Living The God-First Life Sample

Li v i n g
t h e G od First Life
Stovall Weems
A 40 - Day Devotional
9780310320418_Living the God-first Life_int.indd 3
11/12/14 4:13 PM
ZONDERVAN
Living the God-First Life
Copyright 2014 by Stovall Weems
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First printing November 2014 / Printed in the United States of America
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Contents
Seek First the Kingdom. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Preparation for the Journey

Day 1: Lost and Found . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
The Lost Sheep (Luke 15:17)
Day 2: Understand Your True Value. . . . . . . . . 23
The Woman and the Lost Coin (Luke 15:810)
Day 3: Clear the Rocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:39, 1823)
Day 4: Weed the Garden. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:39, 1823)
Day 5: Found and Finding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Revisit the Parables from Days 1 to 4
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Decision No. 1: I Live God-First by

Worshipping
Day 6: The Attitude of a Worshipper . . . . . . . . 39
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:914)
Day 7: Dont Miss the Party. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
The Wedding Celebration (Matthew 22:114;
Luke 14:1524)
Day 8: Make a Good Trade. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Hidden Treasure and the Pearl of Great Price
(Matthew 13:4446)
Day 9: Theres Enough Grace to Go Around. . . . 51
Laborers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:116)
Day 10: Humility, Priority, and Gratitude . . . . 55

Staying Devoted
Day 11: Growing Inside. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
The Growing Seed (Mark 4:2629)
Day 12: You Cant Borrow Devotion . . . . . . . . 65
The Wise and Foolish Virgins (Matthew 25:113)
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Day 13: Stick with It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

The Friend at Midnight (Luke 11:113)
Day 14: When the Going Gets Tough . . . . . . . . 73
The Persistent Widow (Luke 18:18)
Day 15: Possessing a Heart of Devotion . . . . . 77
Decision No. 3: I Live God-First by Being

Filled with the Holy Spirit
Day 16: The New Wine of the Spirit. . . . . . . . . 83
Old and New Wineskins (Luke 5:3339)
Day 17: Good Leaven and Bad Leaven. . . . . . . . 87
Parable of the Leaven (Matthew 13:33)
Leaven of the Pharisees (Matthew 16:6, 1112)
Day 18: Embrace Small Beginnings. . . . . . . . . 91
Growth of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:3132)
Day 19: A Firm Foundation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
The Wise and Foolish Builders (Luke 6:4649)
Day 20: The Necessity of Being Filled. . . . . . . 97
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Connecting into Community in My
Local Church
Day 21: Dont Let Anything Hold You Back . . . 103
The Wheat and Tares (Matthew 13:2430, 3643)
Day 22: Start Somewhere and Trust God. . . . 107
Taking the Lowest Place (Luke 14:711)
Day 23: Sharing Extravagant Grace. . . . . . . 111
The Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:2135)
Day 24: Take Time to Care. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:2537)
Day 25: More of Others, Less of Ourselves. . . 119

Serving
Day 26: Working for the Kingdom. . . . . . . . . 125
Becoming Faithful Servants (Luke 12:3248; 17:710)
Day 27: Not on Our Own . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
The Vine and Branches ( John 15:17)
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Day 28: Assume the Best and Use What

Youre Given. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
The Talents (Matthew 25:1430)
Day 29: Actions Speak Louder Than Words. . . 136
The Reluctantly Obedient Son (Matthew 21:2832)
Day 30: To Serve Each Other. . . . . . . . . . . . 140

