Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons. These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”
So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come.
Mark 3:13-26
There's a big difference between Jesus and Jesus-followers. Only One of them is perfect.
Jeff's Eight Principles for Jesus-followers
1. Take the high road (especially on social media).
2. Let's be known for what we're for.
3. Ben generous.
4. Practice humility.
5. Smile more.
6. Have someone in your life who knows what's really going on.
7. Pray more. Talk less.
8. Apologize quickly.
Reflect
What was your biggest takeaway from Jeff's message?
In what ways can you relate to Jeff's story and his relationship with Christians as a kid?
What negative experiences have you had with Jesus-followers? In what ways have your experiences been positive?
What other obstacles prevent you from following Jesus?
Jesus invites you into a personal relationship with him. How will you invest in this relationship?
If people watched your actions over the past month, what would they think you're for?
In what ways will you let people know that you represent Jesus this week?
What steps can you take to intentionally apply Jeff's principles to your life?
Do
Remember that Jesus says, "See for yourself who I am. It's personal."
Go Deeper
Check out Jeff's book entitled Know What You're For: A Growth Strategy for Work, an Even Better Strategy for Life.