Follower of One : Missions For The Rest Of Us

Are you a pest? Do you challenge the status quo? In today’s episode we learn about how Paul was seen as a pest for challenging the status quo as we focus on Acts 24:5. 

Before we dive into today’s verse, we learn the backstory of what was happening with Paul during that time. Paul had gone back to Jerusalem. The crowd of Jews there tried to lynch him with a plot to kill him. A Roman military official ended up taking Paul and sending him off with guards to the govern, to keep peace in the area, and where he would be placed on trial. We learn that the person speaking in Acts 24:3-5 is the lawyer who is persecuting Paul at the trial. The lawyer states in Acts 24:5, “For we have found this man a real pest and a fellow who stirs up dissensions among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.”

Paul is a problem child for the Jews. He is a pest. He is a problem for the status quo. Does your relationship with Jesus make you a pest to those around us? Not necessarily a problem that people must deal with but a little bit of a pest to those who think they have it all figured out. Hopefully, we are a pest in that regard.

Jesus calls each of us to a relationship with Him. In many ways our relationship with God is standard, such as common beliefs we share and traditional ways we do things, but at the same time our relationship with Him is unique for each of us. Since we are different and unique individuals, our relationship with God also is reflective of being individual and unique. 

Sometimes God challenges us to stand up to authority, to be different than the situation or the world around us. This can be seen in situations taking place in the world today. God is calling the church to be more flexible, to do things differently, and to provide a way for others to see Jesus differently. 

Ask Jesus to show you what He would have you do. Even if He asks you to show up as a pest to some of the established Christianity around you or some of the people around you who have a certain way of doing things. When we follow Jesus, we challenge the status quo, and we step outside of traditional boxes. As you pray, trust Jesus and step into the calling that He has for you.

Thank you for being a pest to the status quo. Let your relationship with Christ challenge the people around you. Let Him be visible to the people around you. 

On today's podcast Mike talks about trusting the Lord as he reads from Psalm 20 and shares his thoughts on what trusting God looks like in our daily lives. Specifically, Psalm 20:7 is a great reminder to trust God. It is through God’s strength and His power that brings about solutions and change in our lives.

Do you ever feel that things are dependent upon you? It is easy to get to a place where it feels like everything is resting upon us; from our jobs, to daily tasks, and decisions that need to be made. Daily happenings can feel overwhelming, and we can easily start to feel the weight of each one weighing on us.

Let us be challenged to trust God daily and not as much in ourselves. God is the one that grants our heart’s desires and fulfills all our plans. God is the one who sends help. When we trust in Him, we can relax a little more and watch Him at work in our lives and the lives of those around us. 

Be encouraged today to take a moment and rest knowing that God is the one who can fulfill our plans, grant our heart’s desires, and He is the one that saves us. By trusting God, we find we can enjoy life a little more. The Lord is the solution to our problems today. Not our experiences or anything else in life. 

Pray today and ask God to help you trust Him in everything taking place in your life. Ask God for a supernatural peace and joy that comes from remembering that He is the one we can trust. Let us trust Him today. 

Punch in for the day and pray. One example of a prayer to say is, “Here I am God, I am yours. May I focus on what you would have me do today and would you please take care of the things that bother me. Grant my heart's desires and fulfill my plans and use me for your glory. I'm here to do your will today.” Our first daily activity is to pray, punch in and get on God’s clock. Go to work for God today and watch Him change the circumstances in your life.

Would you say the joy of the Holy Spirit marks your daily life? How are you at work? Could it be that your primary objective is to stay out of trouble? Mike talked about how his goal was to stay out of trouble most days. He didn't want to do anything that would make Jesus look bad. He was just trying to get through life.

Do you have a goal for your spiritual walk? Are you trying to do anything because you follow Jesus? Do you have goals for your faith and is your life tracking toward those goals? Without goals, without some direction for our lives, we live a live of trying to avoid difficulty. The absence of misery isn't a very worthwhile goal. Neither is 5:00 PM on Friday.

Your joy in Christ will be related to your goals. Think about where you would like to be spiritually. What would you like to see Jesus do in your career and family? Would you like the joy of worship to extend into your work week? Ask God to show you how to follow him on a moment-by-moment basis and then do what he says. And you will experience more of his joy. You will see him working in your life and the life of others around you and you will be continually filled with joy. Try it out today!

Do you know what your spiritual gifts are? There are some scriptures that point out the gifts and they're labeled. Many of my friends know what their gifts are. Maybe the gift is administration, or preaching or discernment. There are a couple of passages that list various of these gifts. I've always wondered between translations and changing times how accurate some of this might be. I also wonder what purpose the gift is when Jesus asks us to do something outside of our gifting.

However, there is one gift I know we receive. Peter talks about that "THE" Gift in this passage. When the first Gentiles heard the Good News from Peter, they believed and received the Holy Spirit. 

If we truly follow Jesus, we are given the Holy Spirit. God's only marketing plan is to work through us. He shows up in our lives, our actions make him visible. Notice here that God didn't save these Gentiles, but rather he had Peter go. Peter took witnesses. And then they went back and told what they saw. God uses us. He wants you to be involved. And where you work and how you currently spend your time are only excuses if you let them be.

The Holy Spirit lives in you if you have trusted Jesus. Ask God today how your life may witness to the Holy Spirit living in you. You can certainly serve someone today because you follow Jesus. And who knows, they might even ask you why you did. Ask God to use you today to make him visible. You have the spiritual gift you need. Please put your faith to work today. Integrate faith into your life by listening to God and then live in such a way that others might see him.

