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ZONDERVAN

Living the God-First LifeCopyright 2014 by Stovall Weems

This title is also available as a Zondervan ebook. Visit www.zondervan.com/ebooks.

Requests for information should be addressed to:Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

ISBN: 978-0-310-32041-8

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First printing November 2014 / Printed in the United States of America


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CONTENTS

Seek First the Kingdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

PREPARATION FOR THE JOURNEY

DAY 1: LOST AND FOUND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19The Lost Sheep (Luke 15:1 7)

DAY 2: UNDERSTAND YOUR TRUE VALUE . . . . . . . . 23The Woman and the Lost Coin (Luke 15:8 10)

DAY 3: CLEAR THE ROCKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3 9, 18 23)

DAY 4: WEED THE GARDEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3 9, 18 23)

DAY 5: FOUND AND FINDING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Revisit the Parables from Days 1 to 4


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DECISION NO. 1: I LIVE GOD-FIRST BYWORSHIPPINGDAY 6: THE ATTITUDE OF A WORSHIPPER . . . . . . . 39The Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9 14)

DAY 7: DONT MISS THE PARTY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43The Wedding Celebration (Matthew 22:1 14;

Luke 14:15 24)

DAY 8: MAKE A GOOD TRADE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Hidden Treasure and the Pearl of Great Price

(Matthew 13:44 46)

DAY 9: THERES ENOUGH GRACE TO GO AROUND . . . 51Laborers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1 16)

DAY 10: HUMILITY, PRIORITY, AND GRATITUDE . . . .55 Revisit the Parables from Days 6 to 9

DECISION NO. 2: I LIVE GOD-FIRST BYSTAYING DEVOTED

DAY 11: GROWING INSIDE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61The Growing Seed (Mark 4:26 29)

DAY 12: YOU CANT BORROW DEVOTION . . . . . . . .65 The Wise and Foolish Virgins (Matthew 25:1 13)


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DAY 13: STICK WITH IT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 The Friend at Midnight (Luke 11:1 13)

DAY 14: WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH . . . . . . . .73The Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1 8)

DAY 15: POSSESSING A HEART OF DEVOTION . . . . .77 Revisit the Parables from Days 11 to 14

DECISION NO. 3: I LIVE GOD-FIRST BY BEINGFILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

DAY 16: THE NEW WINE OF THE SPIRIT . . . . . . . . .83Old and New Wineskins (Luke 5:33 39)

DAY 17: GOOD LEAVEN AND BAD LEAVEN . . . . . . . .87 Parable of the Leaven (Matthew 13:33)Leaven of the Pharisees (Matthew 16:6, 11 12)

DAY 18: EMBRACE SMALL BEGINNINGS . . . . . . . . .91Growth of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31 32)

DAY 19: A FIRM FOUNDATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94The Wise and Foolish Builders (Luke 6:46 49)

DAY 20: THE NECESSITY OF BEING FILLED . . . . . . .97 Revisit the Parables from Days 16 to 19


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DECISION NO. 4: I LIVE GOD-FIRST BYCONNECTING INTO COMMUNITY IN MYLOCAL CHURCH

DAY 21: DONT LET ANYTHING HOLD YOU BACK . . 103The Wheat and Tares (Matthew 13:24 30, 36 43)

DAY 22: START SOMEWHERE AND TRUST GOD . . . . 107 Taking the Lowest Place (Luke 14:7 11)

DAY 23: SHARING EXTRAVAGANT GRACE . . . . . . . 111The Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:21 35)

DAY 24: TAKE TIME TO CARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25 37)

DAY 25: MORE OF OTHERS, LESS OF OURSELVES . . 119 Revisit the Parables from Days 21 to 24

DECISION NO. 5: I LIVE GOD-FIRST BYSERVING

DAY 26: WORKING FOR THE KINGDOM. . . . . . . . . 125 Becoming Faithful Servants (Luke 12:32 48; 17:7 10)

DAY 27: NOT ON OUR OWN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 The Vine and Branches ( John 15:1 7)


