Last week we talked about what it means to be connected to the Tower - on any cell phone there’s nothing more frustrating than not being able to hold a connection, nothing more frustrating than losing that call, losing that connection - not being able to connect with the Tower. When you cant connect with the tower it shuts down communication, so even though you may want to call out you’re unable to - have you ever needed to make an important phone call and were unable to call out - it’s very frustrating.
Last week we talked about how that Tower represents our relationship w/ God and how many times in our journey we’ve hit dead spots, we hit dead zones where we just don’t connect w/ the Tower like we used to or should and we go weeks at a time w/ out connecting to the Tower.
We learned that the Tower never moves, it’s set, but we move in a million different directions. So the issue is never the Tower, it’s always us.
In our lives God is always there, Heb. 13:5 - there are times in our lives we just don’t connect w/ God for a # of reasons.
How do we develop a strong and lasting connection? Through Intimacy, developing intimacy w/ Father God.
Luke 22 - Time, Trust, and Transparency
Well as we continue in this I could boil today down to this one statement, ‘God did not create us to be alone’
God did not create you to live alone - God created a community for you to do life with, we were not created to live life alone, God has created a network for you and I to identify with - turn to Hebrews 10
All through the New Testament from the book Acts, after Gospels completed, Jesus had ascended back to heaven
within the Word of God, the word brother or brothers and sisters which refers to the family of God that God created for the church is mentioned over 147 times b/c God considers the Church as a family important.
Look at outline you see that ? that says, Is this true of me?
I want you to answer this question, “I live life around many people, but I experience life deeply with none.”
You know it was George Gallop who said, “Americans are among the loneliest people in the world.”
The most advanced society, the most technologically driven people ever created, yet we feel all the time, that we’re in this thing alone, doing life by ourselves.
Although we work in offices and people are around us all the time, we drive into our neighborhoods full of houses, our head can hit the pillow at night and we feel like we’re all alone. Ever felt that way?
How many of you would agree life is confusing at times - raise hands? how about difficult at times?
Then why in the world would we want to try to figure it all alone - why try and do this journey by ourselves? So often in life we think, I’ll just go at it alone and that is not how God created it to be.
God created this network w/in the church to help us do life.
We believe here at FOCUS* that the church must grow larger and smaller at the same time. (Always reaching out to others growing the church and at the same time doing life together in a multitude of small community groups)
Explain Heb. 10 start reading v.22 - circle every time you hear ‘Let us’ - read 22,
back then they had the High Priest and before they went into the Temple they would do this ceremonial cleansing, cleaned there hands and so on.. they could not be defiled in any way - what the writer of Hebrews is saying, we should never lose that focus, that intentionality when we go before God, we go in with clean hands and a pure heart.
We should draw near to Him w/ a sincere heart, the “cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water” is approaching God humbly, saying I’m bringing all of me to all of You - that’s what he’s saying.
v.23 - I love the imagery there, “hold unswervingly to the hope” meaning we hold onto what we believe with all we’ve got!
Ever find yourself doing that, b/c everything in this world tells you not to, but you know you have to - everything in the world tells you, “you don’t need God, you can do it w/out Him’ - almost like you’re out there by yourself sometimes and you hold unswervingly to the hope - v.24
All of sudden he moves from more of a personal talk to more of a corporate talk - this group of people you’re doing life with, let’s consider how we can encourage one another to spur on, meaning to urge and admonish one another on
toward love and good deeds - v.25
It had sort of become customary during this time that you have a relationship w/ God and all’s been done on your part so really you don’t need to gather together anymore, you don’ t need to gather in groups, you can just do it yourselves and what he says in Heb. 10:25 is let’s not give up meeting together, not only corporately but together from house to house in small groups (Acts 5:42)
I’m not real sure how you walked in here felling this morning and when I mentioned Gallop said Americans are some of the loneliest people it may have resonated with you or maybe you have thought I have a lot of friends but the
relationships are about this deep.
Ladies and gentlemen God did not create you to live alone - He created you to do life with other people
What’s the big deal about connecting in network - we all have needs:
1. I NEED OTHERS TO KNOW ME.
Beyond the superficial, I need others to know me - not know who I am, I want others to know me. (it has been one of the frustrating things to deal with in moving here to Houston - left tight knit group of back in Cali.) I want that deep relationship, not just business, not just let’s go play hoops once a month, someone to know me. And there’s not 1 of us in this room that does not have this desire w/in us to be known.
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing… Hebrews 10:25a
It’s interesting that the writer continues to make this a plural assumption, ‘Let US not’ - God created us for community - for others to know us. Doing life with others is God’s answer to loneliness
Community is God’s answer to … LONELINESS.
2. I NEED OTHERS TO WALK WITH ME.
I need to know I’m not doing this journey by myself.
What a shame, when we hit difficult spots in life and wish we had someone around to tell us what’s next - God put this process in place, this network called community w/in the church for us to do life with to know were not alone.
Maybe parenting issues arise, were not sure how to handle something, “I wish we had some others in our lives to help”
Maybe a job/career change, “I sure would like some input from a close friend” We feel like we’re in it all alone.
Community is God’s answer to …
SPIRITUAL IMMATURITY.
Do you know what we learn from others in our lives that we cant get from a seminar or a book, real life experiences, been there done that. Some of the greatest lessons I’ve learned in life didn’t come from a book or seminar, they came from another persons life b/c they help grow you up.
Ever hit that phase in life where it's all about you - it’s all about me, my stuff, my life and in that
there are times I need others to walk w/ me so I can grow up.
3. I NEED OTHERS TO CARE FOR ME.
Let us consider (think about)how we may spur (encourage, urge) one another on toward love…Hebrews 10:24
Let’s just talk, there’s just times when we get down, isn’t there? Isn’t there times when you just hit a wall -
you just need someone to come along a put their hand on your back and say keep your head up, keep going, you’re gonna make it - do you ever get that? Do you need that? I know I do, even recently
But you know what, we cant get it just coming here for an hour on Sunday - not even if you do lunch occasionally
We all hit a crisis, there are times where there’s just no answers and life is not easy - those days are comin’ and when they do we are going to want someone in our lives walking w/ us and caring for us.
Listen folks, no one will just walk in if we haven’t cultivated that relationship - it happens spending time together -
the best way is to get hooked up in-network, get plugged in to a community group (guys thur, girls tue.)
You see the enemy knows, if he can keep you isolated he can keep you down - look at God’s answer
Community is God’s answer to … DESPAIR.
From feeling like you’re going down and there’s nobody there to help you - there’s just something about being there with other people - Christianity, this journey is not meant to be done alone, it’s a team game.
We could have an amazing time together on Sundays, great worship, God’s Word may pulsate within you, I’m talking you walk out of here different - which is incredible and only by God’s Holy Spirit, but that alone is not enough, that is not how God created us. God created us for community.
4. I NEED OTHERS TO SERVE WITH ME.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward … good deeds. Hebrews 10:24
B/c we are selfish-driven people our lives tend to focus only on our needs, our wants, our desires so I need other people around me to remind me that it’s not all about MUAH!
We are to serve others
It’s one of the reasons we’re involved in the Montrose Street Church -
we just give, we just serve... together
Community is God’s answer to … SELFISH LIVING.
It’s His answer to ‘it’s all about us’
5. I NEED OTHERS TO WATCH OUT FOR ME.
…but let us encourage one another… Hebrews 10:25b
Community is God’s answer to … SPIRITUAL ATTACKS.
If you were going out to war and the battle is looming, one of the 1st things we want to know is, “who’s got my back?”
Would you agree?
