What’s First?
Sunday May 2, 2021
Notes
Proverbs 4:20–23 NKJV
My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. 23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.
In our everyday lives, we need to allow the Word of God to govern what we think, say and do.
With so many different voices surrounding us, it is often difficult to stop and listen to the voice of the Word of God. Family and friends are always ready to give us their opinions and advice. However, an essential of training the spiritual man is learning to listen to what God’s Word has to say to us. It is giving the Word first place in our lives.
“Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” – Mike Tyson
1. GIVE THE WORD FIRST PLACE
John 17:17 NKJV
Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth
Give the word first place, no matter what just happened, your response should be, “what does the Word Say about this?”
John 8:31–32 NKJV
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
2. GET IN THE RING
James 1:3–4 NKJV
knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
James 1:3 AMP
Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace].
3. FREE LESSONS
1 Peter 1:7–8 KJV
That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
Mark 11:12–14 NKJV
Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. 13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.”
And His disciples heard it.
Mark 11:20–23 NKJV
Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.” 22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
Hebrews 11:6 NKJV
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.