DAD'S DAILY BREAD

7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Gal 6:7–8

What a sobering piece of God’s Word. Paul is saying that you can truly see what a person believes by how they live their life. Paul uses farming by saying the seeds you plant and feed are what will grow. What you consistently plant in your life whether sinful desires or obedience to God will eventually produce a harvest. God cannot be fooled and He will faithfully bring the results of what is sown. The direction of your life is shaped by what you continually invest in. Plant seeds of the flesh and you will harvest corruption. Plant seeds of the spirit and you will harvest eternal life.

This is so true. A person cannot engage in the works of the flesh and expect to experience blessings and life with God. If you want true freedom you have to surrender it all! You cannot have sin that you deliberately repeat and then wonder why God isn’t moving in your life. You are sowing corruption by your very own actions. The consequence of your sin is corruption that eventually leads to death. There are a few things in my life that I continue to hold on to and I can feel the Lord tap me on the shoulder every time I’m struggling and He is saying are you done yet? God will not be mocked! He will not be fooled so me expecting to get His blessings without being obedient in all things is a mockery! It just won’t happen.

You can be doing great in almost every area of your life but then decide to keep one thing for yourself and boom your sin is sowing to your flesh. Bring light to the darkness and let God into every place. Trust Him and let go of the things you feel you cannot live without. His way is so much better! Don’t be deceived! Lord give me the strength to change the things I need to change! You deserve complete obedience! There is nothing more comforting than You!

APPLICATION:

Read God’s Word morning and night. Use it to filter my thoughts and my feelings and actions. Remove all sin from my life no matter how small it is. Trust that God is better and more fulfilling than anything I can create on my own! Stay close to God. Stay humble. Always be thankful. Pray more often. Trust the Lord no matter what I think or feel! Be obedient in all things!

IN HIS NAME

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. Gal 5:16–17

This verse is a great reminder that everything you do has the opportunity to feed the Spirit or you could be feeding your flesh. But it is never doing both at the same time. Because they are in opposition with each other. Every action has a reaction. Even something good like providing for your family can turn into motives under the surface that end up only feeding your flesh. Your flesh can disguise itself as something good. Something that feels good and feels right usually ends up feeding an idol you have in your heart. Feeding envious and jealous motives that are created when you live in a world that is constantly racing to have more and better things.

A big one for me is my pride. Sometimes after work I will return home and when I feel like I’m not appreciated or respected I can instantly have a bad attitude and start to be unloving and harsh towards my family. In my mind I feel like I have been serving them all day and I deserve to be treated a certain way. When I should be serving the Lord first in everything I do. Regardless of how I feel. How can I be serving the Lord and at the same time allowing my feelings to dictate how I treat my family? In reality I am making it all about me. Serving myself and feeding my flesh. Sometimes I cant even see it until the Lord breaks through and shows me what I’m doing. The more time I spend in God’s Word the easier it is for me to recognize when I’m feeding my flesh.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Gal 5:22–24

The Bible can show you your motives. The best way I have found to expose what side I’m feeding is by measuring it with scripture. Am I living and acting out the fruits of the spirit or am I selfishly, self absorbed and focusing on myself. All it takes is to read those few verses and you can see what side you’re feeding. Be honest with yourself and be quick to ask for forgiveness! I am at a time in my life where the Lord has helped to destroy most of the large life dominating sins but that doesn’t mean the battle is won. Envy, pride, anger, comfort, jealousy and dissensions are all sins that lead to death. It is a daily battle so never give up and never stop fighting to be more like Christ! Thank you Lord for everything You do, every second of my life, to help me fight against my flesh! May You give me the strength to be victorious and to bring You all the glory. You are God and i am not. Help me to serve Your Spirit at all times even when It doesn’t feel good.

APPLICATION:

Read my Bible. Morning and night. Don’t react to my feelings but go back to scripture every time I feel uneasy. Don’t let my feelings dictate anything I do. Trust the Lord and not myself! Be humble and thankful at all times. Stay in the Word and pray all day long!

