Brownwood.VL.Church

Rarely end up at the wrong place because of one bad choice. Didn’t get a bad spot all at once—One step—One bad habit. WHO do you want to become? Based on who you want to become, what habit do you need to break? 21So get rid of every filthy habit and all wicked conduct. Submit to God and accept the word that he plants in your hearts, which is able to save you. James 1:21 GN Good habits: Usually starts more difficult—Payoff usually future. Bad habits opposite: Immediate perceived benefit, Neg results later. Acknowledge it—Can not defeat what you cannot define. Attitude: Critical spirit, Complaining heart, Gossiping tongue  MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO DO.  Habit loop—Trigger, Action, Reward. Remove the Trigger—and—Interrupt the Action. Watch for the 5 Major Triggers: Place  Time Mood Moment  People WHO I want to become—Start habit—Break a habit. Never underestimate how God can start something special… 10 Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin. Zech 4:10

The average number of steps an athlete will take when running a marathon is 39, 732. Maybe you are like me and it would more likely be closer to 54,182 steps because that’s the average number of walking steps it takes to walk a marathon. And I would definitely have to walk more than I ran! Every step, from step number 1 to the step across the finish line, has a purpose. Its purpose is to set you up, to propel you forward to the next step. A step is not really a step if it’s not helping to plant your other foot down to make your next step happen. There is harmony, a rhythm, that begins to form as an athlete gets into the momentum needed to run a race well. As each step is measured and planted, setting up the next, gaining momentum, the athlete gets into a zone where all else fades away and the steps they take, become their sole focus. Each step is needed to create the moments that make up your momentum. The origin of the word moment was used to describe a “movement of time”. Each intentional step we take is a moment that will create movement or momentum in our lives. There is an intentionality about momentum and growth that has to happen as we run life’s race. We just can not afford to linger so long on step number 1, 245 that we never really get to step number 1, 246, never mind the step that helps us cross the finish line. I know that our past hurts and shame are often spoken of as some of the reasons why we don’t get moving and get into a rhythm of momentum. Shame, hurt, guilt and condemnation all keep us trapped in a moment that makes movement or momentum seem impossible. But just for a moment, I wanted to consider another reason why some of us never really run our race well – selfishness! I spoke recently and addressed the concept that our past successes and hurts are the very moments in our lives that qualify us all to have a strong passion and to be able to help others have better moments or steps in their lives. We are after all not running this race on our own right? If we suddenly stop in a marathon, runners behind us are affected, sometimes disastrously. But if we can allow good momentum to carry us through the difficult, tough steps, AND keep us moving through the pride of having made successful ones, we show others how to run and lead well too. But if we get so wrapped up in ourselves and our steps, we often stop in a moment that hinders our growth. Don’t get stuck on a difficult step or continue reliving the good ones, for the sake of others’ growth and your own momentum in life – MOVE ON! Here are 4 Move On Habits for you to think about: Be deliberate about your thoughts and responses – Take 3 moments when you would have defaulted to complaining and choose to be cheerful. Your moment impacts others moments. It’s called living with purpose!Get rid of excused behaviour – Maybe just maybe your excuse does not justify the behavior. Find someone you trust and be vulnerable about the last time you were accused or confronted about a weakness and why you were able to justify your behavior. Its called being vulnerable!Figure out unexplained behavior. You don’t know why you did something or responded in a ceratin way? Start to think through some of the reasons or triggers to your thoughts or behaviors and ask yourself if that trigger moment is still valid for the moment that it happened in or was it something from your past that still governs your current momentum? It’s called being transparent!Create meaningful feedback loops. Thinking that you are always right creates an immediate imbalance in your character. Setup regular opportunities to discover ways you could have improved in your responses, decisions,  and habits. It’s time to stop with all the excuses!

