The Sermon Grow in God by David McGee
Jan 22, 2012
Grow in God (39:27)
Referenced Scriptures: Jeremiah 17:5-8; Psalm 139:23-24; Psalm 73
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Confidence
Communication
Attitude
Performance
Relationships
The scriptures below are from the WEB Bible.
Jeremiah 17:5-8
5) Thus says Yahweh: Cursed is the man who trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from Yahweh.
6) For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, a salt land and not inhabited.
7) Blessed is the man who trusts in Yahweh, and whose trust Yahweh is.
8) For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, who spreads out its roots by the river, and shall not fear when heat comes, but its leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
Psalm 139:23-24
23) Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts.
24) See if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way. Psalm 140 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David.
Psalm 73
1) Surely God is good to Israel, To those who are pure in heart.
2) But as for me, my feet were almost gone. My steps had nearly slipped.
3) For I was envious of the arrogant, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4) For there are no struggles in their death, But their strength is firm.
5) They are free from burdens of men, Neither are they plagued like other men.
6) Therefore pride is like a chain around their neck. Violence covers them like a garment.
7) Their eyes bulge with fat. Their minds pass the limits of conceit.
8) They scoff and speak with malice. In arrogance, they threaten oppression.
9) They have set their mouth in the heavens. Their tongue walks through the earth.
10) Therefore their people return to them, And they drink up waters of abundance.
11) They say, "How does God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?"
12) Behold, these are the wicked. Being always at ease, they increase in riches.
13) Surely in vain I have cleansed my heart, And washed my hands in innocence,
14) For all day long have I been plagued, And punished every morning.
15) If I had said, "I will speak thus;" Behold, I would have betrayed the generation of your children.
16) When I tried to understand this, It was too painful for me;
17) Until I entered God‘s sanctuary, And considered their latter end.
18) Surely you set them in slippery places. You throw them down to destruction.
19) How they are suddenly destroyed! They are completely swept away with terrors.
20) As a dream when one wakes up, So, Lord, when you awake, you will despise their fantasies.
21) For my soul was grieved. I was embittered in my heart.
22) I was so senseless and ignorant. I was a brute beast before you.
23) Nevertheless, I am continually with you. You have held my right hand.
24) You will guide me with your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory.
25) Who do I have in heaven? There is no one on earth who I desire besides you.
26) My flesh and my heart fails, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27) For, behold, those who are far from you shall perish. You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to you.
28) But it is good for me to come close to God. I have made the Lord Yahweh my refuge, That I may tell of all your works. Psalm 74 A contemplation by Asaph.
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Twenty women, women dying the last few weeks about the role nicely where the dirt at the organic dirt in the attic, and I ever thought about planting seeds and today work were continuing that being added growing God. Now what I want. I'm going to write here it and were going to find it as we go through the message today. Sometimes we are performance oriented again that we think that if we just do the right thing. Everything will be all right while and that is true we do, we always want to do the right thing, but there are five categories. That is, I was reading through this one, not a book on on self-help and self-improvement and that are considered some of the greatest things our own personal growth and vibrancy. There is right and down and then as we go through the Scriptures here today. I'm going to point out each area and how that we can. We cannot have that the correct perspective. Number one is confidence now and again, I'm not going to explain it, while Miguel was not quite sure enough, some as always a work in progress, sale and have ideas that I fell right or wrong honoraria, I thought you were yelling at him. I had my spelling here. I thought I like that idea can't figure it out. You have no confidence. I have absolutely no confidence in my spelling. So, so whatever we think of this and we start looking at how were going to grow in God that there is there is a challenge for this because I like that our relationship with God isn't about separation. It's about becoming part of our RV can part of our relationship with God, and part of our relationship with people, but our relationship with people about them in and on our our little community of believers, but doesn't indent our families. It is part of who we are where we work neighborhood families and alcohol works if it's a it's a continuous ongoing process of development and we have to see ourselves developing a Fuego scroll is a part of growing the school to part of learning as part of development and development helps us become the person that we are intended to be an agent loss are in the process of growing and changing and and it becomes a challenge. Sometimes, so Jeremiah chapter seventeen versus five six seven eight, and I'm going to read it from the message Bible, God 's message curse. There's a strong one who depends on mere humans who thinks he can make it on muscle alone and said Scott is sided deadweight is like a tumbleweed in a prairie out of touch with the good Earth. He lives reckless and aimless and landward. Nothing grows that's not going to route was a listen nothing browse dirt last week. Significant that the only connection you nevermind. So first, seven Blessed is the man who trust me, God, the one who sticks with God. There are like trees planted any putting down roots in the rivers never worried to the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf, serene and calm through drought bearing fresh fruit in every season and then Psalm one thirty nine versus twenty three and twenty four sometimes were aware of this, this person being quoted in the King James version, which is search me, O God, and know if there be any wicked way in me, but the mess the Bible says investigate my life. Oh God find out everything about me cross-examine and test me get a clear picture of what I'm about. See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong, then guide me on the road to eternal life. So whenever we are looking at this growing in God, we're looking for God to guide us on the road to eternal life. So we are looking for God to guide us on this road to eternal life now wrong part of something someone, and in the Sunday school lesson this morning that I remember talking about John Mike Maxwell and he said that leadership is influence. So every one of us is a leader because we influence someone you influenced someone so therefore you are a leader. Some people influenced Morrison last out were all influencers, so we all have a responsibility in our life to brawl, and to change and to develop, so God guide us on the road to eternal life. The influences us, and the influence of God is by his Spirit in vines were so God doesn't come down and know him. God is alive, may strike me with lightning. I even strike missile. Therefore, you live in the people