Jesus' Example: Be Approachable, Pray, Plan Ahead

Devotional

Day 1: Approachable Christians: Pleasant Presence in a Harsh World

Levi threw a party, and Jesus showed up—comfortable among imperfect people, joyful, and easy to be around. That picture invites you to ask if your presence opens doors or shuts them, if your tone builds bridges or burns them. God often sends blessings through people, so a guarded or harsh spirit can quietly block what He intends to give. Being approachable doesn’t mean pretending or becoming someone else; it means being yourself while guarding your attitude, words, and body language. You can love holiness and still be warm, attentive, and welcoming. Let your face, your schedule, and your responses say, “You’re safe here,” because grace looks like good news when it feels like good company [02:51].

Luke 5:29–32: Levi hosted a great meal for Jesus, and many tax collectors and others gathered. When the religious critics complained, Jesus replied that doctors help the sick, not the healthy, and that His mission is to invite those far from God to turn back to Him.

Reflection: Where do you most often come across as closed off (work, home, church lobby, online), and what one small, consistent change could make you more approachable there this week?

Day 2: Integrity When Success Finds You

Crowds pressed around Jesus, yet He never let applause or opportunity change His character. He honored His Father, stewarded influence with humility, and stayed clean-hearted in public and in private. God can and will bless, but the question is whether your interior life will hold the weight of your exterior gains. Integrity shows up in what you watch, how you speak when no one’s listening, and how you handle money, power, and other people’s hearts. Choose Scripture’s standards over cultural shortcuts and let God shape your heart beneath the surface. In every win, keep your worship louder than your reputation [14:35].

1 Samuel 16:7: People are drawn to appearances and polish, but the Lord looks straight into the heart to see what is true and trustworthy.

Reflection: What private habit most needs to match your public confession, and what boundary or practice will you put in place over the next seven days to realign it?

Day 3: Fasting and Prayer: Strength for Flesh and Faith

Some compared Jesus to other religious groups, but He taught that spiritual disciplines are not about image—they are about real formation. Prayer and fasting help tame the cravings that don’t honor God, steady a shaky faith, and lift up loved ones who need more strength than they have on their own. When you feel temptation rising or hope thinning, choose focused prayer, a food fast, or a media fast to reset your soul. Invite a trusted friend to check in and pray with you, especially when evenings or weekends are hardest. This isn’t about proving you’re spiritual; it’s about training your heart to say “yes” to God when everything else pulls you away. Let discipline serve your devotion, not your ego [34:34].

Luke 5:33–35: People asked why Jesus’ disciples weren’t fasting like others. He answered that you don’t fast at a wedding while the groom is present, but there will be a day when He’s taken away—and then His followers will fast.

Reflection: Which specific craving or worry keeps tugging at you lately, and what simple, time-bound fast or prayer rhythm will you embrace this week to bring it under Christ’s care?

Day 4: New Wine Requires New Wineskins and Plans

Jesus’ parable warns that you can’t stitch a fresh future onto an old pattern, and you can’t hold new wine in a brittle container. If you’re asking God for a new season, prepare for it—reshape habits, clarify finances, tidy boundaries, and make room in your calendar and heart. Blessings tend to land where rooms are clean and ready. Change a contact name, create a budget line, take a class, or draft a simple weekly plan—goals in pen, plans in pencil. Let what you want tomorrow inform what you practice today. Don’t just pray for open doors; put hinges and handles on them [42:55].

Luke 5:36–38: Jesus said no one patches an old garment with new cloth, and no one pours new wine into worn-out skins. If they do, the patch tears and the wineskins burst; new wine requires a fresh container.

Reflection: What is one “old wineskin” habit that will not serve the next chapter (spending, texting an old flame, late-night scrolling), and what specific replacement practice will you begin today?

Day 5: Boundaries, Healing, and Hope for Singles

Love people deeply and still choose wisely who travels with you: not a broke mentality, not persistent unbelief, not chronic negativity, not toxicity. Healthy boundaries are not punishment; they are stewardship of your calling and peace. Some wounds need both prayer and professional counsel, and that’s not weakness—it’s wisdom. Following Jesus includes saying no to self whenever that self keeps you stuck. Your past doesn’t disqualify you; grace invites you to stand up, heal up, and look up with hope. Be joyful in your season now while preparing for what God may send next [54:23].

Luke 9:23: Jesus told the crowd that anyone who wants to come after Him must say no to themselves, shoulder their cross daily, and keep in step with Him.

Reflection: With kindness to yourself, which relationship or input consistently bends you toward unbelief or negativity, and what respectful boundary will you set this week to protect your heart and future?

Sermon Summary

I walked us through Luke 5:29-39 and held up Jesus as our model—especially for my singles. In Capernaum He drew crowds like a celebrity without social media, yet He never let success hijack His character. As a single man He carried power, attention, and resources, and still maintained dignity and integrity. That’s the call: God can bless you with visibility and victory, but can your soul carry it without leaking? The Lord looks at the heart while people look at the highlight reel, so we start there.

