Revelation 2: Meet the Bride in Ephesus

Today’s reading is Revelation 2.

Recall we are about to the read an apocalyptic story leading to a wedding between a Groom (I’ll often refer to Him as the Hero) and a Bride (see Revelation 21). Because of our background in the New Testament, we know Jesus is the Groom and the Bride is His church (Ephesians 5:25-33). Therefore, when we see Jesus’s letters to the seven churches of Asia, we recognize the Groom is writing to His Bride. Obviously, this picture is a metaphor. There is no one-to-one correspondence. But go with the picture and learn the King, the Groom, the Hero is letting His fiancé know what will be needed to actually be in the wedding. We see seven pictures. While we learn what was needed for those ancient Christians to actually be a faithful part of Jesus’s Bride/church, we learn what we must do as well. Today, let’s see what Jesus told His bride in Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7).

First, Jesus declares the wedding is not a done deal. If the would-be Bride does not respond properly to these letters, her lampstand will be removed. The Ephesians Christians will no longer be “in the Bride,” awaiting the marriage feast. If the Ephesians Christians do not repent, they will not be invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb, they will not experience the victory of the Bride/City we see at the end of the book. They will miss out.

Why is it not a done deal for Ephesus? Because the manifestation of the Bride in Ephesus has left her first love. The devotion she had at first has diminished. We might be surprised by this because she’s still doing some really good things. She refuses to follow false apostles. She hates the false doctrine of the Nicolaitans (seemingly a group that promoted compromise with pagan worship). Further, she is “enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary” (Revelation 2:3, ESV). But for all the good, something has gotten lost.

Carrying on the metaphor of the Bride-to-be, we might see this as the Bride of an arranged marriage who has lost her love for the Groom-to-be, but with a stiff upper lip will continue on doing her duty. I love James Sire’s description of this in his book, The Universe Next Door. He contrasts what he calls “Personalized Christianity” with “Depersonalized Christianity.” I like to think of it as the difference between “Covenant Christianity” and “Contract Christianity.” The former in both comparisons is where the Bride started in Ephesus, the latter is where she has devolved. Consider the following contrasts as adapted from Sire’s book.

	Contract/Depersonalized	Covenant/Personalized
Faith	Accepting contract propositions	Committing to a person (the Lord)
Christian Life	Keeping contract obligations	Pleasing, drawing close to a person
Sin	Violating contract rules	Betraying a relationship
Repentance	Change based on contract obligations	Change based on sorrow for personal betrayal
Forgiveness	Canceling contract consequences	Renewing and restoring relationship/fellowship

Adapted and modified from James Sire, “The Universe Next Door,” Intervarsity Press, Downers Grove, 2009, p. 135

The Groom asks the Bride to pursue love. To return to the way things were when the relationship was new. Do the same works that came from love and relationship.

The question we must ask today is where we are on the chart? The point, of course, is not to convince us to disobey rules. Rather, the point is to be more focused on the relationship with Jesus than with trying to keep some rules we think will warrant a better eternity even though we aren’t all that interested in Jesus Himself. It’s not about whether we keep the rules, but how and why we do. You might ask yourself this: are you pursuing a heavenly mansion or are you pursuing our heavenly King? The former tends toward bartering a contract, the latter to pursuing a relationship.

We are the Bride. Let’s obey our King because we love our King.

Tomorrow’s reading is Revelation 2.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does Revelation 2 admonish you?

3 John: Diotrephes

Today’s reading is 3 John 1.

We discussed Gaius and his hospitality yesterday. By great contrast, we also meet Diotrephes. The sad description of this man says it all: “who likes to put himself first” (3 John 9).

Obviously, someone who puts himself first in opposition to an apostle is way out of bounds. He’s just wrong. I would never, ever do anything like that. Right? And this is where we today need to take care. Diotrephes serves as a warning. I don’t know how Diotrephes was able to justify himself while specifically rejecting an apostle who actually walked and talked with Jesus. Yet, he did, even while John was still alive and able to react.

