'While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers. “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” he asked them. “No,” they replied, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” “Then what baptism did you experience?” he asked. And they replied, “The baptism of John.” Paul said, “John’s baptism called for repentance from sin. Acts 19:1-4 NLT
But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus.” As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied. Acts 19:4-6 NLT
Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah. But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized. When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit. Acts 8:5,12,14-17 NLT
That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. John 20:19-22 NLT
And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” Luke 24:36,49 NLT
During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God. Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 1:3-5 NLT
This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away —all who have been called by the Lord our God.” Acts 2:39 NLT
'When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God. Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God —his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:1-9 NLT
But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For, “Who can know the Lord ’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:10-16 NLT
1. Can you be baptized without speaking in tongues?
2. Can every believer speak in tongues.
3. How do you receive it?
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, ________ Ephesians 3:30 ESV
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us. Ephesians 3:30 ESV
“Don’t be afraid!” David said. “I intend to show kindness to you because of my promise to your father, Jonathan. I will give you all the property that once belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will eat here with me at the king’s table!”2 Samuel 9:7 NLT
Mephibosheth bowed respectfully and exclaimed, “Who is your servant, that you should show such kindness to a dead dog like me?” 2 Samuel 9:8 NLT
But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Romans 8:13-17 NLT
Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 1:4-5 NLT
The gift of choice is God’s greatest gift to us because this separates Christianity from being a religion to a relationship.
So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” Luke 11:13 NLT
You will not fully understand God's goodness and live a dynamic life here on earth without a relationship with Holy Spirit.
“If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. John 14:15-17 NLT
But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them. 1 Corinthians 14:3 NLT
And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. John 16:8-10 NLT
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. John 16:13 NLT
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. James 1:5 NLT
Yet you do not have because you do not ask. James 4:2 NKJV
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14 NLT
And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose. Hebrews 2:4 NLT
For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Ephesians 5:9 NLT
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one Another." John 13:34-35 NIV
No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. 1 John 4:12 NLT
That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”
But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. 1 Corinthians 2:9-12 NLT
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. Romans 8:26 NLT
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 NLT
For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NLT
Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God.” Acts 2:38-39 NLT
Who Is the Holy Spirit?
What is This Person Like?
The Day of Pentecost
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
“Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this.” 1 Corinthians 12:1
You must have a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit to impact the world in the way that you were created to
“Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 1:4-5
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere – in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth.” Acts 1:8
“Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.” Philippians 2:6-7 NLT
“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.” John 14:12 NLT
And watch how He follows that statement up:
“But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.” John 16:7
What are the Gifts of the Holy Spirit?
“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-7
No spiritual gift is greater or more necessary than the other.
The Holy Spirit gives us these gifts to help others
“To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.” 1 Corinthians 12:8-11 NLT
EVERY gift is available to us when we cultivate a true relationship with the Holy Spirit.
“Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.” 1 Corinthians 14:26
“Let all things be done for edification.” 1 Corinthians 14:26
When we place ourselves where people are present the Holy Spirit has the opportunity to move.
Word of Knowledge
The Holy Spirit, to see people healed, will reveal things to us that can draw out the pain in others.
Discerning of Spirits
“For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12
Word of Wisdom
Prophecy: A message of encouragement from God, delivered through a human vessel, to another person or persons
“But the one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them.” 1 Corinthians 14:3
“Let your love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives – especially the ability to prophesy.” 1 Corinthians 14:1
“A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church” 1 Corinthians 14:4
Love is the central focus of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. God loves His children and desperately wants to communicate His love to them
Faith
The Gift of Special Faith
“but Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!” Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” and with that, he died.” Acts 7:55-59
Healing
Miracles
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8
We serve a never changing God
Expectation is the breeding ground of miracles
Who Is the Holy Spirit?
What is This Person Like?
The Day of Pentecost
Pentecost
Pentecostal
Pentecost
How many of us are glad that we invited Jesus into our lives, but afraid of a relationship with the Holy Spirit?
2 Types of Definitions for Pentecostal: Cultural & Biblical
The Holy Spirit is not limited to a group, a denomination, or associated with a form of legalism
Biblical Definition of Pentecostal: Someone who understands and appreciates the fulfillment of the Jewish Feast of Pentecost
A true relationship with the Holy Spirit isn’t weird; it’s necessary
“and I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (comforter, advocate, intercessor, counselor, strengthener, standby) to be with you forever – the Spirit of Truth…” John 14:16-17 AMP
A life without the Holy Spirit leaves so many benefits & blessings left on the table
The Day of Pentecost
“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 2:1-4 NKJV
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
A Specific Time, a Location, and an Attitude
The Time: Day of Pentecost
The Location: The Upper Room in Jerusalem
The Attitude: They were in Unity of heart and mind
The Feast of Passover
The Feast of the Tabernacles
The Feast of Pentecost
50
And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?” Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.” Acts 2:5-8; 12-13
“…speaking in our tongues the wonderful works of God.”
“So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19-22
The Holy Spirit empowers us to live in a way that is consistent with our righteous position through Jesus
And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says,
“This is the new covenant I will make
with my people on that day, says the lord:
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.” Hebrews 10:15-16
The law represents death the Holy Spirit brings about a new life
“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1
And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Romans 7:18-19;24
“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.” Romans 8:1-2
Sin keeps us from walking in righteousness, but the Holy Spirit gives us the power to conquer the sin that tries to kill us
For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Romans 8:13-17
How Can We Enter into a Relationship With The Holy Spirit?
Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God.” Acts 2:38-39
What Is This Person Like?
If you don’t see the Holy Spirit as a person, you’ll never develop a personal relationship with Him.
“God, the Father”
“God, the Son”
“God, the Holy Spirit”
HOW DO YOU DEFINE A PERSON
A person is a being with a soul
“Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! Matthew 12:18 NKJV
He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Matthew 26:38 NLT
Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” Hebrews 10:38 NKJV
A person’s soul is made up of three components: mind, will, and emotions.
1. The Mind of the Holy Spirit
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. John 16:13 NLT
“the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything” John 14:26 NLT
Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:27 NKJV
2. The Will of the Holy Spirit
Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. Acts 16:6
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”Matthew 28:18-20 NLT
And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Romans 8:17 NLT
We come to know the general will of God by His Word, while we come to know the specific will of God by His Voice.
