TURNING YOUR OPPORTUNITIES INTO BIRTHSTOOLS I’ll never forget the story about the Shoe salesman that went to Africa. He was there two weeks & he wrote his company back a letter saying, “Please bring me Home, nobody wears shoes over here.” They sent another salesman in his place & in a couple of weeks, he sent a letter back to the company saying, “Please send all the shoes you can, because nobody where shoes here......” We don’t need to pray for more Miracles, we just need to be more sensitive to the opportunities that God brings our way.”

TURNING YOUR OPPORTUNITIES INTO BIRTHSTOOLS QUOTES ON OPPORTUNITIES 1.Opportunity is often difficult to recognise; we usually expect it to shout out our name or draw our attention like a car horn and or come with our names written upon it like a billboard. 2.Opportunity is like a bird looking for a branch to perch on. Your interest and quick response are the branches that sustain opportunities when they come around. 3.Every opportunity looks like hardwork till you step into it. 4.Opportunities look bigger when they are missed but smaller when they appear 5.Opportunities come in like a snail but when they are passing awaying they do so with the speed of a rabbit.

TURNING YOUR OPPORTUNITIES INTO BIRTHSTOOLS 3 – types of opportunities 1.OPPORTUNITY TO DO GOD'S WILL Ephesians 5v15 Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is 2. OPPORTUNITIES TO REACH OUT Col 4: 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity 3. OPPORTUNITIES TO DO GOOD Gal 6:

TURNING YOUR OPPORTUNITIES INTO BIRTHSTOOLS REASONS FOR MISSED OPPORTUNITIES 1.I can miss an opportunity with God because I am too busy looking at what God is doing in someone else’s life to see what God is doing in my life. Mark 2:18 (NIV) 18 Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, "How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?" A. The Pharisees knew what John’s disciples were doing; the Pharisees knew what Jesus’ disciples were doing; the Pharisees knew what their own disciples were doing. The only thing that Pharisees didn’t know is what God wanted to do in their own life. B. And I believe one of the reasons they didn’t know what God was doing in their life because they were too busy trying to find out what God was doing in everybody else’s life. C. Church members, churches etc

TURNING YOUR OPPORTUNITIES INTO BIRTHSTOOLS REASONS FOR MISSED OPPORTUNITIES 2. Some people miss their opportunity with God because it is easier to follow a person than it is to follow God. Mark 2:18 (NIV) 18 Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, "How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?" A. I have a real question here. How does John still have disciples? Didn’t John say to Jesus “I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?” Doesn’t he also say; “but after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals that I am not fit to carry”?

TURNING YOUR OPPORTUNITIES INTO BIRTHSTOOLS REASONS FOR MISSED OPPORTUNITIES 3. Some people miss their opportunity with God because there are times things are going to change and we don’t accept change well. Mark 2:20 (NIV) 20 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast. A. Jesus says in verse 20: the time will come and what Jesus was telling us that they are feasting now but they will be fasting in the future. Things aren’t always going to stay the same. Things will change.

TURNING YOUR OPPORTUNITIES INTO BIRTHSTOOLS Case Studies 1.Paul & Silas Acts 16:25

TURNING YOUR OPPORTUNITIES INTO BIRTHSTOOLS Case Studies 2. Woman with the alabaster box Lk 7:37