BE LIKE A CHILD
SCRIPTURE: Luke 18:15-17
15 People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

OBSERVATION:
People were bringing babies to Jesus so he would lay hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me and do not keep them from getting to me, because the kingdom of God belongs to those like these children. I am telling you the truth that anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.

APPLICATION:
I have 4 kids so I have a pretty good idea the way a small child is. Children are curious, innocent, and sponges. I can’t count how many times my kids have said something that I had said some time ago and can’t even remember that I ever said that. Or how my kids have picked up on things that I have trouble comprehending. They try to discover the world around them and grow and learn by experiences. That is how God wants me to enter or approach the kingdom like a child, like sponges and with curious wonder and innocence. How can I grow if I am trying to learn the things of the kingdom like an adult? The only way I can learn what I need to learn is by approaching the Father as a child. I can then use this example of how the father relates to me, and extend it to my own children. Use his kingdom as an example of how my home should be run. Run with love, understanding, patience and yes sometimes, discipline.

PRAYER:
Lord, help me approach your throne, your kingdom through the eyes of a child. Help me to learn and soak up your love like a sponge, like the mind of child. And like a child crawl into your loving arms and fall asleep in peace and love that you strong arms represents. Then help me use this experience and extend it over to my children and live the example that you have set for me. Amen

FORGIVE, FORGIVE, FORGIVE
SCRIPTURE: Luke 17:3-5
3 So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him." 5 The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"

OBSERVATION:
Jesus said, “If your friend sins against you bring it to his attention and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day then seven times comes back to you repenting, then forgive him.” The apostles said to Jesus, “Increase our faith!”

APPLICATION:
This an part of my walk that I have been pretty good at, but I do struggle with it from time to time. Especially with one particular person, who keeps popping up and causing me problems. Sometimes I feel like the apostles say, Lord, “Increase my faith!” I never really thought of relating my faith to my ability to forgive, but it does indeed take a great amount of faith to forgive people time and time and time again. People can make it very difficult to want to forgive them because of how people treat you. My faith in God and his using his example of forgiveness makes it possible to forgive others, even those who wrong you time and time again.. Forgiveness is a vital key to our walk with Christ. I mean how many of us are willing to give up a child to die in order to save the entire world. God gave up his Son so that we may be forgiven. By forgiving others it draws us closer to God and the more we put it into practice the easier it gets.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for forgiving me. Father, give me a forgiving heart and increase my faith when it comes to forgiving those who wrong me. Amen.

BE PREPARED
SCRIPTURE: Luke 14:31-33
31 "Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

OBSERVATION:
Jesus gives an example of a king that is going to war against another king. He will sit down first and decide if he is able to go against a king who has twice as many men as he does. If he is not able, he will send delegates while the other king is still a long way away and make terms of peace. In the same way any of you who doesn’t give up everything, cannot be my disciple.

APPLICATION:
You know I have to ask my self the question, how prepared am I. Have I weighed my options. Have I made the right decisions. Am I willing to give up everything for Christ. I can honestly say I struggle with that. I find it difficult to give up everything for God. He is the one that has given me everything and I know that but sometimes I find it very difficult to put him first. I need to put him first and foremost because my happiness truly comes from him not the things of this world.

PRAYER:
Lord, I come to you a place you first in my life. Father I know that this a struggle that I have to work on but I know that in this coming year am I going to get better at doing that. Only you Lord can bring wholeness and completeness to my life. I can not depend on anything in this world for my happiness. I can only depend on you and only then will I be able to truly prosper in you. In the name of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

FAITH THROUGH PERSISTENCE
SCRIPTURE: Luke 11:5-13
5 Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.' 7 "Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. 9 "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

OBSERVATION:
Jesus told his disciples, “Let’s say that you have a friend and you go to him late at night and tell him, ‘My friend, please may I borrow three loaves of bread, because another friend of mine has come to me on his journey and I have nothing to give him.’ Your friend answers, ‘Go away and leave me alone. It is late at night, the door is locked and the family is in bed asleep. I can’t give you anything right now.’ I tell you that he will not get up and give the bread to you because you are his friend, but because of your persistence in continuing to ask him of it and he will give you what you need. So I tell you be persistent. Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find it. Knock and the door will be opened to you. Whoever asks receives, and who seeks, finds and whoever knock, the door is opened. How many of you fathers, if your child ask for you to give them a fish to eat will give him a snake instead. Or if he asks for an egg will give him a scorpion? Even an evil man gives good gifts to his children. So if this is true how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to you.

