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The Indispensable Role of the Holy Spirit
More Potholes Along the Pathway
How to Defuse Tense Situations
Helping Children Control Their Anger
Staying on the Pathway to Peace
Come to Jesus (9-8-02)
Living with Shattered Dreams (9-15-02)
God’s Unending Commitment to You (9-22-02)
The Power of Peer Ministry (9-29-02)
Don't Worry. Trust Jesus (10-13-02)
Staying Refreshed Week-by-Week (10-20-02)
Beyond Failure to Lasting Spiritual Change
Dealing With Those Who Make Life Miserable
Out of the Pit Stop and Back on the Track
Great Commandment Living
Doing
the Common Things Uncommonly Well
Friendship with God
Obedience to God’s Word
Loving God’s People
Compassion for Those in Need
The Pathway to Peace--Preventing Anger from
Ruining Your Life
Key Principal: No matter what your background or circumstances, with the help of the Holy Spirit you can choose to set aside negative and hurtful expressions of anger in favor of healthier, godly ones.
Steps Along The Pathway to Peace
"In your anger, do not sin." Ephesians 4:26
Understand that anger is an emotion that expresses my intent to preserve my personal worth, me essential needs, and my basic convictions.
Recognize and set aside my ungodly expressions of anger.
Ask the Holy Spirit to transform me from the inside out.
Choose godly ways to respond to my anger.
Identify what makes me angry and begin changing how I think about myself, others and my circumstances.
Learn how to defuse tense situations.
Help my children manage their anger.
Commit to a long-term cooperation with the Holy Spirit in controlling my anger.
The Pathway to Peace: Preventing Anger from
Ruining Your Life
KEY PRINCIPLE: NO MATTER WHAT YOUR BACKGROUND OR CIRCUMSTANCES, WITH THE HELP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT YOU CAN CHOOSE TO SET ASIDE NEGATIVE AND HURTFUL EXPRESSIONS OF ANGER IN FAVOR OF HEALTHIER, GODLY ONES.
Anger is a God-given emotion that we all experience.
It's not necessarily sinful to get angry.
God, Jesus (Mark 3:5)
Ephesians 4:26-27
FIRST STEP ON THE PATHWAY TO PEACE:
1. Understand that anger is an emotion that expresses my intent to preserve my personal worth, my essential needs and my basic convictions.
Preserving my personal worth:
When I feel attacked, I tend to get angry.
Preserving my essential needs:
When my "needs" are not met, I tend to get angry.
Preserving my basic convictions:
When people go against my convictions, I tend to get angry.
Verse of the week: Romans 12:18, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."
_________
*When you feel yourself getting angry, see if it's because of one of these reasons.
*Read Ephesians 4:26-27
*Read Romans 12:14-21. Memorize Romans 12:18
*Ask God to help you understand why you get angry and ask Him to help you learn to handle anger in a godly way.
Recommended Resource: The Anger Workbook, Les Carter, Ph.D and Frank Minrith, M.D., Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1993. (available at amazon.com)
The Pathway to Peace:
2nd Step: RECOGNIZE AND SET ASIDE MY UNGODLY EXPRESSIONS OF ANGER.
Ephesians 4:29-32
Bitterness = a resentful spirit that refuses to be reconciled
(also Hebrews 12:15)
Rage/fits of rage = an intense, sometimes violet outburst of temper
(also 2 Corinthians 12:20, Galatians 5:19-21, Colossians 3:8)
Brawling = literally, "shouting" during a quarrel
Slander = using words to diminish the reputation of another
(also Colossians 3:8, Mark 7:20-23)
Malice (many forms) = to cause injury or harm to another, by words or actions
(also Colossians 3:8, 1 Peter 2:1, Mark 7:20-23)
Galatians 5:19-21
Hatred - deep-seated feeling of enmity or hostility towards another person, group or class
Discord = tension and strife that prevents unity
Jealousy/envy = resenting the good that comes to others
(also 2 Corinthians 12:20, 1 Peter 2:1, Mark 7:20-23)
Selfish ambition = self-centered approach that leads to rivalry and contention
Dissensions/factions = divisions and feuding
(2 Corinthians 12:20)
Other Expressions
Gossip = literally, "whispering," talking about or spreading rumors about someone behind their back
(2 Corinthians 12:20)
Filthy language = obscene or abusive words
(Colossians 3:8)
Murder = to kill another person
(Matthew 5:21)
Name calling = degrading someone with our words
(Matthew 5:22)
Three inappropriate ways people handle anger
Bottled-Up Barry - Suppressing our anger
Consider Hebrews 12:14-15
Explosive Ed - Open aggression
Consider Proverbs 29:11
Stealthy Stella - Passive aggression
Consider 1 Peter 3:9-12
*Review this outline and list and ask God to reveal to you any ways in which you are responding to anger in sinful ways. Confess your sin and ask God to help you turn away from those sinful responses.
