The Choice

(2 Timothy 1:16 TLB) May the Lord bless Onesiphorus and all his family because he visited me and encouraged me often. His visits revived me like a breath of fresh air. 


STUCK IN THE DOLDRUMS 


1. You start faking it. 


(Jeremiah 6:14 NIV) They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.



 2. You put it off. 



(Hebrews 12:15) See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 



3. You give up. 



(Job 17:13) Where then is my hope? Who can see any hope for me?' 


4. You die. 


(2 Corinthians 1:8-9) We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. 



THE CHOICE 


(Genesis 2:9) In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 


(Genesis 2:16-17) And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” 



(Deuteronomy 30:19) This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life. 


 Doing more. or 

 Receiving what has been done. 


(John 5:39-40) You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. 



 Trying to get God’s approval. or 


 Receiving God’s love for you. 


(Romans 5:8) But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 


 Obeying out of duty. or 

 Obeying out of delight. 


(John 14:15) If you love me, you will obey what I command. 



FRESH AIR PRINCIPLE #1 



(Matthew 7:21-23) Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you.' 



Fall in love with Jesus.   


Chris Hodges, Church of the Highalnds

https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/the-choice

https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/files/groups/guides/09-09-12.pdf

Course Correction

(Revelation 3:7-8) “What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.” 


FINDING THE RIGHT DOOR 


(Ephesians 5:17) “Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.” 


 God’s moral will. What God has already said in His Word. 


 God’s sovereign will. What God is doing on the earth.


 The more I get to know the moral will of God and the sovereign will of God, the better I will find God’s will for my life. 


(Psalm 139:16) “Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” 


(Romans 8:28) “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” 


COURSE CORRECTION 


(Romans 5:20) “But where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” 


(Romans 6:1-2) “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” 


(Isaiah 30:21) “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” 


1. What am I doing that I should not be doing? 


(Romans 12:2) “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” 


(Proverbs 4:25-27) “Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.” 


2. What am I not doing that I should be doing? 



(James 4:17) “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” 


(1 Peter 4:2) “As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.” 


3. Why not do it today? 


(2 Corinthians 6:2) “For he says, ‘In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.”


Video
https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/course-correction

Chris Hodges, Church of the Highlands

The Birth Place of Dreams

(Hebrews 12:1) Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

For when you wonder if your life counts...

“ Give your best wherever God puts you because God is watching.”

God see greatness in you that you don't see in yourself. 

Wherever you are...

Give your best in obscurity and God will

 reward it.

Elisha was just a farmer; however,  Elisha performed more miracles than anyone else in the Bible except Jesus.

(1 Kings 19:19 NLT) So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were twelve teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away.

Elisha burned the bridges behind him by sacrificing his team of oxen.

1 Kings 19:20-21 

20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”

“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”

21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.

God first tests us in the details. Elisha worked for years in obscurity for Elijah as his servant. 

(Matthew 6:4) Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Give your best in small things and God will give you bigger things to do.

(Luke 16:10) “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”

Little things matter. 

Give your best in the  natural and God will do the supernatural.

Don't get trapped in the natural that you don't ask God for the supernatural. 

(2 Kings 2:9-10) When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.

Ask God for great things.

“You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”

(John 14:12-14) Whoever believes in me (Jesus) will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father... You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Elisha’s Words of Encouragement

1. “Learn how to cultivate the presence of God in your life.”

Dreams are birthed in God's presence. 

(2 Kings 3:15) “But now bring me a harpist.” While the harpist was playing, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha.

(Acts 4:13) When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

2.“At some point, you have to wake up and do something."

(2 Kings 3:16) And he said, “This is what the LORD says: Make this valley full of ditches.”

Start preparing. 

  

(James 2:17) Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Dreams must go from inspiration to participation. 

3.“Don’t base your life on the seen, but the unseen."

(2 Kings 3:17-18) For this is what the LORD says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink. This is an easy thing in the eyes of the LORD; he will also hand Moab over to you.

(2 Corinthians 4:18) So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Don't give up!  We walk by faith and not by sight. 

Chris Hodges, Church of the Highlands

https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/elisha

All scripture is from the New International Version unless otherwise noted.

22 Days of Freedom

1 Thessalonians 5:23  (NLT)

Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.

Proverbs 17:24 (GNT)

24 An intelligent person aims at wise action, but a fool starts off in many directions.

The Rule of 5 -   Everyday.

1.  Spend time with God in prayer. 

2. Study God's Word.

3. Love people.

4. Make a difference.

5.  Take care of yourself. 

Matthew 6:33 (GNT)

33 Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things.

Throughout the day... 

1. Acknowledge God's presence and thank Him. 

Prayer is weakness leaning on omnipotence. 

Psalm 145:1-3  (NIV)

1 I will exalt you, my God the King;
    I will praise your name for ever and ever.
2 Every day I will praise you
    and extol your name for ever and ever.

3 Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;

    his greatness no one can fathom.

The secret to having everything is believing that you do and giving thanks for it. 

2. Talk to God about what's on your heart. 

Psalm 68:19  (NIV)

19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
    who daily bears our burdens.

Don't interpret God's Word through the lens of your morality.  Interpret your morality through the lens of God's Word.

A. Make an appointment with God.  

Psalm 5:3  (NIV)

3 In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
    in the morning I lay my requests before you
    and wait expectantly.

B. Select a undestracted environment. 

Mark 1:35 (NIV)

35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

C.  Make a prayer outline .

Luke 11:2-4  (NIV)

2 He said to them, “When you pray, say:

“‘Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread.
4 Forgive us our sins,
    for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.

3. Read to submit to God's Word. 

Joshua 1:8 (NIV)

8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Psalm 1:1-2  (NIV) 

Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.

4. Maintain Godly relationships.

Hebrews 3:13 (NIV)

13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

5. Surrender life to God. 

1 Corinthians 15:31 NIV)

31 I face death every day—yes, just as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Luke 9:23  (NIV)

23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

Chris Hodges, Church of the Highlands

https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/day-22-and-beyond