1. My attitude, choices, and actions can either hinder or promote God’s blessings in my life
Love God and keep His commandments because He loves and blesses first – Deut. 11:1-15
No different in the New Testament – 1 John 4:16-19
Deuteronomy 11:1 "You shall therefore love the LORD your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always.
Deuteronomy 11:13 "And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,
1 John 4: So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. (17) By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. (18) There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. (19) We love because he first loved us.

2. My attitude, choices, and actions can either hinder or promote God’s blessings in my life
God takes away His blessings from those who turn aside – Deut. 11:16-17
No different in the New Testament – Heb. 10:26-27
Deuteronomy 11: Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them; (17) then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain, and the land will yield no fruit, and you will perish quickly off the good land that the LORD is giving you.
Hebrews 10: For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, (27) but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.

3. My attitude, choices, and actions can either hinder or promote God’s blessings in my life
Teach our children about God – Deut. 11:19
No different in the New Testament – Eph. 6:1-4
Deuteronomy 11:19 You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
Ephesians 6:1-4 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. (2) "Honor your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise), (3) "that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land." (4) Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

4. My attitude, choices, and actions can either hinder or promote God’s blessings in my life
Deuteronomy 11: "See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known.

5. Faith’s role in how God blesses us
Faith is a strong conviction about the truth of information, and upon which one is moved to respond or act based on his conclusions.
Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Many sources of information.
You believe in and are motivated by something.
Divine blessings are tied to trust and devotion to Divine revelation.

6. Direct correlation between my faith and how fully I receive and enjoy God’s blessings
Strong and mature faith does not mean life will be without trials and suffering
1 Peter 1:3-9
1 Peter 1:3-9 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (4) to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, (5) who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (6) In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, (7) so that the tested genuineness of your faith--more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (8) Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, (9) obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

7. Faith plays a role in how God blesses us
The disciples reaction when they witnessed Jesus walking on water – Matt. 14:22-26
The chance to walk on water; to do something Peter could not otherwise do – Matt. 14:27-29
Matthew 14: Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. (23) And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, (24) but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. (25) And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. (26) But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" and they cried out in fear.
Did they react any differently than most of us would have reacted?
Matthew 14: But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid." (28) And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." (29) He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.

8. Fear and “little faith” removed the Lord’s blessing and endangered Peter
Matthew 14: But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."
Matthew 14: But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." (31) Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" (32) And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. (33) And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God.“
It was a chance for Peter to do something that no man can do on his own – WALK ON WATER
He had enough faith to get out of the boat and walk to Jesus, but his faith wavered due to the elements and his lack of focus.

9. Faith still gives people a chance to do things they could not do on their own.
Rom. 5:1-2
“Justified by faith, we have peace with God”
“Obtained access by faith into this grace”
“Rejoice in hope of the glory of God”
Col. 2:12
Faith is what gives baptism its power
Romans 5:1-2 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (2) Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Colossians 2:12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.

10. Faith still gives people a chance to do things they could not do on their own.
Eph. 3:11-12
Faith gives boldness and confidence
Heb. 10:22
“Draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith”
Ephesians 3: This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, (12) in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.
Hebrews 10:22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

11. Too little faith causes us to miss out on the full benefits of God’s blessings
Matt. 6:30-34
Too “little faith” may cause anxiety and concern about the cares of this life.
Matt. 8:23-27
Too “little faith” may cause us to fear what we should not – even though the danger is real
Matthew 6: But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (31) Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' (32) For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. (33) But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (34) "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 8: And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. (24) And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. (25) And they went and woke him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing." (26) And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. (27) And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?"

12. Doubting faith will not receive anything from the Lord
James 1:5-8 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

13. Dead faith has no value
James 2:17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
James 2:20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?
James 2:24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
James 2:26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

14. Faith is seen and proven by what it does
James 2:18 But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
One event may or may not reveal my level of faith, but a life-style pattern does

15. “The righteousness from God that depends on faith”
“Surpassing worth of knowing Christ”
“That I may gain Christ and be found in him”
“That I may know him and the power of his resurrection”
“That by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead”
Philippians 3:7-11 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. (8) Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ (9) and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith-- (10) that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, (11) that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.