Navigating Life's Seasons: Grace, Labor, and Thanksgiving
Summary
In today's message, we explored the profound journey of navigating through the different seasons of life as sons and daughters of God. We began by acknowledging that there are times when God, like a loving parent, simply gives to us out of His abundant love, without us having to ask or earn it. These are the seasons of grace and favor, where blessings seem to flow effortlessly. However, there are also seasons that require preparation and labor, much like the effort needed to prepare a meal. These are the times when we must fight to enter into God's rest, a place where His provisions and promises are fully realized.
We delved into the concept of biblical fighting, emphasizing that our battles are not against flesh and blood but are spiritual in nature. The Word of God is our sword, and we must wield it with authority and precision. The journey from promise to promise requires us to labor in faith, wielding our spiritual weapons to overcome obstacles and enter into the rest that God has prepared for us.
A key aspect of this journey is thanksgiving. Entering His gates with thanksgiving shifts our focus from ourselves to God, transforming our mindset and aligning our hearts with His will. Thanksgiving is a powerful tool that sanctifies our lives, boosts our strength, and positions us to receive God's grace. It is through a heart of gratitude that we cultivate humility, allowing God's grace to flow abundantly in our lives.
We also discussed the importance of self-control, a fruit of the Spirit that emerges from a heart aligned with God's purposes. True self-control is not achieved through human effort alone but is a manifestation of a life surrendered to God, marked by thanksgiving and humility. As we walk in grace and humility, we find ourselves operating in God's favor, experiencing His provisions, deliverance, and promises.
Ultimately, the journey from season to season, from promise to promise, is about learning to labor in faith, wielding the sword of the Spirit, and entering into God's rest. It is about living a life of thanksgiving, humility, and grace, where we are continually transformed by the renewing of our minds and hearts.
Key Takeaways:
- Seasons of Grace and Labor: Life consists of seasons where God gives freely and seasons that require preparation and labor. Recognizing these seasons helps us align with God's timing and purposes. [22:21]
- Biblical Fighting: Our battles are spiritual, and the Word of God is our sword. We must learn to wield it effectively to overcome obstacles and enter into God's rest. [26:35]
- Power of Thanksgiving: Thanksgiving shifts our focus from ourselves to God, transforming our mindset and aligning our hearts with His will. It sanctifies our lives and positions us to receive God's grace. [36:53]
- Cultivating Humility: Thanksgiving leads to humility, allowing God's grace to flow abundantly in our lives. Humility positions us to receive God's favor and operate in His power. [45:41]
- Manifesting Self-Control: True self-control is a fruit of the Spirit, emerging from a heart aligned with God's purposes. It is achieved through a life of thanksgiving, humility, and grace. [53:39]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [20:11] - The Weight of the Word
- [22:21] - Seasons of Grace and Labor
- [23:34] - The Fight for Rest
- [25:06] - Understanding Spiritual Seasons
- [26:35] - The Sword of the Spirit
- [28:13] - Entering God's Rest
- [30:16] - The Perpetual Sabbath
- [31:32] - Laboring to Stay in Rest
- [34:35] - Giants in the Promised Land
- [36:01] - The Power of Thanksgiving
- [36:53] - Shifting Mindsets with Gratitude
- [40:13] - Thanksgiving and Sanctification
- [41:00] - Thanksgiving Boosts Strength
- [45:41] - Humility and Grace
- [50:17] - Walking in Humility and Love
- [53:39] - Manifesting Self-Control
- [56:29] - Resting in God's Grace
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Mark 4:28 - "The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the full grain in the head."
