October/16/ 2018
Beyond Success
Part 7
Perspective
Three differences between success and significance:
1. Success is about ME…Significance is about OTHERS
Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 (NIV) “I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. 2 “Laughter,” I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” 3 I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives. 4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem as well—the delights of a man’s heart. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me. 10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. 11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was MEANINGLESS, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”
Philippians 2:3-7 (NIV) “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant.”
2. Success is about TODAY…Significance is about TOMORROW
Proverbs 6:6-8 TLB “Take a lesson from the ants, you lazy fellow. Learn from their ways and be wise! 7 For though they have no king to make them work, 8 yet they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.”
3. Success is about EARTH… Significance is about ETERNAL
I Corinthians 3:12-13 (NIV) “If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.”
How do I go beyond success into significance?
1. Look around: Who can I help?
2. Look ahead: How can I prepare?
2 Samuel 7:1–2 (NLT) “When King David was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all the surrounding enemies, 2 the king summoned Nathan the prophet. “Look,” David said, “I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of God is out there in a tent!”
1 Chronicles 28:2 (NLT) “David rose to his feet and said: “My brothers and my people! It was my desire to build a Temple where the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant, God’s footstool, could rest permanently. I made the necessary preparations for building it.”
3. Look above: Why am I doing it?
Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV) “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as WORKING FOR THE LORD, not for human masters since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
Colossians 3:1-4 (NIV) “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
October/14/ 2018
Generosity – The Principle of Sowing and Reaping
Living to Your Full Potential:
- 1.Work Hard
- 2.Take Responsibility
- 3.Make Good Choices
- 4.Grow Your Talents
- 5.Generosity
Mathew 25:24-28 (NLT)
24 “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. 25 I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’
26 “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate,27 why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’
28 “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. 29 To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. 30 Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
3 Principles of Sowing and Reaping
1.YOU HAVE WHAT YOU NEED TO SOW TODAY
Mathew 25:25 (NLT)- 25 I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’
2.WHAT YOU SOW IS RELATED TO WHAT YOU REAP
"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap." Gal.6:7
3. AFTER YOU REAP, YOU GET TO SOW MORE
Matthew 25:28- 28 “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. 29 To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance.
Mark 4:26-27 - And He was saying, "The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; 27 and goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts up and grows-- how, he himself does not know.
October/07/ 2018
Beyond Success
Part 5
Talent
God measures success by POTENTIAL!
Matthew 25:14-15 (ESV) “14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability.”
I Peter 4:10 (NLT) “God has given EACH OF YOU a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.”
I Corinthians 12:7 (NLT) “A spiritual gift is given to EACH OF US as a means of helping the entire church”
1. We think growth comes AUTOMATICALLY
Verse 16 “The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more.”
2. We think growth comes instantly
verse 19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.”
3. We think growth comes from experience
John Maxwell “Growth does not come from experience but from EXAMINED EXPERIENCE”
How to grow your talent:
1. Get evaluated
a. What do I say I'm good at?
b. What do others say I'm good at?
c. Where do I get the best results?
d. Take a test
2. Get in place
verse 15 “a man…called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability.”
3. Get better
a. Make a plan for growth
b. Make a habit of growth.
c. Make application of your growth
James 1:22-23 (NIV) “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.”
4. Get help
Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV) “ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
