Families that Follow Jesus, Week 4 - May 24, 2026

May 24, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: When Game Plans Meet Muddy Paws

The Christian life often resembles a dog shaking muddy water everywhere – our best intentions create messes when we rely on human wisdom. True wisdom comes through daily dependence, not self-made strategies. Just as a bath requires surrendering control to the groomer, our families thrive when we release our plans to the Master’s hands. [59:32]

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
(Proverbs 3:5-6, ESV)

Reflection: Where have your “clean-up plans” for relationships or decisions left unexpected stains? How might kneeling in trust prevent tomorrow’s messes?

Day 2: Sunday Best Overalls and Holy Expectation

Fearing God looks like a farmer’s crisp overalls – bringing our fullest readiness to encounter the divine. It’s not about external polish but internal posture: arriving early, opening Bibles, leaning forward in worship. Like a child anticipating Grandpa’s tractor ride, we prepare our hearts to be carried by God’s work. [08:56]

“Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.”
(Psalm 96:8-9, ESV)

Reflection: What “work boots” of distraction do you need to remove before worship? How would preparing your heart change what God reveals?

Day 3: Umbilical Cords and Eternal Nourishment

Just as the navel marks life’s physical beginning, fearing God feeds our spiritual core. Christ becomes our sustaining connection – the Bread cutting deeper than Sunday rituals. Healthy families don’t just study about Jesus; they let His presence pump through daily conversations like oxygen through veins. [14:27]

“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
(John 6:35, ESV)

Reflection: What spiritual malnutrition symptoms appear when you disconnect from Christ? How can your family meals include eternal nourishment?

Day 4: Baptismal Waters and Daily Drownings

The same surrender that dunked Matthew under water must drown our self-sufficiency daily. Baptism isn’t a one-time event but a lifelong pattern – letting God bury our pride, resurrect His purpose. Families flourish when they stop trying to swim and let grace’s current carry them. [03:58]

“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”
(Romans 6:4, ESV)

Reflection: What “life preserver” of control are you clutching? How would releasing it change your family’s spiritual rhythm?

Day 5: Battlefield Crosses and Empty Tombs

Memorial Day’s ultimate sacrifice mirrors Calvary – soldiers’ deaths point to Christ’s victory. Just as warriors’ legacies inspire courage, our families become living memorials when we fear God more than failure. True strength comes not from avoiding battles but kneeling before the Conqueror. [33:05]

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”
(John 15:13, ESV)

Reflection: What family “battle” requires surrendering to Christ’s victory? How does His empty tomb redefine your definition of success?

Sermon Summary

Proverbs 3 names a path for families that follow Jesus by pairing practices with promises. The text first calls a household to build life on the Word, because “length of days and long life and peace” hang on a heart that remembers and keeps God’s commands. Mercy and truth belong around the neck and on the tablet of the heart, signaling dependence on the Spirit whose fruit is love and whose power makes ordinary obedience possible. Trust, in the picture of a servant facedown before the Master, yields straight paths, not because effort is enough, but because surrender puts God in his rightful place to direct and sustain.

The next move of the passage cuts against self-reliance. “Do not be wise in your own eyes” exposes the quiet pride of planning without praying and trying without trusting. Folly is not lack of brains; folly is wasting a life, like a muddy dog that shakes the mess onto everyone in the room. Wisdom’s alternative is simple and strong: “Fear the Lord and depart from evil.” The fear of the Lord does not mean living spooked by a volatile deity. It looks like salvation itself, where a sinner turns from sin and self and throws all hope on Jesus. The line lands plainly: the secret to the Christian life is doing every day what happened on the first day, not getting re-saved, but staying desperate and dependent instead of drifting back to verse seven’s self-trust.

The text presses that holy fear into gathered worship with concrete markers. A family that fears the Lord arrives with a Bible and a notebook, ready for a word that is meant to go through them, not stop with them. Expectancy shows up in preparation, repentance, and engagement, because worship has an audience of One. Generosity and service follow, offering God the first and best of time, treasure, and gifts, not by compulsion but by delight.

