In Mark 8, Jesus asked His disciples two questions: 1) Who do people say I am? 2) Who do YOU say I am? Our answer to the second question will impact every aspect of our lives. Are we living with a purpose in love where God is leading us? Let's make sure we know Jesus so we can fulfill our potential in Christ!

In the Jewish custom of the "Adoption of Sons", upon the son's "graduation", the father gives his son his name, which meant that he could act in the power and authority of his father. At His baptism, Jesus was called the Son of God. Every human has the opportunity to be adopted by God and receive the same inheritance as Jesus. Have you been adopted by God?

Joel warns the Israelites of "The Day of the Lord" which refers to a future time when God will pour out His wrath on the nations because of their sins against Him and His people. It is a call to repentance so that God can deliver His people and restore their land. Let's choose genuine repentance in our own lives so that God can restore us too!

One of the greatest temptations Christians face is to avert our eyes from the person of Jesus and place them on the things of Jesus - His doctrine, His people, His word, His mission. This is a great temptation because there is absolutely nothing wrong with any of these things. In fact, without serious attention to them we could not be His disciples. They are essential. 

The fallacy that trips us up is our focus on these things as objective apart from living fellowship with the person of Jesus. We end up with zeal for a cause, but no fellowship with the spirit behind the cause. Jesus doesn't call His disciples by saying "Follow My teachings," or "Follow My example," or "Follow My reasoning." It is always personal. "Follow Me."