This Sunday at Discovery, Our friend Keith Dionise will be our guest speaker.
Keith and his wife Jessica will be heading to Wyoming in May to work with SROM (Solid Rock Outdoor Ministries).
Keith has a deep relationship with God’s word.
Category Archives: Discovery Church
RHYTHMS OF MY TRIBE – PART 1
We were made for rhythm.
The rhythm is in us.
All of creation is filled with rhythm
Night and day
Beginnings and Endings
Seasons of winter/spring/summer and fall
Rhythm and pace and cadence are essential for a healthy balanced life.
GO TO THE RHYTHM MAKER
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” – Matthew 11:28-29 (MSG)
THE PROBLEM
We are in “A Constant state of partial attention” – Huffington post
The song is written on your heart already ….may you live in tune with it.
How do I get in rhythm with your creator?
How can I mentor myself to have a heart that beats with the rhythm of His heart?
Jesus knew we would need help keeping in rhythm with God’s heart do he gives us a pattern of prayer that will help us keep in step with the heart of Father God.
Matthew 6:9-13 (NKJV) 9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
The is a rhythm a symmetry to the Lord’s prayer to will help us get in sync with the heart of Father God.
#1. THE UPWARD RHYTHM.
Vs. 9 – Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
prayer is the most powerful, intimate and wonderful activity in which a believer can engage. Jesus taught His disciples to begin their prayers by first seeking God’s face before looking for His hand.
Seeking HIM before seeking His blessings
A.B. SIMPSON [lyrics from his hymn, HIMSELF.]
Once it was the blessing,
Now it is the Lord;
Once it was the feeling,
Now it is His Word;
Once His gift I wanted,
Now, the Giver own;
Once I sought for healing,
Now Himself alone.
#2. THE DOWNWARD RHYTHM.
Vs. 9 – Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Teach me to value the things you value. I surrender my will to you. I say ‘yes’ to you and your plan for me before I even know the outcome because I trust that you know what’s best for me. Just as you are on the throne in heaven, I place you on the throne of my life…”
Pray something like – “God I’m tired of my kingdom. I’m tired of my economy that only values the strong, the rich, the influential, the good looking, those that have it put together, the powerful. I want to see your kingdom values in place. God, I want your pattern of values to be the pattern of values in my heart, in my home, in my workplace, in my school, in my neighborhood, in my church, in my family, in my city, in my world”
#3. THE INWARD RHYTHM.
Vs. 11, 12 – Give us this day our daily bread….And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
We can trust God to meet not just our physical needs, but also the needs of our souls.
Pray something like – “God, you gave the Israelites manna in the desert and provided for them in the most unlikely of places. I ask You to provide for me in such a way that brings you eternal glory, just as you did with manna. Forgive me for where I have grumbled even though you have provided. I ask for you to provide for me these needs that I have today:”
#4. THE OUTWARD RHYTHM
Vs. 13 – And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
This is where we ask Jesus to lead us – mentor us and teach us how to do life.
This is the part of the Lord’s Prayer where we ask God to protect us and use us as he leads us. “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Conclusion: Back to Matthew 11:28-29
THE UNFORCED RHYTHMS OF GRACE
Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” – Matthew 11:28-29 (MSG)
“My yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Jesus was speaking to people who understood “YOKES”
The yoke is understood as a “staff on the shoulders” (see Isaiah 9:4) in order to harness their power for pulling loads such as a wagon or plow. Hence, the two pictographs can also represent “the ox in the yoke”. Often two oxen were yoked together. An older, more experienced ox would be teamed up (yoked) with a younger, less experienced ox. The older ox in the yoke is the “strong authority” who, through the yoke, teaches the younger ox.
God is calling you do a field – a task – a purpose…but he is not calling you to do it all by yourself.
He is calling you to be yoked with him – the stronger, wiser, older one who will carry the weight and show you how to do life at his PACE, His CADENCE and His RHYTYM.
