What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ? Oftentimes our thoughts immediately turn to what we “do” to answer this question, but as we see from Scripture, God is more concerned about our heart than what we do with our hands. In this Vision Casting series we will examine the heart of a follower of Christ and set for our church a vision of discipleship as we enter into the new year of 2023.
Tempted Like Christ
By: Ian Opiniano
As we began our vision casting series, we looked at how we can become more like Christ in our day to day lives. For this, we looked at the disposition of Christ’s heart and mentality while He was being tempted by the devil. We saw how when Jesus was faced with the temptation of autonomy, to be independent of God, He trusted in the sovereignty of God. We also saw how when Jesus was tempted to utilise His authority, He demonstrated great humility. Finally, when Jesus was tempted with affluence in exchange for worshipping the devil, we saw how Jesus responded with jealousy for God; a zeal that reciprocates God’s own jealousy for those He loves. If our desire is to cultivate lives that revolve around Christ, it is important for us to think and feel like Christ, especially when trials and temptations come our way.
Rejoice Like Christ
By: Ian Opiniano
As we continued our vision casting series, we looked at the heart of Christ reflected in our mission to reach others with the Gospel. From the three parables in Luke 15 we were reminded how we are to demonstrate no partiality when it comes to sharing the good news, all must be received. We also saw the Savior’s desire for sinners to repent and believers to rejoice at the thought of repentance. For us to be more like Christ in how we reach others, we must rejoice like Christ over the salvation of the lost.
Love Like Christ
By: Ian Opiniano
As we closed off our series on how to be more like Christ, we looked at the Savior’s heart in order that we might love like Him. From Christ’s example in John 13 we saw how we are to love completely, despite hardship and even betrayal, our love for one another must be complete. We also saw how Christ’s love was sacrificial, setting aside personal titles and position in order to serve others. Finally, we saw how Christ’s example of love was meant to be an example for His disciples to faithfully love one another. If we want to be more like Christ, we must reflect His heart of love.