King of the Hill

“The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success than the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name became well known.”
-1 Samuel 18:30-

When I was young, we played a game called King of the Hill every day at recess. It’s a pretty simple concept, really: All the boys would push and shove each other to the ground, and when the whistle blew, whoever was left standing on the hill was crowned king. My guess is that most schools have outlawed such games these days because of the sheer brutality. But I loved playing this game. You know why? Because as a youngster, I was the same size as I was when I became an adult. I was the undefeated, undisputed king of the hill.
I enjoyed my reign as King until the day a new student joined our class who was bigger and taller than I was. Worst of all, this student was a girl. And not just any girl. She wore cowboy boots. She made fun of the other girls in our class. She ate glue. And sure enough, at recess that day, she wanted to play King of the Hill. She dug her boots in the ground and came right after me. And when the whistle blew that day, I had been dethroned by a girl; I was no longer King.
I’ve discovered that King of the Hill isn’t just a childhood game we play. It often becomes our life’s pursuit: Do whatever it takes to make it to the top, and stay there. The appeal of success seems obvious. It’s about position and authority, prestige and clout. It’s about having the right seat at the table, the right space in the parking lot, the right title on the business card. It’s about getting the crown, the trophy, the promotion, or the award. Success is finding out how the score is kept, and then scoring.

The word success is rarely used in Scriptures, but one of the closest biblical equivalents is the word blessed. Even today, we tend to use that word as the humbler way of saying, “I’m successful.” A guest comes by and says, “You have a beautiful home. I love your sports cars and your yacht.” And you smile modestly and say, “I’ve been blessed.”
But think about the difference between those two words. Success is the word we use to speak of something we have accomplished ourselves. Blessed indicates not that you have done something, but that something has been done for you. Let me put it this way: Success is when we achieve; blessed is when we receive. If we say, “I’m successful,” we are giving the glory to ourselves. When we say, “I’m blessed,” we are giving the glory to God.

DENYING TODAY
True success is hearing Jesus say to you one day, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21, 23). How will He measure your success? Read Jesus’ statements of blessing from His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:1-12. Can you resonate with any of those whom Jesus calls “blessed” (the poor in spirit, those who mourn, etc.)? Set a timer for just 3 minutes. Write down as many blessings as you can think of in that time. Then pray, thanking God for the blessings he has lavished on you.

Dead Elephant In The Room

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate, I do. . . . As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.” (Romans 7:15, 17)

Jesus slaughtered sin on the cross. But sin’s dead carcass still occupiers a lot of living space, and it stinks to high heaven. Like the elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about, it exercises a powerful influence over everything. It is a powerful rival to righteousness.
I resonate with Paul’s lament in Romans 7. Just when I think I have gained victory over some sinful response, I get a powerful whiff of death again. Reeling and gagging, I too often find myself doing the very thing I said I wouldn’t do. And I hate it.
Hating is a good start, because God hates it too. His Holy Spirit is called “holy” (set apart, consecrated to God) for a reason. And he always stands ready to help me get back on my feet for another round. We may be down, but we are not out. God has promised us all the help we need to achieve victory over sin. If we ask His Spirit, He will disarm the beast within us. He will drain the life out of our sinful habits, one by one.
Many people get frustrated in their efforts to follow Jesus. They’re trying as hard as they can to “get it right,” and they don’t understand why they are having such a hard time. They determine again to be faithful, and hate themselves for being so inconsistent. One person sent me an e-mail recently that read, “Thanks so much for this challenge to go from fan to follower. I am trying every day to become a follower of Jesus.” I appreciated that, but I can tell you that he is going to fail because “trying every day” simply isn’t enough. Changing just one word in that e-mail would make all the difference in the world. It needs to read, “I am DYING every day to become a follower of Jesus.”

DENYING TODAY
Read Romans 7:15-25. In what areas of your life can you identify with Paul? What good do you want to do, but don’t? What sin do you want to distance yourself from, but can’t? Write them down, if you dare. Then surrender your list to God in prayer, thanking Him for rescuing and delivering you through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 7:25).

