May 15 2016 Managing Life's Rejections

MANAGING LIFE’S REJECTIONS

Proverbs 18:14 - A man’s spirit will endure sickness, but a broken spirit, who can bear?

SIX SYMPTOMS OF REJECTION
1. Easily hurt.
2. Have a fear of failure.
3. Often suspicious of others.
4. Often isolate themselves from others.
5. Feel they have to prove themselves all the time.
6. Difficulty trusting God.

HOW TO RESPOND TO LIFE’S REJECTIONS

1. Release my pain.

Matthew 5:4 – Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Psalm 62:8 – Pour out your heart to God, for He is our refuge.

Psalm 34:18 – The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

2. Receive from others.

Galatians 6:2 – Carry each other’s burdens.  By helping each other with your troubles, you obey the law of Christ.

Hebrews 12:15 – Look after each other so that not one of you will fail to find God’s best blessing.

3. Refuse to be bitter.

Job 21:25 – Some people have no happiness at all; they live and die with a bitter heart.

Hebrews 12:15 – Watch out that no bitterness takes root among you, it causes deep trouble hurting many in their spiritual lives.

The Antidote: 

-Accept what cannot be changed.

Job 11:13, 16 – Reach out to God, then face the world again, firm and courageous.

-Focus on what’s left not what’s lost.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 – No matter what happens always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you.

4. Remember what’s important.

Luke 12:15 – Jesus said life is not measured by how much one owns.

1 Timothy 6:7 – We brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it.

5. Rely on Christ.

Philippians 4:13 – I have learned the secret of being happy at any time in everything that happens.  I can do all things through Christ, because He gives me strength.

HOW?

-Lean on Christ for stability!

Psalm 125:1 – Those who trust in the Lord are steady as Mount Zion, unmoved by any circumstance.

Psalm 112:6-7 – Such a person will not be overthrown by evil circumstances.  God’s constant care of him will make a deep impression on all who see it.  He does not fear bad news, nor live in dread of what may happen.  For he is settled in his mind that God will take care of him.

-Listen to Christ for direction!

Jeremiah 29:11 – I know what I am planning for you, says the Lord.  I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you.  I will give you hope and a good future.

-Look to Christ for salvation.

Job 2:7 – When I have lost all hope, I once again turn my thoughts to the Lord.

June 14 2015 Freedom From Depression

FREEDOM FROM DEPRESSION

1 Kings 19:1-18 

Verse 4 – I have had enough, Lord.  Take my life.  I am no better than my ancestors.

A Prime Candidate For Depression Is: Physically tired & emotionally exhausted.

I. First, notice what causes or increases depression.

A) One – You focus on feelings instead of facts.

Verse 3-4 – Elijah was afraid and ran for his life.  He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said.

B) Secondly, you can increase depression by comparing yourselves with others.

Verse 4 – “I’m no better than my ancestors.”

2 Corinthians 10:12 – We do not dare to compare ourselves with some.

C) Thirdly, depression is increased when we take false blame.

Verse 10 – “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty.  The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword.”

You can sometimes influence people but you can’t control them.

D) A fourth mistake we make about depression is exaggerate the negative.

Verse 10 – “Everybody’s against me.”

II. Secondly, notice God’s cure for depression

A) First take care of physical needs.

Verses 5-6 – Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep, and then the angel said, “Get up and eat,” and he looked and saw bread and a jar of water.

B) Secondly give your frustrations to God.

Verses 9-10 – Israel rejected the covenant, broke down the altars, put the prophets to death, the only one left.

Many emotions:

Verse 3:  He was afraid.

Verse 4:  He talks about resentment.

Verse 10:  Worked hard for nothing. Thought they would kill him.

C) Thirdly get a fresh awareness of God.

Verse 11 – “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord for I am to pass by.”

HOW TO GET A FRESH AWARENESS

Get alone with God.

D) Fourthly get a new direction for life.

Verse 15 –“Go back the way you came and go to the Desert of Damascus.  When you get there here’s what I want you to do.”

Matthew 16:25 – Whoever loses his life will find it.

YOU CAN CHANGE!

July 27 2014 Faith: The Working Quality Of The Church

Faith: The Working Quality Of Life And The Church

Mark 5:25 – 34

Does my faith remove my mountains or my mountains remove my faith?

Lessons On Faith

1. We see the determination of faith.

Verses 25-26 – A woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She has suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better, she grew worse.

2. Look at the direction of faith.

Verse 27 – When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His cloak.

Why She Tried Again:

• Her faith in others had been shattered.
• Time was ebbing away.

