A disciple of Jesus should live with a passion for Jesus. We were not saved to live lukewarm lives of service to Him. Our lives are no longer our own, we have died to self and are born again to passionately follow Jesus. All of our time, energy, money, love and resources should be committed to the work of God. That’s how Jesus lived and we are told to imitate Him. He was radical in His commitment to glorify the Father, doing His works of love. Our commitment to Jesus requires the same radical life of love for Him and others!

When Jesus’ birth was announced, it was introduced with great joy. Once the disciples saw Jesus resurrected, they knew Him as the Savior and they rejoiced. No one could take away their joy. Joy in Jesus should be the overriding emotion of every disciple; He is the foundation of joy! In good times and bad times we can experience the joy of the Lord, but only when we do not expect joy to come from money and things – that joy will always disappoint! Expect joy to come from only one place, the risen Jesus! His joy is everlasting!

Fear unnecessarily has its grip on so many disciples and it ought not to be that way. Jesus has taken away the need for fear and replaced it with faith. When our faith in Jesus is strong, our fear of tomorrow disappears, replaced with hope for the future. The only way to replace fear with faith is to cling tighter and tighter to Jesus. Make Jesus your #1 priority by doing all things for Him and to reveal His glory to others. Your grip on Jesus will be so tight that fear will not be able to grip you any longer!

As a disciple of Jesus, God changed your life by saving your soul! You are now a living, breathing example of the power of Jesus and should use your testimony to further His Kingdom. When Jesus healed others, those miracles were used to confirm that He is God in the flesh. Your conversion is one of God’s miracles and will be used in the same way. Write down your testimony, commit it to memory, consolidate it to 5 minutes or so and then tell it to as many people as you can. Spread the message of God’s miracles!

God’s love for His disciple is undeserved; we have done nothing to earn it. Yet in God’s mercy, He has revealed His love through The Messiah Jesus. It is an undeserved gift that changes lives and one that should be cherished every day. As you thank God for the food He provides, the shelter He brings and the love of family He gives, be sure to thank Him for His gift of Jesus, a gift of love that can never be taken away. Then show Him your thanks by taking action in serving Him. When you do, your heart will passionately follow Him.

If we do not stay awake for God, we forget the power we are given by Him. The outcome is a life of lust focused on the things of this world. We become awakened to self and fall asleep to God, and sin is more appealing every day. As disciples we are warned by God to avoid this and given the power to do so. The Holy Spirit is the power and prayer is the fuel to the power. Pray without ceasing and you will be wide awake for God, living for Him and not for sin!

Contrary to what we think, it is a blessing that God has not revealed to us what the future years of this life have in store for us. Even though God knows, we don’t, and not knowing makes life an exciting challenge with unexpected twists and turns. God has, however, revealed the ultimate future for His disciple’s – a destination called Heaven where we will see Jesus face to face. That is your only certainty and the only revelation needed to live with joy as you plan your future with God! Live today as if today is the future!

Physical exercise is very important to living a healthy life. A disciple’s body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and should be taken care of. However, physical exercise is only of little profit when compared to the exercise of faith! It is essential to build a strong faith which only comes from the strength of Jesus. When you pour out every ounce of your strength worshipping Him, He will provide you with all the strengthened faith you need to live abundantly for Him! Then you can follow Jesus’ commandments and take that strength and share it with others.

A disciple must stand up for the things of God no matter what the consequences are. We must never be intimidated by what others might think of our faith in Jesus. If we worry about what someone might say as we speak about God, we are letting the fear of man control us. As a Christian, you are a child of God’s and He is protecting you and commanding you to take a stand for Him. Never fear man; instead take action for Jesus with the faith that He is in control.

Forgiveness is at the center of a disciple’s relationship with Jesus. He suffered and died so that we could be forgiven and could forgive others. We cannot hold on to anger, resentment and bitterness toward anyone for anything, otherwise we hinder our relationship with Jesus and we hurt ourselves! Jesus forgives even though we once were in rebellion against Him, living our lives ignoring Him, offending Him and degrading His holy name. Ask Jesus to give you a heart of forgiveness toward anyone that has hurt you in any way. He is faithful to comply and your faith will be strengthened!