Talking with teens has always been tricky for parents. But the age of social media has changed the dynamic of communication––they may talk more with their thumbs, and less with their mouths. But that doesn’t mean they’re not interested in connecting with you. In this article, I’ll share eight tips to help you keep the conversation with your teen alive and thriving. Tip #1––Talk For Your Teen’s Sake, Not For Yours Are you conversations with your teen centered around simply getting and giving information? Too many times we approach our conversations like a fact-seeking assignment. Instead of talking to your teen in order to get what you need, consider what your teen needs right now, perhaps––a connection, a listening ear, validation, someone who is interested in their world. Mom and Dad, keep the discussions about them. Tip #2––Show Genuine Interest Teens have a knack for starting up conversations at inconvenient times. But you would do well to be willing to talk whenever your teen is ready. Don’t put off the conversation for later and don’t be distracted by your phone! Let your teen know you are ready to talk, by putting down your phone, stepping away from your work, going for a walk together, and really listening to what he’s saying. It’s easy for a teen to tell when you are distracted. You may not want to talk about their favorite sports team, latest video game, or fashion choices, but if it’s what your teen wants to talk about, then pay attention. Set the example for them about how to engage in a conversation by being engaged with your teen. Giving your full attention communicates a lot. Teens feel loved when you are genuinely interested in what they’re saying. Tip #3––Ask a Question About What Your Teen Shared To keep the conversation going, be ready to ask a question about what your teen just said. Ask him something that takes the conversation one step deeper into the topic you’re discussing. As your teen responds, really listen for the answer before jumping in and assuming you know what’s next. Probe deeper into your teen’s world and encourage your teen to think by asking questions that will stimulate deeper thoughts. There are very few meaningful conversations that can be wrapped up in one sitting, so leave the door open for more. Tip #4––Be Okay With Laughing Mom and Dad, stop lecturing your teens all the time! Not every conversation needs to be a serious life lesson. Try laughing at yourself by telling a funny story from your past or joke about the situation you’re in right now to help build a closer connection. Stop trying to be perfect. Connect with your teen by laughing about life’s imperfections. It’s okay to lighten up the conversation from time to time. A little laughter can take the tension out of a tough conversation. Tip #5––Only Give Your Opinion When Asked For It Has your teen rolled his eyes while you’re trying to talk? As your teen gets older, practice only sharing your opinion when you’re asked for it. If you give your two cents too often, your teen will tune you out. Resist the urge to tell them what you think all the time. By asking questions, listening to their response, and keeping your mouth shut, you’re giving space for your teens to come to their own conclusions. Proverbs 18:2 tells us that “a fool finds no pleasure in understanding, but delights in his own opinions.” Mom and Dad, don’t be that person. Tip #6––Ask Questions That Require More Than “Yes” or “No” Answers We’ve all experienced those awkward teenaged conversations consisting solely of grunts and one syllable answers. To avoid this trap, toss the ball in their court. Ask your teen questions that make him think and reflect on the topic and issue at hand. Ask questions that get to the heart of what’s really going on. No matter how your teen responds, welcome him with a friendly smile and the opportunity to engage in deeper discussion and a more meaningful connection. Tip #7––Don’t Get Discouraged if One Conversation Topic Falls Flat Sometimes we try to connect with our teens and they aren’t interested. Some conversations will be wonderful and some will flop. Not every conversation will create a “deep connection” moment, and that’s okay. But you will start to see your teen’s heart more clearly over time. If your teen responds with silence to one topic, try another. Don’t give up. Tip #8––Keep Practicing Consistent conversations, especially ones that are not just about information, will slowly build up your relationship. Strengthen your connection by setting aside regular weekly time to dive into a discussion with your teen. Trust me, your teen wants a connection with you and they want to be heard just as much as you did when you were their age. Conclusion Hey moms and dads … your conversations with your teen are important opportunities to help them develop a style of communication that can get to the heart of their issues and deepen your relationship with them. It all begins with your ability to listen. Listen to what your teen is saying and respond in such a way that encourages, not discourages, future conversations. When having a discussion, don’t correct, don’t tell them how to say it better, and don’t tell them how they can say it differently. Don’t tell them, show them! Create the conversation they long for and they will come back for more. In a world where no one listens, be the one who always gives an ear to your teen. As the Bible says––be slow to anger, slow to speak, and quick to listen. parentingtodaysteens.org.

Keep doing what you done, you’ll keep getting what you got. And if you want something new, we’re going to need to try something different. I say, we think different. Anybody with me in the house today? I was talking to my daughter Clover on FaceTime a few days ago. And I was asking her, catching up on life and how everything was going for her. And I was asking her specifically about tennis practice. I know they had gotten in to play some tennis. And they have a couple different coaches who will do different clinics and different gatherings of different young people learning to play tennis. And so I knew at one point she had been with Brad for a long stretch because the coach Jeff had gone back to Minnesota to spend some time with family. And so she had been with Brad a bunch of times. And each coach has a different personality and temperaments. And so the clinics kind of tend to go different or the lessons go different. And so, but I knew Brad had then gone on a long hunting trip and was gone for a couple of weeks. So it was back to Jeff for a while, and so it was kind of like back and forth. And so I was catching up with her, I was like, well, who is leading in tennis today? And she said, well, it was Coach Jeff today. I go, how was that? She goes, Dad, I’m honestly, I don’t even know. I go, what do you what do you mean, Clover? She said, well, when it was Coach Brad week after week, he was telling me this about my serves and this needed to change, and to serve, I needed to do this differently. And so I really felt like I was getting good at that serve technique. And then Brad went away, and it was Jeff back. And Jeff watched me serve for a while and said, Clover, we got some work to do on the serve. What’s this whole thing? It was the whole thing Brad had just given her, right. And she said, so she just kind of stood there for a while like, y’all need to get on the same page up in here, right. And I just thought, how funny to have two sources of input coming into your life, telling you that what you’re doing, based on the other advice, is completely wrong. What Clover was feeling is what I feel like God would say to all of us today, make up your mind. Make up your mind. Being told two different things here, the title I’m taking for these weeks of this collection of messages, though it really in truth is just one message that will break up over multiple weeks. And I hope you can do everything for your soul to be here for the four weeks of this series because God would have us to stop hobbling back and forth between two opinions. Like the prophet Elijah said to the nation of Israel at one point, if the Lord is God, follow Him. But if this other thing is the most important thing, if bale is God, if career is God, if your GPA is God, if skiing is God, then just go all in on that. But let’s not be messing around back and forth here, serving one way on this week and a completely different way, approaching it different on this week. God would say, make up your mind. God is saying to us, the time has come to decide. Make up your mind. Make up your mind. Colossians, Chapter 3 is our launching off point in the weeks that will be on this theme. And I’ve always loved how Paul says, if then. He’s talking to the Church at Colossae. Now keep in mind, it’s the church he did not start personally. They are his grandchildren in the faith. You see, he led some people to the Lord who went on to start this church. And so Paul feels like a spiritual papa. He feels very much, I care about you, not because you came from me and my faith spiritually, you aren’t my sons in the faith. But you’re kind of my grandchildren in the faith. And he knows that they were getting kind of like messed with. What they were specifically dealing with in the church at Colossae is a false way of relating to God called gnosticism, that basically says Jesus is good. That’s good that you started there. But now let’s get on to the deeper truth. We need Jesus plus this, plus that. Plus, you’re going to have to add in some of this over here. And Paul’s like, are you kidding me? He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. All things exist through him and for him. He is the firstborn from the dead. The church, it’s his. He’s the head of it. If he is who has raised you, the Christ, if you were raised with Christ he says, seek those things which are above. Don’t look at Him as kindergarten and then move on from Jesus. Seek the things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things of the Earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. And Lord we pray that you would help us to see the reality of the Resurrection that is responsible for the new life in our hearts, and that we’ve been given the spirit that raised Christ from the dead. And I pray God that in having that revelation, just getting a glimpse of what is really taking place in our hearts, we would see that there’s no need to ever go anywhere other than Jesus, for it will take all of eternity to even begin scratching the surface of who Jesus is. And I pray that instead of thinking God, we would need something else. We would actually truly live like we have been raised from dead to life in Christ. If you have been raised, seek the things that are above. I pray you would help us to do just that, setting our minds on things above, to make up our minds. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. Amen. Those who study such things say that we, on average, have 500 intrusive thoughts per day, each one lasting more or less than right around 14 seconds. If you do the math, that adds up to about two hours per waking day. We’re on average sleeping 6 to 8 hours a day, right, some of you less, some of you more. Who’s on the less than six hours side? OK. I’ll pray for you. You need to go to bed. And who’s on the more than eight side, so we can be jealous. Well done. Well done. I heard that LeBron James sleeps like 10 hours a night, right. Unbelievable how much power there is in resting. They say sleep really is a superpower. But if you sleep six to eight hours a day, that means you’re awake for 16 to 18 hours. And if out of 16 to 18 hours per day, you’re battling intrusive thoughts for a full two hours. We spend a lot of time thinking about things that are trying to rob us of our joy. And by definition, an intrusive thought is not one that you welcomed in. You were like, I would love to just picture myself falling off a cliff, for just a couple minutes per hike. You know, like, these thoughts come into our mind. Like they call that staring into the void. Have you have ever been on a random hike, and you weren’t suicidal. There was nothing like, no like death wish in your mind. But you’re just like, you can picture yourself falling off the cliff. And you kind of like take a step back because you’re worried you might jump. You’re not weird. You’re human. Right. It’s called staring into the void. It’s actually a phenomenon that just occurs. It’s partially because there’s just a deep seated fear that would happen, that your mind starts going, well I wonder if you’re crazy enough to do it. Intrusive thoughts! Some of them are innocent enough, but others are far more destructive and evil. And we start to think that we’re messed up because we have these messed up thoughts. But two hours of every single day, what does that add up to in a year, in a decade, in a lifetime? How much of our lives’ joy and God’s glory, is the enemy who comes to steal and to kill and destroy, taken from us through our thinking. This whole collection of messages is in one sentence is that, the kind of people we’re going to be will be determined by the kind of thoughts we’re going to think. Jot that down. The kind of people we’re going to be will be determined by the kind of thoughts we’re going to think. Now again, we can’t stop an intrusive, invasive, destructive, selfish, anxious thought from popping into our head. But we do get to choose, out of all the thoughts that occur to us, which ones to think on. Martin Luther put it well when he said, you can’t stop birds from flying around your head. But you don’t have to sit still long enough to let them build a nest in your hair. So you are not the thoughts you think. You are not the thoughts that you think. That’s one thing that’s helpful is to sort of separate ourselves from it. Just because they popped into my head, does not mean that that’s who I am. But neither do you have to think on what you think about. In the Scripture, from the beginning to the end, makes clear that we do get to choose what to think about, what we get to dwell on, what we get to meditate on. And the whole of 2024 being in front of us, as much as God in his wisdom and in his will, will allow us to see, wants us to understand the path to victory that comes not through mind over matter. Don’t mistake what I’m saying here. Or manifesting the Mercedes, that’s not what we’re talking about here. That’s not the sermon. But what we are trying to understand and what God is pleading with us to see, and that is what we allow into our mind, hear me, really does matter. Lest we make the foolish mistake of just loving God with all of our soul and our heart and our body, but not our mind. What does it mean to love God with all our minds and to let the transformed life that God wants us to live come through not conforming our thoughts to the pattern of this world, but having our minds transformed, the renewing that can happen when we shape what we think through what God has spoken, because faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Because the truth is, whatever you’ve done up until this point, you’ve already gotten to experience it, right? And here’s a mind blowing thought. If you keep doing what you done, you keep getting what you got. And if you want something new, we’re going to need to try something different. I say, we think different. Anybody with me in the house today? For too long, have I both felt I’m worthless and felt I’m terrible and felt I’m awful, and God couldn’t love me because man my mind is full of some scary, my mind is a scary place, man, right. If you ever have a chance to come into my mind, bring mace, right. Don’t come without a flashlight. You might get lost. Leave breadcrumbs, right? I’m just telling you, my mind, I feel my mind, so often, not just a bag of cats. I feel like a bag of cats full of rabies. Like, it’s like, what is going on? And the work it’s going to take