Weak Link

Weak Link

VS 1 Philippian 4:13

Give brief background of the Paul and his letter to Philipi and the context of this passage.

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Story 1: Story of Ministry and struggles

VS 2

Main Passage

Discuss background and context of passage

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This passage makes two specific points.

Jesus asks what are you so afraid of?

a. He is really Asking them to look inside themselves to find what the root of their fear is.

b. Fear is lack of faith and trust in God, in Him.

c. It is our human response to difficult situations.

d. Jesus pointed out to them that fear is rooted in the natural thought and is separate from the spiritual thought.

1a. What is that we fear? In what situations do lack trust in Christ?

b. We will lack trust in areas that we are ashamed of, or feel guilt in.

c. Areas like trying to fight addictions to drugs, alcohol, lust, pornography.

d. Relationships with family and friends.

c. We will lack trust in areas where we feel like we have no other way out.

d. Just like the apostles who were afraid they were going to die in the storm. In difficult and chaotic situations we have the same fears of danger, failure, rejection, loss of resources, etc.

Secondly, Jesus asks them “Why, do you have such little faith?”

a. Actually, this is Jesus addressing them as “little faiths”. You “Little Faiths”, why do you still doubt me?

b. Jesus, is pointing out the defect of their spiritual principles.

c. By asking them why they have such little faith.

d. He is pointing them to look at why they still have no faith. To look inside themselves

Jesus was manifestly instructing his disciples, and through them all future generations of mankind, that fear is the constant result of the weakness of Heavenly principles in the human mind.

When we fail to trust in Christ and we rely solely on ourselves we become the weak link. We are setting ourselves up for failure.

We have all heard the saying “God won’t give us more than we can handle”, right?

a. This is one of the most misquoted and misused verses in the New Testament.

b. God will allow us to be tested more than we can handle on our own. But, not more than we can handle with him.

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VS 3

Story of Chain Link and Engine Hoist

a. Even when we feel like we are at our end

b. or we feel like we cannot go further

c. or like we are on our own.

d. When we trust in Jesus he is working to protect us from things we may not even see.

e. He is working all things for the good of those who trust in Him.

Just because things may be hard doesn't mean we are not blessed or Jesus isn’t there.

a. No matter what our earthly or physical situation is, God’s promises to us and for us do not change.

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