Let’s face it: The idol we are most likely to worship is ourselves. There are so many ways for pride to step in. Our normal, everyday actions, which might even be praiseworthy, can seduce us into following our own ways rather than God’s ways – from sports to art to intellectual ability to excelling in our jobs.  We can even be prideful of our knowledge of Christianity in such a way that it detracts from real worship. Unfortunately for us, pride – aka leaning on our own understanding – often leads to us falling flat on our faces, like Nebuchadnezzar.


Questions for further thought:
1. Has pride in your own understanding ever led you astray? 

2. Have you ever deliberately asked God to help you stop being prideful?  


Challenge: Think about how you can catch yourself when you’re being prideful in a way that gets you off track. It’s a hard thing to do, sometimes. Ask God for help. 

Paul and Barnabas became instant rock stars when they asked God to heal a man who had been lame since birth. But citizens of Lystra who hailed them one moment stoned them the next! Idolizing people – from politicians to athletes or even exceptionally godly Christians – is doomed to failure. Even the best of us have feet of clay. This is especially true when following the thoughts of one faction, like Paul or Apollos (Republicans or Democrats?), becomes more important than following Jesus.


Questions for further thought:
1. Have you ever idolized a famous human, only to be crushed when he or she turned out to be imperfect?

2. Have you ever identified yourself so strongly with the opinion of one person or group that you found yourself divided from other Christians?  


Challenge: It’s not sinful in and of itself to admire other people. Think about where you draw the line between admiration and worship; then apply that principle to your human heroes. 
 

The wonders of this earth are breath-taking and awe-inspiring. But if we worship the creation rather than the Creator, we are missing the point. We have been taught that science can explain all the mysteries of the universe, and tracking down the answers and facts about our world is fascinating. Modern medicine alone is a miracle. But we can be seduced more than we know by the idea that mere human knowledge holds the majority of answers for our lives.    


Questions for further thought:
1. Has relying on human knowledge ever distracted you from living in faith?

2. Has human knowledge ever strengthened your faith, giving you insights into God’s glorious plan?  


Challenge: Think about your criteria for how human knowledge interacts with your faith. What do you do when there seem to be conflicts between science and Christianity? Talk to God about your thoughts. 

It is hard in our modern age to imagine a time when every nation had its own deities, from Zeus to Isis to Baal. But when the Israelites came out of Egypt, God had to emphasize over and over that He was not just a god but THE God, the one and only. There was no idol to represent Him because no idol could represent all that He is. Today, other religions or philosophies still can be a temptation to Christians who don’t have a strong concept of core Bible principles. After all, many religions share a similar moral code. Other religions also can be enticing just because they are exciting and unfamiliar.


Questions for further thought:
1. Have you ever explored other religions seeking insights?

2. Can you confidently explain what sets Christianity apart from other religions?  


Challenge: Celebrating Christmas in December is one example of turning what originally were pagan festivities into a reason to focus on Jesus. Think about what your criteria are for using practices from other religions as righteous ways to worship God. One example might be Christian yoga. 

We are sheep. We are.  It’s ok.  We don’t know what’s good for us, or we would’ve chosen differently at the Garden of Eden.  Thankfully, our Good Shepherd didn’t abandon us.  He even came down to die for us.  Let’s not forget that sacrifice, and remember that He’s still there for us as our Good Shepherd up in heaven. 


Questions for further thought:
1. Do we remember that the Good Shepherd is still among us, each and every second of every day?

2. Is there something we need to give to our Shepherd?  Something that He needs to heal us from, yet again?  


Challenge: 
“Lord, please get us to see the hurts and sins that we need to give you, so that you can heal us, yet again.  Help us to remember you are always with us, and you never leave us (never have left us), and, whatever we need to know or do, please show us how to best return to you, and not be a “lost sheep.” We love you because you first loved us, Good Shepherd.  In your name, Amen.”

