This year, as we focus on Prioritizing the Gospel, we would like to meditate on and seek to memorize a series of Bible verses together as a church family. One passage per month is the goal.

There is great value in hiding God’s word in your heart (Psalm 119:11) and seeking to memorize these passages so you can call them to mind at any time, teach our children (Deuteronomy 6:6-7), and disciple others.

There is also great value in simply mediating on them throughout the day and drinking deeply from the word of God (Psalm 1:1-3), thinking about concentrated truths that exalt the person and work of Jesus throughout the day.

Some find it helpful to write these passages out on index cards, some use Bible memory apps, some highlight these passages in their Bibles for easy reference, and some do all three! We pray these passages are a blessing to you and help our whole church family prioritize the gospel this year.

May our prioritization of the gospel not be something we simply say we ought to do, but may it by applied in the practical way of letting the word of Christ richly dwell within us so that our lives would overflow with praise and thanksgiving to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (Colossians 3:16-17)

1. January – Romans 1:16-17 – ¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹⁷ For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”
2. February – Galatians 3:13-14 – ¹³ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— ¹⁴ in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
3. March – Ephesians 2:8-10 – ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹ not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
4. April – 1 Corinthians 15:1-5 – ¹ Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, ² by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. ³ For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
5. May – Mark 10:45 – ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.
6. June – Romans 3:23-26 – ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; ²⁵ whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; ²⁶ for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
   Romans 6:23 – ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
7. July – Romans 10:9-10 – ⁹ that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; ¹⁰ for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
8. August – Genesis 3:15 – ¹⁵ And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.
9. September – 1 Timothy 2:3-6 – ³ This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴ who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.
10. October – Isaiah 53:4-6 – ⁴ Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. ⁵ But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. ⁶ All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.
    
11. November – Galatians 2:20 – ²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
12. December – 2 Corinthians 5:20-21 – ²⁰ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ²¹ He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

The post Prioritizing the Gospel Monthly Memory Verses appeared first on Faith Church Blog.

What do we pray for as men? What do we pray for as fathers?

There are a great many things on our minds, a great many things on our hearts, and one of the critical aspects of growing in maturity as a man is focusing on the right things and making sure our priorities are lined up properly with God’s priorities. Prayer is one of the key ways we do that, and prayer that focuses on the character and will of God is key to a man growing in Christlike maturity. Note what the apostle John writes about what Jesus said in the upper room discourse:

John 14:13-14 – Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

When we think about the name of God, when we think about Jesus Christ…we must understand that His name is not a special cheat code. It is the personification of His essence, His character, His will. It is about all that He is and what He wants.

When we ask in His name, when we ask in accordance with His will, He promises that He will do it. The question is if that is what men really want, is that what our prayers reflect? Ultimately our goal must be that the Father may be glorified in the Son. May that be our focus, our priority and may that be reflected in our prayers.

Prayers for Fathers

As we think about Father’s Day, here are some prayers that can encourage us to have the right focus. Consider reading the bible verse listed below and praying one of these prayers each day leading up to Father’s Day. Pray for the men in your life, the fathers in your family, the fathers in your church, and pray this for yourself as all of us must pursue God’s priorities.

1. Pray that fathers would understand salvation clearly, that first they would admit their sin and accept the free gift of salvation available through trusting in Jesus dying on the cross to pay for their sin. Pray that fathers have a clear testimony of placing their faith in what Jesus has done for them. (Romans 3:23-24; 6:23; 10:9-10, Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5)
2. Pray that we would be holy because God is holy, and that fathers would be set apart for the purpose of bearing God’s image, proclaiming the excellencies of Christ, and becoming more like Christ each day. (Genesis 1:26-28, 1 Peter 1:15-16; 2:9, Romans 8:28-30, Colossians 1:28)
3. Pray that fathers would be content and satisfied in Christ and not look to find fulfillment in hobbies, entertainment, or relationships that do not honor the Lord. (1 Timothy 6:6, Philippians 3:7-8; 4:4, Psalms 16:11; 37:3-4, 1 Thessalonians 5:18)
4. Pray that fathers would be men of the word. Pray that they would know the word, cherish the word because they want to know God, and seek to apply His word to their lives each day. (Psalms 1:2; 119:97; 103, 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
5. Pray that fathers would lead their families with graciousness, kindness, and clear direction especially loving and cherishing their wives so that kids can see how godly fathers treat their wives. (Ephesians 4:32; 5:25, Colossians 3:12-13, Galatians 5:22-23)
6. Pray that fathers would seek wisdom and growth in community as part of the body of Christ. (James 1:5, Hebrews 10:23-25, Romans 12:4-5, Galatians 6:2, Psalm 133:1)
7. Pray that fathers would be humble, willing to take rebuke well and able to gently rebuke others. (Philippians 2:3-4, James 4:6, Matthew 23:12, Proverbs 9:8-9; 15:1,31-32, 1 Timothy 5:1-2 , Galatians 6:1)
8. Pray that fathers will be men who do not use sinful anger to intimidate and manipulate, but use their godliness to influence others to honor the Lord. (James 1:19-20, 1 Timothy 4:12, Titus 2:7-8, Matthew 5:16, James 3:13-18)
9. Pray that fathers would fight the battle to put off sin in their lives and not blame shift to others, hide their sin, or be defensive about their sin. (Ephesians 4:22; 6:12, Matthew 7:1-4, Hebrews 12:1-4, Genesis 3:12, Psalms 51:17; 139:23-24)
10. Pray that fathers would prioritize the Gospel and find their identity in Christ and be willing to share the good news with others, especially their children. (1 Corinthians 15:1-5, Romans 1:16, Mark 16:15)
11. Pray that fathers will take the time to disciple their children well for the glory of God. (Ephesians 6:4, Deuteronomy 6:6-7, Matthew 28:19-20)
12. Pray that earthy fathers would point us to the great love of our heavenly Father. (1 Corinthians 10:14-15, Matthew 22:37-39, 1 John 3:1, Romans 5:8, Ephesians 2:4-5, Psalm 103:13)

We want to pray with confidence, but a confidence that is focused on being a part of what God is doing as he has revealed His purpose and plan in His word.

1 John 5:14 – This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

Pray for the men in your life and pray for the fathers in your life. And men, pray in the name of Jesus, not just saying the right words, but align your heart with His priorities from His word so that the father may be glorified in the son. May that focus be reflected in our prayers and in our lives.

Photo by Malachi Cowie on Unsplash

The post So That the Father May Be Glorified in the Son: A Guide to Praying as Fathers and For Fathers appeared first on Faith Church Blog.

