We are starting a new series… Find the Light, Be the light, Shine the light.

Who is our light? God is. Jesus is. 1 John 1:5; John 8:12

So what does it look like to “Find the Light, Be the light, Shine the light”?

It looks like coming to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, becoming a Christian, and showing others the way to Christ.

We can no longer be ok with dueling identities; one for work or school, one for home and friends and one for church. The goal is to be the same person in each environment.

This is what changes people! This type of understanding of, surrender to and commitment to model a life lived for God.

Daniel 3:1-5 So this new decree has been announced to everyone!

Daniel 1:18-20 These guys really stood out. Already, early on, they took a stand for the things of God and He blessed them.

Daniel 3:6 That’s a hard decree.

Daniel 3:7-12 So they are displaying the fact that they have found the Light. They were Being the light for others to see. They were standing on their relationship with God!

Daniel 3:13-18 They had every chance to back track, give in, make excuses for, try to convince. But they didn’t.

Daniel 3:19-23 What would your co-workers or classmates be saying at this point if that was you?

Daniel 3:24-27 Every one of their peers, if you will, got to see the awesome power of God!

The very principles they got in trouble for shining were now about to become policy.

Daniel 3:28-30

They were the epitome of what it means to Find the Light, Be the light, Shine the light.

The end of our series on A Season of Change.

“What you give your thoughts to, you give your heart to. What your give your heart to, you give your actions to. What you give your actions to, you become.” (Unknown)

So the question that we really need to ask ourselves is “Who do people say that I am?” Galatians 6:14-16

One of the biggest testimonies to this being true is when people share their testimonies and the people around them are blown away.

Ephesians 4:21-24 We are called to be Christ like. Colossians 3:5; 10-11 We are called to abandon our old ways! Ecclesiastes 7:10

The only reason to look back would be to reaffirm that you need to move forward! Ezekiel 36:31

But don’t long for “the good old days!”

God redeemed you from “the good old days” remember? Luke 9:62 Jesus is requiring all of us, from all of us.

“What you give your thoughts to, you give your heart to. What your give your heart to, you give your actions to. What you give your actions to, you become.” (Unknown)

The Israelites had God going before them in a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day. They had the miraculous power of God before them and look at what they say… Exodus 16:3

They were slaves! They just crossed the Red Sea on dry land and just got done singing “The Song of Rescue” just a little while before that. God was before them every day!

Tell me that hard times can’t mess with someone’s mind.

Matthew 16:13-16 If we asked your co-workers or classmates, “Who do people say that, enter your name here, is?” What kind of answers would we get?

If we asked people in this church, “Who do people say that, enter your name here, is?

What answer would we get?

If there is a discrepancy, why?

What have you become?

“What you give your thoughts to, you give your heart to. What your give your heart to, you give your actions to. What you give your actions to, you become.” (Unknown)

Last week we talked about getting back to a heart of Worship, that as believers we are a walking “letter” from Christ to the world. What did people read this week?

Did your actions and words draw people closer to or further away from wanting to know God?

“What you give your thoughts to, you give your heart to. What your give your heart to, you give your actions to. What you give your actions to, you become.” (Unknown)

Love is so important to our walk! 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 We have nothing without love!

Our giftings, abilities, and even our faith are all worthless to us without love!

Here is an easy commandment. 1 Corinthians 16:14

Next thing you know God is going to tell us to love everyone! 1 Thessalonians 3:12-14

How many of us are bursting at the seams with love? If we were containers, would we be overflowing?

Romans 12:9a “What you give your thoughts to, you give your heart to. What your give your heart to, you give your actions to. What you give your actions to, you become.” (Unknown)

We cannot claim to be Christians and choose not to love. Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:27-28; Romans 12:14

We are being told to bless and pray and act! 1 John 3:18

“What you give your thoughts to, you give your heart to. What your give your heart to, you give your actions to. What you give your actions to, you become.” (Unknown)

What is in our hearts is being revealed. It just is. 1 John 2:3-6

Finished are the days of hearing the excuses: “Well, that is just the way I am.” “I’m just a jerk, deal with it.” “I’m too old.” “I don’t care!” No!

Stop thinking that! Don’t let your heart believe that! Don’t let your actions show that! Become the opposite of that!

Do you realize when you say that, you are testifying that God is no longer able to work in your life? That is a dangerous place to be in!

Do you realize that you are hardening your heart toward anyone that would come in and try to speak a word of life… of love into your heart!

We are continuing our series in A Season of Change and my last message discussed that our hearts are corrupt. Jeremiah 17

“What you give your thoughts to, you give your heart to. What your give your heart to, you give your actions to. What you give your actions to, you become.” (Unknown)

Worship is such a heart thing! Worship is about intimacy with God! 1 Chronicles 28:9 -10

Worship is also a learned action.

There is a song by Michael W. Smith called “The Heart of Worship.”

Listen to the intimacy of the lyrics.

Getting rid of distractions / Understanding that I’ve got nothing to give / Wanting to please Him /

Intimacy / Beyond the facade of who we think we are / He is looking to where the “real” us is /

Have we perverted our worship?

“I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made it” is a hearts cry! Psalm 51:10

We need a clean heart! We need a renewal of who we are!

