Show Up

Pete Kersker - Jan 06, 2026

"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will send you out to fish for people" (Matthew 4:19 NIV).

Last year, we took the time to learn all that Jesus taught. Jesus' teaching ministry took the most time out of all the ways he served us. He began by gathering disciples: students who would learn from him.

As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him (Matthew 9:9 NIV).

Jesus invited many people to become his disciples (students). Many followed him. Others did not. They were not willing to drop everything to follow Jesus around as his students. Those who did, learned eternal life-changing lessons.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done (Matthew 16:24-27 NIV).

Jesus still invites us to let go of other priorities to follow him today. We draw near to him when we get together at church services. "Church" simply means "gathering or assembly of people." Jesus said he was going to build his church (Matthew 16:18), which is a gathering or assembly of people in Jesus' name. We start to follow Jesus as his disciple (student) when we show up.

"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them" (Matthew 18:20 NIV).

Do you want to follow Jesus as his disciple?
Do you take the first step and show up?