GRATITUDE Programming. The Challenge… Programming.

GRATITUDEProgramming

The Challenge…The Challenge…

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The point of the blessing is The point of the blessing is not the blessing- it's a closer not the blessing- it's a closer relationship with the Blesserrelationship with the Blesser

It's not about how much God It's not about how much God has done for me, but has done for me, but recognizing recognizing that it allthat it all comes comes from himfrom him


An attitude of An attitude of gratefulness:gratefulness:

Pleases God- closer Pleases God- closer relationshiprelationship

Remembers all he has Remembers all he has done- strengthens our faithdone- strengthens our faith


An attitude of gratefulness:An attitude of gratefulness:

Recognizes God as the Source- Recognizes God as the Source- kills pridekills pride

Moves us into worship- deeper Moves us into worship- deeper connection dailyconnection daily

Gives great joy and is a Gives great joy and is a witness to the reality of our witness to the reality of our faithfaith


Scariest Movie Ever?Scariest Movie Ever?


A Battle Exists for our A Battle Exists for our Thoughts and Affections:Thoughts and Affections:

Actions begin with Actions begin with thoughtsthoughts

Temptations and praises Temptations and praises both begin with affectionsboth begin with affections


A Battle Exists for our A Battle Exists for our Thoughts and Affections:Thoughts and Affections:

3 Enemies…3 Enemies…

WorldWorld FleshFlesh DevilDevil


““What comes out of a What comes out of a person is what defiles person is what defiles them. For it is from them. For it is from within, within, out of a person’s out of a person’s heartheart, that , that evil thoughtsevil thoughts come- sexual immorality, come- sexual immorality, theft, murder…theft, murder…


“…“…adultery, greed, malice, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils folly. All these evils come from insidecome from inside and and defile a person”-Jesus, defile a person”-Jesus, Mark 7:20-23Mark 7:20-23


Actions- both good and Actions- both good and evil- come from thoughtsevil- come from thoughts

Therefore, bTherefore, behaviorehavior mmodificationodification is never the is never the goalgoal


3 Enemies:3 Enemies:



HumbleHumble yourselves…under yourselves…under God’s mighty hand, that he God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due may lift you up in due time. Cast all your time. Cast all your anxietyanxiety on on him because he cares for you…him because he cares for you…

Humility…anxiety=Humility…anxiety= heart heart attitudesattitudes


Be alert and of sober Be alert and of sober mindmind. . Your enemy the Your enemy the devildevil prowls prowls around like a roaring lion around like a roaring lion looking for someone to looking for someone to devour devour - 1 - 1 Peter 5:6-8 Peter 5:6-8

Context: PersecutionContext: Persecution


The enemy's strategies for The enemy's strategies for attack involve:attack involve:

PridePride AnxietyAnxiety InattentionInattention Not understanding the Not understanding the battle/battle/not taking it seriouslynot taking it seriously


Engages the flesh and the Engages the flesh and the enemyenemy

If I give way to pride and If I give way to pride and anxiety, I give the eanxiety, I give the enemynemy room to influence meroom to influence me


Behavior born out of pride Behavior born out of pride and anxiety never lead to and anxiety never lead to godlinessgodliness

Behavior born out of Behavior born out of humility and faith in God humility and faith in God never fail to keep our never fail to keep our hearts safehearts safe


The Spirit clearly says that The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will in later times some will abandon the faith and abandon the faith and follow follow deceiving spiritsdeceiving spirits and things and things taught by taught by demons demons - 1 Timothy 4:1- 1 Timothy 4:1


False teaching has it's False teaching has it's root in that which is evilroot in that which is evil


What we believe affects What we believe affects how we bhow we behaveehave. If the . If the enemy can get us to enemy can get us to believe lies, he can believe lies, he can change how we lchange how we liveive


Pretty good person= Pretty good person= entitlemententitlement

Jesus was a good Jesus was a good teacher= morals without teacher= morals without transformationtransformation


Jesus turned and said to Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Peter, "Get behind me, SatanSatan! You are a stumbling ! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not block to me; you do not have in have in mindmind the things of the things of God, but the God, but the things of things of menmen" - Matthew " - Matthew 16:2316:23


"Satan…have in mind the "Satan…have in mind the things of men"things of men"

When my aWhen my agendasgendas include include GGod'sod's p planslans as a priority, as a priority, I keep myself from I keep myself from enemy territoryenemy territory


3 Enemies3 Enemies


Flesh= fallen and subject Flesh= fallen and subject to influence of devil and to influence of devil and worldworld


……each one is tempted when, each one is tempted when, by by his own evil desirehis own evil desire, he is , he is dragged away and enticed. dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death grown, gives birth to death - James - James 1:141:14


Change temptation= Change temptation= change desireschange desires


Do your best to come to Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this because he loved this worldworld, has deserted me , has deserted me and has gone to and has gone to Thessalonica Thessalonica - 2 Timothy 4:0-10 - 2 Timothy 4:0-10


