Follow Jesus And Do Great Things Together
Introduction
What could God accomplish through your life if you stopped being limited by your past, your own understanding, your desires, and what you think you are capable of doing?
God did not create you simply to survive this life, pursue your own plans, and try to stay out of trouble. He created you in Christ Jesus for good works. He wants to lead you into a life that helps others, produces lasting fruit, and accomplishes more than you could accomplish on your own.
But there is a key to experiencing that life: Follow Jesus.
Jesus does not merely want you to believe in Him. He wants you to walk with Him, listen to Him, follow where He leads, and work with Him.
When you do, you may discover that God’s purpose for your life is much bigger than you imagined.
God Wants To Do Great Things With You
Many people think about purpose by asking, What do I want to accomplish with my life?
God begins from a different perspective. He has already prepared good works for us to walk in.
Ephesians 2:10 — “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works…”
Following Jesus opens possibilities that extend far beyond simply accomplishing our own goals.
| What Is Possible | What It Means | Key Scripture |
|---|---|---|
| Help Others | Do meaningful good that meets real needs | Eph. 2:10 — “Created in Christ Jesus for good works…” |
| Exceed Your Imagination | God’s possibilities are greater than what you can presently envision | Eph. 3:20 — “Exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think…” |
| Exceed Your Natural Ability | With God, you are not limited to what you can accomplish on your own | John 15:5 — “He who abides in Me… bears much fruit…” |
| Create Lasting Impact | What God does through you can produce fruit that continues | John 15:16 — “Bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain…” |
| Glorify God | Your life can help others see God, recognize His goodness, and turn toward Him | Matt. 5:16 — “See your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” |
God’s vision for your life is not ultimately about making you great. It is about what becomes possible when an ordinary person follows an extraordinary God.
You can help people. You can make a lasting difference. You can participate in work beyond your natural ability. And through your life, other people can begin to see God.
So why doesn’t this happen more often?
Why Is This Not Happening?
Our natural tendency is to build our future using what we already know.
We look backward at what has happened to us. We look inward at what we want. We depend upon what we understand. Then we consider what we believe we are capable of doing.
Without realizing it, we become the limiting factor.
| What Usually Happens | How It Limits Us | Key Scripture |
|---|---|---|
| Our PAST shapes our EXPECTATIONS | We project yesterday’s experiences and limitations onto tomorrow | Phil. 3:13–14 — “Forgetting those things which are behind… reaching forward…” |
| Our DESIRES shape our PRIORITIES | What we want determines what receives our attention and pursuit | James 1:14 — “Drawn away by his own desires…” |
| Our UNDERSTANDING shapes our DECISIONS | We choose from what we can presently see and understand | Prov. 3:5 — “Lean not on your own understanding.” |
| SELF determines our DIRECTION | We pursue our way rather than seeking God’s | Isa. 53:6 — “We have turned, every one, to his own way…” |
| Our NATURAL ABILITY limits our POSSIBILITIES | We attempt what we believe we can accomplish ourselves | John 15:5 — “Without Me you can do nothing.” |
| Our CHOICES produce our RESULTS | Our decisions affect both us and the people around us | Gal. 6:7 — “Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” |
This is how we can end up pursuing our own things, getting ourselves into trouble, and sometimes creating problems for the people around us.
We try to create our future from our past, desires, understanding, and ability.
God sees possibilities that we cannot yet see.
God’s Path Is Counterintuitive
This is where Jesus’ teaching can seem completely backwards to the natural mind.
The world tells us to discover ourselves, pursue our desires, build our own lives, become important, and depend upon our abilities.
Jesus tells us something radically different.
Matthew 16:24 — “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”
And then Jesus gives us the paradox:
Matthew 16:25 — “Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”
Consider how different God’s path is from our natural instincts:
| Natural Thinking Says | God’s Path Says | Key Scripture |
|---|---|---|
| Hold on to your life | LOSE your life to find it | Matt. 16:25 — “Whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” |
| Pursue what you want | DENY SELF and follow Jesus | Matt. 16:24 — “Let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” |
| Trust what you understand | TRUST GOD instead of yourself | Prov. 3:5–6 — “Trust in the LORD with all your heart… And He shall direct your paths.” |
| Become important | SERVE others | Mark 10:43 — “Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.” |
| Depend on your ability | ABIDE in Jesus | John 15:5 — “He who abides in Me… bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” |
| Build something great for yourself | SEEK GOD’S KINGDOM first | Matt. 6:33 — “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…” |
God’s way reverses our natural instincts. We surrender rather than control, serve rather than promote ourselves, trust rather than depend on our limited understanding, and follow rather than determine our own direction. You don’t find your true purpose by pursuing yourself. You discover it by following Jesus.
