Active Theology

“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13, NIV)

I was nervous going into my first semester at Kansas State University. I transferred from community college into K-State’s College of Music, Theater, and Dance. Socially, it felt daunting. I felt like the new kid in class that just moved into town and didn’t know where to fit in. 

In my first semester of music history class, I happened to be sitting next to someone with a magazine that had the band Mutemath on the cover. Seeing this gave me an odd sense of comfort and relief, and also the thought of a possible friendship. After a couple months of being classroom acquaintances and studying together every so often, I found out that he just assumed I was a Christian. At this point, we hadn’t gone very deep in our friendship. I was not far into my walk with Christ, so this comment was a major encouragement to me. 

I don’t know what it was exactly – how I spoke? my actions? the music I listened to? What tipped him off to my faith in Christ? There was something about my life that gave evidence to my faith and that I had “spent some time with Jesus”. 

In Acts 4, Peter and John are taken to jail for proclaiming the gospel and healing in Jesus’ name. While they are imprisoned, Peter and John speak of their faith in Jesus with boldness and courage. The people in authority heard this and “took note that these men had been with Jesus.”

There’s something powerful about spending time with Jesus. It’s hard to walk away from an encounter with Jesus and remain unchanged. 

Consider characters of the New Testament. Jesus invites ordinary men to follow him and become his disciples (Matt. 4:18-22; Mk. 1:16-20; Lk. 5:1-11; Jn. 1:35-51). After spending time with Jesus, their lives and missions are radically different. 

Paul, in his former life, was opposed to Jesus and the gospel. When Jesus entered his path (Acts 9), Paul’s entire mission was flipped upside down. An encounter with Jesus changed his life.

Spending time with Jesus can happen in a variety of ways, but I would suggest starting with prayer – and not just a prayer of petitioning, but a time of contemplative prayer where you marvel at who Jesus is, His presence in your life, and the love He has for you. I recently found great encouragement for this practice in John Mark Comer’s latest book, Practicing the Way. I encourage you to look at your schedule for this upcoming week and plot out a time to be with Jesus. 

Jesus has a mission and purpose for each of us no matter where we are. He wants to continue to shape you and work through you each day. Spending time with Jesus is our first step in saying “yes” every day to this divine invitation. You never know the difference it could make for you and someone else. 

Pray: Lord, I give You thanks for Jesus. I thank You for his life, death, and resurrection. I thank You for the gift of Your presence and guidance. Help me to be more in tune with Your love for me and how I can best serve You and those around me, for Your glory and Kingdom. Amen.

Song: “God Be” by Chris Renzema

Craig is a worship pastor at Wallula Christian Church and the creator of Active Theology. He loves coffee dates with his wife, reading, and riding his bike. A few of his favorite things are third wave coffee, vanilla ice cream, and plain t-shirts.