How Holy?

"At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, 'Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.' The words 'once more' indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our 'God is a consuming fire.' " (Hebrews 12:26-28)

I'm not surprised it's so difficult for you and I to approach God with the "reverence and awe" the God of the universe deserves. For one thing, we just can't imagine HIs absolute holiness. Very few things in our culture are thought to be sacred. We take off our shoes to protect the carpet, but we don't have much reason to do so out of respect for a holy place.

The other problem is that we lower God's value because He was willing to accept us into His family. We know us, and we are sinful, often foolish, sometimes downright wicked people. If God would forgive us, how holy could He be?

We know that's wrong thinking. God did not relax His holiness to welcome us home; He obliterated our sin when He crushed holy Jesus on the cross. The consuming fire of His perfect wrath burned Him up instead of us. We can only say "yes" and "thank you again" and try harder to worship Him with deeper reverence and awe.

Think: Why do you think it's so hard for us to understand God's holiness? What can we do about it?

Pray: Ask God to help you worship Him acceptably with reverence and awe. Thank Him again for including you in His family through Jesus' death on the cross.

Do: Look up the words "acceptable," "reverence," and "awe" in your favorite online dictionary.

Refuse God?

"See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?" (Hebrews 12:25)

The writer of Hebrews is eager for us to get a very big idea: God is still God and always will be. We can miss that fact in one of two directions.

On the one hand, we can miss Jesus. We can miss the truth that God made a new way for us to be acceptable to Him, for us to be with Him. We can miss that Jesus paid for our sin and opened the door of heaven to those who will trust Him.

On the other hand, we can decide God Himself has changed, that if He offers a door to heaven through Jesus He must offer other doors, as well. That's where today's verse comes in. Those who refuse God by rejecting Christ will eventually find themselves face-to-face with the Almighty and only their own holiness to rely on. And our own holiness is no holiness, at all. Door closed.

Think: Do you know of anyone who has intentionally refused the voice of God by rejecting Jesus? What are some of the reasons people make that choice?

Pray: Make a quick list of five or so people you know who are not believers in Jesus. Ask God to help them not to refuse His offer of a home in heaven through Jesus.

Do: Good friends with someone who doesn't know Jesus? Make a plan to talk to that person about your choice not to refuse God's offer of eternity in heaven through faith in Jesus.

What's in Heaven?

"You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. " (Hebrews 12:23-24)

What will we find in heaven? We saw yesterday that we will find joyful angels by the thousands, along with the "church of the firstborn" — every person who has ever trusted in Jesus for salvation from his or her sin.

What else? God, of course. It's His city. He is the one who will judge us all. Thankfully, He will judge Christians on Jesus' record and not our own. Next, we find the spirits of men made righteous, which probably refers to believers who lived before Jesus died on the cross.

And, finally, we'll see Jesus, whose blood saved us. Heaven sounds crowded, doesn't it? God, Jesus, thousands of angels, millions of believers saved by the blood of the Lamb. Even if it isn't something you think about every day, it is your ultimate destiny to be part of that throng if you are a Christian. Look forward to it — unless you have not yet believed in Jesus (come back tomorrow for that story).

Think: How often do you work at trying to imagine this scene in the holy city of God? Does it excite you? Do you look forward to it? Why or why not?

Pray: If you're a Christian, thank God for including you in His family and in this moment in eternity.

Do: Set your mind on heaven for a while today. (See Colossians 3:1-4)

Fearless Worship

"But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven." (Hebrews 12:22-23)

God does not change. His holiness has not dimmed since the days of Mount Sinai when the Israelites trembled in fear for their lives as He gave the Law to Moses. They knew God had every right to end them for breaking His Law, and they learned they could not keep it. Trying to follow the Law always brought fear of the holy God who demanded perfection.

What has changed everything, though, is Jesus. He kept the Law perfectly. He was sinless. Absolutely. And then He was sacrificed like a lamb to pay for sin. What does that mean? That those "in Christ" are now seen by God as being identical to Christ in righteousness. His perfection placed over our sinfulness in God's eyes.

What does that mean? He still demands our respect, but we can leave the fear behind when approaching God; He sees us as perfect, forgiven, clean. Not only can we "touch the mountain," we will walk into the throne room of heaven, Mount Zion, the city of the living God, full of joyful angels. And we will be fearless and full of awe.

