Faultless (Titans)

We have been in a series where we are discussing Greek Mythological gods and how no matter how powerful or gifted they are that they all have a fault.

 

Despite what you've been told, despite any disappointments you might have encountered, despite what culture, society, or the media might have tried to show you our God is faultless.

 

Illustrate here: clash of the Titans Video

 

 

Titans are a race of godlike giants who were considered to be the personifications of the forces of nature.

They were immortal giants of incredible strength and stamina they were overthrown by a race of younger gods, the Olympians, in the "War of the Titans."

 

Gaea

Greek earth goddess and mother of the Titans.

 

Uranus

Uranus is the sky god and first ruler.

Cronus

The offspring of Cronus and Rhea were first of the Olympians. To insure his safety Cronus ate each of the children as they were born. This worked until Rhea, unhappy at the loss of her children, tricked Cronus into swallowing a rock, instead of Zeus. When he grew up Zeus would revolt against Cronus and the other Titans, defeat them, and banish them to Tartarus in the underworld.

 

Rhea

Rhea was the wife of Cronus and she tricked Cronus into swallowing a rock, saving her son Zeus.

 

Oceanus

Oceanus is the unending stream of water encircling the world. Together with his wife Tethys produced the rivers and the three thousand ocean nymphs.

 

Tethys

Titan goddess of fresh water. Tethys is the wife of Oceanus.

 

Hyperion

Hyperion is the Titan of light, an early sun god. He married his sister Theia. Their children Helius (the sun), Selene (the moon), and Eos (the dawn).

 

Mnemosyne

Titan of memory and the mother of Muses.

 

Themis

Titan of justice and order.

 

Iapetus

Titan of mortality.

 

Coeus

Titan of Intelligence.

 

Crius

Titan of astrology.

 

Phoebe

Titan of the Moon. Virgin huntress.

 

Thea

Titan goddess of sight.

 

Prometheus

Prometheus was the wisest Titan. His name means "forethought" and he was able to foretell the future. He tricked Zeus into allowing man to keep the best part of the animals sacrificed to the gods and to give the gods the worst parts, then he stole fire from heaven giving it to humankind.

 

For this Zeus punished Prometheus by having him chained to a rock with an eagle tearing at his liver. He was to be left there for all eternity or until he agreed to disclose to Zeus which of Zeus children would try to replace him. He was eventually rescued by Hercules without giving in to Zeus.

 

Epimetheus

Epimetheus was a stupid Titan, father of excuses, whose name means "afterthought." He also accepted the gift of Pandora(box filled with all evils) from Zeus, which lead to the introduction of evil into the world.

 

Atlas

Unlike his brothers Prometheus and Epimetheus, Atlas fought with the other Titans supporting Cronus against Zeus. Due to Cronus's advance age Atlas lead the Titan's in battle. As a result he was singled out by Zeus for a special punishment and made to hold up the world on his back.

 

Metis

Metis was the Titaness of the forth day and the planet Mercury. She presided over all wisdom and knowledge.

 

Dione

Titan goddess of the oracle of Dodona in Thesprotia, and the mother of Aphrodite by Zeus. Her name is simply the feminine form of Zeus.

 

 

Myth-false belief or idea. 

•                  There are myths all around us.

•                  There are false ideas, religions, half-truths trying to destroy mankind that have come straight from the mouth of the Devil whose whole mindset, career, and existence is to destroy.

•      We have to know truth.

•      We have to engage in truth.

•      When our lives disengage from truth we live just like hell itself in the fact that we try to engage those false ideas, religions, and half-truths into our lives therefore into culture, society, even the church.

 

"Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.” (John 7:24 NLT)

 

1.Many people have a surface relationship with God.

1.They simply see the things He has done for others, they have heard of the things He has done for others, or they somewhere witnessed God moving.

2.There is no depth to their relationship where they actually "know Him."

Know-be absolutely certain or sure about something, have personal experience of.

•      To "know" Him.