In this week's episode of the Follower of One podcast, Mike talks with Steve Metzgar. Steve is the Manager of Process and Master Data Governance at Sanofi where they are currently working on COVID vaccines for all of us! Steve is also a former boycott and Scout Master. Please welcome him to the community! 

Episode Breakdown

00:50 - Meet Steve Metzgar

2:05 - Steve's Story Christ

11:00 - Prayer Group at Work

17:35 - Steve's Mission Trip Experience 

19:55 - NEW! - Mission Trip In A Box Tool

22:25 - What's Next

26:40 - Get Outside of Your Job Description 

28:35 - Get in Touch with Steve

Moving Down Christ's Road

God has a plan for you. If you are a Christian, you have probably been told this at some point in your life and it's true! God has a plan for everyone but sometimes that plan takes you down roads that you never thought were possible. During Steve and Mike's conversation, Steve talks about his road to Christ. Steve's road, along with everyone else, is not a straight and narrow path. God might push us to do something we don't enjoy. It could be because we are afraid of change, or afraid of the consequences of listening to him but trusting in Christ is the epitome of our faith! Don't battle Chris in his plan for you. Take time to listen and adjust because you never know what could come of it! 

Plant the Seeds of God

One of the biggest aspects of the Marketplace Mission Trip that Follower of One uses is the seeds of God. We want to give you practical wisdom in living your faith in the workplace, but we also want to help plant the seeds of our faith in others on a day-to-day basis. Steve talks about how a simple conversation can sprout great beginnings. This could be a small group at work, a lunch meeting with an old friend, or even just a can of soda on a desk. What do all of these things have in common? A starting point. A place to plant the seed of our faith. Check out our steps to do that here.

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What makes you stop and notice God? For me it is creation. When I see the moon at night, or the stars, or when I see great scenery, I praise God. He's made such a cool world. 

Do you see God in nature? What things about nature make you think of how great he is? How about the variety of trees. It's spring as we record this, and things are blooming. The whole world wants to get out and stop reacting to COVID-19. Traffic in increasing. Everyone wants to get out, be out in the world. 

Can you let the beauty of nature motivate you to listen to Jesus today? He has a job for you. He created you for a good work (Ephesians 2:10) and that job may be today. Look for ways that your life can help someone else move one notch closer to Jesus today. And enjoy God's creation. The more we enjoy him and celebrate him, the more likely we'll see him working in the lives of the people around us. Let's train our brains to watch for God in nature and in everything that happens. Then we can join him in his good work!

Mike's been thinking about God and his power and goodness lately. It's a response to a lot of self-help he hears in our faith these days. Sometimes it seems to him like we think God's job is to make us happy. 

David is very happy in this Psalm. These 2 verses are a small example of the things God does. David celebrates God quite a bit in this Psalm for sure. Do you celebrate God? Can you use this Psalm or these verses or others to remind yourself how good God is? And then can you let that goodness put you to work? In your workplace today, if you overflow with joy and love for God, you will be his workmanship in the lives of others. You can't help it. 

Think about God, but ask God to help you take action with your thoughts. God's work in our life causes action. He gives us strength and energy and excitement so we will act. If you can't do anything else, you can pray. And if you can do something else, then by all means, make it happen. Our actions matter. God created you to be part of his answer in this world. Celebrate him and his power and watch him put you to work.

Do you catch yourself thanking God for all the good things that happen? Today, Mike focuses on Psalm 18:1-3. This is a Psalm that David wrote when he was delivered from the hands of his enemies and where David discusses what he went through. We learn that David loved the Lord and had a heart committed to God. Also, we discover in this Psalm that David’s rock was the Lord, and He was David’s fortress.

You may be in a dark place today. Be encouraged to read Psalm 18 and find comfort in David’s encounter with the Lord as he was delivered. David made mistakes, just like all of us, and yet He was commended because of His heart toward God.

Mike states that he wants to learn to depend on, follow and chase after God to the exclusion of everything else. Having a heart that is after God is a heart that seeks to put God first. As we go to work today, are we able to put God first in everything we do? Is God first in the way our attitude reacts towards situations that take place in the workplace? Is He first when customers get upset or when we drop the ball? Do we turn inward when things don’t go well and beat ourselves up or do we turn to God first in that moment?

Today, let’s make an attempt to turn to God first with everything going on. Let us focus on putting God first no matter what is taking place at work. As we put Him first, He becomes our rock and our shield. Everything that happens at work, good or bad, are opportunities to share the joy and love we have for God with others. God is almighty, He is in charge and He is working His plan. There is always something good to thank God for.

If you find yourself in a dark place, we would love to pray for you. Please go to followerofone.org and then to the Contact Us page or email Mike directly at [email protected] to share your prayer needs. Also, share with others about Follower Of One and our social media pages.

Do you deal with discouragement? Mike does. Anyone who tries to accomplish things will have to deal with some failure, some discouragement. How do you handle it?

God reminds us in Psalm 3 that he's in charge. Using the words of the Psalmist, we're reminded that God's in charge. What he says, goes. And he sets things right. He lifts our head. We hang our heads when we're discouraged. God encourages. He puts courage in. 

Do you put courage into others? When we focus on God and trust him, we get extra courage. Let's tell our problems about God. Let's live relaxed, trusting him. Our rest and our peace testify to what we believe. And when we are given his peace, and courage we can give it to others. 

Who's head can you lift today? Who do you know that might be discouraged? Read this whole Psalm, maybe even memorize it and then give away the excess courage God gives you. Your coworkers need your courage and your confidence, not as a prod, but as someone willing to share and serve. Bring your courage and use it to serve others today.