From Levi’s banquet we learned that following Jesus makes us more approachable, not less. Levi was despised, but Jesus didn’t despise him. That’s what grace does—it sits at tables religious folks won’t, and it becomes the kind of presence people actually want around. I urged our singles to ask: am I pleasant to be with? Am I blocking blessings by pushing people away when God often sends provision through people? Be you, but watch how you treat others. Show yourself friendly. And yes—your face, your tone, and your timeline are preaching long before your words do.

Then we addressed prayer and fasting. The Pharisees performed spirituality; Jesus embodied it. Fasting isn’t theatre; it’s training. It disciplines desire when the cold shower won’t, strengthens faith when you’re weary, and intercedes for loved ones—like your single friends—when longing gets loud. Discipline is doing what’s right when you don’t feel like it, and fasting is a school for that muscle.

Finally, Jesus’ parable of garments and wineskins pressed us to plan ahead. New wine needs new structures. If you want a new season—marriage, health, financial order—create new patterns now. Blessings show up at prepared places: budgets that can handle accountability, calendars that make room for someone else’s needs, boundaries that keep you from recycling old chaos. Your future won’t fit inside yesterday’s habits. And as you plan, be honest about who can’t go with you: broke mindsets (not broke people), chronic negativity, unbelief, and toxicity. Love people, but set terms. Some of us need church and counseling, and that’s not a lack of faith; that’s wisdom.

Singles, God loves you—and you must love you. Heal what life cracked, become approachable, practice prayerful discipline, and prepare the wineskin of your life. Goals in pen; plans in pencil. Let God adjust the route while you stay aimed at the destination.

Key Takeaways

1. Success requires integrity and humility Success isn’t just what you hold; it’s what you become while holding it. Jesus carried influence without losing Himself, modeling how to steward visibility without vanity. Ask not only “Can I get it?” but “Can I keep my soul when I do?” [14:35]
2. Be approachable and pleasant daily God often delivers through people, so a harsh spirit can close doors your prayers just opened. Approachability doesn’t mean pretending; it means being you without weaponizing your mood. Hospitality is an evangelism strategy—your presence should feel like an open table. [22:56]
3. Fast and pray to stay disciplined Fasting is training for the will, not a performance for approval. When desire runs hot or faith runs thin, fasting and prayer re-teach your body and mind who is Lord. Intercede for your friends too; community holiness is a shared burden. [34:34]
4. Plan ahead; prepare for new wine New seasons require new systems, not patched versions of old ones. Build habits now that match the future you’re asking for—budgeting, boundaries, healing, and teachability. Blessings flourish where maturity has made room. [40:25]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:51] - Offering declaration and gratitude
[08:23] - Church health and encouragement
[11:14] - Scripture: Luke 5:29-39
[14:35] - Jesus’ success with integrity
[17:31] - Conflict with religious expectations
[19:41] - Grace for Levi, call to singles
[22:56] - Be pleasant and approachable
[26:03] - Be you, watch attitude and presentation
[28:49] - “You can’t be Christian and nasty”
[31:54] - Why pray and fast?
[34:34] - Don’t perform spirituality; practice discipline
[37:49] - Fasting for flesh and faith
[40:25] - Pray for loved ones; plan ahead
[42:55] - New wine, new wineskins applied
[44:46] - Money, accountability, and preparation
[46:46] - Remove toxic and negative influences
[49:14] - Church and counseling; know your lane
[51:58] - Approachable hearts and goals in pen
[54:23] - Prayer for singles
[56:09] - Salvation invitation and dismissal

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
- Luke 5:29-39

Observation questions
- In Luke 5:29-32, who is at Levi’s banquet, and what exactly are the Pharisees upset about?
- In verses 34-35, what reason does Jesus give for not fasting at that moment, and what future change does He predict?
- In verses 36-39, Jesus uses two pictures—patching a garment and pouring wine. What happens when the “new” is forced onto the “old” in each picture?
- It was noted that Jesus had influence and attention yet kept integrity. Where in this scene do you see His priorities and character on display toward Levi and the crowd? [14:35]

Interpretation questions
- Levi was despised, but Jesus did not despise him. What does this reveal about grace and the kind of presence Jesus brings into hard places and hard stories? [19:41]
- What is the difference between performing spirituality and practicing it? How does fasting as “training” (not theatre) reshape how someone handles desire, fatigue, and temptation? [34:34]
- Why can’t “new wine” fit into “old wineskins”? What kinds of habits, structures, or rhythms might Jesus be pressing for when a person enters a new season? [40:25]
- If “people look at the highlight reel, but the Lord looks at the heart,” how should someone think about success, image, and character when influence increases? [14:35]

