WORD - Matthew 13

Today our word comes from the allegory in Matthew 13 talking about the scattering of the seed. I’ve heard this parable a number of times in my life as I’m sure you have but I have a different take on it in this episode.

WEAPON - Securing Your Online Seeds 

When we think of keeping ourselves safe in public spaces, we typically think of tangible tools such as a gun or knife. We might think of situational awareness or, if you’ve been listening to me for than a minute, you know I always promote the necessity for risk assessments. 

But today I’m going to talk about another way to keep yourself safe and secure in the public space – the online public space.

The Word

In Luke 10, Jesus is asked "what is the most important commandment?"

He responds that the greatest commandment is to "love the Lord your

God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind"

and the second to "love your neighbor as yourself". Jesus was then

immediately asked who counts as a neighbor and he responds with a

parable or a story lesson that is an example for everyday life.

This Parable of course tells the tale of the Good Samaritan

Luke 10:25-37 ESV

25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying,

"Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 He said to him,

"What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" 27 And he answered,

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your

soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your

neighbor as yourself." 28 And he said to him, "You have answered

correctly; do this, and you will live." 29 But he, desiring to justify

himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" 30 Jesus replied, "A

man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among

robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half

dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when

he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite,

when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when

he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his

wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal

and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he

took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care

of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come

back.' 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor

to the man who fell among the robbers?" 37 He said, "The one who

showed him mercy." And Jesus said to him, "You go, and do likewise."

The Weapon

Emergency situations and disasters can take many forms. Hurricanes,

floods, fires, earthquakes, car accidents and missing persons situations

are not just the makings of television news stories. These events can

occur at any time. The first responders to an accident or emergency

often are not trained professionals but citizens and community

members who are already on the scene.

No matter where or what kind of incident it is, paramedics and police

officers tend to always use the term "bystander."

But bystander is a passive word. It means what it says; that the person

is standing by—simply near what is happening. A bystander doesn't

help. He watches. A bystander isn't useful. She just gets in the way.

The thing is: most people don't really act that way. They jump in and

help when the going gets tough. A witness comes forward and tells the

authorities what he saw. A Good Samaritan pulls the injured to safety

or tries to stop the bleeding. Whatever needs to be done usually gets

done by the person on the street or the patient's coworkers. Most

people don't just stand by.

Your life and the lives of others may depend on your ability to respond

during an emergency situation. As a first responder to an emergency or

accident scene, you may be the only one to provide information and

assistance until the authorities arrive.

If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you’re very familiar with

the idea of two kinds of first responders. The first is the Professional

First Responders: These are the folks who come to our aid when we

need help. We’re talking about, police officers, firefighters, emergency

medical

The Word – Setting Goals 

It's typical in this season, this New Year that we have resolutions. We have  resolutions for health – for wealth or some other important milestone in our  life. 

In a survey by people that survey such things … 31% of survey participants  plan on making resolutions for 2021 while 19% are still undecided. Seems like  they should resolve to make up their minds. 

Of those that made a resolution in 2020, 35% kept all their resolutions, 49%  kept some of their resolutions, and only 16% failed at keeping any of their  resolutions. 

According to an Inc. study of 2,000 people, these are the 5 most common  resolutions that were made in 2019. 

1. Exercise more 

2. Eat healthier 

3. Save Money 

4. Learn a new skill 

5. Quit smoking 

Every year the number one resolution stays the same – Exercise more.  According to statistics, more than 12% of new gym memberships start in  January. During January, Google searches for health and fitness peak. That’s  fantastic – that’s awesome right? 

Well not so fast – statistics also say that out of those new January-joining  members, 80% will quit within five months and 14% quit before the end of 

February. Yikes – that’s crazy if you’re a gym owner and even worse if you are  one of the ones that quit.  

But take heart - this isn’t a podcast on joining gyms or making new year’s resolutions – This is a podcast about real change – from a biblical  perspective…. Think of it this way resolutions are things you tell yourself – and work on for yourself with little to no help from anyone. Goals on the other  hand are things you commit to. I think as Christians we sometimes fail at our  resolutions because we have the wrong perspective on this tradition. You see,  resolutions are statements of intention, while goals are statements of  commitment. Resolutions are often vague like “I will get in shape” or “I will be  more productive.” Resolutions also tend to aim for extreme changes—I will  stop overspending— or I will lose 30lbs by April – this creates an intimidating  gap between where you are and where you want to be with no actionable  steps. This is like having two pieces of bread with nothing in the middle and  trying to call it a sandwich -- This is also why 80% of New Year’s resolutions  fail. I like to think of it as resolutions being secular while Goals are something  God desires of us. Resolutions are great intentions, but goal setting is biblical. 

Just Listen to some of what the Bible has to say on Setting Goals:  Proverbs 21:5  

The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty  comes only to poverty. 

Philippians 3:14 – In Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi, he wrote:  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Luke 13:32 

He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will drive out demons and heal people today and  tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ In this Christ is referring  to Herod as a fox. 

Goal setting was a part of Christ’s thinking. First and foremost, His goal was to  do the will of His heavenly Father. This is the goal that got Him out of bed in  the morning. It was a joint mission with the Holy Spirit. His goal was also to  serve the people. He cast out demons, healed, and taught. Jesus was a focused  individual with specific goals in mind.

God has a lot to say about goals and...