Matthew 6:26, “26 Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?”

Jesus says, “Look at the birds of the air.” Look at the Grackle. The boring looking, loud and annoying Grackle, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth more than they?

Were you not created in the image of God in Genesis 1? In Psalm 139 were you not knit together in the womb of your mother? Did Jesus not take on flesh and become your sin so that you might know the righteousness of God? If God cares for the birds of the air, how much more will your Heavenly Father care for you?

Back in verse 25 Jesus isn’t saying, “Stop worrying, or I am gonna give you a knuckle sandwich, see.” No! Jesus is saying, “Do not worry, because the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is utterly, eternally and completely committed to you!”

In verse 26 when you see the phrase, “Look at the birds” Jesus is teaching you to move your thoughts off of your worries, and on to His truth revealed in His Word.  In fact, the word “Look” in the original language means “look intently” or “consider” so as to “ponder” and stop thinking about your worries, but more so, start thinking about His Word. So, lets talk about it practically:

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This year our church family is focusing on “Building up our relationships with one another.”  These last few weeks we have been teaching through Matthew 5, “Sermon on the Mount.”  In our passage on Sunday we were reminded of 6 practical areas of our relationships with one another while we are living in Jesus’ heavenly kingdom on earth, and below is a quick outline to help us apply those truths to our lives

Relational Area (Anger): How can I be proactive in seeking reconciliation?

Gospel: When we do this we this we are uprooting anger in our soul and replacing it with the gospel. We are not giving anger a foothold in our soul, or our church family. We are putting anger to death through the power of the Holy Spirit. We are walking by faith that we are created in the image of God and our relationships with one another are important.

Reflection: What if we didn’t reconcile? Can you imagine how awkward it would be in our church family if this never happens?

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Matthew 5:18, “18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”

In verse 18 Jesus is making a strong statement because when Jesus says, “Smallest letter or stroke” He is talking about commas and hyphens, which means every word on every page is important and will be accomplished.

This means Jesus is really committed to all of Scripture, and this is why our church family is really committed to Scripture.  It is the prayer of our elder team that our conversations would be shaped by the Scripture.  It is our hope that husbands and wives would be setting aside time every week to read Scripture together.

To be clear: We’re not trying to read the Bible just to read the Bible. In verse 17 Jesus says, “He came to fulfill the Scriptures” which means the more you know the Scriptures the more you know Jesus.

Naturally we push back and say, “But I don’t understand what I am reading.” That’s okay!  Just keep reading.  When we ignore parts of the Scripture because they are confusing, boring, or uncomfortable, then we are ignoring HUGE parts of Jesus, because in verses 17-18 Jesus is saying, “All of Scripture is IMPORTANT and all of Scripture will be ACCOMPLISHED.

• Read Scripture every day
• Ask the Holy Spirit to help you shape your conversations around Scripture throughout the day.
• Humble yourself to ask others for help.
• Build relationships with other men and women who want to read, study and learn about Jesus through the Scriptures.

Our church family is teaching through the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5.  On Sunday we looked at verses 7-12, and I just wanted to quickly share our insights around verse 8.

Matthew 5:8, “8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

When you see the phrase, “pure in heart” it could sound like a challenge of moral perfection, so that if you change your morality, your mind, and motives then you could attain a pure heart and see God.

But, Scripture makes it really clear that humanity is unable to make our hearts pure. I know this might sound odd because we have grown up in the Age of the Enlightenment where better education should make us more civil, but Jeremiah 17 says our hearts area deceitful and wicked.

• In Matthew 7 Jesus calls our hearts evil. He says, “If you being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father?”
• The heart is what you are when nobody knows but God. It is why 1 Samuel 16 says, “Man looks at the outward appearances, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
• The heart is the invisible root matters of our soul. It is why Matthew 15 says, “What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart.”

Therefore, in verse 8 when Jesus teaches “blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” He isn’t talking about moral platitudes. God didn’t take on flesh and enter human history to improve our bad habits.  No, if we want to see God then we need new hearts!

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John 1:7, “7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.”

There are many luminaries in our world today, so when we see the “Light” referenced in verse 7 it doesn’t always jump off the page.  But, consider for more of human history humanity has lived in literal darkness.

Today we think of the dark as romantic or curious, but for most of human history you live in a hut or a cave trying to survive, and when the sun went down it was scary.  Yes, you had fire, but you couldn’t take fire to your bedside table.  It was just dark.

In fact, studies have shown that until the 1700’s  a days wage would get you about 10 minutes of light, so it was incredibly expensive and difficult to create. Then, whale oil was discovered, which got you up to an hour in the 1700’s, then kerosene in the 1800’s got you about 5 hours, and the in the 1900’s Thomas Edison changed everything, so that a days wage could produce 20,000 hours of light. It changed everything.