•      Not just His healing, not just His provision, not just His power, nor His gifts, but Him.

 

John 7:27 NLT "But how could he be? For we know where this man comes from. When the Messiah comes, He will simply appear; no one will know where he comes from.”

 

2. Another surface account.

•      Jesus is just gonna appear right?

•      Is that what the bible says?

•      Did it say this or did it say that? I'm confused.

•                  People get confused about God when they only have a surface relationship with Him and truly don't know Him.

•      Why should I read the bible for myself when I have someone else tell me what it says, cause that's only surface relationship!

•                  You should know Him.

•                  Not just know about Him.

 

Illustrate here: guacamole or a type of weird looking food that when you actually taste it or engage in it, you love! Or something deceptive from the outside looks great, try it and it's horrible.

 

•      Surface-the outside part or upper most layer of something.

•                  Many people never get any deeper in their God relationship than the surface.

•      Surface relationship says, "God please do what I want, when I want, your my genie in a bottle, your my wish list giver, you give me stuff, you give me things, you are just here to give, give, give.

•      God no matter how much I disappoint you, no matter how much I ignore you, no matter how much I try my very best to dodge your house, your word, your worship, or service to others you should do what I say when I say it.

•                  Surface relationship is mainly about what everyone sees but not what God sees.

•      I go to church, I'm good when everyone is looking, I do all the right things, and make all the right decisions when it counts but inside your as evil, deceptive, and conniving as the Devil.

•                  When no one is looking your mind goes to places that it should never go, when no one is looking you make different decisions with your heart, your actions are shameful not faultless.

 

1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT) "But the Lord said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

 

•      God does not work for you!

•                  He is not employed by you, He is not salaried by you, He..is..God!

•      Faultless God means I can trust Him, I can confide in Him, I can rely on Him, I can expect Him to never fail me, I can expect Him to lead and instruct me.

•      Faultless means free from defect or error. 

 

Jude 1:24 (NLT) "Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into His glorious presence without a single fault."

 

John 17:3, NLT "And this is the way to have eternal life--to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth."

 

How do we get eternal life? Jesus tells us clearly here--by knowing God the Father himself through his Son, Jesus Christ.

 

Eternal life requires entering into a personal relationship with God in Jesus Christ.

•      When we admit our sin and turn away from it, Christ's love lives in us by the Holy Spirit.

Faultless (Dionysus, Midas, Athena, Medusa)

We have been in a series where we are discussing Greek Mythological gods and how no matter how powerful or gifted they are that they all have a fault.

Despite what you've been told, despite any disappointments you might have encountered, despite what culture, society, or the media might have tried to show you our God is faultless.

In my study of the Greek gods I have found some crazy stuff! I have found some things so far fetched I've been astounded.

Dionysus

The god of wine, parties and festivals, madness, chaos, drunkenness and pleasure at forever young.
He was depicted in art as either an older bearded god or a pretty effeminate, long-haired youth.
Semele was a priestess of Zeus, and on one occasion was observed by Zeus as she slaughtered a bull at his altar and afterwards swam in the river Asopus to cleanse herself of the blood. Flying over the scene in the disguise of an eagle, Zeus fell in love with Semele and afterwards repeatedly visited her secretly. Zeus' wife, Hera, a goddess jealous of usurpers, discovered his affair with Semele when she later became pregnant. Appearing as an old crone, Hera befriended Semele, who confided in her that her lover was actually Zeus. Hera pretended not to believe her, and planted seeds of doubt in Semele's mind. Curious, Semele asked Zeus to grant her a wish. Zeus, eager to please his beloved, promised on the River Styx to grant her anything she wanted. She then demanded that Zeus reveal himself in all his glory as proof of his godhood. Though Zeus begged her not to ask this, she persisted and he was forced by his oath to comply. Zeus tried to spare her by showing her minimum amounts of his power but mortals, however, cannot look upon Zeus without incinerating, and she perished, consumed in lightning-ignited flame. Zeus rescued the fetal Dionysus, by sewing him into his thigh. A few months later, Dionysus was born. This leads to his being called "the twice-born". When he grew up, Dionysus rescued his mother from Hades, and she became a goddess on Mount Olympus.

