Happy New Year, Liquid Church! The start of a new year is a great time for a reset, and it's our goal this January to help you prioritize your most important relationships, your calendar, your family and your faith according to God's priorities! Are you ready to put First Things First?
TYRANNY OF THE URGENT
Everyday, we experience thousands of things crying out for our immediate attention. The truth is, we all get 1,440 minutes to spend every day... but if you're not careful about prioritizing what's IMPORTANT over what's URGENT, you may never get around to doing those things that truly fulfill your God-given PURPOSE in life.
Did you know the most productive people on Earth spend about 80% of their time doing what's important to their lives, but not necessarily urgent? Think of Jesus... He spent most of his time accomplishing what was spiritually important during the 33 years of his life on Earth, and when all was said and done, he was able to say, "I've finished everything my Father sent me to do!" (John 17:4).
SEEK FIRST GOD'S KINGDOM
When Jesus put First Things First, in just 3 years of ministry he was able to launch a worldwide, multi-cultural, global movement that has grown for over 2,000 years! So, if you want to spiritually prioritize your life in 2019, what does that look like? Let's look at 3 "Firsts" that you'll want to prioritize if you want to SEEK FIRST the Kingdom of God like never before.
#1) Give God The First 15 Minutes Of Your Day
When you get out of bed tomorrow, start opening up God's WORD and then get on your knees to PRAY! Throughout the Bible, we see there is just something about getting upearly in the morning to give God the first waking moments of your day. Whether it is the first 15 or even 30 minutes, this sets you up for a POWERFUL, Spirit-filled day! In 2019, I challenge you to give God the first 15 minutes of your day - over seemingly urgent texts, emails and notifications - and watch him BLESS the REST!
#2) Give God The First Day Of Your Week
Next, just like the early Christians, you'll want to COMMIT to meeting together with God's people on the first day of every week. Did you know? By taking the Christian Sabbath on Sunday, you are part of a 2,000 year tradition of meeting together with other believers on the first day of each week. If we're truly honest with ourselves, we NEED each other. We need to be in fellowship with other Christians... and there is just something about being in God's presence, among God's people, that strengthens your soul for the week to come!
#3) Give God The First Fast Of Your Year
Finally, I want to challenge you to start your year off by joining us for a 21-day, church-wide FAST. See, fasting is a spiritual discipline where we deny our flesh something we want (typically food) in order to draw closer to Christ. Fasting is truly a powerful way to detox your body and SUPERCHARGE your soul! We welcome you to join us on this powerful journey - starting next Sunday, January 13th - as we humble ourselves in fasting and declare our dependency on Christ at the start of the year!
Remember, if you want the same year you had in 2018, then keep doing the same things. But, if you want to experience a DEEPER connection to Christ... a HUNGER for His Holy Spirit... more of His BREAKTHROUGH power... Put First Things First in 2019 and watch Him TRANSFORM your life!