Introduction
A new creation! I’m Malcolm Cox. Welcome to this series on ‘A new creation’.
The premise of this series is that God is loving us into spiritual character growth. Jesus is the inspiration for that spiritual character. We are being transformed into his likeness.
2 Corinthians 3.18 – “And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.”How does this happen? A key aspect is following Jesus and living as a disciple. Following Jesus changes us, and those changes help us follow him. Today, some thoughts on learning to follow Jesus.
Learn his story
Learning Jesus’ teachings is helpful and vital. As far as we can tell, he spent more time teaching than anything else.
Mark 4.2 – “He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said:”
He expected people to put what he taught into practice.
Matthew 7.24 – “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
However, it is important to step back from the detail to survey the big picture. What is his story? How do we do this? One method is to read the Gospels often and a lot. For example:
- Read an entire gospel in one sitting. It will take less time than you think. For example, reading the gospel of Mark is shorter than a movie.
- Ask yourself how Jesus feels about God and people as he interacts with them.
- Note his questions to people – his genuine curiosity. What questions is he asking me?
- Before starting, create the conditions that will help you. We’re talking about a comfortable chair, turning off the phone, and that kind of thing. If your mind wanders, try reading out loud, walking around your house while reading, or listening to an audio Bible while following along with the text.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS: After reading the gospel, what do you feel drawn to pray about? How has Jesus become more ‘alive’ to you?
Conclusion
We limit our faith and growth if we study the gospels for facts about Jesus. Instead, take some time to look for what he was like. How does it feel to know he is still like that today?
Next time, we will continue to explore following Jesus as an inspiration to spiritual growth.
Your brother, Malcolm
Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.
Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, or practical? Could you send me your questions or suggestions? Here’s the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org.
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“Carpe Diem” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
