The Essentials:
Planning for a Life
Roast Beef on Rye
One thing is trueIf you don't plan
You'll react and acceptAnd find yourself far fromWhat and where you wereMeant to be
No one accidently fallsInto spiritual growth
And a fulfilled, meaningful life
God gave:
Resets
Fresh starts
Newness
Day of rest and worshipBefore entering a new week
Times of Gathering
Years of Jubilee
His mercies are newevery morning…
God knows you needTimes of: ResetRe-examinationRecommitmentRenewal
God knows that An unexamined lifeIs an unfulfilled life
An unexamined lifeIs an unfulfilled life
So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart
of wisdom- Psalm 90:12
This is that timeThis New Year
Is a Gift from GodA time of "Reset"If you take it
If you Prioritize the Essential You'll be free to
- Pursue the important
- Handle the painful- And walk away from
The meaningless
Prioritize the Essential:
Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight,for I give you good precepts;do not forsake my teaching
When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in
the sight of my mother,he taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my
commandments, and live…
Get wisdom; get insight;do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you
get, get insight. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her
God opposes the…?But gives grace to the…?
Requires Humility"I don't already know it all…"
She will place on your head a graceful garland;she will bestow on you a beautiful crown”
Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your
life may be many. I have taught you the way of wisdom;
I have led you in the paths of uprightness
When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble
Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your
life. Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the
way of the evil
Avoid it; do not go on it;turn away from it and pass on.For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble
For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the
wine of violence.But the path of the righteous
is like the light of dawn,which shines brighter and
brighter until full day
The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;they do not know over what they stumble
My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear
to my sayings.Let them not escape from your
sight; keep them within your heart
For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh
Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life
Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk
far from youLet your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be
straight before you
Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure
Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil- Proverbs 4
True Wisdom is the abilityTo see from God's perspective
And to make decisions based on This viewpoint that honor GodAnd lead to his glory and Our ultimate best
Keep your heart with all vigilance
Everything flows from it
Everything flows from the heart
The seat and center of yourAffections, drive, desires
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course
of your life(NLT)
The place from which youExperience all of life
And are able to either enjoyOr barely tolerateWhat you'll face this year
You can "have it all" and fallInto deep depression
"Meaningless"
You can go through hard timesHave very little and be
Grateful, content in your God
The difference?Not the circumstancesBut the heart
Because it determines How you experience The circumstances
Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life
Discontent in the midst ofGreat blessing
Because I also want…Because he has more…Because I feel pressure
to hold on to it…
All of those thingsCome from an unguarded heart
- Using people to get stuff- Tearing down others- God as a means to an end- Our pursuits and passions
If I have a problem with my desires
The answer is not
Behavior modificationBut a heart change in Christ
If I have a problem with my ability to enjoy life
The answer is not
More of what hasn't satisfiedBut a heart change in Christ
Keep your heart with all vigilanceEverything flows from it
"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you…"- Ezekiel 36:26
If you Prioritize the Essential You'll be free to
- Pursue the important
- Handle the painful- And walk away from
The meaningless
Keep your heart with vigilance
Ponder the path of your feetConsider where your actions
And habits are taking you
If I continue this wayWhere will it lead me?
Most of us:For now, but it'll change one dayNo it won't
Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure.
Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot
away from evil
These are essentials:My heart…which is formed by- What I take in - Who I commit to daily
My path…that which I choose orAllow to be chosen for me
If you Prioritize the Essential You'll be free to
- Pursue the important
- Handle the painful- And walk away from
The meaningless
Jesus spoke of the EssentialsAs a Foundation
For everything else(Matthew 7:24…)
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them…
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven…
On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we
not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name,
and do many mighty works in your name?’
And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them
will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock
And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock
The house stoodNot because the stormsDidn't come
Or were lessened By having faithBut because of the Foundation
Knows…doesn't follow
And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not
do them will be like a foolish man who built his house
on the sand
And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it”- Matt. 7:24-27Knew…didn't do
Both HousesFollowing Jesus does not Protect you from hard times
It prepares you to weather themWhen they come
Tony EvansAnd the contractor
Tony EvansAnd the contractor
If the foundation is shiftingIt doesn't matter how muchYou work on fixing the walls
Today…Time to changeYour Foundation
"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven…"
Prioritize the Essential:Because a beautiful houseCan still fall like a shotgun shack
If the Foundation isn't solid
If you Prioritize the Essential You'll be free to
- Pursue the important
- Handle the painful- And walk away from
The meaningless
Prioritize the Essential:
In 2016 (as in 2015 and 2014…)Gym
If you are successfulYou die healthierBut you still die
And most won't stick withThe gym or the diet
…train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some
value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise
for the present life and also for the life to come
- 1 Tim. 4:8
…train yourself for godliness
The Law we follow?
The Law we follow?Love God, Love people
Time with GodTime with God's People
Scripture:God-breathed…thoroughly
equipped for every good work
Prayer:…your Father who sees in secret
will reward you- Matt. 6:6
Worship:I will lift up my hands
In your Name- Psalm 63
Cross:Deny yourself…
I buffet my body…
Time with God's People:I will build my church….
On the first day of the week…1 Cor. 16:2
…while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of
value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life
and also for the life to come
The Bike and a Mountain
Fruit of the Spirit:
Fruit of the Spirit:
Love, joy, peace, patienceKindness, goodness
Faithfulness, gentleness Self-control
Fruit of the SpiritDoesn't grow unless it isPlanted, watered, tended
Who you are growsAs you pursue the OneWho designed you
Prioritize the EssentialAnd you'll have the self-control
To handle the physical (gym)
And the wisdom to knowWhat is most important
Gym vs. Family time vs. Worship
If you Prioritize the Essential You'll be free to
- Pursue the important
- Handle the painful- And walk away from
The meaningless
Devote yourself to Practicing the
Disciplines of Grace
Devote yourself to Practicing the
Disciplines of Grace
Time with GodTime with God's People
ScripturePrayer
WorshipCross
Connected part of the Fellowship of Believers
Specifics:What do I need to deny myselfIn order to better follow You?
Will I Prioritize Christian Family? The Gathering of Believers
Where you are this yearIs the result of choices
You made last year
Even if others made choicesYou chose a response
Where you are next yearWill be the resultOf choices you make this year
Start out Prioritizing theOne thing that matters mostAnd affects everything else
Keep your heart with all vigilance
Ponder the path of your feet
Place your Faith in JesusTo Recommit to Him
Pray
Questions, CommentsDisagreements
Offering
Early Service Opportunity
Pray for Phil CalhounYazidi in Kurdistan
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