Do you agonize over deadlines and pressure in your schedule?   "[C]asting all your cares on him, because he cares about you." 1 Peter 5:7 CSB   This is another of the "cans" of scripture from Victory Over the Darkness by Neil T. Anderson. Why should we worry and be upset when we can cast our cares on God? Do you have any worries or cares? Do you sense pressure in your schedule? In my own situation, I feel the pressure that comes from being overcommitted. God is so good in my life, and yet, I can get worried about how I'm going to honor my own commitments. I'm my own worst enemy. I don't say "no" enough.   But I think this passage goes way beyond that. Maybe you're in a serious mess that you didn't create. Maybe it's health related or related to the current financial situation. Maybe you've lost your job.   Can we really cast our cares on God? Do we really trust verses like this?   I want to do better. Today, take an action that shows you trust God. Ask him what he wants you to do next. Then do it. Even if it seems like something out of the ordinary, let's practice doing what God tells us to do. If your idea lines up with scripture find a way to do it. Let's listen to Jesus and do what he says.   I'm part of a community that tries to actively follow Jesus every day. It's called Follower of One. You can check it out at www.FollowerOfOne.org.

Do you see yourself as being in a battle?   "You are from God, little children and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." 1 John 4:4 NASB   When terrorists attacked the United States on 9/11, I was shocked out of my self-centered, comfortable life to some degree. For years leading up to that day, I has been pretty absorbed in my career. That day, I remembered that the Bible says we're in a battle.   This passage is a reminder that not only are we in a battle, but we're on the right side. Chances are you're not in a position to have to "overcome" someone. The word "them" in this passage refers to the spirits that are not from God. We must overcome them. Some translations use "conquered."   There is a battle going on for the eternal lives of people. God is working to save us. Our enemy the devil and his demons do work to distract us and separate us from God and from our purpose of helping others move one notch closer to Jesus. We overcome those spirits when we side with God. And he becomes our help in this battle.   Fortunately for us, greater is he who is in us than he who is in the world. We're free to obey God any time we choose. People who don't follow Jesus don't have that freedom. They don't have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them, enabling them to choose.   So what do we do about it? Choose today to lean into God and what he asks you to do. He has ideas for you and things you can do today. Look around you. Ask God for wisdom and then do whatever he says. Let's burn some of our energy inviting people to a closer relationship with Jesus.   If you want to learn more, join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Go to www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com to learn more.

Have you ever given someone a bad idea?   "By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist of which you have heard that it is coming and now it already is in the world." 1 John 4:2-3 NASB   Ideas can come to us from anywhere. But we know the world, and our own flesh and our pride, our own desires are fallen (1 John 2:16). Everything in the world or part of the world system, can pull us away from God. The third way we can get pulled away is by our enemy the devil (1 Peter 5:8).   Here, we're being reminded that we can test our ideas, how we spend our time, and what we do by this standard. If it lines up with Jesus, it is from him. And if it doesn't, well, it's not from him. That's how we know that appreciating, serving and loving others is generally a good idea. Jesus said he came to serve (Mark 10:45). Paul tells us that if we don't have love, nothing else matters (1 Corinthians 13).   Today, let's ask God for some ideas of ways to serve the people we're around. If God gives you an idea, test it. See if it lines up with his word and the Holy Spirit. And if it passes the test, do it. Even if you're not sure, try. Screw up in gear. Let's be people who love Jesus and do what he says.   Also, if you find these podcasts helpful to you in your daily walk with Jesus, please consider becoming a monthly donor. We're donor supported. You can make a one-time or recurring donation on our home page, www.FollowerofOne.org.

Do you listen to every idea that pops into your head?   Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1 NASB   We can't believe everything we hear or even think. Much of what we hear or think may be ideas suggested from a false spirit or teaching from a false prophet. A prophet is someone who speaks for God. False ones speak for anything else. They're aligned with the false spirits.   When God gives us an idea, it will be through a Godly messenger, either the Holy Spirit living in us, or from the Bible, or from Godly people around us. The ideas will line up with the Bible. We're told to test the sources of the information we have to see if it is from God or not.   God created you to freely choose to listen to and follow him. Often, our world, our physical bodies, and even our friends can pull us away from God. But God gives us each other to help us stay focused on him. That's why we created the Follower of One online community. We're a community of people who want to help one another live our faith daily in our workplaces or schools or wherever we are. You can learn more and join at https://community.followerofone.org.

Would you say you live in the fast lane?   "And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV   Do you remember the Eagles song, Life In The Fast Lane? There was a line in that song, "Everything, All the time." The song wasn't a good Christian hymn. It was a rock and roll anthem for a very empty life. But that phrase always stuck with me.   Paul tells us God is able to make all of his grace abound to us. Abound means we have something abundantly. We will have abundant grace. Paul is responding to the Corinthians that as they give, they will receive. He's talking to them about giving to the church in Jerusalem. God provides abundant grace so that we will have what we need to be a blessing to others.   The Christian Standard Bible says, "so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work."   God will give you everything you need to excel in every good work.   If we need something today, we can tell ourselves a couple of different stories. We can whine and complain to God or about him. Or we an ask him if what we want is really what he wants. If we don't have something, maybe it's because God doesn't want it.   What will it take to get us to focus on what we already have and what we can do? Could it be that God has equipped us for something, but we don't see it because we're looking for something else? Maybe we're chasing the wrong thing. Or maybe we're not making the resources available to him.   Ask God to show you what you "can" do and then do it. Let's be people who do what we can rather than focusing on what we can't do.   We want to be that kind of community. Would you like to be around people who concentrate on what we can do? Then check out www.FollowerOfOne.org and consider joining our community.

