​Of the disciples who followed Him, Jesus called Peter and Andrew, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew, James Thaddaeus, and Simon, and Judas to be His Apostles (His “sent ones”) to do the good work of The Good Shepherd.

These men weren’t religious professionals. In and of themselves, they were not qualified to be His apostles. In fact, they probably wouldn’t have been the first choice for many of us if we were to decide who to delegate the responsibility of the holy work of The Good Shepherd. 

But Jesus saw something in them that maybe no one else saw. He wanted them, so He called them to be with Him. He chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, the weak things of the world to shame the strong, and the things of this world that are common and looked down on. God chose things considered unimportant to do away with things considered important.

This is why He chose you, too—ordinary people called by an extraordinary God who wants and calls us to be with Him. Then out of the overflow of our fellowship with Him, we find ourselves living, loving, serving, and caring just like Him as we do the good work of The Good Shepherd. 

Like the Apostles, we might be unlikely from a worldly perspective, but God knows we’re perfect for what He has called us to do. Though we have failures, flaws, and personal liabilities, Jesus still loves us enough to receive us just as we are, but loves us too much to leave us just as we were.

​As we continue our study of the Apostles, we turn our attention to a group of lesser-known Apostles. Though they aren’t mentioned much in Scripture, Jesus chose these three young men from His disciples to be His apostles: James the son of Alphaeus; Judas (not Iscariot), who was also called Lebbaeus and Thaddaeus; and Simon the Cananite, who was also called Simon the zealot.

These young men were unlikely to be chosen. In fact, if we were to select a group of people to change the world, we would most likely never pair some of these people together. Not only was this group of 12 a group of different personalities, but also a group of different perspectives. But with Jesus as their Lord and the Holy Spirit in their hearts, they turned the world upside down.

Watch our study from Sunday as we consider the impact these men had on the world for the cause of Christ.

​Maybe you haven’t connected or resonated with any of the apostles we've studied so far. Perhaps you haven’t seen yourself in the picture of Scripture with Peter or Andrew, James or John, Philip or Nathanael, or Thomas or Matthew. 

It could seem frivolous to you to consider these men’s personalities because all you can see is your sin. 

It’s possible that you even feel like there should be a special category of sinner that should be outside of God’s mercy, and that you’re the only one in that category.

If that’s you, receive this trustworthy saying: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” (1 Timothy 1:15).

Over and over again in Scripture, Jesus gives us example after example of how His mercy meets even the worst of sinners. He loves you enough to receive you just as you are, AND He loves you too much to leave you just as you were. Come to Him—He’s calling YOU!

​This past Sunday, we continued our study of the Apostles—the unlikely ones Jesus chose to be with Him. As we considered Thomas and Matthew, we again see the kinds of people God calls to follow Him. Thomas was a realist who was often perceived as a pessimist. Matthew was a notorious tax collector—a traitor to the Israelites. But we see that Jesus looks beyond those attributes and changes them from the inside out.

Maybe you feel like you say the wrong things and are often misunderstood. Or perhaps you feel like your heart and mind just aren’t working quite right. Jesus loves you as much as He loves Thomas and Matthew. He wants to be with you and mend your broken heart—not just sad hearts, but hearts that don’t function as they should. This is His specialty. He isn’t repulsed or annoyed by your personality. He’s not confused by who you are. He knows you and He loves you—and He’s calling you too!

Watch our study of Thomas and Matthew as we continue to be amazed by God’s grace!

​The Apostle Philip was prone to seeing with his senses. He tended to lean toward the analytical, which came across as being cynical. But those prone to seeing with their senses can often miss what must be seen with the eyes of faith.

We see this in John 6 when Jesus turns to Philip and asks him where they will buy bread for the multitude. The task seems impossible when Philip sees the need with only his senses. But if he had included Jesus in his analysis, he could see (with eyes of faith) that the task would be easy. 

Of course, Jesus knew this before He asked Philip. He knew Philip would say this task was impossible. But throughout the Gospels, Jesus tells us that all things are possible with God (Matthew 19:26; Mark 10:27; Luke 18:27). When the Apostles brought Jesus what they had and placed it in His hands, Jesus blessed, broke, and miraculously multiplied their resources so others could be blessed.

Are you facing the seemingly impossible? What do you have? Bring it to Jesus and place it in His hands—even if you don’t think it’s enough. If you hold it for yourself, that’s all it will ever be. But when you put it all in His hands, He can break, bless, and multiply—and do the impossible.

​Philip and Bartholomew were Apostles of Jesus. They were also real people—just like us. And just like us, Jesus loved them so much that He received them just as they were. But Jesus loves us too much to leave us as we are. He fined-tunes, harnesses, and focuses the best parts of our personalities while He alters, transforms, and changes those parts of us that need His touch.

As we continue considering the unlikely ones that Jesus chose to be His Apostles, we turn our attention to Philip and Bartholomew. While scripture has more to say about Philip than Bartholomew, they are paired in the snapshots we studied from the Gospel of John. 

Watch our study as we examine the responses of these men when Jesus asked them to do something that seemed impossible. 

​Before meeting Jesus, Mary Magdalene was tormented by seven demons. For years, she experienced perpetual agony with no earthly remedy. But Mary encountered a Man who was more than just a man. She met Jesus, Who changed her life forever.

Jesus rescued Mary from demonic possession and affliction and set her free. And with her freedom, she chose to follow and serve Jesus wholeheartedly. Out of gratefulness for His grace, Mary supported, served, and stood by Jesus until the end. She was one of the few disciples present at the foot of the cross, willing to risk her life and bear the shame for the name of the One who set her free. No wonder Satan desired to hold her down demonically and hold her back from the strength and beauty that was found in her once she was set free!

Her life and her soul were saved by Jesus. Her heart was set free to serve Him courageously and faithfully. She was the first to see Jesus after His resurrection. After all, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead had saved her. And it’s that same power and Person we share with Mary to serve Jesus courageously and faithfully into eternity. He is risen! He is risen indeed!