Reflective Bible Study

Shortly after Jesus healed some lepers, the gospel of Luke includes a two-verse interaction Jesus has with some Pharisees who appear to have a legitimate question that isn’t a trap. If you have spent any time reading the gospels, you will quickly understand how rare of a situation this is. With only a handful of exceptions, whenever Jesus interacts with religious leaders, we see Jesus masterfully evade a trap they had set for Him, and if we aren’t careful, we could conclude that 100% of the religious leaders disliked Jesus, which would be untrue.

While I am willing to accept an argument that would suggest the question in this passage contains a trap, within the details Luke’s gospel includes, whatever the trap might have been is not clearly visible to me.

With that said, let’s look at this interaction Jesus had with these Pharisees and see if we can uncover something significant we can use in our own lives from how Jesus responded to this surprisingly genuine question He is asked. Our passage is found in Luke’s gospel, chapter 17, and we will read it using the New International Reader’s version of the Bible. Starting in verse 20, Luke tells us that:

²⁰ Once the Pharisees asked Jesus when God’s kingdom would come. He replied, “The coming of God’s kingdom is not something you can see. ²¹ People will not say, ‘Here it is.’ Or, ‘There it is.’ That’s because God’s kingdom is among you.”

In this short, two-verse passage, we see a simple question and a simple answer. In some ways, I wish Jesus had elaborated more in the response He gave, but perhaps, Jesus kept this answer short knowing that one of the biggest themes in His entire preaching ministry was sharing details about the kingdom of God.

However, one big idea that I see present in this question and answer combination is a redefinition of what God’s kingdom actually is. For most people thinking about the concept of God having a kingdom, the closest idea we can picture is something that would be similar to an earthly kingdom or an earthly government. I suspect that the Pharisees understood God’s kingdom in a similar way. I picture those in the first-century Jewish culture eagerly expecting the Messiah to appear, ushering in God’s kingdom by overthrowing Rome’s kingdom and giving their nation independence.

With this likely assumption in place, it would not surprise me at all if Jesus’ answer confused these religious leaders. Instead of framing God’s kingdom as something that would be coming in the future, Jesus frames God’s kingdom as already being present and “among” them.

However, it is interesting when we contrast Jesus’ words here with other places in the gospel that focus on the kingdom of God.

Looking at the beginning of most gospels, we see John the Baptizer, who was Jesus’ forerunner in ministry proclaim that the kingdom of God is coming. Also, Jesus beings His preaching ministry with the same message that God’s kingdom is coming. Also, when Jesus sends His disciples out in pairs to preach partway through His ministry, He tells them to preach that the kingdom of God is coming.

It would appear as though Jesus shifts His focus when giving this answer to the Pharisees. Instead of focusing on the “coming” nature of God’s kingdom, Jesus draws the focus onto the already present nature of God’s kingdom, even though those present might not have been able to see it.

When reading this passage, I am challenged by the question: If the Pharisees missed seeing God’s kingdom that Jesus said was among them, am I missing seeing God’s kingdom that is present today?

This is a powerful question, and when wrestling with an answer, I am pushed to think deeper than I might normally think. From the biggest perspective we can imagine, God rules the universe, and technically speaking, everything is “His kingdom”. Because of this, the kingdom of God that Jesus refers to must be about something different, or perhaps a different aspect of God’s kingdom that isn’t just His ownership of the universe. Since God owns the universe, which includes us, His kingdom is always present, but that also would then mean that it technically could not then also be coming.

Perhaps a key phrase to helping us understand what Jesus is teaching is the phrase “among you”. At the end of Jesus’ reply in verse 21, Jesus says: “God’s kingdom is among you.” Jesus had been present with the disciples for a few years at this point, and Jesus might be referencing a deeper truth in His answer.

In His response, Jesus might be saying something like, “God’s kingdom is wherever God is.” Since Jesus, a member of the Godhead, was among them, God’s kingdom could then be said to be among them – even if they didn’t accept or recognize Him.

