Follower of One : Missions For The Rest Of Us

Who is greatest, the one who is served or the one who serves? Jesus sets the standard for what I call character-based leadership: leading from who you are and not your power, performance or position. The greater is the one who serves? Really? Do we live that way? If you answer "Yes," think again. As a people we don't live that way. Everyone wants to be the leader, the politician, the one in charge. I spent years trying to get a business going for myself so I could call the shots.

But Jesus calls the shots. And He came to serve (Mark 10:45). When I first became a Christ-follower, I wanted to follow Jesus full-time. I kept trying to get God to put me to work in some Christian organization, working with some great Christians. Have you ever considered becoming a full-time minister? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work for Jesus full-time?

Mike says Jesus answered his request to become a full-time minister by showing him that the word translated "minister" is also translated "servant." He realized Jesus was calling him to serve people he worked with. 

Our 4th daily activity is to serve others. To become a full-time minister, we must minister full-time. We don't have to leave our job. God can use ministers in any occupation, working for any person. He called Mike to minister to people in work situations that didn't fit his strengths, so he could learn the lessons and make Jesus visible. What about you? How can you serve others today.

Also, check out our partner podcast Your Faith at Work with Ryan Howard.

Our third daily activity is we should know what we believe. Why do you follow Jesus? There was a man who was possessed by an army of demons and he became the first marketplace missionary. Jesus healed the man and the demons took over a herd of pigs that ran into the sea and drown. The people were amazed, but they asked Jesus to leave the region. They didn't want him to hang around. The man naturally asked if he could go with Jesus, but Jesus wouldn't let him go.

With no more than one sentence of training, Jesus left this man in a hostile country with no support mechanism. All he received besides this encounter with Jesus was one sentence of seminary. Jesus sent him to tell others about his experience.

You're an expert in your experience with Jesus. Think about it. Be able to give someone the one and two sentence answer to why you follow Jesus. As you live praying for, appreciating and serving others, they'll see that you're different and they will ask. This man was known as being demon possessed. People would see the difference and Jesus encouraged this man to share what the Lord did for him and how he had mercy on him.

People who work with you trust you. You're normal like they are. But if you live a different life, they'll want to make the connection. We'll talk Friday about what to do when you're asked. Today, practice your answer. Use "I" and "me" statements and simply answer the question, "Why do you follow Jesus?" Or, "Why did you go out of your way to help me?" Live like you follow Jesus and you will get the opportunity to share. Practice to be ready.

Also, check out last week's podcast episode, One Thing I Know.

Love is action. Jesus says this is a new commandment, but it is stated in Leviticus. What's new is how Jesus did it. "Even as I have loved you." All people will know we are disciples of Jesus if we love others the way he did. He just washed the feet of the man who would betray him.

I recently watched McFarland USA with Kevin Costner who played a white coach who took a job at this poor school in a poor town because he was out of options. Most of the people in the school were Mexican agriculture workers. They called him Blanco or White because he acted like he didn't belong. He was embarrassed because he asked one of his team members to translate something for his father and then found out the father could speak perfect English. Only then did the coach realize that he didn't understand the families of his team. So he did the work to get to know the people and built a legacy.

We can go through the motions, but others know when we're faking it. If we spend our time at work only so we can get somewhere else, where our friends are, the people we work with get the message. They know we're not as interested in them as we are our own people. We may be a tourist at work. I was. When I was in the freight business as a young man, I thought I was better than the freight business. And the people who worked with me knew it. It was only after Jesus began to transform me that I gained a genuine appreciation for people in the freight business.

The people we work with want to know we're for them. We all want to be special to someone. And Jesus died for everyone we meet. We never met an ordinary person, or a mere mortal. When we appreciate people the way Jesus did, then he will use us in their lives. And we will experience God's joy.

Please check out our partner devotional podcast The Morning Mindset with Carey Green.

Today is the launch of the Marketplace Mission Trip. If you didn't get to sign up, you can hear some of what we discuss by listening to the podcast. We try to have a consistent message in every platform and channel.

There are 5 things every believer can do every day. The first one is pray. No matter what your job is, no matter where you work, or even if you're in job transition, you can pray. There are many things to pray for, but here the psalmist says he asks for one thing, that he may dwell in the house of the Lord all of his life. The psalmist wants to live with and know God.

Our first prayer is to tell God, "Here I am." As we go to work, let's head over to God's place and report for duty. He will put us to work. And as we work with him every day, no matter what our job is, we will know him better.

At Follower of One, we pray everyone trusts someone at work who follows and serves Jesus. Since you're that person for someone, ask God today how he wants you to show up. Who do you need to pray for? Where can you make a difference. God will put you to work. You are his Plan A and there is no Plan B.

And please don't forget to check out our partner podcast iWork4Him.com with Jim and Martha Brangenberg!

There were a bunch of lame people (John 5:3) at the pool of Bethesda on the day Jesus healed the man in John 5:8. This man Jesus noticed had been ill for 38 years (vs. 5). Jesus seems to have snuck in, healed this guy, and snuck out (see vs. 13). We have no reference to him healing any others that day at that place, either.

God apparently directed Jesus to this one person. Who is God directing you to reach out to today? Do you see them? What can you do for them today? Jesus asked (John 5:6) and we can too. "Can I buy your lunch today?" Or "Can I help you with this project today?" One of the things that keeps us from seeing the people around us is our own unbelief. We don't think we have the power to help. We don't necessarily have the power to heal, but we have the ability to notice, to appreciate or care, and to serve. We can pray. We can be the solution to someone's problem today.

