Game Plan - Part 3

THE PLAYBOOK

God's thumbprints on you are clues about His plan for you.

What did you do with the talents and gifts I gave you?

Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you.   1 Timothy 4:14 NLT

Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress.  1 Timothy 4:15 NLT

Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.  1 Timothy 4:16 NLT

This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.  2 Timothy 1:6 NLT

*Know your gifts.

www.gifts.churchgrowth.org

    Spiritual gifts
    Heart
    Abilities
    Personality
    Experiences

*Leverage opportunities to use your gifts.

What's at stake? Not only do you lose, but the rest of us lose.

“The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!'"  Matthew 25:21 NLT

Game Plan - Part 2

CALLING AN AUDIBLE

The 3 Elements of God's Will:
    *Providential will of God
    *Moral will of God
    *Personal Will of God

The more familiar you are with the providential and moral will of God, the easier it will be for you to discern the personal will of God.

They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.”.  2 Peter 3:4 NLT

They deliberately forget that God made the heavens long ago by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water.  2 Peter 3:5 NLT

Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood.  2 Peter 3:6 NLT

 And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.  2 Peter 3:7 NLT

But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.  2 Peter 3:8 NLT

The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.  2 Peter 3:9 NLT

Repentance - a change of mind that results in a change of action.

Salvation - a change of mind about Jesus.

God's personal will for you is that you turn in His direction (repent) and embrace His Son as your Savior.

Game Plan - Part 1

FUNDAMENTALS OF THE GAME

God, what should I do with my life?

Premise - There is a God and He has a great plan for your life.

Promise - You're going to be equipped to understand how to find God's plan for your life.

GOD'S WILL:
    *Pray without ceasing
    *Give thanks in everything
    *Rejoice always
    *Submit to authorities
    *Avoid sexual immorality
    *Be saved
    *Be filled with the Holy Spirit

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.   Colossians 3:1 NLT

Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.  Colossians 3:2 NLT

For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.  Colossians 3:3 NLT

When Christ, who is your life...   Colossians 3:4 NLT

I think that God is only a component of my life.

GOD - I am your life.

The focus of my life is not the future.  

The focus of my life is a person:  JESUS.

There's a prize inside of me!

Let God be God in my world.

To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27 NIV

He is the prize inside of me and if my focus will be on Him, He will lead me to His plans.

HOMEWORK:
Simply go with God.
Shift my focus from the future to my Savior?  
Just rest.

God, what should I do with your life that is within me?

iMarriage - Part 3

IT TAKES 3

The key and goal is to empty the expectation box.

What do you do with all this stuff in the desire box?

Options for dealing with unsatisfied desires:
    *Ignore them
    *Stay bus
    *Find someone else

In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”  1 Peter 5:5 NLT

Biblical humility = freely choosing to put your deal ahead of my deal

Grace = God given power to do what you need to do.                 

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.  1 Peter 5:6 NLT

Declare your dependence and announce your obedience.

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.  1 Peter 5:7 NLT

"Is this important to you?  Well then, it's important to me."

"The box talk."

Confess
    -Take responsibility for turning your desires into expectations.    

Ask
    -Where do you feel pressure to live up to my expectations?
    -What can I do to make our marriage more fulfilling?

Reward
    -What's rewarded is repeated.
    -He/she will know how important it is to you.

Great marriages are not about two big "I's."  It is about us.

iMarriage - Part 2

PUTING YOUR "I" OUT

When desires are translated into expectations we create a debt/debtor relationship.

What does your spouse owe you?    Nothing!

How do you keep the expectation box empty?

Don't throw Bible darts.

The answer to the "I" marriage is that you invite in a third party.

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.  Ephesians 5:21 NLT

Christian marriage is a submission competition.

Do you know what reverence means?

GOD-Put her first because I put You first.

This is a debt-free relationship.

For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord.  Ephesians 5:22 NLT

For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her.  Ephesians 5:25 NLT

Why did God design marriage like that?

It's no longer an "I will if you will."

Christian marriage is where "I" gets replaced with a "J."

Maintain a perspective of "you don't owe me anything."

What do you call it when you try to control somebody's behavior?

What you choose to do with your freedom is between you and God.

There are no guarantees.

This is your only hope for God to invade the relationship and bring about change.

What do I do with my desires?

This isn't simple, isn't easy, this is God's design.

iMarriage - Part 1

KEEPING MY "I" ON YOU

We don't want to work on it, we just want it to work.

Once the big "I's" collide there are just a few options:
    *leave
    *conquer
    *conform
    *compromise

Marriage moves from covenant mode to contract mode.

When desires are translated into expectations we create a debt/debtor relationship.

Behind these expectations are legitimate, God-given desires...

To be:
    respected         understood
    cherished         appreciated      
    accepted         desired
    loved             listened to
    taken care of

How do we know when we have shifted from desires to expectations?
    *expressions of gratitude        
     *acts of service

Marriage is characterized by mutual care and submission, no longer male domination.

And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.   Ephesians 5:21 NLT

Christian marriage is a submission competition.

HOMEWORK:
What does your spouse owe you?

Brand New - Part 5

REDEFINING TERMS

* Structure - The church is a body, it is not a kingdom.

All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.  1 Corinthians 12:27 NLT

Temple model = consume
Jesus model = engage

* Authority is to be exercised for the benefit of the led, not the leaders.

You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them.   Matthew 20:25 NLT

But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant.  And whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave.  Matthew 20:26-27 NLT

I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master.   John 13:15-16 NLT

* Marriage is characterized by mutual care and submission, no longer male domination.

Jesus’ disciples then said to him, “If this is the case, it is better not to marry!”   Matthew 19:10 NLT

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.  Ephesians 5:21 NLT

Christian marriage is a submission competition.

* Spirituality is determined by how well one loves, not how much one person knows.

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.   Galatians 5:22-23 NLT

* Holiness is about being a part of rather than setting oneself apart from.

So the Word became human and made his home among us.   John 1:14 NLT

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations.  And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.  Matthew 28:19-20 NLT

Holy people have dirty hands

Dirty is the new Holy

Never confuse giftedness with holiness.

What does love require of me?

Brand New - Part 4

What Love Requires

If you ever felt guiltier about missing church than mistreating someone at work...

If you've ever sat around trying to figure out how close you could get to sin without actually sinning...

If you believe there's some ritual that makes you right with God and removes your responsibility to make restitution to someone you've harmed...

The Temple Model - you centered

Temple thinking always gravitates toward rules and rituals.

What exactly must I do to make things right and keep things right between God and me?

The Jesus model is centered on you, beside you.

This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.  John 15:12 NLT

Do you know why you should... 
    *tell the truth?
    *be generous?

Do you know why you shouldn't...
    *talk badly about someone
    *pressure your girlfriend sexually

The New Testament Imperatives are examples of how to demonstrate your love for God by loving others.

The Jesus model is less complicated, but it is far more demanding.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.  Philippians 2:5 NIV

But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.  Luke 6:27,36 NLT

What does love require of me?

Matthew 25:31-40 (see screen)

Your devotion to God is illustrated, demonstrated and authenticated by your love for others.

Whatever you do, for one of them, it's like you're doing it for me.