Snuggie Theology

“Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.” -Mark 8:35-

We are, by nature, comfort seekers, not cross bearers. We are the people of the La-Z-Boy, the country club, the day spa, and the Snuggie. Have you seen this product advertised? It’s a blanket with sleeves. At first I thought it was a ridiculous idea. But the more I saw the Snuggie, the more I wanted one. So, when my wife asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I was surprised by the words that came out of my mouth: “I want a Snuggie.” That’s a phrase you never plan on saying as a grown man. I was excited about a blanket with sleeves! When I got it, I put it on and thought, Wait a second, I already have one of these. This is just a bathrobe that you put on backwards.
Unfortunately, many churches have developed what I call Snuggie Theology. They try to make sure everyone is as comfortable as possible. They promise health & wealth to all who follow Jesus. They promise you a luxury car and a beautiful home. But contrast the image of the Snuggie with the image of the cross. One represents ease, the other symbolizes pain. One promises comfort, the other calls for sacrifice.
Yet, people buy into this Snuggie Theology — until their finances run out, their family falls apart, or their health takes a turn for the worse. That’s when they start to question God, suspecting that He isn’t holding up His end of the deal. When they expected to put on a comfortable Snuggie, they are not going to be happy when they are told to take up a cross.
For the Christ follower, the slogan is “Die Daily,” and the symbol is the cross. The point is the ultimate surrender of yourself — your dreams, your accomplishments, your comfort. You see, when you’re dead, you’re no longer concerned with your life — instead, you are free to live for Christ.

DENYING TODAY
What are the implications of dying daily for you personally? Can you think of anything (or anyone) you’ve lost for the sake of following Christ? When have you denied yourself in a way that actually made you uncomfortable?

A Slave of Jesus

“Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”(2 Peter 1:1-2)

When Peter began writing his second letter, he didn’t introduce himself by saying, “Peter, a best friend of Jesus, present at the Mount of Transfiguration, featured preacher on the day of Pentecost.” Instead, he simply wrote, “Simon Peter, a servant” — or, translated more accurately, “a slave.” John, Timothy, and Jude all give themselves the same title. James didn’t begin his letter by saying, “James, the half brother of the Son of God.” He began by saying, “James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1). When Paul wrote to the church in Rome, he began by identifying himself as “a slave of Christ Jesus” (Romans 1:1).
Most of us grew up in homes where we were taught to study hard in school so we could get a good job and make lots of money and live in a big house, drive a nice car, and enjoy great vacations. When you ask a child what they want to be when they grow up, the answer generally reflects that influence. No kid ever says, “When I grow up, I want to be a slave.” In fact, most of us would find the idea of slavery offensive because of what occurred in past history. But that is what the Bible calls us to. The Bible teaches that the highest calling for you and for me is to be a slave to Jesus.
Sure, there are other ways we identify with Christ. He is a friend of sinners, a master teacher, and the head of His church. He is the promised Messiah, a conquering King, and the omnipotent God. We are lost sheep, and He is the Good Shepherd; we are sinners, and He is our Savior. But when we call Jesus “Lord,” we aren’t saying any of those things. We are saying, “He’s the master, and I am the slave.”
In fact, we can’t call Jesus “Lord” without declaring that we are His slaves. The two terms are inseparable. As crazy as it might seem to everyone else, as ridiculous as it might appear to those who don’t understand, we choose this life of slavery. Nobody will ever be forced into slavery to Jesus. Out of love, we willingly submit to His lordship.
When we fully surrender all that we have and all that we are to Him, we discover the strangest thing: It’s only by becoming a slave to Jesus that we can truly find freedom.

DENYING TODAY
Write down the words “slave” and “master.” What words and ideas come to mind for each of those roles? What are the slave’s responsibilities to the master? What are the master’s responsibilities to the slave? As you pray today, submit yourself again as a slave of Jesus, and thank Him for being a perfect, loving Master.

Parenting

“When a child is born into the world, God draws His hand near His heart, lends something of Himself to the parent, and says, ‘Keep it till I come.’ “(Henry Ward Beecher)

Charles Francis Adams, the 19th century political figure and diplomat, kept a diary. One day he entered: “Went fishing with my son today — a day wasted.” His son, Brook Adams, also kept a diary, which is still in existence. On that same day, Brook Adams, made this entry: “Went fishing today with my father — the most wonderful day of my life!”
Parenting is at the same time the most challenging and rewarding journey moms & dads ever embark on. The apostle Paul shares a few simple truths in Ephesians 6 to help guide you on your journey. (Read Ephesians 6:1-6)

3 Biblical Guidelines for Christian Parenting

Children are to honor & obey their parents.

