Have you ever discouraged or exasperated someone? What happens to others when you interact with them? Are they lifted up, or taken down?   Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so they will not lose heart. Colossians 3:21 NASB   We've spoken for several days about losing heart. Today, I wanted to talk about this verse because it talks about how we can cause our kids to lose heart. Fathers are specifically mentioned in this passage. But I have found that parents and bosses, even friends can lift others up, or deflate them.   When you interact with someone else, what is the outcome? Do they feel better? Are they more optimistic? Do you help them find new energy and hope for the challenges they face? As Christ-followers we live with a promise. We're promised that all things will work together for our good (Romans 8:28). We're promised that Jesus will overcome the trouble of the world (John 16:33).   In this passage, we're challenged not to exasperate, provoke, embitter, antagonize, or discourage our children. Let's not do it to people we work with either.   Today, in your family and in your workplace, what if you intentionally set out to lift others up? Imagine the words that are opposite of the list I just mentioned. What if you made a point to bring hope and encouragement to everyone you meet, coworkers, customers, vendors as well as family and friends? This will limit your complaints about government, or people of other faiths. It will limit our ability to whine and complain. We will have to choose to comment about the good rather than the bad.   But we will fill others with hope and courage rather than exasperating or deflating them. As a man and a father, this has been a challenge for me. But today I have a choice. Today, I can choose to bring energy, hope, courage, rather than stealing it. What will you do today?   Please consider how you respond to your kids or anyone else you interact with today. Don't discourage, encourage. Put life in others. The joy of the Lord is only limited by his people. Will we share that joy or hoard it today. We can help others not lose heart if we'll only share.   Do you need some help with this. We can't all just turn on the joy. We need other believers around us to help restore the hope and joy in us, especially when we're tempted to lose heart.   Why not join a community of believers who exist to help one another. We want to help each other take that hope and joy with us everywhere we go. Check out https://community.followerofone.org and join us for free. We want to encourage believers everywhere to live a life that can't be explained without Jesus being in the center. Why not join us?  

Today on the Follower of One podcast, Mike Henry sits down with Nick Nelson. Nick Nelson is the founder of Mission 15:4. He was the one who was anxious and depressed. Now that he is on the other side, it is his purpose to go after the ones that are in the midst of their struggles and walk alongside them. In this episode, Mike and Nick talk about mental health, how Mission 15:4 got started, not relying solely on yourself, training men to help with mental health, placing our trust in the Lord, and allowing God to work through you.    Outline of the Episode 01:10 –  About Mission 15:4 06:00 –  Anybody can struggle with mental health  07:46 –  Not relying on solely yourself  08:30  –  Training men to help people with mental health 10:34 –  What happens when you place your trust into worldly things 12:39 –  It’s easier to connect with someone about their struggles if you’ve had that struggle  14:19 –  How Mission got started 16:05 –  Allowing God to work through you  18:29 –  Nick's thoughts on the Marketplace Mission Trip   Anybody can struggle with mental health  Sometimes in dark places, you can feel alone and like nobody struggles with what you are dealing with, but anybody can struggle with mental health. No matter how “perfect” your life may seem, no matter how much money you make, you can struggle with mental health, so it’s important to keep up with your mental health.    Allowing God to work through you  As Christians, we are called to follow the Lord with all of our hearts and to pursue His will for us. We need to allow Him to work through us, so that His will can be carried out in our lives. We all have the ability to be used by God, we just need to allow Him to use us.    Follow Nick Nelson Misson15four   Connect With Follower Of One Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app!

What do you most treasure? And why does that matter on Valentine's day?   The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart. Luke 6:45 NASB   It's Valentines Day. I did a little research and found there are a number of global Valentine's Day traditions. I don't recommend you spend a lot of time on it. But since we've been discussing how we might lose heart, I thought today I would study the interaction between our treasure and our heart.   This passage and others talk about how what comes out of us shows the true contents of our heart. If what comes out of us is good, it comes from a good heart. It even comes from the treasure of our heart. Our hearts are transformed by what we treasure. Later in Luke 12:34, Jesus says that where our treasure is, there our heart will be also and this is also recorded in Matthew 6:21.   We set the value of things. Those things we value most become the makeup of our heart. Our motives and our motivations come from our heart. And no matter how hard we may try to hid or manage what others see, God sees our heart. God told Samuel that in 1 Samuel 16:7 when he selected David to be King of Israel.   Be careful what you treasure. Over time, what you treasure will become the direction and the makeup of your heart. And God, who sees the heart will act. I've experienced more joy in the last few years simply because I chose to treasure listening to and following Jesus. Would you say your joy has increased in the last few years? If not, you can change it. Choose to treasure the things of Jesus and watch your heart change. Your joy will soon follow. You can turn this around RIGHT NOW. Simply tell Jesus, "Here I am!" and then ask, "What do you want me to do today?" He will put you on mission and you will sense your heart changing.   Bless someone else today. Choose to give them good. Choose to encourage. Choose to bless. Choose to lift someone else up. God rewards those choices once they become actions. Then, join us over at https://community.followerofone.org and share that with us. Create a profile and join our community. Let's be people who deliver joy and courage and heart in the world every day. Now that's what I call real love.

