Journey Church, West Chester

Exodus 33:19-20 John 1:1-4,5-9,14,18 Revelations 21:3,22:5 Matthew 5:16

Jesus faced Rejection so we could find Acceptance with God! LEARNING to say YES to GOD 1) Learn to Listen 2) Let Jesus’ YES motivate your YES 3) Practice saying YES Luke 1:26-33 Jn 14:27 ______________ Jn 1:9-13 Is 53:1-11

John 1:1-5 The message of Christmas is - Before the creation of the world, before time itself; Jesus determined in HIs heart that He would travel any distance for you and me to understand the Love He has for us! Luke 15:1-7 “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” - A.W. Tozer

Philipians 4:4, 6-7 4 WAYS TO FIND JOY WHEN YOU DON’T FEEL LIKE IT 1) Take a Short Look at your Problem 2) Take time to Count your Blessings 3) Remind yourself that You are Not Alone 4) Take a Long Look at the Possibilities

It’s impossible to be ungrateful and happy at the same time! Luke 17:11-19 Philippians 2:14 - “Do everything without complaining and arguing.”

Loneliness - Steals Our Joy. Numerous studies over many years have determined that joy is not linked to circumstances. Money, success, status, age, gender, ethnicity, even physical health doesn't have any significant correlation to joy. What it is linked to, most often, is relationships. - James K.A. Smith, Not Meant To Be Alone. Luke 10:1-3, 17-21 Hebrews 10:23-25 FRIENDS - SHOW UP - Show Up with a MEAL - Show Up with a Prayer - Show Up with Forgiveness

“Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. The more a man has, the more he wants. Instead of filling a vacuum, it makes one.” - Benjamin Franklin 1 Timothy 6:6-10 NLT “Money in itself is neither good nor bad; it is simply dangerous in that the love of it may become bad. With money a man can do much good; and with money he can do much evil. With money a man can selfishly serve his own desires; and with money he can generously answer to the cry of his neighbor’s need. With money a man can buy his way to the forbidden things and facilitate the path of wrong-doing; and with money he can make it easier for someone else to live as God meant him to live. Money is not an evil, but it is a great responsibility.” - William Barclay 3 QUESTIONS TO TEST YOUR HEART 1) Are you content in your circumstances? 2) Are you actively guarding against greed? 3) Are you being generous?

Object Permanence - the awareness that an object continues to exist even when it’s now in view. Object Permanence Video (attachment) Psalm 73:1-25 Sing a New Song Video (play directly after reading) (attachment) HOW TO DEAL with GOD’s SILENCE 1) Be Honest with our Feelings 2) Confess our Doubts 3) Change our Perspective 4) See God’s Presence 5) No Matter HOW we get to Dependence on God - it’s a GOOD THING! “If we really knew what we were called to relinquish on this [spiritual] journey, our defenses would never allow us to take the first step. Sometimes the only way we can enter the deeper dimensions of the journey is by being unable to see where we’re going.” - Gerald May, The Dark Night of the Soul

Silence doesn’t mean God has left you. We SIN then We HIDE. Psalms 32:1-5 NLT Nothing Escapes God’s Eye

Psalm 22:1-18 IN DIFFICULTY/SILENCE REMEMBER: 1. We are not alone in our suffering. 2. Jesus incredible love demonstrated on the Cross. 3. Jesus models faithfulness in despair. GROWING in PATIENCE: 1. Trust while Waiting 2. Find Joy while Waiting 3. Moving while Waiting

Sometimes these times of SILENCE cause us to doubt, but what if it didn’t have to be that way …? “Though our feelings come and go, God’s love for us/presence with us - does not.” - C.S. Lewis Psalm 42:1-11 (New Living Translation) When God is silent, what do we do in those moments? Bottom Line - We can make it through seasons of God’s silence by reminding ourselves of who God is and who he will continue to be.

PERSEVERANCE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2G8KVzTwfw “Nobody wants to show the hours and hours of becoming. They'd rather show the highlight of what they've become.” - Angela Duckworth Romans 5:3-4 Suffering = Perseverance = Character = Hope/faith. Persevering doesn’t feel Spiritual, but it is! HOW TO FINISH WELL 1) Take the Long View 2) Be Teachable 3) Invest in Others

2 Corinthians 6:1-10 An ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE is important Suffering is expected Joy and Sorrow exist simultaneously, and in tension 2 Corinthians 6:9-10 Philppians 4:4 Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 Keep the proper perspective Rejoice in the Big Picture Accept the sorrow It’s BOTH: spiritual maturity is holding both joy and sorrow at the same time

DOES it HAVE to be this WAY? Is this what God wants for our lives? Philippians 4:12-13 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 DEFINITION - Contentment is knowing you have all you need for your circumstances.

Replacing the LABELS in our Lives. BELIEVE WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT YOU MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE. Forgiveness FORGIVEN PEOPLE, FORGIVE PEOPLE! PeaceMAKERS. PeaceMaker (ACTIVE) vs PeaceKEEPER (PASSIVE) Getting Past PERSONAL FAILURES. Judges 6:1-6, 11-16 1 John 1:9 2 Corinthians 5:17 Your BIGGEST sins are NOT too BIG for God’s GRACE. You can’t change your PAST, but Christ can change your FUTURE.

“God blesses those who WORK for peace.” Matthew 5:9 (New Living Translation) Matthew 23:1-4 John 15:12-14 BE FIRST. The first to apologize is the BRAVEST. The first to forgive is the STRONGEST. The first to forget is the HAPPIEST. - Craig Groeschel

Negative memories act like anchors, always pulling us backward despite how deeply we want to move forward. 2 Corinthians 5:17 STORY of RAHAB We must stop believing OLD LABELS about our NEW SELVES in Christ!