Encounter is not the destination—it’s an invitation. Following Jesus requires surrender, reordered desires, and a willingness to leave what’s familiar behind.
ESSENTIALS WEEK 2 - FOLLOW JESUS
This message builds on the truth that every encounter with God leads to a choice. While culture emphasizes attendance and convenience, Jesus calls people into apprenticeship—an all-of-life following that reshapes the heart before it reshapes behavior.
Jesus consistently asked questions that exposed desire because He understood something deeply true about human nature: we follow what we want most. Our money, calendars, relationships, and attention all reveal what truly has our hearts.
Through the calling of Peter, Andrew, James, and John, we see that following Jesus requires leaving our nets behind—not sinful things, but familiar ones. Identity, security, comfort, and control can quietly become anchors that keep us from fully following Him. The greatest threat to discipleship is not rebellion—it’s comfort.
Jesus makes the cost of following Him clear. To follow Him means denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and reordering our lives around His leadership. This is not self-hatred, but self-surrender. Jesus doesn’t ask for a compartment of our lives—He asks for first place.
The good news is that Jesus doesn’t discard who we are; He redeems it. When He calls fishermen, He doesn’t erase their skills—He redirects them. When we follow Jesus, our desires change, freedom grows, and impact follows.
Every encounter brings us to the same question: What do you want?