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DAY 28: ASSUME THE BEST AND USE WHAT

YOURE GIVEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132The Talents (Matthew 25:14 30)

DAY 29: ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS . . . 136 The Reluctantly Obedient Son (Matthew 21:28 32)

DAY 30: TO SERVE EACH OTHER . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 Revisit the Parables from Days 26 to 29

DECISION NO. 6: I LIVE GOD-FIRST BY BEINGGENEROUS

DAY 31: GENEROSITY BUILDS THE KINGDOM . . . . . 147

The Rich Fool (Luke 12:16 34)

DAY 32: BE WISE WITH WHAT GOD GIVES . . . . . . . 151The Wise Manager (Luke 16:1 13)

DAY 33: THE CHURCH NEEDS YOUR HELP . . . . . . 155 The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25 37)

DAY 34: TRUST THE MOST GENEROUS GIVER OF ALL . . 159 The Birds and the Lilies (Matthew 6:24 34)

DAY 35: A HEART OF GENEROSITY . . . . . . . . . . . 163Revisit the Parables from Days 31 to 34


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DECISION NO. 7: I LIVE GOD-FIRST BYREACHING OUT TO OTHERSDAY 36: FIND LIKE YOUVE BEEN FOUND . . . . . . . 169 The Lost Sheep (Luke 15:1 7)

DAY 37: SHINE YOUR LIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172The Lamp on the Lampstand (Matthew 5:14 16;

Mark 4:21 25; Luke 8:16 18)

DAY 38: GRACE DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE . . . . . . 176 The Dragnet (Matthew 13:47 50)

DAY 39: GIVE PEOPLE ROOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11 32)

DAY 40: TO SEEK AND SAVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184Revisit the Parables from Days 36 to 39

About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189


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11

SEEK FIRSTTHE KINGDOM

As followers of Christ, we can set ourselves up to believethat were supposed to have the Christian life all lockeddown, and then when we dont, our faith-walk hits apoint of crisis.

Any Christian can and probably will face this.Sometimes we have questions and concerns and cant getanswers. I remember a time like that shortly after I startedfollowing Jesus. I was going deeper in my faith but fac-ing difficult temptations, wrestling with tough questions,

and not always finding the answers so easily in the Bible.I believed God had the answers, but I couldnt seem tobreak through. It was a major struggle for me until Godreminded me of a verse I had read before.

Its amazing how a few words at the right time cananswer every question. For me those words came fromMatthew 6:33: Seek first the kingdom of God and His


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SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM

righteousness, and all these things shall be added to

you. The verse is found in the Sermon on the Mount,right as Jesus tells us that God will take care of all ourneeds. And thats when it hit me.

If I put God first, Id have the answers I needed or atleast peace in the midst of unanswered questions. It was agame changer for me spiritually. Matthew 6:33 was like acompass for me, pointing the way. With it, I always knewthe way forward, even if everything else in life didnt makemuch sense at the moment. As a result, my walk with Godbecame much more confident and assured, and other piecesof my life began to fall into place as well.

But what does it mean to seek Gods kingdom first?I answer that question in The God-First Life , but I wantto add to that answer here. Im hoping that in this forty-day devotional you will discover concrete ways to applythe foundational truths of The God-First Life . We will dothis by taking a deeper look at the parables of Jesus andlearning from the stories he shared with us.

WHAT IS THE KINGDOM?When you read the Gospels, you find that while Jesustalked about the kingdom of God, there was never asingle definition for it. Instead, he described it usingcomparisons and metaphors. The kingdom is like this,he would say, or, The kingdom is like that .


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For example, according to the parables of Jesus, the

kingdom is like a pearl, like a field, like a mustard seed,like a lost coin, and like a lot of other things that dontsound like a clear definition. Surrounded by a group ofpeople, Jesus started making comparisons and tellingstories instead of just providing definitions.

