Following Jesus Up Close

A softer heart sees more clearly. We trace a path from the Beatitudes’ upside-down blessings to Epiphany’s invitation to truly see, naming how distraction, certainty, and fear keep us from love while Jesus keeps moving toward the margins with light and welcome. When he says keep turning from sin and come back to God, we hear repentance as returning from the illusion of separation—back to union, belonging, and the kingdom that’s accessible now.

We explore what close discipleship looks like in real life: dropping nets that bind, letting God untie the knots we can’t fix, and imitating the character of Christ—patient, gentle, self-controlled, and kind. The call isn’t to carry heavier yokes but to learn the unforced rhythms of grace. Healing becomes ordinary and near: presence that ends isolation, meals that communicate worth, words that bless instead of brand. With a simple filter—does this heal or harm—we practice everyday discernment in families, workplaces, and neighborhoods.

Not every “Jesus” we’re handed is the real one. We name the counterfeits and return to the Jesus children ran toward and the excluded trusted. From stories of following too far behind to the relief of letting go, we re-center on a Savior who makes space at the table and sends us out as agents of mercy. Communion ties it together as embodied formation: waiting, receiving, and obeying even when it feels beneath us, like Naaman’s seventh dip that finally heals.

If this message sparks hope, share it with someone who needs light today. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what one knot are you ready to let God untie this week?

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This podcast is made possible, thanks to the generosity of our donors. If you would like to support the ongoing work of First Love Church you can donate at https://www.firstlovechurch.org/giving

In the service of LOVE,
Pastors Dennis and Heather Drake