Present, Engaged, And Focused

We Are In A Fight

1 Timothy 6:12 NLT

Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses.

Parable of talents. The wicked servant gives in to fear.

Pledge Allegiance To The True King

Matthew 6:24 (NLT) 24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.

Don’t Worry

An average person’s anxiety is focused on :

• 40% -- things that will never happen

• 30% -- things about the past that can’t be changed

• 12% -- things about criticism by others, mostly untrue

• 10% -- about health, which gets worse with stress

8% -- about real problems that will be faced

Stay present, engaged, and focus on what is before you.

Faith Is Simply Focus On God’s Promises

Fear brings into focus what we are going to trustWe magnify what we meditate upon. Psalm 34:3-4 When we magnify God, He always gets bigger and the problems get smaller.

Matt 6:25-28 ““That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing,”

Isn’t your life more than food or clothes?

Aren’t you more valuable than the birds?

Can your worry add a moment to your life?

You Are Loved

Matt 6:29-31 “yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’”

1 John 4:16-18 “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.”

Romans 8:37-39 “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God Will Provide

Matt 6:32-34 “These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

“Present, Engaged, And Focused”

God Will Provide

Philippians 4:19 “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”

Luke 12:32 ““So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.”

Ephesians 1:13-14 “And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.”

He will provide.

You're going to be OK.

He's got you.

He Has A Plan

Jer 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

1 Cor. 2:9 “That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.””

Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”

Romans 8:31 “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?”

Exodus 14:14 “The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.””

Pray in the Spirit

Cast all your cares before the Lord