Time For A Change

“Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road. When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” – Mark 10:46-47. 

Is it time for a change or changes? We all need to make some changes. Maybe it is a change in attitude. Maybe we need to change how we do business, or how we handle our temper or maybe how we handle relationships. Real change is not easy to achieve, especially without God.  

In the latter part of Mark 10, we meet a man named Bartimaeus. He was a blind man who sat on the side of the road in Jericho, hoping for people passing by to be charitable. He had no way of changing his lot in life by himself.  God was the only one who could make change happen. And when  Jesus came to Bartimaeus’ town, he wasn’t going to miss his only chance for change. It is now or never. It is Jesus or no one. What is he going to do? He shouts. The blind man literally starts yelling. He knows that he has a need. He has heard about Jesus and the wonders that He performs. So, he starts yelling. He screams for mercy. Basically, he wants to take advantage of the situation in any way he can. If we want to change, we can learn from Bartimaeus. 

Bartimaeus wanted to see. Bartimaeus lived in the dark. He had never seen the sunrise, or trees, or stars. He had never seen the faces of his own loved ones. No wonder when Jesus asked him what he wanted he replied, “My Rabbi…“I want to see!” (Mark 10:51).

All of us have reached a point where we want to change but we are not sure how to change. Whether we need help with relationships, finances or life decisions, there will always be challenges that we should not face alone. We need help. Despite others telling him to be quiet, Bartimaeus continued to beg Jesus for healing until He did it. Jesus changed Bartimaeus’s life by restoring his sight. After he was healed, Bartimaeus immediately followed Jesus.  Jesus can change us as well. With even the smallest amount of faith, God can make incredible changes which can lead to accomplishing extraordinary things.  

Have you come to that point where Jesus is your only hope of making the changes you want to make? Have you come to the place where you are tired of groping around for direction and happiness in life? Do you desire a change in your life? Let God mentor you and have the desire and faith to make those changes a reality.  

Discussion Questions:

  1. Jesus asks Bartimaeus…”what do you want me to do for you?” Wow! What a question! What if Jesus asked you this today? How would you answer it?
  2. Jesus invites Bartimaeus to “go his way” but after this transformational encounter with Jesus, his way becomes Jesus’ way. How has “going your way” transformed into going Jesus’ way?

Growth Is All About Change

Nothing paralyzes our lives like the attitude that things can never change. We need to remind ourselves that God can change things. Outlook determines outcome. If we see only the problems, we will be defeated; but if we see the possibilities in the problems, we can have victory.” – Warren Wiersbe

A new you for a new decade. The word new infers new and improved. And who doesn’t want to be better this year than last year and this decade compared to the last 10 years? Who wouldn’t want to be a better Christian, a better spouse, parent, boss or employee? Who wouldn’t want to be more loving, more joyful, more at peace, more considerate, and more disciplined? A new and improved you requires change. The problem is we tend to thrive in a routine. We don’t like change very much.  

Changes can be overwhelming, confusing, even terrifying even when necessary. And although it is tempting to run from change, we can never escape it. Wherever you are today or whenever you are reading this, I’m 99 percent sure that you are going through some sort of change(s) in your life right now. The change may be huge or so slow and subtle, that you may not even know you are undergoing it. But as things change around us we cannot remain the same. In order to fulfill God’s purpose for your life, you have to grow. In order to grow, you may need to change—this is the only way you move forward.

Change is inevitable when you grow spiritually. You have to want to change and not be afraid of it. Leviticus 20:26 says, “You must be holy because I, the Lord, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be my very own.” Our goal should be to grow closer to the Lord each day. A transformative relationship with God is rooted in the understanding that without a willingness to change and grow, we cannot grow into that which God has called us to be. In other words, don’t be satisfied with where you are in your relationship with God. Set some spiritual goals that stretch your faith.  

The Christian life is fundamentally a changed life. And it is never too late or too early to make changes. Regardless of what season of life you are in or how long you have been a Christian, you can change.  Jesus equipped you to experience the abundant life of glorifying God in all you do.

