2 Timothy 2:22-26
22 Flee from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 But reject foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they breed quarrels. 24 The Lord’s slave must not quarrel, but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach, and patient, 25 instructing his opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will grant them repentance leading them to the knowledge of the truth. 26 Then they may come to their senses and escape the Devil’s trap, having been captured by him to do his will.
Are you being entrapped and outwitted by the enemy?
2 Corinthians 2:10-11
10 If you forgive anyone, I do too. For what I have forgiven—if I have forgiven anything—it is for you in the presence of Christ. 11 I have done this so that we may not be taken advantage of by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his schemes.
People who are victims must learn to fight. We are not to live just to survive, but to fight and enjoy the victory that we already have.
Ephesians 6:12
For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
3 For though we live in the body, we do not wage war in an unspiritual way, 4 since the weapons of our warfare are not worldly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments 5 and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ.
Do not sedate yourself with…
- Lies claiming you are OK when you really aren’t OK. When you acknowledge the truth about yourself, you begin to grow in Christ.
- False worldly counsel…especially those who rely on worldly wisdom rather than godly wisdom.
- Music with the wrong message
- False help from government authorities
- Night clubs with wrong supports
1 Timothy 6:12
Fight the good fight for the faith;
take hold of eternal life
that you were called to
and have made a good confession about
in the presence of many witnesses.
To live unsuccessfully in Christ is a choice. You already have eternal life and are not of the world, but now take hold of what you already have–the victory in Christ–and live in such a way where it is evident to you and to others who see you. Take hold of eternal life.
John 10:10
A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.
Remember that God calls you to a life of abundance and success once you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. You must possess the desire to win in order to realize that you are victorious.
1 Corinthians 9:22-27
22 To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some. 23 Now I do all this because of the gospel, so I may become a partner in its benefits.
24 Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize. 25 Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. However, they do it to receive a crown that will fade away, but we a crown that will never fade away. 26 Therefore I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. 27 Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
Run your race with the will to win. It takes a willingness to win. This will to win will help you move forward in life and the will to do what is right (Romans 7:16-25). Ultimately, you must possess the desire and the will to live the Christian life. We must not be fearful to the point where we cannot develop our relationship with Jesus Christ.
God gives us the ability to have everything we need to be successful in living for Christ.
Romans 8:32
He did not even spare His own Son
but offered Him up for us all;
how will He not also with Him grant us everything?
- You work for it.
- You learn to stretch for it.
- You study for it.
- You give up things for it.
- You fight for it.
Success is not a given–it is planned out, but it also involves obedience to God’s Word.
Joshua 5:6-7
6 For the Israelites wandered in the wilderness 40 years until all the nation’s men of war who came out of Egypt had died off because they did not obey the LORD. So the LORD vowed never to let them see the land He had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 Joshua raised up their sons in their place; it was these he circumcised. They were still uncircumcised, since they had not been circumcised along the way.
Are you so busy living in your past that you are unable to live your future?
- Nothing changes in your life unless you change
- Your condition determines your conduct
- Your thinking must change
To walk out of life’s prison demands living in obedience and responsibility.
Isaiah 43:18-19
18 “Do not remember the past events,
pay no attention to things of old.
19 Look, I am about to do something new;
even now it is coming. Do you not see it?
Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert.
1 John 5:1-5
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of Him. 2 This is how we know that we love God’s children when we love God and obey His commands. 3 For this is what love for God is: to keep His commands. Now His commands are not a burden, 4 because whatever has been born of God conquers the world. This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith. 5 And who is the one who conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Akron Alliance Fellowship 