Just Enough Time to Do God’s Will

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES Building My Life on Values That Last

Just Enough Time to Do God’s Will By Rick Warren — Nov 28, 2015 “All of us should … enjoy what we have worked for. It is God’s gift.” (Ecclesiastes 3:13 GNT) In a 21st century world where we’re overworked, overstressed, and over-scheduled, this may be one of the most significant and freeing sentences you’ll ever read: You have just enough time to do God’s will. That means if you don’t feel you have enough time in your day, one of two things is true. Either: You’re doing things God doesn’t intend for you to do. You’re doing the things God intended the wrong way. God wouldn’t give you a list of things to do and not give you the time to do them. Either you’re trying to do too much or you’re wasting time. There’s really no other option. Either way, you need to learn to enjoy the moment. The Bible says, “All of us should … enjoy what we have worked for. It is God’s gift” (Ecclesiastes 3:13 GNT). Too many of us fall victim to a terrible trap. I call it “when and then” thinking. We believe “when” we achieve a particular goal, we’ll be happy. Maybe that goal is graduation, marriage, or a financial goal. But you won’t be happy then. You’ll enjoy reaching that goal for three seconds, and then you’ll start asking yourself, “What’s next?” The cycle simply repeats. Are you worn out, burnt out, or stressed out? God wants more for you. If you’re carrying an overwhelming load, it isn’t from Jesus. He says in Matthew 11, “Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest …. the load I give you to carry is light” (Matthew 11:28, 30 NCV). Every moment of your life is a gift from God. He doesn’t want you to miss a single one. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over What moments from your past do you regret that your busyness kept you from enjoying? What goals have you achieved in the past that you thought would be satisfying yet they weren’t? How can you change your priorities and your schedule so that you have enough time to do what God wants you to do? ​ Thank Him in Advance Post by Joel Osteen    FacebookTwitterEmailPrintMore   It's interesting to see all of the "thankful" posts at this time of the year. People go out of their way to show their gratitude, and that's good! We should express our thanks and let our loved ones know we appreciate them. We may celebrate Thanksgiving once a year; however, we should live in it 365 days a year. Living with an attitude of thanksgiving begins by what you set your focus on. You can either focus on your problems, or you can focus on your blessings. The question is: do you want more problems, or do you want more blessings? When you are truly living with an attitude of thanksgiving, you don't just thank God for what He did in the past, you aren't just thankful for today, but you also thank Him for what He will do in the future. You are thankful that He will open new doors. You are thankful that He will increase you. You are thankful that He will bring the right people into your life. When we thank God in advance, it's really a declaration of faith. Your thanks is saying, "God, I'm so sure of Your goodness, I'm so sure that You're working in my life that I'm going to thank You right now for what You are going to do tomorrow." Always remember, faith is what pleases God. Faith opens the door for His promises. Faith says "thank you." So thank God for what He has done, and thank Him in advance for what He will do in your future! "O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His lovingkindness endures forever." (1 Chronicles 16:34, AMP)

Your Work and Your Worth Are Two Different Things

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CURRENT TEACHING SERIES Building My Life on Values That Last