2. Hebrews 4:9-11 - "There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience."
3. Psalm 100:4 - "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name."
#### Observation Questions
1. According to Mark 4:28, what are the stages of growth mentioned, and how do they relate to the seasons of life discussed in the sermon? [25:06]
2. In Hebrews 4:9-11, what is the significance of entering God's rest, and how does it relate to the concept of laboring in faith? [28:13]
3. How does Psalm 100:4 describe the act of thanksgiving, and what role does it play in shifting our focus from ourselves to God? [36:53]
4. What examples from the sermon illustrate the difference between seasons of grace and seasons of labor? [22:21]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the concept of biblical fighting, as described in the sermon, align with the idea of spiritual warfare in the Bible? [26:35]
2. What does it mean to "labor to enter God's rest," and how can this be practically applied in a believer's life? [30:16]
3. How does thanksgiving transform our mindset and align our hearts with God's will, according to the sermon? [36:53]
4. In what ways does humility allow God's grace to flow abundantly in our lives, as discussed in the sermon? [45:41]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a recent season in your life. Was it a season of grace or labor? How did you respond to it, and what did you learn from it? [22:21]
2. How can you better wield the "sword of the Spirit" in your daily life to overcome spiritual battles? What specific steps can you take to improve in this area? [26:35]
3. Identify a situation where you can practice thanksgiving to shift your focus from yourself to God. How might this change your perspective and actions? [36:53]
4. Think of a time when you struggled with self-control. How can aligning your heart with God's purposes help you manifest self-control in similar situations in the future? [53:39]
5. What are some practical ways you can cultivate humility in your interactions with others this week? How might this position you to receive God's favor? [45:41]
6. Consider a current challenge you are facing. How can you labor in faith to enter into God's rest concerning this issue? [30:16]
7. How can you incorporate a habit of thanksgiving into your daily routine to boost your spiritual strength and sanctify your life? [41:00]
Devotional
Day 1: Recognizing Seasons of Grace and Labor
In life, we experience seasons where God's blessings flow effortlessly, and other times when we must labor and prepare to receive His promises. These seasons are not random but are part of God's divine timing and purpose for our lives. During seasons of grace, we are reminded of God's abundant love, where He gives freely without us having to ask or earn it. In contrast, seasons of labor require us to prepare and fight to enter into God's rest, where His provisions and promises are fully realized. Understanding these seasons helps us align with God's timing and purposes, allowing us to navigate life's journey with wisdom and faith. [22:21]
"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted." (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, ESV)
Reflection: What season do you believe you are currently in, and how can you align your actions and mindset with God's purpose for this season?
Day 2: Wielding the Sword of the Spirit
Our battles in life are not against flesh and blood but are spiritual in nature. The Word of God is our sword, and we must learn to wield it with authority and precision to overcome obstacles and enter into God's rest. This spiritual fighting involves laboring in faith, using our spiritual weapons to navigate the journey from promise to promise. By immersing ourselves in the Word and allowing it to guide our actions, we can effectively combat the challenges we face and move closer to the rest that God has prepared for us. [26:35]
"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12, ESV)
Reflection: How can you incorporate the Word of God more effectively into your daily life to face the spiritual battles you encounter?
Day 3: The Transformative Power of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a powerful tool that shifts our focus from ourselves to God, transforming our mindset and aligning our hearts with His will. By entering His gates with thanksgiving, we sanctify our lives and position ourselves to receive God's grace. A heart of gratitude cultivates humility, allowing God's grace to flow abundantly in our lives. As we practice thanksgiving, we find our strength boosted and our lives transformed, enabling us to operate in God's favor and experience His provisions, deliverance, and promises. [36:53]
"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thessalonians 5:18, ESV)
Reflection: What are three specific things you can thank God for today, and how can this practice of gratitude transform your perspective and actions?
Day 4: Cultivating Humility to Receive God's Grace
Humility is a key aspect of our spiritual journey, allowing God's grace to flow abundantly in our lives. Thanksgiving leads to humility, positioning us to receive God's favor and operate in His power. As we walk in grace and humility, we find ourselves experiencing God's provisions, deliverance, and promises. This journey requires us to continually renew our minds and hearts, aligning them with God's purposes and allowing His grace to transform us from the inside out. [45:41]
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:6-7, ESV)
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to practice humility, and how can you actively humble yourself before God today?