*Read Ephesians 4:29-5:1
*Read Galatians 5:19-23
*Read and consider Hebrews 12:14-15; Proverbs 29:11; 1 Peter 3:9-12
*Before you face any people or circumstances that may make you angry, ask God to help you to turn away from these kinds of sinful responses.
The Pathway to Peace:
The Indispensable Role of the Holy Spirit (#3)
Galatians 5:13-26
The anger antidote: Allowing the Holy Spirit to reproduce the character of Jesus in you.
Love = acting to enhance the well-being of others
1 Corinthians 12:4-8a
Joy = allows one to rejoice even in tough circumstances
Peace = harmony in relationships and the rest and contentment that results
Hebrews 12:14
Patience = the endurance of wrong or irritation without anger or taking vengeance
Kindness = intentionally showing acts of sympathy, understanding, charity
Goodness = generosity which often benefits one who "doesn't deserve it"
Faithfulness = dependability, trustworthiness, reliability
Gentleness = strength under control of the Holy Spirit
Proverbs 15:1
Self-control = one's powerful passions under Spirit's control
Proverbs 29:11
3rd Step: ASK THE HOLY SPIRIT TO TRANSFORM ME FROM THE INSIDE OUT.
How can we see these fruit blossom in our lives?
1. Ask God to transform you on the inside.
2. Cooperate with the Holy Spirit in the transformation process.
3. When tempted, know that God is with you.
The Pathway to Peace:
4th step on The Pathway to Peace: Choose godly ways to respond to my anger.
Colossians 3:8-15a
1. Resolve conflict in LOVE.
Ephesians 4:26
Mark 10:13-16
Matthew 18:15-17
2. FORGIVE and seek peace.
Forgive = giving up my right to hurt you for hurting me.
Matthew 5:23-24
Colossians 3:13 "...forgive as the Lord forgave you."
3. Just DROP it.
Proverbs 12:16
Proverbs 17:14
Proverbs 19:11
*Review outline and Scripture passages.
*Read Matthew 18:15-35 and Mark 11:25.
*Memorize Colossians 3:13.
*If necessary, repent of an unforgiving spirit. Forgive those who've sinned against you and ask God if there's anyone with who you need to seek peace. Then.....go do it!
*Ask God to help you determine when you need to resolve conflict and when you need to "drop it."
The Pathway to Peace:
Potholes Along the Pathway, "It's Not About Me!" (#5)
How to overcome potholes along the pathway to peace.
5th step: Identify what makes me angry and begin changing how I think about myself, others and my circumstances.
Today: How being preoccupied with ourselves contributes to our angry responses to people and circumstances.
1. First major problem in this area: PRIDE.
The solution is a spiritual one: Deny ourselves and choose humility!
Philippians 2:1-11 (especially verses 3-4)
It's not about me. It's about pleasing God and serving others.
How to overcome this pothole? Replace pride with HUMILITY.
2. Another area related to ourselves: Feelings of INFERIORITY and insecurity.
Remember: My standing before God is the only judgment that really matters.
How to overcome this pothole? Replace inferiority feeling by relating to others as equals before God.
Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." It's no longer about me, but it's Christ in me.
*Read Philippians 2:1-11 several times. Memorize verses 3 and 4.
*Ask God to strip away your self-centeredness and pride and to replace it with genuine humility.
*Try to continually remind yourself, "It's not about me," and look for ways to serve others rather than simply looking to have your own needs or preferences met.
*Ask God to help you overcome any tendency to compare and compete with others.
*Ask God to make Galatians 2:20 a reality in your life.
The Pathway to Peace:
More Potholes Along the Pathway (#6)
Potholes along the pathway to peace: ways of thinking about ourselves, others and our circumstances that make it more difficult to deal with our anger in a godly way.
1. Feeling controlled causes anger.
"Control freaks"
The problem: When we seek to control others, we are robbing them of their privilege of freedom and are taking the position of God upon ourselves.
The solution: Whether we tend to control or are being controlled by others, we must acknowledge every person's freedom.
Galatians 5:1-13
Matthew 7:12
2. Depending on others are circumstance sets us up for anger.
When we allow our circumstances to dictate how we feel and think, we set ourselves up for frustration, anger and disappointment.
A few facts of live:
- In this life, you will have troubles.
- Other people will disappoint you.
How to overcome this pothole? Replace depending on your environment with depending on the Lord.
Psalm 20:7-8
Philippians 4:11b-13
3. Other potholes along the pathway to peace.
- Fear and defensiveness
- Weak spiritual life
- Misuse of alcohol and drugs
- Lack of sleep
- Too much pressure/stress from being overworked
*Ask the Lord to show you if their are any of these "potholes" in your life and ask Him to help you wrestle through these issues.
*Review the outline and read the Scripture passages listed.
The Pathway to Peace:
How to Defuse Tense Situations (#7)
6th Step Along the Pathway to Peace: Learn how to defuse tense situations.
1. Pray
Hebrews 4:15-16
2. Listen well.
James 1:19-20
3. Analyze whey you're getting mad.
- Do I feel personally attacked?