to get our minds into the kind of shape for us to walk, like Paul says here, truly raised. Don’t you love that he says, if then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above. Set your mind. Do you hear that? Set your mind. Set your mind, like you would set a clock. I came home from this trip, and my alarm clock by my bed was blinking 12. So at some point, there must have been one of the brownouts or blackouts or power outages that happens, right? And so here’s this clock. What did I have to do? I had to go set it. I just sit down and remember the sequence of steps to go through to get this clock to tell the right time. But then, right before I went to sleep, I remembered, oh, I need to also change the alarm settings because they got reset, too. And so that’s what I’m hoping, that’s what I’m praying, entering into this year, that God would help us to see it’s our job to do. Because he doesn’t say, if you were raised with Christ, let God do all that setting for you. He did all the hard work, guys. The cross, the tomb, he has given us his spirit. He’s given us his word. He just says, OK, now will you set your mind based on what I’ve revealed, based on what I’ve spoken. Will you focus your thoughts up? Will you make up your mind? And not any other thing because the kind of people we’re going to be, will be determined by the kind of thoughts that we’re going to think. So if you’ve truly been raised, if you’ve truly been seated, if you’ve truly been sealed, if you could picture the marriage supper of the Lamb, the initial feast, once everybody who’s gonna get to heaven is in heaven. The Bible talks about this marriage supper of the Lamb. Why would he call it that? Because there’s not a greater, more joyous occasion that any of us can think of than the wedding feast, right. When you get together with all of your family and every single person, not that wedding that you’re dreading. I’m talking about the one that you can’t wait because you love all your people. You know what I’m talking about, right. There are times where we’re just, like, oh my. I was at a wedding once where they had like so much food and so much ridiculousness and shenanigans and dancing and people are getting raised up on chairs in the air. And then at midnight they announce, the chicken and waffles are here. I had eaten like 4,000 calories because it’s a wedding, you know. This is how we’re all going out. You know, it’s like, this is just joyful. Yeah, calories don’t count at wedding parties, right. We get to watch grandma get down with the ring bearer on the dance floor. Everybody’s, everyone’s acting a fool. And you’re just, you’re looking around, you go, I haven’t seen these people all year. I haven’t seen some of these people in many years. Will I ever on this earth see this gathering of this many people I love? And think about God saying, like, I want you guys at the wedding feast, every single one of you. And he’s saying, if that really is in your future, because I know we build up death as this awful thing. But it’s like, on the other side of it is that? In Christ? Death is still our enemy, but it’s a defeated enemy. So it serves His purposes, not the devil’s purposes. If that’s what we have to look forward to, what kind of thoughts would you think daily? How long has it been since you just sat down and thought about heaven? Thought about the glory and let that motivate, how much does that influence and inform your day to day lives? Your financial decisions, your social media posts, your conversation over a beer with the bros, right, how much is this really working down into the actual stuff that is your life? And even like your kids and what you hope for them, how easily we can go from, like, God and kingdom to like, no, no, no, no, my kids, they have to have this. And they have to have that. And I have watched so many people try and mold their kids into what led them to misery and emptiness and sinfulness. But even in Christ, we still somehow think our kids need to experience, how would that work out for you? And we’re somehow still, the actual thinking of our lives, comes back down to earthly thinking. You know why? Because Earth has something working for it that heaven doesn’t have: gravity. Apparently in heaven, gravity is optional. I don’t know. Jesus just be flying and stuff. You know what I’m saying, like. So in heaven, good news, bad news. You get to fly. Good news, bad news, when you get to fly, you’re defying gravity. This earth, got some gravity. Could prove it to you. See it? Pulling me down. Nope! Yeah! Just keep sucking, keeps pulling, keeps getting ya. Gravity’s powerful, man. Gonna call on Isaac Newton to help me preach the rest of this sermon. Why would he say, set your mind on things above and not things of the Earth? Because the earth just naturally pulls you down. Your attention and your focus, the Earth is just always pulling at us. It’s got centrifugal force because it’s spinning as it flies. But heaven, we have to fight against gravity to look up, to think up, to live up. But if we’ve truly been raised, seated, awakened, called, commissioned, if we really did say, here am I, send me after the coal from the altar touched our lips. How differently would we think? How much more would up be what we make happen in our minds? And I guess God just was whispering to me as I was praying about this. Part of the problem is, we’ve believed the lies that Satan has told about heaven. And that has caused us to cling with nail prints into this earth, into this life. We don’t really believe that heaven is better than this world. And some have said so, quite specifically. I was reading in the Los Angeles Times a while back, a column that was written by Joel Stein. And he wrote heaven is totally overrated. It seems boring. Clouds, listening to people play the harp, it should be somewhere you can’t wait to go, like a luxury hotel. Maybe blue skies and soft music were enough to keep people in line in the 17th century. But heaven has to step it up a bit. They’re basically getting by, simply because they only have to be better than hell. I applaud his honesty. Randy Alcorn said, Satan need not convince us that heaven doesn’t exist. He need only convince us that heaven is a place of boring, unearthly existence. If we believe that lie, we’ll be robbed of our joy and anticipation. We’ll set our minds on this life and not the next. And we won’t be motivated to share our faith. Why should we share the good news that people can spend eternity in a boring, ghostly place that even we’re not looking forward to? For the record, we need to see this for what it is, an attempt from the enemy to get our thinking based on a lie that will neutralize us of all that God intends for us to do, which is to live freely and lightly on this planet, with open hands and a light touch, able to enjoy blessing here and now, absolutely, but not so thirsty. God wants us to be hungry, but not thirsty, hungry for what he has for us, but not thirsty, walking around hoping the next trip, the next year’s vertical you can get on your ski pass app, is somehow going to make up for some deficiency inside of you. When will we wake up and smell the overdoses to see that there is not pleasure on this planet that can fill the hole in the human soul? If possessions and accomplishments were enough, we would expect the ultra wealthy, ultra famous to be the happiest people out there. And the rehab rate, overdose rate, divorce rate would be next to nil. But instead, we see Anthony Bourdain’s Ecclesiastes journey repeated ad infinitum, that living like Bacchus, the God of wine, telling us to, somehow makes us more miserable than it does bring us satisfaction. And so the boring heaven myth is a strategy of the devil. So we need to think deeply and often about all that we have to look forward to. Because when we realize our true life is in front of us, it takes all that pressure off of this life and positions you to be on mission, hungry for the will of God, hungry to do the work of God, eager to see God do the next thing. And then when a blessing opens up, well look, God gives all things richly to enjoy. So we get to enjoy them, but we do so with the mentality that it’s like that pre-game Thanksgiving meal you eat, when you’re just trying to stretch your stomach out a little bit. You just don’t want to go into it like a novice, super fasted. You need that thing all stretched out. So you just you pregame a little. Anybody with me on the pregame? Just pregame it, right? Everything on this life is just pre-gaming. There’s joy to come. We’re not needing this to be the feast. C.S Lewis talks about why we’re so moved by myth. The movies we watch, the idea of the world being under a spell and being pulled out from it, someone heroically laying down their life. All of these movies, these themes that really move us have in common, the elements and the ingredients of the gospel. And the stirring scenes that we see in cinema and in story, of animals talking and of a Willy Wonka like existence where you get to eat the cup after you drink the tea, all of that, he says, the reason that pulls on you like it does, and which cannot be explained by Darwin, can it? All of these yearnings for what shouldn’t be true, if there’s a world full of devoid of any meaning, and we should just give in to the despair. And what does it matter if we help our fellow man? If it really is all black and lights out the moment any of us die, if there is no eternal life, if there is no forgiveness, then why are we so moved by someone laying down their life for their friend? Why are we so stirred by a vision of a world without a curse? And so he writes, if we truly believe that God will one day give us the morning star, which is by the way, a promise God gives to you in scripture, and cause us to put on the splendor of the sun, not just watch the sun and feel the warmth of the sun, but put the splendor of the sun on. Hello. You think a luxury hotel can compare to wearing the glory of the sun? Then we may surmise that both the ancient myths and the modern poetry, so false as history, may be very near the truth as prophecy. Everything you’ve ever felt that made your heart leap is what’s to come, prophecy. And this explains why… have you ever felt sad when you got to the end of a hike you were waiting to do for years? Not sad because it wasn’t beautiful, sad because you wanted to pull the beauty into you more than you could. Heaven talks about a day where we won’t just see a beautiful sunset from the top of a mountain, but we’ll do so in a way that we can drink it in deeper. And then the trees all around will start clapping at the accomplishment and at the glory, right? Heaven being a downgrade, a lie. The truth is glory unimaginable, for in his presence is fullness of joy. And at his right hand are pleasures evermore. So come on, let’s make up our minds. How, of course, is a pretty good question. Are we going to do that, Levi, when we got two coaches? Because we do. And I want to talk to you in this inaugural message, and we’re almost done here, about dealing with the two coaches that are warring for our attention, trying to tell us how to do our serve. We got both the flesh and the spirit. And if we’re going to really truly set our mind on things above, we need to walk in the spirit and not in the flesh. This is Galatians now, another letter Paul wrote, Chapter 5. And I’m going to read to you starting in Verse 16. He says, I say then: walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. And those are contrary to one another. So that you do not do the things that you wish. You’re like, this explains so much. Because just deciding isn’t enough, he’s saying. I’m not going to sin anymore. No. 2024 is my year, no more sin. You do not do the things that you wish to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like. That’s not even an exhaustive account of the kind of things one coach wants you to live out this year. What we’re seeing, as we hear this, I want you to just see all of 2024 in front of us. And I want you to ask the question, how much of this do you want to characterize the next year for you? Because you have a coach inside of your head who hopes that this is what your 2024 looks like. I want some idolatry in July. I want outbursts of wrath to mark August. We’re hoping contentions and sorcery can just, let’s just call that all of quarter three. We want fornication. Let’s call that Valentine’s Day. We’re hoping some adultery, when is my wife due? Probably some adultery postpartum, some lewdness come… Come on, Levi. That’s what your fleshly coach in your head is hoping for in your coming year. “Of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” How many of you would like your other coach to walk you in? How many of you want some goodness in June? How many of you want love to characterize the entirety of not just next year, but between now and heaven? Because love is the singular Fruit of the Spirit, that if it takes root in your heart and life, will lead to all of these other things. For joy to be our journey in this coming year, we must set our minds on things above. John Phillips, a commentator and Bible teacher who went to heaven a number of years ago, who was and is one of my favorites to read on books of the Bible, and I loved him so much. I just thought, God, I want him to know a young man in Montana is really blessed by his teaching. So I wrote a letter to him, handwritten letter. Thank you for your commentary. So I don’t know if he’s ever going to get it. His daughter wrote me back and said, my father is deathly ill on his deathbed. And I just sat with them in hospice and read your letter to him, and it brought tears to his eyes. And so as I read this quote to you, I do so from the vantage point of knowing he is in glory now. And he doesn’t wish he could get back down to this broken earth. But he sure is hoping that we will not waste a moment we have between now and then. He said, the old man, the flesh, watches sleeplessly for an opportunity to seize control of the body that it once owned, for yet another fling. Pause right there, your attention please. When you came to know Jesus, if you have yet come to know Jesus, you have the Spirit of God within you. And the Spirit of God quickened and brought to life your spirit inside of you. You died to this world and were given a citizenship in heaven. And your spirit, which is the part of you capable of interacting with God in his power, came to life, but it was a newborn. I took a newborn baby boy into my arms last week. And I thought to myself, how pathetic. He literally can’t do anything. I, being a strong full grown man in the prime of my life, in phenomenal shape, am so much stronger than him. When you got saved, your spirit was a baby. Your flesh has had 40 years to be very good at calling the shots. Your flesh is the ally of the enemy within you. He has had his head cut off at the moment of salvation. But like a snake that can continue to infect you with his head cut off, he very much still can hurt you. He’s not in control of you, but he doesn’t want you to think that. And your muscle memory is so honed to jump when he says jump, that even with your spirit alive and your name in heaven, your flesh will still be like, do it. And you’re like, I’m going to do it. Wait, I don’t have, you’re not in charge of me. So he wants you to go for one more fling. He is like some sleeping vampire of a horror story. He lies there in his grave, a denizen of the darkness, waiting his chance to seize us by the throat and slake his horrid appetite and thirsts. We must drive the mighty stake of the cross of Christ through his hellish heart. We must deny him access to our members and reckon him dead and remember Calvary. Oh come on, let’s give John Phillips some thanks in glory for reminding us that we got the stake in our hands of the cross of Jesus Christ. And we are