesus?   Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. Mark 10:29-30 ESV   I didn't mention a phrase yesterday that is in this version of this story. It's not in the Matthew or Luke versions. The phrase is in verse 30, "with persecutions."   I don't know why Luke or Matthew don't include this. But here, the Greek word used is in scripture 10 times and they are all translated "persecution" or "persecutions."   We live in a broken world. Jesus is much more aware of this than we are. We don't even know what we don't know about how broken the world is. Yet, knowing what he knows, he still promises us 100 times what we give up and eternal life.   We have nothing to lose. Persecution comes with living for the sake of the gospel. It's a package deal. Our enemy the devil doesn't want us to share about God to others. So persecution will come. Jesus reminds us. He says "There is no one who has left..."   Today, let's not let our circumstances take us out. Jesus has provided for us. We talked yesterday about how the blessings are a lock. The persecution is too, but the consequences of it aren't forever. The blessings are. Let's remember to invest in others today and not be surprised by the results.   Want to practice your faith a bit? Why not join us for a 2-week exercise to transform your work with your faith. We have created a reasonable way of sharing the gospel without being obnoxious. We practice that on the Marketplace Mission Trip. It's a 2-week exercise where we are intentional for between 15 and 45 minutes a day for 2 weeks. It will transform how you live your faith. Find out more at www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com. Then next one begins in just a few days.

Do we really believe Jesus?   Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. Mark 10:29-30 ESV   You've heard it said that you get out of something what you put into it. Jesus is making that point here. But I want to challenge us today. There are a couple of things we need to see.   First, Jesus isn't saying we get what we invest. He's saying we get much more. It's hard for me to think that I can't lose. Is it that way for you? I think about things in a very temporal context. In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul reminds us that the things we can see are temporal. The things we can't see are eternal.   In this present age, what we spend or give up in this life for Jesus sake, and for the gospel, we receive back in multiples. How is this true?   What does that do to the way we live and work today? Can we give a little more? Can we share or take a minute? What are you holding on to that you could let go of? I pray God helps us see with his eyes.   Why not practice this with us. We do a 2-week experience called the Marketplace Mission Trip. Check it out at www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com and join us.   Also look at Matthew 19:27-30 and Luke 18:26-30 for the other times this exchange is discussed in scripture.

Can we really put God at the center of our universe?   "To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." 1 Timothy 1:17 ESV   What does something like this mean to you? When you read a Bible verse like this, what do you think?   For me, I hope it reminds me that I'm not the center of the universe. While my flesh wants me to believe that would be good, it would be miserable. When I'm sane, and when my brain can line up with reality, I know a statement like this is totally true.   God in charge must be way better than I can even ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20-21). When I see God's tracks, when I see him do something in my life or someone else's life, I can only say "Oh, Wow!" I don't imagine I'll be able to even talk when I see Jesus. When people encounter angels, the first thing the angel usually says is "Fear not." We think we're so big and powerful.   This verse helps me remember that I live for him, not the other way around. OK, God, what do you want me to do today? You have your plan. Where do I fit today? What can I do?   We're training ourselves to stay plugged into God, taking our orders from him. That's true eternal life. We get to live it now by following him. And we get his joy now, too!   Memorize verses like this so you can stay plugged in. If you get covered up by your task list today, remember, we want all glory and honor to go to the eternal, immortal, and invisible Creator of the universe.   Join a community of people who try to remember this daily. Check out www.FollowerofOne.org and join the next Marketplace Mission Trip. It will help you train yourself to remember who you work for.

Are you an example of a Christ-follower?   "But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life." 1 Timothy 1:16   Paul says he received mercy so that Jesus patience would be shown to others. Don't sense any pressure to be an example. The patience Christ has given us is an example to others of what he will do for them. In the NASB it says "so that in me, as the foremost sinner, Jesus Christ might demonstrate his perfect patience as an example."   When we live, our life following Jesus shows others the patience Jesus has. Jesus said he didn't come to save the righteous, but sinners (Matt 9:13, Luke 5:32, Mark 2:17). In a righteous person, there's nothing for Jesus to do. He came to save us imperfect beings so that we might share that message with others. As Paul tells us in the verse before this, Jesus came to save sinners.   Today, let's help others move one notch closer to Jesus. We do that simply by modeling life following Jesus. Practice the 5 daily habits, pray, appreciate others, know what you believe, serve others and speak for yourself. Join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip. But don't take that trip alone. Individually, most of us give ourselves a break. If you do this with a friend, you can help each other do the exercises and join the calls. It's work training ourselves to be intentional with our faith. Can you focus on the joy you receive as a Christ-follower and do the work? Check it out and learn more at https://followerofone.org.

