Help! (I'm) trying to hold it together

Intro

Pastor A warm up:

Greetings we are your host this evening for tonights Bible Study. Acknowledge God and Pastor Herndon for the opportunity, Compassion Nation, Oak Nation, My Wife

Sweetheart how are you doing today? allow her to answer

2020 what a year as we look back at a glance

Corona Virus

George Floyd

The doors of the church being closed somewhat

We are living in some unprecedented times. As Pastor Herndon preached at the beginning of this year “God has gotten our attention”

What God has allowed this year alone, (in the words of the Verizon man) I believe He’s saying “CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW”.

Kita what has been the most profound lesson that you have learned in your walk with God this year?

You Know … I would have to say Sustainability

and i’m not talking just from a global stand point, of course were affected by whats happening in the world, but we also deal with personal challenges

in business, marriage, parenting and through it all God has sustained us and continues to sustain us.

So my 20202 takeaway is i don’t take nothing for granted

family

finances

health

I understand like the Psalmnist, that i look to the hills from which cometh my help....I KNOW.... WHERE MY HELP COME FROM.

Wow that’s powerful Babe,

And i want to suggest that if you watching tonight that if there is an affirmation that you ought to have down tonight that is

YOU OUGHT TO KNOW WHERE YOUR HELP COMES FROM!

somebody ought to type that in the comments

That’s gonna be key as we get into our discussion tonight

because listen to this!

Tonight ! We’re dealing with

HELP! (I’M) TRYING TO HOLD IT TOGETHER

Does that resonate with anybody this evening?

So this conversation forces us to deal with perseverance

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength,

always ready to help in times of trouble.

God never abandons us to our trouble

1Peter 1:7  These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world

God has a greater purpose in our pain

1Peter 1:6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while.

adopt the spirit of endurance

Kita what are some of the emotions that we wrestle with in the mist of our trouble in the mist of our pain?

worry -coronia virus (cure) /social injustice

doubt-i believe help my unbelief

anxiety

fear

dispair

All of this is going on internally & all while i’m trying to hold it together

Give us a snap shot babe, cause your a business owner/wife/mom/grandmother/daughter/child of GOD

Trying to hold it together is like that scene in 2008 movie Dark Knight.

When Dark Knight (aka) Batman is faced with impossible odds imposed on him by his arch enemy the Joker. He has to try and save Rachael Dawes and Harvey Dent who are both trapped in warehouses located in opposite sides of the city.

And sometimes in this walk the pressure and the buildup of everything can way on you

have you ever had a day when it seemed like everything came down on you at once

have you ever had a Job chapter 1 experience?

Job 1 - family, faith, finances, marriage and health were under attack all in the same day

and Job seemingly has to stand alone to try and hold what’s left together

and the only person he had left in the natural to stand with him was Mrs. Job and she didn’t even stand with him

and while you steady trying to hold everything together you find yourself falling apart

and so right now lest our time escapes us i want to give you some visual mental pictures of how God helps us hold it all together

Kita’s gonna go through them hopefully you will have an appreciation for them.

Kita warm up : Like Pastor Abrams said, any of us are susceptible to stumble or fall up under the weight we’ve been assigned by God to carry. So visualize how God helps us hold it together.

Paperclip affect : (you would be intrigued to know how a paper clip is made and operates) A paper clip is a device used to hold sheets of paper together, usually made of steel wire bent to a looped shape. Steel wire is strong enough to hold the shape but bendable enough to be twisted into a clip and stretched over stacks of paper

God wants to mold you

The Potter and the Clay

Jeremiah 18:1 The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 2 “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.” 3 So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. 4 But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.

5 Then the Lord gave me this message: 6 “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand

Philippians 1:6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns

2. Rubber band affect - (Likewise you would be duly intrigued to know how rubber bands are made) Used to hold a variety of things together. The largest consumer in the world of rubber bands is the U.S. Post Office.Rubber bands are made from organic rubber because it offers superior elasticity. One of the major conveniences of the rubber band is it’s ability to stretch to hold things together.

God wants to stretch our faith

The First Disciples

Luke 5:1 One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. 2 He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3 Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.”

5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” 6 And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! 7 A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.

8 When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.” 9 For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. 10 His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed.

Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” 11 And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.

3. Nail - made of medal aluminum and brass

Job13:15  Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him:

But I will maintain mine own ways before him.

Your walk and your journey in Christ is not a DIY moment....

But rather it’s a Philippians 4:13 moment

Philippians 4:13  For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength

11 Timothy 4-16-

New Living Translation Chapter 4

16 The first time I was brought before the judge, no one came with me. Everyone abandoned me. May it not be counted against them. 17 But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength so that I might preach the Good News in its entirety for all the Gentiles to hear. And he rescued me from certain death. 18 Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.