1. Overcoming Obstacles

2. Digging deeper: Sources from which obstacles come
How God’s word addresses them
Early intervention

3. The first source of obstacles is from within.

4. Inferiority is an obstacle that comes from within. 1 Cor. 12:14-16

5. Doubt is an obstacle that comes from within. Romans 10:17

6. Unforgiveness is an obstacle that comes from within. Matthew 6:14-15

7. Anger is an obstacle that comes from within
Anger is an obstacle that comes from within. Ephesians 4:26-27 James 1:19 Proverbs 16:32

8. Jealousy and envy come from within. James 3:14, 16

9. Bitterness is an obstacle that comes from within. Ephesians 4:31

10. Pride or conceit comes from within
Pride or conceit comes from within. Proverbs 8:13, 11:2, 16:18, 29:23 1 Timothy 3:6 1 Corinthians 12:17-20

11. Selfishness is an obstacle that comes from within
Selfishness is an obstacle that comes from within. James 3:16 Romans 2:8

12. Hatred comes from within. Titus 3:3

13. A second source of obstacles is from without.

14. Materialism is an obstacle that comes from without. Matthew 6:19

15. Idolatry is an obstacle that comes from without
Idolatry is an obstacle that comes from without. Colossians 3:5 Luke 12:15 1 Timothy 6:8-9, 6:5-6

16. Lust of the eye is an obstacle that comes from without. Genesis 2

17. Lust of the flesh comes from without. 1 John 2:15-17

18. A third source of obstacles, stumblingblocks, come from below.

19. Critics, grumblers, and complainers are stumblingblocks
Critics, grumblers, and complainers are stumblingblocks. Philippians 2:14

20. Difficult brethren may be stumblingblocks
Difficult brethren may be stumblingblocks. Philippians 1:12-13 Romans 14:13 1 John 2:10

21. Obstacles come from within, without, and below.

22. We cannot control everything that comes at us, but we can control our reaction to it.

23. Two sources help us respond to obstacles in a godly way
Two sources help us respond to obstacles in a godly way. They are the source from above and the source from beyond.

24. The source from above is God. Hebrews 13:5 Psalm 46:1 2 Timothy 3:16-17

25. The source from beyond is our hope of heaven. Romans 12:12

26. The source of many obstacles comes from within, without, and below
The source of many obstacles comes from within, without, and below. To overcome, let us draw from the sources above and beyond.

27. Rather than focusing on “here,” let us focus on the “hereafter.”

28. Life’s obstacles are not supposed to paralyze us, or overtake us
Life’s obstacles are not supposed to paralyze us, or overtake us. They are supposed to help us discover the people God wants us to be.