To Do-ers List: Back to School, Listen to the Teacher

When I was in sixth grade, my best friend, Dawn and I had the great fortune to sit next to each other in class. While we were happy about it, our teacher, Mr. Herrmann, was probably not so thrilled. Dawn and I always had plenty to talk about, and on this particular day we chose to discuss our latest plans while he was trying to teach. We definitely did not listen to the teacher.

After several warning glances, Mr. Herrmann ran out of patience and called us out in front of the class. Usually not one to get in trouble, I was mortified and upset that I had disobeyed the teacher. My punishment was to write my spelling words 30 times each to be turned in the next day. Embarrassed, Dawn and I closed our mouths and listened.

That little story may be one reason why I identify so well with Martha in today’s scripture. Martha gets a call out of her own, and I can just imagine that she might have been keeping up a constant stream of chatter, too, while Jesus was trying to teach.

Listen to the Teacher

38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman name Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.’ 41 And Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.'” Luke 10:38-42 NKJ

The Teacher Comes to Town

Martha was excited to have Jesus in town. She invited Him to her home and was preparing a meal for all the guests. While Martha was cooking, Jesus was talking. And when He talked, people listened. They were compelled to listen. Everyone, it seems, except Martha.

Here’s how I imagine it went: Mary starts out in the kitchen helping Martha, with Martha giving the directions.

“Mary, take this tray out to the guests, and then come right back so that you can help me with the next course. I’ll need you to … ”

As Mary escapes the kitchen, Martha is still chattering and rehearsing to herself about what needs to be done next so that everything is perfect for Jesus.

Mary sets the tray down and magnetized by Jesus’ voice, she stops…listens…and sits. Pretty soon she can’t help herself and inches closer and closer until she is right at Jesus’s feet, hanging on his every word, eyes locked on his face.

In the meantime, Martha’s frustration is growing by the second. She waves her arms, trying to get Mary’s attention.

“Psst! Mary, Maary! Psst! Come here.” Realizing that is useless because Mary can’t see her, Martha’s patience boils over, and she approaches Jesus with her plea.

Martha’s Come-to-Jesus Meetin’

I can just see Martha’s and every other eye in the room turn to look at Mary to get her comeuppence when Jesus surprises them by patiently and lovingly pointing out Martha’s fault. And ours. We are worried and troubled about many things. Instead, we need to figure out what our “one thing” priorities are, and that involves spending time listening to our Savior. Mary chose wisely. It was Martha who needed a readjustment.

For Today:

Of course we realize that tasks need to get done at home and at work. That wasn’t Jesus’ point. The point is that He needs to be our first priority in life, and we have to figure out what that looks like for the season of life we are in.

Write in your app or in your notes what you want your time with Jesus to look like. Pray about this and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. Be realistic. If you have small children, are a caretaker, or have a job with immediate demands, keep that in mind. The important thing is that your are connecting with Jesus on a regular basis. Be as specific as you can. “I want to focus on prayer for 15 minutes.” “I will do the Armor of God study by Priscilla Shirer.” I want to incorporate 10 minutes of silence and solitude into my prayer time.” Pick one way that you will listen to the Teacher Jesus and incorporate that into your life moving forward.

Previous Sessions of To Do-ers List, Back to School:

Day 1: New Clothes

Day 2: The Book

Day 3: Pack a Lunch

To Do-ers List: Back to School, Pack a Lunch

When my sisters and I were little girls, my mom taught us how to pack our lunch for school. With four daughters, a husband, and a full-time job, she needed to take a few tasks off of her to-do list! So every day I had to pack a lunch.  A honey-loaf sandwich, fruit, and a cookie went into my lunch box. Monday through Friday, the same thing. When lunch time would roll around, I’d look wistfully at the Fritos and Twinkies the other kids were snacking on and try to “trade up,” but I didn’t have much ammo to trade with!

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.” Isaiah 55:1

Spiritual Nibbles or a Fortified Feast

As I was thinking about my uninspired lunch, it reminded me of the spiritual food I used to exist on. For years, I nourished myself with honey-loaf bites of the word of God. Day in and day out, I quickly nibbled on a verse or two as I rushed out the door for work. I dutifully drank my spiritual baby milk while God waited for me to “trade up” my milky sustenance for a meatier, stick-to-your ribs meal.

The wonderful thing about God is that I don’t have to beg Him for a treat. I don’t have to buy it. It is there for my taking. What I do have to do is decide that I am going to put in the time that it takes for me to eat a richer meal. Actually, God calls it a feast.

No wonder I was stuck in sin patterns in my life. I didn’t give God the time that the Holy Spirit needed to take my life and transform it into something beautiful. I was stuck in fear, in doubt, basically in a rut, living off leftovers. When I got serious about wanting to change, He began to move in my life. He didn’t force me. The Holy Spirit never does. It’s up to us to follow through.

For Today:

Resolve that you are ready to expand your spiritual diet. If you are a new Jesus-follower, then by all means, start at the beginning and get grounded in the basics of the faith. But if you have been a believer for a while and are still subsisting on baby food, move up to solid food.

What will that look like for you?

It may mean you sign up for a Bible study. Perhaps you’ve thought about taking a Bible class for credit  or personal study through a ministry or university (see the resource section below — several free classes!). God has His eye on someone whom He wants to start teaching a class. Perhaps you should be mentored or are ready to mentor someone else. Maybe studying a book about developing your prayer life is on your to do-ers list.

With unlimited possibilities before you, pray about it and ask the Holy Spirit to show you what your next step is. Write this down on your app or in your notes and tell someone else what you’re thinking. Accountability never hurts! If you’d like to, feel free to share in the comment section what your spiritual feast might look like. And post on Twitter if you’d like about what you’re doing using the hashtag #ToDoers.

