Question 1

What is Just Follow Jesus?

Accepted Answer

Just Follow Jesus is a completely different approach to following Jesus.

Most Christians already know more Bible verses, sermons, podcasts, and Christian content than they can practically apply. The problem isn't a lack of information. It's a lack of clarity about what Jesus wants us to do next.

Instead of expecting that more and more information will eventually move a believer to be an active,  salt-and-light follower of Jesus - JFJ leverages a person's trust in Jesus their savior, to help them start to follow Jesus, their Lord and King.

Just Follow Jesus helps people hear what Jesus said to do, see how Jesus demonstrated what he said to do, and start to practice following Jesus immediately.

Question 2

How is Just Follow Jesus different from other Christian resources?

Accepted Answer

Most Christian resources are designed to help people learn more about Jesus.
Just Follow Jesus is designed to help people follow Jesus.
Learning is important. Bible study is important. Theology is important. But many believers have spent years consuming Christian content, doing more and more things that "everyone says to do" to follow Jesus, but without doing the things Jesus specifically instructed us to do.

Just Follow Jesus starts with these questions: 
"What did Jesus tell us to do? How did Jesus demonstrate what he asked us to do? And how do we start doing it today?"

Question 3

Are you saying Bible study isn't important?

Accepted Answer

Not at all.
Bible study is incredibly valuable. The issue isn't that Christians know too much. The issue is that for many of us, the accumulation of knowledge about Jesus has displaced the following of Jesus and his instructions and example.

Jesus didn't simply tell His followers to learn His teachings. He told them to do what he said.
Knowledge has value but also "knowledges puffs up". Doing what Jesus said to do produces all kinds of good fruit, including transformation and reconciliation - "love builds up".

JFJ is not a replacement for Bible study. It's a bridge to acting on the things Jesus instructed us to do.

Jesus wants our eyes on him, and warned us that studying the scriptures can become a substitute for him if we let it: 
"You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life." (John 5:39-40)

Question 4

What does it mean to follow Jesus?

Accepted Answer

Following Jesus means more than believing certain things about Him.
It means trusting Him enough to do what He said, go where he went, and interact with people the way he interacted with people. 
Jesus gave remarkably practical instructions:
Love your enemies.
Do good to those who dislike you.
Bless those who curse you.
Pray for those who mistreat you.
Be generous with people who take from you. 
Re-engage people who offend you. 
Go the extra mile for people who oppress you.

Following Jesus happens when we follow Jesus instructions and example, even though we don't understand why.

Here's an example:
Everybody gets mistreated frequently.  It's part of being human.

Most people, including most believers, respond to being mistreated in two ways: we treat them the way they have treated us, or we rise above it and just avoid them altogether.  But Jesus instructed his followers, "Pray for those who mistreat you."

Followers of Jesus neither respond in kind nor avoid the situation; they begin to pray for the person, on behalf of the person to the Father in heaven - Just like Jesus did on the cross.

In doing so, the believer acknowledges what Jesus has said is true - that the person who has mistreated them is valuable to Jesus.

There are immediate psychological benefits to the believer, and often there are often relational benefits that show up over time.

Question 5

Why does JFJ focus so much on the direct teachings of Jesus?

Accepted Answer

Because Jesus is the person we're claiming to follow.
Many Christians can explain what they believe about Jesus but struggle to identify what Jesus actually told them to do.
JFJ intentionally keeps bringing people back to the words and example of Jesus because following Jesus starts with His instructions and putting them into practice.
If we're going to call Him Lord, we ought to do what he said.

Question 6

Why does JFJ focus so much on loving enemies?

Accepted Answer

Because Jesus did.

Jesus loved us "while we were still enemies" according to Paul. 
And then Jesus instructed his followers on the night he was arrested to "Love each other as I have loved you".

Jesus said "I only do what I see my father doing" and Jesus summed up what he saw his father doing saying, "he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked."

Every interaction between Jesus and people is an example of "being kind to the ungrateful and the wicked". 
When Jesus described what separates His followers from everyone else, He didn't point to Sabbath attendance, Bible knowledge, or religious activity.
He pointed to how we treat people who don't treat us well in return.
Loving enemies is one of the clearest, most challenging, and most transformative commands Jesus  gave.
It's also one of the clearest ways to reveal the character of God to the world, because "He is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked".

Question 7

Is Just Follow Jesus associated with a particular denomination?

Accepted Answer

No.
People from many different church backgrounds use JFJ.
Our goal isn't to convince people to join a denomination, adopt a particular theological system, or embrace a specific church culture.
Our focus is helping people identify the clear teachings of Jesus and begin practicing them in everyday life.

Question 8

What if I'm not ready to follow everything Jesus taught?

Accepted Answer

That's probably a true statement of every follower. 
The first disciples didn't understand everything Jesus taught. They often struggled, failed, doubted, and asked questions - even after three years of daily interaction with Jesus.
JFJ isn't about obedience to a command. 
It's about becoming like Jesus in our words and actions.
Following Jesus isn't mastering everything He taught.
It's trusting Him enough to do what he said to do each day.

Question 9

How do I know what Jesus wants me to do next?

Accepted Answer

Many believers are waiting for God to reveal something new while ignoring something Jesus has already made clear.
The Just Follow Jesus App will help you take action on the things you already know Jesus has asked you to do.
Jesus came to reconcile the world to himself, and he appointed you as his ambassador to that world.  Every person you encounter needs to understand the truth: that they are precious and valuable to the Jesus you love.

You can carry Jesus message to them through your actions, specifically in the way you value them.

And when your enemy is expecting retaliation but receives kindness and is valued instead, it cannot be overstated how impactful that will be for them. It's the kind of thing they write books and make movies about.

Question 10

What happens if I actually start following Jesus?

Accepted Answer

Your life will change.
Your relationships will change.
Your priorities will change.
The way you handle conflict, money, success, criticism, fear, and disappointment will begin to change.
Not because you're trying harder to be religious, but because you're learning to trust Jesus enough to live the way He taught.
The goal of JFJ is not to help people become more informed Christians.
The goal is to help people develop the habit of doing what Jesus did.

And when we do the same things that Jesus did, we will affect people the same way Jesus did.

Question 11

How am I supposed to "love my enemies"? I don't even like them.

Accepted Answer

Great question. It helps if you think of the word "love" as a verb.  Jesus isn't asking you to magically feel differently about people who have been terrible to you. He's asking you to treat them a certain way.

Each of Jesus' instructions is something you can do whether you like someone or not.
Do good to those who hate you.
Bless those who curse you.
Pray for those who mistreat you.
Turn the other cheek when you are offended
Give more to those who take from you.
Go the extra mile for those who oppress you.

Most of us assume love is a feeling. Jesus treated love as an action.
You may not feel affection for someone who has lied about you, betrayed you, hurt you, or attacked you. Jesus never said you had to.

He simply gave you something to do.
Pray for them.
Bless them.
Do good to them.
Refuse to return evil for evil.

This is one of the biggest differences between admiring Jesus and following Jesus. Anyone can love people who love them back. Jesus called His followers to do something radically different.

The good news is that you don't have to start by feeling differently. You can start by doing things differently.
Just Follow Jesus, helps people put Jesus' instructions into practice today, even when those instructions feel difficult, uncomfortable, or impossible.
Because following Jesus doesn't begin when your feelings change.
It begins when you trust Him enough to take the next step He told you to take.

And as it turns out, even if our enemies are evil, we are to overcome evil just as Jesus said: by doing good.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21)

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