Generous
Day 31: Generosity Builds the Kingdom. . . . . 147
The Rich Fool (Luke 12:1634)
Day 32: Be Wise with What God Gives. . . . . . . 151
The Wise Manager (Luke 16:113)
Day 33: The Church Needs Your Help . . . . . . 155
The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:2537)
Day 34: Trust the Most Generous Giver of All. . 159
The Birds and the Lilies (Matthew 6:2434)
Day 35: A Heart of Generosity. . . . . . . . . . . 163
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Reaching Out to Others
Day 36: Find Like Youve Been Found. . . . . . . 169
The Lost Sheep (Luke 15:17)
Day 37: Shine Your Light. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
The Lamp on the Lampstand (Matthew 5:1416;
Mark 4:2125; Luke 8:1618)
Day 38: Grace Does Not Discriminate . . . . . . 176
The Dragnet (Matthew 13:4750)
Day 39: Give People Room. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:1132)
Day 40: To Seek and Save . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
About the Author. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
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Seek First
the Kingdom
As followers of Christ, we can set ourselves up to believe
that were supposed to have the Christian life all locked
down, and then when we dont, our faith-walk hits a
point of crisis.
Any Christian canand probably willface this.
Sometimes we have questions and concerns and cant get
answers. I remember a time like that shortly after I started
following Jesus. I was going deeper in my faith but facing difficult temptations, wrestling with tough questions,
and not always finding the answers so easily in the Bible.
I believed God had the answers, but I couldnt seem to
break through. It was a major struggle for meuntil God
reminded me of a verse I had read before.
Its amazing how a few words at the right time can
answer every question. For me those words came from
Matthew 6:33: Seek first the k ingdom of God and His
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Seek first the Kingdom

righteousness, and all these things shall be added to
you. The verse is found in the Sermon on the Mount,
right as Jesus tells us that God will take care of all our
needs. And thats when it hit me.
If I put God first, Id have the answers I neededor at
least peace in the midst of unanswered questions. It was a
game changer for me spiritually. Matthew 6:33 was like a
compass for me, pointing the way. With it, I always knew
the way forward, even if everything else in life didnt make
much sense at the moment. As a result, my walk with God
became much more confident and assured, and other pieces
of my life began to fall into place as well.
But what does it mean to seek Gods kingdom first?
I answer that question in The God-First Life, but I want
to add to that answer here. Im hoping that in this fortyday devotional you will discover concrete ways to apply
the foundational truths of The God-First Life. We will do
this by taking a deeper look at the parables of Jesus and
learning from the stories he shared with us.
What Is the Kingdom?

When you read the Gospels, you find that while Jesus
talked about the kingdom of God, there was never a
single definition for it. Instead, he described it using
comparisons and metaphors. The kingdom is like this,
he would say, or, The kingdom is like that.
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For example, according to the parables of Jesus, the
kingdom is like a pearl, like a field, like a mustard seed,
like a lost coin, and like a lot of other things that dont
sound like a clear definition. Surrounded by a group of
people, Jesus started making comparisons and telling
stories instead of just providing definitions.
Why did he do that? Its common to hear people say
that Jesus taught with stories because we all learn better
that waybut thats only partly true. Some of the parables, such as the good Samaritan and the prodigal son,
are great stories that have obvious lessons. But it may
not be as easy to make such connections with some of
the other parables that at first glance seem a little more
vague. The truth is that J esus is up to a lot more than just
telling good stories.
Many people in Jesus day expected the Messiah to
come and set up an earthly kingdom. If you remember
the history, the Romans had come to Israel and were
oppressing the Jews, Gods people. Surely he wouldnt
abandon them to these cruel Gentiles. The Jews of Jesus
day expected God to come and wipe the Romans out.
But they were missing something: Jesus wanted to save
Romans as much as Jews. God loves the whole world,
and his plan didnt include an earthly kingdom that
would free some people by killing others.
Gods plan was bigger than that by far. But how
could he possibly get it across when so many people
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were stuck on this wrong way of thinking? Thats where
the parables come in. Whats the kingdom like? Not what
you think, answered Jesus. Its more like ...
A New Way to Think and Live

