THE PLACE OF PEACE , Bible Study 06/03/20

Posted on June 5, 2020 by growintheword

Head Health: Part 3

Synopsis of Bible Study June 3, 2020

Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III, D.Min.

Isaiah 54:10 NKJV
For the mountains shall depart And the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,” Says the Lord, who has mercy on you.

I.            WHAT IS PEACE?

  • Peace is the state of being free from disturbance. It’s a state of tranquility. It involves a sense of wholeness and well-being.
  • Peace is not the absence of tension and stress, but instead the revelation of God’s word in the midst of your situation.
  • When you experience God’s peace, remembering God’s word, you have the strength to make it through.
    • The devil is always trying to attack your peace, because when you’re in a place of crisis and you don’t have peace, you end up in panic.
    • Panic is rooted in fear.

A.     Peace Is A Relational Term

  1. You must have peace both vertically and horizontally. You can’t have peace with Christ if you don’t have it with everyone else. You can tell people that are at peace with God, because they at peace with others.

B.     Peace Is A Communal Term

  1. Peace encompasses the entire body of Christ. Peace is available for everybody, not just a few people.

C.     Peace Is A Redemptive Term

  1. Sin is the ultimate disrupter of peace. Show me where there is no peace and we can show you sin in that situation.

Romans 5:1-5 1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.- When I am justified with God and have peace, my entire existence shows piece.

  • How do you walk through life, through circumstances you can’t control, in a spirit of peace?

D.     What Peace Is Not

  1. Because there is work involved, it doesn’t mean peace isn’t present. You can be in the midst of the most extreme situations and still have peace.

II.            WHY IS PEACE NECESSARY?

A.     Staying close to God is the only way you will have strong peace.

  1. Living a peaceful relationship with others can be challenging. Christians should be known and recognized by the fruit of peace.

B.     We ought to seek peace.

Peter 3:11 Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it.- When children are on the playground and a fight breaks out, they all run to the fight. When you get older, you run from the fight. You don’t want to be involved with the chaos.

  1. The more you mature in God, the less you run to drama. As you mature in God, you look for peace.
  2. The bible says in Job that a man born of a woman is but of few days and full of trouble. Why then should we add to the trouble that we are already guaranteed?

C.      How do we find peace in this world the way it is?

  1. You have to know that there is a place called peace. In the Old Testament, God promised to mend that which had been lost in the Fall by reinstituting peace on earth.
    1. Through the Prophet Ezekiel, God made a covenant which promises peace.  Ezekiel 37:26-27 26 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore. 27 My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people.- God says his covenant of peace is not void of his presence.
    1. You can’t have peace without God’s presence. No God, no peace. Know God, Know Peace.

III.            HOW DO YOU COME TO A PLACE OF PEACE IN THE MIDST OF CHAOS?

  1. Pause and Pray
  2. Take some time mentally, to remove yourself from the noise of life, family, friends, and work. “Prayer does not bind us to the world, but it transforms our vision of the world.” -Thomas Merton
    1. In times of high anxiety, take time to pause, before speaking to others.
    1. This pause is not a matter of seconds, but instead a matter of hours.
  3. The more anxious we are, the more time you should set aside to pray.
    1. For some, they find that early in the morning is the best time to pray. This is a time when they can get away from the family and pray in quiet. You have to take the time to pause and pray.
  4. Know that your prayer doesn’t have to be a long and drawn out prayer. It may just be a simple prayer that says “Thank you Lord” or “Lord, speak to my heart”
  • Be the Light
  • You can overcome chaos by simply being the light. Matthew 5:14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
    • “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
    • Be the light both online and in life. Use your social media platform to spread light. Share messages that God has given you. People need to hear good news these days.
  • Make inner peace your highest priority.
    • In the bible, there is a dispute among the Gentiles on whether they should be circumcised or not to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. James stands up and responds to this.
    • Case Study – James
      Acts 15: 6-15 6 Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. 7 And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: “Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, 9 and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.” 12 Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles. 13 And after they had become silent, James answered, saying, “Men and brethren, listen to me: 14 Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written:
      • James said stop the madness. It’s not worth it! James handled this disagreement in a way that there was peace in the midst of chaos.
    • Do you add fuel to the fire or are you part of the solution?
  • Get to The Source
  • You need to allow God to bandage the wounds caused by chaos.
  • Luke 10:34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.- Man is attacked on Jericho Rd and left for dead. A good Samaritan comes and bandages up his wounds, takes him to an inn, and pays for him to stay. It’s a wonderful revelation how God saw us on the side of the road, bandaged us up, and healed us in a place where we were in crisis. God brought us to a place of healing.
  • When we are in a place of healing, we find time for silence.
  • Find Time for Silence
  • Silence is an important part of communication.
  • The same letters in silence are some of the same letters in listen.
  • Silence puts you into a position to hear from God.
  • We often miss God, because we have too much noise going on.
    • Matthew 5:9-12 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.- You have to come to the place where you need to be silent.
    • When you are under persecution, know that people can’t quote silence. Old people used to say, hold your peace and let the Lord fight your battles.

