John 11:17-27

"...when we open the Bible–we enter the totally unfamiliar world of God, a world of creation and salvation stretching endlessly above and beyond us. Life in the warehouse never prepared us for anything like this. 

Typically, adults in the warehouse scoff at the tales the children bring back. After all, they are completely in control of the warehouse world in ways they could never be outside. And they want to keep it that way.” 

Eugene Peterson, Eat this Book

Matthew 4:18-22

18 As he was walking along the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter), and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. 19 “Follow me,” he told them, “and I will make you fish for[a] people.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with Zebedee their father, preparing their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Matthew 4:19 “Follow me,” he told them, “and I will make you fish for people.” 

What is a disciple?

• A disciple is one who follows Jesus

• A disciple is someone who has been changed by an interaction with Jesus

• A disciple is someone committed to the mission of Christ

If the God who is love , who is always present and at work, who looks just like Jesus, is meeting us right in the middle of our messy reality, then it follows that God cares about all of it more than we do (Axiom 5).

You are invited to be a disciple, but it is not something we are left to accomplish on our own strength. 

Ephesians 1:3-14

3 Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him.[a]5 He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One.

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8 that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding.[b]9 He made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he purposed in Christ 10 as a plan for the right time[c]—to bring everything together in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth in him.

11 In him we have also received an inheritance,[d] because we were predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will, 12 so that we who had already put our hope in Christ might bring praise to his glory.

13 In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. 14 The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.

You are invited to see a new way to live. 

If God cares about all of it more than we do, that means the stuff that’s most important to you, your family and friends, your church community, your job and vocation, your neighborhood and world—all of it—is of keen and specific concern to God. Every good thing that’s worth caring about, everything that you care about, God cares about more.