Trinity Big Rapids

Receiving Forgiveness: Our Part In Reconciliation 2 Chronicles 6 & 7 God offers "The Gold Standard of Forgiveness" to all, But not all are forgiven; ONLY those who respond by faith in the blood of Jesus Christ are forgiven, justified, and reconciled to God. THE RESPONSE to God's initiative includes our: --Humbling Ourselves --Repentance (Turning) ----With all our Heart and Mind --Acknowledgement of God's Name --Seeking God's Face --Prayer, Confessing Our Sin ----Marking Restitution, if possible --Pleading for Forgiveness ----Manifesting the Fruits of Repentance (God knows our hearts) NOT: The pride of saving face, making excuses, minimizing the damage done, merely sorrowful for the consequences, "Sorry you took it that way" ignoring the issues, pretending all is okay, avoiding the person afterward, just easing our guilty conscience, wanting to dig up the root of bitterness but without restoration of relationship, vague awkwardness but no direct request, talking charge but no visible fru

Romans 5:1 ~ 11 It resonates "much more" It reaches to our "Before" --weak, ungodly --sinners --enemies Requires faith in the blood of Jesus Christ --justified by faith --through our Lord Jesus Christ --through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us --Christ died for the ungodly/for us --justified by His blood --by the death of His son It results in our After --justified --peace --access, stand in this grace --God's love poured into our hearts --saved from the wrath of God --reconciled It reverberates in our Rejoicing (exulting, boasting) --In the hope of the Glory of God: We look forward to the return of Christ in power, in the fullness of His glorious holiness and majesty, not dreading the wrath of the Lamb. --In our Suffering: We look at our sufferings as a way to grow and draw near to God through the Holy Spirit, not to pull away and question His love for us. --In our Rejoicing: We look at God with rejoicing in His character and attributes, having seen His love

We Must Show Delight (the incense of delight): --By GIVING them our full attention and unhurried time. --By AFFIRMING to them our public commitment. --By BLESSING them with our dreams for their future. We Must Arouse Compassion (the oil of healing): --By INITIATING reconciliation. --By remembering forgiveness is a decision and a process. --By not adding up a record of wrongs but PRAYING that mercy will triumph.

Tip #1: Know Your Purpose --Fill the earth with Godly Children. --Are your children filling you with Joy? Tip#2: Value Wisdom --Wisdom is supreme! --Am I directing them to the Beginning of Wisdom? --Are you helping him/her fall in Love with God? Tip#3: Weigh Out Life Choices with Wisdom #1 Time ---We need to Manage our Time. ---We need to Savor our Time. #2 Work ---It's all about our Perspective. ---We are God's Workmanship to do Good Works. #3 Money ---Get to the Heart of the Matter. ---God Owns it All. Don't Forget Your Purpose Weigh Out Choices Carefully Watch Your Perspectives Closely

It starts with following Jesus, our Servant-Example, and taking up our Towel. So that our children and others... See our Model (The What), Hear our Teaching (The Why), Do with us what we Pray (The How) Pray daily for a Philippians 2 mindset: Holy Spirit, Make me a Christ-Like Servant today.

The Rod & Staff: Teaching and Discipline Having the Right Attitude: --Do I make it about the sheep? --Have I really gotten to know the sheep? --Am I willing to lay my life down for the sheep? --Am I "On Purpose" Having the Right Dexterity: --Do I teach intentionally consistently? ----Will I make a toolbox list? --Do I discipline consistently? ----I will use "law" to show the need for "grace". ----I will discern childishness from rebelliousness. Do I discipline redemptively? ----I will teach them how to ask for clarification.

