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“But one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion…” --Luke 10:42 If you made a checklist of things that were necessary for your well-being, what would be on it? Naturally, you’d include things like food, water, air, and shelter. But what about spending time with Jesus? Do you find daily fellowship with Christ Jesus essential? Well, I hope you do, because it is absolutely essential to your growth and effectiveness as a Christ-follower. You and I can see this truth presented so vividly in the story of Mary and Martha’s encounter with Jesus. You’ll recall that Martha had invited Jesus to come to her home for a time of refreshment. Maybe a meal and time of fellowship. And after Jesus arrived, Martha’s sister, Mary chose to sit at Jesus’ feet soaking up his words and his very presence while Martha became busy with preparations. When Martha asked Jesus to send Mary to help her, Jesus told her that Mary had discovered the one thing necessary, the truly essential thing: spending time with him. You see, as a Christ-follower, spending time with Jesus isn’t just a good thing to do, it is THE thing to do! To experience his presence every day of your life, you must seek him, spend time with him, and know his heart. Will you choose this one necessary thing today? I pray that you will. TIME SPENT WITH JESUS ISN’T JUST A GOOD THING TO DO, IT IS THE THING TO DO! Friday, November 23, 2018 It All Matters by Dr. Paul Chappell “Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.” Zechariah 4:8–10 The rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem following the Babylonian Captivity was a lengthy and arduous process. When Solomon built the first Temple, he had access to vast financial resources, and the kingdom was safe and prosperous. In contrast, the building project undertaken in the days of Ezra by Nehemiah and Zerubbabel was done while surrounded by enemies and threats. One of the problems that delayed the construction was the feeling of some people that because what they were doing was so much smaller and less than the original, it was not worthy of their commitment and sacrifice. God sent the prophet Zechariah to challenge them to do all that they could, trusting God to provide the rest. Many times we are tempted to overlook what seems to us to be small things, not realizing that those may be the very things that make the biggest difference. The world may ignore or mock what we are able to do, but God does not. He keeps track of even the smallest investments that we make in His work, and rewards us for them. Jesus said, “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42). Doing nothing because we are only able to do a little is foolish, and keeps us from reaching our best for God. Today’s Growth Principle:  There are no small acts of obedience and sacrifice in the eyes of God.