Radiant Church Newport

Rom 12:2. If you can win the battle within, it will make you better equipped to win the battle outside. Often, it is our memory of a habit, behavior, or sin that is holding ups back from freedom or victory. Do not be conformed to the world's value. Focus on godly values. Rom 10:9-10. The heart believes, the mouth professes. Sanctification is a process of changing. The mind is the key. This is not mind over matter; it is trusting God. It is capturing thoughts and bringing them into submission to scripture. 80% of our daily thoughts are negative. Negative thoughts can never lead to a positive life.

Taking up the fight within. How do we win this war within? It's going to take some heart. Pro. 4:23 - guard your heart. Noting great has ever been done with 1/2 a heart.

Acts 1:4-5. Gifts of the Holy Spirit are supernaturally empowered. How do we stay filled? By letting Him remind us that we have been gifted with salvation. II For. Because He does us. It is not something we earn. Sin doesn't affect our forgiven status but it affects our relationship status. He reminds us of our purpose. We receive it by grace. I For. 12:7-11. There are 9 gifts of the Spirit. He reminds us of our potential. Relationship with Him requires us to empty ourselves so He can fill us. Keep being filled.

Acts 1:4-5. The gift of the Holy Spirit is supernatural, empowered by the Holy Spirit. How do we receive this impartation? He reminds us that we have been gifted with salvation. II Cor. Because He loves you. It is something you cannot earn. Sin doesn't affect your forgiven status, but it affects your relationship status. He reminds us of our purpose. We receive it by grace I For 12:-11. There are 9 gifts of the Spirit. He reminds us of our potential. Relationship is required. It takes an emptying out of self so He can fill us. We need to keep being filled, continually.

Fear. II Tim 1:7.

Mark 12. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind. Love one another. We receive grace from God and pour out to others. Ephesians 2:6-10. The world view is you have significance by achievement. You are self made. Then you are accepted. The kingdom view is grace. We all need a savior. It starts with acceptance. Ps. 139:15 Jesus was continually sustained by the Holy Spirit.

Mark 4:35-41. The Storm. 1) Why are you so afraid? Everyone has storms. We must FAITH the storms in our lives. Physical, mental, spiritual, relational. Storms come like waves. I Peter 4:12. Don't be surprised. Praise God that you bear the name christian. 2) Jesus permits storms to test our faith. I Peter 1:17. a. Pressure test. b. People test. c. Persistence test. 3) Storms force us to cry out to Jesus. 4) Jesus will either calm the storm or He will calm you. 5) If Jesus is in your boat you know you will make it to the other side.

I Peter 2:5 describes followers of Jesus as "living stones".

John 9:1-3 Blind man. Jesus healed him by putting mud in his eye and telling him to go wash it out. Jesus was hated and reviled but it didn't phase him. So many times we look at the circumstance instead of the solution to someone's pain. What are our blind spots? Confess our sins to one another so you can be healed.

Continuing series. Episode 2.

I Peter 2:9 If you can talk, you can pray. Just because something is simple doesn't mean that it's easy. There's nothing more important in a relationship than communication. We are called to be a prayerful people who are pressing into God. James 5:17 Elijah. Drought. First thing he did was repair the altar which represents a place of getting right with God. A place of seeking God. 1. Prayerful people forgive. 2. Prayerful people believe. 3. Prayerful people sacrifice.

God's call to remember. The first one in the Bible is to remember the Sabbath. Josh. 24:23-27. Humans are inclined to forget what they are supposed to remember and remember what they are supposed to forget. Remembering God's faithfulness in the past builds our faith for living in the present. Blessing of remembering and freedom of forgetting. Repentance and forgiveness.

Ps. 23:5-6. The real question. The real reason, that makes it difficult is that I have to decide daily. I have to decide, will I hold onto my harp? Will I maintain my integrity? Will keep serving God? Will I keep blessing the Lord at all times? Praise. Let it go. Return to senderI Samuel 18 and 19. Generally speaking,...when you win a battle what you win is the opportunity to fight another battle. If you want peace, prepare for war. Getting a handle on difficult seasons in life, requires learning how to handle difficult people. The greatest tests of your life are not always how you handle difficulty but how you handle success. Be careful of the song of social media...the song of comparison. Comparison will make you crazy. It produces pride. It becomes about our ego.

I Samuel 30. At the endow David's life on the run he comes to Ziklag. The meaning of which is winding. David decided ahead of time how he would respond during the down times. "I will bless the Lord at all times." It is a choice beforehand. 1) Learn to encourage yourself in the Lord. 2) David inquired of the Lord. 3) Learn to interpret your steps. The key is obedience.

We are in a spiritual battle and we need to be fully equipped in that battle. II Chron. 6 - Solomon. You learn from mistakes. You gain wisdom. You can also get God's wisdom by asking (without having to make mistakes to learn.) Vs. 19-21. 1) God is waiting to hear from you. Vs. 22-23 2) God wants to help you heal your personal relationships. He wants to be involved with us being involved with other people. Vs 32-33 3) God wants to provide for you. Vs 7:14 4) God will help anyone that calls on His name.

I Sam 17. David defeats Goliath and marries King Saul's daughter. He becomes a national hero. Saul begins to see him as a threat. By I Samuel 19 David becomes a fugitive, running and hiding from Saul. I Sam. 22:1 He is overwhelmed by life. Lessons from the cave: 1 Even strong people get overwhelmed. Ps. 142:4-6. 2 Even when I am overwhelmed, God is still over all. Blind faith - close your eyes to life's problems. Biblical faith looks at reality and faces life's problems. Ps. 57:4. Shifts focus to God. Ps. 34. 3 The presence of problems does not mean the absence of God. John 20:1.

On the cross God left no doubt about His heart for you, II Sam 14:14. It is finished is a financial phrase meaning "paid in full". The cross leaves no doubt about our future with Him. Forgiven people go to heaven, not good people. Easter is God's confirmation notice.

Mark 1:14. Jesus was servant hearted and kingdom minded. In John he wrote that our best defense is our sword (the Word). Jesus said follow me and I will teach you a new way. Why is change so difficult? Good fishermen expect to catch fish. When we follow Jesus we want to do what He does. He came to rescue and redeem. Good fishermen go where the fish are. We have to go out. Matt. 28:16. Good fishermen understand how fish behave.

Worship matters. Everyone worships something. We are made for praise. Who or what will you worship? We are created to worship through singing, clapping, raising arms, Ps. 134:2. Ps 96:1-2. Your praise is God's response to Satan's rebellion. II Sam 6:12-15. The kind of worship God requires: involves sacrifice, is not about you.

I John 5:4-5. John 16. Overcome the world. Greek word "niki" means "victory" in Greek. As soon as you embrace the word of God as truth, you overcome satan. Our citizenship is in heaven. Rules to being an overcomer: Faith - believe that Jesus is the Messiah Eph 2:8, Love - Love God and His children with agape empathy, Obedience - obey His commands.