And here’s the important question. Do you think Diotrephes knew he was a Diotrephes? Or do you think Diotrephes had convinced himself he was doing what was best for the church? Yeah. I’m betting it was that second option as well. Where does that put us today? We are sure we’d never do anything like Diotrephes. But if his arrogance was able to drive him to such lengths while John was still alive, how might we deceive ourselves when none of the apostles are living to call us out?

None of us want to be in charge just for the sake of being in charge, right? We all know too much to fall for such obvious arrogance, pride, and narcissism. But I understand the truth. I’ve studied hard. I’ve figured out what all the Bible passages mean and those who disagree with me are wrong. Worse, they are putting everyone else in danger. I need to protect all the younger Christians and all the newer Christians from all the teachers of error out there. I need to direct all the other Christians who don’t know as well as I do how to live. I need to protect the congregation from everyone who might lead it astray. All the way along I convince myself I’m putting the Bible first, the apostles first, Jesus first. But I accomplish it by putting myself first.

Of course, I need to defend truth as I understand it. However, if I defend truth by putting myself in control, but putting myself first, I can rest assured I’m not defending truth. Frankly, for those who shepherd, deacon, and preach, this takes an incredible level of self-awareness and brutal self-honesty to avoid. Brethren often look to us for leadership. We want to do that well. Leaders with strong personalities can end up putting themselves first and not even realizing it. They convince themselves they are merely protecting the church while they end up just running the show. We become Diotrephes while thinking we are Gaius.

How do we avoid this? Develop relationships with other Christians with the very specific permission to call us on the carpet. John isn’t here to do it. We have to find someone who will. Part of being in the congregational relationship is having to learn to submit to others. It means having to figure out how to get along when not everything goes our way. If you discover you have practically become the sole gatekeeper for membership in the congregation, for who gets to teach in the congregation, for who gets help in the congregation, for the important decisions in the congregation, step back and take a long hard look. If you realize it’s really been a long time since the decision in the eldership, in the leadership meeting, in the planning meetings haven’t gone your way, step back and take a long hard look. The chances that you alone above everyone else know how all of it should go are so slim, you may have become a Diotrephes.

Who in your life has permission to be brutally honest with you about your attitude, your approach, your teaching, your perspective? Who in your discipleship has permission to call you on the carpet? If the answer is no one, take care. Don’t be a Diotrephes.

Tomorrow’s reading is 3 John 1.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does 3 John admonish you?

1 John 4: He Loved Us First

Today’s reading is 1 John 4.

We love because he first loved us.

1 John 4:19 (ESV)

God loved us first. He didn’t wait for us to love Him. He didn’t wait for us to get to perfect love. His love produces love in us.

Perfect love casts out fear. But we are afraid we don’t love perfectly. And, of course, we don’t. How do we deal with this? By looking to God’s love.

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

1 John 4:10-11 (ESV)

We don’t grow in love simply by trying harder to love more. We grow in love by looking to God’s love. By basking in God’s love. By soaking in God’s love. By imitating God’s love. When we meditate on God’s love, marinate our hearts and minds in God’s love, act out God’s love, we will be surprised to discover love growing in us.

When we drink in God’s Word and let the love He has shown start to dominate our thinking, meditating, remembering, and behaving, we will love. When we start to be truly amazed God loves us and truly humbled by how little we deserve it, we will start to love not only God, but others.

Praise God! He didn’t tell us if we love others better, He’ll love us. He paved the way. He established the model. He turned on the light. He said, “Watch this!” And He loved us. Now we know how to love Him and love others.

But let us always remember, He loved us first. He loved us while we were unloving. He loved us first. He loved us while we were unlovable. He loved us first. He loved us while we were enemies. He loved us first. He loved us while we were wrapped up in self love. He loved us first.

May we look to His love and learn to love as He did. We will never love God first. But may we turn to others and be willing to love first.

Next week’s reading is 1 John 5.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

What do you want to share with others from 1 John 4?