under new management. So our old boss is still there. And he’s still telling us to do all these things from one list, but we are opened up to the possibility of life in the new list. But every day, that stake must go in the heart again because it resets like Groundhog’s Day at midnight, or at 2:00, or at 4:30, I don’t know. But every day, like, again I got to walk? Yeah, you got to walk it out. And we would love to think that the longer we’ve walked with Christ, the more immune we would be to his schemes. But it isn’t so. We need him every hour. We need him every second. And the answer, he makes clear, Paul does, in Galatians, isn’t going to be more rules, but a closer relationship. Because our tendency would be to say, well then, there we go. Well then, no, this after this, this after this, and I am going to just legislate myself to Holy living. See also, the entire reason Paul wrote the book of Galatians. If you’re in the spirit, you’re not under the law. So more rules is not going to be your saving grace. A closer relationship, however, will be. So as the team prepares to come, as Solomon comes to minister through music, let me tell you what Colossians, Chapter 3 continues to say to us. To move us into the walking with the Spirit, which is what Paul says is the difference maker between the works of the flesh and the Fruit of the Spirit, the works of the flesh and the Fruit of the Spirit, the hinge is walking with the spirit. Eugene Peterson, in the message translation says, it’s living a freely, lightly animated and motivated life with the Holy Spirit of God inside of you. So it’s not Moses’s Ten Commandments. I’m going to carry these around and never sin again. You won’t make it till Thursday. You’re probably sinning right now, you know. But to take part in the dance of the Trinity, light on your toes, energized and motivated, why would God not just take away? Because then you wouldn’t have to have humility, the humility it takes to keep walking with him daily, keep showing up for that and using the means of grace we’ve been given, which are… all right, now Colossians, 3. And let, someone say let. Let Everybody say let. Let. The word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing… someone say: one another. In psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do, do it in the name of Jesus the Lord, giving thanks to God the Father, through him. What four things will help us to not need more rules, but to have a closer relationship and produce the Fruit of the Spirit and not the works of the flesh? These four: Scripture, siblings, singing, and the Savior. We need scripture to guide us. We need siblings in the family of God to motivate us and to hold us accountable. We need songs, the singing, melodies, psalms, and hymns and spiritual songs, and then that other music that just is the music of your own devotional life, light and energized, motivated, and dancing with the Holy Spirit in you. And doing all the things your hands, your little hands, put your hands up. Think about your hands. What are they going to do this year? What will they touch this year? If you do it all, if you say at all… In the name of Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him, well Lord, what could possibly, at the end of this year be something we did that we’ll regret, if it was done in your name. So may we, as your people, at the outset of this new year, be guided by your truth, be protected as a part of your family, have the soundtrack of praise, all with our eyes on Jesus. That’s my prayer of your people this year. And I pray that if even one person listening to this doesn’t have a relationship with you, hasn’t become that new baby, is just in the flesh only, has no promise of heaven, in fact, has the promise of wrath and hell, which for all of us, is where we head unless we’ve been saved, I pray for a radical work of your spirit to bring to life those today. If that’s you I’m describing, I’m going to pray a prayer because the Bible says we confess with our mouths, we believe in our hearts. And if you would like to trust in what Jesus did for you on the cross and in coming from the grave, and then not look to that next party, that next high, that next thing that cannot bring you joy, I want you to pray this with me. Church family, pray it with us. Dear God, I know I’m a sinner and can’t fix myself. Please come into my heart, make it your home, help me to follow you, to walk with you. Walk with you. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for heaven. Thank you for new life. I give you mine in Jesus’ name. www.freshlife.com

Word: Sidewalk Thru the Sea April 14, 2024 Speaker: Pastor Mark Batterson Scripture: Exodus 14, Revelation 3:7-9, Isaiah 22:22 Sermon Overview:Intheir exodus from Egypt, the Israelites found themselves between a rock and a hard place: the Pharaoh and his army pursuing them and the Red Sea preventing their escape. But Moses told the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord,” (Ex. 14:13). Moses was asking the people to stand on God’s promise to save them. And true to His promise, the Lord miraculously opened the way through the Red Sea; He opened a door that no one could shut, and He closed a door that no one could open. Sermon Series Question: 1. What promise are you standing on? Sermon-Specific Questions: 1. Read Exodus 14:13-29 and Revelation 3:7-9. In the Exodus passage, what door did the Lord open that no one could shut? What was the door that the Lord shut and no one could open? Looking back on your life’s journey so far, what doors have you seen the Lord open and shut for you? How does that build your faith in your current/future circumstances? 2. Pastor Mark identified five strategies for walking through a rock and a hard place: (1) stay calm and carry on; (2) keep it in perspective; (3) kiss the wave; (4) this too shall pass; and (5) fight one more round. How did Moses implement these strategies as he led the Israelites across the Red Sea? Think of a time when you were between a rock and a hard place and you did not walk by faith. How could you have used these strategies? How could you have walked by God’s word and stood on His promises? Digging Deeper: 1. Read Revelation 3:7-9 and Isaiah 22:22. What does it mean that God placed the key to the door on His shoulder? Why would it be on His shoulder? What is the connection between this key, the promises of God, and the cross? 2. Tostand on the promises of God, we must know the promises of God. Ask the Lord to lead you to two new promises in God’s word that you have not seen before. Memorize these promises and ask the Holy Spirit to bring them to your mind when you need them. Practical Application: ● Joinagroupor aministry team, or become a mission partner! ● Getinto community with a small group. It’s not too late. Check them all out at ncc.re/groups!

You have a secret you’ve never shared with anybody: You’ve always felt like an imposter at church. At praise and worship services, you’d stand when you were expected to stand, sing along with the words on the projection screen, and sometimes even raise your hands with your eyes closed (most often during the key change at the song’s bridge). But, if you’re honest with yourself (like, really honest), you didn’t do any of that because you felt a supernatural compulsion to do so. You did it because that’s what you thought you were supposed to do. You did it because you wanted to fit in. On church retreats or at Bible studies, you’d listen to peers describe their relationship with Jesus like it was something out of a paperback romance novel, full of flowery prose and intimate yearnings, and you’d think to yourself, “I wish I knew what that felt like.” And when it came your time to share, you’d exaggerate spiritual experiences to match the energy in the room. While listening to sermons, you could never turn the analytical part of your brain off. You’d sit in the pew, poking and prodding the message in your head, scanning for logical fallacies and strawman arguments. Sure, you were listening (very attentively), but probably not in the way the pastor would’ve appreciated. I’d be willing to bet between one-third and one-half of people reading this blog post right now connect with at least one of the situations I’ve outlined above. Why? Because between one-third and one-half of people are introverts, and those examples came directly from my personal experiences growing up in the church. Looking back, it seems so obvious. And understanding came as a huge relief and helped explain some of the reasons why I felt like an imposter for much of my religious upbringing But it also dredged up some more uncomfortable questions, like: Why did I equate being a “good Christian” with being an extrovert for so long? How many other Christians quietly wrestled with shame for not living up to the “extrovert ideal” of their faith communities? And, perhaps most importantly, what can introverts teach us about living faithfully in an age of disruption, scandal, and instant gratification? Christianity needs extroverts. We need their rapturous energy, charismatic personalities, and daring vulnerability. We need them to teach us how to welcome strangers, take risks, and inspire others. But we also need introverts. We need their gentle disposition, thoughtful intellect, and quiet passions. We need them to show us how to find God in the stillness, listen instead of talk, and respond instead of react. In an age of instant gratification and entertainment-on-demand, introversion is directly related to “less flashy” spiritual disciplines like meditation, prayer, studying, simplicity, and solitude. As such, introverts are probably more receptive to the patient and arduous process of spiritual formation – given the proper instruction and encouragement. It’s only together can Christian extroverts and introverts ever hope to build a “counter-cultural” presence in a culture of personality, celebrity, and shallow living. Without one or the other, the church will only ever be a hollow shell of its beautiful potential. Regarding leadership, introverts are far less motivated by external rewards and social validation. They’re also more risk-averse. Related to their less-active dopamine pathways, introverts are less prone to impulsive decision-making and more comfortable with delayed gratification (as opposed to being driven by novelty and short-term gains). Highly-sensitive introverts also seem to be more attuned to the hurts and needs of others, being able to process and detect subtle social cues and changes in their environment. This is one of the many reasons introverts tend to excel at one-on-one interactions and sustain deeper friendships for longer than extroverts. In a world where nearly 1 out of 3 people say they have less than two close friends (with 12% reporting they have no close friends), an introvert’s ability to develop and sustain close friendships may be their most potent “superpower.” Extroverts excel at bringing people together, but introverts are likely the key to forming tight social bonds in groups. (This dynamic interplay between extroverts and introverts cannot be overstated. When working together in harmony, the personality quirks and temperaments of extroverts and introverts appear designed to magnify each other’s strengths and mitigate their weaknesses.) So listen closely to the quiet ones in your life. They probably have something important to say.

Intrusive thoughts come unbidden into our minds in a variety of ways. They can be innocuous: “Stack those books on your desk” to disturbing: “You are going to die soon.” Intrusive thoughts are repetitive and distracting. They can make us feel alone, embarrassed, ashamed, or fearful. They can include troubling images often triggered by stress and anxiety and therefore almost always cause us to feel overwhelmed and more anxious. Intrusive thoughts are unwelcome and hard to control. I can remember having intrusive thoughts from the time I was a child. When we drove, I often felt the compulsion to press one foot down on the floor between the telephone poles (and yes, I also hopped over the cracks in the sidewalk). At other times, when walking alone, I remember the persistent thought, “He’s watching you.” I would search the bushes and trees for the one my mind told me was watching me. As an adult, my intrusive thoughts tend to sound more like negative self-talk. My inner critic rears its ugly head and talks back at me. “Who do you think you are?” “You idiot.” “You’re going to fail again.” “You’re such a fraud.” For years, these corners of my mind laid safely tucked away. As a child, I didn’t think of these thoughts as having any spiritual ramifications. As an adult, I had the backward mentality that these negative reels were actually my spiritual ally. I thought of them as a spiritual ally because I felt like they protected me from pride. This is a lie. Consider any of those negative self-talk lines above. Does God say any of those about me or you? Certainly not. To speak over ourselves what God does not speak over us is to lie. It is to speak with the tongue of the Accuser. Intrusive thoughts are not your ally. And you can work to exchange destructive intrusive thoughts for convicting and empowering God-talk. What do I mean by God-talk? By God-talk, I mean a conversation with God that reflects who God says you are as reflected in scripture. How can you put this into action? Here are two practical invitations: Breath prayers: many wise Christians have encouraged the use of breath prayers. I find that breath prayers are a particular blessing for those who struggle with OCD tendencies (which have been connected to the frequency and severity of intrusive thoughts). A breath prayer is a simple prayer to God offered on the inhale and exhale. Slowly inhale with the first part of the text, and exhale with the next. Try these breath prayers: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. (Ps. 23:1) Our Father, who art in heaven. (Mt. 6:9) Hallowed by thy name. (Mt. 6:9) Thy kingdom come, thy will be done. (Mt. 6:10) When I am afraid, I will trust in you. (Ps. 56:3) Lord, have mercy. (Ps. 123:3) Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. (Lk 18:13) My help comes from the Lord. (Ps. 121:2) Here I am. (Is. 6:8) Not my will, but yours (Lk. 22:42) Come, Lord Jesus. (Rev. 22:20) Declarations: As we stand in the authority of Jesus Christ, we are emboldened to declare over ourselves the identities of who the Lord proclaims that we are in Him. These are powerful and truthful for a child of God. I’m trying to incorporate these truths in my morning and evening prayers with God. In addition to addressing God by who he is (there are many wonderful lists out there that remind us of the names of God in scripture), I also include who God says I am in return. I like tying the two together. For instance, “Holy God, good morning, thank you for making me a saint.” Or, “Loving Father, I am in awe that you adopted me as your son.” The appendix of our book Trading Faces has an extensive list of truths about who God says we are. Here is a sample we can speak over ourselves: Wonderfully made (Ps. 139:14) Beloved (Jer. 31:3) Citizen (Phil. 3:20) Crucified (Rom. 6:6) Disciple (Jn 13:35) Friend (Jn 15:15) Minister (2 Cor. 3:5-6) New Creation (2 Cor. 5:17) Bride (Rev. 21:2) Holy Nation (1 Pet. 2:9) Light (Matt. 5:14) Salt (Matt. 5:13) Ambassador (2 Cor. 5:20) Priest (1 Pet. 2:9) Servant (1 Cor. 4:1) Our words matter. The words we speak about ourselves matter. Don’t give the Enemy control over your speech for, “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,” (2 Cor 10:5). Affirm what is true about who you are in Christ. Proclaim God’s identities over yourself. You don’t have to be controlled by impulses or negative thoughts: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Rom 12:2). “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1). www.thebeehive.live.