Your Work and Your Worth Are Two Different Things By Rick Warren — Nov 29, 2015 “I have also learned why people work so hard to succeed: it is because they envy the things their neighbors have.” (Ecclesiastes 4:4 GNT) We can come up with many excuses for overworking. Sometimes we blame it on providing for our family. Other times we insist our work is so important that to slow down would be negligent. But usually, it’s a values problem. We start valuing the wrong things. Specifically, we value the acquisition of stuff above all else. The Bible says, “I have also learned why people work so hard to succeed: it is because they envy the things their neighbors have” (Ecclesiastes 4:4 GNT). God says we have two options: We can either spend all of our time keeping up with the Joneses, or we can forget them and reduce our stress level. But we can’t have both. That’s how this becomes a question of values. Do you want more stuff, or do you want less stress and more time with your family? The choice is yours. When is enough, enough? You can win the rat race, but you’re still a rat! Jesus said it like this: “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Mark 8:36 NIV) To put it in modern language, “What good is it for a man to become president of his company but lose his kids or his wife?” The simple answer? It’s not good at all. Your work and your worth are two different things. Many of you grew up being told you’re worthless, and you’re out in the workplace trying to prove everyone wrong. In the back of your mind, you’re telling yourself, “I’m going to show them. I’m going to prove them wrong.” You work harder and harder, but no matter how hard you work, it’s never enough. Just about the time you start to relax, you hear a haunting voice telling you, “Keep pedaling. Somebody’s catching up!” You need to get rid of the voice. It’s feeding you a lie. As a pastor, I’ve been by many bedsides as people died. I’ve seen many people take their last breath, sometimes at a hospital, sometimes in a home, and sometimes at the scene of an accident. Among all of the people I’ve watched die in my life, I’ve never heard anyone say with their dying breath, “I wish I’d spent more time at the office.” Not one. Don’t you think it’s time to adjust your values? Don’t be a rat. Jump out of the race. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick>> Talk It Over How have you seen overwork affect your family? When you’ve struggled with overwork in your life, what have been the primary causes? In what ways do you sometimes equate your work with your worth? Today’s Scripture “For if because of one man’s trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive [God’s] overflowing grace (unmerited favor) and the free gift of righteousness [putting them into right standing with Himself] reign as kings in life through the one Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).” (Romans 5:17, AMP) SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS Reign in Life We are to reign in life as kings. When God looks at us, He doesn’t see us in weak, defeated or leftover positions. Not at all. God sees us as rulers, as royalty. We have His royal blood flowing through our veins. Do you know what that word “reign” means? It means “your time in power.” God said we’re to reign “in life.” That means as long as you’re alive, that is your time in power. You don’t have a two-year term like the Mayor or a four-year term like the President. Your term is to rule and reign every single day, to be victorious, to rise to new levels, to accomplish great things. Everyone has days when they don’t feel like royalty, they don’t feel powerful. On those days, if you can just remember to reach down and check your pulse, and as long as you feel something beating, you can say, “It’s still my time to reign!” Let that be a reminder to put on a new attitude. Walk like royalty, talk like royalty, and think like royalty. Remember, you have the blood of a champion, and you were created to reign in life! A Prayer for Today “Father, thank You for making me an heir to Your promises. Thank You for giving me Your power so that I can rule and reign with You. Help me to see myself the way You see me so that I can live the abundant life You have in store for me in Jesus’ name. Amen

The Cost of Misplaced Anger

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES Building My Life on Values That Last

The Cost of Misplaced Anger By Rick Warren — Nov 27, 2015 “A hot-tempered man … gets into all kinds of trouble.” (Proverbs 29:22 TLB) Anger has a price tag. When you realize that truth, you’re more likely to control the anger in your life. The Bible tells us, “A hot-tempered man … gets into all kinds of trouble” (Proverbs 29:22 TLB). Most of us have seen someone do something really stupid because that person was angry. The Bible is very specific on the cost of anger. The Bible says: It causes arguments (Proverbs 15:18). It causes mistakes (Proverbs 14:29). It causes foolish things (Proverbs 14:17). You’ve probably seen all of these results from your own anger and the anger of others. The Bible is also clear on the ultimate conclusion of our inappropriately expressed anger. Proverbs 11:29 says, “The fool who provokes his family to anger and resentment will finally have nothing worthwhile left.” Think of the impact anger has on your family. As parents, we’re often tempted to use anger to motivate our children. It works in the short-term. When you get angry, you put the fear of God (or the fear of you) into your children. Your kids may give you short-term obedience, but you’ll lose in the long-term. The end result of misplaced anger is alienation. You alienate the very people you love the most. Eventually, you’ll get more anger back and finally just apathy. No one wants to be around you. The truth is, you always lose when you lose your temper. You may lose your reputation, your job, your children, or the love of your husband or wife when you don’t control your anger. And it’s never worth that price tag. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick>> Talk It Over What are some examples of people you’ve seen become alienated from others because of their anger? If you’ve sometimes exhibited misplaced anger, what were the costs in your life? What is a practical way you can deal with your anger so that it does not cause pain for you or the people around you? Today’s Scripture “...set your hope wholly and unchangeably on the grace (divine favor) that is coming to you when Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:13, AMP) SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS Set Your Hope When we set our hope on God, we set our lives in the right direction. One translation of this verse says, “Look forward to more and more of God’s favor.” God wants to pour out His goodness and grace on you. He wants to help you get ahead in this life. He wants to lead you to the right job. He wants to lead you to the right relationship. But here’s the key: we have to be on the lookout for more of God’s favor. That tells me that we can’t get stagnant. Today, meditate on the truth that God wants to do more than you can even ask or think. It says in Ephesians that He wants to show us the immeasurable, limitless, surpassing greatness of His free favor. In other words, God wants to go far and above what we’re used to! He wants to show you favor in unusual and extraordinary ways. Set your hopes higher today and increase your expectations of what God will do in your life! A Prayer for Today “Father, thank You for Your increase in every area of my life today. I choose to set my hope in You knowing that You want to do more in my life than I can ever imagine. Teach me to be a vessel used by You in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Three Things to Avoid When Angry