The Bible tells us in Ephesians we are in a war, and the battle is not on the ground, it’s in the spiritual realm.
We need others to have our backs, to pray for us, lift us up, keep us in mind.
Here’s the deal guys, I know that you know God, I know that you have Christ, I know you have your bible... you need someone with skin on who can talk about your value & the significance of your place, your person, somebody who understands how you’d love to pinch the heads off your kids, somebody who understands what it feels like to work for that pushy boss - life can be hard, it can be a battle, we need others who will be there for us -
you’ll find them in-network... get plugged in, don’t pull out, stay connected,
Make it a PRIORITY.
A sign of growth in the world of nature is change - change in the dimensions of a tree, fruit appearing on the vine, flowers blooming - in a similar way, change for us means new levels of maturity, of understanding, of the way we relate to family and friends in-network - But what does it take for change to occur?
GET CONNECTED
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Raising the Bar - Connecting to the Tower
Is there anything more frustrating than when were on a call losing that phone call - or it’s just breaking up constantly?
Has that ever happened to you before?
You’ve had that connection then all of a sudden you hit a dead spot and you lose that connection - they think you’re still in conversation, but you’ve hung up, you’re trying to re-dial but you can’t get them b/c they’re still talking.
There’s nothing like establishing good connection and then keeping that connection.
You see the issue is never the tower - the issue is us.
The tower is set, the tower is in place, the issue is our phone -
and we all know living in Houston where some of the dead spots are - here’s the thing
we have dead spots in our lives too, we have those spots that we hit we can’t keep a connection w/ the Tower.
We can’t keep a connection w/ God, we want to, we try to but we hit those spots where we lose that connection and there’s no bars showing and there’s nothing more frustrating than when you feel like you’ve lost that connection.
Turn to Luke 22
How in the world do we keep a better connection w/ God?
(on your outline draw a line, 1 on left, 10 on right
a 1 means there’s absolutely no connection, maybe every no and then you come out of a cell and you connect with God but only for a few seconds - 10 means you are intimately connected - I mean you and God are hummin, smokin’ right together
all’s good, all’s well God’s right there by your side all the time. On that chart from 1 - 10 I want you to write where you think you are right now, this is just for you, do not cheat, do not look on the person next to you. On a scale from 1-10 where are you? this is just for you - it’s between you and the Lord, I’m not gonna ask you, and don’t ask me either.
How many of you would say, as i look at this I really would like my connection to be a 10, raise hand -
we all want it to be a 10 - what keeps it from being that? What happens to us that this connection that we want, that we desire, we know the Tower is there, we know it’s been established, and yet why do we keep hitting dead spots, why do we go month’s at a time where’s there’s no connection with God?)
What are some things that hinder your relationship with God? write them down on your outline, it may be work,
but you gotta work, it may be family, or hobbies. Basically wherever you are and that space to 10 you could write the word LIFE which would incorporate all those things wouldn’t it?
I know I’ve thought in the past that whenever I finished school or got a job promotion that life was gonna get easier - ever thought that? Who sold us that bill of goods?
We lose our connection with God for whatever reason, and really it’s us who were hurting the most - God is hurt that we are not hanging out with Him, but He doesn’t need it -
WE DO
God desires a connection with you
If you don’t know that, if you don’t think that’s the case, then you’ll never seek it or yearn for it, but God does -
He desires a connection with you and even more than we desire a connection with Him.
Now we can’t do anything about life can we, I can’t do anything about your job, I can’t do anything about your family,
and all those things, but we can establish some connections to help us remain strong with the Lord.
Luke 22 - Jesus knows the Cross is emanate, He knows it’s just around the corner. v. 39 circle ‘as usual’ it was normal for the Son of God to connect with His Father, it was the norm, it wasn’t an aberration, it was not something that happened every once and a while, it was the norm that He had a time that He connected w/ His Father. Jesus went out as usual, it could be said for us, Cole went to Starbuck’s as usual, Josh went to Kolache Factory as usual, Julie drank her Dt. Dr Pepper as usual, it’s a part of everyday life, it’s a pattern.
Jesus went out as usual, so what’s the big deal? Here’s this God-Man, who knows everything that’s to come, yet He understands and models for us how important it is to connect w/ Father God - it was a pattern in His life,
maybe there's something to it
read v.39-41, underline knelt and prayed
Remember we’re talking about the Son of God who scripture says could have called down 10,000 angels to whisk Him away yet He took time to connect w/ His Father, I think that’s a big deal.
Somehow we are more sophisticated and modern and we just don’t need to do that anymore - you and I have become so independent and strong and so all-knowing we don’t need that connection w/ our Father, do we? U better believe we do
See for all of us, life can be hard - get up early, scurry off to work, a full schedule, get home get dinner, take care of kids and their homework and showers and baths and bedtime - LIFE happens - read v.41-43
Jesus had something that you and I want, we all want a 10 - we want our relationship to be as strong as it can possibly be
we want it to be a 10, for that to happen there has to a word that sort of describes our relationship w/ God and that word is INTIMACY
We have to become intimate with our Heavenly Father -
here’s what it means:
Intimacy is to know fully & be fully known.
(15 yrs. ago Cathleen and I said, I DO - we thought we knew each other -
thank God there were no photos of here’s what this guy looks like in 15yrs.
but what we had at the altar 15yrs. ago - Who we are today and how we know each other pales in comparison)
Intimacy is to know fully & be fully known
It’s when you really know someone, you know everything about them, and you like ‘em anyways
But here we are 15 yrs. in and intimacy doesn’t just happen, it takes work - the 1st 4 yrs. no kids - then we had a kid - and now 2 - look at schedule now with the kids activities
and if you don’t work at intimacy you lose it -
just because you have a relationship does not mean you have intimacy
just because you have a relationship doesn't mean there's a spark there.
You know Joe, I’ve got this relationship with God, but no spark - I know that I know God,
but there’s just not that passion, I want that - I want it to be a 10
How do we do that - here’s some mile markers for us
The Road to Intimacy…
Mile Marker #1: TIME
there’s nothing that can develop intimacy greater that time.
it doesn’t happen in the home if hi, bye at the door
Intimacy is only developed thru time - if it’s that way here on earth, you can bet it’s that way our Heavenly Father.
How can we do that? I mean we give Him an hour or 2 on Sunday, but during the week I’m busy, I can’t give Him much.
Intimacy is developed thru time. scrip. 41 there was
· ONE-ON-ONE communication
He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed... Luke 22:41
Jesus w/ His Heavenly Father - we will never establish a healthy connection w/ God if we don’t put in time w/ Father God -
1 on 1, not sitting in a group, you and God together
to connect - there’s no magic pill, there’s no magic potion
It is only in developing the habit or pattern of TIME spent together.
We stop connecting w/ God when we stop spending time w/ God -
The Tower never moves, God never moves, us on the other, in a million different directions
Be still, and know that I am God… Psalm 46:10
how long has it been since you were still before God?
We have to find time to remind ourselves that the God of all creation wants to be with us.
You know what ‘Be Still’ means, to let go and ease up.
I’ve had to do that - how about you?
· Communication in the DAILY FLOW of life
it’s developing the habit daily - purposely spending time, scheduling time, what gets scheduled gets done -
how important is this to you? Do you want a 10?
We’ve talked about in the past giving God our 1st and best time
What to do? talk to God, read bible, find some sort of devotional to help guide you along - in dev. habit,
then when something happens crucial in our lives, God is the 1st one that comes to mind
‘Daily Flow’ is just what’s happening during the day (Cathleen and I didn’t dev. intimacy by just schedule time and talk only then - we talk all day, little bits here and there) - I want that w/ my Creator, don’t you?