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. John16:13 NLT
No, what you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel:
‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. Acts 2:16-17 NLT
3. The Holy Spirit’s Emotions
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23 NLT
And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30 NLT
Grief is deep sadness you feel at the loss of intimacy with someone.
So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:25-32 NLT
Sin does not grieve the Holy Spirit because He is a killjoy and doesn't want you to have fun. Sin grieves the Holy Spirit because it hurts people and He loves people.
Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.” Acts 8:22-23 NKJV
INVITE THE HOLY SPIRIT TO SHOW YOU
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Psalms 139:23-24 NLT
INVITE THE HOLY SPIRIT TO CHANGE YOU
Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Psalms 51:10 NLT
INVITE THE HOLY SPIRIT TO FILL YOU
Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 NLT
Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NLT
“[W]e are not filled with an influence; we are not filled with a sensation; we are not filled with a set of ideas and truth; we are not filled with a blessing, but we are filled with a Person … and its very essence is the indwelling life of Christ Himself”― A.W. Tozer
But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. Romans 8:9-11 NLT
Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT
But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. John 16:7 NLT
Sadly most Christians acknowledge that The Holy Spirit is there, but they do not allow Him to have a functional impact in their lives.
Who is this person The Holy Spirit?
1. The Holy Spirit is our Helper
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17 NLT
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’ John 16:13-15 NLT
How does the Holy Spirit help us?
He is our Advocate
“But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me. John 15:26 NLT
But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. 1 John 2:1 NLT
He speaks to us
There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. John 16:12-14 NLT
And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. John 16:8 NLT
He convicts us
He shows righteousness
2. The Holy Spirit is a Friend
You can truly determine whether someone is a true friend by what they are adding to your life.
What values does the Holy Spirit add to our lives?
“When we are at our wits’ end for an answer, then the Holy Spirit can give us an answer. But how can He give us an answer when we are still well-supplied with all sorts of answers of our own? -Karl Barth
Power
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere. Acts 1:8 NLT
Love
And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Romans 5:5 NLT
The Holy Spirit...seemed to go through me, body and soul. I could feel the impression, like a wave of electricity, going through and through me. Indeed it seemed to come in waves and waves of liquid love for I could not express it in any other way. -Charles Finney
No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. 1 John 4:12 NLT
Fruit
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!... Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Galatians 5:22-23;25 NLT
Gifts
It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have. 1 Corinthians 12:11 NLT
Two obstacles that hinder our relationship with the Holy Spirit
1. Comfort
2. Volume
Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” Matthew 17:20 NLT
Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. Mark 11:22-24 NLT
1. YOU MUST START DREAMING
2. YOU MUST START DESIRING
3. YOU MUST START BEING AUDACIOUS
4. YOU MUST BEGIN
5. YOU MUST START EXPECTING
6. YOU MUST START AFFIRMING
SPEAKING ACTIVATES BELIEVING
Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. James 3:2-5 NLT
YOUR WORDS ARE POWERFUL
The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences. Proverbs 18:21 NLT
YOUR WORDS ARE DIRECTIONAL
And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. James 3:4 NLT
YOUR WORDS HAVE A QUICK IMPACT
But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. James 3:5 NLT
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Philippians 4:4 NLT
"Feelings are important in many areas but completely unreliable in matters of faith" Eugene Peterson
7. YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THERE IS A TIME OF WAITING
Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time. -Oswald Chambers
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:4-5 NLT
TRUST SAYS THAT LIFE WILL NEVER MAKE SENSE APART FROM GOD AND I WILL TRUST HIS NATURE AND HIS TIMING DESPITE WHAT SEASON I AM IN.
SOMETIMES YOUR SEASON OF WAITING IS BECAUSE YOU NEED PRUNING
I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. John 15:1-2 NLT
“My child, don’t make light of the lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” Hebrews 12:5-6 NLT
HE CANNOT BE A GOD THAT LOVES AND A GOD THAT IGNORES BECAUSE THEY CONTRADICT THEMSELVES.
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. Romans 5:3-4 NLT
Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me— now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Psalms 51:7-10 NLT
SOMETIMES YOUR SEASON OF WAITING IS BECAUSE YOU NEED TO START SOWING
SOWING IN SHORT IS OBEDIENCE AND THAT IS THE FOUNDATION THAT PRODUCES GROWTH.
8. YOU MUST SURRENDER
May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10 NLT
He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Matthew 26:39 NLT
While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. Hebrews 5:7-9 NLT
God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. Ephesians 1:22 NLT
If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world. You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God: Your towns and your fields will be blessed. Your children and your crops will be blessed. The offspring of your herds and flocks will be blessed. Your fruit baskets and breadboards will be blessed. Wherever you go and whatever you do, you will be blessed. The Lord will conquer your enemies when they attack you. They will attack you from one direction, but they will scatter from you in seven! The Lord will guarantee a blessing on everything you do and will fill your storehouses with grain. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you. Deuteronomy 28:1-8 NLT
TO GOD LITTLE THINGS ARE BIG THINGS
Do not despise these small beginnings, for the lord rejoices to see the work begin Zechariah 4:10
“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. Luke 16:10
I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? My help comes from the lord, who made heaven and earth! Psalms 121:1-2 NLT
This understanding of eyes fixed on God creates something inside of us that we cannot sit still… We cannot settle for surviving and just getting by, but we must move forward…
WE MUST HAVE A PASSION FOR GROWTH, A FERVOR FOR PURPOSE, A RESOLVE TO ADVANCE, AND FAITH THAT GOD IS STILL IN THE MIRACLE BUSINESS!
1. YOU MUST START DREAMING
2. YOU MUST START DESIRING
3. YOU MUST START BEING AUDACIOUS
4. YOU MUST BEGIN
“I had deep within me the inability to do nothing. I knew I may die, but I also knew I would not die with a bullet in my back” Joshua Chamberlain
WHEN WE REALIZE AN INDECISION IS A DECISION WE WILL REALIZE AN INACTION IS AN ACTION.
Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.” Isaiah 6:8 NLT
GOD WILL TEST THE RESIDENCE OF OUR FAITH.
You have tested us, O God; you have purified us like silver. Psalms 66:10 NLT
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:2-4 NLT
5. YOU MUST START EXPECTING
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1 NIV
WHAT DO THE TESTS OF GOD DO?
