Have you ever had a life verse? God can give you a clear direction for your life as you study His Word!   I am in a local women’s Bible study. One of our tasks for last week’s session and gathering was to write our life verse and purpose statements and share them with the group. I had never been asked to contemplate a life verse and did some pondering on exactly what I would share at our next gathering.   I landed on two commands or truths, which drive the purpose and direction of my life. The first is when Jesus says, “Come, follow me ” thirteen times in the Gospels. It can be considered both a command and a call to act. The second is, “ Nothing is impossible with God.” This suggestion or mindset is mentioned multiple times in scripture to remind us to let go and let God lead us. He will empower us to do anything for His glory. "Come, follow me." Matthew 4:19   Jesus' call to follow him is more than a suggestion, a call or even an invitation to pray a prayer. It is a summons to lose your life and find new life and ultimate joy in Him. It means to trust in Him to face your fears and to do the impossible with you.   It means to give any preconceived schedules, timing, goals and thoughts. It is a call to surrender yourself, what you visualize for today and for your future and to trust God. It means to take immediate action, not when the mood strikes you or when you’ve completed “x”, or when you have the right set of skills to be comfortable – but now. Drop everything and follow Him.   When you give God 100%, He will transform you into what He needs. He created you TELEOS, perfectly designed to do what He wants you to do. His call is to give Him complete control-not worry if you have the right skills or experience to do His work, your home, what you wear, where you live or where you work – but instead to trust Him with every detail and to do it now, without hesitation.   “Nothing is impossible with God.” Matthew 19:26   No matter where you are today, even if the task at hand seems impossible or like it just won’t work out, trust God. He has a way of working things out exceeding abundantly above all we could ask or think, if we’ll only trust in Him! He asks us to leave our old selves behind and not turn back. He prompts us to trust in his ability to transform our hearts and minds in ways we never thought possible. It means to trust Him to give us direction, skills, words, gifts and actions that may have been seemingly impossible before our transformation.   Life verses at work   I have three recent examples of how God used these two calls/statements/suggestions to direct me: A NEW CAREER I work in Marketing Communications and have for my entire 28+ year career. I was in a job for 11 years and held 7 different positions (2010-2021) – with increasing responsibility in each new role. I sensed for the last 3-5 years that it was time for me to move on, but at every turn, I talked myself (and let others in the company) into staying and seeing it through. I worried about changing to a new company in my mid-to-late 40s. I feared that if I left without a job that my family couldn’t make it financially, I convinced myself that the leadership there was as good as it gets and so I stayed. Finally, in the summer of 2021, I heard the Spirit speak to me one morning as I stepped out of the shower and said, “ Come, follow me. ” It was the loudest and most clear voice I ever heard. It was the very moment that the worry, fear and any misgivings left. It was the very moment that I had the confidence I needed to walk away and not turn back. It was at that moment that I gave up my control of my career and let God have it – without having another job already lined up. I was unemployed for over two months. Surprisingly, it was the most rewarding two months in my career. God brought so much clarity and direction during my time of being still and knowing that “ Nothing is impossible with God .” He used every moment to teach me to spend more time dwelling in His presence and digging deeper into His Word. He also gave me the direction He wanted me to travel. The call resulted in a transformation of mind, body and spirit to His ways and for His glory. The result was a new job, in a new industry, where I could take advantage of not commuting to work and being closer to family during the day. A NEW DIRECTION Another recent example, was an epiphany that resulted from listening to God’s call to “ Come, follow me .” My husband and I have been married for 29+ years. His family is from East Texas, mine from the Texas Panhandle. Even though East met West, we’ve always been city dwellers. He’s always wanted to move to East Texas and I’ve always been resistant to the idea. The thought of leaving the comforts, conveniences and fast-paced city life to move to a quieter, slower pace in the country was never appealing. Where would we work? Where would our boys go to school? What would it be like to live in the country vs. the city? How would we make friends? How would we get involved with a church? How would we fit in? I loved to visit East Texas, but I just couldn’t imagine living there. Then one day, as I went on my daily walk and contemplated my husband’s urging to sell our home of 21+ years and move to the piney woods, the Spirit once again spoke to me and said, “ Come, follow me. ” His call was so clear!!! I needed relinquish control over my own expectations and let God take me and transform me once again. I needed to bend to His timing and plans and not my own. I needed to let go of my fears of where I would find friends and how I would handle “country life” to let God make those calls for me and for our family. Once I let go and let God, it was so clear that “ Nothing is impossible with God. ” To my surprise, both my boys are super-excited about moving and starting fresh. They both already visualize their new country life with Mom and Dad. My 19-year old was already sold on the idea of getting out of the big city, when he started attending college at LeTourneau University in Longview, TX in the fall of 2021. My 17-year old is excited to finish his senior year in Denton, then begin fresh for college and work in the country, too. God’s calling always results in greatness and brings Him the glory in our transformations and changes. God already prepped me by placing me in a role where I can work from home and my husband in a new job in Longview. He was already miles ahead of us, we needed to follow Him and His direction and trust in His ways. A NEW CHALLENGE My last example is about taking care of my Dad, who is now 86. My Dad also lives about five miles from me. He’s been in his home a decade and we’ve been in ours for 21+ years. My Dad and I have a very rocky relationship for many reasons. He’s always been very secretive (not wanting anyone in any of his business or knowing anything about how he lives), independent (living alone in multiple homes since my parents divorced when I was 17), and didn’t have any deep friendships nor close ties with his four sisters or any of his family. The biggest obstacle to overcome with my Dad was his manipulative behavior and super-controlling attitude – his way or the highway. My brother, sister and I noticed that his mind was starting to slip a few years ago but could never convince him of it. Most recently, in the last six months, his short-term memory issues have gotten to the point where he needs help. For me (and my brother and sister), it’s been difficult, because my Dad is not a nice nor friendly patient. He is secretive. I struggled with exactly how I would handle my Dad’s request to help him manage his affairs. I’ve been resistant to let him into my world because of his manipulative and cunning ways, which always resulted in hurt and pain for those who tried to help him. I’ve shielded my boys from him because I didn’t want them to get caught up in his destructive behaviors. I prayed for answers. How will I handle my Dad and not get hurt? How will I convince him to let me help with his financial affairs? How would I handle his rude and overbearing attitude? How would I face others knowing how he could spew anger at people at any time? Where would I find the time to help him? How would I find patience, how would I not get hurt? I prayed and prayed for the answers. God delivered. He said, “ Come, follow me and I will show you the way. ” God called me to be my Dad’s helper, whatever was needed. He gave me the time and patience to take every challenge before me. He continues to give me peace at the end of each day, no matter what obstacles I face. He continues to lead me each day. God shows me each day that “ Nothing is impossible with Him, ” by continually directing me, providing just the right amount of time I need. He shows me how to do His work for His glory. He gave me a job where I work at home, so that I would have the time and be close in proximity to my Dad. I can summarize how impactful these two life verses have been. When I am willing to stop focusing on self and follow Him, without hesitation, He transforms me. When I trust and believe that “Nothing is impossible with God” and not let the voices of doubt and fear drive me, I allow transformation and change to occur, all for His glory.   VERSES TO STUDY "Come, follow me. "Matthew   4:19 “Come, follow me”, Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 8:22 But Jesus told him, “ Follow me and let the dead bury their own dead.” 9:9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collection booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. 10:38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me .” 19:21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me .” (random man)   Mark   1:7 “ Come, follow me,” Jesus said, and I will send you out to fish for people. 1:17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 2:14 “Follow me,” Jesus told him and Levi got up and followed him 8:34 Then he called the crowd to him, along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 10:21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go sell everything you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. ”   Luke   5:27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. 9:23 Then Jesus said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me .” 9:59 He said to another man, “ Follow me. ” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 14:27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 18:22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. ”   John   1:43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip , he said to him, “Follow me.” 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me . 12:26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. 21:19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me.”  21:22 Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.”  Nothing is impossible with God   Matthew 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.   Mark 10:27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.   Luke 1:37 For with God, nothing shall be impossible. Follow Him today. Listen for His voice. He will be faithful to lead you!