1 John 2: Don’t Sin, But If You Do

Today’s reading is 1 John 2.

At the end of our first chapter, John explained if we claim we don’t sin and haven’t sinned, we’re lying. In other words, those who walk in the light sin. Which brings up an immediate concern. Is John saying we’re just allowed to sin? John anticipates.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.

1 John 2:1a (ESV)

Don’t sin, says John. Don’t commit any sins. Don’t commit favorite sins. Don’t commit big sins. Don’t commit small sins. Don’t commit grievous sins. Don’t commit minor sins. Don’t pick and choose sins. Don’t think because you’ve stopped some sins, other sins are okay. Don’t think because you haven’t sinned for a certain period of time, sinning now is allowed. Don’t sin.

Now, allow me to share something with you from my own experience. If you’ve never really tried to not sin, you are in for a rude awakening. The moment you take up the commitment to not sin, you’ll discover what a truly rotten sinner you are. I promise you, if you’ve never tried to not sin, and I mean not sin at all, you probably think you’re not that bad of a person. You probably think you’re alright because you haven’t committed the biggies like Hitler, Stalin, Manson, and Dahmer. But the moment you start really trying to tackle all your sinning, you’ll discover you sin much more than you knew. When we flit through life not worrying about sin, we don’t pay attention enough to recognize our anger, slander, gossip, pride, malice, lying, cheating, lusting, etc. But take up arms against these things, committing to completely cut them off, and you are in for the fight of your life.

And you will fall. Oh, how you will fall. What then? John anticipates again.

But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

1 John 2:1b (ESV)

Don’t sin. But if you do, don’t throw in the towel. Don’t give up. Don’t quit. Take up arms again and fight with every fiber of your being against sin. Why? Because we have an advocate with our Father: the righteous Jesus Christ.

The word translated “advocate” is the same word used of the Holy Spirit in John 14:16, 26, 15:26; 16:7. It can also be translated Comforter, Helper, Counselor, Supporter, Encourager. It means someone who is called alongside. It can refer to someone who comes alongside materially to support and share burdens, someone who comes alongside emotionally to encourage and comfort, or someone who comes alongside legally to plead the case for. Since ESV uses “Advocate” in 1 John 2:1, we readily think of that legal meaning. If we sin, Jesus will plead our case before the Father so we will have forgiveness. This explanation provides true information, but is that the limit of John’s point?

John has already told us if we confess sin, we’ll be forgiven. Is he merely giving us the mechanics now? Or is he providing an even better point. What if instead of “Advocate” we read, “If anyone does sin, we have a Helper, an Encourager, a Supporter”? Instead of seeing it as a legal-representation statement, we might see it as a burden-bearing statement. When we sin, our weakness comes to the surface. Instead of giving up because we are weak, we call a Helper to come alongside us. Not just any helper, a helper who is with the Father. Who else will provide greater help in the battle against sin than the sinless, righteous Jesus who is at the right hand of the Father?

In other words, John’s point is not: Don’t sin, but if you do, no biggie, Jesus will forgive you. His point is: Don’t sin, but when you do, don’t give up, rely on Jesus more.

Praise the Lord!

Today’s reading is 1 John 2.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does 1 John 2 prompt or improve your praise of God?

John 20: Risen!

Today’s reading is John 20.

There’s no coming back from a spear shoved up into your heart.

Or is there?

The King is Risen! Long live the King!

Friday’s post was a bit of a downer. I admit it. Unless, of course, you already knew what was coming next. And here it is. On Friday, Jesus died. He was really, truly, and in all other ways dead. He was buried. But on the morning of the third day, Mary Magdalene showed up to the tomb, the stone was rolled back, and it was empty. Jesus’s body was gone.

Mary thought the body had been stolen. Apparently, she was so distraught she actually left before the angels spoke to the other women. She told the apostles the body was missing. Two of them came to check out the tomb. Mary stayed behind and met…

…the resurrected Jesus!

The King is Risen! Long live the King!

