Home F6
What is a worldview? Simply put, a worldview is how you view the world. For example, an atheist who believes that the universe formed and developed by pure chance will view the world differently than a Christian who believes that an eternal God created the universe, and created people in His image. Whether we realize it or not, our worldview affects everything in our lives – thoughts, decisions, actions, etc.
As Christians, Jesus is our Lord (boss) and Savior (rescuer). We need Him because we are sinners, and we can’t be reconciled to God on our own. When we accept God’s priceless, free gift of grace and forgiveness, we respond by dedicating our lives to Him. As He perfects (finishes) us, we will start to view the world from His perspective. This should be reflected in the priorities we choose.
Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Matthew 7:24-27 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
2 Chronicles 1:11-12 God said to Solomon, "Since this is your heart's desire and you have not asked for wealth, riches or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, riches and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have."
James 2:14 Dear brothers and sisters, what’s the use of saying you have faith if you don’t prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can’t save anyone.
Luke 12:6-7 “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Why are priorities important?
· Our time is short. We want to make the most of our time on earth.
· They guide our thoughts and behavior each day.
· They have a dramatic impact on how we affect those around us.
· We set priorities whether we do it consciously or not.
What does is mean to balance priorities?
· Think of them as trade-offs. For example, careers are important, but they take time and energy. You need to exercise the gifts/talents you were given. You need to provide for your family and others. Careers will all have challenging times where extra work is required. But will you sacrifice your faith, family or health for your career over the long term? All your money and all your success won’t buy a second childhood for your kids.
· If you don’t consciously set priorities, the world / work / etc. may set them for you.
· Balance isn’t about being bland or boring; it is about giving things the proper emphasis.
How should our faith impact our priorities?
As Christians, we should be different from the world. A lot different. Not a “holier than thou” kind of different, but a “We have a Christian worldview, an eternal perspective, Biblical priorities, etc.” kind of different. Not “different because I’m trying to earn my way into heaven,” but “different because I am filled with joy and awe that that the creator of the universe wants a personal relationship with me and loved me enough to die for my sins.” Our faith should drive our worldview and our priorities.
Other considerations
· God has different plans for each of us. We struggle with different circumstances and temptations. We can’t fix everything at once. Only Jesus can do everything. The purpose of the F6 exercise is to reflect on what your priorities are and what God wants you to do.
· God balances his truth with his grace. He will not give you anything you can’t handle, and He will always provide a way out of temptation. This is crucial to remember. If you try to set goals and priorities with a human focus, you will either aim too low (as you may rationalize why you don’t need to change) or too high (in an attempt to be perfect).
· Writing down priorities and plans makes us more likely to achieve them.
Most of what we do can be captured in the 6 F’s.
Our 4 main Commissions / Commandments
Questions
Faith
2 Corinthians 4:18 - So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Philippians 3:20 - But our citizenship is in heaven.
John 17 :16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.
1 Peter 5 :8,9a - Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.
“He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Jim Elliott, missionary / martyr
"There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ." Blaise Pascal, French mathematician and philosopher
What is our ultimate priority? If we are Christians, we have said, “I am a servant of the Lord.” So our ultimate priority would be our faith. Ideally, when we get to heaven Jesus will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” He will probably say that if we have lived our lives by faith and walked the path He set out for us. Having faith as our #1 priority helps us keep an eternal perspective. We are saved by faith. If it is a “real” faith, our lives will show it by our good works.
If you want a relationship with someone, you need to spend time with them. The primary way God speaks to us is through the Bible, and the primary way we speak to him is through prayer. Studying is an essential part of the Christian life. We need to know our God, know ourselves, and know about our enemy. If we don’t understand our faith well, how can we witness to the world? How will we keep our faith strong when the world attacks it directly and indirectly?
Questions
What does God want you to do with your faith this year? Consider the following areas:
· Worship / prayer
· Study / education
· Service / giving
· Evangelism
· Fellowship / support
What are your stewardship plans for the year?
· Time
o Do I make good use of my time on earth?
o How can I share my time to further the kingdom of God?
o Do I over commit? (Remember, only Jesus can do everything. We don’t have to do everything; just what God calls us to do.)
· Talent
o You were born with talents given by God, and received additional gifts of the Spirit when you became a Christian.
· Treasure
o Do you decide ahead of time what you will give, and pay it first, or do you wait to see what is left over?
· What are your study plans for the year?
· When will you read the Bible?
· When will you pray?
· Is there someone you want to encourage or mentor this year?
· Jesus made it quite clear that He should be the #1 priority in our lives. Why is this often difficult?
· If you woke up tomorrow to find you lived in China, Saudi Arabia, or some other country hostile to the Gospel, would you still be a Christian?
· What else is God calling you to do this year?
Exodus 20:12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
Exodus 20 :14 “You shall not commit adultery.”
Matthew 5:27-28 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Ephesians 3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.
Ephesians 6:4 And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Proverbs 5 :18 May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.