you know you expect to exhaust the grace of God and thirty seconds now and if God has allowed grace and mercy towards us that he is no going to spend the lifetime waiting for us to counsel right decision about our life, you are going to exhaust his grace and mercy. Overall slippage statement. So the message from God is about life, about taking care of our mistakes in our failure yelling with all of the negative abuse of downtrodden and depressing. Not good enough ways and habits and thinking that we all carry with us, let's remember those things. That's not God. God is about putting you down or pushing you is about leaving us in the kingdom of God for giving us of our sin, cutting off those things from my life that are negative and abusive and downtrodden, depressing, and the mistakes and failures. Forgiveness is about letting it go. So in our relationship with God is about going on in our faith is your encourager encourages you and the Scripture and the word in Scripture and the spirit. These are our encourages God encourages us on the road to eternal life, that a shock to some, I thought God was a you know I'll tell the press or indulge in this bill that don't go there on the message of God. In other descriptors is about the law. We were not know what sin is, without the law, gay boys know when the ten Commandments is still don't kill the live don't bear false witness, thou commit adultery, you know, these are maybe almost no gray areas that do 's and don'ts, but there are part of our drive is that what about the attitude. What about the personality. What about the inner person that you are that wants to be free and wants to be successful once to do good things and wants to work and work successfully now massing of God is at work in us to accomplish the things in ASR encourager and coming to church and being part of church and being part of worship is about encouraging our hearts and celebrating our relationship with God is about being name recognizing how much God loves us in spite of who we are now sometimes we think of encourages as someone who always say yes. But you know, encourage, or someone will hear you loud and not answer you. That's an encourager not answering while ultimately I think it's what's in your heart accounts and we know whenever you think about whenever you put this in perspective that when you don't have an answer what you do you follow through with what's inside. That's what God wants to look at and see for ourselves as we said in the song here. What are we supposed to do investigate my life about it. Find out everything about me cross-examining a testament Psalms one thirty nine verse twenty three so God is looking so whenever we don't get an answer. How do we proceed and what we perceive with what I try to bring some surface all the things that are in our life and what were really thinking inside thoughts about our confidence in our communication arthritis attitude for his performance and find his relationship and it, and in the books talk about that if we are going to be successful in life we have to be successful. All five areas now whatever we think about being successful argument in the context of fulfilling the plan of God for my life. That's true success and we will find that that's the plan of God for our life is exactly what we were created to be an finding that plan brings fulfillment in us, so it isn't like I say okay drop in you don't do this probably will happen if God is going to bring to the surface. Those things which are really good at anything you like to do to get pay for and that you find as you do them better and give them greater and give them under the influence of the Spirit, God will find a way to prosper you and bring brings access to your life and when it whenever draft so we are responsible for our actions. Remember we are where we are because the decisions we've made we are verily are because of the decisions that we make. So we are responsible for our life. I can't blame someone if someone told you to do something, you get just what cheerful flight related jump off the bridge in the bungee cord broke finishing up a blank who jumped the fence on as if we're never more so God and his word. They are mentors they are. They are teachers. So what does the word. Tell us Jeremiah seventeen five, said first is a strong one. This is our Scripture text. First is a strong one who depends on your mere humans that this idea of the strong ones who are mere humans versus the one who is political. Those who believe in the political manipulation that they are going to the politics we depend upon relational things with people, a member of yell on and on. They never said it doesn't matter what you do to the enough of. So there are people who work at now in all the right people so they can be the name dropper, and the name droppers are the ones who are believing in the name dropping to get them where they want to go. Guess what that is cursed is a strong one. Depends on what mirror if I thought the name dropping that I'm going to depend on to get me to where I want to go a true on. They were, but ultimately we want to know what God wants for us to do. I would think we will get ahead by the manipulation of people I like this. It says it's when I tell you what you want to hear and then you will be then you will like me for another dialogue you want to hear an integral like before that's manipulating people I know why I don't unwanted so the script. I like to try good things. One area I can like me, but it's not a manipulation. So the Scripture gives us a different view. God is letting us know that we are instruments in the hand of God, and we are here to trust God to lead our life and not manipulate life. God is not a manipulator. God is only an busy Scripture says that the sheep know his voice and they listen to him, and any all the days. Now back in shepherding days. The sheep would all stay in one pencil. Shoppers would arrive in a grazing area and they were put all their shape in the past director being a hundred sheep and the pen and one though Shepherd, maybe twenty five or hence, so he went out to the door, the gate of the sheep pen, and he would call his shape, and if she would know that the shepherds voice and then walk out and up the shape know is why so the shepherd that would now his shape and the shape would respond to his voice. So there can be a hundred sheep and there, but the twenty five overhead would respond to his voice and come out, God has that type of Shepherd that calls us by name only the guide us on the road to eternal life. So, so we find the communication so with confidence that God is leading us that we will grow in God communication, digital, you can communicate you can't get anybody to follow you. Your ideas will shine as you shine as you speak. Then as you as you declare them that as we deal with people we know that there are different types of personalities and the people active and different ways, and their illness different ways that while at humor. The dude I like this one. If you are going to buy a new car getting Rent-A-Car networks, yet only pay for something upon using arrogant will only pay for. Okay, what would you think of whenever you got the car on. They would think of while that looks good on they would get inside the site needs smells wonderful asset that you need there, they would say what then it with engines and on his arrival at this performance that are the performed on the course, how expensive that would make it. I think we just see everybody with everyone here are looking at the same thing that we have different ways of evaluating it. Now, guess what the