Jesus had said in John 2:19, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (ESV). The apostles didn’t understand what Jesus truly meant when He said it. But after Mary witnessed the resurrected Jesus and the apostles did as well, they understood. He was talking about the temple of His body.

The King is Risen! Long live the King!

Yes, we serve a King that was executed as if He was a criminal. We must not miss that and all it means for us. But, on the third day He defeated death. He rose from the grave. If we want to defeat death and the grave, I suggest we follow the only one in all of human history who has.

Are you willing to join us in following Him? If we can help you, let us know in the comments.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does John 20 prompt or improve your praise of God?

The Masters and the Servants

Today’s reading is Matthew 20.

Can you believe it? In Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount, He started the whole thing by talking about how kingdom citizens are poor in spirit. Back in Matthew 18, the disciples were arguing about greatness and Jesus rebuked them. He told them if they didn’t get their act together with humility, they wouldn’t even be in the kingdom. Then in Matthew 19, they still didn’t get it as demonstrated by keeping the children away from Jesus. Here we are for the third chapter in a row in which the disciples still don’t get it.

James and John are still competing. They want to be the greatest. They want to sit at the right and left hand of the King. They even get their mother in on the request. They still don’t get it. When the other apostles hear about this, they start to grumble and complain about James and John. They still don’t get it.

It amazes me that Jesus doesn’t throw down a gauntlet on them. “Guys, this is the third time in just a couple days we’ve had to have this discussion. Get it right tonight or go home.” Nope. Instead, He teaches them again. And in so doing, He really hits on who is first and who is last. This time, He spells it out a little more clearly. In the world, rulers lord their authority over anyone and everyone they can. They live by the rule, “My way or the highway.” In the world, folks want to ascend to greatness. That usually means ascend to having power and authority that can be used over others to get whatever the one in power wants.

Jesus says His kingdom works in exactly the opposite way. We don’t ascend to greatness. We descend to it. The first in the kingdom is not the one with the most power, the most authority, the most control, the most money, the most anything. The first in the kingdom is not the one who masters, but the one who serves. Jesus Himself demonstrated this because He didn’t come into the world to get everyone to serve Him. He came into the world to serve us. And He served us by going to the cross. He left the throne of heaven at the right hand of God. He came into the world in a poor nation, to a poor family, under the cloud of scandal, and then allowed Himself to be accused of crimes He didn’t commit. He was executed, accused of being the leader of a slave rebellion and insurrectionist. He did that to serve us. Let us follow in His footsteps and descend to greatness.

Tomorrow’s reading is Matthew 20.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family

1. What are your initial reactions to the chapter and the written devo above?
2. Does it provide it you any comfort to see that the apostles took so long to figure out this humility thing and yet Jesus continued to patiently work with them? If so, what comfort?
3. Why is humility this hard?
4. How have you grown in humility over the reading and study of the last three chapters?
5. What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this chapter and today’s post?

Laboring in the Vineyard

Today’s reading is Matthew 20.

What do the workers called into the vineyard at different hours of the day all have in common? One very simple thing. They all responded to the call of the same master.

They came in at different times. They accomplished different amounts of work. They likely had differing success on the job for the time that they worked. But they all entered the vineyard of the same generous and gracious master.

That is the issue we need to see. Please, don’t draw lessons from this parable Jesus never intended. Jesus was not saying it is better to wait until the eleventh hour to get to work in his vineyard. Jesus was not teaching us to procrastinate getting into the vineyard.

Certainly, we can do all kinds of historical research to discover how this daily hiring worked and fill in blanks in the story to try to draw different conclusions. Or we can recognize Jesus is constructing the story as He wants it constructed. The eleventh hour guys were waiting in the marketplace because no one hired them. It’s as simple as that. What does the master do? He hires them.

The point behind this parable is when this master invites you to work in his vineyard, you want to respond. And that is the point for us. If you aren’t working in Jesus’s vineyard yet, I don’t have to know all the reasons why. You don’t have to explain to me. But know this, Jesus is inviting you in right now. I don’t know what hour of the day it is for you. You don’t know what hour of the day it is for you. I know this: laborers in His vineyard get an amazing reward. The reward isn’t based on how long they’ve worked. It isn’t based on how their work compares to the work of others in the vineyard. The reward is based on the generosity of this Master.

