As we wrap up our series in the book of Haggai (focusing on our priorities) we also have the chance to engage in our latest Celebration Sunday, an opportunity to celebrate & worship God for all the good He’s done (and is doing!) in our lives.

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Why do we do what we do? Often, it seems that we might just be going through the motions. Other times, it's like we're operating on autopilot. Perhaps we've gotten a glimpse of a future we want to see happen or even find ourselves motivated by more base instincts, like getting ahead or just taking care of our own selfish needs.

The best option, though, is that we have discovered a great value, a compelling REASON. Have you?

Because, if we do discover this, if we are compelled by this, then our priorities begin to align with the good and the right and we are able to out the fully human, fully joyful life God has planned for us.

#Priorities #FutureGlory #Celebrate #CelebrationSunday

There really are many demands on our time, on our resources, and on our loyalties. And even if we've come to place to understand what is most important, what our priorities should truly be, it's easy to find ourselves falling short of those ideals.

So often we're told (or we say to ourselves), "At least the heart was in the right place!"

But does that trump what we're doing? In reality, it is direction, rather than intention, that determines our destination. While it is important to make sure our intentions & motivations are correct, it is ultimately our behavior towards that goal that makes the difference between living our our priorities rather than merely affirming them.

#Priorities #FacingOurFaults #DirectionNotIntention #HisKingdom

The older we get, the more we remember - and forget! But the truth is, we are often those who allow our nostalgia or other memories to affect how we operate today. While history & experience are wonderful counselors, they tend to be awful leaders. They can keep us looking backward, when God so very, very much wants us looking forward. It takes discipline & humility to let go of comparing what we have now to what once was. And the stark reality is that very often our memories of days gone by are colored by the very nostalgia that brings them to mind. In fact, there are a host of reels and memes on the the internet right now where Gen X'ers are replaying the lyrics from songs of "the good ol' days" in the 80's & 90's, only to discover that they are riddled with as much sketchy & unhealthy content as the contemporary music they lament.

Jesus calls us forward into His kingdom, and that direction will always be vastly more important than they memory of what has once been.

#Priorities #ForwardNotBackward #HisDirection #HisKingdom

One of the facts of modern day life in America is that most (if not all) of us are quite busy. In fact, author Molly Teuke recently noted, "A 2018 Pew Research survey revealed that 6 in 10 adults in the US feel too busy to enjoy life, and in 2023, 60% of some 2,000 Americans believed there are not enough hours in the day to complete their to-do list. That means more than half of Americans never feel like they have enough time in the day to complete their to-do list."

Sadly, this cultural phenomenon is not avoided by Jesus-followers. Stats for casual church attenders, committed members, paid staff, and everyone in between are just as bleak - and sometimes worse! It affects our work, our play, our health, our sanity, and our faith. It's a real problem!

But the most tragic reality is that (because of this busyness and other schedule-related factors) those who claim to follow Jesus are often quick to offer the disciplines of their faith and their connection to Jesus' family & His mission as first-to-be sacrificed. Unfortunately, the demands on our time and focus are not likely to spontaneously self-resolve … so what are we supposed to do?

#Priorities #FirstThingsFirst #HisPresence #HisKingdom