After J esus told the story of the sower, the disciples came
to him and asked why he used parables to teach the people. Because people learn better with stories, right?
Wrong. Jesus didnt say anything like that. He
actually used parables because he knew some people
would understand his message and others might not.
It has been given to you to know the mysteries of the
kingdom of heaven, Jesus said. But not so for everyone
else; instead, they get colorful and sometimes confusing
stories that they wont understand (see Matthew
13:1117). What Jesus is saying is that his parables are
for people who already believe. The stories are for those
with open ears to hear and willing hearts to receive.
They are for the churchpeople like you and me.
Heres what I mean. Jesus knew that he couldnt just
convince people of the truth with some sermons, even
really good ones. You know what would convince the
world? If his followers started living transformed lives based on
the principles of this kingdom every day. Thats why Jesus told
us to seek the kingdom first. When we pray the Lords
Prayer, we pray that Gods kingdom would come. How
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does that happen? The kingdom comes in us as we put
God first in our lives.
But if we are going to do that, J esus couldnt explain
it all to us with a program or an agenda. It wasnt about
behavior modification or a list of what we should or
should not do. He had to give us a new way of thinking, a new way of seeing the world. The parables have
the power to reorient our expectations and priorities. If
we meditate on them, they can ignite our imagination
and transform our lives. We are going to do exactly that
here.
The Next Forty Days

Living the God-First Life is a forty-day journey through
the things Jesus said about the kingdom. To put this
information into easy-to-follow rhythm, each day will
focus on a passage to read, a point to ponder, a prayer to offer,
and something to do. I hope to unpack the parablesthe
easy ones as well as the more challenging onesin such
a way that we can get one more angle each day on how
to put the kingdom first in our lives.
On top of that, I want to focus on something else I
talk about in The God-First Life. Jesus wants us to choose
him. But once we have chosen, we dont have to waste
time or emotional energy re-choosing. Im going to
walk you through what it means to make a one-time
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decision to seek the kingdom and then how to manage
that decision. We will break down that one big decision into seven other decisions that all represent different
ways by which we can seek the kingdom:
Decision No. 1: I Live God-First by Worshipping
Decision No. 2: I Live God-First by Staying
Devoted
Decision No. 3: I Live God-First by Being Filled
with the Holy Spirit
Decision No. 4: I Live God-First by Connecting
into Community in My Local Church
Decision No. 5: I Live God-First by Serving
Generous
Decision No. 7: I Live God-First by Reaching Out
to Others
Now, before we dive into meditations on these
decisions, I think it is important to get our bearings.
It doesnt matter how long you have been living the
God-first lifeyears or just days. There are some helpful things to know about our hearts at the start of the
journey, and Jesus parables speak to these as well. We
will start there.
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Preparation
for the Journey
These first five days are all about preparing for our journey together. They are all about getting our bearings.
I want you to pay special attention to your heart and
mind. How do you see your relationship with God right
now?
Heres what well discover: God knows exactly where
you are, and he values you more than you can ever fully
know. Beyond that, you can grow in your relationship
with him by cultivating your heartremoving the
obstacles to growth and focusing on him above all else.
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Day 1
Lost and Found
Passage to Read
The Lost Sheep, Luke 15:17.
Point to Ponder
Jesus said that he came to find and save the lost. What
that looks like as we read the Bible is that Jesus was
always interested in people, and I mean all kinds of
peopleincluding some we may not feel comfortable
with.
In the culture of Jesus day there were certain kinds
of people considered off-limits to the religious people:
tax collectors, prostitutes, and other kinds of sinners.
Just think of your own circles and those odd or outcast people who dont quite fit in. Ever notice who
gets invited to parties and who doesnt? Ever notice the
cliques at school, at work, and even at church?
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Sometimes people get excluded because we think
of them as bad inf luencesa nd maybe they arebut
I cant help but think that Jesus would react differently than we do. When Jesus met such people, rather
than push them away or avoid them on the street, he
walked right up and introduced himself. These people
loved Jesus because Jesus loved them, and they could
see that whenever he was around, he wanted them
around too.
But Jesus willingness to welcome sinners wasnt
always appreciated. There was a group of people in Israel
at the time called the Pharisees. Jesus said they were very
righteous, and they weregood, churchgoing people we
call them today. But they had one major problem. They
thought they were better than everyone else, especially
the outcasts Jesus kept hanging out with. They thought
that Jesus befriending these people indicated that he had
poor judgment and wasnt as spiritual as they were, so
Jesus decided to tell a story.
Its about a shepherd who has a hundred sheepone
of which goes wandering off. What does the shepherd
do? Jesus says he leaves the ninety-nine and goes out
searching for the one whos lost. Then when he finds it,
he picks it up, brings it home, and celebrates.
The celebration is important. We know that Jesus
is really talking about people, not livestock. And Jesus
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Lost and Found

