My word for 2026: “Follow”
My Vision - Follow the Shepherd
Intention - focus on His presence, our Shepherd, not possessions, power, comparison, not opinions, the past,
Method - scripture, prayer, relationships, reflections - am I really following Him. Practice His presence, disciple related connections
Follow is identifying what is passing away - possessions, status
Identify what is eternal - relationships
JI Packer - whatever else is in the Bible catches your eye, do not let it distract you from Him
Definition of ‘follow’
A breakdown of its primary meanings:
1. Physical & Sequential Movement
This is the most literal definition—moving behind or after something else.
• To move behind: To go after someone or something as a way of reaching a destination (e.g., "Follow the car in front of us").
• To track: To pursue or shadow someone, sometimes secretly (e.g., "The detective followed the suspect").
• To come after in time: To happen as a result or a subsequent event (e.g., "Night follows day").
2. Adherence & Obedience
This involves sticking to a set of rules, a path, or a leader.
• To obey: To act according to instructions or laws (e.g., "Follow the safety guidelines").
• To support: To be a devotee or a fan of a particular leader, team, or philosophy (e.g., "They follow a strict vegan diet").
3. Mental Comprehension
This refers to how we process information.
• To understand: To keep up with the logic or "thread" of a conversation or argument (e.g., "I’m sorry, I don't quite follow your logic").
• To monitor: To keep oneself informed about a topic (e.g., "I follow the stock market closely").
Mark in the New Testament defines "following" through his narrative:
1. Immediate Action (The "Drop Everything" Response)
For Mark, following isn't a gradual decision; it’s an urgent response to a call. In the first chapter, when Jesus calls Simon, Andrew, James, and John, Mark emphasizes their immediacy.
• The Definition: Prioritizing the call of God over livelihood and family.
• Key Verse: "At once they left their nets and followed him." (Mark 1:18)
2. Self-Denial and "The Cross"
Mark provides the most famous definition of following in Chapter 8. He clarifies that following Jesus is not about seeking status, but about embracing sacrifice.
• The Definition: Willingness to lose one's life or "self" for the sake of the Gospel.
• The Formula: It involves three specific steps:
1. Deny oneself: Putting aside personal ambition.
2. Take up the cross: Accepting the burdens or persecution that come with the faith.
3. Follow: Continual, active movement toward Jesus’ example.
3. Servant Leadership
The disciples often struggled with Mark’s definition, frequently arguing about who was the "greatest." Jesus corrected them by redefining following as service.
• The Definition: To follow the leader is to become a "slave to all."
• Key Verse: "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve..." (Mark 10:45)
4. Following "On the Way"
Mark frequently uses the phrase "on the way" (Greek: en tē hodō). This is a metaphorical and literal definition.
• The Definition: Life is a journey toward Jerusalem (the place of sacrifice).
• The Contrast: Mark highlights people like the blind man Bartimaeus, who, once healed, "followed Jesus on the way," contrasting him with those who were physically whole but "spiritually blind" to Jesus' mission.
1)What is involved with following Jesus?
2) HHow is following Jesus difficult in 2026?
3) what conflicts will you face as you follow Him?
4) what does folllwing Jesus mean in your life?
Mark 1:17-20
[17] And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” [18] And immediately they left their nets and followed him. [19] And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. [20] And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.
Mark 8:34
And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Matthew 9:9
As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
Mark 10:21
And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
Follow
Artist: Passion (feat. Melodie Malone)
Album: Call on Heaven (Live)
[Verse 1]
I give my life to follow Jesus
Captive to Christ, I know true freedom
I count it all joy to take up my cross
I’ll follow
[Verse 2]
I set my heart on things above me
He is the King, He is my victory
I count it all joy to take up my cross
I’ll follow
[Chorus]
What a joy it is to follow Jesus
What a gift it is to bear His name
What an honor to choose surrender
And make Him my everything
Yeah, I’ll make Him my everything
[Verse 3]
I turn my back on the world behind me
His is the grace that went and found me
I count it all joy to take up my cross
I’ll follow
I’ll follow
[Chorus]
What a joy it is to follow Jesus
What a gift it is to bear His name
What an honor to choose surrender
And make Him my everything
[Bridge]
Yes to surrender
Yes to the altar
Yes to Your plans for me
Yes to correction
Yes to confession
Yes to refining me
Yes to surrender
Yes to the altar
Yes to Your plans for me
Yes to correction
Yes to confession
Yes to refining me
[Chorus]
What a joy it is to follow Jesus
What a gift it is to bear His name
What an honor to choose surrender
And make Him my everything
[Outro]
I’ll make Him my everything
I’ll make Him my everything
I count it all joy
I count it all joy
I’ll follow
———
My thoughts on following Jesus in 2026:
‘Follow’ is not a trending word in 2026, unless it’s on social media
To follow is not an admired way to live.