IV.            HOW TO MAINTAIN PEACE

  1. Depend Exclusively on God
  2. Your identity should be based on your relationship with Christ. Some people invest too much into people. You can’t let our peace hinge upon how someone treats you. If you do this, you are bound to fail.
  3. Never let anyone be your peace. No person knows everything that you need.
    1. Numbers 6:24-26 24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; 26 The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace. – Only the Lord can truly give you peace. Stop putting people into a position to be other than what God ordained them be.
  4. Walk in Love
  5. Walking in love means that I forgive freely, expecting nothing back.
  6. God will not require you to do anything that He hasn’t empowered you to do.
  7. Unforgiveness will always rob you of peace. This is why you have to walk in love.
    1. Psalm 85:10 Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed. – We don’t have to like you to love you. This helps me with my peace.
  8. Renew Your Mind

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. – God will keep me in perfect peace. This is not absence of tension and trouble.

  1. If tension, trouble, and stress are there, then how does my mind have peace, if my mind is stayed on Thee?
  2. If my mind is elevated above the chaos, stress, and drama in my current situation, its elevating my mind. It’s a place of mental elevation.
  3. If we keep our mind stayed on Him, we won’t be stressed out by all the other stuff we have to confront.
  4. Surrender
  5. You have to kill sin or sin will kill you.
    1. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. – God will cleanse you and bring you to peace.


V.            PEACE IN THE WORLD VS. PEACE IN CHRIST

  1. Peace in The World
  2. This is peace that comes instantaneously. When you use something else for peace, you have to keep refreshing it when it wears off.
  3. The peace of the world works from the outside in. The peace of God works from the inside out.
  4. You can live in the biggest of houses, but still have no peace.
  5. Peace in Christ

Leviticus 26:6 I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid; I will rid the land of evil beasts, and the sword will not go through your land.

  1. God says, I am the giver of peace. God says he has you, no matter what is going on around you.
  2. When you have the peace of God, you can lie down.
  3. It is important that you understand what the peace of God looks like.
  4. Settle yourself, peace Is not in stuff, or things that money can buy. It is instead in the things money can’t buy.

I speak peace over your life and your family, over your career. We submit that you are able to walk in peace. I pray that you have peace which is not the absence of tension, but the revelation of God in the midst of it.

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Head Health Part 2

Posted on June 1, 2020 by growintheword

HOW TO PREVENT MENTAL EXHAUSTION AND BURNOUT

Synopsis of Bible Study May 27, 2020

Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III, D.Min.

Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”*

I.            INTRODUCTION

  1. Lots of people fill up their day with a lot of stuff and at the end of the day, they are not good for anything. They are worn out.
    1. Having said this, many people are working harder during this Pandemic, than they ever have before.
  2. What is burnout? It’s the loss of meaning in one’s work, coupled with mental, emotional, or physical exhaustion as the result of long-term unresolved stress.
    1. Can you keep going on and on and it end up with it not having any meaning? The answer is “yes”! When stress and problems mount up, you can end up in a state of burnout.
  3. Stress and burnout have been discussed a lot over the last decade. Stress varies from person to person. It depends on a variety of factors. Some of these is work, money, and health.
  4. This Pandemic is a season that we have never been in before. As a result, it brings about a lot of stress for people. This means we need to find out how to relieve this stress.
  5. Recently, 7500 employees were surveyed about burnout. 235 of those workers said they felt burnout more often than not. 44% felt like they had experienced burnout at one time or another.
    1. People are walking around like the Walking Dead, because they are operating in burnout.