says that theres more celebration in heaven for one lost
person being found than for ninety-nine who stay put
and dont wander off. Jesus isnt saying that obedience
is worthless. Hes trying to show us how much he and
all of heaven really care about seeking and saving the
lostabout seeking and saving us!
There are two takeaways from this story for those
of us pursuing the God-first life. The first is that we
need to see ourselves as the one lamb that wandered,
not among the ninety-nine that stayed put. Its easy
to have a judgmental, disapproving attitude like the
Pharisees. But thats taking our eyes off J esus and what
he has done for us. Besides, weve all strayed; weve all
wandered off to look for greener pastures and found
ourselves alone in the forest with wolves nearby. If we
are going to put God first, we cant put ourselves over
anyone else. Its impossible to live the God-first life
like that.
The second takeaway is that we are found. Jesus
knows exactly where we are with pinpoint accuracy.
And, as the Good Shepherd, he is not satisfied until all
his prized sheep are with him. You might feel lost or
disconnected, but take heart, because the parable of the
lost sheep tells us that Jesus is in the business of locating
the lost. Thats the best possible news as we start our
journey together.
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Prayer to Offer
J esus,
Sometimes I feel far from where you want me to be. Find me.
Sometimes I feel as if I dont know where Im going. Lead me
home. Sometimes I feel as if others are judging me. Shelter me.
Sometimes I find myself judging others. Remind me of your grace.
In your name,
Amen.
Thing to Do
Show kindness to someone who looks lost. Pray for
themeven if you feel far from God right now and feel
that you yourself are wandering. Take your mind off of
your situation and ask God to lead and bless someone else.
Sometimes it takes a while to find someone to help.
There are plenty of people who need help, but we can be
so into our own problems that to look up and out can be
a real challengelike working out a muscle that hasnt
moved in a while.
Ask God to point someone out. Then act on it. It will
feel funny. You might even feel a little embarrassed, but
just do it. God will bless you as you bless othersand
he will teach you more about being found than reading
a book can.
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Day 2
Understand
Your True Value
Passage to Read
The Woman and the Lost Coin, Luke 15:810.
Point to Ponder
I couldnt find my phone anywhere. I looked in the
kitchen, in the living room, under the coffee table,
behind the sofa, in my gym bag, by my nightstand. I
looked everywhereeverywhere but the refrigerator.
I had finally given up and went to the fridge to get a
snack. And there it was, staring at me next to the pickles.
We lose stuff all the time, dont we? One survey
I read said we lose about nine things every day! The
celebrated cellist Yo-Yo Ma once left a $2.5 million cello
in the back of a taxi.
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Jesus tells a story about a woman who lost a valuable
coin, and I think its a perfect story to use when we start
thinking about the God-first life. What woman, J esus
starts, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does
not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully
until she finds it? Like me looking for my phone, the
picture J esus gives is a woman on the hunt, turning over
the whole house until she finds what shes looking for.
Whats the connection to the God-first life? Jesus
tells us that the lost coin is like uslost by our own
neglect or the neglect of others. And like the woman in
the story, the discovery triggers a party. Rejoice with
me, she says, for I have found the piece which I lost!
The same joy echoes in heaven about us.
Normally this parable is presented as being about
getting saved. And that works. But theres more to it,
and that more has everything to do with how we live
the God-first life. As much as it is about being found by
God, its also about letting us know we are valuable. And
thats important to keep in mind.
The reality is that we are not going to do it perfectly.
We are going to blow itmore than a few times every
day probably. Sometimes were going to do the spiritual
equivalent of leaving a $2.5 million cello in the trunk.
Trust me, its going to happen. But if were valuable,
if Jesus really cares enough to turn the cosmos upside
down for us, then we can rest in his estimation of us.
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Understand Your True Value
Prayer to Offer
J esus,
I am thankful to be yours. As I begin this journey of the Godfirst life, let me be assured that my worth depends on your grace,
not my efforts. Whatever I may think of myselfparticularly
in moments where I blow itI know you love and value me
fully and always.
I want to put you and your kingdom firstbefore anyone
or anything else. Please guide me on this journey and never let
me go.
In your name,
Amen.
Thing to Do
Take a minute and recall the most valuable thing youve
ever lost. Maybe it was some amount of money, or a
friend, or a collectable of some sort. Now, what would
you do to get it back? The point isnt to obsess over
something from your past. The point is to connect
with that part in you that truly values something. That
impulse you feel to reconnect is just a tiny fraction of
what God feels for you.
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Day 3
Clear the Rocks
Passage to Read
The Parable of the Sower, Matthew 13:39, 1823.
Point to Ponder
Jesus tells the story of a sower who was going out to
spread seeds. Dont get the picture of the little garden
you planted as a kid, with the perfectly furrowed soil
and seeds spaced out every inch at just the right depth.
No, the picture here is more like a man trying to reseed
his yard. He has a big bag of grass seed, and hes letting
it f ly, tossing handfuls of seed hoping some of them will
take root and grow.
Some of those seeds are going to land on good soil,
and some arent. They might hit the sidewalk or land on
a rocky patch or in some weeds. Today we are going to
focus on the rocky patches.
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Clear the Rocks

