Jan 21 Mon - John 11

Jan 22 Tues - John 14

Jan 23 Wed - Mt 28

Jan 24 Thr – Mt 6

Jan 25 Fri - Heb 11

Jan 26 Sat – James 2

PRAYER: A - Adoration (prayer of centering; focus on God's goodness); C - Confession (prayer of repentance and asking for God's forgiveness); T - Thanksgiving (prayer of gratefulness, content, joy, avoiding pessimism); S - Supplication (prayer for others; then pray for yourself)

S - STOP and listen... give God some time to speak to you --- end with the LORD'S PRAYER

Where to begin: What's the state of your soul today? Who is going to heaven because of you?

A. 2nd Key to Embracing Unknowns = Act (do) on Faith (often what you don't want)

- Jn 11:28-44, Jesus asks, "Do you believe?" Martha responds, "Remove the Stone."

1. Why did Martha object (not want) to removing the stone to Lazarus' tomb?

B. Faith: Heb 11:1, "substance of things hoped for; evidence of things unseen."

- Tom Landry, "A leader helps you see what you don't want to see, and do what you don't want to do, so you can be who you want and achieve what you want."

- Abraham in Gen 12:1-4, "And Abram left (everything) as the Lord asked."

1. Faith (in anyone) recognizes blindness, and trusts the One who can see.

2. Faith is the action of our blind response to God's all-seeing initiative

- If you already know, see and WANT to do it, it requires no faith

- The Challenge: Faith is required precisely where you are the most blind

C. Do I really have blind spots? John 9:40, "Surely we aren't blind, are we?"

- Finding Our Blind Spots - The Need for Humility and Self-Awareness (wisdom)

- Greed, Guilt, Depression, Anxiety, Materialism, Anger, Pride, etc - ALL create a "crisis of decision" between our way (what we want) vs. Jesus' Way (what God wants)

1. Vision (things unseen)- clear mental portrait of "God's Will"/the Way

2. Wisdom - James 1:5, "If anyone lacks wisdom, ask God, and it'll be given"

3. Strategy - develops when, in humility and faith, you develop the self-awareness and wisdom to see (confess/admit) where "what you want" is OUT OF ALLIGNMENT with God's Way

4. Works - the "righteousness" of Abraham; doing what you know God wants

D. Some Examples (basic spiritual habits):

Our way Barrier God's Vision (faith required)

1. No Daily Devotionals. Life's Urgencies Col. 4:2 - Devote yourself to Prayer

2. Erratic Sabbath Other Priorities Ex. 31:14 - Keep the Sabbath Holy

3. Don't Tithe Greed/Materialism Mal 3:7-10 - Give 10% to God

4. Not serve the poor. Not My Responsibility. Mt 25 - Feed the Hungry

5. Not invite to people to Jesus. " " " Mt 28:16-20 - Share the Gospel

6. No small group fellowship. Too Awkward. Heb 10:25 - Keep the Fellowship

7. Not forgive them They don't deserve it. Mt 18:22 - Forgive 70x7 times

8. Anxious/worried lives. Future will fix the present. Mt. 6:34 - Don't be Anxious

-- What We Want. ... Our excuses (blindness)... God's Will/Way (can you see?)

E. James 2:14-26 - Act (works) on Faith (what God says do) in your blind spots

- WWJ(have me to)D - Faith is your decision to respond to God's Word/Vision, precisely in the areas that you believe your "way" is better than Jesus' "Way"

- What is unknown to you, is known to God. Trust in God; have faith. And follow.