“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.” – Colossians 3:23-24

Motivation is the desire to act in service of a goal. It’s a crucial element in setting and attaining our objectives. Motivation is one of the driving forces behind human behavior. It fuels competition and sparks social connections. To become successful in your chosen career or business, you must decide to remain motivated. This is what differentiates one person from another. So, what motivates us as Christians?

Many begin motivated and galvanized to achieve their dreams, but as time goes on, their motivation fizzles out, especially as they encounter challenges. Without motivation, they are unable to achieve their goals.

When we begin something, we often have great determination and motivation. We have a goal set in our mind, and we pump ourselves up so much that we can see the finish line. Fast-forward a couple of weeks, and here comes that all-too-familiar lack of drive.

In Colossians 3, Paul tells the Christians in Colossae and us to work at whatever you are doing with all of your heart. In other words, our work and all of our activity should be done in a way, with a heart, with a goal of pleasing God. Our efforts as believers should come from a place of devotion to Jesus as an expression of a transformed heart.

Everything you do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus. In other words, our motivation should be primarily to please and obey our Lord, Jesus Christ. We are to be motivated by living our lives in a way that glorifies God. We are to be loving, patient, and kind. We are not to rejoice in wrong but to rejoice in right. We are to work, talk, do, or serve out of love, mercy, and grace. We are to care for others with a servant’s heart. The needs of others outweigh ours as we care for the least, the lost, and the last.   

The preceding paragraph probably seems overwhelming or convicting, but that’s because none of us can persevere in our own strength. We constantly fall short of perfection. But God planned for our lack, and He’s not expecting us to get there in our strength. You’re loved, made new, and met God’s standards through Christ.

Since the beginning of humanity, every person in every generation has experienced moments when their motives are put to the test. Psalm 26:2 says, “Put me on trial, LORD, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and my heart.

One of the best ways to keep our motives pure is to ask God to show us why we do what we do. Because when we consider our motives before taking action, we are more likely to act in a way that honors Jesus.

Discussion Questions:

1. Where does motivation come from for you?
2. What motivates us to worship God in every aspect of our life?
3. How does the future motivate you?

 “I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]. –  Romans 12:1-2 (AMP).

Have you ever tried to calculate how good a Christian you are? There will certainly be times when you don’t feel like a very good Christian, especially when you don’t feel like you read or study your Bible enough, or you don’t pray or have morning devotions as often as you like. And then there are those times when you lose your patience and say things you regret. If you feel that way, you are not alone.

Many people are wrestling with the “not feeling like a very good Christian.” They feel they haven’t done quite enough to please God genuinely.  If you begin praying for ten minutes a day, you feel that if you were committed, you’d be praying for thirty. If you’re reading one passage of Scripture a day, you feel a nagging notion that a whole chapter would be better. Wanting to do more and be better is one of the most common symptoms of the spiritual life.

The “I’m not a very good Christian” syndrome is not strictly a modern problem; Paul once wrote a letter to the church in Galatia full of people who felt these symptoms. They began to think God loved them less if they stopped keeping up with their commitments. If they faltered, their Christian lives were through. When Paul heard about it, he wrote a letter to the Galatians. “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? . . .  I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.” (Galatians 3:1–3, 4:11).

There is nothing wrong with wanting to be better. But what Paul is saying is that God did not adopt you as His children because you attended all the growth track sessions, prayed an hour every day, or memorized 50 key verses. All those are good, but you became a Christian by trusting in Jesus’ death and resurrection. It depends on His Spirit, not your effort.

The difference is that you are trying to improve yourself from the outside to change what’s on the inside instead of allowing Jesus to change your thinking and character from the inside out.

It will be just as Paul said in Galatians 2:20: “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Discussion Questions:

1. Have you ever felt like you need to be a better Christian?
2. What did you do as a result?
3. What would God tell you in that situation?

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30.

Work, family, school, bills, doctor’s visits, and hurricanes are increasingly the fabric of life. Stress builds, and you feel consumed and trapped by the pressures of life. Fortunately, the Bible has the solution for overcoming stress, anxiety, pressure, and the impossible expectations the world places on us and we place upon ourselves.

