God Is STRONG

A wrong view of God is what prevents many of us from developing internal strength.

Here are the two main ways that I have viewed God:

• I’ll ask him to bless me and to move in situations that I care about. 
• I’ll ask him to change a life, or give me insight or perspective.

But I had to reflect and ask myself: “How much time do I spend understanding who God is versus using God to accomplish things for me?”

A friendship has to be two ways – God wants me to be strong, but how strong do I really believe that God is?

Changing what I believe about God gives me the inner strength to live “disciple strong”

Our view of God can be jaded by…

• Past hurts & tragedy 
• Religious Disappointments
• Relational disillusionments

If I blame God or am questioning him with doubt, my view of him will make me weak!

Our language and focus must change. We can be very helpful to each other by giving practicals and things to do, but offer very little help “turning to God”

We can offer church programs and support groups, but people can get that anywhere! Most importantly, we need to help people see God!

• Let’s stop being humanistic
• Let’s stop being shallow
• Let’s start showing people God – you have to get to know him first!

Then we will be able to stand against the things that we are up against.

God is real. So start believing that he is! This is a spiritual journey we are all on – we are going to face many things in this life that we will not have the strength to face – We need God!

We are up against a force that is strong, crafty, ruthless and whose whole existence & purpose is to destroy our faith in God.

Satan will offer you money, relationships, and an easier, compromised religion. He will work your guilt, your fears, and your desires to have you. He will lie and use enough of the truth to make you believe in that lie and cause you to fall.

How is Satan luring you?

Many of us are vulnerable to him whispering in our ear…

This is a spiritual battle. Are you making sure you’re equipped?

We live in a world today that is filled with…

Prejudice – it’s masked with, “No, that’s just my preference,” to hide the prejudice. These are pre-conceived opinions that are not based on reason or actual experience. How many of us are having a hard time being friends because your prejudice?

Worldliness – the lie: I have to be selfishly ambitious to compete. The world puts glitz on everything – it’s glamorous to be in sin! For us some of us, we base our security on how much money is in the bank or that we have in stocks. Or we can be worldly trying to give our kids all the experiences of life… sports, vacations, gifts, coaching all their teams, and we end up raising entitled kids! And then we get mad that are kids are not more grateful and that they don’t see their need for God!

Stubborn Unbelief/ Compromise – Living with unbelief erodes any convictions that you desire to build. It makes you compromised when your standard is no longer the bible.

• Refusal to change
• Refusal to let go of bitterness – marriages that are spinning and tear each other’s faith down.
• Refusal to get involved – sitting back and letting others step up when you have the skill and experience to help.

Unfaithfulness – Adultery happens when you spend all your emotional energy at work and take your wife for gratned. Pornography and pre-marital sex also destroys our view of women

Satan wants you to feel the weight of the world and have it break you. Satan wants one thing from you and I… to QUIT.

Have you quit on God? It could have been yesterday or 10 years ago…

• On your Marriage
• On your kids
• On spiritual friendships – discipling
• On God
• On helping people become disciples

We can’t keep living with no vision, purpose, faith, desire, effort, or conviction. Once you admit that you’ve quit, then decide to fight!

Fight with the weapons God has given us:

Truth

• When you are honest and want to be known 
• Transparent in relationships
• What do I need to reveal?

Righteousness

• When you are righteous in your friendships, that means you are dealing with your motives, bitterness, hurts, prejudice, and jealousy
• What do I need to change?

Peace

• When you have embraced truths, boundaries, limitations, and your destiny
• You are patient knowing that there is a bigger plan and purpose behind the pain
• What do I need to embrace?

Faith

• You see that God is a friend and has great plans for your life
• You can have vision for yourself and others
• What do I believe?

Salvation

• When you are in a right relationship with God, there is a confidence you can have that cannot be explained
• Forgiven of all your sin
• Purpose and a plan for your life – You never have to settle or survive
• You can be yourself… but without the insecurity!
• It allows you to empathize and have compassion – you start to care about other’s souls and their relationship with God
• Who can I influence and help?

God’s Word

• It’s the standard – you know what to expect. You don’t get confused or misled. 
• That brings security – a trust from obeying God
• What do I need to obey?

Prayer

• It’s amazing to talk to God, who is in control of everything!
• Pray for perspective; to see things as God sees it.
• What do I need to see? 

These give my hope – no matter what I come up against, I can fight and win with the help of my God.

Make the decision to make the God into your God. Let God help you stand against the forces that are screaming and pushing you to quit! Fight with the weapons that will change relationships!

Because my God is STRONG, He wants me to be STRONG.