Question 1

How can I know if I am following rhe wrong people or things?

Accepted Answer

Exodus 34:12“Be very careful never to make a treaty with the people who live in the land where you are going. If you do, you will follow their evil ways and be trapped.”While this verse was specifically directed to the Israelites who were establishing their own country, it still highlights an important principle for us today. Compromise for the sake of pleasing people—particularly people who do not value God’s ways—can lead us to a lifestyle far from God.Joshua 24:15“Choose today whom you will serve. . . . But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”Following should not be just blind obedience. It should involve a choice, a definite decision to go in a certain direction. We need to consider carefully which path we are choosing.Psalm 1:1Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.Proverbs 1:10-11, 15My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them! They may say, “Come and join us. Let’s hide and kill someone! Just for fun, let’s ambush the innocent!” . . . My child, don’t go along with them! Stay far away from their paths.If we find ourselves spending a lot of time with people who encourage us to do what we know is wrong, we are in danger of following the wrong path.Ecclesiastes 2:1I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless.Matthew 19:23–24Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”A life free from following God seems to promise a “good life” of following pleasure. Nothing is wrong with enjoying the good things in life; but when they become our defining goal, then they become our god—what we are following. Eventually, the pursuit of pleasure leaves us feeling shallow and restless.

Question 2

Whom or what should I follow?

Accepted Answer

Mark 1:17Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”John 4:13-14Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”John 8:12Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”John 10:10“My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”We should follow Jesus, who promises the most fulfilling life possible, both now and forever.Psalm 119:9How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word.We should follow the truths found in God’s Word, which show us how to trust and follow God.

Question 3

What does it mean to follow Jesus?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 19:27Peter said to him [Jesus], “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?”Mark 8:34Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he [Jesus] said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.”Luke 14:27“If you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.”Following Jesus means leaving behind anything that might take our focus off him and devoting ourselves to him with all our hearts. Thinking less about what we are giving up and more about God’s blessings and benefits will make following Jesus desirable.Luke 5:11As soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.Following Jesus means more than acknowledging him as our Savior. It means reorienting our lives so that, no matter what we do, we do it as service to him. For example, we may be in sales, so we view our selling as a means to supply people’s needs with fairness and integrity. We may repair cars, so we view our work as an opportunity to help others in times of stress—both through the quality of our work and the way we treat our customers. Jesus calls his followers to be his witnesses in many places and in many ways.John 10:27“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”Being a disciple of Jesus is simply a matter of following him with a willing heart. He will bless us not because of our ability, but our availability.Matthew 16:24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.”Following Jesus is not a hobby, nor is it a sentimental experience—it is a costly commitment. Jesus’ love is too wonderful and his work too important for anything less than our complete devotion.Matthew 5:16“In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”When we claim to be followers of God, our actions should point to him. Others will want to follow when they like what they see.

Question 4

How can I become better at following Jesus?

Accepted Answer

John 10:2-5“But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”The best way to become a better follower of Jesus is to know him better. A sheep that knows its shepherd’s voice will not be deceived by a thief’s voice leading it astray. A sheep that trusts its shepherd’s voice will be quick to follow in times of danger. We, too, should learn to recognize the voice of Jesus.Acts 17:11The people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.2 Timothy 3:16-17All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.We can learn to discern our Shepherd’s voice by reading and contemplating his Word.John 14:16-17“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.”Romans 8:26-27The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.Jesus did not leave us to try to follow him in our own strength. He left us the Holy Spirit to guide our lives and speak for us in our prayers. Trying harder is no substitute for listening to the Holy Spirit’s nudging.

Question 5

Why is following God so difficult at times?

Accepted Answer

John 15:18-19“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.”John 16:32-33“The time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”Life can be difficult when we face opposition and hardships simply for following Jesus. We should remember that we follow Jesus because he is “the way, the truth, and the life”—the only way to eternal life (John 14:6). We are not following him just so he can make our life on earth easier.1 Chronicles 28:20Then David continued, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly.”James 1:2-4When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.Following God in something doesn’t make it easy. In fact, the more important a task is, the more Satan will throw up roadblocks. If we know God is leading us in a certain direction, we shouldn’t give up when the going gets tough. If anything, that should tell us we are headed in the right direction. We need to keep moving forward boldly with our eyes fixed on God—he promises that our faith will be strengthened as we obey him in our beliefs, values, and daily choices. When we do, we will be able to step out with stronger faith wherever God calls us.

Question 6

How do I know which leaders I should follow?

Accepted Answer

Joshua 3:3-4“When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, move out from your positions and follow them. Since you have never traveled this way before, they will guide you.”1 Timothy 3:1-7This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be a church leader, he desires an honorable position.” So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church? A church leader must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall. Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil’s trap.Sometimes we don’t have a choice in the leaders we follow at work or in the community. But with spiritual leaders, we do usually have a choice. Our spiritual leaders have a profound impact on our view of God and our walk with God. We should choose leaders whose words and actions point us to God and challenge us to raise our standards in obeying and serving him. And what they teach should be consistent with the teachings of the Bible, which is God’s inspired Word.