These Familiar Things Can Kill Meaningful Faith

Simon Peter was a disciple known for his zeal and out-spoken nature. Yet, though he would have some of the highest highs (like walking on water), he would also have some of the lowest lows (such as denying that he was a follower of Jesus during the Crucifixion).

On the other side of Jesus’ resurrection, his approach to Peter’s roller coaster-styled spirituality can not be overlooked. Because, undoubtedly, a significant reason for the redemptive aspect of Peter’s story is directly connected to Heaven calling for Simon Peter specifically:

(The angel at the tomb said to Jesus’ mother Mary and his follower Mary Magdalene) But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.” -Mark 16:7 (NKJV)

Did you notice it? The angel instructed the women, “Go, tell his disciples – and Peter….” It was a very personal invitation to Peter while only generalized to the other disciples. This is a significant point considering that Peter was the one disciple who had denied even knowing Jesus during the arrest and mock trial. The angel called the name of the disciple who had rejected any relationship with Jesus.

After Resurrection, Jesus went above and beyond to make things right with Peter. Moreover, the ultimate transition happened when Heaven called Simon Peter’s name specifically while launching the post-resurrection restoration of Jesus’ relationships with disciples. A personal invitation from an angel helped bring Peter back into the fold. It is then, upon his relationship being restored with Jesus, that Simon Peter is reminded of his calling and purpose with one question from Jesus:

So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” -John 21:15 (NKJV)

But, who or what are “these”?

To answer this question, we must remember Jesus’ first moment with Simon Peter to answer this question. First, Jesus called Simon Peter to follow him while Peter was holding his family’s fishing nets. Then, notice Peter’s reaction to the stress of dealing with the Cross and the tomb.

Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing…” -John 21:3 (NKJV)

The context is clear. When Jesus first met Simon Peter, he was on a boat preparing to take over the family business as a multi-generational fisherman. It was probably a successful endeavor that would have provided a stable life. But to follow Jesus, he had to leave it all behind–the boats and the nets.

After all of the disappointment, Peter experienced surrounding Jesus’ arrest and death – when everything was going wrong – Simon Peter returned to a fishing boat. It seems, in an attempt to process his shame, pain, confusion, and condemnation, Peter went back to the “familiar.” For this reason, “these” in the highlighted verse are perceived, by some of the brightest minds in biblical scholarship, to be fish.

Jesus had incredible plans for Peter to leave the boats of “familiarity.” Still, it’s one of the most significant challenges any Jesus-follower faces spiritually. We’ve all denied Jesus, come up short, and made mistakes – we’ve all messed up! And we have all wanted to run back to something familiar on the other side of such shortcomings.

BUT HEAVEN STILL CALLS YOUR NAME, AND THE INVITATION IS STILL THE SAME!

Jesus' first invitation to Peter:

And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw…Simon Peter…Then Jesus said… “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men”...immediately they left their nets and followed Him. (Matthew 4:18–22 NKJV)

Nearly three years later, on the other side of denial and sinful mistakes, the invitation hadn’t changed:

And when Jesus had spoken…He said to Simon Peter, “Follow Me.” -John 21:19 (NKJV)

God wants you to come back to His table. He wants you to have a relationship with Him. He wants you to know that you have a purpose beyond your failures. You only have to express that you love Him and then obey Him and deny running back to the safety of familiarity when things are difficult. With the Holy Spirit’s help, get back on your feet and keep following Jesus. You can live a life filled with meaningful faith!

I invite you to view this message in its entirety at this link: https://youtu.be/pPak8_syxOQ

We want to connect with you and help you take your next steps!

1. Do you have a relationship with Jesus? This decision is the first step in receiving peace in your life. If you are ready to give your life to Jesus, we would love to celebrate with you at 3trees.com.

2. Do you need to rededicate your life to Jesus? If yes, please connect with us at 3trees.com.

3. Do you feel God prompting you to take your next steps? If yes, BEGIN is waiting for you! You can walk through our ONLINE BEGIN class at 3trees.com/begin

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Clearing Out the Clutter

You have a space that you’ve intended to clean… it’s been on your to-do list for a while now. Maybe you’re waiting for spring?

For me, it's my spice cabinet. It’s where I keep spices, oils, sauces, and flavors. But, unfortunately, it's cluttered and difficult to find what you’re looking for.

Recently, my husband Jared mentioned that I need to clean out the cabinet. I agreed with him and had purposed in my heart to do so, but if I’m honest, I procrastinated because I didn’t know where to begin.

The other night, Jared opened the cabinet, and as he reached for a spice, a glass of vanilla fell from the second shelf, landed on my new phone screen, and shattered it. I finally saw the need to clear out the clutter.

After my phone had broken, I sat down and looked at the damage the clutter had caused and made it a priority to MAKE SPACE.

Our hearts are a sacred space that we are responsible for tending to. Scripture states, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23 NKJV). Another translation states, “Above all else, guard your heart…” (NIV).

What are the things we find important?

It differs for everyone. For many, it’s faith, family, friends, career goals, good financial status, etc. For many, it is enjoying life, being a good person, having a good reputation, and feeling good about how we live.

All of these things are great! I would even say these are all very positive things. So we aren’t bad for investing some time into these things.

However, scripture says, “Above all else, guard your heart…”

WAIT. That means that you must pay attention to what is in your heart, not just what you do... It means ABOVE ALL ELSE, make sure your heart is guarded.