Here is the paradox: You don’t find your true purpose by pursuing yourself. You discover it by following Jesus.
How Do You Follow Jesus?
Following Jesus begins with much more than occasionally asking Him for advice.
It requires a change in who directs your life.
CONFESS — Jesus is Lord.
REPENT — Turn from your own way toward His way.
SUBMIT — Yield your plans, desires, and will to God.
DENY SELF — Refuse to allow self-interest to rule your decisions.
SEEK — Intentionally look to God for wisdom and direction.
BE LED — Learn to recognize and respond to His leading.
WALK IN FAITH — Act on what He shows you.
Jesus described the heart of this very simply:
Luke 9:23 — “Let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”
Following Jesus is not one decision made years ago. It becomes a daily way of living.
Being Led by the Spirit: A Practical Approach
Once we have decided to follow Jesus, we need to learn how to receive His direction.
Being led by the Spirit should not be reserved for major life decisions. It can become a normal part of everyday life.
There are two important foundations: immerse yourself in God’s Word and learn to recognize His voice. From that foundation, develop a repeating practice of asking, listening, testing, and following.
| Practice | What You Do | Key Scripture |
|---|---|---|
| IMMERSE in the Word | Continually fill your mind and heart with God’s Word so His truth, character, and ways become familiar | Prov. 4:20–21 — “Give attention to my words” • “Do not let them depart from your eyes” |
| TUNE to His Voice | Quiet competing thoughts, focus on Jesus, and become attentive to His voice | John 10:27 — “My sheep hear My voice…” |
| ASK | Bring decisions and situations to God and ask for His wisdom and direction | James 1:5 — “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God…” |
| LISTEN | Pay attention to what comes as you focus on Him; write what you receive | Hab. 2:1–2 — “Watch to see what He will say to me” • “Write the vision” |
| TEST | Confirm what you receive against Scripture, God’s character, wisdom, fruit, and confirmation | 1 Thess. 5:21 — “Test all things; hold fast what is good.” |
| FOLLOW | Act in faith on the direction you have received and confirmed | Luke 9:23 — “Take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” |
| REPEAT | Make being led by God an ongoing way of life | Gal. 5:25 — “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” |
The process can be remembered very simply:
ASK → LISTEN → FOLLOW
Don’t just ask God to bless what you have already decided to do. Ask Him what He wants you to do.
Then listen.
Test what you receive.
And follow.
You Discover Your Purpose in Motion
Many people are waiting for God to reveal their complete purpose before they begin doing anything.
God may work differently.
He may show you the next person to help, the next need to meet, or the next step to take.
As you follow Him and begin serving, something important happens: you begin discovering both what God has put in you and what still needs to come out of you.
| As You Move… | What Happens | Key Scripture — NKJV |
|---|---|---|
| FOLLOW Jesus | You stop waiting for the whole plan and begin moving where He leads | Luke 9:23 — “Take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” |
| SEE needs | Your attention moves from yourself toward the people around you | Phil. 2:4 — “Look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” |
| SERVE others | You put your abilities and resources to work helping real people | Gal. 5:13 — “Through love serve one another.” |
| DISCOVER your gifts | Using what God has given you reveals where you are particularly equipped to help | 1 Pet. 4:10 — “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another…” |
| EXPOSE self | Service draws out pride, impatience, comfort, control, recognition, and other selfish motives | Phil. 2:3 — “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit…” |
| GROW in love | Denying selfish impulses and choosing love transforms how you respond to others | Eph. 5:2 — “Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us…” |
| BECOME useful | Your gifts and transformed character increasingly prepare you for God’s work | 2 Tim. 2:21 — “Useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.” |
| BEAR fruit | God’s purpose becomes increasingly visible through what He accomplishes through you | John 15:8 — “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit…” |
Purpose becomes clearer as you move. Following Jesus puts you in situations where your gifts become visible, your self-centeredness gets exposed, your capacity to love grows, and you become increasingly useful to God and others. Serving is not merely something you do after discovering your purpose; serving is one of the ways God helps you discover and develop it.
This is one reason serving others is so powerful.
Serving reveals your gifts.
It reveals your heart.
