Isaiah 43:25 (NLT)
I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.
As we end this week, I want you to know one thing:
God loves you.
He loves you more than you could ever imagine. He longs for you to know and understand this. You can’t earn this love. You can’t do anything that will cause you to lose this love. He loves you infinitely and perfectly.
So don’t believe the lie that you have to “clean up” before you spend time with Him. As new creations, we still seem to stumble through the mud sometimes. Instead of going to God to make things right, we feel like we aren’t worthy to even speak to God. So we do whatever we can think of to make things better on our own. But we fail and oftentimes find ourselves even filthier than we were to begin with.
Know this: God will never bring up our sinful past as He leads us into new life in Him. Never. When we accept Him and what Jesus did on the cross for us, we are new. There are no more dirty little secrets. There are no more crimes on our record. He doesn’t see the lonely miserable wretch that He found. He sees a new creation. A new creation fashioned in His own image.
How amazing is this!
Today, as you begin your day and your weekend, spend some time thinking about this. Spend some time with God thanking Him for this. Take your filthy rags to Him. The dirtiest of the dirty. Not only can He handle it, He longs to restore you!
Don’t believe the lies and wait around! God loves the dirty!
Make your move!
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Angry People
Proverbs 22:24-25 (NLT)
Don’t befriend angry people or associate with hot-tempered people, or you will learn to be like them and endanger your soul.
There are three aspects to this verse that we need to notice and discuss.
The first thing we need to understand is very obvious: We don’t need to spend time with angry or hot-tempered people.
Anger and a short temper breed negativity and negativity sucks all the good air out of any room it enters. For your sake and the sake of the many people you’re sure to run into, don’t spend your time around people like this.
The second thing we need to understand is this: We need to make sure that WE aren’t the angry or hot-tempered person.
Is it possible that we are the person that God is telling people to not befriend? Of course it is… As Christians, we have to be very conscientious of our attitudes. There’s no way we can share the Gospel with anyone if we’re living a life that leaves us in a constantly angry state. Many angry people love to blame those around them for their anger but we all know this is just an excuse. We all make a daily decision as to how we are going to live. If you’re content breeding anger in your life, that’s a decision you’ve made… Not the people around you.
The third and final thing we need to understand is this: We will learn to be like the people we spend the most time with.
If you spend the majority of your time around thieves, you’re probably going to end up being a thief too. If you spend the majority of your time around poets, you’re probably going to be a poet too. If you spend the majority of your time around Pearl Jam fanatics, you’re probably going to begin enjoying Pearl Jam as well. In the same way, if you spend the majority of your time around authentic followers of Christ, you will find yourself authentically following Christ as well. Conversely, if you only spend time with Christ-followers at church 2 or 3 hours a week, it’s going to be very hard for you to follow Christ.
We have to choose to not let anger control us!
We have to choose to avoid spending time with angry people and instead surround ourselves with godly people!
Finally, we have to choose to be a godly person who will benefit and build up the people we spend time with!
Ask God to make these things true of you today! Don’t wait until tomorrow!
Make your move!
Don’t befriend angry people or associate with hot-tempered people, or you will learn to be like them and endanger your soul.
There are three aspects to this verse that we need to notice and discuss.
The first thing we need to understand is very obvious: We don’t need to spend time with angry or hot-tempered people.
Anger and a short temper breed negativity and negativity sucks all the good air out of any room it enters. For your sake and the sake of the many people you’re sure to run into, don’t spend your time around people like this.
The second thing we need to understand is this: We need to make sure that WE aren’t the angry or hot-tempered person.
Is it possible that we are the person that God is telling people to not befriend? Of course it is… As Christians, we have to be very conscientious of our attitudes. There’s no way we can share the Gospel with anyone if we’re living a life that leaves us in a constantly angry state. Many angry people love to blame those around them for their anger but we all know this is just an excuse. We all make a daily decision as to how we are going to live. If you’re content breeding anger in your life, that’s a decision you’ve made… Not the people around you.
The third and final thing we need to understand is this: We will learn to be like the people we spend the most time with.
If you spend the majority of your time around thieves, you’re probably going to end up being a thief too. If you spend the majority of your time around poets, you’re probably going to be a poet too. If you spend the majority of your time around Pearl Jam fanatics, you’re probably going to begin enjoying Pearl Jam as well. In the same way, if you spend the majority of your time around authentic followers of Christ, you will find yourself authentically following Christ as well. Conversely, if you only spend time with Christ-followers at church 2 or 3 hours a week, it’s going to be very hard for you to follow Christ.
We have to choose to not let anger control us!
We have to choose to avoid spending time with angry people and instead surround ourselves with godly people!
Finally, we have to choose to be a godly person who will benefit and build up the people we spend time with!
Ask God to make these things true of you today! Don’t wait until tomorrow!
Make your move!
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Wise Advisors
Proverbs 24:6 (NLT)
So don’t go to war without wise guidance; victory depends on having many advisors.
Let me share with you two different scenarios…
You have a big decision to make. There are many pros and cons. There are many reasons for you to choose one way and there are just as many reasons for you to go the other direction. You’ve been praying about this decision.
Scenario #1:
You decide to trust your gut. All of your life experiences have led you to this point and you trust yourself. You’ve even run it by a few of your friends and they agree with you. They’re all the same age as you and have your best interests in mind. Right?
Scenario #2:
You decide to find a person that you trust and respect to help you make your decision. Because of this person’s experiences and their walk with the Lord, they are able to help you see your decision from a different perspective. They are able to help you see pros and cons that you didn’t even know to look for. Now you’re able to make a decision based on more than just the acceptance of your peers. You’re able to make a truly wise decision.
Even though one of these scenarios is clearly better than the other one, we still choose Scenario #1 more often than not. It’s time to change that!
I challenge you to find a mentor of sorts to help you make the decision you’re struggling with right now. It may be someone you barely know. All you know is that they seem to be spiritually-mature. The fruit their life bears shows you that they have committed their life to Christ. Ask God to lead you to this person and when He does, don’t be afraid to ask them for advice!
Make your move!
So don’t go to war without wise guidance; victory depends on having many advisors.
Let me share with you two different scenarios…
You have a big decision to make. There are many pros and cons. There are many reasons for you to choose one way and there are just as many reasons for you to go the other direction. You’ve been praying about this decision.
Scenario #1:
You decide to trust your gut. All of your life experiences have led you to this point and you trust yourself. You’ve even run it by a few of your friends and they agree with you. They’re all the same age as you and have your best interests in mind. Right?
Scenario #2:
You decide to find a person that you trust and respect to help you make your decision. Because of this person’s experiences and their walk with the Lord, they are able to help you see your decision from a different perspective. They are able to help you see pros and cons that you didn’t even know to look for. Now you’re able to make a decision based on more than just the acceptance of your peers. You’re able to make a truly wise decision.
Even though one of these scenarios is clearly better than the other one, we still choose Scenario #1 more often than not. It’s time to change that!
I challenge you to find a mentor of sorts to help you make the decision you’re struggling with right now. It may be someone you barely know. All you know is that they seem to be spiritually-mature. The fruit their life bears shows you that they have committed their life to Christ. Ask God to lead you to this person and when He does, don’t be afraid to ask them for advice!
Make your move!
Monday, July 28, 2014
Fearing People
Proverbs 29:25 (NLT)
Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the LORD means safety.
How many times have you wanted to stand up for God but didn’t because of the people around you? How many times have you felt led to share the Gospel with someone but didn’t because you were afraid of the consequences? What if you were to lose this person as a friend? I’ll ask you a better question:
What if your friend died and spent eternity in Hell simply because you didn’t share Christ with them when you knew God was leading you to?
It comes back to maturing in your walk with the Lord and living your life with an eternal perspective. Instead of carefully guarding our quasi-relationships with people here on earth, we are able to see what’s most important: our friend’s eternal destination. Yet fear remains.
However, God’s Word tells us that we have no reason to fear people. Why fear people who can do us no eternal harm? We were made to love and worship God and, just as importantly, to love each other. I can’t think of any greater way to show a person love than to share with them the story of salvation given to us through Jesus’ death on the cross.
When you’re feeling led to share Christ today, don’t check out.
