WHAT IS A FOLLOWER
OF JESUS?
“Come, follow me”
Matthew 4:19
FOLLOW JESUS
We hear the language “follower of Jesus” all the time, but what does it mean to be a disciple, or apprentice, of the rabbi from Nazareth? Put simply, it means you reorganise your life around three goals.
BE with Jesus – Putting time aside in your day to pray, read scripture, find a place of solitude and silence. Daily looking to walk alongside our rabbi.
BECOME like Jesus – Making intentional steps to make changes in your life to reflect Jesus as our perfect example. This takes a lifetime of work and practice as we push back against the pull of the world.
DO as Jesus did – This is our opportunity to take up Jesus’ commission in our lives. To be bringers of the Kingdom, in partnership with The Holy Spirit as our advocate and guide. Matthew 28 : 16 – 20
BE
With Jesus
BECOME
Like Jesus
DO
As Jesus Did
WHAT IS THE BIBLE?
The bible isn’t so much a book as a library of books, in fact there are 66 different books in the bible. Some of them are history books telling us what happened with god’s people, some of them are poetry, others are prophetic (meaning that it’s things people have heard from god), some of them are letters and some of them are full of advice about how to live a healthy and fulfilled life.
We can sometimes think that the bible is really old and irrelevant to us and it certainly is old, some of it was written as long as 5,000 years ago and the most recent part was written about 2,000 years ago but it’s not irrelevant! God says that his word (the bible) is a living book, something that will keep teaching us throughout our whole lives.
The bible, instead of it being just one story that we read and then finish, applies to our lives today. It’s got instructions for us, promises for us, hope for us and help for us… as we lead our lives it helps us make sense of the world around us. Not only that but we don’t read it alone, we believe God speaks to us and helps explain it to us. As you read the bible and ask God to speak to you through it, you’ll start to notice that parts speak to your situation, about who God is and about who he’s made us to be.
God helps us understand the bible as we read it so it doesn’t matter if it’s your first time picking up a bible or your thousandth time what matters is that we pick it up now and we ask God to speak to us through it.
WHERE CAN I GET A BIBLE?
You might already have a bible kicking around somewhere in draw or sat on a shelf gathering dust, or you might be looking to get one.
We love to give out bibles, why don’t you pick one up from our stand.
Did you know you could get the bible on your phone… and it’s completely free!
The YouVersion Bible app has been downloaded over 990 million times world wide and can be downloaded on all sorts of devices… we would still love to give you a paper copy, but in the meantime, why don’t you download this so you can take it wherever you go!
HOW TO READ THE BIBLE
Understanding how to read this library of books called the bible is as important as actually picking up and reading the bible! You wouldn’t pick up a dictionary and read it in the same way as a novel, or expect to read a book of poetry hoping to receive instructions on how to cook! To fully understand the Bible we need to consider what book we are reading, who the author is and who they were writing too!
Below is a fantastic video to watch called “What is the Bible” by an organisation called The Bible Project. They create fantastic recourses exploring all things bible related and this introductory video about the bible is a great place to start!
Also available below are some free and easy to follow guides on how to read the bible for those exploring faith, wanting to know about Jesus or looking to create solid foundations as a new Christian!
Discover Jesus through the living word of God.
Pick up a free bible and follow a bible plan.
SPIRITUAL FORMATION
Following Jesus is an entire life’s pursuit. It is not just an event on a Sunday but a “way” of life in community around the teachings of Jesus. To “practice the way of Jesus” is to adopt the lifestyle of Jesus, to put his teachings into practice in all aspects of your life.
BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT
Jesus promised that when he left to be back with the Father, he would send The Holy Spirit to fill his disciples and this is freely available to us as well. The Spirit is our guide through life, our moral compass to keep us on the right path and away from sin. The Spirit provides us with the fruit of the spirit, filling us with Joy, Peace, Love, Kindness, gentleness and self control, He also gives us gifts to use on God’s mission field, gifts of Healing, wisdom, prophecy and miracles.
SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES
The starting point for all significant works of God is prayer. It is here that we have an opportunity to interact with the Spirit of God and participate in the redemption of our city and the healing in our lives. Spiritual disciplines are our practices as we be with and become like Jesus, these can be divided into two lists, one of Abstinence and letting go, another of Activity and engagement.
DISCIPLINES OF ABSTINENCE
Solitude, Silence, Fasting, Frugality, Chastity, Secrecy, Sacrifice.
DISCIPLINES OF ENGAGEMENT
Study, Worship, Celebration, Service, Prayer, Fellowship, Confession, Submission.
