SAME OLD WAY OR A NEW WAY

“You have heard my predictions and seen them fulfilled, but you refuse to admit it. Now I will tell you new things, secrets you have not yet heard.” – Isaiah 48:6.

Habits affect us in one way or another.  We all have them, some good, some bad. Giving up a bad habit is not easy. According to research, it takes 21 days to break a bad habit. In just three weeks, you can change those things in life that have become routine and compulsive.

The reality is it’s often more challenging to give up an old habit than to start a new one. Neurologists and cognitive psychologists will tell you it is not easy to give up habits because they are deeply ingrained in our brains: automatic responses that we’ve developed over time. Habits are complex and affected by our genes, temperaments, experiences, family and friends, churches, cultures, health, preferences, strengths and weaknesses, unseen spiritual influences, and more.

For every bad habit that distances you from God, Jesus wants to give you a new habit to draw you near to Him.  The goal is to stay connected with God and strengthen your relationship with Him. The habits that conflict with your desired identity, or in other words they conflict with you being Christ-like, are your bad habits. On the other hand, the habits that reinforce your desired identity or help you become more like Christ, are your good habits.

Now, our habits define us; in other words, we become what we repeatedly do. Jesus developed habits in His life. Luke 5:16 says, “ But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.” Prayer was a habit for Jesus. Luke 4:16 it says, “When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures.” Or, in other words, as was His habitual practice. So, prayer and going to church were both habits for Jesus.

And we all know it’s important to create good exercise routines or habits. Paul says in 1 Tim. 4:7-8, “Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” So, how do you train yourself for godliness? By daily deciding to practice righteousness and develop good habits.

We’ve all been given a race of faith to run. And if we run faithfully with endurance, laying aside every encumbering weight and sin, we are promised a glorious, incomparable, imperishable, eternal prize: Jesus Christ. Paul tells us, “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win” (1 Corinthians 9:24).

So, we take our habits seriously. Because they influence the way we run — for good or for evil.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you ever feel like you want to break your habit but can’t convince yourself that you need to break the habit? 
  2. Think of the last time you broke a habit. What worked? What didn’t work?

HOPE AND HOLY HABITS

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking the complex and overwhelming tasks into small, manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.”” – Mark Twain.

Ah…the morning routine. Over 88 percent of people always or often have a morning routine.  Approximately 43 percent of Americans said they view drinking coffee as the most crucial part of their morning routine, while 32 percent said they are in the habit of exercising each morning. Your daily morning routine may be different. Maybe you hit the snooze button several times before accepting the reality that you need to get up. Maybe the first thing you do is check your email.

Whether you’re looking to be more productive, get healthier, or just start the day in a generally better mood – the secret key to success might not actually be so secret. The benefits of establishing an effective habit have been well documented, and that includes spiritual habits. Hope is good, but real change typically requires a change in habits. Our habits are shaping us into a certain kind of person, whether we realize it or not. This is why, as believers, we should be aware of what makes up our regular practices as we strive to become more like Jesus.

Here is where habits become an issue. Even if we have a desire to be like Jesus, we still have sinful desires. Habits can keep us on a trajectory of pursuing Christlikeness, or they can cause us to veer off in the wrong direction. This can be a hard reality to accept, especially because most of us would likely say that we love the Lord and desire to worship Him. But because we live in a sinful world, we will experience obstacles in our walk with God. And how do we become aware of them? By examining our habits.

Changing habits can be hard, especially if they are something we have done for a long time. But we are not on our own in the process of forming holy habits. Through the power of the Spirit, we can fight against unholy habits and substitute those with what is God-honoring.

Forming holy habits takes time. Repetition breeds discipline, so don’t give up if the process of changing or forming habits takes a while. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and rest in His grace when you fail, but keep aiming for holy habits. If we are what we love, we must set our gaze on the One we love–Jesus. When we do, we will walk in holiness that makes us more like Him.

Colossians 3:17 says, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Discussion Questions:

  1. Who do you want to become? What habit do you need to start to get there? Based on who you want to become, what habit do you want to break?
  2. Talk about some of your current habits. In what ways are they honoring God? How could you use these existing habits to start one new habit?

THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil.” – Matthew 4:1.

