Category: General

Christ The Rock’s Elders have announced that Pastor Joel Zeiner will serve as CTR’s next Lead Pastor. He will begin his new role following our current Lead Pastor Curt Drexler’s retirement in October 2021.

Pastor Joel is well-known to our CTR family. He served CTR students as our Youth Pastor for six years, and was our Reach (missions) Director for five years. For just over three years, Joel has been our Director of Weekend Services, a Teaching Pastor, and a member of our Senior Leadership Team. But Pastor Joel first became part of Christ The Rock long before serving on staff.

About Pastor Joel: Pastor Joel first became part of Christ The Rock long before serving on staff. Joel began following Jesus during his high school years, and his family began attending Christ The Rock at that time. After graduating from Appleton West High School in 1995, Joel attended UW-Fox Valley and UW-Milwaukee.  During his college years, he also served and studied at Youth With A Mission in Denver, Colorado, where he felt a call to full-time ministry. Upon completing his undergraduate studies, he enrolled in seminary, earning his Master of Divinity degree from Yale University.

While his education is an important aspect of his qualifications for being Lead Pastor, our Elder team also looked at his character and heart. The Elders deeply respect his love for the Fox Valley, and his commitment to the mission God has for Christ The Rock Community Church.

Pastor Joel is also a devoted husband and father. Joel and his wife Jenn have been married for 11 years, and they have three children, Finnleigh (9), Ainsley (7) and Bode (4).

What to Expect in the Months Ahead

CTR’s Elders and Senior Leadership Team will continue sharing details about the Leadership Transition process with you. Next steps include realigning some of our current staff hours to ensure that all our needs are covered, which may include hiring a position to bolster oversight of the business side of the church. At each stage, those decisions and changes will be shared as soon as they are clarified.

Meanwhile, Lead Pastor Curt Drexler and the Elders will be working with Pastor Joel to create a seamless handoff of responsibilities. As part of the transition, Curt will mentor Joel for the next 8 months, after which time, Joel will begin his new role as Lead Pastor in October 2021.

2020 Ministry Stories & Global Outreach

Even amidst the challeges of 2020, God showed His presence, goodness, and provision in so many ways. Not only did God provide for ministry to continue, but ministry actually expanded in many ways. All of you made that expansion possible through joining God in His work through your prayers, volunteering, and generosity. Thank you for showing that “the church” is not restricted to a building — it’s each of us living out the Gospel of Jesus, no matter our circumstances.

A few 2020 ministry highlights:

• 84 people were cared for by CTR-trained volunteer Lay Counselors, who found creative ways to meet while adhering to Covid restrictions.
• Despite Covid, 34 people went through the membership class and made a membership commitment to Christ The Rock in 2020.
• We expanded ministry by launching the much-needed Fresh Hope support group in September 2020. Fresh Hope is a biblically-based support group for those who struggle with mental health issues, and for family or friends who care about them.
• Starting Point, DivorceCare and other groups met online for the first time in our history.

  

• Our Children’s Ministry families participated in a special Thanksgiving Blessing project for the Appleton Police Department. We purchased 165 paracord bracelets with the inscription “Be Courageous” on them and then attached cards made by CTR children. It was so fun to see the kids’ drawings and the encouraging words that they wrote. What a great way to support those who support and serve our community!
• Our Children’s Ministry and Student Ministry sponsored 83 children through Project Angel Tree this Christmas! This program serves local kids whose parents are incarcerated with a Christmas gift, encouragement and connection. Our original goal was to sponsor 50 children . . . but more and more families kept asking to sponsor, and Project Angel Tree connected us with more local children in need. Thank you!

  

• In partnership with Calumet County, the Wisconsin National Guard and ThedaCare, our parking lot was a drive-through Covid testing site in October, November, and December and beyond.

GLOBAL OUTREACH

India feeding program: India’s abrupt lockdown left many of its most vulnerable people without transportation, without work, and without food. Through our partnership with Impact International, CTR helped provide 3,150 meals to vulnerable children, adults and widows. The portion was generous enough that many ate half for lunch and the other half for dinner.