Why did he do that? Its common to hear people say

that Jesus taught with stories because we all learn betterthat way but thats only partly true. Some of the par-ables, such as the good Samaritan and the prodigal son,are great stories that have obvious lessons. But it maynot be as easy to make such connections with some ofthe other parables that at first glance seem a little morevague. The truth is that Jesus is up to a lot more than justtelling good stories.

Many people in Jesus day expected the Messiah tocome and set up an earthly kingdom. If you rememberthe history, the Romans had come to Israel and wereoppressing the Jews, Gods people. Surely he wouldntabandon them to these cruel Gentiles. The Jews of Jesus

day expected God to come and wipe the Romans out.But they were missing something: Jesus wanted to saveRomans as much as Jews. God loves the whole world,and his plan didnt include an earthly kingdom thatwould free some people by killing others.

Gods plan was bigger than that by far. But howcould he possibly get it across when so many people


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were stuck on this wrong way of thinking? Thats where

the parables come in. Whats the kingdom like? Not whatyou think, answered Jesus . Its more like . . .

A NEW WAY TO THINK AND LIVEAfter Jesus told the story of the sower, the disciples cameto him and asked why he used parables to teach the peo-ple. Because people learn better with stories, right?

Wrong. Jesus didnt say anything like that. Heactually used parables because he knew some peoplewould understand his message and others might not.It has been given to you to know the mysteries of thekingdom of heaven, Jesus said. But not so for everyone

else; instead, they get colorful and sometimes confusingstories that they wont understand (see Matthew13:11 17). What Jesus is saying is that his parables arefor people who already believe. The stories are for thosewith open ears to hear and willing hearts to receive.They are for the church people like you and me.

Heres what I mean. Jesus knew that he couldnt justconvince people of the truth with some sermons, evenreally good ones. You know what would convince theworld? If his followers started living transformed lives based onthe principles of this kingdom every day.Thats why Jesus toldus to seek the kingdom first. When we pray the LordsPrayer, we pray that Gods kingdom would come. How



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does that happen? The kingdom comes in us as we put

God first in our lives.But if we are going to do that, Jesus couldnt explain

it all to us with a program or an agenda. It wasnt aboutbehavior modification or a list of what we should orshould not do. He had to give us a new way of think-ing, a new way of seeing the world. The parables have

the power to reorient our expectations and priorities. Ifwe meditate on them, they can ignite our imaginationand transform our lives. We are going to do exactly thathere.

THE NEXT FORTY DAYS

Living the God-First Life is a forty-day journey throughthe things Jesus said about the kingdom. To put thisinformation into easy-to-follow rhythm, each day will

focus on a passage to read, a point to ponder, a prayer to offer,and something to do. I hope to unpack the parables theeasy ones as well as the more challenging ones in such

a way that we can get one more angle each day on howto put the kingdom first in our lives.On top of that, I want to focus on something else I

talk about in The God-First Life . Jesus wants us to choosehim. But once we have chosen, we dont have to wastetime or emotional energy re-choosing. Im going towalk you through what it means to make a one-time



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decision to seek the kingdom and then how to manage

that decision. We will break down that one big deci-sion into seven other decisions that all represent differentways by which we can seek the kingdom:

Decision No. 1: I Live God-First by WorshippingDecision No. 2: I Live God-First by Staying

Devoted

Decision No. 3: I Live God-First by Being Filledwith the Holy Spirit

Decision No. 4: I Live God-First by Connectinginto Community in My Local Church

Decision No. 5: I Live God-First by ServingDecision No. 6: I Live God-First by Being

GenerousDecision No. 7: I Live God-First by Reaching Outto Others

Now, before we dive into meditations on thesedecisions, I think it is important to get our bearings.It doesnt matter how long you have been living the

God-first life years or just days. There are some help-ful things to know about our hearts at the start of the journey, and Jesus parables speak to these as well. Wewill start there.