Day 5: Manifesting Self-Control through the Spirit
True self-control is a fruit of the Spirit, emerging from a heart aligned with God's purposes. It is not achieved through human effort alone but is a manifestation of a life surrendered to God, marked by thanksgiving and humility. As we cultivate self-control, we find ourselves operating in God's favor, experiencing His provisions, deliverance, and promises. This journey involves living a life of thanksgiving, humility, and grace, where we are continually transformed by the renewing of our minds and hearts. [53:39]
"For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." (2 Timothy 1:7, ESV)
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you struggle with self-control, and how can you invite the Holy Spirit to help you grow in this area today?
Quotes
"Therefore, since this is out of Hebrews four, therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, talking about rest. And those who. Formerly had good news preached to them, failed to enter because of disobedience. Who's it talking about? Old Testament Israelites. They failed to enter because of disobedience. How many people know? New Covenant is about faith. Old Testament is about obedience. Right. They failed. They didn't have faith for the New Testament." [00:28:20] (32 seconds)
"Therefore, let us be diligent to enter his rest. Now that word for diligent. it's not really diligent. That word for diligent means to labor, to get into his rest. Now, this messes me up. This is where it all started for me, was this verse here. Therefore, let us labor to get into his rest. What are you talking about? I can't just get into your rest? And this is where it all started for him. Let us labor to get into his rest. You'll find that translation in the New King James. Therefore, let us labor to enter that rest." [00:29:41] (45 seconds)
"And not to get into a teaching on the Sabbath, but we no longer honor one day as a Sabbath. Now, we become the temple of God. Now, we are the ones who, Paul writes and uses the word in the Greek, sabbatismos, which means to perpetually have a Sabbath in Jesus Christ every day. Every day is a Sabbath in us, because we are the temple of the Most High God. Now, every day, we rest in Jesus. His finished works. Not to go into a teaching on that, but that's what that means. It's not that we take one day aside now, Sunday, Saturday, Friday, and make it some holy day. That's Old Testament, not New Testament." [00:30:42] (41 seconds)
"All the Israelites had to do was pull out their swords and march in there and fight the way God told them to fight. And the giants would have left. Not one casualty, not one man would have died. So God had these giants come in and build fortified cities, deep wells, vineyards for them to come in and receive. He does the same thing for us in the New Testament. But we've got to understand how to wield our sword and how to fight to enter into that season, enter into that rest." [00:34:35] (36 seconds)
"Enter his gates with thanksgiving. You know, when I get in a place and I start to give thanks, my mindset starts to change. It starts to shift. And guess what it starts to shift off of? Off of me. It's no longer on me. When I truly start to give thanks for the places he brought me up and out of, the things that he's done in my life in the past, tears start to roll down my face just looking into my past and seeing the redemption quality that God had for my life. How he's redeemed it back in so many ways." [00:37:11] (45 seconds)
"How many people know that the Bible also says that when we pray over our food and give thanks for our food, it sanctifies our food? And then I'm going to say that again. How many people know about all the poisons and all the crap they're putting in food nowadays? We can't yank that poison out. We can't shop for every ingredient that's not good in a product. We can't. But God's given us a way out. And that is if we give thanks over that food, it makes what's bad in there null and void in our life." [00:39:08] (31 seconds)
"So you're telling me that I get in a place and I'm giving thanks past, present and future. I'm declaring God's promises and provisions in my life. And at that point, as my heart starts to turn and become humble before the Lord and giving thanks that his grace is now released into my life. And what's inside of his grace? The power of God, his mercy, his provisions, health, salvation, deliverance. Everything is inside of his grace. All the favor of the kingdom of God is inside of grace." [00:47:02] (44 seconds)
"How many people could use self -control? It's one of the fruits of the Spirit, right? Peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self -control. It's one of the ones I wish was taken out of there, I'll tell you that. Wish it wasn't written in there. Self -control. Well, who can self -control anything? Nobody can self -control. You cannot self -control on your own. You can only do it for so long, just like a boxer can only hold a title for so long before age catches up or disability, and then he ends up, the title gets taken from him." [00:53:16] (34 seconds)
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