Jesus didn’t do anything without hearing from His Father. John 5:19-20; John 12:49-50

We need to have a heart like Christ!

When we change from having a heart that is “most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. We start looking more and more like Christ!

When we can let go of that offense that is hindering our worship. We become more like Christ!

When we start looking out for other’s needs before our own. We become more like Christ!

When we don’t have any other agenda than serving God and advancing His Kingdom. We become more like Christ! Titus 1:15-16

If we start living for Christ, people will notice a difference! 2 Corinthians 3:3

Are you a walking letter from Christ Jesus to the people you come into contact with? 1 Chronicles 29:17-18

Why do we worship God? Elder Mark details several of the many reasons why we should worship God.

We talked about giving up the behaviors and customs of the world. We established that it starts with our thoughts and they determine our heart.

“What you give your thoughts to, you give your heart to. What your give your heart to, you give your actions to. What you give your actions to, you become.” (Unknown)

Mark 7:20-23; Matthew 12:34b-37

The heart is a major deal here. Romans 3:23

Everyone means “everyone.”

All means “all.”

How can all fall short? Jeremiah 17:9

How many of us cringe at things we have said and done in our past?

It came from your heart, Christian. It came from somewhere deep down inside that you thought you removed it, but what has happened is that that remnant has laid there dormant, waiting for that prime opportunity to reveal itself.

Our deceitful and desperately wicked hearts. Romans 2:1-5; Luke 16:15

Have you examined your heart this last week? Did you go looking? Did you even ask?

Did this deceitful and desperately wicked thing called our hearts convince us it was not important?

“What you give your thoughts to, you give your heart to. What your give your heart to, you give your actions to. What you give your actions to, you become.” (Unknown)

God knows our hearts.

The Book of Proverbs is all about the heart. Proverbs 14:10; Proverbs 14:12; Proverbs 20:9

If you are a sinner and you are here today, you are not alone.

For even the best of us, “Christians” are carrying around deceitful and desperately wicked hearts. Isaiah 64:6

“What you give your thoughts to, you give your heart to. What your give your heart to, you give your actions to. What you give your actions to, you become.” (Unknown)

Hebrews 3:7-8; 2 Corinthians 6:2

“What you give your thoughts to, you give your heart to. What your give your heart to, you give your actions to. What you give your actions to, you become.” (Unknown)

It starts with our thoughts.

Our “buts” take root in our thoughts.

And “buts” can be bad or good.

Romans 12:2-3 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of the world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. 3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. (NLT)

A Season of Change

A Time of Self-Reflection

01/01/2017

New Years is a time of Self Reflection.

Can I say that this may be one thing that the world pushes that does align with the word God?

Each year we are given a free pass to change. We are given the opportunity to start something new, without justifications. So why not pick something in the Bible to do and start doing it?

2 Corinthians 5:17; Philippians 2:12

How often do we lose the intensity of our desire to change and revert back to old habits?

Ecclesiastes 7:10; Luke 9:62

We have been called to put off our old self. Romans 6:6; Ephesians 4:22; Colossians 3:8-9; 1 Peter 4:3

Have any of us mastered any of these? Or are we guilty of Ecclesiastes 7 and Luke 9?

We have had to become something new. Romans 6:7-8; Ephesians 4:23-24; Colossians 3:10; 1 Peter 4:8 That requires continued resolutions!

We are going to be continuing this series: A Season of Change.

And as we do, I want you to pray about and consider the following statement.

“What you give your thoughts to, you give your heart to. What your give your heart to, you give your actions to. What you give your actions to, you become.” (Unknown)

As we enter into this new year of 2017, do not take lightly that we are called to examine ourselves.

If you need help with a starting point or a few statements to use as benchmarks, look at the Holy Scriptures that have been given today!

What did Joseph and Mary experience as they struggled to find a place to stay as she went into labor? Did they fail as parents? Why would the Savior of the world be born in a barn? Listen in as Pastor Chuck brings the Christmas story to life and how it relates to us.

Isaiah 9:6 “For a Child is born to us, a Son is given to us.” (NLT)

Luke 2:10-11 “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born today in the town of Bethlehem, the city of David!” (NLT)

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (NLT)

Do you realize that we are celebrating the anniversary of Jesus’ birth with heaven today?

I wonder what Christmas in heaven is like?

This morning we celebrate waking up to the greatest gift ever given.

A Savior!

God brought His Son into the world in a very unlikely way.

Shepherds have come and confirm that the Messiah has arrived.

God continues to confirm who Jesus is shortly following His birth.

Luke 2:21-38

So let this sink in just a bit.

You just had the Messiah, in a manger of all places

Shepherd come and visit and tell you angels told us where we could find the Christ.

You go to the Temple 8 days later and 2 random people, that walk with God so closely, come up to you and praise your Son for who He is.

Talk about a whirlwind experience!

Shortly after this the Wise Men are going to pay a visit and offer some gifts that would are typically given to rulers. They were a tribute to a King. Yet, another confirmation of who Jesus really was, the King of King and Lord of Lords.

Today we celebrate the birth of our King of King and Lord of Lords.

What gifts are we presenting Him with?

All He wants for His birthday is our hearts!

Spend some time today as you enjoy Christmas traditions and festivities and dedicate some time one on one with your Lord.

Amen? Amen.