5/26/2014 The Main CourseScriptures: Luke 19:38-42 Martha was making the main course, but the main course was worship. We all live in a Martha world: a busy world focused on the task at a hand, often missing the most important things that are right in front of us. We must remember that our focus determines are priorities: what Martha decided to focus on would someday perish. Martha loved Jesus but she was too focused on the wrong things. Martha was distracted: she was preoccupied. Martha had a disapproved nature and was critical of those around her, particularly her sister. Martha was demanding: she actually told Jesus to correct her sister! Martha was self-focused and by feeling sorry for herself she became depressed. Mary loved Jesus and made up her mind to focus on the right things. Jesus was Mary's hero: she idolized Jesus. When Mary was in Jesus' presence she forgot what was going on around her: she forgot the meal because Jesus was filling up her hungry soul. Mary looked for ways to praise Jesus. Martha did for Jesus what she would do for any other guest in her home, while Mary treated Him like the King He was. Mary anointed Jesus with an expensive scented ointment. Are you willing to live a life like Mary in a Martha world? We can have love for Jesus but also have our priorities mixed up. The main course is worship! Focus on the right things: "prepare and prevent is better than repair and repent." Sit at the feet of Jesus and let Him prepare the main course. True worshippers look for ways to honor and praise Jesus. 5/26/2014 Connected to HappinessScriptures: 1 King 10:1-8 Every person on this planet desires to be happy, but many believe happiness is not attainable in this life. Tell yourself: "it is possible to be happy in this life!" Solomon had a house full of happy people; the Queen of Sheba said: "happy are thy men, happy are thy servants." The big question is: why were these people so happy? The Queen of Sheba saw the goodness of God in Solomon's house and in Solomon's life. She saw that God spoke to Solomon and also spoke through Solomon. She saw a young man who was full of the gift of wisdom. She saw the blessings of God, which were upon Solomon's house and she saw people who wanted to hear God's wisdom. It is also important to understand what the Queen of Sheba did not see! She did not see disunity, which causes conflict within a group. She did not see disorganization, which is the lack of proper planning. She did not see envy, which is a resentful longing. Finally she did not see apathy, which is the lack of concern. How can you connect with happiness? First, believe that happiness is attainable and learn from those who are happy. Learn to distinguish God's voice and let Him speak through you. Pray for the spiritual gift of the "word of wisdom," which is spoken about in 1 Corinthians 12:8. Fall in love with the Word of God and seek wisdom from above. Avoid conflict, become organized, overcome jealously and never accept apathy. 5/20/2014 Cowboys & Cowgirls for JesusScriptures: 1 Corinthians 15:57 and 1 John 5:4-5 The scripture promises that you can live as an overcomer and have a life that is filled with victories! Victory is not external: victory is internal. Victory first is an attitude and comes from a decision to believe God. Victory is going through a trial, not the absence of trials. Ask yourself the question: am I overcome by circumstances of life or are you navigating your life towards a victory? Are you riding or have the trials of life thrown you off? Cowboys have horses to ride and they stay on that horse till it gets the idea. It is impossible to live in victory with a victorious attitude, like the old saying says" if you fall of a horse you need to get right back on." Victory in Christ demands determination. Are you throwing the rope or do the trials of life have you all tied up? Cowboys have ropes because they plan on tying other things up: they chase it, lasso it and tie it up so it cannot move. Set your mind to victory: to live in victory you must never accept defeat. Are you branding or are life's trials putting their brands on you? Cowboys put their brand on what they have acquired. Focus on God's promises and not just on your problems: victory is a discipline. If you belong to Christ: show the brand! Challenge yourself: get up and ride again, it takes determination to live for God. Go rope a blessing: chase it, lasso it and secure it through faith in God. Remember you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. 5/13/2014 The Man with Two MothersScriptures: Exodus 2:1-10, Hebrews 11:24
Moses is definitely one of the greatest men of the Old Testament. Moses had two mothers. Jochebed his birth mother and Pharaoh's daughter, his adopted mother. Both of his mother's loved him: they both chose to save his life in a difficult environment. They both choose life for him when they lived in a society that decreed certain children should not live; they literally lived in a culture of death. Moses became the great man he was because of these women. They both challenged a culture which put little value on Moses' life. They both did everything they could for Moses. Jochebed was determined to give Moses an advantage: she hid him for three months, putting her own life in danger. She had her husband build him a little ark and she did not place him in the current, which was a bad environment. She did a lot of planning so that her child had a chance to survive. Survival takes planning! Pharaoh's daughter was also determined to give Moses many advantages. She took him into her home: the palace. She sent him to the best schools, with the best teachers and got him whatever training he needed. He wore the most expensive clothes, ate the most expensive food and she raised him as a prince of Egypt. She taught him to be a leader and not a follower. But when Moses came of age he had to choose what type of life he was going to live. He chose not to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Jochebed gave Moses something that money and power could not give him: she gave him the knowledge that there is only one true God. Without God he would always have emptiness in his life: she taught him that he had a God given purpose in life. She taught him that was valuable to God and he could make a difference in a world that did not value him. To be successful in life we need, above all the advantages of this life, a personal and definable relationship with Jesus Christ. |
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