let your gentleness be known, do not be anxious, pray with thanksgiving, meditate on what is true and honorable and lovely
5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think about these things.
9 The things which you learned, received, heard, and saw in me: do these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Jesus led by the Spirit into the wilderness, tempted by the devil, answered each temptation with scripture, used to illustrate guidance
1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
2 When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry afterward.
3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
4 But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”
5 Then the devil took him into the holy city. He set him on the pinnacle of the temple,
6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will put his angels in charge of you.’ and, ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you don’t dash your foot against a stone.’”
7 Jesus said to him, “Again, it is written, ‘You shall not test the Lord, your God.’”
8 Again, the devil took him to an exceedingly high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory.
9 He said to him, “I will give you all of these things, if you will fall down and worship me.”
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’”
11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and served him.
Peter asks about John and Jesus says what is that to you, you follow me, used to illustrate praying only for knowledge of God's will for oneself
20 Then Peter, turning around, saw a disciple following. This was the disciple whom Jesus loved, the one who had also leaned on Jesus’ breast at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is going to betray You?”
21 Peter seeing him, said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?”
22 Jesus said to him, “If I desire that he stay until I come, what is that to you? You follow me.”
arm yourselves with the same purpose as Christ who suffered, live no longer for human lust but for the will of God, be of sound judgment and sober for prayer
1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind; for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin;
2 that you no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
3 For we have spent enough of our past time doing the desire of the Gentiles, and having walked in lewdness, lusts, drunken binges, orgies, carousings, and abominable idolatries.
4 They think it is strange that you don’t run with them into the same excess of riot, blaspheming:
5 who will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
6 For to this end the Good News was preached even to the dead, that they might be judged indeed as men in the flesh, but live as to God in the spirit.
7 But the end of all things is near. Therefore be of sound mind, self-controlled, and sober in prayer.
if we walk in the light we have fellowship and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.
wisdom from above is pure, peace loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy, used under meditation on helpful books
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
do not be worried about your life, seek first his kingdom and all these things will be provided
25 Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
in Christ all things were created, he is before all things, in him all things hold together, he is head of the church
16 For by him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and for him.
17 He is before all things, and in him all things are held together.
18 He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
This message was part of First B Jackson's ongoing series on the 12 Steps of Recovery. Pastor Ray focused on Step 11, seeking through prayer and meditation to improve conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will and the power to carry it out. He showed how this step holds together everything that came before it and sets the pace for daily life in recovery and faith.
What was said
Pastor Ray opened by placing Step 11 in the flow of the whole series. Steps one through three get a person free from whatever has them bound. Steps ten, eleven, and twelve are how you stay free and live well. Step 10, taking daily personal inventory and promptly admitting when you are wrong, feeds directly into Step 11, and Ray said the two are so closely connected he had been holding part of his Step 10 material until now.
The heart of Step 11 is a short phrase: praying only for the knowledge of God's will and the power to carry it out. Ray said this does something specific to your prayer life. Instead of running through a list of problems you cannot personally do anything about, you ask God to show you what is yours to do today, and then you ask Him for the power to do it. He described this as getting back in your lane.
Ray organized the body of the sermon around four words from the early AA literature on this step: prayer, guidance, growth, and power. On prayer, he drew from First John 5 and Philippians 4, noting that you cannot be anxious and grateful at the same time, and that gratitude gets you into the frame of mind where you can recognize what is good and lovely. Meditating on those things increases your conscious contact with God.
On guidance, Ray walked through Matthew 4, Jesus being led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted. He pointed out that the path God leads you on may be uncomfortable, even a place of real temptation and difficulty, and that Jesus answered every temptation with the word of God, which he had been filling himself with through prayer and fasting. Ray said this is what guidance through the Spirit looks like in practice.
On growth and power, he turned to John 15. Remaining in Christ is what produces fruit, and bearing fruit is how God is glorified. Ray also noted that the rooms of AA are, for many people, surprisingly full of joy, and that the same dynamic is at work there as in John 15: following the path, staying connected, is simply a joyful way to live.
Ray then addressed the "Peter and John" passage near the end of John's Gospel, where Jesus tells Peter not to worry about what God has for John but to follow Him. He said this is a picture of what "praying only for his will for me" really means. We barely know what God wants for us, let alone what He wants for someone else. The step keeps you focused on your own walk.
