CCF Weekly Services Podcast

As the end of Jesus' earthly ministry approaches, He draws another line of controversy between those who are following Him for the sake of a relationship with Him and anything less. By making a point and parable about priorities and counting the cost, Jesus claims that our love for Him should exceed that of our love for our parents, be thought of like a long term construction investment, and take into consideration the fact that we're following the example of a man about to be put on a cross to die.

1. Commitment isn't something you make halfway.
2. Commitment is only genuine if followed through to the end.
3. Commitment is something Jesus demonstrated towards us first.

Spiritual Growth comes from receiving correction. The spiritually immature person, like Esau in the Old Testament, doesn't consider growing closer to God in their character a priority. As long as time passes, we consider ourselves grown up. The problem is that we've all fallen short of the glory of God and will continue to unless we daily allow the Spirit to shape our character into His own. This starts with receiving correction and continues with relating the grace we've been shown towards others.

1. The Immature don't receive correction.
2. The Immature makes what looks and feels good their highest priority.
3. The Mature acknowledge their need for maturity.

The reason most people don't hear from God is because they aren't listening. Jesus gives a series of parables to illustrate this in what most would consider very secular settings. These are the very ways God can and does speak to us. The only thing keeping us from recognizing and being blessed by God in everything we do is a heart and attitude that wants to hear from Him in the first place.

1. If you live from a place of acceptance with God, you won't have to seek it out from men.
2. If you invest in the Kingdom of God, He'll always pay you back.
3. The people who hear from God are those listening for His voice.

As Jesus approached the final week of His earthly ministry, persecution was increasing exponentially. In response to this, Jesus gave us a perfect example of how to respond to persecution. He understood His Father would accomplish what He started. He trusted His Father more than the schemes and manipulations of men. And He grounded that trust in scripture by reminding those around Him that God wouldn't give up accomplishing His will for the lives of the nation about to reject Him. It was from that place of assurance that we find comfort and hope as well.

1. God is more interested in guiding us than we are in being guided.
2. Fear or Faith will set terms of your pursuit of God's Will. Not both.
3. God's Faithfulness to His promises is the only hope we have/need.

Jesus is called the author and finisher of our faith. This was demonstrated through the joy He experienced in laying down His life for us. The joy wasn't in the cross or the fact His life was the price being paid. He understood and demonstrated for us that to sacrifice out of love is the ultimate expression of it. He valued His life, but valued fellowship with His Father and restoration with His bride even more valuable. It wasn't done out of selfish gain, but out of the perfect character that remains the reason we have a hope of Heaven to begin with.

1. Jesus led the way to show our faith in Him has a worthwhile destination.
2. The joy Jesus experienced through the cross was His desire to be restored to His Father and His bride.
3. The sacrifice Jesus made brought Him joy because it was done out of love.

Jesus is facing more and more opposition from the religious leaders as He heads to Jerusalem where He'll be crucified. Following a very stern charge of hypocrisy towards one of His detractors, Jesus tells a series of parables many don't want to believe have any association with the topic that brought them up. Using themes that were exclusively images of evil in the Old Testament and into the New, we need to realize that the church isn't a place where we are safe from the hypocrisy that dominates our natures. We come to Jesus in need of mercy for this very reason. The fine line between a contender and a pretender in the kingdom is the person who chooses to receive it. Any hypocrite can claim they are righteous. It takes a righteous person to admit they're a hypocrite and seek the daily cleansing and restoration that only comes by asking.

1. The charge of hypocrisy is universal to the human race.
2. The reality of hypocrisy is as true outside the church as it has been within it.
3. The cure for hypocrisy is to receive and relate the mercy of the only Man who wasn't a hypocrite.

In light of everyone mentioned in chapter 11, the author of Hebrews concludes his point by applying it to those reading it. Like those before them trusted God even when it cost them something, there would only be victory over this sin in their lives if they found joy in the goal set before them. It wasn't limited to avoiding external sins like lust and anger, but the insecurities and fear that motivated those symptoms. An abundant Christian life is someone who sees fellowship with Jesus as so worthy a goal to pursue that they'd cast off anything that would impede them from that prize.

1. The Author of Hebrews describes the witness of the Old Testament Saints the same way the presence of God was described. That was their goal and should be ours as well.

2. The struggle against sin isn't limited to the outward expressions of it, but anything that weighs us down from enjoying that relationship even more.

3. Fear of punishment never motivates a successful Christian life. Jesus is our joyful goal to pursue. The only way to make that race more joyful is to get rid of anything that weighs us down from reaching that destination.

Paul is exhorting Timothy as his student to remain faithful in the calling given to him by Jesus Christ. His perspective was being altered by the world around him, so Paul repeats the most important things to keep in mind as Timothy struggles with the world around him. This is then our exhortation when we are struggling with the same things.

1. Like a soldier, we shouldn't get distracted by the world we left behind.
2. Like an athlete, we shouldn't disqualify ourselves from our pursuit of Jesus.
3. Like a farmer, we should get to know Jesus for ourselves while we share Him with everyone else.