In Matthew 11, Jesus commands us: “Take my yoke upon you… For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Jesus tells you that finding rest for your soul involves taking His yoke upon yourself. If you think that sounds counterintuitive, He reassures you that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. This passage of scripture seems to contradict what Jesus said about following Him: that following Him was hard, having trials in this world, counting the cost, and the way is narrow.

 If something is easy, it cannot be a yoke—a collar for doing hard labor. But Jesus is doing what He did for His three years of ministry: challenging established paradigms. With Christ, yokes become easy, burdens become light, death becomes life, despair becomes hope, and fear becomes faith. You are not alone in your walk of faith because Jesus walks with you. This makes the burden light because Jesus bears the weight, not you. He is doing the heavy lifting so you can find rest.

Every day we wake up, we choose to grab our burden or His burden. His burden is like grabbing helium balloons, whereas our burden feels like two full-grown oxen.  The key to choosing Jesus’ yoke is about loving and pursuing God in every aspect of your life.

Dallas Willard has this to say in a chapter titled “The Secret of the Easy Yoke.” He writes, “To depart from righteousness is to choose a life of crushing burdens, failures, and disappointments, a life caught in the toils of endless problems that are never resolved. Here is the source of that unending soap opera, that sometimes horror show known as normal human life. The ‘cost of discipleship,’ though it may take all we have, is small when compared to the lot of those who don’t accept Christ’s invitation to be a part of His company.”

Taking Jesus’ yoke allows us to learn from Him, become like Him, and find rest in His easy yoke and light burden. The yoke allows us to pull a burden with less stress and strain, and a good yoke makes the work easier. The most obvious application is that Jesus helps us bear life’s burdens more easily.

Discussion Questions:

1. In Matthew 11, Jesus calls His followers to take His yoke upon them. What does it mean today?
2. How do Jesus’ words “come to me” and “take up my yoke” help us understand the gospel?
3. What kind of yokes do we carry?

“God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf…” –  Hebrews 6:18-20 (NIV).

The writer of Hebrews uses the image of an anchor to describe the confident hope we can have in God. When a boat is in open water, away from a dock, nothing can keep it in place but an anchor. The anchor keeps the boat from drifting off in any direction. No wonder Hebrews calls hope “an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” That is what an anchor is for a boat, and that is what hope is for our souls.

We need an anchor so we “ won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.  Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church” (Ephesians 4:14,15).

We experienced another hurricane last week. When a hurricane hits, it can knock out everything that brings us comfort and security. We see the devastation firsthand. The reminders are all around us in the form of severely damaged buildings and homes. It will take months for many people to rebuild battered lives and return to normalcy. In the interim, they live with no communication, no TV, no internet, no electricity, etc.

People always ask how we keep faith and trust in God when hurricanes strike. We keep faith because we have an anchor in Jesus Christ. Most of the time, when we put our anchor out, it is usually so deep that it isn’t visible.  And isn’t that like the hope we have in Jesus? He is the hope that doesn’t disappoint. We can’t really see it, but as Romans says, “For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees” (Romans 8:24)?

Jesus is our hope and anchor. He keeps us safe, our hearts, our minds, and our souls. He secures our place in heaven. He guides us so that we don’t sink. He tells us to keep our eyes on Him while walking on water and keeps us firmly planted so that we don’t get tossed around in the waves more than we should. He is the solid rock on which we can stand, our hiding place and our safe refuge.

Without that anchor, we can drift. Our minds drift, our thoughts drift, our insecurities grow, and so do our fears. God could take away all of our struggles and the thorns in our sides. He could eliminate hurricanes and every other storm in life. But He doesn’t, and He won’t. If He did, we would not be running to the foot of the cross daily so that our anchor is secured.

Have you ever noticed what an anchor looks like? What shape is the top of it? It is a cross. It seems appropriate.

