Follower of One : Missions For The Rest Of Us

Have you given yourself to the Lord? Do you live from a place of God being first in your life? Today we look at 2 Corinthians 8:5. Mike shares that the part of the verse that stands out to him is “They first gave themselves to the Lord”. 

We learn that the people in Macedonia had raised money for the Jews who were suffering in Jerusalem and Paul challenged the Corinthian church to give a good contribution to the people in Jerusalem as well. In this verse, Paul is drawing a parallel to the Macedonian church and how they gave so much, while in poverty, because they gave themselves to the Lord first.

The first daily activity in Follower of One is to punch in and give ourselves to God. Practice giving yourself to God today. Ask the Lord to use us, to put you to work and call you to do things outside of your job description so that you are visible in the workplace because of Him. We show how much of ourselves we have given to God by the way we express generosity. Our giving of our treasure shows where our heart is. If we hold on to our stuff, we miss the grace of God. God’s grace was given to the church in Macedonia as they gave. The people in Macedonia gave beyond what Paul might have even imaged. God challenged them to give more than expected. He gave His grace to the church in Macedonia, and as a result they gave liberally.

Let us give ourselves to Jesus today and ask Him to put us to work. If we are genuine, God will call us out even further than what we may be comfortable with. God will tell us how to give more. Trust God, do what He says and then go and make Him visible. Your ministry as a follower of Jesus Christ in your workplace matters forever.

Here is one of our favorite episodes as we go into a series of encore interviews and daily devotionals through our summer break. Hope you enjoy this one again!

Combining Work with your Ministry:

Most of us struggle with the combination of our workplace and our ministry/church place. Even from the beginning, we are taught to keep those things separate. In this podcast, with Jim and Martha Brangenberg, we learn of the importance of combining these two seemingly separate lives into one, complete life. 

Jim and Martha are both entrepreneurs and radio talk show hosts on iWork4Him. In this episode of the Follower Of One Podcast, Jim and Martha discuss their paths to iWork4Him and what it really means to have a marketplace ministry in today’s world. 

Outline of This Episode:

6:00  – How things have changed for Jim and Martha 

12:15 – Challenges by the Lord

14:00 – What more is there for me?

19:30 – Workforce and Leadership roles through Faith

23:35 – Everyone has a “workplace” 

29:45 – What does it mean to be content with nothing? 

34:35 – How to think about “work”

Building a Business on Your Faith:

There are several protections in the workplace, one of them being your faith and religion. Jim and Martha talk about those protections sometimes being a roadblock to living your faith every day in the workplace. One of the key ways to accomplish this task is to hire people who do not believe in what you believe. This is a perfect opportunity to introduce what your belief in God really is, and allow them to be exposed to the type of passion and person you are today because of your faith. Everything you do becomes a chance to incorporate your faith. 

Having a Marketplace Mindset:

We have all been exposed to mission trips. These trips are by nature, short and in a different part of the world from where you are today. However, our jobs are not finished when we return back home. Jim and Martha talk about their goal to have everyone indulge in the “marketplace mindset”. This mindset is designed to show you that every day, anyone and everyone can be a minister in their daily lives. Just because you are not in the workforce does not mean that you don’t have the ability to be a minister. Listen as Jim and Martha explain what this means through first-hand stories. The opportunity is everywhere, we just need to recognize it.

Perspective on Contentment:

What does being content really mean? Are we content with our lifestyle? Job? Faith? Everyone is on different paths in life and some are afforded more than others but including a perspective on contentment is key to understand the limits of your faith. How can we become content with nothing? Jim asks this in the podcast to add color to mission trip stories. Some people are more fortunate than others and Jim gets us thinking about how our resources might be better used if we have the ability to use them. Find out in this episode how Jim and Martha put contentment into perspective and what that means for us as we try to live our faith every day in the workplace, not just at church and on mission trips. 

Connect with Jim & Martha:

• Website – iWork4Him
• Work4Him Blog
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• iWork4Him Youtube Channel

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!

Do you pray much? Mike mentioned that he thought he prayed less than he thinks. He wants to talk with God more. Do you? 

A soldier isn't much of a soldier if he's not under authority, in contact with his leadership. Prayer keeps us in touch with God. 