Midas

Once, Dionysus found his master and foster father, Silenus, missing. The old man had been drinking, and had wandered away drunk, and was found by some peasants, who carried him to their king. Midas recognized him, and treated him hospitably, entertaining him for ten days and nights with politeness, while Silenus entertained Midas and his friends with stories and songs. On the eleventh day, he brought Silenus back to Dionysus. Dionysus offered Midas his choice of whatever reward he wanted. Midas asked that whatever he might touch should be changed into gold. Dionysus consented, though was sorry that he had not made a better choice. Midas rejoiced in his new power, which he hastened to put to the test. He touched and turned to gold an oak twig and a stone. Overjoyed, as soon as he got home, he ordered the servants to set a feast on the table. Then he found that his bread, meat, daughter and wine turned to gold.

• Thinks everything can be fixed with money, or possessions.

Matthew 6:31-34 (NLT)
"So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' [32] These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. [33] Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. [34] "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today."

Athena

The goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, just warfare, mathematics, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, and skill.

• Thinks everything can be fixed through wisdom or war.
• She only fights for great causes.
• Everything can be fixed with wisdom but only from the wisdom of God.
• Everything can be fixed through spiritual warfare.
• Prayer, worship, bible reading, fasting, serving,and giving.

Proverbs 2:6-9 (NLT)
"For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. [7] He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. [8] He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him. [9] Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go."

Medusa 

Medusa was once very beautiful and lived far in the north were the sun didn't visit. Being very curious, she wanted to see the sun, and asked the Goddess Athena for permission to visit the south. Athena refused to allow her to visit. Then Medusa got angry and dared to say that Athena hadn't given her permission because she was jealous of her beauty. That was it, Athena was angered and punished her by turning her hair into snakes and cursing her by making her so ugly that who ever looks at her eyes would turn into stone.

• We see jealousy, fear, lust, resentment, lies, drama, covetousness, stealing, fornication, murder, drunkenness, adultery, bad attitudes, homosexuality, anger, selfishness, deception, greed, and that's just in one myth.
• But truth calls it like the bible sees it, sin.

• Most Greek Mythology sounds like a modern day soap opera to me.

• Our God has given us the earth, our God has given us time, our God has given us seasons, our God has given us breath, and life. Our God has given us love, our God has given us His Son Jesus Christ, our God has given us the Holy Spirit, our God has given us the bible to guide and instruct us into right living.

1 Thessalonians 2:10-13 (NLT)
"You yourselves are our witnesses-and so is God-that we were devout and honest and faultless toward all of you believers. [11] And you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children. [12] We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory. [13] Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn't think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God-which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe."

• How did these men and women of God know how to live their lives devout, honest and faultless?
• Because our God is devout, honest, and faultless.
• "This word continues to work in you who believe."
• There is something to be said of a devout, honest and faultless person.
• There is a value, a character, a quality that has has entered into the soul of a person of this caliber.
• One of the things we can see through all of these Greek gods is their jealousy, their desires over running their character, and their sense of immorality.
• Something else we can see is how nearly every college in the world has sororities, sorority parties, and many of these teach immorality, illegal acts, and unethical behavior.
• Their thought process is that you can be anything you want in the daytime then nights, weekends live a mythological lifestyle.

Myth-false belief or idea.

• There are myths all around us.
• There are false ideas, religions, half-truths trying to destroy mankind that have come straight from the mouth of the Devil whose whole mindset, career, and existence is to destroy.
• We have to know truth.
• We have to engage in truth.
• When our lives disengage from truth we live just like hell itself in the fact that we try to engage those false ideas, religions, and half-truths into our lives therefore into culture, society, even the church.

Faultless (guest blog by Caitlin Etoh) goddess Aphrodite

Greek mythology was based off many gods, goddesses that represented the things of human culture, society, and how the world functioned.

