Loving God! Loving People! Loving Life! Message Notes Tough Times Part One Loving Life Church Smyrna Wednesday, January 4, 2017 7:00pm Pastor Christian Salzillo Jeremiah 32:17 Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. (NIV) Jeremiah 32:27 I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? (NIV) As God s people, we can endure tough times because nothing is too hard for God. Jeremiah understood, as he prayed this prayer, that our feelings may not line up with God s truth, but our confession must. 1. No addiction is too Strong for God 1 Corinthians 6:12 I will not be mastered by anything. (NIV) Isaiah 35:4 Say to those with fearful hearts, Be strong, do not fear; your God will come he will come to save you. (NIV) 3. How do we apply These Truths to our Tough Times? A. Close the Door of Access 2 Timothy 2:22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace (NIV) Cut back on negative news; get an internet filter; flee temptation. B. Confess your Sins Acts 3:19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. (NIV) Not all tough times are due to sin; some could be. C. Develop a quick Strike Ephesians 5:18 Don t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit (NLT) Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners (NIV) John 8:34, 36 Everyone who sins is a slave to sin so if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (NIV) 2. No fear is too Great for God 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. (NIV) 2 Timothy 1:7 God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (NKJV) Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (NIV) Have a verse or two that can serve as a sword strike at your enemy when fear, hopelessness, and an urge for addiction come upon you. D. Accept and apply God s Grace 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 Closing Text: Isaiah 43:1-3 The big idea: As God s people, we can endure tough times because nothing is too hard for God.
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Jeremiah 32:17 Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. (NIV) Jeremiah 32:17 Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. (NIV) Jeremiah 32:27 I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? (NIV) 2
As God s people, we can endure tough times because nothing is too hard for God. 1. No Addiction Is Too Strong For God 3
By definition, an addiction is the state of being enslaved to a habit, a practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming. By definition, an addiction is the state of being enslaved to a habit, a practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming. A medical dictionary calls addiction dependence beyond one s voluntary control. 4
Some of the most common addictions include drugs, alcohol, sex, pornography, food, gambling, television, the internet, shopping, soft drinks, coffee, exercising, work, tobacco, video games and chocolate. 1 Corinthians 6:12 I will not be mastered by anything. (NIV) 5
1 Corinthians 6:12 I will not be mastered by anything. (NIV) Ephesians 5:18 Don t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit (NLT) Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners (NIV) 6
Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners (NIV) John 8:36, 38 Everyone who sins is a slave to sin so if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (NIV) 2. No Fear Is Too Great For God 7
By definition, fear is a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil or pain whether the threat is real or imagined. 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. (NIV) 8
2 Timothy 1:7 God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (NKJV) Isaiah 35:4 Say to those with fearful hearts, Be strong, do not fear; your God will come he will come to save you. (NIV) 9
3. How Do We Apply These Truths To Our Tough Times? A.Close the Door of Access 2 Timothy 2:22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace (NIV) 10
B. Confess Your Sins Acts 3:19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. (NIV) C. Develop a Quick Strike Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (NIV) 11
D. Accept & Apply God s Grace 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (NIV) Isaiah 43:1-3 1 But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. (ESV) 12
As God s people, we can endure tough times because nothing is too hard for God. part one 13