You see, the best way to not give into temptation is not by trying really, really hard not to give in.  The best way is by making sure you’re doing better things on a regular basis.  That’s the best way.

That’s why reading scripture is so important.  It gives you something excellent to think about.  That’s why worshipping weekly is important—don’t make 52 decisions a year, make one. 

when you pray the Lord’s Prayer, and you’ve not done the critical work of forgiving someone else, what you are literally praying is, “God, please don’t forgive me.” “God since I can’t forgive my ex, since I’m unwilling to forgive my neighbor, my co-worker, that girl at school that lied about me, that guy that bullied me…God since I can’t or won’t forgive them, please don’t forgive me. 

What would it be like if every day this week each of us started our day focusing on that heartbeat line of the Lord’s Prayer: “THY kingdom come, THY will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  What if we all asked every day, “Lord, where today do I need to seek what you want first, before anything I want?

Our Dad who loves us so much.  Who is all around us, closer than the air we breathe.  Whose name and character we want to revere and make holy through our words and our lives.  Now over the next five weeks, with God’s help, you and I are going to go to the depths of the greatest prayer that was ever prayed—the prayer that gives us a glimpse in the very heart and character of God. 

Love is our highest ideal.  And love never gives up.  Because of love we work to overcome our tendencies for pride, jealousy, greed. Because of love, we work to overcome our fear, resentment, our need to criticize and distance.  Wesley’s questions need to be in front of us regularly, but underneath them all is the big one, “Am I working to love like Jesus loved?”  We’re still at the start of this new year and the challenge is to love more this year than you did last.  These 21 questions can help.