Imagine if you were a Hollywood film director and asked to make a movie about the start of Jesus’ ministry on earth. You would want a big splash, something epic. You would want an 8K video of Jesus walking on a gold carpet, surrounded by angels and waving to millions of people just to get a glimpse of Him to a backdrop of dramatic music. That may be one way to do things, but it is not God’s way. Two main events marked the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. First, He was baptized in the Jordan River. And second,  He was tempted in the desert by Satan. All four gospels have an account of these two events.

As soon as Jesus came up out of the baptism waters of the Jordan River, God presented Him as His beloved Son. You could assume that would be the springboard for Jesus to start healing the sick, walking on water, using parables to communicate a spiritual truth, religious principle, or moral lesson, or preaching memorable sermons. Instead, Jesus goes into the desert for 40 days of fasting and then is tempted by the devil face-to-face.

While less than 200 words in the Bible, the story of Jesus’ temptation is, however, one of the most encouraging passages in all of Scripture because He shows us that even though temptation comes to us, it doesn’t have to defeat any of us. Rather than being a distant God who is above the fray and doesn’t relate much to humanity, Jesus is “God is with us” (Matthew 1:23). Hebrews 4:15-16  tells us: “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.   

We will experience temptation in our lives. God’s word offers an unfathomable gift to the tempted. “Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are. In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation” (1 Peter 5:9-10).   

The temptation of Jesus shows us that, no matter how intensely we’re tempted to sin, we can overcome that temptation. Rather than relying on our limited willpower to do so, we can do so by relying on God, who will faithfully help us. 1 Corinthians 10:13 assures us that “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

Discussion Questions:

  1. How would you define “temptation” in your own words? What is the difference between temptation and sin?
  2. What are some things that you could do or strategies you could use to resist temptation?

TWO OF THE REASONS JESUS CAME TO EARTH

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Matthew 20:28.

Why did Jesus come to earth to do? There isn’t enough space in the largest server to answer that question. While there is so much that could be said, a quick look at the Gospels tells us that the mission of Jesus was two-fold.

The first part of Jesus’ mission was to make redemption possible for every person, nation, and generation. Jesus made redemption possible for every person by living a perfect and sinless life, dying on the cross, and rising from the dead. Jesus is the only one who could accomplish this mission because He is the only one who could live a sinless life, atone for sin, and have victory over death and the grave.

When Jesus was crucified, He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). He told people throughout history that He had accomplished one of the two things He came to earth to do, His work of redemption. We would be spending the rest of eternity separated from God if Jesus had not made redemption possible and if we had not received His gift of salvation.

The second part of Jesus’ mission was to start a disciple-making movement. This  movement of disciple-making would ensure that the message of redemption would be passed down from generation to generation so that every person in every nation and every generation could hear the gospel message. Jesus started this movement, but all of us are now responsible for seeing that it continues. Jesus left the task of making disciples in the hands of every generation of disciples. This movement of disciple-makers so many years ago made it possible for each of us to be saved. If Jesus had not completed the work of starting a movement, we would never have heard about His work of redemption, and we would be spending the rest of eternity separated from God.

The disciple-making process continues today. But it isn’t about working harder, working smarter, and getting more skills. It is about getting involved. We disciple in everything we do, so we should be intentional in everything we do to model the love and grace of Jesus — and, as often as we can, to teach others how to find that love and grace for themselves.

The true health of a church is not the number of satellite locations, the size of the budget and staff, the technology, the facility, or the worship band. The real mark of a church is winning people to Jesus Christ and equipping them to be disciples. In Matthew 28:19, Jesus says, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Jesus is not singling out those who went to seminary or who have memorized large portions of the Bible.  He is talking to everyone.  Jesus calls all His followers to act and share the good news of salvation. It could be in Lithuania, it could be in Lynn Haven. The places and people who need to hear the Gospel are everywhere.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How would you define Jesus’ method of discipleship? What are some aspects of it?
  2. What are some difficulties inherent in the discipleship process? How do you overcome those difficulties? 

REJOICE IN THE LORD

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV).

If you wanted to sum up Christianity in four words, what four words would you use? One choice is to rejoice in the Lord. That may be why Paul repeats the phrase over and over and over again. Philippians 3:1 (ESV) says, “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord….” He knows he has said this many times before, but it needed to be said and more importantly, it needed to be heard.

