take charge of your life sermon

2 Timothy 4:1-2. Who is really in charge? Pay what you vow. Baptist, The Gospel According to "babys name" July 28, 2022 Taking charge of your life is one of the most empowering journeys you can ever embark on. Its clear that to number our days means more than just counting them on a calendar. Oh, that you might all come to age 65 with fire in your bones, and say, Now! Join us in supporting Project GRL this month and help empower women and girls to realize their limitless potential as daughters of the King. OUR CHARGE 52-week preaching calendar to help you plan your sermons, Customizable sermon manuscripts for verse-by-verse preaching, Preach with creativity and impact throughout the year, [NEW YEAR] 4-Week Series to kick off 2023, [PRODUCTIVITY] Fulfill your full potential, [FOUNDATIONS] Getting back to what matters most. Take Power Back in Your Job 6. Then he asked if I could suggest a day and I told him no. This is especially true on Facebook. Introduction This leads to this conclusion and sets the stage for my message tonight: Your life is in Gods hands and hangs by a thread of sovereign grace. Psalm 46:8 says, Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth (NASB). He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. I will rejoice in whatever makes Christ look magnificently satisfying including all my pain. (James 4:1316). The Major League season is 162 games plus a minimum of fourteen more games in the playoffs and World Series. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. Jesus said, No procrastination. Jim Rohn, the motivational speaker and author, said: Time is our most valuable asset, yet we tend to waste it, kill it, and spend it rather than invest it.". This means that in all areas of your life, you are accountable. Ive shared this story because we need to understand the value of our time. And over their lives and over your life will be written the words: This life was not wasted. A close study of the account of the fall of man has done more to open my For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. Bottom line, if I want to chat with you. He's been called the Godfather of Personal Developmen. Let it sink in. 2. I think all the commercials and mailings and telephone calls and door to door people can be exhausting sometimes. Jesus died to set us free: from sin, from the devil, from the world around us. You cant put Gods kingdom off till tomorrow. Life is given to us so that we can use it to make much of Christ. The Lords Statement that Calls for a Change (v. 7) Over the past twenty-five years that I have been in ministry, I have discovered eight vital keys to knowing God's will and plan for your life. The internet will take all the time you give it. And you know what God did? More and more I smell eternity. I count everything as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord? Consider a few of the alternatives to self-control: Relationships where people try to control each other, Faith practiced out of guilt and drudgery instead of freedom and love, The replacement of love as a motivator with guilt, anger and fear instead, The inability to stop evil in significant relationships and cultures, The inability to gain control of our own behavior and solve problems in our lives, The loss of control to addictive processes. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. People live by their feelings more than anything else much of the time. and that is far better. And as Jeremiah said, God's thoughts and his plan for our life are of good and not of evil. I will laugh with you and cry with you. For Jesus to be the center of your life, it means He is in control. You feel the personal magnitude of it when you read of a father digging for his family and passing out when he uncovers the hand of his dead teenage daughter, or when you read of an infant found alive in the arms of his dead mother. 2 Timothy 4:1-8 is a charge to be faithful in ministry. In early April 1865, the bloody Civil War that had torn America asunder was drawing to a close. Set a timer on your phone for the specified time until it becomes a part of your daily routine. .I would not be sowing any further time into his life. I agree. Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. All of this in preparation for meeting Jesus Christ face to face with nail scars in his hands. If theres one thing. The passion of the unwasted life is to joyfully display the supreme excellence of Christ by the way we live. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. In other words, the amount of money you receive in your paycheck replaces the amount of your life you gave to your employer. Yes, you can talk about sports or whatever interest you have but keep it within the perimeters you set for yourself. Spiritual Growth Definition = the unending process of replacing the lies with the truth. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. The word number is the Hebrew word manah (H4487) in the Strongs Concordance and it means: to count, reckon, assign, tell, appoint, prepare., I think its significant that the definition of number includes the words assign, appoint and prepare.. 