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Put God First

CGG Weekly by John Reiss

Jesus Christ, in His message to the church in Laodicea, rebukes the members for not prioritizing their calling and warns of the consequences of such neglect. He offers the solution to repent and make God and His way of life the foremost priority. Our Savior emphasizes that the things of this world are transient, but God is eternal, and His Kingdom endures forever, underscoring the need to place our relationship with Him above all else. We must give God the very best of our time and efforts, focusing our dedicated concentration on Him and living His way of life. He knows our needs and dreams, and He will ensure our spiritual success if we put Him first.

Seeking God (Part Two): A Foundation

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

Matthew 6:33 delivers a profound directive from Jesus Christ on the paramount goal of life: Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. This command encapsulates the essence of the Christian struggle, urging us to prioritize our spiritual battle against the carnal heart, the world, and the devil. Seeking God and His Kingdom is the core of our daily fight, a battle in which we must trust in God's provision and power. Jesus reminds us to cease worrying about mundane needs like housing, food, and clothing, which can breed anxiety, and instead to focus on seeking and trusting God. He assures us that God, who visibly cares for the grasses and flowers, will undoubtedly provide for us, His children, who are of far greater value. Jesus promises that all necessary things shall be added to those who truly seek God and His Kingdom, encompassing both material and spiritual blessings. Jesus emphasizes setting priorities to channel our greatest efforts toward the most vital goals. Seeking God must be our primary spiritual occupation once He establishes a relationship with us. This pursuit requires a conscious plan, a map of the major qualities we aim to build into our characters for overcoming and growth. Commitment and devotion are foundational to this plan. Commitment binds us to the goal, while devotion adds an intense, loyal attachment, consecrating ourselves for a higher purpose. Jesus underscores this in Luke 9:62 and Luke 14:26-27, warning that looking back or valuing earthly ties above Him renders one unfit for the Kingdom of God. Devotion, infused with love as expressed in John 14:15, drives us to keep His commandments with emotional depth beyond mere duty. God will not permit us to bypass preparation for His Kingdom. As He shapes us through a process akin to the rigorous training of earthly rulers, we must devote ourselves to learning the ways of His Kingdom, understanding that we are to be kings. This preparation demands cooperation with God, using His grace purposefully to produce the right qualities and understanding through our efforts alongside Him. As workers together with Him, we must not receive His grace in vain but actively engage in the sanctification process to grow and overcome within the challenges of this present evil age.

Worry and Seeking the Kingdom

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Our Savior, Jesus Christ, teaches that a life of worry is a miserable way to live, contrary to the abundant life He desires for us. In John 10:10, He declares that He came to give His sheep life, and to have it more abundantly, pointing primarily to eternal life in the Kingdom of God, but also extending to our present human lives. He intends for us to experience a focused, satisfying, and rewarding life now, filled with goodness and joy when lived according to God's principles. In the Sermon on the Mount, specifically Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus addresses worry as a significant barrier to wholeheartedly seeking God's Kingdom and His righteousness. He contrasts the worldly approach of anxiously pursuing physical needs and wants with the way of faith. When we focus on earthly treasures, spending our time and effort on material desires, it reveals a lack of faith, showing that we trust ourselves rather than God to provide fulfillment. Jesus urges us to recognize that life is more than food and the body more than clothing, calling us to prioritize spiritual pursuits over fleshly concerns. Jesus emphasizes that God, as our Creator, knows our needs and provides for them, just as He does for birds and grass. If He cares for lesser things, how much more will He care for us, who are of far greater value? He challenges us with rhetorical questions to show that worry achieves nothing and only yields negative results, tearing us down rather than building us up. Instead, in Matthew 6:33, He commands us to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, assuring us that all necessary things will be added to us. This seeking is an active, consuming endeavor, requiring full dedication and effort to pursue God's way. Finally, Jesus advises us not to worry about tomorrow, for each day has enough trouble of its own, encouraging us to stay present and leave the future in God's hands. In Luke 12:32, He adds a comforting promise, declaring that it is our Father's good pleasure to give us the Kingdom, reinforcing that with our commitment, God will provide everything needed to enter His Kingdom.

How Much Would You Give Up for the Kingdom of God?

Sermon by Kim Myers

We should be willing to give up anything for the Kingdom, controlling our speech, thoughts, behaviors, and lives. We cannot grow in grace without works.

Why Such Confusion About the Kingdom of God?

Sermonette by Craig Sablich

In Matthew 6:33, Jesus states that seeking His Kingdom is our primary goal. Most Christian organizations have no concept of what the Kingdom of God is.

Ask, Seek, Knock

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

In answer to the question, 'How can a mere human being fulfill the difficult expectations of God?', Jesus instructs us to 'Ask, seek, and knock.'

