Monday, July 13th

Today is Monday, June 13th and we are fixing our eyes on Jesus in the Gospel of Mark. Jesus does not simply invite men to believe something. He calls them to follow Him with their whole life. Let’s begin…

PAUSE

Take a slow breath.

Before you check your phone, build your business, lead your family, train your body, or carry the weight of your responsibilities, remember this:

Jesus is already present.

You do not have to impress Him.
You do not have to prove yourself to Him.
You do not have to clean yourself up before coming to Him.

You are here to be with Him.

“Jesus, I am here. Teach me to follow You today.”

Pause and pray

READ

Today’s Scripture is Mark 1:16-20:

 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.

19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

REFLECT

Jesus begins His ministry by calling ordinary men.

Simon, Andrew, James, and John were not sitting in a temple waiting for a religious assignment. They were working. They were fishing. They were doing normal life.

And that is where Jesus met them.

This matters.

A lot of men assume that following Jesus happens in the margins of life — at church, during a devotional, or when everything finally slows down.

But Jesus comes to these men in the middle of their work.

He steps into their real world.
Their boats.
Their nets.
Their family business.
Their routines.
Their responsibilities.

And He says, “Follow me.”

This is not just an invitation to believe certain things about Jesus. It is an invitation to rearrange life around Jesus.

For these men, following Jesus meant leaving something behind. Nets were dropped. Plans were interrupted. Priorities changed.

The call of Jesus is always grace, but it is never casual.

He does not say, “Add Me to your already crowded life.”

He says, “Follow Me.”

That means Jesus becomes the center.
Jesus becomes the leader.
Jesus becomes the one who defines strength, success, purpose, identity, and mission.

For a Christian man, this is where everything begins.

Before you are a husband, father, business owner, leader, athlete, provider, or protector, you are a disciple.

You are a man under the authority of Jesus.

And that is not weakness.

That is where real strength begins.

Pause and pray

PRAY

“Jesus, You are not calling me to admire You from a distance. You are calling me to follow You with my whole life.

Forgive me for the ways I try to fit You into my plans instead of surrendering my plans to You.

Forgive me for the places where I want the benefits of faith without the cost of obedience.

Today, I give You my work.
I give You my body.
I give You my home.
I give You my decisions.
I give You my desires.
I give You my future.

Make me the kind of man who follows when You call.

Pause and pray

DO

Today’s win is simple:

Before your first major decision today, pause and pray:

“Jesus, what does following You look like right now?”

Do not overcomplicate it.

Maybe following Jesus looks like telling the truth.
Maybe it looks like apologizing.
Maybe it looks like turning off your phone.
Maybe it looks like working with excellence.
Maybe it looks like being fully present with your wife or children.
Maybe it looks like resisting temptation.
Maybe it looks like doing the hard thing instead of the easy thing.

Today, do not just read about following Jesus…

Practice following Him.

BLESSING

May you walk today as a man under the authority of Jesus.

May you have the courage to leave behind whatever keeps you from obedience.

May your strength be submitted to Christ.

And may your life become an answer to His call:

“Follow Me.”

Amen.

TODAY’S QUESTION

Where am I most tempted to ask Jesus to bless my plans instead of asking Him to lead my life?