Following does not make you look good in today’s culture.
It won’t impress anyone other than the one who checks to see if you are following them.
Does a celebrity or the person we admire really care about followers?
Jesus said ‘follow me’
His way is far different than other kingdoms or empire projects
It requires attention. At the birth of Jesus, the angels declared ‘Behold!’ A different agenda was announced. Pay attention!
FOLLOWING IS NOT AN EQUATION OR FORMULA TO A BETTER LIFE
IT IS EXPERIENCING HIS PRESENCE IN HOLINESS, fear and awe
Following Him is an immediate response yet a process of training.
Jesus said to seek His kingdom, His righteousness, His will.
He did not suggest, or advise, but commanded.
To follow leaves no other option.
——-
Who may stand in His holy presence? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart. Who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.
Following Him is drawing near, experiencing Him drawing near to us
——/-
To follow is to be all in, the benefit is to not be lacking.
To not want anything else requires self denial.
Following is a surrender of self, letting go of control, releasing the need to know every detail
Jesus is the leader. His way requires effort, initiative
It’s the choice of each person to grasp the ‘all in’ invitation
To follow has no guarantee to be pain free, problem free, predicament free.
Following Jesus may involve trauma, crisis and chaos.
Following means to trust Him, regardless of the issue
Even in the crisis, He will restore, renew, and strengthen
To follow is to be internally strong - acknowledging the strength is His presence
Knowing His strength in us is threatening to the enemy,
The evil one often brings accusations of weakness, say its nonsense to depend on anyone
Not follow Him is wandering off the path bringing weakness, confusion, anemia, atrophy
Following Him is when I’m strongest because He is with me
To follow Jesus is a discovery that He is already at work, networking factors unseen to teach us that He loves us
To follow Jesus gives wisdom, empowering us to count our days for Him
Following Jesus has convinced me that this life is short, eternity is long
Following is discovering that I do not control outcomes
Releasing my need to manipulate or put a spin on my story
Following is trusting His unconditional love, testing in my Father’s care as His beloved
Grasping that He is gentle, patient, generous, and most of all, loving
Following is cultivating the soil in my soul holds possibility
Following cultivates the soil with nutrients of growth
A tiny mustard seed springs roots of faith hope and love
Following Him is a call to plant seeds anywhere, anytime
Following is looking forward, not backwards
Past wounds, regrets, and grief are healed in His love
Our scars and limps transform our character into His likeness
Following His way does not earn a better status, but brings honor to His love and invitation
Our wounds are treated by the Great Physician
Our turmoil is calmed by the Prince of peace
Our lack of stability is ruled by the King of kings
Our loneliness is resolved by being adopted into the family of our ABBA Father
Our longing and yearning find belonging in Hos kingdom
Our story is already unfolding.we are eternal beings learning to follow the Shepherd
Following involves one step at a time, one day at a time, one moment a time
Following is simple but the hardest thing we do
Following Him trusting that He will dhow up, comforting our grief, holding us when we feel like falling
Following is learning to listen for His gentle voice, waiting, developing acute discernment to His voice
Following is watching, waiting, looking for His kingdom opportunities,
Following is leaving the desire for my own illusion of my kingdoms of power, possessions and prestige
Trusting His lead is forgetting to calculate comparisons, charts, living by formulas
Following is being blind to boundaries of culture, background, handicaps, deficiencies
Trusting His Grace and mercy for the journey, anticipating His expanding longdom to be hlobal, yet intimately personal
Following is learning to be a learner, discovering new mercies for each new challenge
Learning from those who have gone before us
Following becomes a rhythm of practice, filtering out distractions and noise
Trusting that slowing down is healthy for our soul, staying distant from the life of hurry
Following is to stay in His presence, attached to His love
Grasping to His calm, steady, safe protection
Following is facing the enemy within and around us
Discerning wolves that look like sheep in the flock
Realizing that the Lion of Judah lives in our hearts,
Following is trusting the words of Scripture, knowing that the word knows us better than we know ourselves
Abiding, living in the quiet truth hidden in our hearts
Following is learning to live chin above all else, learning to love others as He loves
Seeking to be transparent, vulnerable, reflecting the Light of truth, goodness and beauty
We tend what we attend to.
