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When our kids were growing up, the early morning shift around our house was particularly exciting. I was getting ready for a full day, three kids were scrambling to have what they needed for school, my wife was playing maid, chef, valet, and chauffeur. Man! In the rush, a lot of our communication was basically non-verbal. For example, one morning I was shaving and thinking through this endless list of things I had to do that day - all the Lord's work, of course. I was mulling over a sermon, radio programs, an important appointment that day, an event I was planning, and my son popped in. Now, I must have somehow succeeded in telegraphing how much I had on my mind (the Lord's work, remember? Right.) - he disappeared as quickly as he had appeared. Then, as I was praying about all the Lord's work I had to do that day, I remembered an important decision my son had to make that day, one that he probably needed to talk to his father about. I had just missed the Lord's work.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Mission at Your House."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from John 4:30. Jesus has just had a transforming conversation with this Samaritan woman He met at a well, and she goes back to tell her village about the Messiah she has just met. The Bible says, "They came out of the town and made their way toward Him." The disciples, who have been in the village shopping for groceries, are just focused on trying to get Jesus to eat some lunch.

But with these unreached Samaritans streaming out of the village toward them, Jesus says, "Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest?' I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest." To Jesus' disciples, this village was just a rest and refueling stop. Apparently they were looking ahead to some great future ministry and missing the ministry right under their noses!

Sounds like this father shaving, thinking about the ministry he had ahead of him and missing a son who needed some ministry right there. All too often we're like what I was that busy morning or the disciples were that lunch time in Samaria. We miss the work of God that's right under our nose. In fact, you don't even have to leave your home to do the Lord's work. Actually, the work of God begins at home! That's one reason the qualifications for spiritual leaders in 1 Timothy 3 tell us that it must be someone whose relationship with their spouse and their children is healthy.

So we often fill up our lives with ministry responsibilities, only to reach other people's kids while missing our own, to bring blessing to God's house while neglecting our first responsibility - the congregation at our own house. Many husbands and wives, children and parents have been the victims of a distorted view of God's work - that you have to leave home before you start doing ministry. You know, your family may be the most important ministry you will ever have.

This doesn't mean you withdraw from every spiritual responsibility outside your home, but it does mean you take care of the Lord's work at home first. Maybe your unbelieving family member would be better reached by your staying home with them sometimes than by your going to a meeting to pray for them. Your mate, your child may need your ear, your encouragement, your counsel. And they may need it at least as much as anyone you're going to see at your meeting.

So look around your house for those needs that are there before you go charging off somewhere else to start doing the Lord's work. Sometimes the most important Lord's work you have to do is right there under your nose!

Read: Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Titus 2:11-14

“It’s okay, just go ahead and grab them. No one’s looking!”

Maggie was at the arcade for Leah’s birthday party. Maggie and all Leah’s friends were running around playing games, winning tickets, and having a great time. That is, until Leah noticed the little door to one of the games was slightly open. One of the arcade employees had opened it to refill the tickets and forgot to close it, leaving the tickets unguarded!

Leah came up to her friends with a huge armful of tickets. “Heyyy, look what I got!” she sang happily.

“Whoa, no way! How’d you get all those?” one of her friends asked.

Leah led the way and pointed to the game with the open ticket door. One by one, her friends ran to grab tickets while the other girls stood guard to make sure no one saw what they were doing. When everyone had gotten tickets, they encouraged Maggie to do the same.

“That’s okay,” Maggie said. “I don’t need any. That’s stealing.”

“It’s not stealing,” they argued. “The employee should’ve shut the door if he didn’t want us grabbing tickets.”

Maggie knew it wasn’t the right thing to do, but…everyone else had done it! And she did really want those tickets. So with her friends blocking her from the view of any onlookers, Maggie went and grabbed some tickets from the game.

Later, when Maggie’s mom came to pick her up from the party, Mom said, “Wow! You got a lot of prizes there.”

“Yeah…” Maggie mumbled as her guilty conscience set in. “But I didn’t really earn them, Mom.” And she told her mom what had happened.

“It can be hard to do the right thing, especially when everyone else is doing something you know is wrong,” Mom told her. “But we can trust God to help us do the right thing. I’m really thankful God forgives us for our mistakes when we confess our sins to Him, because we all mess up. Because of Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross, God forgives all our sins.” Mom put an arm around Maggie. “Let’s go tell the arcade employees what happened. And let’s be thankful for God’s gift of forgiveness and trust Him to help us when we’re tempted to do the wrong thing.”