Parents, do not treat your children harshly, but freely give them generous amounts of unconditional love.

Parents, seek God’s will and wisdom in raising your children. Teach them to love, serve, and obey God.

My Time With God

Preparation Time
Read Proverbs 22:6.

List the issues you are wrestling with in raising your children.
(Describe Why.)
Discipline –
Self-control –
Spiritual Growth –
Peer Relationships –
Self-esteem –
Other –

Waiting Time
During your waiting time, let God…

Love You.
“God, I feel Your love today, especially in the gift You have given me of my children.”

Search You.
“God, You have permission to reveal any area in which I need to improve as a parent.”

Show You.
“God, grant me wisdom to know how to train my children according to Your will.”

Confession Time
Read Psalm 103:13 and Proverbs 31:10, 28.

Confess the areas of your life as a parent (an example) that would not be pleasing to God:

Bible Time
We can never pray out of God’s will when we pray God’s Word.

… Read Deuteronomy 6:1-7 slowly a couple of times.
… Close your eyes & allow a main truth to surface in your heart.
… Pray the Scripture and allow God to minister to you.

Meditation Time
After praying the Scriptures, write down the thoughts that God has impressed upon your mind:

Intercession Time – Praying for Others
Begin this time with a prayer of blessing & thanksgiving for your children, and pray specifically for their needs.
Name Request

Petition Time – Praying for Yourself

How to petition God properly:
Talk to Him about the “little things”
Be honest with God
Pray “Thy will be done”
Prayer Requests

Application Time

The smallest obedient act is better than the greatest intention.

Q: What is the main thing God has impressed on me today?

Q: What am I going to do about it?

Steps to take in my obedience to God this week:

My Goal: To implement the above steps in the next 7 days.

Faith Time
Faith is our positive response to what God has said. Spend a few moments praying through your eyes of faith. Tell God the positive things you see happening because of His goodness!

Praise & Thanksgiving Time

Praise God by recognizing WHO HE IS!
Thank God by recognizing WHAT HE HAS DONE!

This week’s Memory Verse – Proverbs 22:6

This Week’s Time Alone With God
Monday – This Lesson

Tuesday – Write down the top 5 most important values you want to teach your children (such as honesty, positive attitude, kindness, etc.)

Wednesday – Spend extra time today praying WITH your children. (General time guideline – their age X 2 = number of minutes to pray)

Thursday – Write out what Philippians 2:3 means as a parent.

Friday – Review your memory verse.

Take Captive

“Though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. . . . We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”-2 Corinthians 10: 3, 5-

The Bible says that our thoughts determine who or what we worship. Proverbs 4:23 instructs, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Let me reword that for you: Be careful how you think, because what you think about determines what you will worship. That’s why the Bible tells us to take every thought captive.
Psychologists have given us increasing insight as to how that happens. The field of cognitive psychology examines how our thoughts shape our attitudes, emotions, and behavior. They’re all intertwined, but our mind is the all-important starting point.
Experts say that the first time you think a new thought, it’s like blazing a trail through the woods. In your brain, this new thought carves what is called a “neural pathway.” Like the wooded trail, at first the path is barely visible. But then the trail begins to get used, and before long, it becomes a well-trodden path that looks as if it’s been there forever.
Children and teenagers are especially busy carving out the trails of their young thought processes. Adults build plenty of new pathways too. I read a study about a young man who viewed pornography on his computer, with a baseball cap on top of the computer’s screen. After some time elapsed, it was shown that he could be sexually aroused by the sight of a baseball cap. He had worn a mental path that he will find nearly impossible to change. Remember, this is mental warfare.
So, we choose to go to war. We decide to take prisoners. We take captive every thought that meanders down the road and subject it to Christ’s command. Taking every thought captive means we wrestle every thought to the ground and force it to submit to Christ. One way or another, there will be a prisoner. Either we take our thoughts captive by the power of the truth, or we’ll find ourselves taken captive and imprisoned by lies.

