Posts Tagged ‘Mary’

Are you learning and growing from Luke 14:15-33?  I have to tell you I haven’t been able to leave this text for quite some time, as I’m praying for my family and our church family, that God would make us a “God is supremely better” people.  What has entered your life this week that is rivaling God being better?  Is sickness trying to steal this from you?  Is work related  issues, family experiences, unmet expectations competing to steer you away from God being so much better than all else in life?

Just this week I have had a phone call from a friend who is dealing with a possible miscarraige…Just this week I am praying for family members who desperately need the Lord to come through in a job situation…Just this week I’m lifting up people walking through some dark times already in 2011, and they are faced with a question – Is God really worth dropping all else in life to follow Him?  Is he worth it?  Can I value him enough to put #1 priority in his life?

Also, there are some of us out there who have it all together and who are experiencing fruitfulness in life like never before, and things couldn’t be better.  I firmly believe it’s in these “good times” that it’s hardest to consider God as better than all else - because all else is treating us so nicely.

Anyway, let’s look at Invitee #2 to God’s Party in Luke 14:15-33…Who is this guy?  He is a guy who turns God down becasue he has just bought 5 yoke of oxen.  He has 5 pair of oxen that he is needing to visit and make sure they are doing their job in order to provide for him.  In other words, this invitee #2 is valuing work and the bottom line financially over God and God’s Party.  He is more concerned with working and how work is going than dropping work for an evening and celebrating who God is.

I have to admit – this punches me in the soul!  I’m a bit of a workaholic to be honest.  Are you?  Are you like me and tend to place a more significant value on work rather than on God?  Are you defined by what you DO, rather than what Christ DID on the cross?  I struggle here.

If you do struggle here, remember our friend Martha in Luke 10:38-41 – respond to these questions:

• How would you describe Martha?  Use some adjectives to define what she was like.
• How would you describe Mary?  Use some adjectives to define what she was like.
• What was Martha frustrated with?  What was Mary doing?
• What did Jesus consider to be the most important act in this story?
• How can you apply this to your life?

Man, i’m praying God makes some significant transformations in all of our hearts – namely, that he would make us a people who are “God is supremely better” than WORK people!

Dig Deeper,

PC

We are studying How Christmas happened, and the strange events of the day in which God sent Christ on His rescue mission of redemption.  Thanks for studying along with us at RS as we learn truths that transform our thihnking and make us more like Christ. Let’s continue seeking the Word and digging in to understand a bit more about How Christmas came about…

Today I want us to focus on what the angel of God reveals to us in Luke 1:37.  Everyone needs to memorize this verse…This is one of the shortest verses in the Bible, but one of my favorite, most impacting verses ever.

“For nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1:37.

What is the angel referencing when he communicates that nothing will be impossible with God to young Mary?  He is answering a question that Mary poses to the angel.  Mary asked the angel in verse 34, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” In other words, Mary was saying, how will this son to be born come about? And how will I become pregnant becasue I am a virgin?  How is what your saying going to take place?  She wasn’t doubting the angel; rather she was asking how these events are GOING to happen?  She believes they will happen.  She believes God at his word through the angel.  She just isn’t quite sure HOW they were going to happen.

Do you ever find yourself there?  Do you ever find yourself believing God at his Word as he’s leading you in a direction.  Maybe it’s a work thing.  Maybe it’s wtih your finances.  Maybe it’s with your family.  Maybe it’s something you’ve been feeling led to do, or led to stop doing – and you truly believe God is at the center of talking to you to lead your way.  BUT, you don’t know HOW the thing that God is leading you to do will happen?  If that’s you, join your friend Mary.

The angel’s response is huge!  He says to her, “Mary, nothing is impossible with God.”  In other words, Mary, just know that as you participate in God’s plans, you need not concern yourself necessarily with HOW things will happen or turn out…rather you need to concern yourself with WHO God is.  He is the God who makes the impossible happen.  He is the God who makes the impossible, possible.

• What seems impossible to you right now that God is leading you to do?
• Why does it seem impossible?
• It is more powerful or too hard for God to do?  Of Course not, but why does it seem that way?

For Further Study, read 2 Kings 3 and answer what is the “light” or “easy” thing in the sight of the Lord in this story.

Be encouraged, and continue to Dig Deeper!

I am really surprised to find out that Christmas is actually only 10 days away!  Can you believe how the time has flown by?  It can be extremely stressful to get everything done by Chrstmas Day:  Work stuff, personal stuff, presents to buy, food to buy, work to get done before the holidays…for me it’s sermon to write, Christmas – Eve service to plan…it can be extremely stressful around this time of year.  It’s funny, but the anticipation of the celebration brings extreme exhaustion, doesn’t it?

Have you thought about the stress Mary and Joseph were under?  Remember HOW Christmas happened from Luke 1:26-38…Let’s relive the story:

• Angel shows up to Mary (in her lifetime there has been no new and fresh word from God because God has been extremely silent for 400 years.  The last time people heard a new word from the Lord was from Malachi).  Now Mary has a word from the Lord, and she’s just a young gal!  Can you say with me – STRESSFUL!
• After the angel appears, he tells her she would have a baby boy who would be the promised Savior King.  Problem.  She has never been with a man, yet she is going to be pregnant.  Can you say it with me – STRESSFUL!
• The angel explains this is no ordinary baby, but the promised Savior King who will be given to her through the Holy Spirit…how does Mary respond?  With anxiety or with awe?  She responds with awe!  She even sings God a praise song in 1:46-56.

So how are you managing stress right now?  Are you relishing the opportunity to journey with God at work, at home, at play?  Are you inviting God’s purposes into your life with awe instead of with anxiety?  Remember that if God has something planned in your life, he has a purpose for it to glorify himself and bring more people into relationsihp with himself through your cooperation.  So that is reason enough to be in awe rather than be anxious.

Think about this verse with me: Philippians 4:4-7

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.  Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.  The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication and with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

• What is going on in your life today that you are stressed about or anxious about?
• According to this passage, how do we guard our hearts from anxiety?
• How does, “The Lord being at hand,” give you peace security?
• What will you do today to be like Mary and be in awe of God instead of being anxious in life?
• Listen and worship to this.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoAYb8YmCwQ

Dig Deeper!

PC