Think: Are you convinced that you are forgiven for all of your sins and made clean by the blood of Jesus? Do you believe you will stand in God's presence and be unafraid? Why or why not?

Pray: Thank God for the blood of Jesus that has made you clean in God's sight. Ask Him to help you to approach Him with appropriate respect but free from fear.

Do: Read Romans 8:1. Repeat.

Holy Holy Holy

"You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: 'If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.' The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, 'I am trembling with fear.' " (Hebrews 12:18-19)

We don't get God's holiness. We trivialize Him. We make Him smaller in our minds and with our words so that we can imagine being in relationship with Him. The Israelites cowering before Mount Sinai didn't have that choice. God's all consuming-holiness appeared there as a storm and fire and thunderous holy voice painful to sinful human ears.

It's not just that God has a high-and-mighty attitude, that He is too proud to mingle with His unclean creatures. It is that He is truly high and endlessly mighty. He is completely other from anything sinful; He holiness will consume corruption in fire. He must not share space with it.

So He established a holy perimeter for the trembling Israelites to keep them from getting too close. Even the stray calf would be killed for wandering into His zone of powerful righteousness.

Still, there He was, to bring His Law to His people, to give them the opportunity to live as He required and to be forgiven. That was love. Terrifying, epic, holy love.

Think: Do we tend to trivialize God's holiness? Does our closeness with Him because of Jesus sometimes make us too casual about respecting Him?

Pray: Thank God for His holiness and purity and power. Then thank Him for making you clean by washing you in the holy blood of Jesus.

Do: Try to imagine what it must have been like to be in that crowd of Israelites huddling next to Mount Sinai and waiting for Moses to come back with words from God.

Define Sexual Immorality

"See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears." (Hebrews 12:16-17)

What does it mean to be sexually immoral? That's the question a million Christian students have used to justify being sexually immoral. As soon as we start trying out new definitions for sin, we'd better ask ourselves what appetite is driving our research.

Hungry Esau sold something irreplaceable for the price of a lunch because in that moment he placed a higher value on his physical longing than any possible consequence waiting for him in the future. And all the "I'm sorry's" in the world couldn't undo that choice.

God calls his attitude "godless." Godlessness is deciding that in this moment God is not a reality. For me, right now, God doesn't exist, so I will never have to answer to Him for what I'm about to do. Godlessness fails if God is real and if He demands holiness.

He is and He does.

Think: Have you ever started to question the reality of the biblical God — or of the definition of sin — because of a strong craving for something physical? What would you say is the opposite of godlessness?

Pray: Ask God to help you to be the opposite of godless.

Do: Read Esau's sad story in Genesis 25:29-34 and 27:30-40.

Don't Miss It

"See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." (Hebrews 12:15)

How can anyone miss the grace of God? It's what makes God so . . . God, right? He gives through faith in Jesus what we do not deserve — eternity in heaven with Him. Not after we earn it with a lot of good works and not so we can earn it later with a lot more good works.

He gives it to us who trust in Christ for free as a present because He loves us. He likes us, even. Without the grace of God, well, I'm out. I'm empty. I've got nothing but a future in hell that I earned with a giant pile of sin I could tell you about. It's steaming and ugly and makes me want to throw up when I think of it. (Really.) God, in His grace, offers forgiveness for all of that.

So why do so many miss the grace of God? One reason is that it doesn't sound like a great deal to them. They've priced their own sinfulness so low, they simply can't believe God's grace is worth much. "Look at me! What is there to forgive? Why do I need Jesus to die for me? That's for real sinners."

That's one way to miss God's grace.

Think: This verse tells us to see to it that nobody misses God's grace. How can we help people "catch" it?

Pray: Thank God for His grace for all who trust in Jesus. Ask Him to make that grace obvious in your changed life.

Do: Make a short list of a few people you know who might be missing the grace of God because they can't see their own need for it.

Work at Peace & Holy

"Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord." (Hebrews 12:14)

It feels a little like cheating to jump into a passage way at the end of Hebrews. The writer has spent 12.5 chapters making his case for Christ. At this point, he's starting to wrap things up with some stern teaching that we must take our faith in God seriously enough that it changes how we live.

Make every effort . . .: What follows won't always be easy.

to live in peace . . .: Living in peace is the opposite of living in anger or argument or irritation or conflict.

with all men . . .: Not just the people that don't argue with me or the ones that treat me fairly.

and to be holy.: Work at being set apart to God and set away from normal, sinful human behavior. Do I work at that?

