Following Jesus

Month: August 2026

  • Suffering or Freedom

    Suffering or Freedom

    Uriah and Jeremiah faced very different results for their obedience…

    Scripture

    “At this time Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim was also prophesying for the LORD. And he predicted the same terrible disaster against the city and nation as Jeremiah did. . . . The king then killed Uriah with a sword and had him buried in an unmarked grave. Nevertheless, Ahikam son of Shaphan stood up for Jeremiah and persuaded the court not to turn him over to the mob to be killed.” (Jer. 26:20–24)

    Observation (speak out)

    • This is an amazing story of two faithful prophets who proclaimed the same message of judgement against Judah for their sin as directed by the LORD.
    • Even though they proclaimed the same message, one was martyred and the other was set free,
    • Although we know a lot about Jeremiah, we know nothing about Uriah except his hometown.
    • Why did Uriah die because of his obedience and Jeremiah lived on because of his obedience?
    • It doesn’t seem fair to me although nothing is said about this concern in the text.

    Application (speak in)

    • It is easy for me to ask why some people who are faithful followers of God seem to experience more difficulty than others.
    • When I get lost in this dilemma, or feel sorry for myself, I need to regain my perspective and focus on what Uriah and Jeremiah had in common. They both faithfully followed and obeyed God.
    • Their obedience was not based on their circumstances or what would be the outcome of their obedience. They simply obeyed God regardless of what that meant for them and they trusted God to accomplish his will.
    • I need to remember that a life well lived is not a life lived without difficulty or problems. Rather, it is a life of obedience and faithfulness out of love for God regardless of how that impacts my circumstances.
    • This is easy to say but hard to live.

    Prayer (rejoice, repent, request)

    Father, thank you for being a wise, kind, loving and all-powerful God who always does what is best even when I do not understand. Help me to yield to your leadership and loving and willingly follow you.

  • Aging Well

    Aging Well

    S cripture

    “In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, . . . Then Asa took silver and gold from the treasures of the house of the LORD and the king’s house and sent them to Ben-hadad king of Syria, who lived in Damascus, saying, “There is a covenant between me and you, . . .At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you. . . For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.” Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in the stocks in prison. . . Asa was diseased in his feet, and his disease became severe. Yet even in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but sought help from physicians.” (2 Chron. 16:1-12)

    O bservations (what do I see?)

    • Asa had generally been a good king in Judah. He had been blessed by God to reign for 36 years!
    • In the 36th year, he failed to trust God. He tried to work things out on his own even though he knew better.
    • He did not respond well when a prophet confronted him with his sin. His heart had become hardened, and he persecuted the prophet rather than confess his sin to God.
    • His heart had become so calloused that he refused to seek God’s help even when he was sick.

    A pplication (what do I need to do?)

    • Asa is an example of a veteran follower of God who did not finish well.
    • I must be careful not to rely on my own wisdom or past successes. I must choose simple obedience to God each day.
    • I need a soft heart toward God when confronted with sin. I need to humbly admit it and ask for forgiveness.
    • I must not become complacent in life or in my relationship with God. I need to work hard to keep my friendship with God fresh and to continue finding my pleasure in Him! He is the only one who can truly satisfy me.

    P rayer (talk to God about it)

    Father, thank you for another warning of compromise and disobedience as we age. You have been so good to me; help me seek you first and not rely on myself. Help me to continue to see life as an exciting adventure of living with you. May the challenges of life not quench that spirit and perspective.

  • Exploring S.O.A.P. for Spiritual Growth

    Exploring S.O.A.P. for Spiritual Growth

    Hi everyone!

    I have officially retired from my pastoral role but will continue pursuing opportunities to teach the Bible and invest in others.

    Although I have not been using this site for a few years, I am kicking it off again and will begin sharing things that are encouraging me in my discipleship to Jesus. I’m not sure how often I will post, but I hope it’s once per week.

    I will be using a new outline when I share. It is called a S.O.A.P. outline.

    S = scripture,

    O = observations of what I see in the text,

    A = applications for my life, and

    P = will relate to my request for God to make what I have seen a reality in my life.

    This approach has been an encouragement to me, and I hope it will be for you as well.

    In addition, I will be using the NLT Chronological Bible for my daily reading. It is a great plan that allows you to read the Bible as a story, with helpful introductions for each day’s reading. I highly recommend it.

    Looking forward to following Jesus with you!

    Jeff