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My Way or His Way

Sunday 1/29/17 – Pastor Brian’s message today examined how the Bible uses the word “Heaven” or “Heavens.” He also spent time describing what Heaven will look like. Our application of the scriptures he employed will be a bit different which is why I titled this discussion, “My Way or His Way.”
 
(Isaiah 55:9-13) “
As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn bush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed.”
 
Thursday 2/2/17 6:30- 7:30 HCC Youth Building
Turning our will and life over to the care of God has become our goal but there are human impediments. God will not force Himself into our lives. He has given us freedom of choice which means our human frailties and defects become problematic. How do we identify and eliminate, or at least set aside, these defects?  
  • Question 1 – What people, places, or things provided motivation to drink or drug? In other words, why did (or do) we abuse substances?
Contemplate this plan of action. Make “a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.” Then, admitted “to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.” Once we identify our shortcomings we become “entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.” Lastly, we “humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.”
  • Question 2 – What part did we play with problems we had (or have)?
Identifying personal defects and shortcomings is tough. Honestly admitting these discoveries to ourselves may seem enough. Experience indicates it is not. Fearlessly taking these defects of character to God with a face-to-face discussion was necessary too. Still, more was needed in order to begin building a new way of life. Talking through each defect with another person was necessary.
 
“They took inventory all right, but hung on to some of the worst items in stock. They only thought they had lost their egoism and fear; they only thought they had humbled themselves. But they had not learned enough of humility, fearlessness and honesty, in the sense we find it necessary, until they told someone else all their life story.” (Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 73)
 
  • Question 3 – What are your thoughts on this process of a moral inventory, identifying personal faults and flaws, and admission to self, God, and another person?
  • Question 4 – Are we truly ready for God to remove ALL our defects of character?
I look forward to seeing you all this Thursday.

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