Think: Why do you think it takes so much effort to live at peace with people and to be holy? How do you "be holy"?

Pray: Ask God for big help in your effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy.

Do: Memorize this short, short verse by saying it 25 times in a row. Then write it down from memory and stick it up somewhere you'll have to look at it each day this week.

God: "Enjoy Your Life"

"Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God. He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart." (Ecclesiastes 5:19-20)

Has God given you wealth and possessions? Okay, you want more. Me too. But nearly all of us could point to some possessions, and most could do show-and-tell for hours with all of our cool stuff.

Do you enjoy your stuff? It's okay. God wants you to enjoy it all. Paul wrote that "God provides us with everything for our enjoyment." (1 Timothy 6:17) He even means for your work (whatever that looks like in your life) to be satisfying — not fun, necessarily, but to give you the pleasure of doing something really well.

Solomon concluded that if you have those things, you should focus your life on enjoying each moment as a gift from the God who loves you so dearly. Cram your day with thanking Him for the waffles and the mp3s and your best friend's laugh and the ability to cry and that cool breeze and Facebook and language and . . . pretty soon you'll run out of time to list all the ways that life brings you pain.

Think: Is this anything more than just thinking happy thoughts to distract ourselves from life's darkness? Does God really want us to relax and enjoy the good things in our lives as gifts from Him? Does He only want us to do that?

Pray: Ask God to help you fill up your day today with telling Him thanks for every good thing you can possibly notice.

Do: Spend all day making a list of every good thing you can possibly notice. Thank God for each new thing on the list as it comes up.

Give Up! Enjoy!

"Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him—for this is his lot." (Ecclesiastes 5:18)

After deciding the money is worthless in bringing any real satisfaction to life, Solomon reached a head-spinning conclusion: Enjoy the moment! After all his dark words about dying naked and broke, I did not see that coming.

Here's the gist: Relax. Quit trying to win at life like it's a competition. Quit trying to master it like it's a test. Quit trying to solve it like it's a riddle hiding the secret to total, blissed-out satisfaction, perfection, and the end of that groaning empty feeling that plays like white noise from the back room of your soul.

As Paul would say thousands of years later, that feeling you're looking for is called heaven, being face-to-face with our Father God forever. That feeling is NOT hiding somewhere in this life waiting to be discovered in pleasure, money, or performance. And if you keep killing yourself to find it, you're going to miss out on a million glad gifts today: great food, good friends, even the satisfaction that comes from doing your lousy job really well.

Think: Does Solomon's conclusion surprise you? Does it sound too easy? Can we really just relax and enjoy today as a gift from God — or will most of us have to learn that hard way that all of our searches for meaning outside of forever with God will end in frustration?

Pray: Ask God to give you the courage to enjoy your food and work and play today as a gift from Him.

Do: Read Romans 8:22-25 to notice Paul's take on what will finally quench the inner groaning of our souls.

Dead Broke

"Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand. This too is a grievous evil: As a man comes, so he departs, and what does he gain, since he toils for the wind? All his days he eats in darkness, with great frustration, affliction and anger." (Ecclesiastes 5:15-17)

Solomon makes his final point in the case against money's ability to satisfy us. We've already seen that money gets confiscated by the government, that the thrill of getting it is always temporary, that it is surprisingly expensive to have money, and that money is fickle.

But Solomon's darkest words are in these verses. To paraphrase a popular saying, "The person who dies with the most money . . . is dead." A lifetime spent piling it up gains you nothing because there's no way to forward the cash to the afterlife. There are no ATMs in heaven (or hell).

You start with zero and end with zero; how much does it really matter the number of dollars you had in between? What is money worth if you've got to leave your debit card at the door to the next life?

Think: We've heard Solomon's case against relying on money to give our lives meaning. What are some things that money is good for?

Pray: Ask God to give you the courage not to trust money or to believe that it can ever take care of your deepest needs. Ask Him to help you to always trust Him above all else.

Do: Read 1 Timothy 6:17-19 and notice how money can be used to invest in the next life.

Money is Fickle

"I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner, or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when he has a son there is nothing left for him." (Ecclesiastes 5:13-14)

Money is a lousy provider. You just can't trust it. You work hard to earn some of it, and then an unexpected expense comes along and takes it all away. That didn't happen to Solomon, but he saw it in the lives of his people.

