Peeples’ Passion

1 John 1:9 - "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness"

Confess Sin

Sin separates man from God. When we receive Christ as our Savior, our sins are forgiven and we are cleansed. We continue to sin because we are sinners. Failure to confess on a daily basis causes distress. We suffer guilt and fellowship with Christ is broken. We will struggle to have fellowship with others. The Old Testament teachings in this week's study reveal sin in the lives of these great men of God. As we study the Bible, we understand how they overcame sin and were used of God. God has left a record for us to benefit from.

Proverbs 28:13 - "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but who so confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy"

Identify Sin

We have a natural bias to justify our sinful behavior and blame others for our actions and reactions. The people around us and the circumstances we live in don't make us the way we are, they reveal what is in our heart. This is a different way to view our life. We need to accept the responsibility for our sinful behavior. We naturally want to blame others Be open to the work of the Holy Spirit and allow HIM to reveal what is in your heart.

Romans 12:1 - "I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship."

Be Submissive

Submission to God is the first step in overcoming the emotional stress that can and will come your way. We must start with this step or we don't start at all. In our society we are taught that we get what we earn and that we should work hard to have what we want. When we carry this teaching into our Christian life, nothing happens. Submission to God means we give Him control of our heart, our mind, and tongue. He controls us and leads us to green pastures, beside still waters. Surely goodness and mercy will follow us when the Lord is our Shepherd.

Romans 15:13 - "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."

Knowing Joy, Being Comfortable, and Receiving Peace

When a man loses hope, his life can become almost unbearable. When we realize that hope is one of the provisions of God and that it is a result of being filled with joy and peace by the power of the Holy Spirit, we understand that we never have to experience a sense of hopelessness. God will never leave us nor will He forsake us. We can turn to Him at any time at any place, receive His provisions, and be free from despair.

1 Thessalonians 3:12 - "And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you"

Experiencing God's Love

God is the source of love. Love is patient, kind, long-suffering, hardly notices when others do it wrong, doesn't not demand its way and never fails. Love enables us to succeed.

Proverbs 4:23 - "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."

The third destructive natural tendency is blaming people and circumstances for our emotional instability. While there are serious problems in our lives, we must take personal responsibility for our sinful reaction to these problems.

The easiest thing to do is to blame others for our resentment, anger, frustration, jealousy and bitterness. It is acceptable to say, "It is their fault." It is acceptable to ask, "Who wouldn't be angry?" It is acceptable, but it isn't helpful. It is difficult to accept responsibility for our reactions to ill-mannered people, to disappointments, and especially to any form of abuse. We are society of victims. Being a victim is painful, but being responsible for my reaction is freedom.

Galatians 5:22-23 - "But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control; and here there is no conflict with Jewish laws."

The second destructive natural tendency is our dependency on people, places, things, and events for emotional stability. Jesus Christ is the only one who is able to meet our need for love, joy, comfort, and peace.

We look to people to meet our need for love, places to give us comfort, things to bring joy into our lives and circumstances to give us peace.

Isaiah 53:6 - "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."

The first destructive natural tendency is a sinful reaction when things don't go our way.

Emotional discomfort results from sinful reactions to things that don't go our way. It is especially difficult to make a Godly response when our way is right and biblical and we still don't get it.

Romans 15:13 - "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost."

Mary Glynn is excited to share her "Hope" series. As you listen to the introduction message, she will share what it's about and how it is broken down. This section is an adaptations from her CD Bible study that was published many years ago.