If most of us were asked, “Do you love Jesus?” I’m confident we would probably all answer “Yes. Of course!” Seems like a simple question for most believers, right?

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess…” — Hebrew 4:14

I was reading about King Saul’s rebellion against God and I was really struck by the stinging indictment the prophet Samuel gave Saul:

“Does the Lord delight in burnt

offerings and sacrifices

as much as in obeying the voice

of the Lord?

To obey is better than sacrifice,

and to heed is better than

the fat of rams.

For rebellion is like the sin of

divination,

and arrogance like the evil of

idolatry — 1 Samuel 15:22-23

It’s amazing how little we know about Jesus’ earthly father. Somehow in the equation of Jesus’ life, Joseph didn’t factor in to the story much, yet he played a very significant role.

As we think about the great Christmas celebration upon us this weekend, let’s take a couple of days to learn from those closest to the birth of our Savior, starting with Mary.

Choose your own adventure!

Have you ever wondered “why?” you’re supposed to live a life of sexual purity?  Why can’t we just indulge in those feelings and "natural" urges to pursue sexual experiences outside the realm of God’s design?  Have you ever wondered “why?” God wants us to love each other so much, and to have deep bonds of brotherly love flowing between us?  Have you ever wondered “why?” God wants His children to work hard and gain the respect of others because of our integrity in labor?  Whether it’s one of these or not, I’m sure there’s a command of God’s you’ve looked at, read, tried to explain away as you were frustrated by the “why?” question.

“Why would God want me to do [or not do] that?”

“For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous” — Romans 2:13

2 Thessalonians, 53 of 66

Get off your lazy butt!

And stay away from people who won’t!

When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake.  Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."

Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."

But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."

Zephaniah, 36 of 66

We all have opinions.  In fact, we have so many opinions that there are people who pay A lot of money to hear them.  There are thousands of firms in America that make tens of millions of phone calls every year to get your opinion.  Your opinion on politics, sports, deodorant, windows, plumbing fixtures (we actually had this one at our house!), and your favorite candy bar flavors.

Everyone has an opinion and everyone wants their opinion to be heard.

Do you remember your first kiss? The butterflies you felt moments before? The magic you experienced when your lips touched? You were on cloud nine. You knew this was the one you would be with forever. A day later, your heart was broken—“Let’s just be friends.” Do you remember the first time you danced with someone you loved? Do you remember the first movie you saw? Do you remember your first phone?

We all experience “firsts” in our lives, but let me share a first that will change everything. Listen to this amazing truth: The first face believers will see when their lives ends is Jesus’. The reality is that right now Jesus could come back. Read this passage and imagine what you are going to be doing when Jesus comes back.

Many of us talk about “walking by faith” but I’m afraid few of us ever actually live by the faith we profess.  After fourteen years of pastoral ministry I’ve come to see that many Christians define faith as a step we take with minimal risks…faith has become riskless.

Yes, God gave us minds and He expects us to use our brains to make thoughtful decisions.  But in our Western culture that’s become an excuse for not stepping out until all reasonable risk has been eliminated.  Once we’re sure things are relatively safe, we’re all-too-happy to step out “in faith” and see what God has in store.  Our faith is small and I think we see that in the fact that the results are in proportion to the trust.

This is part 3 of a 6 part series on worry from Philippians 4:4-9.  Today as we examine verse six of this passage, we will take a hard look at the two clear commands given in this passage.  The problem with today’s study is this:  When we see clear commands in Scripture the onus of obedience is placed on us.  In other words, when you know the truth, God expects you to live it.  James said it like this,

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

The great news is, as you and I learn to apply these commands from Scripture, we will learn to replace our fear, worry and anxiety with joy, gentleness and the peace of God.  So be readers AND doers today!

Did you know that God actually wants to reveal His will to you and me?  I think Christians can easily fall into one of two traps when it comes to the will of God.  First, we just assume we can never know, that “His ways are not our ways” (which is true!) and that His will isn’t meant for us to know until after the fact.  So we get busy serving Him and doing our thing knowing that He is in control and that’s enough for us.  We often get too busy to actually stop and even consider what His will might be, so we think our busyness for Him is honoring.

The second trap is that we are paralyzed with fear and up doing nothing because we aren’t sure if it’s what God wants us to do.  Should I serve in the children’s department using my gifts with kids or should I help the beggar on the street?  Uncertain if God is leading, we do nothing as we “wait for a sign” that He is moving.

Which trap do you more easily fall into:  Too busy to listen or too scared to act?

Sometimes the Bible is hard to understand.  Even the Apostle Peter made note that when Paul spoke Peter sometimes had a tough time trying to understand Paul’s message.  If you have ever come across passages like that and wrestled, you know what I’m talking about.

Other times however, God’s Word is pretty simple.  You read it, you get it, now you have the joy of living it out in your life.  John 14:15 is one of those passages.

Genesis 12:1

The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you."

How do you define success? God measures our success by our obedience, our faithfulness, and our love for Him. Successfulness by the world’s standards has to do with our personal gain, but God is concerned with our personal sacrifice for Him and His Kingdom. He is in complete control of our success or lack there of. Our success is not based on possessions but on position. Being positioned in God’s presence changes everything. When we are obedient to Him, God puts us in a position for success.

Examine your heart as you ponder these verses…