Peru internet access: Because of Covid, transportation on Peru’s Ucayali River was shut down. RiverWind, our ministry partner, was cut off from the indigenous pastors and church planters they train and support. Your generosity allowed CTR to provide a grant for the technology that allowed them to continue ministry and keep training and raising up indigenous pastors.

 North America: In October, a team from CTR traveled to Clarkston, Georgia to serve with Envision Atlanta. They helped clean up an apartment complex that will be home to refugees from around the world. Due to Covid, this was our only short-term trip in 2020 – and it was also our first time working with Envision Atlanta.

None of this would be possible without God providing through your generosity. We are so grateful for each person who is invested in sharing the Gospel, and follows through with serving and giving to make that happen. You are the hands and feet of Christ to the Fox Valley and far beyond.

For stories of local impact in 2020, read our previous blog post.

2020 Stories of Impact

2020 was a year of hardship for so many due to Covid. And yet, even amidst this challenging year, God showed His presence, goodness, and provision in so many ways. Not only did God provide for ministry to continue through Christ The Rock, but ministry actually expanded in many ways. We want to take a moment to remember some of the stories of God at work through all of you, as you joined God in His redemptive work through your prayers, volunteering, and generosity.

LOCAL OUTREACH

Donations to help the poor locally during Covid

To help our Fox Valley neighbors in need during Covid, CTR’s leadership decided to use $10,000 from local outreach funds to support the Hope Clinic, a free medical clinic serving the poor in the Fox Valley. They also gave $10,000 from the local outreach fund to Pillars, which provides services and shelter for the homeless in the Fox Valley.

Local Outreach Grants

During the initial closure, we needed to get creative about offering the hope of the Gospel outside of our building. We created Local Outreach Grants so that anyone from CTR can be equipped to reach out with the hope of the Gospel. (Anyone can apply for a grant at www.christtherock.org/outreach-grants.) Our first Local Outreach Grant was given to a CTR small group who created 150 care packages for people staying in hospitals alone, as visitors were banned or limited during Covid. The gift bags contained devotionals, Chap stick, gum, puzzle books, and other comforting items, along with an encouraging note from “Friends at Christ The Rock Community Church.”

Thanksgiving Meal

Our free community Thanksgiving Meal went all-delivery this year because of Covid. Double the number of drivers were required to reach all of the delivery locations, and we increased the number of meals by 500. Volunteers packed all 3,500 meals onsite, and they were driven to homes and apartments in a 15-mile radius from The Grand Meridian. In response to increased need, financial donations to the Thanksgiving Meal increased by 51% over the previous year!

This One’s for the Girls, CTR’s outreach to women who are exploited or trafficked in the Fox Valley’s sex industry, helped women directly during months when outreach visits were curtailed because of Covid. Volunteers donated and delivered furniture and toys for a single mom, and worked with police to help another woman and her child get to a domestic violence shelter. Volunteers also donated baby items, diapers, clothing and other essentials for an expectant mother who was exploited in a nearby city. At Christmas, CTR families helped women who have left the sex industry and are struggling financially by donating gift cards, gas cards, grocery cards, and other items, and our outreach teams delivered 55 gifts to women working in strip clubs.

Food Pantry

From March, when the initial Covid lockdown began, all through 2020, our Food Pantry has continuously served 3 to 5 times the number of clients we serve in a typical month. For example, in November 2019, the Food Pantry served 24 families – but in November 2020,  we served 86 families. In December 2019 we served a total of 16 families, but by mid-December 2020 we had already served 56 families, with two more Pantry Tuesdays to go.

CTR people donated food, finances, and other items for our clients. Hats, mittens and blankets were donated to give away as needed. Our clients’ faces just light up when we give them a little something extra during the difficult times they’re going through. Other special donations have been food items and ingredients for soup or casserole packaged with a recipe attached. We never asked for this as a church – it’s completely spontaneous generosity. In fact, aside from Thanksgiving donations, we haven’t made a request for donations since the first few months of Covid at all!

