I had a most unusual experience as I was shopping at Anaconda. As I was being served the server was frustrated with the scanning not working properly and swore quietly a couple of times using "Jesus" as his swear word. I am normally like a bull in a china shop but instead of being abrupt I very quietly mentioned that I found his language offensive and would appreciate if he didn't use "Jesus" in that way.
His reply was something like, "well you probably wouldn't like the fact that I'm gay either".
My response, much kinder and wiser than normal, was that I had no problem with that, but as a Christian I didn't like hearing "Jesus" used as a swear word. I also mentioned that I understood it was probably pretty hectic working at Christmas time and I wasn't trying to offend him or be rude.
Interesting his response suddenly changed. He mentioned that he had been kicked out of a church because he was gay. I didn't respond with any judgement, just said that I was sorry he had been treated that way.
In the following short conversation I mentioned being a Pastor and he asked where I went so he could visit one day.
The conversation ended with this young man thanking me for bringing a smile to his day.
I am simply astounded by God who can take such an unlikely opportunity and bring good and blessing out of it.
I am learning, slowly, that quiet respectful gracefilled comments have much more ability that judgemental hard comments to touch the heart of people in whom God dwells even when they are far from him.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
The wise old woman
Sometimes in conflict we need to step out of the situation. There is a middle Eastern story about a Father who dies and leaves his 3 sons with 17 camels. The oldest gets 1/2, the 2nd gets 1/3 and the youngest gets 1/9. Since 17 cannot be divided by 2, 3 or 9 they could not resolve how to divide the camels, so they went to a wise old woman for help. The old woman thought about it for a while and then said, "Well I have a camel I don't need so why don't you have it so you can have 18 camels." They took the 18 camels and the oldest got 1/2, that is 9, the 2nd son got 1/3, that is 6, and the youngest got 1/9, that is 2. After the dividing there was 1 camel left which they gave back to the old women.
This story comes from http://www.ted.com/talks/william_ury.html?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2010-12-07&utm_campaign=newsletter_weekly&utm_medium=email
This story comes from http://www.ted.com/talks/william_ury.html?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2010-12-07&utm_campaign=newsletter_weekly&utm_medium=email
Monday, December 06, 2010
Answer these two questions after reading the following 3 quotes:
- What act of love from someone else have you been blessed by in recent times?
- What act of love is God calling you to make in the near future?
- “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘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 neighbour as yourself.’
- Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, doesn't have a swelled head, doesn't force itself on others, isn't always "me first," doesn't fly off the handle, doesn't keep score of the sins of others, doesn't revel when others grovel, takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps going to the end.
Quote from John Piper (www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/resources/how-to-kill-sin-part-1)
- If you are going to be the kind of person who gets up when you get knocked down and instead of planning revenge, plans fresh strategies of love; and instead of questioning God, submits to his wise and good sovereignty; and instead of whining, rejoices in tribulation and is refined like steel, then you will have to learn to kill the sins of self-pity and pride and grudge-holding and loving the praise of man. In other words, Christians who joyfully presses on in some great Cause of love and justice don't come out of nowhere. They come out of the fiery furnace of warfare with sin – fought mainly in their own souls.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Matthrew 7:6
Matthew 7:6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
Have you ever had the experience of trying to help someone and had them respond in anger?
You were trying to help, you were giving them the wisdom of your experience, you were trying to help them avoid the cost or pain of making a mistake, but they responded ungratefully.
Someone once said that the only lesson people learn is the lesson they learn for themselves. This might not be completely true, but it is true enough to be considered anytime we want to help someone.
Whenever we see a person in trouble or in need of help and we step in to save them, we are in danger of having our help thrown back at us, our care returned with hate.
This is equally true of the truths of God when we impart to someone God's truth when they have no desire to hear.
So a first step we might take is to ask ... Does this person indicate a desire to learn or grow? If not, is there something I can do (eg ask a question) that gives them an opportunity to recognise an area they want to grow in?
If there is a desire to grow then ask ... Is there a way I can empower this person to discover an answer?
