Jesus is pleased when our "spiritual temperature" is high - when we are passionate for him. Many things can "cool us down" and render us lukewarm - but Jesus tells us how to "raise our temperature":

- Pursue true, eternal wealth - this makes Jesus our treasure!

- Pursue true, God-given righteousness - this makes Jesus our glory!

- And pursue true, spiritual vision - this makes Jesus our focus!

These pursuits change our lives: instead of pursuing the wealth of the earth, the honour of people and the opinions of our society, we will find ourselves passionately pursuing Jesus! And we will please him!

Ephesians 5:8-10, Revelation 3:14-22, 1 Samuel 16:7, Matthew 6:19-21, Revelation 19:7-8, Isaiah 61:10

Few of us want to be told to "endure patiently"! We want to see our enemies defeated - and our problems solved - preferably immediately! Enduring patiently feels like we are admitting defeat.

Yet Jesus commanded the Philadelphian church to patiently endure their persecution. Later in Revelation we read that the persecuted church triumphed by the blood of Jesus and their testimony of him - even though persecution was fierce and some were martyred.

Patient endurance is a different kind of victory - we may not defeat our human enemy - but we still triumph over our true enemy!

Ephesians 5:8-10, Revelation 3:7-13, Matthew 28:18, Acts 4:12, Ephesians 6:11-12, Matthew 5:43-45, Revelation 12:10-11

As people redeemed by Jesus, we have many reasons to rejoice and to praise God! Yet circumstances and sins can rob us of our joy. It is therefore good to remind ourselves of what God has done for us through Jesus:

- He has bought us with the blood of Jesus - we are that precious to him!

- We have been rescued from empty & destructive ways!

- We have been given a home in heaven!

- We have been given purpose on earth!

1 Peter 1:3-5, Psalm 51:12, Matthew 26:41, Acts 20:28-32, 1 Peter 1:18-19, John 14:1-3, Ephesians 2:10

Jesus came to give us spiritual life. He is pleased when his life flows through us, making us alive, healthy and fruitful! But we can become "spiritually independent" - thinking that we have our own spirituality and forgetting that Jesus is the only source of spiritual life. Or we can become dependent on ministers and leaders, seeking to draw spiritual life from them instead of from Jesus. If this happens, we can become religious, but spiritually dead. We can look good to those around us, but the life of God is no longer flowing in us and through us!

Jesus is pleased when we become mature. Our maturity is demonstrated by an increasing fruitfulness. Evidences of the maturity that pleases Jesus are: good deeds, love, faith, service and perseverance. So we will please Jesus when these things are becoming more and more evident in our lives.

Let’s not be like fruitless, pointless branches on a vine; let’s rather be like fruitful branches that are pruned by God and become more and more fruitful!

Ephesians 5:8-10, Revelation 2:18-29, John 15:1-2, Matthew 5:14-16, Matthew 7:15-16, Matthew 22:37-40, John 13:34-35, Luke 22:32, Luke 18:8, Matthew 20:25-28, 1 Peter 1:6-7

God's ways are sometimes very different from ours! He uses our weakness to show his glory. He uses unlikely people to represent him. In his grace he gives to us what we could never buy. If we are to experience all the good things that he has planned for us, we will need to trust him - and obey him - when he moves in ways that we simply can't understand!

Isaiah 55:9-11, 2 Kings 5:1-18, 1 Corinthians 1:27, 2 Corinthians 2:17, Hebrews 4:16, Proverbs 3:5-6, John 15:16, Ephesians 1:11, Ephesians 3:20

Jesus is pleased when we hear what he is saying to us - and put this into practice.

Because false teachers misrepresent Jesus, we need to make sure that we know what Jesus really said. When we know what Jesus said, his words become a powerful weapon that will enable us to discern what is true (and leads to godly living) - and what is false (and leads to ungodly living).

So let’s be readers of Jesus’ words as recorded in the Bible - and let’s also be doers of his words! If we do this, we will please Jesus - and we will stand firm in our times of testing!

Ephesians 5:8-10, Revelation 2:12-16, Matthew 5:17-20, Luke 6:46-49, Hebrews 4:12, Ephesians 6:17, 2 Timothy 2:15 & 3:16-17

Link to the Understanding the Bible Series:

www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwS4p4LqjBE4sdKBRt8hb_db0O3KGMTyM

At the end of the age, King Jesus will be accompanied by "his called, chosen and faithful followers." What a wonderful description of his disciples! We are a faithful people who do not shrink back, but keep moving forward as we follow Jesus into his eternal purposes!

But while great crowds gathered around Jesus, many would later walk away - some because of his teaching and commands, some because of hardships and some because selfish desires undermined their loyalty. May we always be his faithful followers!

Revelation 17:14, Matthew 19:2, John 6:66, Luke 6:12-13, John 6:26, Luke 21:34, 2 Timothy 2:4&15, Philippians 2:19-21, John 6:27

Faithfulness pleases Jesus - particularly, faithfulness in adversity. Faithfulness in adversity proves our faith to be genuine - so trials are actually opportunities to demonstrate a genuine faith in Jesus. This brings glory to Jesus!

Jesus tells us to expect trouble - and to be faithful in our times of trouble. We can do this when we know that:

- Jesus understands what it is like to endure our trials - and he knows how to help us.

- Jesus has overcome the world - with its trials and temptations - and even death.

- and this understanding, victorious Jesus is with us to help us through!

Ephesians 5:8-10, Revelation 2:8-11, Hebrews 4:14-16, Job 1:9-11, 1 Peter 1:6-7, John 16:33, Psalm 23:4, Philippians 1:20

Jesus wants us to LOVE - and he has taught us HOW to love:

- Jesus wants us to LOVE GOD with everything we are - to be completely devoted to him in every way.

- Jesus want us to LOVE THOSE AROUND US - by treating them as we would like to be treated.

- And Jesus wants us to LOVE OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST - like he loves us. This means making personal sacrifices for their good.

This is love that pleases Jesus. Let's love him like this!

Revelation 2:1-5, Matthew 22:35-40, Matthew 7:12, John 13:34-35, John 15:12-13, 1 John 3:16