And God uses prayer to get us ready and keep us ready. Our prayer keeps us connected to God and reminded that our battle isn't against flesh and blood (2 Corinthians 10). Paul asked the people of Ephesus to pray for him at all time and in the Spirit. Praying at all teams means just that. In 1 Thessalonians, he told us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Praying at all times means that all of our life is a prayer. Mike talked about wanting his life to be this adventure with God. 

Praying in the Spirit means doing what the Holy Spirit tells us to do. Do your actions line up with his will? Do you listen for his guidance on matters like what you say in a meeting or how you react? Do you listen to him when he prompts you to get your work done instead of leaving early? Are you learning to listen to him more? 

The more we pray the more likely we are to hear him and to get used to his voice. We must persevere. There is never nothing to pray for or about. We can always pray. We can always ask.

Would you say you persevere in prayer? If so, thank you. Your prayers make a difference. Mike talked about needing to pray more. Prayer is the first thing on the marketplace mission trip and it's the last part of the armor of God. Make prayer something you do at all times and you'll learn God's voice and line up with his will more and more.

Speaking of the Mission Trip, we have a new tool and it's being upgraded. Sign up for the July 11 Marketplace Mission Trip and see the new features. We hope to continue to remind and challenge you to integrate your faith into your daily life. Head over to MarketplaceMissionTrip.com to learn more and sign up.

A roman soldier carried a sword in his other hand. He had the shield in one and the sword in the other, when it wasn't on his belt. In battle, the sword could cut, pierce, and also block the sword of the enemy. 

Your sword, the one given to you by the Holy Spirit is the word of God. He keeps the word of God in tact, alive. He has managed to keep it down through the ages. The word of God is the sword of the Spirit. We're told in Hebrews 4:12 that this sword is alive, active, and sharper than any sword you can imagine. This sword divides soul and spirit and it can judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

That's our Bible. This collection of books is alive, breathed into being by our God. We underestimate the Bible to our own peril. Treat it as fully God-breathed and you will find yourself appreciating it more. Remember it, meditate on it, read it regularly and daily. The more you know the word of God, the better able you are to apply it to your life. It becomes more and more valuable the more time you spend with it. 

But we can't use it like a hammer. We don't use the bible to beat down our opponents. The Bible is something we use to guide and change us. The Word of God is useful in a battle with temptation, but not in a battle with other people. Avoid using the Bible as a club. Most of the people you work with doubt its authority anyway. It's not something we memorize to quote it to others. We memorize it to quote it to ourselves. 

Do you read the bible as much as you think? Do you memorize it? Mike talked about how he used to memorize it and how he was convicted that he memorized the dialog in some movies more than he knew the Bible. The more we know God's word, the better off we'll be. Memorize Scripture so you can think on it and let it change you. 

Drink in God's word and know it. It is your sword. Your favorite weapon. Let the Bible change you, too. Every moment we spend with the Bible will come back to us multiple times now and forever. Time in the Bible is never wasted.

Have you joined our Online Community? We'd love to get your thoughts on how to memorize scripture. If you're a member of our online community, head over to https://community.followerofone.org and search for a discussion on scripture memorization. Share any ideas you have there and help us all memorize scripture better, too! And if you're not a member, why not join us? 

Some of these images come from Isaiah 59:7. This is part of a prophesy talking about the salvation of the Jews. The Chosen One will come and some of these characteristics mentioned in this passage are associated with our Savior. This is one. Salvation is a helmet. It protects. We're chosen. Our salvation as a follower of Jesus is certain. And that salvation protects us from Satan. Whatever Satan does to us won't change the fact that we're children of the King. Salvation is a helmet.

Do you think much about what God would have you do now that you're saved? Does he just want you to stay out of trouble? Are you destined to just sit on the sidelines. Do you have to quit your job to go to work for a church? There were many years where I was frustrated as a Christian because I wanted to do more, but I was handcuffed to my job and my debt. I thought I needed to be a full-time minister to make a difference with my life. 