salesman does this salesman if he's good at what he meant us he will look at you and understand what's important to you. If you are personal lawyer knows about performance and performance is the bottom line is talking about the engine about that young gas mileage performance. What if the jailhouse. There was while you are presently lost color field talking about the color you're going to be impressive with this one. I just now online. There's nothing like a new car to get toys going to focus and think communication. Communication is different forms in different ways and if we learn to communicate because God knows exactly who you are and he is communicating this truth to your life is communicating history of your life on your level where you are because words can't want to go. God wants to take us on the road to eternal life. So God is speaking to your heart. I'm speaking the same message but God has a way of making it real to each individual, I can't do that God can, because God wants to touch your life in a way that will change it, but in the same process as you are growing as an individual you must grow in your confidence about who you are, what's going on in your life, you must grow about your communication. How you communicate with people is to tell people off. Doctor Anita Saddam let him walk all over you. It's a matter of understanding the person of understanding the moment, not the wisdom of God helping us in communication, Psalms seventy three my flesh and my heart fail, but God is the strength of my heart. In the course and my portion forever. God is my strength. God is the strength of my heart. So if I am growing in God there is astray. There is a strength that is my there is a strength. There's an underlying strength that keeps us day in and day out. There is a process because I can't live the Christian life I need God 's help to be a Christian. I said I get a status at Reformation. I'm not reforming the way that I used to think I'm change from the inside, God changes my view, the person who I am on the inside, a change of my heart. He changes my perception. The change is my understanding. I'm a new creation in Christ all things pass away, behold, all things become new. But there is a life going on in me that is different than before because Christ has birth a new life in us by the young people called born-again. What was the birth of God inside of us, a new Christian, a new purpose. A new attention because we're now going to eternal life, and were changing who we are confident is no longer in the arm of flesh and full of politics is all longer politics North communication so I can sell you what I think you need, but it's about learning how to tell us to speak the truth in love state the truth in love, communicating a lot. I got to see if we are going to be successful in who we are as a person outside and in our jobs. We must realize that God is wanting to be change on us from the inside out and how we see our relationship. Jeremiah seventeen five. The text cursor, the strong one who depends on mere humans, politicians, political, who thinks he can make it on muscle alone. In fact, God 's side of deadweight thinking we can map to make it on our own, but that it I can push through this if I am stubborn enough on the work they may know somebody was stubborn, but he lost people looking now that the certificate is one and three are stubborn to look to the first layer. I love the person on your left. Sovereign as a joke, it has. I have no idea what the statistic is not stubborn as the idea Bobby Locke, John K is playing again lifted as being being growing again, sometimes growing the young women. If you remember, children growing up in the fun with the kids have fun with the kids question, the kids when a response celebrating and start correcting on when we start celebrating. They are all are landlocked, Bangkok, now that will shock you, so manually stop celebrating our life and start worrying about being correct and being right and have to do this performance thing that God is interested in performance, but not performance without happiness, joy, the Lord is our strength not go anything like God wants to do something I like to set up shop in lesson I brought you news wrong. I think you have ever heard that one thank you here is when God has set aside that we refuse to pray. We were scared to bring our knees before God and God wants to hear our prayers. He wants to communicate with us yellow train again. Prayer is more than just telling God what we need in your yard. He knows what I need away. And I were off and running in its love and God bless my actions because I'm busy so we need to spend time in prayer. We need to spend time reading the Scriptures. While I don't understand it will start with something simple. Start with things that are simple. Start with you on the Gospel of John understand about Jesus understand about what he came to do what he what he was here for understand the basics of our faith and understanding God is now the attitude we have about God should be the same attitude that God has about us, our attitude should be the same about ourselves as God has about us and what is God 's attitude about the lungs. God has never said one negative thing about you never had one negative thought about you. God was willing to die for you before you even knew him, you see how is that challenge what we think about God. How does that challenge the attitude that we have about was good while you know something good came into my life and I know some guys got to follow bad attitude some people graduate with a BA, some people don't and go to college, I would be a bad attitude we will bring down the house and you have a bad attitude is that we cannot, we cannot rely upon determination alone pushed determination and its owner and these are great things to say it isn't anything that error error always ride the back of truth and error. Always ride the back of truth, so we may have while determination is that legitimate determination is not the only thing the idea is that we have the right attitude about ourselves and answered myself is the same attitude that God has allowed us going back. I know that confidence is up a real, sometimes a real minefield because sometimes we think of where work while they're just arrogant when it is too prideful self-confidence. Self-confidence is a God confidence to think of ourselves as God thinks about and guess what that confidence comes down to latitude and you see that these are not just separate things that individual categories. Sometimes they are mixed in there hard to separate them, because the right attitude and confidence to go hand-in-hand that God God skin got confidence in me to think of ourselves got I can do all things surprised. It gives me strength at Scripture. It's a promise I can do all things through Christ. So the idea is that I do on expectation of how God is going to work in my life and help me to do the things that are placed in my hand select as their confidence about what I am very and I now begin to communicate to speak about what it is that I need to do everything I needed that Christ is at my disposal in Jesus Christ that they are forming a Jeremiah continues curse is a strong one who depends on your human meaning political. They think they can make it on muscle pushed the termination and set it aside. Instead way that he doesn't take his needs before God. This person is like a tumbleweed a totally on the Prairie out of touch with the good earth. He lives roadless and aimless in a land where nothing grows tumbleweeds are strapless useless, worthless and out of touch with life. Do