Lessons all around us

Lessons all around us; nv 9/11/05 am

OS: 1 Small Group booklet

Trust the past to God’s mercy, the present to God’s love and the future to God’s providence. — Augustine

I.       It is in the small things that we find wisdom (Providence) from God.

A.   Who can name a Nobel Prize winner? But who can name that teacher or coach who made an impact on your life?

B.    Today marks four years since 9 11 01. As large and massive was that attack, it is the small things that capture our interest.

                      1.       A small heroic act, a helping hand extended.

C.   It will be two weeks tomorrow since Katrina came ashore and left thousands homeless and hungry.

                      1.       It is again the small acts of kindness, and individual stories of struggle that capture our attention.

D.   Update

                      1.       2 Trip last week – Long Beach, MSS (small things)

a.      3 Elder (with Chris & Norm)

b.     4 Building

c.       We at the Long Beach congregation will never turn down assistance, we will never let anyone go hungry, whether it be physically or spiritually,…We are the last Church of Christ standing south of Interstate 10 west to the other side of New Orleans, LA, a distance of over 60 miles.  We have been distributing food since the Wednesday after Katrina and the response has been tremendous.  Please, don't forget the brethren here for the long term.  We have several groups that have plans to send crews down every weekend until we ask them to stop...a huge commitment on their part.  If you know of groups that can assist during the week, that would be of great assistance.

                      2.       Wednesday night some men are going to go down to work until Sunday (small things – RV at Natahala)

                      3.       Special collection next Sunday

TS] A passage about the small things in 5 Proverbs 30:24-28

I.       6 The Ant – Lesson of time. Be wise in how you use your time.

A.   Hard workers

B.    Remember “The Ant and the Grasshopper”

                      1.       Lesson – If you spend all summer playing instead of working you won’t have enough to eat through the winter.

C.   Great concept of time – lesson for us.

                      1.       Words Women use - "FIVE MINUTES" - This is half an hour. It is equivalent to the five minutes that your football game is going to last before you take out the trash, so it’s an even trade.

                      2.       Some dwell on the past, “the good ole days”, some live for today with no thought of tomorrow.

                      3.       Good lesson for the ant – never neglect the important for the urgent – use your present time wisely, and some thought of the future.

TS] Small things go a long way some times.

II.    7 The Coney or Badger – Make Security a priority.

A.   Live among the rocks – difficult terrain, but provides protection from the eagles.

B.    Security is a big topic today

                      1.       9 11 ,  Iraq,

                      2.       Times of storms.

                      3.       What about the soul?

C.   We have an enemy – The devil

                      1.       Live in such an environment that you can find safety.

                      2.       8 Psalm 18 2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.

D.   1 John 1:7-9

TS] If we use our time wisely, prepare for the future, plant ourselves firmly on the Rock, we have security.

III.  9 Locust – Strength Build Relationships with people

A.   Huge swarms – never singular.

                      1.       Lesson – There is strength in numbers who work in unity together.

B.    This is foreign to our cultural values.

                      1.       Long Ranger & Tonto – “What do you mean ‘we’ paleface”

                      2.       Prov 27:17, as iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another.

C.   Building Spiritual community – Cell Groups.

                      1.       We are stronger together!

                      2.       Church bulletin, “Officially, the results of the vote are forty ‘yes’, seven ‘no,’ and one ‘over my dead body.’”

TS] If we use our time wisely, prepare for the future, plant ourselves firmly on the Rock, we have security. And we accomplish the mission by working together.

IV.10 The Lizard or Spider – You have a place to belong

A.   Spiders are everywhere – Lizards as well.

                      1.       Wherever you are there is a place for you in the king’s palace.

                      2.       John 14

CS: 11 All together – these things are small, but wise. And we would be wise to learn from them.

Never think small is not good – small talents, time, money, etc. When we join together all our small things we have a lot.

In Christ we have a PRESENT and a FUTURE; In Christ we have SECURITY; In Christ we have our STRENGTH; In Christ we have a PLACE and a POSITION. And if you’re here today and you have been given any reason to think otherwise about ANY of these things, then let me invite you to take another look and recognize all that Christ wants to provide for you.