Hope in the Highs and Lows (Stories of Hope Series)

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The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon.

Hope in the Highs and Lows

Scripture Passage:  1 Kings 19

Supporting Scripture:  Romans 15:4 - The Bible offers us hope and encouragement.

For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. - Romans 15:4

We all have highs and lows in life, including Elijah.

In the high times, don't take your eyes off of God.  Don't forget the One who allows us to experience the high times, the One who pours out our blessings.

In the low spots, get your eyes on Jesus.

Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.  Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.”  And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.  But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.” - 1 Kings 19:1-4

Elijah was in a low spot.

1.  When people feel hopeless, they don't think clearly.

2.  In Elijah's case, he was away from any positive influence during this time.  In our own lives, when we feel hopeless, we tend to stop answering phone messages, attending normal social gatherings, etc.

Isolation is not healthy.

Another thing to remember is that we are most vulnerable to lows after we've experienced a high.

3.  Elijah was exhausted.  Sleep deprivation is not healthy.  When we don't get enough sleep - when we are tired and hungry - things seem worse than they are.

4.  Elijah wallowed in self pity.

Let's not look down on people who ask God to take their lives.  Many strong God-followers in the Bible did the same thing.

In Elijah's case, God did not give him a sermon or shame him.

What did God do?

He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, “Arise, eat.”  Then he looked and behold, there was at his head a bread cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again.  The angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you.” So he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God. Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” - 1 Kings 19:5-9

1.  God came to Elijah.  God will come to us.  

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. - Psalm 34:18

When people hurt, sometimes they just need a touch, a hug, or an embrace.

2.  God listened to Elijah.

3.  God gave Elijah a Word. (verse 7)

God touched Elijah and gave him food.  Nourishment is important.  Healthy eating habits help us when we are feeling hopeless.  Bad eating habits make us feel worse and magnify low moments in our lives.  Rest is also important.

What does God say to us?

1.  We have God's ministry of provision and protection in the highs and the lows.  

We should also remember that prosperity is not necessarily our great teacher.  Adversity is our great teacher.

2.  We must be immersed in truth to defeat lies.

3.  We must go forward with God after victory and also after defeat.

There is a next chapter in our lives.  There is a new assignment for us.  There is a new anointing.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord. - 1 Corinthians 15:58

 Read the rest of 1 Kings 19 here at Bible Gateway.

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 Applying the Gospel Truth to Our Lives

Sermon Title:  Apply the Gospel

Scripture Passage:  Matthew 7

Do we live out our faith?  What do we do with the sermons we hear?

Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. - Matthew 7:24

If you hear and do, you are wise.  

If you hear and do not do what I say, you're a fool.

There is no middle ground, no gray area.

You must decide to follow Jesus or not.

Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. - Matthew 7:13-14

Points to Ponder

 1.  Get on the right path.

Enter the narrow gate.  Follow the narrow path.  Jesus is not the best way to God.  He is the ONLY way to God.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. - John 14:6

I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. - John 10:9

*The Wide, Broad Way:  There are many on this path.  They are interested in whatever is trending.  There are no restrictions except for "intolerance."  There are no boundaries.  The end is destruction.  It is difficult to get off of this path.

There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. - Proverbs 14:12

*The Difficult, Narrow Way:  There are fewer people on this path.  The only way to stay on this road is to put your faith in Christ.  You'll never get on this road if your faith is in yourself.  You must leave yourself and your sin.

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day. - Proverbs 4:18

When tragedy strikes today, remember that when the world gets darker, Jesus gets brighter.


2.  Avoid false prophets.

Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. - Matthew 7:15-20

We know false prophets by their fruits.  If what they say does not line up with scripture, they are false prophets.  Avoid them.

The Bible is our standard.

False prophets rarely talk about sin.

Stay away from "feel good" theology.

They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, saying, "Peace, peace," but there is no peace. - Jeremiah 6:14

False prophets shout grace and whisper repentance.

They will "love you" right into Hell.

Stay away from "cool" scriptural fads.  Don't look for cool.  Look for right.  

We don't need a great communicator.  We need a truth teller.

3.  Live a genuine faith.

Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?"  And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness." - Matthew 7:21-23

Not everyone who will stand before God will make it into Heaven.  Here, God is talking to those who go to church.  He is talking to those who have Bibles.  He is talking to those who claim to know Him, but they do not know Him.  There will be many.

A real, living faith is absent from their lives.  They are not truly saved.  Faith is always accompanied by fruit.  If fruit is not there, then real faith is not there.

