Luke 9:18-27
When Jesus invites someone to follow him, he is inviting them to die. This death to all that is contrary to the Way of Jesus begins in surrender. Surrender is the foundation of the spiritual life. Practicing the Way is a lifelong process of deepening surrender to Jesus. Surrender to Jesus begins today, and it begins again tomorrow.

Luke 5:12-16
Becoming an apprentice of Jesus doesn't happen by accident. Jesus lived by a "rule of life" that is anchored in prayer, and would-be apprentices must understand the connection between what Jesus did and who he was. His purpose was fulfilled because he was intentional in how he used his time. God invites us to commit to a grace-filled rule of life that transforms us into who we were meant to be.

John 14:8-14 
As apprentices of Jesus, we not only spend time with Him and become like him, but we are sent out to do what he did. The end goal of apprenticeship is to grow and mature into the kind of person who can say and do what the Master does. Compared to Jesus, this sounds impossible, but we have the gift of the Holy Spirit that enables us to do "even greater things than these."

Matthew 5:43-48 
When Jesus talks about "perfection," he isn't referring to unattainable sinlessness. He's referring to maturity, specifically, being mature and complete in our love for others. It may not always be pretty or easy to understand, but love for the unloveable becomes the ultimate measure of one's growth towards Christlikeness. 

John 15:1-17
As an apprentice of Jesus, our life is anchored in his presence by the Holy Spirit. This is the call to "abide" in him. If you're not abiding in Jesus, you're abiding in something: media, relationships, careers, or any combination of things. Apprenticeship with Jesus recognizes that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit that we must intentionally set before God and set apart from the world.

Mark 1:16-20
We live in a world that imagines one can be a "Christian" but not an "apprentice" of Jesus. The invitation to follow Jesus is more than subscribing to the bare bones beliefs of Christianity. Jesus invites us to follow him and to become his apprentice. Converts to Christianity will not change the world, but apprentices of Jesus who embody His Kingdom in what they do and say will. 

John 6:35; 6:68-69 
There is a difference in knowing about Jesus and being in relationship with Jesus. We are invited into a deep and abiding relationship with him that impacts our entire life. In John 6, Jesus not only feeds the 5,000, but declares himself to be the “bread of life” that “comes down from heaven.” Are we “all in” with who Jesus declares himself to be or are we just in it for the free buffet? 

Psalm 37, Matthew 7:13-14, 1 Corinthians 1:21-25
Jesus is Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all. 

Mark 10:46-52
Are we so familiar with God that we're missing Him? Hear the Word from Mark 10 as Rev. LaMorris Crawford provokes us to live in faith and expectancy.

Psalm 37; Matthew 11:28-30
The creation account describes a rhythm in which God separates, fills, and rests/blesses. In the same way, our lives are "recreated" by God's Holy Spirit when we seperate from the world, are filled by God, and become a conduit of God's blessings to the world. Jesus invites us into this way when we are invited to "take his yoke" upon us. This is not a life of "ease," but we rest in the deep satisfaction of what God is doing through us.