One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat. When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume.Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.             Luke 7:36–38

Grace Produces Bold Worship

A person who is forgiven little shows only little love.            Luke 7:47b

Religion Judges but Jesus Honors

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!         Luke 7:39

Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.        Matthew 11:28

Do you see this woman?          Luke 7:44b

Don’t Miss Jesus at Your Own Table

When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears… You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet… You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.          Luke 7:44-46

Your sins are forgiven… Your faith has saved you; go in peace.        Luke 7:48, 50

Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.          Revelation 3:20

Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.      Luke 7:48, 50

I stand at the door and knock….            Revelation 3:20a

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me.          Revelation 3:20

Read John 21:1-17

God meets us in our failures, not just our successes

Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. 2 Several of the disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples. 3 Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” “We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. 4 At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. 5 He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?” “No,” they replied.      John 21:1-5

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.           John 21:4

Restoration often begins with relationship

9 When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread. 10 “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn.12 “Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. 14 This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.            John 21:9-14

When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.             John 21:9

Feed others out of what God has done for you

15 After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.” “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him. 16 Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.” “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said. 17 A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.”           John 21:15-17

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”           John 21:15a

Peter answers, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” And Jesus says, “Feed my sheep.”       John 21:15b

Challenges For The Week:

• Be brave by bringing your failure to Jesus’ table. • Prioritize your relationship with Jesus by making time to break bread with Jesus daily.• Feed others from your story of God’s Grace• Host a table of your own and bring people together • Listen for Jesus’ voice and open the door to Him every day 

20 Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.         Revelation 3:20

Grace invites you to the table before you clean up your act.

27 Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him.28 So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him. 29 Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi’s fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them.30 But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with such scum?” 31 Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. 32 I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.             Luke 5:27-32

Jesus Calls the Unlikely

Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi…      Luke 5:27

When Jesus Calls the Only Right Decision to Make Is To Leave Everything and Follow Him

28 So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.         Luke 5:28

God’s Table Is A Place of Belonging

29 Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi’s fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them.       Luke 5:29

30 But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with such scum?            Luke 5:30

Join Jesus In Making Room At Your Table

31 Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. 32 I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.         Luke 5:31-32

Action Step: Invite someone to your literal table.

o A co-workero A neighboro A young adult• A person from church

1 Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. 2 Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. 3 He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. 4 He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. 5 He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!     Psalm 103:1-5

Gratitude Rewires Your Focus

Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.     Psalm 103:1

2 Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.     Psalm 103:2

Gratitude Shifts Your Emotions

3 He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. 4 He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.    Psalm 103:3-4

Who redeems your life from the pit...Psalm 103:4

3-Minutes a Day

Gratitude Strengthens Your Faith

5 He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!        Psalm 103:5

They will mount up with wings like eagles.     Isaiah 40:31

Give thanks in all circumstances.        1 Thessalonians 5:18

• Write down one thing God has forgiven in your life.• One thing He has healed (physically, emotionally, relationally).• One pit He pulled you out of.• Believer: Start every day this week by quoting scripture. Out loud. • New Believer: Choose one of God’s blessings each day.Focus on it, thank Him for it and watch your mind start to change.• Unsure About Jesus: What if today, you just said one thank-you prayer to Him? Just try it. 

2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.      Romans 12:2

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind….  Romans 12:2

"And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."    Romans 12:1-2

You Can’t Live Free If You Think Like a Prisoner

Do not be conformed to this world...   Romans 12:2

As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.   Proverbs 23:7

You Can’t Be Transformed Until You Think Differently

...but be transformed by the renewal of your mind...    Romans 12:2b

As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.      Proverbs 23:7

Whatever is true… noble… right… pure… think on these things.          Philippians 4:8

Do not conform... but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.     Romans 12:2

You’ll Never Know God’s Will Until You Think God’s Way

…that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.      Romans 12:2c

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.       Psalm 119:105

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind…        Romans 12:2b

Three things to do this week:

• Identify the Lie• Reject the Lie• Replace it with Truth• Every day, write down one lie you’ve believed.• Find one Scripture that speaks truth to that lie.• Speak that truth over your life. Out loud. Daily.

What kind of men will we be?
God Determines When Life Begins, So We Are Called to Protect Life
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s
womb. 14  Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is
marvelous—how well I know it. 15  You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16  You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. Psalm 139:13–16
5  “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you
apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5
God Defines Sexual Purity, So We Pursue Holiness
3  God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin.  4  Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor— 5  not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. 1 Thessalonians 4:3–5
27  “You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’  28  But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  29  So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.  30  And if your hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. Matthew 5:27–30
God Controls the Future, So We Lead with Trust, Surrender and Courage
You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail. Proverbs 19:21
5  Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6  Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5–6
13  Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” 14  How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.  15  What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:13–15
“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs
19:21
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.” Psalm 37:23
God Declares the Truth About Children, They Are A Blessing, Not A Burden
“Children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.”  Psalm 127:3

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your
mind. Romans 12:2
6  Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  7  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 8  And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.  9  Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:6-9
Replace Fear with Prayer
Do not be anxious about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Romans 4:6
Receive God’s Peace
Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His
peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
Renew Your Mind with Truth
8  And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are
excellent and worthy of praise.  9  Keep putting into practice all you learned and received
from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9
Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard
from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:9
3 Takeaways: 
-When fear comes, pray.
-When your anxieties attack, receive peace.
-When thoughts run wild, replace them with God’s truth.

You cannot defeat what you do not recognize 

Recognize That I Am in the Middle of a Spiritual Battle

We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do.

2 Corinthians 10:3

Recognize the Strongholds in Your Life

We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. 

2 Corinthians 10:4

Recognize You Must Tear Down the Strongholds in Your Life

We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. 

2 Corinthians 10:5

…take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:5b

Key Takeaways

• Recognize the Battle• Recognize the Strongholds• Take Every Thought Captive• Use Spiritual Weapons• Daily Vigilance

Everything in this world is temporary, but God’s promises are eternal, so let’s live for what lasts.

Read 2 Peter 3:1-18

God Keeps His Promises Even When It Feels Like He’s Delayed

3 Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. 4 They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.”         2 Peter 3:3-4

9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.             2 Peter 3:9

Everything in This World Will Be Destroyed So Live for What Lasts

10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.11 Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, 12 looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames.           2 Peter 3:10-12

11 Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live,         2 Peter 3:11 

The Future Is Coming, So Let It Shape Your Present

14 And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.        2 Peter 3:14

…to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.          2 Corinthians 5:8

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever!          2 Peter 3:18

Key Takeaways

-God’s timing is mercy. Don’t mistake delay for indifference.

-This world is temporary. Don’t get too comfortable.

-Eternity is real. Live for what lasts.

How can we live boldly in a culture of resistance?

Read Acts 4:1-31

Peter and John’s Boldness Reminds Us That Courage Doesn’t Come from Comfort – Courage Comes from Conviction

“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them…”       Acts 4:8

There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.               Acts 4:12

The Church didn’t Pray for Safety ... They Prayed for Strength

Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.     Acts 4:29 

O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them ….         Acts 4:24

Prayer is not a retreat from the battle; it’s how we fight the battle.

God Responded With Power As The Whole Place Shook

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.          Acts 4:31

And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word.       Acts 4:29

Preach the truth, even under pressure

Pray together with confidence

 Trust God to move in power.