"A Greater Message"
TEXTS: Matthew 11; Genesis 15; Psalms 2
TRUTHS:
1. This week marked the beginning of Ramadan for the world's Muslim population. Let’s
labor in prayer on their behalf! We can pray that Jesus powerfully reveals Himself during this time of spiritual seeking and sensitivity.
2. It is overwhelmingly easy to become discouraged when our present circumstances are not unfolding in the same manner that we were anticipating them to. We see this exact scenario play out in the life of John the Baptist as he sat in prison and wondered if Jesus was indeed the promised Savior.
3. While we should be extremely grateful to be an American, our highest allegiance is not to our nation–that spot should be reserved for the Lord and His Kingdom. When our priorities are aligned properly it will produce not only faithful and fruitful Christians, but also better American citizens. In other words, we have a greater message than "being an American is a wonderful and joyous blessing." While the former is true, we instead get to proclaim, "Jesus is a Savior and our soon-returning King."
4. God will not twist our arm and make us do what is right. Instead, God offers us the opportunity to do what is righteous and we must make the decision to pursue it.
5. Living out your life based on deception will put the souls of your family’s future generations in grave danger. And the Lord will not simply show up and change the errors that you are believing to be true. Our God expects us to know the difference between truth and lies and to repent when we give too much personal focus and attention to lies.
6. Much of the fret and worry that we experience in our souls could be quieted if we properly understood Psalm 2. Knowing how powerful and authoritative our God is helps us navigate and deal with the complexities of life in the midst of a sinful and fallen culture.
TALK TO EACH OTHER:
1. How does being committed to God and His Kingdom first and foremost help us become better American citizens? How does this practically play out in our lives?
2. What is a healthy process for discerning what is truth and what is deception? What are some questions we should ask ourselves when deciding on such an important issue?
3. Why don't you think the Lord makes His children do what is right? It seems like this could be beneficial to do at times. Why doesn't He?
4. How does understanding God's character and nature help us deal with the complexities we face and are exposed to as a part of our culture?
TALK TO GOD:
Pray as you feel led concerning the following areas:
- That we would proclaim the "greater message"
- Wisdom concerning what is true and what is deceptive
- Ramadan
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