Follow Jesus and Flourish

"Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honour." (John 12:24-26 NKJV)

    Over the course of this year's study - Be More Like the Son in 2021 - we have found that in order to flourish we must let go. Let go of our own notions and ideas and dig into God's word for the truth, let go of our stubborn independence and submit to God and His wisdom and instruction, let go of our selfish desires and live lives that are pure and holy and helpful to others. 

    Like the seed of grain we must have a willingness to be buried (in baptism, Romans 6), so that we, in full submission to God and His commands, can flourish and bear abundance of fruit! We must learn to hate our life in this world ('hate' meaning to love God more than the things in this life), and to look forward with earnest regard for life eternal with Him (2 Peter 3:10-18)!

    Jesus said, "If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me..." Follow His steps (1 Peter 3:20-24), don't turn from the path He has created for us (Matthew 7:13-14, Hebrews 10:35-39, consider also Joshua 1:7), carefully learn His steps, His character, His care, and allow yourself to be conformed to His image (Romans 8:29-30) as you put His ways into daily practice!

    "If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honour."  Just reading that statement is thrilling, but it is a promise that God can/will/does fulfill! Read and think on passages like Romans 8:12-17 where we find that we, who are led by the Spirit (letting God's Word, the Bible, be our guide), are children of God "and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together" (v17) and also Ephesians 1:3-14 where we discover all the spiritual blessings we have when we are in Christ (in the church, His body, Ephesians 1:22-23)!

    Are you determined to Be More Like the Son in 2021? Are you willing to follow Jesus's steps?

You can do it! So can I!!