March 5 2017 Getting A Grip On Failure

GETTING A GRIP ON FAILURE

Judges 13-16

Judges 13:5 – Tells us Samson was chosen by God “to begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”

Three Principles That Bring About A Fall:

1. We are asking for trouble when we fail to learn from our mistakes.

Two Weaknesses

1. Bad temper.

Judges 14:12-19; 15:3-5; 15:7 – Since you have acted like this, I won’s stop until I get my revenge on you.

Verse 11

2. Physical desire.

John 8:34 – I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.

2. We are asking for trouble if we choose the wrong friends.

If you want to soar with the eagles, you can’t run with the turkeys.

Prov. 22:24-25 – Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered or you may learn his ways.

3. We are asking for trouble when we refuse to take God seriously.

Two Ways

1. Careless about his spiritual life.

Judges 14:2 – When he returned he said to his father and mother, “I have seen a Philistine woman, now get her for me as my wife.”

2. He never prayed about anything.

Judges 16:28 – O Sovereign Lord remember me, strengthen me just once more.

How To Recover From Failure:

1. He repented and prayed.

Judges 16:22 – The hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.

Hebrews 11:34 – His weakness was turned to strength.

June 21 2015 Letting God Meet Your Needs

LETTING GOD MEET YOUR NEEDS 

God's Answer to Your Greatest Needs 

Matthew 6:9-13 9“This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven,  hallowed be your name,  

WHAT GOD'S NAMES TELL ME

1. God wants to SUPPLY MY NEEDS

Genesis 22:14 "God is my provider." ("Jehovah-Jireh")

Philippians 4:19 (Ph) "God will supply all that you need from his glorious resources in Christ Jesus.  "

2 Peter  1:3 (LB) "As you know Him better, God will give you, through His great power, everything you need  for living a truly good life. "

My most urgent need:

2. God wants to FORGIVE MY FAULTS

Jeremiah 23:6 "God is my Righteousness.  " ("Jehovah-Tsidkenu")

Isaiah 43:25 (GN)  'I am the God who forgives your sins, and I do this because of who I am."

Romans 3:23-24 (LB) "All have sinned... yet God declares us 'not guilty of  offending Him if we trust in Jesus 

My worst fault-

3. God wants to RELIEVE MY STRESS

Judges 6:24 "God is my Peace " ("Jehovah-Shalom")

1 Corinthians 14:23 (RSV) "God is not a God of confusion but of peace.  "

John 14:27 (LB) (Jesus)"The peace I give you isn't fragile like the peace the world gives. So don't be 

My greatest stress:

4. God wants to HEAL MY HURTS

Exodus 15:26 "God is my Healer" ("Jehovah-Rophe")

Psalm 147:3 "God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their

2 Corinthians 5:17 (LB) When. someone becomes a Christian he becomes  a brand new person inside.  He is not the same anymore.  A new life has begun!"

My deepest hurt:

Psalm 33:21 (LB)"No wonder we are happy in the Lord!.  We trust  His holy name!"

January 25, 2015 Becoming A Stronger Person

BECOMING A STRONGER PERSON

Hebrews 11:32

Judges 13:24 – The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson.  He grew and the Lord blessed him.

Three Things That Will Weaken Your Life

1. Self Indulgence.

Judges 14:1 – Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman.

Verse 2 – When he returned, he said to his father and mother, I have seen a Philistine woman, not get her for me as my wife.

Verse 3 – His father and mother replied, isn’t there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among your own people?

Galatians 6:7-8 – Don’t be misled, remember that you can’t ignore God and get away with it, a man will always reap just the kind of crop he sows!  If he sows to please his own wrong desires, he will be planting seeds of evil and he will surely reap a harvest of spiritual decay and death.

Lesson One: Strong people discipline their desires.

1 Corinthians 6:12 – I will not be mastered by anything.

Proverbs 25:28 – Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self control.

2. Bitterness.

Judges 14:18 – He was burning with anger.

Judges 15:3 – This time I have a right to get even with the Philistines.

