Follower of One : Missions For The Rest Of Us

Would you say your work brings out the best in you? Do the people you interact with on a daily basis pull you toward God or away? Do you even notice what you talk about with other Christ-followers? 

Our passage today is a call to challenge our environment. The people we hang around with have an impact on us. We're not immune from the thoughts we allow to penetrate our brains. The Psalmist is challenging us to program our brains. If we can saturate our minds with scripture, we might think that would make us boring. But this passage tells us the more we spend meditating on God's word, the more likely we are to be firm in our convictions. Everything about us gains more staying power. The idea of being a tree firmly planted by water means that we have everything we need.

The wicked are more blown around. Even the devil doesn't create. He simply destroys. 

You can be this tree in your workplace, but it is by focusing on God's word. He will make us difference makers in our own environment. If you're in a bad situation, make a point to mediate on scripture. It will help you be rooted and grounded in your faith so you can serve others on behalf of Jesus every day.

Everyday with God, David Barnes #81

In this week's episode of the Follower of One podcast, Mike speaks with David Barnes. David is the Facilities Manager for Frisco Bible Church. David has over 24 years of experience working in church organizations from IT to Facility Management. Please welcome him to the community! 

Episode Breakdown

00:50 - Meet David Barnes

2:05 - David's Story to Christ

7:00 - Marketplace Mission Trip Experience 

9:30 - Takeaway from the Mission Trip

10:40 - Run Your Mission Trip

12:00 - Tip on Living Your Faith in the Workplace

Every day is a Mission

David works at a church in Frisco. He lives his faith every day by serving one of the most important places in our faith. Follower of One's marketplace mission trip was still able to build a better environment for David. How is this possible? Well, in the discussion, David talks about how he meets with several people who don't believe. Whether it was construction workers, or people showing up to the church that are still not believers. This gave David the ability to spread the word every day by focusing on what is most important, our God. Every day is a mission and we need to be cognizant of that fact! Opportunity lies just beyond misconception. Take time to read some of the opportunities around you, even if it doesn't seem bountiful. 

Slow Down

We all have lives going in separate directions. Not one single person has the same path of life that you do and that is a strength we have! David talks about how the Marketplace Mission Trip allowed him to slow down and think about how he plans to spread the gospel each day. This is not an easy task, we know! Each day we probably wake up to distraction or passion. Take time to slow down in the morning and get your mind right for the day. It will help! 

Interview Quote

"Follower of One told me that we don't have to go anywhere. There are enough people here that need to hear the Gospel!"

Connect with David

David's LinkedIn

Frisco Bible Church

Connect With Follower Of One

Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app. Be a part of our next Marketplace Mission Trip!

Jesus calls out Simon here. He uses Peter's old name and he repeats it twice. I believe a great calling requires great preparation. We have an enemy. If we want to be close to Jesus, we will join him in his suffering. 

Do you have the courage to want to be close to Jesus? When we obey him, we experience difficulty. Notice Satan is directly involved. Jesus prayed for Simon, and the result doesn't seem to have been in doubt either. 

Jesus is doing his thing. We simply want to join him. Thank you for helping us. This is our 400th episode. Your contributions and prayers and your ministry to your coworkers, customers and vendors made this possible. Please continue to pray for us. Tell others about this podcast, and head over to www.FollowerOfOne.org and make a donation. We hope to help everyday workplace Christ-followers help others move one notch closer to Jesus every day. Let us know how we can help you, too.

Do we want Jesus to tell us "Well Done?" What are your thoughts about your "job" here on earth? As Christ-followers we know we were created on purpose for a purpose. The goal of our life was created for us before we were born. We discover it. Can you imagine eternity at all? Can you imagine it knowing that you did everything Jesus intended for you to do? 

I wonder sometimes about how much time I waste thinking about things that won't last long beyond my own life on this planet. When I became a Christian, my first thought was that I needed to go into full-time ministry. Like Peter, who wanted Jesus to wash his hands and his head (John 13:9), I wanted as much of Jesus as I could get. 

I wish the rest of my story followed that path, but it didn't. I struggle as I'm sure you do, too. Back in the real world, is there more of Jesus for all of us? Yes. Is there something limiting us in our walk with Jesus? Yes, ourselves. Jesus gives us all of him we can stand. If you want more of Jesus, more joy, more excitement, more purpose, more of an eternal perspective, you can have it. Jesus isn't holding anything back. 

