Walking Intentionally with Jesus: A Transformative Journey

Devotional

Day 1: Intentional Steps with Jesus

Every step Jesus took was purposeful, leading to His ultimate sacrifice and resurrection. As believers, we are called to walk intentionally with Him, aligning our lives with His mission and purpose. This means being mindful of our daily actions and decisions, ensuring they reflect the teachings and example of Christ. Jesus' journey was marked by deliberate choices that led to the fulfillment of God's plan, and we are invited to follow in His footsteps, making choices that honor Him and further His kingdom. [12:46]

Mark 1:16-18 (ESV): "Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, 'Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.' And immediately they left their nets and followed him."

Reflection: What is one intentional step you can take today to align your life more closely with Jesus' mission and purpose?

Day 2: Transformation Through Following

Jesus calls us as we are, not requiring perfection but a willingness to follow. In this journey, we are transformed, shedding our burdens and embracing a life of purpose and abundance. This transformation is not instantaneous but a gradual process of becoming more like Christ. As we follow Him, we learn to let go of our past and embrace the new life He offers. Jesus meets us in our imperfections and invites us to experience His grace and love, leading to a profound change in our hearts and lives. [37:36]

2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV): "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."

Reflection: What burden or imperfection are you holding onto that you need to release to Jesus today to embrace His transformative power?

Day 3: Eternal Perspective

Our relationship with God is not just for the present but extends into eternity. This eternal perspective should shape how we live today, encouraging us to share our faith and the love of Christ with others. Understanding that our time on earth is temporary, we are motivated to live with purpose, focusing on what truly matters. This perspective helps us prioritize our relationship with God and our mission to spread His love, knowing that our actions have eternal significance. [41:52]

Colossians 3:1-2 (ESV): "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."

Reflection: How can you adjust your daily priorities to reflect an eternal perspective, focusing on what truly matters in light of eternity?

Day 4: Visible Growth in Christ

Walking with Jesus leads to visible growth in the fruits of the Spirit, such as love, joy, and peace. This growth is a testament to the transformative power of Christ in our lives, impacting those around us. As we grow in our relationship with Him, these qualities become more evident, serving as a witness to others of the change He brings. Our lives become a reflection of His love and grace, drawing others to Him through our actions and attitudes. [47:02]

Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV): "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

Reflection: Which fruit of the Spirit do you feel is most lacking in your life right now, and how can you cultivate it more intentionally?

Day 5: The Call to Believe and Accept

The decision to follow Jesus is the most important one we can make, securing our relationship with God for eternity. For those who have already made this decision, the call is to continue walking with Jesus, impacting others with His love and truth. This ongoing journey requires commitment and dedication, as we seek to grow in our faith and share the good news with those around us. Believing and accepting Jesus into our lives is the foundation of our faith, leading to a life of purpose and fulfillment. [01:01:10]

John 6:68-69 (ESV): "Simon Peter answered him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.'"

Reflection: Reflect on your journey with Jesus. What steps can you take to deepen your commitment to Him and share His love and truth with others?

Sermon Summary

In today's gathering, we embarked on a new series titled "A Walk With Jesus," focusing on the Gospel of Mark. This series is designed to guide us through the life and ministry of Jesus, leading up to His resurrection, which is the cornerstone of our faith. As we delve into Mark, we are reminded that every step Jesus took was intentional, leading to His ultimate sacrifice and victory over death. This journey is not just a historical recount but a call for us to walk closely with Jesus, allowing His life to transform ours.

The essence of our walk with Jesus is about transformation. Just as Jesus called His disciples from their daily routines, He calls us from our ordinary lives into a life of purpose and mission. This call is not about being perfect but about being willing to follow Him as we are. Jesus meets us in our imperfections and invites us to drop our burdens and follow Him into a life of abundance and purpose.

We explored the idea that our relationship with God is not just for the present but extends into eternity. This eternal perspective should influence how we live today, encouraging us to share our faith and the love of Christ with those around us. We are reminded that our faith is not private but public, meant to be shared and lived out loud.