This question, in a variety of forms, has perplexed human beings for centuries. Many people have expressed it this way; “If God is so good, why is there so much evil and suffering in the world?” or “If God is so powerful, why doesn’t He simply put an end to all the wickedness and pain in the world?” To be sure, our efforts to understand this issue fall short of a complete answer, and to a certain extent it will remain a mystery to us this side of heaven. We do know, however, that God is the Author of life, not death. He created Lucifer. Lucifer became Satan by his own rebellion (see Isaiah 14; Ezekiel 28). He then instigated the rebellion of one-third of the angels who became demons (see Revelation 12). God created Adam who rebelled by sinning and led a parade of fallen humanity. Sin in the world is the result of God’s creation rebelling against Him. The Lord, however, remains both all powerful and completely good (see Jude 25: Exodus 34:6). Therefore, at any time, He could choose to say, “Enough is enough” and put a stop to all the activities of Satan as well as to all the activities of us sinful people — and one day He will. Until that Second Coming of Christ, however, we face the harsh reality that incredible evil and suffering abound in our world. Does God see? Does God care? We answer both troubling questions with a resounding, “Yes!” The Lord Jesus, when He walked on the earth, wept at the grave of His dear friend Lazarus (see John 11:35). At another time, “Seeing the multitudes, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew (:36). These are certainly not the emotions and reactions of a distant or aloof God! “Why then,” you may ask, “doesn’t this omnipotent God respond with compassion for all who suffer today?” The answer to that question is “He already has!” The Lord Jesus Christ did not choose to remain on His lofty throne in heaven, far above the pain and misery that Satan causes in this world. Instead, He came to earth clothed in human flesh. He took everything Satan could throw at Him and never gave up or gave in. Jesus even died an excruciating death on the cross to pay for our evil, so that one day we will spend eternity in paradise with Him (see Philippians 2:5-11)! Jesus defeated Satan at the cross and sealed his doom forever. Judgment has already been passed on to the devil; one day he will begin to serve his eternal sentence. “But it seems to be taking so long for Jesus to come back,” you say. Perhaps to us it seems like God is taking His good old time, but God is right on schedule. Listen to the words of the apostle Peter: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise [to come again], as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9, NIV). God is waiting for people like you and me to turn from our sin and put our faith in Christ. It is out of His kindness that He waits to put an end to the devil’s power on earth. For when God puts His foot down and says, “Enough!” to Satan, He will do the same with sinful men and women, and that will be the end of history as we know it. Christ will return, judgment will come, and those who have not believed in Him will be doomed with the devil to the lake of fire (see Revelation 20:10-15). In the meantime, God has given us the tremendous privilege and responsibility of proclaiming the good news of salvation to the people around us who have yet to respond. We can do a lot to lessen the power of Satan in people’s lives by winning them to Christ and helping them become strong in their identity as a child of God. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to make disciples for Christ as we depend on Him. So, we can sit around cursing the darkness, or we can light a candle. But rather than spending our time bemoaning the fact that Satan seems to have so much power, let us be about our Father’s business of building His Church. The gates of hell will not prevail against us (see Matthew 16:18)! And someday every tear will be wiped away, and the universe will be eradicated of evil (see Revelation 21:4).

I John 3:19-4:4 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us. Test the Spirits 4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. ——————— EXAMINATION ——————— (v.19-20) “By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.” Every person who is a true Christian will be convicted about their sin, even during their Christian experience. If we have no conviction about our sin, then we may take that as a sign that perhaps we are not really in Christ. But, in this passage there is also hope. Because John says, “God is greater than our heart.” I.E., the believer has the forgiveness of God. (v.21) “If our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God.” Here is the opposite. If we have no conviction about specific sins, then we should not worry and can be confident that our relationship with God is unbroken, uninterrupted. (v.22) “We keep his commandments and do what pleases him.” First, I want to ask, what pleases the Lord? What kinds of behavior pleases the Lord? Do we want God to take pleasure in our lives? We can recall what kind of joy and happiness we have when we see our kids or our grandkids learning and experiencing life and doing good. Imagine that same kind of reaction that you have being the kind of reaction that God has when he looks at your life, through Christ. He feels pleasure about your life as you follow and love him. Now, notice something else in this passage. Three times in two verses John uses the word, commandments or commanded. (v.23-24). “And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God.” Remember that we’ve said when something is repeated it is important. So, let’s stop down and ask why John uses the word, command so often in just two short verses. Look at the structure. First, he says to believe in Jesus is his command. Then he says to love one another his is command. Then he broadens it to saying that he who keeps these commands abides in God. How can God “command” us to love him? Isn’t love an expression of the heart? Aren’t there people we love and don’t love and can’t help ourselves either way? Why is it legitimate for God to “command” us to love him? “God does not want us to perform for him; he wants us to please him. He wants our obedience to arise out of love for him not merely out of obligation” (“Sure of Victory,” Bible Studies for Life, Senior Adults, Fall 2021). (v.24) “By this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.” Here is a follow-up to his use of the word command. John finalizes his statement by saying that the Spirit is within us. We follow his commands because the Holy Spirit indwells us. It is actually God who makes love for others possible. When we were in Mongolia, I was challenged to love someone who was my enemy. I was accused of a crime by a former employee. She filed 46 counts of slander against me. In Mongolia slander is a criminal offense that carries a sentence of as long as 10 years in prison. Thankfully, the prosecutor threw out the case since there was nothing to it. But God had to work on my heart. I had to learn how to love this woman and forgive her by faith. Eventually we reconciled and forgave one another our wrongs. It was only possible for me to forgive her through the power of the Holy Spirit. Thus, I can abide in love for someone who made me their enemy because of the power of the Holy Spirit to work forgiveness in my heart. (4:1) “Do not believe every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” What kinds of “tests” can we do to know that we are in Christ? And what are the tests we need to use to determine false prophets and teachers from the genuine? Now, there are two things going on here. First, we test ourselves to be sure we are in the kingdom. But these same tests can be applied to others to see if they are in the kingdom as well. So, let’s go through some tests we can apply to ourselves and others so that we can know if someone, or if we are truly Christians. First, an example. I had an employee who confessed that she was a Christian. She said she was a Christian, but in our last meeting, she said about Jesus, “I hate him. He never did anything for me. I hate him.” Though she made a profession of faith down the aisle, in reality, she was not a believer. No true believer can say they hate the Lord. I Corinthians 12:3 says, “I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says, ‘Jesus is accursed!’ and no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit.” My friend failed the test of being a true Christian. John has already given us a few tests in our passage. Verse 20 gives a first test. It says, “for whenever our heart condemns us.” When we are convicted about our sin it demonstrates that we are sensitive to the Spirit’s conviction. Verse 22 says we do what pleases him. What pleases God? Verse 24, whoever keeps his commandments. What does it mean to keep God’s commandments? Verse 24, the Spirit is within us. How do we know we have the Spirit? We know by faith, trusting Jesus words when he says the Spirit will come to those who believe. One test: (vs.2-3) “Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.” But there are other tests so that we may be assured of our salvation or know if someone is a true believer or not. Test by the scriptures. Acts 17:11 says, “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” Does it take away or add to scripture? Revelation 22:18-19 says, “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.” We have the conviction of the Holy Spirit about who Jesus is. John 16:8-9 says, “When [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me…” I should say here an important principle about sin in which the Lord convicts us. Whatever sin we choose to commit, it requires that we put aside our relationship with Jesus in order to commit it. Here’s an example. If we decide to commit adultery, we put aside our relationship with our spouse in order to commit it. We ignore our spouse, don’t think about our spouse, and even don’t care about our spouse’s feelings or love to commit this wrong. The same is true with any sin and Jesus. We disregard what he teaches and our relationship with him so that we can commit that sin. All sin is a violation of relationship. Sin only happens in relationship. If you have no conviction about who Jesus is then that is a warning sign that something might be wrong. There is a major test of authenticity that God gave us through Moses in Deuteronomy 18. It is the first test we are given about the genuineness of a prophet or teacher, and we may apply it to our own hearts as well. Deuteronomy 18:20-22 says, “The prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the LORD has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.” Here are more tests that we can apply to ourselves to see whether or not we are in Christ. We talk about the Lord. Notice what Moses said about this in Deuteronomy 6:7. “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” Surround myself with things of the Lord. “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:8-9). Love the scripture. Moses wrote in Deuteronomy 32:47 about the place that scripture should have in our lives. Scripture, speaking of itself says, “This is not an idle word for you. Indeed, it is your life.” Jesus reiterated this when he said, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word…whoever does not love me does not keep my words” (John 14:23-24). Here’s one more from Deuteronomy, “These words that I command you today shall be on your heart” (Deuteronomy 6:6). Bring my thoughts under the control of the Holy Spirit. What do you think about the most? How often in a day, or even a week, do you contemplate spiritual things? The Apostle Paul said in II Corinthians 10:5, “Take every thought captive to obey Christ.” When we are faced with temptation or have troubling thoughts that disturb us, we should be engaged in intentionally submitting our thought life to the control of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, this takes work. We all have bad thoughts from time to time. When this occurs, we should confess them to God and begin to think of scripture or biblical principles that are the opposite of what we are struggling with. For instance, if I feel the temptation coming on, I say to myself, “No. I don’t want to go there. I will think and commit acts of faithfulness.” We want others to love the Lord. Consider what Jesus said in the Great Commission. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). This principle is built into the Christian experience. It is the primary command in scripture that tells us what we should be doing with our Christian life. If you have no desire for others to know Jesus or to grow to maturity in Christ, then you may not have your heart right with the Lord. Love others as Jesus loved us. This is a little different than what I just mentioned. Jesus raised the bar when he said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 13:34). How did Jesus love us? He sacrificed himself for us on the cross. What greater love is there than this? Now, to be honest, this is probably the hardest way to love someone. And we don’t usually come upon it early in our Christian experience. But we should at least be growing in this direction. So, check yourself. Are you willing to become this kind of person? Consider the example of Jesus, who forgave those who crucified him. Think about this for a moment. This is the first thing Jesus said from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Jesus decided to forgive them while they were in the process of murdering him at that very moment. What a difficult thing to do. Just like forgiving my employee, but the Holy Spirit can empower us to do that very thing. But a word of caution: When we examine the lives of others, we should be careful that we do not do what the apostle Paul warned against. That is, “Do not pronounce judgment before the time.” I Corinthians 4:5 says, “Do not pronounce judgment before the time before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart.” There are some of whom it is obvious that they are not Christians, or they are open about their rebellion from Christ. These are the obvious ones who are not saved. But there are others who say they are Christians, but we have trouble seeing the fruit of that confession. We must be careful that we don’t accidentally judge them wrongly. (v.4) “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” The one who is in us is the Holy Spirit. The one who is in the world is the Evil One, the spirit of the antichrist as John mentioned in 4:3. The world cannot overcome you because the world system, which is run by the enemy, will some day pass away, but you, sealed with the Spirit, will live forever. ———————— INTERPRETATION ———————— What is John’s Big Idea? I think we can take away two major lessons that John wants us to remember. You can know, beyond a doubt, that you, or someone else, is a Christian. You can know, beyond a doubt, that you, or someone else, is not a Christian. Notice John’s progression in the text. He discusses the condition of our hearts, even using the word, “confidence,” about our relationship to God (v.3:21). Then he moves to what pleases the Lord, obeying his commands, then he gives a second assurance about abiding in Christ. How do we abide? By doing what he just commanded. Then he moves to testing the spirits, which includes testing ourselves. If you are in agreement with these things that test us, then you can know you are a Christian and do not need to entertain any doubt. But if you find that these principles are not growing in you, then you may have reason to doubt, or perhaps you are in a phase where you may be ignoring what God is doing in your life. Either way, the scripture gives us encouragement that we can get on the right track. In 4:5-6 John says: “They are from the world; therefore, they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” So too, we can know by these guidelines, these tests, if we are truly in Christ or not. ——————- APPLICATION ——————- Now, the tests presented in our passage are actually meant to apply to others. However, we must first always examine ourselves before others. So, I will apply these to us first. Our application is rather simple. Test yourselves to see if you are in the kingdom. Go through each of these principles and answer honestly to yourself: does my life reflect this truth? If not, what must I do to make it true in my life? Verse 20 gives a first test. Does my heart condemn me or not condemn me? Verse 2, do I do what pleases God? Verse 24, do I keep his commandments? (vs.2-3) Do I confess that Jesus Christ has come in human form? Test myself by the scriptures. Acts 17:11 Do I define my beliefs by scripture? Do I take away or add to scripture? I.E., do I prefer culture over commands? Do I have the conviction of the Holy Spirit about who Jesus is? Do I talk about the Lord? Do I surround myself with things of the Lord? Do I love the scripture? Do I bring my thoughts under the control of the Holy Spirit? Do I want others to love the Lord? Do I love others as Jesus loved us?

