Magnificent 7 : week 1

Levi Lusko - Fresh Life Church 

Soul Food

John 6:26-35

God intentioned us to rest.

What the disciples saw as an annoyance, Jesus saw as an opportunity.

There’s more than one kind of eating.

That’s food for thought.

I devoured that book.

A full stomach is temporary, a full soul is forever. 

7 days in a week

7 colors in a rainbow

7 continents

Every 7 days you shed skin.

Every 7 years every cell in your body is new.

7 is a common number everywhere! 

"There seems to be some limitation built into us either by learning or by the design of our nervous systems, a limit that keeps our channel capacities in this general range..."

George Miller 

In the Bible, the number 7 represents completion, fullness.

I Am : 7 times in the gospel John.

If I know who He is, then I know who I am.

Week 1 : I Am The Bread Of Life

Ego means I am - He didn’t choose that one.

Eimi means I am 

He chose to use : ego eimi 

So He said I am, I am.

*Exodus 3:13-4 "Then Moses said to God, "Indeed when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say to them? And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"

Whatever you need, whatever you lack, HE IS! 

Understanding who He is helps us understand who we are.

I Am changes who I am. 

1. Jesus talks about what we eat

He is something to sustain.

He says He is something that we think about often.

Exclusively thinking about physical things is not a great habit. 

Don’t labor only for food that perishes.

Don’t care only for the things of this world.

It’s easy to live for things that we can’t keep.

2. What we need is a spiritual food

Deep hunger to know and be known by God. 

If you misdiagnose what’s wrong with you, you’ll mistreat it.

So if you feel this hunger : you’ll eat what others are telling you.

*Isaiah 55:2 Why do you spend your money on junk food, your hard-earned cash on cotton candy? Listen to me, listen well : Eat only the best, fill yourself with only the finest."

Being full is not the same thing as being satisfied.

If I get this then I’ll be happy.

The target just moves. 

God put His stamp on Jesus.

Two Greek words for life :

Bios + zoe 

Zoe is eternal life.

John 6:27 "This is the food the Son of Man will give you, and he is the one who wears the stamp of God the Father."

"I sometimes wonder whether all pleasures are not substitutes for joy." C.S. Lewis

When the bread isn’t used as anything but what it is then it can just be enjoyed for what it is.

3. How To Receive It

Religious temptation sneaks in : how do we earn our keep? 

BELIEVE

"Jesus told them, "This is the only work God wants from you : Believe in the One He has sent."" John 6:29

He didn’t ask them to do anything except believe.

You should be praying that you are fully receiving life with God.

"From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more." John 6:66

"Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."" John 6:27-28

Receiving things from Jesus can never take the place of being with Jesus.

Valentine's Weekend - Swipe Right Mash-Up

Levi Lusko - Fresh Life Church

Exodus 2:12

He looked to the let and then to the right and then he made a decision and killed the Egyptian.

Swipe right - LOOK UP!

Not my will, but Thy will.

When you take what you're not supposed to touch you give away what God wants to bless you with.

At the height of the pineapple it cost $8k but now we can buy a can of chunks.

What's widely available is not hotly desirable.

Three Lies About Sex 

1. It's just a sexual activity 

1 Corinthians 6:16

Proverbs 4:23

2. I can do what I want and have what God wants

"Get it all out of my system, then I'll serve God." 

What you're loading into your life is what you live.

Proverbs 6:27

What you're living now plagues you later.

**Weeds coming out of seeds you planted from when you sowed your wild oats.**

God's highest good for you isn't forgiving you, He'd rather be blessing you!

The devil has us so short-sighted.

How close to God can I walk and how much of His spirit do I want?

Hebrews 12:16-17 MSG

If you're eating good you won't be hungry for what's bad. 

Follow through - bigger picture.

Think about your calling and follow through...don't think about the 'right now.'

Galatians 5:13

We were enslaved to sin and then Jesus freed you from that sin and then you're shackling yourself back to sin.

What you do with your liberty can bring you back to captivity.

3. Sexual temptation and dating are only issues before you get married.

The devil shifts his strategy.

The devil divides.

He's working through the forbidden fruit.

If you don't don't your mate then the devil will find someone who will.

If your marriage isn't working it's because you're not working at it.

4. I've already messed up, so there's no hope for me.

Your life is not over yet.

Jeremiah 29:11

FROM THIS DAY FORWARD!! 

You can't change your past or the consequences of your past, but you can say from this day forward I will honor God.

You In Five Years : week 5

Jennie Lusko - Fresh Life Church

What Can't Be Taken Away

Who - Why - How - When

This week : What

What if?

What if the plans we make for 5 years don't go as planned?

Prayer : God, open our eyes to see glorious truths in Your word.

Luke 10:38-42

Jesus will go where He is invited.

Mary was sitting listening to Jesus. 

Martha was doing all the housework.

I Am Bible For Kids

Deuteronomy 11:18 

Jesus speaks tenderly and corrects with love.

Luke 10:42 MSG - the main course.

