A pastor reflects on what it means to follow God completely, using his own difficulty moving houses as an example. He argues that the call to serve isn't just for pastors but for laypeople too, through teaching, mentoring, and uncomfortable service. Come with an open heart to Sunday school at 10 a.m. and worship at 11 a.m.
Chapters
Where you go, I'll go. Where you stay, I'll stay. When you move, I'll move. I will follow you. Who you love, I'll love. How you serve, I'll serve. If this life I lose, I will follow you. Yeah, I will follow you.
Yeah. I Will Follow is a song we're singing this Sunday here at First Church of the Nazarene. It's a song that was written by Chris Tomlin, Jason Ingram, and Reuben Morgan. It's a really good song in the sense that it doesn't hold back what the gospel calls us to. To follow God means to follow him into all places, into all things. To think of those words, "Where you go, I'll go. Where you stay, I'll stay. When you move, I'll move. I will follow you." Those are pretty big words to say. I'm a person that at this point in my life, it would be tough for me to move because I have two houses. I've been trying to sell one for the better part of two, almost three years now, and it doesn't seem like it's gonna sell. And so we're, you know, we're kind of tied down. Down in that sense. We have family in the area. So for the Lord to make this call and say, hey, I need you to go somewhere, you know, and for me to say I will follow, it's a big commitment to do that. It's a big commitment in our lives to say I will follow you. The words of this song remind us too that, you know, if this life I lose, even if it costs me to lose my life, there is freedom in Christ. And so that's the real important thing. But losing our life is not always like literally losing our life, like in death, losing our life, um, can be that we have made a life sometimes for ourselves. And, uh, have you ever thought about this? That God does not just call pastors to move. I know we often think that, and pastors use the language, you know, "God called me to move and to go somewhere else." Um, but what about lay people? God's calling is not just for pastors. You know, God may be calling all of us into, to new areas. I don't know that that means a new country. It might mean a new state. It might just mean some new areas in life that you're— you've not been before. Some, some new areas that God's calling you to. Maybe it's into the mentoring program through the schools that we have. Maybe it's through teaching a Sunday school class. Maybe it's stretching yourself to go into an uncomfortable area of ministry that you aren't ready with. Following God is not just following Him to a different city, state, country, or whatever. So this week is about discipleship and following God, following after Him. So I hope that you'll come and join us. Come with a heart that is open and ready. This may scare you off and say, "Oh, I don't want to go into new places." But God, if He's calling us places, it's a place of fulfillment, it's a place of life, and a place where we will find newness and help So I hope that you can come worship with us this Sunday morning. Excuse me. At First Church of the Nazarene here on 901 East Home Road in Springfield, Ohio. I am Rick Lee James and you can find me at my website at rickleejames.com or you can follow me on Twitter @rickleejames. And you can find our church website at homerodenaz.org. We hope you can come worship with us this week. Sunday school at 10 o'clock, church at 11. Thanks so much and God bless.