…making the most of every opportunity, Ephesians 5:16
Mile Marker #2: TRUST
Time is important in dev. intimacy then time dev. trust.
“When we stop connecting we stop trusting”
Aren’t you stretching it a bit Joe, I mean I still trust God even if I don’t connect w/ Him on a reg. basis - well let’s think about this for a moment - when I don’t spend time going to God to help me make decisions and depending on his wisdom, who am I depending on? ME
So in reality, when we don’t connect w/ God and stop going to Him in all things we stop trusting in Him and banking on ourselves. The only problem with that is I don’t know what tomorrow holds, do you? But I have a Heavenly Father who knows the beginning, the end, and everything in between
that wants me/ you to trust Him.
… not my (Jesus) will, but yours (Heavenly Father) be done. Luke 22:42b
This is a faith thing, which is what, obedience.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; (why? cant see tomorrow)
in all your ways acknowledge him, (here’s what He’ll do) and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
(He will give a light for your next step)
Cathleen and I have developed a great trust in one another, why? b/c we have spent 15yrs. in developing intimacy
Mile Marker #3: TRANSPARENCY
Transparency is when you see thru to the inside - it’s when we acknowledge who we really are.
Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me… Luke 22:42a (most of us are just not that intimate with God are we?)
We tell God, or better yet, if we tell God anything, we say, It’s all good, I’m fine - but quite often we tell our friends just how rough we got it. We just are not that transparent with God -
“God I’m really struggling in this area, I need some help”
“God this really ticks me off - why is this happening?”
You do know that He already knows how you feel - He loves you anyway.
God desires for us to take those masks off - not so He can see who we really are, but so that WE can see who we really are -
Intimacy is developed when we take off our masks and say God this is who I am, this is what I feel, this is what I think and God says, good, now we got something to work with.
We will never keep a strong connection with God w/out developing Intimacy through Time, Trust, and Transparency
(Tower has never moved)
God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5
Those things that hinder, that stand between us and that 10, they sure rob us of a whole lot.
God desires to connect with you
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." James 4:6
Has that ever happened to you before?
You’ve had that connection then all of a sudden you hit a dead spot and you lose that connection - they think you’re still in conversation, but you’ve hung up, you’re trying to re-dial but you can’t get them b/c they’re still talking.
There’s nothing like establishing good connection and then keeping that connection.
You see the issue is never the tower - the issue is us.
The tower is set, the tower is in place, the issue is our phone -
and we all know living in Houston where some of the dead spots are - here’s the thing
we have dead spots in our lives too, we have those spots that we hit we can’t keep a connection w/ the Tower.
We can’t keep a connection w/ God, we want to, we try to but we hit those spots where we lose that connection and there’s no bars showing and there’s nothing more frustrating than when you feel like you’ve lost that connection.
Turn to Luke 22
How in the world do we keep a better connection w/ God?
(on your outline draw a line, 1 on left, 10 on right
a 1 means there’s absolutely no connection, maybe every no and then you come out of a cell and you connect with God but only for a few seconds - 10 means you are intimately connected - I mean you and God are hummin, smokin’ right together
all’s good, all’s well God’s right there by your side all the time. On that chart from 1 - 10 I want you to write where you think you are right now, this is just for you, do not cheat, do not look on the person next to you. On a scale from 1-10 where are you? this is just for you - it’s between you and the Lord, I’m not gonna ask you, and don’t ask me either.
How many of you would say, as i look at this I really would like my connection to be a 10, raise hand -
we all want it to be a 10 - what keeps it from being that? What happens to us that this connection that we want, that we desire, we know the Tower is there, we know it’s been established, and yet why do we keep hitting dead spots, why do we go month’s at a time where’s there’s no connection with God?)
What are some things that hinder your relationship with God? write them down on your outline, it may be work,
but you gotta work, it may be family, or hobbies. Basically wherever you are and that space to 10 you could write the word LIFE which would incorporate all those things wouldn’t it?
I know I’ve thought in the past that whenever I finished school or got a job promotion that life was gonna get easier - ever thought that? Who sold us that bill of goods?
We lose our connection with God for whatever reason, and really it’s us who were hurting the most - God is hurt that we are not hanging out with Him, but He doesn’t need it -
WE DO
God desires a connection with you
If you don’t know that, if you don’t think that’s the case, then you’ll never seek it or yearn for it, but God does -
He desires a connection with you and even more than we desire a connection with Him.
Now we can’t do anything about life can we, I can’t do anything about your job, I can’t do anything about your family,
and all those things, but we can establish some connections to help us remain strong with the Lord.
Luke 22 - Jesus knows the Cross is emanate, He knows it’s just around the corner. v. 39 circle ‘as usual’ it was normal for the Son of God to connect with His Father, it was the norm, it wasn’t an aberration, it was not something that happened every once and a while, it was the norm that He had a time that He connected w/ His Father. Jesus went out as usual, it could be said for us, Cole went to Starbuck’s as usual, Josh went to Kolache Factory as usual, Julie drank her Dt. Dr Pepper as usual, it’s a part of everyday life, it’s a pattern.
Jesus went out as usual, so what’s the big deal? Here’s this God-Man, who knows everything that’s to come, yet He understands and models for us how important it is to connect w/ Father God - it was a pattern in His life,
maybe there's something to it
read v.39-41, underline knelt and prayed
Remember we’re talking about the Son of God who scripture says could have called down 10,000 angels to whisk Him away yet He took time to connect w/ His Father, I think that’s a big deal.
Somehow we are more sophisticated and modern and we just don’t need to do that anymore - you and I have become so independent and strong and so all-knowing we don’t need that connection w/ our Father, do we? U better believe we do
See for all of us, life can be hard - get up early, scurry off to work, a full schedule, get home get dinner, take care of kids and their homework and showers and baths and bedtime - LIFE happens - read v.41-43
Jesus had something that you and I want, we all want a 10 - we want our relationship to be as strong as it can possibly be
we want it to be a 10, for that to happen there has to a word that sort of describes our relationship w/ God and that word is INTIMACY
We have to become intimate with our Heavenly Father -
here’s what it means:
Intimacy is to know fully & be fully known.
(15 yrs. ago Cathleen and I said, I DO - we thought we knew each other -
thank God there were no photos of here’s what this guy looks like in 15yrs.
but what we had at the altar 15yrs. ago - Who we are today and how we know each other pales in comparison)
Intimacy is to know fully & be fully known
It’s when you really know someone, you know everything about them, and you like ‘em anyways
But here we are 15 yrs. in and intimacy doesn’t just happen, it takes work - the 1st 4 yrs. no kids - then we had a kid - and now 2 - look at schedule now with the kids activities
and if you don’t work at intimacy you lose it -
just because you have a relationship does not mean you have intimacy
just because you have a relationship doesn't mean there's a spark there.
You know Joe, I’ve got this relationship with God, but no spark - I know that I know God,
but there’s just not that passion, I want that - I want it to be a 10
How do we do that - here’s some mile markers for us
The Road to Intimacy…
Mile Marker #1: TIME
there’s nothing that can develop intimacy greater that time.
it doesn’t happen in the home if hi, bye at the door
Intimacy is only developed thru time - if it’s that way here on earth, you can bet it’s that way our Heavenly Father.
How can we do that? I mean we give Him an hour or 2 on Sunday, but during the week I’m busy, I can’t give Him much.
Intimacy is developed thru time. scrip. 41 there was
· ONE-ON-ONE communication
He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed... Luke 22:41
Jesus w/ His Heavenly Father - we will never establish a healthy connection w/ God if we don’t put in time w/ Father God -
1 on 1, not sitting in a group, you and God together
to connect - there’s no magic pill, there’s no magic potion
It is only in developing the habit or pattern of TIME spent together.