- Are my needs not being met?
- Are my convictions being ignored or opposed?
- Am I being selfish? (or one of your biggest "potholes")
- Am I overreacting?
4. Consider your options.
5. Express yourself with gentleness.
Proverbs 15:1 "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."
*Read, write down, post in prominent places and memorize Proverbs 15:1.
*Read James 3:18 and Matthew 5:9.
*Read James 1:19-20.
*Ask the Lord to help you put these steps into PLACE this week if you're engaged in a potentially explosive situation.
The Pathway to Peace:
Helping Children Control Their Anger (#8)
1. Don't be shocked or threatened by a child's anger.
Don't punish them for feeling angry.
Find ways to teach them "in your anger, do not sin."
2. Exercise parental authority with gentleness and respect.
Colossians 3:21; Ephesians 6:4; Proverbs 15:1
The "nonetheless" approach: "I know you're (frustrated, etc.)
because....: nonetheless...
Don't major on the minors.
3. Kids learn how to handle anger by watching others.
Primarily parents.
Other influences.
4. Help them make choices in response to anger
5. Pray for the children in your life.
6. Love your kids, no matter what.
The Pathway to Peace:
Staying on the Pathway to Peace (#9)
Colossians 3:8-15
5 words that will help you stay on the Pathway to Peace:
1. Choices: It's up to me to choose how I respond to my anger.
Ephesians 4:26
2. Humility: It's not about me!
Colossians 3:12; Philippians 2:3-4
3. Forgiveness: I won't hurt you for hurting me.
Colossians 3:13; Psalm 103:8-10
"When a person forgives another, he is promising to do three things about the intended wrongdoing: Not to use it against the wrongdoer in the future, not to talk about it to others and not to dwell on it himself."
Jay Adams
4. Gentleness: I'll take a gentle approach in tense situations.
Colossians 3:12; Proverbs 15:1
5. Help: I need to the help of God and a trusted friend.
Proverbs 27:17; Colossians 3:15
8th Step: Commit to a long-term cooperation with the Holy Spirit in controlling my anger.
*Ask your spouse or Christian friend to pray for you and check in on your progress.
*Review the verses that meant most to you in the series, write them down and display them.
*Review these outlines periodically and ask God to help you cooperate with him.
"Come to Jesus"
Seeking God’s Refreshing for Stressful Times:
1. Pursue God
2. Perspective
3. Peer ministry
4. Patience
5. Pressing on to serve others
6. Personal response
MATTHEW 11:28-30 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
AN INVITATION TO THE WEARY AND BURDENED
1. COME TO ME.
2. LEARN FROM ME.
Yoke = "My yoke is easy and my burden is light."
"Being in his yoke is not a matter of taking on additional labor to crush us all the more, but a matter of learning how to use his strength and ours together to bear our load and his." Dallas Willard
Come to him with a teachable heart...
JESUS’ PROMISE: (v. 28-29) "...I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
Rest for our soul
We can trust Him with the outcomes, be free from anxiety.
Isaiah 61:1-3 "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion--to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor."
Jeremiah 31:25 "I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint."
The Lord will refresh you if you pursue Him with a teachable heart.
Living with Shattered Dreams
A COMMON PURSUIT OF THE AMERICAN DREAM
Real life interrupts our American, Christian dream.
1. THERE’S A PROBLEM WITH THE AMERICAN DREAM,
EVEN THE CHRISTIAN VERSION.
It assumes that God is obligated to give us a pleasant life, and
that one of His primary purposes is to make us happy.
Jesus promised: "In this world you will have trouble." John 16:33
Often times we get upset with God for failing to do what He has never promised to do.
2. SHATTERED DREAMS ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO KNOW GOD BETTER AND EXPERIENCE HIS JOY
James 1:2-3: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
Romans 5:3-5: ".. we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."
"It’s harder to discover our desire for God when things go well. We may think we have, but more often all we’ve found is our desire to use God, not to enjoy Him." (Larry Crabb, Shattered Dreams, p. 33)
"God’s best is available only to those who sacrifice, or are willing to sacrifice, the merely good. If we are satisfied with good health, responsible children, enjoyable marriages, close friends, interesting jobs, and successful ministries, we will never hunger for God’s best. We will never worship. I’ve come to believe that only broken people truly worship. Unbroken people - happy folks who enjoy their blessings more than the Blesser - say thanks to God the way a shopper thanks a clerk." (Crabb, 57)
"We will not encounter Christ as our best friend, as the source of all true goodness, as the One who provides the sweetest pleasure to our souls, until we abandon ourselves to Him. And full abandonment, real trust, rarely happens until we meet God in the midst of shattered dreams, until in our brokenness we see in Him the only and overflowingly sufficient answer to our soul’s deepest cry." (181)
Refreshing Truth #2: God will refresh you if you accept your problems as opportunities to know God and experience His joy.