By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death. Hebrews 11:17-19 NIV
And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. At that moment the angel of the lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!” “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.” Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the lord will provide”). Genesis 22:10-14 NLT
IT IS ONE THING TO KNOW GOD IS YOUR PROVIDER IT IS ANOTHER THING TO EXPERIENCE THAT GOD IS YOUR PROVIDER.
So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. Romans 8:15-16 NLT
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. Acts 1:8 NLT
“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it! John 14:12-14 NLT
DO WE LOVE THE DREAM GOD GAVE US MORE THAN THE GOD WHO GAVE US THE DREAM?
Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. Psalms 73:25-26 NLT
“Hope is the great power that can move you to success. Why? Because when a man expects to win, he does not hold anything back, but gives his project all that he's got. Most people fail not because they lack ability, intelligence, or opportunity, but they fail because they don't give it all they've got.” Dr. Norman Vincent Peale
Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. James 2:21-23 NLT
The people crossed the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month. Then they camped at Gilgal, just east of Jericho. It was there at Gilgal that Joshua piled up the twelve stones taken from the Jordan River. Then Joshua said to the Israelites, “In the future your children will ask, ‘What do these stones mean?’ Then you can tell them, ‘This is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the river right before your eyes, and he kept it dry until you were all across, just as he did at the Red Sea when he dried it up until we had all crossed over. He did this so all the nations of the earth might know that the Lord ’s hand is powerful, and so you might fear the Lord your God forever.”Joshua 4:19-24 NLT
THE TRUTH IS THAT SUCCESS, IF NOT REFLECTED UPON PROPERLY, CAN BECOME YOUR GREATEST ENEMY TOWARDS PROGRESSION.
“There came a time in my life when I honestly prayed: “God, I want your power!” Time wore on and the power did not come. One day the burden was more than I could bear. “God, why haven't you answered that prayer?” God seemed to Whisper back his simple reply. “With plans no bigger than yours, you don't need my power.” - Carl Bates
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 NLT
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. Ephesians 1:18-21 NIV
Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” Matthew 17:20 NLT
1. YOU MUST START DREAMING
2. YOU MUST START DESIRING
3. YOU MUST START BEING AUDACIOUS
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1 NIV
faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:17 NIV
FAITH WITHOUT A WORLDLY RISK IS A CONTRADICTION.
1. WHAT DOES GOD THINK?
2. WHAT DO YOU, IN YOUR OWN HEART THINK?
3. WHAT DO YOUR WISE FRIENDS THINK?
4. WHAT DOES YOUR COMMUNITY THINK?
For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. I Corinthians 4:15 NKJV
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts of the Apostles 1:8 NLT
PLOW
PRAY
LISTEN
OBEY
WOW
For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you [in favor], and you shall be cultivated and sown. Ezekiel 36:9 AMP
“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. John 14:12 NLT
But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. John 16:7 NLT
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 NLT
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:22-23 NLT
“Great damage is done if we ask a boy to become a king too soon, as is the case when a father abandons his family, walking out the door with the parting words, ‘You’re the man of the house now.’ A cruel thing to do, and an even more cruel thing to say, for the boy has not yet become a man, not yet learned the lessons of boyhood and then young manhood. He has not yet been a warrior, nor a lover, and he is in no way ready to become a king.” John Eldredge
“And now I entrust you to God and the message of his grace that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself. “I have never coveted anyone’s silver or gold or fine clothes. You know that these hands of mine have worked to supply my own needs and even the needs of those who were with me. And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” Acts 20:32-35 NLT
“Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives. His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Malachi 4:5
1. WHAT IS THE SPIRIT OF ELIJAH?
“What are you doing here, Elijah?” He replied again, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” Then the Lord told him, “Go back the same way you came, and travel to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram. Then anoint Jehu grandson of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet. 1 Kings 19:13-16 NLT
When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away.” And Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor.” “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah replied. “If you see me when I am taken from you, then you will get your request. But if not, then you won’t.” 2 Kings 2:9-10 NLT
As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!” And as they disappeared from sight, Elisha tore his clothes in distress. Elisha picked up Elijah’s cloak, which had fallen when he was taken up. Then Elisha returned to the bank of the Jordan River. He struck the water with Elijah’s cloak and cried out, “Where is the Lord , the God of Elijah?” Then the river divided, and Elisha went across. When the group of prophets from Jericho saw from a distance what happened, they exclaimed, “Elijah’s spirit rests upon Elisha!” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. 2 Kings 2:11-15 NLT
2. THE SAD REALITY IS MANY WANT ELIJAH’S ANOINTING JUST NOT HIS RESPONSIBILITY.
When Elisha was in his last illness, King Jehoash of Israel visited him and wept over him. “My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!” he cried. 2 Kings 13:14
Then Elisha died and was buried. 2 Kings 13:20
Groups of Moabite raiders used to invade the land each spring. Once when some Israelites were burying a man, they spied a band of these raiders. So they hastily threw the corpse into the tomb of Elisha and fled. But as soon as the body touched Elisha’s bones, the dead man revived and jumped to his feet! 2 Kings 13:20-21
3. WILL WE BE INHERITANCE HOARDERS OR BESTOWERS?
The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with bones. He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?” “O Sovereign Lord ,” I replied, “you alone know the answer to that.” Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord ! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord .’” So I spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’” So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army. Ezekiel 37:1-10 NLT
WHEN WE CRITICIZE, INSULT, DEMEAN, AND CONDEMN PEOPLE IT IS ROOTED IN OUR OWN INSECURITIES.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:23 NLT
“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’ Luke 15:17-19 NLT
ACTIONS REVEAL OUR BELIEFS 100% OF THE TIME
WE CAN NOT LIVE BEYOND THE IDENTITY WE HAVE EMBRACED
1. WE MUST IDENTIFY AND REMOVE THE NEGATIVE
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. Hebrews 12:1 NLT
So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Colossians 3:5-9 NLT
2. WE MUST FOCUS ON OUR TRUE IDENTITY
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Hebrews 12:2 NLT
Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. Colossians 3:10,12-14 NLT
“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. ’ “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began. Luke 15:20-24 NLT
“We are all under the same mental calamity; we have all forgotten our names. We have all forgotten what we really are.” G.K. Chesterton
Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. Ecclesiastes 1:8-9 NLT
For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to
die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NLT
What do people really get for all their hard work? I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. Ecclesiastes 3:9-10 NLT
4 TRUTHS WE MUST GRASP
1. GOD’S PLAN IS WISE
Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart… Ecclesiastes 3:11 NLT
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28 NLT
2. GOD’S PLAN IS ALSO MYSTERIOUS
…but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11 NLT
Why then does my suffering continue? Why is my wound so incurable? Your help seems as uncertain as a seasonal brook, like a spring that has gone dry. Jeremiah 15:18 NLT