He closed with a practical shape for the day drawn from AA literature and Scripture together: examine your day in the evening and confess what needs confessing; begin the morning with prayer and meditation before anything else; at some regularly recurring moment during the day, read something helpful and take time to contemplate God; and in moments of stress, bring the request to God with thanksgiving rather than letting anxiety take over. The benediction was Philippians 4:8-9, the call to meditate on whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and commendable, and to practice what you have seen modeled by others.
Doing a Bible study?
Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages
in order, questions for the group, and room to write.
Ray talked about prayer shifting from asking God to fix other people's problems to asking 'Lord, what is your will for me today?' How has that kind of praying changed anything for you, or what would it change if you tried it?
Ray walked through how Jesus answered every temptation in the wilderness with scripture he had been praying and meditating on. What does that tell us about why a regular practice of getting into God's word matters, especially when we are under pressure?
Good morning, everybody. Hey, would you stand and and join us in song? Great to see you, and I got a verse to to lead us in worship. It's first Peter five seven. Don't know what you're bringing in, but I know this.
In first Peter five seven, it says, cast all your worries and cares on him. Why? Because he cares for us. Would you join us in singing, leave it there. Take your burdens to the Lord.
Leave them there.
To the Lord and leave it
there. If you trust him in your doubt, he will surely bring you out. Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there. Should the world from you withhold there. If you trust him with your doubts, he will surely bring you out.
Take your burden to the Lord and leave there. If your body suffers pain and your health, you can't begin, Leave it there.
It there. If
you trust him when you're down, he will surely bring you out. Prayer. He will make a way for you. He will guide you safely. Make your burden to the old day.
Leave it there.
Take your burden
to the Lord and leave it there. If you trust him with your doubts, he will surely bring you out.
We'll see what they are. Here they are. Monday night. What's happening, Carl?
Yeah. We're on tomorrow and tomorrow is TNT parent night. So if you're a parent of a TNT or
a third through fifth
grade, you're welcome to come to club and just see what a typical Iwana night is like. So 05:45. We'll see you then.
TNT, truth and training. Truth and Training. When I remember when I wanna was here, we used to meet around the the circular table in my office. And there was a one presenter, maybe two, and two or three people, and that was it. If we have all the parents of all the kids that come to Truth and Training now, we might have to rent a space.
There are like 40 something kids that have been coming Truth and Training. Amen. That's cool. Discovery class happens on the third Sunday of the month in my office, whether I'm in there or not. Gary and Steve Baldock will be doing that.
Is today the third Sunday? Are we doing a special one? We are doing one today. Okay. Even if it's not the third Sunday, there's one happening today and there's one that's standard on the third Sunday.
Twenty twenty four, twenty five church directory. We have and we have been doing for years a paper directory. There's one online too. But if you want to and if you would, we would appreciate if you'd send us a decent horizontal picture of yourself, a good picture. That's a representative sample up there on the top, the good picture.
The bad picture, you can't tell who the people are, but you can tell where the people are. Good picture, horizontal photo. Nick is right there with a computer. Yes? To a don't member.
If you're around here often and you want for people to know you, actually, whether you do or don't. Yeah. Never mind. Yeah. If you want to be in there, the all that information, whatever you'll give us, helps people to get in contact with you and to just know who you are.
That's it. So connect hour volunteers, we are looking for at all times. Monday night kitchen help is needed to make a meal for the Awana volunteers. It's ready at 05:15. So if you could help out with that, that's great.
There are sign ups in the fellowship hall for that and for connect hour, which happens between the services. Hey, that was a short list. Anybody have one that I've forgotten? Deletions, corrections, suggestions? No?
Would you stand with us and we're gonna sing about the glory of God, how great he is. Welcome. And for his blades, I wonder
and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees. When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur And when I think that God is sun not sparing, send him to die, ice skiers can take it. That on that cross,
As we sing that song, thought, don't we live in such a gorgeous place?
Mhmm.
It is so beautiful here. And looking around, anybody see the northern lights this this week? Out of the macro? Out of the it is just unbelievable. Thank you, God.
Thank you for being our great God, creator and sustainer of absolutely everything. And here we are, God. Here we are as faulty and and and broken as we are before you. Thank you, God, for being the God who makes us whole. In Jesus' name.
Amen.
When darkness tries to roll over my bones,
and
sorrow comes to steal the joy I own. The brokenness and the pain is all I know. Well, I won't be shaken. I won't be shaken.
This is from Jesus and John. If you would, would you just close your eyes for a minute, and let's hear him say this to us. Jesus is saying, my peace I leave with you, and my peace I give to you, and I don't give as the world gives. Don't let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid.
