Circles of Importance: Putting First Things First
A few weeks ago in our chapter a day Bible read, we were going through 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, 1st and 2nd Timothy, and Titus.
Circles of Importance
Play the original Excel Still More episode here without leaving the article.
The principle
If you listen to today's episode and you want to hear more about this, specifically you'd like to know more about what the Word of God says concerning these circles, I did preach this sermon, and you can find it at the Lyndale Churchofchrist.com webpage or the Facebook page. On the other hand, if you did hear that sermon and have started to assess your own life, I hope today's episode serves as a nice reminder and motivator as it will be packed full with more of the practical stuff.
Okay, so the circles of importance are going to dominate 2022 for me, and you will probably hear about them often.
The deeper lesson
But firstly, I would tell you, these are my circles, and I'm ready to face Jesus with them. I'll be at church on Sunday because I want to worship God, not because Christians come before family or the other way around.
When a relationship with the Lord is in the middle, there will be no compromise no matter where everybody else is placed.
What it changes
The New Testament is vibrant with instruction about God's people serving one another, selflessly loving each other, contributing to the efforts of Christ the Head, knowing that we, you and me, we are his body, working together to carry out his work upon this earth. Building connections with God's people, loving God's people, that is third in my entire life list of important things.
Maybe you will invert family from brethren, whatever it might be, just remember, you have placed these people in your circles of importance before a lot of other people and things.
Live it today
If some stranger needs someone to use their own oil on him and pay for two nights in the inn, that person is more important than those things. I started this change about a year ago and last year budgeted at the beginning of every month funds for charity to help people.
Maybe you're like me, maybe you just have gotten tired of saying that people matter more than things, and then nearly never sacrificing things for people.
Take the idea with you.
- 01Where do I see the problem or opportunity described in “Circles of Importance: Putting First Things First” in my own life?
- 02What Scripture or spiritual principle in this study most needs my attention?
- 03What one specific change can I make this week to put this teaching into practice?
Prefer listening?
The original episode player is available near the top of this article, so you can listen without leaving the page.