Many years ago, before we had any children, my wife and I stopped to eat at a fast food restaurant. I went to the bathroom and entered one of the stalls. As is usually the case, the stall door did not reach the floor, and I could see someone was walking by. To my shock and great embarrassment, I saw that the shoes going by were ladies’ shoes! I thought, “Oh no! I am in the wrong bathroom!” my next thought was, “should I wait for silence and hope no one sees me leave or just get out as fast as possible?” I quickly chose option number two. I opened the stall door and as I went straight for the exit door, I saw a lady washing her hands at the sink. I called out, “Sorry, I’m in the wrong bathroom!” and without hesitation she kindly replied, “No worries, I’ve done that too.”

After using the men’s room, I joined my wife and told her about my embarrassing escapade. You see, shared embarrassment is easier to bear. My wife laughed and said, “Oh no! Good thing that lady didn’t get upset.”

No one wants to be ashamed any longer than they have already suffered. Especially not weeks, months or years.

I spoke with a lady in Mexico City who told me she had recently been released from prison after having been locked up for four years. She said she had been falsely accused by one of her pastors who had misused church funds and put the blame on her. She shared that she has never felt shame like she did when the judge found her guilty and sentenced her to serve time. After getting out she was grateful to have found a church where she could receive comfort from God’s word through biblical counseling.

What is Shame?

“Shame is the deep sense that you are unacceptable because of something you did, something done to you, or something associated with you. You feel exposed and humiliated.”[1]

Shame is a consequence of the presence of sin. Adam and Eve did not experience shame in their original created condition of innocence. They “were both naked, but they were not ashamed” (Genesis 2:25). After they sinned, Adam and Eve knew they were naked and looked for a way to cover themselves (Genesis 3:7-10).

Shame is an internal consciousness of the presence of guilt because of sin that may become especially acute when a sin is exposed. For example, I was shopping one day at a Home Depot and my cell phone rang. I was asked by my pastor friend Paco if I was coming to the counseling meeting. I was already late at that moment and was a long distance away from where I was supposed to be. I had forgotten all about it! I asked Paco for forgiveness, and I asked him to relay my regret to the others who were with him that I had let down. He was kind and forgiveness was granted, but the feelings of shame for having missed my appointment lasted several hours until I could get my feelings to agree with the forgiveness that had been granted by the offended parties as well as God’s forgiveness which he has promised when we go to him in repentance (1 John 1:9).

Shame is never desirable, but in order to receive God’s grace and forgiveness that washes away the sin and its accompanying shame, it is essential to recognize and confess the sin that has caused our guilt. Unless that guilt is dealt with, it remains–whether one is aware of it or not. Eternal shame is the fate of God’s enemies because they refuse to acknowledge His righteousness.

Psalm 83:17 – May they be ashamed and dismayed forever, and may they be humiliated and perish.

Psalm 129:5 – May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned backward…

Shame is a Condition We All Know

When you see your image in the mirror and have a moment of transparency, what do you say to the image in front of you?

– You are the one who _________ – What do you fill this space with?

– You’re the one who never graduated from high school or college…

– You’re the one who always loses…

– You’re the one who lost a good job…

– You are the one who did not wait for marriage…

– You’re the one who ruined his marriage…

– You’re the one who got into so much debt…

– You are the one who had children who went astray…

In John 4, why do you think the Samaritan woman from the town of Sychar went to the well at noon at the hottest time of day? It was because this was when no one else wanted to go. In the afternoon at 5 or 6 o’clock when the sun was going down and it was cooler, all the people went to the well and enjoyed greeting one another and having a good time. The Samaritan woman was avoiding the crowds. Why? Maybe it was because of her shame. She was a woman without honor or dignity. She didn’t like how people looked at her or how they treated her. On this day she was surprised to see a Jewish man at the well and she was trying to avoid him. But he was different from all the people. He talked to her. And after an important talk about living water, “Jesus said to her, ‘Go, call your husband and come here.’ The woman answered and said to Him, ‘I have no husband.’ Jesus said to her, ‘You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this which you have said is true.’” (John 4:16-18).

We are all like the Samaritan woman in some way. We are sinners. We have sought to escape our shame in many places. It might be in trying to be religious enough or we may try to drown our shame in the pleasures of sin.

When this Samaritan woman looked at herself in the mirror she might have said, “I am the woman of 5 failed marriages. Why should I remarry?” Jesus had put his finger on the most shameful part of her life even when she had tried to avoid it. After further discussion, she spoke of the only hope she had left. “The woman said to Him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am He, the One speaking to you.’” (John 4:25-26).

We must all learn what the Samaritan woman learned in that moment. Christ has come and he is Jesus. He is the only one who can help us with our shame.

The Solution for Shame

Instead of remaining in eternal shame, those who put their hope in God are promised acceptance before God. They will be radiant and confident as part of God’s family because their shame has been covered.

Psalm 34:5 – They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces will never be ashamed.

Romans 10:11-13 – For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”        

Forgiveness in Christ solves the problem of guilt. What solves the problem of

shame? It has to be covered. Adam and Eve covered their nakedness with fig leaves. They may have been well covered physically, but a superficial covering of their naked bodies was not enough to cover their shame before God. The guilt of their disobedience and its accompanying shame needed to be covered by the purity and justice of God. The solution is found in the gospel. That is why God covered Adam and Eve with the skins of lambs in Genesis 3:21. God established the sacrificing of innocent lambs as forgiveness for guilt and a covering for shame by those who placed their faith in God’s provision for sin. In the Old Testament, believers demonstrated their faith by sacrificing animals, but after the coming of Christ, believers demonstrate their faith by believing in the ultimate sacrifice that put an end to all sacrifices. Jesus Christ offered himself as God’s payment for sin and the covering of our shame. “Behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.”

In the book of Revelation, when Jesus evaluates seven local churches, Laodicea receives a strong rebuke because she was proud and confident trusting in her own good works. Jesus said to this congregation, “I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to apply to your eyes so that you may see. Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent,” (Revelation 3:18-19). This church had become confident in her own righteousness and therefore was not covered by the righteousness of Christ that is only received through humility and faith.

In the descriptions of heaven, believers in Christ are clothed in the white garments that have been washed in the blood of Christ. No one enters the marriage supper of the lamb if they are not dressed correctly.

Revelation 22:14 – Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life, and may enter the city by the gates.

Isaiah 61:10 – I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, My soul will be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a groom puts on a turban, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Revelation 3:5 – The one who overcomes will be clothed the same way, in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

Facing Shame with Christ’s Help

For those who have trusted Christ as Lord and Savior and are covered in the righteousness of Christ through faith, shame is a defeated enemy. However, we still must live with a measure of shame because we still sin. We must deal with it on a regular basis confessing our sin and putting off the old man (1 John 1:9; Ephesians 4:22-24).

Shame may also come because of what others do and because we live in a sin cursed world that has not been remade yet. We still experience shame because of suffering that God permits for our growth. We may be unfairly judged by others, and we may struggle with an unrighteous judgement on ourselves. God invites us to persevere in trial and trust him to bring his good purposes about in our lives.