Discussion Questions:

1. What hopes are you holding onto?
2. Where and how are our hopes anchored, firm, and secure?
3. How does this anchor hold us secure during the storms of our lives?

“David remarked longingly to his men, “Oh, how I would love some of that good water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem.” So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew some water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out as an offering to the Lord. “The Lord forbid that I should drink this!” he exclaimed. “This water is as precious as the blood of these men who risked their lives to bring it to me.” So David did not drink it. These are examples of the exploits of the Three.” – 2 Samuel 23:15-17. .

Over the last few weeks on Friday, we have been looking at various people from the Bible who are not that well-known, but who provide an example, a model, for us of faith, trust, courage, perseverance, conviction, and so on. People that we can learn from. Such is the case with David’s mighty men.

David’s mighty men were a legendary band of warriors who rallied to David when he was a fugitive on the run. Renowned for their valor, the mighty men became David’s most loyal and trusted warriors during his tenure as king.  Heralded for their valor and skill in battle, David’s mighty men were a unique group of fighting men who came to David in the caves of Adullam after he fled from King Saul. Jashobeam the Hacmonite once used his spear to kill 800 enemy warriors in a single battle (2 Samuel 23:8).

What can we learn from these mighty men? One thing is devotion. Devotion is not an easy thing these days. As believers, we have to ask ourselves, “Am I fully devoted to Him?” David’s mighty men were devoted. They were loyal and followed David through thick and thin. In addition, they served cheerfully. They respected David and gladly followed and served him. David asked for some water from the well by the gate of Bethlehem. What did these three mighty men do as they heard the desire and the wish of the king? Boom. They were off to get water despite the challenges.  How deep is our devotion to the King and how ready is our response to the King and to His commands and to His desires to follow Him?

The mighty men had unbelievable courage. They were always willing to take a risk. If our goal is to serve Christ, then there are times when we will have to take risks. It might be the risk of job or financial loss, the risk of social isolation and scorn, the risk of family rejection, or simply the risk of leaving what is familiar to you to go somewhere else, to do something else, to serve Him in another way.

David’s mighty men may not have been large in number. Still, their courage, loyalty, and willingness to stand their ground and challenge giants were enough to win the day. We should never, therefore, underestimate just how much a small but committed group of brave people can achieve.

Discussion Questions:

1. What can we learn from David’s mighty men?
2. The church needs mighty men who are attracted to the person of Christ. Agree or disagree and why?

“To gather with God’s people in united adoration of the Father is as necessary to the Christian life as prayer.”– Martin Luther.

Unity is more than a good idea; it’s a scriptural command. This is why Paul writes, “Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace” (Ephesians 4:3).

For some, unity is a vague, dream-like wish for a day when Christians sweetly smile at each other and sing in harmony; disagreements are resolved and eliminated, and we all say, think, and do the same things. That is not how the scripture looks at unity. Scripturally,  unity is the idea that people from different backgrounds can come together to accomplish a shared mission and vision. It’s about recognizing that people are stronger together than they are individually. That does not mean we won’t have disagreements. There’s no such thing as a perfect church, organization, or family. Problems will arise. Tension will mount. But despite our differences, we can move forward together with sincerity, humility, and love.

Our unity is not based on shared cultures, personal interests, or personal tastes but on something much more profound.  It is not what we have in common that matters, but Who we have in common.  There are a thousand ways to splinter church unity and one way to unite it again.  We need to walk the same path and head in the same direction. Sometimes, Jesus will be all that connects us, but that connection is critical and will last for eternity.

A united church is a powerful tool.  Paul says we exist as a church so, “…all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:6) If we’re going to be successful doing that, it’s going to take everyone making that our goal.

When this occurs, different gifts, talents, and blessings become connected and integrated, and the result is a fantastic release of divine power that achieves and accomplishes the impossible. Unity empowers the Christian community to operate at full capacity. Unity is also a distinguishing mark of Jesus’s presence and power in the Christian community.

When the world sees this kind of love and unity, it is a powerful testimony to the truth of the gospel. Let us work even harder to improve our unity through the love we show in the communities we serve. A unified church brings glory to Jesus, and when Jesus is glorified, the world will sit up and take notice.

