Faith

1 Kings 18:16-19:18

1. When you find yourself in a valley, don't forget your mountaintop experiences. We can't make it on emotion alone, we need to rely on God. 

2. God is always ready and willing to gently restore us. 1 Kings 19:5-9

3. After a spiritual encounter with God, Satan WILL show up. 1 Kings 19:9-10 "I am the only one left" - a lie that Satan uses against us. 1 Kings 18:13. Don't run and isolate yourself, lean on the church community. You are not alone. Rom 12:2 "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

4. God often comes in the quiet, DON'T MISS IT! 1 Kings 19:11-18. God reminds us of who He is, how good He is, and how faithful He is.

Peace

Jesus came to bring us peace. Isa 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Lk 2:13-14 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,  “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

How we can have peace:

1. I can have peace because God is in control. Mt 1:18-21; Jn 14:27

2. I can have peace because my sins are forgiven. Rom 5:1

3. I can have peace because God specializes in the impossible. Lk 1:37

A Heart Of Generosity

2 Cor 9:15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (Jesus' life and the gift of salvation)

Having a heart of generosity is a sign that your confession of faith is genuine.

2 Cor 9:6-15 

1. We are to give generously. v6. Mal 3:10

2. We are to give cheerfully. v7. Have a plan, think about what you are going to give. You will never be generous if you don't have a plan for being generous. Generosity is not about the size of the gift. God doesn't want generosity from us, he wants

3. God will continue to give you what you need to continue to be generous. v8, 11. When God supplies us with what we need, it's not so we can have all we want.

4. Generosity points people to God. v11-12. 

5. Generosity proves your faith in Jesus is real. v13. Our lives as followers of Jesus are to be radically different. 2 Cor 5:17.

6. Jesus is the most generous gift ever given.

Hey Siri, Is Jesus The Only Way?

How can you claim that Jesus is the only way? All major religions (even atheism) make an exclusive claim. Christianity is the most inclusive and easiest religion because you don't have to do anything except accept the gift. Acts 2:21, Rom 10:13, Jn 3:16. (Life boat example)

The main areas that at Jesus apart from every other religious leader:

1. His purpose. Jesus' purpose was completely different than every other leader's purpose. Lk 19:10, Mt 20:28 Jesus is the only religious leader that provided a viable solution to sin. Jn 14:6 "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Rom 10:1-2 How good is good enough? There's no standard we can meet to be good enough.

2. His prophecies fulfilled. Jesus is the only religious leader that had fulfilled prophecy. He fulfilled over 250 prophecies.

3. His power. Jesus displayed power in a way that no other religious leader did. 1 Cor 15:13-15, Rev 1:17-18. No other religious leader can claim life after death. 2 Cor 4:4.

Hey Siri, Why is there suffering in this world?

Truth:

1. God has a purpose for your pain. Even when you are hurting, God is still working. Jas 1:2-4. God will use your pain to advance his Kingdom.

2. God is present in your pain. Isa 41:10. Sometimes God uses pain to show us what we need - Him and Him alone.

3. There is power from our pain. 

Welcome Home: Celebrate the Father's Love for us

Lk 15

1. This story is about us. Isa 53:6 "We all like sheep have gone astray."

2. We must all come to our senses. We need to run to our Father.

3. This story is about a Prodigal God. Prodigal means having or giving on a radical, lavish scale. In this story, the one who gives on a radical, lavish scale is the Father. The Father ran toward the son to protect him, because the culture's response would have been to stop the son and keep him from coming to the father. The Father kept the son from getting what he did deserve, and have him grace which he didn't deserve.

4. Our relationship with God is based upon identity, not following rules. God loves us because we are his children, we need to love him as our Father no matter what.

5. There's no such thing as cheap grace. Grace doesn't mean we can do whatever we want. Lk 23:32-33. 

6. If you don't like celebrations, you won't like Heaven. Lk 15:10. Heaven will have good food, loud music, dancing, and Jesus! 

Welcome Home: A Party You Don't Deserve

Lk 15:1-24
We serve a God who loves to give people what they don't deserve. ♥️
Ways that we see the radical love of God:
1. The Father looks for the mess. v20 The father was searching for his son even after the son was gone for a long time.
2. The Father runs toward the mess. v20 God chooses to become undignified for us to restore dignity back to us because he loves us. 2 Cor 5:21. God's love for us is scandalous.
3. The Father embraces the mess. v20
4. The Father celebrates the mess. v22-24 He celebrates us just the way we are, even though we don't deserve it. Praise God!

