This Week’s Message Notes

April 27, 2025

“Life Hurts, God Heals - pt 1 / The First Step to Health”

What is Unhealthy in Your Life?

My pace of life            My overeating            My financial situation

My thoughts                My worries                  My relationship with

My overwork               My habits                    My marriage/divorce

My family                    My perfectionism            My resentment/anger

My addiction(s)           My expectations         My procrastination

My regrets                  My need to control     My fear/anxiety

My lying                      My grief                      My guilt                      

THE FIRST STEP TO HEALTH

Blessed are those who recognize they are spiritually helpless. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.  Matthew 5:3 (GW)

REALIZE I’m not God. 

I admit I’m helpless to control my tendency to do what I know is unhealthy.

I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.

Romans 7:15 & 19

       The Bible calls this my: sin nature

THE CAUSE OF MOST PROBLEMS: playing God

In the pride of your heart you say, “I am a god;…But you are a mere mortal and not a god, though you think you are as wise as a god. Ezekiel 28:2 (NIV)

THE CONSEQUENCES OF PLAYING GOD

            1.  Frustration

It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong... but there is something else deep within me, my lower nature, that is at war with my mind and wins the fight... Romans 7:21, 23 (TLB)

            2.  Fatigue

My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Psalm 32:4b-5

            3.  Failure

People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy. Proverbs 28:13

       1ST STEP TO HEALTH: Admit I need God’s help.

We saw how powerless we were to help ourselves; but that was good, for then we put everything into the hands of God, who alone could save us, for He can even raise the dead. 

2 Corinthians 1:9 (TLB)

 (Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation second edition, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Message adapted from pastors.com