Will sing a song of ages to the night. Jesus' name is ours. Your name is the highest, and your name is the greatest. And your name stands above them all. And all thrones and dominions and all powers and positions your name stands above
high.
Oh,
you if you've were been forgiven,
if you've been redeemed, sing a song forever to the world.
And if you want
holy,
holy forever. Name starts.
Jesus, your day is the highest, and your name is the greatest, and your name stands above them all. And all thrones and dominions and all powers and positions.
Holy, holy forever.
I love this verse from Colossians. It's it's for in him, and speaking about Christ here, for in Jesus, all things were created. This is just unbelievable. Things in heaven, earth, visible, invisible, whether thrones or powers, rulers, authorities, all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
And furthermore, Jesus is the head of the body, the church, this body. Amen. You can have a seat here for a moment. This is the the worship through giving, and I invite the ushers to come forward. We'll sing a song.
We'll we'll make this our our prayer nurse song called here's a heart. Before we do, Ray, may I ask you to pray?
Overwhelmed by your beauty, overwhelmed by your goodness, by your grace, by your mercy, by your love. Lord God Almighty, what a beautiful thing it is to know you. Lord, would you allow us the grace and the privilege. We know that your plan a is for those who know you to live it out, to live out that they know you, to grow in the knowledge and grace of Jesus Christ our Lord, and to follow after him. In Jesus name, Lord, we want to be carrying the message forward.
We want to be a part of you bringing people to yourself, removing folks from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of marvelous light. Lord, would you advance your good gospel through us. Your will, Lord, done in your way is what we're praying for. Would you show us the way that we may walk in and in Jesus name, amen.
Amen.
Well, it's time for children's church downstairs and that's a broad range from nursery, preschool, kindergarten, the way up through middle school, high school. If you have an inclination, kids, you're welcome in children's church. Is this thing on? Can you all hear me? Okay.
Good. Well, for the last, I don't know how long now, we've been going through, the 12 steps. 12 steps of recovery together and we've also had lots of missionaries speak in the last little while. So we've had a couple that took the whole sermon time and we've had a few that just spoke up. I might have one more next week.
We'll see. But the 12 steps of recovery has been repetitive and I know that. I haven't had anybody complain so far about that, so we're going to do it again. Step one, we admitted we were powerless over our problem that our lives had become unmanageable. Amen.
Step two, we came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. Amen. And that's wholeness. It's not just mental, it is wholeness. Right?
Step three, we made a Decision. Decision to turn our Will. Will and our lives over to the care of God. How? As we understood him and that is a statement of what?
Humility. Humility. Thank you. It's not just saying anything can be your God. That's not what it's saying.
We know that it's Jesus. We know that it's Jesus. Christians, we know that it's Jesus. But there are a lot of people that have to start somewhere, and knowing that there's a power greater than themselves, get some headed in the right direction. As we understand and we can all grow in the grace and knowledge of God.
Step four, we made a searching and what? Fearless. Moral inventory of ourselves, and it's helpful that it is of ourselves and not of other people. A fear that that is what we are good at is finding a searching and fearless moral inventory of everyone else. But this makes a big difference.
And I have included there a big long list of all of the vice list of the New Testament. If you want one of those, I'll give it to you. I made a bunch of copies. Usually, there's somebody afterwards that wants one. Metasearch and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
If you want a biblical kind of grid to look through, we'll get you one of those. Step five, we admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being, the exact nature of our wrongs. Thank God that he is there for us. That as Carl said, we can cast our cares upon him because he cares for us, but also, thank God that he's allowed us people around us with skin on him that we can talk to. Confessing our sins to each other and pray and for each other so that we may be healed, so that we may work towards that wholeness.
We'd be able to accept the the forgiveness that God has given through confession, and then we have a team of people that can support us around us. Step six, we were entirely ready to have God remove all of these defects of character. Step seven, we humbly asked him because God resists the proud, but he gives grace to the humble. If you think you have it figured out, nobody can tell you anything. Right?
We humbly ask him to remove our shortcomings. Amen. This step, humility and rebirth is what the early literature from AA says. Step eight, we made a list of all the persons we had harmed and we came what? Willing to make amends to the model.
Willingness is really really important because in step nine, we are going to make or we made direct amends to such people wherever it's possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. And then step 10, we continue to take personal inventory. When we were wrong, we promptly admitted it. That's the last one that I preached on. It was two weeks ago, but that builds up.
