Trust Issues

Proverbs 3:1 “My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart.”

Proverbs 3:3 “Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.”

Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.”

things that were “taught” — keeping God’s teaching, trusting God completely, avoid evil, honor God

Intro -

Picture of family, shout out Diana holding it down at home

refer to Ps. Joseph’s preaching from last week who taught us to trust in God without understanding, how Abraham decided to trust God with his “promised child”, how after many years of not having children, God finally blessed them with a baby boy and God asks Abraham to sacrifice him as a living sacrifice! Abraham obeyed but God provided the necessary sacrifice.

Trusting God even when it doesn’t make sense

STORY OF MIA

You guys know I play too much, I joke around a lot and some don’t understand my sense of humor but it’s just the dad in me.

I think some things are funny and you stare at me like what is he even talking about and I’ve learned to chill out a bit. (only a bit)

And one of the things I thought was funny — was Mia not knowing a lot of things. Why did I think this was funny?

Because I could tell her something crazy and she would believe it. Now I wouldn’t tell her anything bad, but just funny things — “if you swallow a watermelon seed — the watermelon will grow in your stomach” “If we go too fast in the car — it’ll begin to fly”

As Mia has grown up — she realizes I may be joking about 80% of the time.

Now when I tell her something— she trusts but verifies with mom. EVERY TIME.

When I try to tell her an interesting fact — she side eyes mom, like is he being fr? and waits for moms head to nod before she continues the conversation!

“Mia did you know that milk comes from cows?” looks over, waits for approval and continues!

“Mia did you know daddy penguins hold the eggs to keep them warm?” looks over to mom

“Mia did you know…” before I even finish, she is already turned to look at mom!!!

Now, I realize that’s my fault for joking too much. It’s not that Mia has trust issues, it’s that she has grown to realize that I joke too much.

(transition) — Trust is built on consistency if someone tells you something and you find out it’s not true — you realize that person is unreliable. Eventually you stop trusting what they say.

But when it comes to God — he has never said the words “I’m just kidding” “That’s not what I meant” “it was a joke”

God’s word doesn’t change

Proverbs 3:1 “My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart.”

Why does he start of the Chapter this way? Never forget? Store my commands in your heart?

He says it this way to emphasize that his word Never changes, I hope you guys forget some of the things I say! I hope Mia forgets some of the things I say! but God is all perfect, all true, and he makes a strong point by saying NEVER FORGET.

Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.”

No other book, no law, no command, says to trust in someone with ALL your being, EVERYONE will fail you at some point, your parents will commit mistakes, your BFF will spill out your secret, your pastors will make mistakes. but God makes a BOLD statement by saying “TRUST IN ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART.”

He never changes, he never contradicts, never fails, never abandons, never rejects his children.

IT’S TIME

Say to the person next to you — “it’s time”

It’s time to stop treating God’s word like a small devotional time like a 2 minute verse of the day, like its a quick inspirational quote, “its time” to stop treating God’s word like a quick check-in instead of our daily direction, “its time to stop approaching scripture like its just another mans voice and start receiving it as the word breathed out by God!”

2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is breathed out God…”

The same God that hung the stars in the sky! the same God that makes the sun rise everyday! the same God that divided the water and land! The Same God that designed everything so perfectly wrote words for you and I to read!

When you realize who it is that wrote this book — you wouldn’t hesitate to open it every single day! You wouldn’t doubt who you were — because you’d read that God has created you in HIS IMAGE, You wouldn’t doubt your authority because he says you are the head and not the tail!

You wouldn’t doubt his provision because he takes care of the birds in the sky so why wouldn’t he take care of you? you wouldn’t hesitate that you are loved because his word says

Psalm 23:6 “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.”

Repeat —”That same God, speaks to me — so why should I doubt”

Trust & Verify

The reason so many of us have Trust issues & doubt God is because we haven’t taken time for ourselves to read.

We have allowed man’s voice dictate what God is speaking. We have take in voices from podcasters, preachers, friends, parents, influencers, EVERYONE EXCEPT GOD.

You allow man to tell you that your life will be full of only blessings and nothing bad will ever happen to you and the moment something comes your war — you get mad at God for it.

When pastors speak, when that podcaster speaks, you may be able to trust, but VERIFY. When I speak, VERIFY. Find out for yourself what God truly says!

stop allowing other voices to speak louder into your life than the voice of God.

My faith, your parents faith, Camon’s faith, Makenzie’s faith isn’t enough to save you. You have your own journey, your own walk with God you need to take.

How long?

Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.”

It’s time we stop walking around as “God’s creation” inside “God’s creation” in our own understanding.

I want to ask you:

How long will it take you… to wake up?

to stop doubting God?

to stop doubting his goodness?

to stop doubting his love?

*stand and come forward*

Altar (raise hands)

invitation to Accept Jesus as Lord and savior — never done it before, want to secure your place in eternity, want to live with your father in heaven

If doubt has been louder than faith in your heart, tonight is the night to lay down your doubts and trust God again. If you have been holding back because you’re not sure you can trust God completely, this is your moment to step forward in faith

If you realize that you have treated God’s word casually instead of holy — if it has been less important in your daily lives than other things, its been in the background of your life and you are ready to recommit