Today was a great day! I loved being able to relax, go to church, hang out with Andja, listen to some sermons online, then do some more relaxing. My roomie and I hung out this afternoon some...she made an awesome dinner which was an amazing chicken and avacado wrap. I also got to FaceTime my parents and check in on my Grandma Frazee. She continues to hang in there, but every time I see her I can see that she is getting weaker.
I wanted to type out the notes below for you all from today's sermon here in Istanbul. I thought the pastor had a lot of GREAT points! Enjoy!
Well, bed time for me! We have lifting and practice in the morning, then I head to the airport to pick up Caleb's mom!!
God bless,
Megan
1/11/15
Benjamin Van Rensburg
What does it mean to follow Jesus
Mark 1:1-20
“We need stability and restoration”
“He came to be life itself not to bring a new way of life.”
Why did Jesus want the disciples with Him?
· So He could teach them what was most important in life.
o What the Kingdom of God is about
· So they could listen to Him and understand Him
Application:
1. Know Who He is
2. Be willing to leave things behind
a. Vs. 16-18 –
b. What do we need to give up? For some people it is a home, family, etc.
c. Following Christ may “complicate” your life, but it is part of the reality of following Jesus.
d. The Kingdom of God is of greater value than anything we might need to “give up” in order to follow Him.
3. Start a relationship with Jesus.
a. Jesus valued His relationships with his disciples
i. The disciples realized who Jesus was and communed with Him
ii. Jesus desires an intimate relationship – 1 Peter 2:5
iii. Following Jesus requires a HEART CHANGE
iv. Jesus wants us to love Him above all
4. Become fishers of men
a. Expose people to Jesus – 1 Peter 2:9
b. We are to draw attention to who Jesus is
Nothing compare to having and knowing Jesus!!