Rhythm (from Greek ῥυθμός, rhythmos, “any regular recurring motion, symmetry”
That is a picture of our life in America -We are in “A Constant state of partial attention”
But Hebrews 13:8 tells us “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Walk with me – work with me —watch how I do it.
KEEP HIS PACE AND RECEIVE HIS PEACE.
UPWARDLY – DOWNWARDLY – INWARDLY – OUTWARDLY
LET US PRAY
Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
RHYTHMS OF MY TRIBE part 2
“Saul outfitted David as a soldier in armor. He put his bronze helmet on his head and belted his sword on him over the armor. David tried to walk but he could hardly budge. David told Saul, “I can’t even move with all this stuff on me. I’m not used to this.” And he took it all off. ”
1 Samuel 17:38,39 (message)
David couldn’t move around comfortably in “hand me downs”. He had to get out of another person’s armor to fight effectively.
The same is true for all of us. We have got to have a tailor made faith that fits us perfectly. We can’t live a life based on another persons faith or beliefs.
WHEN IT COMES TO OUR FAITH AND FINDING GOD’S PURPOSE, ITS ALL GOT TO BE ORIGINAL, AUTHENTIC AND NOT BORROWED.
A good fitting faith is a personal tailor made faith.
“We are all born originals…don’t die a copy.”
Jesus Has a powerful way to find your FIT and to FLOW in the UNFORCED RHYTHMS OF HIS GRACE AND CALLING.
Rhythm and pace and cadence are essential for a healthy balanced life.
GO TO THE RHYTHM MAKER
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” – Matthew 11:28-29 (MSG)
#1. IF YOU KNOW YOUR WHY, YOU WILL ALWAYS FIND YOUR WAY.
Some work for CASH.
Some work for a CAREER.
Some work for a CAUSE.
BUT A BIGGER KEY QUESTION IS: DO YOU HAVE A CALLING?
Our ultimate goal at Discovery… is for you to live the life you’re intended to live.
To inspire people to walk in the rhythm of their God intended purpose.
When you know your WHY, your WHAT has more impact because your walking toward your purpose.
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. Psalm 139:16
#2. GET THE INSIDE RIGHT THEN THE OUTSIDE WILL FALL INTO PLACE.
- You were made by God and for God and until you understand that, life will never make sense.
- You cannot fulfill God’s purposes for your life while focusing on your own plans.
“You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.” Psalm 51:6
For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Ps. 139:13
#3. GO TO YOUR CREATOR TO FIND OUT WHY YOU WERE CREATED.
Jesus ask all of us three questions:
What do you want me to do for you? (Mark 10:36, 51)
When we start going to Him for the answers we star getting into a rhythm with him.
* WE ARE LOVED BY GOD. * WE ARE KNOWN BY GOD * WE ARE CALLED BY GOD.
John 15:16 – You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit–fruit that will last–
and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
If you get the calling right , the chores are bearable.
KEEP HIS PACE AND RECEIVE HIS PEACE.
How do I get in the FLOW ZONE?
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it.
Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” – Matthew 11:28-29 (MSG)
WALK WITH ME – WORK WITH ME – WATCH HOW I DO IT.
“ I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.”
#4. HAVE THE COURAGE TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON WHAT HE IS CALLING YOU TO START DOING.
If God only used perfect people, nothing would get done. God will use anybody if you’re available.
It’s so easy to drift along and never get down to actually doing what God put you on this planet to do.
Don’t just strive to live forever, strive rather to create something that will live beyond you.
RHYTHMS OF MY TRIBE PART 3
Week 1 Rhythms Of Prayer
Week 2 Rhythms Of Purpose
Week 3 Rhythms Of Promise
GO TO THE RHYTHM MAKER
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” – Matthew 11:28-29 (MSG)
“If You Want To Go Fast, Go Alone. If You Want To Go Far, Go Together.” – African Proverb
“I Can Do Things You Cannot, You Can Do Things I Cannot; Together We Can Do Great Things.” – Mother Teresa
“None Of Us Is As Smart As All Of Us.”– Ken H Blanchard
What scripture says about coming together.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
For 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, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
How good and pleasant it is
when God’s people live together in unity!
when God’s people live together in unity!
Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
1. I can’t seem to “get IT together”.
The church is not built on the people who come and go,
it’s built on the people who stay and serve!
When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them.
Acts 2:1-4 (the message)
2. SO MANY PROMISES…….UNREALIZED.
There are so many promises in scripture that we will never be realized in this lifetime if we only understand that they are intended for us as individuals…many of the promises of God can only be realized when the entire church gets together.
Psalm 78:41 They limited the Holy One of Israel.
When you isolate yourself from the flock you paralyze the promises of God from your life.
The promises of God are not written to ME…they are written to WE!
It was his intent that through the church the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms…according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished inn Christ Jesus – Ephesians 3:20
3. TOGETHER WE CREATE A RHYTHM WHERE GOD CAN WORK.
The Fellowship of the Believers
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47
The Fellowship of the Believers
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47
4. Jesus was BROKEN APART on the cross so we could COME TOGETHER as His Church.
JESUS WAS BROKEN IN PIECES SO WE CAN COME TOGETHER.
What God did through Jesus on the cross by allowing him to be broken to pieces is what holds us together.
And when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. ! Corinthians 11:24-26
Communion
Walk with me – work with me —watch how I do it.
KEEP HIS PACE AND RECEIVE HIS PEACE.
Room From A View – Guest Blogger Liz Whitwell
“You can only lead someone as far as you’ve gone.”
I hear this quote all of the time, “but I have a heart for teenagers and students,” I would tell myself. My kid’s friends think that my husband and I are really cool so that has got to mean we have this whole youth leader thing in the bag… Signed, Sealed and Delivered!
HA! Well that was short lived that’s for sure. Try diving head first into a lake off of a 30 foot cliff! Have you ever felt that impact? Well, that’s what the beginning of diving into youth ministry feels like, or any ministry for that matter. First you have to build up an insane amount of guts, walk up to the edge and with every ounce of faith… You Jump! After the jump always comes the BOOM of the impact, and OUCH does it hurt!
Everything you thought was confident inside of you is now ripped away and your bathing suit is floating in the water next to you as you tread there hopelessly.
Although there are a few very important things we just couldn’t do without at the beginning of this Youth Ministry…
- In rare cases you could be incredibly blessed enough to have a support system like no other and eventually they see your weakness. My husband and I have FAMILY and FRIENDS that came along side us, they have dragged us up to shore, dried us off and made us feel safe and human again.
- MENTORS that believe in you are just as important. These people are family inside the church. The ELDERS. They have more faith in us than we do most of the time and that is just plain baffling. Why us? I ask God that a lot… Still no answer.
- Trying to be OBEDIENT to a “calling” is a very challenging feat. Maybe you have been there? 1 Thessalonians 5:24 “The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.”
- PRAYER… Always ALWAYS PRAYER! God’s hand is always hovering; prayer invites Him to lay His hands on you.
- FAITH It’s hard but necessary to follow up all the praying. Give the control over to the one you pray to. Faith isn’t a feeling, it’s a choice to trust and let go.
As I sit on the shore, now finally dried off (my bathing suit back on) I feel the support of our mentors, family and friends. Out of the blue my husband and I get an invite to a Youth Leader conference in Cincinnati Ohio. What?! We are so undeserving of this! Also it’s in November… Ohio is freezing! Nah, we are good. Or do we jump again? I mean we have been doing this youth leader thing for 9 months now; maybe we need something to reduce the impact and pressure of life.
We have 3 kids ages 14, 12, and 8 two girls and one boy. Our life at the time we chose to step into ministry was at its darkest place, our marriage was struggling, I was starting a new job, my husband almost lost his job, and still we jumped!
God is CRAZY! I mean seriously though, why would he take two incredibly hurt and broken people to lead such a tender group of humans through life? Still no answer.