When God is present, lives are transformed, hearts melt, and people return to God. Well, I should probably say that not all lives are affected in this way. When God is present, some hearts are hardened and when that happens, those people openly reject God instead of accepting Him.

As I am talking here with you, I wonder if God’s kingdom is wherever the Holy Spirit is moving or present. I hope this is the case, otherwise when Jesus returned to Heaven, God’s kingdom left with Him. God’s Spirit is not something we can see directly. Just like the wind, we cannot see it, but we are able to feel it and see its effects.

When God’s Spirit is moving in people’s lives, we see the effects I shared earlier: some people’s lives are transformed while other lives are hardened. Perhaps the polarizing of culture is due to the Holy Spirit drawing closer to this world. We could also wonder together if God is “turning up the heat”, prompting some hearts to melt towards Him and other hearts to harden against Him.

As earth’s history moves forward, the closer Jesus’ return gets, the more urgent will be the need for revival, and the closer the Holy Spirit comes, the stronger the life transformation or life hardening will become.

When we picture God’s kingdom as wherever God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit are, then God’s kingdom is always among us, and it is always within our grasp being at most just a prayer away. Just because Jesus returned to heaven does not mean that God’s kingdom has left. Jesus promised that when He leaves, He would send the Holy Spirit from the Father who would come and empower His followers. This began with the disciples, and it continues with His followers today.

Some people misunderstand Jesus’ words to mean that the Holy Spirit was not present while Jesus was on earth, but nothing could be further from the truth. The Holy Spirit was definitely present, but He was working in a different way when Jesus was alive on earth than He would be following Jesus returning to heaven. When Jesus returned to heaven, the disciples could then more fully receive the Holy Spirit’s power as they were Jesus’ representatives who were still alive. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, they were commissioned to spread God’s kingdom throughout the world.

As followers of Jesus, we are to carry out the commission that Jesus started long ago, leaning into the Holy Spirit while spreading the great news of Jesus to the world. Where the Holy Spirit is, God’s kingdom is, and that means that His kingdom is among us – wherever we are when we are allied and pointing people to Jesus!

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, intentionally seek God first in your life. Seek God and His kingdom in your daily life by asking Him to send His Holy Spirit to live in your mind and heart and intentionally orient your life towards sharing Jesus with those you meet. While some might think this challenge might be too awkward or extreme, feel free to choose the best method for sharing Jesus and God’s love that you know of for each situation God places you in. Trust that the Holy Spirit will lead and guide you to the best way to share Jesus to those He brings into your life.

Also, continue to pray and study the Bible for yourself in order to keep your connection with God strong. Study the Bible to discover just how much God loves you and what He wants to reward you with when we give ourselves for His kingdom, and trust that when we dedicate our lives to God, we receive infinitely more than we could ever give up.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or abandon where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

As we continue our walk through Jesus’ life and ministry, we come to a passage where Luke’s gospel describes Jesus challenging His audience, as well as a very specific group of people who was most certainly represented within those who were listening to Him.

Within this passage, we also discover Jesus connecting three different ideas that are usually dealt with individually. These three ideas are forgiveness, hostility, and faith. I’ll be the first to say that hostility and forgiveness are sometimes linked together. However, rarely if ever do I hear people talk about linking hostility and faith, and only slightly more common are the ideas of forgiveness and faith.

As I think about these ideas, it is interesting in my mind that each of these ideas lives within a different dimension of life. When looking at the idea of hostility, or specifically how others treat or mistreat us, this idea lives and blends the physical world with our social and emotional worlds. Looking at the idea of forgiveness helps us blend the social and emotional worlds with our spiritual world. And last, but certainly not least by any measure, the idea of faith lives primarily in the spiritual world, but for faith to be valuable, it much reach back into the physical world and affect how we physically live out our lives.

While each of these three ideas are different, they are all connected, and Jesus seems to touch on this truth in the passage we are focusing on in this podcast episode.