3. WE MUST ENJOY OUR PRESENT LIFE EVEN WHEN WE DON’T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS.
So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God. Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 NLT
4. REST IN GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY
And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose is that people should fear him. Ecclesiastes 3:14 NLT
When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased. Luke 3:21-22 NIV
“We were built to count, as water is made to run downhill. We are placed in a specific context to count in ways no one else does. That is our identity.” Dallas Willard
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! Psalms 139:15-17 NLT
FOR EVERY OUTCOME YOU DESIRE, THERE MUST BE AN INPUT DISCIPLINE FOR IT TO BECOME A REALITY.
Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. James 2:17-18 NIV
OUTWARD DISCIPLINES
“When we live outside of healthy community, we not only lose others. We lose ourselves...Who we understand ourselves to be is dramatically affected for better or worse by those we hold closest to us. We only truly come to know ourselves in the context of others. The more isolated and disconnected we are, the more shattered and distorted our self-identity. We are not healthy when we are alone. We find ourselves as we connect to others.” Erwin McManus
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” Genesis 2:18 NLT
Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:4-5 NLT
…For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it. Colossians 2:19 NLT
1. AUTHENTICITY
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8 NLT
You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other. John 15:16-17 NLT
QUIT DISQUALIFYING YOURSELF BECAUSE YOU COMPARE YOUR WEAKNESSES TO OTHERS STRENGTHS
A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. 1 Corinthians 12:7;22-26 NLT
YOU MUST DISCOVER WHO YOU ARE BEFORE YOU CAN EVER DISCOVER WHAT YOU ARE CREATED TO DO.
Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Romans 12:3 NLT
2. SUBMISSION
Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. James 1:19
HURT PEOPLE HURT PEOPLE.
THE SOLUTION ALWAYS BEGINS WITH UNDERSTANDING
'For I wrote to you with many tears out of an extremely troubled and anguished heart — not to cause you pain, but that you should know the abundant love I have for you. ' 2 Corinthians 2:4 CSB
Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. Galatians 6:1-3 NLT
3. SERVICE
After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow...Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.' John 13:12-17 NLT
WHAT WE DO IN OUR PRIVATE TIMES IMPACTS HOW WE WILL BE IN OUR PUBLIC TIMES
Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:7-8 NLT
God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 1 John 4:9-10 NLT
Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. 1 John 4:11-12 NLT
FOR EVERY OUTCOME YOU DESIRE, THERE MUST BE AN INPUT DISCIPLINE FOR IT TO BECOME A REALITY.
Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. James 2:17-18 NIV
You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12 NLT
So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 NLT
At this time Aramean raiders had invaded the land of Israel, and among their captives was a young girl who had been given to Naaman’s wife as a maid. One day the girl said to her mistress, “I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy.” 2 Kings 5:2-3 NLT
So Naaman told the king what the young girl from Israel had said. “Go and visit the prophet,” the king of Aram told him. “I will send a letter of introduction for you to take to the king of Israel.” So Naaman started out, carrying as gifts 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothing. The letter to the king of Israel said: “With this letter I present my servant Naaman. I want you to heal him of his leprosy.” When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in dismay and said, “Am I God, that I can give life and take it away? Why is this man asking me to heal someone with leprosy? I can see that he’s just trying to pick a fight with me.” 2 Kings 5:4-7 NLT
But when Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes in dismay, he sent this message to him: “Why are you so upset? Send Naaman to me, and he will learn that there is a true prophet here in Israel.” So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha’s house. But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.” But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me! Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage. 2 Kings 5:8-12 NLT
But his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child, and he was healed! 2 Kings 5:13-14 NLT
GREAT OPPORTUNITIES OFTEN DISGUISE THEMSELVES IN SMALL TASKS.
INWARD DISCIPLINES
1. MEDITATION
Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. Joshua 1:7-8 NLT
2. STUDY
And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men. Acts 17:11-12 NLT
As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. Proverbs 27:17 NLT
3. PRAYER
Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. Matthew 6:9-13 NLT
ADORATION AND WORSHIP
CONFESSION AND TRANSFORMATION
GOD’S KINGDOM AND GOD'S AGENDA
MY AGENDA AND REQUESTS
4. FASTING
He must increase, but I must decrease. John 3:30 ESV
…not my will, but yours be done. Luke 22:42 NIV
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:33 NLT
My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:1-5 NLT
Godly Wisdom
You Are What You Eat
“Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are…” – Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin
“Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future”
“You are the average of the 10 people you spend the most time with”
“Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.” Proverbs 13:20 MSG
“Well, I am the good influence in our friend group!”
“…Bad company corrupts good character” 1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV
If you stay in an unhealthy relationship long enough it will eventually change you
Inspect
Is walking in my God given calling worth a temporary discomfort?
Is passive comfort worth giving up your God given calling?
Can you share your heart with them?
Can you communicate your joys with them?
Can you communicate your sorrows with them?
Can you share frustrations with them?
Can you share victories with them?
Can you share prayer requests with them?
Do they pray with you or for you?
Do they lift you up or tear you down?
Do they encourage you?
Do they add value to you?
Do they care about your spouse/family?
Healthy Boundaries
Determine who you are giving permission to have an influence in your life
“Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety” Proverbs 11:14 NKJV
“…Bad company corrupts good character” 1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV
“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” Proverbs 27:17
“Friends can destroy one another, but a loving friend can stick closer than family” Proverbs 18:24 GW
TAKE HOME:
Is this helping or hurting me walk in my God given calling?
“Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change” – Jim Rohn
God gave me conviction
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth.” John 14:16-17 NLT
LifeGroups
"There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing." – Aristotle
“I will forgive their wrongdoing, and I will never again remember their sins” Hebrews 8:12 CSB
My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:1-5 NLT
ANYTHING OR ANYONE DIFFERENT CAN BE DIFFICULT
Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. 2 Timothy 2:23-24 NLT
D. I. R. T.
DON’T IGNORE RELATIONAL TENSION
GUARD RAILS OF COMMUNICATION
1. REMAIN CALM AND GENTLE
A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare. Proverbs 15:1 NLT
People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness. Proverbs 14:29 NLT
Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back. Proverbs 29:11 NLT
Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool. Ecclesiastes 7:9 NLT
Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city. Proverbs 16:32 NLT
2. COMMUNICATE THE INFORMATION TRUTHFULLY AND ACCURATELY
The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing, but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness. Proverbs 15:2 NLT
The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in those who tell the truth. Proverbs 12:22 NLT
Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies! Psalms 34:13 NLT
Truthful words stand the test of time, but lies are soon exposed. Proverbs 12:19 NLT
Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Colossians 3:9 NLT
Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. Ephesians 4:15,25 NLT
3. REMEMBER GOD IS THE ULTIMATE JUDGE
The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good. Proverbs 15:3 NLT
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18 NIV
SOMEONE ELSE’S SIN IS NEVER A JUSTIFICATION FOR YOU TO SIN.
Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval. So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. Romans 14:4,10,12-13,19 NLT
4. ATTACK THE PROBLEM NOT THE PERSON
The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit. Proverbs 15:4 NIV
BLAMING PREVENTS PROGRESS
But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other… Colossians 3:8-9 NLT
5. STAY TEACHABLE
Only a fool despises a parent’s discipline; whoever learns from correction is wise. Proverbs 15:5 NLT
To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction. Proverbs 12:1 NLT
DON’T TRADE AWAY YOUR INTEGRITY FOR JUSTIFICATION
“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye. Matthew 7:3;5 NLT
S.T.A.T.E YOUR FEELINGS
1. Share your facts (without interpretation)
2. Tell your story (explain your conclusions)
3. Ask questions instead of starting with accusations
4. Talk tentatively (remember you are sharing perspective)
5. Encourage testing (invite opposing views)
FOCUS ON RESTORATION NOT PERFECTION
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Matthew 5:9 NIV
IT IS ALWAYS MORE REWARDING TO RESOLVE THE CONFLICT THAN TO DISSOLVE THE RELATIONSHIP.
My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:1-5 NLT
PEOPLE INTERPRET WHAT YOU SAY NOT WHAT YOU INTENDED TO SAY.
1. THE WISE UNDERSTAND THAT OUR WORDS PRODUCE EITHER LIFE OR DEATH
Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked. Proverbs 10:6 NIV
The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences. Proverbs 18:21 NLT
In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. James 3:5-6 NLT
Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? James 3:9-11 NLT
If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. James 3:13-18 NLT
Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked. Proverbs 10:6 NIV
2. THE WISE LISTEN MORE THAN THEY SPEAK
Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of one who has no sense. The wise store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin. Proverbs 10:13-14 NIV
You know the biggest lie that people believe about wise smart people is that they know everything and they have to tell everybody they know everything. So we think the wisest people in the world or those that talk the most it's actually the opposite. if you read the gospels I want you to understand something about Jesus he asked 10 times more questions that he gave answers. Which means he was in a constant state of listening to whoever he was having a conversation with and then asking questions based on their responses to get them to a place a true understanding. The greatest skill you can have as a leader, a disciple maker, a spouse, a parent, and a friend is the ability to listen.
WHAT MAKES A GREAT LISTENER?
ATTITUDE
ACTIONS
ESSENTIALS FOR EXCELLENT LISTENING
“Seek first to understand, then to be understood” -Stephen Covey
3. THE WISE DON’T DIE ON EVERY HILL
Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues. Proverbs 10:19 NIV
Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble. Proverbs 21:23 NLT
4. THE WISE ADD VALUE WITH THEIR WORDS
The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of sense. Proverbs 10:21 NIV
Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16:24 NIV
The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts. Proverbs 18:8 NIV
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. James 3:17-18 NLT
Now you may think you're the farthest thing from that right now well here's the beautiful thing about Jesus we've all fallen short of his glorious standard and we are all sinners in desperate need of his forgiveness in the Bible says when he washes us clean the old has gone in the newest here and we have the beautiful opportunity to change directions and move off of that Spectrum of curses and negativity in move towards the spectrum of life and blessings.
ALTAR
1. WHAT DO WE WANT?
2. WHY DO WE WANT IT?
3. HOW BADLY DO WE WANT IT?
For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. Proverbs 2:10-11 NIV
Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed. Proverbs 3:13-18 NIV
I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me. With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity. My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver. I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me and making their treasuries full. Proverbs 8:17-21 NIV
WHAT SEPARATES THE WISE FROM THE UNWISE?
1. THE WISE BELIEVE GOD’S WORDS ARE 100% TRUE
My son, if you accept my words… Proverbs 2:1 NIV
TO GROW YOU HAVE TO FULLY TRUST
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock. Isaiah 26:3-4 NLT
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV
IN OUR PATIENCE WE RECEIVE GOD'S INSTRUCTION FOR GROWTH
All who wait patiently for him are happy; your Teacher will not hide any longer. Your eyes will see your Teacher, and whenever you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: “This is the way. Walk in it.” Isaiah 30:18;20-21 CSB
Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar. Proverbs 30:5-6 NIV
2. THE WISE REFLECT ON THE PROMISES OF GOD
…store up my commands within you Proverbs 2:1 NIV
My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Proverbs 7:1-3 NIV
Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. Psalms 119:105 NLT
THE CENTER FOR BIBLE ENGAGEMENT SURVEYED MORE THAN 400,000 PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD.
SOMEONE WHO ENGAGES THE BIBLE 4 OR MORE TIMES A WEEK IS:
30% LESS LIKELY TO STRUGGLE WITH LONELINESS
32% LESS LIKELY TO HAVE ANGER ISSUES
42% LESS LIKELY TO HAVE BITTERNESS IN YOUR RELATIONSHIPS
57% LESS LIKELY TO STRUGGLE WITH ALCOHOLISM
59% LESS LIKELY TO VIEW PORNOGRAPHY
60% LESS LIKELY TO FEEL SPRIRITUALLY STAGNANT
228% INCREASE IN SHARING YOUR FAITH WITH OTHERS
230% INCREASE IN A DESIRE TO DISCIPLE OTHERS
407% MORE LIKELY TO MEMORIZE SCRIPTURE
3. THE WISE LET WISDOM SPEAK LOUDER THAN THEIR EMOTIONS
turning your ear to wisdom…Proverbs 2:2 NIV
Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Proverbs 4:25-26 NIV
THE WORD OF GOD IS A GUIDE, A GUARD, AND A GAUGE.
