READING: Mark 3:13-15
Last night, a student and I traveled to a church where I’m preaching today. We spent more than three hours together in the car—and it’s amazing how much you can talk about in that setting. The topics were many, like fighting temptation, future planning, dating relationships, automobile repair, country music, hunting deer, and Chick-fil-A apps. The point is that we talked about life over several hours. And, something just happens in a mentoring relationship when you have that kind of time together.
That’s why I love to read about Jesus’ relationship with His disciples. He called them “to be with him” (Mark 3:14), and it was out of that time with Him that He sent them out to preach and to have “authority to drive out demons” (Mark 3:15). He loved them deeply, taught them continually, pushed them lovingly, and tolerated them often. Ultimately, He died for them and will someday return to gather them to Himself. Forever and ever, then, He will reign on a throne around which they will worship Him.
All of that started, though, when He said to some who asked where He was staying, “Come, and you’ll see” (John 1:39). We can do a lot of discipleship when we just spend time together – even in the car.
PRAYER: “God, thank You for opportunities to spend time with friends in Christ. Let me not miss those opportunities.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Lamentations 1-3, Hebrews 10:19-39