So what do you let separate you from God? Can you focus on Jesus more and whatever that is, less? Today, I want to focus on listening to and doing whatever Jesus has for me. I want to invest more of the resources I've been given to hear Jesus say, "Well done,"? Can you bend your life more toward Jesus? Let's ask Jesus to enable us to draw near to him today. 

That's why we created Follower of One. We want to help you focus on eternal objectives in your everyday life. Why not let us know how we can help you focus more of your life on Jesus?

Who is greater? That's what these guys had been discussing. They were striving to be successful in Jesus' new kingdom. Yesterday we talked about the get-into-heaven-free card. I think of that as being the other end of the spectrum. On one end, we don't want to do anything more than we have to. That was my original strategy. But when I became a Christ-follower, then I wanted to lay up treasure in heaven. I started wondering what heaven would be like and what would I do. And I think the disciples were doing a similar thing. They had a different point of reference. 

What do you expect to be doing in Heaven? Do you expect to be served? Do you think you're just going to hang out in Heaven watching TV? 

Have you ever worked on a project or built something, or been part of something with a team of people who were your best friends? How did you feel? Could you not wait to get back to the project? 

I've had some great work situations, where a team of friends pulled of something difficult. It was tiring, exhausting and worth it. Jesus is giving the disciples a great truth here. When we serve, we are blessed. Service to others is the best work of life as the Jaycee Creed states. 

So do you have any spiritual ambition? Do you wonder what it will take to earn the rewards Jesus talks about in scripture? And do your spiritual goals make a difference in your life? Do your spiritual goals affect what you watch on TV or what you eat, or who you hang out with? How much of your daily energy would you say you spend laying up treasure in heaven?

What is your goal? Is there a goal for your Christian walk? Notice how the disciples argued about who would be first in the kingdom. Do you ever think about where you'll be in Heaven? Do you ever wonder what it means to be great in eternity? 

Back when I first became a Christ-follower, I think many of us had a goal to avoid hell. We didn't even expect there to be much more on this side of eternity. Belief in Jesus got us a "get-into-heaven-free" card. We carried that card and did our best not to lose it. But it stayed in our wallet or back pocket. We only took it out when we needed it.

But my desire was different. I disliked my job and how I spent my time. My hope was that my life would matter for something. And when that something became eternal, I was hooked. I started trying to figure out how to experience the joy of my salvation all the time. But my job and my commitments were an obstacle, or so I thought.

How much of your waking energy every day moves you toward the goal of your relationship with Jesus. That's what I think the disciples are doing here. They really want to be as close as possible to Jesus, experiencing his friendship, love, peace and joy. But its not position, or where we sit. 

Are you in a job you don't like? How can we exhibit Christlikeness when we work in a difficult, miserable or hostile work environment? Notice this verse in Romans. Jesus came, lived on earth and died for us and he also intercedes for us. He said, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." How can we live that kind of attitude and life in our present work situation?

I recently read My Utmost on this verse when I realized that God gives us some great tools to live as someone who wants to help our friends find Jesus, and at the same time, we might suffer in our situation. So much is written today about how successful we will be if we follow Jesus - a common error in our study of scripture. Jesus is ultimately successful, and his life might be a good model for how to run a business. But he primarily modeled how we lay down our life for others. What are we called to do? Intercede for others. 

In that My Utmost Chambers reminded us that it is through worship and fellowship with God that we gain the ability to intercede. The strength and the ability to empathize for our fellow man, especially when their actions cause us grief, comes from God. It is supernatural. We can only get it through worship - focused concentration on God and his goodness. 

Today, please take some time and thank God for what he has done. Enjoy his blessings. Sure, there are difficult things going on in your life. But focus on God's grace and his provision for you. Focus on the good of who he is and then ask him to use that joy to make you an intercessor. You can be someone who blesses others in any circumstance. Try it out today and see what I mean.

Finally, do you have another Christian friend who would like to experience the joy of walking with Jesus daily? Mention this podcast to them. 

Unconditional Trust with John Ramstead, # 80

In this week's episode of the Follower of One Podcast, Mike speaks again with John Ramstead. John is the CEO of Beyond Influence, host of Eternal Leadership podcast, and author of his new book: On Purpose, With Purpose. Please welcome him back to the community! 