Recommended Reading: Larry Crabb, Shattered Dreams: God’s Unexpected Pathway to Joy, WaterBrook Press, 2001.
"God’s Unending Commitment to You"
Romans 8:17-39
FOUR PROOFS THAT GOD COMMITTED TO YOUR WELL-BEING, EVEN IN TIMES OF DISTRESS.
1. IN LIGHT OF OUR ETERNAL HOPE, OUR PRESENT TROUBLES ARE INSIGNIFICANT.
Romans 8:17-25 "Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and coheirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."
Whatever trauma and pain we suffer in this life becomes
insignificant when we compare it to the glory that’s promised for those who are followers of Jesus.
"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:3-4)
Those are the facts. It’s up to us to adopt that perspective.
It’s our choice to consider/understand that our present self’s simply can’t compare to what God has in store for those who’re in Christ.
2. THE GREATEST PRAYER TEAM EVER IS PRAYING FOR US IN OUR WEAKNESS.
Romans 8:26-27 " In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will."
Romans 8:34 "Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us."
3. WE KNOW THAT RIGHT NOW GOD IS WORKING FOR OUR BENEFIT.
Romans 8:28-30 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified."
"good" = for our benefit.
God is at work using all things to help us on our journey and will bring us safely to our eternal destination with him.
4. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WILL STAND IN THE WAY OF GOD’S COMMITMENT TO OUR WELLBEING.
Romans 8:31-39 "What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
God is committed to improve your well-being, to bringing about what’s beneficial for you, and there’s nothing that’s going to get in His way.
By God’s grace, we can conquer and overcome all adversities.
Even more, we’re more than conquerors. With God at
work, these sufferings can actually benefit us.
Refreshing Truth #3: God will refresh you when you understand God’s temacopis. unfailing commitment to you.
Are you convinced?
Trying to handle heavy "burdens" by yourself would be as fruitless as trying to move your whole family by yourself. God by His grace has placed Christians into a family, a group of like-minded, similarly transformed people whose responsibility it is to care for each other. One of the primary ways by which God refreshes us in our personal crises is through the ministry of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
GALATIANS 6:1-5
Focal point: verse 2 "Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you fulfill the law of Christ."
Two things may get in way of that.
- v. 3 May be too proud to bother with others burdens, ‘beneath me’
- v. 4 Comparing with others – I’m better than everyone else, or everyone is better than me, so I won’t or can’t do what I’m called to do.
Each one of us is to do our duty, carry our load. This is a responsibility Jesus has given to all of us.
THE BURDENS WE BEAR
Word picture = a heavy load
Burdens can be:
As we pursue holiness, we have brothers or sisters who can help us keep our commitments to God, hold us accountable, pray for, support us.
Where do you turn when your heart is heavy, when your load is cumbersome?
Jesus: Come to me, learn from me, and I’ll give you rest.
But don’t stop there.
You have brothers and sisters in Christ who are called to share the load with you. If you’re struggling under the weight of a heavy burden, let someone know, so they can help you carry it.
GOD SAYS, CARRY EACH OTHER’S BURDENS.
This touches the core of what we are to do as followers of Jesus.
The law of Christ:
SO, HOW DO WE CARRY EACH OTHER’S BURDENS?
Some biblical examples:
Acts 4:32-34 - radically committed to meeting each other’s needs, even impacted their wallets!
Early Christians in Jerusalem area hit by famine, left people, hungry and impoverished. Paul rallied other churches
to give generous offering to help their brothers and sisters, those they didn’t even know personally.
Response was great – they bore their burdens.
Carrying each others burdens means helping in some real practical ways.
- Prayer
Refreshing Truth # 4: God will often refresh you through fellow believers who help lighten your load.
A FEW PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS
1. If you have a heavy load, be careful who you dump on.
2. Some loads you don’t need to trouble others with. Be careful not to burden others with rather trivial concerns.
3. You can’t carry other’s burdens if you don’t know what they are. You can’t fulfill law of Christ if you’re not personally involved in others’ lives.
4. Your home is a good place to start.
Support spouse with their temptations, struggles, hurts….
"A Season
of Refreshing, #5"
Let It Go!
THE BIBLE SAYS THAT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS LIKE A RACE.
God wants us to run it well, cross finish line strong. But often times, we run like we’re carrying a heavy backpack or running in a wedding dress and high heels.
READ HEBREWS 12:1-3
Sometimes what’s weighing us down is our sin.
"Things that hinder us" = a weight, something that impedes us, holds us back or down.
"Sin that so easily entangles, or ensnares us"
WAYS IN WHICH SIN CAN WEIGH ON US HEAVILY, ALMOST CRUSH US:
The guilt of sin - when we sin vs. God, our fellowship with Him is disrupted, broken. We may then feel bad about failing, letting God down, start getting discouraged, depressed, seeing yourself primarily as a no-good sinner. Almost feel like not worth trying because we’ll probably mess up again.