Don’t fear change. Embrace change. It is helpful to remind ourselves that change is God’s idea, He orchestrates it, and it never takes Him by surprise. He doesn’t fear it, neither should we.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What changes would you like to make in your life?  What are the obstacles to making those changes? 
  2. What changes would you make as a result of this week’s sermon on goals? 

I Have Goals. Now What?

“Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.” – John 12:44-46.  

Business goals are essential to keeping a company focused on desirable outcomes, and they also help to ensure everyone is supporting the most critical priorities in the company. But goals are of little value without changing something for the better. Clearly defined business goals should lead to better performance or some type of improvement. In the same way, personal goals help us to focus on what we want to be or where we want to go with our lives. Our goals should facilitate change. Ditto for spiritual goals. But how do we that? As always, Jesus is our example.

Jesus had a short ministry; Jesus awoke to approximately 12,045 new mornings during His thirty-three years on earth. Because He had a three-year window He had to make every day count. Like you, He was met each day with numerous distractions, each calling for His attention. But He remained single-mindedly focused on His Father’s vision to redeem the world.  He was on a mission. Luke 4: 43 says, “…I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent.”  It may have looked like He was just moving around from place to place, but the fact is Jesus was headed to Jerusalem. Luke says, “…As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. ( Luke 9: 51) Jesus knew where He was going and set out to get there.

Along the way, Jesus set up the structure for change. He had the habit of following teaching with action. He had the habit of adhering to His mission no matter what. And most importantly, these habits led to an effective system. Systems are the actions you set forth by habit. For instance, you can have a goal of losing weight, but the system in doing this is building a habit of developing daily healthy eating habits. If you want to improve your grades, develop the habit of studying every evening between 6 and 8. If you build the habit and system, the results will eventually come. You will more often than not, achieve your goal. 

Jesus had a mission. Teaching in public places, performing miracles, and equipping the disciples was the system He used to facilitate change. You have set some goals. What systems, what habits do you need to put in place to affect the changes you wish to make? 

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you have goals for 2020?  
  2. What habits/systems do you need to put into place to achieve those goals?  

Goals And Faith

“For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.” – Hebrews 3:14. 

We all have goals. It’s nice to tick the accomplishments off the list and reflect on what changes needed to be made. But setting goals is a whole lot easier than achieving them.  It is rare that we are able to look back at a year or even decade of goals and discover that everything has been ticked off. There is always something more we wish we could have accomplished. And that includes spiritual goals.

Setting goals helps us determine where to focus our energy so we can accomplish the work God has for us to do: “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10)  It can be difficult to set spiritual goals. They require lots and lots of work and lots and lots of faith.  

So why are we not better at goal setting? Probably because many of us don’t believe they are attainable or we don’t have the faith to think that we can achieve our goals, even with God’s help. To be clear, we believe Matthew 19:26 which says, “…But with God everything is possible.” So the problem isn’t with believing in God. The problem is believing that God can do something in and through us even in the midst of all the chaos often surrounding our lives. 

You have to have faith to believe that God wants to do something in your life before you will set out to achieve it. The God you serve has a great plan for your life, and He wants to help you set goals and reach them. God wants to bring glory to His name through the things that He does in your life. Having faith in God also means having faith in what God wants to do in you.

Goals are often statements of faith because they declare where you’re headed even if you don’t know how, exactly, you’re going to get there. Even when you’re aiming for it, it requires you to take a risk. Like “Star Trek” you boldly go where you’ve never gone before. Faith is trusting that God will guide you in where God wants you to go, and accompany you every step of the way. Setting a goal should stretch your faith because you’re striving for something you can’t do on your own—otherwise, why wouldn’t you have done it already? Your goal stretches your faith because you must call on the power of God to achieve it.

My prayer is that you won’t let this year be like last year, or last month, or even last week. My prayer is that The New You In A New Decade will embolden your faith in the power of God to do great things in your life.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Where do you see yourself going in the way of spiritual goals?
  2. What is one specific action you can take this week to set a goal based on faith?  

Resolute Goals

“I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.”John 17:4.

Jonathan Edwards is widely regarded as one of America’s most important theologians. He wrote a whole lot of resolutions/goals, seventy of them, from 1722 to 1723. At this time, Jonathan Edwards is nineteen years old. He’s completing his MA at Yale, while also doing a brief stint as a pastor of a church in New York City. During the few months he is there, he’s thinking about what he wants his life to be about.