I forgot that I was saved for a reason. God created you for a purpose. We don't create our purpose, we discover it. Part of our purpose is to be related to God, to know him and love him. Another part is to help others come to know and love him. And that idea makes you a a full-time minister, if you want to be. You can serve people all the time, so they might come to know Jesus. You're a fully-funded missionary if you have a job. And if you're in transition, God is providing the funding, but he is for those of us who are working, too. The people we interact with every day are the people Jesus would have you serve.

The helmet of our salvation protects us, our physical life and our thought life. God can send his people into some difficult places with his armor. God saved you for a reason. His salvation of you was for an eternal purpose. His salvation protects you so you can stand firm which is how this passage started. Wherever Jesus has put you, stand firm. Let this helmet be part of your active armor. Put it on today. 

Please also, share this podcast with a friend. Ask God to give you the name of a friend and then suggest they listen. Your one introduction can make a big difference in someone's life. Try it out and see.

Today’s podcast is a continuation of the armor of God from Ephesians 6. Specifically, our focus today is from Ephesians 6:15, “And having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”

We're still talking about the armor of God. Today's passage is Ephesians 6:16. Imagine having a shield. They were heavy. But they protected you. You had to build up your muscles just to carry it and over time your arms would get tired. But our faith, which we have to build like a muscle is also our shield.

Our world is designed to deny the existence of God. Our enemy will try to knock us off the track of following Jesus any number of ways. Our faith is God's answer to each one. So if we are overwhelmed by our task list, our faith reminds us that God is present help (Psalm 46:1). If we feel alone, by faith we know God is with us (Matthew 1:23). For every lie and every trap, our faith is the answer. Faith keeps us connected to the true source of power. Faith therefore is our defense.

In addition to everything, today, carry your faith like a shield. Our enemy is lighting these arrows on fire and shooting them at us. Every speculation and every lofty thought that comes up against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5) can be like a flaming arrow. It's designed to get over our defenses and take us out, or destroy our protection. But these arrows hit our shield and they are extinguished. 

Today, remember Jesus is the answer to just about every question. By faith, we will keep him involved in our life, we will turn to him for answers, and he will respond. Your faith is a shield you can use to extinguish the flaming arrows shot at you by Satan. Use it!

Also, consider investing in Follower of One. By making even a small monthly commitment, you put some of your money toward your desire to grow as a follower of Jesus. Make a monthly commitment to grow as a minister in the workplace and begin cooperating with Jesus as he helps you stand firm. Check out our website and donate at www.FollowerOfOne.org. 

While there are varying thoughts on what Paul was talking about in that verse, we can image that he was probably chained or handcuffed to a Roman guard during this time. He is looking at the guard and the armor the Roman guard is wearing while creating analogies to his faith. 

Furthermore, one translation references Isaiah 52:7 which states, “How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, "Your God reigns!”. The good news of our faith prepares us. We need to be able to explain the good news to people. 

Paul is challenging us to be prepared and to understand the gospel. Our feet are our foundation and are necessary in order to stand firm. We must have good shoes for our feet just like the rest of the armor that is needed for us to wear. Our feet need to be prepared for battle in the same way we need to be prepared with the gospel. Paul is encouraging us to be prepared and ready to take action with the gospel at all times.

We must learn to connect the gospel to our actions, to our life, and to our witness. Our preparation and our foundation allow us to share the good news. This good news is the good news of peace. The good news tells of how our relationship with God has been restored. 

Think about why you believe in Jesus and how you can explain to someone else the reason you live differently. Live your life in such a way that people ask about why you live that way. Let the gospel invade your life. Let the gospel be the reason you go out of your way to serve others. Go beyond your job description so people will ask you why you live differently and why you follow Jesus.

In this week's episode of the Follower of One Podcast, Mike is interviewed by Roger Courville. Roger has been a guest on our podcast previously and we want to bring you a new look into bringing more Marketplace Mission Trips to everyone! This episode is to describe and present all of Follower of One to you, the listener! 

Episode Breakdown

0:45 - Mike Henry & Follower of One

4:20 - Why a Marketplace Mission Trip

6:45 - How to Share

10:45 - Full Time Minister

12:40 - Who is the Leader?

