Faithful in Routine

Faithful in Routine

There are times in our lives when we feel like we’re going around in circles. Be faithful when nothing new is happening. It’s easy to be our best when were getting good breaks. When you’re faithful in the routine something is happening that you can see. Your spiritual muscles are being developed. When God can trust you to be faithful in average days then you will exceptional days. Sometimes we’re frustrated because we know that we have more in us. You may be dealing with something mediocre

1. David
1. Anointed to be the king then sent back to the shepherd’s fields for months then sent into may unfair situations.
2. Your anointing will supersede what you're doing right now.
3. David didn’t slack off
1. He showed what he was made of even when no one was watching.
2. Ordinary days of being his best led him to the thrown
3. You won’t see promotion if you aren’t being your best where you are now.
2. Heroes of the Faith
1. Most of their life was routine.
2. There will be more ordinary days than there are exciting days.
1. Learn to enjoy the ordinary days.
2. You’ll be miserable if you’re sitting around waiting for the next big thing
3. Psalm 118:24
1. This is the day the Lord has made;We will rejoice and be glad in it.
3. God uses the circumstances to change us
1. Stop waiting for the circumstances to change
4. God is the Potter
1. Isaiah 64:98
1. Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.
2. Potter’s Wheel
1. A device with a rotating horizontal disk upon which clay is molded by a potter.
2. Like that clay we are being formed from a lump of clay to a beautiful vase
3. The spinning is working for my good.
4. Sometimes it seems like things are spinning out of control but it will work to my advantage.
1. Romans 8:28— And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.
5. City of Jericho
1. Joshua 6
6. God has explosive blessings.
1. Psalm 18:29—In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.
2. Psalm 110:1—The Lord said to my Lord,[a] “Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies,    making them a footstool under your feet.”
7. Don’t Negative Talk
1. You can do the right thing with the wrong attitude
8. Indian Migrant Example
1. Traveled to the US to go to Bible College
1. Tried to mow lawns for money with no luck
2. Ate out of dumpsters
3. Finally got a job at the Bible School
4. Forced to leave the school when he fell in love with a white student
5. Married the lady graduated from someone else
6. Ended up being the president of that very school
2. Obstacles
1. Circumstances put him at a disadvantage
2. Lost his promised support
9. Sometimes you’ll be overlooked.
1. Abilities will be unnoticed
2. If you’re not faithful when you’re hidden
1. Exodus 2:1-2—Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months.
3. Exodus 2:3—But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.
1. Moses went from being hidden to being noticed by the most influential family in the area.
10. Jesus Changes Water Into Wine
1. They ran out of wine
2. Jesus told them to fill six stone water jars (30 gallons each) with water
1. The Ordinary: Pumping Water
2. It would have been easy to have faith if as they were filling the jars it immediately turned into wine.
3. You may be believing for wine but all you see is water.

Prayer Exhortation

Let's Be Believers and Not Doubters

• 2017 is My year of Yes
• Psalms 112:4
• When darkness overtakes the godly, light will come bursting in. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous.
• Don't use your faith in reverse. It takes just as much energy to believe as it does to be negative.

Victoria’s Exhortation

Keep Your Heart free from offense.

1. You start to spend your energy on things that don’t matter. Don’t take the bait.
1. Everyone will be offended.As long as you’re here offense will come. Someone is going to say something that we don’t understand. It’s one thing when it’s the people around you but now people not even in your life can offend you since everyones opinion can go public.
2. Offense is Bait
1. skandalon: a stick for bait (of a trap), generally a snare, a stumbling block, an offense
1. Original Word: σκάνδαλον, ου, τό
2. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
3. Transliteration: skandalon
4. Phonetic Spelling: (skan'-dal-on)
5. Short Definition: a snare, stumbling-block
1. Definition: a snare, stumbling-block, cause for error.
2. Don’t Swallow it
1. Spending all of our time directing what people say is a waste of time.
3. You have to learn to drop it and let it go. 
4. Carpet Spot Remover
1. The longer a spot stays there the harder it takes to get it off.
2. It’s the same way with offense.
5. Scripture References
1. Proverbs 19:11
1. Sensible people control their temper they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.
2. 1 Peter 2:23
1. When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
1. Jesus knew that other people’s opinions don’t have to affect you.
6. Jesus slipped through the fingers of offense.
1. Luke 4:28-30 28 
1. When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious. 29 Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff, 30 but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way.
1. 2 Timothy 4:14
1. Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm, but the Lord will judge him for what he has done.
2. IF you ever feel that yucky feeling of offense in your mouth spit it out.

Overcoming Weariness

Joel Osteen @ Lakewood Church

Become Weary: To lose your sense of pleasure.

1. Sometimes because the battle is taking so long we get discouraged.
1. Become Weary
1. To lose your sense of pleasure.
2. Feeling or showing tiredness, especially as a result of excessive exertion or lack of sleep.
3. Reluctant to see or experience any more of; tired of.
4. Calling for a great amount of energy or endurance; tiring and tedious.
2. If the enemy can't take you out all at once he’ll try to wear you down.
1. Battle fatigue.
1. Combat stress reaction, a military term for an acute reaction to the stress of battle commonly involving fatigue, slowed reaction time, indecision, and other symptoms.
2. Galatians 6:9-10 NKJV
1. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
1. You're doing the right thing but right things aren't happening.
2. Isaiah 27:5
1. Or let him take hold of My strength, That he may make peace with Me; And he shall make peace with Me."
3. David
1. kept taking care of his father's sheep with a good attitude even though he was anointed to be king.
2. Saul tried to kill him.
3. Samuel 30:6-7
1. David and his men burst out in loud wails—wept and wept until they were exhausted with weeping. David's two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail widow of Nabal of Carmel, had been taken prisoner along with the rest. And suddenly David was in even worse trouble. There was talk among the men, bitter over the loss of their families, of stoning him. David strengthened himself with trust in his God . He ordered Abiathar the priest, son of Ahimelech, "Bring me the Ephod so I can consult God." Abiathar brought it to David.
1. When you give in to weariness you lose your strength.
2. Weariness will always come but don't give into it.
2. You can talk yourself into strength or you can talk yourself into weakness. You may feel tired but don't say it outloud.
4. Your strength is renewed when you're living with expectancy. Nothing that's happened to me has interrupted God's plan.
1. Isaiah 40:31 NLT
1. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
5. What God promises, he will bring to pass.
6. God wants to make you an example for others.
1. Brain Cancer
1. Had Surgery and Changed his diet, but the doctors still gave him only 6 months to live.
1. it has been 3 years.
2. The doctor asked him to go to support group to encourage others.
2. Things may look permanent but it's not.
7. Take Care of Your Temple
1. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
1. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
8. Sometimes when we're weary it's not a spiritual problem, it's a physical problem.
1. 1 Kings 18-19: Elijah called fire down from heaven, had seen people resurrected, and got threatened by one person ran away into the desert then wished to die.
2. An angel appeared AFTER he had taken a nap and told him to eat something!
3. We are spiritual, physical, and emotional and we need to take care of each part. Living balanced is the key.
1. Don't have your life cut short because you didn't take care of yourself.
1. Sabbath required. There was a COMMANDMENT to rest.
1. Exodus 20:8
1. ”Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
2. Psalm 23:2-3
1. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake.
9. Proverbs 3:6
1. In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.

In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.
Proverbs 3:6