On what foundation do you make every choice, capture every thought, process every feeling, or offer every prayer? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus painted the picture of a foundation upon which His disciples could build their hearts and lives. Jesus summarized it as building one’s house on the rock (Matthew 7:24-29). He closed […]
Go Wisely: Wise Builder
Go with Discretion: Disciple
Jesus taught His disciples to discern and disciple. First, they were to discern their mentors, noting that their roots determined their fruit (Matthew 7:15-20). Second, His disciples were called to disciple others who would multiply the fruit of the kingdom (Matthew 7:21-23). Disciple. Intimacy with the Root produces His fruit (Matthew 7:21-23). Jesus preached that […]
Go with Discretion: Discern
Have you ever entrusted yourself to a mentor who wanted you to be more oriented toward man-made rules than relationships? Rather than base his advice on the teaching of Christ and the counsel of the Bible, he developed his own personal potpourri of teachings. Describing two trees, Jesus addressed this dichotomy in the Sermon on […]
Go Through the Narrow Gate (Part 2)
We approach life with God through one of two gates, traveling one of two roads, leading to one of two destinations. One is religious, traveling from the outside in. The other is relational, traveling from the inside out. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus described the two gates, the two roads, and the two […]
Go Through the Narrow Gate (Part 1)
We approach life with God through one of two gates, traveling one of two roads, leading to one of two destinations. One is religious, traveling from the outside in. The other is relational, traveling from the inside out. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus described the two gates, the two roads, and the two […]
Go Connectedly (Part 5)
Every encounter with another person is a three-way call. When we are connected with God and connected with others, then they are connected with God. Whereas pride brings static to the line; humility offers a clear connection. Go connectedly with a soft heart of clay (Matthew 7:7-12). In previous weeks we have examined Connection One: […]
Go Connectedly (Part 4)
Have you ever struggled with how you should go to others with the gospel of full surrender to Christ? When a person is caught in his sin, desiring life apart from God, we tend to go to him in one of two extremes: we are either condemning or careless. These are rooted in the two […]
Go Connectedly (Part 3)
Have you ever struggled with how you should go to others with the gospel of full surrender to Christ? When a person is caught in his sin, desiring life apart from God, we tend to go to him in one of two extremes: we are either condemning or careless. These are rooted in the two […]
Go Connectedly (Part 2)
Have you ever struggled with how you should go to others with the gospel of full surrender to Christ? When a person is caught in his sin, desiring life apart from God, we tend to go to him in one of two extremes: we are either condemning or careless. These are rooted in the two […]
Go Connectedly (Part 1)
Have you ever struggled with how you should go to others with the gospel of full surrender to Christ? When a person is caught in his sin, desiring life apart from God, we tend to go to him in one of two extremes: we are either condemning or careless. These are rooted in the two […]
Do Discover Security (Part 2)
Would you like to achieve financial security? How much money would it take for you to have it? Security means that we don’t have to worry. It means that we can trust in one resource to be true all of the time. This desire for security came from God providing man every seed-bearing plant and […]
Do Discover Security (Part 1)
Would you like to achieve financial security? How much money would it take for you to have it? Security means that we don’t have to worry. It means that we can trust in one resource to be true all of the time. This desire for security came from God providing man every seed-bearing plant and […]
Do Discover Control
Do you desire money for the control that it brings? Control literally means “to roll against.” It is the extension of our will over another person or object. We attempt to control others, our own lives, or even God. The desire for control came from man being empowered by God to rule over the earth, […]
Do Discover Contentment
Who is more content, the person with a million dollars or the person with ten children? You probably guessed the person with ten children, and you are correct. He is more content because he doesn’t want any more. That’s the definition of contentment: being in a state or a situation where you are not wanting […]
Do Discover Significance
Would a little extra money satisfy any of your desires? Do you want to decrease your liabilities? Perhaps you desire to reduce your mortgage, pay off your car, or eliminate credit card debt. Do you want to increase your assets? Maybe you would like to buy a new car, a new boat, a new house, […]
Do Pray
What, why, and how do you pray? Do you pray solely for your personal comfort and abundance? Do you ever pray in a public restaurant, hoping that people seated near you will see you? Do your nighttime prayers sound like broken records saying the same selfish things in the same selfish ways for the same […]
Do Give
Why do you give? Do you ever do good deeds to be recognized and honored by others? When we give, we often want to let others see our acts of righteousness in order to be rewarded for our efforts. Our names are placed on buildings, printed in church bulletins, and presented in prominent periodicals. Two […]
Be Hate Free
Do you hate someone? Is there a person or people group that you simply don’t love? It might be someone with a different sexual orientation or religion, someone who is addicted, unsaved, rude, late, or disorganized. It could be someone who is introverted or extroverted, rich or poor, conservative or liberal, irreligious or religious, attractive […]
Be Retaliation Free
Have you been harmed by another person? Has someone insulted you, taken something from you, or abused your time? In our humanness, our first inclination is to retaliate by harming the offender in the same way that he harmed us. Retaliation means “to repay” — evil for evil. Jesus offered a different way. In His […]
Be Falsehood Free
Have you ever broken your word? When we do so, we say one thing and do another. Our walk doesn’t match our talk. In His fourth of six examples of inside out righteousness, Jesus taught His disciples to be falsehood free. He said that a disciple’s walk should match his talk. The Old Testament Command: […]