The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
Matthew 19, Mark 10:1-31, Luke 16:1 – 18:30
Act 3: God’s New Covenant People
Scene 2: Christ’s Ministry; God’s True King Manifests His Kingdom
Background Information: Matthew 19, Mark 10:1-31, Luke 16:1 – 18:30
Marriage is primarily about our sanctification and the glory of God. When we make it primarily about our own personal happiness, we corrupt its meaning and miss its potential for human happiness. When we chase holiness, we find happiness. When we chase happiness, we miss both holiness and happiness. As the leader of a nation, Moses made allowance for human sin, but marriage is about God making two people one. Divorce is common now, but it remains a human tragedy. We must not be like the arrogant religious leaders who looked for loopholes and sought to outsmart Jesus. We must be like the little children who were drawn to him in simple trust. The rich young ruler wasn’t trying to outsmart Jesus, but he was trying to impress him with his own self-righteousness. Jesus was not impressed with his wealth or his external shows of spirituality. He went, as he always does, for his heart. His money did not keep him from Christ, but his idol-making heart did. You can have money; it cannot have you. Money, like marriage, is about our sanctification and the glory of God. Everything in our lives is to be used for God’s glory as we are faithful stewards of his grace gifts to us. Whatever we have been given, little or much, what is required of us is faithfulness. Our hearts are not capable of serving two masters. Jesus is Lord or Jesus is not Lord; there is no middle ground. Yet you know that you frequently put yourself first. You know that often you are not faithful. With this kind of standard, who can be saved? No one, on their own merit or effort. What is impossible for us is possible for God. We are saved by grace; we are kept by grace. Lordship for the Christian is about a life of direction, not of everyday perfection. When you make life about yourself today, repent. His glory is your ultimate good. His gifts to you are for his glory.
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Ask God to protect kids and volunteers on Sunday during Treat Street. Pray that the little ones would be blessed and that teens would continue to develop a heart for serving others.
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.