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new FOCUS series: Life on God's Grid.
I worry that people think Christianity is like life insurance.
Pay your bit each month and God will look after you when you die.
but...
an encounter with the living God changes your whole frame of reference.
Paul encountered the risen Christ on the road to Damascus - and turned from persecuting the church to being the apostle to the Gentiles.
Hence in Phil 3:8 he says: "I consider EVERYTHING a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord".
Everything else pales into insignificance.....
What does this look like....
We looked at 3 areas: Money, Time and Acceptance.
Money
We think our money is ours
We think our stuff is so important
... because we think it shows our success or our value
.. or makes us feel secure.
But "whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ!"
So give it away!
How much? Lots!
Where? church, mission - local and overseas, the poor and needy here and overseas.
Time
We are very precious about our time...
but we waste a lot - so redeem the time!
Time with God is refreshment time
Time with God's people inspires us to keep going.
We spend 120 hours a week in a world that assumes that God doesn't exist.
Take 2 or 3 hours to remind ourselves that he does.
Time at FOCUS / church / bible study is not just for you - it is for others to be inspired by you.
Acceptance
Why do we worry about how much people think of us?
We have to discount their opinion.
"You don't drive my life - God does"
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