In response, some of us get irrational about money. When we get some, we refuse to spend it no matter what — as if having money was the point of life. "I think I'm really sick, but I'm not going to waste my money on doctors." Or, "My car needs brakes, but there's no way I'm paying that kind of cash."

One famous example involves a woman in the 1800s who had millions but died from malnutrition in a freezing apartment because she couldn't stand to part with any dollars. People do foolish things when they start to believe that having money is the key to being safe, secure, and happy.

Think: Most people tend to either spend money foolishly or hold on to it too tightly. Does one of those describe you? What do both weaknesses reveal about our faith in money and our faith in God?

Pray: Ask God to help you not to put your faith in money, but to trust Him instead. Ask Him to help you to earn it, save it, give it, and spend it wisely.

Do: Listen this week for examples of people who lost a lot of money unexpectedly.

Money is Expensive

"As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them? The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep. " (Ecclesiastes 5:11-12)

Solomon continues to describe the ways in which money fails to satisfy us. Now he points out how expensive it is to own stuff. The more you have, the more people you need to take care of it all. Solomon had to feed and clothe an army of servants to take care of his more and more stuff.

We do the same. We just call them repair shops and gas stations and insurance agents and cleaners and battery manufacturers and then back to the original seller when its time to replace the old stuff. The more we make, the more money we need to keep paying all the people to keep our stuff in good shape.

And rich guy Solomon envies some of those servants a little. At least they can get a good night's sleep, he thinks. He lies awake worrying about the best way to take care of all his money and his stuff — kind of like all those financial people have been doing this week with the economic crises going on. Having money costs more money, more time, more energy, and more sleep.

Think: Have you ever thought about all the stress that comes with having a lot of money or a lot of stuff? Do you think that would make anyone NOT want to have as much money?

Pray: Ask God to give you a healthy attitude toward money and the stuff money can buy so you can avoid being owned by your stuff.

Do: As an example, ask one of your parents how much their nicest car cost to buy. Then ask how much they spent on it this last year or so in taxes, insurance, gas, repairs, and maintenance.

Just a Few Dollars More

"Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless." (Ecclesiastes 5:10)

Right now, somewhere in front of a computer monitor or iPhone screen, someone is reading that verse and saying, "That's not about me. I don't love money. It's just paper to me. I'd be happy to have just a few dollars more to pay off some debt or get a couple of things, and that would be god enough."

Guess what? This verse is about that person. And you. And me. Any time we connect the words "dollars more" with the idea of "that would be enough," we've become that person. We're the gerbil in your second grade classroom who never gets to the end of that wheel no matter how long he runs.

The chase for a "few dollars more" is a race without a finish line. Rich enough doesn't exist in this world. And that's coming from the richest guy who ever lived.

Think: Why do people love money? Do you really believe you could never have enough of it to make you satisfied? If money won't do it, what will bring you satisfaction in life?

Pray: Ask God for the courage to start believing this verse now and to keep believing it when you start to think you'd be satisfied with just a few dollars more.

Do: Write a quick list of 5 material things you've thought would make you happy that you eventually got. Put a check next to the ones that still make you happy.

What's Yours in Theirs

"If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still. The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields." (Ecclesiastes 5:8-9)

King Solomon of Israel may have been the richest man who ever lived. He was also the wisest. In Ecclesiastes 5, he combines those two to describe all the ways in which money fails to truly satisfy anyone.

He starts with the problems of injustice and taxes. During this campaign season, you'll hear candidates and political ads saying all kinds of things about poor people and taxes. No matter who wins, one thing won't change: Making more money always means paying more taxes — even in countries where it leaves the people starving.

Money fails to satisfy because every level of government takes a bite — city, county, state, national. The intent in many countries is to use that money for the common good, but lots of it gets wasted along the way and people get hurt. No matter the century or the form of government, the more you make the more they take.

Think: Taxes aren't always evil; they're just one of the burdens that come with having money. What are some of the others?

Pray: Thank God that He provides for all of our needs, including the need to pay the taxes we owe.

Do: Ask your parents what they think about paying taxes.

Money Week

"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19)

The big money financial gurus are calling yesterday Meltdown Monday. The stock market tanked huge. People all over the world who know stuff about money are freaking out about what bad news might come next.

I can see some of you yawning, but we all care about money. We all want the security of knowing we'll have enough to eat and clothes to wear. And nearly all of us have a long list of wants beyond that. (Most of mine take batteries.)

