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Control is an ILLUSION. Control is a GOD category, not a HUMAN one. The more we try to CONTROL, the more CHAOS we create.Galatians 5:22–23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”Genesis 3:2–3 The woman said, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”Genesis 3:4–5 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”Genesis 3:6 When the woman saw that the fruit was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.Genesis 3:7–10 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”Three Reasons We Reach For Control1. Control is rooted in DOUBTING God's GOODNESS.What you try to control MOST reveals where you trust God the LEAST.2. Control is driven by our DESIRE for AUTONOMY.Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?We are at our freest not when we're in CHARGE, but when we give God CONTROL.3. Control fuels FEAR and ANXIETY.Control CREATES anxiety. Peace comes when I stop PLAYING God and start TRUSTING God.Control is an ILLUSION. Surrender is the SOLUTION.If you don't NAME it, you can't TAME it.

When you put God FIRST, He takes care of the REST.Who goes FIRST?1. It's not IF you give—it's WHEN. The ORDER matters.The word TITHE simply means A TENTH.Proverbs 3:9-10 "Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing."John 6:1-14 "Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Festival was near. When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”2. The tithe is where you TRUST God with FIRST PLACE.Malachi 3:10 "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it."3. When God is FIRST, everything else falls IN ORDER.The goal isn’t that God can just give TO you but actually FLOW THROUGH you.Deuteronomy 8:17-18 You may say to yourself, " My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.Proverbs 11:24 The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.Tithing is not really an OBEDIENCE indicator. It is aSURRENDER indicator.

You don’t have an INCOME problem. You have an OUTGO problem.Proverbs 13:7 Some who are poor pretend to be rich; others who are rich pretend to be poor.Proverbs 22:7 Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender.Servant: ebed; a SLAVE, in BONDAGE3 Biblical Values to Live Out Financially1. Embrace the value of SELF-CONTROL.Proverbs 25:28 A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.Learn to say NO for a little while in order to say YES later in life.Live like NO ONE else so that one day you can truly live like NO ONE else.2. Embrace the value of SACRIFICE.Hebrews 12:2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross,We give up something we LOVE for something we love EVEN MORE.3. Embrace the value of PLANNING.Luke 14:28 Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?Before you PAY for it, PRAY for it!Proverbs 21:5 Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.You can wander into DEBT, but you won’t wander OUT.Proverbs 6:5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

1 Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.Luke 12:15 "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions."You're not rich when you get everything YOU WANT. You're rich when you want what you ALREADY HAVE.Three Big Ideas About ContentmentContentment is LEARNED; it's not NATURAL.The more you GET, the more you WANT.Philippians 4:12 I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.Contentment isn't a place you ARRIVE at in the future. It's an attitude you EMBRACE today.Philippians 4:13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.You can't CONSUME your way to happiness. You CONTENT your way to happiness with what you have.2. CONTENTMENT begins when COMPARISON ends.Ecclesiastes 4:4 Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.Exodus 20:17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."As long as you COMPARE, you'll never be CONTENT.1 Timothy 6:6–8 But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.1 Timothy 6:9–10 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.1 Timothy 6:17–18 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.1 Timothy 6:19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.Contentment requires a vision to consume less so you can GIVE more. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.When we GIVE, we are most like JESUS.

John 21:3-12 Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” “We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?” “No,” they replied. Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it. Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore. The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards from shore. When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread.“Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn. “Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.Go back to the START, in order to MOVE FORWARD.When you don’t know what to do, go back to the last time you were WITH JESUS.Revelation 2:5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first.When you don’t know what to do, BE OBEDIENT.Matthew 28:10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”1 John 5:3 For this is what love for God is: to keep his commands. And his commands are not a burden.My level of OBEDIENCE reveals my level of TRUST in Him.When you RETURN and OBEY, DAYBREAK will always come.Lamentations 3:22-23 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.Psalm 30:5 Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.Jesus often meets us not in the middle of the FIGHT, but at the DAWN of a new day.When Jesus is involved, SOME becomes ABUNDANT.Jesus cares for the WHOLE PERSON.He provides for their NEEDS = 153 large fishHe provides for their SOULS = breakfast at the beachHe provides for their SPIRITS = redemption and callingWhen we read the Bible searching for ANSWERS, we don't always find them, but we always find a FULL PICTURE of who GOD is.John 21: 15-17 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”God REDEEMS your past, REWRITES your story, and REAFFIRMS your purpose.

Is spiritual warfare real? We unpack what the Bible says about the unseen battle taking place around us, how the enemy works, and how followers of Jesus can stand firm through prayer, truth, and the power of God.

Matthew 5:1-12 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”Matthew 5:13-16 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.What do people EXPERIENCE when they experience YOU?1. The Beatitudes are a SEASONING process.God wants to SEASON you before He SENDS you.Romans 5:3–5 We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.What if your current season isn’t PUNISHMENT? What if it’s a SEASONING?2. Salt is not meant for the SHAKER. Its purpose is in what it TOUCHES.Your seasoning is meant to be EXPERIENCED.Colossians 4:5-6 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.Salt in the shaker has POTENTIAL, but salt in contact has PURPOSE.Salt changes the FLAVOR of everything it touches.

If you are truly living a godly life, is it natural to be persecuted?2 Timothy 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.Matthew 5:10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. persecuted: idea of being chased or pursued good translation: to be consistently harassedPUNISHMENT is the result of doing what is WRONG.PERSECUTION is the result of doing what is RIGHT. ENEMY fire. FRIENDLY fire. FAMILY fire.3 Blessings That Come From Persecution:1. Persecution PROVES our faith.John 15:20 Remember the word that I said to you: “A servant is not greater than his master.” If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.SUFFERING is not a choice. PERSECUTION is a choice.Do not WORRY when you are persecuted. Worry when you are NEVER persecuted.Matthew 5:11-12 Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Romans 12:18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 1. Predetermine to be a peacemaker Definition of peacemaker: Eirēnopoios Eirene = peace or wholeness Poieo = to make, to do, or to create A peacemaker chooses to be a BRIDGE of reconciliation to people who DON’T KNOW peace to a GOD WHO IS peace. John 13:35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. Romans 12:9-21 “Marks of a True Christian” Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. 2. Practically be a peacemaker Matthew 5:47 If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 3. Portray the original Peacemaker Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.Romans 15:5-6 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Isaiah 26:3 You keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.Jeremiah 17:9 The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?Matthew 15:19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.The impurity of our hearts can block the blessing of God in our lives.1. Examine your motivesPsalm 139:23-24 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.Have you examined the motives of your heart?Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.The motives of your heart must be filtered by the truth of God’s word.2. Realign your desiresPsalm 37:4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.The more time you spend with God, the more your desires begin to change.3. Devote your heartMatthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.Our hearts can only serve one master.Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.A pure heart isn’t a perfect heart. It’s a heart that is undivided.Psalm 51:9-11 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. 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.