Proverbs 22 :6 Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
3 John 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
2 Corinthians 6: 14-15 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
Summary of the commandments: Luke 10:27 ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
· What is real love? True concern for long term best interests of another person.
· How do we express that love? How does God express it to us?
o 5 love languages.
· Acts of service
· Quality time
· Gifts
· Physical touch
· Words of affirmation
o Other ways?
Sex – God’s plan
· Who invented it? God. So it is good, if used properly. Satan wants you to do it on your timing, not God’s.
· Guarding our hearts, making a pact with our eyes, taking our thoughts captive, fleeing temptation
o Joseph & Potiphar’s wife – Genesis 39:6-10 . . . Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.
Dating
· Start with the end in mind.
o God wants us to marry Christians - 2 Corinthians 6: 14-15 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
Violating one of God’s marriage guidelines then expecting him to bless the marriage is not a good strategy.
o Dating is a prelude to marriage - More dating isn’t necessarily better. How do a series of failed relationships help us to have a better marriage?
o We should only date Christians - The purpose of dating is to determine if someone would make a suitable husband/wife.
Parenting
· Children are a gift from God.
· Indulging their every desire keeps them from learning to be content with whatever they have.
· Balance! Think PIES (Mmmmmm . . . pies) – areas of development for children.
Physical – fitness, sports, health
Intellectual - education
Emotional – behavior, interacting with others
Spiritual – As parents, our most important responsibility is getting the gospel in the hands of our children.
Questions
· What priorities do you have with respect to your family this year?
· What are effective ways to fully educate our children about the Christian faith, so they can know the Truth and be set free to live a joyful Christian life?
· What do you do to “guard your heart?”
· Many students abandon there faith or let it go dormant when they go to college. Why is that? How can parents help prevent it?
Luke 10:27 ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
Luke 10:29 . . . “And who is my neighbor?”
John 15:14-15 “You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”
Acts 2:42-47 - The Fellowship of the Believers - They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Two broad categories of friends
· Christian
o Grow, share, encourage
· Non-Christian
o Sow, nurture, reap?
Fellowship is a key part of the Christian life
Accountability!
Job’s friends . . .
Jesus’ friends . . .
Questions
· What do true friends do for each other?
· If we really love our neighbors, how will it show?
“The preservation of health is a duty. Few seem conscious that there is such a thing as physical morality.” Herbert Spencer (1820–1903), English philosopher.
Exercise
· God doesn’t need us to be as strong as Olympians or as attractive as super models to do his work. The only time concepts like competition and racing are used in the Bible, they are metaphors for living out our faith, not athletic events. But you can’t be the best Christian possible if you don’t manage your health. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. We shouldn’t abuse them.
· Jesus walked / hiked thousands of miles.
· Our bodies were meant to be used for some type of activity (witness the effects of immobilizing a body part for a short period of time). Just do something!
· Consider how much “exercise” people did in daily activities throughout most of history but not today.
Rest
Rest is important. The Sabbath was a gift from God. Enjoy it! Don’t try to do everything and end up a martyr (martyrs die).
· Exodus 20:8-11 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Nutrition - Balance!
Alcohol & drugs
· Biblical view of alcohol – ok to drink, but not to excess. We should avoid tempting those with a problem. Key question: What is our motivation to drink? If purpose is to anesthetize or escape, then it is a problem.
Stress / worry
If we are feeling stressed or weary, it is probably because we are trying to do things ourselves instead of relying on God.
Letting go of past hurts is crucial to mental and physical health. God knows we can’t be truly joyful and productive if we can’t forgive others. Someone said, “Hate is like taking poison and hoping it hurts your enemy.” We must endeavor to forgive human sins, which pale in comparison to our countless and much more serious sins against a perfect and Holy God. (The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant – Matthew 18:21-35)
Appearance
· Consider where our focus on appearance comes from. Is it from God?
· The goal of many advertisements is to make you feel you should be unhappy with whatever you have. How does that influence what we do with our appearance (clothes, make-up, etc.)?
Questions
· What does God want you to do health-wise this year?
· How can taking reasonable care of yourself be an expression of love for others?
· How do you go about forgiving others? What is more challenging about forgiving those who don’t ask forgiveness?
Work is a gift from God. It is important. It is part of our identity. It can help keep us out of trouble. It was present before the fall of man.
Our work is a way of honoring God.
Yet if not kept in balance, work can damage or destroy families. Do you want your life to be successful (in financial terms), or significant? All your money and all your success can’t buy a second childhood for your kids.
How does your Christian faith affect what you do for a career?
· God made you special, with unique talents and gifts.
· We should seek His guidance for our career choices, as He created us and knows the best plan for our lives.
· Historically, Christians viewed any job as a calling from God, and for opportunities to minister from there.
The difference between inborn talents and spiritual gifts
· Talents – provided at birth
· Spiritual gifts – gained when we become believers – see http://www.cforc.com/sgifts.html for spiritual gifts discovery survey
Education
· Consider where kids go to college - Better to attend “true” Christian school or even secular school (where you know faith will be challenged) than to attend a “nominal” Christian school where faith may be undermined with non-Biblical ideas presented by professors you assume are Bible believing Christians.