Our neighbors also helped the Food Pantry. For example, in the fall we received a large donation of bread, buns, butter and a few other items from High Cliff Golf Club as they closed their restaurant for the season and gave us everything that was in their freezers.

Amazingly, financial donations to the Food Pantry increased by 4,088% in 2020 compared to the previous two years – you are loving our neighbors in their time of need.

MORE STORIES OF GENEROSITY

It has been more than ten years since anyone donated a vehicle to CTR — this isn’t something we ask for, but sometimes people are prompted by God to donate a vehicle. This year, as many people faced financial hardship, three vehicles were donated.  All were in great condition: one car was appraised at $4,000 and a van that was donated was appraised for $9,500!  It is amazingly generous to donate a vehicle that still has significant trade-in value. The three recipients were overwhelmed and overjoyed about this help.

After those three vehicle donations, another woman called. She is a single mom and had received a donated car through CTR when she was really struggling.  Now that she is doing better financially and no longer needs one of her vehicles, she wants to donate it to someone else who is struggling. What a joy to see generosity go full circle – reflecting the heart of God so beautifully!

Our church family also donated $36,295 in addition to their regular giving for several capital projects, including new snow removal equipment and energy-efficient lighting. And donations to the Benevolence Fund, which helps people in a crisis situation, were up 25% from last year.

We are so thankful for the people of Christ The Rock — you chose to live out our mission to Seek the Lost, Love the Hurting and Make Disciples even during an unpredictable year.

STAY TUNED for another blog post about what God was up to in Global Outreach and other ministries at CTR!

Like most things in 2020, our Christmas Eve services looked a little different than usual. We offered five online services (you can watch on YouTube), and five in-person services (with masks). Instead of cookies and coffee in the lobby, we had packets of cocoa to send home with everyone. But no matter how many small details changed, the reason we celebrate and the One we worship is the same!

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). ~Matthew 1:22-23

We are also very thankful for everyone who joined us to celebrate the hope of our Savior, and for the volunteers who made our online and in-person services possbile! A merry and blessed Christmas to you!

Lead Pastor Curt Drexler Announces Retirement Date

Together with Christ The Rock’s Elder team, Lead Pastor Curt Drexler has shared he will retire from his role next year. After 33 years on staff, three of which have been as the church’s senior leader, Pastor Curt will enter a phased retirement October-December 2021. He will continue to serve as Lead Pastor until then. Scroll down for a video announcement.

This process began nearly five years ago when the Elders asked both Curt (who was then CTR’s Executive Pastor) and founding and Senior Pastor Bill Lenz to begin thinking about a plan for retiring from their ministry positions. Four years ago, Pastor Curt shared his intentions with them to retire in 2021. After Pastor Bill’s unexpected passing in 2017, CTR’s Elders appointed Curt to the position of Lead Pastor and he has served as the church’s senior leader since that time.

We are grateful for Curt’s steadfast leadership throughout many changes. He has served faithfully as the church grew from a street outreach ministry into a fledgling church community, and beyond.

Pastor Curt directed moves to different locations as well as renovation and building projects; helped oversee the church’s expanding local and global ministry, and has been a consistent, transparent leader throughout and after the crisis of Pastor Bill’s death. His leadership is marked by humility, sacrificial love for others, and consistently prioritizing the most important thing in both his personal life and ministry: sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are also thankful for Marian Drexler, Curt’s wife, who has been an integral part of Christ The Rock. Marian has volunteered in many capacities including our Lay Counseling Program, Children’s Ministry and worship teams. She also worked on staff for 17 years in several roles, as receptionist in Christ The Rock’s early years, and later as part of the Weekend Service team and our Restore Team, which cares for people through support groups and counseling. Together, Curt and Marian have touched many lives in our church and community.

About the leadership transition process, Pastor Curt says, “The Elders and I will continue to work side by side to create our plan for a smooth transition of leadership. In our humanity, we tend to like things to stay the way they are, but change is a normal part of life in every organization. Especially in the church, we have the security of our good Father being the One we follow over and above any human leader.”

