We Have More Than Less

“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” – Psalm 23.   

Thanksgiving is upon us and already stores are putting up their Christmas decorations. It’s that glorious time of year set aside for giving lots of stuff and to stuffing ourselves a lot. But to celebrate these holidays—and every day—as God intended, one thing above all is necessary: we must grasp that all of life is grace. James 1:17 reminds us of that fact: “Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father…”  Thanksgiving is the time to count your blessings, name them one by one. But how do we do that? God has blessed us far more than we deserve and with far too many blessings to count. Yet there are times that we want more.

Jesus showed time and time again that He would and could provide for those who followed Him. Just as a shepherd provides for the sheep, so does Jesus provide for those who follow Him. Psalm 23 tells us exactly that. David is an old man when he wrote Psalm 23. He had seen tragedies and disappointments, but he also had come to know God. David knew that God was beneath him in green pastures, beside him in still waters, before him at the table, behind him pursuing him with goodness and mercy, behind him preparing a heavenly home, and with him all the while as the good shepherd. David had been given more than he deserved.

That is why we should be grateful every day. Not because we hope to earn more than others, or that we have more stuff, but because we know that he has already given us more than we deserve. We serve a generous God.

I am not here to serve a God that gives people what they deserve. I am here to serve a God who gives people more than they deserve. I am here to serve a God who has given me more than I deserve.

So as you embrace this time of Thanksgiving, will you focus on the Giver, who gives you more than you need? Will you prayerfully consider that less is more and that if you have more than you need share it with others?

Discussion Questions:

  1. Americans are some of the wealthiest people in the world, but do you think Americans are generous with their wealth? Why or why not?
  2. What excuses do people sometimes make for not being more generous with their resources (time, money, and energy) toward others? Are they valid?
  3. God has blessed us with more than we deserve. When God blesses us how should we respond?

Time For A Change

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” – Hebrew 13:8

Our current teaching series is entitled Making Change and as the name implies, it is about making changes in our lives. I believe most people think the idea of change sounds good, until we realize we may have to do things differently. And too often we spend our time and effort trying to change others other than changing ourselves. Warren Wiersbe said, “Real contentment must come from within. You and I cannot change or control the world around us, but we can change and control the world within us.”

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. It sounds easy but then there is that uncomfortable space in between, the desire to make a change and moments of second guessing and questioning of whether making the change is the right thing to do. If God is nudging us to make a change, we pause and ask God a question: “Am I hearing you right?”

I know people who are not intimidated by change, in face they embrace it. But there are others who run from change as if it is the worst possible outcome. They find comfort in the familiar and in the predictable. They like to know what’s coming and how it will turn out. To many people change is an itch they prefer not to scratch. But it is these moments of uncertainty that God can teach us about change and in fact change us. It is in these times that we realize that change is not so bad.

Preaching for 19 plus years at Northstar has afforded me priceless experience. Years of developing a sermon each week taught me how to prepare efficiently and how to comfortably communicate. In preaching, like most other disciplines, there really is no substitute for experience. But looking back, I realize how much both my preparation and delivery have changed, or maybe the better word is evolved, over the years.

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 Hm by surprise. Since 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 less is more?

Be More With Less

“Less is more and more is less. One righteous will outclass fifty wicked, For the wicked are moral weaklings, but the righteous are God-strong.” – Psalm 37:16-17 (MSG).

I don’t know about you, but I regularly reflect on “how much is enough” in my life. How much money is enough for one to be happy? How much stuff does one need to be content? The constant quest for “stuff” can dominate our thinking consciously or subconsciously, pushing God to the sidelines. Need proof that we tend to have too much stuff?  Consider the following: we hold garage sales where we sell clothes, furniture, decorations, cookware, tools, books, toys, basically anything not being used. If we don’t have the time to do a garage sale then we donate all the stuff we don’t use to Goodwill or the Salvation Army.   

We work long hours for the money we spend on technology, clothing, toys, furniture, decorations, cars, and hopefully someday, a bigger house in a nicer neighborhood. While we don’t believe the purpose of life is to chase possessions, our calendar and checkbook sure seem to tell a different story.

Sometimes less is more. Typically, we have excess. We don’t need all that we have. If you haven’t yet experimented in living with less, you might compare it to dieting: a feeling of constant deprivation and craving what you’ve said no to. But in reality, the opposite is true. It is natural to be nervous about clearing out all our extra stuff, such as clothes. But typically, we found out that we enjoy the simplicity that we actually use the clothes we do have. When you’ve gotten rid of what you don’t need and set out to only keep what’s necessary, that insistent voice inside badgering you to buy more is quietly silenced.

