Value

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DVD CLIP – Bruce Almighty

Bruce Almighty. Chapter 1 – clip around 5 minutes long (forward the intro).

The clip is where Bruce does his filming at the cookie shop and then talks about getting the ‘anchor job’ at the newsroom. The clip ends when Bruce’s girlfriend, Grace says ‘Bruce just forget it, this is just our life’ while looking at postcards. You will need and want to stop it right there believe.

Point – Bruce wants to get the anchor job, it’s all he can think about.

WHAT DO YOU VALUE?

Can you list the Top 5 things that you really value. Now list the Top 5 things you think God really values.

Let’s take a look at The Bible (always a good idea that..)

– God wants you to love him. It’s the 1st Commandment and Jesus affirms this in the Bible

– Secondly, God wants you to love other people as you love yourself – treat them as you want to be treated

Matthew 22.36-38 (NIV) – “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.

– God values you.

Colossians 1.16 (MSG) – For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 

– God is love and so we should love (God and others, and obey God as this shows love)

John 14:21 – “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”

1 John 4.7-8 – Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

– God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9.7)

– God loves us to care for the widows, the orphans, the needy – practical expressions of God’s love – (James 1:27)

– God loves the humble, hates pride (see Luke 18.14)

– Take a look at the Beatitudes and see what brings God’s blessing. (Matthew 5.1-12)

Note that the Fear of God also brings blessing (see our Talk > Fear of God).

VALUE AND MONEY

There is nothing wrong with achieving high, attaining goals or in having success. But we mustn’t assess value on the basis of success or money.

Look at 1 Corinthians 12.20-26:

As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honourable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honour to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.

So what do we learn? We learn that (in the body of Christ) all are equal. We all need each other. No-one is any better than anyone else. The Bible goes even further – the parts we think are less valuable are in fact worthy of special honour! So the person who cleans the church behind the scenes 

Think – your value does not depend on how much you earn, who you are, where you’ve been or what you look like. Your value depends on how much God loves you. When you want to know who you are and your value, you just have to look to God and to look to the Cross where Jesus died for you.

DVD CLIP 2 – Bruce Almighty

Go from Scene 18 – (time is at about 1.24.22) – Chapter 19 and to the end of the movie (1 min 28.55) if you want to. Bruce has found true value, true meaning.

PRAYER TO END

God, help us to live with purpose and with meaning, making the most of every opportunity. Help us to know our value to you and your value to us. Help us to share your value of people with those around us. Amen.