2And they began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute [TAXES] to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king." So if you ask me tonight, All right, tell us then, what is the unwasted life? The apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that Gods grace is sufficient and His power is made perfect in weakness. Managing these inputs and outputs of your life determines the quality of your life. Let go of worry and fear of what you cannot control. Bev and I record the TV programs we want to watch. If we want to be in control of our lives. Take Charge of Your Life!Jim Rohn made the biggest impact on personal development in business and life. . A couple of years ago, a young evangelist who knew that I had worked as a consultant to ministries asked about my fee to advise him about the growth of his ministry. Will you say with Paul, To live is Christ and to die is gain . 8. Rev. b) Now, God has returned us to freedom, and like in the beginning, we are to use it responsibly, or we become slaves all over again. Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord . The night is about over, dawn is about to break. . Its gain because verse 23 says, My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. Death is gain because death means more of Christ. We can't afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. read more, Scripture: Oh hear the words of Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords: If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Having trouble logging into your account? And that is exactly the way you will waste your life in fifty years if you do not make some radical decisions now, and set your face like flint to walk another way. First, Develop a plan with reasonable and flexible timelines. He created human life, and he decides what human life is for. Listen to this Sermon. The Bible clearly says God loves us and that He has good plans for us. There are two trans for power in vs After you work forty hours for your employer, he doesnt pay you out of the goodness of his heart. 10 Steps to Take Control of Your Life 1. It sounds challenging, but start small. Seize the day.. 1.Be yourself Do you ever feel like you're living someone else's life? It may take a little time to get used to itbut once you do, youll be thankful you started. .but its not scriptural either. He is author of. Taking Charge Of Our Life Psalm 23:1-6ESV / 13 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful A Psalm of David. "Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." 2. Im not suggesting you become a member of the police, fire and/or rescue squads in your community. Series Intro: This series is about overcoming some of lifes greatest roadblocks. James concludes this passage not by saying how fleeting our lives are. . He restores my soul. I believe with all my heart that when God raises up a generation like this and I pray that you are that generation the completion of the Great Commission will come to pass. Fear not, Joyce Meyer shares thoughts and Bible Verses for Tough Times. People asked Jesus about a calamity in which Pilate had killed people while they were worshiping and mingled their blood with their sacrifices. Lay up treasures on earth? 2. There are three phrases that point us to Paul's God-centered view of his salvation: 1) "who has given me strength," 2) "he judged me faithful," and 3) "appointing me to his service.". God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed. This is my charge to you also. If you dont know how special you really are, you wont be all God created you to be. . Vince Lombardi, the legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers, kept his watch set five minutes ahead. If the Lord wills, you and I will live through this message. "Lord, I come before you humbly allowing you to take the wheel. We are continuing to discover the joy of generosity and today we are looking at a command and charge in Scripture which is a basis for this life of generous living. VOWS (face each other and hold hands) (repeat after me) I, GROOM/BRIDE take you GROOM/BRIDE to be my husband/wife, my partner in life and my one true love. If we are not strong with Christ, life's circumstances will take us off guard and can knock us off our feet. So, lets begin by defining some things. .but something far more valuable. Presbyterian/Reformed, Charge preached at a deacon ordination from Jesus teaching on leadership in Matthew 20:25-28, Text: Matt 20:25-28, Title: Charge to the Deacons, Date/Place: NRBC, 9/6/09, PM And oh, how I want to use my life well. Few things make me tremble more than the possibility of taking this onetime gift of life and wasting it. Good news: God isn't playing keep a way with His will, and it isn't far off or hard to find. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. FULFILL YOUR MINISTRY BY PREACHING THE WORD And God himself said in Deuteronomy 32:39: See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.. How did all that pointless play put my glory on display?. Your life belongs to God, and he decides what life is for. Which conversation is more important? What you do with that time. Like many aspects o the Christian faith, its a choice that we make every day. It's the emotions that trap us in a rut, in unhealthy habits. because the Old Testament taught that every charge must be confirmed by "two or three witnesses" (Deut. He can do the same for us when we trust and rest in Him. Ive often quoted Bill Swad who once said: Great minds talk about ideas. Find Your Support System 10. .its time. Instead you ought to say, If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that. As it is, you boast in your arrogance. I have written many articles about the power of affirmations, as well as a book about this topic, "Affirmations - Words with Power". 