When Jesus taught His disciples, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:33-34), He was inviting us to a freedom of heart that can be only experienced when our hearts are no longer tethered to all we own and when we learn the principle that less is more. Owning less may be one of the most significant steps you’ll ever take to the abundant life Jesus promised.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does less is more mean in your life?
  2. Do you have excess in your life? What would your life be like without that excess?
  3. What can we do this week to focus on what matters?

Setting The Agenda

“Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor. What is your request?” he asked. She replied, “In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”

In Matthew 20: 20-23 we read the story of a mother requesting that her two sons sit at Christ’s side in His kingdom. Jesus replies in verse 22-23, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?” “Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!” Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”

Jesus saw through this mother’s hidden agenda. It seems they were were still thinking in terms of personal prominence and personal reward and distinction. But Jesus was having none of it. Jesus wanted to be sure this mother saw a difference between what she was asking and the realities of the Kingdom.  She could not have realized the seriousness of her request. We can shake our head at the mother’s request, but what about our agenda? Our agenda often centers on what we want and what we want is usually more than we currently have. 

Some people assume that Christianity is actually an enormous boost to achieving their personal agenda. They have dreams of a happy, healthy, family-filled prosperous life. And now that God is on their side and He is the fulfiller of dreams and the maximizer of personal potential, golden times are ahead. Craig Groeschel said that ”We reflect God’s character the most when we give freely of ourselves with no strings attached, no secret motives, no hidden agenda.”   We may not like how things are going, but we can trust God’s plan. We can trust that God is working out His design to form Christ in us. But we must understand that His agenda is different than ours.

Whether you struggle with daily glitches that change your agenda, or with major changes that bring heartache, I want to encourage you that God is in control. He has a plan mapped out for you. He sees your struggle, and He has compassion for you. His design for your life is good. Even when you can’t understand His plans, you can trust that He loves you and He’s planning something more beautiful than you can imagine.

I’m not claiming to have the answers. But I do know that God is sovereign and in control. God knows what He’s doing. Sometimes I forget, but he has a plan. God knows my heart. He knows what I desire. And He has plans to “prosper (me) and not to harm [me], to give [me] a hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). I challenge you to put your agenda aside and live according to God’s agenda. It will change your perspective and your life.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why do we tend to think that God’s agenda/will is something difficult to discern? What does God want us to understand?
  2. Was there a time when your agenda clashed with God’s agenda? What happened? What did God teach you from the experience? 
  3. Respond to the statement, “The point is not to avoid life’s troubles, but to trust God in them.” How can you practically do this this week?

What Really Matters?

“Better to have little, with godliness, than to be rich and dishonest.” – Proverbs 16:8.

It is all but impossible these days to get people to pay any attention to things that really matter. Cynics amongst us are likely to ask: “What really matters in the end?” The quest to answer the question of “what matters” has driven human history, and inspired philosophers to probe the meaning of life. No one can avoid this question, and all of us develop our specific idea of what matters. But what many people think really matters doesn’t. The degree of fame that we achieve does not matter. Our level of intelligence is not what is most significant. The position to which we rise on the corporate ladder is not of ultimate importance. Nor does our wealth and possessions ultimately matter. It will all be meaningless. What really matters is our relationship with God. 

Isaiah talked about this coming reality when he said: “The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17). Can you even imagine not being able to recall anything of your life while you existed on earth?  Well that’s exactly what this verse is saying. The former things will not be remembered or even come to mind. 

This verse can put things in perspective in a hurry. It prompts us to confront the out-of-whack, craziness of our lives, and get back to what really matters. It is also a sobering reminder of just how temporary this whole thing called life really is. The Bible reminds me of that fact in James 4:14: “How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog–it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.”

We came into this world with nothing and we will leave the same way. So what really matters? The simple answer is that Jesus matters. Nothing that we make on earth is sure to last, except for its effect on advancing Jesus’s gospel and His church. In this sense, it’s true that “only what’s done for Christ will last.”

So what are you pouring your life into making? When it’s over, what will you leave behind that will really last? Is it more or is it less in God’s eyes. 2 Corinthians 4:18 tells us, “So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” We need to stop focusing on what will pass away and focus our lives on what will have eternal significance. So make your priorities the priorities of God. For in the end, that will be the only thing that truly matters.

 Discussion Questions:

  1. If someone was examining your life, what would they say really matters to you? How would they know?
  2. When you think about your life, what is your greatest concern—the way people see you, your financial situation, or your future? Explain.
  3. As you consider your life, what area(s) do you need to have a more external perspective? 

