Any Pain or Regrets?

*When we stay in the past we become stuck and unable to move forward.

Learn this one secret in life and success will find you … keep moving forward.

If you keep doing what you’re doing now, where do you see yourself in one year?
You’ll make progress in some areas of your life but are they the areas that you care most about?
Are they the areas that mean the most to you?
Most of us would love to move forward in certain areas of our life but let’s face it, sometimes it’s hard. Sometimes we are so used to thinking a certain way that we can’t seem to make a first definite step, even though we know deep down in our hearts that it’s the right thing to do.

You can miss your life striving for some day.
*Don’t stop making plans and goals. *Don’t give up dreaming and thinking of what could be.
*These are important and give direction and depth to our futures but while you are dreaming and planning FIND Christ in the Center of it All.

Why Life can be difficult:
I think it is because of the choices we have to make, and this makes for a difficult life if we make the wrong choice.
*If we gave more thought to the choices we make– life would be a lot less difficult.  Pray and listen to God’s word before we make choices.

James 3:2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.
*Train yourself–Begin by making the Choice to practice good habits.

Why Change the tongue First?
* your mouth measures your maturity
* your mouth reveals your heart
* your mouth sets the stage for your failure or your success.
*Our words reflect our character
*Our words have the power to direct and destroy lives
*Our words affect how the world views God.

Life can hit hard. Sometimes you get knocked down when you don’t even see it coming.
Some are cheap shots, some are glancing blows and some can bring you to your knees.
When this happens, it’s not about how hard you get hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit, BUT still find the strength to keep moving forward.
* It’s about having the will to continue in spite of the obstacles.

Only God’s Love will wipe away our divisions and our discords. Only His Love will unite us together as One.
* “To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood, and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father…”Revelation 1:5-6

In life we go through challenges, circumstances, traumatic events. Although we are immune from the tragedies of the past, we are not immume from the memory of the pain. The scars may have healed completely; there may be no visible trace of the hurt; BUT deep within the recesses of our mind there remains an imprint, a memory, a rememberance of the hurt we have experienced.
Isaiah 43:18 “But forget all that— it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. 19 For I am about to do something new…..”

Irrespective of what you’ve been through, you may have suffered incredible humiliation and rejection. You may have memorials of pain – people, places, things you see that trigger a rememberance of pain.
Thats alright, Let Go and now let God! Let  2012  be so good, so awesome, so magnificent, let it be the year of the rejoicing of your heart. Then you will find it difficult to remember the pain that has followed you your whole life.
*You will experience the goodness of God, His goodness and mercy shall follow you this year!
***You know you are healed, when you can Thank God for the pains of the Past!
**** Give yourself the gift of forgiveness and keep moving forward.

Forget Regret:  Leave your mistakes and regret in the past.
* They don’t define Your Value, then or now.
*When you stay in the past you become stuck and unable to move forward.
We ALL have made mistakes with our job choices, friends and relationships. *The consequences can hit us pretty hard. However, to begin learning how to put these experiences behind us – by letting them go, we can begin to live in the here and now and heal.
*The only way to get control of your heart is to let Jesus have control of your life.

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
*The ultimate purpose of the Bible is to change our lives. It Changes our conviction, conduct, and character. We want to be more like Christ.

David had learned that communicating with the living God is the ONLY sure way of victory.
*His skill was not enough. He had to have God’s blessing.

We must be in such relationship with God that we are constantly inquiring of His mind on every matter.
When we do this, we can expect the same results that David achieved-success in our endeavor and recognition by God.

Jeremiah 29: 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
*We can spend time in prayer and have scripture memorized, but our outward actions must be evidence of our inward transformation.

We must pray according to His Word AND act according to His Word.
Press through present chaos into the peace that is greater than your understanding.  Quiet your soul and be done with the anxiety that comes with uncertainty.
Ephesians 2:20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.

Father, thank You for Your promise to give me a future and a hope! Please give me the strength and wisdom to live according to Your Word, to proclaim the name of Jesus through word and deed.  In Jesus Name, Amen
***Jan. 24 at Christ Church at 7PM will be an informational meeting to kick off our NEW Moving Forward Group. Come for a great night of testimonials of “what God is doing in and through individuals.
**Revelation Bible study starting Jan 26. Go to web address below and go to calendar-scroll down to Thurs. And open  “Community Wide Bible Study”.