What Has King Jesus Called Us to Do?

What does it mean to live as a follower of King Jesus? 

This is a question that Christians have wrestled with for two thousand years. 

In a world that measures value by productivity and achievement, it’s easy to believe that following Jesus is about how much we do for Him—how many prayers we pray, how many chapters in the Bible we read, how authentic our worship is, or how often we share the gospel.

But if we’re honest, that mindset leaves many of us weighed down with guilt. We hear a voice whispering to us, “You’re not doing enough.”  — Not praying enough. Not reading the Bible enough. Not evangelizing enough. Not loving well enough.

That voice is not the voice of King Jesus. It’s the voice of the enemy—the accuser—who delights in distorting our relationship with God into one of shame and fear.

Faithfulness, Not Frenzy

So what has King Jesus actually called us to do?

He has called us to be faithful. To represent Him in all that we say and do. What this means is that how we live each moment and how we treat others matters. 

Faithfulness looks less like a frantic checklist of spiritual tasks and more like a surrendered life. It’s not about hitting some invisible quota of good works, rather it is about giving our heart, mind, and will to the guiding and transforming work of the Holy Spirit.

When we surrender, the Spirit begins to form in us the very character of Jesus—love, goodness, kindness, self-control (Galatians 5:22–23). These qualities are not manufactured by trying harder; they grow as fruit from a life rooted in Jesus and flowing with the Spirit.

Living in Step with the Spirit

In other words, we don’t have to live with a constant sense of “not enough.” Instead, we walk with the Spirit day by day. We keep in step with Him. We let His presence shape how we respond to the people and situations around us.

How do we do this? How is it possible to be guided by the Spirit?

Part of my daily pray is “I surrender my heart, mind, and will to the guiding and transforming work of the Holy Spirit.” For me I need to do this every day, out loud, other wise I will continue to seek transformation by my own strength and understanding.

It also requires reading and studying the Bible, with people and on our own, which allows the Holy Spirit to use the words on the page change our hearts and minds.

We also need to understand that service is a discipline and that when we serve in ministry the Holy Spirit equips us to do the work that is in front of us.

Here is the beautiful truth: when opportunities arise, the Spirit will empower us to accomplish them. We don’t have to create our own significance. We don’t have to compare our efforts to someone else’s. We simply make the most of the moments God places before us—whether that’s encouraging a friend, showing patience with our kids, serving our neighbors, or speaking the name of Jesus when the opportunity comes our way.

Representing King Jesus

The New Testament reminds us again and again that we are ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). An ambassador doesn’t act on their own authority. Their role is to faithfully represent the one who sent them.

That’s our calling. Represent King Jesus in everything we say and do.

And here’s the encouragement: you don’t represent Him by doing more and more. You represent Him by surrendering to His authority and will—so that His love, His patience, His mercy, His truth are reflected through your life.

When the world sees that, they see glimpses of the King we serve.

A Gentle Challenge

So let me leave you with this challenge: Stop trying to prove yourself by doing enough. Instead, surrender your life to the Spirit’s transforming work. Let Him lead you in faithfulness today.

Ask yourself:

• Am I giving my heart to King Jesus? 
• Am I renewing my mind in His truth? 
• Am I surrendering my will to His Spirit?

When you do that, you will find yourself representing King Jesus in ways big and small. Not out of guilt. Not out of fear. But out of love.

 Following King Jesus isn’t about doing enough—it’s about surrendering enough. When we give Him our heart, mind, and will, the Spirit shapes us to represent Him in everything we say and do.

That’s what He has called us to do.

Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.

A Message to Proclaim: Living the Message

Text: 1 Peter 3:13–17

The core mission of the church—what God has called us to do—is to make disciples. And that disciple-making process begins with evangelism: proclaiming the Gospel.

But before we go further, let’s clarify what the Gospel is and isn’t. The Gospel is not simply, “You can be saved because Jesus died for you.”That way of saying it puts the focus on you. The Gospel is bigger than that. The Gospel is the Good News that God’s Kingdom has broken into the world through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

That Kingdom announcement carries huge implications:

• The brokenness of the world will be healed.
• Justice will be done.
• We are rescued from the consequences of sin. 
• Creation itself will be restored to God’s original design, with humans as His partners in stewarding it.