you know anybody that lives like that performance that was useless and out of touch with life is blown around by everything that comes and goes. You see member back two weeks ago, we do not see the seeds in the ground where the seed is the word of God falls upon the road now the birth alone pick it up rocky ground, where it sprouts and winners because there's no depth than the seed that falls in the weeds where it grows and then is choked out by the cares of life see that the word of God planted in our lives and the word of God. The growth and is choked out by the worries and cares of life is probably another word for Tumbleweed and were blown about by the ways in cares of life for what happens in the good ground, but less verses seven and eight, but blessed is the man who trust me, God, the woman who sticks with me. Sticks with God. The idea is that the word of God that we're hearing word here in Oregon. All this down. Just ask my wife the disaster. Honestly, now that you know two things waiting for me to live up all the things I bring to light the eye, not us. There is if you believe that outside another one but now, but this is the word of God is that which is planted and we want our soil to be good ground. He so that the word of God growth in our hearts in our lives that grows inside of us. We want the roots to grow deep, but a half in one cover over the rates the road. Even so that that Internet drive time to talk about than just the night, and it is at times as we grow along. Now it's got a be on springtime soon and we can we can put fertilizer down for our grass and green grass and knowledge. Every week there are undo my life. The nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, young man, those fertilizer things on on your bag. Ten twenty twenty or thirty thirty fifteen thirty whatever. While nitrogen as that was one green grass. It just jumps right out the ground and weaker. So that's nitrogen enough) that an inmate in the new GNU new grass it what you put down the special fertilizer for new grass nitrogen. If you are not thirty percent nitrogen, you got grass growing in the week, and it is green animated browsing your mode twice a week, nitrogen, phosphorus, nothing about the low number and phosphorus. The latest fad saith. Therefore nothing but through development and advertising the percussive roots is the roads so you want to grow deep roots in Ghana for the right as rain tonight and make grass grow. Some nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and the philosophers are trying to eliminate her. They said that a contending soil, water, things like that but the whole idea is if you want something to perform your grasp to perform enough of the right nutrients that. That, of course, you've got to learn why this line sweetens the soil so that these will work with outline. It's a waste of money. Those of you in the garden that has away from learned from all this fertilizer that because the line helps, then nitrogen and helps phosphorus and potassium performed to what it supposed to do that make the grass grow our performance is more than just what we do our performance is that what we do for Christ is going to last our life has an influence. We are influencers we influence people. You are a leader you are leader of your family earlier. Whatever anybody that's spaced you talk to and you talk to them and they listen to what you say you are leader and that means you are an influencer, and that means our performance is there always like the idea. It's pay-for-performance, but the knife reason for his wages paid for an item I saw was the nanny. Trust me, Blessed abundant benefaction places his trust is a confidence in God, who lived by faith, they stick with God through the time trying. I saw the good ground. They are like trees planted in a putting down roots near the river. This is relationships that we become good trees planted and any idea is that the river is the water what's outside trees that the weeping willow no weeping willow you ever had a weeping willow mirror the sister and I worry a lot a wide happen to become group out because of gross negligence and already in there and snap in all the waters were brought in a new septic line, the largest growth room all day until here's an interesting thing. I just thought it never though some, the giant sequoias. The giant Sequoia is always fascinated me, giant sequoias. The reason they are giants, if because of their root system, their root system is not face of figuring out years ago I thought about their root systems like palm trees notice straight down their root system is out. So you've got these trees away thousands of pounds hundreds of thousands of pounds and they don't drive themselves down in the near, why because their root system is about seven feet deep and it goes out, so all the trays are interconnected and they said on a giant platform and the roads of the furthest tree near the water supply will furnish the water to the one in the middle will transfer the water away through relationships here we are in church body of Christ. We go around. We shake hands with people, but the root system is where we share God 's love and share our relay just sure who we are and that with being encouragement to one another, encouraging each other in our faith and our relationship with God and with one another. I thought we come together to celebrate, celebrate our relationship with God celebrate our relationship with each other, we grow in our relationship with God. What happens. It has an influence upon our relationship with our children, grandchildren, husband, wife, on the mother. It influences us, and how that we change who we are influenced on whether it's in school rather than in our family. It changes our relationship because we haven't different relationship with God. It changes our relationship and expectation with others. Forgiveness is not an option for gamblers is not an option is the way that we live with our relationship because if you if you're with somebody and say what our friends friends know all about us is the level why they know I'll fault and they don't care at the front doesn't bother in our relationship with God is a relationship in which we are forgiven. They just want young. We help me get rid of all the hindrances in our past relationship we open doors for people to walk through their walk through the that's their responsibility. No I do not deny fish story, not the close is a little to get the three closings today they have the fish so I memorize fishing on a occluded. I fished in the gout is an marijuana license for a thousand five. But anyhow I went fishing Ocean City, Maryland, not confiscate the case dates matter what the men were then great fabric. They are a result of the babies is about three four feet across three or four feet long, and I pulled it in and on their try to take a look at I know what the I dug around long enough and another ledger died. They also got your back, and water experienced fisherman said the line so we can cut the line and it is a denier saltwater acid in the stomach will dissolve the hook at the law forgiveness is cutting one. I'm not going to get reeled back to that place again in my life. I remember it because the hook is still there but I keep forgetting it keeps dissolving feet. That's how we deal with life. The relationships that hurt us. We forgive them cut the line. Turn it over to God and go on with your life because God is leading us on the road to eternal life, and I'm not going back to those old pains. I'm not going back to those old places. I forgive them God you deal with them. I can't because my road