When the sower threw seeds that fell in the rocky
patches, said J esus, they immediately sprang up because
they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up
they were scorched, and because they had no root they
withered away. The idea here is that the soil was shallow
and thin because there were so many rocks and stones
in the way. There was enough soil to sprout, but not
enough to grow. The roots couldnt penetrate the rocks.
If you have ever tried working in soil like this, you
know what this is all about. If you want your plants to
thrive, you have to get equipment to bust up the rocks,
pull them out of the ground, and get them out of your way.
Now, a bald patch in your yard is one thing, but
one in our hearts is quite another. And of course, thats
what Jesus is talking about. Jesus cares about gardens.
He planted the most beautiful one the world has ever
known, Eden. But he cares even more about your heart
and mine. The seed is the gospel, the truth of his Word.
If its going to take root, it cant be in rocky soil.
At the outset of our journey together, it would be
good to check out our own soil. Are there hard things
in our hearts that will prevent the root of Gods truth
from penetrating down deep? I am talking about hard
things such as bitterness, a lack of forgiveness, an uncaring attitude, and selfishness.
We cant afford to kid ourselves about this. But he
who received the seed on stony places, this is he who
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hears the word and immediately receives it with joy,
said Jesus, yet he has no root in himself, but endures
only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution
arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.
Jesus forgives all of our failings, but when we hold
onto certain things that make it difficult for Gods Word
to take root in our hearts, its as if were setting obstacles in our own path for the God-first life. We may start
out all enthusiastic, but then the hardships come and we
shrink and wither. And hardships will come, just as surely
as the sun risesand thats doubly true once you decide
to put God first in your life. Do you think Satans happy
about that choice? All he cares about is messing you up.
If we allow these rocks and stones to sit there in our
soil, we make it very difficult to come through those
times of trial and testing. What we need to do is get out
the tiller, the shovel, and the pick and ask Jesus to go to
work in our hearts so his truth can really get down deep
in our hearts and grow.
Prayer to Offer
J esus,
Search my heart and help me find those hard places in my life.
Are there any wrongs I havent forgiven, or am I holding onto
any selfish and defensive attitudes that keep me from being open
to your grace, your love, and your truth?
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Clear the Rocks