Almost every spiritual conflict is fought on a specific battlefield. This is because the Enemy, Satan, only has access to a specific area of our lives where we might be influenced. This is very important to understand. Satan does not have the ability to control our bodies, or our hearts, or make us do anything we do not want to do. God has not granted that Satan should have that level of power. However, Satan does have the ability to influence every person, including Christians—primarily through deception and pride. To do this, he needs access to the most important battlefield where he can exercise his influence and attempt to defeat the Christian.   Satan cannot claim “new ground” in spiritual warfare. “The whole world lies in the power of the Evil One” (I John 5:19). Rather, he can only defend what he already holds. It is we; God’s chosen people, who are on the offensive, taking back that which the Enemy has stolen. This study will introduce you to the battlefield of the mind.   THE NATURAL MAN Read: Romans 7:18-25, Galatians 5:17-25   The natural man sets its desire on the things of the flesh (Romans 8:6, Galatians 5:17)   Man’s basic nature is sinful. This is what we mean when we use the word, “flesh.” It is man’s normal propensity to give his mental and emotional attention to the things which Romans 7 says are “hostile to God.”   What kinds of things do you find yourself dwelling on from time to time? Do all of your thoughts and actions always please God?   The natural man chooses self-satisfaction (Galatians 5:19-21)   Man’s desire is to satisfy himself—often at the expense or exclusion of others. The list in Galatians 5 contains character traits we often resort to when we are confronted with the possibility of not having our desires met. Another way to say this is, “It’s all about me.” There are some personal desires that are not sin, but can become sin. Look at the list and write down some acceptable desires that might be turned to evil through the application of sinful behavior.   The natural man operates in the realm and ways of the world (I John 2:16)   “The world” is defined as the operation of man’s sinful nature in the world that results in a system of life hostile to God. When men live their lives according to the sin nature, they create worldly systems as a natural byproduct of that nature that are contrary to the principles of God’s word. Satan is the “god of this world” (II Corinthians 4:4), and thus, is interested in maintain this system of operation in opposition to God’s will.   When you sin, how does that take part in the system of the world? How can you defeat it? Discuss or write your personal reflections.   The Spiritual Man Read: Romans 8:5-6, Galatians 5:22-23, Philippians 4:8-9, II Peter 1:3-8   The spiritual man sets his desire on the Word of God and the person of Jesus Christ (Matthew 22:37-38)   Giving our attention to the Word of God, and applying its principles, is a powerful safeguard against sin and the world system. By setting our minds on the things of God, we begin the process of changing our thoughts (mind), which leads to a change in ideas and emotions (heart), which is in turn expressed in our behavior and actions (body).   List three areas of difficulty or sin in your life that you want to change, and how you can apply new Godly desires to them.   The spiritual man chooses Godly conviction over self-satisfaction   Think of different times in your life when you made a wrong or sinful decision. Do you do it out of a deep conviction of right and wrong, or from personal convenience, satisfaction, or escapism?   The spiritual man operates in the world, but not as part of the world (John 16:33, I John 2:15, 4:4)   Notice the progression in the above passages. (1) Jesus has overcome the world (2) He provides power for us to overcome the world (3) We have overcome the world through obedience to Him.   Look at the progression again. If we sin, and begin operating “in the world,” where does our breakdown first occur, and why? 1, 2 or 3?   Discuss or write your personal reflections:   II Peter 1:3-8 makes it clear that God has provided all the power we need to resist sin. If we don’t avail ourselves of that power, what happens?

THE TRAITS OF A SPIRITUAL CHILD Read: I John 2:12-14 Their sins have been forgiven and they are just coming to know God (I John 2:12-13) The word “know” in this passage means, “Coming to know” God. In other words, the new Christian has come to know God, but does not yet know much about His character. He does not yet know Him intimately. What are the character traits of an intimate relationship? They have overcome the world (I John 2:17 & 5:3-5) This passage is very clear, if you have received Jesus Christ, you have already overcome the world. What are the characteristics of the world that you have overcome? They still struggle with the flesh (I Corinthians 3:2-3) The “flesh” means our sinful human nature. We all have a propensity to sin—it is part of our natural human desire. What kinds of sin does this passage encourage us against? Define these traits in your own words. The are ignorant of the deeper truths of God’s Word and the tactics of the Evil One (Hebrews 5:14, 6:1-2) Notice what the writer says are the “elementary” things. List them; put them into your own words. They exercise their faith for their own benefit (I Corinthians 3:2-3) The new Christian’s focus is often: MY salvation, MY walk with God, MY spiritual life, etc. Read the passage again. What can a focus on self, lead too? TESTING YOURSELF. HOW OLD ARE YOU? Read: Hebrews 5:12-6:2 If the last three previous points apply to you, you are still a spiritual child. Struggle with the flesh Ignorant of the deeper truths of God’s word and the tactics of the Evil One Exercise their faith for their own benefit How would you evaluate yourself on these three? Ask someone who knows you to give you their opinion. If you are not studying God’s Word, or applying its principles, you are still a spiritual child. The first step to knowing God and growing in the knowledge of God is to know and apply His Word. How do you evaluate yourself in this area? If you are not concerned about your own spiritual condition or growth, you are still a spiritual child. Write a short list of the things that occupied your mind the most. At what point did God’s purpose, plan, or principles occupy your attention? A.C.T. A – Action Point. What will I do in light of what I have learned? C – Commune (prayer) What will I commit to God and ask Him for to help me put what I have learned into action? T – Tell Others. What kinds of things can I say or do to others to demonstrate the biblical truth I have learned?

BREATH PRAYERS FROM SCRIPTURE Teach your grandchildren a short, easy, simple prayer that can be spoken in a single breath and repeated numerous times throughout the day. Cultivating the habit of Scripture-based breath prayers into the lives of your grandchildren will help them internalize God’s Word and enable them to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). From Scripture, choose a brief sentence or a simple phrase that your grandchild can repeat in one breath. Guide them in developing the habit of praying that sentence or phrase as often as possible during their day so that it becomes deeply rooted in their heart. Examples: ON THE INHALE & ON THE EXHALE - “Speak Lord,…         for your servant hears.” (1 Samuel 3:9, 10) - “The Lord is my Shepherd…            I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1) - “Be still, and know…          that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) - “When I am afraid…          I put my trust in you.” (Psalm 56:3) - “Thank you…              Lord” (Based on Psalm 57:9, 108:3) - “In Christ alone…         my soul finds rest.” (Based on Psalm 62:1, 5) - “My help comes from the Lord,…         who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:2) - “My help comes from…         the Lord.” (Psalm 121:2) - “His steadfast love…         endures forever.” (Psalm 136) - “Peace…          be still” (Mark 4:39) - “Not my will,…         but yours.” (Luke 22:42) CIRCLE PRAYERS Form a circle, hold hands, and take turns praying one sentence at a time for each “round” of your prayer. For those who are praying via some form of technology due to distancing restraints, simply determine the prayer rotation (your virtual circle) beforehand. You may find it helpful, especially in the beginning, to focus your prayer by using the following kid-friendly version of the “ACTS” model. Circle Prayer Model: ACTS MODEL & KID-FRIENDLY REPLACEMENT PROMPT - Adoration: “God, you are ….” - Confession: “I am sorry for ….” - Thanksgiving: “Thank you, God, for ….” - Supplication: “Please ….” FIVE FINGER PRAYER Using the fingers on their hand as prompts, teach your grandchildren this simple prayer format. Format: FINGER & WHO OR WHAT TO PRAY FOR - Thumb (Closest to the body): Those closest to you - Pointer Finger: Those who “point” you in the right direction (Classroom teachers, Sunday School teachers, pastors, doctors, police officers, school principals, etc.) - Tallest Finger: Our leaders (President, elected officials, etc.) - Ring Finger (The weakest finger): The poor, the sick, the weak; those in trouble - Pinky (The smallest finger): Personal needs PRAYER CUBE Incorporate all the parts of prayer into your teaching with prayer cube prayers. Preparation: First, you will need a cube. Option 1: Simply use an empty cube-shaped tissue box “as is” or cover it with plain paper. Option 2: Use the cube template in this resource packet to print out and  make your own cube. Next, on each face of your cube, write one of the following prayer prompts: I praise you for …………………………” (Adoration/Praise) “My favorite part about you, God, is ………………” (Adoration/Praise) “God, you are……………” (Adoration/Praise) “I’m sorry for……………….” (Confession) “Thank you, God, for……………….” (Thanksgiving) “I ask you for ………………….” (Supplication) “Please …………………….” (Supplication) Implementation: In turn, grandparents and grandchildren will roll the prayer cube. On each roll, the “face-up” prayer prompt will be used to guide the “roller’s” sentence prayer. