1. Shift Better Boats

2. If only they would…? I would be happy

3. Me-centered How I feel about… It upsets me when… I love her because…

4. High-maintenance “Neither of them bother me”

5. "You need to do whatever Makes you happiest" "Take care of you first"

6. Continually: Leaving jobs Changing churches Quitting relationships

7. You were designed by God To make a difference Where God plants you

8. 2 Guys, 2 Boats Analogy (Not original)

9. Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying…

10. “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me”

11. But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish

12. flee…from the presence of the Lord = the will of the Lord

13. Warning Sign: When I can't sense The Peace of God's Presence I need to check if I'm walking In his will

14. Why run away?

15. "I don't want them to repent"

16. "I don't want them to repent" "I don't trust You To keep me safe"

17. Put it off "Pray about it…" Displace God

18. Put it off "Pray about it…" Displace God Do I honestly trust God?

19. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord

20. But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up

21. Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them

22. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. So the captain came and said to him…

23. “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish”

24. And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah

25. Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us…

26. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?”

27. And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land”

28. He fears the Lord Be isn't following the Lord He's lying to himself

29. Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them

30. Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous

31. He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you”

32. I have the judgment of God Upon me And it's affecting all of you

33. Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them

34. Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you”

35. So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging - Jonah 1

36. Running from God He placed everyone’s life At risk

37. 2 Boats 1 paying to run from 1 giving up his freedom to run to

38. Paul is warned over and over

39. …the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me…

40. Stephen took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit…

41. ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles’”

42. Paul answered… "I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus" - Acts 20-21

43. "I am ready…to die for… Jesus" Radical Grace changed his life Because of the cross

44. Arrested Investigated Appeals to Caesar

46. While sailing The seasons change

47. “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives”

48. But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said

49. And because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete

50. …But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along

51. Who caused it?

52. …Since we were violently storm- tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. And on the third day they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands

53. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned

54. Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss…

55. Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship

56. For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said…

57. ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’

58. So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told

59. Paul has the favor of God And is walking in his will Saving a whole ship full of people

60. Ship wrecks

61. The soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape

62. But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan

63. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land, and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship

64. And so it was that all were brought safely to land - Acts 27

65. 2 Boats 1 paying to run from 1 giving up his freedom to run to

66. 1 endangering everyone 1 saving everyone's life

67. The boat represents… - Relationship - Workplace/School - Church - Family

68. Is the boat better Because you are on it?

69. You were designed by God To make a difference Where God plants you

70. It's all about me: How do I feel about…? She doesn't make me happy! I'm upset because they… I just won't talk to him anymore

71. You are called by God And blessed by God To be a blessing Where God plants you

72. Shift: Not about Me All about God And the people he has placed In my life

73. Is the boat better Because you are on it? Filled with God to bless

74. Every relationship: - Mission - Mentor - Mutual

75. How? Daily surrender/cross

76. How? Daily surrender/cross Regular time with Jesus

77. How? Daily surrender/cross Regular time with Jesus Ask God to remind you/use you

78. If only they would…? I would be happy

79. Because I'm blessed… I will serve by…?

80. Sharing our Faith - Something I have to do (chore) - Something they need (serving)

81. If you know Jesus… You exist to glorify him By serving the people He's placed in your life

82. Layman exists to make disciples Who change their world For Jesus Because it's not about us

83. Q and A

85. Next Sunday Twin River Outfitters $20 Unlimited Tubes 6 Yrs. And Up

86. 2 Sundays Back-to-School Blessing of the children Cookout after Church

87. Saturday, Sept. 6 Carowinds Youth Trip Able to Walk Around Without Constant Supervision