Before Edwards wrote his first resolution, he penned a preface that served as the foundation for the resolutions to come.“Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat Him by His grace to enable me to keep these resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to His will, for Christ’s sake.” There are several things that jump out of this preface. One is his recognition that he will not be able to keep these resolutions on his own. And because of that, he appeals to God’s help and God’s grace. Secondly, he wants God’s grace to be at work with him.

The number one resolution is this: “Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory, and to my own good, profit, and pleasure.” He adds, “Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general.” His first resolution is to live a life that is for God’s glory and that will do the most good. Even in the 17th-century people were worried about time. Resolution five says, “Resolved, never to lose one moment of time, but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.” He resolves to squeeze every moment of the precious time that we have. Another resolution has to do with his commitment to Scripture and reading Scripture. In number twenty-eight, Edwards writes, “Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.” He’s committing himself to study God’s Word.

And finally, resolution 53 says, “Resolved, to improve every opportunity, when I am in the best and happiest frame of mind, to cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus Christ, to trust and confide in him, and consecrate myself wholly to him; that from this I may have assurance of my safety, knowing that I confide in my Redeemer.” 

Did these 70 resolutions happen overnight? Was this an easy task? Absolutely not, but it was a steady pursuit of God that brought about an indelible mark on his own heart, his own family, and our nation as a whole. Develop your spiritual goals for the upcoming year. Be specific in what you want to accomplish. It’s never too late to walk in the right direction and make new commitments that will have a lasting impact on you and on others. You can’t do it in one day, but what will happen if you live for the next 365 days with a Christ-exalting purpose?

Note: If you wish to read all 70 Jonathan Edwards resolutions you can go to John Piper’s Desiring God website using this link: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-resolutions-of-jonathan-edwards. There are also sites that have modernized the language to benefit today’s readers. 

Discussion Questions:

  1. How would you like to change in 2020 and in this decade? Are your goals aimed at making those changes?
  2. Jonathan Edwards had 70 resolutions: How many do you think you need in 2020? For the next decade? 

Jack Of All Trades, Master Of None

“The biggest battle we each might fight is to stay focused on God long enough to learn to abide in His presence. Before we can redeem the world, we must redeem our time. And we would think that with all the time-saving conveniences we have in life, that this would be easy but it is not.” – Francis Frangipane

“Jack of all trades, master of none” is a figure of speech used in reference to a person who has dabbled in many skills, rather than gaining expertise by focusing on one. Often it describes us today. We know how to do many things with average ability, but lack the skill to do any one thing unusually well. You can understand why that happens.  Our calendars are so littered with appointments, activities, and obligations, we are usually rushed and behind and unable to focus. We are running, shaky and out-of-breath, and we are ready to collapse.

But how do we pivot? How do we begin to live a focused life? A Christ-centered life begins with realizing that the source of everything we are is the Lord. He created us, He owns us, He gifted us with talents, He authors our story, and every blessing that we receive comes from Him: “Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.” (James 1:17)

If we want a focused life we need to seek Him first. Spend time in the Scriptures. Pour out your heart to God in prayer. Listen for His voice. He will lead you. And as He does, trust Him. Trust Him to fulfill His plan for your life. As we seek God, He will show us where to focus our time, energy, talents, and treasures.  When we focus on God, His impact on your world is going to increase. His transformation in you is going to increase. You will transform the world through acts of love and you will be continually transformed on the inside to become more like Him.

“God is wonderful and glorious. I pray that his Spirit will make you become strong followers and that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. Stand firm and be deeply rooted in his love. I pray that you and all of God’s people will understand what is called wide or long or high or deep. I want you to know all about Christ’s love, although it is too wonderful to be measured. Then your lives will be filled with all that God is. I pray that Christ Jesus and the church will forever bring praise to God. His power at work in us can do far more than we dare ask or imagine. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:16-21 CEV)

Will we trust Him in the unseen, unknown, small places? Will we walk obediently — focused on Him? Seeking Him? Trusting Him with the results? What’s holding us back?