In the hustle and bustle of life, we can often get caught up in life’s “whats” keeping us very busy. “What” I have to do, “what” I have to get, “what” I have to say… But when we compare the hustle to the life proposed to us in scripture, we leave much of the passion, fun, and excitement of life behind as we rush forward to get the “what” done! Haggai recorded God’s answer to this. When God saw the hustle of the people getting caught up in their “what” lives He commanded them: “Consider your ways!” God wants us to concentrate on growing and developing our character. He wants us to expand in our personal relationship with Him, and in that arena, our “what” doesn’t quite cut it! He wants your “who”! So consider your week. Not only reflect but also plan to get more “who” you are and “who” you want to become type stuff done! That’s where the excitement is. It’s fun to grow in our character and develop better responses, decision-making processes, and habits. It might not seem like it, but speak to people who have kicked bad habits, learned to appreciate their spouse in a new way, or become better parents and you will see a glint in their eyes that the business of “what” could never have put there.

OF GOOD CHARACTER 5 NOISEMAKERS GALATIANS 5:19-23 The sources of our character Flesh – Spirit RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IS THE SOURCE OF OUR GOOD CHARACTER I can walk out in my character the things He is promising. Having a good character emboldens us to take up the authority God has given us. REVELATION FROM GOD TRIGGERS OUR AUTHORITY Hearing from God may be periodic or occasional, but our need to walk in our Godly authority is required constantly. HEARING FROM GOD IS REVELATION Living in God’s presence, in the dynamic of a relationship with Him, we are at the very epicenter of revelation, discernment, and promise. RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD DISPELS THE FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN God sent Jesus to reveal Himself to us Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to help us discern Him The Holy Spirit points us to Jesus so we can be in a relationship with the Father so we can walk out His promises. LACK OF RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD HEIGHTENS THE FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN Eg. Death is the unknown The unknown creates anxiety. But faith is the excitement we have to jump headfirst into the unknown because we have complete trust in the revealed promises of God AND the authority He has given us over this world.  The promises of God are confirmed through our intimate relationship with Him. And the promises of God eliminates the fear of the unknown. RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD MEANS LIFE Life with no fear, with no end, and with no limits That kind of life is a life that exacts a good character. JOHN 17:3 Eternal life means to know and experience you as the only true God, and to know and experience Jesus Christ, as the Son whom you have sent… RELATIONSHIP JESUS AND THE FATHER (LINKED) Knowing Jesus = Having the mind of Jesus eg. Speaking South African Being in proximity to Jesus means we are in proximity to the Father. Our relationship, our good character, our faith to walk through the unknown all revolves around being in a relationship with Jesus. THE QUESTION BY PHILIP JOHN 14:9 Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? The result of a relationship with Jesus The results of relationship with the Father Revelation, discernment, wisdom, good character, and faith to overcome the unknown. NO TRAP OF FEAR THE GUIDE IS PROMISED JOHN 14:15-17 “Loving me empowers you to obey my commands. And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Savior, the Holy Spirit of Truth, who will be to you a friend just like me—and he will never leave you. The world won’t receive him because they can’t see him or know him. But you know him intimately because he remains with you and will live inside you. The Holy Spirit points us to Jesus who in turn brings us into a relationship with the Father. Relationship with God is not possible without the wonder of Christ and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit… The very essence of our good character is the fruits of the Holy Spirit. The wider your conscience is open to revelation from God, the louder the voice of the guidance of the Holy Spirit. KNOW THE THREE If you don’t know the Father, you will never know yourself! The very best characteristics of our identity are amplified through the Holy Spirit. The relationship with the Father calls out the characteristics of Himself that He has already placed on the inside of you. THE PROCESS OF REVELATION The Holy Spirit is guiding you to Galatians 5:22-23 We begin to walk out the fruit of the Spirit we start to have the mind of Christ. As we start to think like Jesus thinks we get into the very presence of the Father. Through revelation given to us of Jesus by the Holy Spirit, we walk in authority to claim the promises of the Father. GETTING RID OF THE NOISE Letting go of bad habits, responses, and decisions by staying focu