II.            FIVE STAGES OF BURNOUT

  1. Honeymoon Phase – When you undertake a new task, you start out with a lot of zeal, commitment, and creativity. It is wonderful at first. In this stage, you readily try to prove yourself and you readily accept responsibility, you’re looking for job satisfaction, you have sustained energy levels, and have unbridled optimism.When you realize things are not what you seem or you hit a brick wall, you crash.
  2. Onset of Stress – Some days are more difficult than others. You experience anxiety, lack of sleep, or low productive. You are sinking. Nothing makes you feel better.
  3. Chronic Stress – You move from motivation to depletion. Your stress level increases. You start socially withdrawing from family and friends and you engage in activities that don’t involve people.
  4. Burnout – Feeling of emptiness inside. You start just going through the motions. You start neglecting your personal needs. You want to drop out.
  5. Habitual Burnout – You experience physical and emotional instability. It’s more than occasional stress. You’re just out there. Chronic mental fatigue and sadness begin to overtake you.  What can we do about all of this?

III.            SIX WAYS TO STOP WORRYING ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN’T CONTROL

  1. Determine What You Cannot Control – Don’t worry about what you can’t control.

Matthew 6:34 – “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”- You can’t prevent a storm, but you can prepare for it.

  1. You have to live in the now. You got to get to a point where you don’t worry about what’s going to happen tomorrow, you’re going to live in the now. Don’t miss today’s blessing worrying about tomorrow.
  2. Focus on Your Influence – You can influence people and circumstances, but you can’t make things go your way.
    1. For example, you can influence a child to study, but you can’t make them have a good GPA.
      1. When you have concern about other people’s choices, this can stress you out.
  3. Identify Your Fears – What are you afraid of? Are you predicting a catastrophic outcome?
    1. There are people that will see this Pandemic as an Apocalyptic Event. This kind of stuff will burn you out.
  4. Differentiate Between Ruminating and Problem Solving – Replaying conversations in your head isn’t helpful.
    1. Is your thinking productive? Are you moving towards a solution to your situation or are you just replaying problems?
  5. Create A Plan to Manage Your Stress – You have to take time to manage your stress.
    1. Jesus would go to a solitary place just to pray. You can’t continue to let things close in on you.
    1. Eliminate unhealthy coping skills.
      1. While you are in quarantine, you can pick up some bad coping skills and the next thing you know, these can become your defaults.
  6. Develop Healthy Affirmations – Change the phrase, “I hope to do ok” to “I going to make it happen”. Change, “I hope ____ doesn’t happen” to “I can handle it”.
    1. The power of life and death is in your tongue. Walk in the affirmation of God’s Word.

IV.            BURNOUT RECOVERY AND PREVENTION (Harvard Business Review)

Burnout can feel insurmountable. Just because you experience it, doesn’t mean it’s a life sentence.

4 Strategies to Prevention

  1. Prioritize Self-Care – It is essential to replenish your physical and emotional self, access how you are spending your time, limit your presence with nonessential people, increase your investment in those that boost your energy, and make time to get away from your ever day task.
    1. Do things that fill you up. Align your yourself with things that edify you and don’t deplete you. Align with things that build you up in this season.
    1. You can’t take care of your family, if you aren’t taking care of yourself.
  2. Shift Your Perspective – You have to get at the root cause.
    1. Colossians 3:1-3 – 1If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
    1. Go to another realm in the spirit so you won’t be pulled down to negativity.
    1. You have to want to be a spiritual person that operates at a different altitude.
  3. Reduce Exposure to Stressors – Reset your expectations. You can’t be everything to everyone. You can’t solve everyone’s problems.
    1. Solving everyone’s problems can lead to stress.
      1. You can’t stress yourself out, carrying burdens that God didn’t intend for you to carry.
  4. Seek Out Connections – When you seek rich interpersonal interactions or hang around people that offer mutual support, you start realizing that you don’t have to live your life stressed out. Iron sharpens iron
    1. Stress is a result of isolation. You’ve been micromanaging everything and not micromanaging your life.