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Intro: Colossians 1:13-14For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness Rescued Greek Erry-Sáto : snatch someone out of danger, child stepping out into the street. and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves Not only saved from something, you are saved to something. You are a citizen of a brand-new Kingdom, now you need to be integrated (refugees). So what is this Kingdom all about? Learn language, value system. Become ambassadors. in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Vertical and horizontal forgiveness (the shape of the cross). • The Perspective That Releases Forgiveness Peter: “How many times do I have to?” (Peter’s backstory?) Matt 18:23-30 NKJV “Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.” 10,000 talents - 100 denarii (One day’s wages) - 1 denarius (silver coin) 1 talent = 6,000 denarii1 denarius = $154.64/day (2021 avg U.S. daily wage) 1 talent (= 154.64 x 6,000) = $927,8406,000 talents = $9 billion, 278 million, 400 thousand$15,464 • The Pride That Kills Forgiveness Pride robs you of blessing. 1 John 1:9-10 NKJV If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. • The Peace Found in Forgiveness Pic Sara back then Pic Sara now - married • The Power Unleashed Through Forgiveness Pic ISIS image—2015—“People of the Cross” Pic Egypt—miracle unlocked by power of forgiveness

The Book of Judges closely parallels the times we live in today. We can learn much about our culture from studying this Bible book! Scholar Abraham Kuruvilla introduces us to this study: The verb “to judge” does not always indicate a judicial functionary. In Judges, the function of these God-raised leaders is best as seen as military judge-deliverers, as indicated in 2:16–17: And Yahweh raised up judges who delivered them from the hands of those who plundered them. Judges 2:16–17 The book is gory, with bloodletting without remit. Altogether, roughly a quarter of a million people perish in Judges! No wonder there is weeping by the nation at the beginning (2:4), and there is weeping by the nation at the end (20:23, 26; 21:2). Evildoing and the recurring cycles of ever worsening leadership take over the structure of the book. All this, despite the graciousness of God in intervening in each chaotic iteration to raise up a deliverer to defeat the oppressing enemy. So, as one traverses the book, it is not only the judges who become increasingly misguided, but the Israelites themselves become progressively more culpable. And after the judges have passed from the scene, the Israelites plunge into an immoral cauldron of idolatry and brutality, including the slaughter of almost an entire tribe in a civil war (Judges 19–21). This book is, thus, quite negative: it begins bleakly, continues darkly, and ends horribly in an age of godlessness and leaderlessness, when “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (21:25). Thus, though the book is about the misdeeds of God’s leaders, it is also entirely applicable to the lives of God’s people, for the latter are only as good as the former are. God’s leaders draw God’s people to their level, explaining the higher standards for leadership throughout Scripture Besides, all of God’s people are leaders in some arena or another, to some degree, in some fashion. Therefore it behooves all believers to take the lessons of the book of Judges to heart. Here are the main themes of each of the passages of the book: Uncompromising faithfulness to God, maintenance of godly traditional values, and reliance on divine strategies for success results in divine blessing ( 1:1–2:5 ) Personal experience of God produces unwavering commitment to him ( 2:6–3:11 [Othneil] ) Integrity in life, driven by reverence for God and reliance upon him, receives divine approbation ( 3:12–31 [ Ehud]) Reverencing of God by fearless faith characterizes godly leadership ( 4:1–24 [Barak] ) Participation in the endeavors of God, with God, keeps one in the realm of his blessing ( 5:1–31 [Song of Deborah] ) Refusal to take prideful credit for divine action results in blessing ( 6:1–7:22 [Gideon-1] ) Godliness is expressed in the rejection of self-glorifying pursuits ( 7:23–8:32 [Gideon-2] ) An illicit thirst for power brings about the fitting retribution of God ( 8:33–10:5 {Abimelech] ) Ungodly manipulation of God for selfish purposes can lead to tragic loss of blessing ( 10:6–12:15 [Jephthah] ) Rejection of Yahweh’s interests in favor of selfish passions leads only to trouble ( 13:1–14:20 [Samson-1] ) Disdaining of one’s divine calling can lead to destruction ( 15:1–16:31 [Samson-2] ) Godless leadership brings about godlessness in society ( 17:1–18:31 ) Immoral unconcern for the weak and defenseless marks a godless and leaderless community ( 19:1–30 ) Continued ungodliness only leads to more evildoing, greater havoc, and a hopeless future ( 20:1–21:25 ) And as God’s leaders and God’s people actualize these thrusts in their lives, conforming to Christlikeness pericope by pericope and sermon by sermon by the power of the Spirit, the Father’s kingdom is, in a sense, being established. This is the goal of applying Scripture, and of applying the book of Judges in particular. A grand task, indeed! www.homiletix.com.

F aithfulness to God manifest in uncompromising godliness and reliance on God brings blessing. Joshua, the one who had begun to lead the Israelites so successfully against the Canaanites, and who was God’s agent for assigning land to the various tribes, was now gone. An era had concluded with the death of Joshua. A new beginning was at hand, and with it the challenge of finding godly leaders. Who would be the next godly servant to lead Israel? The Israelites do not ask Yahweh for a leader, only for a tribe to lead the battle. Commitment and confidence is thereby shown to be shaky from the start. The living arrangements between the Israelites and Canaanites as this passage progresses are revealing. Initially, with the endeavors of the Judah-Simeon alliance (1:3–21), we are not told of Canaanites living among the Israelites; then from Benjamin to Zebulun (1:21–30), the Canaanites are found living with the Israelites; the situation worsens with Asher and Naphtali: here it is the Israelites who are living among the Canaanites (1:31–33); in the final phase, they are themselves displaced, unable to occupy the valley (1:34–36). Far from a conquest, this is an “anticonquest”! In sum, this pericope portrays a failed project to take over Canaan. So while there is a seeking of God at the beginning of this pericope (1:1–2), there is, unfortunately, only a weeping before him at the end (2:4–5). A litany of incomplete “successes” and outright failures highlights our text (1:19, 21, 24–36). Our curiosity is aroused about the cause of all the continued failures in battle. We find the real answer only in 2:1–5—there was a spiritual reason for the Israelites’ lack of military success. These failures, we are told there, stemmed from an illicit covenanting with the inhabitants of Canaan, noted in 1:22–26. Despite the assured presence of Yahweh as the house of Joseph went against Bethel, the campaign was a failure—not only did a Hittite family go free (1:25), the destroyed city was also rebuilt as Luz (1:26): the people and their culture had rebounded. This was clear disobedience to divine will that no covenant be made with the local peoples: Israel was to destroy them utterly (Jdg 2:2; Deut 7:1–2, 16). All of these miscarriages in Judges 1 form the basis for Yahweh’s indictment of Israel in 2:1–5. Yahweh’s rebuke is stinging: his people, forgetting their covenant God, had made covenants with the Canaanites, and not destroyed their cultic sites: they had disobeyed the explicit commands of Deut 7:1–5, 16, 25–26 (see Jdg 2:1–2). In fact, it was because of their disobedience that God was refusing to drive out the Canaanites before the Israelites, that otherwise would have been accomplished by God himself (2:3). Therefore, Yahweh announced, he would not completely drive out the land’s inhabitants who would end up as thorns to the Israelites (and their gods as snares; 2:3). Of course, Yahweh would be faithful to keep his covenant and Israel would possess the land, as he had promised the “fathers” (2:1). Compromise and disobedience are always disastrous. In sum, the degradation of the nation had begun immediately after the demise of Joshua. This pericope begins with the most positive of the tribes (Judah) and ends with the most negative (Dan). Almost the same sequence of tribes is followed in the sections on individual judges (Jdg 3:7–16:31), with this progressive dissolution expressly detailed. Nonetheless, the contrition exhibited by the Israelites in Jdg 2:4–5 is hopeful but, as it turns out, this change of heart is only transitory: the Israelites’ apostasy only worsens as the next pericope will show and the rest of the book will depict. [For more details, see my  Judges commentary .

