Moraine Valley Church

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March 03, 2021 Walk Worthy / Week 7 / Do Not Grieve the Holy Spirit
Do not Grieve the Holy Spirit
Ephesians 4:30 February 28, 2021
I. Introduction:
A. Listen to what Jesus said in John 7:38-39 about the Holy Spirit.
1. Let me ask you a few questions and I want you to answer very honestly to
yourself –
a) Does the Holy Spirit feel like a mighty river flowing within you and out
of you or does He feel more like a drip coming out of a faucet? Think
about that for a few moments!
b) An older friend of mine many years ago asked me essentially the same
question like this – if the Holy Spirit were removed from your
life/ministry would anything be different? Repeat! Think about that for
a few moments!
2. We have the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Jesus, the Holy Spirit living in us to
be our helper and comforter, the one who transforms us, dismantles the
power of sin in our lives and enables us to live for God! The same God lives
in us who:
a) Spoke the universe into existence
b) Split the Red Sea for Israel to cross and on the back hand destroyed the
whole Egyptian army with the whole sea
c) Who sent food from heaven to Israel when they were in the wilderness
d) Who caused a young virgin girl to conceive a child
e) Who turned water into wine
f) Who fed over 5000 people with just a few fish and loaves and had
basketsful of food left over.
g) Who raised Jesus from the dead
B. If you are a believer and you are not seeing evidence in your life of His powerful
work in and through you, this is very serious and should be addressed
immediately.
1. This picture helps explain the problem. Do you see it?
2. The water faucet is on full blast but something is blocking the flow of it so it
only comes out as a trickle!
3. The problem is that the elephant himself is standing on the hose and blocking
the flow!
C. We as believers do the exact same thing when we let sin continue in our lives and
we do not address it! We are the problem and thus we move from rivers of living
water coming out of our hearts to trickles of the Spirit’s work in our lives!
D. My point this morning is simple –a lifestyle of sin grieves the Spirit resulting in
quenching His work in our lives!
• Let’s see this in the Bible. Let’s start with
II. A lifestyle of sin
A. Turn to Ephesians 4 in your Bibles.
B. This whole section in Ephesians, from chapter 4:1 to Ephesians 6:9, is about our
walk as Christians, our habitual way of life, and e lifestyle!
C. In chapter 4 we learn
1. From verses, 17-19 that we are not to walk like the Gentiles whose lives are
driven by a way of thinking that excludes God and His Word.
2. Then we saw in verses 20-24 that we are to put off the old lifestyle because
we have already put off the old self and put on the new self.
3. Then in v25, he begins a series of specific applications and commands that
flow from the new man you now are!
a) In verse 25 – no lying but telling the truth
b) Verses 26-27 having a righteous anger and not hanging onto anger
c) Verse 28 – rather than stealing, work hard so you can share with others
d) In verse 29, we saw not speaking hurtful words but rather helpful words.
• Now we move to my second point which helps us see that a lifestyle of sin
III. Grieving the Holy Spirit
A. Listen as I read v30
B. Now we do not see it in the New American Standard but almost every other
translation rightfully starts the verse with the word “and.” This makes it a specific
link with the verse before it about harmful words and in general a link to all the
sins above: lying, anger, stealing, and hurtful words and even to all the sins listed
after it.
1. Read v31-32
2. Simply stated, when we have a way of living that reflects the world rather
than Christ, a lifestyle of sin or stuck in a habitual sin; we grieve the Holy
Spirit.
C. To grieve the Holy Spirit means to make Him sad and sorrowful.
1. This word is taken from a word that denotes a pain, a grief that can only be
experienced between two people who love each other deeply.
2. It is a word that was often used to picture what a husband or wife feels whe
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37min
February 24, 2021 Walk Worthy / Week 6 / Our Words - Harmful or Helpful?