At the end of the day, there aren’t four, five, or six kinds of people in the world. There are only two. There are those at work in the Master’s vineyard and there are those who aren’t. That’s the key. Those who work in the gracious Master’s vineyard get the reward, those who don’t work in His vineyard don’t.

Are you working in Jesus’s vineyard? If not, He’s calling you. The reward is amazing. Start now.

Tomorrow’s reading is Matthew 20.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family

1. What are your initial reactions to the chapter and the written devo above?
2. What kind of work do we do in Jesus’s vineyard?
3. What keeps people from entering Jesus’s vineyard when He calls?
4. What would you say to encourage people to get to work in Jesus’s vineyard right now?
5. What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this chapter and today’s post?

The First and the Last

Today’s reading is Matthew 20.

At the end of Matthew 19, Jesus answered Peter’s question. “Lord, we’ve given up everything. What will we get?” Jesus actually promised Peter a great deal. But He capped the response with this statement: “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Then we get a chapter break. We might think Jesus is talking about something new. However, keep reading. He tells a story about laborers being hired into the vineyard at different times in the day. Those hired at the beginning of the day are promised a denarius (that was a coin that was commonly a day’s wage in the first century). Those hired at other times were simply told, “I’ll pay you whatever is right.” When the day is through, the ones hired for only one hour of service are given a denarius. As are the workers who only worked half the day and three quarters of it. Those who had been working all day were certain the master of the house was going to increase what he had promised them. Instead, the master gave them a denarius as well. Jesus capped off the whole story with the statement “So the last will be first, and the first last.”

In other words, this story is actually still part of Jesus’s response to Peter. It is true, Jesus is going to graciously give Peter and the apostles magnificent reward. But Peter misunderstands. Peter is still struggling with the question about who is the greatest. Perhaps the greatest are those who serve the longest, work the hardest, sacrifice the most. Nope! The greatest is actually the Master of the House. Because He is full of grace and mercy, graciously inviting those who cannot provide for themselves a role in His vineyard and a reward at the end.

Consider that Jesus’s story does not actually provide a picture of role reversal. It is not that those who started work the earliest get the least reward while those who worked the least get the most. Rather, all get the same no matter how much work they did. The point is the reward being offered is actually so amazing none of the workers earned it. It is grace and generosity from the Master that any of us get to work in the vineyard. It is grace and generosity from the Master that any of us get a reward. This isn’t a picture of role reversal; this is a picture of equality. It isn’t first come, first served. Nor is it last come, first served. We often picture this first and last thing as if Jesus asked everyone to line up single file facing in one direction, but then He pulls a switcheroo. He goes to the back of the line and tells everyone to turn around and starts there. That isn’t what is happening. Rather, as the line forms with each person looking at the back of the person in front of them, Jesus steps out to the side and asks everyone to turn to the right and face Him. Now we all stand shoulder to shoulder and walk together as a line into His reward. The first is last and the last first not because first and last have swapped places, but because we are now all on equal footing. There actually is no first and last. There is no greatest and least. There are only workers in the vineyard.

This is grace. Because at the end of the day, when we receive our denarius, even the apostles will not stand out as having earned some greater reward. None of us will have earned anything. We will receive what the Master graciously decides to give us. Trust me, it will be fantastic. No matter what time of day it is, accept the gracious offer to work in the Master’s vineyard. You’ll be glad you did. I promise.

Tomorrow’s reading is Matthew 20.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family

1. What are your initial reactions to the chapter and the written devo above?
2. Why do the workers who start in the morning expect more when it comes time to pay them?
3. If this were strictly an issue of working for wages that are earned, why would this whole situation be unfair?
4. But Jesus says this situation is actually about the grace and generosity of the Master. Thus, when we realize this is really about working in God’s vineyard why is this set up completely fair?
5. What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this chapter and today’s post?