It reveals your weaknesses.
It exposes the self-centered attitudes that still interfere with God’s love flowing through you.
Someone is ungrateful—and your need for appreciation appears.
Someone interrupts your plans—and your love of comfort appears.
Someone disagrees with you—and pride or control appears.
Someone needs more than you wanted to give—and you discover whether you are really willing to love sacrificially.
These moments are not merely obstacles to your purpose. They can become part of the process God uses to prepare you for it.
You serve. Self is exposed. You deny self. You choose love. You grow. You become more useful. God entrusts you with more opportunities to serve.
Your purpose becomes clearer in motion.
Start Following Today
You do not need to understand God’s entire plan for your life before you begin.
You need to follow the next direction He gives you.
Start with something simple.
Ask God who you can help.
Listen.
Test what you receive.
Then do it.
As you faithfully follow Jesus in the small things, watch what happens. You may begin recognizing gifts you did not know you had, needs you had never noticed, opportunities you could not have planned, and self-centered attitudes God wants to transform.
Then ask again.
Following Jesus is a way of life, not a one-time exercise.
Declare Your Decision
There is power in speaking God’s truth and aligning your words with what you have chosen to believe. As you speak this declaration aloud, listen to what you hear yourself saying. Notice where your heart agrees—and where you experience resistance or doubt. Those places may reveal areas where you need greater understanding, surrender, or faith.
Declare:
Jesus is my Lord.
I will turn from my own way and submit myself to Him.
I will ask, listen, and follow His direction.
I will serve others, allowing Him to reveal my gifts and transform my heart.
I will walk in faith, discover and fulfill the purpose He has prepared for me, and bear fruit that helps others and brings glory to God.
I WILL FOLLOW JESUS, AND WE WILL DO GREAT THINGS TOGETHER.
Then continue walking it out.
Ask, Listen, Follow
Take some quiet time with God. Focus on Jesus and ask:
Lord, where am I following my own way instead of You?
Lord, what do You want me to let go of or change so I can follow You more fully?
Lord, who do You want me to help today?
Lord, what do You want me to do?
Lord, what is my next step?
Write what you receive. Test it against God’s Word and His character.
Then do it.
Where to Learn More
Following Jesus is a lifelong process of surrendering your own way, learning to recognize His voice, responding in faith, being transformed by His love, and allowing that love to flow through you to others.
Use these Scriptures and related studies to go deeper:
| Learn More About | Key Scripture | What to Explore |
|---|---|---|
| Following Jesus | Luke 9:23 — “Let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” | What it practically means to deny yourself, submit to Jesus, and follow Him every day |
| Hearing God’s Voice | John 10:27 — “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” | How to ask, listen, recognize God’s voice, and test what you receive |
| Trusting God’s Direction | Prov. 3:5–6 — “Lean not on your own understanding… And He shall direct your paths.” | Moving from self-direction to dependence on God’s wisdom |
| Discovering God’s Purpose | Eph. 2:10 — “Created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand…” | Recognizing the good works God has prepared and discovering purpose as you follow Him |
| Being Transformed | Rom. 12:2 — “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” | Replacing self-centered desires, beliefs, and thinking with God’s truth |
| Serving Others | Gal. 5:13 — “Through love serve one another.” | Learning to see needs, sacrificially love others, and become increasingly useful to God |
| Bearing Lasting Fruit | John 15:5 — “He who abides in Me… bears much fruit…” | Abiding in Jesus so His love and power produce fruit through your life |
Related MyGodInMotion Studies
Hear God’s Voice — Learn a practical process for asking, listening, testing, and following.
Follow Jesus and Fulfill God’s Purpose for You — Explore the difference between pursuing your plans and cooperating with God’s plans
God Has Big Plans for You — Discover how God can work through ordinary people to accomplish purposes larger than they imagine
Be Transformed by Grace — Learn how God exposes and transforms the beliefs, desires, and patterns that interfere with His love flowing through you
Flow God’s Love to Others — Learn to see people, serve their needs, and represent Jesus in everyday life
Don’t simply study these truths. Ask God how they apply to your life. Listen to what you receive, test it against Scripture, and then follow where He leads.
Call To Action
You do not have to know where the entire journey will lead.
Follow Jesus one step at a time. Ask. Listen. Follow. Serve. Grow. Repeat.
As you do, you may discover that your true purpose was never something you needed to invent.
It was something God intended to reveal as you walked with Him.