Now, the first three are to help get you sober. I have a problem I can't do anything about. Face that, realizing there's a power that's greater than yourself and you turn over your will and your life to him. That's the getting sober or getting free from whatever your problem sin is. But living in step ten, eleven, and 12 is the way to maintain and live a very joyful life humbly before God, walking with your fellow sinners, people, but sinners who can walk in victory together.
That's how we're going. Step 10 is about daily corrective action. And step 10 and step 11 to me goes so closely together. I want to hit this daily corrective action. I started to say it last time, but technically it belongs in this next eleventh step.
So here we are. The promptly admitting it when you're wrong is getting to the place of I I did something, I said something, I felt something, I don't know exactly what was going on, but I realized that that was just wrong. Maybe it was bombastic and hateful, I don't know. It could have been lots of things, but I I said something that was wrong and admitting it is a good thing. Step 11.
Here we are today. We saw this is collective. I individualized this one earlier. We skipped ahead when we got to one of the steps. We saw through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God.
As we understood him, statement of humility, praying only for knowledge of his will for us and the power to carry that out. So collectively church, what we are to be praying is for us to be carrying out God's will for our lives collectively. So we can help each other with that. Individualize this and it'll change your whole prayer life. I mean, we've all heard the organ recital.
Right? Aunt Gertie's gallbladder, so and so's liver. We've heard that prayer list. Right? We've heard it where it's like, oh, yeah.
I gotta remember whose whose back was it? It was their back. That was that's okay. I'm not complaining about that, that all everybody's organs are important and we need to pray for them. But if you think about this, what can I do about that?
I can't do much about aunt Gertie's gallbladder. But I can write her a note to tell her what she meant, has meant to me, what she means to me. I can if that's God's will for me. Praying only for knowledge of his will for me. Could I be an encouragement to someone today, Lord?
Could I help someone who is down? Show me the way. I'll walk in at Step 12 gets to that too. Ten, eleven, and 12 go really closely together. But if you take this seriously, and you you commit yourself to praying for God, to show you what his will for you is, if I commit.
I told you I've been walking through this for about six and a half years now and this one's the one that gets me. This one the one that gets me every time and I've had a couple of weeks to build up. Y'all are gonna get a lot of scripture today. Praying only for knowledge of his will. Lord, is that for me to do?
The next right step, what is what is it that you'd have me to do? Present me your opportunities today, to serve you, to show me what's mine. Show me lord what it is and give me the power to carry it out because it doesn't do me any good to know and not be able to carry it out. But we've got the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. But we're all wired differently and we all learn differently.
We all have different skills. If somebody has a broken down alternator, they probably are not gonna call everybody in this room. If somebody is going through deep deep grief and sorrow, not everybody in this room is the person to call. Wish we were. But if we all take this seriously, God is gonna show us what it is that he wants for us to do.
He will show us the next step. Praying only for his will for my life and the power to carry it out. It really gets us back into our lane. Now, this is individualized and it is still collective. So as a church, we have some broader goals.
We can reach out in different ways when we are collective. There's one body, but each individual, if if there are things that Christ wants for me to do and I'm doing them, it makes it easier for you to do your job if all of the members are doing what it is. So prayer, guidance, growth, and power is the is what the early literature says about this step. Prayer, guidance, growth, and power. Prayer, I sought through prayer meditation to improve my conscious contact with God.
Who will God? He is our God. Jesus' prayer for the Holy Spirit is guide them into the truth. His promise is that the Holy Spirit will guide us into the truth. Growth.
Can I get a witness here? Have you ever had have you ever had an inclination that God that through the Holy Spirit was prompting you to do something and you did it? Did you grow from that? Amen. Yeah.
God's glorified, you're built up, your faith increases, there's growth there And there is power there. So step 11, for His will, for me, and the power to carry it out. His will for us and the power to carry that out. It really harkens back to step three, doesn't it? Step three is we made a decision to turn our will in our lives over to the care of God as we understood him.
If you look at his will for me and the power to carry that out, I've already made this decision. It's a while back. It's how I got sober. It's how I got free. And I'm going to keep doing it.
Praying only for the knowledge of his will for us and the power to carry it out. You know, that's not terribly theological, is it? It's not. It's not like, okay. Is it pre or post millennial?
Which one is it? Pray, meditate, seek God on that, but don't argue over it. Right? Praying only for the knowledge of his will for us and the power to carry that out. Prayer.
