Overcoming Challenges: Embracing God's Transformative Power

Devotional

Day 1: God's Favor on Action

God has a bias toward those who take action. John 13:17 teaches that knowing what to do is not enough; we must act on it to be blessed. This principle encourages us to move beyond our mistakes and take decisive steps toward our future. When we take action, we align ourselves with God's will and open the door for His blessings to flow into our lives.

Taking action requires faith and courage, especially when we face uncertainty or fear. However, God promises to be with us every step of the way, guiding and empowering us. As we step out in faith, we can trust that God will provide the resources, wisdom, and strength we need to succeed. [01:15]

John 13:17 (ESV): "If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them."

Reflection: What is one specific action you can take today to move closer to a goal or overcome a challenge? How can you trust God to guide and empower you in this step?

Day 2: God Builds Us Through Challenges

Benaiah's name means "whom God builds up," signifying that every experience, no matter how painful, is a building block for our growth. This understanding helps us see our struggles as opportunities for God to build us into stronger, wiser individuals. Each challenge we face is a chance for God to shape our character and deepen our faith.

When we encounter difficulties, it's easy to feel discouraged or overwhelmed. However, we can take comfort in knowing that God is using these experiences to build us up. He is continually working in our lives, using every situation to mold us into the people He created us to be. By trusting in God's plan and persevering through challenges, we can grow in strength and wisdom. [03:52]

James 1:2-4 (ESV): "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

Reflection: Think of a recent challenge you faced. How can you see God's hand in using that experience to build you up? What lessons did you learn, and how can you apply them moving forward?

Day 3: Confronting Generational Curses

Benaiah's battle with the Moabite champions symbolizes the need to confront and break generational curses. These are destructive patterns passed down through families, and overcoming them requires discipline and inner strength. By addressing these issues head-on, we can break free from the negative cycles that have held us back and create a new legacy for future generations.

Generational curses can manifest in various ways, such as unhealthy relationships, addiction, or negative thought patterns. Confronting these issues can be challenging, but with God's help, we can overcome them. By seeking His guidance and strength, we can break free from the past and embrace the future He has planned for us. [10:52]

Ezekiel 18:20 (ESV): "The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself."

Reflection: Identify a generational pattern or curse in your family. How can you take steps to confront and break this cycle with God's help? What practical actions can you take to create a new legacy for future generations?

Day 4: Chasing Down Challenges

Benaiah's act of chasing a lion into a pit on a snowy day teaches us to confront our challenges head-on. Whether it's emotional struggles, past mistakes, or confusion, we must face these issues directly to achieve victory. By addressing our challenges with courage and determination, we can overcome them and experience the freedom and growth that God desires for us.

Facing challenges can be intimidating, but we can take comfort in knowing that God is with us. He provides the strength and wisdom we need to confront our fears and overcome obstacles. By trusting in His guidance and stepping out in faith, we can achieve victory and grow in our relationship with Him. [19:17]

Joshua 1:9 (ESV): "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

Reflection: What is one challenge you are currently facing? How can you confront this challenge head-on with God's help? What steps can you take today to move toward victory?

Day 5: Continuous Transformation in Christ

Becoming a new creation in Christ is a continuous process. We are always in transition, becoming better versions of ourselves. This journey involves dealing with our past and generational issues, but with God's help, we can achieve unprecedented victories. As we grow in our relationship with Christ, we are continually transformed into His likeness.

This process of transformation requires us to be intentional about our spiritual growth. By spending time in prayer, studying God's Word, and seeking His guidance, we can become more like Christ each day. As we allow God to work in our lives, we can experience the joy and peace that comes from being in His presence. [30:43]

2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV): "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to experience transformation? How can you be intentional about seeking God's guidance and allowing Him to work in your life? What steps can you take to grow in your relationship with Christ today?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

In today's sermon, we explored the powerful story of Benaiah, one of King David's mighty men, who faced incredible challenges and overcame them through faith and action. We began by affirming that this is our year of more—more of God's work in us, through us, and for us. We emphasized the importance of clarity and direction, especially for the week ahead, and encouraged everyone to be open and ready for God's guidance.

The central theme was that all we need is one shot to change our lives, no matter how many mistakes we've made. We discussed how God favors those who take action, as illustrated in John 13:17. We revisited the story of David and Goliath to highlight that with God, we can overcome any obstacle, even if we lack the natural resources or experience.

