follow him

In this Bible Story, we witness the everyday miracles of Elisha. He tended to the flock of God with care and love, and Elisha’s reputation as a loving and gentle prophet gives the common people of Israel hope. This story is inspired by 2 Kings 4:1-4, 4:38-44, & 6:1-7. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.

Today's Bible verse is 2 KIngs 6:6 from the King James Version.

Episode 131: One day as Elisha was in the town of Shunem, he was taken in by a wealthy woman and her family. He felt at home there and every time he would visit Shunem, he would stop by her house. This happened so often that she and her husband built a room for him on the roof. Elisha asked what he could do to repay the woman for her kindness, but she needed nothing. Instead, noticing she had no children, he prophesied that she would have a son. Soon after the promised child arrived, he died, however, this was not the end of his story and her mother would soon find her joy restored by God’s power.

Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world’s greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.

Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.

Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.

This episode is sponsored by Medi-Share, an innovative health care solution for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality.

Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.

Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max Bard

Producer: Ben Gammon

Hosted by: Pastor Jack Graham

Music by: Andrew Morgan Smith

Bible Story narration by: Todd Haberkorn

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this Bible Story, Jesus performs the first of many miracles at a wedding in Cana. By the request of his mother, Jesus blesses a wedding by turning water into wine. Although the guests are not aware of this miracle, the servants and disciples know, and awe at the humble power of Christ. They knew even more that he was the promised Messiah. This story is inspired by John 1:35-51, John 2:1-11. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.

Today's Bible verse is John 2:9 from the King James Version.

Episode 177: As Jesus was walking by the shore of Galilee, two of John's disciples started following Him. One of these was Andrew, who quickly went to get his brother Simon. As Jesus continued on into the city, He called a man named Phillip to follow Him, and Phillip in turn went to tell his friend Nathanael about finding the Messiah. A few days later, Jesus and His followers were at a wedding in the nearby city of Cana. There, he performed the first of His signs.

Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world’s greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.

Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.

Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.

This episode is sponsored by Medi-Share, an innovative health care solution for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality.

Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.

Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max Bard

Producer: Ben Gammon

Hosted by: Pastor Jack Graham

Music by: Andrew Morgan Smith

Bible Story narration by: Todd Haberkorn

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all have a cross to bear. Our cross represents our issues. Jesus told us to take our cross and follow Him. This is what all disciples must do. When He called us to be His disciples,  He was aware of our issues. Our issues should never stop us from answering the call.

Are you ready to share the love of Christ with our community? We kicked off Missions in Action this Sunday!

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Meet Chet

(June 5, 2022) "What mission in life am I given?" is the question and the heart of Father Samuel Dubois's homily on this Pentecost Sunday.

The Holy Spirit gives us all different gifts and talents. The question we need to ask of ourselves is, "How is the Holy Spirit calling me to serve here and now and in this moment?"

"The Holy Spirit is always at work within us," said Father Dubois, "but it is up to us to allow that work to bear fruit. The Spirit does not force this to happen, but He will always be there when we need Him."

Let us, therefore, entrust our lives and calling to the care of the Holy Spirit. Let Him lead us in the proper direction of service through His power and His grace. "Follow it, and do not be afraid," Father Dubois concluded.

Message Notes

Paul learned that Jesus-shaped discipleship is not just the transfer of information, but the sharing of life together.

Spiritual selflessness flows from a heart transformed from the inside out.

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."
- 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1

How do we follow Paul’s example of following Christ?
1.      Fix our eyes on the person and work of Jesus Christ
2.      Seek the glory of God in whatever you do
3.      Seek the good of your neighbor in whatever you do

Scripture
I Corinthians 10:23 – 11:1, Acts 18:23-19:41

• Im sure you’ve heard or even said the phrase, “You’re acting just like your father”

• Ephesians 5:1,AMP- Become imitators of God, copy Him and follow His example, as well-beloved children imitate their father.

• Jesus said, if you’ve seen me you’ve seen the Father.
• It’s the Father in Me that’s doing the work.
• The things I do, you can do also.

• Jesus’ prayer in John 17, Father, that they all may be one, as You, are in Me, and I in You; that they may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.

