What you and I have is ultimately not our own; it all belongs to God. Our time is His.  Our Talent is His.  Our Treasure is His.  Little or much, temporary or lasting, tangible or unseen, everything in our lives is the property and possession of God. We have been entrusted to steward it faithfully, dispense it liberally, and credit it clearly to the One from Whom all blessings flow. Our stewardship will not be judged by the amount we are able to give, but by the readiness, cheerfulness and faithfulness of our giving. It is not a matter of how much we have to be generous with, but how generous we are with how much we have.

Praise doesn’t take away from our enjoyment of something; praise adds to our enjoyment of it.  Think about it… We can’t wait to share great news.  We can’t help but cheer a great play.  We can’t stop singing a great song.  We can’t keep quiet about a great result, great movie, great experience or a great meal.  Praising is the natural response to something that excites and delights us, and it always increases and intensifies our enjoyment of that thing. So, above all, let us admire and applaud our God for Who He is and what He does, that our hearts might explode over His greatness with the greatest of all joys.

God didn’t reluctantly choose you because there was an empty space in His family tree, and He was down to His last option in you.  He readily chose you because that spot in His family was reserved especially for you.  He doesn’t regret it for a moment, even in those moments when you feel like He does because you have fallen short and failed Him.  Because of the moment you put your faith in Jesus… He delights in you.  He rejoices over you.  He is pleased with you.  Whether you stand by His grace and get it right, or fall into His mercy when you get it wrong, you were chosen by God. And He’s happy with His choice.

People go to great lengths to safeguard their money, health, jobs, computers, phones, homes, families, and minds against dangers that threaten their well-being.  They look for security in a variety of places like their bank account balances, home alarm systems and workplace seniority.  But all of the security measures people take have one thing in common:  they can fail at any time, which means they don’t really offer security at all.  Real security is having something which guarantees a good future for you that can never be lost by you or taken from you.  And that kind of security is only found in the love of Jesus.

A semi-painted canvas doesn’t show the whole picture.  A rough draft doesn’t tell the whole story.  A list of ingredients doesn’t look like the whole entrée.  Similar to these things, you and I are works-in-progress in the transforming hands of our loving Father.  And He will continue changing us from who we used to be into who we will be.  We are… Unfinished, but not unsaved.  Unfinished, but not unfixable.  Unfinished, but not unloved.  Because God will finish what He starts in you, you don’t have to give in to despair when you stumble in your faith or give up in trying to live out your faith. He isn’t done yet.  And neither are you.

The holiest nature.  The brightest glory. The highest authority. The strongest power.  The wisest intellect.  The longest reign.  The surest justice.   The loveliest artistry.  The kindest heart.  The closest embrace.  The greatest mission.  The biggest sacrifice. The finest reward. The fullest grace.  The deepest love.   God doesn’t just have some of these things, He has them all.  He doesn’t just have some of each of these things, He has the fullest portion, capacity, scope and measure of them all.  Let us stand before Him today mind blown, hands raised, head bowed, heart stirred, mouth open and declare Him Worthiest of all.

Life can be stressful.  There are… Problems we can’t solve.  Situations we can’t handle.  Demands we can’t meet.  Changes we can’t avoid.  Troubles we can’t escape.  As Christians, we aren’t exempt from the stresses of life, but we are empowered to endure them. Real relief from stress comes not from the absence of tense and troubling situations, but from the presence of Jesus with us in those situations.  Stressful becomes stress-free when we trust in this:  Jesus will be with me.  Jesus will help me.  Jesus will guide me.  Jesus will deliver me.   Rest in knowing that you’re not the one who holds it all together. He is.

There is an enormous, eternal difference between knowing Jesus and knowing about Jesus.  We can know about someone without being in a personal relationship with that person.  So, how can we be certain that we really know Jesus and we are really bound for heaven?  We look for evidences that He is changing us from the inside out.  Knowing Jesus transforms us into people who increasingly, though imperfectly…  Love His family.  Desire His will.  Value His mission.  Treasure His word.  Choose His way. Long for His return. Delight in His presence. No one who truly knows Jesus is ever left the same.

All times.  All places. All circumstances. That’s when and where Jesus will be there with you and for you if you are trusting in Him.  There are occasions so wonderful that you never want them to end.  There are occasions so painful that they feel like they will never end.  The key to not being distracted by the highs and defeated by the lows is to keep your eyes on Jesus and experience His strengthening, sustaining, satisfying presence in both the ups and downs, the wins and losses, the pleasures and pains. Today, trust and treasure Him.  You can rightly go through all things because Jesus goes right through them with you.