Seeking the King

Sermonette by David C. Grabbe

It is common to focus on what the King gives and does, at the expense of what the King desires and requires, emphasizing God's grace over obligation.

God Works In Marvelous Ways (Part Four)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God's highest goal is not salvation, but sanctification into godly character, leading to membership in His family as co-rulers with Jesus Christ.

Peace with God Through Christ

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

The only possibility of attaining peace is a relationship with God—peace with God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, which must continually be refined.

What Does God Really Want? (Part 5)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

What God really wants is for us to see things from His point of view, making the right choices, striving to build character, developing into His image.

What Does God Really Want? (Part 2)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

If we want to be like our Savior, then we will live the way He lived, keeping God's commandments — which exemplify the highest form of love.

What Worries You?

Sermonette by Ryan McClure

Financial problems require survival skills, especially regarding the resolve to tithe. God will provide all our material needs if we put His Kingdom first.

What, Me Worry?

Article by Mike Ford

The easiest way we can avoid worrying is to keep our eyes intently focused on the goal Jesus gave us, the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Simplify Your Life!

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

We waste a lot of time on foolish pursuits, procrastination, and distractions. Getting control of our time is foundational for seeking God's Kingdom.

Christianity Is a Fight! (Part 4)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The sanctification process requires us to cooperate with God in order to produce Christian works and character, preparing us for the Kingdom of God.

A Heavenly Homeland (Part Three)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

During such times of turmoil, we need to remind ourselves that our hope and confidence were never in the capabilities of man in the first place.

Simplifying Life (Part Two): Conserving and Redeeming Time

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.

Discouragement

Sermonette by James Beaubelle

Discouragement paralyzes one's efforts to overcome temptation or to lose patience in a trial, ultimately leading to deterioration or the destruction of faith.

Beware the Second Flood (Part One)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

The immediate danger lies not as much in the specific teachings of the flood from the serpent but in their sheer volume. The peril lies in being swept away.

Intimacy with Christ (Part Three)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

We must fight against the world's pulls (including advertising), simplifying our lives, seeking quiet to meditate and build a relationship with God.

Start Now to Begin Walking

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

The things of God require digging; it is time to walk step-by-step to the finish of the cause He has called us to complete.

Strategies for Interfacing with Babylon Without Becoming Assimilated (Part Two)

Sermon by David F. Maas

There are three basic causes for discontentment and three strategies to contentment, enabling us to emulate the apostle Paul's content state of mind.

The Christian and the World (Part Ten)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Anxiety and fretting (symptoms of coveting and idolatry), in addition to cutting life short, erode faith, destroying serenity by borrowing tomorrow's troubles.

Intimacy with Christ (Part Two)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Satan has deliberately designed this world to burn up our precious time, creating an artificial sense of urgency and a perpetual state of discontent.

How Expensive is Your Religion?

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Mike Ford

we must soberly count the cost before we embark on our spiritual trek. Are we willing to give up our job, our family, or even our life to follow God's plan?

Ditching Tithing? Consider Carefully

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

In tough financial times, some Christians reduce or cut out altogether God's tithe. They justify it with an excuse like, 'God wouldn't want me to starve!'

Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Thirty-Eight): Ecclesiastes 11:1-8

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Solomon counsels us to exercise diligence, work hard, plan for disruptions, obstacles, and roadblocks, spreading risk to work within this futile world.

Parable of the Great Supper

Bible Study by Martin G. Collins

In the Parable of the Great Supper, Jesus exposes and corrects the ignorance of those who, in their pride, misjudge their true moral condition.

The Christian and the World (Part Seven)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The best way to attain true wealth and the abundant eternal life is to loosen our grip on worldly rewards and treasures, and single-mindedly follow Christ.

Where Is Your Trust?

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

In times of trouble, where is our trust? The Kingdom of God is what we should be seeking—not a self-satisfied avoidance of suffering.

How to Combat Future Shock

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Alvin Toffler described a phenomenon known as Future Shock, a stressful malady caused by an inability to adjust to rapid change and over-stimulation.

Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Four)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Profit from life is produced by work, requiring sacrifices of time and energy. We have been created for the very purpose of doing good works.

Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Three)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Solomon emphasized in Ecclesiastes 2 that we should enjoy and derive pleasure from our work. The way that we work is a visible witness of God before men.

Be Anxious For Nothing

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Fear and anxiety are normal human emotions. But through changing our focus from earthly to heavenly things, we can rise above the concerns, remembering Who is with us.

What Is Your Lentil Soup?

'Ready Answer' by Staff

The story of Esau and his selling his birthright for a bowl of soup is a cautionary tale for today. What we treasure will ultimately determine our destiny.

Teaching Children

Sermonette by John W. Ritenbaugh

Should we teach our children or should we allow the church to do that? Do youth programs have a positive impact? Do they keep youth them in the church?