School is in session. Remember to pack your lunch!

Previous Sessions of To Do-ers List, Back to School:

Day 1: New Clothes

Day 2: The Book

To Do-ers List: Back to School Day 2: The Book

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Previous Sessions of To Do-ers List, Back to School:

Day 1: New Clothes

 

To Do-ers List Bible Study: Back to School, New Clothes

They are everywhere. Adults love them. Children fear them. You can’t turn on the TV or the radio or pick up a newspaper lately without seeing or hearing about them. Back to School Sales. It’s time to get some new clothes.

Back to School Sales

As an omen of the coming season,  I always dreaded seeing the first back to school advertisement.  They seemed to come earlier and earlier with every passing year (sort of like Christmas advertising). While I dreaded going back to school, I did look forward to back-to-school shopping. New crayons. New notebooks. New shoes. New clothes. The worn dirty clothes of summer were replaced by crisp new school clothes. Out with the old and in with the new.

New Clothes

When we become Christians, Jesus also provides us with new clothes. We trade in our filthy rags for robes of righteousness.  A new outfit makes us feel better, look better, and act better. New clothes – new man. That’s exactly what the Bible says. We put on our new clothes, and then we need to put on a new man.

Put Off/Put On

” … see that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another…

… 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

Ephesians 4:22-24, 29-32

Below is a list of a few things we are to put off/put on.

Old Clothes (Put Off)	New Clothes (Put On)
1. lying	1. speaking truth
2. anger	2. forgiveness
3. stealing	3. giving
4. corrupt words	4. encouraging words
5. bitterness	5. kindness

You may have other items to add to the list.

Go up to the list and mentally circle or write down on your notes or prayer app one or two things you need to do today. Like baskets of laundry, we have some things we need to “put away” and some things we need to “put on.”

For today:

Choose one verse from above to do today. Pray and ask God to help you put off the old clothes of the old man and put on the new clothes of the new man.  As you wear you new clothes, the Holy Spirit will transform you so that you feel better, act better, and live better. Write down on a note card the portion of scripture you’re going to work on today. Look for opportunities to forgive, speak truth, encourage, and give to others.

School is in session. Put on your new clothes!

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Copyright 2020

To Do-ers List

Back to School

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” James 1:22-25

Welcome to To Do-ers List: Back to School Bible Study series. It is our prayer you become a doer of the Word.

How many times have you heard a portion of scripture, thought to yourself, Wow! I really need to do that! and then promptly forgot about the task at hand? The To Do-ers List Bible Study will help you move from being a hearer of the Word, to becoming a doer of the Word. Let’s work together to develop the godly habit of applying Scripture to our lives and circumstances by intensely focusing on one Scripture a day.

Since the second session of To Do-ers List Bible Study coincides with the start of the academic year, we designed this Bible study with a back-to-school theme. Each day we relate a common school rule or habit to a specific Scripture and challenge you to become a doer of the Word. Light-hearted but meaningful, you will realize many benefits by applying Scripture to your life, challenges, trials and relationships.

Some of the benefits of being do-ers of the Word.

1. Grow in righteousness  (2 Timothy 3:16)
2. Walk in wisdom (Psalm 19:7)
3. Live in freedom (John 8:32)
4. Enjoy the abundant life (John 6:68)
5. Act in strength (Joel 2:11)
6. Strengthen your faith (Romans 10:17)
7. Receive comfort, revival, and peace (Psalm 119:7-16)
8. Plus many, many other benefits.

We can be listeners, hearers, watchers, thinkers, and gatherers of His word, but there must be a point in time when we become doers of the Word.

Starting August 31st,  check our website every morning at 5:00 a.m. or later to get your To Do-ers List: Back to School for the day.

From hearers to doers. Are you up for the challenge? The bell is ringing … don’t be late for class!

Study Guides:

To help you organize your daily study and record your experiences, please download and print the following PDF, or download the journal app to your favorite Apple device.

• To Do-ers List Study Guide PDF
• Days Lite: My Wonderful Life App free app from App Store.

Please add your name to the comment section below if you are up for the challenge. School is in session!

I held the tiny little ivory sock in my hand and wondered. Warm from the dryer. One sock. A sock so small that it fit in the palm of my hand. Tiny blue stripes. Small and perfectly made, like the little one soon to arrive. Waiting. Wondering. Hoping. I didn’t know a sock so small would be so big for the little miracle headed our way. Our precious one arrived and brought all the joy promised by God.

A wonder. A masterpiece fresh from heaven.

More socks.

Little socks were followed by baby shoes and bobby socks, tennis shoes and crew socks, soccer cleats and soccer socks, hockey skates and hockey socks, hiking boots and wool socks. Socks so big I wondered and marveled. How did he grow so big, so strong, so soon?

A rush and whirlwind of ball games,

school projects, all-night video games (fifteen hungry teenage boys crammed in our house). Pizza and pancakes. Finally, The Day arrived. Dropping our son off at college. God held me together. I kept a smile on my face, joining him in his joy and excitement, hiding my pain. Proud, torn, excited, anxious, we left him at his dorm. Out of my hands … into God’s hands. I was fine until I arrived home.

And saw a sock. Just one sock.

Forgotten on the floor of our family room. One sock. I picked up the sock and held it in my hand. He just wore this sock. (How many times had I told him to quit leaving his socks around the house?)

Years mingling with tears.

Memories.

Tears of a job done right. Joy. Hugs. Sacrifice.

Family. Hurt. Struggle.

Love.

Kindergarten to college.

No longer just my son, but now my friend.

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Copyright 2015