Our Words – Harmful or Helpful
Ephesians 4:29 February 21, 2021 MVC
I. Introduction:
A. When I was growing up, I spent close to ten years playing baseball in various
different level leagues. All those years I played the same position – catcher. I
loved catching for two reasons:
1. First, in many ways, you were at the center of the game as every pitch you
called determined the speed, location and curvature of the ball.
2. Secondly, if you know anything about catchers there other job was to get into
the head of the batter by trash talking and confusing them to throw them off.
3. Unfortunately, some of that trash talking has carried over into my Christian
life and those who know me best know it all too well!
B. The section of Ephesians we are in right now is talking about our lifestyle, that
our walk and yes even our talk is to be consistent with who we are in Christ as
those who have laid aside the old man and put on a new man, so lay aside the
former manner of living as well.
• Turn in your Bibles to Ephesians 4:29. Last week we looked at the area of anger,
today we are going to look at
II. Our words
A. Read to Ephesians 4:29
B. Words are extremely powerful! Words are like a double-edged sword! They can
either build up or tear down, help or hurt, give life or take life from people.
Proverbs makes this very clear:
1. Proverbs 12:18 – either the thrust of a sword into someone’s soul or healing
2. Proverbs 15:4 – can be a tree of life or crush the spirit
3. Proverbs 16:24 – pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and
healing to the bones. A few verses later, it says a worthless man’s words are
like scorching fire.
4. Proverbs 18:21 that tells us “death and life are in the power of the tongue…”
5. Bottom line, every time we speak there is great potential in what we say as
we will either build people up and help them or tear them down and hurt
them.
C. Do you realize how many opportunities we have each day to be a blessing to
someone else – whether it be our mates, children, grandchildren, fellow believers
in Christ, the lost, neighbors, co-workers, schoolmates, and strangers.
1. Research indicates the following statistics about the number of words women
and men speak. The average woman speaks 20,000 words a day. The average
man speaks 7,000 words a day. Whether you speak more or less than the
average the point is we use a lot of words so there are a lot of opportunities
to either help or hurt those around us
2. Many of us are looking for opportunities to minister to others. This may be
our greatest ministry opportunity that we have day in and day out – our words
to those around us!
3. Every word we speak matters because every word we speak can become a
gift to those we are around, every word can literally become a ministry to the
people God puts in our paths!
• So let’s look at bit closer at
III. Ephesians 4:29
A. Ephesians 4 teaches us that not even one unwholesome word should come out of
our mouths!
1. Read Ephesians 4:29a
2. Unwholesome means -it is harmful and corrupting
3. Unwholesome words add no value to someone’s life, they are death
producing – they take life rather than give it
B. On the other hand, it teaches us that the only words we are to speak – are words
that are good for edification
1. Read 4:29b
2. Edify means – increase or build some one up. Words that will strengthen
others and make someone more able to handle what they are going through!
C. According to the need of the moment –
1. Read 4:29c
2. That means we need to be sensitive to what is going on in that person’s life at
that very moment.
3. We must realize that people have different needs and they are at different
places in their spiritual journey.
a) The specific need of one person is different from the specific need of
another so that means the specific word of grace and truth that a one
person needs may be different from what another person needs!
b) Side bar – best way to know someone’s need is by listening to them.
Listening is the
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46min
February 17, 2021 Walk Worthy / Week 5 / Be Angry
Be Angry But Do Not Sin
Ephesians 4 February 14, 2021
Introduction:
A. Is there anybody here who has never been angry? I have been angry and I
personally know that anger is very deceptive and very destructive to ourselves and
those around us!
1. Yes, there is a righteous anger but very few of us deal with that. Most of us
deal with an outburst of anger now and then. But some deal with anger as
one of their repeated and natural responses to things or people. Still others
you can just classify as angry people because anger has sat in their hearts so
long that it has become deeply rooted in them!
