God is Not a Lawn-Mower Parent - pt 2

When we first moved to northern VA, Karen would ask me to go on a walk… being adverse to walking, I would give any excuse possible… Eventually, I went on that walk - short easy… Years later I now love my morning walks, it took a while to build up the endurance - both of mind and body...

God is **not** a lawn-mower parent when it comes to adversity. Our prayer Life should not be a reflection of the spoiled brat mentality of the earlier story… Let’s face it, when God provides “water” to drink He is looking at the need of our SOUL

He is not going to always pull out his Cosmic Weed-Whacker and mow down the Trials and Tribulations you Face...

James 1:5–8 NLT

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

When Facing Adversity, God has already provided the Tools needed to Build our Trust

During the Spanish-American War, Clara Barton was overseeing the work of the Red Cross in Cuba. One day Colonel Theodore Roosevelt came to her, wanted to buy food for his sick and wounded Rough Riders.

But she refused to sell him any. Roosevelt was perplexed. His men needed the help and he was prepared to pay out of his own funds.

When he asked someone why he could not buy the supplies, he was told, "Colonel, just ask for it!" A smile broke over Roosevelt's face. Now he understood; the provisions were not for sale.

All he had to do was simply ask and they would be given freely.

Do Not Ask God, Then Rescind the Request Because some Earthly Agent offered a more Enticing Alternative...

New Living Translation Chapter 7

7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

9 “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

Matthew West has written a new song - ALL IN.

My feet are frozen on this middle ground The water's warm here but the fire's gone out I played it safe for so long the passion left Turns out safe is just another word for regret [Pre-Chorus 1] So, I step to the edge and I take a deep breath We're all dying to live but we're all scared to death And this is the part where my head tells my heart You should turn back around but there's no turning back now [Chorus] I'm going all in Headfirst into the deep end I hear You calling And this time the fear won't win I'm going, I'm going all in (I'm going, I'm going...) all in (I'm going, I'm going)

In the words of Wilbur Rees: "I would like to buy $3 worth of God, please—not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine. I don't want enough of him to make me love a black man or pick beets with a migrant worker. I want ecstasy, not transformation; I want the warmth of a womb, not a new birth. I want a pound of the Eternal in a paper sack. I'd like to buy just $3 worth of God, please."

When You Make the Choice to Ask God for Wisdom Let Him Source that Answer. Do Not Become Weary in Waiting for Heaven to Dispense What you Need!

Someone has said that knowledge is the ability to take things apart, while wisdom is the ability to put them together. Wisdom is the right use of knowledge

Funny Story: Wise Woman:

In a daring rescue, one helicopter pilot dropped a rope to hoist 10 men and 1 woman from the top of a burning skyscraper. Unfortunately, the rope got singed and wasn’t strong enough to hold all eleven people so the men started arguing over who should let go while they dangled in the air.

Nobody volunteered to loosen their grip as the rope kept fraying so the woman yelled for attention. She offered to let go of the rope because, as a woman, she was used to giving up everything for her husband, her children, and men in general.

She noted it would be a natural response to the situation since she was always making sacrifices with very little in return. When she finished her passionate speech, all of the men unwittingly started clapping.

If Trials are to Become TRIUMPHS

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Two: Turning Trials into Triumphs (James 1:2–12)

Many Christians live like corks on the waves: up one minute, down the next; tossed back and forth. This kind of experience is evidence of immaturity. Paul used a similar idea in Ephesians 4:14—“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.”

COUNT - Joy Must replace Bitterness & Sadness (1:2)

KNOW - Understanding Must replace Rage & Reaction (1:3)

LET - Surrender Must replace Rebellion (1:4)

ASK - Trust Must replace Rejection & Unbelief (1:5-8)

Related Media

Related Sermons