One Step Behind Jesus

Dear Worshipers,

Pastor Myron has said this phrase many times lately. I know that I am privileged to spend a good amount of time with him each week so I hear them more than some of you but I know he has been saying them on Sunday mornings as well. They are a significant part of the picture he has in his mind of what God wants North-Mar to look like, and every time he speaks them that picture becomes clearer to me and you.

So what about that picture that is emerging in your mind? Do you see the back side of the Good Shepherd? Do you see the sun beating down on His head, glistening in the sweat on His brow as He turns back to you? Do you see Him gently motioning to you to continue to follow? Do you feel the wind in your face as you press on?

We have been given an assignment this week and I want to encourage you to do it. It was on the back of the sermon notes in the bulletin. In case you failed to pick one up before you left the church here it is, “Take some time this week to root out any legalistic thinking that may be a part of your past.” There were a couple of other encouragements to believe the truth about Jesus, and that God can work in you by His Spirit so you can really follow Jesus, but I want to encourage you to do the first one.

Will you spend some time talking with the Lord about how you view the role of the Holy Spirit in your life? Will you ask Him to reveal and wrong thinking that has clouded your experience of Him? Will you ask Him to show you if there is anything in your mind in particular or your life in general that would impair your yielding entirely to Him?

Though I would want you to come every Sunday with this expectation, I want to encourage you to come expecting to meet God in a life-changing way Sunday as we conclude this two-part series on the Holy Spirit. God has been meeting us in an unusual way recently. I trust you have been sensing that. My call for you to join me in praying for His fire to fall on us is a part of seeing that unfold.

Our desire is to be like Jesus, and a dependency on the Holy Spirit is critical to being like Him. We want to follow one step behind Him, looking to Him for direction and guidance at every turn in the road. Let’s prepare to press into that shared purpose as we gather Sunday. I look forward to seeing you there.

Jesus, set us on fire. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit that we may follow one step behind you. Let Your flame burn to glorify Your name.

In Christ,
Pastor Timothy