• 2 Corinthians 5:17,NKJV- If anyone is IN CHRIST, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

• Christ isn’t Jesus’ last name, In Christ means in the anointed One and His anointing. Born into a new world, a new way of living.

• This is why Paul told us, “The life I now live, I live by faith.” In other words, I’m living with an divine expectation, a conviction that everything God’s word says I am, I can have, I can do is a reality in my life.

• A revelation we’ve got to be more open to is the fact that God only sees us in our new creation, the old one is gone. He sees us from an eternity perspective.

• This is why Ephesians teaches us to pray, Father, enlighten our soul so we can comprehend what you’ve already done for us.

• Our challenge is, growing in our faith to the place where our soul no longer relies on this physical realm to confirm spiritual realities.

• Understand, born again doesn’t just mean access to Heaven someday, it means citizen of Heaven, heir to the Kingdom, appointed ambassador of our King, assigned here to establish His Kingdom.

• This is why Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 11, Imitate me the same way I imitate Christ. 

• Hebrews 6:12,NKJV-  So that you do not become sluggish, imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

• When Jesus told us to follow Him, or imitate Him, He meant watch how I do it, then do it.

• Here’s the thing, imitating Him means we have to stop living as if humanity is all there is. Because at the end of the day, as long as we’re comfortable living without more of God, we will.

• 1 John 4, As we take up permanent residence in God, we live in Him and God lives in us, our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s.

• Our father wants us to succeed at being His body in the earth. He wants us acting just like Him. Imitate Him like little children.

• 3 John 1:2,NKJV- Beloved, I pray that you may prosper (succeed) in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

• God knew He would be working through regular people like you and me. This is why He gave us a Bible full of ordinary people living extraordinary lives as they put their trust in God and take that next step of faith.

• Think about it, God has enough faith in us to call us, to give us inspired dreams, ideas, plans, purposes; He's simply asking us to have the same faith in Him.

• In Romans, Paul prays that we will overflow with a confident expectation by the power of the Holy Spirit in us.

• Keeping a God inspired, confident expectation will keep us from letting go of our faith every time things don't just fall into place. Leading us to actually becoming less independent, and more God dependent.

• After all, He is El Shaddai, The Almighty

• And if our Father told us to live a certain way, made in His image and likeness, lets leave here today with a renewed attitude. With a little divine expectation.

• What if it was said of us, “You’re acting just like your Father?”

• Today-Da-Day   start seeing yourself attempting that dream, getting that breakthrough, overcoming that sickness, walking in victory.

• Stop living just to avoid failure and disappointed.

• C'mon, you're born from Heaven, made in the image of your Father. So stop thinking and saying you can't, that there's no way out of your situation, that you've messed up too many times.

• And when everything around us is screaming, not this time;  here's one of thousands of promises from God reestablishing our hope. Empowering us to stand our ground.

• Isaiah 40, The Lord is the everlasting God, He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

• David said, God arms us with strength and makes our way perfect, giving us His shield of victory. Anointing us with the oil of gladness, surrounding us with His favor. And at His right hand are pleasures forever more.

• Real, God inspired faith is built on promises from our Father, just like these. And when we yield to them, it gives the Holy Spirit something to work with, transforming us into His very own image.

• Romans 8:29,MSG- God knew what He was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love Him along the same lines as the life of his Son.

• We’re supposed to be conformed to the image of our Father.

• Ephesians 5:1,AMP- Become imitators of God, copy Him and follow His example, as well-beloved children imitate their father.

• Here’s the thing, A father’s love, well it’s a fathers love!

• Proverbs 3:12,NKJV- For whom the Lord loves He corrects, just like a father does a son in whom he delights.

• Charles Stanley wrote, “God loves us just the way we are, but He also loves us enough not leave us that way.”

• Psalm 139:16,NIV- Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 

• If that's the case, then according this scripture, He saw this day. Think about it, He saw today just as clear as the day He formed us.

• What if more than anything, our Heavenly Father is patiently waiting for each of us to take the next step in the life He's already seen we could have?

• Think about this, how often do you even consider this kind of living?

• Ephesians 1:4-5,NLT- Long before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. 

• Remember, imitate God like little children imitate their father.

