What's the most spiritual thing you do?   "[B]ut without your consent, I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will." Philemon 14 NASB   In the letter to Philemon, Paul has sent Onesimus back to Philemon. Onesimus was one of Philemon's slaves who escaped, and became a Christ-follower while apparently in prison in Rome when he met Paul. Now free, Paul happens to be sending a letter back to Ephesus, where Philemon lived, and so he had Onesimus take a letter back to his former owner.   Erwin McManus gave a talk a number of years ago where he said he thought the most spiritual thing we did every day was that we made choices. In Dan Rooney's book, Fly Into The Wind, he talks about the first Line of Effort (or LOE) is volition. We get to choose. This is a fundamental ability God has given us. He protects our ability to choose. Because of our sin, we lost our ability to choose to do the things that would allow us to have a relationship with God. Jesus came and died on the cross to purchase for us the freedom to choose.   Paul here is asking Onesimus and Philemon to make a choice. Onesimus has been asked to choose to return to his "owner." Philemon is being asked to free Onesimus and credit his debt, or obligation to Paul's account.   Paul's protecting his choice here rather than compelling him or forcing him. He's modeling what God has done for us.   Your choices matter. Today, choose to serve Jesus by praying for and loving the people around you. You have that freedom. Those who don't follow Jesus don't have that freedom. Let's live like we're free because we are. We can choose. And our choices matter. God protects your right to choose and he is doing that for everyone you meet. Your life is just one of the illustrations, one piece of evidence when your coworkers try to reason for or against the existence of God. What kind of witness will you be today?   Also, consider joining us in our online community and becoming a recurring member. The choices we make can matter forever. Choose to be and do what Jesus would have you do today.

Is the Christian faith relevant today?   And He did not let him, but He said to him, “Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.” Mark 5:19 NASB   This story in Mark is a story I talk about often. Jesus came ashore in a place that was a remote part of Israel. They weren't great at keeping the law. He and the disciples came up on this man that was possessed by an army of demons. Jesus ended up getting the demons out of the man but they went into a herd of pigs, who, in turn, rushed down the bank and into the lake and they drown. The people of the community were upset that Jesus messed with their pig farming operation, even though pigs weren't part of the approved diet of the Jews. So they asked Jesus to leave their region.   The guy Jesus healed asked if he could go with Jesus. And this verse is his answer. He tells the guy to go back to his people and tell them what great things had been done for him and how he had been saved.   Jesus knew he wasn't going to be well received in this community, but a guy from there would be. After all, he was one of them. So Jesus transformed this person and sent him back to his own people. He does the same for us.   We want to be culturally relevant. which means what we say and do fits our time. Now I'm not talking about fitting in. It's a small difference. We need to know and serve the people we meet. We're called to be different. But if we like them and we're trusted by them, then what we say and do becomes more believable, more trustworthy. We are called to be in the world. Our love for others should be visible. But we don't operate by the world's standards. We don't buy into the prevailing opinions.   It requires that we know what God has done for us and to be genuine when we explain that to others. It takes practice. Our goal is to have a ministry to people I know and live with based on who I am. It's transparent, authentic, and genuine.   We want to serve others in a way that is helpful to them. We want to love people. We look for ways to serve and love others while we follow Jesus, because we follow Jesus. We can find many people to serve that way without even leaving our city or workplace. That's why being culturally relevant calls us to listen to the Holy Spirit and do what he says.

How many different jobs do you think there are?   "There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all." Ephesians 4:4-6   Our fifth guiding principle as Followers of One is that there is one mission with many variations. Our mission is to make Jesus known. That's what God is doing and we join him in it. But that doesn't mean we all do the same things at all the same times. It doesn't mean there is only one valid Bible translation. It doesn't mean there's only one worship style or one way to live.   God created variety. You are unique; one of a kind. There has never been nor will there ever be another one just like you. Even if you started out very close, your experiences and the people you interact with make a difference, too. You are one of a kind.   Jesus has works prepared in advance for you according to Ephesians 2:10. You are a custom job with a custom role. But all of those roles fit into one overarching purpose. We want everything we do to point to the One Lord, one faith and one baptism, one God and Father who is over all. We have a similar job, but we don't all do that job the same way.   In Follower of One, we pray for our members and produce this podcast and connect people to encourage them to interact with the Holy Spirit and live out each person's individual calling. That calling from God will glorify him. It will point others to Jesus. But we won't all do it the same way.   We get a chance to help others move one notch closer to Jesus with everything we do. We want to encourage you to find the peace, joy and purpose of living your life as a follower of Jesus too.   We'd like to help you inject your faith intentionally into your everyday. If that's something that interests you, check out Follower of One. Head over to www.FollowerOfOne.org and see what's going on. Join our community and let's help one another live this mission every day.

