Disciple

In the gospel of Luke, Jesus twice warns us to count the costs of becoming His disciple (Luke 9:57-62; 14:25-33). There is a cost to following Jesus, and it is not an easy price to pay. Jesus told His disciples that they would have to lose their lives in order to save them (Matthew 10:39). Following Jesus brings with it the hatred of the world (John 15:19). Pascal's Wager makes no mention of any…

example, in the Matthew account, it mentions that the 5,000 fed were “men, besides women and children.” So the actual number fed could have been anywhere from 10,000 to 20,000, according to scholars. Our passage today is the only one that calls disciples out by name, noting that Jesus was testing Philip. Andrew is mentioned as finding the boy with the basket of bread and fish. We will incorporate a few details from the other gospel accounts as we unpack this John 6 verse…

The Renaissance, by definition of the word, was an era of rebirth. It came subsequently after the time of the Black Plague and was seen as a time of hope and restoration of the arts. From painters to sculptors, architects to scientists, the world of the Renaissance was filled with creations that continue to be prominent today. We still read and perform the plays of Shakespeare, we still display and view the paintings of and Raphael and we continue to revere the scientific discoveries of…

Christianity is an ideology in which its followers believe the universe was created at the command of one God. They believe God created mankind who failed to obey a special command which subsequently led to the downfall of mankind. Christians believe the devil, an adversary to God, is responsible for the darkness (evil) in this world. They believe God is merciful and loving hence he sent his son, Jesus Christ in human form to redeem man as sons of God to escape eternal damnation. The declaration…

intends some humans to receive salvation because they have been promised “salvation,” while others ought to receive “damnation” ? It is interesting to explore this perspective with comparison to the story of Judas Iscariot. Judas was one of the disciples of Jesus Christ, whom Jesus chose to follow him and he was the betrayer. Judas’ inclusion in the part of Jesus’ death and resurrection convey that if Judas had not betrayed Jesus, how would Jesus be taken into the hands of authority and nailed…

Herod commanded it to be so, though both Mark and Matthew note that he was grieved as he made the order. John was then beheaded in prison and his head was delivered to Herodias’ daughter on a platter, who then delivered it to her mother. John’s disciples came and took the body, burying…

twelve Apostles. Whilst a dedicated follower of Jesus, he earned the title of “doubting Thomas” on the first Easter Sunday simply because he did not believe Jesus had risen from the dead. According to John 20:24-29, Thomas had not been with the other disciples when Jesus appeared to them, and was in doubt when they told him that Jesus had returned. It wasn’t until Jesus appeared to Thomas and had him touch the fatal wounds did Thomas believe His Resurrection was true. Throughout history, many…

of having no nickname much to both of their dismay. Nathaniel is a name derived from the greek form of a biblical hebrew name נְתַנְאֵל (Netan'el). This name was borne by many people ranging from the famous Nathaniel Hawthorne to one of Jesus’ disciples. Hebrew is an ancient language dating back to before 1200 BCE and still spoken today by over 9 million people mainly coming from the country of Israel. It was extinct for a very…

the person I am today. Likewise, the church continues to be the foundation and place in which I feel safe and empowered. According to United Methodist Church, their mission is “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Local churches provide the most significant arena through which disciple-making occurs.” With this mission in…

school, home, and church. During this conference I encountered a bible verse that opened my eyes and truly resonated with my heart, making me rethink my life and how I was living it. “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple” Luke 14:27. I had heard this verse before at church many years before this event, but in that moment at LTLC, the world stopped…