IN HIS NAME

Sermon notes Pastor Kobe Orr

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Col 3:16

The Word of God was never meant to visit our lives occasionally- it was meant to rule our lives completely. The Word of God first shapes our relationships. Teaching and admonishing each other in wisdom. Prov 2:6 It should control everything about every relationship. It is all about God’s principles and nothing about my opinion. We need to anchor our thoughts, actions and opinions in God’s Word. God uses us to refine each other. God’s Word should govern our entire life! Would someone conclude that God’s Word dwells in you richly??

The Word of God fuels our worship. Praise God for who He is and all the things that He has done. Praise God for His works and His grace and His love in our lives. When we are in God’s Word we are constantly confronted with our own sin and then instantly met with the love and grace and forgiveness that comes from Christ. Heaven will be roaring with praise to God! God’s grace drives us to physical affection for God. Does the Word of Christ dwell in me richly??

The Word of God fills us with gratitude. Be faithful by dwelling in God’s Word! Don’t lose sight of what Christ gives us everyday. Do not forget what we have been saved from. God does not take ungratefulness lightly. Your life must be rooted in God’s Word. It shapes all our relationships. Is Christ dwelling in me richly??

The Word of God governs our lives. When someone looks at me do they see Jesus? Are you living in a way consistent to God’s Word? Let the Word of God dwell in you richly! Wear God’s Word for the whole world to see. This is only possible with His help. Col 3 is our goal. Is my life ruled by God’s Word??

APPLICATION:

Read the Bible! Meditate on His Word. Always be memorizing scripture. 2 Peter Isa 41:10 Ps 116:7 Pray the scriptures. God has called us to allow His Word to dwell in us richly! Be obedient! Do the work! Let His wisdom transform my relationships!

IN HIS NAME

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. Gal 5:13

This verse really does a good job at revealing my motives. All week I have been struggling with the word freedom. Because in my own life sometimes I don’t feel free at all. I feel like a slave to my job and a slave to my paycheck and at times I feel like a slave to my wife and kids… But when you really let this verse sink in you realize that Christ did not give us freedom to serve ourselves. He didn’t say be free so that you can be comfortable and happy. Just look at Jesus. He could have come down here and lived a perfectly comfortable life. He could have had anything He wanted and would have been perfectly justified in doing so. But instead He came to serve a bunch of people and love them when they were His enemy. When they didn’t deserve it, not even for a second. He served and loved to the point of shedding His own blood and dying a horrible death on a cross. Too many times I think being saved and a Christian means that my life will be easy and comfortable and I’ll be happy. But that’s just not what the bible says.

It says DO NOT use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh! Every time I feel like I’m a slave to something that is my flesh telling me you don’t need to do that. Go serve yourself, go do something you like and make yourself happy… How sneaky is that…? It comes out in so many different ways. Thank God for His Word and the truth that scripture brings into my life! Without it I would truly be lost! God loved me and served me before I even knew who He was. It had nothing to do with anything I have done or will ever do. I need to do the same thing with everyone in my life. Serve others and stop serving myself!

To my knowledge no where in scripture is God referred to as the “God of Happiness”. But I do see The God of Hope and Joy and Peace. Those are all things you get when you stop trying to serve yourself and, like Jesus, live your life to serve others! True freedom starts with surrender! True peace comes when you surrender all the things you think you need and start being obedient to God’s Word by serving others! Lord may you help me to be more like Jesus!!

APPLICATION:

Be honest with myself. Recognize when my flesh is controlling my thoughts and actions. Stay in the Word and read it every day. Stay connected to the vine and get involved by serving others. Pray more!

IN HIS NAME

Sermon notes Pastor Graydon Cress

14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Col 3:14

As God has loved us, so we are to love others. Don’t confuse love with lust or attraction or feelings. Worldly love= self focused feelings. Biblical love= active self giving commitment to seek the good of another. It requires sacrifice and is about commitment and not circumstances. Sometimes love can be allowing someone to go through something difficult. As God has loved us… He is a perfect example. Look to God and see how He treats His people. God decided to love me because of Himself. Not because of anything I did. He chose to love me out of His abundance. He lavishly loves us even though we do not deserve it! God is committed to love me even when I make mistakes. Despite how I act. God still lovingly confronts our sin. When loving someone that is in sin you must love confrontation. When confronting sin you must first check your own motives. Eph 4:14 Is it for your good or the good of the person? God wants us to be just like Jesus and be free of sin. God’s love is not just a feeling, it is actively demonstrated. Every page of the Bible God is showing active love. 1 John 4:9,11,19 God shows us how to love others. God loved us first so we could spread that love to others.

