A Well Ordered Life, Part 4
A Well Ordered Life • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Recap
Recap
Lesson 1
Living with purpose; Aligning our lives with core values
Balance and Harmony
Lesson 2
Communication and Power of Prayer
Lesson 3
Personal relationships are key to life’s order
Maintaining strong good relationships help in maintaining well ordered life
Today:
Time to move forward!! With order, but how do we maintain consistency
Confidence in God is very key, but that confidence also must be in yourself to do it. Because He works in and through us.
Our focus once we get on the right track...All is organized in our life. How do we MAINTAIN Order. Hardest part.
Getting organize can be fun; Remaining organize can be challenging
Growth
Growth
Our focus is on Continuous Growth
15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.
You had a significant portion of your life where you credit yourself and others with your growth:
Parents and Guardians help to raise you, teach you, protect you
School and Teachers help you grow mentally
Friends and Family help you grow socially and worldly
Others help you understand how to navigate the world
Spiritually – God helped
But how many of us focus on our Spiritual life as priority vs. a nice to have...Isn’t God linked to that Spiritual life
But now there is a bigger part that God wants and must play in your life if you are to continue your growth.
Time to stop putting Him in the back and time for Him to be in the front.
He deserves some credit not verbally. We always thank God but do we mean it.
We thank Him for our accomplishments, but inside we thinking about our sacrifice. In the beginning we thank God for allowing us to buy that car, or house, or get that promotion.
But the story goes I had to work hard and stay up late, and I had to sacrifice, and I had to pay, and I had to go, and I had to, and I had to, and I had to. And Thank God I was able to do all that.
Is that really giving Him credit
We include God like he the last one invited to the party.
We’ll cry we recognize our parents, We’ll send a heartfelt shout out to our friends. But God—he get a little sentence.
We bless our food, but if someone ask how you got that food. I worked for that food
Thank you Lord for my house—nice words. How did you get that house---I….
All this to say WHERE IS YOUR HEART?
Is thanking God and recognizing Him a formality or is it truth.
Intentional Living
Ultimate Connection
Ultimate Connection
We have to intentionally INCLUDE him.
Continued Growth means Continued inclusion.
Starts with >>>>>CONVERSATION
When we pray do we keep it general or do we grow in our conversation.
It starts with CONTINUED CONVERSATION - CENTRAL THEME
Conversation pyramid
Tier 1 – General Conversation for everyone
Talk about something everybody has in common – the weather, the line, the whatever we can share.
This doesn’t grow a relationship. You walk away. Me, You and everyone else have this in common. No real connection being made.
And the people around you can jump in whenever they want and have the same connection
Tier 2 – Specific Observation
You make an observational comment about the person you are talking to.
Their shirt, shoes. Now you talk about where they got it and now you are talking about their style and they ask you about your style. Now we have some commonality that is blossoming that no one else around can jump in on.
A relationship is being born here and you have something to build around…. A CONNECTION
Tier 3 – Direct Conversation POINT
This is saved for special people.
If we are together and I say you really are cute.
Or I love being with you
If you are a stranger and I say I saw you from over there and I had to come and say hello because you are so beautiful.
This show intention, but it also shows direct relationship intent.
I heard you talk about this and I wanted to learn more. Something to build on.
Do you have second I wanted to get your advice on something. INTENT.
Closeness is about to happen.
Same with GOD
1. Thank you God for this, protect me, thank you, love you…AMEN
General. Ok to do that but all the time
2. God I thank you for helping get that job, and thank you for healing me
More specific
3. God I just want to let you know sometimes I feel like ____ can you help me.
God I’m having a good day today because and you are the reason
Very direct very specific
Here is what is happening with ME
WHY??????
Harmony in Chaos
Harmony in Chaos
I truly believe God keeps us focused and grounded in a world that when we look around A LOT is going on.
And thats’ just your life
Navigate relationships, Finances, Responsibilities, Jobs, Tasks
Add in Outside noise from politics to your community
I want to live what I know:
Folks know not to steal, not to hurt, knew what cheating would bring,
I’m going to continue to learn but I want to live what I already know.
I know integrity is important; let me live it
I know to keep God first; let me live it
I know what prayer does; let me do it
I know....
And not just not one time
God wants to make you WHOLE
23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
Paul is asking that your WHOLE self be consistent in God.
10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.
Fullness or wholeness or Oneness
This helps us to live in Harmony while Chaos is all around.
Now we have this fullness this wholeness. We are intentionally communicating with Him.
Now we must
14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Keep GOING!!!!
and GROW
18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
WE KNOW!!!!!
But you are still you and you still have a mind that wants to do what Minds want to do. PLEASE SELF
23 Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
What is in us is going to come out, got to be careful what we put in.
22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.
How many can relate?
Still want to do me!!!!
We must give over control of our MIND to be governed by the Spirit!!!
6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
In Maintaining order we also must accept change as we progress:
PROGRESS
The art of progress is to preserve order amid change and to preserve change amid order
The art of progress is to preserve order amid change and to preserve change amid order
Alfred North Whitehead
“The art of progress is to preserve order amid change...”
This part emphasizes the need for stability.
When changes occurs in life and it will, whether in society, technology, or personal life, it’s crucial to maintain a sense of structure and order.
Without it, change can lead to chaos and disruption. This order can be thought of as core values, essential systems, or foundational principles.
“...and to preserve change amid order.”
Conversely, this highlights the importance of not becoming stagnant.
Even within established systems and structures, there must be room for adaptation and evolution.
Resisting change altogether can lead to obsolescence and decay.
This means, that even within established order, there must be room for innovation, and the acceptance of new ideas.
While you are progressing and remaining open to personal growth, but they also need to maintain a sense of identity and purpose.
Hook: Start with a relatable analogy. Perhaps a plant that needs both strong roots and upward growth, or a building that needs a solid foundation and ongoing construction.
We are called to constant growth in Christ, to become more like Him, yet we also need to hold onto our God-given identity and purpose.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Growing… Holding on to Him I can mature and grow.
I’m tired of being the same person going through the same things. But I’m trying to hold on to this while growing and people this world won’t let me GROW.
Every time I think i’m moving forward something knocks me down
Something is holding on to me
Something is holding me back and I’m trying… I’m trying but I’m tired of TRYING.… I want this.
WHY ME????
IN HIM
IN HIM
IN HIM
That’s what we are missing INTENTIONAL INCLUSION
Being WHOLE. YOUR ROOTS are strong.
Folks knocking you down cause your roots aren’t strong. You got excited and you started doing but you didn’t nurture in God.
Here come the wind BOOM
