• Matthew 6:24-34
    “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 'Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
     
  • Matthew 6:19-21
    “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
     
  • Ephesians 5:14-17
    Therefore He says:
    " Awake, you who sleep,
    Arise from the dead,
    And Christ will give you light." See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
     
  • Romans 12:1-2
    I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
     
  • Matthew 25:6-13
    "And at midnight a cry was heard: "Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!" Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, "Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out." But the wise answered, saying, "No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves." And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. "Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, "Lord, Lord, open to us!" But he answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you." "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
     
  • Luke 14:26-27
    "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
     
  • 1 John 2:15-16
    Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.
     
For more scripture references, please see Bible verses for Priorities, Spiritual


Resources

Priorities

Sermonette by Ryan McClure

We must screen out the allure of Babylon and make sure that God is always number one on our list of priorities.


Put God First

CGG Weekly by John Reiss

In His letter to the church in Laodicea, Jesus Christ rebukes the members for failing to prioritize their calling and warns them of the consequences of their neglect. Our Savior provides the solution: Repent and make God and His way of life a priority. The things of this world come and go, but our God is eternal, and His Kingdom …


Weeds!

Article by Mike Ford

Spiritual priorities must be diligently maintained, much like a gardener tends to a plot to prevent the overgrowth of weeds. In the Parable of the Sower and the Seed, Christ illustrates how the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the pleasures of this life act as thorns that choke the Word, rendering the hearer …


Simplify Your Life!

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

Jesus clearly established the highest-priority goal for His disciples in Matthew 6:33, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." He did this because He knows that the main goal, our highest priority, determines the preparations, efforts, and zeal for reaching it. Jesus …


In Focus or Out?

CGG Weekly by Gary Montgomery

What do an astronomer, a microbiologist, and a photographer have in common? They each use a lensed instrument to see God's physical creation in detail.


Simplifying Life (Part Two)

Sermon by David F. Maas

We are obligated to conserve and redeem time by prioritizing daily communion with the Father and Jesus Christ, dedicating time to spiritual practices.


Avoiding Prayer? Consider Carefully

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The whole world is in hurry-up mode. What have often suffered are prayer and its companion, Bible study—and ultimately, the individual's relationship with God.


Make Sure of Your Focus!

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Distractions produce a movement toward randomness and confusion, seriously endangering one's calling. We must sharpen our focus on God and His purpose.



For more resources, please see the library topic for Priorities, Spiritual