"Never Mind!"
TEXTS: Php. 4:8; 1 Peter
TRUTHS:
1. Satan doesn’t have the power or authority to stop the Lord from doing what He has determined to accomplish. Our God actually uses the powers of darkness to bring about goodness and growth in the lives of His children. We can clearly see how this unfolds by observing the life of Simon Peter. Peter would be used to preach some extremely impactful sermons during the Church’s early days, but before that could take place there were some things in his heart that needed to be “sifted” out by Satan.
2. There are (5) falsehoods that we must not fill our minds with if we desire to spiritually grow and be overcomers. What we put into our minds eventually determines our attitudes and directs our decisions.
3. We should refrain from thinking that we don’t matter. Every believer has been bought with the sacrificial blood of Jesus. If we entertain the idea that our lives don’t matter then it will only be a matter of time before our flesh begins to be tempted by sinful passions that we have dealt with in the past.
4. We should not be surprised when we suffer unjustly and exclaim how unfair it is when such a situation takes place in our lives. Suffering for doing right can cause us to become discouraged and can even tempt us to stop pursuing righteousness.
5. We need to be careful about pointing out the flaws of others and allowing our minds to be filled with constant negative thoughts concerning other people.
6. We need to be careful about thinking the giftings the Lord has deposited in us don’t matter. Our Creator has given us gifts to be used in the advancement of His Kingdom and in overcoming the enemy. We should resolve to use our giftings for the glory of God and the good of others.
7. We should not think that we will simply be devoured by Satan and the powers of darkness. We need to rightly understand that the Bible teaches us God is using the enemy for our benefit. If this truth isn’t in our minds it opens us up to all kinds of wrong thinking (which makes it virtually impossible to resist the devil).
TALK TO EACH OTHER:
1. How have you observed the Lord using the powers of darkness to grow and benefit you as you have sought to follow Christ?
2. How can a believer discern and understand what giftings the Lord has given to them?
3. What is needed in order for a believer to persevere and make it through when they are suffering unjustly?
4. Which area of negative thinking have you struggled with the most in the past? What has helped and what has hurt you as you navigated dealing with such a persistent wrong thought?
TALK TO GOD:
Pray as you feel led concerning the following areas:
- To fill our minds with truth
- That the Spirit would give revelation and insight as we read through 1 Peter
Comments