Our passage for this episode comes from the gospel of Luke, chapter 17, and we will read it using the New International Version of the Bible. Starting in verse 1, Luke tells us that:

¹ Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. ² It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. ³ So watch yourselves.

“If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. ⁴ Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”

⁵ The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

⁶ He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

⁷ “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? ⁸ Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? ⁹ Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? ¹⁰ So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”

Looking at the broad outline from what we just read, our passage opens by talking about things that will come that will cause us to stumble, and it warns us not to be a source of stumbling to someone else.

This leads nicely into the topic of forgiveness, and how we should respond with forgiveness when those who have hurt us repent, regardless of the number of times they sin against us. That in itself it a major challenge.

In part of my mind, I imagine some of the disciples being a little uncomfortable with this blanket idea of always forgiving, and they want to redirect the discussion by shifting it over to talking about faith – which is a much safer, more pleasant topic than forgiveness. Another part of my mind imagines other disciples hearing Jesus’ words and saying to themselves, “It would take way more faith than I have right now to be that forgiving. I wonder how to increase my faith.”

Whichever way my imagination takes me, we come to the question of faith, and Jesus’ response is fascinating. On one hand, Jesus minimizes faith’s significance, talking about how almost none of it is needed – only the size of a mustard seed, which is one of the smallest seeds visible to the naked eye. On another hand, Jesus takes the idea of faith, and makes it limitless, because His example takes the smallest fraction of an ounce and gives it amazing power.

However, within Jesus’ response we find a challenging question: How does one measure faith?

While we can literally see the size of a mustard seed, even if it is small, how can we “see” the size of someone else’s faith?

If faith was a solid, tangible object, it would be easy to measure. If faith was a liquid, it might be a little harder to measure, but still very doable. However, it is as though faith is most similar to an invisible, gaseous substance making it one of the hardest things in life to measure. We could make the comparison to faith being similar to the wind, which is only really measured by what it moves.

Just like the wind, only by seeing what faith moves can we truly know how strong it is.

Jesus then transitions away from faith and back into relationships. However, instead of looking at hostile relationships specifically, like what happens when someone is trying to cause you to stumble, Jesus focuses on the relational dynamic of a master and servant relationship. I will note here that some translations use the word slave here instead of servant, and while slaves are distinctly different from servants by definition, for the purposes of our discussion, either word fits well. Either direction we choose to translate the original language, the point is clear: we work for someone else, and as their servants/slaves, we should place them above us – regardless of how they treat or mistreat us.

In our modern culture, with the workday separated from non-work time, we don’t get a clear picture of this idea like those in the first century may have. In my own mind, the closest modern equivalent to this idea can be seen in a parent-child dynamic.

Being a parent is a 24/7 role, and unless the child is taught to do so, not many thanks are given from the child to the parent – especially during the first year or two of life. However, by most measures of success, parents who are succeeding in their role of parent do so by strategically placing their child’s needs ahead of themselves and they serve their child. At the most basic level, providing food, shelter, and stability to a child is serving the child because on their own, an infant or toddler would be unable to provide any of these things for themselves.

In a similar way, we can view our relationship with God within a parent-child framework. While most human parent-child relationships leave much to be desired, picturing God as a loving parent who does not have the faults of our human parents brings much more good than harm. God loves each of us, and even though culture has tried to turn God into a villain, the Bible draws our attention onto God’s love even in the midst of sin, pain, and death.

However, Jesus concludes our passage by challenging us to serve God simply because God is God and because of who He is. We have been invited to be adopted into God’s family, and while this is a powerful metaphor, we shouldn’t forget that before we became sons and daughters of God, we are called to be His servants.

Being a part of God’s family means that we have a part to play, and like a servant who willingly and cheerfully does what He is told to do, when we play our part, it should be satisfying in itself, with no thanks necessary. If God, as our Master, chooses to thank us or give us more responsibility, then these are His choices, not ours.