Mark Delaney, an expert in helping people discover and live out their purpose, discusses the importance of purpose in life. He explains how his Purpose Mastermind program helps individuals find their path to purpose and overcome challenges. The podcast covers different ways to discover purpose, the mindset shift needed to focus on solving important problems, and the power of purpose in providing identity and empowerment.

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 NASB   Today is a day we commemorate the members of our armed forces who died serving our country. I think many nations have a way of recognizing those who gave an ultimate sacrifice.   But my appreciation isn't for just the US. Whatever you think about the US, we have many freedoms that we wouldn't have if we lived in a different time or a different nation. Some of the people hearing this podcast may not even be able to publicly follow Jesus without fear of some kind of persecution. I thank God for everyone who died fighting against injustice and in defense of freedom.   So, please enjoy this holiday in the US. And let's not take our freedom for granted. Jesus gave his life so we could be free to show the world what following Jesus looks like. Many wonderful people died to keep that freedom for us here in the US and in other countries, too. Every day with our lives, we can say thanks. Let's not use our freedom for our own flesh as we're told in Galatians 5:13. Rather because we're free, let's serve one another through love.

Do you feel confused or defenseless?   "The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?" Psalm 27:1 NASB   Why would we feel lost or helpless when we have the Lord? We're reminded in this verse that he is our light and our salvation and our defense. We don't have to shrink back.   What areas do you find yourself uncertain about? Are you uncertain about how to speak with people who don't follow Jesus? Do you feel poorly equipped to have a conversation with someone who believes Jesus is a figment of your imagination?   This passage reminds us we can walk in the light. We can live as saved people. We have a defender. This doesn't mean we can engage in discussions or interactions with others without preparation. We must prepare. But with preparation, we are not uninformed or defenseless.   We talk in Follower of One about how we need too know what we believe. We should prepare and be ready to give a defense (1 Peter 3:15). Our job is to be able to explain our faith and our reasons for our beliefs and the way we live. And our lives must back up our words. God doesn't cover up our carelessness. Our carelessness is proof we don't really believe. It shows we're lazy. If we really believed, we would do what it takes.   God is your defense. But you need to prepare. Think about why you follow Jesus. Be able to give a reasonable, 2-sentence explanation for the hope we have. We do that by explaining our actions based on our faith in Jesus.   Why not join us in our online community? We work to help one another live a life that can't be explained unless you factor in Jesus. Check it out at https://community.followerofone.org.

Where is God challenging you? What keeps you from acting?   For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith." Romans 12:3 NASB   We have each been given a measure of faith. So why would we lack the faith to live for Christ? Do you think you've been short-changed on the faith? Either I choose to live a life of faith, or I choose to abandon or ignore the faith I've been given.   We are told that faith is the assurance of things hoped for, and the conviction of things not seen. The Greek for each of those words means more than a feeling. Faith is substantial. It is substance. Some translations say substance instead of assurance and reality instead of conviction.   Faith makes things happen. It's like money. Faith isn't the thing, but it is the means to achieve something. I am getting a more personal understanding of faith as I work in this ministry. I continue to work toward something that is difficult to imagine or to produce. There are so many factors involved. My faith makes me move. A lack of faith would paralyze me. There are days when that paralysis is very close. Some days it's easier to be tempted to just take the day off. But my faith keeps me moving.   Since we have a measure of faith, let's remember what we have and what God expects of us. When we exercise our faith, we don't wear it out, we strengthen it. And the stronger my faith, the more joy I experience. Would you like more joy? Take your faith to the gym.   Why not join us on a Marketplace Mission Trip. It's a 2-week activity or a 6-week bible study designed to get you exercising your faith on any given work day. Check it out at https://MarketplaceMissionTrip.com.

Damian Gerke is a leadership coach and the author of three books: “In the Way: Church As We Know It Can Be a Discipleship Movement (Again),” “Taking the Lead: What Riding a Bike Can Teach You About Leadership,” and “Are You Who You Want to Be?” In this episode of Follower of One, Damian shares why he wrote each book and what Christians can learn from them. More importantly, he shares how each of us is called to be a reflection of Jesus in our lives. After all, discipleship happens in everyday relationships. He shares how we can live in that truth in his newest book and gives us a taste in this episode.  You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... Learn more about Damian’s book, “Taking the Lead” [1:22] What led Damian to write his second book, “In the Way” [5:34]  Damian’s upcoming book, “Are You Who You Want to Be?” [9:16]  How you can become a reflection of Jesus [15:10]  The details about Damian’s newest book [20:12] Discipleship happens in everyday relationships [23:16] Resources & People Mentioned In the Way: Church As We Know It Can Be a Discipleship Movement (Again) Taking the Lead: What Riding a Bike Can Teach You About Leadership Preorder “Are You Who You Want to Be?” Connect with Damian Gerke Connect with Damian on LinkedIn Watch his videos on YouTube Entre Results Coaching Leadership Coaching with Damian   Subscribe to Follower of One: A Faith at Work Podcast Audio Production and Show Notes by - PODCAST FAST TRACK