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PREPARATIONFOR THE JOURNEY

These first f ive days are all about preparing for our jour-ney together. They are all about getting our bearings.I want you to pay special attention to your heart and

mind. How do you see your relationship with God rightnow?Heres what well discover: God knows exactly where

you are, and he values you more than you can ever fullyknow. Beyond that, you can grow in your relationshipwith him by cultivating your heart removing theobstacles to growth and focusing on him above all else.


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DAY 1

LOST AND FOUND

PASSAGE TO READThe Lost Sheep, Luke 15:1 7.

POINT TO PONDER Jesus said that he came to find and save the lost. Whatthat looks like as we read the Bible is that Jesus wasalways interested in people, and I mean all kinds ofpeople including some we may not feel comfortablewith.

In the culture of Jesus day there were certain kindsof people considered off-limits to the religious people:tax collectors, prostitutes, and other kinds of sinners.

Just think of your own circles and those odd or out-cast people who dont quite fit in. Ever notice whogets invited to parties and who doesnt? Ever notice thecliques at school, at work, and even at church?


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Sometimes people get excluded because we think

of them as bad inf luences and maybe they are butI cant help but think that Jesus would react differ-ently than we do. When Jesus met such people, ratherthan push them away or avoid them on the street, hewalked right up and introduced himself. These peopleloved Jesus because Jesus loved them, and they could

see that whenever he was around, he wanted themaround too.

But Jesus willingness to welcome sinners wasntalways appreciated. There was a group of people in Israelat the time called the Pharisees. Jesus said they were veryrighteous, and they were good, churchgoing people wecall them today. But they had one major problem. Theythought they were better than everyone else, especiallythe outcasts Jesus kept hanging out with. They thoughtthat Jesus befriending these people indicated that he hadpoor judgment and wasnt as spiritual as they were, so

Jesus decided to tell a story.Its about a shepherd who has a hundred sheep one

of which goes wandering off. What does the shepherddo? Jesus says he leaves the ninety-nine and goes outsearching for the one whos lost. Then when he finds it,he picks it up, brings it home, and celebrates.

The celebration is important. We know that Jesusis really talking about people, not livestock. And Jesus


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says that theres more celebration in heaven for one lost

person being found than for ninety-nine who stay putand dont wander off. Jesus isnt saying that obedienceis worthless. Hes trying to show us how much he andall of heaven really care about seeking and saving thelost about seeking and saving us!

There are two takeaways from this story for those

of us pursuing the God-first life. The first is that weneed to see ourselves as the one lamb that wandered,not among the ninety-nine that stayed put. Its easyto have a judgmental, disapproving attitude like thePharisees. But thats taking our eyes off Jesus and whathe has done for us. Besides, weve all strayed; weve allwandered off to look for greener pastures and foundourselves alone in the forest with wolves nearby. If weare going to put God first, we cant put ourselves overanyone else. Its impossible to live the God-first lifelike that.

The second takeaway is that we are found. Jesusknows exactly where we are with pinpoint accuracy.

And, as the Good Shepherd, he is not satisfied until allhis prized sheep are with him. You might feel lost ordisconnected, but take heart, because the parable of thelost sheep tells us that Jesus is in the business of locatingthe lost. Thats the best possible news as we start our

journey together.


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PRAYER TO OFFER Jesus,Sometimes I feel far from where you want me to be. Find me.Sometimes I feel as if I dont know where Im going. Lead mehome. Sometimes I feel as if others are judging me. Shelter me.Sometimes I find myself judging others. Remind me of your grace.

In your name,

Amen.

THING TO DOShow kindness to someone who looks lost. Pray forthem even if you feel far from God right now and feelthat you yourself are wandering. Take your mind off of

your situation and ask God to lead and bless someone else.Sometimes it takes a while to find someone to help.

There are plenty of people who need help, but we can beso into our own problems that to look up and out can bea real challenge like working out a muscle that hasntmoved in a while.

Ask God to point someone out. Then act on it. It willfeel funny. You might even feel a little embarrassed, but

just do it. God will bless you as you bless others andhe will teach you more about being found than readinga book can.