Make your move!
Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the LORD means safety.
How many times have you wanted to stand up for God but didn’t because of the people around you? How many times have you felt led to share the Gospel with someone but didn’t because you were afraid of the consequences? What if you were to lose this person as a friend? I’ll ask you a better question:
What if your friend died and spent eternity in Hell simply because you didn’t share Christ with them when you knew God was leading you to?
It comes back to maturing in your walk with the Lord and living your life with an eternal perspective. Instead of carefully guarding our quasi-relationships with people here on earth, we are able to see what’s most important: our friend’s eternal destination. Yet fear remains.
However, God’s Word tells us that we have no reason to fear people. Why fear people who can do us no eternal harm? We were made to love and worship God and, just as importantly, to love each other. I can’t think of any greater way to show a person love than to share with them the story of salvation given to us through Jesus’ death on the cross.
When you’re feeling led to share Christ today, don’t check out.
Make your move!
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Perfect Weather
Ecclesiastes 11:4 (NLT)
Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.
Are you waiting for something to kick-start you into a relationship with God?
Are you waiting on a bad habit to subside? Are you waiting to see how a relationship is going to work out? There are a million different things that we are apt to put our lives on hold for. Something to remember is that we are never standing still in the same place in our relationship with God. We are either moving towards Him or away from Him. When we think we’re standing still waiting on the conditions to change, we are actually moving away from God and possibly not even realizing it.
I’ve found this to be true in my own walk with the Lord. At times, I’ve put off reading my Bible because I had yet to purchase the particular Bible I had my eye on. I’ve put off prayer because the “feng shui” (“fung shway” for us Southern types!) was a little bit off in the area of the house that I was set on praying in. I know these things sound silly but we go through them every day. I’ve put off lovingly confronting a friend about a sin in their life because I knew there was unresolved sin in my life. Instead of resolving the sin in my life with God and confronting my friend, I did nothing. This led to both of us being trapped where as we might have been set free had I taken the first step in resolving my own sin.
Solomon tells us in the scripture above that life’s conditions will never be perfect. I want to encourage you today to take the steps you know that God is leading you to take.
I heard a pastor say during a sermon one day, “Life is too short and Hell is too hot to wait around!”
Don’t wait for perfect weather.
Make your move!
Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.
Are you waiting for something to kick-start you into a relationship with God?
Are you waiting on a bad habit to subside? Are you waiting to see how a relationship is going to work out? There are a million different things that we are apt to put our lives on hold for. Something to remember is that we are never standing still in the same place in our relationship with God. We are either moving towards Him or away from Him. When we think we’re standing still waiting on the conditions to change, we are actually moving away from God and possibly not even realizing it.
I’ve found this to be true in my own walk with the Lord. At times, I’ve put off reading my Bible because I had yet to purchase the particular Bible I had my eye on. I’ve put off prayer because the “feng shui” (“fung shway” for us Southern types!) was a little bit off in the area of the house that I was set on praying in. I know these things sound silly but we go through them every day. I’ve put off lovingly confronting a friend about a sin in their life because I knew there was unresolved sin in my life. Instead of resolving the sin in my life with God and confronting my friend, I did nothing. This led to both of us being trapped where as we might have been set free had I taken the first step in resolving my own sin.
Solomon tells us in the scripture above that life’s conditions will never be perfect. I want to encourage you today to take the steps you know that God is leading you to take.
I heard a pastor say during a sermon one day, “Life is too short and Hell is too hot to wait around!”
Don’t wait for perfect weather.
Make your move!
Friday, July 25, 2014
Reflection and Meditation
1. How does it encourage you to know that even a devout and dedicated Christian such as Paul struggled with his sinful nature?
2. One of the biggest problems in our churches today is that we sometimes tend to be spiritual bottle-rockets. We catch fire and burst forward only to poof out and fall back down to where we were. What are some things we can do to make sure we don't fall victim to this?
3. What is a passage of scripture that means a lot to you or that helped you through a difficult time in your life? Write it down and thank God that Word stands the test of time!
4. Referencing Romans 12, what do you think it means to give your body as a “living and holy sacrifice?”
5. What are some things in your life that make spending time in prayer difficult? What are some things you can begin to do now to eliminate those obstacles?
6. Spend at least 5 minutes every day this week sitting in silence waiting for God to speak. Then do what He tells you to do!
2. One of the biggest problems in our churches today is that we sometimes tend to be spiritual bottle-rockets. We catch fire and burst forward only to poof out and fall back down to where we were. What are some things we can do to make sure we don't fall victim to this?
3. What is a passage of scripture that means a lot to you or that helped you through a difficult time in your life? Write it down and thank God that Word stands the test of time!
4. Referencing Romans 12, what do you think it means to give your body as a “living and holy sacrifice?”
5. What are some things in your life that make spending time in prayer difficult? What are some things you can begin to do now to eliminate those obstacles?
6. Spend at least 5 minutes every day this week sitting in silence waiting for God to speak. Then do what He tells you to do!
Thursday, July 24, 2014
We Have a Problem #5 (Prayer #2)
As you most-assuredly know by now, we have a problem. The problem is that no matter how badly we want to please Christ, we’re just not able to apart from Him. There are a few simple ways that we can make sure we are on the right track. The first way, as we discussed Tuesday, is simply staying in His Word. The second way is found in worshipping Him. The third way is prayer. Yesterday, we discussed the importance of staying in constant prayer throughout the day so we can make sure our perspective is God’s perspective.
The second way we can spend time with God in prayer is found in silence. It’s found in waiting for Him to speak.
Psalms 46:10 (NLT)
Be still, and know that I am God…
Sometimes we talk, talk, and talk so much that we don’t give God a chance to get a word in. I’ve heard John (the Pastor, not the Baptist) use this illustration before:
What if you had the chance to eat lunch with Jesus one day? For one hour, you could be in the immediate presence of God. Would you run your mouth the whole time or would you be hanging on every word that Jesus had to say? Of course you would be hanging on Jesus’ every word. So why do we spend so much of our time in prayer talking?
When we just talk and talk every time we pray, we miss a vital part of the exchange. Sometimes we have to hang up and listen. Spend 5-10 minutes today (and everyday!) just being still. Waiting for God to speak.
It’s sort of like the movie Field of Dreams but instead of a field, we find silence and instead of building the baseball field, we are being still, and instead of baseball players, we find God’s voice.
I implore you in my best James-Earl-Jones-voice: If you sit still and wait on Him, He will speak.
If prayer is something that intimidates you or you’re not really sure how to get started, ask someone. Ask John. Ask either Jason. Ask someone and ask them soon!
We have a serious problem and there’s no time to waste!
The second way we can spend time with God in prayer is found in silence. It’s found in waiting for Him to speak.
Psalms 46:10 (NLT)
Be still, and know that I am God…
Sometimes we talk, talk, and talk so much that we don’t give God a chance to get a word in. I’ve heard John (the Pastor, not the Baptist) use this illustration before:
What if you had the chance to eat lunch with Jesus one day? For one hour, you could be in the immediate presence of God. Would you run your mouth the whole time or would you be hanging on every word that Jesus had to say? Of course you would be hanging on Jesus’ every word. So why do we spend so much of our time in prayer talking?
When we just talk and talk every time we pray, we miss a vital part of the exchange. Sometimes we have to hang up and listen. Spend 5-10 minutes today (and everyday!) just being still. Waiting for God to speak.
It’s sort of like the movie Field of Dreams but instead of a field, we find silence and instead of building the baseball field, we are being still, and instead of baseball players, we find God’s voice.
I implore you in my best James-Earl-Jones-voice: If you sit still and wait on Him, He will speak.
If prayer is something that intimidates you or you’re not really sure how to get started, ask someone. Ask John. Ask either Jason. Ask someone and ask them soon!
We have a serious problem and there’s no time to waste!
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
We Have a Problem #4 (Prayer #1)
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT)
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
“You may as soon find a living man that does not breathe, as a living Christian that does not pray.” - Matthew Henry
We must pray. This has been discussed at length on this blog before but I don’t think we can ever hear it enough.
We absolutely must spend time with God in prayer. We can do this in two ways.
