Have you ever had an experience in life where you just wanted to quit? Life gets hard, a relationship turns hurtful, your job drains the life out of you? Throw in the towel, bail out, adios, I’m gone. What do we do when we feel this way in our walk with Christ? How do we keep going when we feel like quitting? The bible is filled with accounts of peoples’ lives who had these kind of experiences but persevered and kept following the Lord. In this series we’re going to examine the experiences of real people who had real experiences that challenged their commitment to God. What can we learn from these faithful followers about not quitting when life gets hard?

Why is obedience so important? Why is disobedience to God's commands so serious and what are some of the examples of such disobedience in the Scriptures? How can we as Christians be more obedient to a holy and just God as a way of life? We look at all of these things in today's message.

We all want to feel like we’re welcome. At home, at church, and with the people we work it’s important to feel that people are glad we’re part of the team. In this second part of our message in Psalm 23, we’re going to see that God welcomes His people with warmth and gladness. He honors those who trust in Him. If you’re following Jesus in faith, you need to know that God welcomes you into His presence.

Have you ever had a need that you could not meet on your own? All of us, at one time or another, have experienced circumstances where we needed God’s provision in our lives. Using the metaphor for a shepherd caring for his sheep, David wrote Psalm 23 to remind himself. and everyone who would read it, of God’s provision throughout his life. Psalm 23 is a powerful reminder to us of God’s gracious and faithful provision for those who follow Him in faith.

As we end our “Forward” series it’s time to ask the question, “What about my place in God’s plan for realizing His dream for His church?” In the bible, God compares the church to the human body. As our bodies are one body with many parts, so also the church is one body of Christ with many different parts. Every believer has a place in Jesus’ church and every believer has a role to fulfill. We’ll learn today how we can begin to discover where our spot is in Jesus’ church. When we discover our place in the body and the gifts, talents, and abilities we’ve been given to serve God and His people, we can be part of moving forward into God’s dream for His church.

This is our final podcast on “discipleship”. Today we’ll take a look at some additional things that Jesus said about following Him. And we will look at some questions – Is becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ worth it? And will it be easy to be a disciple? And, if following Jesus is difficult at times, is there any help for us!? Let’s take a look at the answers to these questions.