Because earthly approval delivers instant gratification we can find ourselves walking outside of our God-given identity in Christ, as we seek man’s approval above God’s. Jesus teaches us, in word and deed, to overcome the desire to be approved of man and walk in our identity as approved sons and daughters of God.

It is counterintuitive to put Jesus, whom we cannot see, before the things that are visible and loudly demand our attention. It is tough, but it is the only way a Christian can live and thrive in this world. What does it look like to reason by faith?

Jesus does not minimize our earthly needs, but rather He call us to surrender worry and anxiety over provision by fixing our gaze - and our trust - on the Provider. What will I worship, my Daily Bready, or the one who gave it?

We all want to be "reasonable" people, but the scripture warns against the untrustworthiness of reason. Ultimately, reason is unreliable and will try to supplant sincere faith, which is the only way our lives can please God. Can I accept Jesus just as He is even when I cannot understand His ways?

Jesus is the Blessed and Only Sovereign, and you and I are, at best, only amateur providences when we try to dictate the course of our own lives. Holding on to control is an illusion, but a powerful one that ensnares many believers. How can we surrender our wills to Jesus and put Him first?

Jesus warned very seriously about he dangers of exalting Tradition above the Word of God. When we do it, we end up straining out gnats and swallowing camels in our walk with God. How can we keep Jesus first and still enjoy certain meaningful routines and traditions?

Jesus is the Living Word, and the Bible is that most precious book that leads us to Him. in many Christian's lives, the Bible has come to be a replacement for all that Jesus Himself is meant to be, even replacing an entire member of the Trinity- God the Holy Spirit. How can we revere the Scriptures and still keep Jesus first?

God is the all-sufficient One God, who made all things, needs nothings, gives life to all, rules over everything, and in whose presence we all exist and live. If we have Him, we have everything! We must be careful that we do not develop a religious nature that assigns omnipotence to limited things. We should instead seek an authentic spiritual life with Jesus at the head.

To know Jesus is the highest aspiration in all of life, so what holds us back from him? Idols, plain and simple. When we Jesus for who He is and set all idols aside, Jesus once again becomes our One and Only. 

Matthew 9:32-38 | How are workers sent out in to the Lord's Harvest, and what should the workers expect their work to look like? Pray, pray that God will send the workers and that the workers will work like Jesus!