I want to put you first. Help me remove any obstacle in my
way to your kingdom.
In your name,
Amen.
Thing to Do
Identify the biggest rock you can think of in your life.
Got it? Good. Now, go do something about itand
I dont mean later. I mean today. If its bitterness, start
asking God to neutralize it. If its selfishness, look for a
way to serve someone today. If its a lack of forgiveness,
either make it a point to forgive or ask God for the grace
to do so. Whatever you do, dont waitthe noonday
sun is coming around again soon.
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Day 4
Weed the Garden
Passage to Read
The Parable of the Sower, Matthew 13:39, 1823.
Point to Ponder
We are going to look at another truth from this same
parable. Yesterday we looked at the stony soil. Today I
want us to turn to what Jesus says about the seeds that
landed among the weeds: some fell among thorns, and
the thorns sprang up and choked them. Remember that
the seeds are a picture of Gods truth being planted in
our hearts.
So what about the thorns? Jesus says they are the
things that distract and deceive us. Now he who
received seed among the thorns is he who hears the
word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness
of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
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Weed the Garden

Jesus always hits the bulls eye, doesnt he? Our lives
are full of cares and distractions. We all have to-do lists
as long as the users manual for the space shuttle. There
are extra projects at work, afterschool practices for the
kids, the fund-raiser for the missions trip. You havent
been on a date with your spouse in two months. You
forgot to pay your bills last weekor didnt have the
resources. The car needs work. You need a break. And
before you know it, other things start taking first place
in our hearts.
Dont get me wrong: Its all importanteverything
on the list. But none is as important as our focus on Jesus,
the lover of our soul. And its easy for our time with him
to start making its way down to the bottom of our list.
We do it all the time, dont we? The God-first life is all
about priority. And as part of these first five days, we are
going to recommit to putting things back in order. God
first, then the rest. And I mean your family, your church,
your friends, your jobeverything. This parable tells
us why. When there are no thorns of distraction, Gods
truth gets rooted down deep and thrives in our lives.
Another choker of the Word Jesus mentions is the
deceitfulness of riches. This one is major in our culture
today. Jesus doesnt have anything against money, but he
does have a problem with our self-sufficiency. When we
let our cares and commitments get the best of us, we tend
to think it all depends on us. We think that if we work
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harder, organize more, get more efficient, or whatever,
we will have the time and resources to get it all done.
Worse, sometimes we make riches an idolsomething
that will somehow deliver us from all the work and distractions. It wont. It will only take our eyes off Jesus.
Part of sustaining the God-first life is that we dont
let these distractions and deceptions keep us from Jesus.
When we see brambles and thorns in our lives, we need
to get to work and uproot them.
Prayer to Offer
J esus,
Forgive me for the times I let things get out of order, and help
me to notice when Im starting to prioritize the cares, concerns,
and commitments I have over you. I want your truth to get
down deep in my life, to grow and thrive in my life. Today I
acknowledge that I am relying on you, not myself. Teach me
how to put you first in all things.
In your name,
Amen.
Thing to Do
Make a list of all the things you have to do today. Then,
before you do any of them, pray. If you feel anxious,
thats fine. Just confess it to God. Think of it as a con32
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Weed the Garden

versation starter. Let him hear the needs of your heart
your worries and concerns.
Now, put the list down and pick up your Bible. Just
read a chapter. (You can practice this alongside this
study and even continue this model after we finish the
forty days.) Start in the Psalms and see what God says to
you there. Write down your impressions.
Finally, as you start working down that long to-do
list, bring your mind back to what you read and thought
about the passage. Let it form the basis of another conversation with God. The idea is to keep the chores and
tasks and errands from choking out your communion.
Make that communion a priority, and Gods truth will
settle in deep.
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Day 5
Found and Finding
Passage to Read
Revisit the Parables from Days 1 to 4.
Point to Ponder
Starting tomorrow, we will be talking about worship,
but I want to gather up some thoughts from the last
several days before we go any further. As we take this
forty-day journey together, its important that we have
our bearings. Jesus has given us a lot of images to help
us understand the nature of the kingdom; these last four
days have given us four important pictures and show
how we need to see ourselves and act as a result.
The parable of the lost sheep reminds us that God
knows exactly where we are and, though we strayand
we all dohe cares too much to let us stay lost. He
always finds his own and celebrates the discovery.
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Found and Finding