Bruce Zoeller is the Owner and Founder of The Christian Advantage. His mission is to “Live a life that points others to the love of Christ. To be an example worthy to follow. To inspire others to use their God-given talents for His glory.”  Bruce shares how he seeks to help Christians live their faith in their everyday lives through his ministries—The Christian Advantage and Business Ministry Initiatives—in this episode of Follower of One. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... Learn more about Bruce Zoeller and the Christian Advantage [1:03] Learn more about Business Ministry Initiatives [6:00] What’s happening next for Bruce’s ministries [10:24] The changes in ministry brought about by COVID [13:14] Resources & People Mentioned Learn more about the next ARISE event on Sept. 19th, 2023 on their website. Connect with Bruce Zoeller Connect with the Christian Advantage on the website, LinkedIn and Facebook  Connect with Bruce on LinkedIn and Facebook Business & Ministry Initiatives Business & Ministry Initiatives on Facebook Check out the ARISE mini-conference   Subscribe to Follower of One: A Faith at Work Podcast Audio Production and Show Notes by - PODCAST FAST TRACK

Who has authority over the choices you make?   "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NASB   As a community and a group of people, the conversation stops at the Bible. The Bible is our authority. We believe God is powerful enough to get his point across to his creation. Sure, there are many ways to interpret scripture incorrectly or inaccurately. But God's word is there if we look for him we will see him.   That's why the Bible is our authority. We also listen to the Holy Spirit living in us. And we listen to scholars and church elders and to friend who are well versed in their relationship with God. But in the end, if something contradicts scripture, we don't trust it.   We want to treat the Bible as our employee manual or owner's manual. It's the manual our Owner wrote for us to flourish in this life he has given us. That's why, even when we defend differences and encourage individual initiative, we also acknowledge the authority of the Bible.   Our 4th guiding principle is trusting in the authority of scripture and using the Bible as our direction from God. The author of this book is also the God of the universe and the One we follow.   Today, let's be energized in our commitment to follow him. Let's serve the people around us because Jesus served. And then let's watch God work and enjoy the show!

How creative does Jesus expect us to be?   "But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." 1 Corinthians 12:7 NASB   Our third guiding principle is individual creativity. You're different than anyone ever made. So am I. There will never be another one just like you or me. God does everything differently. So why do we criticize others who don't worship the way we do, or who don't like what we like?   In Follower of One, we've each been called to make Jesus visible in our world. In Lamentations 3, we're told that God's mercies are new every morning. God creates new things every day.   Maybe you're one of those who thinks there's nothing new under the sun from Ecclesiastes 1:9-10. But I think that was a sarcastic King Solomon talking about the universe from God's perspective. He's seen it all. It's not new to him. But it can be new to us.   We want to connect one another to the Holy Spirit and watch what he does. You have ideas for ways to serve others. Your ways will be different than mine. But you were made like you and I was made like me and God's in charge.   So in Follower of One, we want to celebrate ideas that help others see Jesus. We want to embrace new ideas and new ways of pointing people to God, as long as they're not contrary to scripture and they glorify God.   In the end, how you represent God to your coworkers, customers, fellow students, vendors or friends today is what matters. Even if you give a cup of cold water because you're a disciple of Jesus, you will not lose your reward (Matthew 10:42).   Today, let's be a blessing to others simply because we follow Jesus. We'll step into our 3rd guiding principle and we will experience joy knowing that we were faithful to try and help others see Jesus.

What's your life vision?   "Jesus said to him, 'If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!'" John 21:22 NASB   I had a friend mention that question the other day. What is your personal vision. I know ministries that have visions, businesses that do. Even a ministry called Family ID challenges families to develop a vision. But what is your personal vision?   When I was a kid, I bought into the American Dream. I wanted to have enough money to have choices. The more money I had, the more choices I had. A vision means I have to decide. I have to chase some things at the exclusion of others. To decide means to cut away. When we decide, it's like homicide; we kill all the other options.   I wanted to keep my options open, but I kept making poor choices that didn't result in me being happy or satisfied. Eventually, I turned to Jesus and trust him. And my vision became a bit more clear. Some options were off the table. But until I started thinking about my personal vision, I still wasn't clear enough.   Our second guiding principle in Follower of One is Individual Initiative and Leadership. We believe our relationship with Jesus is very personal. No two are identical. In the story behind our passage, the resurrected Jesus has appeared to some of the disciples on a lakeside. He challenges Peter to follow him, but not John. Peter asks why John isn't following and Jesus gives this answer. Basically, we don't need to worry about others. We don't need to compare. We need to simply focus on Jesus and trust him.   How your faith shows up in the world is between you and Jesus. It should line up with scripture. You should be able to find other Godly people who will help you discern what God wants, but in the end, it's like salvation. It can't be done for you. You have to make the choices and take the actions yourself.   We value individual initiative at Follower of One. It's our 2nd Guiding Principle. Stay tuned over the next few days to hear the other 4. You can also read about these by searching for "values" at www.FollowerOfOne.org. Why not let your relationship with Jesus transform the way you live. Check out our community and join us.