However, these Gods and goddesses were everything but perfect for they within their own divinity fought, killed, committed adultery, stole from others, tricked, and destroyed whatever kept them from what they wanted.

Aphrodite
The story goes that Cronus who was the son of Uranus, had a fight and Cronus castrated Uranus and threw his parts into the sea. Sea foam began to form and from it, a beautiful woman raised, which would be known as Aphrodite, the Goddess of love and beauty.

She had the ability to make anything beautiful, and she could make humans fall in love with someone else or something else, put in the feelings of desire and lust for things that people coveted.

She will help you for a price whether it is money or just you being faithful to her in worship.
She did things no matter if it was deceitful, dishonest, or hurtful.

James 3:14-16
"But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice."

Everyone has desires and hopes, and wishes for things that they don’t have.
But when you are filled for only your own selfish desires, it’s hard to attain the things that God has for us.

When we fill ourselves of only things we lust for, we get blinded then things that are wrong seem right and things that are right seem unnecessary.

So when Aphrodite would do the things she did, it will affect not only the people she made fall in love, but it affected the people who they were their spouses, parents, children, sometimes even the whole Greek society because of fulfilling wishes of the selfish and giving tainted hope.

(*Note to self: Talk about summer camp how students were filled with the holy ghost, the vision and calling from God, how easy it is to see things clearly and how we are more receptive and accepting to the things God tells us when you’re isolated with nothing but the presence of God.)

James 3:17 "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere."

When you fill yourself with God’s word, His dreams and vision, your desire will turn into His desires He has uniquely equipped for you.

Our God is about our best interests and what’s best for our lives.

He doesn’t have to scheme and be deceitful in order to give us the desires of our hearts.

Psalms 37:4 "Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."

But the key to this is that you must take DELIGHT, gladness, acceptance in God himself, not only for the things He can do for you or just His blessings; only then will He give the desires of your heart, as long as the glory is Kingdom driven and not motivated for your own selfish reasons.

So how can a god who was only born for beauty, lust, love, and desire have the best interest for you?

SHE CAN'T!

But there is good news our God is FAULTLESS!

He never had to be created for He always was, He didn’t have to create love because He is love.

John 1:1,3-5 (NLT)
"In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. [3] God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. [4] The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. [5] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it."

Since God is already these things and He is our creator, in which we are created in His image, He created us with those things inside us as well.

Aphrodite encouraged people to covet and had no problems of breaking covenants between people.

She had a favorite son named Eros; also known as Cupid.
•Eros was equipped with a bow and arrow and the arrow was dipped in a love poison.
•Whoever Eros shot, that person will fall in love with the first person they see.

Aphrodite used Eros to make people fall in love with the person or the person that someone coveted over. But only sometimes will be it be out of good measure.

Difference between covet and covenant
•Covet: to desire wrongfully, inordinately, or without due regard for the rights of others: to covet another's property. to wish for, especially eagerly.

•Covenant: an agreement, usually formal, between two or more persons to do or not do something specified.
•the conditional promises made to humanity by God, as revealed in Scripture

When your God’s child there’s no need to covet over someone else’s stuff, husband, car, or whatever it is because He already has the things that are meant for you that He wants to give you.

When you put your own selfish desires and wants before His, you compromise the promises He gave us when we accepted Jesus as our savior.

Of course, there had to be a price paid in order for Aphrodite to call upon her son for your need. If you were that desperate for that love of the other person, you did everything you could to pay the price that Aphrodite gave for you to pay.

But God paid the ultimate price then showed the greatest love when He sent His only son Jesus Christ to die for our sins to give humanity everlasting life.

All we have to do is accept it!

It’s a gift, we don’t have to buy love from God, God is love and He already loves us.

For that reason alone makes Him FAULTLESS!

Guarded

2 Sam.23:11 “And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines.12 But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.”