The parable of the lost coin reminds us that we are
valuable to God. I have found that most of the time, in
prayer, when we will quiet ourselves long enough to listen, he always wants to speak to us about how valuable
we are to him. He made us, and he loves us. No matter
what we do, we are close to his heart. He loves you.
The parable of the sower also offers a lot of help
for this forty-day journey. It reminds us what kinds of
conditions are suitable for the seeds of Gods truth to
thrive in our hearts. If we have hardness in our hearts
of any kind, thats something we need to address with
God right away. He can help us break up those rough
patches and soften us with grace, but we need to invite
him to do so.
We also have to be intentional about prioritizing
what is first in our lives: God. The busy schedule, the
packed agenda, the financial worries, the frustrations
about work and familya ll can take our eyes off Jesus,
and suddenly were relying totally on ourselves to get
it together and make it happen. Thats a recipe for
disaster.
As we go forward to look at the God-first life, lets
keep in the front of our minds these four things: (1) God
knows exactly where we are; (2) he values each one of
us; (3) we need to get his help to remove the obstacles
to growth in our lives; and (4) if we are going to put the
kingdom first, we have to listen to the call of God first,
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not all the other competing voices in our world. These
are the foundational insights for our journey together.
Prayer to Offer
J esus,
I am seeking first the kingdom, your kingdom, your best for my
life. Thank you for your love, and thank you for valuing me so
much that you gave your life for me.
I give you my heart, not one blocked up by the rocks of bitterness or selfishness, but a heart cleansed by your love.
Finally, enable me to prioritize this journey. Help me to
keep the right order so I dont lose sight of you or start relying
on myself. This journey matters too much for anything to take
me off the path.
In your name,
Amen.
Thing to Do
The action for today is really simple but hugely important. Revisit the last several days and think about what
God has shown you so far. Celebrate every new glimpse
of his grace and every fresh insight into his love for you.
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Decision No. 1
I Live God-First
by Worshipping
One of the key decisions in the God-first life involves
worship, something I cover in depth in chapter 6 of The
God-First Life. We can worship anywherewhile we
drive, while we work, and so onbut one of the best
places is the local church, where we gather together with
other Christians. I want to focus here on our attitude in
worship, its priority in our lives, and what we expect to
get out of it. I hope the next five days will light a fire
about gathering to worship and finding opportunities
each day to praise God for his goodness and grace.
11/12/14 4:13 PM
Day 6
The Attitude
of a Worshipper
Passage to Read
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector, Luke 18:914.
Point to Ponder
J esus tells this story about a tax collector and a Pharisee,
both of whom had come to the temple to pray. From
this story we draw a profound lesson, not about the act
of worshipping or prayer itself, but about the attitude, or
posture, of our heart in worship.
But before we go any further, I need to tell you a
little bit about tax collectors and Pharisees. First, the tax
collectors. When the Roman government took control
of Israel, they employed the locals to collect their taxes.
These Jewish collaborators quickly became the most
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I Live God-First by Worshipping

despised people in the nation, because they were working for the enemy. But it gets worse; these tax collectors
were known to cheat their own people by padding the
tax bill and skimming off the top.
Pharisees, on the other hand, were people committed to the law of God, or at least their understanding
of it. They were committed to their traditions. While
many others in Israel were accommodating Greek and
Roman culture, the Pharisees held their ground. They
werent going to surrender one inch.
Jesus recognized the positive side of the Pharisees. They were very righteous people, and Jesus once
directed his disciples to do everything that the Pharisees
told them to do. Butand this is importanthe also
told them not to do what the Pharisees actually did. The
negative side of the Pharisees is that while they observed
the law on the outside, they missed the whole point of
itinner transformation and redirecting our hearts and
lives toward God.
This is something that the Pharisee in Jesus parable
didnt know. He stood in church and talked in prayer about
how great he was, not claiming any need for inner transformation or redirection toward God. In fact, he was so
sure of his goodness that he compared himself to the tax
collector, made a judgment about him in his heart, and
thanked God he wasnt as bad off as that other guy. The
Pharisee himself was the focus of his prayer instead of God.
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The Attitude of a Worshipper

