Jesus is the Master of the art of Life.

How do you know if you are a follower of Jesus?

What Jesus has done for me. What Jesus is doing in me.

Luke 9:23… “Anyone who wants to follow Me must put aside their own desires and carry their cross every day and keep close to Me.”

Think of this Cross as a Cell Phone

Matthew 3: “Turn away from your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of heaven is here.”

A follower of Jesus is… Someone who seeks each day to live as Jesus would live if he were in my place.

Last Week… How to walk with Jesus in… My sleeping, waking, washing, eating, interruptions.

TODAY... How to study/work with Jesus. Work/study is essential to being made in the image of God. As a carpenter for 30 years, Jesus was at the center of His Father’s will.

Colossians 3:23... “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”

Studying is a form of worship. We do the job well, because that is what Jesus would like.

Some Questions…  Am I making and idol of my work/study?  Do I sacrifice time and energy that really ought to go to my family, friends, rest or prayer.  Am I completely honest in my work/study?

 Is my work/study in line with my sense of how God has gifted and called me?  Is my attitude spoiling my work/study?

How to relax with Jesus... Average American teenager spends: 45 hours a week watching television. 35 hours a week in school 8 seconds in meaningful conversation with dad.

Robert Putnam, Bowling Alone… “Nothing, not low education, not full time work, not long commutes, not poverty, not financial distress- nothing is more broadly or deeply connected with the loss of community and relational disconnection than an individual’s dependence on television for entertainment.”

“It’s because television is the cheapest and least demanding way to avert boredom. TV’s dominance in our lives reflects not it’s sublime pleasures, but it’s minimal costs.”

Some Questions… What are the activities that God uses to breathe life into you? What are the activities that produce, not passivity and a low level of alertness, but gratitude and joy and strength and renewal in you when you engage in them?

How to make lifestyle choices with Jesus. Money, time, pace, debt, commitments, pressure— these have enormous impact on whether we’re able to get close to God.

Romans 12:2... “Do not let the world squeeze you into its mold.” Move faster Accumulate more

Some Questions… What’s the pace of life at which you can live and still be intimately connected with God, able to effectively love people and able to live with joy?