There are plenty of reasons to celebrate God, but how do you rejoice? When you think about the act of rejoicing, you probably imagine jumping for joy. But, from a biblical standpoint, what does it mean to rejoice? Rejoicing was a call to joy.  Joy is more than just happiness. Rejoicing does not always look like happiness. You can be hurting and still choose to delight in the Lord. You can choose to see the bigger picture and be grateful for what God has done and is doing with your life. Rejoicing is a choice. As Christians, we are called to joy, not to hopelessness and negativity. We should focus on what God has done for us instead of dwelling on our suffering and pain. We are called to share that joy and hope with others.

Learning how to rejoice in all things is the Biblical mandate, but it is not a statement but an exercise. It is a faith-stretching exercise, one that is all about perspective. Maybe you were just laid off or had an unplanned major expense pop up out of nowhere. It is counterintuitive to think you could rejoice in those things, but that is what God commands us to do.

Maybe you haven’t been hit by “hard times,” but you are overwhelmed by all the small things going wrong in your life. Maybe you have too many balls in the air, and the little things at work and at home with the kids have you flustered and overwhelmed. How are you supposed to rejoice?

The answer is you don’t. You rejoice in the Lord. Philippians 4:4 (ESV) says, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” This command doesn’t mean to find joy in your hard times, but in the Lord during your hard times. Your hope is in God, not your marital or job status. He has a future for you, not your bank statement or your ring finger. You don’t embrace health concerns; you embrace God. Thank Him for being there and walking with you and allowing you to overcome the world because He “has overcome the world.” He is also not calling me to rejoice in my overwhelming feelings; He is calling me to rejoice in Him.

Even if you don’t feel happy about something, tell God – out loud – that you trust Him. Thank him for what He has done and what He is doing. Ask him for joy and an eternal perspective. Paul doesn’t just say to rejoice always but also to pray continually and give thanks in all circumstances. Just being in a conversation with God delivers so much peace and joy.

No matter what is happening, choose to rejoice. Pray continually. Give thanks in all circumstances.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What would daily life look like if we rejoiced in all things? 
  2. What can we do this week to start rejoicing in the Lord?  

 

WELCOME TO 2024

“ Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing. We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering. And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering.” – 2 Thessalonians  1:3-5.

Believe it or not, it is that time. A new year is here right on schedule. This is the time of year so many of us start making resolutions to change a certain area, or multiple areas in our lives. Maybe we have some extra pounds to shed. We might be committed to changing a specific, harmful behavior. New Year’s resolutions range from simple desires to seemingly full-proof plans for extensive life change. What we all have in common is the hope that something will change and life will be different (and better) in the year ahead.

2 Thessalonians is a letter from Paul to the church in Thessalonica. In verses 3-5 of chapter 1, Paul talks about faith. God desires that we grow in faith as we walk with Him. Faith is not merely a one-time event through which we were saved; rather, it’s a continuous way of life from the point of salvation forward.

Our degree of faith in the Lord affects every area of our life—our thoughts, attitudes, prayers, and behavior. Our faith reveals just how much we trust Him. When we face persecutions and hardships as the church at Thessaloniki did, are we focused only on the troubles, or do we see the greatness of our heavenly Father, who controls all these situations?

The reason why many people don’t have faith is that they don’t know the character of God. When you finally glimpse how faithful God is, you can grasp the level of His love, grace, and mercy. If you trust God, you can have faith in Him. And when you have faith in God, you know what He says is true. The more you know God, the more faith will fill your heart. He promises to see you through any situation you find yourself in. Isaiah 54:10 says, “For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,” says the Lord, who has mercy on you.

So, what will you seek to change in 2024?  One way to approach New Year is to resolve to have personal growth in your faith—growing your relationship with Christ, focusing on prayer, or gaining a greater understanding of the Bible. That may seem like a pretty aggressive goal, but it is not as difficult as you think when you make it a tangible daily goal. Perhaps you want to commit to attending church every Sunday, joining a small group, volunteering with a specific ministry or organization, becoming more knowledgeable on a specific book or section of the Bible, or spending regular quiet time reading the Bible and prayer.

As we begin this new year, let us commit to trusting God to work in our lives in a new and powerful way. So rather than seeing the start of another year as a daunting task to be met or an unknown to be feared, we can trust in God’s sovereignty over every aspect of our lives.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How would you rate in knowing and trusting God?
  2. What can we do in the new year to increase our knowledge and trust in God?