Discussion Questions:

1. How important is living in harmony?
2. How would you describe the power and impact of unity? When or where have you experienced that?

“For every house has a builder, but the one who built everything is God.” – Hebrews 3:4.

A house can be beautiful, unique even, but the amazing thing is that someone thought of it, and was able to carry it through. The builder is given the accolades, not the house. If you want a really spectacular house, you have to find a builder capable of creating such a home. You wouldn’t be as sure of getting a great house without that builder. Hebrews 3:4 has a straightforward and empowering message. God is the builder of our faith, salvation, trust, courage, challenges, guidance, and victory in Christ Jesus.

One of the things we learn about God in the Bible is that He is a builder. All throughout the pages of Scripture, we read about holy building projects. In creation, God constructed the world. Jesus presented Himself to us as the builder of the church. Jesus is returning and will build a new heaven and earth. God is a builder, and if we are to be like Him, we, too, must be builders. But what are we called to build?

We are called to build up ourselves spiritually. “But you, dear friends, carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit …” ( Jude 1:20 Msg). Pursuing the Lord through studying His Word is key to building yourself up spiritually. There is something extraordinary about the Word of God, and it is the fact that it produces power and transmits life into us when we open our hearts. When you have His words in you and commit to putting them into practice, you will experience such a transformation of life that no human education or academic qualifications could have made possible.

We are called to build up the church. ” … Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church” — 1 Corinthians 14:12 (NIV). Christians are called to build the church, and every member is essential.  Ephesians 4:12 says, “Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.”

We are called to build up one another. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” ( Ephesians 4:29).  “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up …” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). These are people who genuinely care about you, ask how you are doing, chip in to give you a hand when you are in need, and will listen without trying to formulate an answer.  They are builders.

What are we building?

Discussion Questions:

1. It takes everyone to build the church. Agree or disagree and why?
2. What area of building do you need to work on? 

“ And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” –  Hebrew3s 10:24-25 (ESV).

“And let us consider…”

The word “consider” means “to give careful consideration to some matter, to think about it very carefully, to consider it closely.” So when we encounter this word in Scripture, we are to pause and think carefully about whatever comes next. What is also implied in the word “consider” is that we will not think about others naturally. We have to remind ourselves to do it. We must train our minds to think of others.

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works…”

We need to think deeply about how to love God more, love each other better, and how we can encourage each other to do good deeds for God. Then, it tells us the best way to do this. You can’t be a long-distance Christian. It is hard to have long-distance relationships. If we want to encourage each other to love better and do good works we have to be in relationship with each other, we have to gather together regularly, and the primary way we do this is by the gathering of the church or in small groups.

Stirring upon one another often challenges us to go somewhere where we don’t naturally want to go.  We need to pursue each other and push each other to be godly. On your own, you can learn more about God and grow in your love for God, but at the same time, you must realize that you can’t see everything on your own. We all have blind spots. In order to grow in the Christian life, you must spend time alone with the Lord and be around other believers. We need community, and the community needs us.

“but encouraging one another…”

 Over and over, the Bible emphasizes the importance of spending time with other Christians as a source of encouragement. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” Sometimes, the best way to encourage isn’t through words at all—it’s through listening. It’s by trying to understand the other person. Dallas Theological Seminary professor Howard Hendricks once said, “You can impress people at a distance; you can only impact them up close.” The general principle here is this: the closer the personal relationship, the greater the potential for impact.

The Christian life is meant to be lived in company with others, not alone. Hebrews 10:19–25 urges us to live in community with other followers of Jesus.

Even our most difficult days can become a meaningful part of our journey of faith when others share them with us.

Discussion Questions:

1. When did you keep going through a struggle because other people faithfully walked with you?
2. Who are the people in your life that you can walk alongside? How will you show them today that they are not alone?
3. What are some of the benefits of having meaningful relationships with other believers? 