Engages: the flesh Engages: the flesh (affections) and the pull of (affections) and the pull of the worldthe world

One of the primary ways to One of the primary ways to deal with tdeal with temptationemptation is to is to cultivate the right acultivate the right affectionsffections


Do not Do not lovelove the world or the world or anything in the world. If anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not love for the Father is not in them…in them…


For everything in the world- For everything in the world- the lust of the flesh, the lust the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of of the eyes, and the pride of life- life- comes not from the comes not from the FatherFather but from the but from the world. The world and world. The world and its its desires pass awaydesires pass away, but , but whoever does the will of God whoever does the will of God lives forever lives forever

- 1 John 2:15-17- 1 John 2:15-17


The influence of the wThe influence of the worldorld ssystemystem always leads always leads away from what God away from what God wants for uswants for us

Who are my advisors?Who are my advisors? What do I really believe What do I really believe about God?about God?


3 Enemies3 Enemies



The Choice:The Choice:


Those who live according to Those who live according to the flesh have their the flesh have their minds minds set on set on what the what the flesh flesh desiresdesires; but those who live ; but those who live in accordance with the in accordance with the Spirit have their Spirit have their minds set minds set on on what the what the Spirit desiresSpirit desires… …


The mind governed by the The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace Spirit is life and peace - Romans - Romans 8:5-68:5-6


If I want to make a change If I want to make a change in my life, I first have to in my life, I first have to change what I "set my change what I "set my mind" onmind" on


New Year's resolutions New Year's resolutions rarely work. New Life rarely work. New Life resolutions begin with a resolutions begin with a change of focus and change of focus and desiredesire


Since, then, you have been Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, raised with Christ, set your set your heartshearts on things above, on things above, where Christ is, seated at where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. the right hand of God. Set Set your mindsyour minds on things on things above, not on earthly above, not on earthly things. things.


For you died, and your life For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, in God. When Christ, who is your lifewho is your life, appears, , appears, then you also will appear then you also will appear with him in glory.with him in glory.


Put to death, therefore, Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. greed, which is idolatry.


……And whatever you do, And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, whether in word or deed, do it all do it all in the name of in the name of the Lord Jesusthe Lord Jesus, , giving giving thanksthanks to God the Father to God the Father through him- Col. 3:1-5,17through him- Col. 3:1-5,17


As I set my heart on the As I set my heart on the Kingdom ways, I continually Kingdom ways, I continually crucify that which is opposed crucify that which is opposed to the things of Godto the things of God

Set your heart…set your Set your heart…set your mind…in the name of the mind…in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanksLord Jesus, giving thanks


How?How?


Finally, brothers and sisters, Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is is lovely, whatever is admirable- admirable- if anything is if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- excellent or praiseworthy- think about such thingsthink about such things. .


Whatever you have learned Whatever you have learned or received or heard from or received or heard from me, or seen in me- me, or seen in me- put it put it into practiceinto practice. And the God . And the God of peace will be with you- of peace will be with you- Philippians 4:8-9Philippians 4:8-9


Where do I get those Where do I get those things?things?


Where do I get those Where do I get those things?things?

WordWord PrayerPrayer FellowshipFellowship WorshipWorship


……Christ loved the church and Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to gave himself up for her to make her holy, make her holy, cleansing her cleansing her by the washing with water by the washing with water through the wordthrough the word- Ephesians - Ephesians 5:265:26

WordWord


The Word of God The Word of God iilluminateslluminates and w and washesashes us from the thoughts and us from the thoughts and affections of the world, affections of the world, the flesh and the Enemythe flesh and the Enemy


"Father, if you are willing, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours yet not my will, but yours be done"- Luke 22:42be done"- Luke 22:42

In In prayerprayer, Christ made , Christ made his affections the his affections the Father's affectionsFather's affections


Big RockBig Rock


But encourage one another But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness deceitfulness - - Hebrews 3:13Hebrews 3:13

One of the purposes of One of the purposes of church church fellowshipfellowship= = encouragementencouragement


……Speaking Speaking to one another to one another with psalms, hymns, and with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spiritsongs from the Spirit. Sing . Sing and make music from your and make music from your heart to the Lord, heart to the Lord, always always giving thanksgiving thanks to God the to God the Father for everything, in the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus name of our Lord Jesus Christ- Eph. 5:19-20Christ- Eph. 5:19-20


We encourage by We encourage by directing fdirecting focusocus to God in to God in worshipworship


We demolish arguments We demolish arguments and every pretension that and every pretension that sets itself up against the sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and knowledge of God, and we we take captive every thought take captive every thought to make it obedient to to make it obedient to ChristChrist- 1 Cor. 10:5- 1 Cor. 10:5


Bought to Set FreeBought to Set Free

1800's California, New Orleans1800's California, New Orleans


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