Perhaps this is why so often Jesus told a story and didn't provide an explanation of the meaning?
If you want to influence someone and not be seen as interfering spending time thinking and doing things that will raise the quench for help is better than jumping in with an answer.
So, is there a quench in your life?
Have you ever had the experience of trying to help someone and had them respond in anger?
You were trying to help, you were giving them the wisdom of your experience, you were trying to help them avoid the cost or pain of making a mistake, but they responded ungratefully.
Someone once said that the only lesson people learn is the lesson they learn for themselves. This might not be completely true, but it is true enough to be considered anytime we want to help someone.
Whenever we see a person in trouble or in need of help and we step in to save them, we are in danger of having our help thrown back at us, our care returned with hate.
This is equally true of the truths of God when we impart to someone God's truth when they have no desire to hear.
So a first step we might take is to ask ... Does this person indicate a desire to learn or grow? If not, is there something I can do (eg ask a question) that gives them an opportunity to recognise an area they want to grow in?
If there is a desire to grow then ask ... Is there a way I can empower this person to discover an answer?
Perhaps this is why so often Jesus told a story and didn't provide an explanation of the meaning?
If you want to influence someone and not be seen as interfering spending time thinking and doing things that will raise the quench for help is better than jumping in with an answer.
So, is there a quench in your life?
Thursday, November 04, 2010
Influencer: The Power to Change Anything
I'm currently re-reading the book 'Influencer: The Power to Change Anything'. In it the authors suggest the need to find 'vital behaviours', that is those behaviours that have a disproportional impact on achieving outcomes.
Here are a couple examples of vital behaviours.
For Long Term Significant Weight Loss (Influencer, P.42) research indicates three vital behaviours of those who have lost significant weight and kept it off for over 6 years.
Here are a couple examples of vital behaviours.
For Long Term Significant Weight Loss (Influencer, P.42) research indicates three vital behaviours of those who have lost significant weight and kept it off for over 6 years.
- Exercise on home equipment
- Eat breakfast daily
- Weigh yourself daily
- Smile
- Make eye contact
- Identify yourself
- Let people know what you are doing and why
- End every interaction with “Is there anything else that you need?”
Matthew 7:1-5
Matthew 7:1-5 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Here we come across a passage commonly misinterpreted. We are encouraged in other parts of scripture to hold each other accountable, so this passage is not about never judging, it is about being very careful and merciful in our judgements.
In which areas of your life are you likely to judge others more harshly than yourself? (Example: I often complain when I see someone using a phone while driving, and then find myself answering my phone when I'm driving.)
Stephen Covey has a great book called '7 Habits of Highly Effective People' and one of those habits is 'seek first to understand ... then to be understood'. How might this habit help us to be less judgemental?
Consider an area of judgementalness that you struggle with. Spend some time imagining the reasons why the person is doing what they are doing. Now spend time praying for that person and asking God for guidance on how you can be more merciful and loving towards that person.
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Here we come across a passage commonly misinterpreted. We are encouraged in other parts of scripture to hold each other accountable, so this passage is not about never judging, it is about being very careful and merciful in our judgements.
In which areas of your life are you likely to judge others more harshly than yourself? (Example: I often complain when I see someone using a phone while driving, and then find myself answering my phone when I'm driving.)
Stephen Covey has a great book called '7 Habits of Highly Effective People' and one of those habits is 'seek first to understand ... then to be understood'. How might this habit help us to be less judgemental?
Consider an area of judgementalness that you struggle with. Spend some time imagining the reasons why the person is doing what they are doing. Now spend time praying for that person and asking God for guidance on how you can be more merciful and loving towards that person.
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
Matthew 6:28
Matthew 6:28-34 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
What worries you the most? Is worrying about the matter making any positive difference?
Too often we worry about things we cannot do anything about or use worry as an excuse not to take action that is difficult. Which of these practices is most true for you?
How do you feel about God knowing about your needs?
Which priorities do you believe God is calling you to focus on? (What can you do to seek and bring about his kingdom?)