First John five. First John is such a great book. First John five. This is the confidence which we have before him, believers, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us and whatever we ask, I've sought through prayer and meditation to improve my conscious contact with God.
If we know that we hear us and whatever we ask and we know that we have the request which we have asked from him. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. You might say, well, I'm not righteous. I'm a sinner, but you have the imputed righteousness of Christ. When God looks down, he sees a cross from above.
Right? And he says, cast your cares on because he cares for you and he says that it's powerful and effective. Philippians four five through nine. Y'all, let your gentleness, gentle spirit. Spirit is in italics that means it was added to help it make sense in English.
Let your gentleness or your gentle spirit be known to all people. That's what is to be known. It's our gentleness. The Lord is near. Don't be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading supplication.
With thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there's anything that is excellent and anything that's worthy of praise, be thinking about these things. As for the things that you've learned and received and heard and seen in me, that's Paul, not me Ray, but hopefully, it's true. If you've seen anything that is noteworthy, anything that fits that list in me, then practice these things and the God of peace will be with you. Amen.
Meditate on these things. Prayer and meditation. I've sought through prayer and meditation to improve my conscious contact with God. You can't be anxious and grateful at the same time. This is God's will for you in Christ Jesus that you be thankful.
If you can take a moment to be thankful, it will get you into the frame of mind of recognizing what is lovely, what is good, what is commendable. And if you meditate on these things, it will increase your conscious contact with God. It will. Guidance. Matthew four one through 11.
Then Jesus was led up by the spirit. Okay. That's cool. He's being guided by the Holy Spirit. Same spirit raised him from the dead later.
Same spirit that is guiding us and it says, he was led up into the spirit in the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Oh, that doesn't sound like a pleasant path. And after he fasted for forty days, that really doesn't sound pleasant. And forty nights, he was hungry and the tempter came and said to him, if you are the son of God, casting doubt, trying to command that these stones become bread because he was hungry. Now, when we're in a 12 step sermon series and we're thinking about it, there's something whether it's alcohol or drugs or it's images, pornography stuff, whatever it is, whatever it is, whatever it is.
If it's rivalry, enmity, strife, discord, whatever it is for you, there's something that you are have a proclivity towards that is sinful and wrong. Now this wasn't, eating is not, unless overeating is your deal, which it is for me. If you are the son of God, command these stones to become bread. He was wanting to eat. I'm sure he's fasting and so the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak.
He says that later. But he answered and said it's written, man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God. And his practice of fasting is so that he could hear clearly what was coming out of the mouth of God. Then the devil took him along to the holy city and had him stand up on the pinnacle of the temple and he said to him, if you are the son of God, trying to cast out again. I love the song this morning, Carl, the leave it there.
If you trust him with your doubts, he will surely bring you out. He said to him, if you are the son of God, throw yourself down for it is written, he's gonna use scripture now, the devil's gonna use scripture, he will give his angels orders concerning you and on their hands they will lift you up so that you don't strike your foot against a stone. And Jesus said to him, on the other hand, it is also written, you shall not put the Lord your God to the test. Jesus knew who he was. Again, the devil took him along to a very high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory and he said to him, all these things I will give to you.
They didn't really belong to him, did he? Maybe. Earthly kingdoms. All these things I'll give to you if you fall down and worship me and then Jesus said, get on from here. Sorry.
That's the Ray McDaniel translation. Go away, Satan. For it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God and serve him only. And Jesus was doing that, serving Father God and he was worshiping Father God in his fast, in his prayer, in his meditation, and he was also God. And so the devil should have been worshiping him.
Then the devil left him and behold angels came and began to serve or minister to him. Guidance. I if you are praying for God to increase your understanding of his will for your life, it may take you into some places that are very difficult, very uncomfortable, and places of temptation, and places of discipline, and places that are hard. Jesus always answered with God's word. So he had been praying and meditating on the word of God.
He had the spirit of God guiding him and he was committed to that. I'm going to turn my will in my life over to God as I understand him. It is possible to walk in victory. You're guided by the spirit of God. Growth.
Growth comes through this too. Jesus in John 15, when we did the communion, it's the same night that he was betrayed. Right? Upper room discourse. It's four or five chapters of John, four chapters of John.
And he says to his disciples there and I say during communion and it rings out to us today, y'all remain in me and I will remain in you just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, but must remain. I have sought through prayer and meditation to improve my conscious contact with God. Jesus, I want to be connected today. It self, it must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches, the one who remains in me, and I in him bears much fruit.