I have always tried to be an obedient daughter to my Father in heaven, but this was a different form of obedience I have not encountered before. My husband and I are putting our family out there to be put under a microscope, to be an example, to not actually be the best examples come to find out. Our children are automatically thrown into ministry. They didn’t choose this life. All I know is that God chose my husband and me and He chose us to be their parents. So here they are sitting with us, walking with us in this ministry life. Is it easy? No, not at all. Actually it is the hardest thing we have done as a couple of almost 21 years.
Needless to say yes, we went to Ohio for the conference, we needed to go.
Months prior, we prepared our schedule for the many seminars we wanted to go to. Holy Overwhelming!
There were 3 seminars that were very important on our list and things spoken.
- Building a Successful Marriage and Youth Ministry.
– “Your greatest Youth Ministry is your Marriage.”
– “People will know you are followers by the way you love one another.” Ugh, Tough one!
– Calendar: No Technoference, & Wait to Talk! Date each other!
– Become Liberal with Apology.
- Ministry to LGBT Youth.
– Find your Yes to the LGBT community; you can’t just have a no.
Focus on shared values.
– Remember each individual is Beloved by God.
– Be consistent in your relationships. Learn something from someone in this
community.
- Serving as a Youth Worker and a Parent.
– Establish a non-negotiable space, don’t just occupy the space.
– “How does it feel for your parent to be a youth leader?” Ask your kids this.
– Honor and protect your family time.
These are just a small, yet mighty bit we learned at this conference. Let me just say that there isn’t a piece of me that can explain my takeaways. It’s like trying to explain the Grand Canyon to someone who will never be able to see it. Maybe not that extreme, but to my husband and I it brought back the impact of jumping off that cliff. It smacked us in the face, but this time it felt really good!
We entered the conference, looked around to see a whole lot of youth workers that are way cooler than us! Silly I know but that was the immediate thought.
Then we are corralled into a huge sanctuary type room where almost all the seating is ground level. Typically we don’t enjoy being in the crowd so we kept it safe and chose the nose bleed section. For now… As we stand there through worship the first night watching our fellow youth workers praise the same God we do, we see them raise their hands to our Father in heaven, at this point we are almost wishing we were down ground level with the rest of them. What a grand introduction to the weekend! This was only the beginning.
It wasn’t until midway through our first five hour seminar; Building a Successful Marriage and Youth Ministry that Chris and I felt like “OK we can do this!”
All it took was us sitting around a table with other married youth workers sharing about our awesome youth group! Apparently having your youth group held in your garage is totally “On Fleek” (that’s what the kids say.) Who knew?
We left that seminar feeling on cloud nine, especially Chris! It was evident and clear that he was ready to move forward. I was relieved!
Finally time came again for another “Big Room” sanctuary time, our Favorite! This is when all us youth leaders came together and got poured into… Boy did that happen!
We heard so many encouraging things in this space.
- “Live your Life Afraid” – Don’t just do the safe things in faith!
- “Good neighbors don’t drive through, they journey with.” -Missions, Schools, Outreach! (So many notes.)
- “If you want to become the greatest, become the least.” – put yourself in a place where people can relate to you.
- “Before you can do the work of ministry, you have to do the Worship.” – Albert Tate
This time we go upfront close to the stage and totally out of our comfort zone, we were in it to win it putting ourselves out there in the crowd! This conference has given us wings in a sense, and bravery too!
Worship starts, now this is the kind of worship that crawls into your heart and makes you belt out your inner opera voice. It gets real on the ground level, the music is louder, people are closer together, your heart pounds… Then something truly heart changing happened.
A little girl about 7 maybe 8 years old stood up onto her chair next to her parents and completely carefree lifted her hands in worship. Remember the Grand Canyon? Well this little girl represents the North Rim. Truly I can’t explain the feelings, the tears and emotions that were amongst the surrounding youth leaders watching this young life raise her sweet hands to our Jesus.