2 Samuel 23:12 “…Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field and defended it…”

One of the things I’ve noticed about David is he was wise because he decided to keep his standards high. He surrounded himself with men of character, men of conviction, men who were even willing to die for certain convictions which they possessed in their heart.
Such was this man that I want to focus on this morning named Shammah.
He intrigues me, he catches my attention because the bible said that he stood in a bean patch and defended it when everybody else turned and ran.
When everybody else said this is crazy, it’s not worth shedding your blood for or dying for.
Shammah was a man who had such conviction, incredible confidence, and truckloads of passion that he stood there and he fought for a field of beans.
He was devoted and faithful to somebody and willing to die for something. That someone was David and that something was a field of beans and that is what raises the question mark this morning.
Why would he stand and fight Philistines that greatly outnumbered him and in great exhaustion fight to defend not a box of gold, not something that had great monetary value but nothing but a bean patch?
Shammah stood by himself.
When nobody else was standing when nobody else was holding the line when nobody else had a conviction about it he was willing even if nobody else took a stand Shammah said I’m going to stand right here.
I’ve given all I’m going to give up, I’ve seen him take too much already and my conviction is to stand and if I die I’ll die standing for what’s right and if I die I’ll die fighting but I won’t go down without a fight.
Beans aren’t rare or expensive and there are other bean patches so why?
“There was a spiritual principle here it wasn’t that it was precious; it’s that it was pivotal.”

He understood something and we need to get a hold of this life lesson this morning. You see we need a revival, a resurgence of the characteristics that Shammah had.
He understood that little things matter to God.
We need to protect the little convictions. The little acts of obedience, the little things that other people don’t even pay attention to but our standards ought to be higher.
Our convictions ought to be stronger, our lifestyle ought to be different, and just because everybody else says it’s not worth taking a stand for… those who know God… and who want to please their King… have to take a stand on the things that seem little and insignificant.

Do it because it’s right.
Do it because of the principle of the matter. The moment that you compromise one inch, you’ll compromise more.
Shammah understood that if he compromised the bean patch it would be easier for him to next give up the house. Then give up the family in the house.
After that give up his wife and give up the children in the house and give up the city and give up the nation.
While if at some point you don’t get some convictions about you the devil will just keep coming and he’ll keep taking more and more and before you know it you’ve lost everything you’ve ever had in God because you didn’t have a standard.
Cause you didn’t have something that you said this is my bean patch and I won’t compromise anymore I’ve got to take a stand.
There comes a time when you have to stand.
There are some things that are non-negotiable.
There are some situations that I don’t care how many other people can do them and be alright and raise their hands and sing the songs and cry. I just know that I can’t do these things because it’s my field, it’s my bean patch.
Once you compromise your personal convictions your in trouble because 1 thing will lead to 2 things and 2 things will lead to another.
This is why we encourage you to keep your standards high.
You have to have a moral bean patch that says this is an area of my life that I will not flex in. This is an area that I will not provide provision for the flesh in.

This generation is bombarded by the musical pornography and the movies and the pressure to give in to compromise and there has got to be a spirit of Shammah that comes into us and rises up within us and says I will not do that, I can not do that.
The devil tells our young men that they have to look at naked images to be cool and know what sex feels like so they can be a man and be accepted by their peers.
And the devil will tell you young lady if you want to be popular, if you want him to love you then just let him have his way.
“Love gives you a wedding, lust gives you a condom.”

**The most important thing you have in your life is your virtue, is your character, is your name, and is your integrity. Guard it!**

1 Peter 1:15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.16 For the Scriptures say, "You must be holy because I am holy."

We can’t live like that and come to church and raise our hands and sing praises to God.
You’ve got to take a stand. You’ve got to say no to the devil this is my field and your not going to get it cause if he gets that he’s going to take more, and demand more, and insist on more until he destroys you.
After you’ve done what the devil tells you you’ve got to do you’ll feel dirty, you’ll feel ashamed, and you’ll cry and you’ll wish that somebody would have told you about Shammah.
The plan of hell is to get us to give up control, step by step, inch by inch, until literally you’re eaten up with guilt and until you’re eaten up with condemnation.