Discussion Questions:

  1. How can your relationship with Christ become more intimate and personal?
  2. What can we do this week to be more focused on God?

Cursing The Fig Tree

In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry, and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” And immediately the fig tree withered up.” ― Matthew 21:18-19. 

The Bible has classic stories that most Christians have heard since they were young—David and Goliath, Noah and the Ark, Daniel In the Lion’s Den, The Good Samaritan and Jesus walking on water to name a few. But within the pages of Scripture are many stories that are more obscure. For example, there is a story in Acts 20:7-13 about the effects of long sermons. Paul was preaching in Troas, and a young man named Eutychus decided it would be a great idea to sit on the sill of an open third-story window. Once the sermon ran long, Eutychus fell asleep… and fell out of the window, breaking his neck. Before his family could even start planning the funeral, Paul raised him to life again. Is it a cautionary tale about staying awake in church? Another obscure story is Jesus cursing the fig tree. 

Jesus enters Jerusalem to cheers and acclamation. In the morning, as He travels from Bethany, He spots a fig tree “in full leaf.” Although it is too early in the season for fruit (Mark 11:13) it already has a full covering of leaves. Its foliage signals that it should have early figs. With that expectation, Jesus inspects the tree. He is immediately disappointed. In a shocking turn, Jesus curses the tree and makes it wither from the roots, never to yield fruit again. This action seems stunningly out of character for Jesus, the compassionate healer, storm-calmer and loving Savior. Why not just make the tree bloom? If He could turn water into wine and bring the dead back to life, why didn’t He command the tree to bear fruit?

The next day, as they left Jerusalem and passed by the same tree, the disciples were astonished to find the tree totally withered. “Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day and exclaimed, “Look, Rabbi! The fig tree you cursed has withered and died!” (Mark 11:21) When Peter expressed his surprise about the tree, Jesus used the opportunity to teach about failure. The empty tree serves as a warning that we cannot pretend to be spiritually alive, for we won’t bear any fruit. It is not about putting on a good show.

Our personal lives can look like they are “in leaf.” Our leaves may look like those of a super spouse and parent; we may look successful in business and in spiritual matters because of an overstuffed schedule of ministry activities. But we constantly need to look at what we are producing from all our efforts and activities. But what will the Lord find upon close inspection? Will he find only leaves? Or will he find figs, too?

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does looking for figs on the fig tree actually symbolize? What does cursing the fig tree symbolize?
  2. What can we do this week to kill complacency?  

Where Is Your Excitement Level?

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.” – Philippians 4:4-5.  

When you go to bed at night, are you excited to wake up the next morning? Is there something you can’t wait for? Only to wake up to find that you have nothing to be excited about. We all need to get excited sometimes and there are many things that can do that for us. But are they the right things?  What about our journey with God? Are we excited about becoming more like Him today?

As Christians, we follow Jesus. It is not a duty or obligation thing. It is simply a matter of preferring life with an all-knowing, unconditionally loving, all-powerful, best friend compared to life without Him. It seems a simple decision on the surface. Following Jesus is something to be excited about. 

I pray I never lose the ability to get excited and life becomes so routine that I lose sight of the beautiful things God surrounds us with every day. 1 Peter 1:8 says, “You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy.” Peter does not say, “You should be filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.” He says, “You are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.” When you grasp the full significance of what God has done for you, you will be filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy. 

Excitement should fill us when walking into God’s house and feeling His presence there. May we always get excited when hearing His word preached. I hope praise is our motive when singing songs of worship. The gospel is the most exciting thing that has ever happened on this planet – better than Super Bowl, falling in love, or any concert you’ll ever go to. When we grasp what we have received through Christ, we will naturally become energy-filled people who bring excitement into whatever we do for the kingdom. 

We need to be excited about Jesus. It is a powerful testimony that can get others interested in Jesus. Perhaps He will then become their Jesus. Get excited about Jesus today. And let that excitement be contagious to those around you.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How would you rate your excitement level for Jesus in the new year?  
  2. What are some of the things we can do to raise the excitement level?  

Is Fear Holding You Back?

