JOURNEY TO “A Better Life” Let's Get Spiritual

Journey Into “HAPPINESS” TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THIS “JOURNEY” “U” MUST BE SPIRITUALLY PREPARED

For A Better Life Oh, do not pray for easy lives! Pray to be stronger Vessels! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal to your tasks! Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle. But you shall be a miracle. Every day you shall wonder at yourself, at the richness of life which has come in you by the grace of God.

TRIVIA QUESTION What houses were “cleansed” by sprinkling with the blood of a bird killed over running water?

Journey to “A Better Life” Getting Started to a better life Have great expectations during your Christian Walk While On This Walk “Strive” For The “Better” In…. YOUR CHURCH YOUR FAMILY YOUR WORK YOUR PRAYER LIFE Remember: Good, better, best; never let it rest—’til your good becomes better; and your better becomes best!!!!

Journey to “A Better Life” Getting Started to a better life I.How To Get There; Know This!! A. First, In Christ I Am A Saint (Eph. 1:1-3) Eph. 1:1a “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus” 1. Commitment not Comfort… Acts 9:15 “But the Lord said to Ananias, ‘Go this man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel’” Paul would suffer for his faith. God calls us to commitment, not to comfort. He promises to be with us through suffering and hardship, not to spare us from them

Journey to “A Better Life” Getting Started to a better life I.How To Get There; Know This!! A. First, In Christ I Am A Saint 1. Commitment not Comfort… a) Receiving your calling & accepting #1#1 #2 #3

Journey to “A Better Life” Getting Started to a better life I.How To Get There; Know This!! A. First, In Christ I Am A Saint 2. Saints implied; Availability & Useable Rom. 12:1 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship” Sacrifice was important, but even in the OT God made it clear that obedience from the heart was much more important. God wants us to offer ourselves, not animals, as living sacrifices—daily laying aside our own desires to follow Him, putting all our energy and resources at His disposal and trusting Him to guide us.

Journey to “A Better Life” Getting Started to a better life I.How To Get There; Know This!! A. First, In Christ I Am A Saint 3. Being “In Christ”…Rom. 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condem- nation for those who are in Christ” “Not guilty; let him go free”—what would those words mean to you if you were on death row? The fact is that the whole human race is on death row, justly condemned for repeatedly breaking God’s holy law. Without Jesus we would have no hope at all. But thank God! He has declared us not guilty and has offered us freedom from sin and power to do His will

Journey to “A Better Life” Getting Started to a better life I.How To Get There; Know This!! A. First, In Christ I Am A Saint 3. Being “In Christ”… a) Peace (un-describable)…Phil. 4:7 “And the peace of God, which trans- cends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” God’s peace is different from the world’s peace. True peace is not found in positive thinking, in absence of con- flict, or in good feelings. It comes from knowing that God is in control. Our citizenship in Christ’s kingdom is sure

Journey to “A Better Life” Getting Started to a better life I.How To Get There; Know This!! A. First, In Christ I Am A Saint 4. First Things; 1 st …Matt. 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these thing will be given to you as well” {Grace and Peace are the beginning of a} {Journey To A Better Life} B. Second, I am chosen by God (Eph. 1:4,5) “For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world…In love He pre- destined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will”

Journey to “A Better Life” Getting Started to a better life I.How To Get There; Know This!! B. Second, I am chosen by God 1. Wait Long; Wait Wrong…2 Pet. 3:9 “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slow- ness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” We must not sit and wait for Christ to return, but we should live with the real -ization that the time is short and that we have important work to do. Be ready to meet Christ any time, even today; yet plan your course of service as though He may not return for many years.

Journey to “A Better Life” Getting Started to a better life I.How To Get There; Know This!! B. Second, I am chosen by God 2. Free Will or Already Set…Isa. 55:9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts” The people of God are foolish to act as if they know what God is thinking and planning. His knowledge and wis- dom are far greater than man’s. We are foolish to try to fit God into our mold—to make His plans and purposes conform to ours. Instead we must strive to fit into His plans

Journey to “A Better Life” Getting Started to a better life I.How To Get There; Know This!! B. Second, I am chosen by God 3. Understanding Better…Bye & Bye!! 1 Corin. 13:12 “Now we see but a poor re- flection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall fully, even as I am fully known” Paul offers a glimpse into the future to give us hope that one day we will be com- plete when we see God face to face. This truth should strengthen our faith—we don’t have all the answers now, but one day we will. Someday we will see Christ in person and be able to see with God’s perspective

Journey to “A Better Life” Getting Started to a better life I.How To Get There; Know This!! C. Third, I am chosen for a reason (Eph. 1:4b&6) 1. Set Apart For A Purpose… [HOLY] [SAINTLY] a) You just Ain’t-Da-Same…1 Jn. 3:9 “No one who is born of God will con- tinue to sin, because God’s seed re- mains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God” This means that true believers do not make a practice of sinning, nor do they become indifferent to God’s moral law. All believers still sin, but they are working to gain victory over sin

Journey to “A Better Life” Getting Started to a better life I.How To Get There; Know This!! C. Third, I am chosen for a reason 1. Set Apart For A Purpose… b) But should you slip…1 Jn. 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” If God has forgiven us for our sins because of Christ’s death, why must we confess our sins? In admitting our sins and receiving Christ’s cleansing, we are: (1) agreeing with God that our sin truly is sin and that we are willing to turn from it, (2) ensuring that we don’t conceal our sins from Him and consequently ourselves and (3) recognizing our tendency to sin and relying on His power to overcome it

Journey to “A Better Life” Getting Started to a better life —His “Forgetfulness” Of My Past— Even though I’m always reminded of my past; I get great comfort in knowing that Jesus has pardoned me for it. He has simply cho- sen to “bless me” inspite of myself. I can rest assured that the only way it gets brought up is through me. So I’m very thank- ful for a Savior that chooses to start from scratch with me and not keep reminding me of my past failures, insecurities, bad decisions and the list goes on. Thank you Jesus for “Looking Beyond My Faults and seeing the need for You” Guiding My Life

Journey to “A Better Life” Getting Started to a better life THE PHRASE THAT PAYS!!!!!!!!!! MY FAITH WILL NEVER RISE ABOVE THE LEVEL OF MY CONFESSION

Journey to “A Better Life” Getting Started to a better life B.elievers I.nformation B.efore L.eaving E.arth

Journey to “A Better Life” Getting Started to a better life WHAT IT SAYS This is my Bible, I am who my Bible say I am, I can do what my Bible say I can do. I have what my Bible say I have, my Bible teaches my spirit, my spirit teaches my mind, and my mind teaches my body. My Bible is full of promises and command- ments, my Bible has good and bad examp- les. How do I know my Bible is true? By comparing scripture with scripture and spiritual things with spiritual things. I study my Bible to show myself approved, rightly dividing the Word of God.

Journey to “A Better Life” Getting Started to a better life Next Week!!!! How to change your life