Do you find yourself tired? Did you ever notice how easy it is to get discouraged when you're tired?   "For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:3 NASB   When we get deflated and tired, we become vulnerable. The author of Hebrews suggests that if we consider what Jesus had to endure, we will find energy and that energy will help us not become discouraged.   The 2 verses before this are the response to the heroes of the faith. The author remind us to fix our eyes on Jesus. He completed the work the Father gave him to do. It's done. Our job is smaller. His work should motivate us. He did his part. And because he's almighty, he is helping us. He is directing. We can persist. We can finish. We can take heart rather than losing it.   Today, what will you choose? Will you focus on your circumstances and fail, or will you consider Jesus, not grow weary and not lose heart? God has a job for you today. Romans 8 tells us that God will complete his work in and through us. We can keep our heart today by considering Jesus and doing the next doable thing.   Let's not focus on what we can't do. Consider Jesus and do what you can. Maybe you need to get some rest. It's easy to get discouraged when you're tired. Consider Jesus and then, whatever you can do, do it. Every little bit matters. Jesus said the widow put in more than anyone else. She only put in two small coins (Mark 12:42-44). But he knew what it was relative to what she had. Do what you can and God will do the rest.   Let's remember to do what we can today. Tell God "Here I am." Ask him what he wants you to do. And then focus on what you can do rather than what you can't do. He will do the rest.   Also, check out our online community at https://community.followerofone.org. You can meet other Christ-followers there who can help you not lose heart, too. Check it out.

Do you get discouraged by difficulties in the world?   "So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory." Ephesians 3:13 ESV   Do we let the troubles of others get us down? Sometimes I can become disappointed at what others have to go through in this broken world. I can get angry or discouraged at what people have to endure in this world. And if they have to endure that difficulty because of me, that makes it even worse.   But Paul is encouraging the Ephesians. He was so good at thanking God for everything. And I'm not. But he encourages them to reassure them that he trusts the will of God and so should they.   Where do we need to remember that God's will isn't being thwarted in our world. The enemy isn't winning. God is. Everything is going according to plan. If you have a problem with that idea, let's talk. Call me or email me. I'd love to talk. In the moment, I have difficulty with what I'm saying, but I want to believe in a God who is bigger than all the mess of this world. Paul wants that for us, too. So let's not lose heart.   I hope these podcasts are a blessing to you. We're supported by people who want to share in the cost of what we do so others can live an integrated faith. Would you consider making a contribution to help? Head over to https://followerofone.org/partner to make a gift. Thanks!  

Do you have trouble with delayed gratification?   Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. Galatians 6:9   Have you ever noticed how every single person is searching for the good life. Some of us work extra hard and save our money hoping to buy it. Others take drugs or drink trying to get it now. Even more want it in a job or a spouse, or by trying to change something about themselves.   Jesus came that we might have life, (John 10:10). We're each on our own universal pursuit to gain life. We want the promise of joy, peace, blessing for ever. Not just for a day. It's baked into each of us. God put it there. We were created for it.   But when the reality of the broken world hits us, we lose heart. Here Paul is reminding the Galatians not to give up. If we do not grow weary, we will receive the reward.   As believers we're called to focus on the reward so we can hang on until the end.   Today, can you have an attitude of confidence in our position and our Lord so that you're free to be a blessing to others? Our job is to live like we know Jesus so others might come to know him too.  

How do you talk yourself into giving up?   Jesus gave us an idea how to avoid losing heart and his idea was that we should pray. Notice Luke 18:1.   "And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart." Luke 18:1 ESV   Another way to avoid losing heart is to pray. This parable is about the woman who wanted justice from the unrighteous judge. Even the unrighteous judge would do what the woman wanted because she was right and persistent.   For some reason, we have this narrative sentence of introduction from Luke. This parable is designed to remind us to pray and not give up. If the unrighteous judge will do what's right, we should expect a holy God to do what's right.   Prayer keeps us from losing heart because it plugs us back into God instead of focusing on our circumstances. And prayer is used by God to change us.   Even though this is one of the standard, Sunday school answers, it happens to be correct in this instance. Prayer is another tool God gives us to help us to persist.   Today, pray. Ask God to help you keep going. Ask him to show you what he's doing, and to energize you to join him. He will use you in the lives of your coworkers, customers, vendors, friends and family if you just pray instead of losing heart. Focus on God and ask him for the strength to keep going.    