This is an incredible message. But let’s be honest—why would anyone believe it? Why should anyone accept that the death and resurrection of a man 2,000 years ago means tyrants will be overthrown, the oppressed set free, and eternal life offered to the world?

The answer is simple: they will believe it if they see it at work in our lives.

Erwin McManus once wrote:

“For too long we have hidden behind the rightness of propositional truth and have ignored the question of whether or not it works. Does the faith you advocate get you to God? If people are observing your Christianity and reserving allegiance to see what team actually wins, is there enough evidence in your life to cause a person to see Jesus as sufficient?” (An Unstoppable Force, p. 58)

That’s the heart of our challenge. Words matter, but our lives either verify or contradict the message we proclaim. If people don’t see us living as if Jesus is truly Lord, then why should they trust that our message is true?

The Call of 1 Peter 3:13–17

Peter wrote his first letter to believers in Asia Minor who were facing ridicule and persecution. They were “exiles” and “strangers” in the world, often suffering for their faith. Yet Peter encouraged them to stand firm—not by fighting back, but by living faithfully.

Here’s what he wrote:

“Who then will harm you if you are devoted to what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear or be intimidated, but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. Yet do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that when you are accused, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.” (1 Peter 3:13–17, CSB)

This passage highlights two key choices we must make if our lives are going to declare the Gospel.

1. Choose to Worship Jesus as Lord (vv. 13–15a)

Peter draws on Isaiah 8, where the prophet is told not to fear what the people fear, but to trust in God alone. Likewise, we are called to revere Christ as Lord—not just in song, but in the daily obedience of our lives.

Worship here is not limited to Sunday gatherings. It’s about setting apart Christ as the guiding authority of our lives. It means asking hard questions:

• Am I really trusting Jesus to lead me? 
• How does His lordship shape the way I spend my time, my money, my relationships? 
• Is He truly King—or just a good idea I admire when it’s convenient?

When we choose to worship Jesus as Lord, our lives begin to reflect the Kingdom we proclaim.

2. Choose to Live a Righteous Life (vv. 15b–17)

Peter also reminds believers to be ready to give a defense for their hope—but to do so with gentleness and respect. This defense is not only about having the right words. It’s about living in such a way that accusations fall flat.

In other words, our righteousness is itself a testimony. When critics slander Christians, it is our consistent goodness, humility, and compassion that prove the truth of the Gospel. Even if people don’t agree with us, they shouldn’t be able to deny the difference Christ makes in our lives.

This raises two questions for us today: 

• Could you explain the hope you have in Christ if someone asked?
• Does your life show that hope in a way that makes others curious?

Our world is full of accusations against the church, some deserved and some not. The best response isn’t defensiveness—it’s to live so faithfully that our actions speak louder than words.

Living Evidence of the Gospel

Think back to McManus’s question: Is there enough evidence in your life to cause a person to see Jesus as sufficient?

That’s what evangelism demands of us—not only words, but lives that align with the truth we proclaim. People are not won over simply by propositions. They are drawn by the visible transformation of people who walk with Jesus.

That means every Christian carries a responsibility: to live in a way that honors Christ. When the truth of Scripture is combined with the testimony of our lives, people begin to see what it looks like to follow Jesus—and why He is worth following.

A Prayer to Live the Message

Here’s a prayer from Colossians 1:9–10 (NLT) that captures the heart of this call:

“We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit.”

Our actions provide evidence for the truth of the Gospel. The question is: What story is your life telling?

Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.

Only Jesus Can Restore Us

J. Heinrich Arnold wrote; "Jesus alone can heal us and give us a new heart.  He came to restore us through his blood, and every heart, however tormented, can find comfort and healing in him" (Freedom from Sinful Thoughts).

Part of the human condition is to look for life apart from God.  At one time or another everyone resembles the church family at Laodicea.  These Christians believed that because of their wealth, their continued prosperity, and their industry that they needed nothing.  They clung to the belief that their hard work, their great economy, and their wonderful city provided for them everything they needed.