1 Corinthians 4:5 – Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of human hearts; and then praise will come to each person from God.

By his own example the apostle Paul shows us how to respond to a condition he had in his life that he called “a thorn in the flesh.” Undoubtedly this came with a mixture of shame. If it was a problem in his eyes, as some theologians have thought, then Paul would have had to deal with the attention that this physical problem would have caused. He wanted to be free to serve and not draw attention to his own physical needs, but he chose to accept this “thorn” as a gift from God to protect and keep him faithful.

2 Corinthians 12:8-12 – Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in persecutions, in difficulties, on behalf of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

The apostle Paul shows us that it is possible to delight in weakness when our goal is to exalt Christ and not ourselves. This can be applied to shame as well. Has there been shame heaped on you that you don’t deserve? It is an opportunity to trust your sovereign God who works all things for your good and for His glory.

2 Corinthians 13:11 – Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice, mend your ways, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

[1] Edward T. Welch, Shame Interrupted, (New Growth Press, Greensboro, NC, 2012) 2.

Photo by Jason Hogan on Unsplash

The post Overcoming Shame appeared first on Faith Church Blog.

The Christian life is hard. Between battling our sinful desires, disciplining ourselves for godliness, standing firm against the schemes of the devil, patiently enduring trials and persecution, and sacrificially loving people around us, God calls Christians to a lifestyle that is challenging and unnatural for us (in fact, it is super-natural).

And you might ask the question from time-to-time, “Is all this effort worth it? What’s my motivation?”

God gives a variety of answers to that question. We are motivated by looking back at Christ’s death on the cross, seeing that He lovingly purchased us so that we might live for Him (2 Corinthians 5:14–15). We are motivated by looking at the present promises of God to be with us (Hebrews 13:5) and to give us mercy and grace in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16). But there is a third motivation that God also gives us.

In Matthew 6:19, Jesus exhorts us to avoid pursuing earthly security and comfort in wealth,

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.” Matthew 6:19

We might expect Jesus to follow a command like this with something like, “Instead of pursuing earthly wealth, consider that you already have all that you need in Me!” (past motivation), or “I know the temptations you face, and I will give you the strength to overcome them!” (present motivation). But listen to what Jesus actually says,

“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:20–21

Jesus directs our gaze beyond the present to the future, allowing the promise of eternal rewards in heaven to motivate our faithfulness in the Christian lifestyle today. We are to store up these treasures in heaven through our faithfulness.

You may be a little squeamish about the idea of God rewarding us for Christian faithfulness. “Is God just bribing us to do good works? Isn’t it selfish to obey God in order to get future blessings?”

But look again at the final point Jesus makes in verse 21: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” God designed the human heart to set its affections and desires on what it believes is most valuable, or most worthy of being pursued. Jesus does not condemn our desire to pursue treasure for our own joy and delight. Instead, Jesus redirects our desire for rewards.

Jesus gives a clear contrast. Earthly treasures (such as possessions, pleasures, the praise of man, and power) are fragile and temporary. People, circumstances, and our own choices can easily destroy our earthly treasures. Heavenly treasures (which aren’t described in this passage, but include God’s praise, heavenly possessions, and eternal joy) last forever, and no one can ever take them from us.

The problem is not that the human heart chases after treasure; the problem is that the human heart treasures the wrong things! To help us meditate on the reality and beauty of heavenly treasures, I want to explain 3 biblical principles about the existence and nature of eternal rewards.

3 Biblical Principles on Eternal Rewards

Principle 1: Heavenly Rewards Are Promised by God Throughout the Bible to Motivate His People to Faithfulness and Perseverance.

All throughout Scripture, God motivates His children with promises of seeing their faithfulness and rewarding them for it. Here are some examples:

• God promised blessings to the nation of Israel if they obeyed (Deuteronomy 11:13–15).
• David believed that pursuing God’s presence in heaven would bring him fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11).
• Nehemiah asked God to remember his faithfulness and tireless labor and reward him (Nehemiah 13:13; 31).
• Paul taught that every Christian will receive from God rewards based on what he has done with his life (2 Corinthians 5:9–10).

The point is this: God draws your heart to pursue Him by promising blessings and rewards for your service to Him. He sees every sacrifice you make to love someone else, every instance where you crucify a selfish desire, every word you speak to build someone else up (and every cutting word that you hold back), every moment you pray and meditate on His Word and His character, and every time you humble yourself to ask forgiveness. God’s omnipresence and omniscience means that He sees it all, and He will remember your labor for His name (Hebrews 6:10).

Praise God for His boundless grace: grace that gives us new hearts, saves us from our sin, empowers us for obedience, and then rewards us for the very obedience that He empowered us to do. That’s the kind of gracious God we serve.

Principle 2: Heavenly Rewards Primarily Involve Our Glorification and the Fullness of Joy of Being with God Forever.

Oftentimes in the Scriptures, the reward God promises is simply the fullness and wholeness that will come from the full accomplishment of our salvation, when the Lord will return to make all things right and we will dwell with Him forever with new bodies. We have been saved positionally through justification, but we still await our glorification, which will bring us fullness of joy because we will be with God (Psalm 16:11).

Faith family, we’ve been studying the book of Hebrews in our Sunday morning sermon series, and we’ve been exhorted to not give up in the face of opposition, but to hold fast our faith in Jesus until the end. In the Hall of Faith, the author of Hebrews explained how the promise of heaven motivated Old Testament saints to persevere, “…they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them” (Hebrews 11:16).

One of our motivations to persevere is to look ahead at the coming day when our salvation will be fully accomplished and God’s kingdom will be established forever. Brother or sister, hold fast to your faith, because your full salvation is drawing near, and you will be rewarded with the presence of God Himself in His kingdom.

Principle 3: Heavenly Rewards Also Involve Additional Rewards for Faithfulness

While the primary reward that should motivate our faithfulness is the full accomplishment of our salvation (which all believers will receive equally), God also promises to reward us additionally for ways we’ve obeyed in our specific lives and circumstances. Let me give you some examples (emphasis added):

1. God will graciously reward you for ways you served brothers and sisters in Christ.
   • Jesus taught, “He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.” (Matthew 10:41–42)

2. God will graciously reward you for suffering for His name.
   • “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11–12)

3. God will graciously reward genuine acts of devotion and faith done to please Him.
   • Jesus condemned praying, fasting, or giving to please men. But when fasting, praying, or giving is done with pure motives to please the Father, “your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:4, 6, 18).

4. God will graciously reward all labor done to build His church faithfully.
   • Paul called the people he ministered to his “glory” or “crown” (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20), and he explained that those who build Christ’s church would be rewarded based on the quality of their work (1 Corinthians 3:10-15).

