Look to Jesus

1. Look to Jesus

2. Today’s Focus: Be Like Jesus

3. Opening Prayer In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Dear Heavenly Father, You are an amazing God. Thank you for sending your son to be our Savior. We are sorry for our sin. Help us develop habits and become more aware of our words and actions so that we can become more like You. Please bless our time together. In Your Name, Amen.

4. Hebrews 12:1-2 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

5. Today’s Focus Be Like Jesus If we are running the race with our eyes fixed on Jesus, what does that look like? What would our daily routines look like?

6. Quick Reflection If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

7. A Quick Verse Philippians 2:13  13 God is working in you. He wants your plans and your acts to be in keeping with his good purpose.

8. Story of the Leper Luke 5:12-16 (The Message) 12 One day in one of the villages there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus he fell down before him in prayer and said, “If you want to, you can cleanse me.” 13 Jesus put out his hand, touched him, and said, “I want to. Be clean.” Then and there his skin was smooth, the leprosy gone.

9. Story of the Leper 14Jesus instructed him, “Don’t talk about this all over town. Just quietly present your healed self to the priest, along with the offering ordered by Moses. Your cleansed and obedient life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done.”

10. One More Verse Jeremiah 29:11 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. God has a plan for us, and if we live for Him, we will have hope and JOY!

11. Flag Song • Joy is the flag flown high • From the castle of my heart • From the castle of my heart • From the castle of my heart

12. Joy is the flag flown high • From the castle of my heart • When the King is in residence there.

13. So let it fly in the sky • Let the whole world know • Let the whole world know • Let the whole world know

14. So let it fly in the sky • Let the whole world know • That the King is in residence there.

15. Joy is the flag flown high • From the castle of my heart • From the castle of my heart • From the castle of my heart

16. Joy is the flag flown high • From the castle of my heart • When the King is in residence there.

17. So let it fly in the sky • Let the whole world know • Let the whole world know • Let the whole world know

18. So let it fly in the sky • Let the whole world know • That the King is in residence there.

19. Today’s Questions: Why look to Jesus? How will our lives be different if we look to Jesus? Why should we practice good works?

20. Changes If we are running the race with our eyes fixed on Jesus, the joy of Jesus will make us want to change to be more like Him. Remember, God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way.

21. Change #1 Change your purpose in life.

22. Change #1 More Jesus, less world.

23. Change #1 Matthew 6: 19-21 “Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being. More Jesus, less world.

24. Change #2 Believe you can change with God’s help Excuses are easy on this one. Many people may say, “I can’t change,” or “I’m only human,” or “that’s just my personality.” If you trust in God, trust that He can change you.

25. Change #2 Philippians 4:13 13 I can do all this through Him who gives me strength. God can do anything if you just seek Him and ask for His help.

26. Create in Me • Create in me a clean heart O God, • And renew a right spirit within me. • Create in me a clean heart O God, • And renew a right spirit within me. • And cast me not away from thy presence, O Lord, • And take not thy Holy Spirit from me; • Restore unto me the joys of thy salvation, • And renew a right spirit within me.

27. Change #3 Listen to the following story and see what change you may need to make based on Jesus' example.

28. Matthew 4:1-11 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be temptedby the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

29. 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

30. 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands,so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

31. 7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

32. 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

33. Change #3 So what did Jesus do in this story?

34. Change #3 Memorize Scripture. It is good to memorize Scripture verses so that you can use them to defeat your own temptations. Does anyone here know any Scripture verses?

35. Change #4 Repent of Sin What does it mean to ‘repent’?

36. Change #4 Have you ever had someone apologize to you for something, but you know they really didn’t mean it? How do you know when someone truly apologizes for a wrong they committed?

37. Change #4 Repent means to ask for forgiveness AND to try to change the action that caused pain or damage to yourself or someone else. Repent not only for the sins you commit against others, but the sins you commit against God.

38. Change #5 Accountability How are you going to make sure you stay accountable for starting good habits, trying to avoid sin, truly forgiving, etc…?

39. Change #5 Who can you rely on to help hold you accountable for running the race with your eyes fixed on Jesus?

40. Change #6 Pray Prayer is an important part of a spiritual life. When is the best time to pray?

41. Change #6 Always! You can pray anywhere in any fashion. God loves it when you come to Him for support, guidance, and to show your appreciation for all the crazy neat stuff that surrounds you the He created and put in your life!

42. Change #6 Just remember when you pray: Be open and honest Repent and ask forgiveness Be thankful and adoring Pray for others Pray for God to work in you Pray that all is done by His will

43. Lord’s Prayer Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

44. Change #7 Seek Help Surround yourself with other Christians to help you run the race with focus.

45. Brothers and Sisters in Christ Terry K. Dittmer 1 Co. 1:10 • Sing Alleluia! Amen! • Let your prayers and your praises ascend. • Lift up your voices and sing • To our Lord God, our Savior and King! • Here brought together by grace; • We are gathered as friends in this place.

46. And assembled as one • In the name of the Son, • Lifting hearts, lifting hands, • Celebrating as friends, • And proclaiming the Lord, • All our praises afford • We are brothers and sisters in Christ.

47. Man walked alone and in need Without faith, hope, or promise, or creed, Wandering, aimlessly lost, Unaware of the staggering cost: That God in His mercy would save All His people from death and the grave.

48. And assembled as one • In the name of the Son, • Lifting hearts, lifting hands, • Celebrating as friends, • And proclaiming the Lord, • All our praises afford • We are brothers and sisters in Christ.

49. Lord, teach us how to proclaim All Your goodness, Your love, and Your name; Lord, teach us how to forgive, And in love, teach us, Lord, how to live. Raising our voices in song, Help us tell all the world we belong.

50. And assembled as one • In the name of the Son, • Lifting hearts, lifting hands, • Celebrating as friends, • And proclaiming the Lord, • All our praises afford • We are brothers and sisters in Christ.