V.            THE CHRISTIAN’S SECRET WEAPON TO PREVENT BURNOUT

  1. Live by God’s Desire
  2. You have to slowdown. Hurrying is the recipe to burnout. It’s not sustainable. God’s desire for you, should be your metric for success!
  3. We have to learn what’s important and when to say no. Know that when you say yes to something, you are saying no to something else.
  4. Reprioritize your life. Stop trying to please people that don’t care anything about you.
  5. Be concerned about one primary purpose. That purpose is to glorify God.
    1. Know that God can get this done without you.
  6. Colossians 3:23 – “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,” – Do it for the glory of God. Whatever you do, make sure the Lord is glorified.
  7. Live by God’s Design
  8. At any moment, you can go from waiting on it, to walking in it.
    1. Psalm 40:4 – “Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust, and does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.”
    1. 2 John 13:7 – “Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.”” – You have to get to a point that you want to join in what God is doing, not he join into what you doing.
  9. Stock the Pond
  10. Stock the pond by consistently reading the scripture and prayer. This will make you have enough in the reservoir to go and find peace when you need it. You have to fill yourself up, constantly.
  11. Build yourself up in the word. Stock the pond. Make sure you are filling your life up, so you can go to this place and meditate on God’s word.
  12. God calls Moses out of a bush that is on fire. The fire doesn’t consume it. God says, “Go tell Pharaoh to let my people go”.
    1. Why did God do it this way? Why did he use the burning bush? There must be a revelation.
    1. The revelation is, whatever you do for God, have a burning for it, but never let it burn you out.
    1. The moment you let it burn you out, then you have stepped outside the original assignment that God has for your life.
  13. Stop taking on stuff that is not in your assignment. Stop saying yes to everything. No is an answer. Your children need you and your kingdom needs you. We can’t let you burnout.
  14. Maybe we need to interpret this season as, “He made me lie down in green pastures by the still waters and He restored my soul”. Maybe God is restoring you, so you will never burn out again.
    1. We need you. Don’t contribute to your own demise by allowing stress. Take care of yourself.
  15. I can have a burning without it burning me out when I am in the will of God.
  16. You will never prevent burnout, until you are in proper alignment with God. If a car is not aligned, you run the risk of something else going wrong it.
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Part 1 – Head Health, Bible Study 05/20/20

Posted on May 21, 2020 by growintheword

The Disciplined Mind: Managing Temptations and Contemplations

Synopsis of Bible Study 05/20/20

Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III, D.Min.

Our head is attached to our body, so what’s in our head matters.

1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

We are constantly being informed by world views and philosophies that we here. Our personal stories are filled with disappointment, brokenness, and pain. Our hearts and minds have been with lies, deceit, and accusations from both the world and the enemy.

Have you ever slowed down and paid attention to what’s going on in your in your head? What are you hearing? What are you thinking? what are you believing in?

Temptation: The desire to do something especially something wrong or unwise.

Contemplation: The action of thoughtfully looking at something for a long time. A deep reflective thought. – In other words, my desires cause me to focus on things longer than I should, when  shouldn’t be focusing on them at all.It is a challenge.

You have to remember that your thoughts are just as important as your actions. Some people think, “I thought it, but I didn’t do it”. Matthew 15:19 (NKJV) 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.  –  Jesus once said if you thought it in your heart, you’ve already done it. Temptations and contemplations are like magnets. Closer they get to each other, the harder it is to pull them apart.

I.            MANAGING TEMPTATIONS AND CONTEMPLATIONS

  1. Situation Selection – You have to avoid situations where temptation is present. Look at the situation, know yourself, and then avoid it.
    1. Sometimes we try to act like we are stronger than we are.
  2. Situation Modification – Sometimes we can’t avoid situations, but we can modify our engagement in it to protect our lives.
  3. Distraction – Diverting your attention. The temptation is there, but we divert our attention elsewhere. This means that we put my attention towards something positive.
  4. Reappraisal – We must ask the question, is it really worth it? Is our reputation and wellbeing worth taking this chance?
  5. Response Inhibition – I now look more deeply at this thing, than I used to. What I thought was good, no longer looks the same. Carnal flesh will make things look better than they really are.