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DAY 2

UNDERSTANDYOUR TRUE VALUE

PASSAGE TO READThe Woman and the Lost Coin, Luke 15:8 10.

POINT TO PONDERI couldnt find my phone anywhere. I looked in thekitchen, in the living room, under the coffee table,behind the sofa, in my gym bag, by my nightstand. Ilooked everywhere everywhere but the refrigerator.I had finally given up and went to the fridge to get asnack. And there it was, staring at me next to the pickles.

We lose stuff all the time, dont we? One surveyI read said we lose about nine things every day! Thecelebrated cellist Yo-Yo Ma once left a $2.5 million celloin the back of a taxi.


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Jesus tells a story about a woman who lost a valuable

coin, and I think its a perfect story to use when we startthinking about the God-first life. What woman, Jesusstarts, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, doesnot light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefullyuntil she finds it? Like me looking for my phone, thepicture Jesus gives is a woman on the hunt, turning over

the whole house until she f inds what shes looking for.Whats the connection to the God-first life? Jesustells us that the lost coin is like us lost by our ownneglect or the neglect of others. And like the woman inthe story, the discovery triggers a party. Rejoice withme, she says, for I have found the piece which I lost!The same joy echoes in heaven about us.

Normally this parable is presented as being aboutgetting saved. And that works. But theres more to it,and that more has everything to do with how we livethe God-first life. As much as it is about being found byGod, its also about letting us know we are valuable. Andthats important to keep in mind.

The reality is that we are not going to do it perfectly.We are going to blow it more than a few times everyday probably. Sometimes were going to do the spiritualequivalent of leaving a $2.5 million cello in the trunk.Trust me, its going to happen. But if were valuable,if Jesus really cares enough to turn the cosmos upsidedown for us, then we can rest in his estimation of us.


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PRAYER TO OFFER Jesus,I am thankful to be yours. As I begin this journey of the God-

first life, let me be assured that my worth depends on your grace,not my efforts. Whatever I may think of myself particularlyin moments where I blow it I know you love and value me

fully and always.

I want to put you and your kingdom first before anyoneor anything else. Please guide me on this journey and never letme go.

In your name, Amen.

THING TO DOTake a minute and recall the most valuable thing youveever lost. Maybe it was some amount of money, or afriend, or a collectable of some sort. Now, what would

you do to get it back? The point isnt to obsess oversomething from your past. The point is to connect

with that part in you that truly values something. Thatimpulse you feel to reconnect is just a tiny fraction ofwhat God feels for you.


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DAY 3

CLEAR THE ROCKS

PASSAGE TO READThe Parable of the Sower, Matthew 13:3 9, 18 23.

POINT TO PONDER Jesus tells the story of a sower who was going out tospread seeds. Dont get the picture of the little garden

you planted as a kid, with the perfectly furrowed soiland seeds spaced out every inch at just the right depth.No, the picture here is more like a man trying to reseed

his yard. He has a big bag of grass seed, and hes lettingit f ly, tossing handfuls of seed hoping some of them willtake root and grow.

Some of those seeds are going to land on good soil,and some arent. They might hit the sidewalk or land ona rocky patch or in some weeds. Today we are going tofocus on the rocky patches.


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When the sower threw seeds that fell in the rocky

patches, said Jesus, they immediately sprang up becausethey had no depth of earth. But when the sun was upthey were scorched, and because they had no root theywithered away. The idea here is that the soil was shallowand thin because there were so many rocks and stonesin the way. There was enough soil to sprout, but not

enough to grow. The roots couldnt penetrate the rocks.If you have ever tried working in soil like this, youknow what this is all about. If you want your plants tothrive, you have to get equipment to bust up the rocks,pull them out of the ground, and get them out of your way.

Now, a bald patch in your yard is one thing, butone in our hearts is quite another. And of course, thatswhat Jesus is talking about. Jesus cares about gardens.He planted the most beautiful one the world has everknown, Eden. But he cares even more about your heartand mine. The seed is the gospel, the truth of his Word.If its going to take root, it cant be in rocky soil.