In the Coronavirus, and the social distancing, to notice people as Jesus did and look for ways to help. You never know what difference you can make. Often it will only be for one of many, too. Let's be people who notice, appreciate and serve.

Are these podcasts helpful to you? Would you let us know what you think? And tell your friends, too? We're listener promoted and listener supported. When you tell a friend, you have no idea the impact their life can make in the world. Let's encourage our friends to let their faith transform their everyday life. Our actions can matter forever. Thanks for being a minister in your marketplace.

God's Destination with David Blakeslee, #40

In this week's episode of the Follower of One Podcast, Mike speaks with David Blakeslee. David is the current Director of Development for Pure Flix. Pure Flix is the largest producer and distributor of faith and family-friendly entertainment, to deliver inspiring television content for the whole family! Please welcome him to the podcast!

Episode Breakdown

1:25 - Meet David Blakeslee

7:35 - David's Story

10:35 - David's Early Career

12:05 - David's starts to Minister

16:00 - Pure Flix

22:00 - David's Tips on Navigating the Current Climate

28:30 - Love Causes us to do some Uncomfortable Things

30:00 - Fellowship and Love is Important

34:50 - How to get in touch with David

God's Destination

God has a destination for us. It has been planned by him and we are not in control. This might sound scary but when we follow Jesus, we are secure in his knowledge and trust he places in us. David talks about how he came to work with Pure Flix and it has a lot of key insights on how to listen to God and what direction he is taking us (sometimes without our knowledge). One of the main goals for us is to be diligent in how we speak and listen to God on a daily basis. In the name Follower of One, we express that we follow one being for eternity!

Chaos is the Enemy

The world seems to be in chaos recently. There are a lot of political and environmental challenges that we face each day. In this episode with David, he talks about how chaos is our enemy. Have no fear! - God is with us and is the opposite of chaos. God is an agent of love and togetherness. How do we spread that love? Can we be an agent of love instead of chaos? Yes you can! Listen to David and MIke's discussion around this as there are practical ways to approach our ever growing ambiguity that is the world!

Connect with David

David's LInkedIn

Pure Flix

Blessings Broker

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!

How many things do you know? The man was born blind. He spent his whole life with no idea what anything looked like. He didn't know the color of a sunrise or a blade of grass. He didn't know what he or anyone else looked like. It's difficult to imagine what he didn't know.

Jesus heals him and then leaves. The religious leaders are questioning him and his family. This was quite an event. People want to know the reason for the change they can see. But Jesus was nowhere to be found. So they ask again and again. Finally, the man says, "one thing I do know: I was blind and now I see."

If you know one thing about Jesus, you're a minister, a witness. However, Jesus has healed or changed you can be the one thing you know. But others won't ask unless they see the change. How we live matters. When they see the difference, they will ask. And when we get the opportunity, as this man did, we speak for ourselves. He simply said what he knew. Think about what you know about Jesus. Ask God to give you the opportunity to share your faith because of how you're, now different.

Today is the last day to sign up for the Marketplace Mission Trip. Please go MarketplaceMissionTrip.com and to learn more and sign up.

How many things do you do? It seems like everyone has or is trying to start a side-hustle. We're always looking for something. But Paul said he only pursued one thing. He presses on toward the goal. What goal you ask? Well, he stated that above in verse 10 - knowing Jesus. Rich Mullins wrote a song titled My One Thing. "Everybody I know says they need just one thing. But what they really mean is they need one thing more." I want to focus. I want to remember my goal of knowing Jesus by walking with him and letting him direct my actions, even at work.

There are only 2 days left to sign up for the next Marketplace Mission Trip, too. There's no cost. You don't have to get shots or a passport. Two weeks of email and daily activities to sharpen your relationship with Jesus and make an eternal difference at work. Go to MarketplaceMissionTrip.com and sign up.

SAM Morrison of Your Admin Ninja and Follower of One interviewed Mike recently on her podcast. We thought we would re-share it on our podcast. Mike was introduced to Sam Morrison by Dale Young of www.coachdale.com.  Mike and SAM talked about how to live our faith every day and the struggles they shared trying to live our faith at work. If you struggle with how to live your faith every day, check out this informative interview.

Links we discuss include:

Dale Young’s website www.coachdale.com

SAM Morrison’t website www.YourAdminNinja.com

Follower of One: www.followerofone.org

Marketplace Mission Trip: MarketplaceMissionTrip.com

Faith at Work Prayer Network on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/faithatworkprayer/

Faith at Work Prayer Network on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12423164/

Martha was busy. She was a doer. We've been talking about being a doer of the word for the last two days. But Mary wasn't a doer. Mary was content to let all the work go so she could spend time with Jesus. Martha asked Jesus to put Mary to work, but Jesus didn't give the expected response. Jesus points out another place where what seems right to us is so wrong. Only one thing is necessary. There is a time to be with Jesus. There is a time to trust him, and let the details go. Can you wait patiently, during this strange time we live in, and wait on Jesus? Can we simply sit at his feet, enjoy him and learn from him and let the chips fall where they may?

Next week is our Marketplace Mission Trip. Saturday is the last day to sign up. Click MarketplaceMissionTrip.com to learn more and sign up. You will spend a little more time each day listening to Jesus. Then, hopefully he will involve you in the lives of your coworkers, customers and vendors. Check it out!