Grace Fellowship Church Pastor/Teacher - Jim Rickard Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Doxology Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.— Amen.

Memory Verse John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”

John 15:2 Suffering for Blessing Part 14

A. Introduction: Suffering acts as a guardian or parent in life. B. Suffering is used as a measure- ment of life. C. Suffering for Blessing Rationale. D. Five categories of suffering in the spiritual life.

E. Definition of the three stages of Spiritual Adulthood and accompanying Suffering for Blessing. F. Suffering and Spiritual Adulthood. G. Providential Preventative Suffering. H. Prayer and Suffering.

I. Momentum Testing. 5 Categories: Disaster Testing, People Testing, System Testing, Thought Testing, Prosperity Testing.

5. Thought Testing. (continued) 2 Cor 10:3-7a

T.T. attacks the command post of your soul, by challenging the mentality of your soul where you apply God’s Word to all situations in life.

Isa 55:7-9, “Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the LORD, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

h. You can't borrow the thoughts of others; you have to do your own thinking, make your own decisions, and handle your own problems from a position of strength – God’s Word in your soul.

i. The most subtle test is thought distraction in the form of preoccupation with self to the exclusion of Bible Doctrine.

j. Thought distraction is also the result of one's prejudice, inflexibility, unteachability, and inability to take objective criticism from others, especially from the Word of God.

1 Tim 5:21, “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality.”

k. Doubts in T.T. result from neglect of the systematic teaching of Bible Doctrine, setting up wrong priorities in your life, and lack of consistent living in God’s Plan.

l. Believers also try to reconcile their favorite academic subject or personal opinions with the content of Bible Doctrine.

m. Thought distraction occurs when the believer is not interested in the variety of subjects found in the Word as taught by their Pastor.

n. The Bible is not your servant but your master. All portions and subjects from the Bible are important to the believer. 1 Tim 4:6-8

o. Your ability to cope with life, happiness and attractiveness in life is based upon what you think. Therefore, inner beauty is a mental attitude. 1 Tim 2:9-10, 15b

Grace Fellowship Church Grace Fellowship Church Tuesday, February 23, 2010 Tape # Suffering for Blessing, Pt 14 Momentum Testing, Pt 7 Upper Room Discourse, Part 341 John 15:2-8; 2 Cor 10:3-7; Isa 55:7-9; 1 Tim 2:9-10 James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2010