The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
Matthew 17-18, Mark 9:2-50, Luke 9:28-56
Act 3: God’s New Covenant People
Scene 2: Christ’s Ministry; God’s True King Manifests His Kingdom
Background Information: Matthew 17-18, Mark 9:2-50, Luke 9:28-56
Jesus, the master communicator, used many different figures of speech to teach the truth. One dramatic form of speech he used is called hyperbole. It is an exaggeration not meant to be taken literally, but is used like a bold and underlined font to draw attention to something that is to be taken very seriously. Of course, discipleship doesn’t involve literally pulling out your own eye or cutting off a limb, but if it would work to cut off your hand, then doing so would be a good trade. The point made by the extreme language is summarized by missionary martyr Jim Elliott, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” It would be better to be physically blind in this life than to enter into eternal darkness. The hyperbole must not mask the reality that it is not our eyeballs or our limbs that sin, it is our hearts. If the human eye goes searching for impure things to gaze on, it’s because of a sinful and discontent heart. If the hand strikes out in anger or takes what is not yours, it is the heart directing the hand to do so. The heart in scripture is the source of human will and desires. Jesus always goes straight for the heart. If you are making an offering to God but you are not right with another person, God isn’t interested in your offering. He says to go get your heart right by getting right with others. When Peter thought that he was being generous by suggesting we forgive others up to seven times, the Lord responded with, “no, seventy times seven.” His point was that we must not keep count at all, and that we are to keep forgiving from the heart. A heart that is keeping score is not a heart that is right with God. To see the kingdom of God, we must become like children in our hearts. We all know that even small children have sinful hearts and can be very selfish and demanding. The Lord is not suggesting that children have perfect hearts, but that they have trusting hearts. Children are born with a trust for their parents. We must return to a childlike trust of our Father in heaven. This doesn’t mean our hearts will be perfected in this life, but it does mean that our hearts will continually prioritize relationship with Jesus over everything else in our lives. It means that we will continually train our hearts to trust him.
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Ask God to reveal himself to the children upstairs in Super Church and River Next. Pray that children would be born again and grow in their love for Jesus.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call someone now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.