3:2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: In his commentary on Pauls Second Letter to Timothy, John MacArthur noted that the final words of dying men and women usually are stripped of hypocrisy and reflect accurately their true beliefs and feelings. I just mentioned it: a life that puts the infinite value of Christ on display for the world to see. In this message, Pastor John Lindell shares a challenging sermon titled, Is Jesus In Charge of Your Life? Those who One answer is given in Luke 13:15. Ephesians 1:18-19, The sixth message in a verse by verse series through the book of Malachi, Gods Invitation to Be a Giver I can do all things through him who strengthens me. read more, Scripture: If he were here, he might make this point with these words: A persons life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions (Luke 12:15). Possessions are given to us so that by the way we use them, we can show that they are not our treasure, but Christ is our treasure. (:1) THE EYEWITNESSES OF THE CHARGE: Didn't get a code? Z. One of the reasons our testimony meetings in churches are so blah is because our people are not encountering God as they should be! Build bigger barns? There are people. And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. Don't Waste It Oh how jealous Jesus was, therefore, that people not waste their lives. . Less I get bogged down. . We should do similarly. POWER!!!!! Login or Register. eyes to the danger of tradition than any other study I have done. Let go and let God. F It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. There are those that want to bring the world into the church whereas the church should be in the world. Authority? The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away! If we believe, as it says in Colossians 1:17, that God is before all things, and in Him, all things hold together, then we can trust and know that He's got everything under control. And the Bible tells us plainly, Weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15). I will trust you and honor you. There is no roll-over benefit to time. Paul says, It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.. However, I told the young man I would sow an hour of my life. . You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." (James 4:14) . And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. 2. .or dont read them until you have time to answer. You dont purchase an automobile with little slips of paper called money. No, you actually buy it with your life that is, the amount of your life you spend earning the money to pay for your automobile. It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools. . Alan Larkin, noted time management expert, once said: Planning is bringing the future into the present, so you can do something about it now.. TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE . If someone is habitually late on their appointments. Standard message and data rates may apply. Because it will not come to pass unless a generation is joyfully willing to lay down their lives. We are to assign tomorrows activities tonight by planning to fulfill specific functions at certain times. It is a measurement of our gratitude Its time to determine whos in control of your life. No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. God did not make us to be passive and to float down the river like a dead fish, He gave us strength, power, authority and ability to SUBDUE, dominate and overpower unscriptural circumstances. Psalm 96:8 says: . At any time you can unsubscribe and remove your consent. P It is my eager expectation and hope that . Again, that sounds nice. You're not alone. 1) Stop Comparing Yourself to Others Left unchecked this can become a toxic habit and lead to us never feeling truly satisfied with who we are or our own accomplishments. Then, when I stepped out to teach, the feelings of insecurity went away. .so that he would always early for appointments. Join us in supporting Project GRL this month and help empower women and girls to realize their limitless potential as daughters of the King. In Exodus 14, we see the best Egyptian fighters try to capture the Israelites (this is the scene before the parting of the Red Sea). I surrender all control to you. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. That was Ok, too. A very important book has been written on the subject. Scriptures: We have covered the truth found in verse 21 that we are to submit to one another in response to our relationship with Christ. In a recent book, Presidential Praise: Our Presidents and Their Hymns authors C. Edward Spann and Michael E. Williams Sr. note that the title of President George W. Bushs autobiography, A Charge to Keep, was drawn from 2 Timothy 4:1-8, Denomination: Be Specific but Don't Blame 4. 6. Matthew 20:25-28, Remember who's in charge - someday Jesus will reveal it, Last week Tuesday was an election day. And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Self-Awareness Comes First 2. Accumulating things is not what life is for. I cant help how I feel at times and Im not going to pretend I dont feel anything. All such boasting is evil. But what does it really mean? . Every morning when I walked into the kitchen as a boy I saw hanging on the wall the plaque that now hangs in my living room: Only one life, twill soon be past, only whats done for Christ will last.. Whose will these things be? And the tragic word: Wasted!. They never got there because they never listened, never believed.. On the day of our meeting. J But when I decided to pray and ask God for the grace to forgive him or ask for his forgiveness, Ive had the ability to treat him the way God wants me to. G How do you show that Christ is a treasure in death? Pauls all-consuming passion was that in his life and in his death Jesus Christ be honored, that is, that Jesus Christ be made to look like the infinite treasure that he is. If its on the job, not so much. It means to depart and be with him with him! H Copyright 2003-2023 | Outreach, Inc., All rights reserved. We wanted to use our freedom in any way that we chose, and as a result, we lost it. Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. It's only natural to feel lost at some point in your life, especially at times when you have no control over external circumstances or as you approach certain milestones. Become aware that you can take charge of your life, you can, you can make your dreams a reality, you can make a difference in the world, and you can live a life of greatness. Instead of trying to control every little detail of their escape plan, in verses 13-14 Moses tells the people, Do not be afraid. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad. I suggest that each of you. I will tell you what to be astonished at: be astonished that the tower did not fall on you. If Jesus were here tonight, and we came to him with the death toll from the earthquake in Iran asking him to give an accounting for God, one of the things he would say is: Be astonished that this hotel has not collapsed with you in it. B In this series we will be dealing with the main points in life that can really mess you up or bring your great happiness. So I ask all of you now, are you going to throw your life away with the rest of the world by striving to minimize your suffering and maximize your comforts in this life? Independent/Bible. . We would be stunned speechless if we watched the car accidents in which 50,000 people died in America this year. By experiencing death as gain. If you schedule a meeting dont be on time. But when we believe the lies the enemy puts in our mind over the Word of God, we will feel like the lies are true and then live like it. . .no delays. Take charge of your healthmind, body, and spirit! For example, I've heard people say, "I don . Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. (Luke 12:1621). Practice Positive Self-Talk 9. * What are we going to do about He pays you in exchange for the forty hours of your life. He knows whats best (Jeremiah 29:11). Y Identify ways to create a sense of personal control or mastery in your life. read more, Scripture: For instance, if you want to write a book. 2nd Timothy 4:1-5 Let me also share that we worship God with our giving. .create specific timelines so you will know when you need to do what. One of the great tragedies of American culture is the way billions of dollars are invested to persuade people my age to waste the rest of their lives. Or at least, that was until God stepped in. Our world is filled with distractions. - Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. You decide a time frame that works for you. *Text verification only works for mobile numbers. But that is not because our life is our own, but because our lives belong to God and he has the right to take both of us any time he chooses. . A couple of weeks later, I agreed to sow another hour into his life. Underline that last statement. .who will spend all the time you give them in phone conversations, texting and chats. Psalm 139 tells us that God is familiar with all our ways - where we've been, what we're doing now, and where we're going. Money is a spiritual subject. I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of Christ. This means that the life that displays the worth of Christ the unwasted life is the life that uses everything to show that Christ is more valuable that it is. He suggested another day and I told him the time wasnt available. 3 Ways Satan Is Deceiving Today's Culture, 4 Reasons Christian Singles Are Tired of the Dating Scene, How You Can Have Eternal Life Through the Cross of Jesus Christ, A Powerful Morning Prayer to Start Each Day, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. . Pentecost 5, Proper 7, series C Concordia Lutheran Church Genesis 3:12-14, PAULS FINAL CHARGE TO HIS YOUNGER PROTG: When Hannah was thanking God for her son Samuel after years of barrenness, she said, The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up (1 Samuel 2:6). When we speak of the sovereignty of God we should be humbledremembering that He is in charge and we are not. Intentions are very powerful. http://jubilee-church.org/sermons/2003/08/kingdom-of-god.htm Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Consequences Are Often Necessary 5. Sixth, give and expect punctuality on your appointments. That doesnt have to be you. Jesus answers: Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? Everybody loses their way on the long journey of life. David writes in Psalm 39:4: "Show me, O LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life." (Psalm 39:4) Or as we read earlier in Psalm 90:12: "Teach us to number our days aright . Give your work brain a rest. Money is used to show that Christ is more valuable than money. Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. At least you feel that they are. R Therefore let your words be few. All rights reserved. Unable to break generational cycles of sin. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. We dont have to hold our cups tightly and fill them with a toxic sludge thats fueled by our own fears or desires. It makes me feel safe and secure. The reason you have life is to make Jesus Christ look great. . For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words.