So in AD 90 when God is described as LIGHT in verse 7 it would have been incredibly significant. It would have been reminder of Genesis 1 when God spoke creation into existence and said, “Let there be light.”  It would have been a reminder of Israel being led by the light of a fire in Exodus. In Psalm 119, “Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.”  In Isaiah 60, “The Lord is our everlasting Light.”  Psalm 27, “The Lord is my Light and m Salvation.”

It is why Jesus Himself says, “I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12, 9:5)

Which means the world is in darkness, and Jesus has come to bring clarity into creation.  When you know Jesus you are living in advance of the great day that is to come.  You will see purpose in your pain. You will find comfort in your chaos. You will see wisdom in His ways.

Before Jesus there would be darkness, duress, confusion, chaos, but now in Jesus there is clarity.  Therefore, we must ask ourselves, “Am I seeing the “LIGHT” of Jesus today?” Am I “witnessing” the glorious good news of Jesus today?

Do you see His goodness in your life today? Do you see His grace in your life today? Are you in awe of His creation today? Is He bringing healing into your soul today? Do you see the glory of the cross today? Are you believing in Jesus today?

We are teaching through Acts in our church family and been breaking Acts into sections:

Acts 1-3:  The Church Begins

Acts 4-7:  The Church Persecuted

Acts 8-10:  The Church Scatters

Acts 11-17:  The Church Specific

In Acts 11-17 we see specific characteristics of the local church, and on Sunday we looked at Acts 12 to see Persecution is a specific characteristic of the local church.  We see persecution in Acts 4, Acts 7, and Acts 12.  But, we also see Christians being fed to lions and the Roman Emperor Nero dipping Christians in tar and lighting them on fire at his evening parties.

But, it didn’t stop there.  In the 500’s there were over 20,000 Christians killed for their faith in Yemen.  In 1500 people were imprisoned and burned alive for reading their bible in public.  In the 1700’s the French Revolution tried to remove Christianity from their culture by deporting clergy, destroying churches, and outlawing public worship.

Even today we see over 300 Christians killed every month, over 200 churches closed or destroyed every month, and over 700 violent crimes committed against Christians every month.

It is a constant reminder that persecution is a characteristic of the local church, and in Acts 12 we see no matter how bleak it might look the God of Scripture cannot be stopped.

Right now we are teaching through Acts at North Village Church, and we are reading through Acts as a church family.  You should read through Acts with us!  Just TEXT NVC to 24587 and you will get a link to our reading plan.  It has been awesome!

Acts 1-3:  The Church Begins

Acts 4-7:  The Church Persecuted

Acts 8:  The Church Scatters…so far we are seeing God move the name of Jesus outside of Jerusalem.  God is no longer a temple religion for a particular people group.  God is available to all people, at all times, throughout all of history.  You just have to call out the name of Jesus!

Acts 1:8, “8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

In verse 8 you see the anchor for the book of Acts. You should memorize verse 8 because when Jesus lists off Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and even to the remotest parts of the earth He is broadening the scope of Christianity.

When you look on a map you see each of those areas expand larger and larger like Austin, Texas, the U.S, to the remotest parts of the world, so that Jesus is telling the Apostles, “The Holy Spirit is coming. Power is coming. Don’t just keep this in Jerusalem. Take this message to the world.”

That means Christianity isn’t just a message for some people that grew up in the south and kind of think a certain way. It is a message for all people, all places, and all times, and it is a message being empowered by the Holy Spirit.

It is why verse 8 Jesus says, “I am not going to tell you about times and places, but you need to know when the Holy Spirit comes there will be power.”

It isn’t the beginning of power, a dose of power, a hope for power, or a sample of power. There is power in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  Therefore, when you think about the Christianity in your life you need ask, “Do I see power?” Do I see the power of Jesus in my life?

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We are going through a 4-week series on marriage at North Village Church. In the series we are covering 4 parts:

Genesis 2: Marriage

• God created marriage as a gift.
• There are roles in marriage.
• One flesh.

Genesis 3:    The Fall of Humanity

• We have an enemy who is still deceiving.
• We have a God who is still inviting.
• We are a people who are still making excuses.

Ephesians 5:  The Biblical Role of a Husband

• Take responsibility for your relationship with God by surrendering to Him everyday.
• Take responsibility for your marriage by leading your wife to God.
• Take responsibility as a husband and speak God’s Word over your wife.

1 Peter 3:  The Biblical Role of a Wife

• The prize isn’t marriage.  The prize is Jesus.
• Respect the role of a husband as you respect God.
• A gentle and quiet spirit isn’t a personality, but the result of trusting God.

On April 23, 2016 North Village Church is going to set aside a Saturday to strengthen our marriages, and you are invited!  We are inviting all of our friends in Austin, TX to take advantage of this opportunity.