II.            THE BATTLE OF THE MIND

  1. Challenge Your Thoughts
  2. We have to tell our thoughts, “You won’t govern me, I will govern you!” 2 Timothy 2:22 “Flee also youthful lust; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”- When you’re a God chaser, you try to apply his word to all aspects of your life.
  3. You try to make sure everything you put into your spirit aligns with God’s will.
  4. Bring Your Mind Into Submission
  5. At some point you’ve got to bring your mind into submission of the Spirit of God.
  6. God’s word is the answer to combating the temptations of the enemy.
    1. Philippians 2:5-11 “5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” – Jesus made himself of no reputation. He humbled himself and came to us as a man. He who was of the Word, came in flesh and humbled himself.
    1. Jesus even realized that in doing this, His spirit must be stronger than his mind.
    1. My spirit must be stronger than my mind. Some of you want to go one way, but God wants you to go another way. Your spirit must be strong.
  7. Consider the Fruit
  8. Will power is not the problem. Our willpower overrides what we know to be right. Your willpower can be the difference between your breakthrough or your breakdown.
  9. Discipline comes in at the Will to do what you are supposed to do. We know to do it, but we need to be willing to do it.
    1. Its about your mental state. When your spirit and your mind are properly aligned, your mind will always be in order and your Will within your spirit, will always be motivated to do what the Lord wants you to do.
  10. Fight Back
  11. The war in your mind is not passive activity. Every day you wake up, there is this war in your mind. We all have mental battles all the time, especially now.
    1. 1 Corinthians 15:2 “by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.” – You’ve got to hold fast to God’s word. I have to have His word on my mind and my mind on His word.
    1. This keeps me in a disciplined state, that no matter what comes in my life or no matter what lie the enemy puts into my head, the word of God is what immediately comes into counter it.
      1. If there is no word in your life, then you have nothing to counter what comes at you.
      1. I have to come to a place in my life where I believe in his word completely.
  12. We often buy into false images. 2 Corinthians 10:5 “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” – Every day you wake up, you have to deal with imagination. The root word to imagination is “Images”. These are pictures that the enemy tries to put into your mind and your spirit.
    1. When false images come into you mind, you have to cast them down. When images develop in the dark room of your mind, bad things happen.
  13. The moment where fear or bitterness comes in, you have to say, I apprehend you this very hour.

III.            HOW TO NAVIGATE WHAT YOU CAN’T CONTROL

  1. Stay in Your Reality
  2. Focus on what you can control. I might not be able to control what happens to me, but I can control how I respond to it.
  3. Stop living a false reality. Stop living something that is not your truth. Be honest about where you are.
  4. Have practical honesty. Be honest that your situation is out of control. When something is out of control, it’s out of control.
    1. This is like an alcoholic saying, “I can stop anytime I get ready.”
  5. You can’t allow fear to get into the way. Accept your current situation, but don’t allow it to paralyze you.  How many people do you know that are still crying over something that happened to them in the past?
  6. Make peace with yourself. When you make peace with yourself, you make peace with your situation.
  7. Self-Assessment

1 Corinthians 10:23 (NKJV) 23 All things are lawful [a]for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things [b]edify.

  1. You have to know yourself and know what situations you can put yourself in.
  2. It may be legal, but it may not be good for you. Weed may be legal, but if you have an addictive personality, then it might not be good for you.
  3. If You Can Not Figure It Out, Wait and Rely on God
  4. Jeremiah is honest about his situation.
    1. Lamentations 3:21-26 “21 This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. 22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” 25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. 26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” –Jeremiah recalled to his mind. You can’t bring something back to your mind, that wasn’t in your mind in the first place.
    1. Because of the Lord’s mercies, we are not consumed. Every morning God’s mercies are new. God prevents the enemy’s plan for us every day.
  5. Put your trust in God and settle yourself in the Lord.
    1. John 14:15-18 “15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” – God will not leave you helpless.

IV.            BIBLICAL EXAMPLES

  1. Jeremiah
  2. The word of God came to Jeremiah’s life early, to discipline him. This is why he was able to recall God’s word to his life.
  3. You can have a moment, but don’t let that moment arrest you.  Jeremiah 1:4-10 “4 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” 6 Then said I: “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.” 7 But the Lord said to me: “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak 8 Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord. 9 Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. 10 See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.”
  4. Before you even go there, God says he wants you to know He never sends you where you to a place that he hasn’t equipped you for. You need to say, “I am not going down the road of fear and activity”.
  5. Jesus
  6. Jesus has a moment, when he was tempted in the wilderness.
  7. We often think Jesus was physically taken to different places and tempted. Matthew 4:1-4 “ 1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”  – Jesus is exhausted and tired and hungry and that’s when the tempter usually comes.
    1. The devil only took Jesus to places in his mind. This wasn’t physical. The devil doesn’t have power of Jesus. This was mental.
  8. Jesus kept responding with the word. The only thing that will help during temptation is the word of God.

