The Road ABF Lesson: Contentment

This Sunday I was asked to sub in our ABF class (aka Sunday School) at church. We have been studying characteristics of Christ and just started, so I had quite a list to choose from. I ended up doing a lesson on contentment. Turns out we talked about this in the sermon too, so we got a double dose! Below is the lesson.

What is your definition of contentment?

• Satisfaction in all things and in all circumstances
  
  • must ultimately come through being imitators of Christ (Eph 5:1)
    
  • and depending upon His strength (Phil 4:13).
    

What it is NOT:

• Simple Gratification
  
  • Gratification is the positive emotional response to a fulfillment of a desire.
    
  • How many times are your desires filled, but you still aren't content?
    
  • Philippians 4:11-13
    
    • You may or may not have your desires fulfilled.
      
    • Paul spoke to living in both fulfilled and unfulfilled desires – neither brought him contentment, but it was a learned way of life.
      
    • Circumstances don't bring fulfillment/contentment. It is through the strength of Christ.
      
• Lack of Ambition
  
  • There is nothing wrong with to succeed, do better, or improve.
    
    • Proverbs 10:4, Ecclesiastes 2:24, Ephesians 4:28
      
  • God instructs us to work hard and be diligent.
    
  • Our problem is when we begin to have a covetous spirit and insatiable desire for more.
    
    • Proverbs 1:19
      
• Lack of Desires
  
  • The Lord instills in us a sense of desire – for him and for the things in which he created you for.
    
    • Psalm 37:4
      
  • Our sinful nature gets too caught up in worldly desires.
    
    • Romans 13:14
      
• Indifference/Inaction
  
  • Contentment is not becoming lazy and neglecting our work/desires – calling it contentment as if there are no desires.
    
  • Laziness and neglect are also sins.
    
    • 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10
      

So what IS contentment?

• Submission
  
  • Submit to God's will for your life – James 4:7-10
    
  • Be realistic about what the Lord has given you. – characteristics of self, personality
    
  • Some things you can't change. – enjoy them.
    
    • Ecclesiastes 1:15, Psalm 139:13-14
      
• Pleasure
  
  • Enjoy the things you have rather than focusing on the things you don't have.
    
  • The wrong perspective/motives leads to envy and jealousy.
    
    • Hebrews 13:5, Ecclesiastes 4:4
      
• Satisfaction
  
  • Recognizing when enough is enough. (German writer Goethe) -- 1 Timothy 6:6-10
    
    • Health enough to make work a pleasure.
      
    • Wealth enough to support your needs.
      
    • Strength enough to battle with difficulties and overcome them.
      
    • Grace enough to confess your sins and forsake them.
      
    • Patience enough to toil until some good is accomplished.
      
    • Charity enough to see some good in your neighbor.
      
    • Love enough to move you to be useful to others.
      
    • Faith enough to make real the things of God.
      
    • Hope enough to remove all anxious fears concerning the future.
      

VIDEO – Average Joe (http://sermonspice.com/product/16465/am-i-content-3f)

• If we were honest, we could probably all relate to "Joe" at some point in our lives.
  
• Because of our human sin nature, we all have worldly desires that get away from us.
  

Are you really content?

 

How do I become content? Learn it! (Joe said, "It's the journey, not the destination")

• Philippians 4:11 – Paul said he learned it. So can we.
  
• We learn it through the faithful, diligent practice of seeking to be more like Christ.
  
  • Christ didn't possess much (Matthew 8:20)
    
  • Christ understood life isn't really measured by money (Luke 12:15; Matthew 6:19-21,24)
    
  • Christ trusted in the providence of God (Matt 6:33, 1 Timothy 6:17)
    
  • Christ was a giver, not a taker (Acts 20:35)
    
  • Christ had his priorities set: God first, others second. (Matt 22:37-40)
    
• Learn it through persevering in suffering
  
  • Trials build character which is of greater worth than things (1 Peter 1:5-7)
    
  • It also builds faith and inner strength (Romans 5:3-5)
    
• So let all life experiences teach you to be content with what God has given you, is bringing you through, or has done for you.
  
  • We have freedom in Christ (Romans 8:1)
    
  • We have the spirit (1 Corinthians 2:12)
    
  • We have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16)
    
  • We have access to God (Ephesians 2:18)
    
  • We have fullness in Christ (Colossians 2:10)
    
  • We have eternal life (John 5:24)
    
  • We have EVERYTHING WE NEED.
    

VIDEO – Anything But Jesus (http://sermonspice.com/product/15387/anything-but-jesus)

• Satan's chief end is to distract us from the Cross.
  
• He will throw anything in our face to temp our desires so that we turn our attention from Jesus to other means of fulfillment.
  
• Make sure that you put on the armor of God to guard against such attacks. Be alert.
  
• It come fast and furious and can get overwhelming.
  
• But know that as you imitate God (Eph 5:1) and rely on the strength of Christ (Phil. 4:13).
  
• You can find contentment in life through Christ.
  

What is your commitment today to return your focus from worldly desires back to Christ?

 

Make a commitmen:

• What worldly desires distract me from being content?
  
• How will I refocus on Christ?
  
• Who can keep me accountable?
  
• Who can keep me accountable?

Help me on an MBA Assingment #2

As another self assessment assignment, I am creating a Johari window for myself and would also like your input. This exercise helpsme better understand my interpersonal communication and relationships.

It wont take long, I promise! Just visit: http://kevan.org/johari?name=emilyjward and choose 5 or 6 adjectives that you think best describe me the best. And if you want, you can even create your own Johari window!

