1. Amazing Grace

2. Amazing grace. How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found, was blind, but now I see.

3. T’was grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved; How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed.

4. Thro’ many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come; Tis grace hath bro’t me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.

5. When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise then when we first begun.

6. Beauty
For
Ashes
Lesson 1
Be Washed Clean
Psalm 38:1-10

7. Beauty
For
Ashes
Lesson 2
Lay Down Your Burdens
I Kings 19:1-10

8. I Kings 19:1-10
Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, " So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time." 3 And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree;

9. and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, "It is enough; now, O Lord, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers." 5 And he lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, "Arise, eat." 6 Then he looked and behold, there was at his head a bread cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, "Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you.”

10.  So he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God. 1 Kings 19:1-10

11. Freedom for Burdens
How?

12. When All Seems Lost….. Accusations Fly Habakkuk 1:2 Injustice Abounds
Frustration Creeps In
Habakkuk 1:4
Justice Is Delayed
Habakkuk 1:13
Accusations Fly
How long, O Lord, will I call for help, And Thou wilt not hear? Hab 1:2 (NASB77)
The word cry means “to cry out for help”The disciples in Mark 4:38 Lord do You care that we are perishing? The second time Habakkuk uses the word even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! It means to scream……Habakkuk is screaming at God and he is accusing God of being indifferent.
Injustice Abounds
Why dost Thou make me see iniquity, And cause me to look on wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence are before me; Strife exists and contention arises. Hab 1:3 (NASB77)
Our ability to carry a burden is directly related to the burdens we see others carrying.
Frustration Creeps In
Therefore, the law is ignored And justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore, justice comes out perverted. Hab 1:4 (NASB77)
Habakkuk knew that God was righteous, holy, and completely pure. He knew that God would punish the wicked and deliver the oppressed. But to his natural eye, Habakkuk could only see things getting worse around him.
Justice is Delayed
Thine eyes are too pure to approve evil, And Thou canst not look on wickedness with favor. Why dost Thou look with favor On those who deal treacherously? Why art Thou silent when the wicked swallow up Those more righteous than they? Hab 1:13 (NASB77)
Why is it that when we want mercy we are always in a hurry and when we derserve justice we are happy to wait?

13. ….Fix Your Eyes! See God’s Goal See God’s Care Romans 1:6,7
Psalm 37:7
See God’s Care
Romans 1:6,7
See God’s Hand
Genesis 50:20
See God’s Compassion
Lamentations 3:32-33
See God’s Love
Romans 8:28
See God’s Goal
Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because
of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Psalms 37:7 (NASB77)
If you do not know what to do and feel like worry or doubt or discouragement is setting in, look to God
and spend time meditating on Him and His word.
See God’s Care
among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; 7 to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as
saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 1:6-7 (NASB77)
To have an effect on people's lives, you first need to love them and believe in them. Paul's passion to teach these people began with his love for them. Thank God for your Christian brothers and sisters, and let them know how deeply you care for them; that’s what God does!
See God’s Hand
"And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present
result, to preserve many people alive. Gen 50:20 (NASB77)
As we look back on the events of our lives we often see God’s hand and thank him for what at the time seemed to be a burden.
See God’s Compassion
 For if He causes grief, Then He will have compassion According to His abundant lovingkindness. 33 For He
does not afflict willingly, Or grieve the sons of men. Lam 3:32-33 (NASB77)
God’s love in never failing, and He loves us all so much. He is also incredibly compassionate and ready to pour out that compassion on a hurting world. So, we must never buy into the lie that God brings suffering or pain. Jesus said it is the devil who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus comes to bring abundant life.
See God’s Love
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who
are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 (NASB77)

14. Freedom for Burdens
Wow!

15. Let’s Trade! Complaining for Prayer Weakness for Strength
Ezekiel 22:30
Weakness for Strength
II Corinthians 12:9
Bitterness for Joy
Ephesians 4:31
Anxiety for Peace
1 Peter 5:7
Complaining for Prayer
"And I searched for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. Ezek 22:30 (NASB77)
God is looking for people who will “stand in the gap” on behalf of the wicked, the oppressed, the hurting, the lost, and the broken. God takes no pleasure in the destruction of any person, but He has chosen to limit Himself to the prayers of His saints.
God is looking for those who will pray and release the kingdom of heaven here on earth out of compassion for all people.
If we have the same heart and mind as God, we will not take joy in the destruction of any land or person; instead we should be moved to intercede for them that God would change them and that they would repent of sin and wickedness.
 Weakness for Strength
 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 2 Cor 12:9 (NASB77)
Bitterness for Joy
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Eph 4:31 (NASB77)
Anxiety for Peace
casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 (NASB77)

16. Freedom for Burdens
Now!

17. What Do I Do With This Burden?
Share It
Galatians 6:2
Shoulder It
Galatians 6:5
Shed It
Psalm 55:22
Share It - Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ. Gal 6:2 (NASB77)
Faults and failures of others
v. 1 When a fellow believer stumbles and falls into sin [not those who CHOOSE to live in sin], rather than pointing accusing fingers or shooting our wounded, we should reach down and give them a helping hand to lift them up, and help them get back on track. We are supposed to encourage/strengthen one another when it comes to faults and failures. Sorrow and grief God sometimes allows sorrows to come to us…so we can be comforted, and then in turn comfort others in need once we’ve been thru it. Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. II Cor. 1:4 So lift a burden with a kind word or note…because some burdens are meant to be shared.
Shoulder It - For each one shall bear his own load. Gal 6:5 (NASB77)
Consequences of personal sin We live in a day and time in which people want to sin and ignore the consequences. We must remember we can choose to sin, but we cannot choose the consequences! Judgment Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: This is serious. All of us will someday stand before God…alone! We will all have to give an account. The saved will be secure, but we still will have to answer at our judgment. We will give an account for how carefully or how carelessly we lived our Christian life. Our service will be judged, our stewardship, our motives, and then rewards will be given for that which was done truly for Christ, who knows the heart.
Shed It - Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain you; Psalms 55:22 (NASB77)
We can be deceived into thinking God wants us to carry something by ourselves as if we are somehow serving God by doing so…but some burdens He wants to carry for us, if we’ll let Him. Quite often God will lift the burden OR The Lord will lift you Look again at Ps. 55:22 which says, “and He shall sustain it” ??? No, “He shall sustain thee.” Sometimes the Lord doesn’t lift the burden…he lifts you! A man was walking down road with a big sack of potatoes on his shoulder. The sack was so heavy that it was easy to see he was ill equipped to carry it very far. A pickup truck stopped and the driver offered him a ride. The man climbed in, but kept sack on his shoulder. After a while the driver looked over and said, “Man, put that sack in the floor and relax”. He replied, “No sir, I’ll not do it…it’s enough that you’d carry me to town, I’m not gonna ask you to carry these taters!” And that’s just what we do to the Lord sometimes. Some of you today are carrying a burden the Lord never intended you to carry…but you seem to insist!