B. So let’s jump right into our text this morning. Turn to Ephesians 4:26-27.
• This morning we are going to deal with anger, I want to deal with the deceptive side
of anger and the destructive part of anger. Let’s start with
I. The deceptive side of anger
A. Read v26a.
1. Anger can often be deceptive for two reasons: first, sometimes we think that
all anger is sin, but it is not – there is a righteous anger. Jesus displayed as he
cleansed the temple!
a) Righteous anger is directed at sin, things like child abuse, pornography,
racism, abortion or even like Jesus, religious people misrepresenting
God. It is primarily an offense against God and His Word.
b) Even anger can be righteous when someone deeply sinned against you or
betrayed you or was unfaithful to you. Anger is the normal human
response to that.
B. The other way anger can be deceptive is what I call self-righteous anger where
you hang onto your anger because you feel you have a right to be angry. You are
justified in your anger because someone really did hurt/wrong you.
1. We saw that with Jonah when God asked him if he has a right to be angry and
he said I sure do! God went on to show Jonah that he really does not have a
right to be angry.
2. The problem with self-righteous anger is that we never deal with it because of
the feeling that I have a right to be angry. We defend our right rather than
confront our anger!
3. Here is the reality of these kind of people, other people around them can see
it and have to deal with the effects of it, but often they are blinded to it by
their own justifications or by Satan himself!
C. I think the rest of this verse balances out this whole topic of anger. Read v26b
1. Yes, we do have a right to be angry when someone hurts us but we do not
have the right to hang onto it. Righteous anger is short lived.
2. Now this is not saying that if you find out at 5 pm that someone has deeply
hurt or betrayed you, and the sun goes down at 7pm that you have to have it
all resolved by then.
3. The point is that righteous anger is short lived and the sooner we deal with it
the better for others and us!
• The second thing we see in this verse is that anger can be very …
II. Destructive.
A. We need to understand that the thought of v27 is connected with verse 26 and
completes the thought for us. Read v27
1. This specifically applies to those who have a habitual response of anger and
those who have had anger so long that they are now just an angry person!
Satan especially uses the tool of self-righteous anger to get us here.
2. Satan wants us to get this anger thing wrong so he can work his destruction
through us and in us.
B. The word opportunity literally means place.
1. In this verse that means anger becomes a place where Satan can work from in
my life. It gives him an opportunity to work; it is a base of operation where
he can work his destruction through us and in us!
2. Let me try to illustrate this with the war in Kuwait many years ago.
a) Iraq invaded Kuwait City and took the whole world by surprise.
b) They came in and looted stores, raped women and worked all kinds of
destruction.
c) Then over the next number of months they brought in more troops, more
ammunition and built bunkers to fight from. Kuwait became the base of
operation for Iraq to work from as they took more and more control and
worked more and more destruction.
3. That is what
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40min
February 10, 2021 Walk Worthy / Week 4 / Live Consistent with Who You Are
Live Consistent With Who You Are
Ephesians 4:20ff February 7, 2021
Introduction:
A. For some when they came to Christ they were unaware of any changes at that
moment but changes came gradually over time.
1. For me my world was turned upside down and everything changed in the
moment. I changed instantly from a beer drinker who swore constantly and
lived for no one but myself to a person who in the 48 years since then has
sworn only one time and has not had a one drink since then. The whole
direction of my life changed from living for myself to living to help others!
2. None of this came because I tried hard to stop or I knew I should not do it,
but God did something deep within me and just took those things away!
B. But I had no idea what happened. Now I know what happened to me and we find
the answer in Ephesians 4. Turn in your Bibles to Ephesians 4.
1. We learned last week that we are to stop walking just like those who do not
know Jesus because their lifestyle is driven by a mind that lacks the
knowledge of God and His Word.
2. Today we pick up in v20 where we see a second reason we should not walk
just like those who do not know Jesus.
C. One thing we see in this whole section of Scripture is that truth is the foundation,
at the center of and the driver of our lifestyle, walk and behavior. The truth we
learned from Jesus and His Word should drive our lifestyles!