is in front of me. So my relationship, my performance. My attitude, my attitude is performance my relationships and vibrant attitude of forgiveness. I find the relationships change. I'm not afraid to develop new relationships because here I keep harboring my past and it is hurting my presence, but if I let go of my past and I'm not tripping over my presence. God has a way of growing me in his kingdom with our choice trades is another version of what we just went through. We are choice trees with great care. God has taken and he has set us in the best of soil, we shall be like a trained bread out its roots and is firmly fixed by the river from which it draws the abundance of life of water. I sat, which involved establishes and comforts those who make God. Their hope they are easy. They are pleasant. They enjoy continual security and peace of mind they suffer no damage from the scorching heat. They are well nourished from its roots. Their relief does not wither. Verse seven says Blessed is the man who trust me, God, the woman who sticks with God verse eight serene and calm through drops bearing fresh fruit in every season is seen by your fruits shallow men know that God is in your heart, and that's the change because people are going to pick the fruit of our life. Let it be good for as we grow in God we will find these five things which are essential if we were doing a workshop at a seminar on personal growth and development. These would be the five things, but these are the five things in our growth and our relationship with God and our growth and personal truth is truth. Allow the truth of God 's word to be part of your life allow that life to go out and show respectTwenty women, women dying the last few weeks about the role nicely where the dirt at the organic dirt in the attic, and I ever thought about planting seeds and today work were continuing that being added growing God. Now what I want. I'm going to write here it and were going to find it as we go through the message today. Sometimes we are performance oriented again that we think that if we just do the right thing. Everything will be all right while and that is true we do, we always want to do the right thing, but there are five categories. That is, I was reading through this one, not a book on on self-help and self-improvement and that are considered some of the greatest things our own personal growth and vibrancy. There is right and down and then as we go through the Scriptures here today. I'm going to point out each area and how that we can. We cannot have that the correct perspective. Number one is confidence now and again, I'm not going to explain it, while Miguel was not quite sure enough, some as always a work in progress, sale and have ideas that I fell right or wrong honoraria, I thought you were yelling at him. I had my spelling here. I thought I like that idea can't figure it out. You have no confidence. I have absolutely no confidence in my spelling. So, so whatever we think of this and we start looking at how were going to grow in God that there is there is a challenge for this because I like that our relationship with God isn't about separation. It's about becoming part of our RV can part of our relationship with God, and part of our relationship with people, but our relationship with people about them in and on our our little community of believers, but doesn't indent our families. It is part of who we are where we work neighborhood families and alcohol works if it's a it's a continuous ongoing process of development and we have to see ourselves developing a Fuego scroll is a part of growing the school to part of learning as part of development and development helps us become the person that we are intended to be an agent loss are in the process of growing and changing and and it becomes a challenge. Sometimes, so Jeremiah chapter seventeen versus five six seven eight, and I'm going to read it from the message Bible, God 's message curse. There's a strong one who depends on mere humans who thinks he can make it on muscle alone and said Scott is sided deadweight is like a tumbleweed in a prairie out of touch with the good Earth. He lives reckless and aimless and landward. Nothing grows that's not going to route was a listen nothing browse dirt last week. Significant that the only connection you nevermind. So first, seven Blessed is the man who trust me, God, the one who sticks with God. There are like trees planted any putting down roots in the rivers never worried to the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf, serene and calm through drought bearing fresh fruit in every season and then Psalm one thirty nine versus twenty three and twenty four sometimes were aware of this, this person being quoted in the King James version, which is search me, O God, and know if there be any wicked way in me, but the mess the Bible says investigate my life. Oh God find out everything about me cross-examine and test me get a clear picture of what I'm about. See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong, then guide me on the road to eternal life. So whenever we are looking at this growing in God, we're looking for God to guide us on the road to eternal life. So we are looking for God to guide us on this road to eternal life now wrong part of something someone, and in the Sunday school lesson this morning that I remember talking about John Mike Maxwell and he said that leadership is influence. So every one of us is a leader because we influence someone you influenced someone so therefore you are a leader. Some people influenced Morrison last out were all influencers, so we all have a responsibility in our life to brawl, and to change and to develop, so God guide us on the road to eternal life. The influences us, and the influence of God is by his Spirit in vines were so God doesn't come down and know him. God is alive, may strike me with lightning. I even strike missile. Therefore, you live in the people you know you expect to exhaust the grace of God and thirty seconds now and if God has allowed grace and mercy towards us that he is no going to spend the lifetime waiting for us to counsel right decision about our life, you are going to exhaust his grace and mercy. Overall slippage statement. So the message from God is about life, about taking care of our mistakes in our failure yelling with all of the negative abuse of downtrodden and depressing. Not good enough ways and habits and thinking that we all carry with us, let's remember those things. That's not God. God is about putting you down or pushing you is about leaving us in the kingdom of God for giving us of our sin, cutting off those things from my life that are negative and abusive and downtrodden, depressing, and the mistakes and failures. Forgiveness is about letting it go. So in our relationship with God is about going on in our faith is your encourager encourages you and the Scripture and the word in Scripture and the spirit. These are our encourages God encourages us on the road to eternal life, that a shock to some, I thought God was a you know I'll tell the press or indulge in this bill that don't go there on the message of God. In other descriptors is about the law. We were not know what sin is, without the law, gay boys know when the ten Commandments is still don't kill the live don't bear false witness, thou commit adultery, you know, these are maybe almost no gray areas that do 's and don'ts, but there are part of our drive is that what about the attitude. What about the personality. What about the inner person that you are that wants to be free and wants to be successful once to do good things