APPLICATION:
Only until recently during a Bible study I did on prayer did this teaching really hit home. Most of the time I have just focused on verses 9-10. Then it hit me when I asked myself, “Why did it mention “Ask, Seek, Knock” essentially twice. Then I read the example before those verses and it made total sense and also revealed to me one of the aspects of my prayer life that I have really struggled with. I was asking of God, seeking God, and knocking on his door, but it didn’t seem like my prayer life was effective. But I wasn’t being persistent in my prayers. I would only go to him just once and lift up a prayer and say to myself, “Well I just prayed to him, and now faith does the rest.” I had it wrong! I wasn’t exercising faith by saying it once and just leaving it at that. I have learned to ask of God and come to him continually with my needs, seek him continually praising and worshiping him in prayer, and knocking on his door continually for him to open the doors for my life in his kingdom. Doing so continually is not begging or being faithless. It is the very essence of acting in faith because I am not just praying, I am exclaiming continually through my prayer that God is going to take care of my needs. By coming to God in prayer and being persistent in my asking, seeking and knocking, I am exercising my faith. Exercising my faith through my persistence.

PRAYER:
Father, I thank you for teaching me how to be persistent. Father I know that you take care of my ever need, but I also know that I still need to come to you with my needs. To fellowship with you, to spend time, just the two of us. And when I come to you I know that I am exercising my faith through my persistence in coming to you. Thank You for loving me and teaching me where I lack. In Jesus name. Amen.

FAITH THROUGH PERSISTENCE
SCRIPTURE: Luke 11:5-13
5 Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.' 7 "Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. 9 "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

OBSERVATION:
Jesus told his disciples, “Let’s say that you have a friend and you go to him late at night and tell him, ‘My friend, please may I borrow three loaves of bread, because another friend of mine has come to me on his journey and I have nothing to give him.’ Your friend answers, ‘Go away and leave me alone. It is late at night, the door is locked and the family is in bed asleep. I can’t give you anything right now.’ I tell you that he will not get up and give the bread to you because you are his friend, but because of your persistence in continuing to ask him of it and he will give you what you need. So I tell you be persistent. Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find it. Knock and the door will be opened to you. Whoever asks receives, and who seeks, finds and whoever knock, the door is opened. How many of you fathers, if your child ask for you to give them a fish to eat will give him a snake instead. Or if he asks for an egg will give him a scorpion? Even an evil man gives good gifts to his children. So if this is true how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to you.

APPLICATION:
Only until recently during a Bible study I did on prayer did this teaching really hit home. Most of the time I have just focused on verses 9-10. Then it hit me when I asked myself, “Why did it mention “Ask, Seek, Knock” essentially twice. Then I read the example before those verses and it made total sense and also revealed to me one of the aspects of my prayer life that I have really struggled with. I was asking of God, seeking God, and knocking on his door, but it didn’t seem like my prayer life was effective. But I wasn’t being persistent in my prayers. I would only go to him just once and lift up a prayer and say to myself, “Well I just prayed to him, and now faith does the rest.” I had it wrong! I wasn’t exercising faith by saying it once and just leaving it at that. I have learned to ask of God and come to him continually with my needs, seek him continually praising and worshiping him in prayer, and knocking on his door continually for him to open the doors for my life in his kingdom. Doing so continually is not begging or being faithless. It is the very essence of acting in faith because I am not just praying, I am exclaiming continually through my prayer that God is going to take care of my needs. By coming to God in prayer and being persistent in my asking, seeking and knocking, I am exercising my faith. Exercising my faith through my persistence.

PRAYER:
Father, I thank you for teaching me how to be persistent. Father I know that you take care of my ever need, but I also know that I still need to come to you with my needs. To fellowship with you, to spend time, just the two of us. And when I come to you I know that I am exercising my faith through my persistence in coming to you. Thank You for loving me and teaching me where I lack. In Jesus name. Amen.

BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF FAITH
SCRIPTURE: Luke 8:42-48
As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. 43 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. 45 "Who touched me?" Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you." 46 But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me." 47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48 Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."

OBSERVATION:
While there was a large crowd around Jesus, there was a woman who had suffered for 12 years from bleeding, and no one could heal her. She came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of his cloak, and her bleeding stopped immediately. “Who touched me?” asked Jesus. Peter said, “Master, there is a crowd of people all around you pressing against you.” Jesus said, “I know that someone touched me because power has gone from.” The woman, seeing that she couldn’t go on unnoticed, was afraid and came trembling at his feet and told him why she had touched him. Jesus told her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

APPLICATION:
When I look for awesome examples of faith in the Bible, I can find many of them. But three of them, during Jesus ministry really stick out. The centurion, the woman who gave all that she had left as a tithe, and this story. In Matt 9:20 it says that the woman said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” Where did she get this kind of faith. I would imagine from desperation, being inflicted with this disease for the past 12 years. I imagine that she was to a point where she did not see another way. But what I do noticed that she put everything on the line, hoping that this would work. You can’t have this kind of faith without having hope first and I imagine she was hoping with every fiber of her being, therefore being able to exercise unwaivering faith. How can I work to achieve this kind of faith? I mean I can do it when I am in dire straits, but I need to know how to walk in and practice faith of this kind.

PRAYER:
Father, in many ways I am needing to exercise faith, like this woman did, right now, in a time of desperation. But I want to learn how not to wait for desperate times to exercise this kind of faith. Father teach me how to exercise my faith better and gain better understanding of your word when it comes to my faith especially. Because with out faith, I can not walk with you in understanding, knowledge and wisdom.

FORGIVEN OF MUCH
SCRIPTURE: Luke 7:36-50
36 Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37 When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38 and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is-that she is a sinner." 40 Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Tell me, teacher," he said. 41 "Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?" 43 Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled." "You have judged correctly," Jesus said. 44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven-for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." 48 Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." 49 The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" 50 Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

OBSERVATION:
Jesus went to a Pharisees house to have dinner with him. A prostitute came in and began to she brought a jar of perfume and she began to wash Jesus feet with her tears and her hair and poured perfume on them. Then Simon, the Pharisee that had invited Jesus to his house, said to himself, “If he is a prophet then he would know who she was and that she is a sinner.” Jesus asked Simon, “A man had two servants who owed him money, one 500 denarii and the other 50. Neither man had the money to pay it back so the master forgave each of them of their debt. Now which servant would love his master more?” Simon said, “I suppose the one forgiven of the greater debt would love his master more.” Jesus told him, “You have answered correctly. Do you see the woman? When I came into your house, you didn’t give me water for my feet, but she has washed my feet with her tears. You did not give me a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing my feet since I came in. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Let me tell you, her many sins have been forgiven because she loved much. But those who have been forgiven of little will love little.” Jesus the told her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The others there began to say, “Who is this person that even forgives sins?” Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you, go in peace.”

APPLICATION:
What an awesome story. I know that I have been forgiven of much. Sometimes I feel like that woman. In tears knowing how much I have hurt God falling at the feet of Jesus. I also know that there are people in the world who want to look down on me, and judge me for what I have done. But Jesus, through his blood and my faith in him has said to me, you are forgiven of much. Your faith in me has saved you. Go in peace.” A story like this is a great reminder that I have been forgiven of much. How can I go about and not love the father for what he has done for me.

PRAYER:
Lord, I thank you for forgiving me of a great debt. I do love you even though at times I slip and fall. But you love me so much you are willing to lift me up and remind me that I am forgiven when I call on you and act in faith. Thank you so much for loving me. Amen.

"WHERE IS YOUR HEART"
SCRIPTURE: Luke 6:41-42
41 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

OBSERVATION:
Jesus is saying, Why worry about a little piece of sawdust that is in your brother’s eye but do not pay attention to the large piece of wood. How in the world can you say to your brother, “Here let me get that speck out of your eye, when you have a huge piece of wood in your eye? You hypocrite (or as I like to put it “You idiot, you moron”), first remove the large wood out of your own eye and then you will see clearly in order to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

APPLICATION:
This is one of my favorite teachings that Jesus ever gave. It really helps me to focus on where my heart is especially when I am talking to others about Christ. For instance how can I help my brother with unforgivness when I have a problem with unforgivness in my heart. I’m not saying that I have to be absolutely perfect in order to help my brother. That is impossible, after the flesh that is. However I still need to look at where my heart is first and if it is not where it needs to be then I need to repent, give it to God and make my heart right so I can better help my brother.