Finally, the promise lands like medicine: “It will be health to your flesh and strength to your bones.” Wisdom here is not just a principle; wisdom is a Person. Christ is the power and the wisdom of God, the One in whom are hidden all treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Health to the navel pictures an umbilical lifeline. In the same way, fearing the Lord draws steady nourishment from Jesus, the bread that sustains and the living water that satisfies.

Key Takeaways

1. Refuse being wise in your eyes Self-reliance dresses up like maturity, but Proverbs calls it folly. Planning without praying and trying without trusting wastes a life on things that do not last. Humility does not cancel thinking; it reorders thinking under God. Real wisdom starts where pride stops. [56:44]
2. Fear the Lord and shun evil Holy fear is not skittish dread but surrendered allegiance. Salvation itself models it, turning from sin and self to Christ as the only hope. That posture is not a doorway someone leaves behind, but the daily way a believer actually lives. [61:22]
3. Do every day what first day The Christian life stays alive by the same dependence that started it. Many drift from desperate trust back to competent self-management and end up defeated. Daily surrender keeps the heart soft and the path straight because God remains in his place and the believer stays in theirs. [63:28]
4. Bring first and best in worship Holy expectancy shows up in simple habits: Bible in hand, heart prepared, voice engaged, gifts brought. Worship is not consumption but contribution, because the audience is not the room but the Lord. Generosity and service flow from delight, not duty, when God is treated as worthy. [66:19]
5. Meet Wisdom by meeting Jesus Proverbs points beyond tips to a Person. Christ is God’s wisdom embodied, the One who becomes health to the flesh and strength to the bones. Staying attached to Him like an umbilical cord brings real nourishment, not momentary fixes. [72:46]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[22:27] - Baptism: Matthew Tolias
[31:25] - Memorial Day gratitude and sacrifice
[47:14] - Families That Follow Jesus series begins
[48:08] - Proverbs 3:1-8 read aloud
[50:13] - Practices and promises for families
[54:34] - Life under the Spirit’s influence
[55:56] - Commit to the will of God
[56:44] - The folly of self-reliance
[61:22] - Fearing the Lord, shunning evil
[63:28] - Do every day what first day
[66:19] - Marks of holy fear in gathering
[72:18] - Promise: health and strength
[72:46] - Wisdom has a name, Jesus
[74:58] - Invitation and response

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
Proverbs 3:1-8 (ESV)
1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, 2 for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. 3 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. 7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. 8 It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.

Observation questions

According to Proverbs 3:5-6, what specific actions are commanded, and what promise is attached to them?
The sermon described "fearing the Lord" as similar to salvation. What does this comparison reveal about the nature of holy fear? [01:02:31]
What two outcomes does Proverbs 3:8 associate with fearing the Lord and turning from evil?

Interpretation questions

Why might "leaning on your own understanding" (v. 5) be particularly dangerous for families striving to follow Jesus? How does this relate to the sermon’s warning about self-reliance? [56:44]
The sermon compared daily dependence on God to an "umbilical cord" connected to Jesus. How does this metaphor help explain the relationship between wisdom and Christ? [01:14:27]
How does the command to "bind [mercy and truth] around your neck" (v. 3) challenge modern attitudes about independence and self-sufficiency?

Application questions

What practical step could you take this week to replace a habit of "planning without praying" with intentional dependence on God? [56:44]
How would your worship habits (e.g., Bible/notebook use, engagement during singing) change if you treated every service as an encounter with God rather than a routine? [01:06:19]
Identify one area where you’ve been "wise in your own eyes" (v. 7). What would it look like to surrender that area to Christ’s leadership today?
The sermon emphasized giving God the "first and best" of time, treasure, and gifts. What tangible adjustment could you make to prioritize Him in one of these areas? [01:11:45]
How can you model "doing every day what you did your first day" of faith (daily dependence) to someone younger in their walk with Christ? [01:03:28]
What would it look like to approach a current struggle (parenting, work, relationships) with the same desperation and trust you had when you first surrendered to Jesus?