As we walk with Jesus, we grow in His likeness, developing fruits of the Spirit such as love, joy, peace, and patience. This growth is visible to others and serves as a testament to the transformative power of walking with Christ. We are called to slow down, see the people God has placed in our lives, and share the good news with them.

Finally, we were encouraged to make a personal decision to follow Jesus, to believe and accept Him into our lives. This decision is the most important one we can make, securing our relationship with God both now and for eternity. For those who have already made this decision, the call is to continue walking with Jesus, impacting others with His love and truth.

Key Takeaways

1. Intentional Steps with Jesus: Every step Jesus took was purposeful, leading to His ultimate sacrifice and resurrection. Our walk with Him should be intentional, seeking to align our lives with His mission and purpose. [12:46]
2. Transformation Through Following: Jesus calls us as we are, not requiring perfection but a willingness to follow. In this journey, we are transformed, shedding our burdens and embracing a life of purpose and abundance. [37:36]
3. Eternal Perspective: Our relationship with God is not just for the present but extends into eternity. This eternal perspective should shape how we live today, encouraging us to share our faith and the love of Christ with others. [41:52]
4. Visible Growth in Christ: Walking with Jesus leads to visible growth in the fruits of the Spirit, such as love, joy, and peace. This growth is a testament to the transformative power of Christ in our lives, impacting those around us. [47:02]
5. The Call to Believe and Accept: The decision to follow Jesus is the most important one we can make, securing our relationship with God for eternity. For those who have already made this decision, the call is to continue walking with Jesus, impacting others with His love and truth. [01:01:10]
** [61:10]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:30] - Opening Prayer
[01:45] - Introduction to the Series
[04:20] - Overview of the Gospel of Mark
[07:10] - The Purposeful Steps of Jesus
[10:00] - The Call to Follow Jesus
[12:46] - Transformation Through Following
[15:30] - Eternal Perspective
[18:00] - Visible Growth in Christ
[21:45] - Finding Common Ground
[25:00] - The Importance of Sharing Our Faith
[28:30] - The Call to Believe and Accept
[32:00] - Prayer for Salvation
[35:00] - Celebration of New Believers
[37:00] - Closing Prayer and Encouragement

Bible Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide: A Walk With Jesus

#### Bible Reading
- **Mark 1:16-20**: Jesus calls His first disciples.
- **Ephesians 3:20**: God is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine.
- **Galatians 5:22-23**: The fruit of the Spirit.

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#### Observation Questions

In Mark 1:16-20, what actions did Simon, Andrew, James, and John take when Jesus called them? How did they respond to His invitation? [37:36]
According to the sermon, what does it mean that "every step Jesus took was on purpose"? How does this relate to His mission? [12:46]
What are some examples given in the sermon of how Jesus meets us where we are, without requiring perfection? [37:36]
How does the sermon describe the relationship between our present life and eternity? [41:52]

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#### Interpretation Questions

What might it mean for someone to "drop their nets" in today's context when responding to Jesus' call? [37:36]
How does the concept of "God's will is God's best" influence a believer's daily decisions and actions? [41:52]
In what ways does the sermon suggest that walking with Jesus leads to visible growth in the fruits of the Spirit? [47:02]
How does the sermon encourage believers to view their faith as public rather than private? What implications does this have for sharing one's faith? [53:38]

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#### Application Questions

Reflect on your own life: What "nets" might you be holding onto that prevent you from fully following Jesus? How can you begin to let go of them this week? [37:36]
Consider the phrase "God's will is God's best." How can you align your personal goals with God's will in a practical way this month? [41:52]
Identify one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) that you want to cultivate more in your life. What specific action can you take this week to develop this trait? [47:02]
Think of someone in your life who may not know Jesus. What is one step you can take to share your faith with them in a natural and loving way? [53:38]
Reflect on the eternal perspective discussed in the sermon. How does this perspective change the way you handle daily challenges and interactions with others? [41:52]
The sermon encourages believers to slow down and see the people God has placed in their lives. Who is someone you might be overlooking, and how can you intentionally connect with them this week? [53:38]
If you have already made the decision to follow Jesus, what is one way you can continue to grow in your walk with Him and impact others with His love and truth? [01:01:10]