Being connected to Jesus helps to see what he wants for you to do and gives you the power to do it. I in him bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. I have a problem I can't do anything about. You can do nothing. Right?
But there is a higher power. We know it's Jesus. I'm gonna let him. I'm gonna abide in him. If anyone does not remain in me, throw away like a branch and dries up in there, and they gathered them, throw them into the fire and they're burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, he answered the devil with the word of God. Knowing what Jesus has said about you individually is really helpful because it tells you who you are in Christ. If you remain in me, my words remain in you. Ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. Sounds like first John.
My father is glorified by this that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my students, disciples. Just as the father has loved me, I've also loved you. Remain in my love. Stand, we sang him this morning, in his love. Just as I've kept my father's commandments and I remain in his love.
Does it mean that your life will be without difficulty, anxiety, or anguish? No. But you have somewhere to go with it. These things I've spoken to you so that your joy, my joy may be in you and that your joy may be made full. One of the surprising things, if you ever read the big book, like if you're not an alcoholic and you don't go to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, you might not see this very often.
And I think people have a have a an understanding of what AA is from TV and it's like, I'm Joe and I'm an alcoholic. That's all you really know is that's the repetition. There's a lot of joy in that room. Tons of joy in that room, and then after that, they go and have Mexican food and have a ball, coffee and whatever. There's a lot of joy in the room.
In the back of the big book, there are lots and lots and lots of testimonials of stories. And they go back to the thirties, but some of them are more recent than that. And a lot of them say, was really surprised by the joy in the room. I had no idea that it was going to be like that. And this is a part of that.
It's just following the path is a really joyful place to be. These things I've spoken to you, so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. Jesus had to go to the cross, but he went for the joy that was set before him. Right? It's on the other side of the difficulty.
Power. Here we are. Prayer, guidance, growth. There's growth in being obedient, humbly obedient to the urging of the spirit of God. Power.
Hey, nothing up there. Sorry. Here we are. Praying only for the knowledge of his will for me and the power to carry it out. Oh, this one this one is a sideline.
I I didn't know where to put it. Here we go. Do you all remember after Peter is restored on the beach in the book of John, this is late in the book of John. Peter is restored on the beach after he's denied him, after the crucifixion, after the resurrection, and then Jesus goes and finds him and restores him. Do you love me?
Do you love me? Do you love me? You know the story. After that, this comes up. Peter turned around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved, John.
It's in the book of John, which is hilarious. Peter turned around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved, John, following them. He's kind of straggling long behind. Peter's probably the oldest disciple and John's probably the youngest. The one who had leaned back on Jesus' bosom at supper and said, Lord, who is the one who betrays you?
So Peter, seeing John said to Jesus, Lord, what about this guy? What about him? And Jesus said, if I want him to remain until I come, what's that to you Peter? That sounds a little sassy, doesn't it? You follow me.
The individualized thing up here is praying only for the knowledge of his will for me and the power to carry that out. It's really important. Like we don't know what God has for other people. We honestly barely know what he wants for us. After a practice and after putting it into putting some feet to those prayers, prayer meditation, what's your will for me and then stepping into that, you get to see what God is saying and you get to hear it clear when you obey.
Praying only for his knowledge, Peter's just been restored. He's gonna be the head guy. You know, and Jesus is like, don't worry about John. Just worry about yourself. You follow me.
So and here we are, first Peter. This is why I put it right there. That makes sense now to me anyway. First Peter four. Therefore, and that's the rest of the book of first Peter, three chapters up to this point.
Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose. It's worth it. Because the one who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin. Oh, theologically, don't agree with that. Wait just a second.
There is some suffering in coming away from your sin. Do you not think that's true? I mean, not to mention some of the withdrawals and DTs from certain sins, but there are other things. It's just it's something you've come to rely on as a coping mechanism and now that's not there anymore and there's some suffering, but it's worth it. Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose.
The one who suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of time in the flesh, no longer for human lust, but for the will of God. You came apart from it for a reason. You were dedicating yourself to the life that God wanted for you and you can walk in victory. That's what this is saying. It is possible to walk in victory.
Sometimes we get though, I'm just a sinner. You're not just a sinner. You're a forgiven sinner. You're an empowered sinner. You have been given the righteousness of Christ.