4. THE WISE UNDERSTAND APPLICATION IS WHAT LEADS TO WISDOM
…applying your heart to understanding— Proverbs 2:2 NIV
Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son. Proverbs 10:4-5 NIV
Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. Proverbs 6:6-8 NIV
A - ATTITUDE OF INITIATIVE
N - NATURE OF INTEGRITY
T - THIRST FOR INDUSTRY
S - SOURCE OF INSIGHT
5. THE WISE SEEK WISE COUNSEL
indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding… Proverbs 2:3 NIV
Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. Proverbs 15:22 NIV
Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm. Proverbs 13:20 NIV
THE NUMBER ONE REASON PEOPLE DO NOT SEEK WISE COUNSEL IS BECAUSE THEY LACK HUMILITY.
HUMILITY IS SIMPLY AWARENESS
What's it like being on the other side of me?
Who am I refusing to listen to?
What person or situation do I refuse to see another perspective on?
What am I missing?
and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:4-5 NIV
THE RUTHLESS ELIMINATION OF HURRY
BUSYNESS
BUSYNESS
HOW ARE YOU DOING?
“THE PROBLEM ISN’T WHEN YOU HAVE A LOT TO DO; ITS WHEN YOU HAVE TOO MUCH TO DO AND THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP THE QUOTA UP IS TO HURRY.” – JOHN MARK COMER
“YOU MUST RUTHLESSLY ELIMINATE HURRY FROM YOUR LIFE.” – DALLAS WILLARD
“THERE IS NOTHING ELSE. HURRY IS THE GREAT ENEMY OF SPIRITUAL LIFE IN OUR DAY. YOU MUST RUTHLESSLY ELIMINATE HURRY FROM YOUR LIFE.” – DALLAS WILLARD
HURRY IS NOT JUST A DIS-ORDERED SCHEDULE. HURRY IS A DIS-ORDERED HEART.
“IF THE DEVIL CAN’T MAKE YOU SIN, HE’LL MAKE YOU BUSY.” – CORRIE TEN BOOM
“HURRY IS NOT OF THE DEVIL; HURRY IS THE DEVIL.” – CARL JUNG
BOTH SIN AND BUSYNESS HAVE THE SAME EFFECT – THEY CUT OFF YOUR CONNECTION TO GOD, PEOPLE AND YOUR OWN SOUL
“Today a number of historical circumstances are blindly flowing together and accidentally conspiring to produce a climate within which it is difficult not just to think about God or to pray, but simply to have any interior depth whatsoever…We, for every kind of reason, good and bad, are distracting ourselves into spiritual oblivion. It is not that we have anything against God, depth and spirit, we would like these, it is just that we are habitually to preoccupied to have any of these show up on our radar screens. We are more busy than bad, more distracted than nonspiritual, and more interested in the movie theater, the sports stadium, and the shopping mall and the fantasy life they produce in us than we are in church. Pathological busyness, distraction, and restlessness are major roadblocks today within our spiritual lives.” – Ronald Rolheiser
“For many of us the great danger is not that we will renounce our faith. It is that we will become so distracted and rushed and preoccupied that we will settle for a mediocre version of it. We will just skim our lives instead of actually living them.” John Ortberg
“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” Ephesians 3:16-19 NLT
LOVE
“You must love the lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:36-39 NLT
HURRY AND LOVE ARE INCOMPATIBLE
LOVE
“HURRY AND LOVE ARE OIL AND WATER: THEY SIMPLY DO NOT MIX.” – JOHN MARK COMER
“Love is patient and kind.” 1 Corinthians 13:4 NLT
“God walks “slowly” because He is love. If he is not love He would have gone much faster. Love has its speed. It is an inner speed. It is a spiritual speed. It is a different kind of speed from the technological speed to which we are accustomed. It is “slow” yet it is lord over all other speeds since it is the speed of love.” – Kosuke Koyama
“But in the upside-down Kingdom, our value system is turned on it’s head: hurry is of the devil; slow is of Jesus, because Jesus is what love looks like in flesh and blood” – John Mark Comer
“As Jesus was saying this, the leader of a synagogue came and knelt before him. “My daughter has just died,” he said, “but you can bring her back to life again if you just come and lay your hand on her.” So Jesus and his disciples got up and went with him.” Matthew 9:18-19 NLT
“Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up b Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment.” Matthew 9:20-22 NLT
JESUS’ UNHURRY ALLOWED FOR AN INTERRUPTION, WHICH LED TO AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOVE, WHICH ENDED IN A MIRACLE
HURRY SICKNESS
A HURRIED LIFE OF SPEED IS THE NEW NORMAL IN OUR SOCIETY, AND IT’S TOXIC
“The thief’s (devil) purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.” John 10:10 NLT
TAKE HOME:
SLOW DOWN
TAKE TIME TO PAUSE
WHAT YOU GIVE YOUR ATTENTION TO CONSISTENTLY IS THE PERSON YOU BECOME
If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. Matthew 16:25 NLT
And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:18-20 NLT
QUESTIONS THAT DETERMINE WHOSE WAY WE ARE CHOOSING
Then Balak tried again. This time he sent a larger number of even more distinguished officials than those he had sent the first time. They went to Balaam and delivered this message to him: “This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Please don’t let anything stop you from coming to help me. I will pay you very well and do whatever you tell me. Just come and curse these people for me!” But Balaam responded to Balak’s messengers, “Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the Lord my God. Numbers 22:15-18 NLT
