Are we predisposed to make life-altering decisions?

“Just don’t make me move to Los Angeles.”

“I need to move to Los Angeles now!”

Not As Abrupt or Random As

It Seems

Matthew 9:9 As Jesus was walking along,

he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax

booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and

followed him.

What now?

Mainly two categories:

The “Follow” Questions

Why should we follow?

Why should we follow?

How far do we follow?

Where is he taking us?

How much can we bring?

What do we get for our

pains?

What will it cost us to follow?

The “Me” Questions

Who is this who asks us to

follow him?

“We want to know who he is before we follow him…[but] it is only by first following

him that we can begin to find out who he is.” —Frederick Buechner, The Magnificent Defeat (98)

“Faith is the word that describes the direction our feet start moving when we find

that we are loved.” —Frederick Buechner, Ibid.

Faith is stepping out into the unknown with nothing to guide us but a hand just beyond our grasp.

God only knows.

To follow means to follow, not to lead.

Jesus calls us despite our bringing

our baggage wherever he takes us.

“Now Jesus will love me more.”“I’m the

cream of the crop!”

“Yay, me!!!”

“Whew”

Even so, our feet can still

follow him.

But how far does Jesus

want us to go?

And what will our attitude be when we go?

Who is this one who

calls us to follow him?

As we follow, we become a Faith Village, his body, the only body he has in this world,

the only hands and feet to do his work.

By his power at work in us, others may choose to follow him, too.