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES Building My Life on Values That Last

Three Things to Avoid When Angry By Rick Warren — Nov 26, 2015 “If you become angry, do not let your anger lead you into sin.” (Ephesians 4:26a GNT) We all get angry from time to time. We may handle it differently, but none of us can escape the emotion entirely. But just because we get angry doesn’t mean we’re sinning. The Bible says, “If you become angry, do not let your anger lead you into sin” (Ephesians 4:26a GNT). Paul tells us in this passage not to let our anger lead us into sin. That means that anger isn’t necessarily sin. The truth is, we can deal with our anger in both appropriate and inappropriate ways. Unfortunately, most of us express our anger in ways that get us further from our goals instead of moving us closer to them. For example, here are three things to avoid when angry: Don’t suppress your anger. Don’t store it up inside. When you suppress anger without expressing it in proper ways, it’s like taking a soft drink bottle and shaking it up. One day it’s going to pop! It’ll impact your body eventually. Doctors tell us a number of physical ailments are often brought on by suppressed anger. Don’t repress it. When you repress your anger, you simply deny it’s there. Deny your anger often enough and you’ll be depressed. When I used to do more counseling, I’d hear many people tell me they were depressed, but they were really just angry. They just didn’t think that Christians should get angry, so they simply bottled it up inside. Denying anger is a sin. It’s called lying. Don’t express it in inappropriate ways. We can express anger in a variety of inappropriate ways. We pout, spit sarcasm, manipulate, or do something stupid (get drunk, have affairs, etc.). None of those approaches get us anywhere near the result we’re looking for. So what should we do with our anger? Confess it. You don’t just admit the anger, but you also admit the cause. You tell God — and whoever you’re angry with — that you’re frustrated or you feel threatened. The more honest you can be in your relationships, the easier it will be to get to the root causes of your anger. Here’s the good news about your anger: You may have grown up in a home where anger was consistently expressed in appropriate ways. Inappropriate anger is learned, but it can be unlearned, too. You can change. You don’t have to stay the same. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick>> Talk It Over How did your family deal with anger as you were growing up? Which of the three inappropriate ways to deal with anger do you tend to use? What would your family say you tend to use? What anger are you dealing with now? How does God want you to handle it? Today’s Scripture “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57, NIV) SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS Give Thanks! Thanksgiving is such a powerful force in the life of the believer. Today, we thank God for you, our friends and ministry partners. We know that we are stronger together, and that with you, we are reaching the world with the message of hope. Today we also reflect on our freedom to worship in this country. Our founding fathers risked their lives so that we could serve God. Whether you are eating turkey, playing games with your family, watching football or visiting a friend, remember to take time to focus on God’s goodness. Count your blessings and notice all of the grace, favor and love that God has given you. Show your thanks to others and show your thanks to God because He always leads you into victory! A Prayer for Today “Father, today I thank You for all You have done in my life and for all You will do in my future. I thank You for putting the right people in my path and ordering my steps toward the place of victory. I love You and bless You in Jesus’ name! Amen.”

THINK Before You Speak in Anger

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CURRENT TEACHING SERIES Building My Life on Values That Last

