Paul
Your Grace Is Enough (lindy)
I've Found A Love
Lead Me To Your Heart
He Loves Us (waltz)
Jon
It’s that time of year, grab a heart an pray for a kid
1 Samuel 15:10-23
Self-deception
Destroy the Amalekites utterly, saith the Lord
Saul begins to make decisions outside of the boundaries of God’s command
Decisions that formed subtle patterns of behavior that led to a bitter ending
Consumed by jealousy and envy
Under the power of self-deception, we can end badly
Saul returned with the best of the livestock and the king – 95% of what God commanded
Samuel loved Saul, prayed for him
Saul asks Samuel to speak at the party
Self-deception: a misconception that is favorable to the person who holds it. The act of fooling oneself, of willfully not accepting the obvious
We’re great at collecting data that supports OUR view of things
Three techniques
1) blame shift
1 Samuel 15:15
See the writing on the wall and face it or run from it
Adam and Eve – the women made me eat the apple
2) Lord I’m doing this for you
Sacrifices for You Lord
1 Samuel 15:22-23
Does God delight in our donations? In our studying His words? Yes, but obedience is far better that mere acts
John 14:23
Abide in my teachings
We’re great at doing things
We need to discern His voice
He sends Samuel’s into our lives to pierce our hearts
Do we have friends like
3) it’s just a little problem, it’s not that big a deal! Cut me some slack
1 Samuel 15:20
God reveals things to us in private before dragging us in front of the community
What triggers self-deception in our lives?
What’s going on underneath?
v 17, 12
Saul put himself in bigger shoes that weren’t his…made himself bigger than God
There is a voice constantly telling us that we are small and we keep fighting it and trying to be bigger
v 23 idolatry
I’ve got to be the best parent, cool, accepted
Things we feel we need in addition to God
Matt 25:31
Luke17:33
Matt 5:5
Meek doesn’t mean weak or mild
Once associated prominently with horses. A horse as meek when it would take tithe bit. When this happened the horse and the rider would become one. The two of them reached the highest level of symmetry.
Are the sings words or do they sink into us
We take Samuel’s as signs of rejections, when really he loves us
We wouldn’t run to idols if we deeply knew how much He loves us
Romans 8:31-39 from the message
Nothing can get between us and God’s love for us