V.            THREE WAYS TO MAINTAIN A DISCIPLINED MIND

  1. Understand Deliverance
  2. Deliverance is a process. It takes discipline. When some people say they quit smoking, they have to stay at it. It is not a onetime thing.
  3. Deliverance isn’t a one-time experience.  Luke 4:13 (NKJV) 13 Now when the devil had ended every [a]temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.  –  The devil comes in shifts. The devil needs something else to go into. He might leave, but he will come back greater than he was before.
  4. Starve the Old Nature
  5. If you have problems with your faith to combat tempation, then you have to do something different. Luke 16:10 “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.” – Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
  6. Escape the enemies snare. Psalm 124:7 (NKJV) 7 Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the [a]fowlers; The snare is broken, and we have escaped. – You got to be willing to starve your old nature. If you starve it, it will die.
    1. If you keep feeding your old nature, it will get stronger and stronger. If you don’t feed it, it will die.
  7. Feed the New Nature
  8. There’s a new you. Occupy your life with the things of Christ.
    1. Colossians 3:10 “and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.”
    1. Proverbs 13:4 “The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing;” – It puts us in a better position to hear from God. The real cure to temptation is discipline.
  9. When your mind and you heart is disciplined and you have the word as a core value, then you will win. You need to develop your appetite with the word of God.
  10. We can’t promise temptation won’t come, but if you are in the word of God, we can promise that you will overcome it.
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RECALIBRATE Phase 4

Posted on May 15, 2020 by growintheword

Reallocation

Synopsis of Bible Study May 13, 2020

Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III, D.Min.

Psalm 119:59-60 NKJV “59 I thought about my ways, and turned my feet to your testimonies. 60 I made haste, and did not delay to keep your commandments.”

Reallocation is changing the way something is given or shared or to assign to a different purpose or person, than was originally intended. In this season, we all have reevaluated how we have given of our time or ourselves. Now as a result, we have reallocated our resources. As a result, our value system has changed.

I.            WHY IS REALLOCATION IMPORTANT?

A.     Driver Of Increase In Productivity

  1. You have to be intentional. You have to realize that your time has value.
    1. When you see time as capital, then you realize that you don’t have time to waste.
  2. Where your money, your energy, or time is leaning, determines what you think is important to you.

B.     Improves Time Management

  1. Reallocation is being a good steward of what God gave you. This means your money, your family, your ministry, your job, and even your time.
  2. Ask yourself how to do you use what you have.

C.     Eliminates Risks

  1. Reallocation causes you to become creative in doing the things that God has given you to do.
  2. You have to eliminate risky behavior, risky relationships, and all other things that present a risk to you.
    1. One moment, everything could be going well and in the next moment, the rug can be pulled out from you. It’s then that you realize that you have no time to be playing.

II.            SIX WAYS TO BE A GOOD STEWARD

  1. Be faithful. Being faithful to God shows your relationship with God.
    1. Anyone can be faithful when you are employed and have plenty of money in the bank, but can you be faithful when you are uncertain about your situation?
    2. Being faithful to God shows that God has top priority in your life.
  2. Be disciplined. Count the cost, before you make decision to do something.
    1. Don’t spend more than you earn.
    2. Make good decisions concerning your money.
  3. Being Consistent. Save a portion of your income.
    1. Everything can’t be spent on material things. Try to save 3 months worth of expenses.
    2. It critical in this season that we learn to put some stuff back, just in case things get hard. Once we pay God, pay our self, and pay bills, make sure you put something back.
  4. Acknowledge God. We have to realize that God owns everything.
    1. Did you ask God to bless so you to have more stuff or to be a blessing to others?
    2. In reallocation, I give what matters to God.
      1. Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV) 5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” – Stop coveting other people’s stuff.
  • 1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NKJV) Instructions to the Rich 17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, 19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. – Don’t be arrogant. Don’t put your trust in something that one phone call can take away. Put your trust in God.
  1. Pay debt. Remember in December, Bishop prophesied that we should all try and get out of debt. If you don’t have debt over your head, you’re able to do more for people.
    1. Little by little, by little, you can become debt free. Start reallocating your funds.
      1. Take the money you are not spending on gas now and use it to pay down your debt. This is a good example of reallocating your money.
    2. Set Goal. Ask God what goals he has for your life.
      1. Reallocate your time that your goals may be aimed towards God’s will for your life.