GOD NEVER GIVES UP ON YOU

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” –  Deuteronomy 31:8.

If you have lived more than a few years, then you have probably experienced someone giving up on you. Maybe it was a teacher who felt that you would never understand calculus. Or a girlfriend/boyfriend who didn’t think you would ever climb up the corporate ladder. Or maybe a boss at work got frustrated because you didn’t seem to grasp the company culture. No matter how good you are or what you have accomplished, somebody will probably give up on you at some point. Fortunately, your Heavenly Father never will.  He will never drive you away. Ever.

The parable of the prodigal son found in Luke 15 is a powerful illustration of that fact. Take a moment to reflect on this well-known parable, specifically the heart of the father after the son disrespects his father by demanding his inheritance (which was only due when the father dies). Apparently, the son thought the father was living too long. Even after that break with tradition, even after the son squandered all the money on wild living and fell on hard times he decided to return to the father he scorned.

The Bible tells us that as he returned to his father, his father saw him from afar and ran towards him to embrace him. What does that tell us? That tells us that The father was waiting for him, watching for him, that tells us that even as he had run away and absconded, his Father’s eyes were still fixed on him. His Father’s heart was still open to him, even after he had closed his heart to his father.

There is a lesson for us there. God’s arms are always open to us. No matter how long we have been away. No matter what we think, we have done. No matter how far we have strayed. God’s hands are big enough to draw you back to His side. As long as you decide to return to Him, He will never drive you away.

God never gives up on us. Our sins may drive us farther and farther away from Him—but even then, He still loves us and yearns for us to repent and turn to Him for the forgiveness and help we need. The Bible says, “But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness” (Psalm 86:15).

So, don’t give up on God when it seems too tough to stand when the end is nowhere in sight. God has not and never will give up on you. He has promised to win every battle He enters into with you. Never give up on God because He will never give up on you.

“Then David continued, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly” (1 Chronicles 28:20).

Discussion Questions:

  1. Whatever you’re going through, the Lord will gather you back up again. Even if you give up on Jesus, He will never give up on you. How have you seen that manifested in your life?
  2. How does the fact that God will never give up on us impact our lives on a daily basis? 

LEARNING TO EMBRACE CHANGE

“Unless change becomes the constant of our own lives, we’ll cease to be change agents in the lives of others.” – David Timms, Living the Lord’s Prayer.

If you asked the average person on the street if they liked change, the answers would mostly likely lean toward no. That is understandable because people enjoy routines and familiarity. But people also welcome new things: we like new seasons, new restaurants, new technology, new friends, and new adventures.

It’s not that we don’t like change, we just don’t want to change. Change can be hard. It’s often uncomfortable. When we become Christians, we accept the truth that we need to change. Change is needed if we, as broken people, will be made new in Christ. When we look at change this way, we can be better prepared to manage it. As Christians, we know everything happens for a purpose, and God can work through any situation.

Change can cause upheaval, confusion, stress, anxiety, and fear. It only makes sense that our first inclination is to resist it. When we’re faced with new challenges and new opportunities, we instinctively want to head back to Egypt as the Israelites did where the “cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic” (Numbers 11:5) were at least something they could count on.  But change is more than a part of life. Change is life. Change is inevitable, whether it is a change in our health, career, role, or priorities.

It is God’s will that we mature as Christians, becoming more and more like Jesus. Growth is not automatic. It takes dedicated effort, and every Christian needs to make a conscious decision to grow spiritually. Part of this decision is realizing that we must change our lives. I may need to act differently in specific ways or eliminate some old routines or habits. When I do my part God will do His part and work in me.

I need to realize that my will alone is not enough to change my life. I can’t force myself to change. I need God’s help to do this. The first step is for me to begin to change the way I think because how I think determines how I act. I need to think maturely, focusing on others more than myself.

As John Maxwell observed, “Life is a matter of choices, and every choice you make makes you.” The Bible contains numerous accounts of individuals who made hard choices while following God and, as a result, enjoyed His rich blessings. Every choice we make moves us closer to God or further away from Him and His mission for our lives.

The Christian life is fundamentally a changed life. And it is never too late or too early to make changes. Regardless of your life season 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. It is never too late to grow spiritually.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What changes would you like to make in your life in the New Year??  What are the obstacles to making those changes? 
  2. What changes would you make this week to grow spiritually? 

