This weekend we finish up our year-long reading and preaching through the entire New Testament. Congratulations Gloria Dei. If you read every word, or if you were hit and miss through the year, I hope that this year has helped you to become an even more regular reader of God’s Word. Regular reading of the Bible is one of the important marks of a follower of Jesus.
Just after I was ordained as a pastor, a book came out which had an early influence on me personally, but also on my ministry within congregations. It was called “Power Surge: The Six Marks of Discipleship.” It was written by a now retired Lutheran pastor by the name of Michael Foss. At the time he was serving at a church in Burnsville, MN.
In addition to providing some helpful thoughts and language to use amidst a cultural shift in the way in which healthy churches operate, Foss describes six marks of discipleship for Christians in their faith journey with Christ. These are certainly not new, but as we finish up our reading and preaching through the New Testament, I thought I’d simply list them as a helpful reminder to all of us as we live out our faith in our daily lives.
Here are Mike Foss’s Six Marks of Discipleship:
- Pray Daily
- Worship Weekly
- Read the Bible on a Regular Basis
- Serve at and Beyond your Church Home
- Be in Christian Fellowship to Encourage Others
- Give of my Time, Talents, and Treasure
Now this list is not meant to be exhaustive. There are many practices which give us life as a Christ-Follower. Inviting others to worship, or bible study, or fellowship events; sharing your faith journey with those who don’t have a relationship with Jesus. These could be added to Foss’s list. And many more.
I encourage you to think about this list. Ponder each of these important marks of discipleship. And then begin in earnest to put these marks into practice. Thanks for taking the journey through the New Testament this year. This weekend we finish by looking at the book of Revelation for a second week. And remember, there are past sermons as well as short Bible Study videos from this past year available for you on our Media page.
Together with you in this Christian journey.
Pastor Tim