Welcome Home: Return to the Father

Lk 15
1. Pride always pulls us away from the Father. "Pride is the complete anti-God state of mind." C.S. Lewis
- when our view of God gets distorted, consequently, so does what is important in our life. Pride is the root of every sin.
2. Pride always keeps us away from the Father. Due to his pride, the son did not return to his father right away when he realized he messed up. Sin always over promises and under delivers.
3. Humility always draws us into the Father. Awakening>honesty>action=lasting transformation.
-Awakening: How many alarms do I snooze through and ignore?
- Honesty: be honest about my mistakes and my sin. Lk 15:18-19 Take full responsibility.
- Action: take action. Lk 15:20. The depth of our relationship with God is largely dependent on the depth of our humility before God. Rom 10:9

Where are you right now with God??

Chasing Carrots: Chasing Religion

Religion: an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods.
Empty religion: following the beliefs, ceremonies and rules without knowing God.
Hypocrite: person who pretends to have morals or beliefs that they don't actually possess.

Mt 21:23-32, “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’   “ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. v 28‭-‬30

1. Empty religion does not impress God. The second son gave the right answer, but didn't follow through, he represents empty religion. Isa 1:11-15 They took what should've been a beautiful thing and made it into a ritual. Mt 15:7-8
2. Empty religion is a dangerous substitute for a relationship with God. The first son represents relationship, he changed his heart and mind and followed his father's instructions. 
3. God wants a relationship with us, not empty religion from us. Empty religion trusts in our work, not in God's work. Chase a relationship with Jesus. Jn 14:6; Eph 2:8-9.

How do you know God? Mt 21:32 Repent from your sin and believe in Jesus Christ.
Repent: turn from your sin. Jesus hung out with sinners, and most often it changed them forever.
Believe: understand that there is a God who loved us and sent his son to live a perfect life, take our sin and die on the cross, and rise again and ascend into heaven.

Chasing Carrots: Chasing Pleasure

Eccl 2:1-11 v1 "I said to my heart..."  v11 "Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun."

Why do we chase after pleasure?
1. It's fun for a while.
2. It temporarily numbs us from reality, responsibilities and pain.
3. Instant gratification. Chasing a meaningful relationship with Jesus and those around you is hard because it takes a lifetime.

The problem is that chasing pleasure makes it all about us.

Eccl 3:10-11 Our hearts were made for a relationship with God and for eternity. Ps 16:11

Chasing Carrots: Chasing Success

Success: the accomplishment of an aim or purpose.
What is your overall aim in life? The will to succeed often drives our lives. 4 areas that people think will make them successful: wealth, appearance, achievement, authority (power). Where it goes wrong is when success is the end all be all. Eccl 1:14
1. You can be successful, and yet have no real, lasting significance.
2. You can be successful, and still be unfulfilled.
3. You can be successful, and still be miserable.

True success:
1. True success starts with a relationship with Jesus. Rom 3:23, 6:23, 10:9; Isa 28:16
2. True success continues to flow from remaining in Jesus. The Holy Spirit is our helper, and we can do things through Him. Jn 15:5; Eph 2:10. What does it mean to remain in Jesus? To depend on Him in every area of your life.
3. True success ultimately points others to Jesus. Jn 15:1-5, 8. Ex 33:15; Ps 127:1. "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."Jn 15:11

Chasing Carrots: Chasing Comfort

Comfort: the pleasant and satisfying feeling of being physically and mentally free from pain and suffering, or something that provides that feeling.
We've convinced ourselves that if we can carve out a comfortable life, that we'll be fulfilled, satisfied, happy and content. Comfort is a false narrative that says I, based upon what I do, can be happy. Chasing comfort is man's attempt to be fulfilled without God. We've developed a false version of the Jesus story: come to Jesus and you'll be comfortable.

