The Fruit of a Living Faith
Five Marks
of a Methodist
Wesley identified five marks of a genuine and fruitful follower of Christ — not a checklist, but a way of life. Love God. Rejoice. Give thanks. Pray constantly. Love others.
You're in the right place. What you'll find here are free companion resources created to help the Five Marks move from the page into your days, your conversations, and your community. Take your time. Explore what calls to you.
Explore the Marks ↓In the middle of everything the church has been through — the uncertainty, the loss, the questions about what comes next — there is a description of Methodist faith so old it predates the institution itself. Five marks of a genuinely Methodist life. Not strategies. Not positions. Just a picture of what it looks like when faith is actually alive.
You already know these marks. What follows is designed to help you rediscover them — starting with yourself, and moving outward from there.
These aren't quiz questions. They're the kind that tend to follow you around — surprisingly good at a dinner table, on a long drive, or anywhere people are willing to be honest. Start with yourself. Then see who else might want in.
What is the thing your life is actually organized around — the thing everything else ends up serving, whether you planned it that way or not?
When do you feel most genuinely, quietly okay — not just happy, but something deeper than that, like things are fundamentally right?
Who is someone whose existence has made you more human — not someone you've helped, but someone who has changed you just by being who they are?
What does it feel like when you're fully paying attention to your life — and what gets in the way of that more than anything else?
Has something ever happened to you that you felt you had to tell someone — not to convince them of anything, but because keeping it to yourself felt wrong?
You don't need to be a discussion leader to do this. Just a few people you're willing to be honest with — and a couple of hours with nowhere else to be.
A living room, a back porch, a restaurant table. Something to drink. Two hours, loosely held. Four to eight people who will actually show up.
How to startI wonder what we're all actually chasing.
I wonder when we last felt like everything was quietly, inexplicably okay.
I wonder who we'd be without the people who wrecked us a little — in the best way.
I wonder what we miss when we're moving too fast to notice.
I wonder what we've never said out loud that maybe we should.
Go first. People will go where the host goes, and they won't go somewhere you won't.
Let silence do its work. The best answers usually come after a pause.
Don't fix or redirect. If someone goes somewhere unexpected, follow them there.
You don't need to wrap it up neatly. A conversation that ends with people still thinking is doing exactly what it should.
Lay leaders, clergy, and everyday Methodists from across the connection share what each mark looks like in their lives — right now. New voices added throughout the year.
Steve Harper and Magrey DeVega go deeper on each mark in a full-length series — available free through Amplify Media.
Watch on Amplify Media →The Five Marks were never meant to stay on the page. This seven-day devotional guide is a companion to the book — one day for each of the five marks, plus an opening and a closing day to frame the journey. Each entry is brief: a short reading, an honest question, and a simple daily practice. Ten minutes or less. No prior experience required — just a willingness to show up.
Your Five-Day Journey
You'll receive a short reflection on each of the five marks — designed for five minutes of honest attention.
Watch for your first email. It's already on its way.
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