Judges 15:7 – Since you acted like this, I won’t stop until I get my revenge on you.

Judges 15:11 – I merely did to them, what they did to me.

Judges 15:3-5 – I will really harm them.  He went out and caught three hundred foxes and tied them tail to tail in pairs.  He then fastened a torch to every pair of tails, lit the torches and let the foxes loose in the standing grain of the Philistines.  He burned up the shocks and standing grain, together with the vine yards and olive groves.

Judges 15:15 – Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men.

Lesson Two: Strong people restrain their reactions.

Proverbs 29:22 – An angry man stirs up dissension and a hot tempered one commits many sins.

Proverbs 11:32 – Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.

3. Carelessness.

Judges 13:4-5 – See to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean, no razor shall be used on his head.

Judges 16:7   Verse 11   Verses 13-14

Verse 17 – He told her everything.

Verse 19 – Having put him to sleep on her lap, she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and his strength left him.

Verse 20 – He did not know that the Lord had left him.

Lesson Three: No one ever plans to be a failure.

Verse 21 – Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza, binding him with bronze shackles.  They set him to grinding in the prison.

Verse 22 – But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.

September 28 2014 Understanding My World

Understanding My World

Where Have All the Values Gone?

• Politics
• Business
• Entertainment
• Education
• Religion

I.  THE REASON:

THREE DESTRUCTIVE PHILOSOPHIES:

1. Individualism.

Judges 21:25 - “In those days Israel had no (authority) so the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.”

2. Secularism.

Romans 1:25 - “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped created things rather than the Creator.”

3. Relativism.

“It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you’re sincere.”

“There are no absolute truths.”

Ephesians 4:17-19 - “They are hopelessly confused.  Their closed minds are full of darkness; they are far away from the life of God.  They don’t care anymore about     right and wrong.”

II. THE RESULT: Our culture is collapsing.

Proverbs 29:18 - “Where there is ignorance of God, crime runs wild.”

Isaiah 5:20 - Destruction is certain for those who say that evil is good and good is evil; that dark is light and light is dark.”

Proverbs 29:18 - “A nation without God’s guidance is a nation without order.”

Psalm 11:3 - “When the foundations of life are     undermined, what can good people do?”

III. THE REMEDY: We must start with God.

Proverbs 2:9 - God shows how to distinguish right from wrong, how to find the right decision every time.”

2 Timothy 3:16 - “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.  It straightens us out and     teaches us to do what is right.”

Psalm 119:105 - “God’s Word is a flashlight to light the path ahead of me and keep me from stumbling.”

Proverbs 16:20 - “Those who listen to God’s instruction will prosper; those who trust the Lord will be happy.”

July 13 2014 Faith For Life's Problems

Faith For Life's Problems

Without Mary’s faith, the compassion and power of God would never have been released into the people’s lives.

Five Insights Into Mary’s Faith

1. Her faith understood the setting.

Verse 1 – There was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the Mother of Jesus was there.

We may often miss a miracle in life because we think God is not interested in people like you and me.

Judges 6:12 – The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.

Luke 1:31 – You will bring forth a son and shall call his name Jesus.

Jesus said, He came to give us life more abundant.

2. Her faith understood the situation.

Verse 3 – (Mary) – They have no more wine.

Is this not reality, that our best attempts have not led to God, but to lives where the wine of living has run out.

3. Her faith understood the solution.

Verse 5 – Do whatever He tells you.

You can go to Jesus with the confidence that His life will always be enough for you.

4. Her faith understood the sufficiency.

Verses 6 & 7 – Now six stone jars were standing there, each holding about 20 or 30 gallons. Jesus said, fill the jars with water, and they filled them to the brim.

Lesson: No matter how deeply you draw on Jesus for power to live, you cannot exhaust His grace.

• Paul: in isolation.
• Peter: on trial.
• Stephen: being stoned.

5. Her faith enjoyed great satisfaction.

Verse 10 – Every man serves the good wine first and when men have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.

When Jesus enters the life, there comes a new dimension for living.

God can be found. He is the resting place you need.