10-31-10: Lesson 13 - Stay on course with God

Sermon Theme: Stay on course with God
Speaker: Pastor Susan Kim & Pastor Alan Wu
Bible Verse: I know the plans I have for you…plans to give you a future and a hope. -Jeremiah 29:11

Bible Story:

The word righteous means to behave morally, honoring God with the way we live.

In this coming Sunday's lesson we see Abraham's actions revealed his desire to lead a life that would please God. God's promises were to Abraham, but he shared his blessings with Lot. Instead of arguing, Abram found a solution. Abraham was not greedy, he graciously let his nephew, Lot, choose the land to inhabit. Abraham was thankful and honored God by building an Altar. He stayed on curse with God. As you read Genesis 13~19, you will find the differences between Lot and Abraham's priority of their lives. Even the purpose, and the motivation of inviting angels were different. Well, Lot got saved at the end, but that's because of Abraham.We can see Lot's hesitation between faith for God and the temptation of the world. He was once man of God, but he has gotten off the course. He missed out on everything that God has for him.

1. Training is part of the course – Weight training. I used to work out and I started out little by little. I didn’t start lifting big weights because I simply can’t. So there’s something call Benching. And that’s where all the muscular guys work out their chest. So I used to go and started out with 2 – 20s and the bar was 45 so that’s about 85lbs and I was about 160lbs at that time….and then I lift each week and I added 5 more on each side so I went from 85 to 95 to 105 to 115 and the max I ever did was 225lbs. I was pretty strong but that was because I kept working out. But in the same way God trains us little by little. By living right everyday. Maybe its not lying or cheating or stealing…he moves you to 20 lbs and then to honor your parents and he adds another 10lbs he teaches you how to stop peer pressure.

2. Obstacles are part of the course – running hurdles is like going over the obstacles in our lives. Obstacles are not there so that we can give up. Obstacles are there so that we can climb over it. If your course came without obstacles, you wouldn’t really need God. Ask God to help you overcome the obstacles

3. Finishing is part of the course – In Hebrews 12 it says “let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Jesus came down from Heaven to earth cross the starting line and cross the finish line in order to help us start and finish the course God has for us. This is how you cross the finish line. You go through all the training God has for you. You do exactly what the bible tell you to do. Ask God for help when you face an obstacle. If you do all these things and complete the course God has for you, you will cross the finish line and meet God face to face. God will say “Well done my good and faithful servant” If you get off the course and live for yourself, God will say to you “Depart from me I don’t know you” finishing is part of the course. You have to decide which finish line you will cross. Is it the one God place at the end for you or the one you have place for yourself?