Father's Day

Your Portion

Last Saturday Night - When I lose weight - When I finally find someone - When I get a better job - How come they have so much?

Delayed living Waiting on a "One Day When" Wasting "now" on comparison

Delayed living Waiting on a "One Day When" Wasting "now" on comparison For 49 people That day will never come

Big Brian and Shirtless Yard

Lamentations Not light-hearted reading Real pain Depression Born of real hardships

He has made my teeth grind on gravel, and made me cower in ashes;

…my soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is;

…so I say, “My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the Lord”

So I say, “My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the Lord” (NIV)

Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall!

My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me

All hope is gone All I remember is bitterness I've forgotten what happiness Even feels like

Life is delayed Or given up on No matter what I do, It's over I'm just existing

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:

Game-changer Past doesn't change Present is the same Yet this one thing changes… Everything

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail (NIV)

Not consumed? It's not where I am In comparison to what I want Or what someone else has

Not consumed? It's where I am In light of what I deserve

Sin: War on God's Kingdom Taunting God and Mocking "consequences"

None of us came in here clean Sin: War on God's Kingdom Taunting God and Mocking "consequences"

Game changer But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail (NIV)

they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness

I'm not getting what I deserve You are still God You still love me Every new day, there is renewed Compassion for me from God

But what about All that I've experienced? Teeth on gravel…no peace, Lost hope, bitter taste to life That I just can't forget

I can't fix what I've experienced And I won't help What I'm going through By getting angry at God

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him” - Lam. 3:16-24

Portion: Inheritance What I receive Used of tract of land Mine…no one else's

The Lord is my portion - He doesn't consume me - Mercies new every morning - Faithfulness never ends

So much more than I deserve My future. My here and now What he does for me is Greater than what anyone Has done to me

Next breath Next heartbeat Next moment

And so much more…

Real Life begins when I Make it about something Greater than just me

When I make my life about The Creator rather than The Creation I walk away from idolatry and a Circumstance-controlled life

Then… - Hard times - I'm not enough in comparison to other people - Past experiences - Current troubles

Can't cause me to lose hope Delay living Look to "someday when" I'll finally start living

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him” - Lam. 3:16-24

When I remember that God Is my portion I'm free to live now Rather than postponing until… Or living in the "back when"

God is my portion And I'm not entitled to it I don't deserve it Else it's not grace And there's no reason for praise

The Lord is my portion What I have, God has allowed Talents and abilities Looks and personality Material possessions/family

What if I want more? I'm comparing… I'm unsatisfied… I believe I'm deserving…

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail (NIV)

Keep me from living: - Comparison (Always someone with more) - Self-pity (fairness false reality) - False Promises to myself

When I stop smoking When I find someone to love me When I get more money

Real Life begins when you Make it about something Greater than just you

What if I get it all?

What if I get it all? Actors who make it big… People who get famous Or hit the lottery

If I'm not enough without Those things I'll never be enough with them Because no matter what I'm still me

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him” - Lam. 3:16-24

Life happens when I choose To stop being a victim Of unfairness

And start responding As a man or woman of faith Where I am with what I have Regardless of what anyone else Seems to have

When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise - 2 Cor. 10:12

God calls you to contentment Right where you are With what you have

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”

So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” - Hebrews 13:5-6

Love God, not things Be content with what you have = The Lord is my helper!

Delayed living is the lie That I will one day be happy If I just…

Jesus tells a story About a guy who finally got What he thought he needed To start living

I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry”

But God said to him, "Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?" - Luke 12:19-20

All that time saying, "One day, I'll have enough. One day I'll live. One day I'll enjoy life." = a life wasted

You can't change What's happened to you You can decide to live In spite of it

Great…so chase my dreams? Take chances? Be happy no matter what?

This is the part where I quote: I came that they may have life and have it abundantly - John 10:10

"If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me"

"For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it" - Mark 8:33-35

Abundant life begins with Your death to self And it starts now Not "someday when…"

Real Life begins when you Make it about something Greater than just you

Your life is an opportunity to Live for something much greater So that when your time ends Your influence remains And is eternal

This IS abundant life: "For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it" - Mark 8:33-35

Yeah, but I still have Insecurities, troubles, fears That I'm not enough (Hint: You're not. You were never meant to be enough)

I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God I've got a past

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain - 1 Cor. 15:9-10

God will often use you best In the areas you most Want to run from

Real Life begins when you Make it about something Greater than just you

49 people lived their last day How many were waiting to live? To enjoy, to experience life?

Today. Live. For more. Christ died to give you life Abundant, to the full

Pray Questions, Comments Disagreements

Today: Baptisms at 1 PM (I could use a helper)