1. The structure of this text is simple:
a) Remember that this whole section is talking about our lifestyle from v 17
to end of chapter. This section v22 on is talking about the lifestyle we
learned and were taught when we came to Jesus
b) V22-24 – what we learned in Christ about our former manner of life
(content, truth, facts, knowledge)
c) V25 - 32 – “therefore” the “so what’s” the practical outcomes from what
we learned. (commands, exhortations, specific applications of the truths
we learned)
2. What we learn in v22-24 is that our old self has died and we have put on a
brand new self
3. When you put the two sections together we see this:
a) Stated negatively – we put away our old lifestyle because our old self has
been put away
b) Stated positively – we put on a new lifestyle because we have put on a
new self
c) Summarized - live consistent with who you are
D. Watch for all of this as I read this whole section v20-32
• Today we will look at what we learned from Jesus and in the next three weeks we
will look at three of these specifics: anger, our words and the Holy Spirit. Let’s start
with
I. What we learned in Jesus
A. Again simply what we learned in Jesus is that our old self, our old man has been
laid aside and we have put on a new self, new man. Read v22, 23
B. Wait a minute, that sounds like a command rather than the stating of a fact! That
is a very important distinction because
1. Either we are being told to put off the old self, old man or we are being told
he has already been put off!
2. One says it is a work I need to do now, the other says it is a work Jesus has
already done.
3. One causes me to strive harder, the other to praise Jesus
4. All of this is important because as we saw already – truth drives the way we
live!
5. So today, we are going to be diving into the deep end of the Word. I try not
to sound like a classroom at Moody Bible Institute too often but today is one
of the days it is necessary to know just what is the truth.
C. I am going to tell you why I believe this is a fact already done rather than
something you need to do. By the way, I do not stand alone in my interpretation
of this being this way. John MacArthur agrees, Lewis Sperry Chafer – the
founder of Dallas Seminary agrees. A Greek scholar Charles Moule agrees, and
so does David Needham, the author of Birthright. So here we go
1. The words lay aside and put on are both aorist infinitives.
a) Aorist means it is something that happened in the past
b) Being an infinitive, it has two possible interpretations – either a
command or a result.
c) Obviously I take it as a re
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38min
February 08, 2021 Walk Worthy / Week 2 / Gifts, Ministry, Growth
Stop Walking Like Those Who Do Not Know Jesus or His Word!
Ephesians 4:17-19 January 31, 2021
I. Introduction:
A. This last year and the beginning of this year was mind-blowing for many of us as
we watched people respond in ways that shocked us all! This was true of the
Covid pandemic, as well as the racial and political issues.
1. We saw in the streets, in the media and among politicians - selfishness, anger,
hypocrisy, divisiveness, the violence, lawlessness and in my opinion, at times
some very, very foolish ideas about what we should do on the part of leaders!
2. The first response of my heart was these people are bad, out of control. They
should be locked up forever. I looked down upon and really want nothing to
do with these kinds of people!
B. Then I heard the question that Roy Patterson asked – do you see the looters as
uncaged animals that need to be locked in a cage or as sheep without a shepherd?
1. That was as if God hit me with a sledgehammer as I realized I was not
thinking at all biblically or like Jesus would about these people!
2. They are lost and they are acting just like angry lost people who have been
locked up in their houses for months, who do not know Jesus or His Word
would act! What should I expect!
3. We know that anger normally puts our worst behaviors on steroids!
C. So this morning I want to take you to a passage of Scripture that can help us better
understand those who do not know Jesus, why they think the way they do and
why they act the way they do!
1. Evidently in the Ephesian church, there were believers who were acting like
those who do not know Jesus
2. He is not just teaching them a principle to live by but actually telling them to
stop doing it, no longer walk like this!
D. I believe the main thrust of this passage is calling believers to - stop walking like
those who do not know Jesus or His Word! Stop acting like them! Walk this way
no longer.
1. In telling them to stop walking this way, he spends most of his time telling
them “why the lost act the way they do?”
2. Watch for all of this as I read 4:17-21
• Let’s start by looking at
II. Why the lost act the way they do?
A. The answer is straight forward here “the way they act is driven by the way they
think!”