Beyond that, we tend to think our lives would be way better if we had a lot more money. Here's the problem: Money fails. Even if you have plenty of it; it will always let you down. For the next few days, Solomon will tell us all the ways in which money can break our hearts.

Think: What does the verse above say about money? What does it mean that God is rich? What does "all your needs" mean?

Pray: Thank God that He is ultimately the one who meets your needs, not yourself or your parents or money or work.

Do: Read Philippians 4:19 (above) as many times as necessary to get it good and stuck in your head.

Now What?

" 'Go,' said Jesus, 'your faith has healed you.' Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road." (Mark 10:52)

We're looking one more time at the last verse in Mark 10. We saw yesterday that Jesus' words to Bartimaeus are a clue about what God wants from us: to trust Him with everything we've got.

Did you notice Bartimaeus's response to being healed, to having his prayer answered? He followed Jesus. Jesus did not tell the beggar to follow Him. He didn't ask for any kind of lifetime commitment. He didn't lay a guilt trip on the man: "After all I've given you, shouldn't you really give your life to me?"

No, Bartimaeus just naturally followed his Lord after receiving such a huge gift from Him. Why wouldn't he? What better way could he use the independence that came with his new sight? What more natural thing could there be for any of us beggars than to follow Jesus along the road after He freed us from slavery to sin and a future in hell?

Think: Does that last sentence above make you feel guilty? When you think about the new life you have in Christ — and all of the good gifts He has given to you — does following Him feel like the natural thing to do? Or does it feel like an obligation? Why do you think we struggle with that?

Pray: Ask God to help you to want to follow Him naturally and gratefully as someone who has been given the greatest gift of all.

Do: Aside from the gift of your salvation in Christ, make a quick list of 5 of the biggest gifts you've ever been given by God.

What God Wants

" 'Go,' said Jesus, 'your faith has healed you.' Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road." (Mark 10:52)

What does God really want from us? It's a question that comes up a lot on this site. And Jesus' words to the blind beggar give us another clue: "Your faith has healed you."

I'm not going to talk about what God wants from you in order to miraculously heal you or your loved ones. I've known a lot of people with giant faith whom God lovingly refused to heal. That's not the point here.

I think what Jesus said reveals God's heart for us in every area of life: He wants us to believe Him. He wants us to trust Him like a little kid trusts his mom and dad. He doesn't want us to try Him out as one of many possible theories. He doesn't want us to work His system in hopes of making ourselves better people. He doesn't want us to earn His favor by first being flawless.

He wants us to trust Him, to be convinced of His absolute power and goodness and love for us. He wants us to trust Him more.

Think: Why do you think God is so responsive to our faith in Him? Why is our trusting Him so important?

Pray: Ask God to help you to learn to trust Him more.

Do: Think about this idea while reading James 1:2-4.

See the Blind Chainsaw Juggler!

" 'What do you want me to do for you?' Jesus asked him. The blind man said, 'Rabbi, I want to see.' " (Mark 10:51)

"What do you want me to do for you?"

"I want you to send someone to teach me to juggle chainsaws."

"Why?"

"Because people would pay a lot of money to see a blind guy juggle chainsaws. After I earned enough from my act, I could pay for a trip to go see this doctor I heard about who specializes in my condition. He does this progressive treatment, and I might get my vision in a few years."

When he got his chance, Bartimaeus didn't ask Jesus to help him with the first step in a complicated plan to get what he wanted. He simply asked for what He wanted and let Jesus worry about the plan. Simple prayers are evidence of big faith in God. Complicated prayers can be evidence of faith in my ability to make good plans.

Think: How often do you ask God to give you a step on the path to what you want instead of just asking for what you want? Why do you think we tend to tell God what method to us to give us what we're asking for?

Pray: Practice this. Think through a recent request you've been making of God and strip it down to the bottom line of what you really want. Then ask Him for it as simply as you can and trust Him to give it to you (or not) in the way He thinks is best.

Do: If you pray with a group this week, listen to the requests and notice how different people ask God for what they want.

Jesus Stopped

"Jesus stopped and said, 'Call him.' So they called to the blind man, 'Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you.' Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus." (Mark 10:49-50)

I don't know about you, but I'm kind of a private person. I'm a guy. I don't tend to talk about what I hope God is going to do in my life. Even with the really important things, it's not natural for me to tell other people about my private prayers.

