Rooted in Discipleship | Andy Elmes | 4th February 2024

Family Church Portsmouth

Following Vision Sunday last week, Pastor Andy begins speaking about being Rooted...theme for this year. Also the key topic is discipleship. he speaks at length about being deeply rooted in the Church and our relationship with God and not just being crowd attendees. We are all growing people on a pathway to full relationship with God. We may have passed the stage of needing to wear "L" plates but still need to have a heart to wear "P" plates and be open to learning and developing continuously.

Jesus said that if we are to be disciples, we need to lay down our lives and pick up our cross. We have to make a decision not to be a part of this broken world anymore, but be a part of His Kingdom - its a decision. Jesus never made anyone in the Gospels step out of the crowd, but invited people who wanted to to do something different. There was a cost then and there is a cost now. Our lives have to change and must do so. But, the rewards are infinite and we become those who are part of the people doing and seeing miracles break out. Crowd people go to Church. Disciples are the Church!

PS Andy goes on to speak of many more challenging differences between the crowd and disciple experience, leaving us in to make up our minds where we are in the journey of life and where we will move to next.....