Series: Childlike Heart
Message: Childlike Heart
Preacher: Jessyka Albert
Daily Walk: Jessyka Albert

Refresh: Open with prayer. Read or listen to Psalm 118:1-9.

Read: Matthew 18:1-6 (ESV). As you read the English Standard Version, note 1–3 insights or questions. 

Reflect: Jesus strongly reminds His disciples that the greatest in the kingdom of heaven isn’t always the strongest person, isn’t always the most educated, isn’t always the most accomplished, but one who humbles himself like a child. 

I see Jesus challenging His friends to reprioritize. 

I see Jesus challenging us to reprioritize. 

I encourage you to jump down to the recalibrate question: What do you admire most about yourself? Be honest, you can brag a bit. It may be the amount of years you’ve slaved studying, listening, and learning to earn a degree or degrees. It could be the causes you have fought for. It could be the weight that you’ve lost. It could be company you started from the ground up. It could be getting voted class president. Whatever it may be, chances are it’s something that you have done, not necessarily something that you are.

The other day I overheard a conversation between a few kids that went a little something like this:
Kid 1: My dad is so strong he can lift a car!
Kid 2: Well my dad is so strong he can lift a house!
Kid 3: Oh yeah? Well my dad can life the entire world!!

You see, when you’re younger, your identity isn’t necessarily in who you are, but whose you are. Children look to their parents for more than just their belonging; they look for affirmation, advice, and acceptance. As they grow up, they begin looking to different people, or even things such as social media, to affirm who they are, to tell them what they should do, and to help them decide if they can belong. 
Jesus challenges us to reprioritize. To not admire the job you worked so hard to get, the amount of Instagram followers you have, or the incredible health you have, but to admire whose you are:

That what you admire most about yourself is that your dad can lift the entire world. 

Recalibrate: ​​​What do you admire most about yourself?

Respond: Say a prayer out loud today. Not using your “prayer” voice; instead talk to your Heavenly Father. Ask Him for the vulnerability to be dependent on Him today.

Research: Read The Atlantic’s article “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?”