The first way is vocally. We can voice our praises, our concerns, our fears, our failures, and whatever else we can think of. Our God is a personal God. He is a God that we can have a one-on-one relationship with. Not only can we have this relationship with Him, we must. He is our lifeline. He is the good in us. He is what overcomes sin in our lives. He is the love we have to share. He is the power we carry with us. He is all of these things and more.
How foolishly arrogant is it for us to think we somehow have it in us to live in a Christ-like way without asking Christ to help us do so? How small-minded is it to act like we have everything together while practically sending God to the bench?
It’s amazing how quickly we begin to treat the Consuming Fire like a fire alarm. We just reach for Him when things get bad. What we have to realize is that things get bad BECAUSE we aren’t staying connected to Him. R.A. Torrey tells us that “those persons who know the deep peace of God, the unfathomable peace that passeth all understanding, are always men and women of much prayer.”
If you stayed in constant communication with someone, you would eventually begin to make every decision you make with them in mind. You would begin to see situations how they would see them. You begin to look at people how they would look at them. In the same way, if we are able to constantly be in a state of prayer throughout the day, we are able to keep things in perspective. We are able to see Christ in every situation because we’re constantly talking to Him.
The second way we can spend time with God in prayer is found in silence. It’s found in waiting for Him to speak. Sometimes we talk, talk, and talk so much that we don’t give God a chance to get a word in. I’ve heard John (the Pastor, not the Baptist) use this illustration before:
What if you had the chance to eat lunch with Jesus one day? For one hour, you could be in the immediate presence of God. Would you run your mouth the whole time or would you be hanging on every word that Jesus had to say?
Well, when we just talk and talk every time we pray, we miss a vital part of the exchange. Sometimes we have to hang up and listen.
If prayer is something that intimidates you or you’re not really sure how to get started, ask someone. Ask John. Ask Jason. Ask someone and ask them soon!
We have a serious problem and there’s no time to waste!
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
“You may as soon find a living man that does not breathe, as a living Christian that does not pray.” - Matthew Henry
We must pray. This has been discussed at length on this blog before but I don’t think we can ever hear it enough.
We absolutely must spend time with God in prayer. We can do this in two ways.
The first way is vocally. We can voice our praises, our concerns, our fears, our failures, and whatever else we can think of. Our God is a personal God. He is a God that we can have a one-on-one relationship with. Not only can we have this relationship with Him, we must. He is our lifeline. He is the good in us. He is what overcomes sin in our lives. He is the love we have to share. He is the power we carry with us. He is all of these things and more.
How foolishly arrogant is it for us to think we somehow have it in us to live in a Christ-like way without asking Christ to help us do so? How small-minded is it to act like we have everything together while practically sending God to the bench?
It’s amazing how quickly we begin to treat the Consuming Fire like a fire alarm. We just reach for Him when things get bad. What we have to realize is that things get bad BECAUSE we aren’t staying connected to Him. R.A. Torrey tells us that “those persons who know the deep peace of God, the unfathomable peace that passeth all understanding, are always men and women of much prayer.”
If you stayed in constant communication with someone, you would eventually begin to make every decision you make with them in mind. You would begin to see situations how they would see them. You begin to look at people how they would look at them. In the same way, if we are able to constantly be in a state of prayer throughout the day, we are able to keep things in perspective. We are able to see Christ in every situation because we’re constantly talking to Him.
The second way we can spend time with God in prayer is found in silence. It’s found in waiting for Him to speak. Sometimes we talk, talk, and talk so much that we don’t give God a chance to get a word in. I’ve heard John (the Pastor, not the Baptist) use this illustration before:
What if you had the chance to eat lunch with Jesus one day? For one hour, you could be in the immediate presence of God. Would you run your mouth the whole time or would you be hanging on every word that Jesus had to say?
Well, when we just talk and talk every time we pray, we miss a vital part of the exchange. Sometimes we have to hang up and listen.
If prayer is something that intimidates you or you’re not really sure how to get started, ask someone. Ask John. Ask Jason. Ask someone and ask them soon!
We have a serious problem and there’s no time to waste!
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
We Have a Problem #3 (Worship)
We have a problem. The problem is that no matter how badly we want to please Christ, we’re just not able to apart from Him. There are a few simple ways that we can make sure we are on the right track. The first way, as we discussed yesterday, is simply staying in His Word. The next way is found in worshipping Him.
Have you ever taken part in a worship service and really let yourself go? Have you ever just really gotten into it and unashamedly worshipped God? Whether you were in prayer or singing with your hands raised in the air, you were doing what you were doing for no other reason than that you felt God in that moment and you didn’t care what the people around you were doing anymore. All you were focused on was the realization that God was as close as your skin in that moment and He was (and is!) worthy to be praised!
There’s a perfect peace that comes in those moments. It’s like all of your efforts to hide who you really are disappear. There are no more layers. God has reached into your core and you’re now doing what your most natural and primal instincts are always leading you to do:
Worshipping God.
Romans 12:1-2 (NLT)
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
We were made to worship. It’s what we’re best at. We spend every moment of every day worshipping something so when the time comes to worship God and we allow ourselves to do it, we find peace.
Furthermore, this peace is not confined to the church building.
When we give our lives to God as “living and holy sacrifices,” we begin to find traces of true worship... The kind that benefits not only God and ourselves but also the people around us. When we call a friend that’s going through a rough time just to check on them. When we take our excess and give to others that are less fortunate. When we show people love by how we treat them, talk to them, and even look at them. When we give that extra $5 of change back to the cashier. When we share Jesus with someone.
God made us for these moments.
Remember that every moment is a moment made for worshipping.
Have you ever taken part in a worship service and really let yourself go? Have you ever just really gotten into it and unashamedly worshipped God? Whether you were in prayer or singing with your hands raised in the air, you were doing what you were doing for no other reason than that you felt God in that moment and you didn’t care what the people around you were doing anymore. All you were focused on was the realization that God was as close as your skin in that moment and He was (and is!) worthy to be praised!
There’s a perfect peace that comes in those moments. It’s like all of your efforts to hide who you really are disappear. There are no more layers. God has reached into your core and you’re now doing what your most natural and primal instincts are always leading you to do:
Worshipping God.
Romans 12:1-2 (NLT)
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
We were made to worship. It’s what we’re best at. We spend every moment of every day worshipping something so when the time comes to worship God and we allow ourselves to do it, we find peace.
Furthermore, this peace is not confined to the church building.
When we give our lives to God as “living and holy sacrifices,” we begin to find traces of true worship... The kind that benefits not only God and ourselves but also the people around us. When we call a friend that’s going through a rough time just to check on them. When we take our excess and give to others that are less fortunate. When we show people love by how we treat them, talk to them, and even look at them. When we give that extra $5 of change back to the cashier. When we share Jesus with someone.
God made us for these moments.
Remember that every moment is a moment made for worshipping.
Monday, July 21, 2014
We Have a Problem #2 (Bible)
Yesterday, we stated that we have a problem. The problem is that no matter how badly I want to please Christ, I’m just not able to apart from Him. This may sound silly but plenty of us wake up every morning and try to do just that. As the band Big Daddy Weave sings in their song “Being In Love With You” – “My dilemma is an issue of the heart when I try to live for you without You.”
There are a few simple ways that we can make sure we are on the right track and that we are constantly filling our metaphorical cup up. The first way is simply staying in His Word.
Reading, studying, and meditating on the Bible.
Peter echoes the words of Isaiah when he tells us the following:
1 Peter 1:24-25
People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever.
Divinely inspired, the Bible is the word of God. It is the most perfect truth that we can lay our hands on. Everything in it is for our good. It is to teach us how to love. It is to teach us how to forgive. It is to teach us how to be followers of Christ. You won’t find a situation in this life that the Bible doesn’t speak to.
For these reasons, we must cling to it. We must spend time taking it in. It must be a top priority in our lives. It has to be more important than football games, concerts, careers, boys, girls, money, and even the grand-daddy of all important things in life: T-ball games (no I din’t!).
In conclusion, one way that we are able to make sure we aren’t walking around like proverbial empty cups is to simply read our Bibles. If you never have or you’re not really sure how to get started, ask someone. Ask John. Ask Jason. Ask someone and ask them soon!
