The second half of Luke 9 is full of moments where Jesus’ disciples experience spiritual failures, confusion, and missteps. Jesus patiently corrects them. When we make the same errors, He calls us to repent, be restored, and continue to follow Him.

Jesus gave Peter, James, and John a preview of heaven and of the Glory of God. They were so overwhelmed that they

wanted to stay there with Him on the mountain. Jesus will not allow them to do that. The Glory of Christ changes us and prepares us to go back into life where we can serve Christ and continue to tell people about Him.

If you conclude that Jesus is God and came to save us, it will change everything about your life. Jesus declares that as God’s anointed, He must suffer, die, and be raised from the dead. For us to truly follow Him, we must give up control of our lives, obey Him in all things, and follow Him wherever He takes us.

When we come to know whoJesus is–theKing with all authority and power – we are almost ready to serve Him. He

calls, commissions, trains, instructs, and empowers His disciples. A massively important step in our service to the King is recognizing our inadequacy and Jesus’ adequacy in all things.

God called his Church to take the Gospel of Jesus to the world. As the number of disciples increased, the church faced many new challenges. God led the church to call two groups of spiritual leaders – Elders and Deacons – and called all followers of Jesus to be fully engaged in ministry.

Jacob, Joseph, and Stephen followed God in their living and dying. They teach us how to face death in a way that honors God and shows trust and obedience in our final actions and attitudes in this life. Jesus said the Holy Spirit will remind us of what He said [John 14:26].

All people are created for eternity. You don’t have a soul – you are a soul. Your present body will one day cease to be of service to you. The unredeemed will experience the fullness of God’s wrath in a place we usually call hell. God’s redeemed will be given new, resurrected bodies that we will inhabit in praise of the Lord in the new heaven and new earth.

All people must answer to God,standing accountable for our lives before Him. Those who die without having trusted Christ have much to fear about standing before the judgment seat of Christ. Those who lived in faith in Him have nothing to fear, not because of who we are but because of who Jesus is.

The Bible’s clear teaching is that every human being will die. Where do we go and what will it be like? What is our only comfort? That I am not my own but belong — body and soul, in life and in death — to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. [Heidelberg Catechism, 1563]

Desperation is usually born out of circumstances we know are completely out of our ability to control. It often drives us to our knees. When desperation drives you to Jesus you will be face to face with mercy and grace and regardless of what He does about your circumstances you will be forever changed.