Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:16–5:10

+ We will be made glorious like Jesus.

+ We will be at home with Jesus.

Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want and want acutely something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise. The longings which arise in us when we first fall in love, or think of some foreign country, or first take up some subject that excites us, our longings which no marriage, no travel, no learning, can really satisfy. I am not now speaking of what would be ordinarily called unsuccessful marriages, or holidays, or learned careers. I'm speaking of the best possible ones. There was something we grasped at, in that first moment of longing, which just fades away in the reality. I think everyone knows what I mean.” – C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity.

“Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exist. A baby feels hunger: well, there is such thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such thing as water… If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing.” – C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity.

John 17:24 NIV

+ We will be rewarded by Jesus

Revelation 20:11–15 NIV

Colossians 2:13–14

1 Corinthians 3:10–15 NIV

Scripture: Romans 1:18-25

+ Creation reveals God’s glory 

Acts14:11-17

“The universe, which to the atheist is full of darkness and confusion, to the Christian, is resplendent with light and glory.” – Archibald Alexander 

+ Jesus reveals New Creation

Romans 8:20-23

+ The Church reveals Christ to the World

Scripture: Matthew 22:34-39 

1 John 4:19

“But what uniquely frightens about Putnam’s work on social capital is the dramatic trend line he unearthed through his analysis: across all these diverse contexts for human connection, Putnam found that from the mid-twentieth century onward, participation in every sort of collective activity was going down.” – Matthew Bingham, A Heart Aflame for God.

3 Tips to Better Love Others

 1.      Be Present

2.     Be Listening

3.     Be Serving

Scripture: Proverbs 4:23

“Life is getting faster. And while some might be inclined to dismiss this accelerating pace as neutral or even beneficial, there are good reasons to suspect that our habitual exposure to this hyper-paced world has serious consequences for our capacity to slow down and pay attention to things that really matter.” – A Heart Aflame for God, Matthew Bingham. 

“The Greatest difficulty in conversion is to win the heart to God; and the greatest difficulty after conversion is to keep the heart with God.” – John Flavel.  

Luke 6:45 NIV 

Mark 7:20–23 NIV

 + Keep it Free 

• From Sin  

Haggai 1:5

Lamentations 3:40–42 NIV 

Psalm 119:59–60  

• From Idolatry  

1 John 5:21 NIV 

+ Keep it on Fire 

Matthew 15:7–8 NIV

+ Keep it Focused 

Psalm 27:4 

Deuteronomy 6:6

Psalm 119:11

• Meditation 

Psalm 1:1–3

Psalm 119:15

• Prayer 

Psalm 139:23-24 NIV 

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:4-18

The Average US adult spends 7 hours and 2 minutes a day onscreens.

“The algorithm doesn’t just curate information. It catechizesimagination… What you take in shapes how you see everything.” — Jim Essian

+ The Fruit of your focus tells you something about the value of the thing that holds your focus. 

Be encouraged.

Be Realistic.

Be intentional.

Psalm 119:35–37

Scripture: Psalm 73

+ Asaph’s Wander - Ps.73:1-14

+ Abba’s Rescue – Ps.73:15-24 

+ Asaph’s Wonder – Ps.73:23-28

Scripture: Ephesians 6:24

+ What you love most is the most important thing about you.

“According to Augustine, ‘There is a scale of value stretching from earthly to heavenly realities, from the visible to the invisible; and the inequality between these goods makes possible the existence of them all.’ God is one thing, angels are another, as are people, terriers, red oaks, squash, rocks, and dirt. Each item fits in God's overall scheme of creation. The nature of things in the hierarchy is unchangeable, and so is the kind of satisfaction it can provide when we are related to it through love. Because of these actual differences in things, the outcome of loving each actual thing will be different. There is a divinely designed fit between our needs, the character of the things that can satisfy them, and the way we should love them in order to be satisfied. Even though each thing God made is good, delightful, legitimate, and a source of satisfaction as an object of our love, we "must not expect more from it than its unique nature can provide." We must give love and praise to things apportioned to their worth. - David K Naugle, Re-Ordered Loves; Re-ordered Lives.

"Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And an outstanding reason for choosing some sort of god or spiritual-type thing to worship...is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive. If you worship money and things—if they are where you tap real meaning in life—then you will never have enough. Never feel you have enough. It’s the truth. Worship your own body and beauty and sexual allure and you will always feel ugly, and when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally plant you...Worship power—you will feel weak and afraid, and you will need ever more power over others to keep the fear at bay. Worship your intellect, being seen as smart—you will end up feeling stupid, a fraud, always on the verge of being found out." - David Foster Wallace 

+ What does it mean to love Jesus?

-       Adoration - thinking highly of Jesus.

-       Affection - feeling deeply for Jesus.

-       Allegiance - following faithfully after Jesus.

Matthew 10:37–38

“All of Christ is to be loved, and He is to be loved above all.” John Gill.

Revelation 2:1-5

Psalm 34:8 (NIV)

+ Examine

Psalm 32:1–5 (NIV)

+ Exercise

+ Encounter

Scripture: Genesis 27:1-46

Genesis 25:27–28

+ Value Character more than Success

+ Character is destiny

+ Character will eventually show itself

+ Trust God’s Ways to secure God’s Ends 

Proverbs 3:5–6

Psalm 106:13–14

+ Don’t assume a strong finish

Hebrews 12:1–2

Scripture: Genesis 26:1-35

+ We can pass down a spiritual legacy, and we can pass down sinful patterns.

1 Kings 22:41–43

1 Kings 22:51–52

+ We can live in faith, or we can live in fear.

Exodus 14:10–14

+ We can live for the favor of people, or we can live for the favor of God

Exodus 33:15–16

John 12:42–43

Scripture: Genesis 25:7-11, 19-34

“You contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary.” – Jonathan Edwards

+ God uses our prayer to fulfill His promises

+ God uses our weakness to fulfill his promises

+ God uses our opposition to fulfill his promises.

Philippians 3:18-21

“We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at sea. We are far too easily pleased.” – C.S. Lewis

Scripture: Genesis 24

+ A life that experiences God is one oriented toward God’s purpose.

“…you might ask, “Why should God speak to me? What am I doing in life that would make him speaking to me a reasonable thing for him to do? Are we in businesstogether in life? Or am I in business just for myself, trying to ‘use a little God’ to advance my projects?” – Dallas Willard, Hearing God.

+ A life that experiences God is one of faith-filled action.

+ A life that experiences God is one that is growing in prayer.

Psalm 127:1