Seek First the Kingdom

Today’s reading is Matthew 6.

We’ve often been told to seek the kingdom first. But have we ever stopped to think through what that means we are supposed to seek the kingdom before?

Usually, when I think about this question, I think I should seek the kingdom before I seek being fabulously wealthy. After all, this whole context is about money. I should seek the kingdom before being popular and famous. I should seek the kingdom before being powerful and influential. But wait. Did you notice what things Jesus actually mentioned in this paragraph?

I should seek the kingdom before seeking food, water, and clothes. Jesus isn’t telling us to seek the kingdom before luxury items. He is telling us to seek the kingdom before physical and biological necessities.

Notice further when Jesus says to seek the kingdom first, He doesn’t actually mean to do kingdom stuff first and then start seeking food, water, and clothing. Rather, when we seek the kingdom first, God will just give us what we need. Seeking the kingdom first actually means to seek it fundamentally, foundationally, completely. When I seek the kingdom first, I don’t actually have to seek anything else. It means every choice we make is about seeking the kingdom. In other words, I don’t pick a job based on how well it is going to feed me, but on how well I can seek the kingdom through it. I don’t move because it will give me more money, but because it will help me seek the kingdom. I certainly don’t sin just because it will protect my income. I seek the kingdom and I trust God to provide for me. I do that even if seeking the kingdom will cost me my job, my savings, my income, even my food for the next day. That is a hard path to walk. No wonder Jesus is going to call this the narrow gate and difficult way.

We will learn in Matthew 7 that God wants to and will give us good gifts. He cares for us. This, of course, means if on any given day we do go hungry, it doesn’t mean God has failed on His end of the bargain. Rather, it means a day of hunger is good for us. What do we do on that day? We keep seeking the kingdom first.

Seek the kingdom first. Because if you ask, if you seek, if you knock, Jesus will give you the kingdom. And that is worth a lifetime of meals and clothes. In fact, that is worth dying for.

How can you seek the kingdom first today?

Next week’s reading is Matthew 7.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family

1. What are your initial reactions to the chapter and the written devo above?
2. How do you think we seek the kingdom first?
3. Why is it so easy to seek other things first?
4. Why is it so important to seek the kingdom first?
5. What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this chapter and today’s post?

Kingdom-first Praying

Today’s reading is Matthew 6.

In the middle of Jesus’s three point illustration about practicing our righteousness secretly, He encourages His listeners not only to avoid praying like hypocrites, to be seen by men, but also to avoid praying like the Gentiles. They heap up a bunch of empty phrases and meaningless repetitions because they think in that way they will manipulate their gods into responding to their requests. Jesus tells us not to pray like that because our Father already knows what we need. He then gives us a model for prayer.

However, now that you’ve read this chapter three times this week did you catch Jesus’s similar teaching at the end of the chapter? In Matthew 6:31-33, Jesus teaches us not to be anxious about food, drink, and clothes because the Gentiles seek after all those things. That is living like the Gentiles. We don’t have to live like the Gentiles because our Father knows what we need.

Do you see the parallel? We don’t have to live like the Gentiles or pray like the Gentiles because our Father knows what we need. In the latter passage, Jesus tells us if we seek the kingdom first our Father will give us everything else. Do you see what this means about our praying? Just as we are to seek the kingdom first, we are to pray the kingdom first.

“But if I pray the kingdom first, what about all my other needs?” We have no need to be anxious as the Gentiles do. When we seek and pray the kingdom first, God adds to us everything else.

Let’s pray the kingdom first.

Tomorrow’s reading is Matthew 6.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family

1. What are your initial reactions to the chapter and the written devo above?
2. Why is it so tempting to pray for our needs and wants first?
3. Does praying and seeking the kingdom first mean put the kingdom stuff before everything else and then do whatever you want after that? Why or why not?
4. What advice would you give others to help them pray the kingdom first?
5. What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this chapter and today’s post?