Last week, Pastor Juan closed the Crossing Over Series with a powerful message that reminded us our relationship with God, is about choosing. In Joshua 24:11–15 (NLT), Joshua was basically saying not to compromise between God and the world because you will lose. KEY THOUGHT: Small compromises in our faith will lead to huge defeat in our life. It’s simple: You are either looking for instant gratification or long term satisfaction. Instant gratification is ingrained in our culture. And though it may be good for our entertainment, it definitely isn’t good for our faith. God is not our quick fix, he is our long-term solution. This is why Joshua read them their history, so they were forced to meditate in all of what God had done since they left Egypt until they arrived in the promised land. When was the last time you simmered in God’s goodness? Stewing in God’s graces? Meditating on the goodness of God is a strong motivation for obedience. Temptation is quick and fun at first, but it brings death. Meditate on goodness and it will remind you to be obedient. Here’s how Joshua instructs the people of Israel, and us today to simmer in God’s goodness. 1. KEEP GOD’S WORD Joshua 23:6 (NLT) You can’t keep it, if you don’t read it. #yougottareadittokeepit Don’t just read it out of duty, but really place it in your heart. 2. CLING TO THE LORD Joshua 23:8 (NLT) Don’t be fooled by the quick fix… Don’t cling to things… They are temporal. Cling to Jesus because He is eternal. 3. LOVE THE LORD Joshua 23:11 (NLT) LOVE IS A COMMITMENT. Don't compromise with the enemy but make the Lord first in your life. It’s just not going to work any other way. RESULT: IT WILL BE A FAMILY MATTER This takes leadership. In a Christian family, serving the Lord should not be looked at as an event, but rather, as a lifestyle. Serving the Lord should not be something we do on our spare time, but something that is actually our priority. A family priority. Many people say about their kids, I’m not going to force religion on them… Well, the devil is not going to ask permission to mess up their lives. Us as parents should never make serving the Lord optional. They might hate you now for it, but they will love you later on. (that’s the instant vs. permanent mentality) We can't expect permanent blessings with our family with optional faith. Our kids are observing the level of our commitment to God, and they will copy it to a “T”. What we don’t teach, they will not learn. What we don’t live they will not catch and what we don’t lead, they will not follow. So bring the the whole family Sunday and join us for worship, word and fellowship as we start a new series, What Would Jesus Pray. 1 PM 639 N 25th St.
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Last week was powerful as we focused on Turning Defeat Around and avoiding spiritual entitlement. It takes effort on our end to receive God's blessings, peace and victory. The best way to stay in the right path is to seek God first above all else in your life. Placing God as top priority will keep you connected with Him and others.
But what happens after we mess up?? Let’s face it, we will mess up! The best way to turn defeat around is to use defeat as a strategy to doing things better the second time aroud. 1. RESET Joshua 8:1–2 (NLT) The Israelites Defeat Ai Go back to the basics… God did. He reset by restating what he promised in the very beginning… Do not be afraid or discouraged. One of God’s greatest attribute is that he is immutable. That means that God is unchanging. He changes not. He said in the beginning not to be afraid, and even after Joshua messed up, the first thing he says is, “Do not be afraid or discouraged…” When God resets, he resets back to the basics. The best way to reset your thinking is by starting with the Word of God. Even though we might not hear God's audible voice today, we have the Word of God before us and the Spirit of God within us; and God will direct us if we wait patiently before Him and His Word. 2. RESTRATEGIZE Joshua 8:3–13 (NLT) The work of the Lord requires strategy, and Christian leaders must seek the mind of the Lord in their planning. Like Joshua, we must get the facts and weigh them carefully as we seek the will of God. Too often, the work of the Lord only drifts along on the tide of time, without any rudder or compass to give direction and the result are disappointing. More than ever, we need people to carry out the strategy of helping people who are far from God to experience His hope. 3. REESTABLISH VICTORY Joshua 8:14–24 (NLT) The army of Ai had self-confidence and the people of Israel had their confidence in God. The Army of Ai had so much confidence that they didn’t leave anyone behind to protect their city. When the enemy, the devil, has defeated you before, he gets self-confidence that he can do it again. It’s our job to restablish victory in Christ through His every Word! 4. RECOMMIT Joshua 8:30–35 (NLT) Our success lies only in our obedience to God and His Word. Commit yourself to that truth and God will do the rest! Believers today have the Word of God written on their hearts by the Holy Spirit of God (Rom. 8:1–4; 2 Cor. 3). If we walk in the Spirit, we experience His life-changing power and can live to please God. Let’s be people of the Spirit of God. It’s as simple as following it, loving it and living it. Where in your life do you need to Reset, Restrategize, Reestablish, or Recommit? As a church we need to keep this in mind. This ministry will not stop but we will continue to move ahead in God because this is not about us...This is about Jesus! Join us Sunday at 1 PM as we go deeper and celebrate the victory we have in Jesus! |
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