• Introduction

  • Acts 14:22

  • II Corinthians 1:3-7 – God has comfort to offer!

• Moses

  • Numbers 11:1-6, 10-15 – Moses was discouraged and overburdened.

  • Numbers 11:16-17 – God assigned people to help Moses.

• Joshua

  • Joshua 6:18, 27 – God gives rules for the spoil.

  • Joshua 7:1-13 – Joshua became discouraged and complained to God. God told him to rise up and take care of the sin in the camp.

• Elijah

  • I Kings 18:1, 17-21 – Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal.

  • I Kings 19:1-18 – God told Elijah to get to work on the tasks God gave him.

• Paul

  • II Corinthians 11:22-30 – Paul had every reason to be discouraged.

  • II Corinthians 12:7-12 – Paul had to deal with a “thorn in the flesh.” He complained to God, but God refused to remove it. Paul went about the work God had for him.

  • II Timothy 4:5-8

• What is common across all these men?

  • All these men struggled with discouragements and complained to God.

  • God encouraged them to repent and get back to work.

• Money, continued:

  • Warnings about money, continued:

    • Beware of how money can change relationships
      • Proverbs 14:20; 19:4, 7; 22:7, 26-27

  • “Better is …”

    • Proverbs 3:13-14; 11:4; 15:16-17; 16:8, 16, 19; 17:1; 19:14, 22; 20:15; 22:1; 28:6

    • Many of these proverbs compare money to things we often give up to get money.

    • Money is not fulfilling on its own!

  • Develop a strong work ethic.

    • Proverbs 10:4; 13:22; 14:23; 15:6; 20:13; 21:5, 17, 25-26; 23:20-21; 24:30-34; 27:23-27

  • Be generous to those in need.

    • Proverbs 11:24-25; 13:22; 14:21, 31; 17:5; 18:23; 19:17; 21:13; 22:2, 9, 16, 22-23; 28:27; 29:7, 14

    • Luke 10:30-33 – The Samaritan used his material goods to help the man who had been beaten and robbed.

    • Ephesians 4:28 – We do not earn money just so we can selfishly hoard it.

• Giving

  • Matthew 14:14-21; John 6:1-14 – We may only have a little, but with Jesus, it can go far. They boy was willing to give his loaves and fish.

  • Luke 19:1-10 – Zacchaeus was willing to give half his goods to the poor and restore his wrongs four-fold.

  • Philippians 4:14-16 – Churches are authorized to send support to preachers that need it.

  • James 1:27 – Sometimes giving involves more than just money.

  • Matthew 25:31-46 – Jesus defines giving as much more than just money. Most of the time, giving is not money. We are to serve each other.

  • Acts 9:36-43 – Dorcas gave much through her services. She used her skills to help others.

• Light

  • I John 1:5-10 – God is light. There is no shadow in Him. We must have fellowship with Him.

• Galatians 5:19-21 – Drunkenness will prohibit one from going to heaven.
• I Corinthians 5:11
• I Corinthians 6:9-11 – Drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of God.
• Alcohol deceives many from the first drink.
• I Peter 4:3 – “Drinking parties” or social drinking condemned.
• The Texas Driving Handbook: “You cannot take one drink and be 100% sober. … If you’ve has even as little as one drink, then it’s wise to let someone else do the driving.”
• When is a person drunk?
  • A study showed that 0.05% alcohol in the blood doubles the changes of an accident.

• Introduction

  • Matthew 4:21

  • Acts 4:13 – John was a regular man, but he had been with Jesus.

  • Galatians 2:9

• John is an example of how evidence leads to faith.

  • John was present for many miraculous and important events with Jesus, including His transfiguration, crucifixion, the empty tomb, and seeing Jesus after His resurrection.

    • Mark 5:37-42; 9:2-4, 7-8; 14:32-35; John 13:23; 18:15-16; 19:26-27; 20:1-9, 19-23; 21:12-14

  • John 19:35; 20:30-31; 21:24-25 – John knew this was true!

  • Acts 4:19-20 – John could not stop speaking about what he’d seen.

  • I John 1:1-4 – John was convinced. Then he became a convincer.

• John matured over time, and so should we.

  • We should continue to improve our behavior over time.

Earlier:

Later:

Selfish (Mark 10:32-37, 44-45; 9:34)

Sacrificial (Acts 4:3; 5:18, 40; 12:2; Revelation 1:9)

Bossy (Luke 9:49-50)

Brotherly (III John 1:1-7, 9-10)

Hostile

Loving (Acts 8:14-15, 25; I John 2:1; 4:7; III John 1:4)