You know what I love and what feels great is to come into a service like this and know that I have stood in my field and when the enemy wanted me to fall into temptation I stood and I defied the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and I said no!
I know others can look at it but I can’t sit here and listen to that and look at that cause I’ve got a bean patch that is too important to me.
Cause I’m not going where everybody else is going and I’m not gonna be used like they aren’t gonna be used.
God has an anointing on you!
God has a calling on you and your standard has got to be higher.

They say and they tell me to give up on this generation but I say Devil… you can go back to hell!
You’re not gonna have our children, you’re not gonna have our teenagers, you’re not gonna have our marriages or our church.

It starts happening with one compromise, one lie, one deceitful act, one cheating, one stealing, one half truth will call for another and before you know it you’ll act just like the world.
Something is wrong when Christian standards are the same as the world.
When were not different, when we can go see the same stuff, go to the same places listen to the same garbage, hang around the same stuff, be in the clubs, be at the parties, go everywhere the world goes, something is wrong.

I’m warning you to guard your life this morning, I’m declaring to you to protect your Spirit this morning. I’m telling you to guard your FIELD this morning!

Psalm 32: 8 “The LORD says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”

Summer Lovin'

Many students launch off to Summer Camp with the intention of having the "summer of their life" and many will find more than they ever bargained for at camp.

So many students will be prepared for everything at summer camp except...how to hold on to their "NEW SUMMER LOVIN' relationship with God.

• They will plan to meet new friends, new girls/guys, new leaders, new counselors but they will not be ready to meet up to the criteria of a God relationship.
• As they leave camp students will be immediately faced with the challenge or temptaion of totally forgetting, disregarding, and burying all that they heard and learned at Summer Camp.
• Don't be a Summer Lovin' Camper!

• Go home and actually Apply the camp experience to my life.

The excitement, the buzz, and the presence of God that was so real. The changes that I actually felt God making in my life, camp. The students, the counselors, the directors, the pastors, leaders and camp staff all were surrounding us. Camp is more than a feeling or an emotion it is a life altering experience to help us begin to walk in God’s will.

3 Reasons people lose their camp experience:

1.     They forget about God. (reading, praying, devoting, worshipping)

2.     Peer pressure, and thoughts of others overwhelm their thought of themselves and their relationship with God. (Are you living your life for someone else?)

3.     I always have next year. I always have tomorrow. I can always make my way back to God anytime.

Colossians 2:6-8 "6And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to live in obedience to him. 7Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done. 8Don't let anyone lead you astray with empty philosophy and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the evil powers of this world, and not from Christ." 

3 ways to never lose your camp experience:

1.  Stay close to the Son

·        How do I stay close to the Son?

Prayer-Fasting-Listening-Reading the Bible-Making right choices-Worshipping-Putting in the things that will grow my experience in God and not kill it.

·        Like it or not this is the way.

Jesus said in John 14:6 Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." 

·        Letting your life be run by the world will destroy you!

James 1:15 “These evil desires lead to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death.” 

·        You have to make decisions that will keep you close to Christ. You have to make decisions to serve Christ. It’s a decision making process.

2.  Stay rooted in the Son

Parable of the sower.

Matthew 13:3 "He told many stories such as this one: "A farmer went out to plant some seed. 4As he scattered it across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. 5Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The plants sprang up quickly, 6but they soon wilted beneath the hot sun and died because the roots had no nourishment in the shallow soil. 7Other seeds fell among thorns that shot up and choked out the tender blades. 8But some seeds fell on fertile soil and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted. 9Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand!"