Do you whine to God?   "We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring." 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4   Paul boasts about the Thessalonians because of their steadfastness in persecutions and afflictions. Their faith is growing abundantly. Their love for one another is increasing.   This unnatural result of difficulty is seen over and over throughout history. The local church seems to thrive in difficulty and it seems to deteriorate in times of ease or prosperity.   Do you thank God for hard things? Have you memorized James 1:2-4. James tells us to consider it joy when we encounter various trials. I've repeated that passage hundreds of times in my life. But I still whine. God hasn't baked it into me yet. Maybe I'm just a hard case. You know you.   Maybe you're very good at this. If we were, I believe the world would see it. Because of my career, and position, I can alleviate most of my difficulties.   But then, I potentially sidestep the design of God. I don't have to grow in my difficulties. But if I was stuck in them, I might. God becomes visible when I do, and others can thank God and take part in my suffering.   Today, Can we give thanks to God for believers in other parts of the world? Can we live in a way that honors them by not whining, but by being steadfast in the difficult things that happen?   Why not join a community of believers who want to be more intentional with their faith. Join us at https://community.followerofone.org and also join us on our next Marketplace Mission Trip.

Deb Brown Maher fell in love with sales when she was a kid. But when she entered the workforce and got her first sales job, she failed miserably. Why? She was expected to use a high-pressure script. She couldn't sustain the behavior they asked of her, so she quit. That spurred her to find a way to sell that was ethical, honors the prospect, and makes money. Because Deb is a Christ-follower, she looked to Jesus. As she read scripture, the Lord highlighted certain passages showing her how they applied to sales conversations. That's how her book, “Sell Like Jesus” was born.  Deb recently completed a Marketplace Mission Trip and had an unforgettable experience. In this episode of Follower of One, Deb shares how her prayer to appreciate the gold in others is impacting lives.  You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... Learn more about Deb Brown Maher and her business [0:45] Deb's bi-monthly group problem-solving calls [3:30] Deb's experience on a Marketplace Mission Trip [7:38] How Deb shares her appreciation for the gold in others [15:00]  Deb encourages others to make the time to do a mission trip [21:00] Resources & People Mentioned Building Relationships like Jesus with Deb Brown Maher, #63 Connect with Deb Brown Maher Deb Brown Sales Deb's Fine Art Sell Like Jesus Deb's Sales Training Course   Subscribe to Follower of One: A Faith at Work Podcast Audio Production and Show Notes by - PODCAST FAST TRACK

What does it mean to be in debt?   "So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh." Romans 8:12   Paul is reminding believers that we're in debt, but not to our flesh. The verses that follow show that we're in debt to God, or the Spirit. We don't owe our flesh anything. It hasn't done anything for us. We're told in 1 Corinthians 9:27 that we discipline our flesh. We need to tame it, not the other way around.   Our debt is to the Spirit. We work for God. We're his servants. I keep coming back to an idea that we work for God. The Spirit is the one giving us direction. He's our manager. We're obligated to do what he says.   For the next few episodes, I want to talk about how we're heirs with Jesus. We will inherit the universe. It begins by remembering that we're debtors, but to God, not to the flesh. Let's live like we know to whom we belong. Because we have been saved, we're free to love others and do what God wants. If you find yourself thinking about what you can't do, tell your brain to change it's tune. Let's consider what we can do and do it. We're free, not to do whatever our flesh wants, but to do whatever God has for us. How will you live in light of the idea that you're not in debt to the flesh?   Please also check out our Marketplace Mission Trip workbook. This is a 6-week discussion guide for a group to consider how we can live on mission with Jesus. You can get a copy at https://followerofone.org/workbook. Get a few copies and take your small group through this study over the next few weeks. Or if your group normally takes the summer off, get some copies and plan to do this over the summer.