If there is no conviction, then they are lost (not saved). 

Why do you call Me, "Lord, Lord," and do not do what I say? - Luke 6:46

Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.  Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall. - Matthew 7:24-27

Do not build your house on "sand."  Build your house on a firm foundation of real faith.

Apply your faith to your life!

Hope in Hard Places (Stories of Hope Series)

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The following are my  Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon titled Hope in Hard Places.

Hope in Hard Places

Open up your Bible!  The scriptures give us hope and encouragement.

As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So my soul pants for You, O God. 
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;
When shall I come and appear before God?
My tears have been my food day and night,
While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 
These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go along with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.

Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him
For the help of His presence.
O my God, my soul is in despair within me;
Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan
And the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;
All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.
The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime;
And His song will be with me in the night,
A prayer to the God of my life.

I will say to God my rock, “Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me,
While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God. - Psalm 42

They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” - Luke 24:32

For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. - Romans 15:4

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. - Romans 15:13

This item is available here.

 God's Word provides hope.  Pray the scriptures.    

We tend to believe the following lies: 

1.  What is happening to me is personal.  We tend to think we are the only ones facing a challenge.  No one is living a perfect life.  You are not alone.

2.  What is happening to me is pervasive.  We feel like our whole life is messed up.  

3.  What is happening to me is permanent.  We feel like our current circumstances will last forever.  

Those are all lies.
  
How did the psalmist combat those lies?

Learn today that we can have hope in the hardest places.

As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me, while they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” - Psalm 42:10

People might say to us, "Where is your God now?"  Satan says that to us.

My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” - Psalm 42:3

The psalmist was torn up on the inside. 

Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me? 

Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him
For the help of His presence. - Psalm 42:5

The psalmist indicates that he is not praising God in his current time, but that he knows he will praise Him again.

The psalmist did not question God's love for him even though he felt he had been abandoned. 

The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; and His song will be with me in the night, a prayer to the God of my life. - Psalm 42:8

1.  He sang to God.  

When you are in a hard place, expose yourself to Godly music.    

2.  He preached hope to his heart.   

Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me? 
Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him
For the help of His presence. - Psalm 42:5

3.  Gather with others for worship.

These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go along with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God, with the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival. - Psalm 42:4

 4.  The psalmist does not ask for an escape from his circumstances.  He asks for a thirst for God instead.  

It is in the hard place that we learn to have a prayer place and a worship place.

Never doubt God's love, even in a hard place.

There is never a hard place that separates you from the love of God.

When you don't know what to do, do what you know.

Be in the Bible.  Go to church.  Attend Bible Fellowship classes.

A change in circumstances is not my greatest need.  Knowing God is my greatest need.

The eye has not seen nor has the ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of man all that God has prepared for those who love Him. - 1 Corinthians 2:9

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Our hope was never in this life.  Our hope is in eternity.  

  

  

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 When Trials Persist

Scripture Passage:  The Book of Job

The persistence of the devil will disturb you when hard times come.

Satan's attacks are not primarily about you and might not be about you at all.

Satan's attacks work powerfully against us.

Job = Ground Zero in Human Form

The knowledge of God's sovereignty over trials doesn't always take away the pain of living through trials. 

But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” - Matthew 16:23

The greater the pain, the more potential for glory.

Don't waist your pain.

The perspective of a disciple will deliver you.

But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips. - Job 2:10

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Scripture Passage:  Matthew 6:25-34

The following are my notes taken during my pastor's sermon.

Jesus Said, "Don't Worry!"

For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?  And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?  And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,  yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!  Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’  For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. - Matthew 6:25-34

It is a sin to worry.  

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. - Philippians 4:6 

Get this wall art here.

1.  Look at the birds.
2.  Look at the flowers.
3.  Look at your heart.

Seek God first.

We are to live one day at a time.


We crucify today between two trees:  yesterday and tomorrow.

We can only have ONE Master.

He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name. - John 1:11-12

Guard Your Hearts from Greed and Worry

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Scripture Passage:  Matthew 6:19-24

 The following are my notes taken during my pastor's sermon.

Guard Your Heart from Greed and Worry

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;  for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
 
The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. 

Matthew 6:19-24

Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life.

Proverbs 4:23 

Points to Ponder

1.  Our treasure must be correct.

*Earthly treasure is never safe.  It has enemies:  rust, moths, thieves.

*Earthly treasure is not always bad.  it is not a sin to own things.  It is a sin when things own us.

*Earthly treasure is never permanent.

He said,“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked I shall return there.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Job 1:21