Thanks again for your help! I'll be sure to post the results!

Help me on an MBA Assingment #1

For those of you that didnt get an email regarding this assignment, I thought it would be a good idea to post it here and you can leave your feedback in the comments.

As part of my MBA program, I am taking a course that requires me to construct a profile of the ways I add value and make a contribution. I have been asked to contact twenty people who know me well. I am to request that each person provides me with a story of when I was at my best. I would like to invite you to help me with this exercise.

I appreciate your taking time to do this for me. This will require you to think about your interactions with me and to identify those incidents/behaviors when I was at my very best in your eyes. In writing, please be sure to provide examples so I can understand the situation and
characteristics you are describing. I have included an example of what these stories could look like. Please only use this as a guide.

There is an attached form you may use to provide your feedback. Please email your responses to me by June 26, 2009. Thank you so much for
your cooperation. I will be sure to tell you what I learn!

Feedback Example:
Provide a statement:
One of the ways that you add value and make important contributions is:
The ability to get people to work together and five all they have to a
task.

Provide an Example in a story:
For example, I think of a time when:
We were doing the Alpha project. We were getting behind and the stress was building. We started to close down and get very focused on just meeting our deadline. You noticed that we were not doing our best work and stopped the group to rethink our approach. You asked whether we wanted to just satisfy the requirements or whether we wanted to do really good and important work. You reminded us of what we were capable of doing and how each of us could contribute to a better outcome. No one else in that room would have thought to do that.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Kitchen Remodel - Phase 1: Finished Floor

The floor with the desk didn't stain like the rest of the floor because it was a different concrete (it used to be a porch). But it looks way better than the old tile!
Click on pictures to enlarge.

Day 3 of Kitchen Remodel

Day 3 - cleaning the floor of the thinset/mastic with 2 hammer drills and a cup grinder. The cupgrinder had a vacuum attached, but the bag sprung a leak and filled the kitchen with dust. You couldnt even see 3 feet in front of you! Here are some pictures as the dust faded - and you can see where it was sucked out the window by the fan ... guess I'll have to wash the screens too! (and ignore my ghetto porch. I'll clean if off somedday.)

Kitchen Remodel - Phase 1 (unfinished)

So here are some pictures from removing the tile this weekend. I still have to remove all the leftover thinset and mastic (yes, both) from the floor and clean it up.

murder.

Wake-y Wake-y, Eggs and Bac-y!

This morning I got up very early (at least for me!) to meet some sweet ladies from FBC-Irving as we plan out a new mentorship program for women at the church. I am so excited to see how God is going to work in the ministry and in the lives of the women at FBC. He has directed my pwn heart and the hearts of the ladies I met this morning for quite some time now so it is very exciting to see this ministry start to develop. I know He has great plans for everyone who will be involved and change lives. So Exciting!!

We are currently set to meet every Monday morning at the very early hour of 6am. But at least it is at IHOP so we'll get some good fuel for the day. Planning to start training in the fall as a possibility and matching up in the spring. But, still praying about it. So you pray too! (please!).

Love ya!

The Other 6 Days

This Sunday @ FBC-Humble Area, the church was doing a series about the other 6 days of the week. They spoke about how usually when people think of the ministry, they think of the pastors, the church (inside), the missionaries, and other people in "religious fields of work". But we are all missionaries in all areas of work and God can use anything in our hands to accomplish His work. Some points the pastor made were:

• All of the Earth is holy ground - and we should realize that and act appropriately. Your office, the streets, your school, everywhere is Holy Ground.
• You first serve God, then you serve your Boss. (Col. 3:17,23)
• God will use whatever you have in your hands, if you let him.
• The same Spirit that works in the great prophets and teachers (of yesterday and today) is the same Spirit that does a work in you - but you have to submit to Him.

Submitting to God in your workplace, where ever it might be, will change:

• your purpose (Acts 13:22-36),
  
• your product - to be of better quality (Psalm 139- the quality of God's work),
  
• your place (becomes holy),
  
• the way you view people,
• your platform (not our right to do work or share the gospel, but God's work in us)
• your posture (to servant hood)

I am encouraged by this and plan on seeing Brink's (my place of work) as God's Holy ground. The pastor encouraged us to even remove our shoes and pray before entering the building ("Lord, this may not look like a holy place, people may not act like it is Holy, even myself, but I pray that my perspective would change and I would serve you in this place today. Let my work for you be whole hearted and may I glorify you in word and deed.") I did this today, and I will continue to. I am excited to see how God can work through me at Brinks.

I encourage you to do so also. Have you seen God work in your workplace? Do you submit your work to Him? I admit it is so easy to get caught up in the actual work, and living life than to see it as God's work. What is your perspective?

Talk about this conversation on OurConvo.com --> http://ourconvo.com/the-other-6-days/

ps. you can view "The Other 6 Days" here. I didnt see First Baptist's sermon online, but you may check iTunes for a podcast.

Before the Throne...

Before the Throne of God above,
I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great High Priest whose name is Love,
who ever lives, and pleads for me.

My name is graven on His hands.
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in Heaven He stands,
no tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair,
and tells me of my guilt within,
upward I look and see Him there,
who made an end of all my sin.

Because the sinless Savior died,
my sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied,
to look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there, the Risen Lamb!
My perfect, spotless righteousness.
The great unchangeable "I Am".
The King of Glory and of Grace.

One with Himself, I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood.
My life is hid with Christ on high -
with Christ, my Savior and my God.