It’s a simple message known to everyone. Love your enemies. What does that look like for you and me ? It isn’t easy following the example of Jesus but it’s a huge blessing when we get it right. However, Jesus encourages to go the extra mile to really enjoy life to the full.

Rest - The journey is too much for you

We can learn a number of great principles from Jesus be tempted in the wilderness. One key thing for us to learn is that even though Jesus was exactly where God wanted Him, it was also a place of great testing. We will encounter difficulty and pain even when we are in the centre of God’s will. But God is our provision. Jesus is with us at all times.

Before this encounter with God, Mary was an unknown, just like you and me. But her life changed forever when God broke into her circumstances and she became a significant player in God’s plan and purposes. However, when we talk about God’s plan and his purposes, you and I can rightfully say it’s “Mary and me” For in the same way God called Mary out of a seemingly ordinary existence to be a player in his plan, so God calls you, God calls me.

The Shepherds Respond to Good News.

Genesis 32: 22-30

Committed to Surrender – Jeremiah 10:23-25

Time on the potter’s wheel is often the means of changing who we are, rather than what we do It’s about me saying yes to God. Not My way of thinkin,but God’s way. Not my purposes, but God’s. Not My way of doing things, but God’s. Not my values, but God’s. Saying Yes to God is not always about activity, its availability. It’s not just our actions but time on the potter’s wheel is about changing our attitudes.

Committed to God’s Wisdom – 1 Cor 2: 6-16

God’s wisdom and earthly wisdom are at different ends of the scale. Although we see ourselves as wise, although we think we are able to capture knowledge and make good decisions, in reality, it is beyond us. If we live our life based on human wisdom alone our life investment will come to nothing. The gospel doesn’t make any sense according to human wisdom. Now that shouldn’t be a surprise. Human wisdom and Godly wisdom are not in any way closely connected. So when the Bible says the gospel is an offense to some people, it is simply because human wisdom cannot understand it. One of the big mistakes we make is to put too much trust in human understanding. We always over estimate our own ability.

The focus of our love will have first option to our time, energy and thinking. There is a limit to what we can do, but the question we have to consider is this, which voice has priority in my life? Whose purpose am I’m committed to ? I believe God understands our battle. I believe He is patient. I believe He is a realist ! He knows the struggle we have in keeping our priorities in place. But his offer, come work with me, is not legalistic offer. Rather it is one that brings life and joy and hope and contentment. His offer, come work with me is founded in his love for us. This is the bestest way to live.

This is an incredible truth. God chose you. It was always his intention to make it personal. Now it’s easy for us to make it general, God saved us or God saves those that call on his name. But today I want us to leave here with one clear thought. Our relationship with God is meant to be real and personal. God chose you. God chose to forgive your sin. God chose to adopt you into his family. God chose to initiate this process by reaching out to you. God wants the relationship we share with Him to be real and personal. In fact, unless it is, we are all wasting our time.