PRAYER:
Lord, I love you for loving me. Help me be a better person and to learn how to better examine my heart first so I can better help my brother. In Jesus name. Amen.

DON'T TELL
SCRIPTURE: Luke 5:12-14
12 While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." 13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him. 14 Then Jesus ordered him, "Don't tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them."

OBSERVATION:
A man with leprosy came to Jesus and fell, face down to the ground and begged that if Jesus was willing to cure him of his leprosy. Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man saying, “I am willing. Be clean!” And immediately the man was cured of the leprosy. Then Jesus ordered him to not tell anyone but to go show himself to the priest and make sacrifice that Moses had commanded for his cleansing as a testimony to them.

APPLICATION:
This is a famous story of Jesus healing. But there is one thing that has always confused me. Several times, in the Bible, when Jesus would heal someone, he would say, “Don’t tell anyone” It is still confusing to me today. It seems at times that Jesus didn’t want anyone to know about what he was doing. I don’t know if this is right or not but I see two things. Jesus didn’t want the glory to go to him but to the father. He didn’t want people to worship him for working miracles but worship the father through him. Also he didn’t want the man to gloat about himself but the humble himself and do what was commanded and give praise to the father through his obedience in sacrifice.

PRAYER:
Lord I pray that I have understood this correctly. Lord, I see that I am not to look to the son after the flesh and worship him after the flesh. But I am to worship you in spirit through your son. Lord, I thank you so much for the revelation that you have shown me in this. In the name of your son Jesus Christ. Amen

THE FALL
SCRIPTURE: Gen 3:2-4
2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'" 4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

OBSERVATION:
Eve told the snake, “We were told by God that we may eat from any tree in the garden, but of the tree of life in the middle of the garden we are not to touch it or we will die (Genesis 2:16-17). The snake told her, “You will not die, because God knows that when you eat of the fruit, your eyes will be opened up and you will be like God knowing good and evil.”

APPLICATION:
Well we all know how this turns out. But in this story there are a couple of things that stick out in my heart that God has showed me here. First of all when Satan tells her that, “When you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” That part was true. Their eyes were opened and they knew the difference between good and evil. In verse 7 it says that “their eyes were opened and they realized they were naked” and in verse 22 God said, “They have become like one of us, knowing good and evil. So it tells me that Satan is the master of deception but sometimes when he does deceive us he will use some truth to sugar coat the temptation sometimes. But the part that hit them hardest in this deception was when he said, “You will not surely die.” Well if you look in the physical sense that is true because they did not die a physical death immediately. I mean Adam lived to be 930 years old. So what kind of death did they suffer. A spiritual death. At that very moment they died a spiritual death. A death of separation from God. I mean look at it at first they were in such oneness with the Lord that they didn’t even realize they were naked. They had no need for anything because they were with and walking with God. However when you get to vs 7 again and it says, “Their eyes were opened and they relized they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.” Why did they notice they were naked? Because they had lost that covering and walking with God. They now understand good and evil and that what they did was evil. If they had resisted, their eyes would have still be opened to good and evil, but from the view of good and making the right choice and they would have been still walking with God. Because of this fall, God now had to give them a way to him through sacrifice and the shedding of blood. A way of salvation to which we all know lead to the saving blood of Jesus Christ. This story of the fall of man and understanding it is vital to understanding how we relate to God and how we have been saved and what we have been saved from. Spiritual death from our father. Sin still does bring a physical death, but not always immediately, but sin does separate us from God in spirit and the only way back to him is through the sacrifice and blood of Jesus.

PRAYER:
Lord, I thank you so much for opening my heart to the importance of the fall of man. Lord many things are revealed to me through this teaching and how to gain a better understanding of your way of salvation given to the world. Thank you for saving me and loving me so I am no longer naked and dead in the spirit but that I can walk with you in the Garden. Amen.