It's amazing what you are. A sinner saved by grace. For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out all the desires of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of indecent behavior, lust, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and wanting idolatries. In all of this, those folks you used to run with, they're surprised that you don't run with them anymore in the same excesses of debauchery and they talk bad about you, they slander you. But they'll give an account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
All of us, all of us will stand before God. For the gospel, the good news has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead. Actually, I added the now right there just to make it clear. There's a lot of heresy that surrounds Jesus preaching to the dead. Okay?
A lot of heresy. For this, the gospel has for this purpose has been preached even to those who are now dead. He's talking about all of the folks of old that the Bible, that God, that the prophets, that all of that had reached out to, they had the gospel. That though they are judged in the flesh as people, they may live according to the will of God. Real bright verse here.
Seven. The end of all things is near. Your life is but a vapor. You don't know how long you have left. The end of all things is near.
Actually, we don't know. Coming of Christ is imminent. They were expecting it, we're expecting it. The end of all things is near. Therefore, be of sound judgment and sober.
You see spirit is in italics. Be of sound judgment and sober for the purpose of prayer. And above all, keep fervent in your love for one another because love covers a multitude of sins. There's a lot of joy in knowing that you're surrounded by people that know that they're sinners, but they're also saved by grace. There's a lot of joy in helping spur one another on into love and good works.
So that's prayer, guidance, growth, and power. So practically speaking, thanks Ray for that four different sermons in fifteen minutes. What does this look like? What does it look like practically? If you delve into the literature of early AA or you look at pretty much anything since then, they have a plan for the day.
And I'll get a text sometimes from a friend of mine that says, oh, the morning devotional this morning was so good. Or just before bed, I have a couple of things I could have done better today, but God is so good. I know I'm forgiven. Practically speaking, what does it look like? It sounds funny to say in the evening, that's the first step.
In the evening before you retire is a great time to examine your day. It's a good time to do step four. Did I fall back into it today? Did I did I pick up a new one today? A new sin?
In the evening before you retire, examine your day. And the prayer of faith will restore the one who has fallen, the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he's committed sins, they'll be forgiven. Isn't it great to know you can be forgiven? I've used first John one nine so many times since we started this that if we will be confessing our sins, God is faithful and just to be forgiving our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteous.
What a great night of sleep you can have if you say, God, I blew it today on this and I recognize it. By your spirit, you've shown me and I surrender it to you, forgiven. First John one seven and nine. If you examine your day, you might see the things you did poorly, but you might also see some things you did well. If we're walking in the light as he himself is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another and that's real.
And the blood of Jesus his son cleanses us from all of our sins. If we say that we don't have any sin, we're deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, here it is, he's faithful and he's righteous, just so that he will forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Remember that one. It's a good promise from God.
It'll keep you humble. It'll keep you in a place where you know you're forgiven and keeping short accounts with God. In the morning, upon awakening, so in the evening, you can see the full day in the clear light of prayer and meditation. You may see some things that you need to confess. You may see some things that you need to be thankful for.
And then in the morning when you wake, begin with prayer and meditation. I actually gave up on doing all the ones on this one because there are so many. Read the Psalms. Oh, as I wake, when I breathe in, I'll breathe out praise. In the morning, Lord, you will hear my voice.
In the morning, I'll present my prayer to you and I will be on the watch. It helps. It helps. A quiet time in the morning helps. It's not just for camp anymore.
Okay. I went to a camp when I was little. Oh my goodness. They made us spend an hour in the woods. They said, you need to get out in the woods far enough that you can't see anybody.
A 150 teenagers happened to be spread out far enough they couldn't see anybody, and then sit out there with your Bible and be quiet and get alone with God. Goodness gracious. When you awake, when I rise, the song said this morning. In the morning, Lord, you'll hear my voice, morning and evening, daily light for the daily path, my utmost for his highest. There are so many good devotionals out there.
Grab one of them. They're digital too. You're gonna grab your phone first thing anyway. Have it set up so that it's waiting for you. In the morning, Lord, you'll hear my voice.
In the morning, I'll present my prayer to you and be on the watch. But if any of you lacks wisdom, Lord, I feel stupid. Let him ask of God who gives to all generously and without reproach and it will be given to him. That's a great promise too. You know, if you feel like you need wisdom, he'll give it to you.
If you feel like you don't need wisdom, God resists the proud. James three. James is really big in a a circles by the way. It is so practical. It's the gospel wearing work clothes.
It's really really good. The wisdom from above is first pure, it's peace loving, it's gentle, it's reasonable, it's full of mercy and good fruits, it's impartial, it's free of hypocrisy, and the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. Amen. What are we going to pray and meditate on? Like I said about the fearless and searching moral inventory, if you're going do that, it helps have a grid to do that through, you know.