At the outset of our journey together, it would be

good to check out our own soil. Are there hard thingsin our hearts that will prevent the root of Gods truthfrom penetrating down deep? I am talking about hardthings such as bitterness, a lack of forgiveness, an uncar-ing attitude, and self ishness.

We cant afford to kid ourselves about this. But hewho received the seed on stony places, this is he who


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I want to put you first. Help me remove any obstacle in my

way to your kingdom.In your name,

Amen.

THING TO DOIdentify the biggest rock you can think of in your life.Got it? Good. Now, go do something about it andI dont mean later. I mean today. If its bitterness, startasking God to neutralize it. If its selfishness, look for away to serve someone today. If its a lack of forgiveness,either make it a point to forgive or ask God for the graceto do so. Whatever you do, dont wait the noonday

sun is coming around again soon.


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DAY 4

WEED THE GARDEN

PASSAGE TO READThe Parable of the Sower, Matthew 13:3 9, 18 23.

POINT TO PONDERWe are going to look at another truth from this sameparable. Yesterday we looked at the stony soil. Today Iwant us to turn to what Jesus says about the seeds thatlanded among the weeds: some fell among thorns, andthe thorns sprang up and choked them. Remember that

the seeds are a picture of Gods truth being planted inour hearts.So what about the thorns? Jesus says they are the

things that distract and deceive us. Now he whoreceived seed among the thorns is he who hears theword, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulnessof riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.


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Jesus always hits the bulls eye, doesnt he? Our lives

are full of cares and distractions. We all have to-do listsas long as the users manual for the space shuttle. Thereare extra projects at work, afterschool practices for thekids, the fund-raiser for the missions trip. You haventbeen on a date with your spouse in two months. Youforgot to pay your bills last week or didnt have the

resources. The car needs work. You need a break. Andbefore you know it, other things start taking first placein our hearts.

Dont get me wrong: Its all important everythingon the list. But none is as important as our focus on Jesus,the lover of our soul. And its easy for our time with himto start making its way down to the bottom of our list.We do it all the time, dont we? The God-first life is allabout priority. And as part of these f irst f ive days, we aregoing to recommit to putting things back in order. Godfirst, then the rest. And I mean your family, your church,

your friends, your job everything. This parable tellsus why. When there are no thorns of distraction, Gods

truth gets rooted down deep and thrives in our lives.Another choker of the Word Jesus mentions is the

deceitfulness of riches. This one is major in our culturetoday. Jesus doesnt have anything against money, but hedoes have a problem with our self-sufficiency. When welet our cares and commitments get the best of us, we tendto think it all depends on us. We think that if we work


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harder, organize more, get more efficient, or whatever,

we will have the time and resources to get it all done.Worse, sometimes we make riches an idol somethingthat will somehow deliver us from all the work and dis-tractions. It wont. It will only take our eyes off Jesus.

Part of sustaining the God-first life is that we dontlet these distractions and deceptions keep us from Jesus.

When we see brambles and thorns in our lives, we needto get to work and uproot them.

PRAYER TO OFFER Jesus,Forgive me for the times I let things get out of order, and help

me to notice when Im starting to prioritize the cares, concerns,and commitments I have over you. I want your truth to getdown deep in my life, to grow and thrive in my life. Today Iacknowledge that I am relying on you, not myself. Teach mehow to put you first in all things.

In your name,

Amen.

THING TO DOMake a list of all the things you have to do today. Then,before you do any of them, pray. If you feel anxious,thats fine. Just confess it to God. Think of it as a con-


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versation starter. Let him hear the needs of your heart

your worries and concerns.Now, put the list down and pick up your Bible. Just

read a chapter. (You can practice this alongside thisstudy and even continue this model after we finish theforty days.) Start in the Psalms and see what God says to

you there. Write down your impressions.

Finally, as you start working down that long to-dolist, bring your mind back to what you read and thoughtabout the passage. Let it form the basis of another con-versation with God. The idea is to keep the chores andtasks and errands from choking out your communion.Make that communion a priority, and Gods truth willsettle in deep.