Have you ever been tempted to give up?   Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart," 2 Corinthians 4:1 NASB   This continues the episode from yesterday. We've been given a mission. We talked about that yesterday. You have received a ministry. And since it was God that gave that to you, he will bring his results to pass. He's not working to achieve my goals. So I want him to inform my goals, and to guide my ministry. It's not mine anyway. It's his. I'm just a steward of it.   We're talking about how to keep our heart, or avoid loosing it. Our first way that we're studying is by reminding ourselves we have a ministry. God has a job for us. By his mercy, he gave us a mission, a ministry, a purpose.   Our purpose elevates and energizes us. If you're tempted to lose heart, ask God to remind you about your purpose. Purpose pulls us into the future instead of leaving us stuck as quitters in the past.   Today, ask God to remind you about your purpose. Part of it starts with making Jesus visible. How you do that is up to you. We make some very basic suggestions in this community, but we want to encourage you to find ways that energize and excite you. Then share them with us. We're an online community of believers who are trying to live our our purpose and calling in our present jobs and situations. Why not join us.   Head over to https://community.followerofone.org and create a profile. Join us on a Marketplace Mission Trip, connect with some other believers and step into the ministry God has given you. You have a ministry to everyone you meet. We want to help you see that calling and walk in it.    

Have you ever been tempted to lose heart?   "Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart." 2 Corinthians 4:1   Recently, I was tempted to lose heart. I got the idea that what I was trying to accomplish wasn't worth the effort. That very day, my daily devotional brought me to this verse. I was reminded that the Greek word translated "lose heart," in this passage is only used a few times in the New Testament.   This Greek word means to cowardly surrender. I take that to mean to quit because I give up. I don't have the courage to persist. Often, I lie to myself and tell myself it's not worth the effort. But in reality, I'm afraid of losing. I don't want my career or my pursuit of God to end up short of what I expect. Since I grew up in the US, I can rationalize the explanation around to thinking my effort won't be worth the reward. But I know God is almighty. I must either fear that I'm chasing the wrong thing, or that God isn't powerful enough to complete the promise I sensed when I had a vision.   So I decided to admit my temptation to surrender in a cowardly way; to give up. What would it take to let God inform me instead of my fears? So I want to study these verses with you. They're not in order of importance, but just the order I came to them. Let's see what we learn.   In this first passage, we learn that God gave Paul a ministry. Since the ministry was given by God, he would not lose heart. But he's Paul the Apostle. I'm just Mike the ordinary. Do I have a ministry? Do you?   We've all been given a ministry. Romans 8:29-30 says that everyone Jesus saves is called, justified and glorified. It's a done work. Ephesians 2:10 says we're created in Christ for good works that God prepared beforehand. We simply walk in them. You have a ministry. And since you do, and since it came from God, do not lose heart. Keep going.   I asked God to help me keep going. I asked him to do that for you, too. He is guiding us. He is directing us. Things take more time, energy and money than we think. But God has given us his word so what we would focus on him and not on our circumstances. You have a ministry today. You've been called to good works. And since you do, then don't lose heart. Remember it was God, who knows you better than you know yourself who gave you this assignment. Talk to him. Listen to him and then ask him to help you keep going.   And if he does something for you today or tomorrow to help you keep going, please share that with me. Send a note to info@followerofone.org and let us know.

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. Matthew 7:24 ESV   The wise person acts and so does the fool. Notice the contrast in 24 and 26. The foolish man didn't listen. He was "smarter" than the first man. In some degree this comes back to humility. We can't always go against what we know to be right and get away with it.   The building process, and the bad weather came to both men. They both built a house. The only difference we know about these two guys is that one went out of his way to build on a solid foundation and the other did just what he pleased.   Today, what wisdom can you bring to your daily job? Ask God to show you how to do your work better. Or ask him for wisdom regarding who to interact with and how. If we listen to the Lord and do what we know to be best, we will experience the rewards. At the same time, we can be a blessing to the others around us too.   In the Marketplace Mission Trip, we're remembering why we follow Jesus. Let's live so that people are puzzled about why we are motivated to serve them and bless them. Then, when they ask, let's give a genuine answer that explains our reason and also points out that our relationship to Jesus was the motivation.   But the world won't see more Christians living their faith intentionally unless we get more believers living their faith intentionally. Please invite someone else on the next Marketplace Mission Trip with you. Every person needs 2 or 3 friends who follow Jesus. We need friends who can explain to us why they're different. And we need those people to be in our lives, taking direction from Jesus and living differently. Those are the people others will ask to explain their hope.