Curt will continue to serve as Lead Pastor through the next 12 months and will be part of a planned mentoring process to fully prepare for the leadership transition. With this first step of announcing Curt’s retirement date, the second phase is in progress as the elders seek God to discern who He is preparing for the Lead Pastor role. The third step will be planning who that person will need in supporting roles around them. Then Curt will spend several months mentoring and coaching the new Lead Pastor.

The next steps in CTR’s leadership transition will be announced in the first quarter of 2021. All future updates will be posted here.

As a church, we thank Pastor Curt for his tireless, Christ-centered leadership for more than three decades. We pray together for God’s blessing upon him and Marian as his formal ministry years transition to retirement. And along with him, we embrace the future God has for us together as we continue to build a community that seeks the lost, loves the hurting and makes disciples who follow Jesus Christ.

by Rebecca Zickert

At the drive-through window, my thoughts swiftly began to string together judgment upon the woman behind the glass. Thoughts happened so quickly, I could hardly capture one before the next began.

Catching them, I mentally “slap” myself: “You don’t even know her!” And I turn toward the window again. But it’s as if if my brain forgot the “slap” just seconds before, and the judgment and assumptions about the stranger began again.

Paul writes:

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else . . .
ROMANS 2:1

Turning away again I thought, “She is God’s. How dare I judge? Her heart may be huge. Her kindness abundant. Her story crushing. I do not know her.”

What I hadn’t thought about was the woman on the other side of the drive-through window: me. The woman who was doing the judging. Where was her heart and kindness?

…for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself . . .

ROMANS 2:1

A third turn, and at last I begin to “see” her face. I cast aside another thought that begins to sneak in. I see her. My heart and mind soften and I catch a glimpse through God’s eyes. This time, the struggle ceases.

But it will happen again. In my humanness, no matter how strong my desire to be free of judgmental thoughts, I’m not sure they will ever be completely captive. Whether I’m judging on appearance or status or behavior, I need to continue to remind myself that it is not mine to judge. In the end, judgment only leaves the person on the other side of the window — me — to be judged by Someone much greater than mankind.

So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?

Romans 2:3

My prayer, therefore, when battling intrusive thoughts about others, is that God’s kindness towards his children (including me in the midst of my thoughts) leads me to repentance and a renewed mind. Demonstrating kindness to myself (verses contempt) as I strive for God’s best allows me to experience grace as I move closer to God’s design for us. And then, by His grace, I can show His kindness to others.

by Pastor Peter Leschke

As we continue with our current “Sit, Walk, Stand” message series, God has been drawing me back to the book of Psalms during my quiet times with Jesus. In this season when the news is filled with upheaval, God is using the Psalms to not only grow in my worship, but to grow me as a follower and disciple of Jesus.

Walking in the Way of Righteousness
During uncertain times, we need to have a place where we can ground ourselves, a place where we can stand on solid ground with God. He invites us into that right away in Psalm 1:

Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
² but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
³ That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.

PSALM 1:1-3

Here we are invited NOT to walk in the steps of the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take, but to meditate DAY and NIGHT on the goodness and the law of the Lord. That’s how we construct a firm foundation of His strength underneath us — like the tree planted deeply by streams of water. I want my roots deep in God, especially in these constantly changing and shifting times.

Walking in His Comfort and Protection
Have you felt more overwhelmed and stressed in the last weeks or months? I know I have! A friend and colleague from our CTR staff reminded me at a meeting this past week of Jill Briscoe’s words: “Remember, when you are overwhelmed, you are overshadowed.” We are covered and sheltered in the “shadow of His wings,” and His comfort is always available to us:

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

PSALM 91:1-2

⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

PSALM 23:4

God will not leave us or forsake us in any season of trouble, stress or strain. He is with us on the top of the mountain and in our lowest valleys. He invites us to walk with Him and rest in Him.

Walking In His Delight and Joy
While our daily emotions during this COVID season may not always feel happy or peaceful, we are invited to walk in the delight and joy that Jesus offers us. No matter what our circumstances are, Jesus offers us His delight at all times!

