Follower of One : Missions For The Rest Of Us

Jesus asks Bartimaeus, "What do you want me to do for you?" Earlier in this very chapter, James and John's mother came to Jesus and he asked her the same question. Jesus asked a bunch of questions. One friend counted 339 questions, in fact. 

Jesus loved us and valued his relationship with us enough to set aside his position as God, and come to earth and live in our world and suffer and die on the cross. He is interested in us. He loves us. He values us. When we listen to others, we show them we share the same opinion. They're valuable, interesting. Jesus calls us to love them. One way to say love is to quietly listen.

Listening tells others we think they're important. The easiest way to speak with someone is to ask about them. Most of us are OK with sharing info about ourselves as long as we can make it sound good, and we don't disclose anything that will make us feel inferior. So listen politely, don't grill them about their faith or their knowledge of scripture. Ask about their successes, their accomplishments, their skills. This will give you an idea of how God wired them. As you build trust, listen for ways to help them or to serve them. Asking questions communicates appreciation. Today in your prayers, ask God to give you great questions to ask others. Watch what happens!

As a full-time minister in your workplace, you're commissioned to appreciate others the way Jesus did. Start today by finding ways to listen more and talk less. Ask great questions. Think about the things you don't know. When you dwell on this activity, you will improve. Your honest, genuine interest in others will help you pray for them and serve them.

A synagogue official named Jairus came to ask Jesus to heal his daughter. So Jesus begins going with him to his house to heal the daughter. But a woman sneaks through the crowd to touch Jesus' garment and she's healed from an illness that had lasted for years. Jesus stops to find out who was just healed. The official must be going nuts. His daughter is about to die. She's been sick a while. In fact, we find out below that she's probably already dead. 

This is a great story because it shows us Jesus didn't know he would be interrupted either. But he had made time in his schedule, even his life, for others. 

Today, put some time in your life. I know if you ask God he will wake you up. He gets me up all the time. Use the extra time to talk to him. Get ready for work early. Get some of your work done ahead of time. You are a full-time minister. If you're too busy writing software or selling cars or doing engineering work, you'll miss your opportunities to minister. Yes, engineering is ministry. But if God interrupted Jesus, he'll interrupt you. 

Today, put some time in your schedule for others. Watch Jesus fill it. He will. You'll find your life is more peaceful, and you will enjoy more time with Jesus. Let's live like we trust him. He can do more with your day if you give him part of it first. Make time for others today.

The Great Commission is contained in Matthew 28:18-20. We call it a commission because we're being sent on a mission. This command is universal. It is for everyone who follows Jesus.

Often we think of missionaries as someone who is sent overseas or to a different people group in another land or area of our own country. But there is a footnote by the word "go" in the New American Standard and other bibles. The Greek word translated "Go" could also be translated by "having gone" or "as you go." Since this is a universal command, Jesus is acknowledging that we all go. 

Today, you will go. We're all in some degree working to go back to work. Or we work remotely. Whatever we do today, we come into contact with a number of people. Every interaction is an opportunity to make disciples. Much can be said about making disciples. But for today, remember you're sent. You've been commissioned. Jesus sent you into every human interaction you will have today. As you go to the office, will you stop and get breakfast or coffee? Pray for the person taking your order. Give a huge tip. Find some way to serve them. Will you be on a conference call or in a staff meeting? Pray for every person on the call. As you go today, ask God to use you to make a difference for eternity.

Also, have you heard about our latest effort? We're developing a tool to enable groups of any size to do their own marketplace mission trip. But we could use your help. Please pray for our efforts. Learn more about what you can do to be a part of our effort by going to MissionTripInABox.com.

In this week's episode of the Follower of One Podcast, Mike speaks with Dwayne Deskins. Dwayne is the founder of the Home Church Network where they are focused on creating church in a micro-community of your family and friends! One church, in many homes, all doing life together. Please welcome him to the community! 

Episode Breakdown:

0:55 - Meet Dwayne

1:55 - Dwayne's Men's Ministry Conference 

3:55 - Home Church Network 

9:25 - Seeing the Church During the Week

14:50 - Courageous Men's Summit 

17:55 - Connect with Dwayne and Follower of One

Church During the Week

Follower of One is built upon taking your ministry out to your workplace and all the while stepping closer to Jesus every day. While we are ministering each day, we sometimes forget that Church is not a location. The church is a called upon group of people and so your church does not have to only be in one place! Sometimes we might feel as though we get to "go to church" only once or twice a week. Yet, there is a problem with the statement "go to church". We can be at church anywhere we are. Seek church during the week and tune into Dwayne's work with the Home Church Network to see how you might get involved! 

