This week, we read that God’s No. 1 goal for us is love. It’s the greatest commandment (Jesus said so!), and it trumps all of our other goals. With that in mind, let’s focus on placing high value on our relationships in the coming week:

(Monday) Think about your personal goals and ask God to help you prioritize them according to his will. Is something detracting your focus from God?

This week, we read that God’s No. 1 goal for us is love. It’s the greatest commandment (Jesus said so!), and it trumps all of our other goals.  With that in mind, let’s focus on placing high value on our relationships in the coming week:

(Sunday) Spend some time today praying for the key people in your life. What does God want you to do to make the most of those relationships?

We are taught from grade school forward that we need to set goals in life: Make a plan. Set short-range and long-term goals. “Winners never quit; quitters never win!” We use to-do lists, business models and degree plans. With all of these planning tools at our disposal, you would think that we’d have a clue about what is going on in our lives.

So, what is your No. 1 goal in life?

Is your priority to stay (or become) fit/healthy/attractive? The Bible describes our bodies as God’s temple because the Holy Spirit dwells in us (check out 1 Corinthians 3), but it also warns that the pursuit of godliness is more important than physical training (1 Timothy 4:8). Is it wrong to want to be fit? Of course not … unless it becomes more important than your relationship with God.

Is your goal to become wealthy? Being financially stable can be a good thing! There are at least 123 verses in the Bible using the term “giving” and 158 with the word “gift.” However, Luke 18:25 reminds us that it is difficult for the wealthy to know God if they become too dependent on their riches.

Maybe you are a driven professional whose focus is career-centered, and your biggest goal is to climb to the highest rung of the corporate ladder. While 2 Thessalonians 3:10 warns about the pitfalls of laziness and unwillingness to work, James chapter 1 also has a lot to say to over-achievers about pride and humility.

If all of our goals can have an upside and a downside, then what are we to do? What should our No. 1 goal in life be? Our new series based on a book by Tom Holladay: “The Relationship Principles of Jesus” that will help answer that question.

The Bible promises that Christ is returning someday! Let’s continue with Hebrews 10:25 (NIV) as today’s prayer: Help us not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but keep encouraging one another—and all the more as we see the Day approaching.

Today, let’s reword Hebrews 10:23-24 (NIV) into a personal prayer: Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for You who promised are faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

As part of our “Radical” New Year series at church, everyone was challenged to read the whole Bible in the coming year. We have a One Year Bible for Kids that we bought a couple of years ago (best laid plans of mice and men, right?), so we decided to get serious and accept the challenge.

I’m happy to report that the daily reading has become part of our bedtime routine, and on the off-chance that we forget, the boys will remind us. In fact, the older three like taking turns reading that day’s passage. Last Sunday, the pastor asked who was keeping up with their reading, and it made me smile when all of the boys raised their hands.

Tonight was the first night that No. 3 (the 1^st grader) read the whole entry by himself (with a little help from the 11yo on some tough words, but for the most part by himself)! It took a lot longer than a more fluent reader, but it was worth it to hear him reading. He was so proud of himself, and so was I.

We’re up to Moses dividing the Red Sea (what an amazing passage!), and I love that the boys recognize some of the stories. Tonight, No. 5 whispered to me while No. 3 was reading, “Is tomorrow Joshua? Because Joshua comes after Moses.” I whispered back that we still had to get to the part where Moses gets the 10 Commandments, and then we’ll get to Joshua pretty soon. He nodded and replied, “Oh, yeah – right.” 🙂

I don’t mean to over-analyze things, but something interesting occurred to me tonight. I was thinking about God’s Word and how the Bible plays such an important role in our spiritual development. There are passages about hiding God’s words in our hearts, claiming his promises, quoting Scripture to rebuke the enemy, etc. It’s powerful! What really hit me was the thought that if the boys have God’s Word in their hearts, then there is less room for the enemy to infiltrate. It’s a seed that we’re planting & fertilizing, which I hope & pray will spread like clover and uproot anything that the enemy is trying to cultivate. There’s more to that statement than I can really delve into here, but the thought was a pleasant reminder to me that God is mightier than even our heredity. He can break the strongholds of generations past. Amen!

We all have baggage on this journey we call LIFE. Pray for those in your Life group today; ask God to help them unpack their worry-filled bags and give their problems to him. Then, do the same for yourself. God has more room in his suitcase than you’ll ever need; he can handle your worries.

Ask God today how you can Encourage a friend (or visitor) at Crossroads. Pray for those who have reservations about joining a Life group and ask God how you can reach out to them in love and encouragement.

There’s no question that we do Fellowship really well! 🙂 Thank God today for the person who introduced you to Crossroads. Pray for our Life group leaders.

What does it mean to Invest in each other’s lives? Ask God to reveal that to you today, and be willing to act on it.