All parts of this passage do have one central theme: we are called and challenged to be humble and place others’ needs ahead of our own. We achieve this goal when we avoid being a stumbling block to others; when we choose to forgive, regardless of how often history repeats itself; when we focus our faith in a powerful way; and when we choose to serve because of who God, our Master, is in relation to who we are as servants.

Jesus has called and challenged us to place others ahead of ourselves, and to look to God for the strength to press forward with Him.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, intentionally place God first in your life. Choose to see God as our Master and understand our role as voluntary servants to God. Humbly submit to God and let Him lead and guide you along the path He has created and called you to walk.

Also continue to pray and study the Bible for yourself to learn just what God is like. Through the pages of the Bible, discover just how much God loves you and what He was willing to do for us to redeem us from sin.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or walk away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

If you have ever been confused or surprised by something Jesus did, you may be surprised to discover that you have something in common with the Pharisees and scribes in the first century. Hopefully you don’t have too much in common with them, but as we will soon discover, something Jesus regularly did prompted these religious leaders to wonder why Jesus acted the way He did.

While this event, passage, and illustration are within the most famous and well known portions of the gospels, let’s begin by reading the verses leading up to the parables Jesus shared to understand what prompted Jesus to share them.

Our passage for this episode is found in Luke’s gospel, chapter 15, and let’s read it using the New American Standard Bible. Starting in verse 1, Luke tells us:

¹ Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. ² Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

Let’s pause reading here. To set the stage for the parable Jesus is about to share with those present, Luke tells us two key details describing the scene.

First, we have Jesus attracting all the bad people in that society. We could specifically call these people those who the religious leaders looked down on. Tax collectors were considered traitors to Judaism and Israel, and sinners were people who were clearly living contrary to God’s will. These two groups liked being around Jesus and listening to Him.

It is as though these two groups enjoyed listening to Jesus because they could feel as though He liked them as people. Not once do I read that Jesus condoned their lifestyles, their occupation, or their sins, but He also didn’t condemn them either. Jesus cared for both tax collectors and sinners as real people and He spoke to their lives and hearts accordingly.

While the religious leaders clearly looked down on some of the other groups of people coming to listen to Jesus, something else was beginning to take shape. Among those who considered themselves spiritual and right with God, Luke describes grumbling that took place because of what this group saw Jesus doing.

Most people who have spent any significant length of time reading the gospels understood that the Pharisees and other religious leaders in the first century had taken a very legalistic view of the law, and in many ways, they had taken their legalism farther than God had intended.

While following and obeying the law is a good thing, the religious leaders had let pride infect their lives, because they had shifted their focus onto being judgmental towards anyone and everyone who failed to keep the law. Actually, the situation was a little worse than this, because, the law that the Pharisees and other religious leaders held up as the standard was a law they created to keep people from coming anywhere close to breaking God’s actual law. It would be like the posted speed limit of a road being 80 miles per hour, and the officers handing out tickets to anyone who traveled faster than 55.

The religious leaders’ legalistic and judgmental attitude had gone on so long that there was a great divide in the first century culture, with the religious people staying in their group and ignoring or judging those outside of the group, and those outside of the religious circle wanting nothing to do with those inside of it.

When Jesus entered history and began His ministry, everyone on both sides of the spiritual divide understood that Jesus was different. Jesus walked and talked in a way that was more intelligent and informed than the most educated religious leader, but He socialized and focused on those outside of the spiritual clique. Jesus followed and obeyed all of God’s laws, though He often pushed against and broke the religious leaders’ legalistic barrier laws when someone needed help. Jesus seemed to throw all rules aside when someone needed assistance, encouragement, or healing.

Because Jesus’ ministry was unlike anything that had happened up to that point, the religious leaders had a difficult time categorizing it. Would these religious leaders categorize Jesus as a rabbi, a doctor, a revolutionary, or something else? They never considered that Jesus came for something greater than any of the roles they wanted to place Him in. The last thing on anyone’s mind in that culture was that Jesus included death on a cross as a part of His great plan.