If you are in Christ, God will not allow you to enter his reign with a kingdom-grasping pride. You will be stripped of every haughty look, every personal empire, in order that you might enter as a little child, looking for a Father’s inheritance. This will come either through personal repentance, learning to humble yourself, or by God humbling you through his working it out in your life to knock down your empire so you can be found in his. The Spirit then applies the exact same “mind of Christ” from the desert to us in the now. Since that’s the case, the Bible commands us, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Phil. 2:3). If future rule and future glory is there before us, then why would we settle to be the most acclaimed future corpse in our little corner of the world? This counter-satanic humility can be seen, first, in Christians learning to give up the sense of desperation we feel when we lose “control”—of our lives, our expectations, our families, our churches, our country. I don’t know what your personal trap is for kingdom-building. For me, the satanic temptation was there in the having of children. When my wife and I first married, I was absolutely terrified of her getting pregnant “too early.” I had all kinds of plans for my schooling, for my ministry, and I didn’t think we could “afford” children for a while. The day finally arrived when I was “ready” to be a father. Maria and I made the “decision” and celebrated around the table. It was almost like an engagement. But nothing happened. Thank God. That’s easy for me to say two adoptions, three births, and five children later. But if we had conceived right away, I would have been a miserably bad father. I would have seen those children as simply an extension of myself, and of my plans for the future. I know that because of the way I reacted to years of infertility and miscarriage. Although I never would have put it this way, I actually felt as though God were taking something away from me. He was taking away from me the “normal” life I’d mapped out for myself. In fact, he was taking away from me my god, the god of a self-directed future. And behind all that was a reptilian spirit. I don’t know what you’re being offered right now. But you’ll either surrender it, or you’ll collapse right along with it. Whatever you’re concerned about will lead you to what you’ll worship. And on what you worship hinges your destiny. That kind of self-denying humility ought to show up in the way we worship together. Thankfully, we don’t hear as much these days about “worship wars” in Christian churches as we did just a few years ago, but they are still there. For years I thought this phenomenon was the bane of the “make it up as you go along” whirl of low-church evangelical Protestantism, and mostly it is. But, even with a more set traditional liturgy, Roman Catholics and other groups often experience the same kinds of tensions. Maybe you’re like me, reared to have the worship music tastes of a seventy-five year-old woman. That’s because, I think, a seventy-five year-old woman was picking out the hymns and gospel songs in the church where I grew up. I tear up then to sing “Just As I Am” or “To God Be the Glory.” And I’m left cold by what some people call the “majestic old hymns.” They sound like what watercress sandwich-eating Episcopalians from Connecticut would listen to (not that there’s anything wrong with that). And so many of the contemporary songs sound as if they were written by commercial jingle-writers, trying desperately to find words to rhyme with “Jesus” (“Sees us?” “Never leave us?” “Diseases?”). I’m not saying aesthetics don’t matter in worship. Worship is, after all, commanded to be offered with “reverence and awe” (Heb. 12:28). I am saying our varying critiques of musical forms are often just simple narcissism disguised as concern for theological and liturgical downgrade. We need more worship wars, not fewer. What if the war looked like this in your congregation: the young singles petitioning the church to play more of the old classics, for the sake of the elderly people, and the elderly people calling on the leadership to contemporize for the sake of the young new believers? This would signal a counting of others as more important than ourselves (Phil. 2:3), which comes from the Spirit of the humiliated, exalted King Christ (Phil. 2:5-11). When I insist that the rest of the congregation serve as backup singers in my own little nostalgic hit parade of back-home Mississippi hymns, I am worshipping in the spirit all right, but not the Holy Spirit. I am worshipping myself, in the spirit of self-exaltation. The church negates the power of the third temptation when we remind ourselves that we all have this devilish tendency, and we cast it aside whether in worship planning or missions or budget decisions. The narcissistic soul has, we’re told by those who observe such things, a basic lack of empathy, an inability to feel what another is feeling or to even see the other except in terms of an extension of oneself. At the end of its malignancy, the self-exalting soul screams out the blasphemous words of Satan: “I am, and there is no one besides me” (Isa. 47:10; Zeph. 2:15). But Narcissus is drowned in the baptismal waters. When we give up our own craving for power and glory, we find new power and new glory, in Christ. We worship God, and let our kingdoms fall. In order for the Christocracy to come, the egocracies must be crucified. www.russellmoore.com.

Years ago, I observed that if left undirected, many conversations among groups of people are awkward, trivial, and unbalanced. This first became clear to me when I met with a group of older men who had been meeting together once a week for years. I assumed that because they had met so often that they knew each other well. But I soon realized that they had never talked about serious issues of life; they just repeated the same conversations about the weather, sports, and news. Two of the men were unaware they were both veterans of WW2. I continued to meet with this group each week for several months. Once I became a trusted member, I started “orchestrating” the conversations by asking questions and encouraging everyone to respond. I started with simple, non-invasive questions like, “Where were you born and what was the first ten years of your life like?” Eventually we shared on a deeper level, “What’s been the biggest challenge of your life? What are your dreams for the next 10 years?” As the conversations deepened, so did the relationships. Currently, when I’m with a group of people (my family, friends, colleagues), I often initiate topics to discuss, and ask everyone to share their thoughts. Once you create a safe environment where people are free to share their thoughts, and then suggest a meaningful topic, good conversation ensues. Where do the questions come from? I make most of them up on the spot, based on the group. But there are hundreds of good ice-breaker questions. I recently Googled conversation starters and found these. 1. If you could dedicate your life to solving one problem, what would it be? 2. What is the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done? 3. How many uses are there for a brick? 4. Who is the most famous person you have met? Mary reminds me to not dominate conversations with my questions; sometimes people just want to chit-chat. But adding some direction and purpose to conversations helps deepen relationships and and leads to interesting conversations. The next time you’re with a group of people, try it. Psychologist Arthur Aron has written 36 questions arranged in three sets. The questions become progressively more engaging and require a deeper level of sharing. SET I Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest? Would you like to be famous? In what way? Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why? What would constitute a “perfect” day for you? When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else? If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want? Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die? Name three things you and your partner appear to have in common. For what in your life do you feel most grateful? If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be? Take four minutes and tell your partner your life story in as much detail as possible. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be? SET II If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know? Is there something that you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it? What is the greatest accomplishment of your life? What do you value most in a friendship? What is your most treasured memory? What is your most terrible memory? If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living? Why? What does friendship mean to you? What roles do love and affection play in your life? Alternate sharing something you consider a positive characteristic of your partner. Share a total of five items. How close and warm is your family? Do you feel your childhood was happier than most other people’s? How do you feel about your relationship with your mother? SET III Make three true “we” statements each. For instance, “We are both in this room feeling … “ Complete this sentence: “I wish I had someone with whom I could share … “ If you were going to become a close friend with your partner, please share what would be important for him or her to know. Tell your partner what you like about them; be very honest this time, saying things that you might not say to someone you’ve just met. Share with your partner an embarrassing moment in your life. When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself? Tell your partner something that you like about them already. What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about? If you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone? Why haven’t you told them yet? Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. After saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. What would it be? Why? Of all the people in your family, whose death would you find most disturbing? Why? Share a personal problem and ask your partner’s advice on how he or she might handle it. Also, ask your partner to reflect back to you how you seem to be feeling about the problem you have chosen.

Would you turn in your Bibles, please, to the book of 1 Samuel chapter 1, 1 Samuel chapter 1. It’s in the Old Testament. If you’re at Genesis, keep going. If you’re at Isaiah, go backwards. 1 Samuel chapter 1. Our purpose today in gathering, first of all, of course, is to honor the Lord and to worship Him supremely. We always gather with the primary intent is to make Jesus great. He already is great, but we want to make much of Him. Second reason that we gather is to encourage one another. There’s something about getting together and being in each other’s presence and singing the Lord’s music and speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs that brings a sense of encouragement to us. But a third reason we gather today is we want to honor the mothers that are in our midst on this very, very special day. We want to honor moms. Motherhood is the oldest occupation in the world. There wouldn’t be a world without a mother. And I’m glad that 102 years ago, President Woodrow Wilson decided that this needs to be a national holiday, Mother’s Day. But even before he did that, there was a woman named Anna Jarvis, who petitioned the celebration of Mother’s Day. And fittingly, the first Mother’s Day celebration in America took place in a church. I like that. And I think that that’s an important thing for churches to do, to honor those women who are mothers, and so we follow suit. And of course, a mother’s love sets the standard, right. If you want to talk about different degrees of love, you don’t get much higher on Earth than a mother’s love. You’ve heard the old saying, “he has a face that only a mother could love.” Right? You’ve heard that before? That’s a put down. But it says a lot about how great a mother’s love is, right. I mean, mothers just love their children. And children feel special because of it. Of course, we relate to our mothers differently at different age groups. When you’re age four, you might think my mom can do anything. By the time you’re 12, you’re thinking mom doesn’t know everything. By age 14, you’re already saying mom doesn’t know anything. At age 18, you’re saying mom is so out of step with the times. She’s so backwards. At age 25, though, you’re thinking, well, mom knows a few things. At age 35, you’re thinking, before we decide, let’s get mom’s opinion. At age 45, you’re saying, I wonder what my mom would say about this. And at age 65, you’re saying, I wish I could talk to my mom just one more time. Some of you are having that feeling this morning. You miss your mom because she’s not on Earth any longer. And am I right? When you have your own children, you suddenly realize how appreciative you need to be to the parents who bore you? You want to call them and tell them, wow, you put up so much patience with me. And you showed so much devotion and so much love. And now, I realize the weight of responsibility of being a parent. There was a mom pushing her shopping cart through Walmart. Her little girl was in the cart, screaming the entire time. And the mother was saying out loud, now, calm down, Ellen. And it’ll be all right, Ellen. And it’s almost time to go home, Ellen. So one of the Walmart store clerks said to the woman, ma’am, you are to be commended at how patient you are with little Ellen. And the mom looked back at the clerk and said, lady, I’m Ellen. She’s calming herself down. Calm down, Ellen. It’ll be all right, Ellen. But you know, by the time you’re a grandparent, you look back, you think it was all worth it. In fact, if I would have known how fun it is to be a grandparent, I’d have had grandkids first. Aren’t they the best? Well, we’re in 1 Samuel chapter 1, and we want to look at certain things in this chapter. And let me just say that 1 Samuel as a book is about three great men. It’s about Samuel, the prophet; Saul, the first king of Israel; and David, the subsequent king, who is a man after God’s own heart, the greatest king of Israel. So it’s a book about three great men. But the book begins with a woman, and a woman who is infertile, but eventually has a son named Samuel, who becomes this prophet. Somebody once said, when God wants to do a great work, He gets hold of a man. But when He wants to do an exceptionally great work, He gets hold of a woman. I like that. And I think there’s plenty of precedent for that, even in the scripture. Israel’s deliverance from Egypt began with a woman named Jochebed, the mother of Moses, who had the faith to put that little basket with her son down in the river. That’s how it began, with a woman. The story of the lion of King David began with a woman by the name of Ruth. The miraculous preservation of the Jews in Persia was the story of a woman named Esther, who had the kind of faith that she put it on the line. And our salvation in the Gospels begins with a young Jewish woman, a virgin named Mary, who was visited by God. Now, in 1 Samuel chapter 1, I’d like to show you three attributes of a great mother, three traits that are common to all great moms. And first of all, great mothers have great problems. That needs to be said more. Because sometimes, we think of Bible characters as perfect people without problems. They glow in the dark. They’ve got shiny halos. But people are people, and every life has problems, including her life, the mother of the one who would be the great prophet, Samuel. Let’s look at her problem. First of all, in verse 1 and 2, she has a problem with infertility. It says, “There was a certain man of Ramathaim-Zophim, say that 10 times really fast, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. And he had two wives. The name of one was Hannah, the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.” There’s a lot in that verse. There’s a lot of emotion that is in that verse. She had no children. It was the hope of every Jewish couple to have children. It was seen as a blessing from the Lord, because the idea is that you live on in your kids. And they thought, back in those days, the more kids you could have, the better. Psalm 127, “Children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Happy