What we give our attention to:
our bodies, our relationships, our communities, our interior lives,
slowly takes shape.
Not all at once.
Not dramatically.
But faithfully.
This year, I want to attend differently.
Less rushing.
Less performing.
Less proving.
More listening.
More noticing.
More staying with what is fragile and unfinished.
Tenderness is not weakness
Tend is inseparable from tenderness.
Tenderness is strength that has refused to harden.
It’s love that has learned restraint.
It’s courage that no longer needs armor.
In a world that trains us to move on quickly, tenderness stays.
This year, I want my life to grow softer, not smaller, but truer.
Less defended.
More open.
Tend is the work of a Haven
As our church moves toward becoming a Haven,
this word feels less like a plan and more like a gift.
A haven isn’t something you build once.
It’s something you maintain.
A haven is kept safe by attention.
It’s sustained by care.
It remains a refuge only as long as it is tended.
That feels like the truest work of the church right now,
not fixing the world,
not saving it through force or certainty,
but tending life with love.
A quiet intention for the year
So this is my intention:
To tend my body with patience.
To tend relationships with care.
To tend grief without rushing it.
To tend my work without squeezing the life out of it.
To tend my faith without forcing answers.
To trust that God is already here.
And that faithful presence is enough.
If you’re carrying a word this year,
I hope it meets you gently.
And if you’re not
maybe this is a season to let a word find you.
For me, this year isn’t about doing more.
It’s about tending what has already been entrusted to me.
———-
Tend is not a flashy word
It’s not ambitious.
It doesn’t photograph well.
It won’t impress anyone.
Tend is the word of gardeners and nurses.
Of shepherds and parents.
Of people who show up again tomorrow.
Tending is repetitive.
It’s slow.
It requires attention.
And that’s exactly why it feels like the right word for me.
Tend assumes God is already at work
This is what finally convinced me.
Tending does not assume I am the healer.
It assumes God is already present.
The soil already holds possibility.
The wound already carries the work of healing.
The story is already unfolding.
My task is not to control outcomes or rush growth.
My task is simpler and harder:
To show up.
To pay attention.
To stay.
There’s a quiet truth hidden in this word.
We tend what we attend to.
What we give our attention to:
our bodies, our relationships, our communities, our interior lives,
slowly takes shape.
Not all at once.
Not dramatically.
But faithfully.
This year, I want to attend differently.
Less rushing.
Less performing.
Less proving.
More listening.
More noticing.
More staying with what is fragile and unfinished.
Tend is inseparable from tenderness.
Tenderness is strength that has refused to harden.
It’s love that has learned restraint.
It’s courage that no longer needs armor.
In a world that trains us to move on quickly, tenderness stays.
This year, I want my life to grow softer, not smaller, but truer.
Less defended.
More open.
As our church moves toward becoming a Haven,
this word feels less like a plan and more like a gift.
A haven isn’t something you build once.
It’s something you maintain.
A haven is kept safe by attention.
It’s sustained by care.
It remains a refuge only as long as it is tended.
That feels like the truest work of the church right now,
not fixing the world,
not saving it through force or certainty,
but tending life with love.
A quiet intention for the year
So this is my intention:
To tend my body with patience.
To tend relationships with care.
