Giants in Our Lives Two Perspectives On whom or on what 1 Sam. 17:11, 24 1 Sam. 17:26 On whom or on what shall you focus?

A Whole Land Of Giants OR Focus on God Focus on Giants Brings Faith, Brings Fear, which is Death to our spirits Focus on God Brings Faith, which is Life to our spirits OR Fear makes us exaggerate. We Cry, Complain, Doubt and Rebel because of fear.

The Clear Choice! Take God at His Word, choosing faith over fear. “So without faith, it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Heb. 11:6 Take God at His Word, choosing faith over fear.

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, Though the fig tree shall not blossom, and the vine shall not have fruit Though the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; Though the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in the God of my salvation. Hab. 3:17, 18

Why We Can Chose Faith Take Risks! Trust and Obey! Make a Memorial to God! Take Steps!

"Fear is the path to the dark side.” Overcoming Fear "Fear is the path to the dark side.” Yoda, Star Wars Bad Fear Paralyses you HOT! DON’T TOUCH! Good Fear Protects you

Remember how you got there! Snap Shots of Faith Remember how you got there! The Disciples Hard Hearts Proud Misunderstood Authority Doubted Jesus’ Authority The Centurion Caring Heart Humble Understood Authority Believed in Jesus’ Authority Remember how you got there.

What We have Learned So Far Keep your eyes on Jesus. You have the choice to obey or rebel. Take God at His Word, choosing faith over fear. Rejoice in the Lord no matter what. Make your Life a Memorial to God. Focus on the Invisible, not only the Visible. I am like a Turtle on a fence post.

Kingdom Mentality PRAY

What came first, the chicken or the egg? POP QUIZ – What came first, the chicken or the egg? How do quizzes make you feel? Stressed, surprised, ???

The Philip Test [John 6:5-7] When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread to each one to have a bite!” Pop Quiz – That is what Philip received. What we need to understand about tests is they come from God and He only gives them to help us/ to confirm our faith. How did Philip do? Our answer shows us whether or not we’ve learned to live with Kingdom Mentality. Are we so earthly bound like Philip that we are oblivious to the Kingdom dimension or to learn to have His thinking? So how do we do this – We need to move in the direction of wisdom.

Kingdom Mentality [James 3:13-4:10] Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, READ

Kingdom Mentality [James 3:13-4:10] full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. READ

Kingdom Mentality [James 3:13-4:10] You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but give grace to the humble.” READ

Kingdom Mentality [James 3:13-4:10] Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the LORD, and he will lift you up. READ

Kingdom Mentality James 3:13-18 James 4:6-10 Repentance & Brokenness before the Lord James 4:6-10 Humble ourselves (Submit to God) Resist the devil Come near to God JAMES 3:13-18 Our sins tend to be these internal ones that come from Earthly Mentality, such as pride, envy, anger and selfishness. We need to live in a constant state of repentance from these in order to gain the wisdom from above. (Phil. 2) JAMES 4:6-10 Humility – vs. 7 Submit to God, I Peter 5:7 Casting all your cares on Him, for He cares for you. BUT you can’t start there, back up to vs.6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s might hand … Humility comes from wisdom and the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Resist – vs. 7 Stand strong, we have to try, the average Christian doesn’t even try. Again we need to think about the self talk that is going on in our heads. The devil uses that self talk to influence. We have to replace our old belief (self talk) with God’s truth. (Romans 12:2) Come near to God – vs.8 How do we do that? What’s it look like? We need to understand that it might be easier to resist the devil than to come near to God. Ron Dunn says, “I’m not denying spiritual warfare with satanic powers. I am only saying, I find it easier to say ‘no’ to the devil than to say ‘yes’ to God.” Let’s look Moses in Exodus 3:1-3

The Burning Bush [Exodus 3:1-3] Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight – why the bush does not burn up. READ

GO OVER AND SEE THIS STRANGE SIGHT another translastion says, TURN ASIDE. Moses stopped what he was doing (shepherding his father-in-law’s flock) to see what was up. He was interrupted during his regular activities to pay attention to God’s presence. Just think if he would have not stopped what he would have missed – God’s calling on his life, really knowing God, the Exodus – leading Israel to the Promised Land.

The Burning Bush [Exodus 3:4] When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” God spoke to Moses only after Moses had “turned aside”/“gone over”. Moses could have looked the other way. We have choices to make during our busy days. They require humility & submission in order to “turn aside” so God may speak to us.

Kingdom Mentality The goal of our Kingdom thinking is for us to express the character and goodness of Jesus in our whole being. Every moment in our lives is a moment to learn from God and gain His thinking and wisdom. Where is the burning bush in your life? The thing in our life that makes us ask, “Where are you God in my life?” GOAL – the goals of our Kingdom thinking is for us to express the character and goodness of Jesus in our whole being. (Romans 8:29) EVERY MOMENT – Our lives are not compartmentalized – this is spiritual and this is the other normal part of my life. We shouldn’t reduce the tools for spiritual growth to only Bible study and prayer. Brother Lawrence was a monk in the kitchen and learned to clean pots to the glory of God. He has a great book worthy of reading, Practicing the Presence of God. God wants to use all of our lives.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning Earth is crammed with heaven. And every common bush afire with God. But only he who sees it removes his shoes. The rest sit around it and pluck blackberries. PRAY

Reflection Ask God for eyes to see His presence in our lives. Ask Him to give us His wisdom to see all the parts of our lives as tools in His hands to conform us to the image of Jesus Christ. Ask Him to give us Kingdom Mentality. As we close let’s take a few minutes of silent prayer together. Let’s ask God for eyes to see His presence in our lives. Ask Him to give us His wisdom to see all the parts of our lives as tools in His hands to conform us to the image of Jesus Christ. Ask Him to give us Kingdom mentality.