OF GOOD CHARACTER 4 THE ARENA OF PEACE GALATIANS 5:19-23 The fruit of our character A good character is not judged by how good it is but by how much it honors God. Flesh: World focussed values and selfishness (Gal. 5:19-21) Spirit: Jesus focussed conscience  (Gal 5:22-23) Against these qualities, there is no law Freedom from bondage and strongholds (Gal. 5:23b) Another word for strongholds is habit. Our life is the sum total of all the small decisions, responses, and habits that we take, make or have. Habitual responses, thoughts, or behavior. Are you bound to a way of thinking? Are you held by excuses or unexplained responses? Are you imprisoned by bad habits, addictions or thoughts? To change our character we need to change its source. CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK ROMANS 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. SYSTEMATIC CHANGE We need to make this change a priority, noting daily, incremental progress to having a character that honors God. We don’t have time to quibble, make excuses, create comfortable theologies to accommodate our lack of good character, blame others, or justify our current status because we are simply too lazy to work out how to change our thinking. THE URGENCY TO CHANGE MINDS, CHARACTER AND SOURCE 1 PETER 5:8-11 Be well balanced and always alert, because your enemy, the devil, roams around incessantly, like a roaring lion looking for its prey to devour. Take a decisive stand against him and resist his every attack with strong, vigorous faith. For you know that your believing brothers and sisters around the world are experiencing the same kinds of troubles you endure. And then, after your brief suffering, the God of all loving grace, who has called you to share in his eternal glory in Christ, will personally and powerfully restore you and make you stronger than ever. Yes, he will set you firmly in place and build you up. And he has all the power needed to do this —forever! Amen. WE NEED TO DO THIS WITH ROMANS 12 DILIGENCE AND CONSISTENCY Successful people do consistently what other people do occasionally. The Johari Window provides us a system of self-observation that removes fear, the unknown and shame-based thinking and helps us step into the arena of peace. The devil roars in some of these quadrants, but we have the vigilance and the diligence to push back. THE JOB AT HAND JAMES 1:21 So this is why we abandon everything morally impure and all forms of wicked conduct.  Instead, with a sensitive spirit we absorb God’s Word, which has been implanted within our nature, for the Word of Life has power to continually deliver us. What delivers us? – The Word of Life What delivers us? Jesus and our faith in Him To be delivered from the fear, shame, and the unknown that keeps us in a constant state of anxiety, we have to diligently be increasing our arena of peace. We need to readily seek the balance from the Holy Spirit, resist the temptations of our fallen flesh, receive restorations and deliverance by Christ, settle in the strength of our true identity and start walking out the power that comes from being free of laws that we create that hold us back from having peace. THE LAWS WE CREATE We create laws, theologies, and ideologies that seem appropriate and good but that are not always beneficial (1 Corinthians 10:23) The laws of shame and guilt. The laws of justification. The laws of blame. The laws of excuses. The laws of the complaint. BREAKING THE LAWS THAT HOLD US BACK We can’t submit to the law of joy while we submit to the law of complaining Peace -> Shame Temperance -> Temper GALATIANS 5:23B Never set the law above these qualities, for they are meant to be limitless. A limitle

