“Undistracted Faith!”

Pastor Doug Heisel – June 15, 2025

Luke 9:57-62 — As they were walking along the road, a man said to (Jesus), “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

(Jesus) said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”


But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 6:33

Why “God-First” living is the better way:

1. You were __________________ for God-First Living

— including being in a real and rich relationship with __________________.

Long ago, even before He made the world, God chose us to be His very own through what Christ would do for us; He decided then to make us holy in His eyes, without a single fault--we who stand before Him covered with His love. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for us. And He did this because He wanted to!” Ephesians 1:4-5

2. Putting God first can eliminate __________________, as you trust in His goodness and faithfulness.

Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? Matthew 6:25-27

3. __________________ are easier and better because you don’t have to figure it all out on our own.

… His kingdom and His righteousness … Matthew 6:33

4. God-First living produces a strong __________________ and superior outcomes.


Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his

house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did

not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put

them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the

winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 6:24-27

The following acrostic is an effective tool to evaluate if you are living God-First:

F __________________ & __________________

I __________________

R __________________ and __________________

S __________________ and __________________

T __________________