“If you liked what you’ve seen, be sure to follow us on social media.”
If you’ve interacted with video content at all online, you’ve probably heard that invitation many times. Or if you’re creating video footage yourself, perhaps you’ve asked others to follow you.
The social media age is built on this principle of following others. Which, of course, means subscribing to a channel to make sure that you never miss someone’s content. When you follow or subscribe, you’re casting a vote, in effect saying, “More of this please.” In that sense, following means paying attention to someone and engaging with the ideas and images that they upload onto social media. Presumably, we mostly tend to follow people that we like—and maybe people we want to be like.
To have followers is good. To have more, it’s assumed, is better. If you have enough of them, you might even earn the coveted 21st-century title of influencer.
In a world with so many voices clamoring for us to follow after them, Jesus’ invitation to lay down our lives and follow Him (see Matthew 16:24) remains every bit as countercultural as it was some 21 centuries ago. And sometimes, we could all use some help understanding the culture in which He lived, the age from which His amazing invitation came to us.
Bible teacher Ray Vander Laan has been helping followers of Jesus deepen their faith for more than four decades. He’s previously partnered with Focus on the Family in multiple video projects, including That The World May Know.
Focus on the Family is partnering with Vander Laan again, in his series the series RVL Discipleship: The Study. The series further distills his lifetime of studying and leading tours in the Holy Land. In the introductory episode, Ray talks about his own journey of moving from faith as an intellectual exercise to one that encompasses our heart, soul and strength. “What would it look like if we not only knew the path,” he asks, “but we chose to walk it? That’s, I think, what Jesus came to tell us how to do.”
You can watch that introductory episode below. And I think it’ll give you a terrific sense of the depth of experience and wisdom Ray Vander Laan once again offers as he invites you to go deeper in your own walk with Jesus.
For more information, check out RVL Discipleship: The Study.
One Response
A good article! Well worth reading!