Go - Today, wherever we are, we represent Jesus. This week, I hope to make all of my illustrations for these next 5 podcasts from the story of the Good Samaritan. This is found in Luke 10:30-37. 

Today on the Marketplace Mission Trip, our message is to "Go." Everywhere we go, we have an opportunity to join Jesus. He's working all the time in the life of everyone we meet. Four men were going down to Jericho from Jerusa...

In this week's episode of the Follower of One podcast, Mike brings back Rick Boxx. Rick is the Founder & CEO of Unconventional Business Network. Unconventional Business Network is a nonprofit focused on building and training a network of Unconventional Business Leaders to learn and model biblical principles in their workplace. Please welcome him back to our community! 

Episode Breakdown

1:05 - Unconventional Business ...

If the Lord washed our feet, and possibly even the feet of the one who would betray him, then We talked Wednesday about preparing how we will answer when someone asks us why we're serving them. Today, let's talk about how we Speak for Ourselves. This is our fifth daily activity. We've been talking about them all week. They are 1) Pray, 2) Appreciate others, 3) Know what we believe, 4) Serve others and 5) Speak for ourse...

where can we draw the line? Are there people we just wouldn't be expected to serve? It seems like we must serve people we suspect might hurt us. It seems like there's no job that is beneath us, either. 

What will it take for you to serve others? Do you need it to be warmer, or do you need more time? Are you too busy or should you have more money in the bank? What things must be "right" before you will go out of yo...

Know what you believe - Here's a man who was formerly possessed by an army of demons. They just left the man, went into a herd of pigs and the pigs all rushed into the sea and drown. This man has only been with Jesus less than a day, maybe only a couple of hours. And he wants to go with Jesus, but Jesus gives him a job.

Notice here and in Mark 5, which I also discuss, Jesus tells the man to tell others what Jesus did for him....

Appreciate Others - Our heart follows our treasure. If we place value on others, we will appreciate them, and love them. Jesus talks about laying up treasure in heaven. The only thing we can do that will last forever is the impact we have on others. If they live forever, we can hope that our service to them lives. 

I focus on laying up treasure in heaven by appreciating people. Do we need to give away everything we have to gain t...

Pray - Today we begin our mission trip with prayer. Prayer needs to be first in everything. Jesus makes this plain statement. God knows what we need before we ask him. How should that inform our prayers? What should we pray when we know God already knows? 

We talk about 3 kinds of prayers on the Mission Trip, but there are others. We focus first on punching in, saying "Here I am!" to God. 

Then we pray for others. Ask G...

In this week's episode of the Follower of One podcast, Mike speaks with Thomas Carlson. Thomas is the founder of ECatalyst. ECatalyst helps entrepreneurial ecosystems in the developing world to launch businesses, create jobs, grow economies, and generate sustainable solutions to local problems. Please welcome him to the community! 

Episode Breakdown

1:00 - Meet Thomas & ECatalyst 

4:45 - Ecosystems in Entrepreneurship 

...

What does it take to follow Jesus. Here Peter, Andrew, James and John are called to leave everything and follow Jesus. But are we all called to leave everything? What is it about this call to these men? How can we make an application here? Is this one verse sufficient?

What about what Paul's instruction to Onesimus (Philemon 10)? Onesimus was a slave of Philemon. He apparently escaped and ended up in prison with Paul. Paul gi...

How would you imitate God? First, we would need to study him. We would need to read what he wrote and examine what he's done. We would even have to sort through some writings and actions of the people who claim to follow God. 

Paul sums up this whole section and begins another one with these 2 verses. What does it mean to imitate God? Mike gives us some ideas today. We take the initiative to be loving and just. God is loving ...

If you listened yesterday, you know we have some new room in our wagon. We were challenged yesterday to get rid of bitterness, anger, wrath and malice. If you got rid of them, you've got place for something new. Today, can you take some kindness to work? 

Do you ever dread going to work? Mike did. He talked about how he could get wound up before he ever got there. Often the days turned out like Mike expected. If he anticipate...

Bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander and malice. Those sound like social media, don't they? Why do we jump to these levels when we argue or disagree with people but we have the separation of social media. Could it be these are a trap. 

Mike mentioned each. There is little good here. Do you catch yourself harboring any of these. Some translations say we put them away, and other say we let them be put away. Either way, we ...

What does it mean to grieve the Holy Spirit? While Mike isn't terribly certain, he presents some challenging ideas. Some of those ideas come from what we talked about last week, which are the verses that precede this verse. Others may include those in the verses following. 

Do you examine yourself to see if you line up with the will of God? Every place we miss the mark may be a place where we grieve the Holy Spirit, especiall...

In this week's episode of the Follower of One Podcast, Mike talks with Ladey Adey. Ladey is a publisher and together with her daughter Abbirose, they provide mentoring to Authors who are looking to write their books. They work across multiple genres and believe that everyone had a book inside them! Please welcome her to the community! 

Episode Breakdown

1:15 - Meet Ladey Adey

3:05 - Book Publishing by Ladey

6:40 - Success...

Do you speak unwholesome words. In my self-talk and in some of my regular speech, I'm a bit casual and can talk more like our culture than I care to admit. So this verse is a particular challenge and a prayer for me. 

Fortunately, God still allows me to be a part of his kingdom. He has grace for me, but in the areas of anger, my choice of words and my diet, these are areas where I struggle. In this verse, we're told what ...

Do you steal? Mike gave several examples of things we may do that could be considered stealing. But in the end, this question us up to you and your employer. Do you make sure your employer gets a great value out of hiring you? If you're in business for yourself, do you make sure your customers get excellent value?

Every cut corner is theft. Sure, you don't want to give away too much, but can you give away too much when Je...

Mike talked about how this passage is something he feels unqualified to discuss. What's the difference between sinful anger and not-sinful anger? And how can we keep our anger in check? 

What is the object of your anger? Mike said he thought selfish anger was sinful. Remember sin is simply missing the mark, or coming up short of God's plan and expectations. We all miss the mark (Romans 3:23). But we don't have to. Can...

How often do you lie? I'm afraid I do it much more than I want to admit. I withhold parts of the truth and I exercise discretion in some areas. Granted, all are not lies. All truth doesn't need to be known. But this passage suggests we must begin by telling the truth. Can you judge yourself on how truthful you really are? 

Listen to yourself today. Put off falsehood and put on truth. Ask God to show you where you bow up b...

Paul challenges the Ephesians (and us) to walk differently, and live differently. But how can we? What must change first? Do our actions change first, or does God change our mind first?

Mike talks about the 3-steps of transformation in this passage. We put off the old self (vs. 22) and we put on the new self (vs. 24). But in the middle, we must be renewed. Our renewal is passive. God renews our mind. We have to break some of our ...