We have a serious problem and there’s no time to waste!
There are a few simple ways that we can make sure we are on the right track and that we are constantly filling our metaphorical cup up. The first way is simply staying in His Word.
Reading, studying, and meditating on the Bible.
Peter echoes the words of Isaiah when he tells us the following:
1 Peter 1:24-25
People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever.
Divinely inspired, the Bible is the word of God. It is the most perfect truth that we can lay our hands on. Everything in it is for our good. It is to teach us how to love. It is to teach us how to forgive. It is to teach us how to be followers of Christ. You won’t find a situation in this life that the Bible doesn’t speak to.
For these reasons, we must cling to it. We must spend time taking it in. It must be a top priority in our lives. It has to be more important than football games, concerts, careers, boys, girls, money, and even the grand-daddy of all important things in life: T-ball games (no I din’t!).
In conclusion, one way that we are able to make sure we aren’t walking around like proverbial empty cups is to simply read our Bibles. If you never have or you’re not really sure how to get started, ask someone. Ask John. Ask Jason. Ask someone and ask them soon!
We have a serious problem and there’s no time to waste!
Friday, July 18, 2014
Reflection and Meditation
1. What are some things in life that you see as "certain?"
2. Think about a hard time in your life. Did you trust God completely as you walked through it? If you didn't, how might you have handled it differently if you had?
3. What are some temporary things in your life that you've held onto or put your faith in in the past? What made putting your faith and trust in these things seem more compelling to you than putting your faith and trust in God?
4. Have you ever been in a situation like Moses was in when God told him to simply speak to the rock? A situation where you knew what God was leading you to do but you did it your way anyway? How might the situation have turned out if you had done things God’s way?
5. What are some simple things you can start doing personally to make sure that your voice is a part of that “one voice” glorifying God?
6. What are some obstacles in your life that keep you from truly worshipping God corporately as a part of the body of Christ?
2. Think about a hard time in your life. Did you trust God completely as you walked through it? If you didn't, how might you have handled it differently if you had?
3. What are some temporary things in your life that you've held onto or put your faith in in the past? What made putting your faith and trust in these things seem more compelling to you than putting your faith and trust in God?
4. Have you ever been in a situation like Moses was in when God told him to simply speak to the rock? A situation where you knew what God was leading you to do but you did it your way anyway? How might the situation have turned out if you had done things God’s way?
5. What are some simple things you can start doing personally to make sure that your voice is a part of that “one voice” glorifying God?
6. What are some obstacles in your life that keep you from truly worshipping God corporately as a part of the body of Christ?
Thursday, July 17, 2014
One Voice #2
Romans 15:5-6 (NLT)
May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
What we find in the latter part of the scripture above is yet another aspect of joining together with one voice: Worship.
As we’ve discussed before, true worship is not just singing songs in church. Worship is how we give God glory in everything that we do. That being said, I want to focus on corporate worship today. Corporate worship is the joining together of voices during a church service to praise God for what He has done and is doing in our lives and in the lives of others.
God demands and deserves all glory. He demands and deserves to be praised by us through song. If you have given your life to God, you understand this. Yet, somehow we still let petty issues get in the way of us truly worshipping God during Renewal (Sunday mornings) and Equip 13/21 (Wednesday nights). Let’s put this into perspective:
“God, so-and-so said the muffins I brought for breakfast this morning were dry. How dare they? I just don’t think I can get over this in time to sing praises to Your holy name this morning.”
“God, my husband / wife make me so mad on the drive to church this morning. I know that I should just let it go but I just don’t think I can get over this in time to sing praises to You for saving my life.”
“God, my favorite team (Ole Miss) lost yesterday by one point (or in Ole Miss’ case, dozens of points). I’m just too bummed out to sing for You this morning.”
One of my personal favorites:
“God, I just don’t really like this type of music. Either the drums are too loud or the guitar is too quiet. Why can’t they get it right?!? Until they can get their act together, I’m just going to have to sit this one out.”
To a God who gave His all that we might be saved, these excuses just don’t hold water.
Choose every day when you wake up to worship God no matter what. Then when Renewal or Equip 13/21 rolls around…
…all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
What we find in the latter part of the scripture above is yet another aspect of joining together with one voice: Worship.
As we’ve discussed before, true worship is not just singing songs in church. Worship is how we give God glory in everything that we do. That being said, I want to focus on corporate worship today. Corporate worship is the joining together of voices during a church service to praise God for what He has done and is doing in our lives and in the lives of others.
God demands and deserves all glory. He demands and deserves to be praised by us through song. If you have given your life to God, you understand this. Yet, somehow we still let petty issues get in the way of us truly worshipping God during Renewal (Sunday mornings) and Equip 13/21 (Wednesday nights). Let’s put this into perspective:
“God, so-and-so said the muffins I brought for breakfast this morning were dry. How dare they? I just don’t think I can get over this in time to sing praises to Your holy name this morning.”
“God, my husband / wife make me so mad on the drive to church this morning. I know that I should just let it go but I just don’t think I can get over this in time to sing praises to You for saving my life.”
“God, my favorite team (Ole Miss) lost yesterday by one point (or in Ole Miss’ case, dozens of points). I’m just too bummed out to sing for You this morning.”
One of my personal favorites:
“God, I just don’t really like this type of music. Either the drums are too loud or the guitar is too quiet. Why can’t they get it right?!? Until they can get their act together, I’m just going to have to sit this one out.”
To a God who gave His all that we might be saved, these excuses just don’t hold water.
Choose every day when you wake up to worship God no matter what. Then when Renewal or Equip 13/21 rolls around…
…all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
One Voice #1
Romans 15:5-6 (NLT)
May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Walk into a restaurant today and think about what you hear. You probably hear a multitude of voices. Many voices saying many different things. Now, stop focusing on the voices and you’ll hear something different: Noise. From every direction. Imagine trying to listen to just one of the voices in this restaurant from where you’re standing at the entrance. You might be able to do it but it wouldn’t be easy. After a little while, you would probably have a headache from having to focus so hard.
In the same way, what if each member of Refuge Church was saying something different? What if, through our lives and way we love others, our voices were nothing but noise. One person saying this. Another person saying that. One person treating people one way. Another person treating people a different way. As a body of believers, instead of sharing with our community the love of Christ, we would be sharing something completely different: Pure chaos. Spiritual anarchy.
Is this how we’re going to share the love and Jesus and make a positive difference in the city of Greenville and our surrounding communities? Of course not! This is why Paul tells us time and time again that it is absolutely vital that we, as believers, live in complete harmony with each other.
Now ask yourself this: What if each member of Refuge Church was saying the same thing? What if, through our lives and way we love others, our voices were able to unite as one? What if this one voice was big enough to completely change Greenville and our surrounding communities?
It is!
Do your best this morning to speak love and encouragement into the lives of every person you meet today!
May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Walk into a restaurant today and think about what you hear. You probably hear a multitude of voices. Many voices saying many different things. Now, stop focusing on the voices and you’ll hear something different: Noise. From every direction. Imagine trying to listen to just one of the voices in this restaurant from where you’re standing at the entrance. You might be able to do it but it wouldn’t be easy. After a little while, you would probably have a headache from having to focus so hard.
In the same way, what if each member of Refuge Church was saying something different? What if, through our lives and way we love others, our voices were nothing but noise. One person saying this. Another person saying that. One person treating people one way. Another person treating people a different way. As a body of believers, instead of sharing with our community the love of Christ, we would be sharing something completely different: Pure chaos. Spiritual anarchy.
Is this how we’re going to share the love and Jesus and make a positive difference in the city of Greenville and our surrounding communities? Of course not! This is why Paul tells us time and time again that it is absolutely vital that we, as believers, live in complete harmony with each other.
Now ask yourself this: What if each member of Refuge Church was saying the same thing? What if, through our lives and way we love others, our voices were able to unite as one? What if this one voice was big enough to completely change Greenville and our surrounding communities?
It is!
Do your best this morning to speak love and encouragement into the lives of every person you meet today!