So the Pharisees and scribes grumble about what Jesus is doing and who He has chosen to associate with.

Hearing the religious leaders’ grumbling, Jesus then shares three parables about what God is like, often called the Parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son. With the time we have left, we can focus on the first two of these parables, and we’ll leave the third one for another episode.

Continuing reading from Luke 15, starting in verse 3:

³ So He [Jesus] told them this parable, saying, ⁴ “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? ⁵ When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. ⁶ And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ ⁷ I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

⁸ “Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹ When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!’ ¹⁰ In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Jesus’ point in these two parables is clear: God values people, and He rejoices when people who have fallen away or who were previously lost return to Him.

The underlying message in both these parables is that the social walls that the Pharisees, scribes, and other religious people had set up was stopping God’s mission of helping people be drawn back to Him. All the judgment and expectations placed on those who might have even considered returning to God was enough to turn off all but the most dedicated person. Unfortunately, the most dedicated person would likely end up as another judgmental Pharisee.

Jesus challenges us in these two parables as well. Jesus’ challenge for His followers at every point in history is to not put barriers or expectations in peoples’ way that keep them from returning to God. If you set up expectations or barriers between God and sinners, than you are being more like a Pharisee and less like Jesus.

Looking at the details of these parables from the opposite perspective, if you feel like you need to change before you can begin moving towards God, you are believing one of Satan’s most powerful lies. The lost sheep and lost coin never “found” the shepherd or woman. The opposite happened: The shepherd and woman, who both represent God, find that which was lost.

Imagine for a moment what would happen if all the barriers to returning to God were erased and if the only thing needed was simply “repenting” which is another way of saying that one turns away from sin.

According to this parable, the decision to repent and return to God is all that is needed for a celebration in heaven, and every moment that we keep our decision to keep God first in our lives keeps the celebration in heaven going. Repenting of sin and focusing on Jesus is all that is needed to return to God.

Being found and saved from sin doesn’t get any simpler than this – and it’s the way Jesus modeled for us as His followers.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, intentionally place your focus on God as the first priority in your life. Choose to seek God first and stay connected with Him.

Also, continue to pray and study the Bible for yourself – especially the four gospels – to learn what God is like through what we see in Jesus. While other people can give you ideas to think about, always take what you see, read, and hear and test it against the truth of the Bible. The Bible has stood as a reliable guide for life for thousands of years, and it will outlast any fad that culture wants to push for a generation or two.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or be distracted away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

When reading the events in the gospels, we find several big themes present through the ministry of Jesus Christ. One of these themes draws our attention onto where Jesus’ life was headed.

While we don’t often think of Jesus as being a goal setter, or a strategist, we can see through many of the events in His life that He was intentionally walking a path that He knew the end to.

However, while there are several clear examples of Jesus intentionally knowing and stating where His life was headed, the event we are focusing on in our passage for this episode is not a place we might expect this theme to appear, and I wonder if there is more nuance present in this passage and event than we have recorded.

Our passage for this episode is found in the gospel of Luke, chapter 13, and we will read it using the New Century Version. To set the stage for what Jesus shares, let’s start reading in verse 31, where Luke tells us that:

³¹ At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Go away from here! Herod wants to kill you!”

³² Jesus said to them, “Go tell that fox Herod, ‘Today and tomorrow I am forcing demons out and healing people. Then, on the third day, I will reach my goal.’ ³³ Yet I must be on my way today and tomorrow and the next day. Surely it cannot be right for a prophet to be killed anywhere except in Jerusalem.

³⁴ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and stone to death those who are sent to you. Many times I wanted to gather your people as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not let me. ³⁵ Now your house is left completely empty. I tell you, you will not see me until that time when you will say, ‘God bless the One who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

While it is easy to miss in this passage, did you see Jesus hint at His mission in this passage?