The Good Shepherd Luke 15:1-7 Psalms 23 was my father’s favorite Psalm. If you were raised in church like me, you can probably quote 75% of it from memory. As a pastor my father loved to comfort hurting people. Before his death I think he had written over fifty funeral sermons based on Psalm 23. Sometimes when I read Psalm 23 I can hear his commentary in my head and I find it still strengthens me. How well do you remember Psalm 23? Try to compare Psalm 23 with the parable of the good shepherd found in Luke 15:1-7. 1 All the tax collectors and sinners were approaching to listen to him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 So he told them this parable: 4 “What man among you, who has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open field and go after the lost one until he finds it? 5 When he has found it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, 6 and coming home, he calls his friends and neighbors together, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep!’ 7 I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need repentance. CSB How does the parable of the good shepherd in Luke 15:1-7 remind you of Psalm 23? Do you think it reminded Jesus’ audience of Psalm 23? It probably did, and as students of the Old Testament it also helped them to recall other passages of scripture that portray God as our good shepherd, verses with whom modern readers might not be as familiar. I want us to look at one of those Old Testament passages in Ezekiel 34:17-24. The entire chapter of Ezekiel 34 portrays God as our shepherd. 17 “‘As for you, my flock, the Lord GOD says this: Look, I am going to judge between one sheep and another, between the rams and goats. 18 Isn’t it enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of the pasture with your feet? Or isn’t it enough that you drink the clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? 19 Yet my flock has to feed on what your feet have trampled, and drink what your feet have muddied. 20 “‘Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says to them: See, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Since you have pushed with flank and shoulder and butted all the weak ones with your horns until you scattered them all over, 22 I will save my flock. They will no longer be prey, and I will judge between one sheep and another. 23 I will establish over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will shepherd them. He will tend them himself and will be their shepherd. 24 I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David will be a prince among them. I, the LORD, have spoken. CSB When we compare and contrast the good shepherd parable in Luke 15 with Ezekiel 34 we see even more applications that we need to consider. First the parable of the Good Shepherd reminds us that God took on flesh. God is not just a deity that lives far off in heaven, instead he has come to earth to gently shepherd his lambs. This truth that God himself would come in a bodily form was a difficult concept for the first century Jews to understand because of their willful blindness. Remember in Jesus’ day Israel was dreaming of a military messiah that would over throw Rome’s occupation, and restore her might and glory. They were not yearning for a fair shepherd who wanted to save the entire world, even though this was clearly foretold (Ezekiel 34:1-31). Like Jesus’ audience, we are often tempted to let our desires shape our theology instead of the scriptures. In Ezekiel 34 the prophet is proclaiming God’s ambition is to come and save his lean sheep who are still caught in misery. The Jewish listeners of this parable knew these verses in Ezekiel. So then, by choosing to tell this particular story Jesus is declaring that he is the prophesied incarnation of God. Notice here it wasn’t one of Jesus’ disciples who was asserting Jesus was God, it was Jesus himself who was claiming to be God in the flesh. God has arrived, and his shepherding ministry is put on display. Second the Good Shepherd parable reminds us of our need to imitate God’s mercy. Remember in Luke 15 that the pharisees and scribes are jealous of Jesus because they believe he is threatening their influence over the people. So, they accuse him of associating with sinners, and they judge the lambs who need God’s deliverance and mercy the most. To silence their accusations, Jesus’ parable of the good shepherd will return to the words of the prophet Ezekiel. We see in the Good Shepherd picture that the surprising hinderance the shepherd must overcome are not the wolves or the wilderness, but the safe, unmerciful flock already found by God. Ezekiel warns the fat sheep to stop stomping down God’s green pastures and to stop polluting the spiritual waters. Jesus is actively seeking and saving those who are spiritually disconnected and while this is God’s job, his found sheep have a responsibility to remain generous with the mercy of God they have received. Ezekiel makes it very clear God will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Who do you think were the fat sheep in Jesus’ audience? Who do you think are the fat sheep in our generation? For me personally, whenever I see this phrase “the lean sheep”, I am reminded of a Christian man many of my friends and family financially support in Uganda. His name is Bruno Biryomumaisho, and he founded the Kafunjo Community Project, when he began to witness deep devastation among his neighbors. He organized an orphanage, with a school, a garden and medical clinic for the children of Kafunjo. Currently, he is working to build a mill to try and give the Kafunjo Community Project more sustainability. Bruno’s daily ambition is to feed and care for all the children God has brought into his care. When I hear about their food shortages and how sometimes they can only feed the children two meals a day I wonder how this ongoing struggle looks to God? I also, think of my friend Jennifer Tompkins who heads up the Tucson Refugee Ministry. I watch her faithfully organize and serve the displaced refugees, who because of violence, persecution, famine, and civil war from across the globe have been relocated to Tucson. What must it feel like for these people who have had to abandon their homes and their way of life just to stay alive? I want to be like Bruno and Jennifer, and I want to help them to fulfill their calling. But, it is hard for me show mercy if I don’t realize I am one of the fat sheep. Third the Good Shepherd parable reminds us that the salvation of the world is God’s eternal mission. With our savings we might attempt to make our own long-range plans, like setting aside money for our retirement or buying a home to try to protect our financial future. As the creator of the universe God does not need protecting, so his long-term mission is vastly different than any we could dream up. God’s agenda is driven by his love for those who still do not know him. The triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit have been working out salvation’s blueprint since the beginning of time. Jesus is the one who volunteered to leave heaven, so he could seek and save those who are lost. We can value the trinity’s eternal endeavor or we can go our own way, but the path of blessing is always to join God’s passion. While a sheep remains lost it is vulnerable to trauma, injury, or death. They may literally be stuck out on a ledge and unable to climb out of their own slippery and rocky predicament. Or, the little lamb might be frightened in the night listening to owls, and wolves speaking into the darkness. Just like the lost sheep we are helpless to rescue ourselves. As we grow to embrace God’s joy in finding the lost and delighting in the salvation celebrations which reverberate in heaven, we become more Christlike. When I think of embracing God’s eternal mission to seek and save those who are lost I am so grateful for my home church Casas in Tucson and her evangelistic heart. I love the special baptism celebrations we enjoy where people cheer and 90 new believers are baptized on one day. I promise you that when we get to heaven we will not regret making room for God’s lean sheep. The Good Shepherd parable reminds us that God took on flesh, reminds us of our need to imitate God’s mercy, and reminds us that the salvation of the world is God’s eternal mission. How do you think God might judge between the sheep? What might change if we embraced God’s eternal plans?

Every Christian loves the story of Christmas. We love to hear about the angels and the shepherds. We love the think about noble Joseph and humble Mary. We love the wise men and the star of Bethlehem. We love the whole nativity scene. Most of us know the story so well we smile just to hear the name Quirinius (whether its pronounced correctly or not). It’s a great story because it’s a familiar story. It’s a true story. And Christmas is wonderful because it’s not the beginning of the story. In fact, the more you know about the stories leading up to  The Story , the richer and deeper and sweeter Christmas will be. Once upon a time there lived a man and a woman. They were actually the only people alive at all. There names were Adam and Eve. God made them. And like everything else God made, he made them good. But they didn’t stay that way very long. On one very bad day, they ate from the only tree they weren’t supposed to eat from. It was a terrible day, the second worst thing that’s ever happened in the world. A snake had tricked them and told them a lie about the fruit. He said they would be like God if they ate it. But actually the opposite was true. When they ate the fruit, the were separated from God. It would never be as easy to be close to God as it had been before that day. God was not happy with Adam and Eve. He wasn’t happy with the snake either. Because they disobeyed, God put a curse on the man and the woman and the snake and everything else. He kicked Adam and Eve out of the garden paradise he had made for them. It wasn’t possible for people so bad to live with a God who is so good. That’s why they had to leave. But before they left, God made a promise. He promised that the evil serpent, the Devil, would always be at war with Eve and her children. Now that doesn’t sound like a very nice promise, that bad guys and good guys would fight all the time. Who wants to be in a war that never ends? But that’s where the good part of the promise comes in. God promised that one of Eve’s children would, some day, eventually, sooner or later, crush the head of that nasty serpent. Nobody knew when or how, she would have a child to put things right. But things got a lot wronger before they got righter. Adam and Eve had several kids, including two brothers named Cain and Abel. Abel was a good man, but Cain was not. And when God accepted Abel’s gift instead of Cain’s, Cain got very angry. So angry, so hurt, and so jealous that he killed his brother. The first murder in history, but sadly not the last. Things were not the way they were supposed to be. Everything fell apart after sin entered the world. Things got so bad in the world, and so fast, that God decided to start over. The people on the earth were terribly wicked in their hearts, all the time, every day. They didn’t deserve to enjoy God’s world anymore. So God took it from them. Or, more exactly, he took them from it. He sent a flood that wiped away everyone and everything, because it had all been stained with sin. But God saved one family on the earth–one family that trusted him and believed his word. Noah, his wife, and their sons and daughters-in-law were spared. They lived for a lot of days with a lot of animals in a big boat called an ark, while it rained and rained. God was going to start over with his creation. He was angry with the world that hated him, but he was still at work to save the world that he loved. That’s why he rescued Noah and his family. God wanted to give his people another shot. Noah was going to be a new kind of Adam. The problem was Noah was  too much  like the first Adam. It didn’t take long after they got of out the boat for Noah to do some pretty bad stuff himself. He trusted God enough to build an ark when everyone laughed at him, but it turns out he could be just as foul as the rest of them. Even one of Noah’s sons got cursed, just like everything got cursed back in the Garden. History was repeating itself. Whether it was Adam or Noah, the first world in the beginning or the second world after the flood, people just couldn’t get things right. One time, a whole bunch of people got together to build a giant tower. They thought they could build all the way up to heaven. But it must not have been all that big because God had to come down just to see it. And when God saw it, he was not pleased. Everyone was working together, which was okay, but they weren’t working for God, and that was not okay. They were trying to show how smart and impressive they could be all on their own. They thought they didn’t need God. So God mixed up all their languages and spread them out all over the place. As you can see, things were still not going well in the world God had made. God would have to find another way to save his people. Not too long after this whole tower business God called a man named Abraham to leave his home and go to a new country. (Ok, actually his name was Abram at this point, but everyone remembers him as Abraham). When God called Abraham he made a lot of big promises. He promised to bless Abraham and to bless everyone who blessed Abraham. He promised to curse everyone who cursed Abraham. He promised Abraham a land and a child. God promised that Abraham would be the father of a great nation and that all nations would be blessed through him.  