Jesus Said, Follow Me!

Following Jesus is one of the simplest invitations in all the scriptures! Yet it is also the call with the heaviest implications of all time. How you respond to Jesus’s call determines the trajectory of the rest of your life on this side of eternity, and it also determines where you will spend eternity.

Jesus did not desire admirers or hope for fans. He did not seek after faithful church attenders or beg people to give money. He invited people to come and see what he was up to, come and follow him, come and be with him, and to stay with him. He invited people to become his followers... his disciples (not his fans or admirers).

Throughout the gospels, Jesus said, “Follow Me,” roughly 20 times. Those two simple words changed the world as people began following Jesus and becoming disciples who would make more disciples of Jesus. There were thousands of people who heard, believed, and followed Jesus while he was in the midst of his earthly ministry. In the upper room, on the day of Pentecost and when the Holy Spirit came and filled those who were gathered, there were only 120 left. But that day, 3,000 people were radically saved through the hearing of the Gospel, and by the year 350 AD, roughly 35 million people (of an estimated global population of 220 million) considered themselves followers of Jesus.

Jesus is the WAY!

Near the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus made one of the most remarkable statements in all of Scripture.

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
(John 14:6)

Notice He didn't merely say He would show us the way. He said He IS the Way. Jesus isn't simply pointing us toward God. He is inviting us to walk with Him into a relationship with the Father. That's why the earliest followers of Jesus weren't first called Christians. In the book of Acts, they were known as followers of The Way. What a beautiful picture. Following Jesus isn't a destination. It's a lifelong journey.

A Journey Worth Taking...

At New Prospect, we've been asking one question for years: "What's your next step?"

Eventually we realized something. Many people genuinely wanted to follow Jesus... they simply weren't sure what their next step was. So we began praying. Studying. Talking together.

Looking for a simple, biblical way to describe what it means to follow Jesus throughout a lifetime. Out of that came The WAY. Not a program. Not another class.

Simply a common language that helps all of us understand where we are in our walk with Christ and where He may be leading us next.

The WAY

Following Jesus is a lifelong journey, and we believe every disciple continually grows in four ways.

Encounter Jesus

Every journey begins by encountering Jesus.

This is where we surrender our lives to Christ, trust Him as Savior and Lord, and begin learning to follow Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit and according to the will of the Father.

So often, this begins with an awakening to our need for a Savior, which leads to salvation, baptism, and becoming part of a local church family.

Overcome Together

God never intended for us to follow Jesus alone. We all face struggles, battle sin, and have strongholds that need to be broken. We all carry burdens.

That's why authentic Christian community matters so much. We were made to Live in Community!

Healing often begins when we stop pretending we're okay and allow trusted brothers and sisters in Christ to walk beside us.

Grow Deeper

Healthy things grow.

As we spend time in God's Word, discover our spiritual gifts, and allow mature believers to encourage and equip us, we become more like Jesus.

Growth isn't about knowing more information.

It's about becoming more like Christ.

Serve Others

Jesus didn't save us simply to sit in a pew and enjoy the rest of our lives, fat and happy. He calls us to serve just as he first served us. Every believer has unique gifts and opportunities to make a difference.

Everyone of us is called to serve the church in one way or another. At New Prospect, you have a great opportunity to serve on Ministry Teams. Some teams serve “inside” the church, while others serve our neighbors, support missions, or reach out to the “least of these.” No matter where or how you serve, we are all called to share our faith with others and make a difference in our world. May we live Life on Mission on purpose for Jesus!

Begin Your Journey on The WAY

No matter where you are today... Whether you're just beginning to ask questions about Jesus, returning after years away, or even if you've followed Jesus for decades...

There's always another step to take. We'd love to walk alongside you, because following Jesus was never meant to be a solo journey.

So... let us ask you the same question we've been asking our church family for years:

What's your next step?

We'd love to help you discover it.

Welcome to The WAY.