This hint is found in the last sentence of verse 32: “Then, on the third day, I will reach my goal.” Verse 33 follows up with a similar today and tomorrow, but instead of saying “on the third day”, it simply says “the next day”. This slight shift in wording tells me that Jesus’ initial phrase is distinct and significant from His follow-up one.

When looking at this passage and event, several details stand out in my mind. First off, the whole setting of this event and discussion is interesting. The passage begins with some Pharisees, who probably didn’t really like Jesus being around, bringing Him a warning that He should leave because Herod wanted to kill Him. While this is a noble gesture and it was a legitimate threat when Jesus was a baby (though it was a different Herod then), the cynical side of me wonders if the Pharisees are masking their desires by putting words in the governor’s mouth.

An equally interesting angle to frame this event is if these religious leaders met with Herod and made the case for wanting to put Jesus to death. If these leaders met with Herod, this would allow them to be among the first to know of the plot, and providing a very truthful valid warning to get Jesus to leave their area. This would be similar to saying that these leaders prompted Herod to respond in a certain way so they could then push Jesus to leave their region with a legitimate threat – all while making someone else the villain.

However, Jesus’ response to these Pharisees and to Herod is also interesting. First, He takes a stab at the governor by calling him a fox, and then He basically tells everyone present that Jerusalem is His final destination. Part of me wonders if this message made it back to Herod, and if this message was one of the reasons Herod was in Jerusalem on the Passover weekend Jesus was crucified.

Aside from Herod’s presence in Jerusalem being documented, we don’t know why He was there, outside of his jurisdiction, except for this message that Jesus sends through the religious leaders back to him.

However, let’s shift our attention back to Jesus’ goal and the subtle hint Jesus shares about His mission. By using the phrase, “The third day”, Jesus isn’t looking directly at the cross, but at the resurrection after having faced the cross and dying the death we all deserved. On crucifixion day, Jesus gave His life for us. On the second day, the Sabbath, Jesus rested following completing the work of salvation. On the third day, Jesus rose from the grave victorious.

While Jesus’ message about the first two days focus on casting out demons and healing people, the spiritual significance of these actions is the same spiritual reason He came to face the cross. Jesus came to redeem people from sin, from Satan, and from this sin-stained world. Healing people and casting out demons are the individual specific ways Jesus saved individual people, while dying on the cross was Jesus’ way to redeem humanity when Adam sinned. Paul frames this truth as Adam’s sin infecting the human race with sin, while Jesus’ sacrifice redeems humanity and opens the way for our salvation.

This slightly odd and unassuming passage in Luke’s gospel amazingly and clearly foreshadows both the cross and the resurrection. Jesus’ current, daily goal is forcing out demons and healing people, but that all leads up to His life’s big mission, where He gives His life for us on that Passover, Easter weekend.

With Jesus being victorious over sin and with His resurrection that shows us His sacrifice was accepted, what will you do with the gift Jesus offers to you? While we still live in a sin-filled world, will you accept Jesus’ sacrifice on your behalf to accept the gift He offers you of a new life with Him? Jesus offers to take our sin-stained lives to the cross and give us His perfect life in replacement. His perfect life allows us to take part in the resurrection of God’s people and to share in God’s universe-wide victory celebration over sin when Jesus returns to bring God’s people home.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, intentionally place God first. Put the God who placed your life ahead of His life as your primary focus. Let the God who focused His mission on redeeming you to lead and direct your life moving forward. Never belittle your value in the face of the value God placed on your life. He gave His life for yours. He showed the universe through His sacrifice that you are worth more to Him than His own life! Never think of your worth as being less than the value of God’s sacrifice for you.

Also, continue to pray and study the Bible for yourself. While other people can give you ideas to think about, always take what you learn and filter it through the truth that the Bible teaches. And, intentionally test your assumptions about what the Bible teaches against what the Bible actually teaches. Always take time to study the Bible, because it will help keep your mind sharp and your focus on God!

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or give up on where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!