Pretty much, all the blessing that God wanted to give Adam and Eve he promised to Abraham. And the best part was this time God was going to do everything himself to make sure Abraham got his blessing. You might think that God wanted to bless Abraham because he was such a swell guy. But if you thought that you’d be wrong. Abraham didn’t know God at all when God called him. And even after God called him, Abraham could still be a liar and a bit of a scaredy-cat. Abraham had only two things going for him: God promised to bless him and Abraham believed God’s promise. That’s all Abraham had going for him. Good thing that’s all he needed. At times it looked as if God wasn’t going to keep his promises to Abraham. For starters, it was like a hundred years before Abraham and his wife Sarah (who used to be Sarai) had a baby named Isaac (who, thankfully, was always called Isaac). And then when the baby became a boy God told Abraham to kill him. That must have seemed like a not-so-funny way to make a great nation out of Abraham, but Abraham listened to God anyways. And at the last second, God gave Abraham a ram to sacrifice instead of his beloved son. It was God’s way of saying, “I’ll take care of the rescuing. Just trust me.” Well eventually Isaac grew up, got married, and had some kids of his own.  Twins to be exact–Esau and Jacob. God picked Jacob to get the blessing even though he was the younger brother and wasn’t supposed to get the blessing. But God is God so he gets to pick. Jacob had twelve sons and this time it was the fourth son, Judah, who wound up with the blessing. Jacob told Judah that a lion of a leader would come from his family. They may sound like pretty decent folks, but Abraham’s family was even more messed up than Abraham. Isaac was sort of weakling. Jacob was a selfish trickster. And Judah did such dumb stuff we don’t even want to talk about it. But God kept his promises all the same. He blessed the whole lot of them despite themselves. Things were on track for the Snake-Crusher to come from the gnarled Abraham-Isaac-Jacob family tree. Several hundred years later, however, it looked like things had gotten way off track. See, when God told Abraham to leave his home, he promised to give him a new land in Canaan. It was going to be a great land. It was supposed to remind God’s people of the Garden they once had. But Abraham and his sons never really possessed the land they were promised. And now four hundred years later Abraham’s family were slaves in Egypt. How they got to Egypt is a long story, but here’s the short version: they went to Egypt because their was a famine in Canaan, and when they got to Egypt Jacob’s sons found their long lost brother Joseph, who helped get them food and a place to live even though he was there because his ten old brothers had been jealous and sold him into slavery. (I told you it was a long story.) Well, delivering them from famine was one thing. That’s when Israel’s family was still pretty small (Israel, by the way, was Jacob’s new name; I guess everyone needed two names back then). But how would God save a couple million people from slavery? It’s not like he could just turn the Nile River to blood and send frogs and gnats and flies and disease and boils and hail and locusts and darkness and death until Egypt’s Pharaoh let them go. Actually, that’s exactly what God did. God raised up Moses to deliver his people, but in reality God did all the work. He sent the plagues. He led the people with a fire and a cloud. He made the sea turn to dry land so the Israelites could walk through, and he turned the dry land back to sea when the Egyptians tried to cross. It seemed that no matter what they did or what people did to them God always found a way to save his people. Which was a very good thing. Because it seemed that no matter how many times God saved his people they were never quite safe from themselves. See, after God delivered his people from Egypt he gave them a lot of commandments. This wasn’t a bad thing. They were good commandments. And if they obeyed the commandments, God’s people would be blessed. There would be food and children and long life and protection and a new home. It would be just like they were in paradise again. That’s where God was leading them all along.  But if they didn’t obey, there would be curses, sort of like the ones that fell on Adam and Eve and the serpent. As you might have guessed, the people didn’t do so well obeying God’s commands. And once Moses and his helper Joshua  died, they disobeyed even more. When they did work hard at some rules-like the rules about sacrifices-they didn’t really obey those rules from the heart. They just checked them off their list and forgot about the more important rules. Not that they deserved it, but God finally gave them their promised land. God did the work to get them in, but God’s people didn’t do the work to drive everyone else out. This meant a lot of trouble for the Israelites. They constantly had enemies to fight. And worse, they constantly had to fight the temptation to be just like their enemies. Sometimes things would go well for Israel, when they had a good leader and when they obeyed. But most often things went poorly for Israel. God gave them rules. But they didn’t follow them. God made his dwelling among them. But they didn’t keep themselves clean. God sent judges to lead them. But Israel didn’t listen. God provided priests to do God’s holy work. But the priests didn’t know how to be holy either. Of course, God still had his promises to keep. But most days it was hard to imagine how any man could save this stubborn people. It was even harder to imagine how such a man could come from among this people. God’s people always had a hard time not copying everyone else around them. This was especially true when it came to having a king. Although God warned them how bad kings could be, they just had to have one. So eventually, God gave them a king. The first king was Saul. Other than being tall, he was not much to write home about. Pretty disappointing all around. The second king, young David from Bethlehem, was definitely much better. In fact, in the stories that lead up to The Story, there’s no one more important than King David. When David wasn’t busy sinning, which he did in some really big ways, he was a good, wise, merciful king. A lot of good things happened to God’s people when David was in charge. They were victorious and prosperous and blessed. But the best thing that happened was what God promised  would  happen. God told David that he would always have a son to sit on the throne. He promised David an everlasting kingdom. This was good news for David, and even better news for God’s people. It meant that God had not forgotten the guarantee he made in the Garden. A deliverer was on his way. And now everyone who had ears to hear knew he would be a son of David. But the next son of David was not the one they were looking for. Solomon started off on the right foot, but he ended up tripping quite spectacularly. After Solomon, the kingdom split in two, with Israel in the north and Judah in the south. Neither kingdom was very good. God punished Israel first, then Judah. In the course of four hundred years God’s people went from top dog to dog food. They had been kicked out of their own land just liked Adam and Eve had been kicked out of their own paradise. And worst of all, David’s house and David’s throne were no more. What had happened to God’s promises? Believe it or not, the promises were definitely still there. In fact, God kept on making more promises all the time. God promised that the Snake-Crusher, Abraham’s child, Judah’s lion, David’s Son would come from Bethlehem. God promised he would be born of a virgin. God promised a messenger to prepare the way. God promised that the Deliverer would save Israel and be a light to the nations. God promised lots of amazing things. But Israel was too busy disobeying God’s commands and ignoring God’s warnings to notice. God sent miraculous prophets like Elijah and Elisha and rebuking prophets like Amos and Malachi and sad prophets like Jeremiah and good news prophets like Isaiah. It didn’t matter which ones God sent or how many, the people never listened. Not for very long anyway. And so one day it happened that God stopped sending the prophets. No more warnings. No more direction. No more word from the Lord. Only silence. For four hundred years. God had sent prophets, priests, and kings; he tried starting out and starting over with Adam and Noah; he chose Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; he gave Moses the law; he sent Israel judges; he raised up deliverers; he conquered enemies; he provided sacrifices; he lived among them in a tent and in a temple; God gave his people every opportunity and ten thousand chances, but still sin and the Serpent seemed to be winning. Until…all of a sudden, they lost. Which brings us at last to Christmas. This is where we meet the new Adam, the child of Abraham, and the Son of David. It’s at Christmas where we see the real Deliverer, the real Judge, the real Conqueror. No one understood it completely at the time, but when Mary pushed out that baby, God pushed into the world the long-expected Prophet, Priest, and King. God gave his people a new law, a new temple, and a new sacrifice. Best of all, he gave his people a new beginning. Of course, some things were different than people had expected. The stable with the animals and  the scandal with Mary were surprises.  But the biggest surprise what that the Chosen One of God was chosen by God to die. It just didn’t seem right that the one destined to crush the serpent would be crushed himself. So when Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the living God, died, it seemed a shocking evil beyond belief. And it was. The worst thing that’s ever happened in the world. But also the best. Just as we would expect from God. And just as God planned it. We break promises, so God keeps his. We run from God, so he comes to us. We suffer for sin, so the Savior suffers for us. The history of our Story is the story of God doing what we can’t in order to make up for us doing what we shouldn’t. And so deliverers are born to die. Things fall apart so they can come together. God kicks his own people out of paradise and then does whatever it takes to bring them back again. The story of Christmas is a wonderful story. It’s a familiar story. And it’s a true story. But it’s not the beginning of the story. As we’ve seen, it’s actually the beginning of the end of the story that we are still in the middle of. We needed a Savior. So God promised a Savior. And God sent a Savior. “You shall call his name Jesus,” the angel told Joseph, “for he will save his people from their sins.” That’s why he came. That’s why he reigns. That’s why we follow him. Because that little baby in the straw is the One God said would come, the One who is coming again, and the One who loves us even more than we love Christmas. www.thegospelcoalition.org.