Sometimes guilt has physical consequences:
Psalm 32:1-5
The consequences of sin can weigh us down, trip us up. Sometimes, NOT all the time, it’s our sinfulness that gets us into trouble, causes much of our stress. For example:
Pride à angry words, broken relationships, etc.
Gossip à conflict, turmoil at work, church, lose friends, loneliness.
Sexual sin before or after marriage à lifelong consequences that are often hurtful
Bitterness à physical illness
Harsh words à all kinds of trouble etc.
Perhaps some of us are suffering as a result of sinful actions or bad decisions.
So what do we do?
GET RID OF IT! LET IT GO!
Heb. 12:1: "let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles…"
Take off the backpack, get rid of the wedding gown. Get rid of that sin that’s tripping you up. Be done with it. Set it aside. Confess your sins to God, determine to allow it to no longer distract you, set in place some spiritual habits that will help you overcome the temptation to do it, then focus your eyes on Jesus and keep running, unhindered, freed up, ready to run.
That’s what David learned, and listen how refreshed he was:
Psalm. 32:11 "Rejoice in the Lord and be glad you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!"
He experienced the cleansing, refreshing power of God’s forgiveness an unfailing love. (Psalm 32:5)
Acts 3:17-21 Repentance precedes times of refreshing!
Refreshing Truth # 5: God will refresh you when you confess and turn from your sins, throwing off that which is weighing you down.
5 Aspects of genuine confession:
1. Acknowledge my responsibility: I did it.
2. Agree with God – see it as God sees it.
3. Shared pain – heartfelt sorrow for sin
"Lord, the hurt I caused you now hurts me, too."
Psalm 51
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out my iniquity.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.
Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
"A Season
of Refreshing, #6"
Don’t Worry. Trust Jesus.
"Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you anywhere."
Worry is connected to high blood pressure, heart trouble, blindness, migraine headaches, thyroid malfunctions, and a host of stomach disorders.
Jesus said, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (Matt. 6:27)
Corrie Ten Boom: "Worry does not empty tomorrow of sorrows; it empties today of strength."
Worry is also a form of disobedience that reveals that we really don’t trust God.
HOW TO BE FREE FROM WORRY IN AN ANXIETY-CREATING WORLD:
PHILIPPIANS 4:4-13
1. Pray
v. 6: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." "Cast all your anxiety on him, because He cares for you"
When you cast your worry on him, leave it there. Friends, what’s worrying you? Your financial future? The welfare of your child or grandchildren? The stability of your job? The threat of war or terror? Your health?
Take it to the Lord in prayer. Tell him about your concerns. Be honest about your fears. Cast that anxiety on Him, then let it there. Remember that He is in control, and that He is at work in your life, orchestrating everything for your benefit, because He is tenaciously committed to your well-being.
"The way to be anxious about nothing is to be prayerful about everything." (R. Rainy)
2. Give thanks to God.
v. 6 - "with thanksgiving."
Thank the Lord that He is with you during these days, thank Him for His Word that guides you in specific situations, thank Him for the Holy Spirit who helps you be patient and loving and gentle and self-controlled when your world is spinning out-of-control. Thank God for the people involved in your life, even the ones who are causing your pain. Thank God for others Christians who help carry your burdens. Thank God that He invites you to turn to Him no matter what.
When you find yourself starting to worry, stop, take out a paper, start to write out all that you’re thankful for, the blessings in your life.
GOD’S RESPONSE: HE’LL GIVE YOU PEACE.
v. 7: "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
"Guard" = soldiers guarding a city to protect it from attack. God’s peace will keep guard over our thoughts and feelings so that they’ll be safe against the assaults of worry and fear. (G. Hawthorne)
3. Fill your mind with good thoughts.
v. 8: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is lovely – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things."
Deliberately fill your mind with good thoughts of things that are praise-worthy, true, majestic, awe-inspiring, just, pure, attractive, high-toned.
That calls for a disciplined effort, to consciously have our mind dwell not on our problems, but upon these kinds of things.
We fill our minds with those kinds of thoughts by dwelling on God. So, immerse yourself in the Word of God, listen to God-centered music, spend free time thinking about Jesus, to name a few examples.
4. Obey the gospel.
v. 9: "Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice."
GOD’S RESPONSE: HE WILL BE PRESENT.
v. 9b: "The GOD OF PEACE will be with you."
5. Draw on Christ’s strength to cope with every circumstance.
v. 10-13 "… I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
Paul knew all about the ups and downs of life. But Paul came to the point where it didn’t matter what his circumstances were. Paul could sit in jail, as he was doing at the time, and be free from worry and untroubled by the events of life, because he had learned to trust and depend on God. For he had learned the secret of being content, of being satisfied, in any and every circumstance.
We can face trials and potentially worrisome situations when we tap into the power, the strength that Christ provides. I can handle whatever life brings my way through Christ who gives me strength.
GOD’S RESPONSE: HE GIVES US POWER.
Francois Fenelon: "Don’t worry about the future – worry quenches the work of grace within you. The future belongs to God. He is in charge of all things. Never second-guess him."