Mk 8:27-30 Peter answered, "You are the Messiah." The crowds are chasing hard after being where Jesus is for their own comfort. Jesus didn't want the disciples to tell people that he was the Messiah because they had an incomplete understanding of who he was. Peter was thinking about comfort, that Jesus would be king. Mk 8:30-38

Our problem is we're not thinking God stuff, we're thinking about ourselves.
1. We chase comfort when we should be chasing the cross. The cross means opposition, shame, suffering, and death. Taking up our cross means to be willing to be opposed, to be shamed, to suffer and to die. We must cherish Jesus more than life itself!
2. Growing involves being uncomfortable. If you are comfortable all the time, you will never grow. Jas 1:2-4, 1 Pet 1:6-8. Jesus needs to be more precious than anything in this world.
3. Be unashamed and uncomfortable. Mk 8:35-38. At worst, the pursuit of comfort can cost you your soul. At best, the pursuit of comfort can leave you on the sidelines being used by God. Step out in faith and sacrifice. Make ourselves uncomfortable for the Kingdom.
Jesus has set the example for us. Heb 12:1-3: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

One Another: Encourage One Another

Take Your Pills: Follow the Prescription (the one another verses)

Mt 22:37-39 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 neighbor as yourself.’
1 Thess 5:7 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

1. Focus on the good. Find opportunities to speak life into every situation or person you encounter. Phil 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Mt 16:18 And I tell you that you are Peter,  and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
2. To encourage others well, you have to encourage yourself well first. Start with myself. Lk 6:45. Tell myself who God says I am.
3. Share your testimony. Rev 12:11 A testimony is us lending our faith to someone else.

One Another: Carry One Another's Burdens

Gal 6:1-2 - caught in sin, overtaken by sin
How do we carry each other's burdens in a way that it fulfills the law of Christ? Mt 22:37-39.
1. By first recognizing that all Christians sin. 1 Cor 10:13a; 1 Jn 1:8. Every one of us is vulnerable.
2. By allowing the Spirit to direct our steps. Gal 6:1 "you who live by the Spirit." Gal 5:16, 19-23a
3. By aiming to restore, not reprove. We don't have to restore others, but point them back to the ultimate restorer. 1 Pet 5:10
4. By not forgetting the grace of God we've each been and continue to be shown. Gal 6:1 "watch yourself, or you also may be tempted." Jn 8:7-11

One Another: Comfort One Another

2 Cor 1:3-11
1. God comforts us in all of our troubles. 2 Cor 1:4.
2. Affliction is a part of the human experience. 2 Cor 11:23-26; Jas 1:2-4
3. God does not comfort us to make us comfortable, but he comforts us to make us comforters. 2 Cor 1:4. Comfort: to come alongside. God will come alongside us, even as we walk through the most painful things. He uses our pain, and wants us to comfort others.
4. Don't waste your pain. Acts 16:30-33. Paul was wounded, but he was praising Jesus and comforting others.
5. Our hope is in God. When you really need comfort, lean in to God. 2 Cor 1:8-9.
6. Put a little praise on your pain.

One Another: Forgive One Another

It's easy to love forgiveness when I'm the one being forgiven. It's hard to forgive others.

Reasons we give for not forgiving others:
1. I can't forgive, it's too big, too painful.
2. I need some time.
3. I'll forgive when they say they're sorry.
4. I can't forgive if I can't forget.
5. If I forgive, they'll just hurt me again.

Col 2:13-14, 3:5, 8, 12-13; our sins were forgiven through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.
Mt 18:21-35

1. There is no scorecard in forgiveness. We need to have a heart of forgiveness.
2. Unforgiveness with affect you.
3. Unforgiveness will affect everyone around you.
4. Unforgiveness will affect your relationship with God. Mt 6:14-15 If you forgive others, your Father will forgive you.
5. Because we've been forgiven much, we forgive.
6. Forgiveness is a command, not a suggestion.

One Another: Love One Another

Jn 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

How Jesus loved us:
1. Jesus Loved Conspicuously: (standing out so as to be clearly seen) Agape - love is an action, a choice (i.e. healing the sick, being a servant, stood up for the outcasts and spent time with sinners). Eph 5:1; 1 Jn 3:18; 1 Cor 13:1-3
2. Jesus Loved Sacrificially: Jn 3:16; 1 Jn 4:8. To love sacrificially the way Jesus loved, is often inconvenient.
3. Jesus Loved Unconditionally: Rom 5:8; Jn 6:32, 35; Lk 6:35; 23:34
4. Jesus Loved Deeply: The woman at the well - Jn 4; 1 Pet 4:8

What is the distinguishing mark of my life? What characteristic would people say about me?