1. DO WE PREFER GOD’S WILL OR THE WORLDS WEALTH?
MONEY PROMISES THINGS ONLY GOD CAN DELIVER
Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! Ecclesiastes 5:10 NLT
For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. 1 Timothy 6:10 NLT
“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?… Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:24-27;33 NLT
I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked. Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” Matthew 19:24-26 NLT
So the next morning Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and started off with the Moabite officials. But God was angry that Balaam was going, so he sent the angel of the Lord to stand in the road to block his way. As Balaam and two servants were riding along… This time when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down under Balaam. In a fit of rage Balaam beat the animal again with his staff. Then the Lord gave the donkey the ability to speak. “What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?” it asked Balaam. “You have made me look like a fool!” Balaam shouted. “If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!” “But I am the same donkey you have ridden all your life,” the donkey answered. “Have I ever done anything like this before?” “No,” Balaam admitted. Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam bowed his head and fell face down on the ground before him Why did you beat your donkey those three times?” the angel of the Lord demanded. “Look, I have come to block your way because you are stubbornly resisting me. Three times the donkey saw me and shied away; otherwise, I would certainly have killed you by now and spared the donkey.” Then Balaam confessed to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned. I didn’t realize you were standing in the road to block my way. I will return home if you are against my going.” But the angel of the Lord told Balaam, “Go with these men, but say only what I tell you to say.” So Balaam went on with Balak’s officials….Balak asked Balaam. “Didn’t you believe me when I said I would reward you richly?” Balaam replied, “Look, now I have come, but I have no power to say whatever I want. I will speak only the message that God puts in my mouth.” Numbers 22:21-22;27-35;37-38 NLT
2. DO WE UNDERSTAND GOD IS EVER-PRESENT IN OUR LIVES?
YOUR EMOTIONS HAVE “THEIR” BEST INTEREST AT HEART, NOT YOUR BEST INTEREST AT HEART!
YOU MUST LIVE UP TO YOUR CALLING AND RESIST LIVING DOWN TO YOUR COMPROMISE!
For the Lord sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes. Proverbs 5:21 NLT
The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. 2 Chronicles 16:9 NLT
King Balak flew into a rage against Balaam. He angrily clapped his hands and shouted, “I called you to curse my enemies! Instead, you have blessed them three times. Now get out of here! Go back home! I promised to reward you richly, but the Lord has kept you from your reward.” Balaam told Balak, “Don’t you remember what I told your messengers? I said, ‘Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the Lord.’ I told you that I could say only what the Lord says! Numbers 24:10-13 NLT
3. ARE WE WILLING TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE OVER THE POPULAR CHOICE?
DOING THE RIGHT THING IS ALWAYS THE RIGHT THING
For they loved human praise more than the praise of God. John 12:43 NLT
IF YOU LIVE FOR PEOPLE'S PRAISE THEN YOU WILL DIE BY THEIR CRITICISM
If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. John 15:18-19 NLT
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NLT
Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant. Galatians 1:10 NLT
HOW TO CHOOSE GOD’S WAY?
STAY SUBMITTED AND COMMITTED TO THE WILL OF GOD!
You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. Psalms 16:11 NLT
Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph—a beautiful robe. But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn’t say a kind word to him. Genesis 37:3-4 NLT
1. GRASP THAT PERSPECTIVE IMPACTS YOUR FUTURE
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. James 1:2 NLT
The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Genesis 39:2 NLT
But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. Genesis 39:21 NLT
Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 NLT
2. DON’T FIGHT THE PROCESS
So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:4 NLT
GOD CARES MORE ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER THAN YOUR COMFORT.
“My child, don’t make light of the lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? Hebrews 12:5-7 NLT
So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. 1 Peter 1:6-7 NLT
3. DECIDE TO FULLY TRUST
But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. James 1:6-8
YOUR ATTITUDE IS THE KEY THAT ACTIVATES GOD MOVING IN YOUR LIFE.
God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 NLT
4. UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS OF TEMPTATION
Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. James 1:14-15 NLT
There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. Proverbs 14:12 NLT
The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. Galatians 5:17 NLT
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Galatians 5:24-25 NLT
Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was over nine feet tall! He wore a bronze helmet, and his bronze coat of mail weighed 125 pounds. He also wore bronze leg armor, and he carried a bronze javelin on his shoulder. The shaft of his spear was as heavy and thick as a weaver’s beam, tipped with an iron spearhead that weighed pounds. His armor bearer walked ahead of him carrying a shield. Goliath stood and shouted a taunt across to the Israelites. “Why are you all coming out to fight?” he called. “I am the Philistine champion, but you are only the servants of Saul. Choose one man to come down here and fight me! If he kills me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves! I defy the armies of Israel today! Send me a man who will fight me!” When Saul and the Israelites heard this, they were terrified and deeply shaken. 1 Samuel 17:4-11 NLT
YOUR GOLIATH DOES NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO DEFINE YOUR FUTURE. HOWEVER, YOUR RESPONSE TO YOUR GOLIATH DOES.
1. RECOGNIZE THE LIES OF YOUR GOLIATH
As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, came out from the Philistine ranks. Then David heard him shout his usual taunt to the army of Israel. 1 Samuel 17:23 NLT
Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God? 1 Samuel 17:26 NLT
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 NLT
Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. Romans 3:24 NLT
So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. John 8:36 NLT
Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. Ephesians 1:4 NLT
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 NLT
Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 NLT
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 ESV
YOU HAVE TO PICK ONE. EITHER GOLIATH IS THE LIAR OR GOD IS THE LIAR.
2. STEWARDSHIP IN THE SMALL THINGS GIVES US THE STRENGTH IN THE BIG THINGS
“Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!” “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.” But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the Lord be with you!” 1 Samuel 17:32-37 NLT
Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin. Zechariah 4:10 NLT
AS YOU DWELL ON YOUR DAILY VICTORIES YOU START GEARING YOUR MIND TO REPEAT THOSE ACTIONS.
“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is.You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.” Psalms 39:4-5 NLT
“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. Luke 16:10 NLT
3. YOU CAN NOT BE SUSTAINED OFF OF SOMEONE ELSE’S ANOINTING
'Then Saul gave David his own armor—a bronze helmet and a coat of mail. David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before. “I can’t go in these,” he protested to Saul. “I’m not used to them.” So David took them off again. 1 Samuel 17:38-39 NLT
And finally Saul son of Kish was chosen from among them. But when they looked for him, he had disappeared! So they asked the Lord, “Where is he?” And the Lord replied, “He is hiding among the baggage.” 1 Samuel 10:21-22 NLT
Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with fear. Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn’t come. Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away. So he demanded, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself. 1 Samuel 13:7-9 NLT
Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him, but Samuel said, “What is this you have done?” Saul replied, “I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn’t arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle. 1 Samuel 13:10-11 NLT
Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.” Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality. 1 Samuel 15:3,9 NLT
Early the next morning Samuel went to find Saul. Someone told him, “Saul went to the town of Carmel to set up a monument to himself; then he went on to Gilgal.” 1 Samuel 15:12 NLT
YOU CAN NOT GET YOUR EXTERNAL IN ORDER IF YOUR INTERNAL IS OUT OF ORDER.
Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct. Galatians 6:4-5 NLT
A GROWING RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS IS INTENTIONAL, NOT ACCIDENTAL.
4. DON’T COMPARE YOUR GOLIATH TO YOURSELF BUT COMPARE HIM TO YOUR GOD
David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!” 1 Samuel 17:45-47 NLT
The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. Romans 8:11 NLT
But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” Exodus 14:13-14 NLT
Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Hebrew 12:1-2 NLT
1. MAKE SURE YOU ARE FOLLOWING THE RIGHT PERSON
Ruth the Moabitess asked Naomi, “Will you let me go into the fields and gather fallen grain behind someone with whom I find favor?” Ruth 2:2 CSB
Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble. Proverbs 13:20 NLT
A person’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps. Proverbs 16:9 CSB
2. THE DILIGENT REAP THE HARVEST WHILE THE IDLE REAP SCARCITY
She asked, ‘Will you let me gather fallen grain among the bundles behind the harvesters? ’ She came and has been on her feet since early morning, except that she rested a little in the shelter.” Ruth 2:7 CSB
Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty! Proverbs 14:23 NLT
Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring riches. The son who gathers during summer is prudent; the son who sleeps during harvest is disgraceful. Proverbs 10:4-5 CSB
The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. 2 Chronicles 16:9 NLT
3. DON’T CHASE AFTER FLEETING URGES
Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Don’t go and gather grain in another field, and don’t leave this one, but stay here close to my female servants. See which field they are harvesting, and follow them. Ruth 2:8-9 CSB
There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. Proverbs 14:12 NLT
4. FAITHFULNESS MUST PRECEDE FRUITFULNESS
Boaz answered her, “Everything you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband’s death has been fully reported to me: how you left your father and mother and your native land, and how you came to a people you didn’t previously know. May the Lord reward you for what you have done, and may you receive a full reward from the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” Ruth 2:11-12 CSB
When she got up to gather grain, Boaz ordered his young men, “Let her even gather grain among the bundles, and don’t humiliate her. Pull out some stalks from the bundles for her and leave them for her to gather. Don’t rebuke her.” So Ruth gathered grain in the field until evening. She beat out what she had gathered, and it was about twenty-six quarts of barley. Ruth 2:15-17 CSB
YOUR CONSISTENCY DETERMINES YOUR CHARACTER AND YOUR CHARACTER DETERMINES YOUR DESTINY.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 NIV
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:33 NLT
5. SURRENDER IS THE PATHWAY TO REST
So she lay down at his feet until morning but got up while it was still dark. Then Boaz said, “Don’t let it be known that a woman came to the threshing floor.” And he told Ruth, “Bring the shawl you’re wearing and hold it out.” When she held it out, he shoveled six measures of barley into her shawl, and she went into the town. Ruth 3:14-15 CSB
Anyone trusting in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like foliage. Proverbs 11:28 NLT
TRUE PEACE IS DISCOVERED WHEN CONSCIOUSLY RECOGNIZE OUR PROVIDER CONSISTENTLY
Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! “Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? Luke 12:24,27-28 NLT
Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing. Psalms 34:10 NLT
Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father…James 1:17 NLT
6. WHEN WE TOTALLY SURRENDER TO GOD HE WILL TOTALLY FIGHT FOR OUR WELL-BEING!
She went to her mother-in-law, Naomi, who asked her, “What happened, my daughter?” Then Ruth told her everything the man had done for her. Naomi said, “My daughter, wait until you find out how things go, for he won’t rest unless he resolves this today.” Ruth 3:16;18 CSB
So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. Romans 8:15-17 NLT
DO YOU WANT THE LEFTOVERS, THE BUNDLES, OR THE FIELD?
Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. James 1:6-8 NLT
Do it AFRAID
PRESSURE IS A PRIVILEGE
“Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.” Nehemiah 1:3 NLT
“ When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of Heaven.” Nehemiah 1:4 NLT
“Early the following spring, in the month of Nisan, during the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign, I was serving the king his wine. I had never before appeared sad in his presence. So the king asked me, “Why are you looking so sad? You don’t look sick to me. You must be deeply troubled.” Nehemiah 2:1-2 NLT
“…Then I was terrified...” Nehemiah 2:2 NLT
“…I was terrified, but I replied” Nehemiah 2:2-3 NLT
A NERVOUS FEELING IS A GOOD THING
“Long live the king! How can I not be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.” The king asked, “Well, how can I help you?” Nehemiah 2:3-4 NLT
“With a prayer to the God of Heaven, I replied… “ Nehemiah 2:4-5 NLT
WE PRAY
“The right words will be there. The Holy Spirit will give you the right words when the time comes.” Luke 12:12 MSG
GOD WILL PROVIDE THE COURAGE IF HE GAVE YOU THE CALL
Moses pleaded with the LORD, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.” Then the LORD asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.” Exodus 4:11-12 NLT
“If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried.” The king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked “how long will you be gone? When will you return?” After I told him how long I would be gone, the king agreed to my request.” Nehemiah 2:5-6 NLT
“I also said to the king, “if it please the king, let me have letters addressed to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River, instructing them to let me travel safely through their territories on my way to Judah.” Nehemiah 2:7 NLT
“And please give me a letter addressed to Asaph, the manager of the king’s forest, instructing him to give me timber. I will need it to make beams for the gates of the Temple fortress, for the city walls, and for a house for myself…” Nehemiah 2:8 NLT
WHEN WE OPERATE USING GOD’S COURAGE WE ALLOW BOLDNESS TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR
“…and the king granted these requests because the gracious hand of God was on me.” Nehemiah 2:8 NLT
“IF YOU’RE BIG ENOUGH FOR YOUR DREAM, YOUR DREAM ISN’T BIG ENOUGH FOR GOD!” – MARK BATTERSON
GOD CHOSE YOU FOR THE DREAM HE PUT INSIDE YOU
IF GOD CALLED YOU TO IT HE WILL EQUIP YOU THROUGH IT
“…I was terrified, but I replied” Nehemiah 2:2-3 NLT
DON’T LET FEAR KEEP YOU FROM WALKING IN OBEDIENCE