I've learned over the years that I need to find a way to open up (with the right people) about the urgent prayers I'm taking to God. Two reasons. One is that when I tell people what I'm asking God for, they can ask Him, too. It multiplies the number of callers.

Here's the second reason: When you pray in public and God answers, God gets more famous. More people praise Him. More people start bringing their requests to Him instead of handling everything on their own. Bartimaeus made a fearless public prayer request, and everybody saw the answer.

Think: What do we risk when we tell others what we're asking God for? What can be gained by praying for our needs with a trusted group of people?

Pray: Ask God to give you the courage to let some other people know what you're urgently praying for, and ask Him to show His power to those people in how He answers your requests (even when the answer is "no").

Do: Make a quick list of five people you could ask to pray with you about anything. Then make a quick list of five things other people have asked you to pray with them about recently.

Pray Loud

"When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!' Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, 'Son of David, have mercy on me!' " (Mark 10:47-48)

Have you ever yelled out to God in prayer? Bartimaeus, the blind beggar sitting on the ground as Jesus walked past in a crowd, pretty much had to yell to be heard. It wasn't proper or polite. People told him to pipe down. Have some respect for the rabbi. Let it go.

They saw his refusal to shut up as obnoxious. Jesus saw his refusal to shut up as evidence of Barimaeus's faith in the power of God. Notice: He was still respectful. He still called Jesus the Son of David, a name for the Messiah. But Bartimaeus would not stop calling out to Him. He wanted to see, and he know God could do that.

I'm not saying we should all be yelling at God, but when you really believe He's the only one who can help you don't give up asking after the first try. If you're convinced He's the answer, you ask again. If the need is urgent, you get louder. You don't demand. But you don't stop asking until you know the answer.

Think: What are some of things you've prayed most urgently for? If you could see your prayer life in iTunes, what would be on the Most Played list? Can repetition in prayer be a sign of faith?

Pray: Ask God to help you to trust Him enough to be persistent and urgent with your neediest prayers without becoming disrespectful.

Do: Repeat the prayer above.

Pray Like a Begger

"Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!' " (Mark 10:46-47)

Notice how different this prayer is from that of James and John. We just spent a few days looking at Jesus' response to their prayer for power. Mark immediately tells us about another audacious request, but the approach is radically different.

Bartimaeus was blind; he couldn't do much to provide for himself. So he'd find a spot near the city gate, spread out his cloak on the ground in front of him, and start begging for people to drop money on it as they went by. But this day was different. He caught the word that Jesus was in the big crowd tramping out of town.

Like James and John, Bartimaeus believed the Jesus was the Messiah and that He had great power. But he couldn't wait for a quiet moment alone with Jesus; he had to act now. So he started shouting to be heard. They called Jesus "teacher;" he called out to the "Son of David," the name for the Christ. They asked for something they may have thought they were owed; Bartimaeus pleaded for mercy.

Think: Can you think of times when you've asked God for things with the same attitude as that of James of John? Can you think of desperate prayers submitted to God with the humility and urgency of Bartimaeus?

Prayer: Ask God to help you to be both humble and bold when approaching Him in prayer — both highly respectful and deeply honest about your desires.

Do: Write out a specific request you've made of God in the last week or so and notice what your words show about your attitude toward Him.

Now Serving

"Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:43-45)

Jesus spelled out the bottom-line difference between the powerful in this world and the powerful in His kingdom: In this world, people seek power so they can be served, so they can call the shots, so they can set the direction, so they can be free from having to take orders.

In Jesus' world, the powerful are the ones who serve others, who take the orders, who follow God's direction by giving their lives away to as many people as possible. After all, Jesus said, that's exactly what He came to do. And that's exactly what He did.

What is our idea of a leader? Someone who gets other people to help him accomplish his mission. What is Jesus' idea of a leader? A servant: Someone who figures out how to help other people accomplish their missions. Someone who uses himself up to make other people successful at what they need to do -- from finding food to eat to getting the day's work done.

Think: Do you think of yourself as a leader or a follower? Either way, who is following you? Who are you following? Why?

Pray: Ask God to help you want to take leadership by becoming a servant in the same way Jesus did.

Do: Make a quick list of 5 people who serve you and 5 people you serve. What does your list say about your attitude toward serving others as Jesus did?

Everybody's Slave

"Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:43-45)

When most of us in this culture talk about being "a servant" or serving each other, it sounds to us like doing a noble thing by helping other people. When Jesus said it in His culture, "servant" sounded like the guy you pay to clean the dishes and wash the donkey poop you stepped in off your bare feet. It wasn't an attitude; it was a job for poor people and women.

