So when Jesus ascended into heaven, He told His friends to remain faithful to all He had said and done, encouraging them that He would, indeed, return soon, completing the work of salvation that had begun with His birth in Bethlehem, His death on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead just outside the walls of Jerusalem. Listening carefully to what Jesus said, most of His first century followers decided amongst themselves that this second coming Christ spoke about was imminent. But here’s the rub…this second-coming event of Jesus didn’t happen like everyone thought it would! Jesus did promise to return, but apparently that wonderful life-giving event was not going to happen in the first few decades after Jesus’ ascension!

This left first-century church leaders (Peter, John, Paul, and others) with a big problem. Suddenly, the Christian life was no longer a short sprint to the finish line, but now, it had become a grueling, cross-country endurance race that must be run with great patience and perseverance. Thus, we now enter into the gut-wrenching realities that to be a Christian, a dedicated follower of Jesus, you and I must learn to go beyond just the spiritual truths of our faith, and get down-n-dirty with our day-to-day physical existence here on planet earth. So now, I invite you to get real with me and let’s begin a dialogue about earthly things such as how we control our bodies, our tongues, and our actions for the greater glory of God.

In this 12-blog series (taken from A Journey into 3-C Christian Discipleship), we’ll look at very practical matters like how we must learn to love and honor both ourselves and others in order to be the Christ-centered followers the Master wants us to be here in the twenty-first century.

Below, you will find a complete list of all the posts (12 blogs) of this series. We suggest that you bookmark this home page for ease of use. Enjoy!

Each one of our blog studies can serve you well as a support piece in your devotional life with Jesus. As you’ll see when you open up one of our pages, each blog begins with a short scripture or reading, some thoughts to consider, and then concludes with a prayer and a question or two for you to ponder. Go slow. Walk at your own pace, inviting the Holy Spirit to join with you as you read and reflect.

Let’s focus on Wholeness.

Whole & Holy. Body & Soul.  1^st Thessalonians 5: 23-24 

This Garbage Has Got To Go!   Ephesians 4: 17-24 

Money, Sex & Power. God Owns The Whole Works. 1^st Corinthians 6: 13-20

Let’s focus on Motivation.

Choosing A Pathway Of Motivation. Galatians 5: 19-23 

The Power Of Love.  1^st John 4: 7-16

We’ve Got A Lot Of Loving To Do. 1^st John 4: 17-21 

Let’s focus on Marriage.

Finding Agape Love In Our Marriages. Ephesians 5: 21-33 

Love And Marriage.  1^st Corinthians 7: 3-6 

Marriage And The Golden Rule. Matthew 20: 26-28 

Let’s focus on Family.

Shooing Away The Kids. American-Style.  Matthew 19: 13-14.

Restoring Wisdom To Our Fast & Furious Lives. Proverbs 4: 1-10 

So…Let’s Sum Up Agape Love. 1^st Peter 3: 8-12

Looking for more on this subject? Try our blog-series: Who Are You…Really? Could it be that we are so weak and unable to live out the basic Christ-life-lessons because we truly don’t have a clue on who we really are in Christ? Join us for a 9-blog series, as we explore who you and I really are in the eyes of Jesus…men and women of great value in the economy of God’s Kingdom.

Don’t take this journey into Real-Life Christianity alone! One of the best ways to explore the on-going applications of this blog series is to walk alongside a biblically-based, Christ-centered spiritual director who is familiar with how to make material like this part of your overall spiritual formation in God. Many of our directors in our Sustainable Faith-Heartland network are available to companion you in your journey with Jesus. Click here for more info.