1. Choose It

Mary chose to sit and listen to Jesus.

Back in those days women didn't sit at people's feet.

Mary put herself in a learning position.

Jesus elevates women, He places high value on them.

Jesus calls the woman - who had bled for 12 years - daughter!

God has given women a strength, bravery, discernment that He didn't give to men.

We are daughters of the King.

Mary made Jesus the priority.

Jesus first and foremost.

Martha wasn't wrong in making the meal.

It wasn't wrong to throw an epic party.

She was putting emphasis on the preparations and not Who she was doing them for.

Fight to focus!

Sometimes changing your physical posture helps you retain information better.

Jennie places her Bible on the chair and kneels on the floor.

If life doesn't go as planned we must choose to worship Jesus, to listen to Him, and to be with Him.

Purpose in your heart.

2. Do It

Luke 10:39

Hanging on to every word Jesus said.

Listen and believe.

Mark 3

Jesus was in church. A man had a crippled hand. The religious leaders are looking to find fault in Jesus. They watched Him closely to condemn Him.

Proximity to Jesus does not mean a close relationship with Him.

Look to Jesus in wonder, not criticism.

It's a scary thought to be near the things of God, to be near Him, but not know Him.

Acts 4:13

The thing that cannot be taken away is your relationship with Jesus.

You In Five Years : week 4

Levi Lusko - Fresh Life Church

From Evening To Morning

We'll be taking steps of obedience long before we see results.

When? When are we going to find time to make these steps?

Exodus 16:13

Psalm 90:6

Ecclesiastes 11:6

Mark 13:35

40 times evening + morning show up in the same verse.

Genesis 1:1-5

An evening followed by a day.

Scriptures starts the day when the sun goes down.

5:30pm - 14.5 hours - 8am

8am - 9.5 hours - 5:30pm

This is when we have lots to do and the time we have the least control over.

Quit focusing on morning to evening and start thinking evening to morning.

If you anchor your evenings and your mornings, then come what may, you'll already have a great day!

It's hard to have a bad day that starts and ends well.

Two ways to live this out

1. Get Sleep

We've gone from 10 hours of sleep to 6hours 51 minutes average per night since Thomas Edison created the lightbulb.

"Studies have conclusively linked sleeplessness to irritability, anger, depression, and mental exhaustion." Sara Mednick

When you haven't slept well 

You don't eat well

You don't have enough energy

More susceptible to sickness

4 hours less sleep than you're used to imparts you like drinking 6 beers.

8 hours 36 minutes is optimal sleep time.

Gradual wind down.

2. Go Deep

Spiritually

Creatively

Physically

Psalm 46:10

When you work out physically it has the same effect on your body as taking a little bit of mood and focus pills.

We were created to be creative by a Creator.

Deep Work by Cal Newport 

We are not multitasking: going from one thing to another quickly and poorly.

Attention Residue - little hooks holding you to the task you just finished.

"Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus." Alexander Graham Bell

This is an ideal day ::

A masterpiece day ::

1. Make a plan

Failing to plan is planning to fail.

"What good shall I do this day?" Benjamin Franklin when his feet hit the floor every morning.

2. Take notes

Simply measuring something improves it.

Every day, common people writing in their diaries.

Who's going to know what God did through you if you're not writing anything down?

3. Use time blocks

Think about chunks of time - usually an hour.

Your brain works in waves that are 90 minutes long, then take a short break.

Don't use that break to watch Netflix.

Email + social media are like a treat.

4. Be inaccessible

We don't need to constantly be accessible.

5. Let the sun go down on technology

Plan a time of day to turn off your phone, etc. 

Shutdown complete.

You In Five Years : week 3

Levi Lusko - Fresh  Life Church

Too Small To Fail

Exodus 23:27-30

Deuteronomy 7:17-18, 21-23

What/Who do you want to be in 5 years?

Even the journey of a thousand miles starts with one step. Chinese Proverb

Goes both ways, could be good  or bad steps.

Little things adding up.

They wandered for 40 years, because they were afraid.

Egypt represents slavery to sin.

Just because you've come out of Egypt doesn't mean you enter into the promise land.

Power, deliverance, breakthrough.

7 scary nations were better and greater than the Israelites.

So the Israelites are thinking we're too small, we'll fail.

God said, no you are too small to fail!

It's about who you know.

Don't look at your limitations, look to the Lord.

Little by little over time.

Drip campaign.

It's not going to be quick or easy, it's going to be drip, drip, drip.

God wants you to seek Him every day.

I'm going to send a hornet - no one knows what God meant.

What you want to obtain you have to obtain.

Victory isn't going to come from one giant thing you do it's going to be you choosing to do something small that's constantly repeated!

Little by little!

Mini Habits by Stephen Guise

The things in life that are so easy to do are also the things that are so easy not to do.

If your goal is to do push ups every day start with one push up because chances are you'll do more once you're down there.

The hardest part of doing the Spartan race is getting to the starting line. Joe De Sena

Job 8:7

Zechariah 4:10

Have faith like a mustard seed.