So when Jesus told his power-hungry disciples that the way to get ahead in his kingdom was to out-serve each other, it probably sounded ridiculous. He made it worse. If you want the real power and influence, He said, become slave to all.

A servant, at least, is a free person paid to do what he's told. He has the option of quitting if he gets the chance. A slave has no rights; he must do what he's told or be punished. If you want to be first in the kingdom power rankings, Jesus taught, find the bottom rung on the ladder, take a step down, and sell yourself to serve those people (and everyone else).

Think: Why would Jesus say such a thing? Why is it so hard for us to believe that living as a slave to all will make us great in God's kingdom? Do you believe it?

Pray: Ask God for the faith to believe that the most significant life and eternity is found in serving even the most insignificant-seeming people.

Do: Know someone who spends their time serving kids, poor people, or the sick? Send an e-mail and ask them why they do it.

How to Lose Friends

"When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, 'You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you.' " (Mark 10:41-43)

The brothers James and John made a risky play for power. They tried to manipulate Jesus into promising them the number 2 and 3 spots in His kingdom over the other 10 guys in their management training program. They picked a moment when Jesus was away from the other guys; they must have known the move would tick off their friends. It did.

Earlier in Mark, Jesus stepped in when the group was arguing about which of them was the greatest. From our side of history — knowing all about the crucifixion and Jesus' humility on the cross — their attitude just seems so wrong. But in the moment, it made a kind of sense. They really believed God would give Jesus the power to take over the world. As His followers, they wanted to stake their spot in His administration.

Jesus said they were acting like they belonged to some kind of secular (Gentile, non-Jewish) kingdom or corporation where a top dog runs the show and the guys under him jockey their way up the power ladder. In that world, if you outrank someone, you act like it. You boss him around. You better use your power or lose it. Jesus' kingdom doesn't work that way.

Think: How competitive are you? If you're better than someone else in a sport or academics or Bible knowledge, do you expect that person to give you the respect you deserve? How hungry are you to win and for others to know you beat them?

Pray: Ask God to help you understand how Jesus' power rankings are different than the kind of competitive rankings we're used to.

Do: Make a quick list of the top five and bottom five most popular or powerful or influential people in your class or group right now. Don't show it to anyone, but hold on to your list for tomorrow's devo.

Drink

"Jesus said to them, 'You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.' " (Mark 10:39-40)

James and John didn't know what they were asking when they came to Jesus looking for a promise of power and glory in His kingdom. And they didn't know what He was asking when He turned the question around on them: "Can you drink the cup I drink?"

They answered quickly: "We can," not getting that Jesus' kingdom would follow after Jesus' suffering and death. His cup was full of pain. Emotional, spiritual, physical pain. His cup was full of death. Just as He said they would, both men drank His cup — not as punishment for their ignorant, selfish prayer but because they willingly followed His path, telling the world His great good news.

James drank first, executed by the king with a sword to keep the Jewish religious leaders happy. (See Acts 12:1-2.) John drank last, living and suffering longer. And in that way, God did answer their desire to share in Jesus' glory forever, even if He couldn't promise them the best two seats in His eternal house.

Think: Nobody really wants to suffer, but lots of people want to find something bigger than themselves worth suffering for. Do you think following Jesus' path is something worth suffering for? Why would anyone have to suffer for following Jesus?

Pray: Ask God to help you to see the power and purpose and joy in following Jesus' path even if you find pain along the way.

Do: Take a few minutes to look up (or ask someone who might know) how the rest of the 12 disciples suffered for Jesus while telling His good news to the world.

When Love = No

" 'You don't know what you are asking,' Jesus said. 'Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?' 'We can,' they answered." (Mark 10:38-39)

One of the things I'm most grateful to God for is some of the prayers He has said "no" to. I now realize that I didn't know what I was asking. Prayers for broken relationships to be fixed, to get a particular job or spot on a sports team, to avoid the pain of failure.

As I look back now, I can see the opportunities that followed God's negative answers. If that relationship had worked, I'd have missed one worth keeping. If I'd been good enough to make that team, I would not have discovered an unexpected lifelong passion that season. Without the pain of failure, I would have stopped trying.