We stop connecting w/ God when we stop spending time w/ God -
The Tower never moves, God never moves, us on the other, in a million different directions
Be still, and know that I am God… Psalm 46:10
how long has it been since you were still before God?
We have to find time to remind ourselves that the God of all creation wants to be with us.
You know what ‘Be Still’ means, to let go and ease up.
I’ve had to do that - how about you?
· Communication in the DAILY FLOW of life
it’s developing the habit daily - purposely spending time, scheduling time, what gets scheduled gets done -
how important is this to you? Do you want a 10?
We’ve talked about in the past giving God our 1st and best time
What to do? talk to God, read bible, find some sort of devotional to help guide you along - in dev. habit,
then when something happens crucial in our lives, God is the 1st one that comes to mind
‘Daily Flow’ is just what’s happening during the day (Cathleen and I didn’t dev. intimacy by just schedule time and talk only then - we talk all day, little bits here and there) - I want that w/ my Creator, don’t you?
…making the most of every opportunity, Ephesians 5:16
Mile Marker #2: TRUST
Time is important in dev. intimacy then time dev. trust.
“When we stop connecting we stop trusting”
Aren’t you stretching it a bit Joe, I mean I still trust God even if I don’t connect w/ Him on a reg. basis - well let’s think about this for a moment - when I don’t spend time going to God to help me make decisions and depending on his wisdom, who am I depending on? ME
So in reality, when we don’t connect w/ God and stop going to Him in all things we stop trusting in Him and banking on ourselves. The only problem with that is I don’t know what tomorrow holds, do you? But I have a Heavenly Father who knows the beginning, the end, and everything in between
that wants me/ you to trust Him.
… not my (Jesus) will, but yours (Heavenly Father) be done. Luke 22:42b
This is a faith thing, which is what, obedience.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; (why? cant see tomorrow)
in all your ways acknowledge him, (here’s what He’ll do) and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
(He will give a light for your next step)
Cathleen and I have developed a great trust in one another, why? b/c we have spent 15yrs. in developing intimacy
Mile Marker #3: TRANSPARENCY
Transparency is when you see thru to the inside - it’s when we acknowledge who we really are.
Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me… Luke 22:42a (most of us are just not that intimate with God are we?)
We tell God, or better yet, if we tell God anything, we say, It’s all good, I’m fine - but quite often we tell our friends just how rough we got it. We just are not that transparent with God -
“God I’m really struggling in this area, I need some help”
“God this really ticks me off - why is this happening?”
You do know that He already knows how you feel - He loves you anyway.
God desires for us to take those masks off - not so He can see who we really are, but so that WE can see who we really are -
Intimacy is developed when we take off our masks and say God this is who I am, this is what I feel, this is what I think and God says, good, now we got something to work with.
We will never keep a strong connection with God w/out developing Intimacy through Time, Trust, and Transparency
(Tower has never moved)
God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5
Those things that hinder, that stand between us and that 10, they sure rob us of a whole lot.
God desires to connect with you
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." James 4:6
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Desperate Households - Desperate Finances
George Gallop took a poll and found the #1 reason for arguments in the home is finances/money -
65% of marriages argue about finances - in fact it’s the leading cause of divorce in America today -
54% of all divorces are are related to money issues - maybe we should change the vows to ‘til debt do us part’ -
Would you agree if you don’t manage your money, your money’s gonna manage you?
Today we’re gonna take a look a one of the wisest and wealthiest men to ever live - Solomon
He gave us 2 books, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes - and w/in these 2 books there is a wealth knowledge for us to take in.
So ofcourse he speaks of money and finances - did you know the Bible speaks more about money, and finances, and giving and treasures than any other subject? I think it’s b/c God knew we were going to need some help
I. How we get into trouble
Human desires are like the world of the dead—there is always room for more. Proverbs 27:20
Someone once asked Howard Hughes,
(wealthy man - ‘Aviator’), “How much does it take to make a man happy? He said, ‘Just a little bit more’
Why is it we feel like more will make us happier?
What we hope having more will bring:
- More Satisfaction
We think more will bring satisfaction - all advertisement tells us that, “If you get more you’ll be happier” Americans are known for Life, Liberty, and the PURCHASE of happiness.
The problem is our Yearning will always exceed our Earnings
“If you love money, you will never be satisfied; if you long to be rich, you will never get all you want. It is useless.”
Ecclesiastes 5:10
Why? b/c the desire to acquire is always growing.
- More Significance
Somehow we’ve bought into the lie that more stuff equates with importance and prestige and significance, but the Bible tells us otherwise.
“...your true life is not made up of the things you own, no matter how rich you may be." Luke 12:15
Your net worth is not the same as your self worth.
We must never confuse our valuables with our Value.
? - Is there a problem with acquiring wealth? in having alot of things? - I believe the answer lies in our motivation
Where’s your heart? To show off, or no - there’s absolutely nothing wrong with possessions as long as they don’t
possess us. I would have to ask myself, “Is my desire to get more stuff more important than my relationship w/ Cathleen, with my girls, or my walk w/ God” - that’s what we have to ask ourselves, is it the focus of our lives, are the truly
important people and matters suffering in my pursuit of CASH?
More stuff does not equate w/ significance.
- More Security
How big of a pile do we need to feel secure?
We can never really have enough, b/c we can lose it all overnight in a million different ways. (MSN Money:
"Winning the lottery isn't always what it's cracked up to be," says Evelyn Adams, who won the New Jersey lottery not just once, but twice (1985, 1986), to the tune of $5.4 million. Today the money is all gone and Adams lives in a trailer.
William "Bud" Post won $16.2 million in the Pennsylvania lottery in 1988 but now lives on his Social Security.) AND
the same goes for huge corp. Enron/ Kmart
“Your money can be gone in a flash, as if it had grown wings and flown away like an eagle.” Proverbs 23:5
Right here in God’s Word - our money can be gone in a flash!
What Having More Really Brings Us:
- More Expenses
The more we make, the more we spend - the more our income increases, the more our expenses increase.
It always cost more to have more - we look over at the ‘Jones’ and think the grass is greener over there, yeah and the water bill is higher too!
“The more money you have, the more you spend, right up to the limits of your income.” Ecclesiastes 5:11
We can relate to that.
- More Worries
“A working man... can get a good night's sleep. The rich, however, have so much that they stay awake worrying.
Ecclesiastes 5:12
We worry how are we going to save it, how are we going to protect, can I get a good return on it, how to insure it, how to avoid paying taxes on it - worry, worry, worry
- More Pain if Lost
“...risky investments that turn sour, everything is lost...
and everything will be swept away....Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud – frustrated, discouraged, and angry.”
Ecclesiastes 5:14-17
Notice it says, if I have a whole lot and lose it, 4 pains are comin’ my way - 1st off I’m gonna be gloomy, “living under a cloud”, feeling distressed b/c I lost what i had - then frustrated, how many would agree that our finances can become quite frustrating? About the time you catch up with the Jones’, they re-finance - then discourages, huge
disappointment - finally comes anger, which is what? bitterness -
(Chiro. put wallet in front pocket - the bigger the wallet, the more pressure it puts on you - how true)
Always wanting more is the cause of many problems, we just looked at 4, not only that it can be immense pressure on our marriages - Money is not a bad thing, it's heart issue, is God in control?
II. Financial Freedom
1. Keep Good Records - principal of accounting
You know where your money is going, you keep track of it.