1. Reread v17
2. The last phrase in this verse explains how the Gentiles walk – in the futility
of their minds.
3. The mind is the place where all our knowledge and information goes, and it is
the place where we process all that knowledge and information.
4. He says here they walk in the futility of their minds. That means their minds
are empty and useless on the basis that they are lacking the content they
need!
a) Now that does not mean that the lost are not intelligent or have no
content in their minds!
b) Listen to what 2 Timothy 3:7 says
5. It is not that they have no knowledge at all or that they are not intelligent
reasoning people but it is the knowledge of the ultimate truth that they do not
have!
B. What they are lacking is the spiritual knowledge that comes from God and His
Word, which is not just another truth but is the truth!
1. 4:18 further develops the futility of their minds Read
2. Their ability to think through, to grasp, to reason, to understand has been
darkened
3. They are unable to reason well because they are excluded from the life of
God and are ignorant (that means they are unaware and do not have the
information) of the things of God and Word of God because their hearts are
hardened against Him
C. On top of that, they have become callous – that means they have lost the capacity
to feel shame or embarrassment about what they are doing.
1. Then look at what they practice. Read the rest of v19
2. Obviously, this passage goes way beyond politics and race but touches upon
the growing direction of the morality of our whole culture now!
D. So when you put all this together their actions are driven by a way of thinking that
has excluded God and His Word!
• Bottom line I have two takeaways from this, th
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37min
January 20, 2021 Walk Worthy / Week 1 / Fight for Unity, Not Ideas
Fight for Unity, not our Ideas!
Ephesians 4:1-6 January 17, 2021
I. Introduction:
A. The pain of division is deep and the blessing of unity is sweet to the soul!
1. In 2020 and the start of 2021 our nation has felt the pain of division and it has
reached into the church, our friendships and families.
2. As I have sought to process this, I certainly do not have all the answers and to
be honest with you, I do not even know where much of the truth is with so
many lies, distortions, exaggerations, half-truths, withheld or censored
information, truth and views being promoted from personal agendas by
extremist politicians on both sides of the aisle, and by the media of every
type!
3. This I do know for sure – division should not have reached into the church as
the church is supposed to be the one place of unity in the world. The ultimate
answer to divisions comes from Jesus and His Word, which has no lies,
distortions, exaggerations, half-truths.
B. After Paul spent the first three chapters in the book of Ephesians teaching us
amazing truths about who we are as believers and as a church, now there is a
major transition where Paul distills all this truth into real life wisdom regarding
how these truths are supposed to work out in our lives.
C. Turn to Ephesians 4:1 where we see this major transition. Read v1a
1. Therefore, the first word in this verse is simply saying this – here is the
conclusion from everything that you heard in the first three chapters. So
chapters 4-6 become the “so what” of everything we learned in chapters 1-3.
2. He gives us the first “so what” in v1-6. As I read, it watch for what I believe
to be the heart of the passage: “a fitting lifestyle for believers is to fight for
unity by tolerating others!”
3. As I read this section, remember that the Jews and gentiles made up this
church with very different backgrounds and had a long history of hostility
towards each other!
4. Read v1-6
• Let’s look at this big idea a piece at a time! Let’s start with …
II. A fitting lifestyle for believers
A. Now he is talking about the way we walk as believers, our lifestyle.
1. Read v1a-b
2. He starts off with a serious plea to live our lives in a way that is worthy, that
is fitting, that is suitable,
B. He is talking about a life that is appropriate of the calling to which we have been
called.
1. Read v1c
2. That is what we learned in chapters 1-3, who we are as believers and as a
church!
• So he is calling us into a fitting lifestyle for believers and that consists in
III. Fighting for unity!
A. In verse 3, we are told specifically to work hard, to give intense effort to guard the
unity of the spirit.
1. Read v3
2. A great application of this verse is what my good brother Ron Benton has
said to me often– we need to fight for unity not for our ideas!
