A Woman of Principle

Good morning Church!

Announcements:

Next Saturday, May 14th, is our Spring cleaning day here at the church starting at 9 AM.

The last week of July will be our VBS. Our theme this year is Zoomerang! If you plan on helping during VBS, please see Keshia today, so that she can get your shirt sizes. Otherwise, we are going to order so many shirts in different sizes, and it will be a first-come, first-serve basis.

We are also asking for donations of pool noodles. These will be used to make certain decorations for VBS, so if you would like to donate, that would be awesome!

This is gonna be the VBS shirts. They have already been ordered. We are hoping that we have enough to give all kids a shirt this year. The shirts were six dollars. It is not required, but if anyone wants to donate money towards the cost of the shirts, you can give the money to Keshia.

Because it is Mother’s Day, we will not be having service tonight. We ask that each of you take your time this evening and spend it with your families in the Spirit of the Lord!!!

All moms, we have a drawing that we are doing after the service. We are going to be giving away some things in appreciation of our mothers, so please make sure that you get your name in the pot for the drawing. It is on the table in the foyer.

Praise Reports:

We had five of our youth give their hearts to Christ this last Wed evening.

We started our new study on Revelation last Sunday night, and it was the biggest Sunday night crowd we have had since we started our Sunday night service back!!! There were lots of questions, and it was an amazing study!!!

Prayer Requests:

Joe Thomason

Nelson Sandlin

Phillip Gengerich

Tithes

Children’s Church

Doxology:

This is my Bible. It is God’s Holy Word. It is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path, and I will hide its words within my heart that I might not sin against God! Amen!!!

Open Bibles To: 1 Samuel 1

Context

I know that we have been walking through a Series on Praise, but for the sake of Mother’s Day, we are going to deviate for today and focus on this particular passage of Scripture.

The title of message today is: A Woman of Principle

Principle- A fundamental truth that serves as the foundation for a system of belief, behavior, or chain of reasoning.

As we look at Hannah today, we are going to see three principles that she came to realize was vital in her life. These same three principles are very important for us to understand because they are just as vital to us today as they were for Hannah many years ago.

The first thing one notices about Hannah, when they read this account, is the desperation in her heart. Hannah is going through some major difficulties. She is trying to be the wife that her husband wants her to be, but she is limited because of her inability to have children. She wants so badly to provide a child for her husband: to fulfill her role as a wife and make him happy and grow their relationship; to fulfill her role as a mother and experience an amazing blessing from God in having a child.

She is faint in heart and feeble in mind because she is dwelling on her brokenness. She looks at what she cannot do and cannot provide and sees nothing but heartache and pain. She sees worthlessness and judgment. She is sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Have you ever been there? Have you ever been where Hannah is? Have you ever been just sick and tired of being sick and tired?

She felt invisible. She felt unlovable. She felt that regardless of what she did, nothing mattered. She felt that she always came second? She felt that she was broken. She felt that she was incapable. She felt that if she ceased to exist, life would move on without her and never skip a beat. Can you relate to Hannah? Have you ever been there?

Listen, the worst part about how she felt, was that it was self inflicted. She did not feel any of those things about herself because Elkanah treated her poorly or second class. Matter of fact, he showed his wonderful love to her on a regular basis. He gave her more than he gave to her counterpart. He explained his great love to her on a regular basis. Actually, even though she could not have children, he still loved her more than he did Peninnah. She was his favorite.

The problem with how she felt did not stem from Elkanah. Matter of fact, it did not stem from Peninnah either, though she did not help things at all. The problem with how she felt came from within. It wasn’t that her husband did not love her, or even that she did not love her husband. The problem was that she did not love herself. She absolutely could not come to peace with her infirmities.

Finally, after dealing with this for years, she hits rock bottom. She finally decides that she is tired of living life this way, and that she is willing to do whatever she can to change it.

I was listening to Dave Ramsey on the radio the other day on the way home from work. A caller called in and wanted some advice on where to start in knocking out his debt. His advice was that the first step of change is to admit that you are sick and tired of living the way that you are right now. The next step is to commit to the fact that after beginning this journey, you will never live like this again. “Debt is not the problem,” says Ramsey, “it is only the symptom. The problem is the person’s attitude towards debt and their spending habits. Debt is merely the result.”

We too, must admit that we are fed up with the life we are living. It is not the life that God intended for us. It is not the life that brings joy and happiness. We must also commit to the fact that after we begin this journey with God, we will never come back to this place in our lives again. We must get focused on our future and the life that God would have us live. When we do that, then things will be different for us, as well as every single person that we come into contact with.

The question now becomes, “What do I do now? Where do I start?” The first principle today is that we must have a solid foundation.

Content

She Needed A Solid Foundation (vv. 8-10)

When Hannah reaches her breaking point, she goes to one place and one place only. She goes to the place where she knows that she can find God. God was who she reached out to. God was who she turned to. God was who she trusted. God was her foundation.