15:00 - What to Expect

17:30 - Marketplace Mission Trip Breakdown

22:30 - Bonding with One Another

27:50 - Closing Thoughts

Our Story in the Workplace

We each have a story to tell. It is unique but connected to everyone you meet. One of the goals for Follower of One is to build a vehicle that allows you to live your faith at work in a way that is not intrusive but explained in the way you act. There will be a time and place to share your story by speaking it, but the key is to living your faith first! We have learned many things through evangelism, and it is important to not be intrusive and allow others to wonder why the light of God is shining through you. How have you lived your faith recently? How have you told your story through actions instead of words? Our step-by-step guide can help you think through this! Follow the link here to sign up for the next Marketplace Mission Trip! 

Practical & Useful

Everything that Follower of One gives you, our resources, our podcast, and our Marketplace Mission Trips are designed to be used immediately and frequently. We want to build a platform that allows you to connect, talk, bond, and grow within our community. The goal is to be fully integrated with Jesus at all times. It starts with just two weeks, but you will soon realize you can do it every day at all times! Make sure to listen to the full episode to get a detailed description of the amazing new features and programs we are offering moving forward in 2021! 

Connect with Roger

Roger's LinkedIn

Rogercourville.org 

For The Hope

The Virtual Presenter

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!

Imagine a bullet proof vest. Our breastplate today might be a kevlar vest that is designed to keep bullets from killing us. Our own practices and our habits are like that bullet proof vest. They become who we are. When we are the people who walk with God, we stop being people who look out for ourselves. Our identity, our nature and our habits protect us. 

Part of us doesn't want anything to do with God. If you're honest, you're aware of it. That's your human or fallen nature, your flesh. Every place we allow our flesh to control, that's like an exposed area where we give our enemy room to attack. Wherever we give our flesh room, we're vulnerable to attack. 

Righteousness is the part of our life where we're listening to and taking direction from Jesus. The breastplate is strong when we listen to Jesus and do what he says. 

Weakness and vulnerability come in when we stop listening. Some of our common vulnerabilities might include speeding, bending the truth, eating too much. Anywhere we listen to our flesh rather than Jesus is a place where we're vulnerable to attack.

Don't think about righteousness as how you behave on Sunday or following some rules. Think of it as following Jesus. When we do what he wants, we're right. When we don't, we're not. Today, let's keep the vest on by following Jesus and doing what he says. If he prompts you to slow down and obey the law today, do it. Everything we do because we follow Jesus matters.

And please consider that Follower of One is a donor-supported ministry. Your contribution of $10 or $20 a month will go a long way helping create and grow a community where believers encourage one another to live our faith daily. Head over to FollowerofOne.org to donate. 

Truth is under attack in our world. But if we want to pursue truth, we must chase it all the way. In the armor analogy, truth is what holds everything together. The belt of truth held the other items of the armor. Truth was under it all. 

Mike said the first truth he needed to remember is who our enemy is and who it is not. Our enemy isn't our boss or the people who disagree with us or a difficult customer. It's not a problem employee, or our wayward child or our parents. God's not our enemy either. Our enemy is powerful, and able to use others to tempt me to forget God. 

God's not our enemy either. We broke the world, not him. God does intervene, but he doesn't intervene all the time. So don't blame him because he didn't give you the job (or spouse, or parents, or income, or career, or whatever) of your dreams. 

But the second main truth is God is almighty, supreme, pre-eminent. Even though we have a powerful enemy, we're on the winning team. God is for us and there's nothing he can't do. We can trust him in every temptation to provide a way of escape. (Yes, we mix metaphors, a bit. We are standing firm, but there are times when we must flee certain temptations.) We can't convince people to follow Jesus. He does that. Jesus is working in the life of every person we meet. We simply need to ask him for direction and do what he says. We man our territory by refusing to listen to any voice that doesn't line up with truth, and the scripture, including our own.

Remind yourself truth about God today. Lean into him. True truth is our friend when we follow Jesus. All will be made right, some now and some much later. Today with the Holy Spirit living in us, we can do the things God calls us to do. Let's follow him today and watch him work. 

Follower of One is a donor-funded ministry to support workplace missionaries globally. We want to help you make an impact as part of your everyday life. If you appreciate our podcast, check out our online community. And please consider making a monthly recurring donation to help us keep this content coming.