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DAY 5

FOUND AND FINDING

PASSAGE TO READRevisit the Parables from Days 1 to 4.

POINT TO PONDERStarting tomorrow, we will be talking about worship,but I want to gather up some thoughts from the lastseveral days before we go any further. As we take thisforty-day journey together, its important that we haveour bearings. Jesus has given us a lot of images to help

us understand the nature of the kingdom; these last fourdays have given us four important pictures and showhow we need to see ourselves and act as a result.

The parable of the lost sheep reminds us that Godknows exactly where we are and, though we stray andwe all do he cares too much to let us stay lost. Healways finds his own and celebrates the discovery.


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The parable of the lost coin reminds us that we are

valuable to God. I have found that most of the time, inprayer, when we will quiet ourselves long enough to lis-ten, he always wants to speak to us about how valuablewe are to him. He made us, and he loves us. No matterwhat we do, we are close to his heart. He loves you.

The parable of the sower also offers a lot of help

for this forty-day journey. It reminds us what kinds ofconditions are suitable for the seeds of Gods truth tothrive in our hearts. If we have hardness in our heartsof any kind, thats something we need to address withGod right away. He can help us break up those roughpatches and soften us with grace, but we need to invitehim to do so.

We also have to be intentional about prioritizingwhat is first in our lives: God. The busy schedule, thepacked agenda, the financial worries, the frustrationsabout work and family all can take our eyes off Jesus,and suddenly were relying totally on ourselves to getit together and make it happen. Thats a recipe for

disaster.As we go forward to look at the God-first life, lets

keep in the front of our minds these four things: (1) Godknows exactly where we are; (2) he values each one ofus; (3) we need to get his help to remove the obstaclesto growth in our lives; and (4) if we are going to put thekingdom first, we have to listen to the call of God first,


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not all the other competing voices in our world. These

are the foundational insights for our journey together.

PRAYER TO OFFER Jesus,I am seeking first the kingdom, your kingdom, your best for mylife. Thank you for your love, and thank you for valuing me somuch that you gave your life for me.

I give you my heart, not one blocked up by the rocks of bit-terness or selfishness, but a heart cleansed by your love.

Finally, enable me to prioritize this journey. Help me tokeep the right order so I dont lose sight of you or start relyingon myself. This journey matters too much for anything to take

me off the path.In your name,

Amen.

THING TO DOThe action for today is really simple but hugely impor-tant. Revisit the last several days and think about whatGod has shown you so far. Celebrate every new glimpseof his grace and every fresh insight into his love for you.


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DECISION NO. 1

I LIVE GOD-FIRSTBY WORSHIPPING

One of the key decisions in the God-first life involvesworship, something I cover in depth in chapter 6 of TheGod-First Life . We can worship anywhere while we

drive, while we work, and so on but one of the bestplaces is the local church, where we gather together withother Christians. I want to focus here on our attitude inworship, its priority in our lives, and what we expect toget out of it. I hope the next five days will light a fireabout gathering to worship and finding opportunitieseach day to praise God for his goodness and grace.


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DAY 6

THE ATTITUDEOF A WORSHIPPER

PASSAGE TO READThe Pharisee and the Tax Collector, Luke 18:9 14.

POINT TO PONDER Jesus tells this story about a tax collector and a Pharisee,both of whom had come to the temple to pray. Fromthis story we draw a profound lesson, not about the actof worshipping or prayer itself, but about the attitude, orposture, of our heart in worship.

But before we go any further, I need to tell you alittle bit about tax collectors and Pharisees. First, the taxcollectors. When the Roman government took controlof Israel, they employed the locals to collect their taxes.These Jewish collaborators quickly became the most


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I LIVE GOD-FIRST BY WORSHIPPING

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despised people in the nation, because they were work-

ing for the enemy. But it gets worse; these tax collectorswere known to cheat their own people by padding thetax bill and skimming off the top.