“Riches can disappear fast... so watch your business interests closely. Know the state of your flocks.” Prov. 27:23-24
Have you ever used the phrase, “I just don’t know where my money is going” or something like that?
That’s a troubled statement by the way, The Bible says, “watch you business interests closely”,
in other words, keep good records.
Many of the financial problems we have is due to the fact that one of the partners in marriage does not know what’s going on financially, they’re in the dark, they need to know. When you don’t know where your money is going, you’re headed for trouble.
In keeping track of our finances, here’s 4 things we need to know:
What I own
What I owe
What we earn
Where it goes
2. Plan Your Spending - principal of budgeting
Set some financial goals and stick with them.
We can’t do money by the seat of our pants, it only leads to misery - we need to budget.
“Plan carefully and you will have plenty; if you act too quickly, you will never have enough.” Proverbs 21:5
Solomon says, Financial freedom is not based on how much you earn, it’s how spend what you earn.
Studies show that the average american spends 6 hours a week in spending related activities -
some of us may be way above average.
“act too quickly” - impulse buying/shopping - unplanned expenditures, “i have to have that, right now!”
All advertising is geared to get us to buy impulsively - the pizza hot out of the oven, the chocolate dripping down the side of the ice cream, the Aber/Fitch model that makes you think, “I can look like that too with those clothes” -
commercials are all based to stir us emotionally, if they can stir us emotionally, they’ll get us financially.
(videos - McDLT w/ Jason Alexander - VaPooRize w/ Jack Black from "ENVY")
Ofcourse there is one word ad agencies and retailers use more than anything else to entice us to buy impulsively,
what is it? SALE.
We become like magnets, “but honey we saved so much money by spending right now, this deal is not available next month - we’d be foolish not to get it” REALLY?
The Bible says we need to plan our spending,
“Stupid people spend their money as fast as they get it” Proverbs 13:11 (JB)
This is God’s IQ Test - God says, “You’re not very bright if you spend your money as fast as you get it”
(Weekend rich)
I’ve been known to do that a few times in my life too, I guess that’s one of the reasons people call me a Big Dummy!
Spending impulsively can become very addictive - just as addictive as drugs or alcohol or eating disorders and the like.
Then with the invention of plastic money, instant credit, it becomes a whole lot easier to buy impulsively.
The average consumer carries 7 credit cards into the mall and the average balance of each card is $2347 -
in 1980 the ave. bal. of c.c was $533, in 1990, $1833
I like the thoughts of Dave Ramsey, money and business guru, “Kill the Cards” - pay cash!
How do you spell relief? B-U-D-G-E-T
A Budget is telling your money where to go, rather than wondering where it’s went -
if you want to control spending, you gotta nip it in the BUDGET.
Each family should develop a budget, see how much is
coming in, figure out how much is going out, stay within those parameters. ‘Financial Peace Univ.’
3. Save for the Future - principal of saving
“The wise man saves for the future, but fools spend whatever they get.” Proverbs 21:20
The average Japanese family saves 25% of their income, the average eroupean family saves 18% of their income,
The average american family saves less than 5% - why? b/c we gotta have right now!
MTV generation
We have to put away for the future, and not be consumed in keeping up with the ‘Jones’
If we base our lives on what everybody else has, we will never save a dime.
“...whoever gathers little by little will increase it” Proverbs 13:11
What does this say, put away a little each week, or month,
put a little away in savings.
4. Tithe Back to God - principal of tithing
It’s giving the 1st 10% of everything I make back to God.
Why do you think God asked for 10%? Does God need our money? No, God is Almighty, all powerful, He has everything - if He didn’t have it, He’d create it. So why does God ask for 10% - He wants what it represents - it represents your heart,
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” Matthew 6:21
3 reasons why to Tithe
1. Gratitude/worship - it’s saying God I know You’re the One who gives me all things. You’ve given me my hands, my mind, my abilities, my opportunity to work, God, I’m giving back to You b/c You’ve been so good to me and I’m grateful.
2. Priority/worship - God I’m putting You 1st in my life, and I’m gonna put my money where my mouth is -
For us to say we’ve put God 1st in our lives and not Tithe, we’re kidding ourselves.
In essence, We’re saying we don’t trust God, if we don’t Tithe. It’s an issue of trust, saying God I believe
You will take of me and my family on the 90%
3. Faith/worship - It’s an act of Faith, believing God will take of us.
We talked about faith last week, we said faith is obedience.
Doing what God has said - how do we know what He said?
In His Word.
Tithing is an act of Worship, we display that we love God
“The entire tithe... a tenth... belongs to the Lord” Leviticus 27:32
Honor the LORD by giving Him the first part of all your income. Then he will fill your barns... to overflow.
Proverbs 3:9-10
Here’s the thing, we can’t out give God - There are more promises from God about our giving than anything else.
God says, “Test me in this” - I won’t let you down, I will take of you, and give you more than you could ever imagine.
“To him who by means of his power working in us is able to do so much more than we can ever ask for, or even think of”
Ephesians 3:20
This principal goes far beyond money, it applies to every part of our lives. If you want God to bless your life, give Him the 1st part of it, If you want God to bless your family, give God your family, if you want God to bless your career, give God your career. If you want God to bless you finances, give God the 1st part of your finances, that’s the tithe in every area of life.
Some say that this is an Old Testament principal and that it’s not for today, however there’s few flaws in that thinking and one of those is that Jesus taught this principal:
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33
Put God 1st in every area of your life, every area, family, career, finances, put God 1st and everything else will fall into place.
(Rockafeller way to wealth - 10:10:80)
If we have found ourselves in a desperate situation in our finances, God says, Tithe your way out.
5. Enjoy What You have - princ. of contentment
“It is better to be satisfied with what you have than to be always wanting something else.” Ecclesiastes 6:9
Isn’t it true we can get so pre-occupied in pursuing more that we don’t enjoy what we already have.
There’s this syndrome we can get caught up in that goes in 4 phases: 1st phase - Yearning exceeds Earning
2nd phase - Over-extended Financially, we buy, buy, buy and become indebted over our heads, now we’re in trouble.
phase 3 - Hustle constantly - rush through life, working 3 jobs to make ends meet
phase 4 - Family life begins to deteriorate
All of a sudden everybody’s angry, everybody’s irritable, b/c we’re working so hard just to make it - pretty soon you have absentee parents who are trying to buy their children stuff and things and toys, instead of spending time with them.
Parents listen, your kids don’t need more toys, they may be beggin, but what they truly desire is more of you. If given the choice at 1st they may say, I’d love all the toys and little
parents, but it wouldn’t take long before they’d give everything up to be with you.
“If God gives us wealth and property..., we should be grateful and enjoy what we have worked for. It is a gift from God.” Ecclesiastes 5:19
This is God’s message: Learn to be content. Enjoy what you have, we already have more than 90% of the rest of the world, so we need to enjoy and be grateful for what we have.
We live in a desperate world where desperate people do desperate things - for many it’s a prison of desperate
finances - God has given us the foundational truths in His Word for financial freedom.
"Have I put my trust in money or felt secure because of my gold?... it would mean I had denied the God of heaven.”
Job 31:24,28
65% of marriages argue about finances - in fact it’s the leading cause of divorce in America today -
54% of all divorces are are related to money issues - maybe we should change the vows to ‘til debt do us part’ -
Would you agree if you don’t manage your money, your money’s gonna manage you?
Today we’re gonna take a look a one of the wisest and wealthiest men to ever live - Solomon
He gave us 2 books, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes - and w/in these 2 books there is a wealth knowledge for us to take in.
