Many of us here have made a personal decision to follow Jesus. We recognized that we didn't want to walk through this life without Him any longer. We knew there had to be more than hard knocks and face plants, and for many of us, when we said yes to following Jesus though our circumstances may not have quickly changed, a miracle took place in our hearts. The most challenging areas in life are often not the things on the outside but the things that happen to us on the inside. Outward abuse is horrendous, but the pain, suffering, and agony on the inside is often the most unbearable.
When Jesus invited His first disciples to join Him, He said, "Follow Me." Those disciples responded by dropping everything and doing just that (Mt. 4:18-22). They left everything, and by doing so, they were making a promise to complete the course and finish this new assignment. By following Jesus, they agreed to be His students. He became their Rabbi. They often called Him this, which means "teacher." They recognized Him as their teacher and leader and committed to be His disciples.? What does it mean to follow Jesus? What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus?