is the one whose quiver is full of them.” In fact, childlessness was such a terrible stigma that it was seen as an affliction, a curse from God. Look down at verse 11. In her prayer, she made a vow and said, “Oh, Lord, of Hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your maidservant and remember me, and not forget your maidservant but will give your maidservant a male child.” Notice how she talks about her condition. It’s an affliction. In the book of Genesis, when Jacob’s wife, Leah, finally becomes pregnant, you know what she says. She says, “the Lord has looked upon my affliction.” And then, his other wife, Rachel, because she couldn’t have children but her sister could, says to her husband, give me children or I will die. So that was so ingrained into the psyche of parents thousands of years ago, that even the rabbis, as time went on, had certain sayings, not Biblical, not from the heart of God. But one rabbi even said, “There are seven people who will be excommunicated from God. The first is a Jew who has no wife. And the second is a Jew who has a wife but has no child.” In fact, did you know if a woman couldn’t bear a son or a daughter, that was grounds for a divorce if within a 10-year period there was no child. Either a divorce, or the husband could be allowed in many of these cultures to marry a second wife. And that’s why we see this man with two wives. Because his first wife, Hannah, was unable to bear. And so Peninnah comes in, and she is able to bear. So we have Hannah, and her first problem is infertility. But she has another problem. She has a rival, and that is Peninnah. Go back to verse 4. It says, “Whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering”, the previous verse tells us that once a year, he went up to Shiloh, where the tabernacle was, at that time the central place of worship, and had a festival, a feast, and made offerings. Whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah, his wife, and listen to this, to all her sons and daughters. Now, just imagine being Hannah, unable to have a single child. And you’ve got another wife in the equation, who has many sons and daughters. It’s hard to even have a meal with the family. It’s hard to go to church with the family. And the worst time was this annual feast, was to be a time of rejoicing, but not for Hannah. It was a time of recoiling for her. It was a time where she felt the most rejected. And then look at verse 6. And “her rival”, that is Peninnah, “her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable because the Lord had closed her womb. And so it was year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, that she provoked her. Therefore, she, that is Hannah, wept and did not eat.” Boy, Peninnah, the pest, not only can she have many sons and daughters, but Hannah can have none. And Peninnah goes out of her way to provoke her. Now, it was obviously very bad for Hannah. But this does give insight into a common problem today, and that is infertility. Infertility affects more women than we might be aware of. It is estimated that one out of every eight couples cannot have children in our country. 12% of the adult population are infertile. That’s 7.3 million Americans. They’ve gone to doctors. They’ve had prayer, anointed with oil, no child. What that means is every Mother’s Day is not a happy day for them. They’re happy to celebrate for others, but there’s that tinge of burden that they carry because they’re infertile. They want it so badly. But they can’t have a child. Now, I want to tread carefully here but I believe this. Childbearing is part of the sovereignty of God. I don’t know why some can have children and others cannot. I don’t know why there are so many pregnant teenagers while couples who want to have children are unable to in many cases. But I do know this. Your value to God is not based on your ability to reproduce. God loves you because you are made in His image, and you are of great value to Him, whether you can produce a child or not. And I also know this, you’re not alone. In fact, if you are infertile, you’re in a long list of women of faith who are infertile. Here’s a little list, Sarah, Abraham’s wife was infertile; Rebecca, Isaac’s wife, infertile; Rachel, Jacob’s other wife, infertile; Ruth, the wife of Boaz, in her first marriage unable to produce children; Elizabeth, John the Baptist’s mother, infertile. Now, do you notice something here? That in the scripture, the most childless women are often the righteous women, the matriarchs of faith, women of great faith while many of those who can easily conceive were not so righteous. So it doesn’t mean that if you have children, you are a better person or you’re godlier than somebody else, and that if you’re infertile that you’re not. In fact, if you’re unable to bear a child, it doesn’t mean you’re cursed. I believe it means you are kept. You are reserved for other blessings. Now, hear me out, I can think of a few. Number one, God may still be preparing you right now to be a parent in the future. Just because the doctor says you are unable to have a child doesn’t mean you’re unable to have a child. You know how many babies I’ve dedicated from this pulpit for parents who were told, you’ll never have a child. And now they’re on their third or fourth. So God may be preparing you now, even though you’re not able to bear right now. Second, He may be preparing you to be foster parents or adoptive parents. Folks, there are more kids needing parents out there than parents wanting children. And you would not even have thought that until an event like infertility comes into the relationship. And now, you are open to it and wonderfully so. And then, number three, here’s a possibility. He may just want you available for a very specific work that having children would preclude. That is, it would be difficult for that special calling God has on your life if you were to have children. You don’t know that until the Lord reveals that to you. Great mothers, then, have great problems. That’s number one. That’s the first attribute, trait, character trait. The second trait, great mothers keep great priorities. As we look at this woman named Hannah, we understand that her relationship with God and her husband and her son, whom she will have, are right on target. Let’s look at her priorities. First of all, with her God, verse 9. “So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now, Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of the Lord. And she was in bitterness of soul and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. And then she made a vow and said, Lord of Hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of your maidservant and remember me and do not forget your maidservant, but will give your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.” That’s a Nazarite vow, a special vow. And it happened. “As she continued praying before the Lord that Eli watched her mouth. And Hannah spoke in her heart. Only her lips moved but her voice was not heard. Therefore, Eli thought she was drunk.” Any good priest, right, would think that. So Eli said to her, “how long will you be drunk.” He was so encouraging. “Put your wine away from you.” And Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine or intoxicating drink. But I have poured out my soul before the Lord.” What a snapshot, her hot tears mingled with her heartfelt prayers. And some of you know what that pain is like. When there are tears in our eyes, there’s travail in our hearts. And this woman poured all of that before God, interesting. There’s no record at all in the text that she complains to her husband. This is your fault, or give me children or I die. She’s not complaining to her husband. And there’s nothing in the text that says she’s wanting to fight back with Peninnah, her rival, who was provoking her, at all. But what she does is she takes her sorrow of heart, and she pours it out before the Lord. And look at verse 11, what she calls God, Oh, Lord of Hosts. That’s a frequent designation for God in the Bible. Do you know what it means, the Lord of Hosts? It literally means, You are the master commander of heaven’s armies. She is appealing to God, based on God’s character of authority and sovereignty. He is powerful. And based on your power, as the commander of heaven’s armies, I ask you this. I give you this request. Notice, also, in verse 12, it said, “As it happened, as she continued praying before the Lord.” Mark that, this wasn’t a quick little popcorn prayer. Let me just shoot one up and then I’m done. She prayed and continually prayed and repeated that request before God. And then, look at verse 17, Eli answered, and said, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition, which you’ve asked of Him.” Now, that’s a benediction. That’s a blessing. That’s a well-wish statement. In other words, I’m not saying you’re going to have children. But I hope you do. I hope God will bless you in that. Go in peace. Verse 18, “And she said, let your maidservant find favor in your sight. So the woman went her way and ate. And her face was no longer sad.” It’s interesting, isn’t it? She goes in sad. She comes out glad. She goes in with sorrow of heart. She leaves that time of prayer with the peace that passes all understanding. “Let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts.” So all of that to say, here is a woman who has a real relationship with God. It’s not just a yearly offering. She’s not just going through the rituals of going to church and… no, no, no, this lady has a depth in her relationship. And can I just say, on Samuel’s behalf, what a great mom he has. What a great heritage Samuel would have. He has a praying mother. And praying mothers do more than just about anyone else. Praying mothers are greater than any politician running for office. You wonder who’s going to change our country. Get a mother to pray. Get a group of mothers to pray. Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States, said no one is poor who has a godly mother. And he remarked, I remember my mother’s prayers. And they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life. And one of the prayers that I pray is God, give your church godly mothers. Why? Because you can’t pass on to others what you don’t have yourself. So here’s her relationship with her God, the priority of pouring out whatever’s on her heart in her life to God. Let’s now look at her relationship with her husband. In verse 4, it says, “whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah, his wife, and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he would give a double portion for he loved Hannah, although the Lord had closed her womb.” I’m going to have you skip down to verse 8. Then, Elkanah said, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than 10 sons?” Now, I don’t know how helpful that last statement was. Honestly, there’s a little bravado in that statement, am I right. I mean, she’s just broken-hearted because she can’t have a child. And he comes along and says, baby, you got me. What could be better than that? I’m like better than 10 kids, maybe even 11 on a good day. OK, whatever. But aside from that, I want you to notice, there is an understanding between Hannah and her husband, Elkanah. And there is great love between them. Verse 5 explicitly says, he loved Hannah, gave her a double portion. You know, in the Middle East, when you want to honor somebody, you give them more food. You give them a double portion. You might remember that Joseph, when all of his brothers came to him when he was prime minister in Egypt, and little Benjamin, his little brother, was there, he gave Benjamin five times more portion of food than the rest of the brothers. It’s just an indication of love and of favor. Oh, by the way, gals, in the Middle East, in many Middle Eastern cultures, the larger the woman gets, the more there is to love. That’s how many cultures in the Middle East see it. So it’s like, sweetie, I love you so much, have twice as much. Just remind your husband of that if you put on a couple pounds. Honey, there’s just more to love, OK, it’s Biblical. I better move on. Here’s a couple, they understand each other. Here’s a husband, who is dwelling with his wife with understanding, like Peter writes. Somebody said marriage is like a long trip in a tiny rowboat. If one passenger starts to rock the boat, the other has to steady it, or they both go to the bottom together. I think that’s good. I think that’s actually a helpful little picture of marriage. You’ve got to steady that boat. You know, people say love is blind. Well, if love is blind, marriage is the eye opener. And you need to pour in understanding and love and stability for that relationship to go long-term. And there has to be a love for God and a love for the husband and wife. One teenager said, quote, “I wish my parents had known that unless marriage partners truly love one another, there is little they can teach their own children about the love of God or Christian living,” close quote. You know, I’ve discovered kids love to see their parents love each other. They might think it’s mushy and gross and all that. But I remember, clearly, when I would kiss Lenya in front of Nate. And he would go, oh, that’s gross. And then he’d go, do it again. Kiss mom, go ahead. And he’d go, oh, man, you know. But they just love the idea. There is such a stability when those parents love each other. By the way, that’s the best gift that you can give your kids. Love God and love your spouse in front of them, in front of them. So great women have great priorities. And she has a priority toward God, toward her husband, and toward her family. Verse 19, “Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew his wife, and the Lord remembered her.” That is, they had physical, conjugal, marital relationships. “And so it came to pass in the process of time, that Hannah conceived and bore a son and called his name, Samuel, the Hebrew for hearing, God hears, Samuel, saying, because I have asked for him from the Lord. Now, the man Elkanah and all of his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and his vow, but Hannah did not go up. For she said to her husband, not until the child is weaned, then I will take him that he may appear before the Lord and stay there, remain there forever. And Elkanah her husband said to her, do what seems best to you. Wait until you have weaned him, only let the Lord establish His word. So the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.” In those days, a weaning wasn’t a couple months or a couple years. It was several years, could be five to seven years or more. A child was weaned for a long time. And the idea of weaning isn’t just physical nurturing or breastfeeding. The idea, the word means “to deal fully with.” And it has the idea of spiritual training as well as physical nurturing, spiritual training. You remember that Paul wrote to Timothy, and he said, I know that you, from childhood, have been trained in the holy scriptures. You learned them from your mother and your grandmother. They weaned their children physically as well as spiritually. So when God gave Hannah this little child Samuel, she was dedicated to raising that child, even though it took several years, even though that means no, I can’t go up and enjoy the feast. There’s a lot of hobbies I can’t do. There’s a lot of activities I am unable to do. Here’s a season in my life where I am dedicated to nurturing. It’s my priority to train my child. Why? Because she knows she’s going to drop him off at the tabernacle. And he’s going to live there and grow up there as a priest and a Nazarite. But folks, it’s those first few years that are the most important. A British psychiatrist by the name of John Bowlby said the first five years of a child’s life are the most impressionable years. He writes, and I quote, “the young child’s hunger for his mother’s love and presence is as great as his hunger for food. Her absence inevitably generates a powerful sense of loss and anger,” close quote. The Jews had a proverb that said God couldn’t be everywhere so He created mothers. I appreciate the sentiment. I don’t agree theologically. I know God is everywhere. But I love the idea that God’s representative everywhere are mothers. God couldn’t be everywhere so He created mothers. So here is a woman with great