Put God First

Make Jesus Your Top Priority

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matthew 6:33 Did you know there is no such thing as a neutral mind? Your mind is the control center for your life and your thinking patterns become your habits and your habits crystalize into circumstances. This is why it’s imperative that you focus on what you’re thinking about. When Jesus says, “Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you,” He is giving a very clear directive that gives us a priority in our thinking.  Though we often see the devil portrayed in images of demonic possession and animal sacrifices, his work in our lives is actually much more sinister. Jesus broke the bondage of demonic powers and their physical control over your life 2,000 years ago. So today, rather than being

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Inspirational Leadership

“The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.” – 2 Chronicles 20:4 When Jehoshaphat heard that three enemy nations were coming against Judah, he didn’t strive and struggle to come up with a plan — He simply looked to the Lord. In fact, he asked the people to pray with him, and their response to his summons was overwhelming. After they heard the voice of their leader, citizens began pouring into Jerusalem from every town in the region, and when they gathered at the temple in fasting and worship, their solidarity was met with divine intervention. Though we’ll talk more about how God showed up in their midst tomorrow, first, I think it’s important to examine the manner in which the crowd responded to their king’s request. Though he had recently lost an important battle,

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Lions in the Daniel Den

“So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, ‘May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!’” – Daniel 6:16 Yesterday, we looked at the life of Daniel and how he made prayer both a matter of habit and priority. Although he was taken away from Jerusalem, transported to the pagan world of Babylon, and put at the disposal of the king, he refused to waver in his conviction, and he continually sought the presence of the Lord. While it could have cost him his life, his fierce devotion afforded him ongoing supernatural favor. In fact, through the years, he was filled with the Holy Spirit so powerfully that he could interpret dreams and visions and figure out mysteries that no one else could fathom. Despite refusing to bow to idols, he gained influence with heathen

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Chase After His Kingdom

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” – Matthew 6:33,34 Though it’s not easy, if we want to experience the fullness of God and inherit all of His beauty and riches, then we must pursue and give priority to His Kingdom and His righteousness. Contrary to how it seems, however, this doesn’t happen by running faster and trying harder. When I was in seminary and preparing to step into ministry, I had mentors who walked alongside me to warn me of the hardships of modern pastoral life. There are many things that make running a church difficult, and as I observed the stress and strain endured by a few of my fellow shepherds, I noticed that the ones

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Surrendered, Sacrificial Faith

“Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.” – Mark 15:43 I love the story of Joseph of Arimathea. If you’ve been in church for any length of time, you probably know that he was the man who asked Pilate for Jesus’ body and took it off the cross to bury in his own family tomb. Strangely enough, he was a member of the Sanhedrin — the group of Jewish zealots that put Jesus to death — and although he didn’t support His Savior’s crucifixion, he felt helpless to stop it, so he did what he could to demonstrate his love. In remembering why his actions were such a big deal, it’s important to note that crucified victims were typically hung naked and at eye-level so that everyone who passed by

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Put God First

“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.” -Matthew 10:32-33

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