We then delved into the story of Benaiah, whose name means "whom God builds up." Benaiah's life teaches us that God is continually building us, using every experience as a building block. We learned that God knows everything about us and still loves us, which should inspire us to worship Him wholeheartedly.

Benaiah's heroic deeds, including killing two champions of Moab and chasing a lion into a pit on a snowy day, serve as metaphors for the challenges we face. These challenges often represent generational curses, emotional struggles, and past mistakes. Benaiah's story teaches us the importance of discipline and the need to confront and conquer our internal battles before we can tackle external ones.

We emphasized that God builds, knows, and gathers everything we need. This means that God is orchestrating our lives to bring us the resources, people, and opportunities we need to succeed. We must be willing to confront our past, deal with our emotions, and seek clarity in our lives.

Finally, we were reminded that becoming a new creation in Christ involves a continuous process of transformation. We are always in transition, becoming better versions of ourselves. This journey requires us to deal with our past and generational issues, but with God's help, we can overcome and achieve unprecedented, uncommon, and unheard-of victories.

###

Key Takeaways

1. on. Whether it's emotional struggles, past mistakes, or confusion, we must face these issues directly to achieve victory. [19:17]
5. Continuous Transformation in Christ: Becoming a new creation in Christ is a continuous process. We are always in transition, becoming better versions of ourselves. This journey involves dealing with our past and generational issues, but with God's help, we can achieve unprecedented victories.

### [19:17]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:15] - All You Need is One Shot
[02:34] - God's Favor on Action
[03:52] - God Builds Us Through Challenges
[05:10] - God Knows and Still Loves You
[06:35] - God Builds, Knows, and Gathers
[08:05] - Chasing Down Challenges
[09:26] - Becoming One of David's Generals
[10:52] - Confronting Generational Curses
[12:12] - Discipline and Inner Strength
[13:42] - Every Step Has Purpose
[15:12] - Dealing with Internal Battles
[16:36] - Chasing a Lion
[17:56] - Facing Emotional Struggles
[19:17] - Confronting Challenges Head-On
[20:44] - Dealing with Uncomfortable Situations
[22:19] - Snowy Day as a Metaphor for Past Mistakes
[23:53] - Getting Past Your Past
[25:17] - Preparing for New Opportunities
[26:45] - Practical Steps to Deal with Your Past
[28:04] - Reversing the Chase
[29:16] - Becoming a New Creation
[30:43] - Continuous Transformation
[32:16] - Dealing with Avoidance
[33:43] - Practical Application
[35:10] - God Giving You a Shot
[36:43] - Invitation to Christ
[37:57] - Joining the Church Family
[39:06] - Final Blessing and Giving

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What does John 13:17 say about the relationship between knowing and doing? How does this relate to the sermon’s emphasis on taking action? [01:15]
According to 1 Chronicles 11:22, what were some of the heroic deeds performed by Benaiah? How do these deeds serve as metaphors for the challenges we face in life? [03:52]
In 2 Corinthians 5:17, what does it mean to be a new creation in Christ? How does this concept of continuous transformation appear in the sermon? [30:43]

Interpretation Questions

How does the principle in John 13:17, that knowing what to do is not enough without action, challenge our daily lives and decisions? [01:15]
Benaiah’s name means "whom God builds up." How does understanding that God is continually building us through our experiences change our perspective on challenges and struggles? [03:52]
The sermon discusses breaking generational curses and dealing with past mistakes. How does the story of Benaiah illustrate the importance of confronting these issues head-on? [10:52]
What does it mean to be in a continuous process of transformation as described in 2 Corinthians 5:17? How can this understanding help us deal with our past and generational issues? [30:43]