VIDEO HERE
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_ABN5WIkIKocHVlODUyTG5udzA/view?invite=CJWkh6IM&ts=58545506
I can say this though, that moment for me personally as tears rush down my cheeks was God saying Liz, This is why you are doing what you are doing. You have a heart for young people and their growth through life. As I look over at my husband being the manly man that he is, his eyes are full of the wet stuff he wouldn’t dare to admit are tears.
I could be wrong, but through all of the seminars that we sat through from 9:00-10:00pm in 4 days, this moment might have been the most life giving to me.
This showed me that for the sake of our children, us adults need to model that commitment to Christian worship and fellowship that it is Not an elective.
I grew up in church, my mom was my Sunday school teacher for years and highly involved in church. Did I like all the Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays at church? Not always, but did it shape me? Oh yes, without question. The seed was planted.
We need to share the joy of the gospel, seek the kids in the corners and humble ourselves to be at the level of our youth. Give them credit for who they are and where they are at.
As a matter of fact, I want to always try and believe like I did as a 16-year-old at Winter Camp. Jesus captured my heart that day at camp. As a youth leader at this conference I learned again that I am a child of God, bought with the blood of Christ and set apart for gospel ministry to His glory. I want to continue to come back to that fact-daily and always find my identity there.
Going to Youth Specialties has taught me to go out and serve our youth with joy and with freedom. Like my husband says, “There is no blueprint for youth ministry.” You just take steps forward and God guides your path. The more cool, holy or amazing we try to be or present ourselves; the more un-relatable we make ourselves. Not only as a leader but as a follower of Christ.
As a Christian we need to show the youth that Jesus meets them right where they are, loves them as they are and desires to be a part of their lives right now. Not when they become cool, holy or amazing as their leaders.
After learning new scheduling techniques, tools for our marriage and family it all came down to us recognizing where we are and giving God more credit for what He has chosen, who He has chosen us to be.
We took A jump off the cliff, stepped down to ground level, saw the Room from a View and put ourselves into the thick of it. We give all glory to God and take this appointment to the depths of our hearts with gratitude.
-Liz Whitwell
Discovery Youth Prescott
Discovery’s Adopt A Trail Work Day with the Prescott National Forest
What a great day with Discovery and the Prescott National Forest.
In partnership with the PNF we have adopted 2 miles of the Prescott Circle Trail.
Saturday, December 3rd was our first day out doing some trail work.
Enjoy the video and some pics.
Thanks to all who came out to work for a great cause.
All the best!
Pastor Steve
http://www.discoveryprescott.com
Discovery Supai 2016
This October Discovery enjoyed the blue waters of Havasupai here in Arizona.
Our goals were to connect with community, creation and our creator.
We left many “burdens” in the canyon and learned how freedom can be ours.
Here are a few photos of the trip into one of natures true wonders.
(photo credits: Jessica Dionise and Steve Lummer)
Psalm 55:22 “Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you;”
Galatians 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
Isaiah 41:10 “I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Discovery’s waterproof Bible at Beaver Falls.
What a great adventure with some amazing friends.
http://www.discoveryprescott.com
Discovering Hope part 1 – First Peter
Intro. You can exist for weeks without food, you can exist several days without water and you can exist a few seconds without air, But you can’t live without hope.
Optimism is what you think you can do. Hope is what you think God can do.
Hope is not OPTIMISM
You need HOPE to COPE.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. – 1 Peter 1:3-7 (NIV)
#1. A LIVING HOPE.
Vs. 3 – “In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”.
One thing I think is helpful to see: the Bible writers don’t hide themselves from this question of suffering: they are fully aware of the problem that suffering presents to faith in a good God;
Extreme hopes are born of extreme misery.
There are no hopeless situations; there are only people who have grown hopeless about them.
Hope is what you look forward to on the other side of your pain.
Hope is what you hang onto as you get through your problem.
Hope is what you have when you don’t have anything else.
* Jesus Turns Your ‘Hopeless End’ into ‘Endless Hope’
The scripture says in 2 Corinthians 1:9-10, “This happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us … and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us” (NIV).
#2. A SOLID HOPE.