Why Is Christ’s Imminent Return So Important? Why is it so important to believe that Christ could come at any moment? Because the hope of Christ’s imminent coming has a powerful sanctifying and purifying effect on us. “Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” ( 1 John 3:3 ). The knowledge that Christ’s coming is drawing closer should motivate us to prepare, to pursue Christlikeness, and to put off all the things that pertain to our former lives without Christ. The apostle Paul took this very line of argument near the end of his epistle to the Romans. He reminded the believers at Rome of their duty to love their neighbors as themselves, saying love is the one principle that fulfills all God’s moral commands ( Romans 13:8–10 ). Then stressing the urgency of living in obedience to this Great Commandment, he wrote, And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for  now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.  The night is far spent,  the day is at hand.  Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts ( Romans 13:11–14 ). That is the apostle Paul’s wake-up call to the church. Christ’s return is approaching. The time now is nearer than when we first believed. Every moment that passes brings Christ’s return even closer. How are we to redeem the time? He calls for a three-part response that perfectly sums up the Christian’s proper perspective on the imminent possibility of Christ’s return. Wake up!  “Awake out of sleep,” he pleads ( Romans 13:11 )—and he underscores both the urgency of this command and the imminency of Christ’s return, with four phrases: “now it is high time”; “our salvation is nearer” ( Romans 13:11 ); “The night is far spent”; and “the day is at hand” ( Romans 13:12 ). Time is short; opportunity is fleeting. The Lord is coming soon, and the event draws nearer every moment. The time to obey is now. The only time we can take for granted is now. And since there is no guarantee of  more  time, it is unconscionable to defer our obedience. Consider this: The apostle Paul was stressing the urgency of this commandment in  his  day, two thousand years ago. He believed the coming of Christ was near—and getting nearer by the moment. How much  more  urgent are these things for our time? “Now our salvation is nearer” ( Romans 13:11 )—two thousand years nearer, to be precise. Now is certainly not the time to let down our guard or fall asleep. Although some might be tempted to think the long delay means Christ’s coming is no longer an urgent matter, a moment’s thought will reveal that if we believe Christ was speaking the truth when He promised to come again quickly, we  must  believe that the time is drawing nearer by the moment—and the urgency is not lessened by the delay, but heightened. It is perfectly natural for infidels, skeptics, and unbelievers to think Christ’s delay means He will not fulfill His promise ( 2 Peter 3:4 ). But no genuine believer should ever think that way. Rather than despairing because He tarries, we ought to realize that the time is nearer now than it has ever been. He  is  coming. As we saw earlier, His Word guarantees that He will come. Our hope should be growing stronger, not diminishing, as He delays his coming. When Paul writes, “And do this, knowing the time” ( Romans 13:11 ), he employs a Greek word for “time”  (kairos),  that speaks of an age or an era, not the time  (chronos)  told by a clock. “Knowing the time” therefore speaks of understanding this age, being discerning, like “the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do” ( 1 Chronicles 12:32 ). Christ rebuked the Pharisees for lacking this same kind of discernment: “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times  ”  ( Matthew 16:1–3 ). Perhaps Paul had seen signs of spiritual lethargy or dullness among the believers at Rome. No doubt life in that great city held many distractions and earthly enticements that drew hearts away from the earnest hope of Christ’s appearing. Like the society in which we live, Roman life catered to the flesh, offering many material comforts and earthly amusements. Perhaps they were inclined to forget they were living in the last days. Spiritually, they were falling asleep. It sometimes seems as if the entire church today is in an even worse state of spiritual drowsiness. There is widespread indifference concerning the Lord’s return. Where is the sense of expectation that characterized the early church? The sad legacy history will record about the church of our generation is that as we neared the dawn of a new millennium, most Christians were far more concerned about the arrival of a computer glitch known as the “millennium bug” than they were with the arrival of the millennial King! Too many Christians in our time have settled into a state of insensate lethargy and inactivity—an unresponsiveness to the things of God. They are like Jonah, fast asleep in the hold of the ship while raging storms threaten to sweep us away ( Jonah 1:5–6 ). They are like the foolish virgins, who “while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept” ( Matthew 25:5 ). It is high time to awake from that slumber. Paul sent a similar wake-up call to the church at Ephesus: “‘Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.’ See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” ( Ephesians 5:14–16 ). Never was such an alarm more needed than today. In the words of our Lord Himself, “Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming; in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning; lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping” ( Mark 13:35–36 ). When Paul says “our salvation is nearer than when we first believed” ( Romans 13:11 )—he is speaking, of course, about the  consummation  of our salvation. He was not suggesting that the Romans were unregenerate. He was not telling them their  justification  was a yet-future reality. He was reminding them that the culmination of what began at their regeneration was drawing closer by the moment. “Salvation” in this context refers to our  glorification,  the final goal of God’s saving work ( Rom 8:30 ). Throughout Scripture, this is connected with the appearing of Christ: “We know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him” ( 1 John 3:2 ). We “eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body” ( Phil 3:20–21 ). “When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” ( Colossians 3:4 ). “He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation” ( Heb 9:28 ). Notice that the writer of Hebrews employs the word  salvation  the same way Paul uses it in  Romans 13:11 . This final aspect of salvation is what Paul referred to a few chapters earlier, in  Romans 8:23 : “We ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.” That is the aspect of our salvation that is nearer than when we first believed, and it only awaits Christ’s coming. So Paul’s penetrating appeal here in Romans 13 assumes that Christ’s return is imminent. If another eschatological age  (kairos) —especially the Tribulation—were going to occur prior to Christ’s return for the church, Paul would have surely pointed to the onset of that era and urged the Romans to prepare for it. But far from warning them that a dark era of Tribulation was in their future, what he told them was virtually the opposite: “The night is far spent, the day is at hand” ( Romans 13:12 ). The  kairos  of persecution, hardship, and darkness was “far spent” ( prokopt_  in the Greek text—meaning “advancing quickly,” or “being driven out”). Daylight—the final consummation of our salvation when Christ returns to take us to glory—is imminent. We have no idea how much sand remains in the hourglass of human history. But we ought to realize that a lot of sand has passed through the hourglass since the apostle Paul said the dawning of daylight was already at hand. How much more urgent is this wake-up call for the church today! The nighttime of Satan’s dominion will soon give way to the dawn of Christ’s coming for His own. The apostle Paul used precisely the same imagery of darkness and dawn when he wrote to the Thessalonians: But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ ( 1 Thessalonians 5:1–9 ). God did not appoint us to wrath. The day of wrath that shall come in the Tribulation is not what we are to be preparing for. The sudden appearing of Christ to take us to glory is our hope. Wake up! Be sober. Be alert. Your redemption draws near. Throw off!  