The passage of scriptures goes on to state that we shouldn’t gossip or speak of corrupt things, we should fix our eyes on what’s ahead, give careful thought to what we do, keep from evil, and BE steadfast in all our ways.

What if started paying more attention to what is in our hearts? What if we made sure our hearts are pure?

Based on what I am learning in scripture, a guarded heart looks like this: loving, selfless, kind, generous, caring, gracious, compassionate, noble, good, faithful. A heart devoted to God’s Truth and His Presence. What if THIS is our highest priority?

If all we do flows from our hearts then our actions and our words truly show what’s in us… the schedules we keep and the lives we lead are a mirror of what our hearts value.

If we want to know the “pulse” of our hearts, we can listen to what we talk about: do we gossip? Do we try to make others look bad? Do we complain? Do we hold grudges? Do we envy? These things can clutter up our hearts so much that we cannot find what matters most.

If we want to know the status of our hearts, we can look at our actions: are we kind to people? Are we forgiving? Do we give generously? Do we serve faithfully? Do we live a life devoted to PRAYER and God’s WORD? Do we care for others EVEN IF they don’t deserve it?

Here is the truth straight from scripture: “…For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (I Samuel‬ ‭16:7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

There is no shortage of things to fill up your heart. No shortage of distractions from what matters most. There is no deficit of things to take the eyes of your heart off of Jesus.

The Lord longs to fill us with more of him. Based on His word, he wants to work IN us and THROUGH us, but there has to be SPACE for Him. No one can clean out the cabinet of your heart but YOU.

Today, I encourage you…

Ask God to show you how to clear out any clutter in your heart. Take time and LISTEN to what He speaks to you.

What needs to be laid down on the altar to make space for more of His Presence? Maybe it means less social media, a more-focused prayer time, and more time in His Word. Perhaps it means forgiveness and laying down fear.

As you clear out the clutter, you will find that there is MORE SPACE for Jesus… and where He is, everything changes.

Seven Questions to Evaluate Your Relationship with God

But in a great house, there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. - 2 Timothy 2:20-21 (NKJV)

Paul reveals that there can be multiple vessels in the same house. Specifically, using the description of “a great house,” he shares that there can be gold, silver, wood, and clay vessels; but he clarifies that not all of them are for honorable use. There are dishonorable vessels too. His point: it’s not enough to just be in the house – even a great house – you have to personally choose to be a vessel that brings honor to God.

He further clarifies that to encourage honor in the vessels of those following God, Timothy must remind his audience of these things, “Shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase more ungodliness. Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace...avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife…a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition…” (2 Timothy 2:14, 16, 22-25 NKJV)

First, the things that we must move away from:

1. SHUN inappropriate conversations

2. FLEE immature lusts

3. AVOID arguments with irrational people

4. REFUSE to quarrel needlessly
   

Now, the things we must do:

1. PURSUE faith, love, and peace

2. BE gentle

3. DEVELOP the ability to share Scriptural truth

4. EXEMPLIFY patience

5. DISPLAY humility when correcting someone

Continuing in our posts evaluating Samson's life, we again acknowledge that he was called to holiness. He was called to be set apart. But he became a dishonorable vessel.

You do not want to become a dishonorable vessel.

So, how do you know what type of spiritual vessel you are, honorable or dishonorable? First, you must choose to evaluate your life.

1. Have I surrendered my life to Jesus?

2. Am I shunning unholy things?

3. Am I fleeing immature lusts?

4. Am I pursuing righteousness, faith, love, and peace?

5. Am I avoiding strife-filled conversations?

6. Am I a gentle, teachable, and patient person?

7. Am I patient when attempting to correct others?

God wants to do something very awesome in your life! But you have to make sure you are a vessel unto the Lord, fully surrendered to do His will through you. Samson never learned this lesson!

Samson was always fighting against everyone else and could not seem to control the lust of his flesh. As a result, he never surrendered or expressed passion for God until his dying breath.

What if Samson had just surrendered to God?

What if he had nurtured his parents’ passion for God in his own life?

How would his story be different?

Samson can’t change his story. His life is concluded, and it is heartbreaking. But your story is still being written. You can change your story. You can be the vessel that God uses to bring glory to Himself. You can be the “honorable” vessel God uses to impact the lives of others! Allow God to do something extraordinary in your life. It’s time to pivot from a causal and meaningless relationship to a meaningful and powerful relationship with God!

You don’t want to end your life thinking about the “what if’s,” you want to live your days celebrating and remembering all the very awesome things God did for you and through you!

Please allow us to help you take your next step with God and join a meaningful community. REGISTER FOR A SMALL GROUP HERE: https://www.3trees.com/groups

I invite you to view this message in its entirety at this link: https://youtu.be/1oio3Vr_UE4

WATCH IT | DISCUSSION GUIDE| MESSAGE NOTES

We want to connect with you and help you take your next steps!

1. Do you have a relationship with Jesus? This decision is the first step in receiving peace in your life. If you are ready to give your life to Jesus, we would love to celebrate with you at 3trees.com.

2. Do you need to rededicate your life to Jesus? If yes, please connect with us at 3trees.com.

3. Do you feel God prompting you to take your next steps? If yes, BEGIN is waiting for you! You can walk through our ONLINE BEGIN class at 3trees.com/begin

4. Would you like to make a difference in our community? Join our captivate team! Visit 3trees.com to find out how you can participate in community outreach opportunities.