The scoreboard may show us behind, but the game isn’t over yet.   The pieces may be a jumbled mess, but the puzzle isn’t assembled yet.  The road may seem to lead in the wrong direction, but the journey isn’t complete yet. For those who love Him, God is working ALL things together for an ultimate good. That means there is not a bad thing in the universe that isn’t factored into His plan.  Even the difficult things, painful things, unexpected things, and hostile things will work toward a good result, a good fit and a good place for believers.  When things don’t seem to be working, let us remember that God still is.

Take a look around.  That’s all it takes to see that this world and the people in it are broken.   Relationships are broken.  Bodies are broken.  Environments are broken.  Hearts are broken. Communities are broken.  Suffering is a reality that we all experience:  everyone, everywhere, every day.  What helps us get though the suffering is knowing this simple truth:  it will not always be this way.  A glorious day is coming when the broken will be made whole, the wrong will be made right, and the pain will be made into pleasure forever.  No matter what comes next, we know what comes last and longest:  Heaven.  Take a look ahead.

There is no quota to meet.  There is no bar to clear.   There is no stage to reach.  When it comes to serving the Kingdom of God with our lives, there are two things we need to understand. First, we don’t work to get into the kingdom.  Second, we don’t stop working once we get into the kingdom.  We are completely accepted because of the completed work of Jesus, and our faith rests in what He does, not what we do. But that doesn’t mean we rest from doing.  God has ordained that we do good works all the days of our lives, never reaching a stopping point until we reach home.  He saves us and sends us to share His love.

Human beings tend to be treasure hunters.  We are inclined to attach too much value to, and become too attached to, earthly possessions and pleasures.  We often want to have more of these for ourselves and have more of these than others do, so we spend our lives collecting and comparing.  When we remind ourselves of all that we have in Jesus, this frees us to pursue better things.  As adopted children of God, we are heirs to every good possession and endless pleasure in heaven. This means on earth we can be joyous no matter what we have, generous with what we do have, and unenvious of what others have.

Are you praying for God to change the lives of those who are close to you but far from Him?  It may not look promising right now, but don’t lose hope because no one is a lost cause.  That family member, that friend or even that foe can be changed by God no matter how disinterested they are in Him or distant they are from Him.   A rebellious will can surrender to the plans of Jesus.  A closed mind can open to the good news of Jesus.  A hard heart can soften to the love of Jesus.  Keep talking to God about that person and keep talking to that person about God. Remember: He can do for others what He has done for us.

It’s incredible.  It’s inevitable.  It’s irreversible.  Life after death is coming for every person who has saving faith in Jesus.  Jesus decisively defeated our enemy, our sin and our unbelief through His perfect life, His atoning death, His victorious resurrection and His effectual call upon our lives.  In doing so, God removed everything standing in our way from fullness of joy and pleasure forevermore in His presence in heaven.  Because of this, we do not need to fear death for we know what awaits on the other side.  Take heart! For Christians, death is the door to life, and Jesus has left it unlocked for each of us to enter in.

Every hour of every day we must choose between two options for how we will live:  the ways of the world or the ways of God.  The temporary pleasure, the quick fix, the easier path, the feel-good philosophy, the you-do-you attitude and the comfort zone are incredibly popular and powerful enticements.  They aren’t always wrong options, but they are never right options if we choose them over what God tells us.  The good news for us is this:  We do not have to face life’s temptations, tests and turns in our own power and wisdom.  When we rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us, He will always choose what is best for us.

Human effort couldn’t overcome it.  Human wisdom couldn’t solve it.  Human goodness couldn’t cancel it.  But God did something glorious and gracious about our biggest problem: He condemned our sin on the cross so you and I don’t have to be condemned for our sin.  For those who are trusting in Jesus, this means we don’t have to live in constant unease that God is going to turn against us or turn us away when we don’t measure up.  Our sins, our shortcomings, our struggles and our setbacks have all been dealt with once and for all.  We are safe in Jesus.  He takes away our sin and makes a way for us to not sin.

Here’s the ironic truth about gossip:  it says more about the one doing the talking than the one being talked about.  Gossip reveals a heart that finds more pleasure in the transfer of information than in the transformation of an individual.  It is the opposite of the gospel for it is indifferent to its harmful effect on others, or it is intent on that harmful effect.  Rather than pointing out the bad news about others, we should use our words to point to the good news of our Savior.   Let us fill our minds and our mouths with things that repeat His story. If we’re going to say something about someone else, may it be about Jesus.

The singing lauds the greatness of Jesus.  The preaching proclaims the message of Jesus.  The offering furthers the mission of Jesus.  The discipleship equips the people of Jesus.  The prayers unleash the power of Jesus.  The Spirit transforms the image-bearers of Jesus.  The communion celebrates the finished work of Jesus. The invitation welcomes new believers of Jesus. The fellowship encourages the good deeds of Jesus.  The service nurtures the joy of Jesus. The gathering sends out the representatives of Jesus.    Why go to a church service?  Because it leads to greater honor for Jesus and greater happiness for you.