“Christianity means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ. No Christian community is more or less than this. Whether it is a brief, single encounter or the daily fellowship of years, Christian community is only this. We belong to one another only through and in Jesus Christ.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Community is important for several reasons. When we consider its importance, we need to look at it through the lens of the One who created it and us. It is not only important but also the key to discipleship and experiencing a fully abundant life. As followers of Jesus, our community is the space where we grow in love and become conduits of God’s love to others.

Jesus modeled finding community when He chose 12 men to walk alongside and disciple. Jesus was in  a relationship with these twelve for three years. They ate and talked around campfires, caught fish, and shared stories. Beyond the regular ups and downs of hanging out together, they saw Jesus perform miracles. They were immersed in Jesus’ teaching and way of life together.

God didn’t design you to do life on your own. Scripture is filled with exhortations to engage in community with fellow believers. Galatians 6:2 says, “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.” Psalm 133:1-3 says, “How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!”  

Think for a moment about the people God has given you. Think about your friends and family. Think about those around you at church you feel close to. What would your life be like if you had no one to share it with? The truth is we need each other: the support, the encouragement, the help along the way. Christian life is not easy, and there are many hills and valleys along the way. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 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.”

God gives us community as a way to become more like Him. There’s something powerful about believers joining together, making each other accountable, and being a sort of witness of one another’s lives. We need people checking in on us, asking the hard questions, and challenging us to live out our faith. If you are not a small group member, please consider joining one. It gives people confidence in the model scripture, in Jesus’s constantly calling people together and inviting them into a relationship with Him and each other.

There is something extraordinary about growing together in communion with one another. When God’s people are living in unity together, we grow closer to Jesus.

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you have someone or a group of people you can be authentic, be yourself with, without any facades or false fronts? 
2. Small groups are about doing life together. A place where you can grow closer to God, others, and your purpose. Agree or disagree?
3. Having a community of believers to do life together is just as important today, but why?

“ He knocked at the door in the gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, “Peter is standing at the door!”“You’re out of your mind!” they said. When she insisted, they decided, “It must be his angel.”  Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed. He motioned for them to quiet down and told them how the Lord had led him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers what happened,” he said. And then he went to another place.” — Acts 12:13-17.

Over the last few weeks on Friday, we have been looking at little-known characters in the Bible that we might, wrongly perhaps, skip over as not being particularly important. But some of these often-overlooked characters can be significant in other ways, showing us and teaching us something important through their lives, what happened to them, and how other people engaged with them. One was Rhoda.

We don’t know much about Rhoda. She’s a maid in Mary’s house, the mother of John Mark. We don’t know if she’s a slave or a paid employee. We don’t know her age. But first, a little context.   

King Herod Agrippa killed James and put Peter in prison. Agrippa had planned on putting Peter on trial. (Acts 12:1-4) But an angel appeared in Peter’s cell the night before the public trial. The chains fell off Peter’s wrists, and the angel led Peter out of prison. Once on the street, the angel left him. It wasn’t a dream, he was free and set off for Mary’s home.

Mary’s home had an outer courtyard door that faced the street. The door did not have a window or peephole, and therefore, it only opened when someone inside the home recognized the knocker’s voice. Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and Rhoda came to answer the door. Rhoda’s job was to discern who to let in and who to contact the owner before admitting. We can probably assume that Rhoda wasn’t about to open the door in the middle of the night, so she probably asked a question like, “Who’s there?”

When Peter identified himself, Rhoda recognized Peter’s voice. She forgot to open the door and told the group inside that “Peter is standing at the door.” She believed that the people’s prayers were answered even without visual confirmation. Everybody basically told her she was out of her mind. She didn’t flinch and insisted it was Peter. Rhoda truly exemplifies the concept of childlike faith.

Childlike faith believes in the outcome of prayer that God answers prayers, not in spending time pondering reasons why God can’t or won’t answer them. Rhoda stood firm in her faith regardless of what everyone was saying and believing. (Acts 12:15)

Discussion Questions:

1. What can we learn from the story of Rhoda?
2. What is it like to have childlike faith?