So ofcourse he speaks of money and finances - did you know the Bible speaks more about money, and finances, and giving and treasures than any other subject? I think it’s b/c God knew we were going to need some help
I. How we get into trouble
Human desires are like the world of the dead—there is always room for more. Proverbs 27:20
Someone once asked Howard Hughes,
(wealthy man - ‘Aviator’), “How much does it take to make a man happy? He said, ‘Just a little bit more’
Why is it we feel like more will make us happier?
What we hope having more will bring:
- More Satisfaction
We think more will bring satisfaction - all advertisement tells us that, “If you get more you’ll be happier” Americans are known for Life, Liberty, and the PURCHASE of happiness.
The problem is our Yearning will always exceed our Earnings
“If you love money, you will never be satisfied; if you long to be rich, you will never get all you want. It is useless.”
Ecclesiastes 5:10
Why? b/c the desire to acquire is always growing.
- More Significance
Somehow we’ve bought into the lie that more stuff equates with importance and prestige and significance, but the Bible tells us otherwise.
“...your true life is not made up of the things you own, no matter how rich you may be." Luke 12:15
Your net worth is not the same as your self worth.
We must never confuse our valuables with our Value.
? - Is there a problem with acquiring wealth? in having alot of things? - I believe the answer lies in our motivation
Where’s your heart? To show off, or no - there’s absolutely nothing wrong with possessions as long as they don’t
possess us. I would have to ask myself, “Is my desire to get more stuff more important than my relationship w/ Cathleen, with my girls, or my walk w/ God” - that’s what we have to ask ourselves, is it the focus of our lives, are the truly
important people and matters suffering in my pursuit of CASH?
More stuff does not equate w/ significance.
- More Security
How big of a pile do we need to feel secure?
We can never really have enough, b/c we can lose it all overnight in a million different ways. (MSN Money:
"Winning the lottery isn't always what it's cracked up to be," says Evelyn Adams, who won the New Jersey lottery not just once, but twice (1985, 1986), to the tune of $5.4 million. Today the money is all gone and Adams lives in a trailer.
William "Bud" Post won $16.2 million in the Pennsylvania lottery in 1988 but now lives on his Social Security.) AND
the same goes for huge corp. Enron/ Kmart
“Your money can be gone in a flash, as if it had grown wings and flown away like an eagle.” Proverbs 23:5
Right here in God’s Word - our money can be gone in a flash!
What Having More Really Brings Us:
- More Expenses
The more we make, the more we spend - the more our income increases, the more our expenses increase.
It always cost more to have more - we look over at the ‘Jones’ and think the grass is greener over there, yeah and the water bill is higher too!
“The more money you have, the more you spend, right up to the limits of your income.” Ecclesiastes 5:11
We can relate to that.
- More Worries
“A working man... can get a good night's sleep. The rich, however, have so much that they stay awake worrying.
Ecclesiastes 5:12
We worry how are we going to save it, how are we going to protect, can I get a good return on it, how to insure it, how to avoid paying taxes on it - worry, worry, worry
- More Pain if Lost
“...risky investments that turn sour, everything is lost...
and everything will be swept away....Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud – frustrated, discouraged, and angry.”
Ecclesiastes 5:14-17
Notice it says, if I have a whole lot and lose it, 4 pains are comin’ my way - 1st off I’m gonna be gloomy, “living under a cloud”, feeling distressed b/c I lost what i had - then frustrated, how many would agree that our finances can become quite frustrating? About the time you catch up with the Jones’, they re-finance - then discourages, huge
disappointment - finally comes anger, which is what? bitterness -
(Chiro. put wallet in front pocket - the bigger the wallet, the more pressure it puts on you - how true)
Always wanting more is the cause of many problems, we just looked at 4, not only that it can be immense pressure on our marriages - Money is not a bad thing, it's heart issue, is God in control?
II. Financial Freedom
1. Keep Good Records - principal of accounting
You know where your money is going, you keep track of it.
“Riches can disappear fast... so watch your business interests closely. Know the state of your flocks.” Prov. 27:23-24
Have you ever used the phrase, “I just don’t know where my money is going” or something like that?
That’s a troubled statement by the way, The Bible says, “watch you business interests closely”,
in other words, keep good records.
Many of the financial problems we have is due to the fact that one of the partners in marriage does not know what’s going on financially, they’re in the dark, they need to know. When you don’t know where your money is going, you’re headed for trouble.
In keeping track of our finances, here’s 4 things we need to know:
What I own
What I owe
What we earn
Where it goes
2. Plan Your Spending - principal of budgeting
Set some financial goals and stick with them.
We can’t do money by the seat of our pants, it only leads to misery - we need to budget.
“Plan carefully and you will have plenty; if you act too quickly, you will never have enough.” Proverbs 21:5
Solomon says, Financial freedom is not based on how much you earn, it’s how spend what you earn.
Studies show that the average american spends 6 hours a week in spending related activities -
some of us may be way above average.
“act too quickly” - impulse buying/shopping - unplanned expenditures, “i have to have that, right now!”
All advertising is geared to get us to buy impulsively - the pizza hot out of the oven, the chocolate dripping down the side of the ice cream, the Aber/Fitch model that makes you think, “I can look like that too with those clothes” -
commercials are all based to stir us emotionally, if they can stir us emotionally, they’ll get us financially.
(videos - McDLT w/ Jason Alexander - VaPooRize w/ Jack Black from "ENVY")
Ofcourse there is one word ad agencies and retailers use more than anything else to entice us to buy impulsively,
what is it? SALE.
We become like magnets, “but honey we saved so much money by spending right now, this deal is not available next month - we’d be foolish not to get it” REALLY?
The Bible says we need to plan our spending,
“Stupid people spend their money as fast as they get it” Proverbs 13:11 (JB)
This is God’s IQ Test - God says, “You’re not very bright if you spend your money as fast as you get it”
(Weekend rich)
I’ve been known to do that a few times in my life too, I guess that’s one of the reasons people call me a Big Dummy!
Spending impulsively can become very addictive - just as addictive as drugs or alcohol or eating disorders and the like.
Then with the invention of plastic money, instant credit, it becomes a whole lot easier to buy impulsively.
The average consumer carries 7 credit cards into the mall and the average balance of each card is $2347 -
in 1980 the ave. bal. of c.c was $533, in 1990, $1833
I like the thoughts of Dave Ramsey, money and business guru, “Kill the Cards” - pay cash!
How do you spell relief? B-U-D-G-E-T
A Budget is telling your money where to go, rather than wondering where it’s went -
if you want to control spending, you gotta nip it in the BUDGET.
Each family should develop a budget, see how much is
coming in, figure out how much is going out, stay within those parameters. ‘Financial Peace Univ.’
3. Save for the Future - principal of saving
“The wise man saves for the future, but fools spend whatever they get.” Proverbs 21:20
The average Japanese family saves 25% of their income, the average eroupean family saves 18% of their income,
The average american family saves less than 5% - why? b/c we gotta have right now!
MTV generation
We have to put away for the future, and not be consumed in keeping up with the ‘Jones’
If we base our lives on what everybody else has, we will never save a dime.
“...whoever gathers little by little will increase it” Proverbs 13:11
What does this say, put away a little each week, or month,
put a little away in savings.
4. Tithe Back to God - principal of tithing
It’s giving the 1st 10% of everything I make back to God.
Why do you think God asked for 10%? Does God need our money? No, God is Almighty, all powerful, He has everything - if He didn’t have it, He’d create it. So why does God ask for 10% - He wants what it represents - it represents your heart,
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” Matthew 6:21
3 reasons why to Tithe
1. Gratitude/worship - it’s saying God I know You’re the One who gives me all things. You’ve given me my hands, my mind, my abilities, my opportunity to work, God, I’m giving back to You b/c You’ve been so good to me and I’m grateful.
