This week our church began a congregation-wide study written by, Daniel McNaughton and Bryan Koch, entitled Follow: Learning To Follow Jesus. Each Sunday our pastoral staff is preaching from one of the seven attributes covered in the book while the congregation reads the daily devotions and participates weekly in a life group focused around the topic at hand.
The group I am tasked with leading has been dubbed “Turbo Follow”. Rather than approaching the class as a traditional Bible study we have chosen to act as an accountability group. The class begins with a brief overview of the daily devotionals. Then participants break into smaller, accountability groups. Each group participant asks questions of their fellows concerning the teachings. At the end of each class individuals are asked to decide what God would have them do in light of what they have learned. Then we pray for each other.
This post is a weekly follow-up of our class. For those of you who are unable because of business or geography, to join us on Thursdays this blog is a perfect way to virtually join in on the fun.
This week we covered the overview of the book and each of the seven attributes in brief:
Day 1: Learn To Be With Jesus- God has taken initiative to have a relationship with you. He loves you and wants to be a part of your life.
Day 2: Learn To Listen- As followers of Jesus it is important for us to observe Jesus’ teaching, preaching and healing.
Day 3: Learn To Heal- Jesus still supernaturally heals bodies, minds and spirits. He longs to heal you and he longs to heal others through you.
Day 4: Learn To Influence- You are here for a reason and that reason involves others.
Day 5: Learn To Love- Love is the foundation of everything. God desires us to learn to love and forgive others even as we learn to love Him.
Day 6: Learn To Pray- Prayer is an important, normal and practical part of every successful Christian’s life.
Day 7: Learn To Manage- God wants to bless you and to teach you how to use that blessing rather than to be used by it.
Here are the questions we asked of each other:
Lillie-Put 
I’m attending a “Follow” class.
I spend time reading and studying the Word. I do a daily devotional. Spend time in prayer.
This is awesome Lynn. Thanks for responding to the questions. From which of these methods do you hear the voice of God most clearly?
Pastor J, I have to say I am enjoying this book because I am finding many things to enhance my time with Him! For instance, memorizing bible verses, I was never good at memorizing anything but God is equipping me to. So the three things I do to be with Jesus is first I make sure my room is quiet for the most part, second I recite the bible verses I have put to memory, and thirdly I pray that I bury His word deep in my heart and that His word enlightens me to His will for me. The closer I draw near to Him, He most certainly draws near to me and it is amazing to be in His presence. Look forward to our next class.
I am also looking forward to it. I love the fact that you are memorizing “hiding his word in your heart”. I love how the book helps us with that through the “Bingo method”. It really does work!
“At the end of each class individuals are asked to decide what God would have them do in light of what they have learned. Then we pray for each other.”
this is great! I’m thinking I need to “borrow” this for use with my early-morning religion class with 12 teenagers. thanks
Feel free. We are actually using what is called the “Grow Smart model” It is a coaching style of teaching that helps individuals to take ownership of what they are learning. You can probably google the model for application in you classes.
Pastor J., I have always spent time in the Word and in prayer. That has never changed. What I have been doing in addition to Praying and reading the Word twice a day is deliberately spending deliberate time each day just resting in God’s presence., not feeling the need to speak, just being with Him,. There is such nurturing in that. I can only compare it to a small child spending time with a nurturing parent,. Only 10,000 times better. I crave it, to the point that I have inwardly committed myself to attending Fresh Fire services each week, even if it means staying at the church all day on those Sundays. I am excited to see what God does in my life in the weeks , months and years ahead, because I know He has more , not only for me, but for a whole great big world around me.
Amen Kristine! Being still to recognize God is in control is a wonderful practice! Like you I am excited to see what God will do with this time we are spending together.
Hi PastorJ, A verse that particularly stood out to me this week was John 15:10-12 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. There is such simplicity to these verses and yet sometimes we make it so hard. If you want to be joyful then walk in love towards others. I needed to hear that in my life. Linda Page
This is a wonderful insight Linda. Love is the key Kingdom success, power and prosperity. The world stands in the way of our walk into it, but Jesus has overcome the world for us!