Reconciliation

2 Cor 5:17-21
1. The definition of reconciliation: the restoration of friendly relationships, putting a broken relationship back together.
2. The need for reconciliation: Col 1:21, Eph 2:1-2. We are in desperate need of reconciliation with God due to our sin.
3. The process of reconciliation: 2 Cor 5:18-21. Reconciliation comes through Jesus' death and resurrection. He lived a life that we could never live and he died the death that we should have died. The righteousness of Christ was deposited into our account so that we could be reconciled to God. God takes all of the steps toward us to reconcile the relationship.
4. The result of reconciliation: 2 Cor 5:19 "He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though we were making his appeal to us."

Breathing Room: Don't Blink

Mt 25:14-26a
v14 The man going on the journey is Jesus, we are the servants.
v16-17 We want to use what God has given us well, and give it all back to God. v21,23 "We'll done, good and faithful servant!"
v18 I don't want to be the servant that buries my gifts, isn't prepared, and doesn't use them. v26 "You wicked, lazy servant!" I don't want Jesus asking me "What were you thinking?!"
Random thoughts from Ron:
1. Believe in Jesus.
2. Know that every day is a gift. Ps 118:24, Josh 24:15
3. Live for God. 1 Cor 10:31, Gal 6:14. Everything points back to God. Live my life with an eternal perspective, don't waste it.
4. Trust in God. Rom 8:28-30
5. Fight hard. 2 Tim 4:7
6. Rest often.
7. Be still. I need to stop and listen to God.

Breathing Room: Breathe Spiritually

1 Cor 6:12
Jn 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
What is your identity? What do you identify with most? Identity- the thing by which we identify with most.
Internal challenges- Gal 5:1
1. We are no longer slaves to our past. Guilt. Grace. Labels attach themselves securely to our souls, not to easily be removed. Jn 8:31b-32. The Truth will overcome the lies and labels. Truth is a person-Jesus Christ. We need to continuously commune with Jesus. 2 Cor 5:17. God has moved on from our past failures and sins, and so should we. God can use you. Phil 3:13. What or who is the loudest voice in your life?
2. You are no longer slaves to our present. Shame. Mercy. We can't serve both sin and God. Gal 5:16-17. Lie- you are not worthy because of where you are currently stuck. The day that He saved you, He knew you'd be stuck in this sin problem right here and right now. God's label over you is lasting, it's permanent.
3. You are no longer a slave to performance. Fear. Forgiveness. We can't earn or lose God's love through our performance. Eph 2:8-10 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." The more we make this life about us, the more we become suffocated by slavery. Christ AND me vs. Christ IN me.

Breathing Room: Breathing Financially

2300+ verses in scripture talk about money, 15% of Jesus' teachings were about money.
1 Cor 6:12 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything.

The lies:
1. We lack trust.
2. We've bought into the lies. Joy and contentment can be purchased
3. We're temporal/earthly focused.
4. Our hearts go unchecked.

The remedy:
Lk 12:32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.  Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
1. Trust God. Lk 12:32 God gives us everything we need and more. Tithing: Gen 14, 28; Lev 27:30; Num 18:25-28; Deut 14:22-24; 2 Chron 31:5-6; Mal 3; Mt 23:23; Lk 18:2.
2. Know, believe, and love the Truth. Lk 12:33a. Josh Becker book: The More of Less. Buy only things that have purpose in your life.
3. Maximize your treasure in heaven, not on earth. Lk 12:33.
4. Check your heart regularly. Allow God to check your heart. Ps 139:23 "Search me and know my anxious thoughts."
Lk 3:10-14 "What should we do then?” the crowd asked.  John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”  Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”  “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.  Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”

Breathing Room: Technology

Build extra space in our lives so we are more in tune with His purposes, promises, and people.
The problem is not technology, the problem is the person using it. Whatever we feed will grow. 1 Cor 6:12.

Technology is a great servant, but not a good master. Technicolor can drain us mentally and spiritually. It can rob our attention away from God. Mt 22:37-39. It is difficult to serve God with our heart, soul and mind when we are distracted.

1. Technology robs us of a deeper relationship with God. The threat is to our soul. Ps 130:5-6, 63:1. Technology keeps us connected to the outer world, but disconnected to our inner lives. Lk 10:38-41. We need to take a breath, stop being so busy and rest (Be still, and know that I am God).

2. Technology robs us of a more purposeful and meaningful relationship with others. When we are distracted our view of God and our view of self becomes distorted. Fear of missing out on the world, makes us miss out on what is really happening around us in our lives.

