John the Baptist was a powerful and popular prophet.  In a relatively short span of time, hosts of people flocked to hear him preach, and many were baptized by him in the Jordan River.  But John knew all along that the purpose of his ministry was not to elevate himself; it was to elevate the Messiah!  The purpose of our lives must be the same. "He must become greater; I must become less.”  - John 3:30

• Why is it important that our focus upon Jesus increases?
• Why is it important that our focus on ourselves decreases?
• How does this come about in the Christian life?

Luke 1:13-17 Before his miraculous birth to the priestly couple Zechariah and Elizabeth, John the Baptist was set apart by God to be the forerunner to the Messiah.

• He was consecrated to be a testament to God’s grace.
• He was consecrated to usher in the joy of the Lord.
• He was consecrated to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
• He was consecrated to draw people to the Lord.

God has a plan and purpose for every person born into the world, including each of us.  Will we, like John the Baptist, accept God’s plan and consecrate ourselves to serve Him faithfully?

Romans 12

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. ² Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

³ Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. ⁴ Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, ⁵ so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. ⁶ In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. ⁷ If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. ⁸ If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. ⁹ Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. ¹⁰ Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. ¹¹ Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. ¹² Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. ¹³ When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. ¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. ¹⁵ Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! ¹⁷ Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. ¹⁸ Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. ¹⁹ Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge;  I will pay them back,” says the Lord.

²⁰ Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them.  If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.”

²¹ Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Every Christian will at times wrestle with doubt, but it is not the opposite nor the enemy of faith.  Dealing with doubts constructively can help our faith to grow stronger, and can also make us a shining light in a questioning world.

• Be honest about your doubts.
• Try to define what kind of doubts you’re having.
• Seek the Lord’s help working through your doubts.
• Learn to be content with not having all the answers.
• Be patient and understanding toward others who struggle with doubt.  “Be merciful to those who doubt.”  Jude 1:22

We may have trouble comprehending the persecution faced by early believers, and some in other parts of the world today.  While we can take positive steps to stop religious persecution, the New Testament emphasis is on glorifying God in the midst of suffering by letting our faith shine brightly. Your faith can shine if you keep a clean conscience.  2 Corinthians 4:1-2 & 1 Peter 2:19-20 Take comfort in the quality of the company you keep.  Matthew 5:12 Sharpen your spiritual sight by focusing on what God is doing.

• Focus on the inward rather than the outward. (2 Cor 4:16-18)
• Focus on the eternal rather than the temporary.  (Rom 8:18, Matt 5:10)
• Focus on the invisible rather than the visible.  (Heb 11:1)
• Focus on God’s good plan rather than people’s evil plans. (1 Pet 1:6-7)

Your faith will shine if you never stop praising God.  Hebrews 13:15 & 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18