Disciple

Key Takeaways

Discipleship begins with wanting Jesus fully.
Jesus does not want fans who admire him from a distance. He wants followers who surrender their entire lives to him. True discipleship begins when we stop trying to use Jesus to get what we want and start wanting Jesus for who he is.
Following Jesus means leaving your old self behind.
Jesus calls his followers to take up their cross, to crucify the old self, and to make him the center of gravity around which everything else orbits.
Cynicism is not the final word.
Nathanael's skepticism did not disqualify him. Jesus met him where he was and invited him to come and see. Watching Jesus intently, staying close to him, and abiding with him dismantles our defenses and transforms our doubts.
Jesus is the ladder between heaven and earth.
His reference to Jacob's ladder in Genesis 28 is a declaration that he himself is the bridge between God and humanity. The separation caused by sin is dealt with through him and through him alone we have access to the Father.

Study Questions

John describes a tension between wanting Jesus to meet our needs versus wanting Jesus for who he is. In what areas of your life are you most tempted to treat God as a means to an end rather than as the end itself?
The metaphor of a center of gravity is used to describe what it means to make Jesus the singular focus of life. What person, goal, or desire most competes with Jesus for that central position in your life, and what would it cost you to let it go?
Jesus tells Nathanael that he saw him under the fig tree before Philip called him, and this knowledge alone moves Nathanael to profound faith. What does it mean to you that Jesus sees you fully, including the private moments you would never want anyone else to witness?
John suggests that pursuing righteousness and self-sacrifice rather than comfort could have a profound effect on those around you, particularly the vulnerable. In what specific ways might your community look different if the men and women within it chose costly obedience to Jesus over personal comfort and self-indulgence?
What does it mean to you personally that Jesus is not just a teacher or moral example, but the actual point of connection between you and God? How does that change the way you relate to him?

Seeking God’s Face Devotional

This year, we’ll be using the devotional “Seeking God’s Face” for our personal daily discipleship.

This Week’s Liturgy

Call to worship

Psalm 16:11

Leader: You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy;

All: at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Confession of FAITH

New City Catechism Q & A #37

Q: How does the Holy Spirit help us?

A: The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin, comforts us, guides us, gives us spiritual gifts and the desire to obey God; and he enables us to pray and to understand God’s Word.

Confession of sin

Most Merciful Father, we confess that we have made ourselves the center of our lives. We have wanted your gifts more than we have wanted you. We have treated Jesus as a means to our comfort rather than our Lord. Forgive us our self-rule, cynicism, and divided hearts. Restore us again to Christ, that we might follow him wholeheartedly, abide in him faithfully, and find our true satisfaction in him. Amen.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

Micah 7:18-19

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.