If you have ever built anything, anything at all, you know that there has to be a foundation. If you are building a shop, a building, or a house, the first thing they do is poor the foundation. If you are putting together a puzzle, you start by finding all of the edge pieces and forming the outside border of the puzzle. After it is formed, you feed off of it to finish the other pieces. If you are building a stick-man out of Popsicle sticks, you start with the body of the man being one stick and then start adding the other pieces to it: the arms, legs and head. It doesn’t matter what you are building, you must first have a solid foundation. Why? Why do I need to worry and invest so much time, money, and work into the hidden parts that cannot be seen? The parts of the house that cannot be seen by others, is the part of the house that holds together the parts of the house that can be seen by others. If the foundation, which cannot be seen, falls, the entire house comes tumbling down.

Hannah realized after years of heartache and pain and suffering, that she needed something to stand on. She needed a solid foundation and that foundation’s name was God. Every Christian needs a solid foundation and that foundation’s name is Christ. The foundation has been laid and our job is to get busy building the rest of the house.

1 Corinthians 3:11 NKJV

11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Our job is not to seek out a sturdy foundation. Our job is not to brainstorm on how to form a sturdy foundation. Our job is to accept the foundation that is already laid for us and build thereon. Christ is the foundation and my friend he is the only foundation that will ever hold up in life’s many storms. He has stood against the raging floods of man’s false accusations. He has stood against the treacherous waves of unbelievers who mocked His name and laughed Him to scorn. He has stood against the violent winds of modern philosophers who proclaim that there is no God. He has stood against the massive shaking of other violent religions who have killed because of His name. He has stood against the ignorance of modern-day Christianity that has drug His name through the mud with their wavering faith and lack of dedication. This foundation cannot and will not fail. This is the foundation that you should be building on and if you have chosen any other foundation, it is sure to fail, and your house is sure to fall. We must have a solid foundation.

She Needed A Sturdy Framework (v. 18)

Once you have your foundation, the job is not finished. A house still needs to be built. Have you ever built a house? There are a lot of considerations to take in when building a house. For instance, load bearing walls must be directly above the foundation. If you were to put a load bearing wall on part of the floor that was not supported by the foundation, after enough time had gone by, the floor would give in. A lot of planning has to go into the internals of the home. You must decide where you want every electrical plug and switch, every light, every phone, and TV jack, etc. Then, there are tons of decisions concerning decoration. To top it all off, there is a lot of work that has to be done: physically, mentally, and emotionally.

The first step in building a sturdy framework, is having Faith. Before one starts to build something, they must feel prepared to do so. You cannot build a house if you do not have any resources. You cannot build a puzzle if you don’t have any pieces. You cannot have a sturdy framework if you do not have Faith that you can do so.

Let’s look back at Hannah for a moment. She was struggling with life. She reached a point of being fed up with her life the way it was. She reached out to God, and He helped her. When you get to a point of being fed up with your average life that accomplishes nothing and gets you nowhere you hit rock bottom. The funny thing about rock bottom is that that’s where you build your foundation. The foundation is laid and then it is solid. When you turn to Christ and He helps you with a problem or something that you are struggling with, you must have Faith that He can and will do it again.

I have never seen anyone in the process of building a house that did not make some changes to the original plan along the way. Something is put in and the builder doesn’t like it, so they change it. Something does not fit the way they planned it, so something had to be changed. A building code prohibited them from doing something the way they originally wanted to do it, so they had to change it. When you start building your house for God, you have a plan in place. You have an original blueprint of how you are going to start this process and carry it out. I have never witnessed a Christian, in the process of building their house for God that did not have to make some changes along the way. Something simply doesn’t work out the way that you thought it would, so something had to change. Something simply doesn’t fit the way you thought it would fit. Changes are expected, roadblocks are going to come, storms are going to brew. What we have to do is have Faith in our foundation.

2 Timothy 2:19 NKJV

19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

As we said before, there is a lot of work involved when it comes to building a house. Now that you have a solid foundation, and faith in that foundation, you must become fruitful for Christ. You need to start working for Christ. In order for the house to get built, someone has got to get busy. God loves you more than you will ever know, and He did not bring you out of the old life of doing nothing for Him into a new life so that you could continue to do nothing for Him. It is time to put the gloves on and get started on your house. It is time to become fruitful for God. It is time to put some work in. When people see that you are busy building your house for God, some questions are going to asked. They are going to witness your drive for God and see the things that you have been able to accomplish in God and they are going to approach you and ask questions about how and why you are able to do the things that you are doing. You tell them that you are able to work because you have faith in God. When they ask you about your faith in God, you introduce them to the foundation of Christ which is what your Faith is built upon. It goes full circle and comes back around to God, which is the way it is supposed to be.

She Needed A Secure Fortress (1 Samuel 2:1-10)

When one has a solid foundation in Christ and a sturdy framework built upon Christ, my friend they have a secure fortress within Christ.

They see that they have favor with God. God loves them and wants nothing less than the best for them.

Isaiah 41:10 NKJV

10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Romans 8:28 NKJV

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

1 Peter 5:7 NKJV

7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

They feel the freedom that comes from their relationship with Christ.

Galatians 5:13 NKJV

13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Galatians 5:1 NKJV

1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

James 1:25 NKJV

25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

Commitment

We must have a Solid Foundation

We must have a Sturdy Framework

We must have a Secure Fortress