I wanted to share with you below a recent class I did with the teens. Know that I told them it's normal to feel down, angry, hurt, sad, etc. Jesus wasn't saying not to feel...He was just commanding us not to stay there as we ultimately have a choice. This is a hard teaching for all of us to take to heart, but God would never command us to do something that was impossible...especially with the Spirit working in us. To put this teaching in perspective, John 14:1 preludes Jesus getting arrested and crucified...and he was commanding us to not "let" our hearts get troubled. His heart was about to be tested to the point of traces of blood in his sweat...but He didn't stay there did he?
Amazing...so, no matter where the economy is, no matter what is going on in this world, and no matter the sorrow we feel when we lose loved ones...we have a choice to trust in God/Jesus/Holy Spirit...or reside in our flesh. I love you guys and know this is a tough command for me this week with the death of Barrett Lewis...but ultimately I will trust in God as I grieve the loss of my friend and direct my anger towards the thief who robbed Linda, Rachel, and his little girls. (The numbers below in parentheses were power point slides and Kardia is the greek word for heart...)
House of KARDIA Choices 11-12-08
(1)John 14:1 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.”
Your first reaction is going to determine the outcome in a crisis situation. Seldom do we have the luxury of sitting back and looking at things. (2)The attitude you have when Satan comes against you is going to determine the final result. If you can get a hold of this truth, it will revolutionize your life. The less we operate in hurt or depression, the more the Word will take root and convict us!! Mark 4:13-20
(3) In John 14:1, Jesus says, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me." this is a command as much as any other command in the Word — as much as "thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, and thou shalt not kill." It is a direct command from the Lord!
Now this is so simple that you can miss it. It's very profound, however. (4) The first thing you have to do when Satan comes against you is to make the decision that you are not going to let your heart be troubled.
If you were to diagram this sentence, the understood subject is "you." You don’t let your heart be troubled. God gave you the choice. God gave you power over your heart.
Again, this is so simple we often miss it. The vast majority of people who are attacked by Satan don't really understand this. A lot of them believe that in a given situation, there is no way that they can help but to be depressed and discouraged. They justify emotions that are contrary to God's Word. So the very first thing you have to do is say, "I am not going to let my heart be troubled." (MY DAD!!!)
(5)John 14:26-27 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. This is as much of a command as thou shall not steal, or thou shall not murder!!
(6) Philippians 4:8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Are you depressed tonight? You are probably mostly thinking about things that are depressing. Are you discouraged tonight? You are probably focusing on things that are discouraging. Are you angry or bitter at something or someone? You most likely are focusing your thoughts on what fuels your anger. WE HAVE A CHOICE!!
(7) Your spirit never gets depressed, it never gets discouraged, it never gets fearful!! The Bible tells us we are one in Spirit with the Lord...our battle is with our fleshly responses.
(8) Psalm 42 and 43 tell us what to do when we are lonely or depressed...Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God! MARK 4:13-20!!!
(9) We have a choice like Stephen, Jesus, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego facing a crisis...what choice did they make? They responded in line with the Spirit that was controlling their hearts and minds!! We may feel justified but God commanded us to not let our hearts be troubled! We are to put our hope and trust in Him and praise him no matter what happens.
Be what God is calling you to be and don’t let the enemy rule your thoughts and steal your joy!!
(10) John 14:1 Jesus says, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me."
(The teens and parents received this very well and we had a powerful prayer time at the end with each other where teens were releasing their hurts and struggles to the Lord! Praise God!)
See you on Tuesday...Todd
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3 comments:
Todd, what a blessing it was for me that you shared your bible study. I was feeling really down today and was encourage by the Lord through you. Thank you for letting His Spirit work in you. You are a blessing for everyone who is in contact with you. I love you brother! Karie
Dear Todd,
I am up quite late as you can see. And yes, I will admit, my heart is somewhat troubled. Thanks for posting your lesson about the heart. It is helping me as I try to understand some of life's mysteries. I love you, son. Mom Right now I am in prayer that the Lord will spare Prentice's life and that he will still have years of service left. If God chooses to take him home, I will try to notlet my heart be troubled.
Thank you son for sharing your thoughts and the words of God. These are troublesome times and we need to hear what our God says. Your teens are blessed to have you as their minister. I am very proud to call you my son. DAD
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