Wk. 5 - Don’t Quit Too Early

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

VBS Celebration Today

Communion Today

August - Fellowship/Outreach - 8/24 at 11am Downtown Mahomet - Christian Band: Cochren & Co

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DECLARATION:

Ephesians 2:20–22 (ESV)

20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Our church family is built by God, upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone.

We are joined together by union with Christ, we are growing, and we are a dwelling place of God by his Spirit.

We are reaching out to our family, friends, and neighbors as the body of Christ.

Prayer for...

INTRODUCTION:

Review: Habit of Self-Exam, Simplicity, Solitude, Sorrow

WHY?…

TODAY:

The Habit of Slowing…Don’t Quit Too Early

...slow down and focus on small things

Walking too fast and tripping on raised sidewalk

Opening Scripture:

Being faithful in the little things is a big thing.

We are told in Scripture that if we have the faith of a mustard seed we can move mountains …

Matthew 17:20 “20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.””

Small, faithful actions equal significant change.

Repeated workout—strong body (negative lifting)

Repeated phone/text call—friendship

Consistently one dollar saved—safety net of savings

Finishing one class at a time—degree

Being faithful in the little things is a big thing.

It’s like those faithful little decisions over time make a tremendous impact on us, and those around us.

(((Bubbles in the Hot Tub…small cap vs. entire bottle)))

Just a little bit goes a long way. So do our little offerings of faith compound over time?

Luke 16:10 “10 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.”

This is my 15th year on the team as a 4sq pastor… thoughtful reflection …Does Faithfulness/Steadfastness Compound?

Doug/Carol celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary!!! Pst. Jerry/Brenda 58th next month… Don’t you wanna talk to them?

TRANSITION: In order not to quit you’ve got to have…You gotta have GRIT … tell your neighbor you gotta have GRIT.

GRIT …

Grace

You’re going to make mistakes, not feel worthy, others around you will make mistakes … God said his grace is sufficient, so let it be!

2 Corinthians 12:9 “9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Example: Going into Jack-in-the-Box trying to pick up a mobile order that we put in at Panda Express and I’m sitting there talking to him about the fact that I was even talking to my daughter to make sure she got the right one and she must’ve put it in at the wrong one. The guy says, “Well, we can check other stores in the district. What’d you order?” I say, “I ordered chow mein and orange chicken.” I don’t know, and all the employees of Jack-in-the-Box look at me at the same time, and they’re like, “This is Jack-in-the-Box.”

Resilience

Galatians 6:9 “9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

“due season”…God’s timing…NLT: “proper time”!

Just get back up … Shake it off and step up.

Integrity

If you have Integrity, nothing else matters. And if you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters …

Being Faithful in the little things is a big thing.

Teachability

Proverbs 9:9 “9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.”

Personal story of example of good things and stayed away from bad things.

LIFELONG LEARNER

Hayford: Leave room for God to know more than my (my SM)

1 Corinthians 10:12 “12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.”

Being faithful in the little things is a big thing. ((Bubble Bath Bottle)))

Conclusion/Reflection:

Does Faithfulness Compound??? YES

Personal Story about just showing back up and having GRIT!

Personal story of friend Faithfully serving

A lot with a little… a lot with a lot

Matthew 25:21 “21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’”

*COMMUNION*

Habit of Self-Exam

1 Corinthians 11:28 ESV

Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

TALK IT OVER

Read Luke 16:10. What stands out to you in the verse, and how does it impact the way you view faithfulness?

Share about a time when you felt tired or wanted to give up on a good thing. What gave you the energy to persevere?

Is there a habit you need to start or stop in order to live a more faithful life? Talk about some ways your life will look different in the future if you make those changes today.

In this series, we learned about self-examination, simplicity, Sabbath, silence, sorrow, and steadfastness. This week, spend time practicing one of these habits and talk about your experience with your community.