The approaching of dawn means it is time for a change of garments: “Let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light” ( Romans 13:12 ). Paul’s imagery evokes the picture of a soldier who has spent the night in a drunken orgy. Still clad in the garments of his sin, he has fallen into a drunken sleep. But dawn is approaching, and now it is time to wake up, throw off the clothes of night, and put on the armor of light. The Greek verb translated “cast off” was a term that spoke of being ejected or expelled forcefully. The Greek term is used only three other times in the New Testament, and in each case it speaks of excommunication from a synagogue ( John 9:22 ;  12:42 ;  16:2 ). So the term carries the idea of renouncing and forsaking sin (or the unrepentant sinner) with vigor and conviction. Paul is calling for an act of repentance. He wants them to cast off—excommunicate, or break fellowship with—the “works of darkness.” It is the same expression he uses in  Ephesians 5:11 : “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” Paul often employs the imagery of changing garments to describe the putting off of sin and the old man. “Put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts” ( Ephesians 4:22 ). “Put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds” ( Colossians 3:8–9 ). Notice the twofold putting off: “you  have put off  the old man with his deeds”; but  keep putting off  “all these” works of darkness. The picture this evokes is that of Lazarus, raised from the dead, given new life, but still bound in old grave-clothes that still needed to be put off (cf.  John 11:43–44 ). Employing similar imagery, the writer of Hebrews urges believers to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” ( Hebrews 12:1 ). There he pictures the Christian like an athlete, stripped of all encumbrances and ready to run. There is much we must throw aside if we are to be prepared for the coming day. James sums it up succinctly: “lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness” ( James 1:21 ). And Peter echoes the thought: “laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking” ( 1 Peter 2:1 ). Put on!  There’s another aspect of being prepared for the Lord’s appearing. We are not fully prepared for the dawn of the new day unless we have put on the appropriate attire: “put on the armor of light . . . put on the Lord Jesus Christ” ( Romans 13:12 ,  14 ). Again, the imagery is that of a soldier who had spent the night in drunken carousing. He had stumbled home and fallen asleep in clothes that were now wrinkled and befouled with the evidence of his reveling. Day was dawning. It was time to wake up, to cast off the old clothes, and to put on something clean and polished and battle-ready. “Armor” suggests warfare, and that is fitting. Though the return of Christ is imminent, that is no warrant to forsake the battle. Scripture never suggests that His people should sit on a hillside somewhere to await His coming. In fact, between now and His coming, we are locked in a battle “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” ( Ephesians 6:11 ). The nearness of our Lord’s return does not mitigate the seriousness of the battle. Now is not the time to slacken our diligence, but the opposite. We should engage the battle with new vigor, knowing that the time is short. “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” ( Ephesians 6:13 ). In other words, we are not off-duty soldiers, free to carouse and indulge in the fleshly pleasures of night life. We are on duty, and our Commander-in-Chief might appear at any moment. Therefore, “Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy” ( Romans 13:13 ). The Christian who is not living a holy and obedient life with heavenly priorities is a Christian who does not grasp the significance of the Lord’s imminent return. If we genuinely are expecting our Lord to appear at any time, that blessed hope should move us to be faithful and walk properly, lest our Lord return to find us walking improperly, disobeying, or dishonoring Him. In Christ’s own words, “Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming; in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning; lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!” ( Mark 13:35–37 ). There’s more: “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” ( Romans 13:14 ). Again, when we are glorified, we will be instantly conformed to the image of Christ—made as much like Him as it is possible for human beings to be. Christlikeness is therefore the goal toward which God is moving us ( Rom 8:29 ). Even now, the process of sanctification should be conforming us to His image. As we grow in grace, we grow in Christlikeness. We are to become a reflection of Christ’s character and His holiness. And that is what Paul means when he writes, “put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” We are to pursue sanctification, to follow after Christ in our conduct and character, to let His mind be in us, and to let His example guide our walk ( Philippians 2:5 ;  1 Peter 2:21 ). Paul compared his pastoral duty of discipling the Galatians to birth pains, as he sought to bring them to Christlikeness: “I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you” ( Galatians 4:19 ). Writing to the Corinthians He also described sanctification as the process by which they would be remade in Christ’s likeness: “We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” ( 2 Corinthians 3:18 ). In other words, we progress from one level of glory to another as we progress toward the ultimate goal. So “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” is simply a command to pursue sanctification (the whole theme of Romans 12–16). When Paul told the Galatians, “as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” ( Galatians 3:27 ), he was in essence saying sanctification begins at conversion. From the first moment of faith, we are clothed in his righteousness. That is justification. In the words of the prophet Isaiah, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness” ( Isaiah 61:10 ). But that is just the beginning of what it means to put on Christ. Justification is a once-for-all completed event, but sanctification is an ongoing process. And the command to “put on . . . Christ” in Romans 13 is a command to pursue the Christlikeness of sanctification. The hope of Christ’s imminent return is therefore the hinge on which a proper understanding of sanctification turns. Let’s review some of the key texts that speak of the imminence of Christ’s return, and notice specifically what kind of practical duties this doctrine places on us: •  Steadfastness:  “Be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand” ( James 5:8 ). •  Kindness:  “Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!” ( James 5:9 ). •  Prayer:  “The end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers” ( 1 Peter 4:7 ). •  Faithfulness in assembling together and encouraging one another:  “Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” ( Hebrews 10:24–25 ). •  Holy conduct and godliness:  “Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness” ( 2 Peter 3:11 ). •  Purity and Christlikeness:  “When He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” ( 1 John 3:2–3 ). Those cover several broad categories, embracing every aspect of our sanctification. The hope of Christ’s imminent return is a catalyst and an incentive for all these things—every fruit of the Spirit, every Christian virtue, everything that pertains to holiness and Christlikeness, and everything that belongs to life and godliness. That is why it is so important to cultivate a watchful expectancy for the imminent coming of Christ. The point is not to make us obsessed with earthly events. In fact, if your interest in the return of Christ becomes a consuming fixation with what is happening in this world, you have utterly missed the point. The knowledge that Christ’s return is imminent should turn our hearts heavenward, “from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” ( Phil 3:20 ). “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless” ( 2 Peter 3:14 ). 1  1. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the  New King James Version  (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). 2  2. Dennis McKinsey, ed., “Imminence” in “Biblical Errancy,” issue 89 (May 1990). The source of this essay is the recently released volume entitled The Second Coming , copyright © 1999 by John MacArthur (Crossway, 1999).

