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Omar Garcia

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One month to LIVE

Bottom line:

KNOW-

FEEL-

DO-

Perspective

LOVE

Passion

LOVE

Introduction

· Welcome to Crossroads! We are so glad that you are here. I want to take a moment to welcome our first time guest. We truly hope that you enjoy the service today. I also want to give a special shout out to our online campus and right now we have …………… watching from …………… we are so glad that you have joined us today.

Crossroads! 2018 is almost over (year in review idea.) Many of you can look back at 2018 and say that it was one of the best years of your life. While others may have look back at this past year and are filled with pain and guilt because you may have suffered the death of a loved one or struggled with health issues.

Tension

I want you to imagine with me for a moment that you only had 2 weeks to live, or maybe a month, or 1 year. How would that affect you? What would you do differently in your life? What would you value? Who would you spend your time with? What would you spend your time on?

With this type of reality our time would be so precious. Our focus would be reevaluated to consider the things that we find truly important.

The other day my wife told me the story of a famous blogger. Her husband started having stomach pains and went to the doctor to get checked out. After some test, the doctors concluded that he had stage 4 pancreatic cancer and he died within a month. And there are so many emotions that we experience when we hear a story like that because it puts us face to face with our mortality.

Every single person in this room has a pending death problem. We are all going to experience a physical death…….(unless the rapture happens and Jesus comes back.)

· I want you to imagine for a moment that you are attending your funeral. Would anyone show up? What would people say? What would your parents say? What would your kids, your wife, your co-workers say about you as a person? Would it be positive or negative?

· After your funeral you would get a tombstone with two years on it with a dash in the middle.

· What would your dash represent? Would your legacy be full of selfishness or selflessness? Would it be focused on changing your own personal life or changing the lives of others?

· Career goals and having tremendous success but at the cost of me and my personal family life.

· Diet goal, “I just can’t seem to keep a promise I make to myself.” There’s so much to do and never enough time. I don’t feel I’m living the happy, productive, peaceful life I want to live. My marriage has gone flat. We don’t fight or anything. We just don’t love each other anymore. We can’t seem to rekindle the feeling we used to have.

Truth

· God wants us to live our best life now. He doesn’t want us to wait till tomorrow. He doesn’t want us to be addicted to drugs and alcohol, he doesn’t want our marriages to be mediocre or to suffer, He doesn’t want us to hate going to work every day. He wants us to have rewarding and fulfilling lives.

· Your perception and perspective is based on your lens of the world. We must look at the lens through which we see the world, as well as the world we see, and that the lends itself shapes how we interpret the world.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

· Possible focuses:

1. Take care of your mind, body, soul:

a. Know who you are in Christ

b. Don’t forget who you are, a child of the one true King. The God most high. Know your true identity.

New Living Translation Chapter 2

10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

d. Meaning. Why am I here? What is my purpose?

e. Our priorities are not healthy. Write major priorities on your calendar.

f. Taken better care of myself. Nurture your soul.

g. Spiritual, physical, emotional, relational

h. Break down what is a soul?

2. Our Perspective of time:

a. Tomorrow syndrome (we make excuses)

b. Sabbath

c. Time=LOVE (Jesus here on earth, He could have chosen to manifest himself as a grown man and could have decided to fulfill His purpose in a week!)

d. Until you understand that life is preparation for eternity, life won’t make sense to you.

e. Time is our most valuable resource. We waste time. Time once spent cannot be reclaimed.

i. Put your phone down! Be present with others. Put away distractions. Have actual conversations and look people in the eye when you do.

ii. Stop believing the lie that “I don’t have time.” Water heater example. Time is highly elastic. I don’t have time to do X, Y, Z but instead I don’t do x, y, or z because it’s not a priority. I don’t have time means “It’s not a priority.” If someone said they were going to pay you 1,000,000 to go to the gym for 30 days you would do it. Time is a choice! Our priorities matter so we have to figure out what our priorities are. Write next year’s performance review now professionally. What 3-5 things next year’s family letter. 6-10 goals. Break them down and put them into your calendar. Career, relationship, self. 24X7=168 hours in a week. That is a lot of time. 40hours a week plus 8 hours a day leaves you with 72 hours for other things. 40-50-60. When we do have time, we pull out the phone, watch TV. Look at the whole of our time. There is time! Even if we are busy there is time for what matters.

iii.

f. Worry robs you of your life NOW

g. One day at a time. Focus on the now. Limit your past and future thinking.

h. Perspective is everything. Our perspective should be focused on eternity. We need to become attuned to a greater measure of time than just clocks and calendars

i. Don’t waste your commute.

j. Get out of the box thinking. Get off the endless routine that you are in. Get off the hamster wheel. We must destroy the hamster wheel.

k. Quit believing that lies that are swirling around in your head. Ready to go because of what their lives had become. They believe they were repulsive, ugly, guilt stricken.

l. MEMORY/Remember what God has done. Here is how to work on your memory

m. The detrimental effects of comparison on our emotional lives. Comparison to our past and future leads to irrational thinking and decisions.

n. We often live like we are going to be on this earth forever. Checked into a hotel room and began to make changes to the décor, got a bigger TV, hire a landscaper.

