You can listen to or download these messages in the audio player in the right sidebar. I have embedded the presentation (made on prezi.com) below if you want to see the main points and scripture references as you listen.

“Desire without knowledge is not good,
and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.”
Proverbs 19:2

“Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”
Proverbs 19:21

“Plans are established by counsel;
by wise guidance wage war.”
Proverbs 20:18

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance,
but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.”
Proverbs 21:5

You can listen to or download it from the teaching audio tool in the sidebar.

As I read this, my heart cries out for the Lord to be with me in this way. So often I feel as though I am totally limited to my own human capabilities. I want God to manifest himself in my life. I want my life and ministry to be more than just what I can do.

So, was Joseph just lucky or chosen? Is there anything I can do have the Lord with me? Here is what Azariah prophesied to King Asa in 2 Chron. 15:2, “The Lord is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.” Later, Hanani said to him, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him” (16:9). Joseph was not lucky or chosen, he simply took God up on his promises.

“A person who regards everything as a burden cannot be a faithful servant of the Lord” (14).

“Every faithful servant of Christ buys up the moments, and when he is not outwardly engaged he is inwardly active, waiting on the Lord in real heart-exercise” (15).

John 4:35 – “The time to work is now, not some future date. ‘Lift up your eyes and look’ He said, indicating the kind of workman He needed—one who does not stand waiting for the work to come to him, but one who has eyes to see the work that is already waiting to be done. . . . Never put off till tomorrow what can be done today” (15-16).

“Diligence is primarily an inward matter and is not measured by outward busyness” (16).

“Oh, that we might awaken to the weightiness of our responsibility, the urgency of the need around us, and the fleeting nature of time! . . . Let us, as dying men, give ourselves with all our powers to the dying around us” (19).

When walking on road to Emmaus with the two men, Jesus said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that he prophets have spoken” (v. 25). And he said to the disciples later, “Why do doubts arise in your hearts?” (v. 38).

Father, grant me a believing heart. Let me not be slow of heart to believe and have doubts arise in my heart. But instead, when I hear the Word of the Lord, let me immediately get up and run to the truth and see and live it for myself.

On Sunday, we discussed how important it is to seek the Lord, why we don’t, and how to do it. Here are the main ideas:

1. When we seek the Lord, our relationship to God is the most important thing (Psalm 32:8-9; James 4:4-10).

2. When we seek the Lord, we will spend time in prayer.

3. When we seek the Lord, we will wait on him to act, provide, and lead (Psalm 33:20).

“Balance is taking one strong biblical truth and letting it operate in tension with other biblical truths.”

- George Verwer

“The thought of you stirs [man] so deeply that he cannot be content unless he praises you, because you made us for yourself and our hearts find no peace until they rest in you.”

- Augustine, Confessions 1.1

“If anyone would come after me . . .” (Mark 8:34)

The word translated “would” in the ESV is thelo, which could mean to desire or to purpose. This second meaining could be defined like this: “to have something in mind for oneself, of purpose, resolve, will, wish, want, be ready” (BDAG, 448).  Based on the context and commitment of the call, “purpose” would certainly be appropriate, if not the necessary meaning. Thus, “if anyone purposes or resolves to follow after me . . .”

Jesus is establishing that following him is a pretty serious endeavor. The first condition is that one desires and purposes to follow him. We all struggle with conflicting desires and we must decide what we want the most. We can be a friend of the world or a friend of God, not both. We can love and serve God or we can love and serve ourselves, not both. We have to make a choice. We can resolve to follow Jesus.

I pray for a great passion to follow Christ. A great fire in my heart that is greater than my desires for fleshly satisfaction. I renew my commitment today to follow Jesus. I purpose again today, with even greater understanding than when I first decided to give him my life, to follow him to the end, no matter what the cost.