Loving God in Reverse
Dear Friends,
It is good to be back from the mountains. I can’t wait to see you and share some of what God has been teaching me. God’s creation has a deep silence that can bring clarity and great joy!
We all have so much information coming at us it becomes increasingly difficult not to be swept away by all the chatter and the worldly promises. We easily are captured by the belief that the key to happiness resides outside of our own walks with God. We begin to believe that certain people, places and things are essential for us to be happy. We quickly forget Jesus gave us Himself and called us to find lasting happiness in Him.
The real enemy of peace security and joy is invisible to us because we are focused on getting things our way. While all the time we have a simple problem with many complex symptoms.
God always begins with the heart of our condition because the heart of the problem is the problem of the heart.
The simple truth is: Often the way to peace is not in what you do for God but what you don’t do! We understand that loving someone requires us to not do things that hurt them and so it is with God. We want to do it all but sometimes we must love in reverse by what we don’t do.
The new series I will begin Sunday is titled: Loving God in Reverse
I will be teaching on what gets in our hearts and distracts and steals deep peace and happiness. Please make a point to come back and see how God’s grace can reveal and deliver you from the bondage of things that grieve God and crush you.
Blessings,
Joe
PREPARING FOR SUNDAY
Pray for me and yšourself as you get plan to attend. Invite at least one person to come and sit with you in a worship service. Make room to go to a small group downstairs or a class.
Prayerfully consider the following scriptures and discussion questions
- WHY IS THE WORD SIN AVOIDED OR EVEN LAUGHED OFF THESE DAYS?
WHAT IS SIN?Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
- HOW CAN SIN BLIND AND ENSLAVE SOMEONE?
Joh_8:34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. Act 8:23 “For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.”
- WHY DO WE TEND TO LOOK FOR ANY OTHER CAUSE FOR MISERY OTHER THAN OUR SIN?
Jer 17:9 “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?
- WHY IS IT ESSENTIAL THAT WE SEE AND CONFRONT SIN IN OUR LIVES?
Psa 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.
Heb 3:12-13 Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
- IF SIN IS THE MAIN PROBLEM WHY IS THAT GOOD NEWS?
Mat 1:21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
1Jn 1:5-9 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Jas 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