B. In addition, it will take a fight to be unified.
1. We in the church are different in so many ways: not only ethnic differences
but political, background differences, different degrees and kinds of
brokenness, age differences, gender differences, socio economic differences,
spiritual maturity differences, spiritual gift differences, etc., etc.
2. Add on top of this that in 2020 things like masks, racial tensions and politics
provided plenty of bait for us to create divisions.
3. Here is the worse part – sometimes we fight over interpretations of the Bible
like Democrats and Republicans fight in Congress!
4. All of these have the potential to rub against us in a way that can create
division within a church.
C. Then in v4-6 Paul shares seven unities that all believers share, this becomes the
basis of our unity, the foundation upon which our unity stands. For the sake of
time, I will read them but only illustrate two of these as to how they practically
become the basis of our unity! Read v4-6
1. Illustrate -
a) Lord – Jesus Christ is the Lord – if we want unity, we must seek the
lordship and will of Jesus rather than our own wants and ideas or we will
constantly be divi
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37min
January 18, 2021 From Duty to Delight
From Duty to Delight
1 Chronicles 29 January10, 2021
I. Introduction:
A. Did you know there are many Christians who when they put in their offering
either at church or online it is more like a duty they are supposed to do rather than
a delight. But 2 Corinthians 9 makes it very clear that God loves joyful, willing,
generous givers!
B. So the question I have been asking myself is how does someone move from the
duty of stewardship to the delight of generosity where giving is done willful,
joyfully and freely?
1. As I was praying 1 Chronicles 29 came to mind and it deeply connected with
where I am in life and the conversation that was going on in my heart about
generosity.
2. Please turn to 1 Chronicles 29
C. Context
1. David knew that he was in the fourth quarter of his service as king and could
see an end to it. He had a heart to prepare things for his son Solomon as the
next king so things could flow freely for him.
a) I connect with this story because I know I am in the fourth quarter and
have desire to make things as good as possible for God’s next senior
pastor, the next generation for MVC and the Lord’s church here.
2. So he called together all his leaders, many of his workers and his mighty men
of valor.
a) Sounds like the people I speak to on Sunday morning, the people who
regularly either attend here or follow us on line. You make up the key
people of MVC
3. Now listen to 1Chronicles 29:1
D. The big picture overview of what follows is this:
1. King David, then some of the key leaders, then everyone else there gave
joyfully and generously to the Lord’s work.
2. Then David prays acknowledging that the ability to give so generously is
because everything they have comes from God.
E. What we learn here is the answer to my question, “How does someone move from
the duty of stewardship to the delight of generosity?” It was because they gave to
a great work!
• Let’s start by looking at the fact that they
II. Gave to a great work!
A. Look back at verse 1. Read 1a-c (“work is great”)
1. Now let’s see the reason why this work is great “for,” Read v1d
It is great because it is not a work for man but a work for God
B. We all love to give to great works and know our giving is making a difference
rather than just give because I am supposed to give. They knew this great work
was for God so they saw their giving as giving to God and not just the project!
1. There are a lot of great causes out there but there is none greater than giving
to the Lord’s work because it is a great work
2. Note as we go through this passage the emphasis on giving to the Lord and
not just to the work. Read v2a, 3a, 9a-b,14
C. You know MVC’s work is a great work because for the Lord’s sake we are
seeking to carry out the mission He gave to His church to make disciples.
1. Our mission at MVC is simply: following Jesus, impacting others
2. Following – helping people become whole hearted followers of Jesus who
love Him with all their heart, soul and mind
3. Impacting others by bringing the gospel of Jesus to the lost and helping
believers grow on their journey with Jesus!
D. What most people see at MVC is the tip of the iceberg, the 10% of God’s great
work at MVC. That is Sunday morning as we seek to feed people with God’s
Word and lead them in worshipping Him.