“Descendants of Jacob, I, the Lord, created you and formed your nation. Israel, don’t be afraid. I have rescued you. I have called you by name; now you belong to me.” Isaiah 43:1(CEV) 

Do you know anyone that doesn’t seem to have any fear? Probably not. Most people spend part of their life living in fear. Fear of upsetting people, fear of being inadequate, fear of failing, fear of change, fear of death, fear of being alone or failing at your job, marriage, or parenting. Fear is a challenge we all face. And fear can hold us back from living life the way God intended us to live. 

An example is the story of the 12 spies sent to scope out the Promised Land. God’s people were at the very brink of the Promised Land. They had just been rescued out of 400 years of slavery. They had walked through the Red Sea and had watched the Egyptian army drown. They had been miraculously guided through the wilderness, and been promised a land flowing with milk and honey. Miracle after miracle. Blessings after blessings. All they had to do was trust and obey God. But in spite of all they had seen and experienced they were afraid and as a result, they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. 

Ten of the 12 spies gave a “bad report” because the obstacles to their occupying the Promised Land were giants. Do we view our challenges and/or problems today, as intimidating and too big to tackle?  The ten spies missed an opportunity. We too will miss opportunities if we don’t view God as bigger than our enemies. We will miss what God has in store for us if we give in to fear rather than trust Him in faith. 

The way to our promised land is not always easy, but it’s worth it. God had promised His people a land that would be full of blessing. It was worth fighting for, it was worth going the distance. But to take the land would stretch their faith and force them to face their fears while depending on God. We too will have to face our fears as God leads us into our own “promised land.” Whenever the Lord gives us “land to take” there will be times when it seems like there are insurmountable obstacles in the way. Unless we clearly see God as big and our problems, in comparison, as small, we will inevitably choose to remain in the wilderness.  

Whatever your giant may be, you can overcome it in the same way David defeated Goliath. The young shepherd boy faced a giant who was nearly ten feet tall probably almost twice his size. Yet David’s eyes weren’t on the size of his enemy, but rather on the size of his God.  

Discussion Questions:

  1. Are fears hindering you from living the life God wants you to live?   
  2. What can you do this week to start dealing with those fears? 

Giant Faith

“But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!” But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge.” – Numbers 13:30-32

After God had miraculously rescued the Israelites from Egyptian slavery, parted the Red Sea for their escape, and led them through the wilderness to Mount Sinai, He gave them His law that was to govern their nation and their worship. From there, He led them across the desert via a cloud of smoke during the day and a pillar of fire at night until they arrived at the edge of the land He’d promised to give them. At this point, the Lord instructed Moses to send 12 spies to view the land before the rest of the Israelites entered it.  

So, Moses sends out twelve spies (13:3-20). The spies were gone for forty days and while there they observed two things. First, the land was beautiful and fruitful. Second, the people who inhabited the land were huge and powerful (Numbers 13:21-24). Ten of the spies said that the Israelites would be foolish to try and go up against the strong armies that inhabited the land. They’re seeing with the eyes of fear. They can’t go in. They are afraid and as a result, say they can’t go in and possess the land God has promised. However, two of the spies (Joshua and Caleb) said they’d be foolish not to go up and take what God had promised to give them. (Numbers 13:25-33). Because of a lack of faith, the Israelites spent the next forty years wandering in the desert instead of experiencing the power and faithfulness of God in the Promised Land.

The question is are we more like the ten spies or like Caleb and Joshua? I would hope we would be like Caleb and Joshua who had not forgotten all of the miraculous things God had done right before their eyes. “And the Lord said to Moses, How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them?” (Numbers 14:11) We need to intentionally keep track of what God is doing around us and constantly remind ourselves of what God has done in the past. God’s assignments are always too big for us to handle but, as Scripture and history show us that it is very easy to back down in fear. But fear does not advance the kingdom of God, faith does. Way too often we make decisions out of fear instead of in faith.  

So what is the Canaan in each one of our lives? I want you to possess the next decade with faith.  I don’t want you to get stuck in the wilderness for those years. Is there anything that we are backing down from in fear when God is challenging us to step up in faith and trust His power and faithfulness? 

Discussion Questions:

  1. How is this story similar to how people respond to news stories today?
  2. Read Numbers 14:11-12: How did God respond to the 12 spies report?