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Speak To The Rock
Numbers 20:7-12 (NLT)
And the Lord said to Moses, “You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch, speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water. You will provide enough water from the rock to satisfy the whole community and their livestock.” So Moses did as he was told. He took the staff from the place where it was kept before the Lord. Then he and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock. “Listen, you rebels!” he shouted. “Must we bring you water from this rock?” Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So the entire community and their livestock drank their fill. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!”
Moses was in a pickle. There were over 600,000 Israelites wandering through the wilderness (because of their sins). They were tired and hungry and, in this case, thirsty and they all blamed him. Even though God used him to deliver them all from a life of slavery in Egypt, they constantly complained and even threatened Moses. Each time this would happen, Moses would hit his knees falling face-first before the Lord, seeking the Lord’s provision.
Here, we see God commanding Moses to simply speak to a rock. If Moses would just speak to the rock, water would begin to pour out of it. But for some reason, Moses saw fit to strike the rock with his staff instead. Even though water still poured out from the rock, Moses had disobeyed God. Because of his disobedience in this specific instance, God took from Moses the privilege to lead the Israelites into the long-awaited Promised Land.
We can learn something from this.
When we find ourselves in overwhelming situations, we know we should seek the Lord. We know we should seek His provision and His solution. A great number of us understand this concept but we still tackle situation after situation with only our common sense. Because of this, we miss out on the many blessings God has for us if we would just trust Him to provide for us in our time of need.
So today, when you’re faced with a situation that you don’t understand, call on the Lord and seek His face. Don’t try to fix it using your own common sense. Instead, place your trust in the creator of the universe and walk by faith with the knowledge that we serve a great, great God. One who is plenty big enough to provide for us in any situation we’ll ever face.
Just speak to the rock.
And the Lord said to Moses, “You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch, speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water. You will provide enough water from the rock to satisfy the whole community and their livestock.” So Moses did as he was told. He took the staff from the place where it was kept before the Lord. Then he and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock. “Listen, you rebels!” he shouted. “Must we bring you water from this rock?” Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So the entire community and their livestock drank their fill. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!”
Moses was in a pickle. There were over 600,000 Israelites wandering through the wilderness (because of their sins). They were tired and hungry and, in this case, thirsty and they all blamed him. Even though God used him to deliver them all from a life of slavery in Egypt, they constantly complained and even threatened Moses. Each time this would happen, Moses would hit his knees falling face-first before the Lord, seeking the Lord’s provision.
Here, we see God commanding Moses to simply speak to a rock. If Moses would just speak to the rock, water would begin to pour out of it. But for some reason, Moses saw fit to strike the rock with his staff instead. Even though water still poured out from the rock, Moses had disobeyed God. Because of his disobedience in this specific instance, God took from Moses the privilege to lead the Israelites into the long-awaited Promised Land.
We can learn something from this.
When we find ourselves in overwhelming situations, we know we should seek the Lord. We know we should seek His provision and His solution. A great number of us understand this concept but we still tackle situation after situation with only our common sense. Because of this, we miss out on the many blessings God has for us if we would just trust Him to provide for us in our time of need.
So today, when you’re faced with a situation that you don’t understand, call on the Lord and seek His face. Don’t try to fix it using your own common sense. Instead, place your trust in the creator of the universe and walk by faith with the knowledge that we serve a great, great God. One who is plenty big enough to provide for us in any situation we’ll ever face.
Just speak to the rock.
Monday, July 14, 2014
Certain #2
Ecclesiastes 7:14 (NLT)
Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life.
Yesterday, we briefly discussed a couple of points from the scripture above. First, it tells that hard times will strike. We can count on it. Secondly, it tells us that God is in control of both the good and bad. He is sovereign.
Today, we’ll discuss a third thing. Something that we all seem to know yet don’t seem to grasp. It tells us that nothing is certain in this life. We know this yet we still collapse when life starts to hurt. We still cave when things are taken away. We still crumple when we lose loved ones. Things like this will always hurt. They will always be hard to take but they don’t have to destroy us.
When we surrender our lives to Christ, we are given a new perspective. We are given the unique knowledge that the only things we have to hold on to in this life are the eternal things. The things that are not of this life on earth. We learn that nothing is certain in this life on earth except for the things that transcend it.
The God that created the universe just by speaking and created us, in His image, in our mother’s womb.
Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, who died a sinner’s death on the cross in our place.
The Holy Spirit that walks with us on a daily basis guiding us closer to God, the father and Jesus, the son.
We can hold onto these things.
They are “certain.”
Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life.
Yesterday, we briefly discussed a couple of points from the scripture above. First, it tells that hard times will strike. We can count on it. Secondly, it tells us that God is in control of both the good and bad. He is sovereign.
Today, we’ll discuss a third thing. Something that we all seem to know yet don’t seem to grasp. It tells us that nothing is certain in this life. We know this yet we still collapse when life starts to hurt. We still cave when things are taken away. We still crumple when we lose loved ones. Things like this will always hurt. They will always be hard to take but they don’t have to destroy us.
When we surrender our lives to Christ, we are given a new perspective. We are given the unique knowledge that the only things we have to hold on to in this life are the eternal things. The things that are not of this life on earth. We learn that nothing is certain in this life on earth except for the things that transcend it.
The God that created the universe just by speaking and created us, in His image, in our mother’s womb.
Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, who died a sinner’s death on the cross in our place.
The Holy Spirit that walks with us on a daily basis guiding us closer to God, the father and Jesus, the son.
We can hold onto these things.
They are “certain.”
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Certain #1
Do you believe that God is in control? That God knows you and understands what you’re feeling? That He is holding the world in His hands? That He is present at this very second?
Of course you do. We all say we do. But when trouble strikes, we don’t always live like we do. We look for answers. We look for a way out. We look for someone to blame. We look for tangible things that we can touch. Things that we can feel. We come out of the womb with these instincts. It’s only through Christ and His work in our lives that we can face these situations with peace and with hope.
As we dive into this scripture, stop for a moment and pray that God will open up your heart to receive, understand, and put into action what He is showing us through this verse.
Done praying? Ok, here we go.
Ecclesiastes 7:14 (NLT)
Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life.
The verse above states a few things. We’ll discuss two of them today.
The first thing to notice is that it tells us that hard times will strike. Notice that it doesn’t say, “…but IF hard times strike…” No, it says, “WHEN hard times strike.” Hard times will come. There’s nothing we can do to avoid them. Many of us know this well while some of us are just beginning to understand it. Hard times will strike.
The second thing it tells us is that God is in control of both the good and the bad. He is sovereign. We don’t have to worry that something got by Him. Before we even know about the situation, He knows. Furthermore, before we even begin to think about how to handle the situation, God has seen the outcome. God is in control at all times.
Pray that God will help you trust Him through the hard times.
We’ll continue this conversation tomorrow.
Of course you do. We all say we do. But when trouble strikes, we don’t always live like we do. We look for answers. We look for a way out. We look for someone to blame. We look for tangible things that we can touch. Things that we can feel. We come out of the womb with these instincts. It’s only through Christ and His work in our lives that we can face these situations with peace and with hope.
As we dive into this scripture, stop for a moment and pray that God will open up your heart to receive, understand, and put into action what He is showing us through this verse.
Done praying? Ok, here we go.
Ecclesiastes 7:14 (NLT)
Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life.
The verse above states a few things. We’ll discuss two of them today.
The first thing to notice is that it tells us that hard times will strike. Notice that it doesn’t say, “…but IF hard times strike…” No, it says, “WHEN hard times strike.” Hard times will come. There’s nothing we can do to avoid them. Many of us know this well while some of us are just beginning to understand it. Hard times will strike.
The second thing it tells us is that God is in control of both the good and the bad. He is sovereign. We don’t have to worry that something got by Him. Before we even know about the situation, He knows. Furthermore, before we even begin to think about how to handle the situation, God has seen the outcome. God is in control at all times.
Pray that God will help you trust Him through the hard times.
We’ll continue this conversation tomorrow.
Friday, July 11, 2014
Reflection and Meditation
1. What does the world faithfulness mean to you?
2. What are some scars that you carry that you now see with a completely new perspective through your relationship with Christ?
3. What are the biggest obstacles to gentleness in your life? Spend a few minutes lifting each of these obstacles to God in prayer, asking Him to help you overcome them.
