Giants in Our Lives

Two Perspectives 1 Sam. 17:11, 24

On whom or on what shall you focus?

1 Sam. 17:26

Focus on GiantsBrings Fear,

which is Death to our spirits

Focus on GodBrings Faith,

which is Life to our spiritsOR

A Whole Land Of Giants

Fear makes us exaggerate.

We Cry, Complain, Doubt

and Rebel because of fear.

The Clear Choice!

“So without faith, it is impossible to please

God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Heb. 11:6

Take God at His Word, choosing faith over fear.

Though the fig tree shall not blossom, and the vine shall not have fruit

Though the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat;

Though the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,

I will be joyful in the God of my salvation.

Hab. 3:17, 18

Why We Can Chose Faith

Take Risks!

Take Steps!

Trust and Obey!Make a Memorial to God!

Overcoming Fear"Fear is the path to

the dark side.”Yoda, Star Wars

Bad Fear Paralyses you

HOT!DON’T

TOUCH!

Good FearProtects you

Snap Shots of Faith

The CenturionCaring Heart

HumbleUnderstood Authority

Believed in Jesus’ Authority

The DisciplesHard Hearts

ProudMisunderstood AuthorityDoubted Jesus’ Authority

Remember how you got there!

What We have Learned So Far

Keep your eyes on Jesus. You have the choice to obey or rebel. Take God at His Word, choosing faith

over fear. Rejoice in the Lord no matter what. Make your Life a Memorial to God. Focus on the Invisible, not only the

Visible. I am like a Turtle on a fence post.

Kingdom Mentality

What came first, the chicken or the egg?

The Philip Test [John 6:5-7]

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.Philip answered him, “Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread to each one tohave a bite!”

Kingdom Mentality [James 3:13-4:10]

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in

humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter

envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast

about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you find disorder and every evil practice.But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first ofall pure; then peace-loving, considerate,

submissive,

Kingdom Mentality [James 3:13-4:10]

full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.Peacemakers who sow in peace raise aharvest of righteousness.What causes fights and quarrels among you?

Don’tthey come from your desires that battle within

you?You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you

donot ask God. When you ask, you do not receive,because you ask with wrong motives, that you

mayspend what you get on your pleasures.

Kingdom Mentality [James 3:13-4:10]

You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you thinkScripture says without reason that the spirit hecaused to live in us envies intensely? But he givesus more grace. That is why Scripture says:“God opposes the proud but give grace to the humble.”

Kingdom Mentality [James 3:13-4:10]

Submit yourselves, then, to God.Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.Come near to God and he will come near to you.Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and

wail.Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the LORD,and he will lift you up.

Kingdom Mentality

James 3:13-18 Repentance & Brokenness before the Lord

James 4:6-10 Humble ourselves (Submit to God) Resist the devil Come near to God

The Burning Bush [Exodus 3:1-3]

Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight – why the bush does not burn up.

The Burning Bush [Exodus 3:4]

When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”And Moses said, “Here I am.”

Kingdom Mentality

The goal of our Kingdom thinking is for us to express the character and goodness of Jesus in our whole being.

Every moment in our lives is a moment to learn from God and gain His thinking and wisdom.

Where is the burning bush in your life? The thing in our life that makes us ask, “Where are you God in my life?”

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Earth is crammed with heaven.And every common bush afire with God.

But only he who sees it removes his shoes.The rest sit around it and pluck blackberries.

Reflection

Ask God for eyes to see His presence in our lives.

Ask Him to give us His wisdom to see all the parts of our lives as tools in His hands to conform us to the image of Jesus Christ.

Ask Him to give us Kingdom Mentality.