Discipleship

S. "Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John.
 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately." (Acts 18: 24-26, NIV)

O. Apollos had a great heart. He had been changed by the power of God and he understood who Jesus was, but his ministry and message was lacking something…a full understanding of who Jesus was and what Jesus had done and a completeness in his experience with Jesus. I love that he was bold…he told people what he knew and was excited to have them grasp the same truth that he had come to believe. But the best part of this passage is not his boldness…it is the action and love of Priscilla and Aquila. They were followers of Jesus and had heard Apollos speak, but where concerned enough that the whole truth be told about Jesus that they pulled him aside and taught him. This is simple discipleship…one on one sitting together and grasping a better understanding of Jesus and the whole and complete truth about him. I hope that this was not a onetime conversation…this is a process and relationship that is meant to keep enriching the lives of both the disciple and the teacher. I would love to see more of this one and one happening in my life and the lives of others in the church. As a follower of Jesus, I am called to love and give myself to others to help them in their relationship with Jesus Christ…to help them understand completely who Christ is and how their lives can be changed by his presence. I also want to help people understand and grasp the truth of Jesus. There is no room for false teaching in the church and we need to help all people have a deep understanding of the basic truths of the Christian faith.

A. I have been praying about opportunities to see this type of ministry developed in a fuller way at PRBC. It will start with me. I will first make a commitment to living for Jesus Christ daily and then look for opportunities to give myself away to others. This has to be a priority in my life and ministry.

P. Lord, I give myself to you today and every today. Help me to fully understand your ways and then to invest this truth and understanding into others with whom I will come in contact through my ministry. Amen.