· How do you prepare your children to defend their faith in school and the world? How do you “inoculate” them against the false worldviews they will encounter?
Questions
· What do you think God wants you to do with the talents He gave you? Keep in mind the following:
o You may do many different things in the course of your life.
o He may not reveal your full life plan all at once, as you might rush the timing.
· How should your faith affect what you say and do in the workplace? What guidance has God given you in the past?
· How does your faith impact how you handle ethical issues at work?
· How can work dominate other priorities without us realizing it?
· How can we keep a proper work/life balance?
· If you think you don’t have the right work/life balance, what would happen if you worked less?
Ephesians 5:3-4 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.
John 10:9-10 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Philippians 4:4-7 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
If we consider the unblushing promises of rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased. C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory
You can have fun in the other 6 F’s, but for pure entertainment and hobbies we need to consider what God would consider appropriate. God created pleasure, and the desire we have for it. He appeals to our self interest, as we will be much happier when we follow his rules. But there are right and wrong ways to seek pleasure.
Who invented humor? God did. He knows all the good (clean) jokes and has perfect timing. Laughing is healthy and fun. As with everything else God made, humor is good when used properly and bad when used improperly.
It is hard to imagine a “full” life without humor and fun. Besides, it isn’t a good selling point for the faith if we are dour and joyless Christians. The key is using discernment when deciding what to pursue.
What we view and listen to – even in small doses - has a tremendous impact on our worldview.
Music / art / literature – Christian influences
Christian radio
Questions
· What are some examples of Godly fun and ungodly fun?
· Where is God when you are on vacation?
· Do your entertainment choices improve your family relationships?
· How will your faith impact your entertainment and hobbies this year?
· How do you monitor your children’s entertainment, including TV and computer usage?
Money can’t buy happiness, but mismanaging money can buy unhappiness.
Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 16:26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
2 Corinthians 9:7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Exodus 20:17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
Matthew 19:24-26 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Malachi 3:8-12 Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the Lord Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.
Matthew 25:37-46 Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, jinto the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
· Studies have shown that aside from being truly poor, more money does not equal more happiness.
· When we covet, an unspoken message is that we think God hasn’t given us what He should have.
· What we have comes from God, so we are to use it wisely.
· The Bible doesn’t forbid debt, but does warn of the consequences. Too much debt can result from coveting (wanting things on our timetable, not God’s) and can cause distractions which divert our attention from God.
· Tips for young couples (and old?)
o Try to base big purchases like houses and cars as if you only had one income
o Give each person an allowance, to buy some things guilt-free and approval-free (clothes, discretionary items)
· God promises blessings for those who tithe. But be wary of ministries that have a “give to get” message, where people are enticed to give solely for those blessings.
· Money is a one of the most common problem areas in marriages.
· Make budgets to be good stewards of what you are given.
o Give with a plan! Don’t give to God out of what you have left after everything is paid (there won’t be anything left!)
o Whatever you decide to give, make it the first expenditure you make.
· Giving generously and cheerfully does more for us than it does for God, as it helps prove to us that we really do trust in Him and love Him. Tithing / generous giving is a symbol of our understanding that everything we have belongs to God.
Questions
· Jesus talked a lot about money. Why?
· Martin Luther said people having two conversions – first of the heart, then of the wallet. Discuss.
· What would I have to change to be able to tithe? What would you change if your wages were cut 10%? If the average American can’t tithe, who can?
· How should Christians use debt?
· Do I give of my time, talents and treasure grudgingly, or cheerfully?
· The goal of many advertisements is to make you feel you should be unhappy with whatever you have. How does that influence what we do with our money?
Hebrews 9:27 Man is destined to die once and after that to face judgment.
“Why waste your life trying to feel at home in a world that’s not your home?” Randy Alcorn, In Light of Eternity.
“There is perhaps no greater evidence that human beings act contrary to their self-interest than the fact chat we spend so little time talking to the one who made and loves us. An amazingly high percentage of Americans say they believe in God, but most can’t find the time or the inclination to mutter much more than an occasional request for a small favor.” Ben Patterson, Deepening your conversation with God.
As Christians, we have put our trust not in ourselves but in Jesus Christ. We have committed to following him wherever He leads. Following Jesus can be hard. But without Him, what would we have? Our lives and our priorities should reflect our faith.
Your challenge: Evaluate what your priorities have been and how your faith has influenced them. Then seek God’s will in what your priorities should be, and how your faith should influence them.
In Acts 26:19, Paul says “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven.” God has a vision for each of us (though the delivery may be less dramatic and singular than Paul’s). Will we be able to say we obeyed our vision?
It all starts with regular prayer and Bible reading! It will strengthen your faith and your relationship with Jesus and keep you focused on the vision God has for you.
If you aren’t praying and studying, it is because you have decided not to.
But the good news is that you can change, especially with the aid of God’s Grace and Truth!
Homework: fill out the following grid with your goals for each category.