As a child growing up in a pastor’s home, I vividly remember the chorus of a song my parents would sing around the house. The lyrics were simple but powerful:

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“Follow, follow, I would follow Jesus,
Anywhere, everywhere, I would follow on.
Follow, follow, I would follow Jesus,
Everywhere He leads me, I would follow on.”

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Throughout my life, these words have whispered in the recesses of my heart and mind. When I have faced difficult seasons, tough decisions, or opportunities to serve, these words have shaped my life.

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Perhaps these words are why I hold a fascination with the gospel stories of the people who met Jesus as He walked the roads of Israel in the first century. The people He encountered brought with them the hurts, pains, and opportunities of life. In each instance, Jesus met them where they were and invited them to see a new perspective because they met Him. I believe that is still true in the twenty-first century.

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In the weeks leading to Thanksgiving, we will focus our Sunday morning gatherings on responding to Jesus’ invitation to follow Him on The Jesus Road. My prayer is that you will see your story in the stories of the people Jesus met along that road—and that you will accept His invitation to “Come, follow me.”