No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. -1 Corinthians 10:13 You are being renewed in the Holy Spirit day-by-day. On the day that you were saved a new creation was born! You can honestly look in the mirror and say that I'm not the same person anymore. I have been bought by the blood of Christ and I can follow the Lord! I'd like to give you a quick run down on the economy of temptation. (1) There are no excuses. The devil wants you to believe that your situation is unique and special. You start saying to yourself, "Well, my circumstances are different. I had every right to assert myself." Any temptation towards anger, sloth, greed in any circumstance is unacceptable to the Lord. There is no temptation that can overtake us. The Holy Spirit can not be beat. (2) God Provides An Escape! Most of us overthink temptation. We create these huge complex escape rooms in our head, creating unnecessary obstacles to solve. But our God is faithful and He takes no pleasure in our failure. He always provides a way out. And most of the time, the door is right in front of you. Simplify and trust in Him. (3) Endurance. God did not promise that the temptations would go away after you said No. God did not promise that these temptations would disappear from your life completely! But God would give you the power to endure these temptations and to choose righteousness. Have realistic expectations of your life here in the flesh. Each moment you do endure, pray to the Lord that His Kingdom would indeed come today. Keep things simple brothers and sisters. Identify The Temptation. Say No To Temptation And Yes To Righteousness Endure These Times In The Lord Finally, our fight against temptation is not an exercise in self-denial for its own sake. As we look to Jesus we remember that His sacrifice is what has redeemed and bought us. Living a life for the Lord here must grow our affections and love for Him alone.
Blessings, Pastor Young And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken. -Ecclesiastes 4:12 No man, woman, or child is an island. We long for people to know and understand us. And we thrive when we are able to sympathize and love in a manner that impacts the lives of others. Wisdom that is embedded in all humanity regardless of your standing before the Lord.
But this wisdom is a sign to the Church of our deeper need for Christ-centered fellowship. The truth is the Spirit plants in all our hearts a profound desire to walk with others in the Lord. We want to be able to revel in God's love as we recite Scripture for mutual encouragement. We want help in interpreting our daily experiences in light of the love and mercy of Christ. And we desire others to pray for our sanctification that we may grow in wisdom before the Lord. So here at CCPC our Men's & Women's Ministry have implemented Triads (Accountability Partners). We place three (sometimes 4) people together to walk in Spiritual growth. We do have a framework for you to work with, but most of the benefits and blessings will come as you own and develop the group. So what does it entail? Glad you asked! Triads Accountability Partners 1. Triads will serve our purpose of providing accountability for one another. 2. Each triad will be made of 3 (or sometimes 4) men/women. 3. Triads should strive to meet once a week (video or in person) What should happen in a Triad? A. Scripture B. Sharing & Prayer Requests C. Prayer Helpful Suggestions. A. Scripture (1) Select a book in the Bible to read during your Triad. Take time to discuss the passage and share your thoughts. (2) Memorize Scripture together. Each week share how the passage has impacted you. (3) Simply share what one of you has been reading during your Personal Worship Time (Quiet Times) and discuss. B. Sharing & Prayer Requests. (1) Be clear on what is confidential and what can be shared outside of your triads. Guard the safety and vulnerability of your triad. (2) Ask Questions of Accountability. Ask questions concerning sexual purity, laziness, personal worship, etc…. If you are willing to share specifically, please do. If you are not there yet, you can simply ask questions like, “From a scale of 1-5, with 5 being I’m doing great with the Lord, How are you doing in the area of sexual purity?” (3) Ask For Prayer Requests. C. Prayer (1) Please give equal time to prayer as you do to sharing. (2) Always pray for one’s spiritual health. God cares most about our spiritual well-being. (3) Pray for one another throughout the week. Send simple messages of encouragement. Example: “Prayed for you this morning brother.” Sign-Up If you have further questions on Triads please do speak with me. We will include an email where you can sign-up. Praying that all of you may be blessed and find (and be) that friend to another in Christ. Blessings, Pastor Young |
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