FCWC13:Thursday Evening

⁷ So, as the Holy Spirit says:

“Today, if you hear his voice,
⁸     do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion,
    during the time of testing in the wilderness,
⁹ where your ancestors tested and tried me,
    though for forty years they saw what I did.
¹⁰ That is why I was angry with that generation;
    I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray,
    and they have not known my ways.’
¹¹ So I declared on oath in my anger,
    ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ”

¹² See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. ¹³ But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. ~Hebrews 3:7-13 (NIV)

There is great danger in the valley. It is easy to turn away from God, but He has instructed you.

Discharge Plan: Feed your spirit. Make it strong.  "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." ~Galatians 5:16 (NIV)

Ways to feed your spirit:

1. Be ready for spiritual warfare: Our flesh is drawn to Satan. It pulls us away from God. Do you want to win spiritual warfare? You need to give up being cool. Do not be worrying about your image and your self. "⁹ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. ¹¹ Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul." ~1 Peter 2:9-11 (NIV).
2. Repent & Believe: This should be the rhythm to life. It is like a cycle to Christian life. You need to constantly have to take out the garbage in life to grow. You need to trust Christ to change. "“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”" ~Mark 1:15 (NIV)
3. Make hard decisions: "²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ²⁸ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹ If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. ³⁰ And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell." ~Matthew 5:27-30 (NIV). Sometimes you need to cut off things that cause you to sin. You need to get rid of access to these things. Sometimes we have to drastic things or we'll be drug toward hell. These can be things like friends (you can wait to help non-Christian friends until you're stronger), job, porn, significant others. Even in biblical times, this was done. In 1 Kings, Elijah gives his ministry to Elisha, and he leaves his parents.
4. Read your bible: It is important to read the bible regularly. It's ok if it's not the most exciting every time you read. It won't be. It will become sweeter over time. Be in the word. "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth." ~John 17:17 (NIV). The bible is like a double edge sword: "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." ~Hebrews 4:12 (NIV). It will fully equip you: "¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." ~2 Timothy 3 (NIV). You need the spirit of God AND the Word of God. It's like a bow. If you don't have both, you're ready to shoot but don't know where to shoot. Read good books to encourage your faith.
5. Pray: Don't stop praying. Prayer will connect you to God. Journaling can also help in your prayers. It slows down your thinking, giving you more time to think about your prayers. "“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." ~Luke 11:9 (NIV)
6. Stones of Remembrance: "On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.”" ~Joshua 4:19-24 (NIV). Give yourself reminders of who God is and what He has done for you. Have reminders of what we are called to do. Accumulate different items to remember your walk with God. Look to them often to encourage you.
7. Together in church: Find wise people in the church. In the New Testament, all of the disciples were connected and committed to a church. "Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm." ~Proverbs 13:20 (NIV). These people that you find at church are your faith family. Seek roots there. Connect with people your own age, but connect with wiser believers. Jesus works through the church. It is the hope of continuing faith.
8. Serve: Look for opportunities to serve. Look at places that you love, places that you feel need help or places that can utilize your talents. Do not neglect your gifts. You have special talents. Put them to use. " Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you." ~1 Timothy 4:14 (NIV). Serving eases being critical.