God's solution to worry is two-fold. His first solution is to concern yourself with greater matters. The greater matter (his kingdom) will crowd out the lesser matters. And secondly, to focus only on the troubles immediately in front of you, those concerns of today, that is those concerns you can do something about right now.
Ask God to give you a greater vision of his kingdom and the part you play in bringing about his purposes.
What worries you the most? Is worrying about the matter making any positive difference?
Too often we worry about things we cannot do anything about or use worry as an excuse not to take action that is difficult. Which of these practices is most true for you?
How do you feel about God knowing about your needs?
Which priorities do you believe God is calling you to focus on? (What can you do to seek and bring about his kingdom?)
God's solution to worry is two-fold. His first solution is to concern yourself with greater matters. The greater matter (his kingdom) will crowd out the lesser matters. And secondly, to focus only on the troubles immediately in front of you, those concerns of today, that is those concerns you can do something about right now.
Ask God to give you a greater vision of his kingdom and the part you play in bringing about his purposes.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Because ...
I have just discovered the power of the word 'because'. I was just told that I was doing a really good job, yet I felt vaguely unsatisfied. I realised afterwards it was because he never used the word 'because'. An encouraging comment made without specific reference to a particular behaviour is just a platitude. An encouraging comment which specifies 'because' is incredibly motivating and powerful. So don't forget the 'because ...'.
Habits
Habits can helpful in that they enable us to get things done without having to make decisions all the time. I have a habit of running which means I don't have to decide how I am going to exercise. I have a schedule written down and I just follow it, no major thinking or decision needed.
Habits can also be like ruts that keep us tied in. We have always done this thing this way and we don't even consider doing things differently.
Christians have a habit of meeting for church services weekly. This could be a good habit in that it helps us connect and grow. This could also be an excuse for not thinking about whether this is the best way of achieving God's purposes.
Think about some of your regular habits and ask the question: Is this habit achieving the purpose for which I started the habit? If yes, just continue or refine. If no, then spend some time thinking about your higher purpose and what changes might be required to form a new better and more productive habit.
Habits can also be like ruts that keep us tied in. We have always done this thing this way and we don't even consider doing things differently.
Christians have a habit of meeting for church services weekly. This could be a good habit in that it helps us connect and grow. This could also be an excuse for not thinking about whether this is the best way of achieving God's purposes.
Think about some of your regular habits and ask the question: Is this habit achieving the purpose for which I started the habit? If yes, just continue or refine. If no, then spend some time thinking about your higher purpose and what changes might be required to form a new better and more productive habit.
Matt 6:25-27
Matt 6:25-27 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
What is the challenge for you from these verses?
Stephen Covey in his classic, and highly recommended book, '7 habits of Highly Effective People' talks about keeping the 'First Thing First', that is focus on the big and important issues rather than the trivial issues. What is the big issue in this passage for you?
What habits might help you keep focus on the big issues? (Brain storm ideas and then pick one technique that might work for you. Examples: Writing a daily list of goals to keep focus on the big things. Putting trivial issues on a notepad where you can attend to them when you have time and don't need to worry about remembering them. Reading the bible everyday. etc.)
Spend some time in prayer/contemplation about the ways that God is providing for you. Give thanks for all he is doing.
Discipleship Habit 13 Healthy Living
What is the challenge for you from these verses?
Stephen Covey in his classic, and highly recommended book, '7 habits of Highly Effective People' talks about keeping the 'First Thing First', that is focus on the big and important issues rather than the trivial issues. What is the big issue in this passage for you?
What habits might help you keep focus on the big issues? (Brain storm ideas and then pick one technique that might work for you. Examples: Writing a daily list of goals to keep focus on the big things. Putting trivial issues on a notepad where you can attend to them when you have time and don't need to worry about remembering them. Reading the bible everyday. etc.)
Spend some time in prayer/contemplation about the ways that God is providing for you. Give thanks for all he is doing.
