What Is Your Will In Christ?

The ABCs of Christian Survival and Growth 4C The One Who Loses Wins The One Who Loses Wins ... a statement that doesn't seem to agree with itself. It defies logic and and our intellect. It's not what we likely learned as children playing games or what we learned playing sports. Life is filled with potential competitions and opportunities to be the first, the fastest, the strongest, the smartest, etc .... and the trophy goes to the one who wins. So how can the one who loses be the winner? Again, I come back to perspective - our God's. If I run a footrace, what is my motivation for running it? If it's not to glorify God in some way, then it's pointless and likely not worthy to be counted for eternity. We weren't given life so that we could glorify ourselves, but God who gave us any ability that we might lay claim to. Is my motivation to run something that is bound to be successful in fulfilling the purpose for my creation? Or is it to satisfy my need to be eleva...

In the "big picture," - God's perspective, He's had a plan for each of us that was made even before we were born. In Jeremiah 1:5 (NLT), God spoke to Jeremiah : "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world." This one verse reveals that God both knew Jeremiah before his flesh existed and that He had a plan for Jeremiah's life. No doubt, this same all knowing God knew the spirits of each of us before He formed us and has a plan for us, but then He made it interesting. He's given each us the opportunity to follow the basic truths He's taught us, which will lead to His plan being worked out in our lives, or choose to follow our own will and live outside of what He intended. But the blessings of our God and the prosperity He intended for us are to be found in living according to His plan. True prosperity has nothing to do with man's currency or mater...

"MAN HOLDS A GUN IN A CROWD- DETAILS TO FOLLOW ... An unknown man is holding a gun in a crowded room downtown. It's unknown at this time who this man is or what his intentions are ... it's unclear if he intends to shoot someone in the room or possibly even himself. Police are setting up an incident command post nearby ..." Imagine this news flashing across your TV screen. It immediately evokes a level of concern. Why is he there and what's his intention? Does he mean to hurt himself or someone else? We don't know. But what's clear is that he has the ability to inflict serious harm and in an instant someone could be hurt ... or even dead and it gets our attention. It's a life or death moment - a moment of decision in the hands of someone with an obvious intention to do something. What will he do? In his hand, he holds the capacity to damage or even destroy. We're captivated by the drama of the moment. As Christians we're likely...

Long before we were conceived, our God had a plan for our lives. He created us with a holy purpose in mind ... but then ... He gave us the right to choose to follow it or not.. We can either devote our lives to His plan and purpose, or follow a path of our choosing. But only one path leads us home to Him and only that path will satisfy the the deep needs that He created us with. I feel led to focus our next conversations on that path and the reality of the big picture we're living. In these next conversations, I want to address some things that many Christians do recognize, but that some not yet matured to that point in their walk with Christ, may not. My intentions in this series are to enable any who desire to walk in the fullness of our Lord's blessing with understanding. Outline: Part 4 Surrendering To The Path Of Promise A. Communications - Man With A Gun B. Battle Of Wills - Power Of A Surrendered Warrior C. The One Who Loses Wins

The ABCs Of Christian Survival And Growth Reviewing 3C The only way to make it work - is to follow His rules Obedience ... a word not often associated by most children today with freedom, blessing or exciting promise. But in fact, it is the key to those very things. The astoundingly generous and grace filled promises of our God are laid out before us in the whole of His Word. But enabling them to be realized in our own lives hinges on our choice to be obedient. Obedience to: 1. believe, have faith, trust, that our God has been truthful in everything He's said - Choosing to believe that He didn't lie to us or wasn't just talking to us because He's likes to hear the sound of His own Godly voice. Obedience to: 2. live according to the truths He's laid out before us. If He, the author of all creation has told us that this is the way to live, then this IS the way to live. He's told us what the alternative is and what it brings, so our path should be crystal clear...

I'm going to betray my outline a little here, because the messages regarding: He made it all & He made all of the rules and gave us a choice, are too inter-linked to separate. So I hope you'll forgive the length of this message. It's out of loving concern that some take these things too lightly that I offer it ... Obedience ... a word not often associated by most children today with freedom, blessing or exciting promise. In fact, some adults regard it as optional or may even set themselves against it in defiance. In the world's perspective it's becoming something to be scorned and dismissed with arrogance as foolish boundaries imposed on personal freedoms and choices. In rebellion many live lives are set against it as though it were a challenge to their personal "rights" or a risky competition that adds "excitement" to life that is played out in their lives like a game of chance. The record of God seems to show that these attitudes began wi...