5 loaves and 2 fish

As you're trying to do all the things little by little here are 4 things :

1. Choose carefully

Not all change is created equal.

Keystone habits.

There are arches, but there are certain stones called keystones.

Making your bed.

Family dinner.

2. Spell it out specifically

Bright lines mean there is no ambiguity.

Fuzzy lines would mean you have no idea what you're reading/doing.

3. Track it diligently

If you're not keeping documentation then you won't have a clue if you failed or not.

The four disciplines of execution Franklin Covey

If you're not keeping track you're simply practicing.

4. Guard it aggressively 

Don't ever let a day end that I didn't do what God wanted me to do.

When you fail, make it your goal to not ever do that again.

Don't look at results yet.

Don't say it's not working.

Don't dismiss the mustard seed.

Jerry Seinfeld wrote one joke a day...slashed an X on a calendar and would look at the chain. When he missed a day he would start a new chain.

Compound interest.

Folding paper can only fold 6 or 7 times because every time you fold you're doubling.

You In Five Years : week 2

Levi Lusko - Fresh Life Church

In The Absence Of A Crisis

1 King 19:19-21

Life of Elisha.

Elisha has a fantastic life.

Elijah's life is not so great in worldly standards.

Elijah is offering Elisha an internship - a chance to do God's work.

If you want to come with me..it's not going to be easy.

Elisha accepts.

18 years pass.

One detail given about those 18 years : Elisha poured water on the hands of Elijah : 2 Kings 3:11

He was basically a human hand sanitizer.

2 Kings 2:9-14

God said it would be Elijah's last day.

He took off his jacket, slapped the water on the river and the river parted, they both crossed over on dry land.

Elisha is given an opportunity to ask for a double portion of Elijah's spirit.

A crisis is the best catalyst for change.

It's amazing what comes to the surface in tremendous difficulty.

How do we change in the absence of a crisis? 

1. Drastic Action

Forward or death.

Taking retreat off the table.

Initial spark blazes up and that's what you need to change!

It helps you overcome that initial getting past the inertia in getting going.

Inert means idle or lazy.

Your life wants to stay where it is.

There has to be a spark if there's going to be a fire!

2. Steady Progression

Just keep going.

Exact opposite of instant gratification.

"No great thing is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me that you desire a fig, I answer you that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen." Epictetus 

"Improvement doesn't happen in a day, it must happen daily." John Maxwell

"It's time someone told it to you straight. You've been bamboozled for too long. There is no magic bullet, secret formula, or quick fix. You don't make $200,000 a year spending two hours a day on the internet, lose 30 pounds in a week, rub 20 year off your face with a cream, fix your love life with a pill, or find lasting success with any other scheme that is too good to be true. It would be great if you could buy your success, fame, self-esteem, good relationships, and health and well-being in a nicely clam-shelled package at the local Walmart. But that's not how it works..." Darren Hardy

Figure out what God has called you to. 

What space am I meant to occupy?

3. Enjoy Momentum

Let's start this party!

18 years of feeling forgotten

God always let's the world see we've been remembered!

Feeling buried and feeling planted are virtually the same feeling.

Objects at rest stay at rest, objects in motion stay in motion.

If we can establish the right habits, then we get to enjoy the power of momentum!

Drastic Action feels unbearable

Steady Progression feels uncomfortable

But when you have MOMENTUM you become UNSTOPPABLE!

You In 5 Years : Week 1

Levi Lusko - Fresh Life Church

The Life You Get Stuck With

Romans 13:11-14

Most people overestimate what they can accomplish in the short term but underestimate what they can accomplish in the long term.

Acorn that this oak tree sprung out of.

Who could I be five years from now?

Dress yourselves in Christ and be up and about!

5 years is enough to accomplish...

positive + negative

Whatever you choose to add or subtract will have a big impact.

The ways you let in are the ways you're set in.

You have your ways.

The Lord has His ways.

All of your ways you honor Him, He will make your path straight.

4 Things : 

1. Time is not on your side

Chronos is time on the clock

Chiros is specific time, pivotal time - that's the time he used in this text.

Psalm 90:10 + 12

Ecclesiastes go to the funeral.

Isaiah 1:24-25

God's word stands forever!

2. Future you is an exaggerated version of current you.

Whatever characteristics you have today (good or bad) will only become more.

***Time doesn't change who you are, it reveals and depends who you are!***

"The evening of your life is determined by the morning of it." Greg Laurie

Proverbs 11:27

Matthew 7:2

We are what we eat.

We become what we watch.

Your heart becomes visible in your words.

3. If you don't like what you're getting, change what you are doing.

Entrenched in generosity, in love, in mercy, and in discipline. 

Change the mundane details.

4. Ongoing consistency is much more important than short-term intensity. 

Compound interest.

"Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it...he who doesn't...pays it." Albert Einstein 

"Good and evil both increase at compound interest." C.S. Lewis

Daily - weekly - monthly

When I feel like it or not.

Consistency.

The small decisions we make every day matter so much.

The life we get stuck with is the life we make!