Don't get me wrong. I wanted those things badly at the time — and I still have questions about other "no" answers God has given me. I can't find a gift or the silver lining in every rejected request. And that's kind of the point. I'm just not smart enough to know all the implications if God did exactly what I wanted right now.

But He does. And He loves me enough to say "no" when I need it. So I'll keep asking, and I'll keep trying to trust His judgement on the answers.

Think: Are you convinced that God really loves you very deeply and enjoys giving you good things? Do you think He's powerful enough to give you whatever you want? If so, what does that tell you about the times He says "no" to one of your requests?

Pray: Ask God to help you to trust His love, power, and goodness all day.

Do: Make a quick list of 5-10 prayers God has answered with a "yes" in the last few months.

Shotgun!

" 'What do you want me to do for you?' [Jesus] asked. They replied, 'Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.' " (Mark 10:36-37)

You'll need to read yesterday's devo to catch up with this story. If you thought the brothers' approach to Jesus with their request was manipulative, it gets worse. What they mean when they ask to sit on his right and left in His glory is to be the second and third most powerful people in His kingdom. "Can we be your vice president and secretary of state?"

James and John believed Jesus was the Messiah, the son of God. But they thought that meant He was on earth to overthrow the Romans and the corrupt Jewish religious leaders and establish God's kingdom on earth. As faithful followers during the last three years, they wanted some power when He set up shop.

It almost comes across as if they thought ruling in God's kingdom is like calling "shotgun" to get the front passenger seat in your friend's car. Too bad for the other 10 disciples, but we asked first! How many times do we do something similar, expecting God to give us something big we want because we've been following Him for a while?

Think: Have you ever thought God owed you something big because of your faithfulness to Him? Why do you think it's so easy to get confused that following Jesus should lead to having our personal dreams come true when it lead Him to suffering and death?

Pray: Ask God to help you to be willing to follow Jesus even if the path doesn't lead to everything you're hoping for out of this life.

Do: Make a quick list of the things God owes you for your faithful service to Him. (It's tricky!)

Give Me What I Want!

"Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. 'Teacher,' they said, 'we want you to do for us whatever we ask.' " (Mark 10:35)

We're going to drop in on Jesus for a week or so as He has a couple of conversations in Mark 10. In the first one, two brothers approach Jesus with the biggest prayer request in the history of human kind. Okay, that might be overstating it a little, but it was a giant "ask."

Notice their approach. It's a popular strategy with 4-year-olds: "Daddy, will you do something for me," they ask in their sweetest pre-school voice. If you slip up and say, "Sure, sweetie, what do you need?" Then they hit you with: "I want a pony and some chocolate cake and a chain saw! You promised!"

James and John try to get Jesus to say yes to their request before they actually ask it, thinking they can trick Him into giving them what they want. Do we pray like that sometimes? Do we think we have a contract with God that binds Him to deliver "whatever we ask"?

A good dad knows better than to give a 4-year-old a chain saw, and God the Father knows better than to be manipulated into giving us the wrong things. Can we trust Him to make that choice?

Think: Have you ever believed that God owed you a gift just because you asked for it? Does He promise to give us whatever we want? Have you ever been glad God didn't give you something you asked for?

Pray: Thank God that He is wise enough to answer your prayers in the way that is best for you and Him and others -- even if the answer is no.

Do: If you think of it, ask the parent of a 4-year-old about some of the wild things kids ask for.

Best Words Ever

"I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips." (Psalm 34:1)

During the last couple of weeks, we've talked about how we can us our words to destroy and how we can use them to heal, encourage, and build each other up. But the best thing we can do with our words — by far — is to give praise to God.

Why? For one, it's the most obvious thing we can talk about. We are surrounded every day by God's greatness and evidence of His love for us. Creation screams at us, "God is powerful, and He loves beauty!" Our soul screams at us, "I was hopeless without Jesus; then He rescued me!" To not talk about those things is as odd as finding an elephant in your school cafeteria one day and having nobody mention it.

We also praise Him because we love Him. He's not just the distant deity we worship. He's the Father who loves us, the one we're learning to love with all of our heart, soul, mind, and body. When your best friend does something really amazing — or really nice to you — you talk about it. You praise her for it. It should be natural to do the same with God.

Think: Does praise for God come naturally to your lips? Why or why not? How could you be more intentional about giving praise to God?

Pray: Tell God three reasons why you think He is great.

Do: Make a short list of 10 of God's best qualities. Make a point to mention each one to Him or someone else this week.