My Story

My Story Monday, January 14, 2008 (Church Sermon Notes)

Psalm 139:13-16

… All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

-         Don’t procrastinate!  All of us have a story written by the great Author.

-         May I hear and discover what God is saying to me.

-         Great story is powerful & inspiring.

-         God has written & is writing my story

I.                    My Story – its amazing AUTHOR.

-         My story is a great story in making because of how great the author is

-         Ps. 33:11  God is intentional God

-         Isa 14:24-27  My story is His intention activated

-         My story starts by asking who my author is

-         Jesus is the author and the finisher of my life

-         Wonder of created human body

o       I am so fearfully and wonderfully made

o       I am not an accident.  My life has meaning through his creativeness by focusing on God as my Creator and Author

-         $100 Bill- valuable because who it is created it.  Same with my life.  I am valuable because God created me.

-         God gives ultimate meaning to life, not $, fame or power

II.                 My Story – It is a COMEBACK story.

-         Underdog- who against all odds overcomes

-         Rocky, Brave heart, Lord of Rings, Rudy- overcame all the oppositions and odds

-         All feels so ordinary, mostly face great intimidation

-         Great internal conflict

-         My heart is stirred by noble things

-         Raising the underdog – He has greatness on each of us.  We have great potential

-         From Hx:

o       Samuel and Jesse’s sons – God does not look at what man loons at (outward appearance vs. heart).  Spirit of God came to David.  Anointed by God.  We miss greatness by settling for goodness (good career, bank account, family)

o       Moses – “who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” – Don’t settle for mediocrity

o       Gideon- “my dysfunctional family” disqualifies me.  But, Lord, how can I save Israel? – I will be with you.  You will strike down the enemies.  God is enough

o       Jeremiah – “my lack of experience” disqualifies me.  I do not know how to speak.  I am only a child.

o       Paul – my past disqualifies me “thorn in the flesh”

o       Timothy – ulcer

o       Peter – afraid of death

o       Thomas – doubts

o       Lazarus – dead!

-         I am God’s workmanship – a masterpiece in Christ Jesus to do good work that God prepared in advance for me to do (He has written my story).  Stop settling for mediocrity.

-         God has crated me for greatness because He is great.

-         My story is about the great Author!

III.               My Story- It’s about ATTITUDE

-         Manner, disposition wrt a person or thing.  Tendency or orientation

-         Aircraft attitude – determines whether it will rise up or fall down

-         Disposition – approach to life; how we will live our lives no matter what comes.  State of mind

-         Tozer – course correction is violent reversal

-         Redirection of mental purpose toward God

-         Lord, I want your story to be my story!

-         Eph 4:17-24.  No longer live in futility of their thinking to be made new in the attitude of the minds; and to put on the new self created to be LIKE god in true righteousness and holiness.

“Let’s go to the IPOD!”

We don’t go out to restaurants often having four kids, but yesterday we did celebrating J11ds birthday.  Everyone started suggesting various restaurants when J7ds shouted out with a straight face “Let’s go to the IPOD!”  Of course, he meant IHOP, the International House of Pancakes.  Uncontrollable laughter broke out.

“Shattered Window”, a lesson learned

J11ds, J7ds and neighborhood kids were playing a “wallball” nearby a glass door of an apartment building yesterday and a ball thrown by a neighborhood boy hit an upper panel glass and shattered it.  Apparently, this boy told J11ds and J7ds not to tell anybody and they all scattered to their homes.  J7ds told his mom but not J11ds due to either misplaced loyalty to his friend or a fear of reprisal.  This incident gave us an opportunity to talk about truth telling, responsibility for one’s actions and open communication among ourselves.  It also gave us an occasion to reassure and emphasize our love for them no matter how “bad” or “serious” future incidents may be.  We got in touch with neighborhood boy’s mom and all matters were quickly resolved.  I hope that this lesson will stick with them for a while. 

“Spin and Puke”

I have an airsickness problem with bouncy flights.  Since the U.S. Navy’s Self Paced Airsickness Desensitization Program (SPAD) program is located here in Pensacola, FL, I stopped by at the center yesterday.  In the middle of a small room, there was a spinning chair with switches to control spin rates.  A person would sit on it and spin at a set revolutions-per-minute for an hour at a time, while he deliberately moves his head every 10 seconds.  Motion sickness desensitization occurs as he tolerates faster spin with head movements without getting sick, which usually takes up to 6-8 weeks.

In general, some ways to limit motion sickness are as follow:

1. Try not to move your head too quickly (keep the head straight)
2. Avoid staring inside of car or airplane.  Stare something outside of the vehicle
3. Concentrate on slow, relaxing breathing (maybe like “Lamaze”)
4. Cold air

Confidence in God, not self-confidence

Pastor Buford spoke on this topic two weeks ago and it touched my heart.  In our daily living, the life’s pressure may press us but cannot crush us.  It may perplex us but cannot cause despair.  It may persecute us but we are not abandoned.  It may strike us yet cannot destroy us, as long as we do not lose heart.  Outwardly, we may be wasting away, but inwardly God renews us day by day.  We ought to fix our eyes on what is unseen, which is eternal.  Confidence in God brings great rewards (Heb 10:35), yet it is so easily thrown away.

Confidence is trusting God.  It is standing firm on His promises.  It is being bold and taking a stand for His sake.  It is God’s affirmation to us.  Confidence is (1) an ATTITUDE of the heart and (2) we need to APPREHENDED it.  Godly confidence is about HEART and knowing HIM. 

Seven Source of godly confidence:

1.  Experiencing godly provision

2.  Knowing the Word of God

3.  Intimacy and loving with God

4.  Remembering past victories

5.  Other’s examples & standing in confidence

6.  Taking a stand

7.  Being filled by the Holy Spirit

Friday, March 16, 2007

2 Chronicles 18

The story of King Jehoshaphat teaches me the following:

1. He is a God fearing king of Judah.  However, he allied himself with the evil king, Ahab of Israel.  He even allowed his son to marry the daughter of Ahab.  The adverse consequences were enormous:  He almost died in battle.  Ahab’s daughter Athalliah usurped the subsequent king’s power, led the nation into chaos, and almost destroyed all descends of David.  Jehoshaphat wasted much resources and time, which he could have used for God’s kingdom.  I need to evaluate my daily decisions to ensure that they align with God’s directions. 
2. He asked the God’s guidance before he joined forces with Ahab iin the battle of Ramoth Gilead but he did not listen when God's directions were given.  What good is it to ask guidance if not willing to listen?
3. He cried to God for help when Arameans chased him at the battle and God delivered him. 

I was encouraged by Solomon’s prayer in 2 Chronicles chapters 5 and 6 today. 

“God is good; his love endures forever”. “There is no one like our God in heaven or on earth.  He keeps his covenant of love with his servants who continue wholeheartedly in his way.  He keeps his promises”.

He is indeed good and his love endures forever.  I am thankful that my mom’s injury due to car accident was limited to her right arm, not affecting her mental or ambulatory capabilities.  Even though her road to recovery is long and hard one, He extended her life for a time being for His purposes.  There is nothing for us to complaint about.  I need to continue to be thankful and live each day walking with the Lord.