Challenge Message

What is holiness? Not self-righteous and not rule keeping. It is obedience, surrender, Christlikeness. Above all, loving people because that's what we are called to. It is living a different kind of life than non-Christians. It is having a holy discontent with casual, comfortable, consumerist Christianity, wanting something more. God's call to us is to be holy.

Read Romans 1:1-7. Our calling is to "be saints" or holy, and the motivation for this is because we are loved by God. If you want to live a life of holiness, obedience, complete surrender, if Jesus Christ is first in your life then you need to show tangible expressions of that. Here are three practices:

1. Give Jesus the first hour of your day. Meet with God in the Bible, pray, sing, listen, cry out, draw close. Unhurried time. When God convicts, obey him. Read Mark 1:35. Don't concern yourself over the details, morning or night, just spend unhurried devoted time with him. It's not a duty, but a privelege that we get to meet with God. Enjoy it!
2. Give Jesus the first day of your week. Gather with God's people in worship. To meet with God you must fully engage, not just sit in the seats. This is not an occassional or sporadic thing, this is something we should be doing consistently. This is the way of God's people, in Old & New Testament; God's people gathered together to seek his kingdom. Read Matthew 6:33.
3. Give Jesus the first tenth of your income. He owns it all. Read Proverbs 3:9. Honor the Lord with your firstfruits, not your leftovers. You are worshipping God, not tipping him. Read Exodus 20:3. First commandment, there is nothing before God.

All in all don't get caught up in the details: hour? first hour? Saturdays or Sundays? 10%? It is a matter of the heart. If you are living a life of holiness, surrender, chasing after God then he will be first in your life.

Cannot stop here. Can do all three of these things, but if you walk alone, will not become what God has called you to be. We were made to live and walk with community. It is what God has for us and part of our mission statement: Journey Together. God always lived in community. You cannot perform or do the "one anothers" in the New Testament alone, you need community. The main problem with this is our own fear, not wanting to be hurt or had a bad experience and don't want to try it again. We are called to live with community, he never said it would be easy but it is needed. Don't walk this life alone!

Discussion Questions
1. How has the spirit moved in you or convicted you during this call to holiness Jeff has been emphasizing for the church?
2. What are some tangible things you will commit to in order to show God that he is first in your life?
3. Are you journeying together? If not, why not? If you are, are you being real with one another, or is God calling you and your group to go deeper?