friends

Who Are Your Friends?

“That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither — whatever they do prospers.” – Psalm 1:3 As we continue the study of Psalm 1 it begins “Blessed (Happy) is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or take seat in the company of mockers…” Picture this Psalm boldly asking the question, “Who are your friends?” It doesn’t say blessed is the one who’s not a sinner, it says blessed is the one who doesn’t hang out with sinners. Did you catch that? Blessed is the one who doesn’t walk with or chill out with sinners. As a Pastor, I can’t tell you how many times I have heard from a grieving mother or father who lost a child to some untimely tragedy, whether it

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Provide for Your Neighbor

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” – Luke 6:38 We’ve talked a lot about how to become a person of Kingdom generosity, especially when it comes to tithing, or giving the first 10% of our income to God’s cause. Today, I’d want to offer some specifics on how this manifests itself in our lives, particularly during this holiday season, which is so focused on giving. When you tithe, I believe you make your church your default. This means that if you’re not sure what to give to, you give the entire 10% to your home fellowship. It’s fine to give to something else if the Lord puts something else on your heart or places someone in your path who has

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Bumped and Bruised

“When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, ‘This is the king of Israel.’ So they turned to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him. God drew them away from him.” – 2 Chronicles 18:31 Yesterday, we learned that Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah, and Ahab, the King of Israel, banded together to attack the country of Ramoth-Gilead, despite knowing that it was dangerous. Because Ahab was full of pride, he refused to heed the words of the prophet Micaiah, who foretold that he would lose his life in the war. When the moment of conflict came, he dressed Jehoshaphat in his clothes to detract attention from himself, and his “friend” nearly died at the hands of the enemy. However, in the heat of the battle, Jehoshaphat cried desperately to the Lord, and he was saved. Because he took a humble stance, God had mercy on

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The Community of Jesus

“The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.” – Mark 6:30 For the last couple of days, we’ve talked about two of the three habits we see Jesus model as we study His life — solitude and Scripture memorization — and today, I want to talk about the third practice He exercised consistently, and that is gathering in community. Our Lord was not a loner. While He enjoyed extended periods of solitude, the purpose of those times was to bring Him back to people. He came to lay down His life for others, and He continually poured Himself out to His followers and gleaned strength from being with friends. His first miracle was performed at a wedding feast, and there He joined in a joyful days-long celebration and partook in all the festivities. He clearly understood the importance of having fun, but He

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