Balancing The Seesaw
Joyful Living • Sermon • Submitted
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· 192 viewsWe learn to live balanced lives through life's ups and downs by trusting in the LORD
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Illustration: Balancing a Seesaw
A seesaw (also known as a teeter-totter or teeterboard) is a long, narrow board supported by a single pivot point, most commonly located at the midpoint between both ends; as one end goes up, the other goes down. These are most commonly found at parks and school playgrounds.
Both teeter-totter (from teeter, as in to teeter on the edge) and seesaw (from the verb saw) demonstrate the linguistic process called reduplication, where a word or syllable is doubled, often with a different vowel. Reduplication is typical of words that indicate repeated activity, such as riding up and down on a seesaw.
Life is a constant seesaw ride...
Transition To Body- Our present sufferings
Transition To Body- Our present sufferings
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
Romans 8:18-
Body- The Secret Of True Contentment
Body- The Secret Of True Contentment
The Secret To Balancing The Seesaw
Attitude Of Appreciation
Attitude Of Appreciation
10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.
Illustration: The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt
Reciprocity like love reconnects is to others
Happy Low Income Mary and Disgruntled Wealthy Bob
What Mary has that Bob lacks is connections. Mary has religion. Thus relationship comes from having social ties to a community in being a part of something bigger than oneself.
What Mary has that Bob lacks us connections. Mary has religion.. This relation comes from having social ties to a community in being a part of something bigger than oneself
Potential gratifications:
Perform an act of kindness for someone who could use some cheering up
Write down the reasons why you are grateful to someone and call or visit that person to express your gratitude
Count your blessings regularly for several weeks studies have shown that these people have small but sustain increases in happiness
Take the initiative and do your own gratifying activities
People would be happy and healthier if they reduce their commute even if that means living in smaller homes. Yet American trends are toys ever larger houses and larger commutes
People would be happier and healthier if they took longer vacations even if it meant earning les. Yet vacation time is shrinking in the United States and Europe as well
People will be happier and wealthier in the long run if they bought basic functional appliances, automobiles, and wrist watches and invested the money they saved for future consumption.
Happiness comes from within and from without
Contentment Beyond Circumstances
Contentment Beyond Circumstances
11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
Philippians
Content is found only in this verse in the New Testament.
According to several commentaries.’’’
Philippians: An Introduction and Commentary c. Appreciation of the Philippians’ Gifts (4:10–20)
Content, autarkēs, is found only in this verse in the New Testament. As a moral term it plays an important part in the stoic outlook upon life. Socrates, for instance, is held up by Diogenes Laertius in the third century AD as an example of a ‘self-sufficient’ man who faced, with equanimity and resolution, all that life brought to him. Paul’s use of the term is, however, quite distinct from the stoic ideal as verse 13 shows (cf. 2 Cor. 9:8). A stoic term may be used; but it is Christ who is the secret of Paul’s serenity (1:21). The lesson he learnt came to him in a moment of time, as the aorist tense of the verb indicates. It did not come through patient discipline and concentrated endeavour; it broke upon him at his conversion, and his subsequent career and experience were but the outworking of the intimacy with the living Lord which began at that time. His ‘self-sufficiency’ derives from the experiential realities of 3:10.
8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Philippians 3:8-
It did not come through patient
Adaptability To Life’s Alternations
Adaptability To Life’s Alternations
Adaptability To Life’s Alternations
12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.
Proverbs
11 Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all.
Ecclesiastes
I know
abased = to live in circumstances regarded as characteristic of love status
I know
abound = to be or exist in abundance, with the implication of being considerably more that what would be expected; to be left over
I have learned the secret (it has been revealed to me)
being both full (filled to satisfaction) and hungry (to b in a state of hunger, without any implications of particular contributing circumstances)
to abound (implication of being considerably more than what would be expected) and to suffer need
Submission To The Savior (Who Strengthens)
Submission To The Savior (Who Strengthens)
13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:1
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Transition To Close- And we know....
Transition To Close- And we know....
Illustration: Life of Pi by Yann Martel
My suffering left me sad and gloomy.
I have kept up with what some may call my strange religious practices.
Functional analysis of the thyroid gland of the 3 toe sloth. I chose the sloth because of its demeanor- calm, quiet, and introspective. It did something to soothe my shattered self.
“The three toe sloth sleeps on average 20 hours per day”
“The three toe sloth is busier at sunset- using busier within the most relaxed sense.”
Not well informed about the outside world
Three toe sloth reminded me of God
Life is so beautiful that death has fallen in love with it.
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Close- Jesus the High Priest
Close- Jesus the High Priest
Job 1:
20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” 22 In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.
Psalm 37:23-25
23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; 24 though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand. 25 I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.
7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 5:7