What does it mean to do something "in the name of Jesus?"   "Whatever you do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father." Colossians 3:17 NASB   A friend of mine recently talked about core values and he recommended that organizations actually treat them as guiding principles. This is the first core value or guiding principle for Follower of One. And since we're a volunteer organization, I like the idea of a guiding principle.   We want to establish ministry as a lifestyle.   What doest that mean? Well, ministry is just service. When we decide that every day, we're going to get out of bed and serve others so they might see Jesus, we're in full-time ministry. In fact, I consider ministry as the practice of helping others move one notch closer to Jesus. I can do that in any job, or life situation. And once I realized that I can serve others anywhere, I became a full-time minister.   I don't believe we go through this world in neutral. Either we're for God or we're not. I don't think God saved us to just get us out of hell. He left us here to take part in his great adventure, saving the rest of mankind. We get to play.   When Jesus stated his purpose, It surprised the Jews. At the end of one of the struggles the disciples had about who was the greatest, Jesus said, "whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all." He wrapped it up with For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many. (Mark 10:43-45 NASB).   To make ministry my life, I need other Jesus followers around me. I want to interact with others who are trying to make ministry the hallmark of their life, too. Thats why we formed an online community.   Would you like your faith to invade everything you do every day? Check out Follower of One. Head over to www.FollowerOfOne.org and check it out.   Also, check out our original post on this value at https://followerofone.org/values-ministry-lifestyle/

Do we hear some commands in scripture through a filter?   "But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." Luke 6:27-28 CSB   I confess I don't love the people who want to change the way I live and the things that are accepted as lawful in my country and city. I get angry when people who are selfish want to take advantage of others. And I want to love those others enough to defend them.   But when I read this passage, I notice something. I'm not supposed to defend myself.   What does Jesus mean when he tells us to do good to those who hate us? Check the context around this. Ask God to show you where you need to drop your guard. Can we love those who would take away our constitutional rights? Can we extend these statements of Jesus into our own life and situation?   As I sense all kinds of tension in the media which exists to accentuate the conflict, I am convicted and embarrassed by this verse. Can I do good to those who hate me? Will I let myself wiggle off the hook or will I confront this behavior in my life?   Today, ask God to show you where you're holding back. "Do good to those who hate you." It may be that we who follow Jesus will have to get better at loving people who don't love us. Will we trust Jesus and the Bible in this?   Take a minute and tell someone else about this podcast. Just one person. Every one who listens can spread the word. We've been called to live and love others like Jesus did. How are we doing? Are we willing to honestly work to get better?

Daniel was raised in a Baptist church in a small tight-knit community in West Tulsa. But in March 2022, Daniel realized he wasn’t really following Jesus. He thought he was doing all of the right things. But it felt like a chore. Then he heard a message about surrender.  When you’re in a Jiu-Jitsu match, the goal is to get your opponent to tap out. As a Christian, you have to tap out to God and say “I can’t do this on my own.” Daniel realized he’d been trying to live like a Christian without surrendering to God. As soon as he chose to go all in and surrendered, God began to produce fruit.  When he recognized that life wasn’t about him, everything changed. In this episode of Follower of One, Daniel shares his experience when his men’s Bible study started working through the Marketplace Mission Trip workbook. Give it a listen! You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... Learn more about Daniel and why he launched a men’s Bible study [4:11]  Daniel’s experience with the Marketplace Mission Trip workbook [6:02]  Daniel’s advice for anyone working through the six-week course [13:17] Resources & People Mentioned Purchase copies of the Marketplace Mission Trip Workbook  Learn more about the Marketplace Mission Trip and the Online Community Subscribe to Follower of One: A Faith at Work Podcast Audio Production and Show Notes by - PODCAST FAST TRACK