Cameron Buettel is an author partnering with Pastor John MacArthur at www.gracetoyou.org. Here are his powerful insights. Parenting is never easy. Nobody in this fallen world has mastered it. And when it comes to raising children in the fear of the Lord, fathers shoulder the greatest biblical responsibility—being accountable to God as the heads of their homes ( Ephesians 6:4 ;  1 Timothy 3:4–5 ). The need to learn and grow in the role of fatherhood never ceases, and Scripture is our richest source of parental wisdom. It offers clear instruction and furnishes us with powerful role models. And it’s not just the good dads that we can learn from. In fact, the  bad  dads of the Bible may well teach the most profound lessons of all. Eli is certainly a prime example. He was a priest and judge over Israel during one of the lowest points in its history—at the end of the era of judges, when “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” ( Judges 21:25 ). Eli’s life is a great lesson for us because his key failure was a relatively obscure sin that runs rampant in the church today—a passive approach to parenting. Eli was no reprobate. He had good desires for the people of Israel ( 1 Samuel 1:17 ), reverence for God ( 1 Samuel 3:18 ), and a hatred of evil ( 1 Samuel 2:22–24 ). But his hatred of evil didn’t produce any active response—at least as far as his sons were concerned. His passive approach brought disastrous results for his family and the nation of Israel. Along the way he displayed a severe deficiency in three critical qualities that all fathers need. Failure to Discern John MacArthur was once asked “what is the greatest need in the church today?” He responded directly and succinctly: “ It’s simple for me to answer that. The biggest problem in the church today is the absence of discernment .” And Eli’s life is proof that the lack of discernment is not an exclusively modern problem. Eli accused a pious woman (Hannah) of drunken behavior because she prayed silently in the tabernacle ( 1 Samuel 1:12–14 ). But he was seemingly oblivious to his own sons who were abusing their priestly office by fornicating ( 1 Samuel 2:22 ) and stealing sacrifices ( 1 Samuel 2:12–17 ) right under his nose! Eli eventually did confront his sons. But it was only after their wicked conduct became common knowledge among the Israelites: Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting. He said to them, “Why do you do such things, the evil things that I hear from all these people? No, my sons; for the report is not good which I hear the Lord’s people circulating. If one man sins against another, God will mediate for him; but if a man sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for the Lord desired to put them to death. ( 1 Samuel 2:22–25 ) Fathers need discernment. An aversion to conflict and the concealing of sin can temporarily hide the truth, but eventually the sin will bear undeniable consequences. However, discernment only identifies the issue. Once sin is identified it must also provoke swift and decisive action. Failure to Discipline Eli may have confronted his sons (though under duress) but he never took any disciplinary action against them. He may have thought he had a loving attitude towards his sons, but Scripture says it was a practical hatred: “He who withholds his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently” ( Proverbs 13:24 ). Remember Solomon’s counsel: “Discipline your son while there is hope, and do not desire his death” ( Proverbs 19:18 ). “While there is hope” suggests that there comes a time when it is too late for the disciplinary process to do any good. In the case of Eli, he was very old by the time he confronted his sons. And he only did so because of the grievous testimonies he heard among the Israelites. Moreover, the concluding warning of the proverb—“do not desire his death”—is not some empty divine threat. Consider the concluding and soon to be fulfilled words of  1 Samuel 2:25 : “The Lord desired to put them to death.” Furthermore, the behavior of Eli’s sons is exactly what the Bible warns will happen if fathers don’t discipline their children: “The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child who sets his own way brings shame to his mother” ( Proverbs 29:15 ). “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of discipline will remove it far from him” ( Proverbs 22:15 ). Eli’s disapproval of his son’s behavior was meaningless because he didn’t back it up with discipline. In fact, his passive attitude toward their sin revealed a lack of passion for his God. And God sent a prophet to confront Eli about his passive parenting: “Why do you kick at My sacrifice and at My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling, and honor your sons above Me, by making yourselves fat with the choicest of every offering of my people Israel?” ( 1 Samuel 2:29 ). A failure to discipline children demonstrates a lack of love for them, and even more disturbingly, a lack of love for God. Failure to Divide A former pastor of mine once told me about attending a housewarming party for a couple who were living in sin. When I questioned him about why he would support such an event, he responded: “I made it clear to them that my presence there was not an endorsement of their lifestyle.” That pastor may not have verbally endorsed their sexual immorality, but he was certainly sending the message that it wasn’t that big a deal to him. In the same way, Eli’s delayed objections to his sons’ behavior ring hollow. God had rebuked Eli, asking him why do you “honor your sons above me?” ( 1 Samuel 2:29 ). God equated Eli’s passive approach with “kick[ing] at My sacrifice and at My offering which I have commanded.” The outrageous scandal of Eli’s ministry was that he failed to make a clear separation—a division between the priesthood and his disqualified sons. Eli allowed his sons to continue ministering as priests in the Lord’s house. How could he claim to represent God among the Israelites while he repeatedly ignored the blasphemy of his sons as they abused their priestly office? And Eli’s passivity was not a temporary failing in his life. It lingered well into his old age ( 1 Samuel 2:22 ) while his sons maintained a relentless pattern of blasphemous conduct—worthy of death according to Mosaic law. I believe Eli’s overweight physique ( 1 Samuel 4:18 ) also reveals his failure to divide from the sinful activities of his sons. While he paid lip service to abhorring their sin, it seems he willingly partook of the spoils. Scripture does not make a definitive connection, but the mention of Eli’s weight implies his willing indulgence in eating the meat sacrifices that his sons were stealing. God included Eli with his sons by saying, “making  yourselves  fat with the choicest of every offering of my people Israel” ( 1 Samuel 2:29 , emphasis added). Eli’s story teaches us that the opposition of evil must extend beyond righteous rhetoric. It also demands division with those who persist in their iniquity. The apostle Paul reminds us: Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? . . . “Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. “And do not touch what is unclean.” ( 2 Corinthians 6:14–17 ) Eli failed to discern his sons’ sins, failed to discipline them for it, and failed to divide himself from their wicked activities. There is no happy ending to his story. God’s judgment came to pass: He used a pagan army as His instrument of wrath to put Eli’s sons to death—along with thirty thousand Israelite soldiers. Then Eli collapsed and died when he heard news of the carnage ( 1 Samuel 4:10–18 ). It’s possible to take the Eli approach to child rearing without such a large death toll, but Scripture reminds all who tread his path that precious souls are always at stake: “You shall strike him with the rod and rescue his soul from Sheol” ( Proverbs 23:14 ). www.gty.org/blogs

Introduction In today’s world, it is common for people to identify themselves using their “preferred pronouns” to reveal how they want others to address and identify them. The cultural assumption here is that Biblical the definition of man and woman is up for debate. And, while it leaves God and the truth about gender out of the conversation, it also plays into Satan’s aim to “steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10). When we approve of or incline ourselves to the world’s system of operations, we heed to the commands of worldliness led by Satan whose goal is to draw us into his realm of darkness. The structures of this world, led by Satan, seek to draw us away from God into the opposite of God’s will for us. And when believers – indwelt by the Holy Spirit after making Jesus our Lord & Savior – succumb to the culture’s way of life, we submit to friendship with the world. And friendship with the world creates an inner conflict in us as the Spirit in us wars again our flesh and results in, as James puts it, ‘hostility toward God.’ However, when we understand God’s character and recognize His passionate desire for us, our  response should be an overwhelming sense of humility. And when we are humble before Him, He offers us grace. And God’s grace is the cure to worldliness because as we reflect on His goodness and provision, we see the depth of our need for Him. And our need for God should motivate us to cultivate a relationship with Him and a willingness to reject the pressures to conform to the culture. Worldliness is corrected by humble repentance, where we turn away from worldliness and return to fellowship with God. Getting Started 1. What are examples of worldliness? In what ways would you consider yourself worldly? 2. How have you seen worldliness affect others and their decisions? Let’s Get Personal 1. Think about a time in which you acted worldly. What were the consequences? 2. Have you ever allowed worldliness to dictate your decisions? How did it affect you? 3. Have you ever humbly repented and rejected the culture’s way of living? Take the Next Step 1. In your own words, how is understanding God’s character a cure for worldliness? 2. What steps can you take to correct the influence of worldlines in your life? 3. Want to go deeper? Take time to look at the following passages: James 1:1‐12; 1 Peter 1:6‐9; Hebrews 10:35‐39; 2 Corinthians 1:3‐11; Isaiah 43:1‐2; John 16:33; Romans 12:12; 1 Peter 5:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Romans 5:3‐5; James 1:13‐18; 2 Corinthians 11:3, 13‐ 15; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Peter 2:9; Psalm 50:15; Genesis 39:6‐18; Matthew 4:1‐11, 6:13, 26:41; Luke 8:13; 1 Corinthians 7:5; Genesis 3:1‐6; James 1:19‐27; 1 Peter 2:1‐2; 2 Corinthians 3:17‐18; Psalm 139:23‐24; 1 John 3:16‐18; Luke 10:25‐37; Romans 7:22; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 5:11‐14; John 8:31‐32; Luke 8:4‐15; James 2:1‐13; Galatians 2:11‐20, 3:28‐29; John 4:1‐42; Numbers 12:1‐16; Ephesians 2:11‐22; 1 Corinthians 1:26; Romans 12:16; Malachi 2:9; Acts 10:34; Deuteronomy 24:19; 2 Chronicles 19:7; Romans 10:12; Matthew 23:1‐12; Acts 6:1‐6; Romans 14:1‐12; James 2:14‐26; Romans 4:1‐5; Ephesians 2:8‐10; Romans 4:17‐20; Romans 5:8‐10; Isaiah 41:8; 2 Chronicles 20:7; John 19:30; Genesis 22:1‐19; Joshua 2:1‐21, 6:22‐25; James 3:1‐12; Mark 11:20‐26; Matthew 12:31‐37; Matthew 15:16‐20; Psalm 16:23; Psalm 19:14; Proverbs 18:20‐21; Psalm 15:4; Psalm 12:18; Proverbs 13:3; Colossians 4:6; Psalm 141:3; Proverbs 15:14; Ephesians 4:29‐ 30; Ephesians 5:4; Psalm 109:17‐18; James 3:13‐18; James 1:5‐8; Ephesians 5:15; 1 Corinthians 1:19‐24; Job 28:12‐23; Proverbs 9:10; Proverbs 2:1‐7; Colossians 1:9; Ephesians 1:16‐18; Romans 11:33‐34; Proverbs 15:1‐7; Proverbs 10:13‐14; Proverbs 2:1‐ 6; Proverbs 3:5‐6; Daniel 2:19‐27; Proverbs 21:30; Romans 16:27; Romans 12:1‐2; Galatians 1:4; 6:14; 1 John 2:15‐17; 5:19; 1 Corinthians 10:21‐22; 1 Corinthians 3:1‐3; John 15:8‐19; 2 Timothy 4:10; Titus 2:12 Renew Your Mind “You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.” James 4:2