I cannot imagine what it must be like for kids to have parents that are so busy that they forget to pick them up. I've seen this on movies/television and heard of some small stories like this in life, but never have experienced it. I was fortunate to have parents that didn't forget nor can I imagine "forgetting" where my kids are at or when they need to be picked up. I know there may be the occasional honest mistake but the child may not even realize that it was an honest mistake.
Most of the time in the movies the time is exaggerated to be a long time later that a person is picked up or someone is stood up for an engagement. Counting on someone and then being let down can be devastating.
There are various instances of being let down. Some may be a bit higher on the scale where other situations can be brushed off pretty easily. Sunday we looked at I Samuel 30:1-6 and Hebrews 5:7 while examining situations in the lives of David and Jesus. Here are some applications to choose from to use this week...
- Poor Choice ~ Sometimes we are going to make a poor choice. Whether it is something we say or do, it will have a negative repercussion. Instead of wallowing in our poor choice and/or the effects which follow, may we find strength in God, even if it is easier said than done!
- Extend Grace ~ Knowing that we can make a poor choice, there are those who may let us down because of a poor choice. May we make every effort to extend the gift of grace and forgiveness their way. This will help you to keep carrying the burden around with you and let you move more freely.
- Relate to Jesus ~ Jesus' life seemed to be filled with disappointments. I am not taking out any victories, but the disappointments did not just come at one time. People let him down regularly. Whether it was people in his close circle or people who were claiming to be religious but were not. We can appreciate how He dealt with his friends letting him down and how we can deal with such situations. Appreciate and relate to Jesus when you become a victim of "friend let down."
Having people that let you down is a sad part of "real" life. People don't always live up to our own expectations and as much as we hate that, we can learn to find strength in God during those times. David was a great example of finding strength in his God. May we see that as the all-sufficient source of our strength in any disappointments we may encounter.
Now it's your turn...when have you been disappointed by someone and how did it feel?
If you were to imagine an alternate life than what you are living what would it look like? You'd probably keep your family but possibly choose something that still changes the picture from what it is at the moment. A different house, car, or career may be one of the top choices that you select. Maybe it is something additional to what you have now, be it a vacation home or sports car. Regardless of what it may be, you can imagine it - and may frequently imagine your life differently.
I want us to imagine what a life would look like if more of the people we knew and the place we lived had a life in Christ. Beyond going to church but was able to get excited about the possibilities that came about when we looked at life as being on God's team and joining forces with Him day after day. Being open to the Holy Spirit's working in our lives and taking advantage of the moments which He brings our way to share about Him.
Sunday, we began a series called RESTORE. Taking the concept that we can help take what we "imagine" and turn it into an outcome, trying to restore our world into something better. Here are some applications to choose from to use this week.
- Imagine ~ Think of what you would like different in your school, neighborhood, home, career, church, family, etc. Then, try to think about what you can do to make it become closer to what you imagine? What vision do you have and how can you carry out that vision to accomplish the task?
- In the Beginning ~ When something is new it has a shimmer (literal or figurative) that is very appealing. All things are good and fun and interesting. Over time, things tend to lose that shimmer. Sometimes we polish or repair the item(s) to get it back to the way it was in the beginning because "in the beginning" it was good. Similarly, after man messed things up through sin, God found a way to make things all better, and put that plan into motion through Jesus.
- Reversing Time ~ Time is something you cannot have back. Once it is gone, it cannot come back. Challenges us to take advantage of any time we are given. Though time cannot be taken back and the effects of a mistake cannot always be changed, we can understand that we can be forgiven. Forgiveness is a process of restoration - be it for yourself or toward someone else.
- Look for the New ~ Upon completion of the restoration there will be something new that comes about. As you imagine what the new will be like, look for that to be showing up at the end of the period. The "new" is imaginable and take advantage of what comes along the way.
"Imagine...the world living as one" is possible. It may not be that probable, but our job is not to make sure it comes true, but to make sure that we do what we can to help accomplish the task.
May you carry out the vision you have to make an area of your world better by utilizing the passion and drive you have.
Now it's your turn...what do you imagine, in your world of influence, that needs to be changed?
Graphics and sermon skeleton are graciously shared through Open Resources and can be found here