Discipleship Habit 13 Healthy Living
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Changes Happening
Overview: In the next little while I'm re-organising previous and new blogs to focus around the 13 core discipleship habits that form the basis of Impact Community Church of which I am the founding and current Pastor. I will still make comments on a variety of themes, but the guts will be writing daily devotionals based on a systematic exploration of the New Testament and organised into the 13 Discipleship habits. You can find a list and explanation of these at www.impactcommunitychurch.net/discipleship.html
Matthew 6:24
Matt 6: 24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
Do you control money or does money control you? When money controls you, you aren't free to serve God as he calls you to.
Here is an interesting definition of being wealthy. 'You are wealthy when you earn more money than you spend!' Are you wealthy? A truly wealthy person has the ability to make choices to serve in ways that a person controlled by money can't.
According to this definition, that I personally really like, wealth is not about how much you earn, but how you have control over what you spend.
There are lots of people who earn heaps and spend even more and thus really are poor.
But let's go further. I believe true financial wealth is ... (1) the ability to spend less than you earn, and (2) the ability to give away significant amounts of what you earn to help others.
I believe a practice most people can realisitically achieve is this. Give away the first 10% of what you earn. Invest the next 10% in long term investments. Save the next 10% for special expenses such as holidays and the like. Then live on the remaining 70%.
If that seems too much then start with 1% in each area and seek to increase it by 1% every 3-6 months until you have control over money. If you are at 10% then consider going even higher by increasing by 1% each year.
Imagine if you could look back over your life and rather than consider how much you have earned and gained could focus on how much you'd given away to help others.
Imagine instead of seeking to be a millionaire you had a legacy of having given away a million dollars.
Discipleship Habit 07 Generosity
Discipleship Question: Are you generous in giving away to others?
Do you control money or does money control you? When money controls you, you aren't free to serve God as he calls you to.
Here is an interesting definition of being wealthy. 'You are wealthy when you earn more money than you spend!' Are you wealthy? A truly wealthy person has the ability to make choices to serve in ways that a person controlled by money can't.
According to this definition, that I personally really like, wealth is not about how much you earn, but how you have control over what you spend.
There are lots of people who earn heaps and spend even more and thus really are poor.
But let's go further. I believe true financial wealth is ... (1) the ability to spend less than you earn, and (2) the ability to give away significant amounts of what you earn to help others.
I believe a practice most people can realisitically achieve is this. Give away the first 10% of what you earn. Invest the next 10% in long term investments. Save the next 10% for special expenses such as holidays and the like. Then live on the remaining 70%.
If that seems too much then start with 1% in each area and seek to increase it by 1% every 3-6 months until you have control over money. If you are at 10% then consider going even higher by increasing by 1% each year.
Imagine if you could look back over your life and rather than consider how much you have earned and gained could focus on how much you'd given away to help others.
Imagine instead of seeking to be a millionaire you had a legacy of having given away a million dollars.
Discipleship Habit 07 Generosity
Discipleship Question: Are you generous in giving away to others?
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Matthew 6:22-23
Discipleship Habit 12 Holy and Peaceable Life
Discipleship Question: Are you living a holy and peaceable life that is attractive to others?
Matthew 6:22-23 "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
We live in a culture where our eyes are assaulted daily with messages contrary to that which is good for our soul.
Which issues particularly impact you through your eyes? (Consumerism that seeks to entice you to buy what you don't need, sexually explicit images, etc)
Someone once said that seeing something wrong isn't the sin, it's dwelling on it that is the issue. This is only partly true, as sometimes we place ourselves in situations where we can see things that we ought not to see. Where might these places/situations be for you?
Do you have strategy for moving the focus on your eyes to better things? What is it and is it working for you?
Is there anything you need to ask God and/or others to help you with in regard to your eyes?
Discipleship Question: Are you living a holy and peaceable life that is attractive to others?
Matthew 6:22-23 "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
We live in a culture where our eyes are assaulted daily with messages contrary to that which is good for our soul.
Which issues particularly impact you through your eyes? (Consumerism that seeks to entice you to buy what you don't need, sexually explicit images, etc)
Someone once said that seeing something wrong isn't the sin, it's dwelling on it that is the issue. This is only partly true, as sometimes we place ourselves in situations where we can see things that we ought not to see. Where might these places/situations be for you?
