1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT
[13] Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.
I asked Pastor Ken if I could minister this morning, and your pastor being the gracious man that he is allowing me the opportunity.
John 16:33 AMPC
I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]
un·daunt·ed
not intimidated or discouraged by difficulty, danger, or disappointment.
dis·il·lu·sion·ment
a feeling of disappointment resulting from the discovery that something is not as good as one believed it to be.
Our hope stands firm on 3 pillars
Who you are
It depends.
If you are spiritually dead:
Work hard and hope you can kiss the right butts to get where you want to go
study hard, it’s going to take some serious manipulation to accomplish what you might.
climb the ladders, you’ve got to “achieve” as much as you can now, while your heart still beats
Find the most exotic male/female you can, and pray you your hard work and your children remain after you’re gone
This is all the hope you have. The reward for a life absent the fear of The Lord is not enviable.
The Throne, Him Who sits on it, eternal separation from the life giver,
If you LIVE
Ephesians 1:11-12 MSG
[11-12] It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.
What is your hope in?
Fear of man is a trap
Luke 12:1-3 MSG
[1-3] By this time the crowd, unwieldy and stepping on each other’s toes, numbered into the thousands. But Jesus’ primary concern was his disciples. He said to them, “Watch yourselves carefully so you don’t get contaminated with Pharisee yeast, Pharisee phoniness. You can’t keep your true self hidden forever; before long you’ll be exposed. You can’t hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true face will be known. You can’t whisper one thing in private and preach the opposite in public; the day’s coming when those whispers will be repeated all over town.
You are no longer the disappointed child. You can’t afford to let the negative emotions of what you experienced in childhood, through the eyes of a child, what you saw, what you encountered cannot be allowed to hold you hostage to keep you from living.
Woman of God I’m sorry that happened to you. I’m sorry they did that. I’m sorry that man did that. If you feel like you let it happen, I’m here to tell you, if he knew how it would affect your heart, your mind after the event took place, he would not have done that.
Man of God, if they knew how it would affect you, they wouldn’t have done it. If that woman knew how you would feel about women for years to come, she wouldn’t have done it.
Most people struggling to overcome their fears have had an encounter with disappointment so great that every dream they can conceive is contaminated with the toxic anxiety of failure.
When your mind becomes cluttered with the possibilities of”what if,” there is no room for faith.
Jesus is talking and he says you want to kill me because there’s no room for my words in you.
Literally you’re not listening. You won’t make space to make my opinion your opinion.
Living life prepared for the worst possible outcome is like living in a cage-it’s not freedom.
Over time, you will recognize the difference between guarding your heart and restricting it. You’ll learn to stop talking yourself out of the good things God has promised to all who live according to His purpose. – Sarah Jakes Roberts
How did I do it?
I took a nap
Ephesians 1:4-5 AMPC
[4] Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love.
[5] For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will [because it pleased Him and was His kind intent]
Ephesians 3:16-19 GNT
[16] I ask God from the wealth of his glory to give you power through his Spirit to be strong in your inner selves,
[17] and I pray that Christ will make his home in your hearts through faith. I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love,
[18] so that you, together with all God’s people, may have the power to understand how broad and long, how high and deep, is Christ’s love.
[19] Yes, may you come to know his love—although it can never be fully known—and so be completely filled with the very nature of God.
Psalm 128:1-6 AMPC
[1] BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, to be envied) is everyone who fears, reveres, and worships the Lord, who walks in His ways and lives according to His commandments. [Ps. 1:1, 2.]
[2] For you shall eat [the fruit] of the labor of your hands; happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) shall you be, and it shall be well with you.
[3] Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the innermost parts of your house; your children shall be like olive plants round about your table.
[4] Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord.
[5] May the Lord bless you out of Zion [His sanctuary], and may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life;
[6] Yes, may you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel!
Proverbs 14:27 AMP
[27] The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that leads to obedience and worship] is a fountain of life, So that one may avoid the snares of death.
Psalms 42:11 NLT
[11] Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God!
Psalms 131:1-3 NLT
[1] Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp.
[2] Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.
[3] O Israel, put your hope in the Lord— now and always.
The Blessing