Refreshing Truth # 6: God will refresh you when you replace your worry with His peace, His presence, and His power.
"A Season
of Refreshing, #7"
Staying Refreshed Week-by-Week
For most of us, busyness is a huge burden that leaves us exhausted, weary, often on-edge emotionally.
Refreshing Truth #7: God will refresh you if you set aside a day each week for rest and worship..
GOD’S SOLUTION FOR THE STRESS AND EXHAUSTION THAT COMES FROM THE HECTIC PACE OF LIFE AND WORK IS WHAT THE BIBLE CALLS THE SABBATH.
Exodus 23:12
Mark 2:23-28
SO, WHAT’S THIS DAY OF REFRESHMENT ALL ABOUT?
Leviticus 23:3
1. A DAY OF REST.
The Sabbath is a day to stop working.
Prof. Bryan Widbin: "Observing the Sabbath did not mean that the Jew’s work was finished, but that they trusted the Lord for his provision. Failure to keep the Sabbath demonstrated a lack of trust in the Lord, and an overdependence on oneself."
Real question: Do you trust God enough to stop working for a day?
Many benefits built into this day of refreshment.
- physical relief
- mental/emotional relief
- a time for relationships
- being well rested brings clarity to our minds, relieves some of stress in life, allows us to be mentally more sharp so we can overcome
temptation more easily,…
Practical considerations.
A. When do we take a Sabbath?
Jews: 7th day (6 pm Fri to 6 pm Sat) Whole society built around that weekly schedule. Our society, unfortunately, isn’t any longer.
Set aside a day that week to rest and worship.
B. Allow our kids to have a Day of Rest as well.
C. Do what is genuinely restful for you.
Take a walk, pray on own, play game as family, listen to music, nap, things that refresh, rejuvenate you and others in your family.
D. If you can’t afford to take that much time off, start a "Stop Doing" list.
2. A DAY OF WORSHIP.
A day for "sacred assembly," when believers come together to worship the Lord, learn from His Word.
But worship on the Day of Worship isn’t confined to these church grounds. Set aside some time to pray, to have a time of family worship or devotions, to read your Bible, to get alone with God, perhaps for a longer period of time than you can on a workday. Maybe you take a walk and just spend that time in prayer, or listening to a worship tape or CD.
"When we come to the place where we can joyously "do no work" it will be because God is so exalted in our minds and bodies that we can trust Him with our life and our world and can take our hands off them." (Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart, 175)
"A Season of Refreshing, #8"
How to Gripe Like a Christian
THE PSALMS ARE A BOOK OF MUSICAL PRAYERS.
Prayer = dialog with God about real issues of life. As you know, real issues of life not always easy, pleasant Psalmists who wrote these prayers God shared kinds of experiences you and I can relate to.
3 Categories of Psalms
1. Prayers for times of stability.
Life is good, stable, God’s control is obvious
2. Prayers for times of distress.
~ country music – wife, dog, job, truck gone
Almost ½ of Psalms
3. Prayers for times of deliverance.
Celebrate that God brought us thru bad times.
PSALM 22 – A Classic example of a prayer for times of distress.
Many of you, distressed by uncertainty, illness, conflict how do we handle our feelings in those days?
How do you pray in times like this?
Politeness = distance from God.
Real prayer = intimacy with God.
God invites us to be real, to dialog with him about real issues of life.
HOW TO COMPLAIN TO GOD IN PRAYER:
1. PROTEST: Bring your questions and complaints to the One who can do something about it.
PSALM 22:
v. 1 God is distant.
v. 2 God is silent. He’s not answering.
v. 3-5 God’s silence, absence not always bad. He is holy, separate, not bound up down here with my problems, He’s above these problems. That means He can help me. This is the God our forefathers trusted, and God never let them down.
v. 6 – 8 hits a wall again. They trusted, they were rescued.
But me, I’ve been roaring, not delivered.
I’m a big object of shame. Enemies insulting me
v. 9-11 Though you did deliver me from my mom womb v. 11 Sums up his protest w/ a plea (repeat)
2. PEG IT: Specifically identify the difficulty, let God know what it’s doing to you.
v. 12-18
How about you? When you’re struggling, do you take that
problem specifically to the Lord? Do you spend
some time conversing with him, sharing your frustration, your anger, your
disappointment, your confusion about a particular situation. The Lord invites
you into that kind of dialog. He welcomes you to "spill your guts" as you turn
to him, confident that he’s the one who can do something about it.
3. PETITION: What do you want God to do?
That petition is often a plea for help. It’s a statement like, Lord, I believe you can do something, so please do.
v. 19-21:
In the midst of his turmoil, after silence from God, God answers him. o description of fixing all of David’s problems. But, the answer is God’s presence.
4. PRAISE: Celebrate the presence and character of God.
v. 22-31 Notice the shift in mood.