Pharisees, on the other hand, were people commit-ted to the law of God, or at least their understandingof it. They were committed to their traditions. While

many others in Israel were accommodating Greek andRoman culture, the Pharisees held their ground. Theywerent going to surrender one inch.

Jesus recognized the posit ive side of the Phari-sees. They were very righteous people, and Jesus oncedirected his disciples to do everything that the Phariseestold them to do. But and this is important he alsotold them not to do what the Pharisees actually did. Thenegative side of the Pharisees is that while they observedthe law on the outside, they missed the whole point ofit inner transformation and redirecting our hearts andlives toward God.

This is something that the Pharisee in Jesus parable

didnt know. He stood in church and talked in prayer abouthow great he was, not claiming any need for inner trans-formation or redirection toward God. In fact, he was sosure of his goodness that he compared himself to the taxcollector, made a judgment about him in his heart, andthanked God he wasnt as bad off as that other guy. ThePharisee himself was the focus of his prayer instead of God.


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Meanwhile, the tax collector, who supposedly knew

nothing about what it meant to be a good Jew, humbledhimself, lowered his gaze, confessed his need for God,and prayed for mercy. And God granted him mercy. Theparable also says that the tax collector went away justi-fied; he went away with Gods favor.

If we are going to put the kingdom of heaven first in

our worship, that means having a heart like the tax col-lectors. Its an attitude of the heart that, as Matthew 5:3 says, recognizes our need for Him (NLT). It is not onethat is wrapped up in comparison or in thinking we haveit all together. Lord knows, we dont. But as we humbleourselves and turn our focus to God, he not only satis-fies our needs but also gives us what we may not evenrealize we need. God-first life worship is all about theattitude of our heart.

PRAYER TO OFFER Jesus,

I confess my need for you. I thank you that your goodness andyour mercy continue to pursue me all the days of my life. I praythat you will help me live with a greater awareness of your great-ness and your grace. Help me to always be humble before you.

In your name, Amen.


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THING TO DOTake a moment and think about how much you havebeen forgiven. This isnt about dredging up your past; itsabout being thankful in the present. Whatever comes tomind, just direct your gratitude to God for his goodnessand grace.


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DAY 7

DONT MISS THE PARTY

PASSAGE TO READThe Wedding Celebration, Matthew 22:1 14; Luke14:15 24.

POINT TO PONDERImagine throwing a wonderful wedding feast. Howwould you feel if you offered invitations to your familyand friends but nobody came? Yet thats exactly what hap-pens in this story, told in two different parables by Jesus.

A king invited a bunch of friends to a wedding cele-bration for his son, but they dismissed the invitation andwent their different ways, one guy to his farm, anotherto his business. Lukes version gives a fair amount ofcolor and detail here. It paints a picture of people whoare just too busy and self-absorbed to come to the party.One guy RSVPs by saying he cant make it because he


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just bought a new piece of property; too much to do

there. Another says hes busy with his livestock. Thenanother one says hes just gotten married himself andcant possibly come.

Yesterday we talked about the attitude of our heartsin personal worship and prayer, but I would like us toconsider these parables as if they are about the call to cor-

porately worshipping with one another in church. Whenthe invitation to worship comes, what is the attitude ofour heart: apathy or excitement? Do we have excuses? Arethere twenty-seven other things that seem more impor-tant for us to do? We have a job; we have family responsi-bilities; we have all sorts of things that we must do.

Of course, all of these things are important. TheBible never says that they are not important. But wemust recognize whether those things are trying to creepinto first place and keep us from the joy of coming tothe celebration and worshipping together corporately.Thats what church is all about! Its a big celebration ofthe goodness of God! Putting God f irst and putting the

kingdom first means we put worship first. And as wetalked about yesterday, this is not so much an issue ofdiscipline the Pharisee in yesterdays study was quitedisciplined! Its a matter of our heart.

God is a relational God, so its no surprise what hap-pens next in the parable. When the people dont showup, God invites new people. The celebration will go on.


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