A Firm Faith for Tough Times

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A Firm Faith for Tough Times
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Last Week

• Tough Times Can Make It Difficult to Get Along
• Tune In to Each Other
• Show Sympathy to Each Other
• Love Each Other Like Family
• Show Compassion to Each Other
• Walk in Humility with Each Other

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Scripture
Task List (Dump your distracting thoughts and to
dos here to help you stay focused.)
Do not repay evil with evil or insult with
insult, but with blessing, because to this you
were called so that you may inherit a blessing,
(1 Peter 39).
Meditation
Meditation
The law of reciprocity is different in the
kingdom. My first response is too often to
retaliate with equal or greater pain, even if it
is just in my mind. That is not who I am in
Christ and is not what God has called me to. For
me to inherit a blessing, I must respond with
blessing, especially when I would rather respond
much less honorably.
I lift up my hands to your commands, which I
love, and I meditate on your decrees, (Psalm
11948).
Action Steps

• Dont flip people off with my horn give them the
  lane
• Dont get snitty with rude clerks give them a
  smile

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A Faith that gives us a purpose for living

• 1 Peter 41-11

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1 Peter 41-11 (NLT)

• 1 So then, since Christ suffered physical pain,
  you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he
  had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have
  suffered physically for Christ, you have finished
  with sin. 2 You wont spend the rest of your
  lives chasing your own desires, but you will be
  anxious to do the will of God.

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1 Peter 41-11 (NLT)

• 3 You have had enough in the past of the evil
  things that godless people enjoytheir immorality
  and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild
  parties, and their terrible worship of idols. 4
  Of course, your former friends are surprised when
  you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and
  destructive things they do. So they slander you.

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1 Peter 41-11 (NLT)

• 5 But remember that they will have to face God,
  who will judge everyone, both the living and the
  dead. 6 That is why the Good News was preached to
  those who are now deadso although they were
  destined to die like all people, they now live
  forever with God in the Spirit.

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1 Peter 41-11 (NLT)

• 7 The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore,
  be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. 8
  Most important of all, continue to show deep love
  for each other, for love covers a multitude of
  sins. 9 Cheerfully share your home with those who
  need a meal or a place to stay.

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1 Peter 41-11 (NLT)

• 10 God has given each of you a gift from his
  great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well
  to serve one another. 11 Do you have the gift of
  speaking? Then speak as though God himself were
  speaking through you. Do you have the gift of
  helping others? Do it with all the strength and
  energy that God supplies. Then everything you do
  will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All
  glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

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The Purpose of Christ was to Give Purpose to Life
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The Need for Purpose

• A useless life is an early death, (Goethe)
• Preparation for old age should begin not later
  than one's teens. A life which is empty of
  purpose until 65 will not suddenly become filled
  on retirement, (Dwight L. Moody).

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John 1010 (NLT)

• 10 The thiefs purpose is to steal and kill and
  destroy. My (Jesus) purpose is to give them a
  rich and satisfying life.

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Many persons have a wrong idea of what
constitutes true happiness. It is not attained
through self-gratification but through fidelity
to a worthy purpose, (Helen Keller)
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Having a clear sense of Gods purpose for our
lives will sustain us and give us meaningful
direction in tough times.
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Key QuestionWhat does Gods purpose look like,
and how do we express it?
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Take on the mind of Christ
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arm yourself with the same attitude

• Ephesians 612-13 (NIV)12 For our struggle is
  not against flesh and blood, but against the
  rulers, against the authorities, against the
  powers of this dark world and against the
  spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
  13 Therefore put on the full armor of God

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(No Transcript)
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Proverbs 423 (NLT)

• 23 Guard your heart above all else, for it
  determines the course of your life.

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The starting point for walking in the purposes of
God for our lives is to approach life, however it
comes at us, with the mind of Christ.
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Live for Gods Will
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1 Peter 42 (NIV)

• 2 As a result, he does not live the rest of his
  earthly life for evil human desires, but rather
  for the will of God.

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Jesus On Doing Gods Will

• John 638 (NLT)38 For I have come down from
  heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to
  do my own will.

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Discover Gods Will

• In the Word,
• (Psalm 408 (NIV)8 I desire to do your will, O
  my God your law is within my heart.
• In the Leading of the Spirit,
• John 1613 (NIV)13 But when he, the Spirit of
  truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.
• In the Circumstances of Life,
• 1 John 317 (NIV)17 If anyone has material
  possessions and sees his brother in need but has
  no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?

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There is no greater purpose in life than to
purpose in our hearts to live to do Gods will.
Nothing else will sustain us so completely in
tough times.
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Live with the end in mind
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1 Peter 47 (NLT)

• The end of all things is near.

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Lifes Final Exam

• 1 Peter 45 (NIV)5 But they will have to give
  account to him who is ready to judge the living
  and the dead.

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Living with the end in mind will help keep us
focused on pursuing Gods purposes for our lives.
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Live with a clear head
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Clear Minded

• to be in control of ones thought processes and
  thus not be in danger of irrational thinkingto
  be sober-minded, to be well composed in mind.

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Whats the Condition of Your Mind?

• Clear Minded

• Clutter Minded

• Discerning
• Decisive
• Peace

• Confused
• Indecisive
• Turmoil

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1 Corinthians 216 (NIV)

• But we have the mind of Christ.

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We become clear minded about Gods purposes when
we intentionally replace unhealthy, unwholesome
messages with those that are consistent with
Gods character.
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Live a self-disciplined life
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Self-controlled

• to behave in a sensible manner, with the
  implication of thoughtful awareness of what is
  bestmoderation, sensibility

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A Culture Out of Control

• 1 Peter 43 (NLT)3 You have had enough in the
  past of the evil things that godless people
  enjoytheir immorality and lust, their feasting
  and drunkenness and wild parties, and their
  terrible worship of idols.

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You have to decide what your highest priorities
are and have the courage - pleasantly, smilingly,
non-apologetically - to say 'no' to other
things.  And the way to do that is by having a
bigger 'yes' burning inside.  The enemy of the
'best' is often the 'good.'  Stephen Covey
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What is your burning yes that gives you the
ability to pursue Gods purposes in tough times?
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Live a life of prayer
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1 Peter 47

• be clear minded and self-controlled so that you
  can pray.

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Tough Times Call for Constant Prayer

• Ephesians 618 (NIV)18 And pray in the Spirit on
  all occasions with all kinds of prayers and
  requests. With this in mind, be alert and always
  keep on praying for all the saints.

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Prayer Life Killers

• Double-Mindedness, (James 17-8)
• Diminished Confidence, (Hebrews 1019, 35)

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Nothing will sustain us in tough times like
living in a spirit of continual conversation with
God.
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Live a life of love
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1 Peter 48 (HCSB)

• 8 Above all, keep your love for one another at
  full strength, since love covers a multitude of
  sins.

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Tough Times Call for Forgiveness

• Luke 2334 (NIV)34 Jesus said, Father, forgive
  them, for they do not know what they are doing.

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Forgiving Like Christ

• Dont Live in Accusation, (Ps 1039a.)
• Dont Hold on to Anger, (Ps 1039b.)
• Dont Repay or Get Even, (Ps 10310)
• Separate Sinner from Sin, (Ps 10312)
• Choose to Forget, (Jeremiah 3134)

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Tough times provide unique opportunities for us
to express Gods love through offering
forgiveness to those who have hurt us.
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Live to uniquely express Gods grace
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Unwrapping Your Gifts