Sermon Clips

39s

#DailyDependenceOnGod

“And I'm telling you, there's so many Christians this morning that are living a defeated Christian life because they've moved from verse seven from verse eight. And the secret to the Christian life is to fear the Lord and to turn from evil and to do every day what you did your first day. So every day the secret of the Christian life is getting on your face before God like you did the first day and say, God, I am dependent and desperate for you to do in and through me which only you have the power to do. If I try to be the husband, the wife, the mom, the dad, the teenager or the senior adult I'm gonna make a mess out of it. Am I right? I'm gonna look like that dog in the bathtub. I'm gonna make a mess.”

37s

#WorshipForOne

“Well, I don't want so and so, man. I start doing that, they might think I'm crazy. Listen, better they think you're crazy than disappoint the Lord. And when I engage in worship, know, I'm gonna be engaged in worship. Man, when my kids see me, I want them to see that I'm excited about what God is doing. I didn't get much out of worship today. I didn't really like that song. That's okay, we weren't singing it for you anyway, amen? You didn't get much out of it, that's okay because you weren't the audience, he's the audience, amen? We worship for an audience of one.”

37s

#WisdomIsJesus

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of what? Wisdom. Biblically, wisdom is not a principle. Wisdom is a person. Namely Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God. It is because of him that are in Christ Jesus who has become for us wisdom from God. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and wisdom is not a principle. Wisdom is a person and his name is Jesus. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Jesus.”

35s

#PrayBeforeYouPlan

33s

#LayYourBurdensDown

“Somewhere along the way, man, you rolled up your sleeves and you said, I'm gonna try harder and I'm gonna get it accomplished. And God's coming to you this morning and saying, to fear the Lord and to turn from evil. To trust in me. To surrender to me. To put me in my rightful place in your life. You're carrying something that I never intended you to carry. You're holding a burden that is not yours to hold. And God will call you to lay that down at his feet this morning.”

30s

#FirstAndBestForGod

“I'm gonna give my God the first of everything in my life. I'm gonna give him the first of my day, in my quiet time. I'm give him the first of my week, in my worship here and I'm gonna give him the first and best of of of what he's put in my hand because my God is worthy. Families that follow Jesus fear God by their giving and they fear God by their serving. I'm gonna Because I fear God, because of what he's done in my life, I'm gonna give to him, man. He's given me these unique gifts and I'm gonna honor him by serving him.”

35s

#ComePreparedToListen

“Families that follow Jesus fear the Lord when we gather together by bringing their bible and their notebook. I know, hey listen, I'm about to I'm about to meddle. I get it. But when we when we come to the house of God, you know what? I bring my bible and I bring my notebook. Why? Because I'm I'm not coming just to check a box. I'm coming to encounter a living God. I show up with my bible and I show up with my notebook because the word is not supposed to stop through me. It starts It's supposed to spread through me. So when I come, I'm coming to hear a word from the living God.”

33s

#JoyfulAuthenticWorship

“We ought not When we when we come in, we If we fear God, when we worship, we ought not look like we're sucking on lemons. Am I right? My my pastor doctor Wilton used to say, we The body of Christ ought not look like we're recovering from hookworm treatment. He he always said that. When when we come to worship God, we fear God man. We we lift our hands and we lift our hearts and we lift our voices. And watch this, our kids are watching, amen?”

43s

#TrustGodsPlan

“With with head bowed and with heads bowed and eyes closed, could we just have a moment with God? Could we hear from him this morning through the power of the Holy Spirit? The word from God this morning is do not be wise in your own eyes. Is there any area of your life where you're trusting in your plan? I've got a plan for who I'm gonna marry. I've got a plan for where I'm gonna work. I've got a plan for my career. I've got a plan for this next season, man. I've got a plan. Families that follow Jesus commit to the plan of God. Instead of trying harder, they trust more.”