What will these rewards look like? How is it possible for all Christians to have perfect, complete joy, and yet some Christians have more rewards than others? The Bible doesn’t answer these questions with full clarity, but we can make some educated guesses.

First, Scripture seems to indicate that a portion of these heavenly rewards will relate to positions of authority in Christ’s kingdom. When Peter asked about future rewards for following Christ, Jesus responded, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Matthew 19:28). Paul taught that in the new kingdom, the saints will judge the earth, including even the angels (1 Corinthians 6:2-3)! It seems that part of the heavenly treasures we lay up involve positions of authority, ruling underneath King Jesus in His kingdom.

Second, in another way of thinking about variations in eternal rewards, Jonathan Edwards also used the helpful analogy of “vessels” or bowls. All of God’s people will be filled to the brim with joy and complete happiness, but based on our faithfulness in pursuing, knowing, and serving the Lord, it’s possible that people will have different capacities for joy in the Lord. Our bowls will be different sizes, but they will all be filled to the brim. I would really encourage you to listen to John Piper read an edifying excerpt of one of Edwards’s sermons at https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/levels-of-happiness-in-heaven, to stimulate your thoughts about what rewards in heaven might be like.

So What?

If you’re still here, you’ve read a large amount of content for a blog. Even if you don’t remember everything you’ve read, here’s what you should walk away with: Jesus sees every way you choose to serve Him in His strength, and He will graciously reward you with heavenly treasures that far exceed any blessing we can experience in this life. Every sacrifice you make for King Jesus is going to be worth it! Don’t settle for treasures that are temporary, fallible, and fragile! Set your sights on the greater treasures of heaven, and pursue them in Jesus’s strength!

When you experience opposition from the world, the flesh, and the devil in your Christian life, certainly be motivated by looking at the past work Jesus did to redeem your soul. Cling to God’s present promises of grace and strength for today. But also meditate deeply on the future heavenly treasures God promises to His children, and fix your heart on the reward of being with your Savior in His kingdom forever. On that day, God will lavishly reward His people with heavenly treasures, and we will throw them back at His feet to the praise of His glorious grace.

Photo by Liane Metzler on Unsplash

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Jessica’s daughter, Avery, tended to become emotional and disobedient when she was told to do something that didn’t suit her. Just a few days earlier, the angry four-year-old launched into a full-blown, five-alarm temper tantrum—complete with tears, flailing appendages, and full-throated screams—when Jessica told her to put toys away.

Jessica was familiar with Avery’s pattern. She and her husband had spent hours providing discipline and instruction to address Avery’s conduct, but the struggle continued. Truth be told, Jessica was becoming weary of the battle.

One day, Jessica walked into Avery’s room to see that her daughter had decided to play dress-up. Avery was singing and sashaying about her room in the Sunday dress she had worn to church, the tights she had worn to dance class, the winter gloves she had worn outside, and the fuzzy socks she had worn the night before.

While it was wonderful to see her daughter’s creativity on display, Jessica also saw that Avery had tossed all of the clothes from her hamper onto the floor in the process of dressing up. Avery had done this before. On that occasion, she had been instructed not to throw her clothes about the room again.

Now, Jessica was faced with a dilemma. Should she address Avery’s disobedience? Should she make Avery put the clothes back in the hamper, or should she ignore the problem?

Jessica knew that Avery would not like being told to clean up her room. She envisioned the melt-down she might instigate by giving Avery that instruction. She imagined the debate, the drama, and the discipline that would follow. She was overwhelmed by the thought of it.

“Is this act of disobedience really a big deal,” she asked herself. “Do the clothes really need to go back in the hamper? What if they remain on the floor until Jesus returns? Would that be so bad?”

Jessica had the choice of two paths.

• Path A: By ignoring the mess, Jessica could enjoy a tantrum-free afternoon in a messy room with a daughter who was allowed to disobey and neglect her responsibilities. This was the easy path.
• Path B: By instructing Avery to clean up the mess, Jessica might be signing up for hours of challenging discipleship with an angry child in the hope that Avery would learn to obey and handle her responsibilities. This path would be much more difficult, and Jessica questioned whether the inevitable fight was worth the effort.

Most Christian parents can relate to Jessica’s predicament. Allowing kids to do as they please is easy (but wrong in many cases). Training kids to make good choices is hard (but right in every case). And sometimes (maybe most times), parents feel like they do not have the energy to do what is right. So, how does parents find the motivation to do what they should?

Remember Your Responsibility

In Ephesians 6:4, we learn that parents are responsible to bring up their children “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” That is the Lord’s command. If parents fail to steward this responsibility, they become just as disobedient as a defiant four-year-old. This means discipling children is not optional—it is God’s expectation.

In Jessica’s case, Ephesians 6:4 takes “Path A” off the table. She must address the clothes Avery tossed on the floor. Jessica can allow Avery to have some fun singing and dancing about the room, but she must also train Avery to handle her responsibilities.

Remember Your Goal

Parents can very easily make “changed behavior” the goal of their parenting. Unfortunately, anytime people set goals for themselves that can only be accomplished by others, they have chosen the wrong goal. “Changed behavior” may be a desired outcome of a parent’s discipleship, but it should never be the goal.

Instead, a parent’s goal must be to please the Lord. That goal can be achieved regardless of a child’s response. Fathers and mothers should share with their children the responsibilities God has assigned to them as parents. They should also explain that the discipline and instruction they provide flow from a desire to be obedient to God. Children need to understand that all people—even adults—are responsible to obey God. Parents that faithfully and consistently “discipline” and “instruct” give their children a model of obedience to follow.

When deciding between “Path A” and “Path B,” Jessica needs to remind herself that her goal should not be “a drama-free afternoon.” Rather, her goal should be to please the Lord by faithfully training Avery. Though discipling Avery might be challenging, it would be time well spent.

Remember The Consequences

Choices have consequences. That is true for children, but it is true for parents as well. Sometimes the consequences of a choice are immediate. Sometimes the consequences take years to surface. Regardless, fathers and mothers must parent with the end in mind.

In Jessica’s case, the immediate consequence of choosing “Path A” would be a quiet home. However, by failing to address Avery’s disobedience, Jessica would train Avery (because children are trained even when parents fail to train) to believe that having fun is more important than obedience or stewarding responsibilities. The long-term consequence of that choice would be a self-centered daughter that values pleasure above all else.

Conversely, if Jessica chooses “Path B,” the immediate consequence might be an exhausting afternoon of discipline. However, by addressing Avery’s sin, Jessica would train her daughter to believe that obedience is more important than having fun. The long-term consequence of that choice could be a self-controlled daughter that makes pleasing the Lord her top priority.

