SERMON NOTES

“You Can’t Have My Joy”

Assertive and intentional about experiencing God’s best emotionally.

Matthew 25:20-21

Your God is a promise keeper!

  • God’s conditions are God’s path to His promises.

  • Direction (not intention) determines destination.

“Deep people drown.”

Some people confuse spiritual knowledge with spiritual growth, that’s why they can quote scripture they never use.

If you want it to stay the same, don’t call me.

I didn’t use that creativity you gave me--

I’m ashamed to say I was ashamed. I just hid my gift.  

The path to joy is a street called stewardship!

I’ve never seen anyone have good joy, who is a bad steward. (dominion)

Victim Mentality = learned helplessness

Sometimes it takes a crisis to expose capability that you didn’t even know you had. 

There’s more in you than you know! 

Management/stewardship.  Good management gives you a good life.

Managing the thing that encompasses your life: TIME.

  • Irreplaceable asset.

  • “Paying” attention = spending time.

  • You got some people on your payroll that is making you miserable, and you’re paying them with TIME.

  • If you want to improve a relationship, spend TIME.

  • “I’m a good person!!” But are you a good steward??

  • Not just doing time, thinking time. Everything is created twice.

  • You’re not non-judgmentally clear. You’re judging yourself, and you’re not honest with yourself about where you’re at emotionally.

  • I’ve never seen anyone who’s not managing their time according to their priorities live with joy.  They always live with frustration.

    • Make time to dream.

One of the greatest joy-robbers is regret.  

Knowledge comes from studying; wisdom comes from God.

You’re gonna need wisdom, but you’re also gonna need courage.

When you hold a boundary, you’re teaching people to love you. 

DISCUSSION:

  1. Pastor Dharius said that his series was about being “assertive and intentional about experiencing God’s best emotionally.” What would you say that means?

  2. He also said, “The path to joy is a street called stewardship!” How would you rate yourself as a steward?

  3. Do you create thinking time in your life? How would that help things, if you did?

  4. Do you tend to judge your own thoughts and emotions?

STUDY AT HOME:

We won’t meet again until Jan 8th!
So you have 3 weeks complete the following:

  1. Read the Christmas story from the Word.

    1. Matthew 1-2

    2. Luke 1-2

    3. If you have kids, read it with them!

  2. When going to family holiday functions, go with one goal in mind: Make it better! Serve your family to the best of your ability (keeping boundaries in mind, of course), and be a good example for them, of how Christ came to serve.

  3. Take time to dream & pray a little. Write down some dreams that you have for the next year, next 5 years, next 10 years. Talk them over with God!

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