Do you have strategy for moving the focus on your eyes to better things? What is it and is it working for you?
Is there anything you need to ask God and/or others to help you with in regard to your eyes?
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Matthew 6:19-21
Discipleship Habit 07 Generosity
Discipleship Question: Are you generous in giving away to others?
This is one of the most important teachings in Scripture in terms of our current consumerist culture where we equate the 'good life' with what we have.
Discipleship Question: Are you generous in giving away to others?
This is one of the most important teachings in Scripture in terms of our current consumerist culture where we equate the 'good life' with what we have.
- Take an inventory of what you own and compare this with what you've given away.
- How much do you earn each week and compare this with what you give away each week.
- What if God asked you to give away some of your treasured items, would you?
- Consider how much time and effort you give to gathering resources compared to how much time and effort you give to deepening your relationship with God and loving others.
- Where is your treasure, really? Ask God to reveal what is in your heart and ask him to give you a heart that truly seeks after him as your ultimate treasure.
Matthew 6:16-18
Discipleship Habit 03 Devotional Life
Discipleship Question: Discipleship Reflection Question: Do you set time aside on a regular basis to be alone, commune and build up your personal relationship with God?
Fasting is spiritual discipline whereby we stop something for a period of time to exercise control and honour God. It might be like Jesus and Moses did, fasting from food for 40 days, or it might be fasting for example from one meal a day for one week, or from a particular form of food for a period of time, or from a habit such as watching TV, or even from normal sexual relations with our husband/wife. (But the bible warns this must be done with mutual consent and only for a short period. See 1 Corinthians 7:1-5.) Normally the time that would be used to eat/watch etc, would be used to spend in prayer.
Discipleship Question: Discipleship Reflection Question: Do you set time aside on a regular basis to be alone, commune and build up your personal relationship with God?
Fasting is spiritual discipline whereby we stop something for a period of time to exercise control and honour God. It might be like Jesus and Moses did, fasting from food for 40 days, or it might be fasting for example from one meal a day for one week, or from a particular form of food for a period of time, or from a habit such as watching TV, or even from normal sexual relations with our husband/wife. (But the bible warns this must be done with mutual consent and only for a short period. See 1 Corinthians 7:1-5.) Normally the time that would be used to eat/watch etc, would be used to spend in prayer.
- What does this passage say about the attitude we should have while fasting?
- What is the result of right fasting?
- Have you ever fasted, from what and for how long and what was the result?
- Is there an area of your life that you want spiritual breakthrough in, could fasting be something you could try as a means by which God can give you spiritual strength and/or insight?
- A few good books on Fasting are: 'This Chosen Fast' by Matt Madigan (friend of mine) or 'Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough' by Elmer L Towns.
- It is a general guideline to start your fasting habit in a small way and it maybe helpful to ask others about their fasting habits to get some ideas and insights.
Matthew 6:9-15
Discipleship Habit 03 Devotional Life
Discipleship Question: Discipleship Reflection Question: Do you set time aside on a regular basis to be alone, commune and build up your personal relationship with God?
Some people use this model prayer as something to recite, which may be helpful, but is not really its purpose. The purpose of it is to provide a framework to pray with our own words.
Discipleship Question: Discipleship Reflection Question: Do you set time aside on a regular basis to be alone, commune and build up your personal relationship with God?
Some people use this model prayer as something to recite, which may be helpful, but is not really its purpose. The purpose of it is to provide a framework to pray with our own words.
- Go through the prayer line by line and summarise in your own words the key themes that come up.
- Now pray using the key theme's as prompters.
- Share your outline and the results of your prayers with others.
- Write the key themes on a small card and place it in your wallet to refer to whenever you have time throughout the day to spend some time in prayer. For example each time you have to wait in a line you might pray for the next theme and in this way pray through all of the themes each day.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Matthew 6:5-8
Discipleship Habit 03 Devotional Life
Discipleship Question: Discipleship Reflection Question: Do you set time aside on a regular basis to be alone, commune and build up your personal relationship with God?
Jesus begins to teach us about one of the central practices of a follower of God, the practice of private prayer.