35s

#AssessYourFaith

“Man, for somebody else this morning. When you evaluate your life as a young person. As a teenager. As a college student. As a mom or dad, as a senior adult, man. You don't have the markers of a person that fears the Lord. And God's by his spirit is convicting this morning. Challenging you to to get to a new place in your walk. Just because you've been walking for the Lord for ten years or twenty years or thirty years doesn't mean you made much progress. It's possible to be a very immature Christian.”

37s

#FearLeadsToLife

“Man, that's good stuff right there. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of having life and victory and joy and peace through Jesus Christ. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Jesus and there's nothing that I want more for your family or my family than to have the power of Christ in your life and in your marriage and in your family. Amen? He gives he gives strength. He gives health to your flesh and strength to your bones. That's a picture of wisdom. That's what wisdom gives us.”

50s

#DontWasteYourLife

“Because the Bible What the Bible says is defines this as do not be wise in your own eyes is foolishness. It's folly. The opposite of wisdom biblically is not to be stupid or not to be not smart. The opposite of wisdom biblically is to waste your life. To spend your life on things that don't matter. And and so the bible says that do not be wise in your your own eyes because history is full of people that have learned how to make a successful living but not how to make a successful life. Be careful about being wise in your own eyes. Let me ask you this. Have you guys ever made a plan that didn't work out well? Anybody?”

22s

#BeSpiritFilled

“There's this there's this call by by families to be Do not be drunk with wine which leads to debauchery but be filled under the influence of the Holy Spirit. When we're filled with the Holy Spirit of God, just like, you know, alcohol you talk differently, you drive differently, you think differently, you give differently, you serve differently. We're called to be under the influence of the Holy Spirit of the living God.”

31s

#EngageInWorship

“Y'all with me? That's what it looks like to fear the Lord. Am I telling you what to wear? No. I'm not saying being legalistic and telling you what to wear but I'm saying when we approach God we To to to come into his presence to fear him means we should bring our Sunday best in here, not externally. Number three. We should engage in worship. Man, families that follow Jesus that fear that that are fearing the Lord, they engage in worship, man.”

30s

#GiveAndServeGenerously

“God's not trying to build up religious consumers of good and services, man. He's trying to build up contributors and committed. Engage in worship. Give generously to the the work of the Lord. We'll talk a little bit more about that next week. But man, when we show up when we show up, people that fear the Lord, families that follow Jesus, man, I'm bringing my first and I'm bringing my best to my God, not because I have to, because I got, because I get to. I don't have to worship, I get to worship. And”

75s

“Look look look what it says here in the word of God. It says, do not be wise in your own eyes. Don't be wise in your own eyes. The bible talks from cover to cover about be very careful about trusting in your own strength, in your own resources, in your own intellect. The bible says pride goes before destruction. A haughty spirit before a fall. Be careful about a a self reliant mindset. A a I have a plan and I'm gonna execute it mindset. Planning without praying. Trying without trusting. Because the Bible What the Bible says is defines this as do not be wise in your own eyes is foolishness. It's folly. The opposite of wisdom biblically is not to be stupid or not to be not smart. The opposite of wisdom biblically is to waste your life. To spend your life on things that don't matter. And and so the bible says that do not be wise in your your own eyes because history is full of people that have learned how to make a successful living but not how to make a successful life.”

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Families that Follow Jesus, Week 4 - May 24, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: When Game Plans Meet Muddy Paws

Day 2: Sunday Best Overalls and Holy Expectation

Day 3: Umbilical Cords and Eternal Nourishment

Day 4: Baptismal Waters and Daily Drownings

Day 5: Battlefield Crosses and Empty Tombs

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Families that Follow Jesus, Week 4 - May 24, 2026

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