To tend grief without rushing it.
To tend my work without squeezing the life out of it.
To tend my faith without forcing answers.
To trust that God is already here.
And that faithful presence is enough.
If you’re carrying a word this year,
I hope it meets you gently.
And if you’re not
maybe this is a season to let a word find you.
For me, this year isn’t about doing more.
It’s about tending what has already been entrusted to me.
- Paul Dazet
“Lord,” I pray, “I cannot do this on my own. I need You to do what I cannot do. Take hot coals of fire and place them upon my heart. Let my heart burn—not with emotion, but with the sound of Your voice. Guide my pen today” - Steve Porter
Robert Rousseau
Follow Me
Friend, when the Lord Jesus looked a man in the eye and said, “Follow Me,” He was not handing out a self-help booklet or suggesting a weekend seminar. He was issuing a divine, life-or-death summons—a call out of the grave of spiritual death and into the glorious light of resurrection life.
Those two simple words ring across the Gospels: Follow Me.
He spoke them to Peter and Andrew while they were mending nets by the sea.
To Matthew the tax collector behind his booth.
Even to the rich young ruler who believed eternal life could be earned on his own terms.
Every time, the meaning was unmistakable:
Be My disciple. Leave the old road behind. Come walk the one I’m on.
This was never a casual invitation to admire Jesus from a safe distance. It was a command to abandon everything—the path of self-rule, self-justification, and self-salvation we were already walking. Jesus described that path plainly: wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction. It feels free. It demands no surrender. But it ends quietly and tragically in eternal separation from God.
Our Savior never offered a cheap or sentimental love that winks at sin and leaves us unchanged. His love is far more costly—far more dangerous—and infinitely kinder. It confronts our rebellion, disrupts our compromises, and puts to death everything in us that cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Hear His own uncompromising words:
This is not poetry for a coffee mug. It is a divine execution order for the old sinful nature—the flesh that still wants the throne. To follow Christ is to join Him in His death, not symbolically or sentimentally, but in real spiritual union.
The cross is not jewelry. It is God’s instrument for ending every false identity we’ve built to survive a fallen world. It is the end of bargaining with God, the end of Jesus plus my effort, the end of self-salvation.
The flesh hates this message because it senses its own funeral approaching. Yet here is the great paradox of the gospel: this death is the doorway to life. Resurrection never skips the grave. Glory never bypasses Golgotha. New life always follows burial.
Discipleship, then, is not behavior modification or moral self-improvement. It is daily participation—dying with Christ so that we may live by His resurrection power now, and share in its fullness when He returns. Because He lives, we will live also.
This is the radical shift Jesus demands: not a minor adjustment, but a complete turning. Repentance is not a tweak to the old road; it is an exit ramp off the broad way and onto the narrow path that leads to life.
Why does Jesus ask for everything—our whole hearts, our whole lives? Not because He is harsh, but because He is kind. He knows exactly what must die so that what is eternal may live. And He never asks us to walk a road He has not already traveled. He went first—cross before crown, suffering before glory—through Calvary and out the other side of the empty tomb.
So the question is no longer, “Does Jesus love me?”
He answered that forever at the cross.
The question is this:
Will I follow Him all the way there?
Because everyone who truly dies with Him will rise with Him. Everyone who loses their life for His sake will find it—whole, restored, radiant, and eternal.
A Warm, Pastoral Invitation
Dear friend, if you have never answered His call, today is the day of salvation. You don’t need to clean yourself up or prove your worth. Come as you are—lost, weary, empty-handed—and lay everything at the foot of His cross.
Believe the gospel: that Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose again. Trust Him alone as Savior and Lord. He will forgive you fully, clothe you in His righteousness, give you His Spirit, and begin a lifelong discipleship that starts with surrender and ends in everlasting glory.
And to every brother and sister already following Him: let us keep walking. Let us deny ourselves daily, take up our cross with joy, and abide in Him. The night is far spent. The day is at hand. Our Blessed Hope is drawing near.
Maranatha. Come quickly, Lord Jesus.
Robert Rousseau
Candlefish Ministries John 1:5
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