OF GOOD CHARACTER 3 Systematically Aware Galatians 5:19-23 The behavior of the self-life is obvious: Sexual immorality, lustful thoughts, pornography, chasing after things instead of God, manipulating others, hatred of those who get in your way, senseless arguments, resentment when others are favored, temper tantrums, angry quarrels, only thinking of yourself, being in love with your own opinions, being envious of the blessings of others, murder, uncontrolled addictions, wild parties, and all other similar behavior.  Haven’t I already warned you that those who use their “freedom” for these things will not inherit the kingdom realm of God!  But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions: joy that overflows, peace that subdues, patience that endures, kindness in action, a life full of virtue, faith that prevails, gentleness of heart, and strength of spirit.  Never set the law above these qualities, for they are meant to be limitless. You can only build a good character if you are acutely aware of your responses, your decisions, and your reactions.  STUDY YOURSELF Asking The Why Questions  WHEN CHRIST-LIKE RESPONSES ARE NOT OUR DEFAULT  1. You believe in Him but you haven’t got to really know Him! 2. You believe in Him but you live as if He doesn’t exist! 3. You believe in Jesus but you don’t want to be a fanatic! 4. You believe in Jesus but you don’t fully trust Him  Romans 7:15, 18-19, 24-25 NLT I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate…I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway… Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.  1 Corinthians 10:23 You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial. Much of what you normally do isn’t a result of conscious choices but a result of daily habits.  Our life is the sum total of all the small decisions, responses, and habits that we take, make or have.  MOMENTUM CHANGES CHARACTER Goals don’t determine success.  Systems determine success.  “You don’t rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems.” James Clear  (Atomic)  Successful people do consistently what other people do occasionally.  SYSTEMATIC GROWTH COMES FROM SYSTEMATIC AWARENESS  If you want to change who you are—Change what you KNOW about yourself.  THE SYSTEM Creating habits, responses and decision-making processes that grow our character and reflect the character of Christ LIFE OF DANIEL  DANIEL 6:3 Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.  DANIEL 6:4,5 At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Your decisions, habits, and responses reflect your character and not the opinions of others DANIEL 6:10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Daniel 6:10   Never underestimate how God can do something big  through one small habit. I’m not successful when I hit my goal somewhere or somehow in the future! I’m successful when MY CHARACTER HAS honored God. CONSIDER YOUR WAYS September 21, 520 BC – Haggai’s Prophetic Word comes to pass as the peopl

Tonight was such a powerful night in worship! We had sixteen people get baptized, had healing take place, and so much more.

OF GOOD CHARACTER 2 WHO BEFORE THE DO Galatians 5:19-23 The behavior of the self-life is obvious: Sexual immorality, lustful thoughts, pornography, chasing after things instead of God, manipulating others, hatred of those who get in your way, senseless arguments, resentment when others are favored, temper tantrums, angry quarrels, only thinking of yourself, being in love with your own opinions, being envious of the blessings of others, murder, uncontrolled addictions, wild parties, and all other similar behavior. Haven’t I already warned you that those who use their “freedom” for these things will not inherit the kingdom realm of God! But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions: joy that overflows, peace that subdues, patience that endures, kindness in action, a life full of virtue, faith that prevails, gentleness of heart, and strength of spirit. Never set the law above these qualities, for they are meant to be limitless. A good character is boundless A bad character is limited THE FORMATION OF OUR CHARACTER Our past forms our character Our hurts form our character Our mistakes form our character Our faults form our character We are not about the formation of character, we are about the transformation of our character. The true reflection of our character is the sum of all the decisions we make and the responses we have. Decisions and responses are not our character, they are only a reflection if it. Don’t live life deciding who we are along the way. GOD WANTS YOU TO HAVE A TRANSFORMED CHARACTER God has never asked us to do anything that is not possible with Him. ROMANS 12:2 Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you,  but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes New Person – WHO 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! APART FROM OUR WORKS Romans 4:6 Even King David himself speaks to us regarding the complete wholeness that comes inside a person when God’s powerful declaration of righteousness is heard over our life. Apart from our works, God’s work is enough.  Understanding our why before we boast about our what! THE WHO TRANSFORMED Character can be recovered and reputation can be rebuilt… Only if you begin to identify your past, your hurts, your mistakes and your faults with Jesus and what He has done to transform them. 2 Corinthians 12:9 But he answered me, “My grace is always more than enough for you, and my power finds its full expression through your weakness.” So I will celebrate my weaknesses, for when I’m weak I sense more deeply the mighty power of Christ living in me. Open yourself to the possibility that your life character can be recovered, your life rebuilt and your circumstances transformed.  RECOVERED, REBUILT AND TRANSFORMED People of Good Character do consistently what other people do occasionally. (Spiritually, Financially, Physically, Relationally) Might not always get it but he is always on it. Romans 7:15, 18-19, 24-25 NLT I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate…I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway… Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 10:23 You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial. Good happens sometimes I want good to happen all the time 1 Corinthians 10:23 WBT Even a bl