and wants to work and work successfully now massing of God is at work in us to accomplish the things in ASR encourager and coming to church and being part of church and being part of worship is about encouraging our hearts and celebrating our relationship with God is about being name recognizing how much God loves us in spite of who we are now sometimes we think of encourages as someone who always say yes. But you know, encourage, or someone will hear you loud and not answer you. That's an encourager not answering while ultimately I think it's what's in your heart accounts and we know whenever you think about whenever you put this in perspective that when you don't have an answer what you do you follow through with what's inside. That's what God wants to look at and see for ourselves as we said in the song here. What are we supposed to do investigate my life about it. Find out everything about me cross-examining a testament Psalms one thirty nine verse twenty three so God is looking so whenever we don't get an answer. How do we proceed and what we perceive with what I try to bring some surface all the things that are in our life and what were really thinking inside thoughts about our confidence in our communication arthritis attitude for his performance and find his relationship and it, and in the books talk about that if we are going to be successful in life we have to be successful. All five areas now whatever we think about being successful argument in the context of fulfilling the plan of God for my life. That's true success and we will find that that's the plan of God for our life is exactly what we were created to be an finding that plan brings fulfillment in us, so it isn't like I say okay drop in you don't do this probably will happen if God is going to bring to the surface. Those things which are really good at anything you like to do to get pay for and that you find as you do them better and give them greater and give them under the influence of the Spirit, God will find a way to prosper you and bring brings access to your life and when it whenever draft so we are responsible for our actions. Remember we are where we are because the decisions we've made we are verily are because of the decisions that we make. So we are responsible for our life. I can't blame someone if someone told you to do something, you get just what cheerful flight related jump off the bridge in the bungee cord broke finishing up a blank who jumped the fence on as if we're never more so God and his word. They are mentors they are. They are teachers. So what does the word. Tell us Jeremiah seventeen five, said first is a strong one. This is our Scripture text. First is a strong one who depends on your mere humans that this idea of the strong ones who are mere humans versus the one who is political. Those who believe in the political manipulation that they are going to the politics we depend upon relational things with people, a member of yell on and on. They never said it doesn't matter what you do to the enough of. So there are people who work at now in all the right people so they can be the name dropper, and the name droppers are the ones who are believing in the name dropping to get them where they want to go. Guess what that is cursed is a strong one. Depends on what mirror if I thought the name dropping that I'm going to depend on to get me to where I want to go a true on. They were, but ultimately we want to know what God wants for us to do. I would think we will get ahead by the manipulation of people I like this. It says it's when I tell you what you want to hear and then you will be then you will like me for another dialogue you want to hear an integral like before that's manipulating people I know why I don't unwanted so the script. I like to try good things. One area I can like me, but it's not a manipulation. So the Scripture gives us a different view. God is letting us know that we are instruments in the hand of God, and we are here to trust God to lead our life and not manipulate life. God is not a manipulator. God is only an busy Scripture says that the sheep know his voice and they listen to him, and any all the days. Now back in shepherding days. The sheep would all stay in one pencil. Shoppers would arrive in a grazing area and they were put all their shape in the past director being a hundred sheep and the pen and one though Shepherd, maybe twenty five or hence, so he went out to the door, the gate of the sheep pen, and he would call his shape, and if she would know that the shepherds voice and then walk out and up the shape know is why so the shepherd that would now his shape and the shape would respond to his voice. So there can be a hundred sheep and there, but the twenty five overhead would respond to his voice and come out, God has that type of Shepherd that calls us by name only the guide us on the road to eternal life. So, so we find the communication so with confidence that God is leading us that we will grow in God communication, digital, you can communicate you can't get anybody to follow you. Your ideas will shine as you shine as you speak. Then as you as you declare them that as we deal with people we know that there are different types of personalities and the people active and different ways, and their illness different ways that while at humor. The dude I like this one. If you are going to buy a new car getting Rent-A-Car networks, yet only pay for something upon using arrogant will only pay for. Okay, what would you think of whenever you got the car on. They would think of while that looks good on they would get inside the site needs smells wonderful asset that you need there, they would say what then it with engines and on his arrival at this performance that are the performed on the course, how expensive that would make it. I think we just see everybody with everyone here are looking at the same thing that we have different ways of evaluating it. Now, guess what the salesman does this salesman if he's good at what he meant us he will look at you and understand what's important to you. If you are personal lawyer knows about performance and performance is the bottom line is talking about the engine about that young gas mileage performance. What if the jailhouse. There was while you are presently lost color field talking about the color you're going to be impressive with this one. I just now online. There's nothing like a new car to get toys going to focus and think communication. Communication is different forms in different ways and if we learn to communicate because God knows exactly who you are and he is communicating this truth to your life is communicating history of your life on your level where you are because words can't want to go. God wants to take us on the road to eternal life. So God is speaking to your heart. I'm speaking the same message but God has a way of making it real to each individual, I can't do that God can, because God wants to touch your life in a way that will change it, but in the same process as you are growing as an individual you must grow in your confidence about who you are, what's going on in your life, you must grow about your communication. How you communicate with people is to tell people off. Doctor Anita Saddam let him walk all over you. It's a matter of understanding the person of understanding the moment, not the wisdom of God helping us in communication, Psalms seventy three my flesh and my heart fail, but God is the strength of my heart. In the course and my portion forever. God is my strength. God is the strength of my heart. So if I am growing in God there is astray. There is a strength