On The Team -Beloved Siblings -Faithful Minister -Fellow Slave -Take Responsibility to Listen & Share -Fellow Prisoner -Fellow Kingdom Worker -Source of Comfort -Struggling in Prayer -Focused in Prayer -It is All My King's -Follow-Through On The Couch -Unknown Guest -User, a Leech -Waiting to be Served -It is Others' Job to Tell Me or Ask Me -"Here for You"... Until it Costs Too Much -Work for the Kingdom of "Me" -Only Want to be Comforted -Pray When I Feel Like It -Praying for Health & Material Prosperity -I Retain My Rights Over the Things of This World -Start Strong but Never Finish

Walking in Christ... Everyday... Everywhere - A Changed Person Practically Changes... Specifically In The Name of The Lord Jesus "X-Changed" gets specific for: --Wives - put on submitting, for it is fitting. --Husbands - put on love, put off being harsh. --Children - put on obeying, for it pleases the Lord. --Fathers - put off provoking, for it discourages kids. --Bondservants - put on obeying sincerely out of reverence for God, put off pleasing eye-service; Put on working heartily as for the Lord, for you will receive an inheritance and God will pay back wrongdoers. --Masters - put on treating justly and fairly, for you know you have a Master in heaven. Watch & Pray Getting Specific with Outsiders --That the Spirit would open doors for the Word. --That we can make the mystery of Christ clear. --That we walk in wisdom toward outsiders. --That we make the most of the opportunities. --That our speech is gracious.

"Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures" Ministry is given to us... By God... For Others - Effective Ministry Requires That We: -Re-energize through the toil and suffering. --Rejoicing in our sufferings for others' sake. --Remembering we are filing up Christ's afflictions. --Re-energizing with Christ's energy. -Re-Calibrate to Christ and His Word --Re-calibrate our content: ---To make the word of God fully known. ---To glory in the mystery of God's work among the Gentiles. ---To seek to fully know Christ. --Re-calibrate our methods: ---To proclaim Him by warning everyone. ---To proclaim Him by teaching everyone. ---To proclaim Him in order to present everyone mature. --Re-calibrate our desired outcomes: ---To present everyone mature in Christ. ---To struggle to have hearts be encourage. ---To struggle to have believers knit together in love. ---To struggle to have believers reach all the riches of Christ.

Grateful that we can be MADE Worthy --The Gospel can make us worthy to be Saints --To be made worthy Prayerful that we can WALK Worthy --The Gospel makes us want to walk worthy, being fully Pleasing to Jesus --To walk worthy Lessons for Christ-Learners: --people of learning (don't pit heart vs. head). --apply what they learn to life (don't pit word vs. deed) --people can only be rescued if someone "learns them" the Gospel (share the "whole" Gospel). --what we learn matters for the hope of the future changes our today (renew our minds with biblical truth about our hope). --healthy Christianity is fruitful: The Gospel bears fruit and the believers bear fruit (don't accept fruitlessness as normal, "win and grow disciples"). --giving thanks and ceaseless prayer are foundational for Christ-learners (recite your learning in praise and prayerfully keep learning). --apply what they know and seek to know what they don't (act now on the knowledge of God's will that you already have).

Grateful that we can be MADE Worthy --The Gospel can make us worthy to be Saints --To be made worthy Prayerful that we can WALK Worthy --The Gospel makes us want to walk worthy, being fully Pleasing to Jesus --To walk worthy Lessons for Christ-Learners: --people of learning (don't pit heart vs. head). --apply what they learn to life (don't pit word vs. deed) --people can only be rescued if someone "learns them" the Gospel (share the "whole" Gospel). --what we learn matters for the hope of the future changes our today (renew our minds with biblical truth about our hope). --healthy Christianity is fruitful: The Gospel bears fruit and the believers bear fruit (don't accept fruitlessness as normal, "win and grow disciples"). --giving thanks and ceaseless prayer are foundational for Christ-learners (recite your learning in praise and prayerfully keep learning). --apply what they know and seek to know what they don't (act now on the knowledge of God's will that you already have).

Why are We Thirsty? --Is the Glass Empty --OR-- Are We not Drinking What's Available?