Make a Difference Through Revelation 

If you pay attention to some of the top companies in the world, their success is usually built upon a struggle, and a solution to that problem. But not all successes come from problems. Sometimes an idea can come from a revelation. Dwayne talks about just this very thing in today's episode. In fact, it inspired him to start his Home Church Network and surrounding support. Have you ever thought of something through the struggle? What about through the revelation while tuning into God's plan? Let us know in the comments! 

Interview Quote

" I realized that scripture declares that all knowledge comes from God,  so if we have the technology, it was designed to share the gospel first." 

Connect with Dwayne

Dwayne's LinkedIn

Courageous Men Summit

Home Church Network

Home Church Network Facebook

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!

We are witnesses to life following Jesus. A witness testifies to what they see or experience. Often a testimony is given verbally. Someone asks you what happened. You explain what you saw or what you experienced. That's one way to testify. Another way we testify is by how we live. And when our life and our word line up, we're more likely to be considered credible. At least one other person (you) believes it. They know you do because you act accordingly.

Some think this is a command. Mike considers it a statement of fact. We're Jesus' plan. Our lives are his marketing strategy. When we obey him, people will ask. That's when we speak for ourselves.

Often we think we need to convince someone else to follow Jesus. But Jesus only asks us to tell what happened. What happened to us? Why are we different? What made us change our lifestyle and follow Jesus? Answers to these questions should always be personal, first-person testimonies. We use "I" and "me" statements to convey the points. This keeps us from acting like preachers, and we stay in our area of expertise. We're experts on what Jesus did in our lives; not so much about what Jesus intends for our friends. 

Today, ask God to give you the opportunity. Ask him to prompt a coworker, customer or vendor to ask you why you live differently. Then you will have an opportunity to speak for yourself?

Our faith must make a difference. And there's one place in the world where you can guarantee that your faith will produce results: in your own life. James challenges us. If we see a need but do nothing to make a difference, "What use is that?" Well, what use is that?

And unbelieving world wants evidence. Our life change is the proof. We must get outside of our job description to help others move one notch closer to Jesus. If we go above and beyond in the performance of our jobs, it's easy for someone to think we did it just to get ahead. But if we go above and beyond and no one knows, or there is no way it could benefit us, we testify about our faith. Others are prompted to ask, "Why did you do that?"

Today, ask God to show you ways you can serve others. Don't steal any time from your employer. Give personal time to serve. If you get paid for doing it, you have your reward. But if you simply do it because Jesus said to, or James in this instance, that matters. Your service is of some eternal use. Jesus will use it. We must trust that he will. Get outside of your job description. Jesus didn't call you to "just do your job." He asks us to take up our cross daily and follow him. Your service to others will be the way Jesus gets their attention.

Paul challenges Timothy to know the word of God. If you're like Mike, maybe you think that only applies to pastors. Since you're not "teaching" anyone, you don't need to think too much about this verse.

But if we want our faith to matter in our life, we need to reason our faith. Our faith needs to be connected TO something. Our faith must be based on knowledge. Do you read the Bible? Do you have a good enough understanding of the Bible and of Jesus to explain to someone why you follow him? Many who do not follow Jesus can tell you why they don't. Can you reason with them about why you do? How will you ever share the truth of your relationship with Jesus if you don't know the Bible? The bible and Jesus are one. Check out John 1:1-14 if you have any questions.

The reason for our knowledge is so we can trust Jesus and worship him better. But it is also so we can give a reason for the hope we have (1 Peter 3:15). Today, practice how you will answer when someone asks you, "Why are you doing this?" Do you live differently enough that someone might ask? In your prayer time, ask God to make you enough of a servant that someone would ask. Then, since you expect Jesus to answer that prayer, you might want to prepare what you would say.

Practice making this one or 2 sentences that explain that your relationship with Jesus prompted you to act. Then he will be introduced into the conversation. Go ahead and imagine that they ask "Why?" and then practice your answer to that question, too. The more prepared you are, the better off you'll be. Make sure and enlist a family member or friend to help you, too. Let your answer use first person pronouns, like "I" and "me." That way you're not telling someone else how to live. You're simply stating why you made your choices. 

Thanks for being a minister. Your preparation will matter. God will answer your prayer to be used by him. And you won't feel bad because you weren't prepared either.

When you appreciate someone, what do you do? Do you think about them? Buy them gifts? Send them a card or an email? 