Remember The Opportunity

Frequently, when parents recognize their children’s patterns of behavior, they try to avoid situations where their children will be apt to sin. When they see anger beginning to build, they will distract or divert their children to prevent a blow-up. That may be acceptable on rare occasions, but in general, parents should allow their children to face situations in which they will have to choose between pleasing the Lord and pleasing themselves. In fact, parents should prize such moments.

If parents remember that their primary responsibility is to bring up their children “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord,” they will recognize such situations as golden opportunities to observe the progress their children are making. If a child responds to a trying situation in a way that pleases the Lord, parents have the chance to witness their child’s reaction and to praise both the Lord and their child for the growth. If the child responds in a sinful manner, parents have an opening to provide still more discipline and instruction.

When children sin, they reveal their need for a Savior. Jesus had to die for every act of disobedience children commit. Discipline conversations are a wonderful time to review the gospel and to remind unbelieving children that forgiveness and victory over sin are only possible through a personal relationship with the Lord. If parents remember their responsibilities, their goals, and the consequences of their choices, they will not avoid challenging situations. Instead, they will embrace them.

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If you were to make a list of words to describe the most God-honoring worship you can imagine, what words would you choose? “Joyful”? “Passionate”? “Truth-oriented”? “Life-changing”?

How far down your list would you have to go before you got to the word, “costly”? Would that word even make your list at all?

In 2 Samuel 24, we find a fascinating story about the way David responded to one of his moral failures. David had committed a sin of pride and self-reliance, and in order to provide atonement, God commanded David to build an altar and offer a sacrifice on a particular piece of land owned by a man named Araunah.

When David showed up at Araunah’s property, Araunah offered to give David the land and all that he needed to obey God’s command, including the oxen and the wood for the offering. David strongly insisted that he must buy the property from Araunah at full price. Listen to the reason David gave: “I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing” (2 Sam 24:24, italics added).

At this moment of immense historical and theological significance, where David was acquiring the site of what would become the future temple of the presence of Yahweh, David did not want to give a “free” offering to the Lord. David chose to communicate God’s worthiness by sacrificing of himself to provide an offering to the Lord. One of the key descriptions of God-honoring worship is costly.

God’s Honor and His Sacrifices

To prove the point from a negative perspective, consider an example of the polar-opposite attitude towards God’s worship found in Eli’s sons at the beginning of 1 Samuel. The author states that the sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were “worthless men” (1 Sam 2:12). While Hophni and Phinehas were wicked in a variety of ways, including laying with women who were serving in the tabernacle (v. 22), the main charge God brought against Eli’s family was how they treated his offerings. Hophni and Phinehas would regularly take portions of the Israelites’ offerings by force. They made themselves “fat” on the offerings that were meant for God. God rebuked Eli, saying, “Why do you kick at My sacrifice and at My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling, and honor your sons above Me, by making yourselves fat with the choicest of every offering of My people Israel?” (1 Sam 2:29).

God’s words in the very next verse show why God took this matter so seriously: “Those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be lightly esteemed” (v. 30). Considering all the depth of wickedness of the sons of Eli, God most hated the way they despised His name by using His offerings for selfish gain. They stole what rightfully belonged to God and grew fat on it.

Contrast that attitude with David’s words to Araunah. David insisted that he must give of himself with his offering to rightly communicate God’s worthiness. Worship that honors God involves giving of myself and sacrificing, rather than selfishly taking for my own self-interest that which belongs to God.

Sacrificing to God in the New Covenant

As recipients of the new covenant after Christ’s death, we no longer sacrifice animals to signify the payment for our sin and God’s worthiness of our lives. But that doesn’t mean we’re done with sacrifices altogether! The apostle Paul says in Rom 12:1–2, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” We worship God in this present age by offering our very bodies as sacrifices to God.

What does it mean to offer our bodies as living sacrifices to God? It means nothing less than presenting every thought, word, action, and desire to our Savior for Him to use for His purposes, not our own. God is worthy of every word we speak, every second of our day, and every relationship we have. God purchased our lives with the blood of His Son, and now we proclaim the worthiness of our Savior in the way we offer our entire lives to God day by day.

Yes, new covenant worship is certainly meant to be joyful, as we respond to the depth of love God lavished on us by redeeming us into His family and adopting us. But new covenant worship is still costly. Jesus highlights this in Luke 9:24–25, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.”

The point is this: Christ calls His followers to worship Him by daily dying to their own selfish desires and by offering their bodies as living sacrifices for obedience. God-honoring worship is costly.

Implications

The costliness of God-honoring worship has so many implications for followers of Christ. Let me name a few:

1. The act of sacrificing communicates God’s worthiness.

By definition, when we worship God, we seek to communicate that He is worthy of something. One of the chief ways we communicate God’s worthiness is by giving up other things that we may find desirable in order to obey God’s commands.

As our good Creator, God gives us so many things to enjoy and delight in. But our sinful hearts so quickly latch onto and worship those created things rather that the Creator. Worshipping God with our lives will regularly require us to turn away from our sinful worship of the things of this world, like the praise of man, or pleasure, or ease, or material possessions. Each moment we choose to walk the path of obedience to God, we are choosing to give up our sinful pursuit of anything else, and that sacrifice communicates the worth and value of God.

Let me give you a few examples:

• • Consider a family choosing how they will plan out their semester and their kids’ commitments. They have the option of choosing a travel sports team that plays games every Sunday morning, but they decide that meeting with God’s people on Sundays is more worthy than a sports league. They sacrificed the opportunity to participate in that team in order to obey God, and that “cost” displayed God’s worthiness.
  • Consider a husband in an argument with his wife. His sinful flesh desires to be right and convince his wife of his rightness and just how wrong she is. But God commands, “No, you must humble yourself, listen to your wife, and focus first on how you may be wrong and need to repent. You must trust Me to exalt you in My time and My way as you honor Me.” In that moment, the husband must decide whether he will fight for his own way, or whether he will sacrifice his way, put to death his sinful desires, and believe that God is worthy of his response right then. Worshiping God “cost” the husband the opportunity to fight for his own way, and that cost honored God.

The act of sacrificing communicates God’s worthiness, because we demonstrate that we believe God is better than whatever we are giving up in order to obey.

2. Biblical worship is measured by obedience, not feelings.

These days, it can be so easy to measure whether our worship was “real” or “genuine” by how we feel. We deem a corporate worship service to be effective if we could feel the Spirit’s encouragement or fellowship. We believe that we are truly honoring God if we feel close to Him on a particular day.

But if we are truly worshipping God with our lives, then sometimes it’s not going to feel good. Sometimes it’s going to feel like death. Offering our bodies as living sacrifices requires us to daily put our sinful flesh to death so that we might obey God’s Word and demonstrate his worthiness.