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with
gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will rejoice over you with loud singing.
Jesus simply delights in you and I as his children. He not only loves us, He likes us! And in every moment of our life, we can choose to walk with Him. We can choose to follow and worship Him. And when we walk with Him in the light of his love and delight, we will find joy!

ZEPHANIAH 3:17

How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!
O Lord, they walk in the light of Your countenance

PSALM 89:15

Christ The Rock family, let’s enjoy the delight that our Abba Father has in us. And let’s join Him each day in the walk of faith and seek His heart in the Psalms or any part of scripture. As we walk more closely with Him, He will grow us more and more in our love, hope and faith.

by Pastor Steven Bruce

These past few months, we have all seen an enormous amount of suffering, pain, anger, uncertainty, fear, and even death. We live in a broken world, we’ve always known that, but for many of us, this is perhaps the most vivid demonstration we’ve had to endure. We’ve seen physical, emotional, and financial suffering that this global crisis has brought. We’ve seen our lives and community disrupted. We know many continue to suffer, and over 100,000 have lost their lives due to COVID-19. This breaks my heart. But as a Christ-follower, I need to do more than shed a tear.

Right now, there are some of us who live in fear of our freedoms being taken away. For some, that means the freedom to move about as we wish, but for others, it’s the basic freedom to stay alive. My heart SHOULD be broken. But the world needs more than my broken heart.

It’s easy, when we are faced with these different situations, to do 1 of 2 things:
1. Lash Out
2. Tune Out (Ignore)
Neither one of these is right. And I want to speak boldly enough to say that both are sin. We are in a country that has enormous power and advantages, but with that power comes a responsibility to recognize that as a follower of Jesus Christ, I was never promised “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” My King is not here on earth, and I am part of a Kingdom that doesn’t have a flag as a symbol, but a cross. Nor was I promised freedom from pain or persecution or tyranny. What I am promised is that “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Timothy 3:12)

To that end, I want to say that my heart breaks. My heart breaks for the division that exists, even among believers. While we don’t have to agree on everything, we must agree to stand for the teachings of Jesus, the heart of the gospel and the mission of the church. Can we, as a collective church, across the miles, unite around our shared gospel mission and honor each other, even when we disagree? As a wise mentor once told me, “keep the main thing the main thing.” What’s the main thing? “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul, your mind, and your strength. Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:30-31)
So my heart breaks. But the world needs more than my tears.

Last week, my heart broke again for those who face daily persecution that I will never fully understand, simply because of the color of their skin. The recent deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd are cause for deep grief for ongoing racial injustice. This isn’t a political issue (although I recognize it is often politicized). It’s a matter of right and wrong. Racism is wrong. It is evil. And I have been personally convicted that simply believing that fact isn’t enough. Not acting like a racist isn’t living in opposition to racism. As a Christ-follower, I am called to more. I grew up in and among, and being influenced by, people of color who were mentors, teachers, friends, who lived with a burden I will never have to bear. Yet, I have lived most of my life under the illusion, the ignorance, that today this “isn’t that big of a deal anymore.” I should know better. It’s so easy to ignore a problem that doesn’t seem to directly affect you. But that isn’t an excuse. I will call it what it is: sin. Racism is sin. Ignoring it is also sin. And I need to repent of that. Maybe you do too?

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” -Martin Luther King, Jr.

You’ve probably heard that quote before. At a moment in history, these words helped bring about change. But they didn’t completely fix the problem. Perhaps those words can bring about change again.

I’m not saying I have all the answers. I’m not here to tell you the specific ways each believer in Jesus should respond to injustice. Each of us has a whole range of options for living in opposition to racism, including educating ourselves about racism, being involved in our communities, dedicating prayer time to this specific issue, speaking out on social media and in real life, and more. But while I may not have all the answers, I can’t keep avoiding the questions. Christ-followers have been called, all of us, regardless of our social standing, economic level, political affiliation, or the color of our skin, to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.

Proverbs 31:8 tells us: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed.”
Ephesians 5:11 tells us: “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.”