–Elizabeth Cooper

How about you? Do you struggle with peer pressure? When others are doing something wrong, are you tempted to do what they’re doing? When you feel tempted to do the wrong thing, pray to God and trust Him to give you strength to do what is right. If you mess up and do the wrong thing, confess your sin to God and know that He always forgives us when we make mistakes.

Today's Key Verse: God is faithful…When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT)

Today's Key Thought: God helps us do the right thing

Dr. Stanley underlines the qualities God is building in us through adversity: unshakable faith, unwearied patience, increased courage, and purity.

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When I was a little girl, I loved the old hymn “Count Your Blessings.” The song encourages those who are “tempest-tossed” and “thinking all is lost” to “count your blessings, name them one by one.” Years later when my husband, Alan, was discouraged, he would often ask me to sing that simple song to him. Then I would help him to enumerate his blessings. Doing so took Alan’s focus off his struggles and self-doubt and centered his thoughts on God and his reasons for thankfulness.

The book of Ezra describes God’s people facing overwhelming challenges through focusing on God’s power and provision. After they’d endured decades of captivity in Babylon, King Cyrus allowed the Jewish exiles to return to Israel to rebuild the temple (Ezra 1-2). Only a fraction returned (2:64). Despite their “fear of the peoples around them” and the great task before them, they rebuilt the altar and laid the temple’s foundation (3:3, 10). Then “with praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord: ‘He is good; his love toward Israel endures forever.’ And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord” (3:11).

If you’re discouraged or facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles, turn your thoughts toward God. “Count your blessings . . . and it will surprise you what the Lord has done,” and continues to do, for those who love Him.

We often think of generosity as a sacrifice—but what if it’s actually one of the smartest ways to live? When we live with open hands, God not only blesses others through us, but He also transforms us in the process. On the next Faith & Finance Live, Chip Ingram joins Rob West to talk about The Genius of Generosity and why giving God’s way doesn’t lead to loss, but gain. Then, it’s on to your calls. That’s Faith and Finance Live—biblical wisdom for your financial decisions, weekdays at 4pm Eastern/3pm Central on Moody Radio.

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To support the ministry of FaithFi, click here.

To learn more about Rob West, click here.

To learn more about Faith & Finance Live, click here.

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Segment 1

• Megan Basham returns to unpack the conservative moment’s fracturing over Israel.

• Why are online influencers discipling young men more than churches are?

• How do we win back men who are being shaped by secular, aggressive pseudo-masculinity?

Segment 2

• Is saying “Jesus is King” the same as “Christ is King”?

• Breakdown of the Candace Owens situation and why her recent rhetoric is splitting Christians.

• Todd and Megan explore the fractures internal to the Christian Nationalism movement.

Segment 3

• A pastor’s silly sermon illustration involving pelting the congregation with corn.

• Todd challenges listeners: How good does obedience feel when you choose holiness over porn?

• You don’t get to choose the blessings you want—obedience produces joy whether you feel it immediately or not.

Segment 4

• Year-end match update + Fortis Plus reminder: every resource is free.

• Megan Basham conversation review: Fathers must lead—spiritually, emotionally, intentionally.

• How can we confront unbelievers with gospel truth in a way that is NOT obnoxious?

___

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Join the Tribal Trails crew as they spend Christmas with Kevin and Kim Elias. Their family sing and share with us a special Christmas from their barn, remembering that Jesus was born in a place for animals.

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When crisis comes, where do we turn? In this episode, Dr. John Neufeld explores Isaiah's fourth and fifth woes against Judah for forming a military alliance with Egypt instead of trusting God. Using the biblical theme of "going back to Egypt" as a symbol of turning away from God, he examines how Judah's leaders sought security in Egyptian military power and rejected the prophets who called them to repentance. Dr. Neufeld challenges listeners to consider where they place their trust when facing life's storms.

The Grand Vision: God's Story Through Isaiah: Isaiah is the second-most quoted book in the New Testament, yet many Christians have never studied it deeply. In this 10-message series, Dr. John guides listeners through this essential prophetic book, exploring Isaiah's 50-year ministry during one of Israel's most turbulent periods. From temple visions to confrontations with kings, from oracles against nations to prophecies of the coming Messiah, Isaiah reveals God's sovereignty over all history and His plan for the world through Jesus Christ.