WORTHY OF HIS CALLING

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;  giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[b] to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.. – Colossians 1:9-12 (ESV).

In Colossians 1, Paul encourages the church at Colossae to live Christian lives. He also prayed for and praised them for their spiritual growth, but he also indicated that they should strive for even greater things. There was still room for improvement.

Paul’s words to the Colossians apply to us today. Christians must always want to accomplish greater things for the Lord. Many of us have grown through the ministry of the church. We learned to serve the Lord in the various ministries and outreaches of the church.  But like the Colossians, we have not yet completed everything God wants us to do. It is vital for us to keep on progressing spiritually and not “plateau” if we are to be worthy of His calling.

To be worthy of His calling, we must make choices that reflect God’s heart. To reflect God’s heart, we must have a teachable heart: we must be willing to listen to Him and change our direction if we are heading the wrong way. An illustration of this quality is found in King David. Even though he messed up royally, his repentant heart drew near to God. Even with his less-than-perfect life, God calls him “a man after His own heart.”

Walking worthy of the Lord means continually increasing your knowledge of God. Because a worthy walk is a lifetime pursuit, increasing your knowledge of God is also a lifetime pursuit. A Christian can never say, “I know enough. I have arrived. I do not need any more. I can rest on the knowledge I have.” God always has more to teach you. You will never exhaust the depths of His Word. You can never know enough about your God. And then living by God’s strength.

When Jesus was asked what’s the greatest commandment, He said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39) They go together. You can’t love God without loving your neighbor. James says it’s not an either-or situation. We don’t earn our salvation by doing good works. Salvation is a gift from God; salvation is something He gives freely rather than something we earn.

If we want to be worthy of our calling, we need to love God and others.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does worthy of our calling mean to you? 
  2. Paul exhorts us to walk (or live) in a manner “worthy of your calling,” meaning to live in a way that reflects who we are in Christ. How do you do that on a practical basis?

IS LAUGHTER A GIFT?

“We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, “What amazing things the Lord has done for them.” – Psalm 126:2.

Christmas has come and gone. Soon after, the trappings of Christmas; the tree, lights, and piles of wrapping paper will find their way back into closets or storage units. Some people must put away Christmas when the last gift is opened. But what about the laughter that is so much a part of Christmas? There is a joy in laughter at Christmas that shouldn’t be ignored. But laughter is not limited to holidays only.

So often, we hear about the struggles and the difficulties that we face as Christians. However, God created joy, humor, and laughter.  Think of the most joyful person that you know. What makes them smile or laugh? Their smile and sense of humor can brighten your day.

Laughter is good, and every good and perfect gift comes from God (James 1:17). Laughter is a gift from God. Having the ability to show our emotions is a beautiful blessing. We can communicate with others in clear ways and soak in the moments of joy and happiness that the Lord provides.

Most of us come to the Lord broken and scarred. Our walk with God can be highly challenging, but it is also remarkably rewarding. We probably don’t think of it this way, but laughter can carry us through our daily challenges. Often laughter is presented in Scripture as good-humored and friendly to encourage others: “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). Also, James exhorts, “Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises” (James 5:13). And Ecclesiastes 3:4 tells us that there is “A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance” (ESV).

Joy-filled laughter is sincerely offered to Job by one of his comforters: “But look, God will not reject a person of integrity, nor will he lend a hand to the wicked. He will once again fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy” (Job 8: 20-21). In  Genesis 21:6, when an impossible miracle comes true, Sarah’s laughter is the sign of God-given joy: “God has brought me laughter. All who hear about this will laugh with me” (Genesis 21:6). In the beatitudes, Jesus teaches, “God blesses you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. God blesses you who weep now, for in due time you will laugh” (Luke 6:21).

No one wants to be around laugh-less company. You laugh out loud when you have a child, especially when the little one is unexpected. You laugh when you land a job or deal that was unexpected. You laugh when the Lord loves you beyond your wildest dreams. Because of His extraordinary provision, your joy and thanksgiving turn into laughter. It is a respectful and grateful laughter to the Lord. The Lord gives you laughter to unleash joy and enable you to relax in Him.

 Have you laughed today? If not, ask the Lord to fill you with His joy.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you view laughter as a gift? Do you find it easy or hard to laugh at life? 
  2. Do you have friends that love to laugh?
  3. How can laughter help your spiritual life?