There’s a right tie to hold on and another to let go. Ecclesiastes 3:6 Do you struggle with doing things God’s way? Do we complain about it? Let’s look at Numbers 20. The Israelites are complaining, yet again, about the lack of water. Moses is tired of complaining. Can you relate to this? This time around, with them complaining, is no different than the first time. So Moses knows what to do. Pay attention to verse 8. Now, look at verse 10. What does Moses do here? Did Moses follow God’s instructions? No, he struck the rock twice. Moses messed up here. He spoke…
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Satan’s Half Truths
There’s a right time to hold on and another to let go. Ecclesiastes 3:6 Satan uses Scripture to tempt Jesus by using half-truths to make God jump in and save him. However, we know this doesn’t work! Let’s read Matthew 4:5-7 and Luke 4:9-10. In what city does Satan tempt Jesus? How did Jesus get there? What did Satan tempt Jesus to do? It would probably be easy for Jesus to put Satan in his place. Jesus chose to go through the temptation, the pain, to choose to identify with our pain. He chose this to show us how to walk and live in victory…
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Letting Go of Following Feelings
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 Feelings! We all have them. What do we do with them, though? Do we let them drive how we handle situations? Our feelings are not wrong. God created us to have feelings. They are neither good nor bad. They are tools to help us learn how not to behave impulsively and act out without taking responsibility. Let’s read Proverbs 4:23. The Hebrew word for heart is leb. It is a combination of our minds and our desires. The wisdom in this verse is to guard…
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Letting Go
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 Do you recall a time of an “I want” moment? We all have them. It can be people, places, or things in our lives that will satisfy us. However, do these things really satisfy us? No, they don’t. If anything, they probably have more disappointment than satisfaction. Let’s go to Numbers 11: 1, 4-6. What were the Israelites complaining about? What did the Israelites wish that they had? What did they claim they had lost? They are pretty discouraged. They have…
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Only Jesus Satisfies
But seek first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 What is your go-to thing to find satisfaction for a moment in your life? Mine is a diet coke or chocolate with caramel. You know the time in your life where things are just hectic and you are hungry, but you don’t have time to stop and eat. Or how about the times where you need time to stop, but it won’t. What is the one thing that you grab to help you through that time? That is what I am talking about. …
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What Do You Want?
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 Do you want things? Do you buy lots of things that you don’t need? What do you long for? Today we are going to spend some time with Jesus before He went to the wilderness. Read Matthew 4:2. How long did Jesus fast? What was Jesus’ physical condition after fasting for that period of time? Jesus is fully divine, and He experienced the wilderness as a human. He was hungry. Why did Jesus spend forty days fasting? What is the benefit of fasting? Two important reasons tie Jesus’ experience…
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What Is Tempting You
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. James 1:2-3 Have you ever compared how Jesus and the Israelites each handled their wilderness experience? They both experience God in those moments. However, the Israelites complained and wanted to go back to their former lives, while Jesus was humble to the Holy Spirit’s leading. We all face temptation. Temptation comes in all shapes, forms, and sizes. The one thing we must remember is temptation does not come from God. Do not believe the…
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Wilderness Trials and Lessons
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. James 1:2-3 How do you learn the best? Is it by making mistakes? Trials? Lessons? There are five trials and three lessons that we can learn. Jesus brings us promises and hopes no matter what we are going through. Read Job 1:1-21. Job is known as a blameless or righteous man, which means he had integrity and stayed away from evil. Do you wish you were like him? I do. He went through many, many complex trials, yet he kept…
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Walking In The Wilderness
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. James 1:2-3 Have you ever camped in the mountains in the ruggedness of it all? No electricity, no heat, no lights at night? You have to learn how to cook over a campfire—NO comfy couches or chairs. You have to make or own entertainment because well you have to tv and not data for your phone. I don’t know if many of us would last. We would complain and grumble and go back home. How about life in general. …
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This Is My Commandment:Love Each Other
This is my command: Love each other. John 15:16-17 Have you ever realized that almost all lessons from God come full circle, back to love? I have. The bottom line to our life, the one commandment that God wants us to follow and do, is to love one another. How well are we really following this command in today’s society? Here comes the risk of grace. God went out on a limb to make us apart of His branch with the hope that we will bear fruit. When we should love others, we are showing the world that we are God’s disciples. There is…