III.            HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE STEWARDS

  1. Be Thankful
  2. In this season, we are thanking God even for the little stuff. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV – “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”- Whether blessing are big or small, we will thank God for them.
    1. I’ll even thank God for the crackers in the pantry now.
  3. Thank God for your job if you still have one. Stop complaining about it. Be thankful that you have one.
  4. People who are not thankful, are people you can’t trust.
  5. Colossians 3:23-24 NIV – “23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”-Whatever you do, do it unto God, not for the approval of man.
  6. We have to have Thanksgiving. Be thankful and then give. You can give without being thankful, but you can’t thankful without giving. When you give, you realize that everything you have is a gift from God.
  7. God is looking for people who are thankful.

 

  1. Trusts God To Provide
  2. We trust God for our salvation, but often we fail to trust God for our daily living.
    1. 1 Timothy 6:17 NIV – “ Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” – Put your trust in God and not in money. Culture tempts us into thinking that the more you have, the happier you will be.
  3. Put your trust in Him who made the money.
  4. You’ve got to get to a place where your trust is in Him.

 

  1. Be Content
  2. Can you come to a place where you are truly content? Hebrews 13:5 NIV – “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
  3. Paul says, he knows how to live between seasons. Philippians 4:11-13 NIV – “11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
    1. We know how to light candles and eat Ramen Noodles if things get tight. This is just surviving between seasons.

 

  1. Be A Faithful Example
  2. Let people see the faithfulness in you. Matthew 5:16 NIV – “ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
  3. The world is looking for examples of how to live through this season. Titus 2:7 NIV – “In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness.”
  4. Show others how we get through this. 1 Peter 4:10 NIV – “ Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
  5. Be an example to your children. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 NIV – “6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
    1. Be alert. Show your children and others how you get through this season, trusting God.
    2. Your children will look back on the things you did and know what to do during difficult times.

 

  1. Lives Within Their Means
  2. Act your wage. Don’t let your income determine your lifestyle.
    1. Some people have to go and buy something, every time they get a raise.
    2. Allocate things in a way that glorifies God.

 

  1. Gives Time And Talent
  2. Shift your time and talent to the kingdom.
    1. 1 Peter 4:10 NIV – “ Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”- Ask God what he wants you to do for the kingdom using the gifts he has given you.
  3. Gives Treasures
  4. We give treasure to God, out of the treasure he gives to us. 1 Peter 2:1-5 NIV – “1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
  5. In everything I get, I will honor God first. Proverbs 3:9 NIV – “Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;”

 

  1. BIBLICAL EXAMPLES

 

  1. Leah – Mindset
  2. Genesis 29:31-35 NIV – “31 When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless. 32 Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “It is because the LORD has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.” 33 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Because the LORD heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon. 34 Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi. 35 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.” – There is that moment where everything you do shifts and you come to a “Now Moment”! Leah came to this moment when she named the last baby Judah.
  3. What is your “Now Moment”? What is that moment where you say I’m done playing and I now give it all to you Lord?
  4. The Disciples – Action

John 21:6 NIV – “ He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.”

  1. What am I willing to do now? Am I now ready to cast my fish nets on the other side? Am I ready to reallocate and finally do it God’s way?

 

  1. The Rich Fool – Habits

Luke 12:20 NIV – ““But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’”

  1. This scripture was taken from the story of “The Rich Fool”
  2. It is a story of how someone with great means, thought that he was just going to hold things for themselves.
  3. Jesus taught that there is no security in material things. Safety doesn’t come from just storing up resources, it comes also by relying on Gods provisions. The parable of the Rich Fool explains this point.
  4. The Rich man produced a crop one year that yielded so much grain, the man didn’t have space to store it.
  5. He tore down his barns to build a bigger one, so that he could restore the grain, relax, and live off of his savings, but God said to him: Luke 12:20 NIV – ““But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’”
    1. We are living in this life trying to accumulate things, but our focus is off. We pray that you will ask the Lord to let you focus on the real thing, which is God’s Kingdom.

 

  1. Maybe this is a time that we focus on the kingdom. Where your money is, your heart is. Take time to reallocate your time, your money and your heart.
    1. Luke 12:15 NIV – “ Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”- You will never have anything that matters unless God has your life.
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