7Light is sweet; how pleasant to see a new day dawning.

8 When people live to be very old, let them rejoice in every day of life.

New Living Translation Chapter 11

Light is sweet; how pleasant to see a new day dawning.

8 When people live to be very old, let them rejoice in every day of life.

אוֹר

p. When we embrace our mortality can lead us to embracing a fuller life

A wise person thinks a lot about death,

while a fool thinks only about having a good time.

New Living Translation Chapter 7

4 A wise person thinks a lot about death,

while a fool thinks only about having a good time.

q. Once we prepare for eternity, you want to invest in what will last forever as well. You begin to realize that much of what we value and focus on is insignificant and meaningless in the light of eternity.

r. What you do with your time, talent, and treasure determines what rewards you get in eternity.

3. What is our motivation:

a. The Greatest Commandments. You have to love yourself.

“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

New Living Translation Chapter 15

5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

Hello

9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection,* and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.* 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,

“I will take revenge;

I will pay them back,”*

says the Lord.

20 Instead,

“If your enemies are hungry, feed them.

If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.

In doing this, you will heap

burning coals of shame on their heads.”*

21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

* 12:10 Greek with brotherly love.

* 12:11 Or but serve the Lord with a zealous spirit; or but let the Spirit excite you as you serve the Lord.

* 12:19 .

* 12:20 .

New Living Translation Chapter 12

17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,

“I will take revenge;

I will pay them back,”*

says the LORD.

20 Instead,

“If your enemies are hungry, feed them.

If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.

In doing this, you will heap

burning coals of shame on their heads.”*

21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

e. In order to sustain change in our lives we have to be connected to a greater power than ourselves. Your role in life is to stay connected to the vine.

a. Love can’t be bought but it carries the price of sacrifice.

b. Love is not an emotion; it is an action.

c. God has given us the greatest gift and has made the greatest sacrifice. Our greatest problem as human beings is that we don’t know how much God actually loves us.

d. When loving others, we must be quick to forgive

e. Mt. Everest Example? Unselfish teamwork.

b. When millennials were surveyed about what their most important life goals were more than 80% said that they focus was to get rich. Another 50% of those same adults said another major life goal was to become famous.

c. Live by the power of the Holy Spirit.

d. We don’t need more will power, we need more of God’s power. Change your perception about willpower. Give yourself a backup plan Psychologists use a technique to boost willpower called “implementation intention.”

e. In order to sustain change in our lives we have to be connected to a greater power than ourselves. . Your role in life is to stay connected to the vine.

i. Our goal should not be to gather enough will power to overcome our issues, our goal should be to stay connected to Jesus and abide in His presence.

ii. Constant connection- includes communication, confession (take responsibility for our actions).

f. Set measurable goals

g. God’s will for your life is not a mystery, His direction is available to you if you seek it.

h. People facing the end of their lives are forced to recognize their powerlessness and limitations. We have God’s limitless power available to us!

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2:20 ESV

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2:20

* 2:20 Some English translations put this sentence in verse 19.

Galatians 2:20

I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

Tyndale House Publishers, Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2013), .

i. Instead of working on satisfying yourself work on denying yourself.

j. We will fail over and over again at our attempt to change if were only doing it for ourselves, by ourselves.

k. Our relationships matter.

l. Our investment in other people is the only legacy that has the power to endure beyond a lifetime.

m. We must examine our actions and intentions and figure out if they are rooted in self or in others.

n. Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Loneliness kills. Well connected people live longer. The experience of loneliness turns out to be toxic. You can be lonely but in a relationship. So the quality of our relationships matters as well. Living in the midst of conflict is really bad for our health. Good relationships help us when we face physical pain in our older years. Good relationships protect our brains. Those who have healthy attachments experienced less memory loss. This didn’t mean that they were perfect. Humans are looking for a quick fix, but relationships take time, energy, and sacrifice. They are messy. That is why regeneration is so important and why Boldly Go is so crucial. Make amends re-ignite stale marriage or relationships. The good life is built with good relationships. Mark Twain quote: “There isn't time, so brief is life, for bickerings, apologies, heart-burnings, callings to account. There is only time for loving, and but an instant, so to speak, for that.”

o. What are you enthusiastic about? What is your passion? What drives you?

p. Passion is everything:

i. Nothing great ever happens without passion. The driving force behind all masterful art, all moving music, all classic literature, all powerful dram, all stunning architecture. Passion propels athletes to break records. Passion pushes scientist to discover new cures for disease. Passion drives us to share the love of God in creative, innovative ways with those around us. Passion is what gives life to life.

q. God intends for us to live passionately.