Application questions
- Influence without leakage: Where is God giving you visibility or wins right now (work, social media, ministry, relationships)? What is one practical boundary you will set this week to guard integrity—phone habits, spending, private conversations, or accountability? [14:35]
- Approachable on purpose: Be honest—are you pleasant to be around lately? If not, what one shift will you make in your face, tone, or timeline so your presence feels like an open table (text a check-in, smile first, reply kindly, slow your sarcasm)? [22:56]
- Be you, but watch how you treat people: What part of “be yourself” is healthy for you to keep, and what part needs to soften so others don’t get cut by your mood? Name one small change (body language, first words, response time, dress for the moment). [26:03]
- Fast like it matters: Where is desire running hot or faith running thin? Choose a simple fast (meal/day/social media) and a prayer focus for 7 days. Who will you tell for gentle accountability? [34:34]
- Stand in the gap: Name one single friend (or one longing in your own singleness). How will you intercede—specific prayers, a fasting day, or a tangible encouragement this week? [37:49]
- New wine, new systems: If God answered your prayer for a new season (marriage, health, financial order), what two structures would need to be ready now (budget, calendar margin, counseling, boundaries)? Start one this week. Remember: blessings show up at prepared places. [44:46]
- Set terms with love: Who cannot go with you into the next chapter—broke mindsets, chronic negativity, unbelief, toxicity? What respectful boundary or honest conversation needs to happen, and when will you do it? [46:46]
- Goals in pen; plans in pencil: Write one “pen” goal for the next 6 months and two “pencil” plans (flexible steps). Where are you sensing God might adjust the route, and how will you stay teachable? [51:58]

Sermon Clips

jesus dear brothers and sisters without social media without television come on without cell phones has achieved a level of success that people would call him a celebrity they would call him that because everywhere he goes the people flock to him to witness his miracles and to hear his message come on but the wonderful thing about jesus is the fact that he didn't allow the success to go to his head [00:14:37] (30 seconds) #HumbleInSuccess

the bible says come on if you want to have friends show yourself friendlycome on come on and if you're sitting there saying nobody want to be around me well maybe you are not pleasant to be around come on let me step on your toes singles are you pleasant to be around dear brothers and sisters because watch this the thing that we see in this text dear brothers and sisters is that sometimes some of us say i don't care if people don't like me or not but when you are a christianyou have to be careful saying that statement as a christian [00:22:14] (50 seconds) #ShowYourselfFriendly

because one of the things that i've learned the longer that i live and the more that i walk on this earth it ain't just what you know it's who you know and when you continue to push people away you block the blessing because god uses people to bless each and every last one of usand some of you are looking for your blessing and it's the person that is next to you come on because the bible also says be careful how you entertain strangers because those strangers might be an angel in disguise you don't cussed out your angel you don't gave your angel the finger why because you had a bad day [00:23:10] (52 seconds) #BlessingsThroughPeople

part of the reason why uh people hung around or uh the people hung around jesus is because watch this the church folks the pharisees and the sadducees their brothers and sisters didn't welcome him that's the weird part about it is many of y'all know the text the pharisees and the sadducees the religious folks didn't like jesus so what he had to also say is sincey'all don't like me i gotta go where i'm welcome come on and the saying is go go where you're celebrated not where you're tolerated [00:24:17] (41 seconds) #GoWhereYoureCelebrated

you cannot be a can y'all ready write this down you cannot be a can you cannot be a christian and nasty yeah that might be a t-shirtyou can't be a christian and nasty you can't have a nasty attitude all the time you can't be nasty towards people come on you can't be a christian you can't be a can you can't be a christian and nasty pick one either be a christian or be a nasty but you can't be both [00:28:56] (45 seconds) #ChristianBeKind

But the other part is this. They were trying to look holy. Come on. Thank you. They were trying to look holy. They were putting on the outwardappearance that if we pray because we pray and fast, we are closer to God. And please understand this, dear brothers and sisters. Just because you pray and you fast and you read your Bible don't mean you have a good heart. Come on. Don't be trying to look spiritual. Come on. And call people out because you pray and fast and they don't. [00:34:53] (41 seconds) #RealFaithNotPerformance

So, when we pray and fast, dear brothers and sisters, just watch it. Just stay with me. Praying and fasting for us demonstrates that we are concerned about our flesh. Praying and fasting is us sitting there saying, hey, you know what? I'm trying to keep my flesh in check. When the cold showers ain't working, don't y'all do that. Kids ain't here.Well, what? Come on. When the cold shower ain't working and you trying to keep your flesh under control, you better get to praying and fasting. Come on. You got to sit there and say, hey, you know what? Let me pray. Let me call my prayer partner. Come on. [00:36:43] (55 seconds) #PrayForSelfControl

Your plans don't include a broke mentality person. Let me say it again.Not a broke person, but a broke mentality person. You can be broke, but your mindset can't be broke. If you want to go with me to the next level, you got to change your mindset. Your plans, dear brothers and sisters, don't include a non-believing in God person. If you don't believe in God, listen, you can't go with me to the next level. They can get mad all they want because guess what? When you in heaven, they can't get in there. And your plans don'tinclude a negative person. [00:46:59] (48 seconds) #UpgradeYourCircle

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Jesus' Example: Be Approachable, Pray, Plan Ahead

Devotional

Day 1: Approachable Christians: Pleasant Presence in a Harsh World

Day 2: Integrity When Success Finds You

Day 3: Fasting and Prayer: Strength for Flesh and Faith

Day 4: New Wine Requires New Wineskins and Plans

Day 5: Boundaries, Healing, and Hope for Singles

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Jesus' Example: Be Approachable, Pray, Plan Ahead

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