Food for Thought
'Food for Thought' is the free monthly, Bible-based meal for individual digestion or group feasting, and is a work of the Holy Spirit.
November 2025 - WHO ARE YOU FOLLOWING?
"One says, 'I follow Paul'; another, 'I follow Apollos'; another, 'I follow Peter'; and another, 'I follow Christ'. Christ has been divided into groups! Was it Paul who died on the cross for you? Were you baptized as Paul's disciples?" (1 Corinthians 1:12-13 GNB/TEV).
The Corinthians were confused about who they were supposed to follow! Paul's letter infers that they were following the person who baptized them; Paul states that he was thankful he didn't baptize many people in Corinth so that he couldn't be accused of baptizing people as his disciples (1 Corinthians 1:14-15). Many Christians today are confused about who they should be following, only the names are different -- Ellen White, Joseph Smith, Martin Luther, John Wesley, William Branham, the Pope, and other founders or leaders of church denominations. Christ has been divided into groups. Think about the last time you filled in a form that asked you about your religion. Did you write "Christian"? Or did you write the name of the church denomination that baptized you, or that you identify with? Who are you following?
Read John 10:1-16. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who died for us, his sheep (verse 11). He owns us (verse 12), he knows us (verse 14), and he cares about us (verse 13). We, the sheep, follow Jesus because we know his voice; we will not follow someone else (verses 4-5). Jesus' sheep follow him. Psalm 23 describes the blessings we have when the Lord is our shepherd. But following Jesus is not all about resting in green pastures and strolling beside quiet waters. Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome, "We are treated like sheep that are going to be slaughtered" (Romans 8:36b GNB/TEV). Read about the rich man who was told to sell his possessions (Matthew 19:16-21), and Paul who was subjected to imprisonment, whippings, cold, hunger and thirst (2 Corinthians 11:23-27), and Stephen who was stoned to death (Acts 7:55-60). Of course, not all followers of Jesus will be told to sell their possessions, or be mistreated physically, or die for their faith, but there is a cost of being a follower of Christ, and he wants us to be aware of that cost.
Read Luke 9:23-24, 57-62; 14:25-33. "Then he (Jesus) said to the crowd, 'If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me...If you want to be my follower you must love me more than your own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters -- yes, more than your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple...No one can become my disciple without giving up everything for me'" (Luke 9:23; 14:26,33 NLT).
Read John 12:26; 15:18-21. "Whoever serves me (Jesus) must follow me; and where I am my servant also will be...You do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also" (John 12:26; 15:19-20 NIV).
These are hard teachings that many church leaders will not preach on, and many Christians choose to ignore. Jesus did not promise that following him would be easy, comfortable, wealth-generating, sickness-free, socially-acceptable, government-approved, or church-endorsed. He did say that following him has rewards, both in this life and the next.
"I (Jesus) am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12 NIV).
"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand" (John 10:27-28 NIV).
"Peter said to him (Jesus), 'We have left all we had to follow you!' 'I tell you the truth,' Jesus said to them, 'No one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life'" (Luke 18:28-30 NIV).
Who are you following?
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"One says, 'I follow Paul'; another, 'I follow Apollos'; another, 'I follow Peter'; and another, 'I follow Christ'. Christ has been divided into groups! Was it Paul who died on the cross for you? Were you baptized as Paul's disciples?" (1 Corinthians 1:12-13 GNB/TEV).
The Corinthians were confused about who they were supposed to follow! Paul's letter infers that they were following the person who baptized them; Paul states that he was thankful he didn't baptize many people in Corinth so that he couldn't be accused of baptizing people as his disciples (1 Corinthians 1:14-15). Many Christians today are confused about who they should be following, only the names are different -- Ellen White, Joseph Smith, Martin Luther, John Wesley, William Branham, the Pope, and other founders or leaders of church denominations. Christ has been divided into groups. Think about the last time you filled in a form that asked you about your religion. Did you write "Christian"? Or did you write the name of the church denomination that baptized you, or that you identify with? Who are you following?
Read John 10:1-16. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who died for us, his sheep (verse 11). He owns us (verse 12), he knows us (verse 14), and he cares about us (verse 13). We, the sheep, follow Jesus because we know his voice; we will not follow someone else (verses 4-5). Jesus' sheep follow him. Psalm 23 describes the blessings we have when the Lord is our shepherd. But following Jesus is not all about resting in green pastures and strolling beside quiet waters. Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome, "We are treated like sheep that are going to be slaughtered" (Romans 8:36b GNB/TEV). Read about the rich man who was told to sell his possessions (Matthew 19:16-21), and Paul who was subjected to imprisonment, whippings, cold, hunger and thirst (2 Corinthians 11:23-27), and Stephen who was stoned to death (Acts 7:55-60). Of course, not all followers of Jesus will be told to sell their possessions, or be mistreated physically, or die for their faith, but there is a cost of being a follower of Christ, and he wants us to be aware of that cost.
Read Luke 9:23-24, 57-62; 14:25-33. "Then he (Jesus) said to the crowd, 'If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me...If you want to be my follower you must love me more than your own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters -- yes, more than your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple...No one can become my disciple without giving up everything for me'" (Luke 9:23; 14:26,33 NLT).
Read John 12:26; 15:18-21. "Whoever serves me (Jesus) must follow me; and where I am my servant also will be...You do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also" (John 12:26; 15:19-20 NIV).
These are hard teachings that many church leaders will not preach on, and many Christians choose to ignore. Jesus did not promise that following him would be easy, comfortable, wealth-generating, sickness-free, socially-acceptable, government-approved, or church-endorsed. He did say that following him has rewards, both in this life and the next.
"I (Jesus) am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12 NIV).
"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand" (John 10:27-28 NIV).
"Peter said to him (Jesus), 'We have left all we had to follow you!' 'I tell you the truth,' Jesus said to them, 'No one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life'" (Luke 18:28-30 NIV).
Who are you following?
To Subscribe
Please click the SUBSCRIBE button below, enter your email address in the box provided, and click the SUBSCRIBE button a second time. Thank you.