So we are to love others… We decide to love others because of God’s love, not because they deserve it. Decisive love and not because anyone deserves it and it doesn’t matter how you feel. Choose to show God’s love. We get to love others because God loved us first. We commit to love others even when it is difficult. Just like God does with us. Be committed and unconditional for their good. Our love is not just a feeling, it is actively demonstrated. Active love from God the same way He loves us. Love is sacrificial and it is impossible to do apart from God. Love is the primary evidence that we belong to God.

Love binds the Christian life together. Love is the belt that holds all the other godly characteristics together. Do people close to you feel God’s love? You cannot muster up God’s love apart from the vine. Get into the community of God’s love.

APPLICATION:

Stay connected to the vine. Read God’s word everyday! Think about my words before they come out of my mouth. Love others the same way God loves me. Pray for God’s help to be more like Jesus. Pray more often! Don’t forget God’s truths and promises. Live for Him and put my flesh to death!

IN HIS NAME

5 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Gal 5:1

Freedom is a word that can have different meanings. Most people want freedom to be able to do whatever they want. Be free from restraints and be able to follow your desires and ultimately decide what you feel is right for you. What Paul is saying is that it is not real freedom and will eventually turn into a different kind of bondage. You can become driven by impulses and that turns into bad habits that turn into sin. Eventually your choices start to control you and you are once again a slave to your flesh. I have been experiencing that a lot lately. You can have healthy things in your life like wanting to provide for your family and take them on vacations and do fun things. But when it starts to take over your thoughts and you begin to let it affect the way you walk through life then it’s becoming an idol. You are serving your flesh and trying to fulfill something in your heart that is only going to be filled by God. Your flesh is competing with God all day long. Trying to pull you away and distract you with things that seem important but in the light of eternity are completely meaningless.

Paul is talking about a freedom that can only be achieved when it starts with surrender. When Jesus exposes you to His love and forgiveness and His grace only then can you truly be free. When you realize that you no longer have to earn your place with God and you are freed from condemnation and guilt of your sin then you can truly live free. You are no longer held captive to sin and all the standards set by this sinful world. You are no longer controlled by what used to own you and you can really start to live life how God intended you to live. You begin to live a spirit filled life and God begins changing you from the inside out. But that’s just the beginning because your flesh is always there and will always be pulling you away. That is what Paul is reminding us of in this verse. Don’t forget why and how God has set you free and don’t allow yourself to return to the yoke of your sin. Don’t trade the free gift of grace from Christ for a checklist of things you think will make you happy! Believe me when I say it is a struggle. Your whole life has been driven by lies. Things you’re told and things you see that you think will make you successful and happy but they couldn’t be more wrong. The only thing you need is Jesus! Follow Him to achieve true freedom!

True freedom begins with surrender so surrender today! Lord please give me the strength to surrender it all! I want to live life for You. To stop chasing all the things I feel will make me happy! You are the true source of freedom! Set me free from the sin that is constantly wrecking me! Help me to fix my eyes on you and to never look back! Thank You for Your Word and the truth that puts me back in my place when I start to wander! You are God and I am not! Thank you for those truths! Paul isn’t saying to try harder but he is reminding us that we don’t have to prove ourselves to God or to anyone else. But to stay at the foot of the cross and surrender it all to Christ. Only then will you have true freedom.

APPLICATION:

Remember that life is not all about me. Don’t be selfish and self centered. Stay buried in God’s Word. Allow His truths to influence my thoughts and actions in every situation. Put others first and serve them. Remember that Christ gave me mercy when I deserved judgement. So be merciful to others even when they don’t deserve it. Be humble and thankful! Pray Pray Pray!

IN HIS NAME