Remind Me, Week 2: What's Most Important

Title of Message: What’s Most Important  (Psalm 103:2) (NKJV) Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:  (John 20:29) Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (Matthew 1:18) This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.  (Matthew 1:19) Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. (Matthew 1:20) But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:21) She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. (Matthew 1:25) But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.   Leaving a Legacy that Honors God: 1.    Live with Guidelines. a.    The greatest guide you’ll every have is God. (Psalm 25:5) …guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. (Psalm 25:9) He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. (Psalm 48:14) For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end. b.    The greatest guideline you’ll ever have is the Bible.  (Psalm 119:105) Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. 2.    Lead with Grace.  (Romans 3:25-26) (NLT) For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.  3.     Love to Give.   (1 John 3:16) We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.