• Here’s the thing, imitating God is not just passively waiting for Him to do His miracles, while we continue doing life the way we've always done it.

• Imitating is basically following. And that what Jesus told us to do. It’s actually how our life in Him is discovered.

• You’ve heard me say this many times, watching is not the same as following. Following requires doing.

• When Jesus started putting His team together, His recruiting line was very simply, "follow Me and I'll make you fishers of men."

• Jesus told His followers, "You did not choose Me, I chose you that you should go and bare fruit."

• Here’s the thing, He’s still asking us to follow, to imitate Him. I can’t help wondering if we’ve made it too easy for believers to simply hang around watching Jesus instead of following. Instead of imitating.

• God gave us three simply principles for success in the "In Christ" 

• Psalm 37:3-5,AMP- Trust, lean on, rely on, and be confident in the Lord and do good; so shall you dwell in the land and feed surely on His faithfulness, and truly you shall be fed. 
• Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. 
• Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass. 

• Trust, Delight, Commit

• Coach John Wooden would always say, "You've got to apply yourself every day to be better, it won't just happen."

• What if more than anything, our Heavenly Father is patiently waiting for each of us to take the next step in the life He's already seen we could have? To simply imitate Him.

• Deuteronomy 9:1-3,MSG-  Attention, Israel! This very day you are crossing the Jordan to enter the land and dispossess nations that are much bigger and stronger than you are. 
• You’re going to find huge cities with sky-high fortress-walls and gigantic people, descendants of the Anakites—you’ve heard all about them; you’ve heard the saying, “No one can stand up to an Anakite.
• TODAY KNOW THIS: GOD, your God, is crossing the river ahead of you—He’s a consuming fire. 
• He will destroy the nations, He will put them under your power. You will dispossess them and very quickly wipe them out, just as GOD promised you would.

• The Canaan mission represents leaving the old, overcoming sometimes the seemingly impossible, it’s going into a new place, a new mind set, a new way of living. 
• Canaan boldly declares that God has and always will be the force surrounding and empowering every believer willing to follow Him.

• Today-Da-Day!! It’s time for us to be a little more intentional in our thinking, our faith, our actions, let this story of our ancestors inspire us to make our minds up. To ask God to give us a intentional mind.

• Paul really brings this revelation home in his letter to the Ephesians when he instructs us that it’s up to us to put on our brand new God fashioned lives.

• Canaan makes it very clear, we’ve got to let go of the old and trust God to take us into the new. And it all starts with an intentional mind. Seriously, make up your mind!

• You know when the apostle Paul tells us to not give any place to the devil? Guess where that starts? Leave here today with an intentional mind.

• “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”

• We’ve got to understand that what we think on continually becomes the dominate influence in our lives.

• 2 Corinthians 10,MSG- The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. 
• We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, 
• fitting every loose thought, emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.

• Something every Christians has got to come to terms with is the fact that we’re made in God’s image. But because of free will, it’s our responsibility to make room for faith inspired thinking. In other words, renew our mind.

• This is why He told us to take control of our thoughts, to actually bring them into obedience with Christ. Canaan is waiting. Make your mind up, you’re letting go of the old and going in and taking the new God has for you.

• Remember last week in Matthew 6, Jesus tells us, “take no thought” He actually says, “Take no thought, saying” I’m convinced, every Christian needs training in the language of faith.
• Here’s the thing, an intentional mind produces intentional speaking.

• And I realize these are spiritual realities that will contradict the things of this natural world, and this is why we have to become people of faith, which means we have to do things God’s way.

• Practice seeing yourself the way God’s word describes you.

• Think about it, right now, what kind of in Christ image do you have?
• Don’t kid yourself, wrong thinking leads to wrong believing.

• What’s your thought life look like? What occupies the most space in your thinking? 

• Do you honestly believe that according to Jesus, Isaiah, Paul, and so many other patriarchs, that the more you think on what God says, the more transformation is happening?

• Hebrews 12, We run with endurance the race God has set before us by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith...

• Is it possible that we could get to a place in our walk with Jesus that the cares and trials of this world no longer have the power to sideline us?

• Why not let God inspire our thinking, empower us to be more international with our thought life, to the place where we see from His perspective?