God built it into the Jewish law that they provide for others. He told them to leave some for people to come and get. When we think of only ourselves, we don't make much for anyone else. We never have enough. Have you noticed how you feel like you never have enough? When I'm not actively giving, or being generous with my time and energy, I feel like I have less. When I make some extra and give it away, I feel like I have more.

Appreciation of others grows the same way. Appreciating others is the 2nd of our 5 daily activities that put us on-mission with Jesus. When we appreciate others, we value them more like Jesus values them. And he rewards us. Sometimes the reward comes in knowing we did the right thing. Other times, the rewards are financial, or something else. God's economy is based on generosity, not greed. Let's hold our time, attention, money and belongings with an open hand. Let's be quick to give. 

But at the same time, we need not to judge the recipients. Often, people who give can get bitter because the need never seems to go away. Jesus told us the poor would always be with us. Some things we just can't fix. Our appreciation of others doesn't fix the problems, but it can draw us closer to God. When you build giving into your life without judging others, you will see Jesus increase your ability to give and your joy integrating your faith and work.

Thank you for taking this mission trip to your own workplace. And if you didn't sign up, just listen to the next week and a half of podcast episodes and you'll get the gist of the mission trip. Serving Jesus at work is something we can all do, every day. Please let us know if we can do anything to help you integrate your faith and work so you can experience the joy of your faith every day, no matter what. Sign up for the next mission trip right now and see for yourself. Head over to MarketplaceMissionTrip.com to learn more and sign up.

Notice how God gave Job some work to do before he restored his fortunes. God instructed Job to pray for his friends and when he did, then God restored his fortunes. Prayer comes first. We must remember God. We are all capable of forgetting him and acting like we're in charge. 

So our first job as a marketplace minister is to pray. Pray we begin by telling God we're his; we belong to him, and we punch in. But right after we punch in, ask him what he would have you do in the lives of the people around you. He's working in their lives. The book of Job isn't just about Job. Job's 4 friends hung with him. The first 3 of them sat with him for 7 days in silence. (See Job 2:13.) These were good friends. And they hurt for Job.

So part of this book was about fixing their theology and ours. But also part of it is seeing how God works. Some of your coworkers may be going through some difficult times. We'll talk more about listening and asking God for wisdom next week, but for now, plan to trust God, listen to your coworkers so you can find ways to pray for them.

Also, recently, some friends and I were talking and they said they would ask the person if they could pray for them. I seldom pray out loud for someone else in the workplace, but if you feel that is what God wants you to do, then ask the person and, if they agree, pray out loud for them. Try to avoid preaching to them in your prayer. Simply ask God on their behalf. But I don't even ask. I just pray silently for people while we're talking or when they come to mind. I can pray for anyone, any time. So can you. 

Today, let's invest some time praying for our coworkers. I used to use my drive to work. However you do it, remember, God wants us praying for others and then he works. God designed it this way so we would depend on him.

In this week's episode of the Follower of One podcast, Mike talks with Shawn Sommerkamp. Shawn has over 14 years of professional services experience working for companies like GE and is the founder of Motivationeer Christian Coaching. He coaches Christian executives and business owners to make a lasting difference in their career by relying on Christ as the model for leadership, change, and ultimate success. Please welcome him to the community!

Episode Breakdown

1:10 - Meet Shawn 

2:00 - Shawn's story to Christ

4:45 - Christian Coaching

8:40 - Shawn's Coaching Stories 

11:10 - Motivationeer Christian Coaching 

14:20 - Shawn's Advice for Faith at Work

17:45 - Living Through Christ 

Change the Way We Think About Ourselves

We need to adjust our lens of ourselves to grow, move forward, and succeed in our endeavors both at work and in our faith. This does not come easy. One of Shawn's specialties is helping his clients succeed at work and in their faith all at the same time! Mike and Shawn talk about how building a corrective lens on our flaws and strengths can be one of the things that are holding us back from growing. How do you think about yourself? Are you kind? Compassionate? I am guilty of being extreme in the ways I judge myself and my actions. Changing the way we think about ourselves is important and should take time to get right. Know God, Know Thyself. 

Timing Matters

Remember, God is in complete control. Sometimes we have a hard time learning that fact but He is nonetheless. We need God to tell us what moves are the right ones and when it is the right time to use them. Shawn talks about a story from the Bible with Jacob and Laban and how it can be applied to everyday life. Trusting God to give you the knowledge on how to overcome adversity can be your greatest strength. Do you want to leave at the first point of resistance? Or do you stay and weather the storm until a greater opportunity arises? Timing can make all the difference, and God knows when it is the time!

Connect with Shawn

Shawn's LinkedIn

Motivationeer Website

Motivationeer Youtube Page

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!