Discipleship

Lord, I pray that my life is not belittled. I know that we are here for a reason and that this day and this time will never come again. I am thankful for all that you do for me Lord. My life is incomplete without you. I begin a new school year praying for a new beginning. I do not want to be thought of as insignificant and needy. I begin my school year with pray and fasting. I want to see a change from myself as well as my students. I understand that discipleship means leaving behind the worldly attachments of job, family and place. I understand that temptation is always present. Jesus went through temptation before he began his ministry. After he was tempted, he then chose his disciples and began to preach "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near". I pray the I can become a faithful disciple for Jesus.
Matthew 4

Matthew 4

The Temptation of Jesus

 ¹Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. ²After

fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."  ⁴Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'^[a]"
 ⁵Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ⁶"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:
   " 'He will command his angels concerning you,
      and they will lift you up in their hands,
   so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'^[b]"
 ⁷Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'^[c]"
 ⁸Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ⁹"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
 ¹⁰Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'^[d]"
 ¹¹Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Jesus Begins to Preach

 ¹²When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. ¹³Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— ¹⁴to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
 ¹⁵"Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
      the way to the sea, along the Jordan,
      Galilee of the Gentiles—
 ¹⁶the people living in darkness
      have seen a great light;
   on those living in the land of the shadow of death
      a light has dawned."^{[e]  17}From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

The Calling of the First Disciples

 ¹⁸As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ¹⁹"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." ²⁰At once they left their nets and followed him.

Jesus Heals the Sick

 ²³Jesus went throughout Galilee,

teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. ²⁴News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. ²⁵Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis,^[f] Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.