4. Think of a situation in your life when you were shown gentleness and undeserved mercy. Ask God to continually remind you of this situation so that when the time comes, you'll be prepared to show someone gentleness and undeserved mercy as well.
5. What part of Philippians 2:1-11 stood out to you the most? Why?
6. Think of three areas in your life where you need self-control and ask God specifically to help you develop it.
7. One to grow on: Enjoy some fresh fruit today and think about these fruits of the Spirit as you do!
2. What are some scars that you carry that you now see with a completely new perspective through your relationship with Christ?
3. What are the biggest obstacles to gentleness in your life? Spend a few minutes lifting each of these obstacles to God in prayer, asking Him to help you overcome them.
4. Think of a situation in your life when you were shown gentleness and undeserved mercy. Ask God to continually remind you of this situation so that when the time comes, you'll be prepared to show someone gentleness and undeserved mercy as well.
5. What part of Philippians 2:1-11 stood out to you the most? Why?
6. Think of three areas in your life where you need self-control and ask God specifically to help you develop it.
7. One to grow on: Enjoy some fresh fruit today and think about these fruits of the Spirit as you do!
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Fruit #15 (Self-Control)
Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Here we go.
I don’t think it’s any coincidence that self-control is listed last. We don’t have a prayer of developing it until the other 8 fruits are healthy and growing on our Spirit Tree. It’s sort of like a cake.
You want cake but you can’t just have cake (or eat it too, right?). You have to have flour, eggs, sugar, oil, butter, water / milk, chocolate, cream cheese icing (the good cakes anyway…), and probably some other things that I can’t think of. Just like you must have all the ingredients before you can have a cake, you must have a healthy and vibrant Spirit Tree full of Spiritual Fruit. Too many metaphors? I digress.
God gives us the ability to overcome sin in our lives. He does that by granting us self-control. Situations and people who used to make us fly off the handle are now seen in a totally different light. Painful experiences in our lives that we don’t understand are now seen in a different light. Our Christian brothers and sisters that usually annoy us because they just can’t seem to get it right are now seen in a different light.
When God grows love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in our lives, we are finally able to see the big picture. We are finally able to see that every moment we find ourselves in is eternally vital.
Choose self-control and choose to live to love God and others with everything that you have.
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Here we go.
I don’t think it’s any coincidence that self-control is listed last. We don’t have a prayer of developing it until the other 8 fruits are healthy and growing on our Spirit Tree. It’s sort of like a cake.
You want cake but you can’t just have cake (or eat it too, right?). You have to have flour, eggs, sugar, oil, butter, water / milk, chocolate, cream cheese icing (the good cakes anyway…), and probably some other things that I can’t think of. Just like you must have all the ingredients before you can have a cake, you must have a healthy and vibrant Spirit Tree full of Spiritual Fruit. Too many metaphors? I digress.
God gives us the ability to overcome sin in our lives. He does that by granting us self-control. Situations and people who used to make us fly off the handle are now seen in a totally different light. Painful experiences in our lives that we don’t understand are now seen in a different light. Our Christian brothers and sisters that usually annoy us because they just can’t seem to get it right are now seen in a different light.
When God grows love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in our lives, we are finally able to see the big picture. We are finally able to see that every moment we find ourselves in is eternally vital.
Choose self-control and choose to live to love God and others with everything that you have.
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Fruit #14 (Gentleness #2)
Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Another very important definition and aspect of gentleness is the word meekness.
Meekness is defined by the Miriam-Webster dictionary as follows: the feeling of patient, submissive humbleness.
Jesus Christ understood the value of meekness. Though He was fully God and a king deserving worship, He embraced humility. Paul teaches us this principle better than I ever could in the book of Philippians.
Philippians 2:1-11 (NLT)
Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges. He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Choose gentleness.
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Another very important definition and aspect of gentleness is the word meekness.
Meekness is defined by the Miriam-Webster dictionary as follows: the feeling of patient, submissive humbleness.
Jesus Christ understood the value of meekness. Though He was fully God and a king deserving worship, He embraced humility. Paul teaches us this principle better than I ever could in the book of Philippians.
Philippians 2:1-11 (NLT)
Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges. He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Choose gentleness.
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Fruit #13 (Gentleness #1)
Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Gentleness is a fruit that exhibits itself through the development of kindness and goodness in our lives. So what is gentleness?
Gentleness is treating every situation we find ourselves in with care. It is treating every relationship we find ourselves in with care. It is putting others first and loving them like Jesus loves us.
One definition of gentleness is tenderness. We show our gentleness in how we handle our relationships with each other and in how we handle all of the tricky situations that life throws our way. Instead of getting angry, we are able to see the bigger picture. We are able to grasp the importance of every moment we find ourselves in. The things that we say. The things that we do. They all matter in light of the call on our lives to love God and each other.
A personal example: When I was 17 or 18, I worked nights at a local supermarket. One day, I left home a little late and decided I would play NASCAR to get to work on time. As luck would have it, I was clocked at 106 MPH by a state trooper about half-way through my journey (I was only going 106 MPH because that’s when my car would cut off. I had every intention of literally flying into the parking lot at work.). This was frowned upon and the trooper let me know it. My car was impounded and I was taken to the sheriff’s department to wait for someone to come pick me up. I called my dad and told him what had happened and told him where I was. I could hear the disappointment in his voice and even picked up some anger as the conversation ended. I feared the worst. But when he arrived, he showed me mercy. We spent the drive home talking and by the time we got home, I had learned that while driving 106 MPH was wrong, it wasn’t the end of the world. We spoke of Jesus and how his forgiveness was a lot like the situation I was in. Deserving wrath yet receiving kindness, patience, and love.
I’ve never forgotten that day and I hope that as we grow closer to Christ, we will begin to see each moment for what they are: Eternally important and extremely valuable.
The way we handle each situation we find ourselves in could be the difference in someone choosing Jesus or rejecting Jesus.
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Gentleness is a fruit that exhibits itself through the development of kindness and goodness in our lives. So what is gentleness?
Gentleness is treating every situation we find ourselves in with care. It is treating every relationship we find ourselves in with care. It is putting others first and loving them like Jesus loves us.
One definition of gentleness is tenderness. We show our gentleness in how we handle our relationships with each other and in how we handle all of the tricky situations that life throws our way. Instead of getting angry, we are able to see the bigger picture. We are able to grasp the importance of every moment we find ourselves in. The things that we say. The things that we do. They all matter in light of the call on our lives to love God and each other.
A personal example: When I was 17 or 18, I worked nights at a local supermarket. One day, I left home a little late and decided I would play NASCAR to get to work on time. As luck would have it, I was clocked at 106 MPH by a state trooper about half-way through my journey (I was only going 106 MPH because that’s when my car would cut off. I had every intention of literally flying into the parking lot at work.). This was frowned upon and the trooper let me know it. My car was impounded and I was taken to the sheriff’s department to wait for someone to come pick me up. I called my dad and told him what had happened and told him where I was. I could hear the disappointment in his voice and even picked up some anger as the conversation ended. I feared the worst. But when he arrived, he showed me mercy. We spent the drive home talking and by the time we got home, I had learned that while driving 106 MPH was wrong, it wasn’t the end of the world. We spoke of Jesus and how his forgiveness was a lot like the situation I was in. Deserving wrath yet receiving kindness, patience, and love.
I’ve never forgotten that day and I hope that as we grow closer to Christ, we will begin to see each moment for what they are: Eternally important and extremely valuable.
The way we handle each situation we find ourselves in could be the difference in someone choosing Jesus or rejecting Jesus.
Monday, July 7, 2014
Fruit #12 (Faithfulness #2)
Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Having faith is not an option. Even for the person that likes to say that they don’t have faith in anything. They’ve put their faith in the fact that everything is meaningless and life ends when our heartbeat ends. Though it might seem to be misplaced, they have great faith in what they believe in. Trust me when I say that everyone has faith in something.
As Christians, we are put into a unique situation. Everything we do is based on faith and hope. We are to center our whole lives around something that we’ve never seen, can’t touch, and can’t come close to proving except by the lives we once lived and lives we live now.