that is my there is a strength. There's an underlying strength that keeps us day in and day out. There is a process because I can't live the Christian life I need God 's help to be a Christian. I said I get a status at Reformation. I'm not reforming the way that I used to think I'm change from the inside, God changes my view, the person who I am on the inside, a change of my heart. He changes my perception. The change is my understanding. I'm a new creation in Christ all things pass away, behold, all things become new. But there is a life going on in me that is different than before because Christ has birth a new life in us by the young people called born-again. What was the birth of God inside of us, a new Christian, a new purpose. A new attention because we're now going to eternal life, and were changing who we are confident is no longer in the arm of flesh and full of politics is all longer politics North communication so I can sell you what I think you need, but it's about learning how to tell us to speak the truth in love state the truth in love, communicating a lot. I got to see if we are going to be successful in who we are as a person outside and in our jobs. We must realize that God is wanting to be change on us from the inside out and how we see our relationship. Jeremiah seventeen five. The text cursor, the strong one who depends on mere humans, politicians, political, who thinks he can make it on muscle alone. In fact, God 's side of deadweight thinking we can map to make it on our own, but that it I can push through this if I am stubborn enough on the work they may know somebody was stubborn, but he lost people looking now that the certificate is one and three are stubborn to look to the first layer. I love the person on your left. Sovereign as a joke, it has. I have no idea what the statistic is not stubborn as the idea Bobby Locke, John K is playing again lifted as being being growing again, sometimes growing the young women. If you remember, children growing up in the fun with the kids have fun with the kids question, the kids when a response celebrating and start correcting on when we start celebrating. They are all are landlocked, Bangkok, now that will shock you, so manually stop celebrating our life and start worrying about being correct and being right and have to do this performance thing that God is interested in performance, but not performance without happiness, joy, the Lord is our strength not go anything like God wants to do something I like to set up shop in lesson I brought you news wrong. I think you have ever heard that one thank you here is when God has set aside that we refuse to pray. We were scared to bring our knees before God and God wants to hear our prayers. He wants to communicate with us yellow train again. Prayer is more than just telling God what we need in your yard. He knows what I need away. And I were off and running in its love and God bless my actions because I'm busy so we need to spend time in prayer. We need to spend time reading the Scriptures. While I don't understand it will start with something simple. Start with things that are simple. Start with you on the Gospel of John understand about Jesus understand about what he came to do what he what he was here for understand the basics of our faith and understanding God is now the attitude we have about God should be the same attitude that God has about us, our attitude should be the same about ourselves as God has about us and what is God 's attitude about the lungs. God has never said one negative thing about you never had one negative thought about you. God was willing to die for you before you even knew him, you see how is that challenge what we think about God. How does that challenge the attitude that we have about was good while you know something good came into my life and I know some guys got to follow bad attitude some people graduate with a BA, some people don't and go to college, I would be a bad attitude we will bring down the house and you have a bad attitude is that we cannot, we cannot rely upon determination alone pushed determination and its owner and these are great things to say it isn't anything that error error always ride the back of truth and error. Always ride the back of truth, so we may have while determination is that legitimate determination is not the only thing the idea is that we have the right attitude about ourselves and answered myself is the same attitude that God has allowed us going back. I know that confidence is up a real, sometimes a real minefield because sometimes we think of where work while they're just arrogant when it is too prideful self-confidence. Self-confidence is a God confidence to think of ourselves as God thinks about and guess what that confidence comes down to latitude and you see that these are not just separate things that individual categories. Sometimes they are mixed in there hard to separate them, because the right attitude and confidence to go hand-in-hand that God God skin got confidence in me to think of ourselves got I can do all things surprised. It gives me strength at Scripture. It's a promise I can do all things through Christ. So the idea is that I do on expectation of how God is going to work in my life and help me to do the things that are placed in my hand select as their confidence about what I am very and I now begin to communicate to speak about what it is that I need to do everything I needed that Christ is at my disposal in Jesus Christ that they are forming a Jeremiah continues curse is a strong one who depends on your human meaning political. They think they can make it on muscle pushed the termination and set it aside. Instead way that he doesn't take his needs before God. This person is like a tumbleweed a totally on the Prairie out of touch with the good earth. He lives roadless and aimless in a land where nothing grows tumbleweeds are strapless useless, worthless and out of touch with life. Do you know anybody that lives like that performance that was useless and out of touch with life is blown around by everything that comes and goes. You see member back two weeks ago, we do not see the seeds in the ground where the seed is the word of God falls upon the road now the birth alone pick it up rocky ground, where it sprouts and winners because there's no depth than the seed that falls in the weeds where it grows and then is choked out by the cares of life see that the word of God planted in our lives and the word of God. The growth and is choked out by the worries and cares of life is probably another word for Tumbleweed and were blown about by the ways in cares of life for what happens in the good ground, but less verses seven and eight, but blessed is the man who trust me, God, the woman who sticks with me. Sticks with God. The idea is that the word of God that we're hearing word here in Oregon. All this down. Just ask my wife the disaster. Honestly, now that you know two things waiting for me to live up all the things I bring to light the eye, not us. There is if you believe that outside another one but now, but this is the word of God is that which is planted and we want our soil to be good ground. He so that the word of God growth in our hearts in our lives that grows inside of us. We want the roots to grow deep, but a half in one cover over the rates the road. Even so that that Internet drive time to talk about than just the night, and it is at times as we grow along. Now it's got a be on springtime soon and we can we can put fertilizer down for our grass and green grass and knowledge. Every week there are undo my life. The nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, young man, those fertilizer things on on your bag. Ten twenty twenty or thirty thirty fifteen thirty whatever. While nitrogen as that was one green grass. It just jumps right out the ground and weaker. So that's nitrogen enough) that an inmate in the new GNU new grass it what you put down the special fertilizer for new grass nitrogen. If you are not thirty percent nitrogen, you got grass growing in the week, and it is green animated browsing your mode twice a week, nitrogen, phosphorus, nothing about the low number and phosphorus. The latest fad saith. Therefore nothing but through development and advertising the percussive roots is the roads so you want to grow deep roots in Ghana for the right as rain tonight and make grass grow. Some nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and the philosophers are trying to eliminate her. They said that a contending soil, water, things like that but the whole idea is if you want something to perform your grasp to perform enough of the right nutrients that. That, of course, you've got to learn why this line sweetens the soil so that these will work with outline. It's a waste of money. Those of you in the garden that has away from learned from all this fertilizer that because the line helps, then nitrogen and helps phosphorus and potassium performed to what it supposed to do that make the grass grow our performance is more than just what we do our performance is that what we do for Christ is going to last our life has an influence. We are influencers we influence people. You are a leader you are leader of your family earlier. Whatever anybody that's spaced you talk to and you talk to them and they listen to what you say you are leader and that means you are an influencer, and that means our performance is there always like the idea. It's pay-for-performance, but the knife reason for his wages paid for an item I saw was the nanny. Trust me, Blessed abundant benefaction places his trust is a confidence in God, who lived by faith, they stick with God through the time trying. I saw the good ground. They are like trees planted in a putting down roots near the river. This is relationships that we become good trees planted and any idea is that the river is the water what's outside trees that the weeping willow no weeping willow you ever had a weeping willow mirror the sister and I worry a lot a wide happen to become group out because of gross negligence and already in there and snap in all the waters were brought in a new septic line, the largest growth room all day until here's an interesting thing. I just thought it never though some, the giant sequoias. The giant Sequoia is always fascinated me, giant sequoias. The reason they are giants, if because of their root system, their root system is not face of figuring out years ago I thought about their root systems like palm trees notice straight down their root system is out. So you've got these trees away thousands of pounds hundreds of thousands of pounds and they don't drive themselves down in the near, why because their root system is about seven feet deep and it goes out, so all the trays are interconnected and they said on a giant platform and the roads of the furthest tree near the water supply will furnish the water to the one in the middle will transfer the water away through relationships here we are in church body of Christ. We go around. We shake hands with people, but the root system is where we share God 's love and share our relay just sure who we are and that with being encouragement to one another, encouraging each other in our faith and our relationship with God and with one another. I thought we come together to celebrate, celebrate our relationship with God celebrate our relationship with each other, we grow in our relationship with God. What happens. It has an influence upon our relationship with our children, grandchildren, husband, wife, on the mother. It influences us, and how that we change who we are influenced on whether it's in school rather than in our family. It changes our relationship because we haven't different relationship with God. It changes our relationship and expectation with others. Forgiveness is not an option for gamblers is not an option is the way that we live with our relationship because if you if you're with somebody and say what our friends friends know all about us is the level why they know I'll fault and they don't care at the front doesn't bother in our relationship with God is a relationship in which we are forgiven. They just want young. We help me get rid of all the hindrances in our past relationship we open doors for people to walk through their walk through the that's their responsibility. No I do not deny fish story, not the close is a little to get the three closings today they have the fish so I memorize fishing on a occluded. I fished in the gout is an marijuana license for a thousand five. But anyhow I went fishing Ocean City, Maryland, not confiscate the case dates matter what the men were then great fabric. They are a result of the babies is about three four feet across three or four feet long, and I pulled it in and on their try to take a look at I know what the I dug around long enough and another ledger died. They also got your back, and water experienced fisherman said the line so we can cut the line and it is a denier saltwater acid in the stomach will dissolve the hook at the law forgiveness is cutting one. I'm not going to get reeled back to that place again in my life. I remember it because the hook is still there but I keep forgetting it keeps dissolving feet. That's how we deal with life. The relationships that hurt us. We forgive them cut the line. Turn it over to God and go on with your life because God is leading us on the road to eternal life, and I'm not going back to those old pains. I'm not going back to those old places. I forgive them God you deal with them. I can't because my road is in front of me. So my relationship, my performance. My attitude, my attitude is performance my relationships and vibrant attitude of forgiveness. I find the relationships change. I'm not afraid to develop new relationships because here I keep harboring my past and it is hurting my presence, but if I let go of my past and I'm not tripping over my presence. God has a way of growing me in his kingdom with our choice trades is another version of what we just went through. We are choice trees with great care. God has taken and he has set us in the best of soil, we shall be like a trained bread out its roots and is firmly fixed by the river from which it draws the abundance of life of water. I sat, which involved establishes and comforts those who make God. Their hope they are easy. They are pleasant. They enjoy continual security and peace of mind they suffer no damage from the scorching heat. They are well nourished from its roots. Their relief does not wither. Verse seven says Blessed is the man who trust me, God, the woman who sticks with God verse eight serene and calm through drops bearing fresh fruit in every season is seen by your fruits shallow men know that God is in your heart, and that's the change because people are going to pick the fruit of our life. Let it be good for as we grow in God we will find these five things which are essential if we were doing a workshop at a seminar on personal growth and development. These would be the five things, but these are the five things in our growth and our relationship with God and our growth and personal truth is truth. Allow the truth of God 's word to be part of your life allow that life to go out and show respect