Be alert and think straight. Put all your hope in how kind God will be to you when Jesus Christ appears. ! Peter 1:13 (GNT)
“Those who forget God have no hope.” See Job 8:11-13 (LB)
What separates disciples from everyone else is;
How they respond to disappointment, problems and pain.
Hope is the healing ointment for your disappointment.
Disciples don’t despair.
#3. A CONTAGIOUS HOPE.
“Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead.” – Peter 1:21 (NLT)
IF YOU WANT TO BE A BRIDGE OF HOPE TO THE WORLD, YOU’VE GOT TO ALLOW YOURSELF TO WALKED ON.” – T.B.
Where there is no faith in the future, there is no power in the present.
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)
James part 2 Faith/Works
James 1:22-25 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. (NIV)
MIRROR #1. OUR CULTURE
A PIECE OF ALUMINUM FOIL
This mirror is like the mirror of our culture and the world we live in..
This world doesn’t really have a clear view of right and wrong. It’s blurry.
The mirror of situational ethics and the political climate.
“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” – Judges 21:25 (ESV)
MIRROR #2. LABELS AND FRIENDS
“they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they lack wisdom and behave like fools” – 2 Corinthians 10:2 (amp)
MIRROR #3. BROKEN RELIGION AND POLITICS
Religion makes a lot of good claims, and does contain some bits and pieces of truth.
HOWEVER,, it is cracked and broken and incapable of revealing the full truth.
MIRROR #4. – GOD’S WORD
Vs. 23-24-25 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. (NIV)
Joshua 1:7,8
Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left,that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
WHEN WE LOOK INTO THE MIRROR OF GOD’S WORD, WHAT DO WE SEE?
1. We see our flaws. We see that we are but dust
2. We also see that God loves us. and his Character in us
3. We see that by believing in Jesus Christ, the change process is ongoing.
THE BIBLE IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER MIRROR, because it can actually change us! II Corinthians 3:18
GOD’S MIRROR CAN MAKE US BEAUTIFUL on the inside!
“But we all with a face having been unveiled, while reflecting the glory of the Lord as a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just-as from the Lord’ the Spirit.” – 2 Corinthians 3:18 (DLNT)
James part 1 FAITH/WORKS
For those willing to risk the dangers, the Concord stagecoach offered three classes of tickets. First-class passengers received service while comfortably seated inside the coach. They could avoid labor and the sight of it. Second-class ticket holders disembarked and either walked or stood along the roadside to observe while others pushed the coach. Third-class passengers were supposed to disembark, roll up their sleeves and push the stagecoach out of the mud or uphill if necessary — without complaint.
The Omaha Herald in 1877 published rules of stagecoach etiquette, including, “Don’t imagine for a moment you are going on a picnic. Expect annoyance, discomfort, and some hardships.”
I would like to say to every person who becomes a follower of Christ….
“Congratulations, new believer….. You now have a third-class ticket.”
James 1:1-8 (NIV)
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:
Greetings.
Trials and Temptations
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
Faith Under Pressure
James: – A QUICK SNAP SHOT AT THE BOOK
famous phrases that often make their way into Christian conversation:
- “Faith produces steadfastness.”
- “God cannot be tempted.”
- “Every good and perfect gift comes from above.”
- “Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.”
- “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only.”
- “Even the demons believe—and shudder!”
- “Faith apart from works is dead.”
- “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
James has been called “the Proverbs of the New Testament.”
Who he is not:
He is not the “James and John, the sons of Zebedee” – Mark 10
He is however;
– Jesus little brother.
– He did not believe Jesus was the promised messiah until after the resurrection.
Jesus and his brothers
“We had no idea he was this good!” they said. “How did he get so wise all of a sudden, get such ability?”3 But in the next breath they were cutting him down: “He’s just a carpenter—Mary’s boy. We’ve known him since he was a kid. We know his brothers, James, Justus, Jude, and Simon, and his sisters. Who does he think he is?” – Mark 6 (the message)
Vs. 1
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:
Greetings.
Note the very first verse of the book of James is written to the twelve tribes who are SCATTERED .