All scripture is inspired by God. It's beneficial for teaching and for rebuke and for correction and for training and righteousness, so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable and equipped for every good work. Amen. Proverbs three, five and six. Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and don't lean on your own understanding.
You do lack wisdom whether you feel like you do or not. In all of your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight. Okay. That's enough of those. There are probably a thousand more I could have put up there.
At a regularly occurring time, read helpful books and take time to just contemplate God. When I go up into the park to do a wedding, or when I go to haul a piece of junk to the junkyard, or when I haul when I get behind the wheel of a car, that's my time. And that time is a time I don't read helpful books. I listen to helpful books in the car, and I take time to contemplate God. If there's a beautiful sunset, I'm paid.
Thank you, Lord. At any regularly occurring time, something where when I'm in this place, this is what I do. It's really helpful. Might be the lunch hour, might be afternoon break, I don't know what it is for you, but take the time to contemplate God and his goodness. A thankful moment in the afternoon before school is such a great idea, but at a regularly occurring time of some description.
Read helpful books, take time to contemplate God. That's one of the recommendations of AA for folks. So reading helpful books, take time to contemplate God. Second Timothy two fifteen, be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, but accurately handles the word of truth. Wanna dig into it and understand it.
And you'll know the truth and the truth will set you free. It's helpful books are helpful. Mike D, he is constantly listening to something and he's got a list, always has a list of the things that he's learning from the helpful books that he's ingesting. And when I come on Thursdays to the men's study down here, I know you all are always reading helpful books and saying, oh, did you ever read this yet? This is really good.
It's helpful. Read helpful books. There are there are plenty more of that one too, but we're getting close. In times of stress throughout the day, when George Costanza might say, serenity now. Okay.
Do you all remember that? I hope you do. In times of stress throughout the day, I had a buddy in seminary who had he was a carpenter. We worked on a painting crew fixing stuff before they painted it, and he had he had worked and worked and worked to memorize some of the imprecatory psalms. Now, nobody remembers the imprecatory psalms.
Dash their heads against the rock. Oh, the Hittites are terrible. You know, that sort of stuff. He memorized them so that when he hit his thumb with a hammer, he would say, dash their heads against the rocks, instead of anything else. In times of stress throughout the day, may we think of God and may we consider that.
I love this. Do not be anxious about anything. I know it's stressful. It's stressful. But in everything, by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God.
It's not wrong to pray for something. Okay? In the AA literature, it does say that if you'll start off by praying for God's will for your life, he will bring to your mind the things that you are to be praying for. So pray, plead, and be grateful. Let your request be made down to God.
The peace of God which surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. The serenity prayer in 12 step recovery is really really important because there are things you can change and there are things you can't change and you need to know which is which. And so, this helps that. Matthew six twenty five. This reason I'm saying to you, disciples, don't be worried about your life as to what you'll eat or what you'll drink.
If you will pray about the will of God for your life and the power to carry that out, you are doing this. I said to you, don't be worried about your life as to what you'll eat or what you'll drink as nor for your body as to what you'll put on. Is life not more than food and the body not more than clothing? Just a few verses later, it says, for everybody, all the outsiders, Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, but your heavenly father knows that you need all these things. You be seeking first his kingdom, that is his will for your life.
You, a willing subject to king Jesus. You seek first his kingdom and all of his righteousness and all these things will be provided for you. And then Isaiah 26, the steadfast of mind Lord, you will keep in perfect peace. Prayer and meditation on God is helpful. The steadfast of mind, you will keep in perfect peace.
Why? Because he trusts you and God Almighty, you are trustworthy. I think that's the last slide. Would you all stand? I'm gonna invite the band back up.
And we'll see what comes up. Christ be all around me. Oh, perfect. Carl, can we just say thank you to Carl for picking the songs? Amen.
Me.
And as I go hand of God, my defense me. There to be all around me, above and below me. Before and behind me, in every eye that sees me,
As a benediction today, would you take away this from Philippians four? Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there's any excellence and if there's anything that's worthy of praise, and there is, be meditating on these things. As for the things that you've learned and you've received and you've heard and you've seen in me, in Paul, in Ray, in your sponsors, in your friends, in your small group. If there's anything like this that you've seen, be practicing these things and the God of peace will be with you. Lord, may we be spreaders of that peace.