Application Questions

Reflect on a recent situation where you knew the right thing to do but hesitated to take action. How can John 13:17 inspire you to act decisively in similar situations in the future? [01:15]
Think about a challenge you are currently facing. How can you apply the lesson from Benaiah’s story to confront this challenge directly rather than avoiding it? [19:17]
Identify a generational curse or destructive pattern in your family. What steps can you take to break this cycle, and how can you seek God’s help in this process? [10:52]
Consider an area of your life where you feel like you are being pulled into pieces or are unclear and confused. What practical steps can you take to chase down clarity and deal with this confusion? [17:56]
Reflect on a past mistake or sin that has been piling up like snow in your life. What actions can you take to confront and deal with this issue, and how can you rely on God’s strength to overcome it? [22:19]
How can you embrace the continuous process of transformation in Christ? Identify one specific area in your life where you want to see growth and change, and discuss how you can work towards this transformation. [30:43]
The sermon emphasizes the importance of dealing with uncomfortable situations rather than avoiding them. Think of an uncomfortable situation you have been avoiding. What steps can you take this week to confront and resolve it? [19:17]

Sermon Clips

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "No matter how many mistakes you've made and I don't know if you're like me but I've made some mistakes in my life and no matter how many mistakes you've made what you do now can change your tomorrow today and all you need is work one shot and what have I been teaching you since we started this series that god has a bias toward well this means he favors those who take action." [01:15] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "God knows everything about you and he still loves you god knows every issue every idiosyncrasy every secret thing and he still loves him some you who wouldn't love a god that would love you despite knowing everything about you see maybe you're perfect and you don't ever make any mistakes or do anything wrong but i'm not and for the rest of us that are not perfect here's what we're gonna give him glory." [05:10] (21 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "He eventually became one of king david's generals but before god did more through him and more for him god had to do more in him i'm gonna say it again he became one of king david's generals good god but before god could do more through him and more for him god had to do more in him through setting up encounters to make him look at me get past his past." [09:26] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "If you can conquer you you can conquer anything else if you can conquer your baggage you can conquer anything else if you can conquer what got your family you can conquer anything else if you can conquer what got your daddy you can conquer anything else what does this essentially teach us that benaiah needed discipline say discipline." [12:12] (19 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "If anyone is in christ he is a new creation all things are passed away and all things are made new i need you to open up your mouth and say i'm getting past my past i'm getting past my past yep i used to be open up your mouth say i'm getting past my past." [23:53] (-8 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

### Quotes for Members

1. "When god is building you that means everything you go through is a building block for you to get better i wish you look at somebody say he's building you he's building you he's building you which means everything you go through it's building hurt but it built you i know it was painful but it built you i know it was difficult but it built you i know it stressed you out but it built you is there anybody beside me where you can say everything i've been through it's been building me i'm wiser i'm stronger i'm more spiritual i gotta fight about me that i didn't have until i went through something that built me." [03:52] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "So this is god's doing and sometimes there are battles that we face and we instantaneously want to say it's the devil it's the devil it's the enemy it's the enemy but in benaiah's life we see that god gives him this shot to deal with his past because benaiah you cannot take your past into your future they refer to as two more about moabite lion-like champions moabite means from the fathers which means these are destructive patterns passed down that it prevailed against past generations." [10:52] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "So benaiah has to literally deal with him before he gets to this one lion in this one pit on this one snowy day um this is one of my favorite bible stories because the bible just kind of throws it in there and and the language is so crazy because he's like and then this other day he chases this lion down so my question is how do you chase a lion down like normally if you've ever wave at me if you've ever looked at national geographic any of those normally humans are kind of little you know it's kind of you know scary around lines like you ain't gonna run up on a lion be like hey mufasa like back up like you're not gonna you ain't gonna run up on a lion like that you just can't you know that's not kind of the way it works but that's not how benaiah was benaiah chases the lion down which means he's got the lion on the run." [16:36] (48 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "So the bible gives this amazing imagery of this man chasing down a lion into a pit on a snowy day to teach a principle that that's what it's going to feel like when you deal with your past you're going to be chasing something that had you emotional that challenged you that had you unclear and confused you're going to chase this thing down and you're going to have to kill it and you're going to have to kill it and you're going to have to kill it and you're in a pit in other words i'm going to have to chase this thing down and deal with it at an uncomfortable place but i can't keep letting it chase me i gotta chase it down." [26:45] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "Avoidance is not a plan. Avoidance is not a strategy. Not talking about it is not going to work. Sweeping it under the rug. Baby, you ain't got no more rug left. That's not going to work this time. Look at somebody and say, that's not going to work this time. Say, this time you're going to have to deal with it. Say, but when you deal with it, you're going to conquer it." [33:43] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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Transcript

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