A Good Word Wednesday #113 FOLLOW

A little bit of help, hope and goodness for you each Wednesday

Sep 18, 2024

“Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” Proverbs 12:25

GOOD WORD OF THE DAY: Follow

Whom do you follow? I don’t mean in the social media sense of the word. You may have thousands of followers and follow many others. What I mean is, who do you pay the closest attention to? Whom do you want to imitate? Complete the sentence: I most want to be like ________.

As a child, we may have wanted to be like our parents. I notice now how my grandchildren pay close attention to their parents. Sometimes they say the same words, dress the same, have the same interests as their parents. That’s when parents have to be mindful about the way they live because their children are watching and following them very closely.

I remember as a child, I wanted to imitate my preacher Daddy. So much so that as a seven-year-old, I prepared a “sermon” and invited all my family to attend my worship service held in our living room. They all came. The only thing I remember I said was I emphasized at the end of the one page handwritten message, “All we need is Christ Christ Christ.” And all the people said, Amen.

I also remember as a child that one of my favorite Bible stories was when Jesus called the fishermen to be His disciples. He asked them to lay down their nets and follow Him. And they did. Sounds so simple!

As I have grown in my Christian faith, I know that I should most emulate the life of my Teacher, Jesus. I don’t have a net to lay down, so what does following Jesus look like for me and for all of us as believers in Him? Here are some of the basics:

Spend time in scripture daily. (I have a free resource below to help you with your study for the next month.)
Pray - Communicate with God often. Talk with Him and listen to Him.
Be involved in a local church where you can worship, learn and serve.
Share your faith both locally and globally.
Give your resources to help others know God.
What else would you add to this list of requirements for Christian Life 101?
Leave a comment

WEDNESDAY IN THE WORD

“And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed him.” Matthew 4:19-20
“Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Matthew 16:24
“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

SHARE YOUR GOOD WORDS

Good Question(s) of the Week: What are some specific ways that you follow Jesus?

Photo: She Is Safe

GOOD FOR YOU

I have some resources that I think you will find helpful and inspire you to live life better. They are all free on my website. I highlight one each week for you. Scroll down to the featured item. Click below for the link:

A Good Word: 31 Day Guide. For the next 31 days, you will see a new good word that you may hear in our everyday conversations. Also included is a scripture that reminds you how good our God is and how He helps us to live a good life. Space is provided for you to write your thoughts, insights or prayers.

Enjoy your journey. I hope it's a good one!

GOOD WORDS FROM YOU

Unseen People book

This is what people are saying about Unseen People. (Click the cover to order yours!)

5.0 out of 5 stars Live On Mission
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2024
Unseen People invites all believers to engage in the task of seeing the unseen just like Jesus did. Through stories of her own life, DeAnna inspires Christians to look outside their homes and into their own neighborhoods, communities and beyond. Readers will be encouraged to understand that engaging with the unseen is not just a task for vocational missionaries but for us all. The best news is that this is work we can all start today, by opening our eyes and hearts to those God purposefully puts in our path and sharing the light of Christ with them.

NEWS! For my Atlanta friends — I’m looking forward to seeing you next week, Sept. 24-27, and sharing with you “Unseen People.” I will be with the good people of Johnson’s Ferry Baptist Church (the 25th, 11 am) and Stonecreek Church (the 26th, 6 pm). I will share stories from the book and sign your book!

I would love to speak at your upcoming event! Let’s talk about it! Contact me for more info: deannalynnsanders@gmail.com or reply to this email.

GOOD WORDS I RECOMMEND

A Good Book: Follow Me: Learning to be a Disciple of Jesus, Bill Kasper

Another Good Book: Celebration of Discipline, Special Anniversary Edition: The Path to Spiritual Growth, Richard Foster. The inward disciplines of meditation, prayer, fasting, and study offer avenues of personal examination and change. The outward disciplines of simplicity, solitude, submission, and service help prepare us to make the world a better place. The corporate disciplines of confession, worship, guidance, and celebration bring us nearer to one another and to God.

A Good Song/Video: I Will Follow, Chris Tomlin

Another Good Song/Video: Follow You, Leeland

A FINAL GOOD WORD

Another memory from my childhood floods back as I think about the good word “follow.” Do you remember singing this hymn, “I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back. No turning back.”

Not following a political candidate. Not following my friends. Not following a celebrity. Following Jesus first and forever. So I can be more like Him. That is my prayer for all of us this week.