problems but with great priorities toward God, toward her husband, toward her family. And here’s the third trait. We’ll end with this. Great mothers make great plans. So look at verse 24. “Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her with three bulls, an ephah of flour, a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh. And the child was young. And they slaughtered a bull and brought the child to Eli. And she said, oh, my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here praying to the Lord. For this child, I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. Therefore, I also have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he shall be lent to the Lord. So they worshiped the Lord there.” This is the launching. This is what she promised and planned she would do if the Lord gave her a son. I realize she said a child is on loan from God to me to parent, to nurture, to build, to train. And then, I will lend him back to God for His purpose. Now, here’s something you need to know, historically, contextually. In our English Bible, you have the Book of Judges, followed by the book of Ruth, followed by the book of 1 Samuel. So right before 1 Samuel is the book of Ruth, not in the Hebrew Bible. In the Hebrew Bible, it’s the Book of Judges, followed immediately by 1 Samuel. In other words, 1 Samuel’s stage is the Book of Judges. It’s that period of time where Israel was at its lowest. They were the coldest spiritually. They were the most morally debauched. In fact, the end of the Book of Judges said there was no king in Israel, and everyone did what was right in his own eyes. During that period when Israel was at its lowest level, God’s plan and this woman’s plan with God was to have a child who would come on the scene as a prophet, be used as a priest under Eli, having taken a Nazarite vow, and impact the nation so that he would be the king maker. He would select Saul and then King David. And she planned for it. She made a vow to dedicate her son to God. Hannah realized that nothing we have is really ours anyway. It’s not. You’re a steward of whatever you have. You might think you own it, but you’ll leave it to somebody. You’re just touching it now. And that includes your children. God gives us children that we might pour into them and then launch them. My favorite, or let me rephrase that, one of my favorites, because I will say “my favorite” about a lot of people, but one of my favorite Bible expositors is a guy named G. Campbell Morgan. He’s been, I think he died before I was born. But I love his writings. I love his legacy because he taught through the scriptures to his congregation. He believed in that. And he was a great preacher. He was called the “prince of preachers.” He pastored a church in London. I’ve been to his church. He had several children, four boys, all of which became preachers. See G. Campbell Morgan, famous preacher, four preacher sons, as well as some daughters. At a family reunion, a friend asked one of the boys, who’s the best preacher in your family, thinking he might say my dad or me. He said, my mother. She’s the best preacher in our family. Even G. Campbell Morgan, himself, said, my love for the Bible is maternal. I first learned Bible stories at the foot of my mother. And then, he would hear those Bible stories, he would go into his sister’s room, line up the dolls on her bed, and preach a sermon to the dolls, the text that mom taught. She was the preacher. Now, as we close here, and you consider these three things that great mothers have great problems, they have great priorities, and they make great plans. I want to leave you with three takeaway points, three things to linger in your hearts as you go. If you write them down, you’ll be better served. Number one, you are a value to God whether you have children or not. God loves you for who you are, not for what you do. That’s first. Number two, when you have pain, God has a plan. When you have pain, God has a plan. When you are at your worst, God is at His work. He’s up to something. You have to find out what it is. Number three, this is where you come in. You need a set of priorities that you’re going to live your life with, personally toward God and relationally toward others. If you want your kids raised in a Christian home, then make sure that Christ is at home in your heart. Don’t be like that family who brought their child to be dedicated at church, their little baby. And after the church service, they were driving home. Baby had been dedicated. And the oldest son, Johnny, in the backseat was crying, was wailing, and carrying on. Finally, his mother said, Johnny, what is wrong. And Johnny said, it’s that pastor. That pastor said that he wanted us to be brought up in a Christian home, but I want to stay with you guys. Oops, the honesty of a child preached a powerful sermon to parents. Father, thank you for our mothers. Thank you for these women who are mothers. Thank you for those women who are not yet mothers but planning or hoping to be or soon to be. We pray a special blessing on those who have not been able to have children, that you would comfort and direct their steps and show them your promises and your plan. We pray for those who have lost moms. And we even pray for those dads who have lost a wife and have raised or are raising their children in that very unique capacity. Strengthen them and bless them, we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Ask Roger and Julie I suspect my teenage daughter is using drugs. Her behavior has changed drastically. She is unmotivated, rebellious, and secretive. How can I know for sure, and what can I do about it? Sincerely, Scared Mom Dear Scared Mom, We are so sorry for your worry and disappointment. Navigating the adolescent years is challenging for any parent; believe me, we know. Roger and I had the opportunity to raise two daughters. You desperately want to keep them safe from danger, and yet, you have to allow them to experience the world in order to learn how to live as healthy adults. It’s like walking a tightrope … with life-and-death results. Unfortunately, drug use of any kind can be a volatile issue between parent and child. But let me encourage you—God’s Word provides us with practical wisdom for dealing with our children in difficult situations. Let’s begin with this: the Greek word for witchcraft is “pharmarkaia,” from which we get our English word “drugs.” Note the correlation between drugs and witchcraft. Any sort of mind-altering drug leaves our minds open to control by demonic influence. So, when some argue that because marijuana is legal in 25 states, it is relatively harmless … nothing could be further from the truth. Drugs and the Brain Neurotransmitters are responsible for producing communication between the brain and the body. Opioids trigger the neurotransmitters most responsible for pain reduction and inducing pleasure responses. Dopamine also takes part; when its production is stimulated, it floods the brain and can create a euphoric state. Prescription and street-produced opiates mimic the effects that stimulate these pleasure sensations. Unfortunately, as a person takes more and more artificial opiates, his or her tolerance increases. The brain requires more and more of that substance to achieve the same effects. Drugs and the Lungs Opiates depress the central nervous system. This effect can cripple the respiratory system. Whether ingested or injected, opiates can slow breathing and ultimately lead to respiratory distress or loss of consciousness. Over time, opiates can cause severe long-term effects on the lungs, leading to pneumonia, tissue damage, and even respiratory failure. Drugs and the Liver In general, alcohol and substance abuse have major risk factors in regard to the overall health of the liver. Most opiates contain acetaminophen, which is very difficult for the liver to metabolize. Often, addicts will combine alcohol or other substances with opiates in order to increase or prolong the “high,” which further reduces the ability of the liver to process these compounds and can cause long-term damage. Drugs and the Digestive System Narcotic Bowel Syndrome describes the dysfunction of natural bowel function due to an influx of opiates or other narcotics. Common side effects include nausea, bloating, constipation, abdominal pain, and sometimes gastrointestinal bleeding. This disorder flares up once the narcotic effect wears off, often leading to intense pain that prompts the user to seek relief through more drugs. Drugs and the Heart Opiates are naturally depressants, and the effect on the heart is no exception. As the opiate reduces the function of the central nervous system and the cardiovascular system, the heart’s function is also slowed. This effect can lead to dangerously low heart rates, also called “bradycardia,” low blood pressure, vasodilation, and edema. In an overdose, the heart can stop. So how do you know if your child is using? Here are a few signs that we’ve learned from parents, counselors, and medical personnel over the years: Your teen has become increasingly defiant, disrespectful, dishonest, disobedient, and often destructive. He or she displays behavior that is a marked change from what has been normal, like sleeping little or too much, forgetfulness, lack of motivation, aggression, depression, anxiety, grades slipping, hating what they once loved or loving what they once hated, always wanting to be with friends or away from home, or avoiding friends altogether and spending too much time alone. You observe rebellion against Christian belief systems or rules of the home. Teens often show this in passive aggressive behavior or open defiance. He or she threatens suicide, begins self-mutilation/cutting, takes excessive risks, or gets involved in sexual promiscuity—overall, they show a loss of a conscience or moral compass. Your teen thinks he or she is the center of your family and shows blatant disregard for the feelings of other family members and refuses to do anything family related. You cannot keep your teen away from peers who are obviously leading a lifestyle counter to your beliefs; your teen is buying into their destructive behavior and attitudes. Your teen starts having money and you are unaware of its source, or you begin to notice money missing. Your child’s grades fall right off the table, with no other obvious cause. Please, don’t tell yourself, “My kid would never do such a thing!” Because kids that struggle with drugs come from every home situations, socioeconomic strata, and background. You are not powerless! God has provided positive ways to prevent or help heal your child from destructive behaviors like drug abuse. Above all, pray earnestly for your child. God can do miraculous things to change his or her heart! Now, here are a few tips to help our kids to make good decisions in life. Remember, you are your child’s best teacher! Make sure your kids have plenty of practice making decisions in your home. This is their safe place to learn good judgment and godly wisdom. He wrote them to teach his people how to live—how to act in every circumstance, for he wanted them to be understanding, just, and fair in everything they did. “I want to make the simpleminded wise!” he said. “I want to warn young men about some problems they will face.” Proverbs 1:2-4 NLT Encourage your child to be involved with godly friends and to be involved in a Bible-believing church. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Hebrews 10:25 ESV Show respect for your kids’ opinion on everyday family issues and give them the opportunity to become discerning and mature. Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance. (Proverbs 1:5 NLT) Make sure you have POSITIVE expectations for your kids. Help them to see how much you love and value them. Children are a gift from God; they are his reward. Psalm 127:3 NLT Identify and meet the needs of your teen. Therefore encourage and comfort one another and build up one another, just as you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 AMP Recognize that they often become angry and rebellious because they are hurting. Comfort them! Rejoice with those who rejoice , and weep with those who weep . Romans 12:15 AMP One final note: self-medication can be a cry for help from a child who needs psychiatric attention. A good doctor can identify symptoms like bipolar disorder and give help by starting your teen on the right medicines. Counseling is also a great way to deal with chemical imbalance. Don’t minimize the possibility that these issues are present. Roger and I were fortunate that our girls never used drugs, but we came home from a conference once and our youngest had dyed her hair bright orange in the church bathroom. She also wanted piercings, so she poked a safety pin in her belly button to be accepted by the “cool kids.” Unfortunately, she contracted a massive infection, and we raced to the doctor to treat her “secret infection.” Twenty years later, we have learned of her “adventures” in rebellious behavior during her youth. She is a beautiful, well-adjusted woman now, but I can’t believe how we missed her cries for help and attention. May God be with you as you navigate these teenage years! He loves your daughter more than you ever could. Love, Julie and Roger

GOAT Week 1 January 13/15, 2023 GOAT Week 1 “Jesus, The GOAT” January 13/15, 2023 Jeff Jones Hello everybody and welcome to GOAT, a series built around the Greatest of All Time who wants to lead us into an elevated life, to be like him. I did a little historical research on the term GOAT, which means I googled it, to find the origin of the expression. You know who coined it? Muhammed Ali, the boxer, who proclaimed himself the greatest of all time, and his wife actually is the one who took that phrase and noticed it spelled GOAT and started using that for marketing his career. He arguably is the GOAT when it comes to boxing. Later, the rapper LL Cool J picked up on it and put out an album with that title, proclaiming himself the GOAT of rappers. I have no clue where he stacks up with rappers, but I know his opinion. Now the term is used widely, especially in sports and music, to describe the greatest of all time. So, for football players, many would crown Tom Brady with that title. In golf would it be Jack Nicklaus or Tiger Woods? Basketball—MJ? Lebron? Tennis—Serena? Football coaches—a big argument here and I hate to stir up controversy, but would it be Bear Bryant or Nick Saban? Imagine not just naming the GOATs but being able to meet them. Many years ago, a friend of my mom’s sort of met Muhammed Ali in an elevator. She didn’t know who it was at first, as she got on an elevator at a New York hotel. He was already in the elevator with a big dog, and she was intimidated by this big guy with a big dog, and immediately got very nervous. He then said sternly, “Sit down!” So, she did. She sat on the elevator floor. He started laughing and said, “Oh no, I was talking to my dog. I’m so sorry.” Embarrassing but still kind of cool to meet a GOAT. But let’s take it way beyond that opportunity. Imagine if a GOAT in a sport you participated in reached out to you, said that he or she saw some real potential in you and that if you were up for it, they’d love to become your personal coach, to teach you all they know. Our Executive Pastor, Jack Warren, grew up in Birmingham, and his neighbor was good friends with Arnold Palmer, one of the greatest golfers of all time. When Arnie would travel for a tournament in Birmingham every year, he would stay at that house next door, and in the early evening, he would invite neighborhood kids GOAT Week 1 January 13/15, 2023 to come and learn a golf swing. So, Jack learned how to swing a golf club from Arnold Palmer. How cool is that? Well, let’s take it up to a whole other level. Even if you are not a Christian, you would probably agree that when it comes to human beings, Jesus is at the top of the candidate list for greatest person of all time, which is why he 2000 years later is still the most influential human being on the planet. He is the life GOAT. Those of us who do believe realize he has a big edge on all other humans, because he is not only human but also divine. He is God who became human to connect to us humans. So, God in a human bod has a huge edge on the competition for who is the GOAT of all humans. Here's the wonderful news. He came