Go Ahead. Take A Long Look.
James 1:23-25
I. Mirrors Don’t Lie. They Reveal The Whole Truth.
II. Mirrors Help Me To Make Changes For The Day.
III. We Can Glance At The Mirror Or Gaze Into It.
IV. Mirrors Help Me To See How Close I Resemble Jesus.
V. Mirrors Can Be A Big Blessing! That Is A Direct Promise From God.
II Kings 2:1-13
And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel. And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye yourpeace. And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho. And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on. And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan. And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground. And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him,
and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan.
For all sad words of tongue and pen,
The saddest are these, ‘It might have been’
Decide What You Want For Your Life
Commit Your Life To That Decision
Prepare For Distractions
(A) Internal
(B) External
Remain Close To The Master
Embrace God’s Purpose For Your Life
Jeremiah 20:7-9
7. O Lord, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived; thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.
8. For since I spoke, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the
Lord was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily.
9. Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
1. Throwing In The Towel Can Happen To Anyone.
2. Throwing In The Towel Begins With Me Believing Satan’s Lies.
3. Throwing In The Towel Is Compounded By Peer Pressure
4. Throwing In The Towel Comes With The Weight of The Cross.
5. Throwing In The Towel Develops From Just Being Plain Tired.
6. Picking Up The Towel Happens When I Feel The Fire Raging In My Bones.
Faith Will Define You Hebrews 11:23-28 NIV
1. Faith Will Make You Brave Vs. 23
It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command.
A. We must make brave decisions.
B. “Faith does not give into fear.”
C. Who are you going after?
D. What are you doing to leave your comfort?
-Faith will cause you to do the unusual.
-Faith will require you to take a risk.
-Faith will challenge you.
2. Faith Is Not Always The Easy Way Vs. 24-26
It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward.
A. Faith is, MOST of the time, the less popular thing to do.
B. God will not leave you.
“Sometimes faith is not to move a mountain, but instead it requires you to put on the hiking gear and climb the mountain.”
3. Faith Takes a Long-term View Vs.27
It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.
A. Faith indicates we believe there is a future.
B. Let God be part of the equation.
1. What will please Him?
2. How will this affect later?
4. Faith Ultimately Rests On Jesus Vs.28
It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons.
A. Faith is not a “You,” but a “He.”
B. We all make the “choice” to have faith. Having that faith is resting on Jesus to do the unforeseen.
C. You give it all to Him and take your hands off.
Finding Your Fire For God
Begins With A Willing Heart!
Exodus 35
4. Then Moses said to the entire Israelite community, “This is what the Lord has commanded: 5. Take up an offering among you for the Lord. Let everyone whose heart is willing bring this as the Lord’s offering:
1. Their Willing Hearts Fired Up The Volunteers.
(A) They Were Excited.
(B) They Were Cooperative.
(C) They Were Gifted.
2. Their Willing Hearts Fired Up The Offerings.
(A) It Was A Purposeful Offering.
(B) It Was A Planned Offering.
(C) It Was A Plentiful Offering.
3. Their Willing Hearts Fired Up A Genuine Focus On God.