2. Priority/worship - God I’m putting You 1st in my life, and I’m gonna put my money where my mouth is -
For us to say we’ve put God 1st in our lives and not Tithe, we’re kidding ourselves.
In essence, We’re saying we don’t trust God, if we don’t Tithe. It’s an issue of trust, saying God I believe
You will take of me and my family on the 90%
3. Faith/worship - It’s an act of Faith, believing God will take of us.
We talked about faith last week, we said faith is obedience.
Doing what God has said - how do we know what He said?
In His Word.
Tithing is an act of Worship, we display that we love God
“The entire tithe... a tenth... belongs to the Lord” Leviticus 27:32
Honor the LORD by giving Him the first part of all your income. Then he will fill your barns... to overflow.
Proverbs 3:9-10
Here’s the thing, we can’t out give God - There are more promises from God about our giving than anything else.
God says, “Test me in this” - I won’t let you down, I will take of you, and give you more than you could ever imagine.
“To him who by means of his power working in us is able to do so much more than we can ever ask for, or even think of”
Ephesians 3:20
This principal goes far beyond money, it applies to every part of our lives. If you want God to bless your life, give Him the 1st part of it, If you want God to bless your family, give God your family, if you want God to bless your career, give God your career. If you want God to bless you finances, give God the 1st part of your finances, that’s the tithe in every area of life.
Some say that this is an Old Testament principal and that it’s not for today, however there’s few flaws in that thinking and one of those is that Jesus taught this principal:
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33
Put God 1st in every area of your life, every area, family, career, finances, put God 1st and everything else will fall into place.
(Rockafeller way to wealth - 10:10:80)
If we have found ourselves in a desperate situation in our finances, God says, Tithe your way out.
5. Enjoy What You have - princ. of contentment
“It is better to be satisfied with what you have than to be always wanting something else.” Ecclesiastes 6:9
Isn’t it true we can get so pre-occupied in pursuing more that we don’t enjoy what we already have.
There’s this syndrome we can get caught up in that goes in 4 phases: 1st phase - Yearning exceeds Earning
2nd phase - Over-extended Financially, we buy, buy, buy and become indebted over our heads, now we’re in trouble.
phase 3 - Hustle constantly - rush through life, working 3 jobs to make ends meet
phase 4 - Family life begins to deteriorate
All of a sudden everybody’s angry, everybody’s irritable, b/c we’re working so hard just to make it - pretty soon you have absentee parents who are trying to buy their children stuff and things and toys, instead of spending time with them.
Parents listen, your kids don’t need more toys, they may be beggin, but what they truly desire is more of you. If given the choice at 1st they may say, I’d love all the toys and little
parents, but it wouldn’t take long before they’d give everything up to be with you.
“If God gives us wealth and property..., we should be grateful and enjoy what we have worked for. It is a gift from God.” Ecclesiastes 5:19
This is God’s message: Learn to be content. Enjoy what you have, we already have more than 90% of the rest of the world, so we need to enjoy and be grateful for what we have.
We live in a desperate world where desperate people do desperate things - for many it’s a prison of desperate
finances - God has given us the foundational truths in His Word for financial freedom.
"Have I put my trust in money or felt secure because of my gold?... it would mean I had denied the God of heaven.”
Job 31:24,28
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Super Sunday - End Zone Theology
text: 1 Samuel 17
Super Bowl Sunday, plenty of hype surrounding S.S. esp. since they moved it to 2 week waiting period.
Since the Nielson Ratings of the early 70's (polling the most watched Tv shows and events)
The Super Bowl is in the top 10 of the most watched TV shows or events 4 times!
- it’s HUGE - usually the most watched event of the year.
It is an epic battle between the 2 best football has to offer.
Today I want to talk about a few epic battles, the Seatle Seahwks v. the Pittsburgh Steelers, The Israelites vs. the Philistines, and you and me vs. the daily grind.
So often we live our lives in this very comfortable zone, where most things are pretty predictable, and somewhat
ho-hum. Which is not bad in itself, It's relaxing actually.
The only problem that comes from this is we may tend to get STUCK
and not move forward in life and what God has specifically designed for us individually. This happens in a # of areas of our lives but one in particular, our spiritual life.
This is an area where we can really find ourselves not
advancing, not genuinely chasing after God
(football field analogy - between the 20’s)
We may need to move out of our Comfort Zone and into the End Zone!
Another epic battle we can learn from can be found in
1 Samuel 17 - give background
I. Causes for Living in the Comfort Zone
1. Lack of Hunger (v.16)
They just sat there, none of them eager - if we sit in our comfort zone for a while even realizing that something needs to be done, if we stay, not do something about it - eventually we’ll let it be.
And we find ourselves stuck.
Where would you say you’re lacking?
2. Unwillingness to Pay the Price (v.16)
(slide - running out to avoid hit and extra yrds)
We may know what needs to happen or that something must be done, we may even want to do it, but in our comfort zone we’re unwilling to pay the price - to step out of that
predictability. Or we know and want to but were so
comfortable that it would would create some initial
uneasiness, some temporary difficulty in life - dont wanna pay the price
We just do not like to change. As a matter of fact, the only time we really like change is when it’s our idea.
more on that later
3. Lack of Confidence (v. 24; 45-47) read 20-24
Fear is a HUGE factor in getting stuck in our comfort zone.
It holds us back from ever trying or
We may have attempted some thing before and failed miserably, fell flat on our face. Or maybe it wasn’t that severe - maybe we didn’t accomplish what we set out to, it didn’t turn out the way we planned. So now we lack the confidence to try again or to try something new.
v. 45-47 - it is the LORD! We must understand that - our strength, our confidence is not in us, it is in GOD - never
forget that!
4. They are Struggling with Personal Issues (v.25-28)
David’s brother was jealous - He had already seen David be anointed as the next King of Israel (which Dave was the youngest and traditionally that is NOT who should be in line for the throne) - Eliab got some deeper issues
If that is the case for us, we will get stuck, never moving into the end zone.
5. They Put Their Personal Agenda above the Team
(slide - pic says it all) Those who are selfish, self-centered and even talented will always be considered losers - b/c it’s all about them - What’s the value of a team player - there are a # (T.E.A.M. - Together Everyone Achieves More)
6. They Have a Negative Attitude (v. 33)
Talk about a Bad attitude - you cant do - talk about someone stuck in their comfort zone. (T.O. - all the talent in the world,
people don’t want to be around him b/c of such a neg. att. - vid.) A neg. att. will hold us back
Chuck Swindoll - ‘Attitude’
Words can never adequately convey the incredible impact of our attitude toward life. The longer I live the more convinced
I become that life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to it.
I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude. It is more important than my past, my education, my bankroll, my successes
or failures, fame or pain, what other people think of me or say about me, my circumstances, or my position.
Attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope. When my attitudes are right; there’s no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me.
7. They are Unwilling to Change (v. 38-39)
Often times for us to move forward, some things need to change don’t they? (slide - old photos)We get caught up in our comfort zone and we say, and maybe not aloud, but we think it, or it’s just in the way we present ourselves - “This is how I’ve always done it - it’s worked for me in the past, it’ll work now” buzzer - WRONG! You see, the times, they be a changin’ What has worked in the past does not mean it will work now - most likely it won’t. So we need to be willing to move out of our comfort zone and that usually means CHANGE.
