Thrive.Church Weekly Message

[Habakkuk 1:1-2] This is the message that the prophet Habakkuk received in a vision. [2] How long, O LORD, must I call for help? But you do not listen! "Violence is everywhere!" I cry, but you do not come to save.

Faith isn't just believing God CAN, it's waiting when He HASN'T yet.

[Habakkuk 1:3-4] Must I forever see these evil deeds? Why must I watch all this misery? Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence. I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight. [4] The law has become paralyzed, and there is no justice in the courts. The wicked far outnumber the righteous, so that justice has become perverted.

God would rather hear your HONEST questions than your PRETEND prayers.

[Psalm 13:1-2] For the choir director: A psalm of David. O LORD, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? [2] How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand?

Habakkuk doesn't complain ABOUT God, he complains TO God.

Silence from God is not the same as ABSENCE of God.

[Matthew 27:46] At about three o'clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, ["Eli, Eli,] [lema sabachthani?"] which means "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?"

Jesus went into the SILENCE so you'd never go through it ALONE.

Bring your questions TO God, not AWAY from God.

Faith is trusting God in the middle of UNANSWERED questions.

[Deuteronomy 28:1-8] ““Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. [2] And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God [3] “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. [4] “Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. [5] “Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. [6] “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. [7] “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. [8] “The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

[1 Timothy 6.12] Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses.

[Acts 13:1-2, 4-5] Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch of Syria were Barnabas, Simeon (called "the black man"), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas), and Saul. [2] One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them." [4] So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit. They went down to the seaport of Seleucia and then sailed for the island of Cyprus. [5] There, in the town of Salamis, they went to the Jewish synagogues and preached the word of God. John Mark went with them as their assistant.

[Acts 13:13] Paul and his companions then left Paphos by ship for Pamphylia, landing at the port town of Perga. There John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem.

Sometimes a STRUGGLE reveals where you still need to GROW.

[Acts 15:36-38] After some time Paul said to Barnabas, "Let's go back and visit each city where we previously preached the word of the Lord, to see how the new believers are doing." [37] Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark. [38] But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work.

FORGIVENESS doesn't automatically eliminate CONSEQUENCES.

[Romans 8:1] So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

Don't mistake PROCESS for PUNISHMENT.

[Acts 15:39-40] Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus. [40] Paul chose Silas, and as he left, the believers entrusted him to the Lord's gracious care.

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Don't let your PAST become your IDENTITY for your future.

[1 Corinthians 4:5] So don't make judgments about anyone ahead of time--before the Lord returns.

You're still BECOMING who God wants you to be.

[Acts 4:36] For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means "Son of Encouragement"). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus.

[Acts 9:26-27] When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They did not believe he had truly become a believer! [27] Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus and how the Lord had spoken to Saul. He also told them that Saul had preached boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus.

Don't mistake a QUIET season for an INACTIVE God.

[Colossians 4:10] Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, sends you his greetings, and so does Mark, Barnabas's cousin. As you were instructed before, make Mark welcome if he comes your way.

[Philemon 1:23-24] Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. [24] So do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my co-workers.

What somebody CALLED you in one season doesn't determine what God can make you in the NEXT.

[2 Timothy 4:9-11] Timothy, please come as soon as you can. [10] Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus has gone to Dalmatia. [11] Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me in my ministry.

God can REDEEM the very thing you thought DISQUALIFIED you.

[Philippians 1:6] And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Before you have a comeback you have to have a _________________.

Just because you've stopped EXPECTING doesn't mean God's stopped WORKING.

[Luke 15:1-2] Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. [2] This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people--even eating with them!

[Luke 15:10 NLT] In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God's angels when even one sinner repents."

God doesn't confuse someone's LOCATION with their VALUE.

[Luke 15:11-13] To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: "A man had two sons. [12] The younger son told his father, 'I want my share of your estate now before you die.' So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. [13] "A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living.

[Luke 15:17-20] "When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, 'At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! [18] I will go home to my father and say, "Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, [19] and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant."' [20] "So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.

Grace is God making a way HOME.

[Luke 15:21-24] His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.' [22] "But his father said to the servants, 'Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. [23] And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, [24] for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.' So the party began.

All of Heaven CELEBRATES when we are FOUND.

[Luke 19:10] For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost."

Lost things MATTER to God.

[2 Peter 3:9] The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

My job is to LOVE them; God's job is to CHANGE them.

[Luke 15:28-32] "The older brother was angry and wouldn't go in. His father came out and begged him, [29] but he replied, 'All these years I've slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. [30] Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!' [31] "His father said to him, 'Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. [32] We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!'"

If God's GRACE hadn't found us, we'd all be LOST.

[Romans 5:8] But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

Solitude is _____________________ from the noise of life to spend time with God.

Don't spend so much time talking about what God DID that we stop asking what God's DOING.

[Joshua 13:1] When Joshua was an old man, the LORD said to him, "You are growing old, and much land remains to be conquered.

Don't get COMFORTABLE because there's still TERRITORY to take.

[Joshua 4:6-7] We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' [7] Then you can tell them, 'They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the LORD's Covenant went across.' These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever."

Remembering God's FAITHFULNESS gives me courage for the FUTURE.

Don't mistake PROGRESS for COMPLETION.

[Joshua 11:23] So Joshua took control of the entire land, just as the LORD had instructed Moses. He gave it to the people of Israel as their special possession, dividing the land among the tribes. So the land finally had rest from war.

Don't let what God HAS DONE make you ignore what He STILL wants to do.

[Joshua 18:1-3] Now that the land was under Israelite control, the entire community of Israel gathered at Shiloh and set up the Tabernacle. [2] But there remained seven tribes who had not yet been allotted their grants of land. [3] Then Joshua asked them, "How long are you going to wait before taking possession of the remaining land the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has given to you?

I don't have to do EVERYTHING, I just have to do MY PART.

Success isn't just what I ACCOMPLISH; it's what I make possible for OTHERS.

[Matthew 28:18-20] Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. [19] Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. [20] Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." 

As long as there are PEOPLE to reach, there is TERRITORY to take.

[Psalm 46.10a] Be still and know that I am God

The more confident I am that God CAN speak, the more HUMBLE I should be about claiming He DID.

[Romans 8:14] For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

[Acts 8:29] The Holy Spirit said to Philip, "Go over and walk along beside the carriage."

[Acts 10:19-20] Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, "Three men have come looking for you. [20] Get up, go downstairs, and go with them without hesitation. Don't worry, for I have sent them."

[Acts 13:2] One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them."

The Bible emphasizes RESPONDING to the Spirit more than EXPLAINING how the Spirit speaks.

[John 10:27 ESV] My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

You learn to recognize a VOICE by knowing the PERSON who is speaking.

Sometimes God's leading looks like a CLOSED DOOR.

[Acts 16:6-7] Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. [7] Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there.

An OPEN DOOR on it's OWN doesn't necessarily mean it's God's will.

God's LEADING doesn't guarantee an EASY road.

God's VOICE will never contradict God's WORD.

[Acts 15:28] "For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these few requirements:

You learn to follow the Holy Spirit's leading by RESPONDING to His PROMPTING.

[1 Samuel 3:7, 9] Samuel did not yet know the LORD because he had never had a message from the LORD before. [9] So he said to Samuel, "Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, 'Speak, LORD, your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went back to bed.