18"Now here is the explanation of the story I told about the farmer sowing grain: 19The seed that fell on the hard path represents those who hear the Good News about the Kingdom and don't understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches the seed away from their hearts. 20The rocky soil represents those who hear the message and receive it with joy. 21But like young plants in such soil, their roots don't go very deep. At first they get along fine, but they wilt as soon as they have problems or are persecuted because they believe the word. 22The thorny ground represents those who hear and accept the Good News, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares of this life and the lure of wealth, so no crop is produced. 23The good soil represents the hearts of those who truly accept God's message and produce a huge harvest--thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted."

You have to stay rooted in the right place for your life to grow, flourish, and prosper.

illustrate here: Dead plants vs. Live Healthy Plants

4 essentials to nourishment: light, CO 2 Carbon Dioxide, CO₂, is a tasteless, colorless, odorless, nonflammable, liquefied gas. Carbon dioxide is an integral part of the basic life cycle in nature. It is exhaled by humans and animals, then used by plants to help them grow. Plants, in turn, release oxygen, which people depend on for survival. , Nutrients Sixteen chemical elements are known to be important to a plant's growth and survival. The sixteen chemical elements are divided into two main groups: non-mineral and mineral.   and   trace elements Trace element 1. An element that occurs at very small quantities in the body but is nonetheless important for many biological processes.

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1.     Sunlight (Son light)

2.     Air (Influence, inspiration through worship, serving)

3.     Water (Holy Spirit)

4.     Food (Bible, Faith cometh by hearing the Word, Preaching)

·        Just as plants draw nourishment from the soil through their roots, so we draw our life giving strength from Christ.

·        The more we draw our strength from Him, the less we will be fooled by those who falsely claim to have life’s answers.

3.  Stay away from deception

Sin is like shopping with a million dollar bill...

Galatians 6:7 "Don't be misled. Remember that you can't ignore God and get away with it. You will always reap what you sow! 8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 9So don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time. 10Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to our Christian brothers and sisters.

When I heard about Alice Pike's arrest, two questions came to mind. Alice is the woman who tried to pay for her Wal-Mart purchases with a $1 million bill. My two questions: "There isn't really a $1 million bill, is there?" and, "What was she thinking?"

The answer to the first question is no, silly. The U.S. Treasury doesn't make a bank note with that many zeros. I don't know how high they do go, but thanks to Alice, nobody is going to con me on the million dollar one now. As far as what Alice was thinking, I don't believe she was.

Alice went to the register with $1,675 worth of stuff. What is amazing is that she expected change. Math is not my strong suit, but by my calculation, that's a lot of change. Was Alice really expecting that the cashier not only would, but actually could, hand over $998,325.00? Did she envision the cashier on the loudspeaker saying, "We need 10's and 20's on aisle 5?" Did she even bring a vehicle big enough to handle her purchases and the mountain of change?

Alice helps remind us of the irrationality of sin.

  Most sin doesn't make sense.

  We lie and expect good results.

  We overindulge in food or alcohol or entertainment and expect to feel better.

  We take what isn't ours and expect satisfaction.

  We refuse to resist temptation and expect peace.

  We act selfishly and expect stronger relationships.

  We ignore repentance and expect forgiveness.

  We hand over a fake and expect change.

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Proverbs 10:17 “People who accept correction are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore it will lead others astray.”

·       Christians who lead others astray tick me off!

·        We work to win people to Christ and then those students who think that they don’t have to abide by the guidelines of God dismantle them, hurt them by their actions, and lead them away from God as fast as they can.

·        YOU WILL BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR CHOICES AS WELL AS YOURS! They are making decisions based upon the example of person they are following. I know they shouldn’t but they do and that makes you responsible.

·        I cannot stand deceptive people. Deceptive people are misleading, deceiving, use illusions for their life instead of truth, they are unreliable, not to be trusted, to be guarded with suspicion, and totally dishonest. They live a LIE!

This year, instead of losing everything that you gained from camp why not continue on in the depth of your relationship with God.

DON'T DARE BE CAUGHT WITH JUST A SUMMER LOVIN' RELATIONSHIP TO GOD!

Why not grow year round and actually be an asset to your church, home, school and youth ministry?

What do you say?