David’s confidence in the Lord has been restored. He’s not distant, He’s not silent anymore. He’s heard my petition. This kind of praying is a sign of intimacy. You know from your own relationships, you are the most real with those who are closest to you. God doesn’t want us to treat Him like a stranger, keep everything polite and surface level. He wants a relationship with us, like David had. Hanging on this cross, what Psalm did Jesus quote? 22
Refreshing Truth#8: God will refresh you when you honestly talk with Him about the real issues in your life.
"A Season of Refreshing, #9"
Beyond Failure to Lasting Spiritual Change
If you’re feeling like a spiritual failure, you need to be refreshed. In addition to the others means of refreshing we’ve considered already, I’m going to suggest that we can be refreshed by being reminded that, with the help of the Holy Spirit, real, genuine, lasting change is possible for all of us.
THE GENERAL PATTERN OF PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION
Not just spiritual change, but anything: Learning a language, losing weight, learning how to play an instrument or play golf, overcoming alcoholism, training your dog
If we are to be spiritually transformed, we must have and must implement the appropriate vision, intention, and means.
1. VISION: A clear, compelling, biblical picture of how life is meant to be lived. It’s a vision of living in joyful obedience to God, of life in the kingdom of God both now and forever.
So, when we read the Bible, or a good Bible-based book or study, or when we hear a sermon from the Word, we begin to be captured by God’s vision for a better life. And we consider how great it would be if we could simply do that, live in that way, and we begin to desire to live in the kind of joyful
obedience that’s spelled out in the Scriptures.
2. INTENTION: Deciding to do what Jesus says to do.
Once we catch that vision, we then get on our knees before God, and thoughtfully, carefully, and sincerely decide to do it. We can cry out to God saying, "Lord, I know you’re directing me in this area, and I come to you, and tell you, with your help, I intend, I choose to do it your way, to change this aspect of my life by your grace. I am deciding
to do what you have told me to do.
3. MEANS: Seeking out and applying the means to that end of obeying Christ.
This is where a lot of Christians get tripped up. We may hear a powerful sermon, come and weep before God and ask him to change us, but then we expect him to take a magic wand and just transform us into holiness. Perhaps we lose sight of the fact that there are specific, practical things that we need to do cooperate with him in this process of spiritual change.
As Willard writes, "If I intend to obey Jesus Christ, I must intend and decide to be the kind of person who would obey. I must find the means of changing my inner being until it is substantially like his, pervasively characterized by his thoughts, feelings, habits, and relationship to the Father." (Renovation of the Heart, 90)
What kind of means help us to be joyfully obedient Christians:?
- studying and meditating upon Christ and His truth about life and the particular issue that you’re dealing with (gossip, worry, marriage, selfishness)
- earnestly and repeatedly praying that God would help you become person you intend to be.
- learn from other Christians who’ve struggled and found success in same area (books, conversation)
- Taking time to think thru the bitter outcomes of living the human way, rather than God’s way, and realizing that I don’t want to go there.
- Taking some practical, perhaps small action steps that will help me get to where I want to be.
SOME PRACTICAL EXAMPLES:
- Greater contentment in difficult times.
- Prayerfully meditate on passages like those we’ve studied in this season.
- Make list, daily even, of ways God is at work in you and your world.
- Train yourself when you start to doubt or worry to trigger a verse or prayer.
- Guarding your tongue, words.
- Count to 10 every time you want to lash out verbally.
- Discipline of not speaking at all when triggered
- Avoiding temptation to give advice unless asked
- Finding an alternate word for a negative word
You see, real lasting spiritual change doesn’t come without some deliberate action on our part. We can change spiritually only by the power of the Holy Spirit, but God does call us to cooperate with him in that transformation process. As you trust him, and lean on the Lord, and put in place these elements, you’ll begin to see gradual transformation taking place inside of you. At what could be more refreshing than seeing God at work in you?
Refreshing Truth #9: God will refresh you if you employ the vision, intention, and means necessary to experience lasting spiritual change.
"A Season of
Refreshing, #10"
Dealing With Those Who Make Life Miserable
HOW CAN DIFFICULT RELATIONSHIPS BECOME LESS BURDENSOME?
1. DON’T INSIST ON HAVING YOUR OWN WAY.
James 4:1-3
Philippians 2:3-4
2. LET GOD BE THE ONE TO JUDGE THEM.
Romans 12:17-19
When I forgive someone, I’m giving up my "right" to hurt them for hurting me.
(See 1 Thessalonians 5:15; 1 Peter 2:21-25; etc.)
3. DO GOOD TO THEM.
Romans 12:14, 20-21.
- Love
- Pray for
- Bless
(See 1 Peter 3:8-9; Matthew 5:38-42; etc.)
4. AIM TO PLEASE GOD, NOT OTHERS.
5. WHEN NECESSARY, EXERCISE TOUGH LOVE.
Matt. 18:15-18.
Refreshing Truth 10: God will refresh you if you handle difficult relationships as Jesus would if He were in your place.