Finding God In My Schedule

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.” – Hebrew 4:12-13

You should continue reading this if you live at an inhuman pace because your weekly time budget is overdrawn. You should continue reading this if you are also overdrawn time wise in your spiritual life and in relationships with your spouse and children. And you should continue reading this if you are in a regular life rhythm and are trying to control the uncontrollable. If you are continuing to read, you need to apply the brakes in some areas of your life and give control back to the one who is in control, God. And that starts with finding time for God in our schedule.

Yes, we can be very busy. There are days when everybody needs something and you just can’t keep up. And maintaining control of the uncontrollable can really take a toll:  physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. In those times, the question we should be asking ourselves is simple: why do we let God take a backseat when we get busy? 

The obvious question is also simple: given that I am overdrawn in the time department, adding another thing (morning devotional, Bible study, prayer) into an already jam-packed schedule really is going to be an even bigger challenge. It is a matter of priorities. Do you genuinely hunger for quiet time with the Lord? Do you strive every day to grow deeper in your faith than you were the day before? God trumps all other priorities.

To be blunt, I don’t think we can be so busy that we are comfortable saying, “I don’t have time to spend with God.” That statement says a whole lot about us, and the true attitude of the heart. It signals we really don’t understand how amazing God is, how precious it is to be in His presence and most of all how desperately and deeply we need Him in all areas of our life. Because if I fill my life trying to control other things, I have successfully crowded out the one who is in control and inferring that my schedule is more important, my priorities are higher and that I can do it all myself, thank you very much. Most of us have been there and done that.  And we find out that it simply does not work when God is not in the equation.

The reality is that we are most in control when God is closely, intimately involved and in control of our entire lives.

Discussion Questions:

  1. God is not up in Heaven with a scorecard, marking down every minute you do (or don’t) spend in prayer. He isn’t keeping a huge tally card of how many verses you have memorized or how many pages of your Bible you read today. What do you think He does expect?
  2. What can we do when we have no time margin for God?

Large, But Not In Charge

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.” – Hebrew 4:12-13

Most people will learn a life lesson the hard way, eventually. It could be in the pursuit of happiness, it could be in a business venture, it could be in seeking validation of others, or it could be in an expected hardship. If I was to guess, I would say that one of the lessons we most often learn the hard way is how little we have control over our lives. Nebuchadnezzar leaned that lesson the hard way.

Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylonia and is considered the greatest king of the Babylonian Empire. Nebuchadnezzar is mentioned by name around 90 times in the Bible. History records Nebuchadnezzar as a brutal, powerful, and ambitious king. The Bible does not say this in so many words, but as a powerful and ambitious king he probably thought he was all that. He probably looked out over Babylon and took personal credit for all its power and splendor.  He believed himself to be large and in charge. He basically said so in Daniel4:1-2: “King Nebuchadnezzar sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world: “Peace and prosperity to you! “I want you all to know about the miraculous signs and wonders the Most High God has performed for me.” He forgot who was really in control.   

In Daniel chapter 4, Nebuchadnezzar is given a dream by God. Daniel interpreted the dream for Nebuchadnezzar and informed him that the dream was a warning to the king to humble himself and recognize that his power, wealth, and influence were from God, not of his own making. Nebuchadnezzar did not heed the warning of the dream, so God judged him as the dream had declared. (Daniel 4: 31-33)

This story reminds us of something we should all take for granted. God rules the roost. The king had been impressed by God, but not transformed. He thought he was in control because he ruled. When we try to control our lives we think we rule as well. We think we are in charge. God is in charge and we are not. Nebuchadnezzar learned that the hard way and set the record straight in verse 37: “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud.”

Discussion Questions:

  1. Read Daniel 4: 31-33: Do you think this is learning your lesson the hard way? What lessons do we learn the hard way?
  2. What can we do to ensure we remember who is in charge?

A Balancing Act

He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.” – Daniel 11:32 

We Christians can sometimes be a walking contradiction: do we sit, watch, and listen to Christianity or do we live, do, and demonstrate Christianity? In other words, should we be spectators, passive observers who watch without doing and have no say in the ultimate outcome of the event they are watching. Or should we be participants that have active roles that impact the outcome? Yes, God is in control, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have a role. 

Our first inclination when faced with a situation or circumstances that we are concerned about is to pray.  And that makes perfect sense.  When we pray, we are demonstrating our dependence upon God.  But the key moment comes after we have prayed.  What do we do then? This is the critical point where many believers sit back waiting for God to meet their need. And sometimes God does exactly that. But sometimes faith requires action. “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (1John 3:18) 

If you are praying for God to help you get out of debt, pray, but then take action. Sit down and put a game plan together to help you meet your financial needs and achieve your financial goals. Create a budget. Live within your means. If you are praying for your marriage or for a relationship, pray, but then act. Seek out Godly counsel from your pastor or some other qualified Christian counselor, then put your faith into action and do all you can to have a healthy marriage or relationship.