Do you think we are called to peddle Jesus? Are we peddlers?   For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. 2 Corinthians 2:17 ESV   The biggest slam against Christians is hypocrisy. Do you feel like you have to "sell" someone into trusting Jesus?   Paul here reminds the Corinthians that he is not a peddler of the word of God. He is sincere in what he says. He doesn't ask anyone to do something he hasn't. He's a walking testimonial.   In fact, the challenge by Paul to the church is for us to live what we claim. A peddler is someone who sells something. I think the idea here is someone who is selling something they don't use, or don't really believe in. Paul seems to be giving a bit of a defense to the Corinthians, reminding them he's sincere in the way he lives and speaks.   And our challenge to you today is to live our faith rather than trying to sell it. Really pray. Genuinely appreciate others. Serve from sincerity. Live in such a way that others ask, "Why are you doing this?" Then you can tell them with sincerity why you do what you do. Your sincerity becomes the proof. I don't think you get some trophy in Heaven for having the most conversions. But genuinely live and let God use your actions as he works in the lives of others.   Please also consider being intentional of your practice. We currently have 2 groups doing Marketplace Mission Trips. Did you know you can lead your group, business or ministry on a Marketplace Mission Trip of your own? Simply send a note to info@followerofone.org to learn more. One of our team members will get back with you quickly. Our dream is that thousands of everyday Christ-followers would live a genuine faith. Imagine what it would be like if your whole church took a mission trip to their own workplace. Either drop us a line or head over to www.marketplacemissiontrip.com to learn more.

Is your life a celebration of what God has done for you? "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:57 To wrap up this chapter and these last few day's episodes, Paul almost concludes his thought in this verse. Thanks be to God. He didn't leave us dead. He came and made a perfect way for us to be restored. He gives us victory, but victory over what? Well, he talks about that in the verses above this. Sin results in death. In verse 54, he says that Death is swallowed up in victory." Jesus is the key to God's restoring all of creation to himself. It's a battle. Victory has been declared. But you and I still must battle. Our will and our flesh have been captured by the enemy. Our spirit must choose life. As we choose to follow Jesus, we are saved. We instantly become part of his strategy to save others. All of this is God working to protect our freedom of choice and still save who ever wants to spend eternity with God. Our only response is to live in thanks. What does that look like for us today? Let's go out of our way today to live like we know God is in charge. That doesn't mean we break the law or blow off work. We serve others. We go beyond what is expected of us so we might convince others about the possibility of the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Maybe you need to purchase treats for the office today. Or maybe you can send someone a text message and just ask how they're doing. It all matters. God uses everything we do and he rewards those of us who join him. Today is the last Friday before our next Marketplace Mission Trip starts. Head over to https://community.followerofone.org and join us as we invest a little energy over 2 weeks where we invite our spiritual life to invade the rest of our life. Click the link and join the community and then join the Mission Trip. Bring a friend, too!

What do you spend your time hoping for? "If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied." 1 Corinthians 15:19 ESV Our hope determines our aim. We live toward our hope. So what You hope for matters. I confess I still hope for material ease and comfort. The problem is, neither of those things will last beyond this physical world. Jesus spent a lot of energy helping us see there was a life after this one. He told stories and parables. There is much recorded in the scripture about what Jesus said about our life beyond this world. I was tempted to say "the next life," but I believe Jesus made it clear that we have that next life the moment we trust him. That's why he said the kingdom of heaven was at hand. (Mark 1:15) So he encouraged us to lay up treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21). He wanted us to send things ahead. But the only thing there would be the rewards we're given for how we live here on earth. The stuff we compile and the comforts we save up won't go with us. Today, let's remember that what we do for others, and the way we love others will go with us to the next world. We have a great promise in that regard. If we live like we know that even the cups of water we give (Matthew 10:42) will count for rewards in our eternal life. How we live matters. Invest in the lives of the people you're with. Go out of your way to show appreciation for your coworkers, customers and vendors. Join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip. One begins next week based on when this airs, but one is always on the schedule. Head over to www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com and request an invitation.

