WHAT ARE YOU BUILDING WITH YOUR LIFE?
Pastor Doug Cresswell
June 21, 2020(Father’s Day)
“Using the gift that God gave me, I did the work of an expert builder… Now each of you must be careful how YOU build.” 1 Corinthians 3:10
“Seek first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness, and all the other things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33
HOW TO BE A KINGDOM BUILDER
1. MAKE GOD THE FOUNDATION
“Through godly wisdom a life, a home, and a family is built, and through understanding it is established on a sound foundation.” Proverbs 24:3 (Amp)
“No one can lay any other foundation than the one we already have— Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:11 (NLT)
“You can’t find firm footing in a swamp, but a life rooted in God stands firm.” Proverbs 12:3 (MSG)
“Reverence for God gives a man deep strength; his children have a place of refuge and security.” Proverbs 14:26 (LB)
“…Faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see.” Hebrews 11:1 (MSG)
2. REMEMBER WHAT MATTERS MOST
“The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Galatians 5:6b (NIV)
“If I could speak with human or angelic eloquence, but didn’t love, it would be just noise. If I could predict the future and explain every mystery but didn’t love others, it would be worthless. And if I had such great faith that I could move mountains, without love, it would mean nothing. And even if I gave all my possessions to the poor, and sacrificed my body, without love, it would be of no value.” 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
“Anyone who takes care of a little child is caring for me… Your care for others is the measure of your greatness.” Luke 9:48 (LB)
3. GATHER THE RIGHT COMPANIONS
“Do not be fooled. ‘Bad companions ruin good character.’” 1 Corinthians 15:33 (TEV)
“Escape quickly from the company of fools; they’re a waste of your time and words.” Proverbs 14:7 (MSG)
“Join the company of good men and women, who will keep your feet on the right and true paths.” Proverbs 2:20 (MSG)
BEST WAY: JOIN A GOOD CHURCH
4. COMMIT TO A GREAT PURPOSE
“Whoever wants to be great must become a servant.” Matthew 20:26 (MSG)
“If you insist on saving your life [for yourself], you will lose it. Only those who give away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live.” Mark 8:35 (LB)
“This world, and all its desires, will pass away. But the man who does the will of God will live forever.” 1 John 2:17
5. HAVE THE COURAGE TO STAND ALONE
“Don’t join any crowd that intends to do evil…and don’t be swayed in your testimony by the opinion of the majority.” Exodus 23:2 (NLT)
“Stand true to what you believe. Be courageous. Be strong. And everything you do must be done with love.” 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (NLT)
“An honorable person acts honestly and stands firm for what is right.” Isaiah 32:8 (TEV)
“Be courageous! Let us fight bravely to save our people and the cities of our God. May the Lord’s will be done!” 2 Samuel 10:12 (NLT)
It’s up to you…
Sunday’s Message Reflection by Pastor Kurt
I hope you are all having a great week, and I hope that the Fathers all had a great Father’s Day. I feel a great responsibility being a father, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I was blessed with a great father, and I pray that I am as good of a father to my children, but whether we had good fathers or not, we all have the greatest father who we call God, and we can run to him anytime of the day, and no one cares for us like our heavenly father does. Pastor Doug preached an excellent message this past Sunday, and I hope you all had a chance to listen to Pastor Doug in person or on live stream, but if not, you can still go to our website and listen to the Father’s Day message, and I would strongly encourage each of you to do just that.
This past Sunday, Pastor Doug’s message was titled. “What Are You Building In Your Life? He challenged us to be kingdom builders as we lead our families to live Godly lives. The part that jumped out to me the most was Pastor Doug spoke about gathering the right companions. This is so true and so important. It is said that you are who you hang around, and I have seen this in a positive and negative light in my own life. I now try to be very cautious of my closest friends because good friends will build you up, and lead you closer to God. As a father, I am concerned and I instruct my children on the friends that they choose because I know how important it is to choose good friends. Bad friends will pull you down much faster than you will lift them up, and we see this all the time. In case you missed it or you need a reminder these were 5 points to Pastor Doug’s message
1. Make God the Foundation
2. Remember What Matters Most
3. Gather the Right Companions
4. Commit to a Great Purpose
5. Have the Courage to Stand Alone
I hope each of you, not only fathers, were challenged and encouraged to grow closer to God and use these steps to make necessary changes as we strive to build God’s Kingdom and impact the world around us. I pray you will have a great remainder of the week, and I hope to see you Sunday.
Pastor Kurt