Chasing Carrots
Week - Perfection
Matthew 5:43-48
Chasing the carrot - the unending pursuit of something
(aka… a wild goose chase)
Perfectionism
Perfectionists actually achieve less and stress more.
-Fear of not getting it all right leads to not getting it done at all
-Procrastination driven by that fear of failure
Perfectionism is a spiritual issue because
1. We pretend perfection instead of accepting grace (
2. We expect perfection instead of giving others grace (
-You’re a sinner…and so am I.
-Jesus alone is our salvation - it is the grace of God by which we are saved.
Perfection focuses on
*Grace focuses on __Jesus’
Perfection says we have to
*Grace says we live from
—–And yet…
Matthew 5:48 says - “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. —Matthew 5:43-48
Greek word for perfect means complete, mature, whole - Jesus’ command to be perfect isn’t about performance and behavior, it’s about
So, what do we pursue instead?
1. Choose
2. Choose perfect
Our calling isn’t to convince people how good we are. Our calling is to convince people how good our God is. —Craig Groeschel