Two Directions Faith Can Take:

1. Discard our faith and give up.
2. Direct our faith and grow up.

Hebrews 12:12-13 – Wherefore, lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees and make straight paths for your feet.

3. We need to see the decision of her faith.

Verses 27-28 – She touched His cloak because she thought if I just touch His cloak.

The Formation Of Faith:

• Begins with knowledge.
• Grows with our inward reflection.
• A decision is made.

Verse 29 – When she touched Him, immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

4. There must be a declaration of this faith.

Verses 30-34 – At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from Him and asked “Who touched my clothes?” “You see the people crowding against You,” His disciples answered, “and yet You can ask, ‘Who touched Me’?” But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman came and fell at His feet and told the whole truth, and He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you.”

Two Reasons For The Question:

1. She had an ignorant faith.
2. Jesus wanted a public demonstration.

Faith that brings us to Jesus and causes a positive response, that is publicly declared, is sufficient faith.

May 25 2014 Building Confidence From Loss

Building Confidence From Loss 

Ecclesiastes 8:14 – Sometimes something useless happens on earth. Bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people.

HOW TO RESPOND TO LIFE’S LOSSES

1. Release my grief.

Matthew 5:4 – Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Psalm 62:8 – Pour out your heart to God, for He is our refuge.

Psalm 34:18 – The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

2. Receive from others.

Galatians 6:2 – Carry each other’s burdens, by helping each other with your troubles, you obey the law of Christ.

Hebrews 12:15 – Look after each other so that not one of you will fail to find God’s best blessings.

3. Refuse to be bitter.

Job 21:25 – Some people have no happiness at all, they live and die with a bitter heart.

Hebrews 12:15 – Watch out that no bitterness takes root among you, it causes deep trouble hurting many in their spiritual lives.

The Antidote:

Accept what cannot be changed.

Job 11:13, 16 – Reach out to God, then face the world again, firm and courageous.

Focus on what’s left, not what’s lost.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 – No matter what happens always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you.

4. Remember what’s important.

Luke 12:15 – Jesus said life is not measured by how much one owns.

1 Timothy 6:7 - We brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it.

5. Rely on Christ.

Philippians 4:13 – I have learned the secret of being happy at any time in everything that happens. I can do all things through Christ, because He give me strength.

HOW?

Lean on Christ for stability.

Psalm 125:1 – Those who trust in the Lord are steady as Mount Zion, unmoved by any circumstance.

Psalm 112:6-7 – Such a person will not be overthrown by evil circumstances. God’s constant care of him will make a deep impression on all who see it. He does not fear bad news, nor live in dread of what may happen. For he is settled in his mind that God will take care of him.

Listen to Christ for direction.

Jeremiah 29:11 – I know what I am planning for you, says the Lord. I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future.

Look to Christ for salvation.

Job 2:7 – When I have lost all hope, I once again turn my thoughts to the Lord.

August 25 2013 Beyond GPS: U-Turns Allowed

Beyond GPS: U-Turns Allowed

Seven Truths About God’s Will:

1. God's will NEVER CONTRADICTS God's word.

2. God expects me to obey His word BEFORE He shows me His specific will.

3. It's God's will that I live a PURE, disciplined life-style.

4. It's God's will that I maintain an ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE.

5. It is God's will that I be a LAW ABIDING CITIZEN

6. It is God's will that I BRING OTHERS to Jesus Christ.

7. It is God's will that I COMMIT MYSELF to God and other believers.

The EIGHTH Truth About God’s Will:

God Allows U TURNS

Definition of God’s Will:

God’s will is the direction I would choose if I could see things from God’s perspective.

HOW TO GET BACK IN GOD’S WILL:

-ADMIT THAT I AM OUT OF GOD’S WILL

Psalm 139:23“Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I'm about.”

Symptoms that “may” show that I’m out of God’s Will:

Frustration 
Fatigue
Feelings of emptiness 
Failure
Feeling distant from God 
Lack of Fulfillment
Anxiety 
Not enough time for God
Quick-tempered 
Avoidance of spiritual habits

-ACCEPT GOD’S FORGIVENESS

1 John 1:9“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.”

-ASK GOD FOR REVISED DIRECTIONS

James 1:5“If you need wisdom – if you want to know what God wants you to do – ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking.”

Memory Verse: “The Lord says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.’”
– Psalm 32:8

-Act quickly ON THE STEPS THAT GOD GIVES

Philippians 3:13-14“Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.”

2 Timothy 4:7“ I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”