tinhorn97062
12-22-2015, 01:37 PM
Looking through some old folders, I found notes from a message that I preached in youth group a few years ago and it seemed good to share with the class. I enjoyed reading through and pondering the subject. At this point in my life, I found the message to be incredibly encouraging. Hopefully others will too.
God has a plan for your life and it’s a good one.
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Before you were formed in the womb, God knew your name, where you would live, whether or not you would be male or female and He established a plan and a purpose for your life.
Jeremiah 1:5 - Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
God knew that you would be in a place where you would have no idea which direction to go and you would need Him to show you a glimpse of what He had in store for you… and He made provision for that.
Jeremiah 33:3 - Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
He knew that there would be times when you lacked wisdom and would need specific guidance in an area.
James 1:5 - If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
The way of the world, those who don’t know Jesus, is to cheat their way to the top. They stab others in the back, lie, steal, manipulate and deceive. But God made mention of that and informed us of what would be the end for those folks. He encourages us to not worry about what the wicked do, but to delight ourselves in the Lord.
Psalm 37:1-9 - Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.
In Christ, we have divine provision to be the men and women that He has called us to be.
Ephesians 2:10 - For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
2 Peter 1:3 - According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
From the start, He ordained us to declare His goodness to the nations….to be living epistles to the glory of God. He made it possible for us to obtain that divine purpose through Christ.
We’ve been taught our whole life that “we can be whatever we want to be”. How about becoming who God has called us to be, instead of settling for what we can come up with? God’s ways are so much higher than ours.
Isaiah 55:8-11 - For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Do we really want to miss out on the goodness that God has for us by leaning to our own understanding?
Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
God has a plan for your life and it’s a good one.
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Before you were formed in the womb, God knew your name, where you would live, whether or not you would be male or female and He established a plan and a purpose for your life.
Jeremiah 1:5 - Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
God knew that you would be in a place where you would have no idea which direction to go and you would need Him to show you a glimpse of what He had in store for you… and He made provision for that.
Jeremiah 33:3 - Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
He knew that there would be times when you lacked wisdom and would need specific guidance in an area.
James 1:5 - If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
The way of the world, those who don’t know Jesus, is to cheat their way to the top. They stab others in the back, lie, steal, manipulate and deceive. But God made mention of that and informed us of what would be the end for those folks. He encourages us to not worry about what the wicked do, but to delight ourselves in the Lord.
Psalm 37:1-9 - Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.
In Christ, we have divine provision to be the men and women that He has called us to be.
Ephesians 2:10 - For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
2 Peter 1:3 - According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
From the start, He ordained us to declare His goodness to the nations….to be living epistles to the glory of God. He made it possible for us to obtain that divine purpose through Christ.
We’ve been taught our whole life that “we can be whatever we want to be”. How about becoming who God has called us to be, instead of settling for what we can come up with? God’s ways are so much higher than ours.
Isaiah 55:8-11 - For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Do we really want to miss out on the goodness that God has for us by leaning to our own understanding?
Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.