1. Authentic Followers of Christ Salt and Light Mark 2: 1-12

2. PS 37:4
Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

3. if we can be humble enough – obedient enough – and trusting enough
God will place his desires – his plans – his priorities into our hearts.
As an act of faith – we accept that this is the bestest life we can live.

4. Verses 1-4
A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on

5. But as we read on – we see that God’s agenda is often different from ours.
There are times when God gives us what we need – rather than what we want.
Verse 5
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

6. Jesus will often give us our wants
but He is far more interested in our needs.

7. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

8. Mark 1:35
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!" Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else - to the nearby villages - so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.

9. To trust God in determining the difference between wants and needs.
This is our journey of faith To trust God with the choices in our life.
To trust God in determining the difference between wants and needs.

10. Jesus also has the authority to declare our needs
He knows that our “wants” won’t supply our needs.

11. Today – we have a choice
do we seek God only so He can bless us – are we more likely to fight Jesus than follow Him in difficult times
do we seek God so that He can supply our deepest needs – forgiveness of sin and a relationship with God.
Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

12. God is happy to often supply our wants
But He is far more interested in our needs
This is our journey of faith......trusting God with those choices in our life
Our happiness is not found in our wants
But its finding our needs met in God as we go deeper with Him