Hebrews 3:7-9
7 So, as the Holy Spirit says:
“Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion,
during the time of testing in the wilderness,
9 where your ancestors tested and tried me,
though for forty years they saw what I did.
Complaining
Looking Back
Discouragement
The Dangers of a Hard Heart
Learning to Accept Who I Am…
Story from Gen. 27.
1. A Hard Heart always searches for approval
*Truth is: Its already been given to us...
2. A Hard Heart Pretends
* Accept Who God called You to be and celebrate others and their callings
3. A Hard Heart is always on the run.
*It culminates in God’s Presence…Wrestle w/God
Gen. 32:22-32
The Dangers of a Hard Heart
Matt. 14:3-12
1. A Hard Heart: Withholds Affection and Damages Relationships.
2 Cor. 6:11-13
Heb.12:15
2. A Hard Heart Looses Discretion:
Eph. 4:17-19
3. A Hard Heart Cuts off God’s Voice In My Life
Don’t Lose the JOY!
Luke 1:39-45
Matt. 1:1-6
1. We Lose Joy when: We feel like we are owed something Better than we are getting..
2. We Lose Joy when "Offense” come into our hearts.
Offense is enemy of joy
3. We lose joy when: We loose sight of what Jesus is doing around us…
For further study… We don’t have to put these scriptures on the screen at Church, but please add to the Notes on app...
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!
Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
The Power of Letting Go
1. God can move you to where you need to be, if you let go of where you are.
Genesis 12:1-3
We are able to LET GO by doing 3 Things :
Romans 4:20-21
A. Give glory to God/ learn to be a worshipper
B. Be fully persuaded of God’s call
C. Have faith & patience; Hebrews 6:12
2. Letting go has the power to reveal strongholds in our lives.
Genesis 35:1-4
Genesis 35:16-20
3. Letting go is a journey that has the power to increase your faith…
Genesis 12:1-5
Land I will show you.
(Abraham didn’t know where he was going yet. He had to TRUST each step of the way.)
Psalms 103:17 (NLT)
But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear Him. His salvation extends to the children’s children.
Parenting: to bring forth or produce
A parent’s job is to partner with God to bring forth His will for their lives
Three ways to Parent (or bring forth) God’s Will in your children’s lives:
1. Parenting through Prayer
2. Parenting through Advocacy
3. Parenting through the Word
Parenting through Prayer
Bringing forth God’s will through Prayer
Samuel vs. Jessie: Spiritual vs. Physical Eyes
1. Praying for them
a. Pray for a vision for their future
b. Pray for direction
2. Teach them to pray
Parenting through Advocacy
Bringing forth God’s Will through spiritual protection
1. Speak Life
a. Words shape beliefs
b. You become what you believe
2. Teach them their identity in Christ
a. Genesis 1: 27
b. Jeremiah 1:5
Parenting through the Word
Bringing forth God’s Will through the Word
Psalms 119:5
1. Teach them about God’s followers from the Bible
2. Teach them to use God’s Word as a tool
Monkeys/ Buts/ and an Olive Tree…3 Keys That Encourage Me to Keep Moving Forward
1. Having the RIGHT PEOPLE in life Encourages ME!
2 Kings 5 : 3, 10 – 11.2. You Gotta overcome the “BUTS”The 2nd key to developing your life is to overcome the Buts.
Proverbs 10:9 ESV Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.
Proverbs 11:3 ESV The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.
1.Right people
2.Right Character
3.Right Perspective
3 Truths about this Olive Branch
A. It needs both the Refreshing Winds of the West and the Harsh winds of the East.
B. Has to be softened, otherwise the bitter and tough fruit is of no value.
C. It Has to be pressed, the pressing brings the oil and the oil brings the light.
Listen to People who are pulling you up
Make sure you are growing and developing in your Character
Ask God to show you perspective.
Maybe you are in the East wind, but you need it. Maybe you are being softened, maybe you are being pressed.
Oil doesn’t come any other way…
Horizontal Gratitude:
1. Press Pause and begin Expressing gratitude and thankfulness for what others have done to help you along your way.
2. Being thankful and being encouraged somehow travel together…
Acts 28:15NIV
15 The brothers and sisters there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these people Paul thanked God and was encouraged.
3. What I’m Thankful for, I PRAY For!
Ephesians 1:15-19ESV
15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might
A.Wisdom
B.Open Eyes to hope in your life
C. Recognize the immeasurable great power of God at work in your life.
“Life Marked by Gratitude”
1. Being Thankful is a choice we make. Will you Be Grateful or Grumble?
2. Being Unthankful leads to most of our problems/sins.
Romans 1:21-30,
21 They know about God, but they don't honor him or even thank him. Their thoughts are useless, and their stupid minds are in the dark. 22 They claim to be wise, but they are fools. 23 They don't worship the glorious and eternal God. Instead, they worship idols that are made to look like humans who cannot live forever, and like birds, animals, and reptiles. 24 So God let these people go their own way. They did what they wanted to do, and their filthy thoughts made them do shameful things with their bodies. 25 They gave up the truth about God for a lie, and they worshiped God's creation instead of God, who will be praised forever. Amen. 26 God let them follow their own evil desires. Women no longer wanted to have sex in a natural way, and they did things with each other that were not natural. 27 Men behaved in the same way. They stopped wanting to have sex with women and had strong desires for sex with other men. They did shameful things with each other, and what has happened to them is punishment for their foolish deeds. 28 Since these people refused even to think about God, he let their useless minds rule over them. That's why they do all sorts of indecent things. 29 They are evil, wicked, and greedy, as well as mean in every possible way. They want what others have, and they murder, argue, cheat, and are hard to get along with. They gossip, 30 say cruel things about others, and hate God. They are proud, conceited, and boastful, always thinking up new ways to do evil.These people don't respect their parents.
Unthankful hearts believe God is holding back something that is good for us.
Thankful hearts believe God wants what is best for us.
3. Thankfulness is the Key…
Let’s Open the Doors of life...
Mark 6:5,
5 Jesus could not work any miracles there, except to heal a few sick people by placing his hands on them.
Matthew 13:58,
58 And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.
Uncommon Thanks:
What will you be marked by?
Psalms 136:1-3,
1 Praise the Lord! He is good.God's love never fails. 2 Praise the God of all gods.God's love never fails. 3 Praise the Lord of lords.God's love never fails.
1 Thessalonians 5:18
1. Give Thanks and Stop Complaining
Num. 14
2.“IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES”
NOT
“For all Circumstances”
Habakuk 3:17-19
Matt. 14:16-20
3. This is God’s Will for you..
Thankfulness brings me into alignment with God’s will.. Complaining and being a grouch puts me outside His will….
Luke 17:11-19
Being Thankful takes me to places I’ll never go without it...
Matthew 28:18-20
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Information does not equal Transformation.
Two essential things for healthy obedience
1. He knows more than I do.
2. He wants what’s best for me.
Luke 6:46
46. “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?
John 13:1717 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
John 14:1515 “If you love me, keep my commands.
Matthew 7:24
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.