The greek word that James uses this “scattering is: “Diaspora” – from which we get our words “Dispersed” and “Dispersion”.
After the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7 things became pretty crazy for the Christians
Acts 8:1 “They were all scattered ….except the apostles.”
James writes to people who are facing “various trials”.
STUFF GOT STRESSFUL! – It was then and it still is to this day.
STRESS IS……
It’s INEVITABLE.
It’s PREDICTABLE.
It’s PARADOXICAL.
It’s PROFITABLE.
STRESS IS INEVITABLE
“count it all joy WHEN you fall into various trails” – Vs 2
Stress is a fact of life….you first experienced it coming out of the birth canal.
It’s not going away, and we all have to deal with it.
It’s not stress that kills us….it’s our reaction to stress that kills us.
As you study James…you will begin to see yourself as the lone recipient of this letter; It’s from God, through James, and to you personally. – Listen to his seasoned ans saged advice and but into practice.
The people James is writing to have just lost their jobs, their homes and their life style.
He is writing to people who are about to crack under the pressure….they are at their wits end because of “Various trails“. – so many problems you don’t know when or where the next one is coming from.
Dads, Moms, kids all stressed out and James is writing to them on how to deal with the stress mess.
In our modern world, the moment we even hear the word stress we tense up, clench our fist, grind our teeth – as if stress where our enemy.
Start think of stress as a friend and not a foe – Stress is here for a purpose.
Yes, Stress is INEVITABLE!
Stress is PREDICTABLE.
“count it all joy when you fall into various trials.” WHAT?
In other words……Predict it – Expect it Prepare for it!
Most of us count it joy when we escape the trials of life, not when we fall into them! And notice that James was not saying to count it joy if we fall into trials. He said we are to count it joy when we fall into them. Experiencing stress is not an if it’s a when. Stress is predictable: it is inevitable, inescapable, unavoidable. We all experience it. We can’t avoid it. Stress happens.
In fact, we can read the Bible from cover to cover, and nowhere will we find the promise that we’re immune to stress or sickness, exempt from trials or tribulations. Some, however, teach falsely that if we’re living the Spirit-filled life, we’ll have only smooth sailing on the sea of God’s will. But may I remind you that our Lord Himself warned, ““In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world”” (John 16:33).
Yes, stress is predictable. We can’t avoid stress, but it can actually be good for us. Stress can, for instance, be a motivating factor: it can motivate us to make changes in our life or our lifestyle. However, too much stress coupled with not knowing how to deal with it can be detrimental mentally, spiritually, and physically.
And it is PARADOXICAL.
James says we should consider it pure “joy” when we face these stressful trials. We generally count it joy when we avoid trials, not face them. The word James employs here means to “think ahead.”
Imagine what it is going to be like when the trial is over.
Job was thinking ahead when he said, He knows the way that I take; and when he has tested me I will come forth as gold (Job 23:10). Job did not consider it a joy in the midst of his stress but he, like James, looked forward to the joy that would follow his trial.
It’s PROFITABLE.
Mark Batterson on stress
“Just wanted to go on record and thank God for stress! I’ve been spending a lot of time in prayer the last few weeks. And the reason is simple: stress. Without the stress, I don’t think I’d be praying as much as I am.”
Someone has said that a Christian is like a tea bag. He is not worth much until he has been through some hot water. Yes, stressful trials can be profitable for the person in poverty (v.9), the person with plenty (vv.10–11) and the person with pressure (v.12).
In the words of James, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life” (v.2).
I love The Message Translation of Philippians 4:6–“shape your worries into prayers.” You’ve got to take the negative emotions of guilt or jealousy or fear or anxiety and turn them into positive prayers. In a sense, prayer is channeling our emotions to God.
CONCLUSION:
“Don’t imagine for a moment you are going on a picnic. Expect annoyance, discomfort, and some hardships.”
I would like to say to every person who becomes a follower of Christ….
“Congratulations, believer….. You now have a third-class ticket.”
stevelummer.com 