Having faith is easier for some than it is for others. Some people encounter Christ and, in an instant, become a new creation that is easily visible. There’s no denying the change in these people’s lives. Then there are those of us that have spent years just going through the motions. Sunday School every Sunday morning. Prayer meeting on Wednesdays. Camps. Mission trips. But there is no change. Ironically, some of us even got baptized before we even understood what the word “ironic” means. Our church life before just turns into our church life now. It’s sort of like living with your spouse before you get married. There’s not really a difference after you’ve said your vows except for the extra weight on your ring finger.
Like I said earlier, having faith is easier for some than it is for others… There’s a reason and this is it:
When we completely place our trust in Christ, we are given hope. Hope for a more meaningful life on this earth. Hope for an eternity spent in Heaven.
When we surrender our lives fully to Christ, we are given a purpose. To love God and to love each other more than we love ourselves. To serve others.
It is only when we are fully aware of both our hope and our purpose that we can have true faith. A faith that is alive and well.
Choose faithfulness.
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Having faith is not an option. Even for the person that likes to say that they don’t have faith in anything. They’ve put their faith in the fact that everything is meaningless and life ends when our heartbeat ends. Though it might seem to be misplaced, they have great faith in what they believe in. Trust me when I say that everyone has faith in something.
As Christians, we are put into a unique situation. Everything we do is based on faith and hope. We are to center our whole lives around something that we’ve never seen, can’t touch, and can’t come close to proving except by the lives we once lived and lives we live now.
Having faith is easier for some than it is for others. Some people encounter Christ and, in an instant, become a new creation that is easily visible. There’s no denying the change in these people’s lives. Then there are those of us that have spent years just going through the motions. Sunday School every Sunday morning. Prayer meeting on Wednesdays. Camps. Mission trips. But there is no change. Ironically, some of us even got baptized before we even understood what the word “ironic” means. Our church life before just turns into our church life now. It’s sort of like living with your spouse before you get married. There’s not really a difference after you’ve said your vows except for the extra weight on your ring finger.
Like I said earlier, having faith is easier for some than it is for others… There’s a reason and this is it:
When we completely place our trust in Christ, we are given hope. Hope for a more meaningful life on this earth. Hope for an eternity spent in Heaven.
When we surrender our lives fully to Christ, we are given a purpose. To love God and to love each other more than we love ourselves. To serve others.
It is only when we are fully aware of both our hope and our purpose that we can have true faith. A faith that is alive and well.
Choose faithfulness.
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Fruit #11 (Faithfulness #1)
Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Some years ago on a hot summer day in south Florida a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.
His mother was in the house looking out the window and saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, she ran toward the water, yelling to her son as loudly as she could. Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his mother.
It was too late.
Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams, raced from his truck, took aim, and shot the alligator.
Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his mother's fingernails dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved. The newspaper reporter, who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, "But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my mom wouldn't let go."
A few weeks ago, we studied the lives of Abraham, Noah, and Job and saw that even though they followed God as well as they knew how, they still encountered seasons of tremendous pain and uncertainty. But they didn’t give up. They looked past the pain that they were encountering because, deep down, they understood God’s character. They knew that they had no choice but to remain faithful because through it all, God was faithful. He is the same today as He was back then.
As we like to say, He was faithful, He is faithful, and He will always be faithful.
The same should be said for us. Faith is one of the most beautiful gifts that we, as believers, are given. We always have a hope. Even though we encounter many situations that change us forever and leave scars: The scars of a broken home. The scars of loneliness and depression. The scars of unexplained sickness. The scars of losing loved ones too soon. No one will ever escape pain and tragedy in this life.
No one.
God knows this and that’s why He tells us over and over again in scripture to place our faith in Him alone. If we can do that, we can look at our scars with a whole new perspective. We can look at our scars with great joy because we know that even though life may hurt right now, it will all be worth it the instant we see His face.
Romans 8:18 (NLT)
Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Some years ago on a hot summer day in south Florida a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.
His mother was in the house looking out the window and saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, she ran toward the water, yelling to her son as loudly as she could. Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his mother.
It was too late.
Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams, raced from his truck, took aim, and shot the alligator.
Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his mother's fingernails dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved. The newspaper reporter, who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, "But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my mom wouldn't let go."
A few weeks ago, we studied the lives of Abraham, Noah, and Job and saw that even though they followed God as well as they knew how, they still encountered seasons of tremendous pain and uncertainty. But they didn’t give up. They looked past the pain that they were encountering because, deep down, they understood God’s character. They knew that they had no choice but to remain faithful because through it all, God was faithful. He is the same today as He was back then.
As we like to say, He was faithful, He is faithful, and He will always be faithful.
The same should be said for us. Faith is one of the most beautiful gifts that we, as believers, are given. We always have a hope. Even though we encounter many situations that change us forever and leave scars: The scars of a broken home. The scars of loneliness and depression. The scars of unexplained sickness. The scars of losing loved ones too soon. No one will ever escape pain and tragedy in this life.
No one.
God knows this and that’s why He tells us over and over again in scripture to place our faith in Him alone. If we can do that, we can look at our scars with a whole new perspective. We can look at our scars with great joy because we know that even though life may hurt right now, it will all be worth it the instant we see His face.
Romans 8:18 (NLT)
Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.
Friday, July 4, 2014
Reflection and Meditation
1. What kind of situations test your patience the most? Why?
2. Think of something you are currently waiting on? Stop right now and give control of the situation to God. Ask him to grow your patience as he grows your peace, joy, and trust in him.
3. Have you ever tried to play God by asking God for help yet never ceasing to attempt to fix the situation on your own? How did it work out for you? Would kind of difference do you think it would have made if you had just trusted God completely and waited for HIS solution?
4. Think back on how you treated people before Christ came into your life. Think of some particular situations and how they turned out. What would you have done differently if faced with those same situations today?
5. Spend a few minutes in prayer thanking God for how he has changed your heart and grown your ability to practice both kindness and goodness!
2. Think of something you are currently waiting on? Stop right now and give control of the situation to God. Ask him to grow your patience as he grows your peace, joy, and trust in him.
3. Have you ever tried to play God by asking God for help yet never ceasing to attempt to fix the situation on your own? How did it work out for you? Would kind of difference do you think it would have made if you had just trusted God completely and waited for HIS solution?
4. Think back on how you treated people before Christ came into your life. Think of some particular situations and how they turned out. What would you have done differently if faced with those same situations today?
5. Spend a few minutes in prayer thanking God for how he has changed your heart and grown your ability to practice both kindness and goodness!
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Fruit #10 (Goodness)
Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Goodness. What does goodness mean? The opposite of badness? Now I’m wondering what badness is. Oh boy…
I figure goodness involves being good to people but that’s sort of what kindness is. Since both are listed, they must be different things. I honestly tend to associate the word “goodness” with the word “gracious” and that’s as deep as it goes for most of us (Goodness gracious!). But if Paul thought it was important enough to be its own fruit on the spirit tree, we should probably look a little deeper into what true goodness actually is.
While kindness is something that grows inside of us and changes our way of thinking, goodness seems to be the outward evidence of such a change.
Think of a good car. A good car begins with a ton of intensely thorough analytical work in a design room which carries it into a season of painstakingly tedious construction in a factory. Because of everything that happens before the car hits the lot, it becomes good. If that same car was designed by the “lay-flat collar” division of Hanes and built by a group of Microsoft software designers in my garage, would you end up with the same good car? No way!
In the same way, if we aren’t growing in Christ and the fruit of kindness isn’t growing within us, we won’t have the inclination to do good things for others. And if we don’t have the inclination to do good things for others, we’re either lying to ourselves or we’re insane when we call ourselves followers of Christ.
Ouch.
Choose goodness.
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Goodness. What does goodness mean? The opposite of badness? Now I’m wondering what badness is. Oh boy…
I figure goodness involves being good to people but that’s sort of what kindness is. Since both are listed, they must be different things. I honestly tend to associate the word “goodness” with the word “gracious” and that’s as deep as it goes for most of us (Goodness gracious!). But if Paul thought it was important enough to be its own fruit on the spirit tree, we should probably look a little deeper into what true goodness actually is.
While kindness is something that grows inside of us and changes our way of thinking, goodness seems to be the outward evidence of such a change.