By no means does this mean that worshipping God should be drudgery or joyless! But this does mean that we must look further than our immediate experience of a certain kind of feeling to evaluate the genuineness of our worship. We must learn to evaluate whether we are pursuing costly obedience. We must pursue the obedience that results from all that God has done for us in the gospel, and the obedience that leads us to true joy and peace centered on our Savior, not our experiences or our circumstances. The prophet Samuel says, “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Sam 15:22). True God-honoring worship is measured by obedience to His Word, even (or especially) when it costs us.

3. We must look to Jesus, who worshipped His Father at the highest cost of all – His life.

Recently, our church learned the song, “Your Will Be Done” by CityAlight. I appreciate how the song leads us to proclaim that we will pursue God’s will and not our own, because obedience is at the heart of God-honoring worship.

But what I really love about the song is the 2^nd verse, where we sing about the perfect obedience of our Savior. He is the only One who perfectly held “the fearful weight of true obedience,” and He is the only One who could say with authenticity, “not My will, but Yours be done.” Even though obeying His Father would cost Him His life as He bore the sins of the world, Jesus still chose to obey. And His obedience screamed to the watching world that God is worthy of worship, that God is better than anything this world can offer.

It is only as we “[fix] our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith” (Heb 12:2) that we can increasingly honor God with our lives. It is only as we feast on Jesus’s grace and love that we then willingly offer our lives to be used for His purposes. Jesus paid the cost God required for our salvation, the cost that was too high for us to pay. Now we find our joy in offering all we have back to Him. May we all give God the honor He is due by offering him worship that costs us our lives.

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The book of Genesis is probably one of the most famous books of the Bible to those inside and outside of the church. The events that happen in this piece of literature easily explain its popularity. Whether someone affirms this book as God’s word or they disagree with its historicity, almost everyone knows about the narratives of the creation account, Adam and Eve in the garden, Noah and the flood, and Joseph in Egypt. These stories and others make this book significant and well known in all kinds of circles.

Christians are the most obviously group that is familiar with this book and that should be the case since Christians believe the book is true and accurately describes the beginning of God’s plan on the earth. Believers understand the book of Genesis is more than just engaging stories that can be crafted easily into a children’s picture book. They see the beauty in the details, how the book is the foundation for the other literature of the Bible, and how this work is structured in a way that contrasts the holiness of God with the fallenness of man. Here are three reasons to study the book of Genesis.

You Can See the Glory of God in the Details

Have you ever chosen to slowly cruise down a road that you’ve been down a thousand times just to take in the view? You will find many details and features of the landscape that you never noticed before. When you do that in the book of Genesis you will find details that are interesting, beautiful, and make you want to worship our great God even more. You will probably find details you never noticed even in the first chapter!

One way to slow down is by taking notes and asking questions. Here are six questions you can ask yourself in each chapter of Genesis that might help you have fresh eyes when reading it next time.

1. What do I learn about the character of God?
2. What do I learn about the fallenness or character of man?
3. What do I learn about God’s plan of saving man?
4. Are there patterns throughout the book I am beginning to see?
5. Are there connections between this chapter I am reading and other parts of the book of Genesis?
6. How can I see the themes in this book being developed in other parts of Scripture?

And if you get to a verse or a section you do not understand, what can you do? One way to continue to engage with the text is to put a “?” next to a verse or a passage you have questions about. A simple “?” in the margin of your Bible can be a reminder for you to do a bit of research in the future and it will help you not forget some of passages you have found more difficult to understand.

Genesis is the Foundation for the Rest of Scripture

Genesis is the beginning of the Scriptures and because of that it is beginning of many different subjects that are developed throughout the rest of the Bible. It is the first word that we have on theology and on God’s redemptive plan.

For example, we believe that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone. Christians deny that we can be made right with God through works-based righteousness, and we affirm that any righteousness we have is gifted to us by God. This truth is crystal clear after reading the New Testament, but can we find anything on this subject in the book of Genesis? We absolutely can.

Genesis 15 describes the event where God made a covenant with Abraham and in Genesis 15:6 we find these words concerning Abraham, “⁶Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.” God counted Abraham righteous not because of anything Abraham had done, but through faith God declared Abraham to be a righteous made. This doctrine called justification by faith is developed throughout the Scripture, but we see it explained for the first time here in only the 15^th chapter of the Bible.

Not only do we see the beginning of many theological truths we hold to, but we also see the beginning of God’s plan for redeeming man in Genesis. In Genesis 3:15 we see God give the hope of redemption for the first time. He curses the serpent and refers to a seed that is to come that will crush the head of the serpent. “¹⁵And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.”

God promises to send a Man that will reverse the curse. This is the beginning of a thread that is weaved throughout the entire Scriptures, and it is that God will send (from an Old Testament perspective) and has sent (from a New Testament perspective) His Servant to redeem His people and defeat His enemies. We can find glimpses of Jesus Christ in just the third chapter of this book!

God’s Holiness is Contrasted with the Fallenness of Man

God’s holiness is on display throughout this book in all fifty chapters. One of the most prominent ways His holiness is seen is by contrasting God’s righteousness with the wickedness of the people on the earth. Even God’s people are seen as fallen and sinful in light of who God is!

Genesis is the kind of book that has “forehead smacking” events on nearly every other page. Adam and Eve are created and placed in paradise only to sin and rebel in the next chapter. Noah and his family are saved from a world-destroying flood only to sin seemingly right after he gets off the boat. Abraham is blessed by God and is promised a covenant with Him where God will multiple his descendants throughout the earth, only to lie to the Egyptians and try to pass Sarah off as his sister when she is really his wife because he fears the Egyptians. And he does this just six verses later.

Now these events are not written so that we may look down upon these saints of the Old Testament. Surely, we all would have sinned and rebelled in ways just as serious as they did. What these occurrences do for us is remind us of that God alone is the one who is inherently righteous, and God alone is the One to be praised. Genesis shows that God has always been the one who deserves all the glory and all the praise.

A Call to Read

So, I encourage you to find that special place where you can sit down with a cup of coffee and a pen to just read this wonderful book and witness all the different ways God worked in the first season of His creation. Take your time because it is a road worth traveling down slowly! Take notes, ask good questions about the text, and enjoy the time seeing God’s glory on display. It is a reminder that we serve a great God and He has been great from the very beginning.

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Our pastors, church staff, and their families had the privilege to serve and honor our long-term members who have been members of our church for twenty-five years or more this past weekend.

It’s hard to put into words the joy we experienced as a family getting to serve those who first served us because of a Savior who first served us all.

I was filled with thankfulness thinking about all the ways these dear saints in the room had lived by faith through the years. I am not sure if it is because we just ran the Race for Hope in the morning, but I was reminded of Hebrews 11 and 12 and the powerful encouragement that comes from examples of faithfulness for running the Christian race. I kept thinking to myself as a looked around the room at our long-term members, “we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us” (Hebrews 12:3). I was thanking God as I recounted their example of faithfulness.

