The Turning Point That Changed Jesus’ Ministry—and How It Can Change Yours

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Welcome to One Day Out, a weekly newsletter to help deepen your faith, enhance your health, and guide you in pursuing a purpose-filled life.

Hey friends,

On my flight from Philly to Atlanta earlier this week after visiting home to visit my family and newborn niece, I opened my Bible to Luke 9 as I was preparing to lead my Bible study on a discussion of it the next day.

Verse 51 stood out to me as I read it:

The language the author (Luke, an Apostle of Jesus) interested me.

I read it again. And again.

“he set his face to go to Jeruselum.”

When I went through the commentary in my study Bible, it all started to make sense.

It marked a turning point in Jesus’ ministry. He knew what was coming. He knew the cross was ahead. And instead of avoiding it, delaying it, or drifting into it, He set His face toward it. He chose it.

That wrecked me.

Because how many of us (myself included) claim to follow Jesus but keep living like He’s just a teacher or a motivator…like He’s here to help us when we’re feeling off, or to sprinkle some peace into our chaos, but don’t actually live like He’s the Son of God?

Jesus wasn’t wandering. He was focused. Fixed. Dialed in on the mission. And it hit me—there has to be a moment in each of our lives where we stop drifting and decide what we’re living for. There has to be a turn. A shift. A choice.

Not one rooted in doing more or trying harder—but a real internal decision: I’m fixing my eyes toward Heaven. Toward eternity. I am remembering the cross and what it signifies. Because if we really believe this life is short and that Jesus is who He said He is, then everything should start to change.

That verse fired me up. I got off that flight ready to go, ready to live more intentionally, to speak with more boldness, to love people better.

And then…

My connecting flight to Austin got canceled.

And immediately my thoughts flipped. I went from peaceful and grounded to frustrated, impatient, and annoyed in about 12 seconds. Right after reading that verse. Right after saying, “Lord, I want to live like You.”

It was a reminder: even when we do set our face toward Heaven, life will still throw things at us. Plans will shift. Distractions will creep in. But the question is—what will we reset our face toward when that happens?

The world is always going to give us reasons to react. But walking with Jesus means choosing to respond. Choosing to come back. Choosing to remember who we’re following and what we’re here for.

So this week, I’m asking myself—and I want to ask you too:

What’s my face set on right now?

Is it my schedule? My to-do list? My comfort? My success? Or is it Heaven?

Because when our face is pointed in the right direction, everything else starts to come into focus—how we train, how we eat, how we show up in relationships, how we lead, how we respond when things go wrong.

But MOST important, is that our faith should deepen.

This is not a call to make a to-do list and try to build up your spiritual resume, because God doesn’t care about that.

He wants us to know Him, to know His Son who He sent to save us from eternal separation.

It doesn’t mean we won’t feel frustrated or discouraged at times. But it does mean we don’t have to stay stuck there.

So if you’ve been drifting lately… maybe today’s the day you turn.

Not with more effort. Just with more intention.

Fix your eyes on Jesus. And take the next step.

🙏 Prayer to Close:

Jesus, help us stop drifting. Teach us to set our faces on You. Not just once—but again and again. When things go right, when they go wrong, when we're fired up or totally off—it’s You we want to follow. Help us start there.

—Dom

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