Road to Recovery

Look at the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-10,

Jesus said:

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart,  for they will see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

We are all in some need of recovery look at these Eight Recovery Principles based on the Beatitudes:

Realize that you’re not God (5:3)

Earnestly believe that God exists (5:4)

Consciously choose (5:5)

Openly examine and confess (5:8)

Voluntarily submit (5:6)

Evaluate all my relationships (5:7)

Reserve daily time with God (5:9)

Yield yourself to be used by God (5:10)

Be wise today and always - allow recovery to happen in your life today.

Praying Psalm 121

Pray Psalm 121 today by putting your name in the blanks.

I lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does _______________’s help come from?

_______________’s help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.

God will not _______________’s foot slip.

He who watches over ______________ will not slumber or sleep.

The Lord watches over _______________,

The Lord is his/her shade on his/her right hand.

The sun will not harm _______________ by day nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep him/her from all evil.

He will preserve his/her soul.

The Lord will watch over _______________’s coming and going.

Both now and forevermore.

We pray this in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Be wise today and always - make praying the Bible personal.

Always With You

Have you ever given thought to the promise Jesus gives to believers in Matthew 28:20? Let’s break it down.

Surely – firmly; certainly; assuredly

I – Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God

Am – to be

With – in the company of; among; marked by; through

You – used when a singular person is addressed

Always – at all times; continually

What does this mean to me?

1. I’m never alone – a good thing (I will never be lonely)

2. I’m never alone – a bad thing (He’ll witness everything I say and do)

3. I’m never alone – a purposeful thing (My thoughts and actions must change)

To the very end of the age

Be wise today and always – thank Jesus for being with you always.

Speaking

We have all heard that we are to live out our faith so that others will see Christ in us. Some times we have to use words and say what we believe in order to get people to understand. 

Even Jesus had to do it at the tomb of his friend in John 11:41-42 ⁴¹ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” 

 Continue to live a life of grace. Look at 2 Timothy 1:9 -  He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,

Be wise today and always - be ready to speak when God prompts you. 

Church

The local church is the hope of the world. - Bill Hybels

Hebrews 10:19-25 says,

¹⁹ Brothers and sisters, because of the blood of Jesus we can now confidently go into the holy place. ²⁰ Jesus has opened a new and living way for us to go through the curtain. (The curtain is his own body.) ²¹ We have a superior priest in charge of God’s house. ²² We have been sprinkled with his blood to free us from a guilty conscience, and our bodies have been washed with clean water. So we must continue to come to him with a sincere heart and strong faith. ²³ We must continue to hold firmly to our declaration of faith. The one who made the promise is faithful. ²⁴ We must also consider how to encourage each other to show love and to do good things. ²⁵ We should not stop gathering together with other believers, as some of you are doing. Instead, we must continue to encourage each other even more as we see the day of the Lord coming. (GW)

Only 20% of Americans make it to church on Sunday mornings. I believe Hybels has it right.We, believers in Christ, must be his hands and feet to the world.May we not be ashamed of the Gospel of be afraid to be the church God wants us to be. Amen?

September 16, 2012 is National back to Church Sunday. See you in church! 

Be wise today and always - go to church.

Give Thanks

We must fix our eyes on our unchanging Christ  

Read Psalm 136:1-4 out loud and respond with His love endures forever!

¹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
² Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
³ Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.

⁴ to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.

How do these verses (and the others) apply to your life?

What other things in your life do you need to give thanks for, and say His love endures forever? Why not do it throughout the day?

Be wise today and always - God's love endures forever!

Look

Look to Christ through His Word in Malachi

Read Malachi 3:11-18 and then break it down as follows:

 

The Test vv. 11-12  

¹¹ I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe, ” says the Lord Almighty. ¹² “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty. 

- open up heaven itself  

- pour out blessings

- defend you against enemies

- protect your possessions

- experience what it's like to be a country of grace

God said to test Him and see if He is still in charge. Are we promised these things today?

Lives Not Serving Him vv.13-15

¹³ “You have spoken arrogantly against me,” says the Lord. “Yet you ask, ‘What have we said against you?’ ¹⁴ “You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty? ¹⁵ But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.’”

-   speak hard, rude words (curse) to God  

- live for self

- break all the rules

-  push God to the limit

How can we “be the church” to people like these?

When we feel that it is not fair that wicked people prosper, what do we need to remind ourselves?

 Lives that honor God vv. 16-18

¹⁶ Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name.¹⁷ “On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him. ¹⁸ And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not. 
 

- fear God with reverence obedience

- honor God's name

- do the right thing 

- serve God

What are some things that can help us to live a life honoring to God?

Be wise today and always - fix your eyes on an unchanging Christ>