The problem was God saw things differently.  They saw themselves as fashionable and wealthy, but God knew they were poor, pitiful, and pathetic (Rev. 3:17).  Their source of life and healing was nothing but a broken cistern, unable to give them what they truly needed.

The counsel Jesus gave to this church was to turn to him and he would give them real wealth, real healing, and real fashion.  These Christian would rather make do with the things of this world than to experience the real life Christ delivered them to live.

So many of us continue to insist on finding hope, healing, and life on our own.  The question I remember Erwin McManus asking in a sermon years ago is relevant to this discussion: "Why do we continue to search for life in dead places?" 

We search for life in good things like relationships, jobs, and traditions.  We search for life in evil things like drugs, pornography, and immorality.  Everything from education to politics to entertainment can be turned into a source of life, healing, and hope.  As we do this we continue to discover that they do not satisfy.

Sooner of later we need to come to the realization that the apostle Paul came to:

I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death,11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!  —(Philippians 3:7-11; NLT).

This brings us back to the quote from the start: Jesus alone brings healing.  The condition attached to the healing Jesus offers is that we need to set aside what we are clinging to now and come empty handed to him.  It is not easy to break free from the things we have clung onto for so long for identity, life, hope, and healing, but it must be done.  That is what repentance is all about. 

The great news is that healing and true life is available to everyone.  It does matter who you are and what you have done, Jesus offers you healing and life.  Come as you are to Jesus, and he will give you the healing your heart desperately needs.

Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.

Growing Up in Christ

A couple of months ago, I had the chance to share my testimony. Putting that talk together reminded me of something important: the experiences of my life have shaped who I am today. In other words, I am not the same guy I once was.

That shouldn’t surprise anyone—change is inevitable in life. As long as we’re breathing, we’re changing. The real question is, what kind of change is happening? For followers of Jesus, the goal isn’t just to grow older but to grow deeper. Our calling is maturity—to become more and more conformed to the image of Christ.

The Apostle Paul put it this way:

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

—2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV)

Lessons from Immaturity

When I look back on my younger years, I see a long list of foolish decisions and immature perspectives. In high school history class, I once wrote an answer to an essay question on a test that praised Hitler’s economic policies—something that horrifies me today. In another paper, I compared President Theodore Roosevelt to Larry Bird, calling him “the Larry Bird of presidents.” Now, I consider him to be one of the worst. I am thankful for my teacher Mr. Vige, who not only required these writing assignments (that helped develop my love of writing) and was gracious enough to read my immature thoughts.

Then there’s the time I got caught stealing political signs as a freshman. That sort of behavior might be dismissed as teenage stupidity, but imagine if a 52-year-old pastor like me tried the same thing today—it would be career-ending!

Looking back, I can see how those experiences weren’t just embarrassing memories; they were opportunities for growth. Foolishness gave way to wisdom. Immaturity matured into intentional living. Bit by bit, my life was being shaped.

The Role of Intentionality

Here’s the truth: maturity doesn’t just “happen.” We don’t stumble into Christlikeness by accident. Growth requires intentionality.

Over the years, I’ve wrestled with what it means to actually live out what I say I believe. That process has reshaped my political views, refined my convictions on things like women in leadership, and—most importantly—forced me to ask hard questions about how I follow Jesus day to day.

It’s been a continual process of aligning my life with the gospel. I am not the man I was ten years ago—or even last year. And that’s a good thing.

Extending Grace

Here’s where this lands: if change and growth are part of the journey, then we need to give grace—to others and to ourselves.

We need to extend grace to the younger generation, remembering that they are still learning. Yes, they’ll say and do foolish things, but so did we. We also need to extend grace to our past selves, realizing that immaturity doesn’t mean we were evil or hopeless—it just means we were still growing.

The challenge isn’t whether or not you will change. Change is guaranteed. The question is: Are you becoming more like Jesus?

So, keep leaning in. Keep learning. Keep being intentional. And trust that the Spirit who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion (Philippians 1:6).

Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.

A Message to Proclaim: The First Step In Sharing the Message

Text: 2 Thessalonians 3:1–5

Jesus commissioned His followers to go into all the world and make disciples. That mission begins when people hear and trust the Good News that Jesus is the King of the universe—the One who will make all things right.

But how does evangelism happen? How do ordinary people like us proclaim such a world-changing message?

Near Chattanooga, Tennessee, Lookout Mountain rises 2,000 feet above sea level, offering stunning views of the valleys and rivers below. But what lies beneath the mountain is even more impressive. Hidden 1,120 feet underground is Ruby Falls—the tallest and deepest underground waterfall in the United States. Since 1929, millions of visitors have taken the glass elevator down into the caves, exploring the beauty that cannot be seen from the surface.

I think evangelism is a lot like that. What we notice most are the things above ground—the visible fruit: people hearing the Gospel, repenting, being baptized, and finding new life in Christ. But beneath the surface there is something just as crucial, though often unseen. It happens early in the morning and late at night. It happens around kitchen tables and in quiet prayer closets. It happens in small groups and in solitude. The hidden but essential foundation of evangelism is prayer.

As Professor Lionel Windsor has written:

“Prayer must undergird and accompany everything in our Christian lives, especially as we speak the message of the gospel to others. That’s why, when it comes to evangelism, prayer—not our own plans or wisdom or activity—must always be the first item on the agenda.”

Paul’s Call for Prayer

In 2 Thessalonians 3:1–5, Paul shows us just how central prayer is to evangelism. Writing to a young church facing persecution and confusion about the “day of the Lord,” Paul asks them to pray:

“Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 3:1–5)

Here we see three key lessons about prayer and evangelism.

1. The Acknowledgement of Need (vv. 1–2)

Paul doesn’t pretend that his mission is easy. He knows the challenges: persecution, spiritual opposition, cultural hostility, even the dangers of travel. And so he asks for prayer—that the Gospel would “speed ahead” and be honored, and that he would be delivered from wicked people.

Notice what this implies: evangelism is not a solo project. Paul, the great missionary apostle, admits he cannot do this on his own. He needs the church—not just to send him, but to stand with him in prayer. Evangelism is a team effort, rooted not in our cleverness or charisma, but in joining God in the work He is already doing.

This is why we pray. Without prayer, our efforts will fall flat. With prayer, we tap into the power of the One who opens hearts and transforms lives.

2. The Reassurance of God’s Faithfulness (vv. 3–4)

Paul contrasts the faithlessness of people with the faithfulness of God. Not everyone will believe the Gospel—some will even oppose it. But God will not fail His people. He will strengthen, protect, and guide them.

That same reassurance is for us. We don’t evangelize in our own strength. We don’t have to shoulder the entire burden of results. God is faithful. He has been faithful to His promises, faithful to His people, faithful to His mission. And He will be faithful to us.

No matter how discouraging or overwhelming the world feels, we can be confident that the Lord of the harvest is still at work. That confidence frees us to pray with expectation and to act with courage.

3. The Prayer for Faithfulness (v. 5)

Paul closes this section by praying for the Thessalonians themselves: that their hearts would be directed toward God’s love and Christ’s endurance.

This is a reminder that evangelism isn’t just about the words we speak. It’s also about the lives we live. When our character reflects God’s love and our perseverance mirrors Christ’s endurance, our message has credibility. People need to see the Gospel embodied in us if they are going to believe it.

So Paul prays for their faithfulness. And we should pray for ours too—that our daily lives would back up the message we proclaim.

The First Step

Prayer is the first step of evangelism.

It is not passive. It is not secondary. It is the crucial, hidden work that undergirds everything else. Before we speak, before we act, before we go—we pray.

You can start the work of evangelism today without leaving your home. Pray for your neighbors. Pray for your coworkers. Pray for your church. Pray for me. Just as Paul asked the Thessalonians to pray for him, I ask for your prayers as I seek to proclaim the Gospel.

Evangelism is the first step in disciple-making. And the first step in evangelism is prayer.

So let’s get started—on our knees.

Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.