By faith, they have stood for God’s Word and heralded the good news about Jesus Christ for decades.

By faith, they have sought to grow in holiness and greater Christlikeness to be an example to the next generations.

By faith, they started and supported Purdue Bible Fellowship, a wonderful Christ centered college group grounded on God’s Word, that impacted my spiritual walk when I first came to Purdue.

By faith, they provided a biblical counseling ministry for the church and community that helped me to grow in Christlikeness and fanned a flame in my heart to love the Lord’s powerful Word.

By faith, they began Faith Christian School that impacted by wife and now is forming my three children with an excellent Christian education.

By faith, they generously gave and labored to begin Faith Bible Seminary, where I received my pastoral training. God used this to change the trajectory of my vocation and formed and shaped my marriage, parenting, and ministry into greater conformity to Christ.

By faith, they chose me to be one of their pastors knowing my warts and all. They have exercised forbearance and love in all my sins and weaknesses as I have served among them.

It was a little taste of the glory that is going to be revealed for us in Heaven. Like the writer of Hebrews “And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell…” We have so many great witnesses who have exercised faith in our church family. Their examples are a powerful encouragement to press on toward faithfulness.

As I considered those in attendance I also thought about the dear brothers and sisters who were not there, but with their Savior Jesus. Those who had finished their race and kept the faith. I imagined how much they would enjoy seeing and being with these brothers and sisters. To imagine the joy of talking about the wonderful things that God has done and to be part of it all.

Then I thought about that precious joy of that last verse “God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect” (Hebrews 11:40). The sweet joy of knowing that God’s community of faith will receive vindication and glory, God’s commendation and reward, because of Christ the author and perfecter of faith (Hebrews 12:1-3).

Reflection

Question: Who are some of the examples that live by faith in our church family that encouraged you to be faithful to Christ? How did their example specifically encourage you?

Question: Who in our church family did you see finish the race well looking forward to promise of being with Christ? What specific trials and circumstances did they experience that revealed their hope was not in this life but that they belonged to Christ?

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Every Building Needs a Good Foundation

There is almost nothing more unsettling to a homeowner than hearing that the foundation of their house is beginning to crumble. It is one thing to replace a leaky roof or to remodel that old 1980’s style bathroom, but dealing with a faulty foundation is an entirely different level of problem solving. That is because almost everything else associated with a house is somehow connected to the foundation of the home. Homes all over the country need serious repair and sometimes even need to be torn down because a contractor did not place the foundation properly or because the foundation constructed was not able to endure the test of time.

People are much different than houses but there is a metaphor hidden in the construction of your home. Every man and woman needs to have a solid foundation to build their life on. If we want to be wise, if we want to be discerning, and if we want to live godly lives it must start somewhere. The world offers wisdom on every street corner but the wisdom the world provides is similar to a beautiful new construction home that has been built on a crumbling foundation. The new home looks like it could be on the cover of a magazine, but the future of the home is destined for countless problems because of what lies beneath the surface.

The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom

If you want to be a wise man or woman, if you want to make decisions in life that lead to blessing rather than destruction, and if you want to be a godly example to those around you, the book of Proverbs tells you right where to start. Put simply, true wisdom begins when you begin to fear the Lord.

Proverbs 9:10  — ¹⁰ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

This is a helpful statement in part because it is a rather short explanation. The book of Proverbs is 31 chapters long and contains many verses about morality, relationships, marriage, parenting, working, business, and many more subjects. All these areas of life boil down to this summary phrase in Proverbs 9:10. If wisdom were a house will all sorts of structures and features, the fear of the Lord would be the foundation.

Fearing the Lord is something that can be easily misunderstood but it is rather simple. Fearing God means someone has a reverent attitude toward Him. The person has a certain awe and wonder about who God is. The individual that fears God is the one that wants to worship Him which means that fearing the Lord also implies someone has a submissive attitude toward Him. When God commands something, they want to obey His command and when God prohibits something, they choose to steer clear of what God has prohibited.

It is no wonder that we should show reverence, awe, and obedience toward God because the verse goes on to explain that God is the Holy One. God’s holiness is referring to the truth that God is separate, distinct, and is above everything and everyone else. No one is as pure as God, no one else is as good as God, and no one else is as just as God. Wisdom begins when someone chooses to follow God recognizing that their way of life is not the right way, but it is the Holy Creator’s way that is the proper way to live life.

God Owns All Wisdom

It makes sense that fearing God is the beginning of wisdom because God is the source of all wisdom. Again, the world tries to sell wisdom in the marketplace every day but God has a monopoly on genuine wisdom. Just look at these few passages that indicate that all wisdom belongs to God.

James 1:5 — ⁵ But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

1 Kings 4:29–34 — ²⁹ Now God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand that is on the seashore. ³⁰ Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. ³¹ For he was wiser than all men, than Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was known in all the surrounding nations. ³² He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005. ³³ He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that grows on the wall; he spoke also of animals and birds and creeping things and fish. ³⁴ Men came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.

Proverbs 2:6— ⁶ For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

For anyone who wants to grow in learning, for anyone who desires to mature, and for anyone who wants to be considered wise, look nowhere else than to God Himself. He provides the foundation and all the building material necessary for constructing a life of wisdom. Christians have the privilege of having access to this wisdom because Christians have access to God. Wisdom is granted only to those who fear Him.

A Few Thoughts on this Father’s Day

Father’s Day is a great opportunity each year for fathers to evaluate the place of wisdom in their life. Fathers need to grow in wisdom themselves, but God has also entrusted fathers with sons and daughters they can influence and shepherd down a path of wisdom. Here are a few different ways a father can apply this passage on this Father’s Day.

1. If you are not a Christian, begin your journey of growing in wisdom by choosing to follow Christ. The only way you will be able to shepherd your children to grow in wisdom is by choosing to fear the Lord first. Wisdom begins by trusting in Jesus alone for your salvation and by turning from your sin. He freely offers salvation to all and how sweet would it be for you to receive a heavenly Father this Father’s Day? If you trust in Christ this Father’s Day, there will be rejoicing in God’s house beyond what you can even imagine!
2. If you are a believer, consider ways to help your children understand that wisdom begins with fearing the Lord. There are many lessons children will need to be taught repeatedly but there is no greater lesson than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If your child is an unbeliever, their pursuit of wisdom will begin when they receive Christ. But even if your children are Christians, find ways to creatively point them back to the foundation of all the teaching they are receiving. Understanding their foundation will help them pursue living righteously and will help them mature in wisdom.

We hope you all have a great Father’s Day this year. Spend time with your family, enjoy the fellowship of those around you, and remember that fearing the Lord is the foundation of all wisdom.

The post Father’s Day Blog #4 – The Foundation of Wisdom appeared first on Faith Church Blog.

I am Awesome!