"A Season of Refreshing, #12"
Out of the Pit Stop and Back on the Track
4 OBSERVATIONS ABOUT ENDURING DIFFICULTIES
1. SOMETIMES OUR PROBLEMS SEEM UNBEARABLE.
2 Corinthians 1:8-9a
2. UNBEARABLE PROBLEMS FORCE US TO RELY ON GOD.
2 Corinthians 1:9b
See also 2 Corinthians 4:7-9; 12:7-10; Phil. 4:11-13
CS Lewis: "Pain is God’s megaphone to arouse a deaf world."
3. WE CAN CHOOSE TO LIVE WITH HOPE.
2 Corinthians 1:10
"Hope" = complete confidence and expectation of what God will do in the future.
See Romans 15:4
4. GOD RESPONDS TO THE ____________ OF HIS PEOPLE.
2 Corinthians 1:10b-11
God rescues us. But praying people are a vital part of the rescue operation.
Refreshing Truth # 12: God will refresh you when you choose to rely upon the God of hope, Who will never abandon you in your time of trouble
.
Refreshing Words of Hope
God says, "I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint." (Jeremiah 31:25)
Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)
Paul writes, "… we were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many." (2 Corinthians 1:8-11)
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." (Isaiah 61:1-3 and Luke 4:16-21)
"May the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13)
"A Season of Refreshing"
Refreshing Truths
God will refresh you…
~ if you pursue Him with a teachable heart.
~ if you accept your problems as opportunities to know God and experience His joy.
~ when you understand God’s tenacious, unfailing commitment to you.
~ through fellow believers who help lighten your load.
~ when you confess and turn away from your sins, throwing off that which is weighing you down.
~ when you replace your worry with His peace, His presence, and His power..
~ if you set aside a day each week for rest and worship.
~ when you honestly talk with Him about the real issues in your life.
~ if you employ the vision, intention, and means necessary to experience lasting spiritual change.
~ if you handle difficult relationships as Jesus would if He were in your place
~ and others when you commit to being the kind of person who refreshes those around you.
~ you when you choose to rely upon the God of hope, Who will never abandon you in your time of trouble.
Great
Commandment Living:
Doing the Common Things
Uncommonly Well
Scripture: Mark 12: 28-31
"One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked Him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: ‘Hear, O Israel the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength’ ""The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these."
Mark 12:28-31 "Doing the common things uncommonly well"
* friendship *obedience *love *compassion
Loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength includes an invitation
to experience friendship with God.
John 15: 5-8
HOW DO WE REMAIN IN HIM, EXPERIENCE THAT CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WE WERE INTENDED TO HAVE?
1. BE AWARE THAT GOD IS ALWAYS WITH YOU.
Isaiah 65:1-3
Mt 28:20:
Heb. 13:5
2. ENGAGE HIM IN CONVERSATION THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
Prayer – 2 way conversation with God.
3. CONCENTRATE ON YOUR FRIENDSHIP THROUGH TIMES ALONE WITH HIM.
James 4:8
"The Bible is like a menu. Jesus is the meal."
4. RESPOND TO WHAT HE SAYS.
John 15:14
WHY OBEDIENCE IS ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL IN THE LIFE OF A BELIEVER.
1. Obedience validates our claim that we are followers of Jesus.
1 John 2:3-6
2. Obedience improves the effectiveness of our praying.
1 John 3:21-23:
3. Obedience strengthens our relationship with Christ.
1 John 3:24
4. Obedience allows us to experience real freedom.
1 John 5:3-5
IF OBEDIENCE IS SO CRUCIAL, HOW DO WE BECOME MORE OBEDIENT?
* Develop your friendship with God.
* Read the Bible.
* Surrender to the loving authority of Christ.
* Just do it. (see James 1:22)
We show our love for God by obeying Him, and the primary command that we are to obey is to love one another.
WHAT REAL LOVE LOOKS LIKE: (1 John 3:11-24)
Jesus’ sacrificial love is our example to follow.
1 John 3:16a.
We, in turn, ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
1 John 3:16b
Galatians 6:10
Sacrificial love always results in practical action.
1 John 3:17-18.
Acts 4:32-35
When we do that, we can have a clear conscience before God.
1 John 3:19-23
1 John 4:19-21
John 13:34-35
"Compassion for Those in Need"
THE STORY OF A CITY UNDER SIEGE – 2 KINGS 6:24-7:20
7:3 Four lepers at the entrance of city gate.
7:9 "We’re not doing right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves."
IT IS NOT RIGHT TO KEEP THE GOOD NEWS TO OURSELVES.
Fourth component of this Great Commandment is having compassion towards those in need.
By God’s initiative, we have come upon unmatched blessings:
You and I face similar temptations to keep it to ourselves:
People’s most desperate need is to have a relationship with Christ.
Compassionate people aren’t only concerned about spiritual needs.
Jesus wants us to be a people who are becoming obedient and compassionate friends of God who offer help and hope in Jesus’ name.
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