Hi all! We had snow this morning. It all melted by noon.
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Bible in a Year:
Those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
Ronit came from a religious but non-Christian family. Their discussions about spiritual matters were dry and academic. âI kept praying all the prayers,â she said, âbut I wasnât hearing [from God].â
She began to study the Bible. Slowly, steadily, she inched toward faith in Jesus as the Messiah. Ronit describes the defining moment: âI heard a clear voice in my heart saying, âYouâve heard enough. Youâve seen enough. Itâs time to just believe.â â But Ronit faced a problem: her father. âMy dad responded as if Mount Vesuvius erupted,â she recalls.
When Jesus walked this earth, crowds followed Him (Luke 14:25). We donât know exactly what they were looking for, but He was looking for disciples. And that comes with a cost. âIf anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sistersâyes, even their own lifeâsuch a person cannot be my disciple,â Jesus said (v. 26). He told a story about building a tower. âWonât you first sit down and estimate the cost . . . ?â He asked (v. 28). Jesusâ point wasnât that weâre to literally hate family; rather, itâs that we must choose Him over everything else. He said, âYou who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciplesâ (v. 33).
Ronit loves her family deeply, yet she concluded, âWhatever the cost, I figured itâs worth it.â What might you need to give up to follow Jesus as He guides you? .
Reflect & Pray
Whatâs your story of the moment Jesus became real to you? What has it cost you to follow Him?
Father, please help me choose Your Son over everything this world has to offer.