The two questions we will take time to explore tonight are:

 

1. Is Jeremiah 29:11 only contextual or can it be singled out to be used as our culture uses it - such as for graduation celebrations and as an encouragement verse? Also, I’ve noticed a difference in some versions. One used the word “prosper” and another “plans for welfare”. Very different ideas.

 

2. A question about Joshua. He led the people all through these different cities and burned and killed everyone and everything in them basically. And I want to ask why is it okay to kill off all of those people and by God's instruction even?" These are great questions - and very timely, since our kids just finished studying Joshua for LTC!

 

Many have commented that we live in a culture that has become coarse and rude. The further we get from God’s plan, the worse off we are. Our relationships suffer as a result. God gives us guidelines for successful relationships. The virtue of gentleness is one of those principles that deepen our relationships. Over the next several weeks we will study some of the guidelines that God gives us for deeper relationships.

 

The shame still exists, but the secret is out. Our country has a serious problem with lust, and so does the church. It's so pervasive that attitudes about pornography are relaxing, but please, don't dismiss it because it's a common struggle, and don't buy into the idea that you are a product of your culture. You are a product of the Spirit of God. Perhaps the hardest lessons to preach are the ones about self-control because they're the bitterest pills to swallow. James makes a great observation in James 1. Sin is not the product of our culture. It's not the product of a malicious God, nor even a cantankerous Devil. Sin is the product of our deepest desires, and those desires will master us, if we do not master them.

 

I Get it. Getting a lesson from a rotund preacher on gluttony is like getting safety advice from a finger less, wood shop teacher. The good news is this: not all gluttons are fat, and not all who are overweight are gluttons. The bad news is this: gluttony is one sin nobody wants to talk about. And for good reason. This morning we will continue our series on Self Control with a lesson on drunkenness, gluttony, and fasting.

 

Lanny is a regional representative for Easter European Missions, which we have supported in the past.

 

Greed and generosity run on a scale, and it seems like greed is getting a lot of air time these days. It is the subtext of many political platforms right now. "If I'm elected, I'll stick it to those greedy politicians/big businesses/wealthy, etc.." Greed is nothing new in the world, but generosity is the hallmark of God's people. Make no mistake - generosity does not just happen one day. Some of the most generous men and women I know are generous because they are disciplined, and have learned self-control.

 

Did you ever almost win? There is something that awakens in a person when they find themselves there. Did you ever almost win, and give up, so insuring the loss? What is the difference between these scenarios? Each individual has the ability within them to win. It may be at a different level than others, but it is still there. I can guarantee that you will never win if you give up.

 

The day that David left the land of Israel and moved to the land of the Philistines, he made a decision that had unintended consequences. Had he known, perhaps he would have done things differently. That is the problem with big decisions. It is also the motivation to be people who strive to follow the will of God, which is a filter for the decisions we make.