Its worth it!

 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning....... Thoughts on This Verse... God is the God of all comfort (see 2 Cor. 1). Even when he deals harshly with our sin and rebellion, it is for our good. It will last only a short while and then it gives way to rejoicing. If you are in a time of discipline or facing the cruel consequences of sin, please don't give up. Morning will come, and on that dawn will come God's grace. It's more than worth the wait! 


-Psalm 30:5-


**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Evil

Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned....... Thoughts on This Verse... God has promised a closing time, a reckoning where human power and influence cannot buy out the truth and where each person will have to face up to what he or she has done. Evil will overtake those who have been partners with evil. Those that hate good people, righteous people, will be condemned in their own hate. God's righteousness, truth, and justice will not be short-circuited! 


-Psalm 34:21-

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

[Jesus said]''Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.''...... Thoughts on This Verse... Eternal life begins, now! That is one of Jesus' messages in the Gospel of John. For sure, we don't get to enjoy all of the blessings that await us when we go home to the Father. But, Jesus wants us to know, to experience, his love and the Father's presence in our lives, now! He even prayed it for us! So let's seek the Father; not to just know about him, but to know him! He longs to draw near to us and will do so as we draw near to him! He is at work in us, so the real issue isn't his nearness, but our awareness of his presence and work. Let's open our eyes and our hearts to our Father, and ask him to reveal his presence to us! 


-John 17:3-

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Sexual Intimacy

Sun 27th February

Sexual Intimacy

John Sweetman

*Today's topic is focused on the perspective that God has on sex

*Sex is a "bottly" desire that we have just like food. (haha!)

*Sex is a physical need that we all need

*And the impression we get now when we don't have sex is that were not normal

*A couple of restrictions :-

1. Pedophilia is wrong because its a form of abuse

2. Sexual abuse is wrong

3. Same form of love is desired

4. If your married, we have to stay true to our partner

*A place called Corinth was a place liberal of sex

*A couple of books written to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 6:12 & 13: "Everything is permissible for me" - but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"- but I will not be mastered by anything. "Food for the stomach and the stomach for food" - but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

1 Corinthians 7:1: Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry

(talking about sex)

Whats God's idea on sex?

1 Corinthians 6:18: Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.

(porneia)- any sex outside of marriage

3 Things Paul argues in this passage

1. Your body is very important to God

1 Corinthians 6:13: "Food for the stomach and the stomach for food"- but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body

God is really interested in our body

*Our mind and soul is different from our body

1 Corinthians 6:14: By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.

*When body disintegrates, our spirit lives

*God gave us another resurrected NEW body

*He cares so much for our body that He gave us a NEW body

1 Corinthians 6:15: Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!

1 Corinthians 6:19: Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 

*The body links intricately with your mind and soul

*He wants your body as well as your heart. God is living in your body

2. Sex is more important that you think

*Having good sex is important but its more important that you think

1 Corinthians 6:15-16: Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh."

The book of Genesis also says this that "The two will become one flesh"

*Joining of two people in one which can't be ripped apart

*When you have sex with a prostitute, its just not about physical sex alone but an having an intimate commitment that you will spend the rest of your life with

*God created sex so that it would be at their deepest level, giving and trusting themselves completely to him/her

*There is pleasure in sex but self-donation is given as well

*If we don't use sex the way God wants it to be, we are slowly burning and destroying it in ourselves

1 Corinthians 6:18: Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commites are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.

*If you treat sex carelessly, it will cut deep and slowly destroy you

*We may have mess it up sometime in our live someway but God can forgive and bring change in our lives

*But we must not take this wrong because God designed this wonderful thing called sex for us

3. Sex is less important that you think

1 Corinthians 6:16: Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh."

*There is a spiritual relationship that we can have with God even though we can have amazing relationships because no one loves us unconditionally like God

*This kind of relationship will be enriching because God will never let you down

*We are broken people and we can hurt each other but God can't

*The way we mess things up can be forgiven because God is forgiving

*The God of the universe is loving, accepting and keeping us in his relationship forever and ever

1 Corinthians 6:19: Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 

*God is definitely above sex

The relationship with God is even better

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Finally but Always

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power....... 


Thoughts on This Verse... Some of our strength to fight evil comes from our experiences in the past, from the encouragement of others, and from our knowledge of the truth in the Scriptures. Ultimately, however, our strength comes from God's mighty power. Paul uses his letter to the Ephesians to remind Christians that this power is what raised Jesus from the dead (1:19-20). Through that power in us, God can do much more than we can ask or imagine (3:20-21). Most important of all, as we put on our spiritual armor and dedicate ourselves to spiritual discipline, God blesses us with his power and might. We can be strong in God's mighty power. 


-Ephesians 6:10-

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

L.O.V.E

We love because he first loved us....... Thoughts on This Verse... We love others because God has first loved us. Our Heavenly Father taught us how to love in Jesus. Our Abba Father has given us security and confidence so we can love more fully. Our Holy and Almighty God loved us boldly and sacrificially so we could properly understand and define love. We are not the source of love; God is. We are not the great example of love; God is. We tend to be careful and share our love with only those with whom we want to share it: God's love is expansive and open to all. We love because he first loved us. 



-1 John 4:19-

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say''No'' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age......... Thoughts on This Verse... Grace is not about excuses for our sins, but about a deep-seated thanksgiving for pardon and a life-changing commitment to say''No!'' to all that is evil, corrupt, and wicked no matter how alluring or how pervasive they may be in our culture. 


-Titus 2:11-12-


**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**