Episode Breakdown

1:05 - Discovering Your Purpose with John

5:45 - Trust in God

11:40 - Being a Steward of God's Story in You

15:00 - John's New Book: On Purpose, With Purpose

18:10 - Find Your True North

24:15 - See God in Any Future

30:05 - Mission Field at Home

Trust Regardless of External Circumstances

Through the power of John's stories, we learn that Trust is one of the most important aspects of our faith in God. We as Christians must learn to lean on our faith in the face of uncertainty. The next obstacle you face could be at your job, at your home, or even at your grocery store but know that there is not a single external circumstance that can distance you from God. Only you can distance yourself from him. Have you experienced a time where you distanced yourself from God due to the world around you? The end goal is to make every action represent our belief that God has our best interest in mind. He does! Trust me. 

Focus on the Present 

It is important to partner with God in the moment and the present. God can direct us to everything we need through his plan. This is a huge struggle for me and maybe some of you reading this post. We, as humans, love to plan for the future. It means safety and even peace of mind. These things are important but what are the safety, peace of mind, and freedom worth if we don't do it for Jesus? You probably have many opportunities each day to build upon your faith but sometimes they are hard to find. Each interaction can be bountiful! 

Connect with John

John's LinkedIn

On Purpose, With Purpose - New Book!

Beyond Influence Website

Eternal Leadership Podcast

Connect With Follower Of One

Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app. Be a part of our next Marketplace Mission Trip!

Remember Your Why - Our actions are most natural and pure when they come from who we are and not from something we "ought to" or "should" do. Our "why" is the reason we follow Jesus. It's the reason we Go, make time, listen, and deliver excellence. Remember when someone asks, we want to be able to say honestly and authentically, "I'm doing this because I follow Jesus." Ask God to give you integrity in this area. Integrity simply means being pure. We've been reading this story all week. On the Marketplace Mission Trip, we want to be people who genuinely serve others because we follow Jesus. There is no room for manipulation or spin. Either we are serving Jesus or we're not. Our Why is our motive. If our heart is in the right place, we will get chances to join Jesus. And our actions will flow from who we are. In Luke 10:35, it says this man gave 2 day's pay to the innkeeper. We work about 200 days a year. So he took 1 percent of his annual income. Would your "Why" motivate you to do to that length for someone you don't even know or will never see again?

Today, I hope we remember our why. Everything we have has been given to us. If we try to hang on to it, we lose it. But if we give it away so that others find Jesus, we send it on ahead. Ask God how he wants you to line your life up with the idea that all we have comes from him. Jesus asks "Which of the 3 proved to be the neighbor?" Will we be the neighbors? Will we be involved with the people at work enough for them to see us as neighbors, or will we run back to our church and suburb every chance we get. Consider the people you see every day and ask God how he would have you live? If he wants you to change, do it. Trust him and watch him work. And then, one day, someone will ask, "Why would you do something like this for me?" Then you'll get to give that answer you practiced. Then you'll sense the joy we get from God when we walk with him. Then we will experience this unified, integrated life and faith. This is great joy and a wonderful opportunity. 

Deliver Excellence - We're talking about the story of the Good Samaritan in the context of our Marketplace Mission Trip. The mission trip is going on right now as this airs. The Good Samaritan story doesn't line up point-for-point with our mission trip, but there are 5 things we do on the 2nd week of the mission trip and they line up a bit with this story, so today, let's focus on Luke 10:34 and 35. 

The Samaritan bandaged him, nursed him to health, gave him a ride on his animal, and took him to an inn. Then he gave his own money to make sure the man was cared for, and he made good on any costs associated. This person went above and beyond the call.

Our idea today at work is to make sure we deliver excellence in everything we do. People see our faith and our Savior when we do what he says. And they don't understand our faith at all when we don't. When we deliver excellent work, we tell the world that we trust God. We do good because he tells us to. We represent him in our world. When we go above and beyond we are doing what Jesus told us to do in Matthew chapters 5, 6 and 7. Excellent work tells our coworkers, customers and vendors they're important. 

So when you do anything for a coworker today, make sure the time comes out of your personal schedule. If you buy something, use your money, not your employer's. This is your ministry. Make sure no one else needs to make a sacrifice because you follow Jesus. This is between you and him. He will reward you. Try it out and see what I mean.