2015 Pearls

To follow are key points I extracted from my sermon notes from various speakers at Common Ground Church Durbanville during 2015.

· As you bring your concerns to God and contemplate His greatness, everything else becomes insignificant, and all your issues and concerns disappear.

· God clothes us with righteousness, despite our flaws and weaknesses.

· Take ground in your Christian soil of God’s grace.

· The light of God is big enough and glorious enough to captivate all people of all cultures.

· A life that is well paced produces productivity, not a life run at a sprint.

· Fight for margin. Margin is a necessity in life, not a luxury. Margin is the gap between our load (our responsibilities) and our limit (what we can handle). Step off the hamster wheel of busyness.

· Don’t let your outflow exceed your inflow, or the shortfall will be your downfall. When you have nothing left, turn to God, who will replenish you.

· Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. God is close to you no matter where you are.

· When you feel distant from God, don’t confuse your circumstances with God’s feelings for you, which are unchanging. Feelings are seldom accurate barometers of fact. To ignore or disregard God is to reject Him, like a practical atheist. There is no middle ground.

· Just because you don’t want to believe in something doesn’t mean it isn’t true.

· Believe, and understanding will follow.

· Coming under God’s yoke is not the absence of freedom; it is the epitome of fulfilment.

· Taking refuge in Christ and putting on His yoke means that it takes effort to fully experience the joys Christ brings.

· Remember that Jesus experienced all that you can experience in life, and more on the cross, so you are not alone.

· In order to be born again, every person must hand over their self-righteousness, the things we think will make us please God. There is nothing you can do that can make you acceptable to God. His grace is an undeserved gift for you to embrace.

· When we accept what God has for us, we are filled with the spring of eternal life via His Spirit indwelling us. Drinking from the well and going through the motions does not fill you with the living water. Commit to Jesus.

· God also delights in the version of you today, not just the improved version you plan to become over time.

· Consider God’s timing before your own.

· Have the ability to hold onto things lightly; do not be defined by them; focus on God’s glory.

· Jesus moved towards people because of what He wanted to give to them, not what He could get from them.

· Being busy and absorbed in your daily life is also a form of not showing love to others because you are not showing them that they are important to you.

· When we realize what we have been forgiven for, it is easy to forgive and love others.

· An inflated self-view can cause us to move forward in our own strength instead of in God’s strength.

· Works without love are not evidences worth having.

· Anything that is of great worth is costly to someone, but the rewards of following Jesus far outweigh the costs.

· Generosity that costs is never easy.

· Generosity changes our heart more than it changes those around us.

· You cannot grab hold of proper generosity until you let go of your greed.

· You have a unique God-ordained path that you must focus on. Comparison and competition is futile.

· Each path is custom-built for us according to our abilities. Accept our paths gracefully and serve joyfully.

· Ultimately, we do not choose God; He chooses you. The Spirit of God moves you forward. It is not an uphill climb, but rather being swept along with the current.

· God has a plan for us where we are.

· Trust God for the next steps we take faithfully; don’t look too far ahead, as His light (Word) is a lamp for each step of the way; it is not a spotlight to see into the distance.

· Don’t worry about the future – trust God’s wisdom, provision and plan for you.

· You will not be tested beyond what you can endure, and it will build your character for something better.

· When we persevere through suffering, our faith etches in our lives more of the character of Christ. When you suffer, you receive comfort from God, and suffering enables you to provide comfort to others (through your experiences).

· Philippians 4:8 provides 8 filters to help focus our thoughts to be positive.

· Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you. Do not look about anxiously. I will help you and strengthen you.”

· We need to be intentional in allowing God’s ways to influence and wash over our lives.

· Marriage is about two people coming together to do something more meaningful together than they can do individually.

· Sex should be self-giving, not self-fulfilling.

· Focus on becoming the right person, rather than finding the right person.

· Faith impacts on our work by us deciding to work/aim for more than just money, us sharing our faith in a respectful, loving way, and us deciding to not be a slacker.

· Include other people. Be welcoming and inclusive. Be more interested than interesting.

· Jesus never calls His followers to do something He hasn’t done Himself.

· Move from a discipline of prayer to a delight of prayer. If you delight in something, you do it more willingly.

· As you live for the flourishing of the city, you will flourish.

· Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide your words and actions to touch hearts, rather than convince others of your argument, interpretation or point of view.

· Let people’s hope rely on God’s words, not in men’s arguments.

· Help someone become who they are destined to be.

· Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but hurtful are the kisses of enemies.

· We need Christ to fill the deficit between who we are and who we are meant to be.

· Don’t be overly sensitive (judgmental) nor insensitive (indifferent). Deal with your sin and be tough on yourselves, so that you can lead by example.

· Live out the new lifestyle that is in accordance with your new heart.

· You were washed, so live clean; sanctified, so live holy; justified, so bear His image; adopted into His family, so bear fruit.