White people . . . don’t ignore this issue because you think it doesn’t affect you. Don’t ignore it because you haven’t seen it. A trusted friend posted this week that “Racism is a white problem that white people must fix.” It’s time to stop minimizing, justifying, blaming and ignoring racial injustice and insist on change. Again, I’m not here to detail how each person should insist on that change. But I believe it starts with each of us searching our own heart, repenting of anything we need to repent of, and then turning. That’s what repenting means: turn away; and not just turn away and ignore, but turn away and move towards the light. Move towards living and loving those who look different than you do. Ask questions. Make an effort. Don’t tune out.

I believe Romans chapter 12 is a word from the Lord for all of us today, and actually, chapters 12-15 in their entirety. No matter what your reaction is to what you’re seeing from a distance or experiencing up close, I believe this is for you. This is for me. This is for us.

¹ “Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. ² Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
³ For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one. ⁴ Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, ⁵ in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. ⁶ According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use it according to the proportion of one’s faith; ⁷ if service, use it in service; if teaching, in teaching; ⁸ if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.
⁹ Let love be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Take the lead in honoring one another. ¹¹ Do not lack diligence in zeal; be fervent in the Spirit; serve the Lord. ¹² Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. ¹³ Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. ¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. ¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Give careful thought to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. ¹⁸ If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹ Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord. ²⁰ But if your enemy is hungry, feed him.
If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing
you will be heaping fiery coals on his head.
²¹ Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

ROMANS 12 (CSB)

May I, may we, not lash out, not tune out, but STEP OUT; into loving others as much as ourselves, with words and actions.
May we all do our part to overcome evil with good.

by Josh Vande Hey

For I have come to down from heaven, not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me.

JOHN 6:38, ESV

As summertime rolls in, corporations everywhere are usually getting ready for an influx of new faces. It is intern season! As an intern, I remember some of my first mentors (both in life and professionally) – and those that are still teaching me today. There’s something special about having someone bought into your life so deeply that they truly care about the outcome. It’s pretty simple but so important. Not nearly as often do we remember how much those seasoned veterans are learning too but having two unique perspectives collaborating on the same goal is powerful!

Believe it or not, Jesus did (and is doing) this same thing during His ministry. We wouldn’t often consider that Jesus was “mentored” in any way, but during Jesus’ time on earth He clearly imparted that He was not on earth to do His own will – but rather He was here to do the will of the Father (John 6:38). We see Him being directed by God as he asks questions and spends time with God. We see this up until some of the last moments before His death when Jesus is pleading with God for another way but ultimately submits to the Father’s will instead (Luke 22:42).

Jesus taught His disciples to live just like He did by calling them to just “follow Me” (Matthew 4:18-20). This was so simple. He didn’t put any additional requests on them. He didn’t say that they were only allowed to follow Him if they performed certain rituals, straightened themselves up, or said certain words – it was just “follow Me”. If I dug a little deeper, I would suggest that He was also conveying, “Please just come spend time with Me. Just follow Me and I will do the rest. Learn from me. Ask me questions. Observe as much as you can. I just love you and I will take care of everything else.”

After years together, He then gives them a final command – in the same way I have taught you about God’s love, go teach others and invite them to be loved by Me through you! (Matthew 28:16-20). Today, we often call this style of relationship “discipleship.”

In the Western church, “discipleship” has become a bit of a buzz word. It has become so popular that I sometimes wonder if we’ve lost its simplicity. Churches and authors often describe discipleship as programs, techniques, or skills. It’s almost as if some believe there’s a way for us to become a “next level Christian.” Jesus’ focus, however, was on following Him together in obedience and as we are with Him, He changes us. The call of Jesus is to abide with Him, and as we do the Holy Spirit fills us with the desire, strength, and direction to live for Him. Being a disciple isn’t something we add on top of our lives, it is the person He calls us to become!

So today I want to ask you, how’s your discipleship? How are your relationships are doing – are they all pointed toward the same goal? It takes true authenticity and humility to allow others to speak life into your world – are you willing to try? It also takes a supreme trust in His guidance to speak life into another’s world – are you willing to try? My prayer for my own life, is that I can simply obey “follow Me.”