DENYING TODAY
What thought pathways are you reinforcing in your mind? Where will they lead you? Philippians 4:8 gives us a great filter for our thought life. Read it and memorize it. Ask God to make you more conscious of what is on your mind.

Be Still

“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”(Psalm 46:10)

I read about an interesting social experiment that was conducted in 2007 by a writer at the Washington Post. At a Metro subway station in Washington, D.C., on a cold January morning, a man with a violin played 6 Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. He was casually dressed and wearing a baseball cap. Hundreds of people passed by while he played, hurrying on their way to work or other obligations.
After several minutes, a 3 year-old boy stopped to listen, but his mother impatiently tugged him along. Several other children did the same thing, but every parent — without exception — forced their children quickly along. One woman threw a dollar bill in his open violin case but never stopped to listen. In all, about 20 people gave money — about $32 in all — but kept on walking at their normal pace.
During 45 minutes of continuous playing, only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. Interviewed later, most people would say they didn’t even notice that someone had been playing the violin. When he finished, no one noticed or applauded. There was no recognition at all.
Here’s the irony: The violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. Just 2 nights before, he had played in a sold-out Boston theater where concertgoers paid an average of $100 a seat to listen as he played the very same music. In the subway, passers by threw their loose change into the case of his violin, an instrument worth $3.5 million.
How often do you hurry through life without taking time to notice the beauty of life around you? From the moment your alarm wakes you each morning to the instant your tired head hits the pillow at night, the day is full of noise — cell phones, talk radio, hurried conversations, instant messages, popular music, television, social media. All with the potential to crowd out the “still, small voice” that whispers to us: Come away to a quiet place. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Be still, and in your stillness, you will come to know that I am God.

DENYING TODAY
For some of us, busyness props up our own self-importance. When is the last time you just sat still, in silence? Try it now. For just 5 minutes, be still. (I think it was Mr. Miyagi, in The Karate Kid, who wisely said, “Being still and doing nothing are two very different things.”) This week, turn off the radio. Silence your phone. Shut down your machines for a chunk of time each evening. Give yourself the gift of stillness.

Power Down To Power Up

“Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from Him.”
-Psalm 62:1-

I read a magazine article about church services in Haiti. It talked about worship services lasting 4 to 6 hours; how most people walked to get there, and once they arrived, they would stand crowded together in un-air-conditioned buildings; no coffee, tea, or doughnuts after the service either.
As I read, I was impressed with that level of commitment. Most preachers here in the states would tell you that they start losing people if the service goes much longer than an hour. There’s also the pressure of making sure that hour is filled with enough song and entertainment and multi-media to captivate the congregation. Can you imagine the members of your church leaving home an hour or so early in order to walk to the church, staying there for half the day, and then trudging back home under the hot afternoon sun? It seems pretty far-fetched.
In the article, they spoke to a Haitian pastor about the time difference between their services and ours. They asked him, “What is it about the Haitian people that keeps them worshiping at church for so many hours?” The answer was not very profound. The pastor laughed and replied, “In Haiti, we have nothing else to do!”
I sort of laughed at that, but then I was almost immediately struck by the weight of that answer. They didn’t have televisions, radios, smartphones, laptops, tablets, or movie theaters. The Lord God didn’t have very much competition! And then I realized the implications of that truth.
The psalmist observed that God leads us beside quiet waters (Psalm 23:2). The prophet Jeremiah knew that it is good to wait quietly for the Lord (Lamentations 3:26). Jesus invites us to get away with Him to a quiet place where we’ll find rest (Mark 6:31). God Himself says it this way: “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
What would happen if you eliminated God’s competition, just for a test, to see what would happen? Turn off the T.V. Log off Facebook. Turn down the music. Unplug the game console. And turn your eyes to the Lord.

DENYING TODAY
What kinds of media and entertainment captivate you the most? Is there any device you just “couldn’t do without”? Well, try it! Take the challenge. “Go Haitian” for the next few days. Consider a “media fast,” other than your work requirements. Turn your full attention to the most fascinating Presence of all. He is more than enough.