Discipleship Question: Discipleship Reflection Question: Do you set time aside on a regular basis to be alone, commune and build up your personal relationship with God?
Jesus begins to teach us about one of the central practices of a follower of God, the practice of private prayer.
- What do you learn from this passage?
- Spend some time in reflection on the practice of prayer in your life up to this point, how does it measure against the principles of this passage?
- Describe what prayer means for you, how you've practiced it, and the place it has for you now.
- Think of at least one person that you admire as a person of prayer and ask them to describe their prayer habit to see if you can learn from them.
- Consider what a prayer goal for you might be. Example 1: I will at least 5 times a week rise at 6am and spend 15 minutes in private prayer. OR Example 2: For the next week whenever I ... I will spend a few minutes in prayer.
- Buy the book 'The Hour that Changes the World' by Dick Eastman. It is available at Koorong.com.au or Word.com.au
Matthew 6:1-4 Part 2
Discipleship Habit 07 Generosity
Discipleship Question: Are you generous in giving away to others?
As part of Matthew's arguement he uses the idea of giving to the needy, it isn't the essence of what he is teaching, but it is an assumption of something we should do.
Discipleship Question: Are you generous in giving away to others?
As part of Matthew's arguement he uses the idea of giving to the needy, it isn't the essence of what he is teaching, but it is an assumption of something we should do.
- In what ways do you help those less fortunate than yourself? Write down what percentage of your income is given away and actually helps the poor or those in need.
- As a local church we give 10-20% of our offerings away to others. How much of your local church offering is used to help those who need help?
- It is important not only to give money but also time. What are some ways you can use your time to help others?
- How could you use your energy to help others. Example: The church I was Pastor of took 16 people to Fiji to build a home for a widow. We weren't all builders but we could use our labour to help.
- Make a list of some of your skills. How could these be used to help others? E.g. If you are an accountant you might help others with their budgets.
- What specifically are you going to do in the next 28 days to help someone else?
Matthew 6:1-4 Part 1
We are introduced in verse 1 to a very interesting idea, the idea of reward. In verses 1,2,3,6 & 17 this word reward is used. Interestingly it is not a reference to eternal life, for that is not a reward for actions but an act of mercy and grace received by faith. Here it seems there is reward in addition to eternal life.
- What do you think the reward might be referring to?
- How do you feel about the idea that for those who get eternal life, there are additional rewards according to our obedience and faithfulness here on earth?
- Read 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 Verse 11 says that the only foundation is Jesus Christ. Verse 12 following talks about what we build ON that foundation, that is our good works. That is we are saved by faith in Jesus, but upon that foundation we ought to build a life that honours God by good works for which those who have eternal life will be rewarded.
- Do you realise that there is no work you can do to earn eternal life, you must simply believe in God's promise of life through Jesus to you? (See John 3:16-21)
- Those who believe Jesus will then naturally seek to do works that honour him, and our faithfulness in this matter will have a reward. How might this truth influence the way you live now?
Matthew 5:43-48
Discipleship Habit 01 Love
Discipleship Reflection Question: Do you live a life that evidences that you love God, Self and Others?
Jesus continues to hammer at us about this theme of love and narrows it down to a very specific action, that of loving your enemies.
Discipleship Reflection Question: Do you live a life that evidences that you love God, Self and Others?
Jesus continues to hammer at us about this theme of love and narrows it down to a very specific action, that of loving your enemies.
- Make a list of people in your life who would fall into the category of those you dislike, who oppose you, whom you might call an enemy. (If you find it hard, think about people who you are uncomfortable in the presence of, people who you wouldn't like to be stuck in a room.)
- For each person think of what specifically it is you don't like about them or what they've done to you or someone else.
- Now ask God to help you pray (v44) for each of these people and begin to give you a heart of forgiveness and love for them.
- For three of these people, what is one practical action of love you could take to reach out to them and to extend forgiveness through your actions. (Examples: You might like to send a note thanking them for somethign you appreciate about them. You might like to invite them for a coffee. You might look for an opportunity to say something nice about them in a conversation.)
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