You can’t follow Jesus

if you don’t know what he says.

Becoming a Christian is easy. Following Jesus is hard.

The church in America is anemic. We sit in church on Sunday and hear a pastor talk about the Bible. We scroll social media and nod at Biblical truths from famous preachers 15 seconds at a time. We’re more likely to believe what a stranger says about the Bible than to read it ourselves.

But sitting down to actually read. study, and fall in love with God’s Word feels like a boring, overwhelming chore. We begin to believe we can’t understand it. It’s too hard. We start to think that it doesn’t apply to our lives. And we end up leaving it on the shelf.

Then when we’re hit with life’s troubles, curveballs, and worries, our response is no different than the unbelieving world because we have not believed that the Bible could make a difference. The wisdom, power, and authority of Christ have not taken root into our hearts because we don’t know what He has already said. And if we don’t know what He said, we can’t follow Him.

It’s time to rise up. It’s time to take the responsibility of knowing the Word seriously. The mystery of an abundant life in Christ is made known through His written word.

Understand it. Know it. Love it. Live it.

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

(Romans 10:17, NKJV)