What now? Practical steps:
1. Be honest with where you are.
2. Turn off notifications.
3. Track your phone usage. (Quality time app)
4. Put your phone in a different room.
5. Consider temporarily depriving yourself.
6. Practice stillness and silence often.

Regular stillness is necessary for living the purposeful, joyful, peaceful life to which God has called us. Mt 11:28-29 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

This Is Us: We are Faith Filled, Big Thinking, Bet the Farm Risk Takers

Eph 3:20-21 "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
1. God's Plan- His Glory. Col 1. God does not do His work through us so people will think how awesome we are, but how awesome He is.
2. God's Power- His Sprit. Eph 3:16-18.
3. God's Provision- His More. Eph 3:29. We are a bunch of "dumb askers." Our asking and praying and thinking is too small. Expect unexpected things! Think of how God loves to hear the prayers of His people. Whatever we ask, God can do more.
   A. God's "more" will always point back to Him.
   B. God's "more" often comes through pain, suffering and hardship.
   C. God's greatest "more" is Himself. Our greatest need is a real encounter with God and salvation through Jesus. Ps 63:1-8 "You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.  I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.  Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.  I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.  I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.  On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.  Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.  I cling to you; your right hand upholds me."
Faith filled- it starts with faith, Heb 11:1, 6
Big thinking- Think bigger!!
Bet the farm risk takers- we are not called to a comfortable, safe, life. Our risk taking must always point to God, not us.

Easter

1. The history of death. Gen 2:16-17, 3:17-19; Rom 5:12, 3:23, 6:23.
2. The answer to death. Jesus. 1 Cor 15:20-21; Eph 2:4-5. He answered our sin problem with his death, and he answered our death problem with his Resurrection.
It's Sunday, but Monday's coming. How do we take the Resurrection of Easter into the other days off the week?
-Repent, turn from our sins. 1 Jn 1:9; Col 2:13. All. Forgiven. By. Jesus.
-Belief, Jn 3:16; Rom 10:9-10

This is Us: Generosity

We will lead the way with irrational generosity.
1. God doesn't need our money. Ps 50:7-12
2. Please, don't be foolish. Lk 12:15-21
3. Generosity is not something God wants FROM us, it's something God wants FOR us. 1 Tim 6:17-19, 6-9; Mt 6:19-21
4. Generosity is the sign of a changed heart. Lk 19:7-8
5. We will fund God's work with the generous cheerful, sacrificial, giving of God's people.
-generous: 2 Cor 9:6
-cheerful: 2 Cor 9:7
-sacrificial: 2 Cor 8:1-4
-irrational: Mk 12:41-44
Generosity is not about the size of the gift, it's about the heart.
6. God is the most generous giver of all time. Jn 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son

This is Us: Mission

1. We Live on Mission
Don't be a false advertiser of Jesus.
Mt 13:24-29, 36-43; Jn 3:16
2. If you are a follower of Jesus, you are called to be a missionary. We are all missionaries if we have placed our faith in Jesus.
3. Jesus lived on mission. Lk 5:29-32,19:7-10
4. Our mission is to boldly proclaim the story of Jesus. Acts 1:8; 2 Cor 5:11, 14, 17-21 "We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." v 20‭-‬21
5. Be bold, not weird. Acts 4:29-31 "Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” v29-30
6. What if we brought our friends to Jesus? What would happen? Lk 5:17-26

S.O.A.P. Focus on Jesus

The most important thing I can do every day of my life is to start with Jesus and get my heart right. My circumstances won't necessarily change, but my heart will change.
Lk 10:38-42 Mary and Martha. Martha was angry and exploded into the room. Mary "left," which indicates that she was helping in the kitchen before. Martha's inward anxiety resulted in outward expectation.
1. Jesus desires intimacy with you. What Jesus wants foremost from me, is to spend time with me. He desires intimacy more than service to him. Ps 51:15-17, Message.
2. Distraction is the enemy of intimacy. Any time you find yourself chewing Jesus out, your heart is not in the right place. Mt 6:25, 28, 31, 34; 13:22. Don't worry.
3. Your worth is not determined by your service. Jesus loves you. Martha was trying to find something in serving Jesus that can only be found in Jesus. Worship first, then serve.
4. Focus! Lk 10:42; Phil 3:13-14. Start with Jesus.