30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’* 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’* No other commandment is greater than these.”

* 12:29–30 .

* 12:31 .

Tyndale House Publishers, Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2013), .

4 “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.* 5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

* 6:4 Or The Lord our God is one Lord; or The Lord our God, the Lord is one; or The Lord is our God, the Lord is one.

New Living Translation Chapter 6

4 “Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.* 5 And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Passion is something that we can lose. If we don’t work at it, the stresses and pressures of life can steal our passion for our families, friends, and careers.

4. Passion requires for ingredients:

a. The first is the most important-love. Love is the foundation of a passionate, purposeful life. Marriage, work, love fuels productivity. Not obligation or legalistic obedience….it’s got to be love.

b. If you want to rekindle your passion for life, then focus on God’s love for you.

c. A passionate life requires integrity. Integrity is uniting what we say we believe with the way that we live. Nothing dilutes our passion more than when we say that we are going to do something but don’t live it out. When we say that we are going to be healthy but we overeat with unhealthy foods. When we say our families are important but we are always working and are never present, we lose heart. When we say that we love God but don’t relate to him on a daily basis, we suffer. Our hearts become divided, and we lose the primary focus of our lives. I you want to live passionately, then you must live a congruent life, acting according to what you believe is true. James scripture.

d. Next thing to sustaining passion is forgiveness. Nothing drains passion more than unresolved conflict.

For wrath kills a foolish man,

And envy slays a simple one.

Resentment and jealousy will steal passion quicker than anything else. Those negative emotions just hurt us and drain us of our passion for life.

. Resentment and jealousy will steal passion quicker than anything else. Those negative emotions just hurt us and drain us of our passion for life. .

e. Last we need enthusiasm. Greek word entheos “God within.” We must focus on our relationship with God. We have a spiritual hunger within us, one that is never satisfied until we rest in God. There is only one thing that will every satisfy you.

Now abefore the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that bHis hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He cloved them to the end.

b ;

11 d“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.

; ; ; []; ; ;

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), .

John 10:10-11

g. love completely.

love completely.

h. Live life so that you have no regrets

i. Our time is limited.

j. God knows us intimately. “He knows the hairs on your head.”

k. He sees the debts of your heart and still loves you the same.

i. What will your dash say about your life?

l. Failure and pain are not your enemies.

m. Discipline-whether we realize it or not, we all have discipline. The person who is addicted to something such as drugs and alcohol is discipline enough to do the thing that they are addicted to everyday! Those that are not going to the gym are disciplined to not going to the gym!! Those that are eating too much have disciplined themselves to eat too much. The question is not if you are disciplined but what you are disciplined to. In order to start doing the things that we want to accomplish as goals is to redirect our focus and have a healthy motivation behind it. Our goals have to be broken into small and doable steps instead of trying to do everything at once.

n. we underestimated the odds of our future pains and overestimated the value of our present pleasures.

o. Our focus needs to be redirected that will pass the test of time, God’s word and people. Spend your time building your character.

Application:

Do one thing that you love every day.

· Give to someone else

Be present! Be with your family.Hit the reset button every evening.Stop complaining! Be optimistic. Ground yourself in hope.Deal with your personal junk. Make amends. We have an amazing ministry called set free where you can do just that.Make a bucket list!Slow down.Become part of a cause!Regret nothing. “I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things that I haven’t done.” Lucille BallJoin a LIFE Group. Surround yourself with good people.

· Write out your goals and put them on your review mirror in your car.

· Stay true to your authentic self.

· Do. Or do not. There is no try.” Yoda. Trying is a weak statement that says you have accepted failure before you even begin.

My one word.Don’t make life change an event, make it a habit.Practice does not make perfect……only practicing right makes perfect.It takes 10,000 hours to master something.

Landing:

· What are you holding onto right now that is keeping you from taking your next steps with God? Let go and let God catch you. Trust Him and take a chance. God created you to take risks. .

· The world needs the special gift that only you can offer.

· We serve a God of second chances. SECOND CHANCES.

· What you do with Jesus Christ determines where you spend eternity.

· LIFE is a gift. Enjoy life to the full. Forever changed as you embrace who he made you to be and your passionate pursuit of its fulfillment. You have an exceptional calling-to be the very best you God created you to be. Your goal is to unwrap this gift and use all that you’ve been given in the pursuit of what matters most-loving God and loving other people.

· Ignite and restore passion in your life. If you only had one month to live you would want to enjoy every single moment as the precious gift that it is. And you would want to make every second toward something meaningful and eternal, something that fulfills your purpose on this earth. The fuel for this mind frame is passion.