Brookfield Church of Christ
Jun 14 2026 Sun p.m. - Evening Service
Topical Message
      • Bible Trivia
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  • INTRODUCTION
    Lot of people say they put God first
    But what does that actually look like in real life? Not just in what you believe or what you say but in how you live day-to-day, your decisions, your priorities and the way you handle what comes your way
    because a lot of people say they love God yet still feel overwhelmed, stuck or empty
    The truth is it's possible to believe in God without fully surrendering to him
    Matthew 15:8 ESV
    “ ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;

    CHANGE 1 - YOUR PRIORITIES BECOME CLEAR

    Matthew 6:33 ESV
    But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
    When God is not first, life feels crowded. Everything demands your attention at the same time
    your goals
    your responsibilities
    other people's expectations
    your own desires
    your unfinished plans
    your worries about the future
    Everything feels important, nothing is truly in order, and you live in reaction mode
    you move from one pressure to another without clarity
    Colossians 3:17 ESV
    And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
    By putting God first, you begin to understand that not every opportunity is necessary, not every distraction deserves your energy, and not every demand should control your peace
    you do not have to fix your whole life in one day
    start by giving God the first part of your day not the leftovers

    CHANGE 2 - YOUR ANXIETY BEGINS TO LOSE ITS POWER

    Anxiety grows when you feel like everything depends on you.
    when you try to control every outcome predict, every problem, and carry every burden in your own strength
    Psalm 55:22 ESV
    Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
    Matthew 11:28–30 ESV
    Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
    YOU “WHAT IF” yourself to an early grave

    Anxiety begins to lose its power when trust begins to take its place.

    Proverbs 3:5–6 ESV
    Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

    CHANGE THREE - YOUR DECISIONS BECOME WISER

    When God is not at the center, decisions are often driven by emotion, pressure, insecurity, or impatience.
    QUESTION: Have you ever made a decision out of impatience and later on wished you didn’t?
    Putting God first - you start seeking direction, you become more willing to pause, more willing to wait, more willing to ask “Is this truly right or is this just attractive right now?”
    By putting God first in your life, over time you begin to notice the difference.
    You make fewer impulsive choices
    You become less reactive
    You stop living off emotional swings

    CHANGE FOUR - YOUR RELATIONSHIPS START TO SHIFT

    You become more discerning
    you start to recognize which relationships are helping you grow, and which ones are quietly draining your peace, weakening your focus, or pulling you away from who God is calling you to become.
    2 Corinthians 6:14 ESV
    Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
    when you trust God with your relationships you stop forcing connections that are not healthy
    you stop chasing acceptance at the cost of peace you allow him to remove what no longer fits

    CHANGE 5 - YOUR IDENTITY BECOMES STRONGER

    without God at the center it is easy to build your identity on unstable things
    what people think of you
    how much you should achieve
    how attractive you seem
    how successful you look
    how you compare to others
    The problem is that all of those things can shift quickly, and when they do, your confidence shifts with them
    but when you put God first, your identity begins to root itself in something unchanging.
    Colossians 2:6–7 ESV
    Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

    CHANGE 6 - YOUR OBEDIENCE BECOMES MORE NATURAL

    Luke 9:23 ESV
    And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
    Philippians 2:12 ESV
    Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,

    CONCLUSION

    when you put God first, your life does not become perfect but it becomes aligned.
    Your priorities become clear
    Your decisions become wiser
    your obedience becomes more natural as your heart becomes more surrendered
    these changes do not always happen instantly but they happen consistently, and over time they completely reshape the direction of your life

      • Matthew 15:8NIV2011

      • Matthew 6:33NIV2011

      • Colossians 3:17NIV2011

      • Psalm 55:22NIV2011

      • Matthew 11:28–30NIV2011

      • Proverbs 3:5–6NIV2011

      • 2 Corinthians 6:14NIV2011

      • Colossians 2:6–7NIV2011

      • Luke 9:23NIV2011

      • Philippians 2:12NIV2011

Brookfield Church of Christ
brookfieldcoc@yahoo.com
708-485-7606
https://brookfieldcoc.faithlifesites.com
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