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The hope before you (1–12). These people were going to heaven! They had heard the Word and trusted the Savior, and they had given evidence of their faith by their love for God and God’s people. God qualified them (v. 12); they did not save themselves.

Background:

Colossians 1:3‭-‬8 NIV

3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

Reflection

Satan can’t rob you of your blessings,  but temp you to toss them aside… Genesis 3

Remember:

• John 10:10 NIV  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

The influence of others can rob us of God’s best for lives…

• We are tempted by others to reject our families
• We are tempted by others to reject our identity
• We are tempted by others to reject our goals
• Ultimately, we are tempted by others to doubt our Faith

The Message

Colossians 1:9-12 NIV

9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,

• Ephesians 3:16‭-‬18 NIV I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,

10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

• Galatians 5:22‭-‬23 NIV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,

• Ephesians 1:18‭-‬20 NIV I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,

12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

Therefore:

• Romans 12:12 NIV  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

His friends (1–11). Paul loved the saints in Philippi; he thought about them, prayed for them, and longed to see them. Christ made this fellowship possible.

Philippians 1:3‭-‬6 NIV

3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

V3 pray often for others

V4 pray for their good

V5 we are in this life together

V6 God will complete His good work in us

Philippians 1:9‭-‬11 NIV

9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,

• Romans 12:9‭-‬12 NIV Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,

• Romans 12:2 NIV Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

The Attributes of a Father

• Faithful 
• Available 
• Teacher 
• Hopeful 
• Encouraging 
• Relational

We tend to hide when we don’t know what to do:

• Adam
• Noah
• Jonah
• Moses
• David
• Peter

God equips us. Joshua was not in an easy situation, facing a difficult assignment and replacing a great leader like Moses. But God had equipped him and prepared him for this very work. Joshua had faithfully served with Moses and was now qualified to lead. The task that you faithfully do today gets you ready for what God is preparing for you (Matt. 25:21).

• Matthew 25:21 NIV  “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

Joshua 1:1‭-‬9 NIV

1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide:  2“Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. 7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.

8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid;do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Reflections of The Father’s Heard

Luke 15:11 was his darkest day.

Luke 15:13-19 Life happened

Luke 15:20 The Father never gave up waiting and watching…

Luke 15:21-24 Grace in action

Luke 15: 28-31 He loved all if his children equally and unconditionally

Luke 15:32 Redemption was the the reward

Some Basic Tools come from CARE:

• Communicate (Colossians 4:6 Conversation full of Grace)
• Actively Listen (James 1:19 Quick to listen, slow to speak)
• Review Options (Isaiah 1:18 Come let us reason together)
• End with a fair Solution (2 Corinthians 8:14 The key is meeting each other’s needs)

A Reminder of who you are:
Ephesians 1:3‭-‬15 NIVPraise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.  In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
Always Remember The danger on the battlefield is that we do not take the enemy seriously and therefore fail to put on all of the armor.

• By faith, you put on the armor through prayer
• Which must be done at the beginning of every day.
• Never underestimate the strategy and strength of the devil.

Ephesians 6:10‭-‬18 NIV10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

2 Timothy 3:1‭-‬4 NIV   But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—

• Jeremiah 29:6‭-‬7‭, ‬11 NIV Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
• Micah 6:8 NIV He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

God honors our desires to seek Godly Wisdom: Having godly wisdom means we strive to see life from God’s perspective and act accordingly. Godly wisdom can be discovered in the

Proverbs…
Proverbs 1:1‭-‬5 NIV The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:  for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight;  for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair;  for giving prudence to those who are simple, knowledge and discretion to the young—  let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance—

James‬ ‭3:13-18‬ ‭NIV‬‬ (The Two Types of Wisdom)
v 13 “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

Worldly Wisdom v 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. 

Peacemakers (Leading others to peace with God)Matthew 5:9 NIV Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Matthew 5:9 is part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in which He says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” The Greek word translated “peacemaker” is used in only one other place in the New Testament, in a slightly different form. 

2 Corinthians 5:17‭-‬18‭, ‬20 NIV Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

God delights in those who reconcile others to Himself—those who bring the gospel are “beautiful” (Isaiah 52:7). God “reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18). 

God “reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18). 

A person must have a real relationship with God before he or she can help someone else know God. 
This relationship is the true foundation to Wisdom 

Attitude: a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a person’s behavior.

Attitude of Gratitude  – By Chuck Swindoll” The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.  Attitude, to me, is more important than facts.  It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think, say or do.  It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill.  It will make or break a company… a church… a home.  The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we embrace for that day.  We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.  We cannot change the inevitable.  The only thing we can do is play the one string we have, and that is our attitude… I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our Attitudes”

Psalms 33:12 NIV Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.

What Hinders Our Attitude?

Matthew 11:28‭-‬30 NIV“ Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

• Not Acceptance of others
• Not Acceptance of ourselves
• What we want at any cost…

28 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

We forget God has an ultimate plan for us (unique to us)
Jeremiah 29:11‭-‬13 NIV For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

So what should we do?
1 Thessalonians 5:16‭-‬18 NIV16 Rejoice always,

• Philippians 4:4‭-‬5 NIV Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

17 pray continually,

• Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

• Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

David said it best

• Psalms 51:10‭-‬12 NIV Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Too often in times of conflict we think we need to act instead of being still.  On the contrary, it is in the stillness with God that he gives us that he gives us a response to overcome adversity.

The Message

Psalms 37:1‭-‬9 NIV1 Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; 2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.

• Psalms 34:7 NIV The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

• Romans 12:19‭-‬21 NIV Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

3 Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

• “Trust in the LORD” (v. 3). If you walk by sight and not by faith, you will find it easy to fret. (See Ps. 73.) The wicked seem to be prospering, but they will not last (vv. 35–36). Believe what God says in His Word because that is where you find reality

• Proverbs 3:5‭-‬6 NIV Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

• “Delight in the LORD” (4). Find all your joy and pleasure in His will. Make Him your delight, and your desires will be in His will. Living to please the Lord sets you free from fretting about what men are doing.

5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.

• “Commit your way to the LORD” (5). When you trust Him and delight in Him, how could you do anything other than commit your way to Him? Let God guide your steps, choose your joys, protect your name, and bless your work.

7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

• “Rest in the LORD” (7). Restlessness is an evidence of unbelief. Faith rests in the Lord and enjoys “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Phil. 4:7). God sometimes waits in answering prayer so that He might strengthen our patience (James 1:2–8).

• “Rest in the Lord; wait patiently for Him.’ In Hebrew, “Be silent to God and let Him mold thee.’ Keep still and He will mold thee to the right shape.” Martin Luther

• Isaiah 40:31 NIV  but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. 9 For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

• Ephesians 4:26 NIV “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry…