#250 - Joby Martin // Christmas Without The Chaos

We challenge the December rush with a simple shift: schedule your priorities instead of prioritizing a crowded calendar. With Galatians 1 and Ephesians 5 as anchors, we choose to please God over people, find rest in Jesus, and aim for heaven’s applause.

• defining winning at Christmas as giving God glory
• refusing busyness by scheduling priorities first
• putting spouse and children before extended family expectations
• seeking God’s approval rather than human approval
• making wise use of time from Ephesians 5
• finding rest in Jesus instead of the calendar
• focusing on mission: lost saved, poor served, gospel preached
• inviting others to a clear Christmas Eve gospel service

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:01):
Welcome to the Daily Blade.
The Word of God is described asthe Sword of the Spirit, the
primary spiritual weapon in theChristian's armor against the
forces of evil.
Your hosts are Joby Martin andKyle Thompson, and they stand
ready to equip men for thefight.
Let's sharpen up.

SPEAKER_01 (00:20):
All right, welcome back.
Day two in this Christmasedition of the Daily Blade.
These are my tips and tricksfrom the scripture on how to win
this year at Christmas.
Again, I said it yesterday.
Winning at Christmas is notabout how many lights you have
up or who gets the bestpresents.
Winning is bringing God glory inthe way we conduct ourselves in
this season.

My tip for today is this (00:40):
don't get too busy.
One of the only seminaryprofessors that I ever got along
with used to tell me this if thedevil can't make you bad, he'll
make you busy.
Are you scheduled for too manyparties, too many expectations
from other people, too muchtravel, too many events?
You see, what you gotta doduring this Christmas season to

(01:01):
make the most of it is make surethat you schedule your
priorities.
You don't just prioritize yourschedule.
That you schedule yourpriorities.
That means you take the mostimportant things: your time with
the Lord, your time with thefamily, the time to be grateful.
You schedule your priorities.
You don't just prioritize yourschedule.

(01:22):
You don't let everybody elsetell you where you have to be.
And you need to do whateverhonors God and what is best for
your family.
And by the way, your family arenot your parents and your
in-laws anymore.
If you are married with kids,that is your family, and that's
who you need to serve first andforemost.
Galatians chapter one, the Biblesays this for am I now seeking

(01:45):
the approval of man or of God?
Or am I trying to please man?
If I were still trying to pleaseman, I would not be a servant of
Christ.
So are you too busy?
Do you have too much travel?
Are you stressed like crazy?
And the only reason that you'redoing these things is because
you are trying to seek theapproval of man.

(02:05):
It might be your in-laws, itmight be your outlaws, it might
be your parents, it might beyour boss.
But are you doing these thingsand what you're actually doing
is serving the wrong master?
You've got to do whatever Jesustells you to do, what's best for
your relationship with Him inregards to your schedule and
best for your family.
Ephesians chapter 5, beginningin verse 15, the Bible says,

(02:28):
look carefully then at how youwalk or how you live, not as
unwise, but wise, making thebest use of your time.
Because the days are evil.
Therefore, do not be foolish,but understand what the will of
the Lord is.
So this Christmas season, withall the parties and all the
expectations, are you making thebest use of your time?

(02:50):
Well, the way to evaluate thatis you've got to understand what
the Lord's will is.
So look at your calendar.
Does it scream wisdom?
And what is God's will for yourlife?
Well, God's will for your lifeis to love God, to love people,
and to date the gospel to theends of the earth.
Is that what your schedulereflects?

(03:10):
Or is your schedule burdensomeand you're not doing anything
good or godly, and because ofyour schedule, you're actually
hating people and not lovingthem.
You see, God loves you and Godput you in charge of your
schedule.
Okay?
Now I know you have workobligations and those kind of
things.
I'm talking about all of theextra things that take away all

(03:31):
the time where God has given youenough time to accomplish His
will.
Matthew 11, verses 28 andfollowing.
Christ says, Come to me, all wholabor and are heavy laden.

(03:53):
Let me ask you, is that you?
And Jesus says, I will give yourest.
Take my yoke upon you and learnfrom me, for I am gentle and
lowly in heart, and you willfind rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and myburden is light.
Your schedule will not give yourest.
Jesus will.
Now, what I don't want you to dois overcorrect and just sit

(04:16):
around and not do anything forthe kingdom of God.
I was listening to an interviewof Tim Tebow very recently, and
he said that one of his greatestfears is that he would go to
heaven well rested.
Now, again, he said, I get rest,I get the Sabbath principle.
And so what are you doing thisChristmas season?
Are you living for the applauseof man or the applause of

(04:39):
heaven?
Because you know what heavencheers at?
Heaven cheers when the lost aresaved, when the poor are served,
when the gospel is preached.
And so may we find our rest inJesus and may we do the right
things this Christmas season forthe applause of heaven.
Maybe one of the things youcould get very, very serious
about is you can invite peopleto your Christmas Eve service if

(05:03):
you go to the kind of churchwhere the gospel is shared and
get really, really, reallyfocused.
Not on the eggnog, not on theparties, not on that stuff, but
get really focused on thefather's business.
Don't get too busy.
Be about the father's business.

SPEAKER_00 (05:20):
Thank you for listening to today's episode.
Before you go, if you want tohelp equip other men for the
fight, share this podcast aroundand leave us a five star rating
and review.
Stay sharp.