THINK Before You Speak in Anger By Rick Warren — Nov 25, 2015 “Stupid people express their anger openly, but sensible people are patient and hold it back.” (Proverbs 29:11 GNT) Anger confounds many people in our world today. We simply don’t know how to handle our anger like we have in the past. One of the Bible’s simplest yet most profound answers for our anger comes in Proverbs 29:11: “Stupid people express their anger openly, but sensible people are patient and hold it back” (GNT). Think before you speak. Delay is a tremendous remedy for anger. You don’t need to delay indefinitely. If you’ve got an issue you need to deal with, you need to do so. Anger delayed indefinitely becomes bitterness. That’s worse than anger. Bitterness is always a sin; anger isn’t. If you respond impulsively, you tend to respond in anger. If you wait to talk about whatever conflict you’re dealing with, you’ll be more rational and reasonable when you do. The longer you hold your temper, the better your response will be. Give yourself time to think. When conflict arises and you give yourself time to think, what should you think about? Consider these five questions: T: Is it truthful? Is what I’m about to say the truth? H: Is it helpful? Or will it simply harm the other person? I: Is it inspirational? Does it build up or does it tear down? N: Is it necessary? If it’s not necessary, why do I need to say it? K: Is it kind? THINK before you speak. Reflect before you react. It’ll slow down your anger every time. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick>> Talk It Over Think back through a recent argument. Would more time before you responded have helped the situation? Which question in the THINK acronym is most likely to be helpful to you when you’re angry? What’s the biggest challenge to giving yourself more time before responding when you’re angry? Today’s Scripture “...honor God with your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:20, NLT) SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS Honor the Lord with Your Body Scripture says that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and we are to honor the Lord with our bodies. How do we do that? By taking care of it, respecting it, and treating it as valuable. That means you use your body to bring Him glory. It means standing against temptation. It means getting proper rest and nourishment. When you take care of your temple, you are saying, “Lord, thank You for this gift of life. I am choosing to take care of myself so that I can serve You with my whole heart, mind and strength.” As we enter into this holiday season, remember to honor the Lord by taking care of your body. Enjoy the treasures of the season, but don’t allow the hustle and bustle of the season to rob you of simply enjoying the blessing of your friends, family and loved ones. Honor the Lord with your body and walk in His blessings. A Prayer for Today “Father, today I choose to honor You with my body. Thank You for the gift of life. Thank You for empowering me against temptation. Show me Your plan for me today so that I can glorify You in everything I do in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Who Controls Your Future?

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES Building My Life on Values That Last

Who Controls Your Future? By Rick Warren — Nov 24, 2015 “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28 NLT, second edition) One of the great fears we all face is the fear of the future. We fear for the futures of our families, our friends, our jobs, our communities — and everything else in between. It’s natural. We’re not in control. But that realization should drive us to trust God more deeply. We might not be in control of our future, but God is. He created the whole universe. If he wanted to, the Lord could just snap it out of existence in a moment. Yet he is working his plan in history. He is moving history to a climax, a destiny. One day Jesus Christ will come back to Earth. Nothing will stop that. Just as he is working in history to move events toward that day, he will work in your life for a purpose, too — if you’ll let him. The Bible says, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28 NLT, second edition). God’s Word doesn’t say that everything is good. It also doesn’t say that God causes everything. He doesn’t cause war. He doesn’t cause cancer. He doesn’t cause rape, abortion, incest, or molestation. He doesn’t cause evil. We do that. God gives us the freedom to choose. Evil is the price of that freedom. But the Bible does say that God causes everything to work together for good. He can take the dumb, evil, and bad decisions I’ve made in my life and use them for good if I’ll trust him. Romans 8:28 isn’t a promise for everyone, though. It’s for “those who love God.” It’s for those who trust God and say, “Here, Lord, you take all the broken pieces of my life and put them together.” This is why when I read the headlines each day, I don’t worry. Sure, there are a lot of problems in the world today, but God is still in control. God is still moving history to a climax. And God is still moving his people toward his best for them. One day God will work everything out for his purpose. Because God is in control, we can trust him with everything — including the good, the bad, and the ugly of our lives. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick>> Talk It Over How will knowing that God is in control help you to trust him better? How have you seen God take a bad decision and make something good out of it? What’s one fear of the future that you can hand over to God today? Today’s Scripture “I will give You thanks in the great congregation; I will praise You among a mighty throng.” (Psalm 35:18, NASB) SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS Praise Him in the Sanctuary There is tremendous power available when we worship the Lord! The Bible says that God inhabits the praises of His people, and when God’s presence manifests, the enemy must flee. When we worship together in a corporate setting at church, prayer meeting or Bible study, that power is multiplied. One can put a thousand to flight, but two can put ten thousand to flight. That’s why it’s so important that we give thanks and worship when we come together in our church services. Worship begins with a choice. We have to choose to give God praise and thanks even if we don’t necessarily feel like it. Choose to worship Him today with your whole being—body, soul and spirit. Practice praising Him at home or wherever you are, and always be ready to praise Him in the sanctuary. A Prayer for Today “Father in heaven, today I choose to bless and magnify You. I will praise and honor You because You are worthy. Thank You for Your goodness and faithfulness to me in Jesus’ name. Amen”