{"href":"https://api.simplecast.com/oembed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcbccoweta.simplecast.com%2Fepisodes%2F7-12-26-follow-me-ul6f2lSM","width":444,"version":"1.0","type":"rich","title":"7-12-26: Follow Me","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/976808b7-f110-40ee-9300-beebded7c3bb/d762ff4a-661a-4fae-9576-2b8bde5774f7/summer_road_simple_final.jpg","thumbnail_height":300,"provider_url":"https://simplecast.com","provider_name":"Simplecast","html":"","height":200,"description":"This powerful message takes us to the shores of Galilee where Jesus extends a life-changing invitation to ordinary fishermen: 'Follow me.' What we discover is that following Jesus is fundamentally different from what we might assume in our modern context. It's not about clicking a follow button or casually agreeing with His teachings. Instead, it's a radical call to complete transformation. The text from Matthew 4:18-20 reveals that Jesus didn't seek out the religious elite or the most qualified candidates. He chose overlooked, ordinary men and promised them something extraordinary: 'I will make you.' This is the heart of discipleship - not our ability to transform ourselves through behavior modification, but our willingness to surrender completely to Christ and allow Him to do the transforming work. We're challenged to examine whether we've fallen into the trap of believing that knowledge equals maturity, accumulating information about Jesus without actually becoming like Him. The message confronts us with a sobering reality: if our lives don't reflect the character of Christ, we may be deceiving ourselves about what it means to follow Him. True discipleship requires movement, sacrifice, and daily dying to self so that Christ's resurrection power can work through us."}