Think of a good car. A good car begins with a ton of intensely thorough analytical work in a design room which carries it into a season of painstakingly tedious construction in a factory. Because of everything that happens before the car hits the lot, it becomes good. If that same car was designed by the “lay-flat collar” division of Hanes and built by a group of Microsoft software designers in my garage, would you end up with the same good car? No way!
In the same way, if we aren’t growing in Christ and the fruit of kindness isn’t growing within us, we won’t have the inclination to do good things for others. And if we don’t have the inclination to do good things for others, we’re either lying to ourselves or we’re insane when we call ourselves followers of Christ.
Ouch.
Choose goodness.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Fruit #9 (Kindness)
Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Psalm 41:1-3 (NLT)
Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! The Lord rescues them when they are in trouble. The Lord protects them and keeps them alive. He gives them prosperity in the land and rescues them from their enemies. The Lord nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health.
The fruit of kindness is one the more visible fruits of our relationship with Christ. Kindness plays a part in every decision we make and every encounter we have with other people. Also, and I don’t think this is any coincidence, our kindness grows as our patience grows. In order for us to fully love others as God commands us to, we must develop both. Paul tells us that love is both patient and kind. Patience and kindness are two different things yet they work as one.
As we’ve discussed over the past few days, patience involves a passive approach. Waiting. Expecting. Kindness is just the opposite. To exhibit kindness is to actively show love to others. This love is in our heads and in our spirits. Growing in kindness means changing the way we think. As we grow, we begin to put the needs of others above our own needs. Solomon tells us the following in his book of Proverbs:
Proverbs 3:3-4 (NLT)
Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation.
We should definitely be kind to people for no other fact than that we are called to love them but furthermore, it is only through kindness that we will have an opportunity tell of, and more importantly show tangibly, the love of Christ. The story of grace. They depth of God’s mercy. The freedom found in the Gospel story of Jesus Christ.
All of these posts that we hitch our faith to are on display when we are kind to others.
Choose kindness.
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Psalm 41:1-3 (NLT)
Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! The Lord rescues them when they are in trouble. The Lord protects them and keeps them alive. He gives them prosperity in the land and rescues them from their enemies. The Lord nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health.
The fruit of kindness is one the more visible fruits of our relationship with Christ. Kindness plays a part in every decision we make and every encounter we have with other people. Also, and I don’t think this is any coincidence, our kindness grows as our patience grows. In order for us to fully love others as God commands us to, we must develop both. Paul tells us that love is both patient and kind. Patience and kindness are two different things yet they work as one.
As we’ve discussed over the past few days, patience involves a passive approach. Waiting. Expecting. Kindness is just the opposite. To exhibit kindness is to actively show love to others. This love is in our heads and in our spirits. Growing in kindness means changing the way we think. As we grow, we begin to put the needs of others above our own needs. Solomon tells us the following in his book of Proverbs:
Proverbs 3:3-4 (NLT)
Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation.
We should definitely be kind to people for no other fact than that we are called to love them but furthermore, it is only through kindness that we will have an opportunity tell of, and more importantly show tangibly, the love of Christ. The story of grace. They depth of God’s mercy. The freedom found in the Gospel story of Jesus Christ.
All of these posts that we hitch our faith to are on display when we are kind to others.
Choose kindness.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Fruit #8 (Patience #3)
Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Patience. One more day. I want to touch on one more aspect of the Israelites’ waiting before we move on.
Do you remember when you were a kid on Christmas Eve? Do you remember the anxiety and the excitement? Santa was coming. You knew you’d been good. Good enough anyways... Santa had a great big bag of toys with your name on it. Hopefully, the one toy you’d been wanting was on its way to your house. That special toy. For this illustration, we’ll call it an aluminum bat (I know, I know… Just play along!). You want nothing more than a brand new aluminum bat. So here we are.You just watched the weather report on the news and saw that Santa was flying through Memphis so you jumped in the bed, eager to fall asleep so Santa would be sure to stop by.
Falling asleep... (we're always waiting for something!)
You knew that if you could just fall asleep, dawn would come quickly but no matter how hard you tried, you lied awake. Some years, it seemed like hours. As you waited, your expectations for Santa grew and grew. That aluminum bat was so close you could almost swing it. Finally, you’re sleeping.
You wake up. Wide awake in a matter of milliseconds. You get out of bed and peek into the den and there’s a bat. It looks like a bat anyway. So you run and wake up your parents. They shimmy out of bed and turn on the lights and you run like a little river into the den to grab your bat.
Wait. Santa brought me a wooden bat. Oh. I mean, thanks. I guess. Inside, your entire body is writhing with disappointment. You wanted an aluminum bat and you got a wooden bat. Wow, Santa really let you down this time.
Welcome to the Israelites’ predicament at the time of Jesus’ birth. As they waited on their savior, they formulated many ideas about how he would come. With these ideas, great expectations grew. The more their expectations grew, the more they longed for the day of his coming. A mighty king would fly down from Heaven, destroy their enemies, and deliver them!
But it didn’t quite happen like that.
Instead of a mighty king flying down from Heaven, they got a baby in a manger. Instead of a mighty warrior destroying their enemies, they got a carpenter. Perhaps the most disappointing thing was that instead of a way out, they got a narrow road. We could sum it up like this: Jesus was not at all what they were expecting. Because of this, they rejected Him. The rest, as they say, is history.
The point is this: As we wait on God and trust Him with certain situations in our lives, we must expect the unexpected. Don’t cook up and implement a solution to your problem and then expect God to play along. Trust God and take the advice Solomon gives us in his book of Proverbs:
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)
Trust in theLordwith all your heart;do not depend on your own understanding.Seek his will in all you do,and he will show you which path to take.
Wait on the Lord.
Choose patience.
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Patience. One more day. I want to touch on one more aspect of the Israelites’ waiting before we move on.
Do you remember when you were a kid on Christmas Eve? Do you remember the anxiety and the excitement? Santa was coming. You knew you’d been good. Good enough anyways... Santa had a great big bag of toys with your name on it. Hopefully, the one toy you’d been wanting was on its way to your house. That special toy. For this illustration, we’ll call it an aluminum bat (I know, I know… Just play along!). You want nothing more than a brand new aluminum bat. So here we are.You just watched the weather report on the news and saw that Santa was flying through Memphis so you jumped in the bed, eager to fall asleep so Santa would be sure to stop by.
Falling asleep... (we're always waiting for something!)
You knew that if you could just fall asleep, dawn would come quickly but no matter how hard you tried, you lied awake. Some years, it seemed like hours. As you waited, your expectations for Santa grew and grew. That aluminum bat was so close you could almost swing it. Finally, you’re sleeping.
You wake up. Wide awake in a matter of milliseconds. You get out of bed and peek into the den and there’s a bat. It looks like a bat anyway. So you run and wake up your parents. They shimmy out of bed and turn on the lights and you run like a little river into the den to grab your bat.
Wait. Santa brought me a wooden bat. Oh. I mean, thanks. I guess. Inside, your entire body is writhing with disappointment. You wanted an aluminum bat and you got a wooden bat. Wow, Santa really let you down this time.
Welcome to the Israelites’ predicament at the time of Jesus’ birth. As they waited on their savior, they formulated many ideas about how he would come. With these ideas, great expectations grew. The more their expectations grew, the more they longed for the day of his coming. A mighty king would fly down from Heaven, destroy their enemies, and deliver them!
But it didn’t quite happen like that.
Instead of a mighty king flying down from Heaven, they got a baby in a manger. Instead of a mighty warrior destroying their enemies, they got a carpenter. Perhaps the most disappointing thing was that instead of a way out, they got a narrow road. We could sum it up like this: Jesus was not at all what they were expecting. Because of this, they rejected Him. The rest, as they say, is history.
The point is this: As we wait on God and trust Him with certain situations in our lives, we must expect the unexpected. Don’t cook up and implement a solution to your problem and then expect God to play along. Trust God and take the advice Solomon gives us in his book of Proverbs:
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)
Trust in theLordwith all your heart;do not depend on your own understanding.Seek his will in all you do,and he will show you which path to take.
Wait on the Lord.
Choose patience.
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