That Can’t Be the Plan.

Have you ever been so sure about how something in your life was supposed to go… only to realize later you were seeing it wrong?

Maybe it was a career you believed would work out. A relationship you were sure would last. Or a plan you carefully mapped out for your life.

Then something shifted.

Life took a turn you didn’t expect, and suddenly the future you imagined looked very different. And somewhere in the middle of that moment, a deeper question surfaced:

Whose plan am I really following?

If you’ve ever felt that tension, you’re in good company.

In Matthew 16, Jesus begins a conversation with His disciples that turns their expectations upside down. Up to that point, they believed they understood who Jesus was and where this journey with Him was headed. The future seemed hopeful, clear, even triumphant.

Then Jesus says something they never expected. He tells them He must go to Jerusalem, suffer, be killed, and rise again.

And Peter, one of his disciples,  immediately pulls Him aside and pushes back. “No, Jesus. That can’t be the plan.”

If we’re honest, most of us have had a moment like Peter. We believe in Jesus until His path starts looking different from ours. When the road begins to look costly or uncertain, we’re tempted to redirect the journey.

But Jesus responds with words that still speak to us today:

“You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

Then, He says something even closer to the heart for everyone:

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow me.”

Notice what Jesus is doing. He isn’t simply asking them to believe something about Him. He’s inviting them to follow Him.

For three years, Jesus walked with these men in the middle of everyday life. He taught them, corrected them, encouraged them, and slowly reshaped their understanding of God’s plan.

And that same invitation still stands for us. The question isn’t just whether we believe in Jesus, but whether we’re willing to follow Him.

Because the good news of Jesus’ gospel does more than rewrite our plans. It rewrites our hearts. It reshapes what we love, what we trust, and who leads the direction of our lives.

So tonight, let’s bring before Him in prayer the simple, yet profound prayers:

• That God would realign our hearts with His plans, not just our preferences.
   
• That He would show us where we’ve settled for merely human concerns instead of the concerns of His Kingdom.
   
• That He would shape us into disciples who don’t just admire Jesus from a distance, but walk with Him where we live, work, and play.

And why? Because the journey Jesus invited His disciples into is the same journey He invites us into now.

The road to the cross.
 The road of surrender.


The road where His Kingdom begins breaking into our everyday lives as we learn what it truly means to follow Him. The courage to believe AND follow His journey for our lives.

See you at 7 pm!

Blessings,

Pastor Alvin and Mallary Brown
alvin@makingamosaic.com :: mallary@makingamosaic.com

P.S. Is there something specific you need prayer for this week?  Just reply—we’d be honored to stand with you.

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General Prayer Requests & Updates

For evangelism to flourish so communities and campuses in the greater Fort Worth area will be reached, and the lost will see and experience the love of Christ and be drawn to his kingdom.

For signs and wonders to follow the preaching of His Word.

For team unity and laborers to help carry the load.

For finances and provisions.

For fully funded campus missionaries (2 per campus) to help reach the next generation — Texas Christian University (TCU), Tarrant County College (TCC), Texas Wesleyan University (TWU) and Tarleton State University – Fort Worth (TSU), University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), and Dallas Baptist University (DBU).