THE OTHER SIDE“OF A HARD HEART”To be of Good Character you need to be rooted!You cannot be rooted if you have a hard heart!What does a hard heart look like?Set in your waysEasily offendedHabitual/ReligiousUnteachable“I got this” / “I know”The real storm is not your circumstances but your hard heart!The Tale of Two StormsStorm 1Mark 4:35-41“Later that day, after it grew dark, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s crossover to the other side of the lake.” After they had sent the crowd away, theyshoved off from shore with him, as he had been teaching from the boat, andthere were other boats that sailed with them. Suddenly, as they werecrossing the lake, a ferocious tempest arose, with violent winds and wavesthat were crashing into the boat until it was all but swamped. But Jesus wascalmly sleeping in the stern, resting on a cushion. So they shook him awake,saying, “Teacher, don’t you even care that we are all about to die!” Fullyawake, he rebuked the storm and shouted to the sea, “Hush! Calm down!” Allat once the wind stopped howling and the water became perfectly calm.Then he turned to his disciples and said to them, “Why are you so afraid?Haven’t you learned to trust yet?” But they were overwhelmed with fear andawe and said to one another, “Who is this man who has such authority thateven t”–––Mark 4:35-41 TPTAsked “do you even care?”Amplified dramaThought they were going to dieAt times we believe that a storms objective is to grow us in faith! But if thestorm was from God then why did Jesus rebuke it?Jesus was in the storm. But the storm was in the disciples!The disciples thought “we got this!” They’ve done this before. It was theirway of life!Molded by their own habits, hurts, traditions, abilities and thoughts!This is all ground were seeds cannot grow!SeedsMark 4:13“If you don’t understand this parable, how will you understand any parable?If you miss what God is saying, you’ll miss what God is doing!Mark 4:14The Farmer sows the Word as seed!Your heart is the soil!Not having an understanding of the parable amplified the storm by hardeningthe heart of the disciples.The storm comes to choke the seed!Storm 2Mark 6:35-52–––1.2.“After everyone had their meal, Jesus instructed his disciples to get back intothe boat and go on ahead of him and sail to the other side to Bethsaida. Sohe dispersed the crowd, said good-bye to his disciples, then slipped away topray on the mountain. As night fell, the boat was in the middle of the lake andJesus was alone on land. The wind was against the disciples and he couldsee that they were straining at the oars, trying to make headway. When it wasalmost morning, Jesus came to them, walking on the surface of the water,and he started to pass by them. When they all saw him walking on the waves,they thought he was a ghost and screamed out in terror. But he said to themat once, “Don’t yield to fear. Have courage. It’s really me—I Am!” Then hecame closer and climbed into the boat with them, and immediately thestormy wind became still. They were completely and utterly overwhelmedwith astonishment because they failed to learn the lesson of the miracle ofthe loaves, and their hearts were unwilling to learn the lesson.”Mark 6:45-52 TPTAsked with longing not fearDid something different (they were rowing)They believedThree Storm StoppersAsk the right questions“We have a biblical mandate to know God and study His Word by askingquestions and seeking answers.” Billy GrahamI Chronicles 28:9 NKJV““As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Himwith a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts andunderstands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be foundby you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.”I Chronicles 28:9 NKJVWho is in the boat with you?Proverbs 18:1“An unfriendly person isolates himself and seems to care only about his ownissues. For his contempt of sound judgment makes him a recluse.”Proverbs 18:1 TPT Manage your thought