Trusting in God

A Message of hope inspired by the life if Tina Martin

delivered by Aaron Martin @ Young Married Compass Class

1) Who should we trust
A.) We should trust God more than anyone or anything.
° Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT....Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

2) What is trust.
A.) Trusting God is accepting God's will for our lives no matter what.
° Luke 22:42 NLT... "Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine."
° Daniel 3:17-18 NLT...If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn't, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up."

3) When should we trust God
A) We should trust God even when it doesn't make sense
° Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT..."My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts
B) We should trust God even when it hurts.
° Hebrews 11:35-39 NLT...Women received their loved ones back again from death. But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground. All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised.
C) Trust shouldn't depend on our feelings because feelings are fickle.

4) Why should we trust God
A) We should trust God because he loves His children.
° Romans 8:38-39 NLT...And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

5) How should we trust
A) We should trust God by taking action/step of faith.
°Philippians 4:4-6 NLT...Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
B) It's ok to have doubts as long as you hold on to Jesus.
C) Peter walked on water with Jesus and started to doubt.

6) Result of trusting or not-trusting
A) When we trust God we have peace and security
° Philippians 4:7 NLT...Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
B) When we don't trust God we may have false beliefs and feel isolated.
° John 8:44 NLT....For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.
B) The first thing we need to trust God with is our lives.

Going Further Faster

Joel Osteen @ Lakewood Church

• Things have shifted and God has given me grace to go further faster. ByJRochelle is going to grow and Gregory is going to get his dream position.
• Part of the shift it's acceleration. God is breathing in my direction causing things to fall into place.
• The Osteens wanted to purchase the Compaq Center. A building like this would cost $500,000,000 but they bought it for $7.5 million when the situation shifted into their favor.
• 1949 Billy Graham would travel the country and one day William Randolph Hearst attended a meeting. Hearst owned newspapers all over the world and posted favorable articles about Graham in many if the papers. Graham gained notoriety over night. God will send the right people to you when you honor Him.
• Jerry and Jana Lackey run the Lorato House Rescue Center in Botswana.
• Chinese Bamboo develop its root system for 5 years. On the surface it looks like the plant isn't growing. But seemingly all of a sudden it can grow up to 80 feet in a few months.
  http://www.therelationalmarketer.com/2011/08/16/lessons-from-a-chinese-bamboo-tree/
• Ruth, in the Bible, was living off of leftovers from a field that she worked in but she ended up owning that field because she honored God with her relationships.
• Nehemiah 2:8 NLT...And please give me a letter addressed to Asaph, the manager of the king's forest, instructing him to give me timber. I will need it to make beams for the gates of the Temple fortress, for the city walls, and for a house for myself." And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me.
• There will always be opposition.
• Stay in agreement with God. The first place you lose the battle is in your mind.

*****Victoria Osteen*****
COMMUNION

• Christ died that we might have life and have it more abundantly.
• God asked us to do this in remembrance of him because he knew that we would need to remember our decision to live.
• Deuteronomy 30:19 NLT"Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!

OFFERING

• 
  10% is God's standard.
• Malachi 3:10 NLT...Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, "I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!
• The store house indicates the local church.

Jury Duty: Civil Edition

I had the opportunity to serve on a jury again. This time my service took me to the civil court here in Harris County. The presiding judge was Sylvia Matthews and she was really sweet. She is pretty much the reason that chose to write this blog. After the case was settled she asked us how it was. The consensus was that it was not a bad experience and she requested that we share that sentiment with others because jury duty has negative connotations.

I wasn't thrilled when I received my summons but I marked the date on my calendar. Ironically as a youth I anticipated the opportunity to serve on a jury and I found myself dreading the prospect. To my delight it turned out to be a pleasant experience.

When you enter the jury plaza, workers are lined up from entry to security greeting prospective jurors with a smile directing each individual to the next point. They reminded me of the greeters for the Disney magical express; by the time I got to security I had almost forgotten my apprehension.

After being briefed we were free to grab a snack. A sweet Hispanic lady was selling homemade breakfast tacos alongside the normal novelties and they proudly brew Starbucks coffee! Not soon after I purchased my breakfast I was whisked away to the Judge Matthew's courtroom on the fourteenth floor.

On one end of the hallway was a breathtaking  view of downtown Houston. On the other end of the hallway was a view of Minute Maid Park and the expansive highway system. The bailiff, officer Peebles brought us into the court where both parties were seated.

The judge graciously welcomed and greeted us. She turned us over to the attorneys for Voire Dire and they asked us a few questions. The process was relatively short. They asked a few questions to weed out prejudices and predispositions. Then we were whisked away to the hallway.

Obviously I was chosen for the jury. The case lasted 2 days. Everyone on the jury came from different walks of life. We all lived on different sides of town even. During breaks we never had to leave the building because they had many conveniences: WiFi, electrical outlets, food court, etc...If anyone did want to leave the court is in downtown Houston where there is shopping, food, and entertainment to your heart's content!

The bottom line is that it wasn't a bad experience in the least. Also we got to play an important part in a basic right that we all have. They give you a work excuse and everything. So when you get your jury summons in the mail get ready to have a pleasant day playing and important role in society.

Sent from my Galaxy S®III because Jeniro is on the go!

Tick Tick Boom

when I was younger I remember television programs making jokes about women's biological clocks ticking. I didn't think it was funny then,and I don't thinkit's funny now. good blessed me with all of this equipment and I think that I should use it. I'm not even doing to have kids; a flood of people I know had kids last year and it does not arm fun. I do want kids but no more or less than I wanted them before.

Everytime I start a new cycle I hear a giant church bell and see giant clock hands strike 12. I know it sounds dramatic, but I'm serious. What makes it worse is that the older i get the more additional problems i seem to get, problems that people say are normal. Not to mention all the horror stories about pregnancy being higher risk as you get older.

Sometimes i wish life was like that movie Blue Lagoon. They were like Adam and Eve. They didn't really know anything about life so everything was a surprise. Sometimes I think that anticipation is the worse stress that exists. If i didn't know that I could have a baby then that would be one less thing to worry about.

I think that i figured out the secret i will focus on everything that i don't know.

Listo Para El Otro Lado?

Why would you leave a country where you were a math teacher or a photographer to live in a country where you don't speak the language and can only get a construction or driving job that requires no skills. Illegal immigration is a hot topic these days and as much as I wish there weren't so many I can't help but feel sorry for some of them. I also wonder what their motivation is. They are also oftentimes away from their friends, family, and the life that they know. This alternate life goes on for years and I just don't get it.

A few years ago I saw the movie a better life. A man was living in the US working as a gardener with his own business. They never tell us how he ended up in that situation, but the title suggests that it is for a better life. Are they really the dreamers? If these people are coming here for a better life I want to know if they are getting it.