• This means taking the time to make room in our thinking for God to inspire our faith. Remember the Psalmist says, be still and know that He’s God.

• Remember, it’s the little things that make the difference. And the majority of the time it’s those seemingly small decisions we make that shape our lives.

• In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus gives us a great picture of how God’s Kingdom operates. How something seemingly so small becomes something very significant.

• Matthew 13:31-32,NKJV- “Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

• Start today with one small decision, acknowledge Jesus as the author and finisher of your faith. The reason inspired thinking is so important for the believer is because our faith goes in the direction of our thinking.

• And for the born-again, our new lives (Canaan) can only be found in Him, willfully giving our lives to Him is the key to our success.

• This is why Paul instructs us that we have to put on our new man in Christ.

• Ephesians 4:21-24 NLT, “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from Him, 
• throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 
• Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 
• Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.”

• In Isaiah, God tells us, “I don’t think like you, or work like you. Just like the rain waters the earth, making things grow, so do the words that come out of my mouth. They will do what I sent them to do.”

• Remember what Jesus told us in Matthew, the King of heaven is like a seed. In like he also makes it clear that His word is seed.

• And this is where our faith has to be activated. From an intentional mind. We can’t keep doing things our way and expect to exercise Kingdom of God realties.

• This is why God told us not to despise the day of small beginnings. Just like a seed, which God’s word is, as it begins to grow the fruit will be recognizable in our lives today.

• Remember, God told us His ways are different. All His promises, His covenant comes from a world we can’t see in the natural. And it’s only through faith that we bring them into our world.

• God rarely asks us to take giant leaps of faith, usually He’s simply encouraging us to take small, everyday steps discovering the life Jesus died that we could have. He didn’t take the children of Israel to Canaan the first day.

• One of the most valuable lessons we can learn from our ancestors in the OT is that we will never enter into the life God has for us as long as we refuse to trust Him. Not to mention letting go of the old wilderness thinking or even worse Egypt thinking.

• The is why the first group stayed where they were in the wilderness, wandering through life, never getting to experience the promised life God told them was theirs for the taking.

• At the end of the day, absolutely everything pertaining to the Kingdom of God comes down to faith, what we believe.

• Matthew 9:28-30,NKJV- And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.”And their eyes were opened. 

• Remember, “According to your faith, let it be to you.”

• On the other side of us saying yes to God, there will be fears, uncertainty, opinions, challenges, giants and fortified walls we’ll have to overcome.

• The question is, will you continue wandering in your wilderness of unbelief, or will you take one of those steps of faith and cross over into your Canaan?

• Deuteronomy 9,  Attention, Israel! TODAY KNOW THIS: GOD, your God, is crossing the river ahead of you—He’s a consuming fire. 
• He will destroy the nations, He will put them under your power. You will dispossess them and very quickly wipe them out, just as GOD promised you would.

• Canaan boldly declares that God has and always will be the force surrounding and empowering every believer willing to follow Him.

• Today-Da-Day!! It’s time for us to be a little more intentional in our thinking, our faith, our actions, let this story of our ancestors inspire us to make our minds up. To ask God to give us a intentional mind.

Jesus is the gate and the shepherd. If you know Jesus is the gate and that gate is the only way to green pasture, and you follow Him, you will have peace. 

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Meet Pastor Chet

McArthur Krishna is one of the co-authors of the popular book series, Girls Who Choose God. Not long before the first book in the series was published, McArthur faced a significant choice of her own—should she marry her now-husband and move to India with him? Although she still had her concerns when she received an affirmative answer, McArthur trusted the revelation she received and chose God anyway. Now, she is determined to share the stories of other women who chose to follow Him as well.

“Our Heavenly Parents sent us to this earth to succeed. …They didn’t send us here to fail. It’s actually not a test; it’s a school to learn and grow.”

Show Notes

2:00- Moving to India
4:58- “They Know My Husband”
8:32- Home Church Before It Was Cool
11:25- Girls Who Choose God
18:28- Use for Your Talents in Zion
24:34- The Vital Role of Agency in God’s Plan and Parenting
34:58- A Call to “Step Forward”
39:12- When Things Don’t Seem Fair
46:30- What Does It Mean to Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Find the full episode transcript at ldsliving.com/allin.

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