North Village Church will provide childcare, lunch, and facilitators to walk through practical lessons on how we can strengthen our marriages, and it will all come from the relational data we provide.  What a great opportunity!  Here’s what you need to do:

• Sign Up by April 1st:  http://www.northvillagechurch.com/prepare-and-enrich-group-session-hosted-by-north-village-church/
• Take the relational survey by April 9th. (We will send you the link when you sign up.)
• Pay Prepare and Enrich $35 to take the survey.
• Show up on April 23!

Psalm 1:1-2, “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! ² But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.”

In verse 2 you see Scripture calling us to “meditate on Scripture day and night.”  To be clear:  When you see the word “meditation” it isn’t Eastern Meditation that we see in our culture today that largely encourages you to remove all thoughts and center your soul on nothingness.

It is biblical meditation so that you are sifting God’s Word through your soul.  Here are a few observations of what it looks like practically to meditate on Scripture:

1. Reading Scripture:  We must begin with Scripture, and we must expose our heart to all of Scripture as the authority over our life.
2. Regular:  It says “day and night” because meditating on Scripture is a regular part of our day that we build into our lives.  You will get the most out of meditating on Scripture when it is a regular habit.
3. Reflection:  Meditating on Scripture will shape the content of our prayers, therefore, we have to not only read Scripture, but get below the surface to ask questions about how that truth applies to our life.
4. Repetitive:  It is to look at the verse over and over and over.  Most will illustrate a cow chewing on grass over and over, and studies show a cow can chew on grass up to 890 times in an hour.  But, I think a better illustration is to think about how we interact with songs.

Song Illustration:  We don’t listen to a song and then put it up until we are ready to listen again in a year or two.  We listen over and over.  We put the song on repeat.  We study the lyrics.  We study the author of those lyrics to better understand why she would write those lyrics.  We memorize the song.  We watch the video.  We go to the concert.  We tell our friends.  We talk to our friends about the song.

And, we do all of that without even trying.  Why not do that with God’s Word!

In January we invited 82 adults to set aside 6 hours on a Saturday to sharpen the axe of their life (Ecc. 10:10).  It was great!

Our Yearly Retreat is off like a rocket.  We planned for 60 adults and have 77 adults signed up so we are having to close off registration.

Our next Spiritual Challenge of 2016 is our Theological Training.  We like to think of this process like working out physically, and instead working out spiritually.  Haven’t you noticed all these groups of people working out together in a running class, spinning class, yoga class, and they are everywhere.  Why not work out spiritually!

Why do we try to grow spiritually as individuals.  We learn in groups, we hang out in groups, but we try to keep our spiritual life private and end up struggling.

That is why we launched Theological Training.  You read a Christ centered book with a group of people, write a 1-page paper, and meet once a month with a group of people to discuss.  Here’s a quick recap:

It is the beginning of a new year and during this time of the year we typically begin reflecting on our life and making goals.  Goals can be helpful, but I have found it is better to take time and draw out our personal values.

Every company has values, so why not think of your personal life or family as an entreprenurial start up and put your values down on paper.  You are already living by those values technically.  It is how we make decisions.  So why not take the time to put those values down on paper.

Below is a little video to help describe our Yearly Retreat:

How do we respond to trials with wisdom?  James 1:1-8 is a great resource that teaches how to walk through life with wisdom:

1. Jesus is Lord:  In verse 1 James refers to Jesus as Lord.  This is significant because James grew up with Jesus as His younger brother.  Could you imagine calling your older brother Lord?  James did, and it is critical to see Jesus not only as your Savior, but as your Lord when you go through trials.
2. When / Not If:  In verse 2 we see trials are going to come.  I know our culture teaches us to expect life to be easy, but God makes it really clear trials are going to come.  They might be situational trials like a car accident, status trials like not getting married, or sin trials like ignoring God, but trials are going to come.
3. Consider:  In verse 2 we are taught to Consider our trials.  Specifically, as we go through trials we would consider how we see ourselves, others, and God.  Does it line up with Scripture?  Is there deception from the enemy?  Are we in relationship with others for godly counsel?
4. Persevere:  In verses 3-4 God is teaching us to stand firm in our trials.  The purpose of our trials are an extension of God’s grace to help us mature and stand firm in Him.  Really.  It is His grace that allows trials.  It is why He must be our Lord.  It is why we must consider our trials, and it is why we can consider it all joy.
5. Ask for Help:  In verses 5-8 God teaches us to ask for wisdom.  We can’t walk through wisdom with Him.  He is the embodiment of wisdom.  He is good.  He wants us to mature in Him, consider; rightly see Him, ourselves, and others, and for that to happen we need His wisdom.

God knows you are running to illusions that will let you down. He knows you are hoping in idols that are frail. He knows you are placing your foot on shifting sand, so that these trials are an extension of His grace so that we might find our footing in Him.