II. How Do You Develop an End Zone Mind-Set?
Shaun Alexander was the MVP of the NFL. He led the NFL in rushing yards with 1880 (that’s alot) He’s a stud, but you know what’s really valuable about Shaun Alexander - He gets in the End Zone - He scores touchdowns! More than anyone else this year - not only that, he broke the single season record for the most rushing touchdowns in a season 28. Shaun Alexander gets in the End Zone - How do we?
1. Have a Game Plan
In order to Win - to get out of the comfort zone and into the End Zone - we must PLAN (v. 38-40)
David was prepared, he gathered what was needed to win
To prosper we must prepare - develop a game plan - we need to gather what we will need in order to win.
2. Continually Communicate
Throughout the story of this epic battle we see David continually communicating with different individuals, his Father, his brothers and other soldiers, with King Saul, and Goliath.
For us to be successful in life, to move out of our CZ and into the EZ we must continually communicate what is important to us. (talked about this in “Desp. Comm.” - say it often, say it clearly, say it every way you can - good listener)
3. Be Willing to Take a Risk (v. 48)
We need to be risk takers - how was David a risk taker - he took on a task much bigger that he was - why? He believed God would deliver! For David and for us to be a risk taker is to Live by Faith. What is Faith? one word: Obedience
Simply doing what God has said to do - it’s that simple.
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
4. Score and Then Celebrate (v. 49-51)
David scored and celebrated - (Napolean Dynamite dance vid)
When we plan and prepare, cont. comm. what is important, and live by Faith - we will score - we will get into the end zone - that is God’s plan - His word says in Jer. 29:11, ‘plans for us to prosper’ in John 10:10 Jesus said, ‘I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full’
We’re to celebrate life - it’s a Party Theology (last week)
It is not God’s will that we get stuck in our CZ, but to Score - get into the end zone
Be a WINNER - Go for the END-ZONE!
Super Bowl Sunday, plenty of hype surrounding S.S. esp. since they moved it to 2 week waiting period.
Since the Nielson Ratings of the early 70's (polling the most watched Tv shows and events)
The Super Bowl is in the top 10 of the most watched TV shows or events 4 times!
- it’s HUGE - usually the most watched event of the year.
It is an epic battle between the 2 best football has to offer.
Today I want to talk about a few epic battles, the Seatle Seahwks v. the Pittsburgh Steelers, The Israelites vs. the Philistines, and you and me vs. the daily grind.
So often we live our lives in this very comfortable zone, where most things are pretty predictable, and somewhat
ho-hum. Which is not bad in itself, It's relaxing actually.
The only problem that comes from this is we may tend to get STUCK
and not move forward in life and what God has specifically designed for us individually. This happens in a # of areas of our lives but one in particular, our spiritual life.
This is an area where we can really find ourselves not
advancing, not genuinely chasing after God
(football field analogy - between the 20’s)
We may need to move out of our Comfort Zone and into the End Zone!
Another epic battle we can learn from can be found in
1 Samuel 17 - give background
I. Causes for Living in the Comfort Zone
1. Lack of Hunger (v.16)
They just sat there, none of them eager - if we sit in our comfort zone for a while even realizing that something needs to be done, if we stay, not do something about it - eventually we’ll let it be.
And we find ourselves stuck.
Where would you say you’re lacking?
2. Unwillingness to Pay the Price (v.16)
(slide - running out to avoid hit and extra yrds)
We may know what needs to happen or that something must be done, we may even want to do it, but in our comfort zone we’re unwilling to pay the price - to step out of that
predictability. Or we know and want to but were so
comfortable that it would would create some initial
uneasiness, some temporary difficulty in life - dont wanna pay the price
We just do not like to change. As a matter of fact, the only time we really like change is when it’s our idea.
more on that later
3. Lack of Confidence (v. 24; 45-47) read 20-24
Fear is a HUGE factor in getting stuck in our comfort zone.
It holds us back from ever trying or
We may have attempted some thing before and failed miserably, fell flat on our face. Or maybe it wasn’t that severe - maybe we didn’t accomplish what we set out to, it didn’t turn out the way we planned. So now we lack the confidence to try again or to try something new.
v. 45-47 - it is the LORD! We must understand that - our strength, our confidence is not in us, it is in GOD - never
forget that!
4. They are Struggling with Personal Issues (v.25-28)
David’s brother was jealous - He had already seen David be anointed as the next King of Israel (which Dave was the youngest and traditionally that is NOT who should be in line for the throne) - Eliab got some deeper issues
If that is the case for us, we will get stuck, never moving into the end zone.
5. They Put Their Personal Agenda above the Team
(slide - pic says it all) Those who are selfish, self-centered and even talented will always be considered losers - b/c it’s all about them - What’s the value of a team player - there are a # (T.E.A.M. - Together Everyone Achieves More)
6. They Have a Negative Attitude (v. 33)
Talk about a Bad attitude - you cant do - talk about someone stuck in their comfort zone. (T.O. - all the talent in the world,
people don’t want to be around him b/c of such a neg. att. - vid.) A neg. att. will hold us back
Chuck Swindoll - ‘Attitude’
Words can never adequately convey the incredible impact of our attitude toward life. The longer I live the more convinced
I become that life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to it.
I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude. It is more important than my past, my education, my bankroll, my successes
or failures, fame or pain, what other people think of me or say about me, my circumstances, or my position.
Attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope. When my attitudes are right; there’s no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me.
7. They are Unwilling to Change (v. 38-39)
Often times for us to move forward, some things need to change don’t they? (slide - old photos)We get caught up in our comfort zone and we say, and maybe not aloud, but we think it, or it’s just in the way we present ourselves - “This is how I’ve always done it - it’s worked for me in the past, it’ll work now” buzzer - WRONG! You see, the times, they be a changin’ What has worked in the past does not mean it will work now - most likely it won’t. So we need to be willing to move out of our comfort zone and that usually means CHANGE.
II. How Do You Develop an End Zone Mind-Set?
Shaun Alexander was the MVP of the NFL. He led the NFL in rushing yards with 1880 (that’s alot) He’s a stud, but you know what’s really valuable about Shaun Alexander - He gets in the End Zone - He scores touchdowns! More than anyone else this year - not only that, he broke the single season record for the most rushing touchdowns in a season 28. Shaun Alexander gets in the End Zone - How do we?
1. Have a Game Plan
In order to Win - to get out of the comfort zone and into the End Zone - we must PLAN (v. 38-40)
David was prepared, he gathered what was needed to win
To prosper we must prepare - develop a game plan - we need to gather what we will need in order to win.
2. Continually Communicate
Throughout the story of this epic battle we see David continually communicating with different individuals, his Father, his brothers and other soldiers, with King Saul, and Goliath.
For us to be successful in life, to move out of our CZ and into the EZ we must continually communicate what is important to us. (talked about this in “Desp. Comm.” - say it often, say it clearly, say it every way you can - good listener)
3. Be Willing to Take a Risk (v. 48)
We need to be risk takers - how was David a risk taker - he took on a task much bigger that he was - why? He believed God would deliver! For David and for us to be a risk taker is to Live by Faith. What is Faith? one word: Obedience
Simply doing what God has said to do - it’s that simple.
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
4. Score and Then Celebrate (v. 49-51)
David scored and celebrated - (Napolean Dynamite dance vid)
When we plan and prepare, cont. comm. what is important, and live by Faith - we will score - we will get into the end zone - that is God’s plan - His word says in Jer. 29:11, ‘plans for us to prosper’ in John 10:10 Jesus said, ‘I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full’
We’re to celebrate life - it’s a Party Theology (last week)
It is not God’s will that we get stuck in our CZ, but to Score - get into the end zone
Be a WINNER - Go for the END-ZONE!
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