As we begin today, I just want to say … welcome to Part 4 of the Follow series, where we’re talking about the ins and outs of being a follower of Jesus—accepting his invitation to follow him. And we’ve already learned things like 1) being a sinner is a prerequisite of being a follower, 2) being a non-believer could be a prerequisite, 3) having doubts is O.K. when you become a follower (as it was for Thomas), and so forth. No matter who you are or where you are in...
We began this series last week with a couple of startling discoveries and I want to review those as we begin today… Being a sinner doesn’t disqualify you from following Jesus; it’s a prerequisite. Do you remember that? Pretty amazing, isn’t it? Then, here’s the second one… Being an unbeliever doesn’t disqualify you from following Jesus; nobody who followed Jesus early on believed he was divine to begin with (until after the resurrection; do you remember Thomas?)… Folks, Jesus’ invitation to follow was an invitation to relationship! It’s kind of...
Well, let me start today by saying … ‘Happy Easter!’ Today, in celebration of Jesus’ resurrection, we’re beginning a new series which will basically explain—perhaps in ways you’ve never thought of before—why Jesus came and did what he did for us. And what we’re going to discover together today and for the next several weeks is … it’s all about relationship! Are you familiar with the old game called ‘Simon Says’? You know, you’ve got one person who is the caller and says ‘Simon says … whatever.’ And when that...