October 9 2016 Getting Where We Want To Be - Focused On God's People

GETTING WHERE WE WANT TO BE, FOCUSED ON GOD’S PURPOSE

Romans 12:1 - Because of God’s great mercy to us, offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to His Service and pleasing to Him.  This is your true Worship that you should offer.

1 Peter 4:2 - From now on, live the rest of your lives controlled by God’s Will, not by human desires.

Romans 6:13 - Give yourselves completely to God, every part of you, you want to be tools in the hands of God to be used for His good purposes.

1.  Why Get Focused?

He shaped us for a specific reason.

Galatians 1:15 - For even before I was born, God had chosen me to be His and He called me, what kindness and grace.

God Knows what’s best for me.

Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord.  They are plans for good and not for evil to give you a future and a hope.

I Am grateful for my salvation.

2 Timothy 1:9 - Christ saved us and called us with a Holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace.

God Promises to reward our focus.

Proverbs 7:6 - In everything you do put God first and He will direct you and brown your efforts with success.

WHAT KEEPS US FROM GETTING FOCUSED

1.  Short term values.

Mark 4:19 - The attractions of this world and the delights of wealth, and the search for success and love of nice things came in and crowded out God.

1 John 2:17 - The world and all its passionate desires will one day disappear, but anyone who does the Will of God will live forever.

2.  Past failure.

Philippians 3:13-14 - Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me.

3. To self-motivate.

Proverbs 14:14 - The back slider is bored with himself, but the Godly man’s life is exciting.

Mark 8:35 - If you insist on saving your life you will lose it.  Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the Good News will ever know what it means to really live.

4.  Fear keeps us from focus.

Psalm 37:5 - Commit everything you do to the Lord, trust Him to help you do it and He will.

HOW DO WE GET FOCUSED

1.  Consider the cost.

Luke 14:27-28 - No one can be My disciple who does not carry his own cross and follow Me, but don’t begin until you count the cost.

2. Come just as you are.

3. He wants you to do it now.

Hosea 10:12 - Sow for yourselves righteousness, break up the follow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord.

4.  God wants 100%.

Romans 12:1-2 - Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to His Service and pleasing to Him.  This is true Worship, then you will be able to know the Will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.

C.S. LEWIS “THE ONLY THING CHRISTIANITY CANNOT BE IS MODERATELY IMPORTANT.”

July 10 2011 Living The Effective Life

Living The Effective Life

Four Keys to Effective Living:

1. Be yourself.

Hebrews 11:24 – By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter.

2. Accept responsibility for your life.

Verse 25 – He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.

PRINCIPLE: The negative is followed by the positive

Verse 23 – By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the King's edict. 
Verse 24 – When he had grown up.

3. Establish a value system for your life.

Verse 26 – He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt because he was looking ahead to his reward.

THREE COMMON VALUES
* Pleasure
* Possessions
* Power

Matthew 6:24 – No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both.

THREE THINGS MOSES DECIDED:

God's purpose is more valuable than popularity.

Verse 24 – refused to be known as Pharaoh's daughter.

People are more valuable than pleasure.

Verse 25 – chose to be mistreated rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin.

God's peace is more valuable than possessions.

Verse 26 – regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt.

Your character is determined by your choices, your choices are determined by your values and your values are determined by your vision.

4. Never take your eyes off the goal.

Verse 27 – By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the King's anger, he persevered because he saw Him who is invisible.

II Corinthians 4:16-17 – Therefore, we do not lose heart though outwardly, we're wasting away yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory, that far outweighs them all.

Verse 18 – So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Hebrews 12:1-2 – Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross.

January 4, 2015 Becoming a Person of Influence

Becoming a person of influence

Four Keys To Living A Life Of Influence

1. Be yourself.

Hebrews 11:24 – By faith, Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.

2. Accept responsibility for your own life.

Verse 25 – He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.

PRINCIPLE: The negative is followed by the positive.

Verse 23 – By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the King’s edict.

Verse 26 – When he had grown up.

3. Establish a value system for your life.

Verse 26 – He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt because he was looking ahead to his reward.

THREE COMMON VALUES

1. Pleasure.
2. Possessions.
3. Power.

Matthew 6:24 – No one can serve two masters.  Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both.

THREE THINGS MOSES DECIDED

1. God’s purpose is more valuable than popularity.

Verse 24 – Refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.

2. People are more valuable than pleasure.

Verse 25 – Chose to be mistreated rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin.

3. God’s peace is more valuable than possessions.

Verse 26 – Regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt.

Your character is determined by your choices, you choices are determined by your values and your values are determined by your vision.

4. Never take your eyes off the goal.

Verse 27 – By faith he left Egypt, not rearing the King’s anger, he persevered because he saw Him who is invisible.

II Corinthians 4:16-17 – Therefore, we do not lose heart though outwardly we’re wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

Verse 18 – So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Hebrews 12:1-2 – Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross.

October 19 2014 Establishing Stability

Establishing Stability

Psalm 127:2 – It is senseless for you to work so hard from early morning ‘til late at night, God wants His loved ones to get their proper rest.

1. BUILD MY LIFE AROUND CHRIST.

Matthew 6:33 – God will give you all you need from day to day IF you live for Him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.

2. ACCEPT MY HUMANITY.

Ecclesiates 10:15 – Only someone too stupid to find his way home would wear himself out with work.

Psalm 119:73 – You made my body, Lord; now give me sense to heed your laws.

3. LIMIT MY LABOR.

Exodus 20:9 – You have six days in which to do your work, but the 7th day is to be a day of rest dedicated to Me.

Sabbath means: day of rest,

4. ADJUST MY VALUES.

Ecclesiastes 4:4 – I’ve learned why people work so hard to succeed; it’s because they envy the things their neighbors have.

Mark 8:36 – What good is it for man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?

Ecclesiastes 4:6 – It is better to have only a little, with peace of mind, than be busy all the time.

5. NOURISH MY INNER LIFE.

Song of Solomon 1:6 – I had no time for myself.

Psalm 119:16 – I will not neglect your Word.

Luke 5:15 & 16 – Jesus often slipped away to be alone so He could pray.

6. COMMIT MY SCHEDULE TO GOD.

Psalm 31:15b – My times are in your hands.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 – There is a time and a season for everything under Heaven.

7. ENJOY EACH MOMENT.

Ecclesiastes 3:13 – All of us should enjoy what we have worked for. It’s God’s gift.

Proverbs 14:30 – A relaxed attitude lengthens a man’s life.

Matthew 11:28 & 29 – Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest, the load I give you to carry is light.

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.”