Galatians 6:4 tells us, “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else.”  And Jeremiah 17:10 says, “But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”

Prayer is not a passive exercise but an active one. We are active participants in God answering our prayers. It requires action on our part. It is God who is answering our prayers, but our faith requires us to be involved in that process. James 2:14 tells us, “What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions?” No doubt there are some things we pray about that are completely out of our control and we must simply trust God to move on those needs.  But much of what we pray about we have the ability to put action to our prayers. It is still God who is answering our prayers, but He is working through our actions.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do actions require faith? Why or why not?
  2. How do I decide when to take action and when to wait on God?

What, Me Worry?

“When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.” – Revelation 1:17.

The first four words of Revelation 1:17 are “When I saw him…” John must have been totally awestruck by the awesome, Lord Jesus Christ….and terrified. He falls at the feet of Christ. Jesus sees that John was overwhelmed and tells him directly “Don’t be afraid.” The grave could not hold Jesus and He now holds the keys of death and the gravel. God is in control, even though many people want to have everything under control, or at least believe they do. Having control seems more predictable and it certainly seems safer.

But reflect for a few minutes and determine if you are in control of any part of your life right now. Do you have control over your future? Your children? Your daily schedule? Can you control your daily commute to work and home from work? What do you control and more importantly, how much stress do you put on yourself by trying to achieve that control? It is a burden that most of us could probably do without.

Instead of spinning around out of control, we can choose to turn to God. We can ground ourselves in the truth that He is sovereign. He is the One who holds all things together. Nothing escapes His notice. We can rest assured that He is far more concerned with our well-being than we are. And He loves us more than we can possibly fathom.

Yes, bad things happen. We want to control everything in our life instead of merely resting in God’s presence, remembering that God sees us, God loves us, and God has us. But in the midst of crazy seasons of life and the worry that results, the Bible reminds us that we do not need to be in control of it all. One example is found in Psalm 139. “Lord, you have examined me and you know me.You know everything I do; from far away you understand all my thoughts. You see me, whether I am working or resting; you know all my actions. Even before I speak, you already know what I will say. You are all around me on every side; you protect me with your power. Your knowledge of me is too deep; it is beyond my understanding.” (Psalm 139:1-6 GNT)

Remembering these verses doesn’t mean that my to-do list will go away, or even that my anxiety will evaporate. But they remind me that my stress is a small part of the bigger picture and that God’s reality is bigger than my own.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you handle control issues?
  2. Why should we trust in God rather than seize control of our lives?
  3. What can we do this week to put the control of our lives where it belongs, with God?

Wrestling With God

“But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.” – Isaiah 43:1.

It was Corrie Ten Boom who said, “Worry is a cycle of inefficient thoughts whirling around a center of fear.” Worry results from us seeking to wrestle something from God that doesn’t belong to us. Basically, we seek to have control of something we have no power to control.

Do you remember the story of Jacob and Esau? The father Isaac was tricked into giving Esau’s blessing to Isaac. When Esau returned, Jacob had already received the blessing—which guaranteed him a double portion of inheritance. Esau was furious and vowed to kill him, so Jacob fled. (See Genesis 27) After years of living apart, Jacob decided to return to his home and hoped to make peace with his brother. One night on the journey, he sent everyone ahead of him while he stayed behind. What follows is an interesting story. The account of Jacob wrestling with the angel is found in Genesis 32:22-32. The account includes the renaming of Jacob as “Israel”, literally “He who struggles with God.” The account is also regularly described as Jacob wrestling with God.

Through a long and difficult struggle, God taught Jacob to bring his fears to Him, and to cling to His promises. And it seems Jacob finally “got it,” returning to Bethel once more to obey his promise to worship God there (Genesis 35:6-7). 

I find it hard to imagine what it would be like to wrestle with God, until I realize that we wrestle with God all the time. We wrestle with Him on seeking His will for our lives. We wrestle with Him to give us peace and clarity. And of course we wrestle with Him for control of our lives.  We wrestle with Him until we come to that place that we give Him control of our lives. 

Maybe you are in a wrestling match with God right now. I understand it is difficult to give up control and I understand the fear of letting go of control and turning over every aspect of your life to God. But I also understand the peace that comes from releasing control to God, knowing that He has promised to take care of you. Turn over your concerns and worries and leave the rest to Him. 

 Discussion Questions:

  1. How often do you wrestle with God?
  2. What can we do this week to turn over more control of our life to God?