Re-Center Around God
Hebrews 13:1-8
Concluding Exhortations
13 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. 3 Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
“Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.”
6 So we say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?”
7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Pondering Point
Don’t let your life become centered on anything but God:
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with
what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is
my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you.
Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Discipleship Point about Worship Life
Christians worship God because of who He is and what He has done; it’s a response to his character and actions. Our worship centers in the Gospel, the good news of what God has done in Jesus Christ. This all-powerful, loving God reaches out to us through Jesus Christ, saving us from sin and death, drawing us into fellowship with him, and calling us join him in his work to restore the world. This makes him worthy of worship!
Review
Is my life centered on God or something else?
What or who does my world revolve around?
Repent if necessary
If appropriate, repent of letting God become off-center.
If not, rejoice in living out a God-centered life.
Return as necessary
Find your center and let God have it – now.
Learn to repeat as often as necessary.
Prayer
Father God, show me how to re-center my life around You and so that I and others can benefit from Your Word, Your Spirit and Your people.
Amen.
Micro-Meditation Scripture
Psalm 150:3-4
3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
4 praise him with timbrel and dancing,
praise him with the strings and pipe,
Micro-Meditation
Teaching or Command of God
2 Samuel 6:5
David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the LORD, with castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.
2 Corinthians 13:11
Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice!
Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace.
And the God of love and peace will be with you.
Pondering Point
1) What picture does David and company praising God “with all their might” bring to mind (2 Samuel 6:5)?
2) Envision yourself as a musical instrument for God; what kind of instrument are you” What does praising God “with all your might” bring to mind?
3) Now think of yourself as a human instrument for God; what does praising God “with all your might” bring to mind?
Okay – use your life to make music to the Lord with all your might.