as the GOAT not to impress, not to proclaim himself as the GOAT and cut a rap album. He came to reconcile us to himself and to show us, to teach us, to transform us, so that we could live the life God created us to live. He came with the most incredible invitation and opportunity imaginable, to be coached and shaped by the GOAT when it comes to life. This series is built around that invitation, the biblical wording, to follow him, and today is the intro week of the series where we are going to become super clear on the opportunity that Jesus came to bring us. It’s not just about going to heaven or even have an enriched life here. It is way bigger than that. That’s so important to understand, because Christianity can so easily get reduced to something way smaller than what following Jesus is all about. I know for me, when I became a Christian, the message I got was that Christianity was essentially a list of beliefs that you affirmed, and if you did, then you’d go to heaven when you die. Jesus came to make that possible. There is truth to that, but that’s not what Jesus came to bring. He came as the GOAT to make it possible for us to become like him. As Paul once said, we can hardly even imagine all that Jesus has in store for us when we begin to follow him. Today, I want us to examine that invitation and opportunity. You can blow it off or jump in with both feet, and the decision you make is the most important decision you can ever make. We talk about following Jesus a lot, so much so that the phrase can lose some meaning, so let’s dive into understanding what that means, what the opportunity in front of us actually is. In the gospels are a series of invitations, that become as broad as broad gets, that Jesus extends for people to follow him. We’ll focus on two of those invitations, the first a couple of versions of the invite to the fishermen and then the same invitation GOAT Week 1 January 13/15, 2023 extended to you and me. First, Matthew’s version, Matthew being one of the disciples who received his own invitation to follow shares the invite for Peter and Andrew, and in that invitation, we learn a lot: SLIDE_________________) Matthew 4:18-22 “As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’ At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.” A dramatic turning point for these four, because they left a pretty good life. Fishermen were respected, and from what we can tell this was a bigger family operation that likely produced a decent living. But they understood the opportunity. A rabbi was asking them to follow him, to be his disciples, his apprentices. Their education system was very different from ours, and the pinnacle opportunity was to be an apprentice to a rabbi, and he was promising them a bright future, an elevated future, to be prepared to fish for people. We’ll dive into some of that but think about how God came to his planet. Those of us who believe, believe that Jesus was not just a good man but God the Son who became human to connect with us, show us how to live, and eventually to die to take the penalty for sin. So, if you were choosing the right identity and career for God in a human bod, what would you choose? A King? A military leader? A Pharisee, which were the big shot religious establishment leaders of his day? A wealthy aristocrat? He chose to come as a rabbi, a teacher, which tells us a whole lot. He came to instruct us, to show us how to live, to share his wisdom and show by example his better way. The way a rabbi would teach, and Jesus did this even more than typical, was by doing life together. You would live with him 24/7, being taught by him and witnessing his sermons as he traveled, but also doing life with him. It was very relational and very practical. What you as an apprentice wanted more than anything was to be like the rabbi, not just know facts that he shares but to live life like he lived. It's more like how we teach skilled careers, like being a plumber or an electrician or a surgeon. You don’t just hear lectures and take tests. Can you imagine going in for surgery, and the doctor saying, ‘You know, I’ve read about this.” You become GOAT Week 1 January 13/15, 2023 an apprentice, following around people who know what they are doing and learn by doing it yourself. Another example is learning to scuba dive, something that Christy and I enjoy doing. When I was taking my first certification class to scuba dive, there was a book portion, but the most important part was learning by supervised doing. The importance of that was highlighted when we had, as part of the training, to demonstrate that we could tread water for ten minutes. We were all in this twenty-feet deep pool treading water, with one exception. One of our classmates was very impressively muscled, and when he came into the pool a few minutes into our treading and took of his shirt, he was incredibly impressive. He had a twenty-four pack, not one ounce of body fat. Even though I was treading water, I found myself sucking my stomach in and pushing my chest out a bit. I don’t think anybody was impressed. He then jumped in the deep end where we all were and sank to the bottom. It was weird because he didn’t come back up. He was just standing down on the bottom, and we all looked at each other like, “Okay, I guess he’s going to start like that.” But he wasn’t coming up. After too long of a time, somebody said, “Hey, do you think he is okay?” and a few people closest to him dove down and pulled him up. He had to be resuscitated, which worked as he came back to life, but what we all realized is that he didn’t know how to swim. That’s kind of a prerequisite to scuba diving, so they pulled him out of the class and encouraged him to learn to swim first. But think if the certification was only about learning a few facts and agreeing with them. He would have gone to the middle of the ocean and to real trouble. That’s why the invitation was “Follow me,” not simply believe in me and then do whatever you want. Belief matters; don’t get me wrong. In fact, Luke adds in his account of this same story, a whole other aspect. Jesus doesn’t just walk up and start talking to them. He performs a miracle that freaks the fishermen out. You can read about it in Luke 5. Here is the end of the story: SLIDE___________________) Luke 5:8-11 “When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’ For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.’ So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.” Their journey with Jesus does start with a realization that he is no ordinary rabbi. They believe in Jesus as something more than a typical rabbi…at least the GOAT Week 1 January 13/15, 2023 Messiah, and eventually God in human flesh. So, belief is significant, but it is just the starting point. His invitation is to follow him into a whole new life, a new path. That’s what you do when you follow someone. You don’t go down your path anymore, but you commit to follow the other’s path, the other’s way of life. That’s what Christianity is, not just a few things to believe, but a commitment to follow Jesus into the life that he wants for us, to learn and be transformed. This was understood so well by the disciples and early Christians, that when the church starts after the resurrection of Jesus, that’s what they call what we call Christianity: “The Way.” They called themselves “followers of the way.” They like we today did not have the opportunity to follow Jesus physically, since his in heaven and we are not. Our opportunity is to follow the way of Jesus, to be followers of the way, to live like he lived to become more like him. This series is built around the way of Jesus, looking at how he as the GOAT actually lived life as a model for us and how we can become like him. We will isolate five of the key practices of Jesus that we can model to not only live like he did but become like him in the doing of those practices. It’s how we grow, as God the Holy Spirit, meets us in these disciplines that shape us and transform us. Over time, we become different people. Think of the GOATS we all admire, and one thing you will find when you look at what sets them apart is that they aren’t just uber-talented. They are. But a lot of people are uber-talented. What sets them apart is how much they practiced the drills and skills. Take Tiger for example. He didn’t just arrive on this planet with potential and quickly realize it. His practice routine from days off from tournaments is legendary. He would wake up very early for his first gym workout, eat breakfast, and then hit balls on the range for two hours followed by nine holes of golf. After lunch was another long practice range session, another nine holes of golf, and the second gym workout. He would hit around 1000 balls a day, and you’d think after years of that he would stop and say, “I think I’ve got this.” But it was in those practices that he became who he became on the golf course. That’s why I, even though for a time I played a lot of golf, only became a mediocre player because I hated to practice. I’d start, and then just say, “Oh, phooie, I’m just going to go play.” One of my more memorable conversations with my dad was as a middle schooler. My dad never told me, but I found out from a relative that he was all-state in all three sports in his high school, football, basketball, and baseball, and that he had GOAT Week 1 January 13/15, 2023 major college scholarship offers in all of them. I asked him about his athleticism, which didn’t apparently pass down to me, and I’ll always remember what he said: “Jeff, I was not the most talented member of any of those teams. I just worked really hard at it, harder than everybody else because I had to.” It’s one of those conversations as a kid that shape you, and I made a mental note that I carried with me into what I do in life. This series will feature five practices, and for each week we will have one challenge for the week to put that practice into practice. If you read Christian books or listen to podcasts, you may hear these called spiritual disciplines, meaning disciplines or practices we make a regular part of our life in which God meets us and over time we grow. Becoming like Jesus doesn’t happen quickly, but over time, with each discipline put in practice. Jesus’ invitation is like a GOAT coming up to you in a sport you like and saying, “I see potential, why don’t you hang with me for a while, and I’ll show you everything I know as we practice together. Like Jesus coming up to the fishermen and saying, “So, you are fishermen, which is cool. But if you follow me, I’ll send you to fish for people.” He was offering an elevated life, and in case you think that was just for them. Catch what he said in Mark 8: SLIDE__________________) Mark 8:34-37 “Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?’” We will come back to this passage, but look at how broad the invitation is: “If ANY of you wants to be my follower…” An open invitation to anybody who wants to be into the kind of opportunity he was offering was unheard of. It was more exclusive than Harvard or Oxford, but not with Jesus. Anyone. The offer still stands for you. You can enter into a life of being his follower, allowing him to take you where you could never otherwise go. Today you can affirm that or reaffirm or refocus that, and it is up to you. SLIDE______________________) A Practical Way GOAT Week 1 January 13/15, 2023 SLIDE_____________________) Special Sermon Slide GOAT Resources and App But before we lock anything in, a few additional clarifications of what it means to say yes and follow him. Another, the way of life we say yes to is a SUPERNATURAL WAY. SLIDE____________________) A Supernatural Way Jesus offered to the original disciples and to us a relationship with him in which he transforms us from the inside out. When we begin a relationship with him, God the Holy Spirit indwells us and begins his work of transformation. We have a role to play as we’ve said. We engage these disciplines, but he meets us in those and does his work. That’s important to understand because you can do these practices featured in this series on your own, without a relationship with Jesus, without opening up your life to the Holy Spirit, and you will benefit. Your life will get better, but not at all like it would if you opened up your life to Jesus. We can only do so much on our own, and he is ready for us to say yes to his transforming presence in our lives. SLIDE_____________________) Communal Way Second, the way is also a COMMUNAL WAY as opposed to an individual one. Spiritual transformation is a team sport, which is why when he asked the disciples to become disciples, he was asking them to join a community of followers. In addition to the twelve were scores of others, at times maybe thousands of others, who were in it together. They were from all walks of life, women and men, rich and poor, politically left and right, educated and not. Jesus formed a diverse community of following him together. That is why he created church. People talk about a personal relationship with Jesus, but that’s not what Jesus offers. He offers a communal relationship, where we “one another” our way toward the growth that he wants for us. At the end of this series, you will have the opportunity to join a life group, and don’t miss that opportunity because we only grow in community. But you don’t have to wait for that. You can link up with others in person or online together and go through this series. Invite a friend or two to do it with you. An GOAT Week 1 January 13/15, 2023 additional feature of this series will be on our app and include a series of conversations you find on YouTube and are linked on our app called Wings with Jeff where I eat wings and converse with friends of mine who I believe are GOATS in the practice we are featuring that week. Watch the video that takes each of these deeper and more practical and talk about it together. As you do the weekly challenge, hold each other accountable to do it and then debrief it together. Don’t go it alone. Third, the way is a MISSIONAL WAY. SLIDE____________________) Missional Way Remember the end goal, follow me and I will send you out to fish for people. Over and over again Jesus sent his followers out to do ministry, to serve people, to reach people. The goal of spiritual transformation is not just a better life for me, but for others. Jesus isn’t just offering us an enhanced personal life, but a life of mission, where we join with him to reach and serve others. A lot of times in spiritual growth circles, people become more self-focused and churches internally focused, just focused on those who are already there. The way of Jesus will never take you that direction. If we truly follow him, he will take us toward the least and the lost, and our lives will be increasingly about an external mission. So, today starts a five-week journey built around the way of Jesus. The goal is that you will do five challenges in forty-five days. We will have tools and tips in our app to help you put into practice the practices of Jesus. And the point of today is the basic invitation in front of each of us. Let’s listen to Jesus say it once again: SLIDE__________________) Mark 8:34-37 “Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?’” GOAT Week 1 January 13/15, 2023 It really is your choice. You can hang on to your own life, go your own way, and I’ll still love you. So will he. Or you can do what those original disciples did, realizing the incredible opportunity in front of you. You can give up your own way, take up your cross (meaning your part of his redemptive mission as you lay down your life for others), and follow him into an elevated, transformed, missional life. You can become who you were created to become and accomplish what you were put on this planet to accomplish. Today, let’s go to God with that invitation in mind, as we consider that basic choice, and then commit to the next weeks of diving deeper into the Jesus way. Let’s pray together. Jesus invites you to follow him into a whole new life, a new path. That’s what you do when you follow someone. You don’t go down your path anymore, but you commit to follow the other’s path, the other’s way of life. That’s what Christianity is, not just a few things to believe, but a commitment to follow Jesus into the life that he wants for us, to learn and be transformed. www.chaseoaks.org .