Success Upside Down

Jesus looked at him and loved him. . . . “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.(Mark 10:21-22)

We don’t even know his name. This rich young ruler was probably well known to the people of his time, but we have no clue what became of him. Chances are, he went on to become the richer, older ruler, playing the game of life pretty well.
His conversation with Jesus began with what seemed like a great question: “What must I do to gain eternal life?” The problem was that the rich young ruler was used to getting things done. On his own, by himself. When he wanted to get something done, he had the means, the energy, and the authority to make it happen. And we get the sense that when he asked Jesus that important question, he was ready to check another thing off his bucket list and collect another lifetime achievement award.

But Jesus redefines a successful life as one that humbly says to God, “I can’t do this on my own. I need your help.” Jesus takes success and turns it upside down. So He challenges the young man head-on. Give up your self-sufficiency. Stop depending on your own resources and abilities. Depend entirely on me.
If only he had answered Jesus differently. Then, I imagine, we’d know his name. Maybe there would have been 13 disciples instead of 12. Maybe there would have been 5 gospels instead of 4.
Instead, “he went away sad, because he had great wealth.” Doesn’t that sound ridiculous? He went away sad because he was rich? People don’t go away sad because they’re rich; they go away sad because they drive a 17 year old 3 cylinder Kia. Why would having so much make him sad?
Because he had too much to give up. He owned so much that it owned him. He was a rich young ruler, and Jesus was offering him an opportunity to be a poor young servant. But the god of success took his hand and led him away.
Humility is a consistent theme with Jesus. It was the first thing He addressed in His Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). “Poor in spirit” isn’t a reference to the size of your checking account or retirement portfolio. These words describe people who know they don’t have it all figured out, people who are humble enough to ask for help.
The rich young ruler was one right answer away from treasures he could not even imagine, but he backed away, unwilling to heed the very advice he had asked for.

DENYING TODAY
Write down your definition of success. What would have to happen for you to be successful? Remind yourself that God measures success by faithfulness, by obedience. Read Matthew 25:21, then write your own commendation from Jesus. Prayerfully consider: What will He praise you for?

MERIT BADGES

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
-2 Corinthians 4:18-

Personal achievement is a very powerful and alluring idol. Think about our experience as children. Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts; Brownies to Girl Scouts. These are wonderful organizations that teach many positive values — in particular, the value of achievement. Learn to tie a knot; you win a merit badge. Go on a hike and fulfill the given requirements, and you earn that colorful “camping” patch. If you were a member of a scouting group, do you remember how great it felt when the scoutmaster or den mother pinned that patch to your uniform?
Or maybe as a high school athlete you got the letter jacket for your sport, and every year you worked hard to add pins and patches to your jacket to show your achievements. Maybe it was the “1” rating at the state music competition or the blue ribbon watermelon you entered at the state fair or the stack of perfect attendance certificates or academic scholarship awards — the list goes on and on. Many kids find their identity and value in what they achieve. They put their hope in what they one day might be able to achieve.
So, the vest plastered with badges, the jacket covered in patches, the trophies weighing down the shelf, the ribbons and pins and medals, the report cards, the diplomas and degrees, the promotions, raises, and bonuses can all become idols to which we bow. For some, it simply translates to a daily checklist completed, a spotless kitchen, or a perfectly manicured lawn. These are all tangible representations of what we have achieved through hard work and dedication.
I’m not saying there is anything wrong with any of these achievements. In fact, they can be acts of worship that glorify God. But when our lives are all about getting things accomplished we discover there’s not much room left for God. Our approach to worshiping God may be like checking off a box on our to-do list labeled “go to church” or “read the Bible.”
Denying ourselves means not placing so much focus and energy on these temporary, tangible trophies. Instead, we look beyond to what is unseen, to what has eternal significance: “achieving . . . An eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

DENYING TODAY
Go ahead, brag on yourself for just a minute: What awards or achievements are you most particularly proud of? Whose congratulating voice do you most appreciate hearing? Think through what you’re currently working hard to achieve. Hard work is good, but honestly evaluate: Why are you doing it? To prove yourself? To compete against someone? To provide a comfortable life? Pray these words from the apostle Paul: “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:7-8).