The Classics - Week 3

Bloom Church Podcast

STAY SUBMITTED AND COMMITTED TO THE WILL OF GOD!

You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. Psalms 16:11 NLT

Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph—a beautiful robe. But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn’t say a kind word to him. Genesis 37:3-4 NLT

1. GRASP THAT PERSPECTIVE IMPACTS YOUR FUTURE

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. James 1:2 NLT

The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Genesis 39:2 NLT

But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. Genesis 39:21 NLT

Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 NLT

2. DON’T FIGHT THE PROCESS

So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:4 NLT

GOD CARES MORE ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER THAN YOUR COMFORT.

“My child, don’t make light of the lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? Hebrews 12:5-7 NLT

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. 1 Peter 1:6-7 NLT

3. DECIDE TO FULLY TRUST

But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. James 1:6-8

YOUR ATTITUDE IS THE KEY THAT ACTIVATES GOD MOVING IN YOUR LIFE.

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 NLT

4. UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS OF TEMPTATION

Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. James 1:14-15 NLT

• TEMPTATION
• FANTASY
• STEP TOWARDS SIN
• ACT OF SIN
• DEATH

There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. Proverbs 14:12 NLT

The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. Galatians 5:17 NLT

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Galatians 5:24-25 NLT