What terrifies you? "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:31 The writer of Hebrews reminds us it's a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Our faith doesn't negate the power of God or our need to fear him. Faith causes us to live differently. I want to use this verse as a reminder that I report to someone much larger and more powerful than I. He operates the world. He's given me a chance to play a part in the rescue he's engineering. But he is so much more powerful and terrifying than I am or anything I fear. I get the opportunity to play. I get to make a difference. I get chances to take part. But in the end, Let's not forget who is in charge. We don't choose our purpose. God created us for it. But we can know things about that purpose. We're created to know Jesus, and to be close to him. We're also equipped to help others move closer to him, too. That part of our job is clear to us. And we've been saved from the wrath that we deserved because we deserted and committed treason against God before we even knew who he was. When we live according to that much understanding, we help others move closer to Jesus. Just because we can't see him or we fail to fear his wrath, that's no reason to think we're in charge or that we're all there is. We get great joy from trusting Jesus, too. Step into the joy. Everything you give because you follow Jesus will be multiplied back to you. He's powerful enough to make that true. Let's ask him to use this verse to remind us. We're not victims of his wrath because of what Jesus has done for us. Now let's pass that along by the way we live and act. We have a choice, we have an opportunity. And we get to experience all the best things about God when we trust him and follow Jesus. Why not join our online community and see how we encourage one another on a Marketplace Mission Trip. Check out https://community.followerofone.org and join us.

Are certain things just wrong? "For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law." Romans 2:14 ESV As Jesus-followers, we find it easy to see that certain things are wrong. It's not wrong to each a lunch, but it is wrong to do it if you took it from someone else who was just about to eat it. We who follow Jesus and believe in God get our right-and-wrong from him, at least in some degree. But where do agnostics get it? If you believe the world was an accident, how is there so much purpose in how we all sense that certain things are right and others are wrong? Today, let's stay on the side of right. It's right to do what's best for someone else. We know it's right to forgive (Matthew 6:12-15). We know it's right to put others ahead of ourselves (Philippians 2:3). Ask God to give you a challenge today. What does he ask You to do? Will you do it? Others don't even need to know. Just do what Jesus has for you to do today and let him handle the rewards. In Matthew 10:42, we're promised a reward even for the cold water we hand out. What we do matters and God's keeping score. Let's live like we know the rules. It may cause others to ask us why we're different. Please also consider joining us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip. There's another one starting soon at https://community.followerofone.org. Or you can request an invitation to the next trip at www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com. Either way, we hope to see you soon!

Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Nick Nelson. Nick Nelson is the founder of Mission 15:4. He was the one who was anxious and depressed. Now that he is on the other side, it is his purpose to go after the ones that are in the midst of their struggles and walk alongside them. In this episode, Mike and Nick talk about mental health, how Mission 15:4 got started, not relying solely on yourself, training men to help with mental health, placing our trust in the Lord, and allowing God to work through you.    Outline of the Episode 01:10 –  About Mission 15:4 06:00 –  Anybody can struggle with mental health  07:46 –  Not relying on solely yourself  08:30  –  Training men to help people with mental health 10:34 –  What happens when you place your trust into worldly things 12:39 –  It's easier to connect with someone about their struggles if you've had that struggle  14:19 –  How Mission got started 16:05 –  Allowing God to work through you  18:29 –  Nick's thoughts on the Marketplace Mission Trip   Anybody can struggle with mental health  Sometimes in dark places, you can feel alone and like nobody struggles with what you are dealing with, but anybody can struggle with mental health. No matter how “perfect” your life may seem, no matter how much money you make, you can struggle with mental health, so it's important to keep up with your mental health.    Allowing God to work through you  As Christians, we are called to follow the Lord with all of our hearts and to pursue His will for us. We need to allow Him to work through us, so that His will can be carried out in our lives. We all have the ability to be used by God, we just need to allow Him to use us.    Follow Nick Nelson Misson15four   Connect With Follower Of One Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!