James 1: 2-4 (NLT): “2 Dear brothers and sisters,[a] when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing..”
That’s today’s main idea. Write this down. . .
Problems Present Opportunities What are our opportunities?
Problems present an opportunity to be joyful.
23 After being severely beaten, Paul and Silas were thrown into jail. The jailer was ordered to guard them carefully. 24 When he heard this order, he put them far inside the jail. He pinned down their feet between large blocks of wood. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing songs to God. The other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly, there was a big earthquake. It was so strong that it shook the foundation of the jail. Then all the doors of the jail broke open. All the prisoners were freed from their chains (ICB).” John 13:34 (TLB) “33 I have told you all this so that you will have peace of heart and mind. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows; but cheer up, for I have overcome the world.”
Psalm 16:11 (NIV) says, “. . . you fill me with joy in your presence. . .”
2) Problems present an opportunity to have our faith tested.
1 Peter 1:7 (NLT) “7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”
3) Problems present an opportunity for our endurance to grow.
James 1:3-4 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing..”
James 1:12 (CSB): “Blessed is the one who endures trills, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”
James 1:5 (TLB) “5 If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him, and he will gladly tell you, for he is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask him; he will not resent it.
Proverbs 22:6 "Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”
Deuteronomy 6: 1-9 “These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 2 so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. 3 Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you. 4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
3 practical principles about what it looks like to help lead our families on the right path.
Principle 1…
PRIORITY
Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear o Israel, the Lord your God, the Lord is ONE”
Deuteronomy 6:5 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
Deuteronomy 6:5 MSG “ write these commands on your hearts, get them inside of you”
Proverbs 22: NIV “Train up a child in the way they should go”
2. CONSISTENCY
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”
3 things that we must do consistently in our kids lives…
A. Consistently SAY THE WORDS. Deuteronomy 6:5 “Talk about them when you sit at home”
Proverbs 18:21 “The tongue has the power of life and death.”
Matthew 3:17 “This is my son whom I love and I am well pleased with him”
What if our words were a blessing.. and not just every once in a while but consistently.
B. Consistently SPEND THE TIME
Deuteronomy 6:6 “These commands that I give you today are to be upon your heart, impress them on your children, talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you get up.”
C. Consistently SET THE BOUNDARIES
Deuteronomy 6:9 “Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates”
1. God will get you where He wants you, but it might not be a STRAIGHT path… Acts 27:6 “There the officer found a ship from Alexandria that was going to Italy, so he put us on it. 7 We sailed slowly for many days. We had a hard time reaching Cnidus because the wind was blowing against us, and we could not go any farther. So we sailed by the south side of the island of Crete near Salmone.”
Proverbs 16:9 “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.”
2. God will get you where He wants you, but it might not be a SHORT path.
Acts 27:7-9 “We sailed SLOWLY for many days. We had a hard time reaching Cnidus because the wind was blowing against us, and we could not go any farther.”
Everything always takes longer than you think!
3. God will get you where He wants you but it might be a SCARY path.
Acts 27:14-20 “14 But then a very strong wind named the “northeaster” came from the island. 15 The ship was caught in it and could not sail against it. So we stopped trying and let the wind carry us. 16 When we went below a small island named Cauda, we were barely able to bring in the lifeboat. 17 After the men took the lifeboat in, they tied ropes around the ship to hold it together. The men were afraid that the ship would hit the sandbanks of Syrtis,[c] so they lowered the sail and let the wind carry the ship. 18 The next day the storm was blowing us so hard that the men threw out some of the cargo. 19 A day later with their own hands they threw out the ship’s equipment. 20 When we could not see the sun or the stars for many days, and the storm was very bad, we lost all hope of being saved.”
Acts 27:15 “So we stopped trying and let the wind carry us.”
4. God will get you where he wants you but there might be some SNAKES on the path
Acts 28:4 “Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand.”
So lets transition a little… what do I do when the journey gets long and hard and scary and painful and maybe not what I expected?
Well I want you to see what Paul did.
Write these 3 things down…
1. Determine the reason
2. Determine the Results Romans 5:3–4 “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time.”
It’s always better and shorter if we can just learn our lessons the first time.
3. Determine your Response How should you respond when the detours come? 3 quick thoughts…
1. STAY on the boat Acts 27:30-31 “Some of the sailors wanted to leave the ship, and they lowered the lifeboat, pretending they were throwing more anchors from the front of the ship. 31 But Paul told the officer and the other soldiers, “If these men do not stay in the ship, your lives cannot be saved.” 32 So the soldiers cut the ropes and let the lifeboat fall into the water.
2. SHAKE off the pain Acts 28:4-5 “Paul gathered a pile of sticks and was putting them on the fire when a poisonous snake came out because of the heat and bit him on the hand… 5 But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and was not hurt.”
Psalm 23:1-3 “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths.”
John 10:27 LB “My sheep recognize my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
We can’t follow his lead if we don’t know his voice. I Samuel 3:1-10 “The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. 2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. 6 Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 8 A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
4 things that matter if we want to learn to hear Gods voice.
Purpose matters.
1 Samuel 3:1 “The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli.”
Psalm 25:14 “The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.”
2. Posture matters
1 Samuel 3:3 “Samuel was sleeping in the tabernacle.”
a. Busyness It is so difficult to hear from anyone or have any kind of great relationships earthly or spiritually when we are so crazy busy.
Luke 10:40 AMP “But Martha was very busy and distracted with all of her serving responsibilities…”
Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that He is God.”
b. Competing Voices
3. Proximity matters
1 Samuel 3:3 “The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was.”
John 10:3-5 “The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”
So then, how do I get closer to God? Let me just give you a couple of practical things…
A. Read the word Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”
B. Cultivate God’s presence James 4:8 “draw close to God and He will draw close to you.”
C. Get planted in a church
4. Promptness matters 1 Samuel 3:4 “Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 And he RAN to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
Psalm 111:10 NKJV “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who DO His commandments.”
