Jesus loved God by putting God first: Before your schedule
Luke 14:15-24 | Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!” Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’”
What excuses did the people have in this parable for not coming to the banquet?
How do these excuses relate to those we make when we don’t put God first?
What are some things that fill your typical schedule?
How do you prioritize these things? [What comes first? What gets the most time? What would be the first thing to ‘go’ or move?]
Where does time building your relationship with God fall on this list?
Are you putting God before your schedule, or giving Him the first and best of your time? In what ways or why not? If not, what needs to change?
What excuses do you make about your time with God (reading the Bible, prayer, going to church, etc.) when your schedule gets busy? How will you guard against these excuses so that you keep God first?