Meanwhile, the tax collector, who supposedly knew
nothing about what it meant to be a good Jew, humbled
himself, lowered his gaze, confessed his need for God,
and prayed for mercy. And God granted him mercy. The
parable also says that the tax collector went away justified; he went away with Gods favor.
If we are going to put the kingdom of heaven first in
our worship, that means having a heart like the tax collectors. Its an attitude of the heart that, as Matthew 5:3
says, recognizes our need for Him (NLT). It is not one
that is wrapped up in comparison or in thinking we have
it all together. Lord knows, we dont. But as we humble
ourselves and turn our focus to God, he not only satisfies our needs but also gives us what we may not even
realize we need. God-first life worship is all about the
attitude of our heart.
Prayer to Offer
J esus,
I confess my need for you. I thank you that your goodness and
your mercy continue to pursue me all the days of my life. I pray
that you will help me live with a greater awareness of your greatness and your grace. Help me to always be humble before you.
In your name,
Amen.
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Thing to Do
Take a moment and think about how much you have
been forgiven. This isnt about dredging up your past; its
about being thankful in the present. Whatever comes to
mind, just direct your gratitude to God for his goodness
and grace.
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Day 7
Dont Miss the Party
Passage to Read
The Wedding Celebration, Matthew 22:114; Luke
14:1524.
Point to Ponder
Imagine throwing a wonderful wedding feast. How
would you feel if you offered invitations to your family
and friends but nobody came? Yet thats exactly what happens in this story, told in two different parables by Jesus.
A king invited a bunch of friends to a wedding celebration for his son, but they dismissed the invitation and
went their different ways, one guy to his farm, another
to his business. Lukes version gives a fair amount of
color and detail here. It paints a picture of people who
are just too busy and self-absorbed to come to the party.
One guy RSVPs by saying he cant make it because he
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just bought a new piece of property; too much to do
there. Another says hes busy with his livestock. Then
another one says hes just gotten married himself and
cant possibly come.
Yesterday we talked about the attitude of our hearts
in personal worship and prayer, but I would like us to
consider these parables as if they are about the call to corporately worshipping with one another in church. When
the invitation to worship comes, what is the attitude of
our heart: apathy or excitement? Do we have excuses? Are
there twenty-seven other things that seem more important for us to do? We have a job; we have family responsibilities; we have all sorts of things that we must do.
Of course, all of these things are important. The
Bible never says that they are not important. But we
must recognize whether those things are trying to creep
into first place and keep us from the joy of coming to
the celebration and worshipping together corporately.
Thats what church is all about! Its a big celebration of
the goodness of God! Putting God first and putting the
kingdom first means we put worship first. And as we
talked about yesterday, this is not so much an issue of
disciplinethe Pharisee in yesterdays study was quite
disciplined! Its a matter of our heart.
God is a relational God, so its no surprise what happens next in the parable. When the people dont show
up, God invites new people. The celebration will go on.
44
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LIVING THE GOD-FIRST LIFE

By Stovall Weems
The devotional companion to Stovall Weems
book The God First Life, will help you uncomplicate your life through understanding
and implementing the principle of God-first
living.
Get Your Copy of
Living the God-First Life!
Learn More

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Li v i n g

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Preparation for the Journey

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Decision No. 1: I Live God-First by

Decision No. 2: I Live God-First by

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Day 13: Stick with It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Decision No. 3: I Live God-First by Being

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Decision No. 4: I Live God-First by

Decision No. 5: I Live God-First by

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Day 28: Assume the Best and Use What

Decision No. 6: I Live God-First by Being

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Decision No. 7: I Live God-First by

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Seek first the Kingdom

What Is the Kingdom?

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Seek first the Kingdom

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Seek first the Kingdom

A New Way to Think and Live

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Seek first the Kingdom

The Next Forty Days

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Seek first the Kingdom

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Lost and Found

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Preparation for the Journey

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Lost and Found

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Preparation for the Journey

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Preparation for the Journey

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Understand Your True Value

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Clear the Rocks

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Clear the Rocks

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Preparation for the Journey

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Clear the Rocks

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Weed the Garden

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Weed the Garden

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Preparation for the Journey

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Weed the Garden

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