Have you ever felt completely despondent?  Even (mentally, emotionally) paralyzed?  If so, it might be because of sin that is literally stopping you right in your tracks.  You cannot get out of this by yourself; you can’t.  No one can.  But, there is One who CAN move you from paralysis to power.  It’s just not your power you need to rely on.  


Questions for further thought:
1. What temptations to sin are paralyzing you right now?  What sins are paralyzing you and your life outright?

2. How much longer do you think “toughing it out” will (not) work?  How about taking these temptations and sins to Jesus?


Challenge: 
We can choose paralysis, by not taking our sins and temptations to the Lord.  Or, we can choose power by just giving them all to Him. He will restore us.  “Please, Lord, help restore us in the things we need power over today.  And you will make us stronger the next time.  Thank you, Lord. Amen.”

In this time of COVID-19, we have all learned about disinfectants.  Many have heard the old saying that “Sunlight is the best disinfectant,” whether that’s countertops or human beings.  It’s the same with sin.  We simply cannot conceal our rebellion from God (as if He were fooled, and didn’t see all of it) nor from our fellow believers.  


Questions for further thought:
1. Tough question: what sins are you concealing before God right now?

2. Which sins do you need to confess before God Himself right now?  Which ones do you also need to confess to your fellow brothers and sisters?  


Challenge: 
It is never easy to confess our sins before Him and our fellow believers, but He told us we had to do just that.  “Lord, please help us to do so with humility before both, so that you may heal us, and our relationships with you, and our brothers and sisters IN you, too.  Help us to do so now.  In your precious name, Amen.”

God hates sin.  Sin makes us feel guilty.  Sick at heart.  Soul-crushing. Yet we do it, anyway. And why?  Often, it’s because we are not listening to Him.  We’re listening to our enemy.  No wonder our souls are heavy.  Please check the above verses.  They are tough medicine and strong warnings.  We yearn for the truth.  Only One has it.


Questions for further thought:
1. What are the ways in which we fall into the trap of listening to our avowed enemy, and not our Creator and Father?

2. Do we forget that our enemy, in the end, means ill for us AND will, himself, come to a drastic, terrible end? 


Challenge: 
Let us truly remember the wages of sin.  Sin crushes our souls, as well as our bodies.  Most importantly, it severs the relationship between us and the One who created us.  This relationship with Him is the one purpose for which we were all created in the first place.  Please take time to pray and ask Him to help you in fleeing from sin (and death) and towards Him who is everlasting life and love itself.

Often, we’re tempted to do what we know, intrinsically, is wrong.  We do forget, though, that temptation by itself is not sinful; giving into it is.  One thing that helps is to feed the good things, and to starve those things that lead us into those temptations in the first place.  The Bible tells us which are which.


Questions for further thought:
1. What, then, are the things that lead us (you) into temptation?  Are you feeding them, even inadvertently?

2. What are some good things that you could fill your mind and heart with instead?  What things has God been placing on your heart to think about, or to act on, instead of the previous?  


Challenge: 
It’s a truth that “what you feed in your life will grow, and what you starve will die.”  Pray to the Lord that He will show you those things that you should be feeding, and starving.  Temptations come, but they need not rule us.  Pray to the Lord that He will show you the things of His that should, and then think and act on those instead.
 

As we know from experience, all the things we’ve touched on—letting go of the past, dealing with current troubles and minimizing future worries—are challenging to accomplish. The most effective solution is a lifelong pursuit—doing everything we can to increase and maintain our focus on Jesus, the light of the world. He has the power to rewire our minds and transform our thinking.

Questions for further thought:
1. What do you do to maintain a daily focus on God?  

2. Last week, Pastor Doug challenged us to be still before God for 2 minutes. How is that going?

Challenge: Mindset has almost become a buzz word in our culture today. What do you think about mindset? Do you believe if you think positively you will act positively? Or vice versa? I cannot think of a more positive influence than Jesus. Let your heart, mind, and soul focus on Him today through study, music, prayer, kind deeds, and positive thinking.