1. But all during the week we are caring for people’s unique needs and
discipling people all in the name of Jesus Christ. That is the great work we
do here for the Lord
2. Bottom line we are not running events , programs and meetings but we are
seeking to see people transformed by the word and Spirit of God through
these events, programs and meetings
E. I could tell you about many ways people are cared for and the many up close and
personal discipleship relationships and groups that are going on here but today I
just to tell you about one story of transformation that has happened at MVC.
1. A few years back a couple, whose marriage was in great difficulty, came in to
visit with one of our pastors
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48min
January 18, 2021 Plan with humility, live with gusto
Plan with humility, live with gusto
James 4 and Ecclesiastes 9 January 3, 2021
I. Introduction:
A. 2020 is done and 2021 is here! With New Year’s always come new dreams and
plans!
1. I know last year moving into our 75th year as a church we had real big dreams
and plans for the next 5 years here at MVC that we were going to unveil
around Easter but Covid 19 was like dropping an atomic bomb on those
plans.
2. I know for many personally, not only Covid 19 but just everyday life apart
from Covid, impacted their personal dreams and plans for last year and they
have felt that atomic bomb dropped on those plans!
B. Today I want to share the major work that God did in my heart last year that came
out of that bomb dropped on my life!
C. God had been preparing me all year for this lesson through personal and ministry
plans blown out of the water by Covid creating a constant flux with plans and
long term rhythms of life and ministry. Add to that the loss of two very close
friends who died earlier in the year then it started to come to a head for me on
Tuesday afternoon November 10th
1. It was just four hours before the biggest board meeting of the year because
we were going to unveil the new dreams and plans for the MVC and the
leadership over the next number of years because the other plans were blown
out of the water by Covid
2. I just got off the phone and I had a mini-stroke
a) I could not even make that meeting
b) Within eighteen hours I was laying in the hospital scheduled for all kinds
of test as they were concerned I may be on the way to a major stroke.
3. As you might imagine my plans for that day were totally different than what
was in my schedule book and heart!
a) On top of that, not knowing what was going to happen to me, many of
my future dreams, hopes and plans with my wife, children and church all
now became very uncertain to me.
4. By God’s grace I was released on Thursday with an all clear but keep an eye
on your physical health and stress levels!
5. But that Saturday morning I found out that both Jeff Schmidt and Jim
Higgins, both friends of mine, had died the night before.
a) Something broke within me – the jabs throughout the year, the punch
that staggered me with a ministroke just 4 days before and the knockout
punch came when I read that email.
• Something happened in my heart at that moment and God led me instantly to the
passage I want to share with you this morning as we move into 2021 with our new
dreams and plans. turn to …
II. James 4
A. Listen to what God spoke to me through His Word that morning. Read 4:13-16
B. V13 are the big plans we have – the church had them, you had them and I had
them and we have new ones as we move into 2021. Plans both for today and for
the future – read v13
C. But what I did not know that Tuesday morning when I woke up all excited have
MVC plans shared that night with the leadership, and what you do not know is
what v14 says. Read
D. Then in v15 is the wisdom and the attitude that we all need to carry both in our
dreams hopes and plans both for today and the future. Read v15
1. First, if God wills – you will be alive this afternoon or tomorrow
a) That Tuesday afternoon with a major stroke possibly looming as I laid in
bed in the hospital I did not even know if I would be alive tomorrow!
2. Secondly, if God wills – you will do what you are planning.
a) So many things can enter into our lives that are beyond our control that
makes our plans uncertain both later today, tomorrow and in the future.
b) Listen to Proverbs 16:9 NASB & NLT.
E. The lesson of this passage for us is this – the great trump card on our life and
plans is God’s will!
1. So I need to plan with humility recognizing that ultimately my plans are not
determined by my will but God’s will
• But to balance out Scripture with Scripture and complete the heart shaping God was
doing in me we need not only plan with humility but we must …
III. Live life with gusto
A. Turn to Ecclesiastes 9 is a wisdom book where
...more
48min
January 18, 2021 Christmas at MVC// Week 4// Jesus is Lord
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28min
December 21, 2020 Christmas at MVC// Week 3// Emmanuel
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29min

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