Sermon Clips

"Everything led to that week, that passion week and his resurrection. He lived on mission to provide a way for you and I to have a restored relationship with the father. He did for us what we can't do for ourselves so that we can have what we don't deserve. What does that mean, a restored relationship? That means at one point, humanity, when God created in Genesis 1, 1, God said, let there be light. And there was? Right. He created heaven and earth." [00:32:48] (25 seconds) Edit Clip

"He gave us the ability to restore that relationship by taking on our sins on the cross, that separation. He died. And then he rose again, proving that that sin, the punishment for our sin has no power over him and that we serve a living risen savior. And we celebrate that on Easter and everything that we're going to see Jesus do in this series, a walk with Jesus. We're going to see that. We're going to see it leading all the way to his resurrection. It's going to be absolutely incredible." [00:34:11] (30 seconds) Edit Clip

"We become a little bit more like him, don't we? We become a little bit, it's kind of like when you hang out with people, you kind of take on some of their quirks and some of those idiosyncrasies yourself a little bit. It's the same thing with Jesus. We grow to be more like him. Pastor's been saying this for a while. He's been saying this, he says, God's will is God's best and God's best brings what? God's blessing. That's right." [00:34:42] (23 seconds) Edit Clip

"Here's something else that's great about Jesus. There's so many things, but you may know somebody like this, where you think you got to be perfect before you come to a relationship with the Lord, where you may know somebody who says, man, I can't go to church because I don't have it all put together in my life. I'm not ready yet. I don't have this going on right in my life. I don't have that. The great thing about Jesus is you don't have to be perfect to come to him. He meets us where we are. That's awesome." [00:35:59] (26 seconds) Edit Clip

"Whatever they were holding on to, they let go of to follow Jesus. Let me just put this as an aside. That's not in my notes. What are you holding on to, to draw you closer to the Lord? What kind of hurts, habits, baggage, uh, pass that you've got that you're hanging on to that you need to drop so that we can follow Jesus. They left their nets at once and followed him." [00:36:58] (20 seconds) Edit Clip

"And I love this passage, man. There's so much we're going to be able to pull from this. And there's so much more that we could pull that we don't have time for. But Jesus called out to them where they were, what they were doing. He said, it's okay. You don't have to get cleaned up. You don't have to get it all perfect in your life. Follow me just as you are. I can work with that." [00:38:13] (20 seconds) Edit Clip

"This relationship, this restored relationship that we get to, somebody say get to, that we get to have with the father is not just for the here and now. And I'm very thankful that I have a relationship with the Lord in the here and now. I am thankful for the way that he has guided me and blessed me in life. I am thankful for the here and now. I am more thankful that I can pillow my head at night knowing that I know that I know that that relationship that I have guarantees me an eternal relationship with the father for the eternity in the when and then." [00:40:33] (32 seconds) Edit Clip

"And he says this, he says, I am going to teach you how to fish for people. Now I love fishing. I love fishing. When we go out on vacation, I always take a little bit of time. I brought one of my fishing rods out here. I love fishing. I always try to get my boys out to go fishing for a little bit, you know, when we, when we go fishing. And, uh, one of my favorite things to do, we have, how many of you know, we got shine and warrior conference coming up pretty soon." [00:41:51] (26 seconds) Edit Clip

"And so church, I don't know where you're at today. I don't know where everybody is when they walk in. I don't know if you have that relationship with the Lord. I don't know if you've ever taken that moment and said, God, I need this. I believe it. I've been taught it. I've heard it. But I've never taken that step of faith and invited you into my life and asked you to forgive me of my sins. God, I need to do that right now." [01:00:57] (23 seconds) Edit Clip

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