Do you ever find yourself saying that out loud? Probably not, we don’t usually voice it and if we do voice it, we don’t say it that directly.

Sometimes we might even think…I wish I was awesome…or I wish people thought I was awesome. Maybe if I do something of note I can tell them about it, because if I don’t tell them they might miss it or not know about it. If they know about it that might impact the way they think of me, the way they view me, the way they interact with me. I want people to know I am skilled, sophisticated, a gentleman, well-read, well-traveled, a great conversationalist who is able to fix anything with a multitool and duct tape. If they know this, they might want to hang around me all the time, invite me to fun activities, and speak well of me to others…pretty soon everyone will see how awesome I am…and I will feel good, safe, accepted, a part of a group, but also standing out and providing value to the group. I will be a man of purpose, protection and prestige…I just need others to know that about me, I better speak up and let them know the latest thing I did well.

Maybe that is an extreme example of a thought process, but maybe we get so habituated to seeking the praise of man that we aren’t always aware of what our goal is when we speak and what we believe when we share information with others that is designed to make us look good.

I think we all struggle with this, and I think often our kids follow in our footsteps. Each day is an opportunity to disciple our kids and impart wisdom to them of a different path. We can teach our kids at a young age to be careful to not seek the praise of man, but instead to let the lips of others praise you.

Proverbs 27:2 – Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips.

I think when our kids are small and they are going through various developmental processes it is good and natural for them to come and say, “look I drew the letter A”, or “look dad, I can go down the slide by myself”, or “I finished my quantum mechanics homework and built this time machine”, or something like that.

Many times, these are simply young children excited about learning new things and seeking to share it with someone they look up to and trust like a mom or dad. However, over time kids begin to find their social acceptance often based on performance in sports, or if they have the newest tech or new clothes (not sure if threads and kicks are the terms anymore), physical appearance or perhaps if they are the most witty or funny. Marketing oneself at an early age can be a very tempting road for a young person to go down to want to make sure other people know they have skills; know they can do things. They would like some praise, some attention and appreciation for what they bring to the table. In an influencer infested world, young people want eyes on them not in an embarrassing way, but in an appreciation way.

It can be easy then to exaggerate and say I scored 12 goals once in a game. I was able to beat that video game in one day, I have 40 pairs of shoes, my parents will buy me whatever I want. Or maybe it is not an exaggeration, maybe you have a lot of shoes, or you are the best player on your soccer team, and you scored 3 goals in your last soccer match. The issue is you exaggerate how important that is and you want to be the one to bring it up and you would like the conversation to park there for a while.

Fathers have a great opportunity when our kids boast to redirect them to Christ.

Performance and praise of man will not save us…humble recognition of our need is the path to salvation. We place our faith in Christ, because we humbly recognize we have nothing to boast in, nothing we bring to the table that is praiseworthy by which we can find acceptance from the Lord.

Ephesians 2:8–9 –⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹ not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Even if we have physical, intellectual, artistic or social gifts and abilities…we have those because we received them from the Lord, and we are to use them for God’s glory, not our own glory. The Corinthian church needed that reminder and sometimes so do our kids…maybe your kids are very gifted, or maybe your kids wish they were more gifted because of the social attention that often brings. The Corinthians were reminded of the word “receive” and that was to impact their lips, their mouth.

1 Corinthians 4:7 –⁷ For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

Fathers can help their kids appreciate what they have received, and fathers can put the attention on the most valuable things one can receive is salvation in Christ….in which we have nothing to boast in. You see we want our kids to know when we focus on the Lord, we must focus on something more valuable than the lips of others praising us. We want to focus on boasting in the Lord and how wonderful He is. Jeremiah says it like this…

Jeremiah 9:23–24 –²³ Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; ²⁴ but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.

I think practically for fathers we want to build up and encourage our kids in wise ways that point to the Lord. When they accomplish a goal, or three, we want to acknowledge that and give honor where honor is due, but I think there is a wise way to build up our kids. Build up their character, their work ethic, their teamwork, their kindness and encouragement of others, their humility and self-sacrifice, their dependance on the Lord. When you see that… praise them for how God has blessed them and how you see them using their gifts and abilities for His glory.

If we don’t value God centered things in our own lives, we will not praise our kids for them. We cannot give them what we don’t have and value in the first place.

Praise your kids. Let your lips get worn out praising your kids, but praise them wisely, praise them for Christ-like attributes. Like, “I saw when so and so did not get the part or did not get a good grade, you went over to check on them. I believe that really honored the Lord to think of others above yourself”. Or, “when your teammate scored, you celebrated with him like you scored, that was so fun to see”. Or something like, “You really worked hard to support your teammates and provide an outlet to them to pass to, and you really got back to help the defense” or “Remember when that one player made a mistake, you were the first person over there to pick them up and I really thought that was Christlike and sets a tone for the rest of the team, good job.” Maybe they get straight A’s or they are gifted musically. They love to hear you say, I love listening to you play, you really serve others and point them to the beauty in God’s creation when you work hard and make the music really enjoyable to listen to.” Or “You are doing really well in school, and I appreciate how much work you put in, but I also want to let you know that I really appreciate how you help around the house and you don’t make grades an idol and you don’t look down on others who maybe it is a bit harder for, and you want to help them”. Maybe your child struggles in school and it would bless them to hear. “You know for some this stuff comes easy, but I really appreciate how hard you work to seek to understand this material, your perseverance reminds me of Christ and how he persevered even though it was really difficult, over time your perseverance is going to be such an asset to your family, to your coworkers so keep going and don’t give up”.

As parents we are to encourage our kids wisely, but one of the interesting things about Proverbs 27:2 is that it says let a stranger praise you, and not your own mouth. That means someone who does not know you well. Someone who is not simply trying to make you feel better…someone who just sees your character on display and want to praise you for it. That means there will be hundreds and hundreds of hours of developing that character when no one sees and when no one says anything. But the Lord sees. Godly parents often see and can encourage in that direction so that a stranger might praise you one day.

Fathers often set the tone with what we get excited about, what we praise. Let us not simply give effusive praise for performance and achievement but for Christlike character. Not striking everyone out or getting all A’s or scoring a hat trick…. but boasting in Christ, and praising people who point to Christ.

May we as Fathers model this and pass this wisdom on to the next generation for the Glory of God.

Consider reading these verses listed above with your kids and then asking your kids,

• “Why is it so much better to hear someone else praise you instead of boasting about yourself?”
• What do people around you often value? What does the Lord value? What have you received from the Lord that is wonderful and how are you using it?

Make sure your kids know you want to praise them based on what the Lord values and what the Lord is doing, so they can focus on valuing the same thing. May we be known as fathers for saying, “The Lord is Awesome”, and He is working in an awesome way in my life and in your life for His glory!

The post Father’s Day Blog #3 – I am Awesome! appeared first on Faith Church Blog.